Jeong Yusin lay down on a cot at the shelter after going through an eventful situation at dawn.
Dito’s corpse had been removed. The blood that had been splattered across the floor had been thoroughly wiped away, leaving only its faint scent in the air.
He had intended to ask for a room change but was deterred by the fear of potential charges.
With wide-open eyes, Jeong Yusin spent the night until dawn. As the sun began to rise, he descended to the first floor to check on his party members. Unfortunately, Dell and Einhofer remained unconscious.
Carlton said he wasn’t feeling well and planned to stay at the shelter a bit longer.
Before leaving the shelter, Jeong Yusin deeply bowed to Carlton.
“I’m sorry. It seems I lost my mind yesterday.”
A jumble of reasons: the inexplicable assassination, the shock of his first murder, deep fatigue, and Luke’s threats mixed together.
To put it plainly, he wasn’t in his right mind — to the point where he had tried to kill Carlton.
He figured apologizing was the right thing to do.
No matter the circumstances, they were party members who fought together. They had shed blood and sweat for each other.
Carlton faintly smiled and tapped Jeong Yusin’s shoulder.
“It’s fine. If anything, I’m the one who’s sorry. I should’ve told you beforehand. Failure.”
For a retired Explorer, besides retiring or revisiting the labyrinth, there is another choice:
Illicit work.
It ranged from the trafficking of banned items to abduction, assassination, and theft.
With decent pay, many retired Explorers dabble in these illegal activities.
After hearing Carlton explain, Jeong Yusin nodded.
“So, Dito too?”
“That’s right. He probably received a commission somewhere. Failure.”
The taste in his mouth was sour. He wanted to press further, but Carlton’s condition was clearly fragile, as if he might collapse any moment.
“Well, I’ll leave first, then. Let’s talk once you’ve rested.”
“Sure. Failure.”
After leaving the shelter, he saw the crowd basking in the morning sunlight. The shelter was near one of Great Labyrinth’s transit points.
“Phew.”
Sighing, Jeong Yusin walked in the opposite direction of the crowd.
He had lost all his equipment and luggage.
The only thing left was his body.
Apparently, the investigation team saves lives but isn’t obligated to take care of belongings.
The only thing he gained from this labyrinth expedition were three silver coins.
Money he owed as debt.
He reached the inn where Darmong was, trudging step by step.
“I’ve arrived. Darmong.”
A face popped out from the kitchen.
“You’re back. Wait a moment.”
Jeong Yusin took a seat at an empty table.
A short while later, Darmong emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of food.
“Eat. You look half-dead.”
Jeong Yusin looked down at the tray.
A creamy soup filled with meat, buttered rye bread, and a warm cup of milk inside a wooden cup, all steaming.
“I…“
“Eat first.”
Pressed by Darmong’s insistence, he began eating. It was only when the warmth of the food reached his stomach that he realized how cold his body had become.
He swallowed the soup and broke off pieces of the bread, slowly savoring the warmth of the food as much as he could.
Darmong silently watched Jeong Yusin as he ate.
After drinking the warm milk last, Jeong Yusin finished his meal and deeply bowed.
“It was a good meal. Thank you, Darmong. I’m alive.”
Why did he say that?
He himself didn’t understand why those words slipped out.
“Hmm.”
“Boss!!! Two servings of breakfast here!”
Two humans sitting at another table shouted loudly.
As Darmong stood up to attend to them, he said,
“For now, rest a bit. Let’s talk in the evening.”
“Yes.”
Looking around, the inn was bustling with people. Explorers who had risen early and were on the move all gathered here, and it was both surprising and understandable.
‘It was tasty. No hair at all.’
Darmong must have finished his fur shedding. The number of people visiting will only increase from here on.
After climbing to the second floor and opening the door to his room, the atmosphere was eerie.
The loss of luggage and equipment in the Labyrinth strongly sank in. All he currently had was a tattered Hard Leather Armor.
Left over were only a Long Sword and two remaining silver coins.
After deducting the shelter’s treatment fees, it leaves him with a debt of one silver coin.
“Ah, whatever.”
Feeling sleepy after eating warm food, he changed out of his armor and into his regular clothes.
“Better to sleep now. Honestly, the shelter was too cold.”
After tossing his weary body onto the bed and hugging the fluffy bedding, Jeong Yusin fell asleep.
*
Opening his eyes in the early morning air, he found himself looking at an asphalt road.
“…Where is this?”
A familiar place. Turning back, he could see the neon sign of a convenience store glowing in the distance.
It was the spot he transferred to another world.
Had he returned?
“Hahaha.”
The sudden return left him flabbergasted. What was the meaning of all his struggles up until now?
A feeling of futility overtook him and he slumped down.
Was it all just a bad dream?
Looking up again, he stared at the convenience store.
No, this isn’t right. He should go to the convenience store, buy junk food, and head home.
He stood up, shaking off his melancholy feelings.
He wanted to buy a soda and drink it fully, savoring the refreshing chill and sweet sugar that had once tempted his throat.
And the spicy, steaming broth of instant noodles — how that would be, too.
His mouth watered.
“Potato chips. I’m going to eat all kinds. Just wait and see.”
He started walking toward the convenience store.
En route, he spotted a manhole lid with its cover missing.
Mesmerized, he approached it.
Looking down, there was nothing visible. Of course, it was dark in the sewer, and it was night.
“Rise!”
A voice echoed from the sewer.
“W-what!?”
Jeong Yusin jumped back in shock. A strange sensation overcame his body. A twisting started in the depths of his stomach and spread throughout.
“Rise!”
From the sewer, a black mist began to rise slowly.
He immediately turned and sprinted back toward the convenience store.
But the black mist was faster. The mist caught hold of him.
“Let go!! Let me go!!”
He struggled with all his might, but the mist tightened its grip slowly, twisting and crushing his entire body.
Screaming in pain and agony,
“Aaaaahhhhh!!!”
Struggling in the pain, Jeong Yusin’s eyes abruptly opened wide. The familiar ceiling came into view.
Home?
No, it’s Darmong’s inn.
BAM!!
The door violently opened, and Darmong rushed in.
“Scath! What’s wrong?”
“It… it was a nightmare.”
Confused by Jeong Yusin’s stammering answer, Darmong folded his arms.
“Hmm. For now, come downstairs. A visitor has come.”
Darmong left the room.
‘A visitor?’
Who could it be?
Looking down at his body from the bed, his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
On the contrary, an odd vitality coursed through his body.
His body had changed. He felt it intuitively.
‘Could it be a new brand? But I didn’t feel the sense of liberation. Was it because I lost consciousness?’
Though questions arose, there was something he had to do right away.
After wiping his body with a towel, he left the room and descended to the first floor.
There were unfamiliar faces.
A tall human male with handsome blond hair.
A mysterious and beautiful female Elf.
A female canine with pointed ears and sharp features.
Lastly, a girl Cleric dressed all in white.
The typical harem party.
The visitors and Darmong sat at the same table.
The blond man waved at Jeong Yusin.
“Over here! Barbaroy!”
Sweat-drenched Jeong Yusin brushed his hair back and approached the table to sit down. The blond man greeted him with a grin.
“Are you okay? I heard screams coming from upstairs?”
The friendly tone made Jeong Yusin scratch his head as he couldn’t quite figure out why this man was pretending to be so familiar.
“Had a nightmare. I’m fine now.”
“Ah! You don’t know that, do you?!”
“What is ‘that’?”
“Level Up! With so many Goblins killed, a Level Up isn’t surprising.”
Darmong chimed in.
“Explorers call it ‘Level Up,’ but originally it’s referred to as ‘Magic Adaptation.’ When you kill demons, their unique magical particles accumulate in your body, leading to bodily mutations. Strength, dynamic vision, reflexes, magical sensitivity—various abilities increase.”
Jeong Yusin was bewildered.
It was a new term he had never learned at the Explorers’ Guild, and it left his mind foggy.
“What? Even a barbarian should know this much as ‘common sense,’ right? It’s not even a phenomenon exclusive to the labyrinth. Strange.”
The blond man stared at Jeong Yusin as if looking at a curious animal. Ignoring his words, Jeong Yusin had other questions.
“Does having this Level Up cause nightmares?”
In response to Jeong Yusin, Darmong explained,
“The phenomena during a Level Up varies so much, a definitive answer is impossible. It does happen occasionally that people have nightmares, although rare. Typically, only mutations occur. Afterward, a strong vitality and sense of omnipotence are common features.”
‘Damn, this Level Up thing is intense.’
Still, he felt good. He had grown stronger. Since earlier, a powerful vitality coursed through his body.
“By the way, who are you?”
At Jeong Yusin’s question, the blond man stared at himself with a bewildered expression and pointed to himself.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know me? Our party?”
“Yes.”
“Haaa…”
The blond man put a hand on his forehead.
‘This guy is exhausting.’
KUNG!!
The blond man pulled out a leather pouch from his coat and placed it on the table.
A dull sound echoed from inside the pouch.
“The so-called ‘us!’ is the rising star of the Explorer’s Guild: ‘The Golden Dawn.’ I’m Zic Lionel, a mid-tier Explorer! Remember that well.”
‘So, it’s a named party. A proper team, I see.’
“Yes. But why are you here?”
“…Show a bit of respect. We saved your life, you know.”
“Saving my life? Were you part of the Labyrinth investigation party?”
“That’s right. This is the guild’s fee.”
Zic gestured toward the leather pouch.
Looking at the heavy pouch, his heart raced.
With trembling hands, he caressed the leather pouch.
“…Could this be all silver coins?”
“That’s not quite right.”
“Oh.”
A regretful sigh escaped as disappointment surged.
But before opening the leather pouch to count the money, there was something he needed to do.
Jeong Yusin got up and bowed deeply.
“Thank you very much. I wouldn’t have survived without The Golden Dawn.”
Zic waved a hand.
“It’s no big deal.”
“Should I share the bounty?”
The words slipped out, though he didn’t really mean them.
“That’s not necessary. We’ve already received from the Guild. By the way, the other party members also got bounties, so there’s no need to share.”
“But why did I get this bounty? While it feels good, it’s hard to understand.”
“For exterminating over 100 Hobgoblins and killing a Hobgoblin Warrior, it was awarded.”
“But there was no proof of extermination?”
“We testified on your behalf.”
“I see.”
He accepted the explanation. To be honest, he didn’t really care. All he could see was the heavy leather pouch.
“A! I almost forgot to mention the bounty amount. Silver coins 40, copper coins 48 for extermination.”
“Ugh. Thank you.”
Jeong Yusin clutched the leather pouch tightly and pressed it to his face. Though the three women sitting beside him stared with disapproval, he didn’t care.
This uneven texture!
He was so happy.
‘Damn! This is life!’
How desperate had he been when he had lost his backpack and all his equipment, barely surviving, getting rescued from the Labyrinth.
The thought of working hard to replace everything had been daunting, but now he had no worries.
The girl Cleric stood up.
“Let’s go. Our business here seems to be done.”
With a wry smile, Zic stood up.
“Is that so? Then we’ll see you later. Darmong. And Barbaroy.”
“Goodbye.”
As Zic’s party left the inn,
Jeong Yusin remained seated, continuing to fondle the leather pouch. Darmong chuckled at the sight.
“Is it that satisfying?”
“Yes. I thought I’d have to work nonstop for at least a year, but thankfully, this is great. And there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Ah, is that so? Then let’s talk after closing hours.”
“Can I help out?”
“No. You should wait a bit. Have a drink first.”
“Hehe. Let’s do that.”
As time passed, the customers began to leave one by one. Some ascended to the second floor of the inn, while others had come only for a meal and then departed.
When the last person had gone and the inn’s door was closed,
Only Jeong Yusin and Darmong remained.
“So, you had something to discuss?”
Sitting at the table, Darmong spoke. Jeong Yusin poured him a drink from the bottle.
“Yes.”
