## Chapter 21 – 21. Underground Dungeon (2)
#21. Underground Dungeon (2)
“Underground dungeon?”
Seriously, why is something like that under the temple?
[Originally, this cavity was created to seal and store one of my nine sacred relics, the most dangerous one.]
“Ah!”
Iris made a gesture as if she finally understood at the World Tree’s explanation.
“So that’s why it was hard to grasp the spell within the barrier?”
[That’s right, child. This barrier does not welcome those who do not bear the mark of the royal family, nor does it allow them to leave.]
The spell of the barrier surrounding the underground cavity separates space, preventing anyone without the royal mark from entering or leaving.
There are no fatal restrictions imposed on the interior itself. Only the restriction that one cannot leave exists.
“But… since it’s called a dungeon, it feels a bit ominous. There’s nothing weird down there, right…?”
Nah, probably not.
[The path to the depths will be blocked by monsters. And my avatar, asleep to guard the sacred relic, will also awaken the moment you enter the dungeon.]
“…Just asking, what are the odds of a 2nd Circle mage coming out of there with all their limbs intact?”
[Probably about the same as that child eating meat.]
For the record, Iris is a vegetarian.
“Iris, can elves not eat meat?”
“Yes, I can’t eat meat due to my constitution.”
If it were just a matter of preference, there might have been a sliver of possibility, but with the characteristics of her race, there was none.
So, that meant there was no way I could safely clear that dungeon with my current skills.
Moreover, Iris was unable to fully utilize her abilities due to the restraints. In fact, I had to take on most of the strategy.
Of course, if I took my time and continued to grow in various ways, going back and forth between Earth and this world, it might be possible someday.
But when would that be?
5 years? 10 years? 20 years?
Wouldn’t the avatar guarding the sacred relic be at least equal to Iris in her prime? At the very least, it would be just below that.
7th Circle, huh.
Of course, I had created a mana circle in half a day with the app’s ability and reached the 2nd Circle in a week, but the 7th Circle was a distant and lofty realm that I couldn’t even dare to look up to with my current abilities.
The number of 7th Circle mages on Earth was only 10.
How much time would I have to pour in to reach that level?
The thought alone made my future seem bleak.
Then, there was a warmth that gently enveloped my hand.
“Hyunwoo, don’t worry too much.”
Iris held my hand affectionately and leaned on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to think so hastily. I’ll try to find a way to help you too.”
“…”
“So, let’s work together?”
I hugged Iris without a word.
“Thank you.”
I felt like I could go into the underground dungeon alone right now.
“And I’m planning to proceed with research to解除 the restraints, so if it works out well, you might not have to go into the dungeon at all.”
“That’s a bit…”
As a man, I couldn’t allow myself to pass the work onto a woman and just wait in a safe place.
I’d rather die in the dungeon.
I couldn’t even imagine doing that.
[Child, I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but only Kang Hyunwoo is to enter the dungeon.]
“Pardon?!”
Iris’s eyes, looking at the World Tree in surprise, were filled with undisguised questions.
“W-Why is that, Mother…? If Hyunwoo goes into the dungeon alone…!”
[Because it is for his sake.]
The World Tree’s subsequent answer bewildered us.
I thought she was a daughter-obsessed fool who didn’t want to send her precious daughter into a dangerous dungeon, but what did she mean by saying it was a choice for my sake?
“For my sake? What does that mean?”
[When do you think a mage grows?]
It was a simple question.
“Well, isn’t it when they research magic and acquire new knowledge?”
Knights grow through physical training and aura cultivation, but it was common sense that mages grow through acquiring new knowledge or research.
[Isn’t that common sense only applicable when you dream of becoming a scholar?]
“…Ah.”
[Experiencing countless life-and-death situations and growing based on those experiences is no different for knights or mages. I believe you are aiming to be a mage endlessly specialized in practical combat.]
That was true.
Locking myself in a room and only researching magic wasn’t my style.
[Kang Hyunwoo, you are to head into the dungeon alone. Of course, with your current skills, you’ll only manage the first floor, but even so, the perilous practical experience will rapidly accelerate your growth.]
“1st floor…”
The World Tree’s opinion was unwavering.
Rather, the thought that I should head to the dungeon right away became dominant.
Snug-
“Hyunwoo, no…”
Iris’s face, grabbing my sleeve, was full of worry.
“It’s too dangerous. Hyunwoo, you don’t yet know the peculiarities of the dungeon space…”
“Do you trust me?”
“…”
At that moment, making eye contact with Iris, I was more serious than ever.
It’s not that I don’t understand her worries. I, too, would like to spend all day hugging Iris.
Laughing at silly jokes and enjoying the food I brought from Earth would be a happy enough life to die satisfied.
But running away from reality like that wouldn’t start anything.
[Remaining Matching Time: 11:32:47]
There are 11 hours left.
It seems the time limit has increased because the affinity level with Iris has risen.
It’s a lot if you think about it, but it’s not even a full day.
“Like I said before, no matter what happens, I’m going to get you out of here.”
I smiled lightly and stroked Iris’s hair.
“Do you know what the characteristic of our people is?”
“…I don’t know.”
I started walking towards the stairs leading down to the dungeon.
A heavy, cold wind was blowing from below the spiral staircase.
Perhaps because of the peculiarities of the dungeon, I could even feel the ominous weight of magic.
“Everything is done quickly, quickly.”
[Assistant Monocle equipped]
[The flow of magic begins to be visible]
[Magic Ring equipped]
[Magic power slightly increased]
[Wooden Wand]
[Casting time slightly reduced, and magic power slightly increased]
“Iris, I’ll get you out of here as quickly as possible too.”
I went down towards the bottom of the dungeon.
***
[Entering the Labyrinth of Pelledia]
The stairs continued endlessly.
I felt like I had stepped down at least 500 steps, but I still couldn’t see a place that could be called the 1st floor.
As that time lengthened, the tension increased.
In a situation where monsters could appear at any moment, there was always a blind spot in my vision.
This was because the structure of the descending path was a spiral staircase.
Perhaps because of that, my five senses became sharper than ever, and my magic surged fiercely as if it would manifest at any moment.
How much time had passed like that?
“This is the door to enter the 1st floor…”
I was able to arrive in front of a stone door engraved with a golden tree.
Now, opening this door meant stepping into a dungeon filled with monsters and traps.
“Hoo…”
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous.
But the more I did, the more I remembered Iris and steeled my heart.
I have a duty.
A duty for receiving the love of a woman too good for me, Iris.
A duty to give Iris a chance to avenge Resilia and those behind her, who slandered her and imprisoned her here for a full 200 years, so that she can escape this wretched prison.
Creak-
I pushed the seemingly heavy stone door with all my might.
Contrary to my expectations, the door opened easily.
The moment I opened the door and took my first step into the dungeon, torches lit up in order in the dark space, revealing a passage with no end in sight.
It was similar to the structure of dungeons often seen in games.
“I’m glad I brought a notebook and pen.”
The most important thing in dungeons that appear in creative works is mapping. And this applies in reality as well.
Low-level hunters are said to bring mapping tools with them when entering gates. Rich guys carry magic tools that automatically map, but with my current bank balance, that was out of the question.
“The passage is wider than I thought.”
Six adult men could walk side by side.
The height also seemed to be 5 meters.
It didn’t seem too narrow to cast magic or swing a sword while fighting.
Of course, if you asked if this was a good sign, I could definitely say no.
“There’s no way they built it like this for the people who came into the dungeon.”
In all likelihood, it was right to assume that there was a monster of a size that required this kind of passage.
Just thinking about it made me feel like I was sweating cold, but I tried to avoid being conscious of it as much as possible.
I had to avoid being swept away by negative thoughts as much as possible.
I walked for quite a while after that.
Surprisingly, no monsters appeared. But if you asked if that was just comfortable, that wasn’t the case either.
The World Tree said there were traps inside the dungeon as well.
For the record, I don’t know what traps look like or how they work. Because of that, I had to pay attention to every step I took.
Thanks to that, fatigue was building up quickly.
I hadn’t even experienced a battle yet, but sweat was pouring down like rain.
‘Hoo, if I had a lot of magic power, I would have kept using barriers while walking.’
That would have been convenient, but it was impossible for now.
I had no choice but to quench my thirst with water and lightly fill my stomach to manage my stamina.
How much time had passed like that?
Finally, the straight course passed, and the road split into two in the distance.
“Which way should I go?”
In fact, I might have to go both ways.
Still, for now, I wanted to avoid the most dangerous path as much as possible.
‘I definitely saw a method that veteran hunters use in situations like this on the community…’
Thud.
“?!”
At that moment, just before the fork, I felt a presence from the right path.
It was a clear footstep, no, a footprint sound that couldn’t be dismissed as a delusion.
“…This is messed up.”
After that, what appeared from the strangely dark passage was a bipedal, muscular dog.
Grrrrrrr!!!
I get goosebumps at his roar.
Magic began to stir in an undeniable survival instinct.
Reflexively clenching my teeth, I raised the wooden wand in my right hand.
It was the first monster I encountered in the dungeon.
