Dungeon & Commander

Dungeon & Commander – 9

Choi Moo-hyun, who had just used his skills to block Pyrosaurus’s firepower, couldn’t move to the flank. The same went for Kwon Joon-sang, who was holding off one Gelusaurus.

Han So-young quickly created three arrows and shot them at the approaching Gelusaurus. Two arrows embedded themselves in its chest, and the last one pierced its left eye. The enraged monster howled and unleashed a blast of cold air.

In a split second, Park Hong-sik’s anti-ice buff on himself proved useless. He was caught in the freezing gust and thrown backward. Han So-young, injured in one arm, fell to the ground. Judging by the angle of her arm, she had likely broken a bone or two. Park Hong-sik landed about 10 meters away from the team, struggling as his limbs froze.

The Gelusaurus, having circled around the team within the light’s range, approached Park Hong-sik. The silver monster looked down at him with its right eye, slowly opening its mouth to reveal sharp teeth.

Everyone knew what was about to happen. The Gelusaurus was going to devour Park Hong-sik in front of them all.

Kim Joon, gripping the digger tightly with both hands, dashed out of the protected zone guarded by the two tankers.

“Stop!” Kwon Joon-sang shouted.

Kim Joon stood in front of Park Hong-sik, brandishing the sharp metal rod to threaten the Gelusaurus. The monster looked at Kim Joon as if peering down from the third floor to the first.

“…Go back,” Park Hong-sik said.

Kim Joon neither turned his head nor responded. He hadn’t rushed out thoughtlessly. Before participating in today’s raid, Kim Joon had discovered in the simulator, under Go Chul-min’s instructions, that monster behavior patterns were incredibly simple. This insight was reinforced by reflecting on the monsters he had seen in the Bukaksan Dungeon while waiting for the dungeon to open.

Moreover, the Gelusaurus had lost its left eye, meaning it had lost half its vision. Blood was flowing from the arrows lodged in its chest.

‘The odds are in my favor,’ Kim Joon thought.

He charged to the monster’s right side and stabbed its thigh with the digger. The Gelusaurus opened its mouth to unleash cold air, but its aim was off. Kim Joon didn’t miss the fact that the monster’s movements slowed after an attack and moved in closer.

The startled Gelusaurus stumbled and fell. Kim Joon continued to stab its side and chest, causing more and more liquid to pour out. No raider would respond in this manner.

Believing that missing this heaven-sent opportunity would mean certain death, Kim Joon thrust the digger with all his might into the core’s location. The Gelusaurus roared and thrashed about.

Despite being thrown around and hitting the ground, Kim Joon held onto the rod tightly, pushing it deeper whenever he had the chance. The position was so precise that neither the front nor the hind legs could reach him. Hidden in the monster’s blind spot, Kim Joon was invisible to the Gelusaurus.

Gradually, the Gelusaurus lost its strength. As Kim Joon gritted his teeth and drove the digger in, the monster’s neck went limp.

Kim Joon quickly dragged Park Hong-sik to the safe zone between the two tankers. Park Hong-sik’s eyes were wet with tears.

Kim Joon ran back to the dead Gelusaurus, pulled out the digger, and, after looking around, plunged his arm inside to extract the silver Geludium, bringing it back to the team.

“You crazy bastard!” Kwon Joon-sang shouted as the remaining Gelusaurus, frightened by the death of its kin, fled.

Kim Joon couldn’t say anything.

Kwon Joon-sang, who had been glaring at Kim Joon as if he wanted to kill him, turned to Park Hong-sik.

“Can you launch the signal flare?”

“I can, once my body thaws.”

“Good.”

Kwon Joon-sang panted heavily.

At that moment, a loud noise echoed from afar. It felt as if the dungeon world was shaking. It was the direction where Nuklatarus had disappeared.

Blood trickled from Kwon Joon-sang’s bitten lips. He turned to glare at Choi Moo-hyun. There was no need for instructions.

Choi Moo-hyun was already running towards Kwon Joon-sang.

The two tankers positioned themselves to block the shockwave from the nuclear explosion caused by Nuklatarus. Both instinctively knew they had to use their maximum defensive power.

Park Hong-sik, supported by Kim Joon, stood up and cast every beneficial buff he could on the two tankers.

A red storm approached.

“Everyone, duck!” Kwon Joon-sang shouted just as the heatwave engulfed them.

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***

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Kim Joon opened his eyes. Or at least, he thought he did. It was still dark. He raised his hand but couldn’t see anything.

His face burned.

When he touched his face, he felt a sticky liquid. His skin was peeled and in a terrible state.

There was a foul smell coming from somewhere.

Then he remembered what had happened. Someone had recklessly touched Nuklatarus. The nuclear explosion it caused had swept through the expedition team. This expedition would go down as a disaster.

He was thirsty.

Even though he knew he was about to die, he wanted to drink a few sips of water before he did. He turned over and crawled. Then something touched his fingertips.

A groan came from right in front of him.

What he touched was a face!

“…Who is it?”

“It’s Kim Joon.”

“So, it’s you,” came Han So-young’s faint voice.

“Are you okay?”

“Not at all.”

“Would you like some water?”

“That’s music to my ears.”

Kim Joon crawled across the floor, searching for the store bag containing the water bottle. It took nearly ten minutes for his groping hands to finally reach it. The water bottle, stored deep inside the store bag designed to withstand significant impacts, was intact.

He retrieved the bottle and, fumbling in the darkness, made his way back to Han So-young, handing her the bottle.

“…Do you think we’re going to die?” Han So-young asked.

“We won’t be the only ones,” Kim Joon replied.

“Yeah, I guess the others will die too,” Han So-young chuckled, half out of her mind.

Kim Joon searched for the other team members. Judging by their size, Choi Moo-hyun and Kwon Joon-sang were lying together. Both were alive but unconscious. Not far from them were Kang Jin-goo and Park Hong-sik.

Fortunately, no one was dead. Not yet.

Kim Joon lay down and stared into the pitch-black space above. How could they be so unlucky? To experience a Nuklatarus nuclear explosion on only his second raid.

When Kwon Joon-sang woke up coughing, Kim Joon crawled over with the water bottle. After Kwon Joon-sang took a couple of sips, Kim Joon explained the situation, knowing well that there was no solution.

The gate’s location could be determined with a dungeon compass called a Regio, which was issued only to a few, including expedition leaders like Jo Dong-gun. Kwon Joon-sang, being part of Uramata, hadn’t received a Regio.

Magnetic compasses didn’t work in this dungeon, meaning they couldn’t tell north from south. However, the Dungeon Association had succeeded in creating a device that could determine direction even in the pitch-black, harsh world of dungeons.

The Regio, made with seven types of cores, was similar to a compass but usable only in dungeons. When internal energy or magic was infused, the needle mixed with Spiridium accurately pointed to the gate. Thanks to the Regio, the expedition team could always find the dungeon entrance.

The Dungeon Association decided to issue Regios only to recognized raiders, including expedition leaders.

“How did you do it earlier?” Kwon Joon-sang asked.

“…What do you mean?”

“The Gelu. You killed it with that rod. How did you do it?”

Kwon Joon-sang dropped his leader’s usual taciturn demeanor, speaking in a casual tone more suited to friends. Even with death looming, his curiosity couldn’t be contained.

“That? I was lucky.”

“Did you know that Gelusaurus slows down after unleashing its ice storm?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I observed closely.”

“So, you waited and then stabbed it in a vital spot?”

“Something like that.”

“Crazy bastard.”

It was more a compliment than an insult.

Silence fell. There was nothing more to say, and no one had the strength to speak. They all waited for death to come slowly. Whether from the aftereffects of the nuclear attack or from a monster like Gelusaurus, death was an inevitable future.

To shake off the encroaching gloom, Kim Joon, without thinking, started whistling. The song he chose was The Beatles’ “Let It Be.”

“…Pick something else. That’s just depressing. ‘Let it be’? Seriously?” Kang Jin-goo, uncharacteristically, complained in front of everyone.

Kwon Joon-sang chuckled at Kang Jin-goo’s complaint, and Han So-young burst into laughter. Even Park Hong-sik and Choi Moo-hyun couldn’t suppress their laughter despite the pain.

Kim Joon switched the melody to “Nostalgia.” As he whistled the clear tune of the song adapted from a poem, everyone fell silent.

Han So-young started singing first.

―”At the eastern end of the wide field.”

Kwon Joon-sang followed.

―”Where old stories are murmured.”

Kang Jin-goo joined in with a rich voice.

―”A small stream winds around.”

They sang together, sometimes individually, to Kim Joon’s whistling accompaniment. For a brief moment, they could forget the pain and fear.

Then, Park Hong-sik spoke in a tense voice.

“…Something is approaching.”

The singing stopped.

Kim Joon continued whistling. He intended to keep whistling until the moment a Gelusaurus tore his throat with its sharp teeth. He was afraid, but he hated the idea of dying paralyzed by fear even more.

‘Did my father die like this?’ Kim Joon clenched his neck muscles to hold back the tears threatening to burst.

A white dot grew larger. It wasn’t a monster but something resembling a large deer, circling around them. Kwon Joon-sang, who had experience in B-grade dungeon raids, shuddered.

“…That’s a Lyposaurus.”

The core of a Lyposaurus contained a substance called Lypium, known as a miraculous cure-all. It was famous for advertisements claiming it could even revive those on the brink of death.

The realization that capturing the Lyposaurus and extracting its core could heal their severe injuries instantly spurred Kwon Joon-sang to his feet. However, the pain overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to stand up again.

The Lyposaurus approached Kim Joon, who was still whistling. The white deer, with curious eyes, lowered its head and licked Kim Joon’s cheek.

The whistling stopped abruptly, but the large deer continued to lick his cheek.

Kim Joon couldn’t move.

Was this its way of preparing a meal? Did it coat its prey with saliva before eating them?

As fear surged, Kim Joon closed his eyes and resumed whistling. He realized that focusing on the whistling made the excruciating pain disappear rapidly.

With each touch of the deer’s tongue, the pain diminished.

Why was the Lyposaurus helping him?

As the white deer licked his shoulder, Kim Joon raised his other hand to touch his face. A groan escaped. His skin was smooth.

It felt as taut as it did after a bath.

The Lyposaurus, having completely healed Kim Joon, moved on to Han So-young. As she recoiled in shock, Kim Joon crawled over to her.

“It’s okay. Just stay still, and you’ll be amazed,” Kim Joon reassured her.

Noticing the change in Kim Joon’s voice, Han So-young tried to remain calm but occasionally shuddered.

They didn’t have to wait long.

Han So-young, being sensitive, immediately sensed the change. Her body was healing rapidly.

In this manner, the white deer licked the wounds of all the team members.

It seemed as if the wounds were delicious. Kim Joon thought that perhaps, for the Lyposaurus, wounds were like food, given its core’s ability to cure all diseases.

It was a ridiculous thought, but it crossed his mind.

“Let’s capture it,” Kwon Joon-sang whispered.

“No, we can’t,” Kim Joon interjected.

“I oppose it too,” Han So-young added.

The rest of the team members shared the same sentiment.

“…Yeah. Honestly, I feel uneasy about it too,” Kwon Joon-sang admitted, uncharacteristically abandoning his usual steadfast leadership. However, he still felt a regret at passing up the chance to obtain a core worth a staggering ten billion won. Capturing that monster would mean never having to participate in another life-threatening raid.

Despite Park Hong-sik firing the signal flare three times, there was no response from anywhere.

The Lyposaurus slowly moved away from the Socrates team, occasionally turning its head to look back. As it stood still, gazing at Kim Joon, it resembled a white deer in a National Geographic photo, with its white aura dispersing like mist against the dark backdrop.

Kim Joon couldn’t take his eyes off the Lyposaurus.

“What’s wrong?” Han So-young asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Kim Joon replied honestly.

Han So-young stood beside him, also watching the Lyposaurus.

“Doesn’t it seem like it’s telling us to follow?” Han So-young whispered. The other team members would think she was crazy if they heard her.

“Could be,” Kim Joon said.

There was only one way to find out. Kim Joon glanced at Han So-young and then slowly walked towards the Lyposaurus.

Kwon Joon-sang, startled by his actions, stood up but refrained from shouting, fearing he might provoke the strange monster. He could only look at the team members, silently asking why Kim Joon was doing this.

The Lyposaurus remained still, watching Kim Joon approach.

Step by step, Kim Joon had to overcome his fear with each stride. He had to suppress the urge to turn back to where his team waited.

When he was within arm’s reach, Kim Joon and the Lyposaurus locked eyes. In the calm gaze of the Lyposaurus, Kim Joon sensed a gentle instinct, completely different from the cold, murderous intent he had seen in the eyes of the Gelusaurus.

Gathering his courage, Kim Joon extended his hand.

The Lyposaurus approached and licked his hand, like a cute pet.

Kim Joon couldn’t help but smile.

The Lyposaurus then turned its head, as if pointing towards the darkness behind it. When Kim Joon tilted his head in confusion, the Lyposaurus repeated the gesture several times.

“Ah!” Kim Joon exclaimed.

‘It’s telling us to follow.’

The Lyposaurus walked towards the darkness, glancing back at Kim Joon.

As Kim Joon followed, the Lyposaurus moved in that direction.

Kim Joon gestured for the team to follow.

The team members looked to their leader, Kwon Joon-sang. With a furrowed brow, Kwon Joon-sang hesitated to make a decision, so Han So-young stepped in.

“We don’t know the gate’s location anyway. Following that monster and signaling as we go seems like a good idea, Captain.”

“Hmm.”

Kwon Joon-sang quickly accepted the reasonable suggestion. Normally, he would have hesitated or stuck to his original plan to maintain his authority as a leader.

The Socrates team followed the Lyposaurus at a distance of about 10 meters, with Kim Joon walking right behind it.

In silence, they walked for about two hours. Then, buffer Park Hong-sik let out a groan.

“…Schwarzwald. 1 o’clock direction, approximately 30 meters away.”

“Is it moving?” Kwon Joon-sang asked.

“No, but something’s strange. Its aura is much weaker than usual. It seems to have been affected by the earlier explosion,” Park Hong-sik replied.

Kwon Joon-sang nodded at Park Hong-sik’s assessment.

Soon, they saw the black forest, feared even by large monsters. It was a gray wasteland, completely burned to ashes.

Something astonishing happened.