Chapter 17 Academy Underground Dungeon (2)
“……”
“……”
Inside the academy’s cafe, we sat in front of each other with coffee placed in front of us.
In the suffocating silence, we remained seated.
There were things we needed to say, but our mouths just wouldn’t move.
…Actually, I didn’t expect to have a conversation with her right away.
But I wanted to recruit Kang Juyeon as a teammate to go to the academy’s underground dungeon, So I came to talk to her.
Even though I never thought that after the first attempt, we’d end up sitting here, able to talk like this.
Knowing her personality, which is even more aloof and pragmatic to lower-tier Holders, I thought it would be challenging to have a conversation with her so easily.
However, for some reason, Kang Juyeon casually agreed to spare some time for me.
In the original story, it took Park Jin-woo ten attempts before finally succeeding in having a conversation with her, so it felt somewhat remarkable that I succeeded on the first try.
Anyway, that’s the situation right now.
It was a suffocating cafe time.
“Uh…”
“…Oh, go ahead and speak.”
Ah, here we go again.
Finally managing to open our mouths,
We hear each other’s inner monologues.
The second reason why we couldn’t continue the conversation smoothly was the table next to us.
Moon Ga-eun, wearing a crushed hat, was stealing glances at us.
Moreover, with a face full of anticipation, she would start muttering to herself whenever I said something.
…Does she really think we can’t see her doing that?
I sighed inwardly and spoke.
“First, let me introduce myself. I’m Do Jae-hyun from the Intermediate Class. You may not know, but we had a class together earlier, and also when we captured the monster before…”
“I know.”
“…Huh?”
“I know, Do Jae-hyun.”
Does she know me?
Why?
Come to think of it, it was strange.
Park Jin-woo struggled through eleven attempts before finally succeeding in having a conversation, but here I am, having a conversation with her in a cafe from the get-go.
Maybe the encounter we had during the previous monster incident left a strong impression.
…Honestly, it seemed like I was just getting beaten up.
If that was impressive in its own right, then I guess it was impressive.
Anyway, if she knows me, it makes the conversation much smoother.
I quickly brushed off my surprise and continued.
“Well then, let’s cut to the chase.”
It was finally time to talk about the main topic.
“What I’m about to tell you is something that must be kept strictly confidential, even if something happens. Can I trust you to keep it a secret?”
“……”
The content regarding the academy’s underground dungeon must remain a secret.
It’s something that must not leak elsewhere.
With that in mind, my request was strict and demanding.
Kang Juyeon nodded slowly, her strong pride as an elite Holder surface. No matter the situation or who the other person is, she would never allow her pride to be compromised.
I asked her from the start to keep the secret, and she probably wouldn’t break it no matter the content.
The situation resolved somewhat smoothly, and I took out the prepared reports.
“Would you like to take a look at this?”
It was an exploration report on the academy’s underground dungeon.
It contained a brief description of the dungeon’s structure, initial appearance of monsters, and a little bit of strategy information.
Kang Juyeon’s expression became subtle as she read the report.
It seemed like she understood everything right away.
Her eyes showed a glimmer of excitement.
I lowered my voice and continued.
“To sum it up, it’s a special dungeon located somewhere within the Academy. It’s an undiscovered dungeon that has never been revealed before.”
Kang Juyeon carefully examined the report.
The report was compiled by Professor Tak Won-ho, who made a temporary inspection and wrote the document, so there was still a lot of missing information. However, it was a good guide for those who had to undertake a completely new exploration.
I didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
“Let me be direct. Kang Juyeon, I hope you’ll join me in exploring that dungeon. By chance, I now have a reason to explore it, but honestly, my abilities are lacking.”
Undiscovered dungeons are a haven of abundant rewards for high-grade Holders, but if you can’t handle them, you’ll end up just miserable.
I was still lacking the power to conquer the underground dungeon alone.
For this expedition, Kang Juyeon was essential.
“Dungeon exploration?”
“Yeah. As you can see from the report, the monsters that appear in the early stages are mainly C-grade Lizardmen. They have high physical strength but are weak against magic attacks. So, I’ll be in the front to withstand their attacks, and you’ll provide magic support from behind… I think we can conquer it more easily than expected.”
To be honest, I was pleading with her.
If she’s a mage on par with B-grade Holders who can wipe out even B-grade monsters in one shot… it was my first time seeing such magic. And she’s also recognized as the strongest among the first-year students. So, if I assumed that someone would join me in exploring this dungeon, it was her, Kang Juyeon, who immediately came to mind.
She hesitated for a moment and then asked, “But… Why me?”
“Huh?”
“There are many other Holders. Why do you specifically…”
“……”
Was she genuinely asking because she didn’t know?
She’s the Holder with the highest skill among my peers, so with her elite background, she’s prideful and rarely speaks. From the start, she’d never reveal information about dungeons to others. A person who would silently explore the dungeon regardless of external factors.
Among the people around me, there was no one else like that other than Kang Juyeon.
“During the previous monster incident, your magic was so impressive. Magic that can obliterate even B-grade monsters with a single blow… I’d never seen anything like that before. And you’re acknowledged as the strongest first-year student by everyone. So, I thought if I had to explore this dungeon with someone, it’d be you, Kang Juyeon.”
But behind my stifling inner thoughts,
A seemingly plausible reason came out of my mouth.
I was desperate, too.
If Kang Juyeon wasn’t with me, the dungeon exploration might be impossible.
It was almost like giving a presentation with PowerPoint in a different world.
Smooth and clean.
And with a little flattery, I lifted her up a bit while explaining.
Thankfully, it seemed like my passion had gotten through to her.
Kang Juyeon nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression.
But suddenly, an unexpected name came out of her mouth.
“…What about Kim Chae-eun?”
“Huh?”
Why does Kim Chae-eun come into play here?
No.
How does Kang Juyeon even know Kim Chae-eun?
But she said it as if it were nothing.
In an instant, Kang Juyeon’s head swiveled around.
“Oh, no, never mind. About that… the dungeon exploration, I’m in.”
“Huh? Really?!”
“Yeah.”
Her acceptance was so nonchalant.
But there was a clear reason behind it.
Given how weary Kang Juyeon was of academy life and how she found classes dull, exploring a secret dungeon was like a breath of fresh air to her.
‘It’s done.’
I clenched my fist and cheered inwardly.
The first button for the underground dungeon exploration was properly fastened.
Now, we just needed to set a date and get Professor Tak Won-ho’s approval.
This was the beginning of the long-awaited first dungeon exploration.
But things never go as planned.
One unexpected variable appeared before us.
“I want to join too!”
With a bright smile, Moon Ga-eun raised her hand from the side.
She had been sneakily watching us from afar, but now she was here, sharing our conversation.
‘She used a rune.’
Knowing Moon Ga-eun’s rune and skill to some extent, I had a hunch.
She possessed a rare rune.
The skill [Dolphin’s Sonar] was imbued within it.
It clearly enhanced her hearing.
My carelessness in not fully distancing Moon Ga-eun from us was evident.
‘But she’s not bad, actually.’
Although a sudden thought arose,
Moon Ga-eun’s joining wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
With a frontline warrior, a supporting mage, and an archer who occasionally provided support attacks, the completion of the three-person party was almost perfect.
Actually, it was even more well-rounded than the party of just the two of us.
…If only I can persuade Professor Tak Won-ho.
***
ippotranslations
***
“It’s alright. Do as you like.”
Professor Tak Won-ho kindly allowed Moon Ga-eun to join us.
It was a bit unexpected, but once I heard the reason, I understood. His initial plan was to give me practical experience in the dungeon and steadily help me grow. It was true that skills like [Wave Sword Technique] and [Water Sword Technique] revealed their true worth when facing monsters rather than just practicing alone.
But it wasn’t just my growth that mattered. Exploring the dungeon that suddenly appeared in the academy and obtaining information about it was important too. So, we reset our direction, and the party with Kang Juyeon and Moon Ga-eun, who both belonged to the high-grade Holders even in the upper class, was confirmed.
I wondered if they might feel burdened by the fact that it was a secret exploration, but it seemed that as long as it didn’t involve political issues, they were fine with it.
Before setting out for the exploration, I double-checked the holder information:
<Holder Information>
◎Name: Do Jae-hyun
◎Gender: Male (20)
◎Stats: –
◎ [Strength: 24]
◎ [Magic: 6]
◎ [Speed: 22]
◎ [Recovery: 2]
◎ [Toughness: 17]
◎ [Willpower: 14]
◎Resistance: –
: [Poison: 1]
◎Possessed Runes: –
: Epic
◎ [Rune Hunter Lv.Max]
◎ [Effort of the Seeker Lv.Max]
:Rare
◎ [Lizard’s Scales Lv.6]
◎ [Venom Lv.0]
◎ [Water Sword Technique Lv.1]
◎ [Wave Sword Technique Lv.2]
: Normal
◎ [Sword Lv.6]
◎ [Dagger Lv.4]
◎ [Cooking Lv.3]
◎ [Combat Lv.2]
◎ [Sprint Lv.2]
◎ [Magic Control Lv.2]
◎ [Bow Lv.1]
◎ [Axe Lv.1]
◎ [Spear Lv.1]
◎ [Blunt Lv.1]
◎ [Shield Lv.1]
◎Possessed Skills: –
◎ [Quarter Knives]: (Dagger)
◎ [Poison Claw]: (Venom)
◎ [Combo]: (Sword)
◎ [Hardening]: (Lizard’s Scales)
◎Ultimate Skill: –
–
The stats had clearly become solid after surpassing 20, and the growth of various rune levels caught my attention. I couldn’t help but wonder how my Recovery and Magic stats had increased, but the growth from the training effect of [Effort of the Seeker] rune was random, so it seemed like they would go up one by one.
Especially among the runes, the ones related to the sword that I had been diligently investing in recently had notably improved. [Sword] was already at level 6, and [Wave Sword Technique] had reached level 2.
Professor Tak Won-ho’s Spartan-style training had proved quite effective.
With these stats, I would have no problem handling the early-stage monsters, mainly C-grade Lizardmen, that usually appeared in the academy’s underground dungeon. I was confident that I could act as the frontline bruiser.
On the day we set out for the expedition, the three of us (me, Kang Juyeon, and Moon Ga-eun) stood in front of the secret entrance to the underground passage, as mentioned in the report.
Moon Ga-eun looked around with fascination, seemingly excited about the secret dungeon. She turned to Kang Juyeon and said, “Wow, a secret dungeon! I’m so nervous, right, Juyeon?”
“…Not really.”
Having met several times before for the strategy, Kang Juyeon and Moon Ga-eun’s nonchalant conversations had become familiar to me.
Entering the dungeon was simple. In a specific place known as the entrance, a particular medium was hidden. By infusing magic into that medium, one could enter the dungeon immediately.
The medium for this dungeon was somewhere on the wall of the underground passage.
I explored the wall bit by bit to find the exact location, and then turned back to look at the two.
“I’m going to activate it.”
Oops! I forgot to mention the magic part.
But it seemed like they roughly understood, as both of them nodded.
And at the same time, they placed their hands on my shoulders.
With this, when I infused magic, all three of us would be able to enter the dungeon together.
And…
[You have entered the dungeon.]
[The eerie energy and heavy air in the dungeon slightly decrease the Holder’s speed.]
After falling into this world and becoming a Holder, I entered a dungeon for the first time.
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