R1 Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 

Without knowing what lay ahead, I began the full-fledged walk with the two rankers.

It wasn’t difficult at first. All we had to do was follow the softly glowing path.

The problem came after that.

The path turned out to be much longer than expected for a mere walk.

We were still within the safe zone, but we were heading into unfamiliar territory. I had always stuck to the usual routes, so I didn’t even know this area existed.

Still, it wasn’t boring since I kept myself busy picking up random fruits and objects along the way.

Oh, look at that! And that!

I darted around, quickly gathering whatever caught my eye.

 

[Round Stone!

It’s round and cute! When split in half, its shiny interior is revealed.

*Lick it and good luck will come.]

 

I even found the elusive Round Stones of the subspace. These stones were known to boost your luck if you licked them.

I dashed toward the find.

“Hey, where are you running off to again?”

Baek Hwan’s grumbling voice called out from behind, complaining about being left behind.

But that wasn’t important right now.

How many of these are there…?

Underneath a rock, there were tons of Round Stones. I squatted down and eagerly began collecting them.

What a jackpot.

It seemed there were about six or seven of them. That would be enough to boost everyone’s luck by at least two.

“Are these important?”

At some point, Shin Yeoul joined me and helped me pick up stones without knowing what they were.

Except… that’s just a regular rock you’re picking up.

“Yes, these are called Round Stones.”

I explained their significance and brought one of the Round Stones I had picked up to my mouth to demonstrate.

“You lick it like th—”

Smack!

Before the stone could touch my tongue, Shin Yeoul, horrified, smacked my hand away.

Hey! That’s my stone!

The Round Stone rolled down a slope.

I reached out for it, but Shin Yeoul grabbed both my hands, stopping me.

“Y-You shouldn’t eat stones.”

He was so flustered that he even stuttered while speaking.

His expression looked like he was staring at a dog that had picked something off the ground to eat during a walk.

“Even if it’s for safekeeping… no matter how round and appetizing the stone looks, you… you shouldn’t do that.”

What? Who would want to eat a stone just because it’s round?

His tone was oddly scolding, and I shook my head vigorously.

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

Clearing my throat, I pulled my hands free to convince him.

“Try using appraisal skill on it. These stones boost luck when you lick them. If you’re really lucky, it can go up by as much as 2.”

I handed him another Round Stone.

“Ah…. well, my appraisal skill hasn’t come back yet. The unlock order for my skills is quite random.”

Seeming embarrassed that he couldn’t even use a basic skill, Shin Yeoul scratched the back of his neck.

“Still… since you’ve given it to me, I’ll give it a try.”

After hesitating briefly, Shin Yeoul obediently brought the stone to his mouth.

And just as his tongue was about to peek out between his lips—

“What are you doing?! Stop right there, you idiot—what the hell!”

Thud!

Baek Hwan suddenly appeared and smacked Shin Yeoul on the head.

“What do you think you’re doing, eating random stuff?!”

“…..”

“…..”

The stone rolled down the slope again. Oh, come on.

Grabbing Baek Hwan, I forcibly shoved a Round Stone into his mouth.

There was no time for explanations.

Though he struggled in protest, Shin Yeoul helped hold him down, making it much easier to feed him the stone.

“Mmph?!”

Baek Hwan’s eyes went wide. His luck had increased.

“Blegh! What is this? My luck went up by 20?!”

What nonsense is that?

Twenty? Is that even possible…?

It seemed like I had just given him something ridiculously good.

Baek Hwan even ran off to pick up the other Round Stones that had rolled away.

Unbelievable.

 

[Your luck has increased by +1!]

[Your luck has increased by +1!]

[Your luck has increased by +1!]

 

After that, we walked while diligently scanning the ground.

For some reason, though, the luck of the two rankers seemed to rise much faster than mine.

Was it because the stones I picked up were less effective? Or maybe the stones themselves were picky about their owners? Who knows.

Just as I began to feel the strain in my legs, we all came to an abrupt halt.

We were truly caught off guard.

Was this the reason why venturing into uncharted areas helped reduce debuffs?

The distinct shimmering blue light, and the peculiar pressure felt from beyond it….

It was a dungeon.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

No matter how I looked at it, it was a dungeon. The recommended path led straight to its entrance.

Technically, subspace itself was already inside a gate, but to have another gate within it? This sight completely defied logic.

“What kind of place is this?”

Baek Hwan asked me incredulously. He should worry about the dirt on his mouth first…

But that was exactly what I wanted to ask too.

I had no idea what this place was either.

“What should we do.”

I was lost in thought.

We had come all this way to reduce the debuffs, but going back now would definitely feel like a waste. There had to be a reason why the path led us here.

But rushing in blindly didn’t feel right either.

To be honest, I felt uneasy.

Almost dying, being on the brink of death…. All those memories were nothing short of horrifying. And now they wanted me to step into another dungeon?

I wasn’t keen on it.

How could I possibly know what lay inside?

It felt like returning to the cabin was the safer option.

No matter how much I wanted to reduce the debuffs, I couldn’t afford to risk my life for it.

 

[<Additional Reward> “Oh! The Boss Has Gone Crazy!”

: Incredible conditions! Guaranteed 80% debuff reduction upon quest completion!]

 

Uh…

Or maybe, this is worth trying?

The system window popped up just as I hesitated, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

It felt like it was urging me to go forward.

The 80% meant that almost all debuffs would disappear.

Shin Yeoul and Baek Hwan’s expressions grew more complex as well. It seemed like the same notification appeared for them.

“Let’s go.”

“Let’s do it.”

They both spoke at the same time.

It was clear that they had already been won over by the outrageous offer. Their faces were full of anticipation.

Seriously, how do you expect to handle this after barely surviving that rabbit? Both of you.

As I made a dissatisfied face, Shin Yeoul and Baek Hwan hurried to add to their case.

“It might be worth giving it a shot. Our debuffs have weakened us significantly, but at our current state, I think we can handle up to an A-rank dungeon.”

“Yeah. No matter what, we’re still S-rank.”

But that supposed S-rank reliability had long since been shattered.

Even as I continued to glare at them, Shin Yeoul awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“Of course… the rabbit was unexpected, I admit.”

Still, Shin Yeoul didn’t seem ready to give up. He carefully grabbed the edge of my sleeve.

“I promise there won’t be any more humiliating incidents. Really.”

Looking into Shin Yeoul’s eyes, which gazed at me with a silent plea, my resolve began to waver.

Maybe I’d grown used to him, or maybe it was just his naturally charming appearance.

Even with his dark circles and sharp features, he somehow looked so… sincere.

I guess I can’t say no.

Perhaps the rabbit’s absurd rank had been the real issue. Yeah, SS-rank was definitely crossing the line.

This dungeon couldn’t possibly be SS-rank too, right? Otherwise, everything would be SS-rank.

“…Alright. If it’s higher than A-rank, we’ll leave right away.”

At my reluctant agreement, Shin Yeoul and Baek Hwan’s faces lit up.

We’d only take one step inside. If things looked dangerous, we’d turn around and leave right away.

Swallowing dryly, I stepped up to the dungeon gate.

Since it was a dungeon inside a subspace, I wasn’t sure if the system would automatically pull me back to the subspace in case of danger, like before….

“Well, let’s go in.”

Together, we stepped through the dungeon gate.

The scenery changed in an instant.

It was a vast space.

The dark night sky had transformed into a clear, refreshing morning sky.

Smoke rose from the lakes beyond the hills. The water reflected the sky in a pristine, crystal-clear sheen.

“Wow.”

It felt like all the tension in my chest had been blown away.

This dungeon was entirely different from the gloomy, terrifying ones I’d experienced before.

It almost felt like another subspace. I couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved.

“This is one of the most breathtaking dungeons I’ve ever been to.”

Following my awe, Shin Yeoul also let out an exclamation of admiration. It was undoubtedly a stunning view.

 

[You have entered the ‘Bubbling Dragon’s Nest (A) Dungeon’]

 

The dungeon was A-rank.

I glanced at Shin Yeoul.

Meeting my eyes, Shin Yeoul slightly nodded with a gentle smile, as if telling me not to worry.

Okay, fine. This time, I’ll really trust you, Mr. Rank #1 and #2.

“But what are those lakes? There’s smoke coming from them?”

Scattered in the distance were various circular pools of water, ranging in size. Some were as vast as lakes, while others were no bigger than a few hand spans.

Was it some kind of unique dungeon feature?

“Ah… they’re hot springs.”

“They’re hot springs.”

I asked, thinking that rankers who frequently visit dungeons might know.

The answer was more ordinary than expected.

Oh, hot springs?

 

[<Sub Quest> “Let’s Get in the Hot Spring!”

: Welcome to the Bubbling Hot Springs! Enjoy the hot springs heated by dragon’s warmth!

*Guaranteed debuff reduction!]

 

A quest notification popped up as I stared at the hot springs. It seemed like an extension of the walk we’d been on.

It was telling us to go into the hot springs.

And it promised to reduce the debuffs too?

Of course! This is why the system guided us here…!

…Yeah, right.

Hot springs inside a dungeon? What kind of nonsense is this?!

🌱

Thank you for reading! ♡