Chapter 93 - Memorize | Novel Seeker

“Jackpot, jackpot, and another jackpot.”

After clearing all the rooms in the northern passage, all we found were gold coins. Still, the total haul was 102 gold, which wasn’t bad at all. The team seemed content, especially since we’d already hit the mother lode in the western passage. Everyone was in high spirits.

I suggested we take a break, but the group was eager to press on to the eastern rooms. Their excitement was contagious, and I couldn’t help but smile. Normally, they’d jump at the chance for a rest, but the lure of treasure had them wide-eyed and ready to go.

Our progress on the first floor of the ruined lab was going smoothly. There had been a few close calls, but losing members during a dungeon crawl wasn’t uncommon. Considering that, our pace was impressive.

At the heart of our success were Vivian and me. While everyone was performing well, Vivian, having reached a certain level of mastery, was really showing off her skills. Her magic was especially useful when dealing with multiple monsters.

Soon, we found the first room in the eastern passage. A quick scan revealed it was the only room in this direction. Clearing it would mean the entire first floor was done.

“There’s a staircase up ahead,” said Jeong Ha-yeon, glancing sideways. Just 80 meters more, and we’d reach the stairs to the second floor. I pondered whether to clear the room and head up or set up camp for the night. After a moment, I addressed the group.

“That staircase likely leads to the second floor.”

“Typically, the second floor of these dungeons is more challenging,” Shin Sang-yong noted, and I nodded in agreement. Dungeons tend to get tougher the deeper you go. I paused, letting the anticipation build before continuing.

“Let’s clear this room first, then decide whether to continue or camp.”

“Ugh, this lab doesn’t even have windows. I can’t tell if it’s day or night,” Yu-jeong grumbled, scratching her head before reaching for the doorknob. The team instinctively got into position, but my senses picked up no threats inside. I was about to open the door when—

Click.

“Huh?”

“What’s up, hyung?” Ahn Hyun peeked over.

“This room…”

I pushed the door again, but it wouldn’t budge. It was locked.

“It’s locked.”

“So, do we just go up?” Yu-jeong asked casually.

“No,” I replied, and with a bit of magic, I kicked the door open. The door gave way with a crash, startling the team, who quickly readied their weapons. But the room was empty, and they sighed in relief. Jeong Ha-yeon couldn’t resist a comment.

“You’re quite… decisive.”

Inside, the floor was covered in faded marble tiles. A small bed with neatly arranged sheets sat to one side. In the corner, a desk cluttered with a quill, ink bottles, and an open journal caught my eye. The shelves on the wall held tattered clothes, barely holding together.

I approached the bed and lifted the sheets, revealing a few human bones. Whoever lived here had met their end on this bed.

“Su-hyun, are we searching this room too?” Vivian asked excitedly. I nodded.

“Yes, let’s do that. One person keeps watch while the rest search.”

Shin Sang-yong moved to the door, and the others spread out to search the room. But after a while, everyone shook their heads, having found nothing of value. I, too, came up empty-handed, even after a thorough scan.

“I was hoping for something since it was locked. What a letdown,” Vivian pouted.

“Cheer up. They say the first try is often a dud,” Ahn Hyun consoled.

“Really? That doesn’t sound very encouraging,” Yu-jeong replied, puzzled.

“Does it?”

As they bantered, I heard a soft voice.

“Oppa…”

Everyone turned to Sol, who was holding something. She flinched under their gaze and began to tear up.

“Why does everyone always… why is it always me…?” she sniffled. The team looked flustered.

“Sol, you’ve been our lucky charm. That’s why everyone has high hopes,” I reassured her.

“Really? Am I a lucky charm?”

After calming Sol down, I noticed the team’s expressions had softened. Jeong Ha-yeon even let out a small laugh, which she quickly stifled when I glared at her.

Once the commotion settled, I took the journal Sol had found. It was filled with ancient script, though some of it was familiar. I hadn’t fully mastered it, but I’d studied a lot about the world in my first run.

As I skimmed through, one word caught my attention. It was a word I recognized, and it made me pause. I called Shin Sang-yong over.

“Shin Sang-yong.”

“Yes, leader?”

“We found an ancient journal.”

“I’m on my way.”

He quickly scanned the journal, then frowned.

“Leader, this is too difficult.”

“Really? But…”

I almost asked, “Can’t you decipher a D-minus level text?” but held my tongue. Shin Sang-yong nodded apologetically.

“My ancient language skills aren’t that advanced. Especially with the unique terms used here. I can decipher bits, but not the whole thing.”

“Hmm. Then at least…”

I frowned. This journal likely held crucial information about the lab. Depending on what it said, we might need to rethink our plans. Just then, Vivian spoke up.

“Let me read it.”

“Huh?”

Vivian held out her hand, and I gave her a questioning look. She seemed puzzled by my hesitation.

“Vivian, you can read ancient script?”

“What? Do you think I’m stupid? How else would I use magic?”

Her indignant response made me chuckle. Why hadn’t I thought of that? With Vivian’s knowledge, we didn’t need to rely on Shin Sang-yong. I handed her the journal with a sheepish smile, but she turned her head away.

“I’m upset! I won’t translate it!”

“Give me back the cloak.”

At my words, she clutched her cloak tightly.

“Fine, fine. I’ll do it. Can’t even joke around… sorry.”

Vivian tried to brush it off, but my steady gaze made her relent. She began to read the journal with a focused expression. I sighed and lit a cigarette, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Just as I was about to light my cigarette, a small flame flickered to life at the tip on its own. Instinctively, I took a drag. When I looked up, I saw Jeong Ha-yeon giving me a sly smile.

“Nice touch,” she remarked.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I replied modestly.

As Jeong Ha-yeon responded with humility, Shin Sang-yong blinked and spoke up.

“Ha-yeon, I thought you hated the smell of cigarettes?”

“Huh?”

Jeong Ha-yeon looked flustered as she removed the cigarette from her lips. But Shin Sang-yong continued in a calm voice, ignoring her silent plea for him to stop talking. He seemed oblivious to her sharp gaze and carried on.

“Ah, there was a time when we formed a caravan with other users. She really couldn’t stand the smell back then. If someone wanted to smoke, she’d make them do it far away or even soak their cigarettes in water to prevent them from smoking.”

“Oh dear, I must have made a mistake.”

As I moved to stub out the cigarette, Jeong Ha-yeon’s slender hand stopped me. She lifted my hand and forced the cigarette back to my lips. When I widened my eyes in surprise, she sighed deeply and spoke.

“It’s fine. Go ahead.”

“No, really, if it bothers you…”

“Ugh. It’s okay if it’s you, Su-hyeon. I can tolerate one or two occasionally. And for the record, that user back then smoked every ten minutes or so. Please don’t think I’m inflexible based on just one side of the story.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

Her explanation was logical, yet left me feeling uneasy. It seemed unnecessary to go to such lengths. But since she said it was okay, I took another drag, blowing the smoke towards the ceiling to be polite.

An awkward silence settled among us. As the cigarette burned down, Vivian glanced up from the document she was reading and let out a disbelieving sigh.

“Ha.”

“Have you finished decoding it?”

“Yeah. This document is quite something.”

“What does it say, Master?”

Despite being addressed as “Master,” Vivian didn’t seem pleased. She glanced at Jeong Ha-yeon before continuing.

“Honestly, I’m not one to talk, but at least I have some boundaries. If what’s written here is true, it’s insane. This place is a gathering of madmen.”

“So, what exactly does it say…?”

Shin Sang-yong asked with a desperate tone, and Vivian bit her lip. But soon, her lips began to part as if she was about to speak.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Ro Yujin.

Ah, I’m really sorry for not updating at midnight today. I went out at 6 PM yesterday and didn’t get home until after 5 AM. I wanted to make it back somehow, but it didn’t work out. Sigh. When I woke up this morning, I felt terrible. So, I’m not sure about today’s update. I want to, but I’m not sure if I can… ㅜ.ㅠ But I’ll try my best.

The support from my readers is the most powerful force that drives me to write. :)

『 Reader Comments 』

MTBear: Oh, I see you often in the first place these days. Congratulations on being first. :)
juan: Hmm. What do “tennen,” “megadere,” and “cooldere” mean? I’ve heard of “tsundere” and “yandere,” but these are new to me. I’m curious. Haha.
zjekfksqlc: Haha. If I had to categorize it, it’s combat-related. But it also involves magic. Haha. Please look forward to it. Haha… Ouch!
Kuroshion: Haha. If we hit 101, we might just sweep up all the fortuitous encounters.
AshenWings: Oh yes. Every time I see readers supporting Kim Han-byeol, I breathe a sigh of relief. I really cherish that character, but they’ve received a lot of criticism. ㅜ.ㅠ
HumanLife: Haha. Setting an alarm, that’s impressive. Truly the mark of a top commenter. Hmm! You don’t like “The Walking Dead,” I see. Got it. I’ll look for another zombie story… Just kidding. Haha. I really couldn’t manage the midnight update yesterday. I tried to get home, but got dragged away. ㅜ.ㅠ Please understand.
Scar: Han-byeol will appear more in the future! Please look forward to it!
NorthStar: Ah. I’ll post the story settings soon. Probably after all the stats go up post-exploration. Speaking of which, I need to update the introduction… OTL
guntops: Good. That’s correct. To be precise, it’s not that he doesn’t know, but that he’s not used to it. There’s a reason it’s called a secret class. But the protagonist will gradually learn. The protagonist’s first stage of completion is… (Spoiler alert!) The important thing is that the protagonist still has room to grow. Haha. :)
Blami: Gosh. A camp. I’m envious. I just went out drinking all night. -_-a Ugh. I’m hungry but don’t feel like eating. Sigh. Have fun at the camp!

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