Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon - Chapter 12
It seems like the rumors are true that elves are all beautiful men and women.
The lady in front of Kang Jinhyuk was the most beautiful woman he’s seen in his whole life.
Feeling Jinhyuk’s intense stares, the woman glared back at him.
“What are you looking at?”
Realizing that his actions were rude, Jinhyuk hurriedly diverted his gaze.
He awkwardly asked her a question.
“Uhm, are you perhaps… an elf?”
It was a question from the top of his head.
He knows that a dwarf lives inside the dungeon, so it wouldn’t be an odd thing for an elf to live here too.
Her response to Jinhyuk’s question was neither positive nor negative.
“You’re partly correct. I’m a half.”
Only her appearance resembles an elf’s. She added that her eating habits and lifestyle were no different from humans.
“Have you heard of Lucia the half elf?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“R-really? I thought I was famous, but I guess I’m not that good yet.”
Lucia scratched her cheek with an awkward face.
She spoke with pride, yet shame rebounded upon Jinhyuk’s answer.
“Anyway, that’s my name. I’m a platinum-rank adventurer.”
She showed a platinum medal with colorful decorations as she introduced herself.
Jinhyuk didn’t know what that meant.
Kang Jinhyuk pretended to admire the object made of ‘precious platinum’, which he assumes to be a rare material in this world as well.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
“…If you’re going to pretend, then do it a bit more convincingly.”
Lucia sighed as she put back the medal.
“Seeing that you don’t know my name and even what this medal means, tells me that you’re really not from around here.”
“That’s what I told you. I’m not from the world that you know of.”
Lucia became interested in Jinhyuk’s words.
“How different is it?”
“First of all, the language that we use is completely different.”
“We can understand each other just fine though.”
“That’s probably thanks to this thing.”
Jinhyuk took out the necklace that he was wearing.
Lucia made an odd expression once she saw it.
“Perhaps, is that thing made by the dwarf that lives on the upper floor?”
“Oh? Do you guys know each other?”
“Well…”
Lucia was obviously uncomfortable as she spoke in a shivering voice.
“Don’t get involved with that dwarf. He’ll tire you out.”
“Eh? Why?”
“Why do you think? He just swears like crazy all the time.”
Jinhyuk thought something was strange when he heard what she said.
“He does swear a lot, but it’s not that bad.”
“Well, that’s because you’re a human. I’m a half elf so hearing that loose-tongued dwarf makes me just wanna…!”
Lucia’s face gradually heated up as if she was getting a fever just by thinking of it.
She realized that the topic was steered away from what they were talking about.
Lucia took deep breaths to calm her emotions.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter that we don’t speak the same language. It’s all about using magic.”
“Magic also doesn’t exist from where I came from. There are also no elves like you.”
To be fair, she was a ‘half-elf’, but now was not the time to point out such a trivial thing.
Lucia doubted what Jinhyuk said.
“There are no elves? Then how did you know that I was one?”
“T-that… It’s because I read about elves in books…”
“Elves appear in literature but not in real life? Is your world apocalyptic?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Jinhyuk doesn’t know how to explain it.
How could someone from earth accurately describe a race that existed in a different world?
He wants to ask those fantasy novel writers personally.
While Jinhyuk was hesitating, Lucia deduced the situation on her own.
‘Maybe it’s written in books because it existed in the past. Then, it’s going to get crazy when they discover that elves still exist.’
Lucia imagined herself being discovered by researchers from the other world.
It’s obvious that extinct species that reappear would be subjected to all kinds of experiments and observations.
Lucia’s face turned darker and darker the more she imagined, and she shuddered as she shook her head.
“I should put off going to the outside world. I think it’s too dangerous.”
Lucia realized that she should refrain from going outside on impulse, which was for her own safety.
She needed to go out at least once to investigate, but she thought that she need more preparation.
“Anyway, you’re saying that there’s a dimension connected to this dungeon, right?”
“Uhm, I guess so….?”
Although Jinhyuk isn’t very sure, he knew that the dungeon was not an isolated place. Because it was connected to his own attic.
After hearing Jinhyuk’s answer, Lucia looked relieved.
“That’s a relief. The crazy wizard’s spell worked for now.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“What do you think? You’re able to reach this dungeon because of that crazy wizard.”
Jinhyuk looked surprised.
“Why in the world would he do that?”
“Do you know Naendeul?”
The wizard’s thoughts couldn’t be understood by a sober person.
The drunker he got, the crazier he turned.
“If he makes a successful potion, it could be possible to turn it back…. But it looks like he made a way out now.”
Lucia talked to herself while Jinhyuk was left confused.
Perhaps the woman’s goal was to return to where she came from.
“U-uhm, so is it possible for you to go back right now?”
“I’ll need more information first. It’s the very reason I’m stuck here anyway?”
“What’s that?”
“There’s a hidden place that’s blocked from the outside?”
“A hidden place?”
“Yeah. It’s a place that I recently discovered.
Lucia stared right at Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk unknowingly took a step backward, perhaps because the elf’s gaze was burdensome.
“I think you’ll be quite useful. Help me.”
“Help you? With what?”
“To catch the boss monster.”
“B-boss monster….?!”
Jinhyuk drooled at the thought of a boss monster.
Boss monsters were more than twice as strong as other monsters.
They were difficult to hunt, but hunters searched for them regardless because they can earn great rewards from catching them.
Lucia noticed Jinhyuk’s reaction and she knew that he had taken the bait properly.
“I can handle him alone, but since there’s a lot of small monsters surrounding the area, it’s a bit annoying.”
“So you want me to handle the small ones?”
Lucia smiled, satisfied that Jinhyuk understood it quickly.
“I’ll give you a reward, so help me investigate it. How’s that?”
Of course, there’s no reason to refuse that offer.
He knew first hand just how good Lucia’s skills were. And besides, he might discover more about her purpose if he comes along with her.
“Alright. I’ll help you.”
“Good.”
* * *
After securing each other’s cooperation…
Lucia took the lead in guiding Jinhyuk inside the labyrinth, and inside the temple.
At the center of the collapsing temple, there was a statue of a goddess with broken arms.
When Lucia pushed aside the statue that looked like Venus, a pair of hidden stairs were revealed.
“You’re quite strong.”
“Are you just saying that because I’m a girl?”
Lucia went down the stairs with a sulky face.
Jinhyuk followed her behind. He was surprised at the sight of a large underground space.
A row of knight-shaped stone statues and colorful patterns decorated the walls.
The atmosphere indicates that a Boss monster was indeed hiding n here.
“The boss lives here?”
“No, we have to walk a bit further. This place is wider than you think.”
“Hmm, would it take 1-2 hours?”
“A day.”
“Excuse me?”
“Including rest time, it’d take us about a day.”
Jinhyuk’s jaw dropped wide open when he heard that.
“It takes a whole day?”
“That’s what I said. There are a lot of small monsters on the way. There are also some things that we need to take care of separately.”
The boss monster was in the middle of mediation, so it’s going to take a considerable amount of time to get to him.
Lucia that considering the time and the distance, they might experience some delays.
Kang Jinhyuk, who was initially shocked for a while, decided to accept the situation positively.
“I’m going to level up anyway, so it’s not that bad.”
He made sufficient preparations before entering the dungeon, so he doesn’t have to worry about starving.
“How do you know all these? Have you been here before?”
“Two days ago, before I was in a different dimension.”
“So, why are you here again…?”
“There’s a high possibility that the potion made by the crazy wizard was left in here.”
Jinhyuk prayed that there was nothing like that in here.
He was sorry for Lucia, but he didn’t want her to move the dungeon to its original dimension.
* * *
Lucia’s abilities were displayed as they moved towards the direction of the boss monster.
Every time she lifts her bow, at least two monsters immediately die.
Even the monsters with their own armors couldn’t survive.
Her arrow penetrates their vital points accurately.
There was no way for monsters to stop the arrows from flying incredible distances.
If it wasn’t for his enchanted weapon, Jinhyuk wouldn’t have noticed that Lucia was shooting at all.
It would have been nice if he could keep relying on her, but her arrows were not infinite.
Intact arrows were recovered and used as much as possible, but due to the fragile nature of the arrows, it’s impossible to recover 100% of the arrows that were shot.
Lucia only has 10 arrows left when she pulled out the rapier on her waist.
“You’re gonna have to help me out from here on. I want to save some arrows for the boss.”
“Leave it to me.”
Jinyuk confidently grabbed his bat and stepped forward.
Just in time, Lucia was itching to know more about his skills.
The monsters wore armors. They were “ghouls”, half-rotten corpses.
They’re not that much stronger than skeletons, so they weren’t that difficult to deal with.
“Iyaa!”
Jinhyuk hit the ghoul’s head accurately with his bat.
The ghoul’s head was crushed instantly.
“Geuuuh…”
Unlike the skeleton, hitting the ghoul’s head kills him instantly.
It was way easier to deal with the ghouls than the skeletons.
“I’m quite good.”
Even though he’s instantly defeated, the armor worn by the ghoul was made of iron.
It’s not easy to crush such sturdy material with one hit.
Ordinary people would’ve admired Jinhyuk’s ability, but Lucia was indifferent.
“Did the dwarf strengthen that bat for you?”
“How did you know?”
“He was bragging about it last time I saw him.”
The weapon made of Oriharukon was enchanted by the dwarf.
It was something anyone would covet.
That made Jinhyuk worry that Lucia wanted his bat.
Lucia recognized what Jinhyuk was thinking, and she smiled.
“Don’t worry. I heard that the bat belongs to you, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Does that mean that if you didn’t know that it was mine, you would’ve definitely stolen it?”
“Of course. It’s a precious material after all.”
Her honesty paired with her smile was terrifying.
This woman doesn’t seem to be lying.
“…”
Jinhyuk relaxed a bit after that exchange.
He was worried that he might lose the elf, so he took his steps one by one.
‘What a cute bastard.’
The platinum-grade adventurer seemed skillful and trustworthy.
It was an award given to only the best and most honest people, who do not dare to commit even petty crimes.
Although she’s now in a different dimension, Lucia doesn’t intend on tarnishing her trustworthiness.
The platinum token was proof of her skill as an adventurer.
However, it’s understandable that Jinhyuk would doubt her since he doesn’t know exactly what the platinum token entails.
The sight of Jinhyuk acting like a small, wary, rabbit slightly pleased Lucia.
“I’m curious about something.”
“W-what is it?”
“It’s about that bat. Would the effects of it still remain even when you die?”
“… I want to go alone from here on.”
“Hahahaha! I’m kidding.”
Jinhyuk started walking a bit faster.
It’s almost like he was running.
Lucia noticed it of course, so she grabbed Jinhyuk’s back.
“Geeuk!”
Jinhyuk exclaimed as he was caught suddenly.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not going to kill you, so calm down and look at this.”
There was a large door where Lucia pointed her finger.
The door had a lion’s pattern engraved on it.
“What is that? Have we arrived already?”
“No. This is the first step towards meeting the monster.”
“The first step…? What is that?”
“Beyond this door, there is one guard that we need to catch.”
In short, it was kind of like a middle boss.
Lucia took out an arrow, knowing that the monster beyond this door was not easy to deal with.
“I want to finish him off in one hit, so run forward as soon as I open the door.”
“You’re not going to shoot me from behind are you?”
“That’s a good idea, but I’m not gonna do that now. We’ve got a lot of work left to do.”
“That’s a relief.”
As Lucia pulled her bow and signaled with her eyes, Jinhyuk opened the door with all his might.
Behind the open door were blue shining magic pearls and a knight-shaped golem guarding it.
“Now!”
Even before Lucia’s signal, Jinhyuk was already rushing towards the golem with all his might.
The golem swung his sword at the sight of the intruder approaching him.
However, Lucia’s arrow was faster than the giant sword of over 2 meters.
Her arrow accurately hit the vital point of the golem.
When the disoriented golem stumbled and let down his defenses, Jinhyuk knew exactly what he had to do.
His gaze was directed at the core embedded in the center of the golem’s chest.
