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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Jeong Yoo-shin lay in his bed at the relief center after the night’s events.
Ditto’s body was gone. The bloodstains on the floor had been cleaned. Only the faint smell of blood lingered.
He considered asking for a different room, but the thought of the potential charges stopped him.
He spent the rest of the night awake. As soon as dawn broke, he went down to the first floor to check on his party members. Unfortunately, Del and Einhorfer were still unconscious.
Kelton said he wasn’t feeling well and would stay at the relief center for a while longer.
Before leaving, Jeong Yoo-shin bowed deeply to Kelton.
“I apologize. I think I lost my mind last night.”
The shock of the attempted assassination and his first kill…
Combined with the exhaustion and Luke’s threats…
He hadn’t been thinking straight. He almost attacked Kelton because of it.
It was only right for him to apologize.
Regardless of the reason, they were party members who had fought together.
They had shed blood and sweat in the same place for each other.
Kelton gave Jeong Yoo-shin a faint smile and patted him on the shoulder.
“It’s alright. I’m the one who should apologize. I should have told you sooner. Idiot.”
Besides retirement or continuing to explore the labyrinth, there was a third option for washed-up explorers.
Illegal activities.
Smuggling contraband, kidnapping, assassination, theft, and various other illicit activities.
The pay was good, so many reject explorers resorted to such activities.
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded as he listened to Kelton’s explanation.
“So Ditto was…”
“That’s right. He must have been hired by someone. Idiot.”
He felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He wanted to ask more, but Kelton wasn’t feeling well. He looked like he was about to collapse.
“Then I’ll be going. Get some rest, and we’ll talk later.”
“Alright. Idiot.”
As he left the relief center, he saw crowds of people bathed in the morning sunlight. The relief center was close to the labyrinth’s transfer point, after all.
“Ha…”
He sighed as he walked away from the crowd.
He lost all of his equipment and belongings.
All he had left was his body.
The investigation team saved his life, but they hadn’t bothered to retrieve his things.
He earned three silver coins from this labyrinth expedition.
And even those were technically a debt.
He trudged back to the inn where Dalmong was waiting.
“I’m back, Dalmong.”
Dalmong’s face popped out of the kitchen.
“You made it back alive. Wait a moment.”
Jeong Yoo-shin sat down at an empty table.
A moment later, Dalmong emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of food.
“Eat. You look like you’ve lost weight.”
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at the food on the tray.
Cream soup filled with meat, rye bread with butter, and a wooden mug of steaming hot milk.
“I…”
“Just eat.”
At Dalmong’s insistence, he began to eat. Only after the warm food filled his stomach did he realize…
How cold and empty he had felt.
He swallowed the soup and tore off a piece of bread. He ate slowly, savoring the warmth of the food.
Dalmong watched him in silence.
He finished his meal with a mug of warm milk.
Jeong Yoo-shin bowed his head.
“Thank you, Dalmong. I’m alive.”
Why did he say that?
He couldn’t understand his own words.
“Good.”
“Innkeeper! Two breakfasts here!”
Two humans sitting at another table called out.
Dalmong stood up.
“Get some sleep. We’ll talk later tonight.”
“Alright.”
He looked around. The inn was quite crowded. It was strange, yet understandable, to see explorers bustling about at this early hour and making a stop at the inn.
‘The food was good. And there wasn’t any hair.’
Now that Dalmong’s shedding season was over, the number of customers would most likely increase.
He went upstairs and opened the door to his room.
The room felt desolate.
The loss of his belongings and equipment in the labyrinth hit him hard.
All he had left was his tattered hard leather armor, his long sword, and the two silver coins he had saved.
Minus the relief center’s fee, he was one silver coin in debt.
“Whatever.”
The warm food had made him sleepy.
‘I should just sleep. The relief center was too cold anyway.’
He took off his armor and changed his clothes.
He threw himself onto the bed, burying his face in the soft bedding, and fell asleep.
He woke up to the sight of an asphalt road.
“…Where…”
A familiar place.
He turned around and saw the neon sign of a convenience store glowing in the distance.
It was the same place he had been, before being transported to the other world.
He was back.
“Haha.”
His sudden return was absurd.
What was the point of all that hardship?
He sat down, overwhelmed by a sense of futility.
Had it all been a bad dream?
He looked up at the convenience store.
He couldn’t just sit there. He had to go to the convenience store, buy a bunch of snacks, and go home.
He shook off the lingering sense of unease and stood up.
He wanted to buy a bottle of cola and chug it all down. He missed the refreshing fizz and the sweet taste of sugar.
And the spicy, hot broth of instant ramen.
His mouth watered.
“Potato chips. I’m going to eat every single flavor. Just you wait.”
He walked towards the convenience store.
He noticed an open manhole. The cover was missing.
He felt drawn to it.
He looked down, but he couldn’t see anything. It was only natural. The sewer was dark and it was nighttime.
“Wake up.”
A voice echoed from below.
“What?!”
He jumped back in alarm. A strange sensation washed over him. A twisting sensation that came from deep within his gut and spread throughout his body.
“Wake up.”
A black mist rose from the manhole.
He immediately turned around and ran towards the convenience store.
But the black mist was faster. It caught him.
“Let go!! Let go of me!!”
He struggled with all his might, but the mist slowly tightened its grip.
Twisting and crushing his body.
He screamed in agony.
“Aaaaagh!!!”
As he writhed in pain, his eyes suddenly opened. He saw a familiar ceiling.
His house?
No.
Dalmong’s inn.
Bang!!
The door burst open, and Dalmong entered.
“Skar! What’s wrong?”
“A… a nightmare.”
Dalmong crossed his arms at Jeong Yoo-shin’s stammering reply.
“Hmm. Come downstairs. We have a visitor.”
Dalmong left the room.
‘A visitor?’
Who would visit him?
He got out of bed and looked down at his body. He was drenched in cold sweat.
But at the same time, he felt a strange surge of energy.
His body had changed. He could feel it instinctively.
‘Perhaps a new imprint. But I didn’t feel the sense of liberation from before. Was I unconscious when it happened?’
He pushed aside his questions. He had something to do.
He dried himself off with a towel and left the room.
He went downstairs and saw unfamiliar people.
A handsome, tall human male with blonde hair.
A beautiful elven woman with an ethereal aura.
A female beast-person with pointed ears and a sharp expression.
And a young priestess in white robes.
A typical harem party.
The other people in the inn were staring blankly at the beautiful women.
The harem party and Dalmong were sitting at the same table.
The blonde man waved at Jeong Yoo-shin.
“Over here, barbarian!”
Jeong Yoo-shin ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, approached the table, and sat down. The blonde man grinned at him.
“Are you okay? We heard screaming from upstairs.”
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head at the man’s friendly tone.
He had no idea who this man was or why he was acting so familiar.
“I had a nightmare. I’m fine now.”
“Oh! Do you know what that means?!”
“What do you mean?”
“Level up! It’s not surprising after killing so many goblins.”
Dalmong interjected.
“Explorers call it leveling up, but it’s actually called magic adaptation. When you kill monsters, their magic particles accumulate in your body and cause physical changes. Strength, dynamic vision, reflexes, magic sensitivity… Basically, various stats increase.”
He felt a bit dazed.
The new term which he hadn’t learned at the Explorers Guild confused him.
“What? Even for a barbarian, isn’t this common knowledge? It’s not some unique phenomenon that only happens in the labyrinth. Strange.”
The blonde man said, looking at him like he was some strange creature. Jeong Yoo-shin ignored him. He had another question.
“Do you have nightmares when you level up?”
Dalmong answered his question.
“The phenomena that occur during level ups are so varied that it’s difficult to say for sure. Some people do have nightmares, but it’s rare. Usually, it’s just the physical changes. A surge of energy and a feeling of omnipotence are common aftereffects.”
‘Damn. Leveling up is a weird experience.’
But he felt good. He felt stronger. He could feel a surge of energy coursing through his body.
“Who are you, anyway?”
The blonde man looked surprised at Jeong Yoo-shin’s question and pointed at himself.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know me? You don’t know our party?”
“No.”
“Haaaaaaaaaa.”
The blonde man put a hand on his forehead.
‘This guy is exhausting to talk to.’
Thump!
The blonde man took a leather pouch from his pocket and placed it on the table.
A dull clinking sound came from the pouch.
“We are the ‘Golden Dawn’, the rising stars of the Explorers Guild! I’m Zeke Lionel, an intermediate-rank explorer! Remember that.”
‘A named party. A proper party?’
“Okay. But what brings you here?”
“…Show some respect. We saved your life.”
“Saved my life? Were you part of the labyrinth investigation team?”
“Yes. This is the reward from the guild.”
Zeke pointed at the leather pouch.
His heart pounded at the sight of the heavy pouch.
He reached out with trembling hands and caressed the leather.
“…Is this all silver?”
“Well, not all of it.”
“Oh.”
A disappointed sigh escaped his lips.
He wanted to open the pouch and count the money immediately, but he had something to do first.
Jeong Yoo-shin stood up and bowed.
“Thank you. I wouldn’t be alive now without the Golden Dawn.”
Zeke waved his hand dismissively.
“It was nothing.”
“Should I share the reward with you?”
The insincere words slipped out.
“No. We already received our reward from the guild. And the other party members received their share as well, so there’s no need to split this with them.”
“But why did I receive a reward? I’m grateful, but I don’t understand.”
“You exterminated over one hundred goblins and defeated a Goblin Warrior. That’s why.”
“But there was no proof of extermination.”
“We testified.”
“I see.”
He was satisfied. He honestly didn’t care much. He was only interested in the heavy leather pouch.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you the amount. Forty silver coins and forty-eight copper coins.”
“Gah… Thank you.”
Jeong Yoo-shin hugged the leather pouch and rubbed his face against it. The three women looked at him with disgust, but he didn’t care.
This bumpy texture!
It was pure bliss.
‘Fuck yeah!! This is the life.’
He had been so depressed after being rescued from the labyrinth, having lost all his belongings and equipment.
The thought of having to work again to replace his gear made his head spin, but now, he had nothing to worry about.
The young priestess stood up.
“Let’s go. I think we’re done here.”
Zeke stood up with a wry smile.
“Shall we? Then we’ll see you later, Dalmong. And you too, barbarian.”
“Safe travels.”
Zeke and his party left the inn.
Jeong Yoo-shin remained seated, still caressing the leather pouch. Dalmong chuckled at the sight.
“Are you that happy?”
“Yes. I thought I would have to work for a year to recover financially, so this is a relief. And I have something to tell you.”
“Oh? Then let’s talk after closing time.”
“Can I help you with anything?”
“No. Just wait. Have a drink in the meantime.”
“He he. Alright.”
Time passed, and the other patrons gradually left. Some went upstairs to their rooms, while others, who seemed to have only come for a meal, left the inn.
When everyone was gone, and the inn door was closed, only Jeong Yoo-shin and Dalmong remained.
“So, you said you had something to tell me?”
Dalmong said, sitting down at the table. Jeong Yoo-shin picked up the liquor bottle and filled Dalmong’s glass.
“Yeah.”
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T/N – If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
Peace