“This is the last warning I’m giving you. Next time, I won’t care or say a word.”
”…”
“Just… never mind.”
I almost let the words “I don’t care what happens to you” slip out, but I swallowed them back. Despite everything, we’d been through a lot together, and it felt a bit harsh. Besides, I was starting to feel a bit sick of how much I’d changed, looking after them without even realizing it.
The sharpness that used to surround me was dulling. My once unshakeable resolve was wavering. I hadn’t come back to play house. Wasting time in this dungeon felt like such a loss. I needed to get a grip on myself before I became too complacent.
The kids watched me with bated breath, their eyes wide and wounded. My heart wavered for a moment, but I quickly steeled myself. I spoke with a firm voice.
“The voice you just heard was Rameek. Yu-jung already explained, so I’ll skip that. But there are two statues on either side. They’re traps, so destroy them before they activate.”
I chose the most effective strategy, not waiting for the traps to activate to give the kids experience. After speaking, I moved ahead quickly. The kids scrambled to follow, but I didn’t slow down.
My brisk walk turned into a run, and as the distance closed, I drew my sword. The clear ring of metal echoed, and a cold gleam scattered around us. From now on, I planned to take a more active role in solving things.
As I pressed forward, another passage came into view. Passing through it without hesitation, I found a user sprawled on the ground in the clearing, tears streaming down their face, their right arm limp. It seemed my sword wave had hit its mark.
“Help… please… urgh!”
Before the kids could react, I dashed forward and severed Rameek’s neck. Beside the decapitated Rameek stood two statues, not gargoyles or other monsters, but human-shaped statues clad in armor.
Killing Rameek didn’t stop the trap from activating, so I immediately targeted one statue and thrust my sword. With a grinding noise, the statue began to raise its arm, but my sword pierced through, shattering its core. With a twist and a pull, it stopped moving.
“Ha!”
Ahn Hyun wasn’t idle either. He exuded a chilling aura, showing he had regained his composure. He thrust his spear deep into the remaining statue, filled with magic. The spear broke through the stone armor effortlessly. Hearing the stone crack, I turned to see a large hole in the statue’s center.
“Next. Let’s move.”
With minimal energy loss, I decided to head to the next clearing. Ahn Hyun followed closely, but Yu-jung and Sol were still in a daze. They glanced between the gooey remains of Rameek and the statues, then hurried to catch up as we moved away.
“Next up… goblins. Easy enough. Form up. We’ll go in like we did with the Rengas.”
The next clearing was a goblin den. But it wasn’t to be underestimated, as there was a goblin shaman and hobgoblins guarding it. Such a combination would be tough for new users, but it wasn’t a problem for me.
After entering the clearing, I quickly broke formation, cutting down the goblin shaman and the hobgoblins guarding it. Then, I lured the remaining goblins into our formation and charged. There were quite a few, but my experience with tougher monsters like the black scorpions and wolves helped. Defeating the leaderless goblins was a piece of cake.
After the battle, we took a break while detoxifying Hyun, who had been hit by a goblin’s poison dart. While An Sol treated Hyun, Yu-jung and I searched the clearing for anything valuable the goblins might have. Goblins loved shiny things, so there was a good chance of finding something. Their weapons and armor were useless, but we did find some profit.
The mood among the kids was quite low. To lift their spirits, I showed them what we found. We didn’t get much gold, only about 30 coins, but we found three gems. Two opals and a red sapphire from the goblin shaman’s staff.
I tossed an opal in the air and caught it, speaking up.
“Look at this. The opal might be small, but it’s got a nice shine. Each one’s worth at least 20 gold. That’s 40 gold for both. And this thick red sapphire could go for about 70 gold. Add the 30 gold coins, and that’s 140 gold total. We barely made over 10 gold in three months at the user academy, and now we’ve made fourteen times that in one battle.”
“So, the deeper we go…”
“Exactly. There might be even greater treasures. Now you see why users are so obsessed with dungeon exploration?”
Yu-jung’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the gems. Ahn Hyun nodded, amazed at the profit. Everyone seemed relieved, probably because my tone had softened. Seeing their reactions, I smiled inwardly. They really trusted and followed me. But I couldn’t let the atmosphere get too relaxed, so I maintained a stern demeanor.
After passing through the Rengas, Rameek, and the goblin den, we advanced without hesitation. Once Ahn Hyun’s treatment was done, we set off immediately. The kids didn’t complain, likely excited about what we might find next.
After passing through another passage, we entered a clearing that was a spider den. These weren’t ordinary spiders; their black shells and yellow venom dripping from their fangs suggested they were poisonous.
They were tricky to deal with, but I had a feeling that once we got through this, we’d reach our destination. It was an instinct honed from countless dungeons. The alchemist’s lair awaited. Eager to move on, I stepped into the clearing.
Thud! Roll…
“Eek!”
A green orb suddenly fell from the ceiling, hitting Sol on the head and rolling away. Sol let out a cute scream and panicked. I quickly kicked the orb aside and looked up.
“Ugh…”
“What… is that…”
The kids followed my gaze, their faces turning pale with shock. They were so stunned they could only point, unable to speak.
Hanging from the ceiling was a user, suspended by white threads around their arms, looking like spider silk. The user was a woman, her clothes tattered and barely covering her. The problem was her abdomen, which was grotesquely swollen.
Seeing this, I frowned. But there was nothing I could do. I could only watch. My senses were grounded, unable to detect anything in the air. If only I had been more vigilant…
Chastising myself for my carelessness, I activated my third eye. Despite the changes to my body, I could still access user information. I intended to extract some information.
Name: Jung Ji-yeon (2nd Year)
Class: Normal Mage Runner
Nation: Babara
Clan: -
True Name · Nationality: - · South Korea
Sex: Female (20)
Height · Weight: 161.3cm · 54.5kg
Alignment: True · Neutral
[Strength 45] [Endurance 26(-12)] [Agility 34] [Stamina 17(-25)] [Magic 28(-49)] [Luck 58]
Due to someone’s tampering, the body has undergone mutations. Significant losses in endurance and stamina are ongoing.
The main area of mutation is the perineum. Currently in a state of forced gestation.
The spiders growing inside the female user absorb her magic and will be born once matured.
“Ugh… ah… oh…”
Ji-yeon’s groans filled the air as her face twisted in pain. Her perineum parted slightly, and then, from seemingly nowhere, green, glistening orbs tumbled to the ground. The eggs, once on the floor, began to writhe, and soon, sharp legs tore through the shells, emerging into the world. At first, the group watched in stunned silence, but soon, a collective fury began to simmer among them, likely influenced by their own inclinations.
Ji-yeon’s swollen belly and the eggs falling from the air—no, spider eggs. The group quickly grasped the situation and the source of these eggs. Yu-jeong and Sol, perhaps because they were also female users, seemed to radiate a particularly intense anger.
I, too, felt a pang of regret. Not because a young woman, just twenty and in the prime of her beauty, had ended up like this. No, it was because, despite being only two years into her journey, her abilities were quite impressive. She was a valuable mage for our party, and her potential growth was promising enough that, had we met in the city, we might have continued together.
But all of that was in the past. Now, she was nothing more than a host for producing spider monsters. The thought of using an elixir crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. It was too precious to waste here. Perhaps, for her own sake, it would be kinder to end her suffering.
Of course, if I really tried, I might find a way to save her, but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered. She was pretty enough, but her attitude left much to be desired. I had no desire to expend a rare elixir or go through the trouble of restoring someone who might not even become a reliable ally. I just wanted to finish this dungeon and return to the city. That was my true feeling.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I dozed off today, which is unusual for me.
I woke up this morning feeling incredibly stiff, so I went to a sauna. Soaking in the hot bath felt like my bones were melting… After a sauna session, I felt a bit lighter, but strangely, my throat was parched, and I was sweating a lot.
On the way home, I bought two cans of beer. I drank them, but the more I drank, the thirstier I felt. My mind was oddly foggy, and I found myself staring at the floor, smoking a cigarette. Then, out of nowhere, I got a nosebleed.
I think I should visit a doctor soon. Haha.
Hmm… As for the story’s pace, are you satisfied with it? -_-a
『 Reader Comments 』
HumanLife: Congrats on being first! You’ve reclaimed the glory of being the top commenter. Haha.
HammerTime: Haha, I’m just running away. ㅌㅌ!
Ramude: The problem is, the kids aren’t resisting at all. It’s like newborn chicks following their mother. Haha.
PpuingPpuing: Ppuing?
Kwarang: Oh… a thousand chapters… hmm. I’m intrigued. Haha.
WeepingSoul: Please continue with Greek and Norse mythology. Especially Norse. Just five chapters a day, please. (Seriously.) ( —) ~ ♪.
Seolbiyeon: Thanks for the comment. Please keep commenting~. :)
GradeRown: Yes, Ramik is a monster with an uncanny ability to sense presences. Its external reaction abilities are lacking, but other aspects are highly developed.
Janus: Haha, please wait a little longer. The kids will grow soon.
Prandil: It’s true, I miss Hanbyeol. I want to write the reunion scene with Kim Hanbyeol soon. But speeding up the plot causes issues… I’m honestly a bit conflicted. Last time, I skipped the user academy part in two chapters, and it caused problems in the progression.
I always read all the comments repeatedly. Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the replies. If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll respond! (Please comment a lot! And recommend too…☞☜)
That’s all for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.