Chapter 46
Episode 5: Bonus Time (4)
“[You have entered a Class C dungeon.]
[Defeat the boss monster and clear the dungeon.]”
‘So, this is the famous Water Dungeon.’
A message appeared in the air.
As soon as I entered the dungeon, I started looking around to take in the surroundings.
But.
Contrary to the excitement outside, the scenery wasn’t as great as people made it out to be.
The background was in a forest, unlike typical cave-like dungeons, providing a sense of openness, but the sky was cloudy, the foliage was dark, and there were stinking puddles of murky water.
It was significantly different from the photos and videos hunters had been praising and posting nonstop on social media.
If someone unfamiliar saw this, they might think they had entered the wrong place, but that wasn’t the case.
The Water Dungeon had a unique trait where the scenery would change upon clearing it.
After defeating all the monsters, including the boss, the area would transform into the beautiful forest seen on social media.
If I hadn’t researched the dungeon’s characteristics and strategy beforehand, I would’ve been disappointed too.
Just like Dark Shadow, who was now frowning while looking around.
“It’s dark and reeks of decay. Shall I take care of it right away, Master?”
“Do you think you can handle it?”
“This is nothing.”
[Character: Dark Shadow uses Rapid Movement.]
Dark Shadow scoffed at my words, arms crossed, before disappearing from sight in an instant.
And then.
“Aaaaargh!!”
[Character: Dark Shadow has defeated a Corrupted Water Spirit (C).]
[…….]
[Character: Dark Shadow has defeated a Corrupted Water Spirit (C).]
Monsters hidden behind trees and beneath puddles were swiftly taken down.
I suppose that’s what you’d expect from a max-level assassin.
According to the Water Dungeon strategy guide I reviewed last night, the entrance area where I’m standing is considered the most difficult part to clear.
With no clear directions or signs, you must search to find the boss monster’s location, but water spirits are hidden all over the place, making it challenging to locate the boss.
The spirits’ traps not only generate in random locations each time the dungeon resets, but they’re also hard to detect.
Given that they interfere with the boss search while launching annoying attacks, caution is prioritized in Water Dungeon strategy.
But Dark Shadow was effortlessly seeing through these traps.
Moving so fast that he was almost invisible, he disarmed all the traps in no time, swinging his twin daggers as he dismantled them.
As a seasoned assassin, he instinctively grasped the locations of the traps.
After dismantling the traps in a flash, Dark Shadow began hunting the monsters in earnest.
“Kiieeek!!”
[Character: Dark Shadow has defeated a Corrupted Water Spirit (C).]
[…….]
[Character: Dark Shadow has defeated a Corrupted Water Spirit (C).]
Each time he disappeared from view, three or more defeat messages appeared along with the spirits’ screams.
The hunting speed was overwhelming, to say the least.
Being a DPS character, it was no wonder his hunting speed was much faster than Taeseng Gilgeol, who was a tank.
As I watched Dark Shadow’s performance.
‘I can’t let all this experience go to waste by hogging it to myself.’
The thought of summoning Jejang-i suddenly crossed my mind.
If I were considering hunting speed, summoning Taeseng Gilgeol would be the correct choice.
But that would consume too much mana, requiring me to constantly drink potions, and since this is a Class C dungeon, there shouldn’t be any problem for Dark Shadow to hunt alone. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to summon Jejang-i and focus on growth instead.
It would also be an opportunity to observe the synergy between a blacksmith and an assassin.
Having made my decision, I immediately used [Character Summon].
“Come forth, Jejang-i.”
[Character: Jejang-i has been summoned.]
“Hello, my lord! Have you been well?”
In the gloomy forest, the cheerful voice of the little blacksmith echoed.
And shortly after.
[Two characters have been summoned simultaneously.]
[The simultaneous summoning effect occurs depending on the synergy between the characters.]
[Assassin – Blacksmith]
[Simultaneous Summon Effect: Symbiosis]
[Symbiosis: The assassin and the blacksmith share a symbiotic relationship through the equipment. When summoned simultaneously, the assassin’s equipment stats increase by 5%. The blacksmith’s overall stats increase by 5%.]
A simultaneous summoning effect appeared in my field of view, displaying the synergy between Dark Shadow and Jejang-i.
‘Symbiosis? That’s unexpected. I thought it would be antagonistic.’
As I stroked my chin, I observed the simultaneous summoning effect.
Honestly, when I was thinking about the relationship between an assassin and a blacksmith before summoning Jejang-i, I had expected an antagonistic effect.
I assumed that blacksmiths, who take pride in their weapons, would despise or shun assassins who live by breaking the law.
However, contrary to my expectations, the simultaneous summoning effect between Jejang-i and Dark Shadow was one of symbiosis, and their relationship seemed to be a good one.
As I was observing the simultaneous summoning effect, Dark Shadow, who had finished cleaning up the area, greeted Jejang-i with a brighter voice.
“Oh, it’s the little blacksmith. Have you been well?”
“Oh! Hello, assassin! It’s been a while!”
“Indeed. It’s even more delightful to see you outside the Sanctuary.”
“Hehe, I’m happy to see you here too. It’s been a while since I last worked on your twin daggers. Is everything still in good condition?”
“With the best blacksmith’s touch, how could there be any issues? Could you wait here for a moment? I didn’t get to pay properly for repairs last time, so I’ll bring you a gift of experience points.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay. I can fight too!”
“No, I owe you from before, so let me repay you this time. I’ll be back shortly.”
After a brief conversation, Dark Shadow once again disappeared in a swirl of black smoke, resuming the hunt for water spirits.
I watched him for a moment before speaking to Jejang-i.
“That guy gets along with you well. He looked like he was ready to tear Taeseng Gilgeol apart last time.”
“Hehe, it can’t be helped. The Guardian Knight adheres to imperial law, while the assassin disregards it in pursuit of profit.”
“Hm, what about you? The sword you crafted could be used to harm innocent people.”
It could have been a difficult question, but I wanted to know why their relationship was one of symbiosis, so I asked Jejang-i.
As I spoke, I thought it might be a tricky or awkward subject, but surprisingly, Jejang-i answered quickly and without hesitation.
“A blacksmith only creates. That’s what my master always says. Whether a sword I make saves someone or takes a life, only the gods know whether it brings benefit or harm.”
“Could you give me a specific example?”
“Let’s say a rebellion occurs. If a sword saves a tyrant and countless people die, then although the sword was used to save a life, it would bring tragic results. Conversely, if the sword kills the tyrant and improves the lives of many, then although the sword was used to take a life, it can be seen as bringing about a beneficial outcome.”
“A wise answer.”
“Hehe, not at all. I’m just repeating what my master taught me to you, my lord.”
It could sound complex, but I understood immediately.
The concept was that the use of a sword could lead to various outcomes, so there was no need to be burdened by unnecessary worries or prejudices.
Of course, some might see this as an abstract way to dodge moral judgment, but Jejang-i seemed to genuinely support Dark Shadow as a person.
“And I don’t think poorly of the assassin. He may be criticized for breaking the law, but when he wields his sword, he doesn’t forget his conscience or honor. Unlike other assassins, he doesn’t only chase money.”
Indeed, Dark Shadow was still diligently hunting on his own.
[Character: Dark Shadow has defeated a Corrupted Water Spirit (C).]
[Character: Dark Shadow has defeated a Corrupted Water Spirit Knight (C).]
[Character: Dark Shadow has defeated a Corrupted Water Spirit Archer (C).]
Even though I hadn’t given any specific orders, he was still sweeping through the monsters in the Water Dungeon, claiming that he owed Jejang-i and wanted to repay the favor.
It was quite a contrast from his behavior in front of Taeseng Gilgeol, where he had carefully weighed every action.
I wondered if that was just his nature, but it seemed he acted differently because Taeseng Gilgeol was around, with whom he had poor synergy.
“Yeah, it certainly seems that way.”
I nodded in agreement with Jejang-i’s words.
But just as I was having this conversation with Jejang-i.
Ding-!
[A hidden linked quest condition for the assassin has been fulfilled.]
[Linked Quest Condition for the Assassin]
[Assassinate 100 monsters (100/100)]
[Condition fulfilled, linked quest granted.]
[Assassin Linked Quest]
[Step on Dark Shadow’s Shadow (0/1)]
Suddenly, a new message appeared along with a notification sound.
‘A hidden linked quest? Is it similar to the one I got when I summoned Jejang-i?’
Though it was a quest format I hadn’t seen before, I quickly assessed the situation.
It seemed that, like the previous two characters, the assassin also had a linked quest, which had been triggered after he had hunted exactly 100 monsters.
But this time, the quest was significantly different from the previous ones.
In Jejang-i’s case, the quest was to search for clues about the missing blacksmith, while for Taeseng Gilgeol, it was to defeat the Hellhound.
The linked quest for the assassin, however, was titled “Step on Dark Shadow’s Shadow” and had no specific description or details on how to fulfill it.
As soon as I realized this, I felt a bit lost.
“What is it, my lord? Did something happen?”
Jejang-i looked up at me with a worried expression, sensing that something was on my mind.
I was about to respond but paused as I considered what to say.
But after thinking it through, I decided to ask Jejang-i for his opinion.
“Jejang-i, do you know what ‘Step on Dark Shadow’s Shadow’ means?”
It was a vague question, but considering Jejang-i’s wisdom, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Jejang-i tilted his head for a moment, then spoke in a calm tone.
“I’m not entirely sure, my lord, but from what I’ve heard from my master, stepping on an assassin’s shadow could mean one of two things.”
“What are they?”
“First, it could mean catching the assassin in their own shadow, which implies surpassing their abilities. Second, it could mean discovering something hidden within their shadow, perhaps a secret or a hidden truth.”
“Catching an assassin or discovering a secret, huh?”
It made sense, but it also left a lot of room for interpretation.
With this in mind, I fell deep into thought.
Just then, Dark Shadow appeared beside me without warning, having completed the hunt.
“Master, I’ve cleared all the monsters in this area. Shall we move on to the next part of the dungeon?”
His expression was composed, his movements light as though he had only taken a brief stroll.
He hadn’t broken a sweat despite the intense hunt, showcasing his strength.
I nodded, deciding to keep the linked quest in the back of my mind for now.
“Yes, let’s move on. I’ll think about the next steps as we proceed.”
And with that, we began to advance further into the Water Dungeon, with Dark Shadow leading the way.
