NOVEL NEXT Ch. 6
Chapter 6: Mystery Room (2)
An earthquake went off inside Yohan’s head.
—What just happened?
—Did this fool experience some kind of change?
—If the protagonist shows up here, the entire plan might collapse.
—No, more importantly, I can’t afford to lose what I’m about to pick.
His mind churned with confusion, but there wasn’t even enough time to calm his emotions.
[Remaining Time 0H : 0M : 55S]
Yohan’s gaze shifted toward the status window displaying the remaining time.
Only 55 seconds left.
He had to finish the deal with Seo Changhee within that time.
Seo Changhee was the kind of man whose instincts were carved with the rule that he must always make the optimal choice to stop this damned level of Apocalypse.
If Yohan were to snatch it by force, their relationship would surely plummet to the worst possible outcome.
So first, start the conversation on good terms.
“Sorry, but I’d like you to concede this one. I’m the only one who can fully draw out the potential of this item.”
“That’s troublesome. My instincts are telling me I must obtain this. If someone’s to yield, it should be you.”
Instinct, huh. What was this, the command of some matriarch from a noble family?
It was clear he wouldn’t give up easily.
In that case—
He had no choice but to dangle bait incomparably more valuable than this.
“In return, I’ll help you find the ‘Fragment of Dawn’. While we’re at it, I’ll also help you decide which item you should pick.”
Yohan flicked a white Zippo lighter that was lying on the table.
Ping!
The lighter spun in the air and stopped right in front of Seo Changhee.
And then—
A faint flinch.
Seo Changhee’s eyes wavered.
“How… did you know? Even the major guilds and rankers didn’t know the ‘Fragment of Dawn’ existed…?”
How did he know?
Because it was something absolutely required for his awakening as a “Spiritual Being.”
At the top of Seo Changhee’s instinctual hierarchy, the command to “secure the Fragment of Dawn” must have been embedded deeply.
Of course, he couldn’t reveal that.
The best move now was to gloss it over.
“Are you planning to play twenty questions with me when there’s no time left? Or will you take my offer?”
[Remaining Time 0H : 0M : 17S]
“Interesting. You act as if you know everything about me.”
Seo Changhee stared straight into Yohan’s eyes.
He was trying to discern whether Yohan’s intentions were genuine or not.
Receiving that intense gaze from the man, Yohan couldn’t help but feel a sudden urge to plant his fist into that face.
But what could he do?
If he wanted to achieve what he desired, he had to endure at least this much.
If that guy took it, he wouldn’t be able to draw out even a quarter of the item’s true potential.
No—Yohan would be lucky if the fool didn’t trigger a catastrophe with it.
Moments later, as though having reached a decision, Seo Changhee picked up the lighter Yohan had slid toward him.
That was his acceptance.
“At least tell me your name. In case we don’t meet again inside the dungeon.”
“Kang Yohan. Just call me Yohan.”
“Kang Yohan, huh… You’re quite lucky. It’s not often someone gets the chance to associate with a promising talent like me. Ah, my name’s Seo Changhee. Not that it’ll take long before everyone knows it.”
He brushed back his hair with a faint grin.
Yohan doubted the fame would ever come for anything good, but well—delusion was free.
He’d also handed him the item most suited for him.
Once he entered the dungeon, Seo Changhee would soon realize just how powerful that lighter truly was.
It was an S-rank item, after all.
Though its drawbacks were… quite apparent.
[Seo Changhee has selected ‘White Flame Lighter’.]
[Kang Yohan has selected ‘’.]
At that very moment—
The full ten minutes had elapsed.
[Entering ‘Withered Garden’!]
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The darkness faded, revealing a location utterly different from the lavish room before.
He had entered the dungeon.
[‘Sealed Church’ has been designated as your Starting Point.]
[From this moment onward, all dungeon entrants can check detailed information on their chosen items.]
[Items obtained from the Mystery Room deal an additional 10% damage to monsters inhabiting this dungeon!]
The entry point of the dungeon was random for each person.
Yohan had fallen right in front of a half-collapsed church.
The gray sky and the gloomy atmosphere matched perfectly.
‘What a spectacular start.’
He would have to ask why Seo Changhee had postponed his first steps as a Spiritual Being and chosen this place instead.
He couldn’t afford to let the “Opportunity” slip away either.
And he also needed to make sure the man owed him a debt too great to repay.
Hmm.
This dungeon would be quite productive.
‘They said it takes about five days to defeat the boss, so there’s some room to breathe.’
Serious movement wouldn’t begin until the fourth or fifth day.
That’s when he could start securing major hidden pieces and rewards.
‘Until then, I’ll just have to kill time while others do the hard work.’
The only issue—
He had come here in such a rush that he had no weapons, no food, nothing.
He’d have to gather everything himself.
Fortunately, as expected of a so-called “Treasure Dungeon,” the place was rich in resources compared to others.
[Activating Bloodline Spell ‘Lesser Vampire Bat’!]
“Kyuu.”
A bat covered in soft, black fur appeared.
It was a familiar he had summoned through a contract.
“Check from the sky if anyone’s approaching.”
“Kyuut!”
The bat saluted with its tiny wing before fluttering up into the air.
He had just finished his Coming-of-Age Ceremony, so he couldn’t afford to waste mana carelessly.
‘If I use even one or two big spells, my mana will be completely drained.’
He had to be careful until he awakened, got his exclusive class, and climbed the skill tree….
And until he had accumulated sufficient mana.
He had to be cautious.
He could no longer fail and move on to the next run.
While he spent the next few hours scoping out the area and planning ahead, right at that moment—
[The Vampire Bat warned: entities are approaching.]
Something was coming.
About thirty seconds later, numerous presences were felt from the rear of the Sealed Church.
He wondered if it might be Seo Changhee, but those who appeared were people he had never seen before.
“What the—people? Not hunters… they don’t have any gear at all.”
“Hmm. Came in alone?”
“Oh my. How scary. Even with five of us, my heart’s pounding.”
Four men and one woman.
They seemed to have brought proper weapons and armor from outside.
A stark reminder of the gap between the haves and have-nots.
As Yohan edged back, the man who seemed to be the leader raised both hands.
“Whoa, whoa. Don’t be so guarded. Looks like you don’t have much dungeon experience either—D-rank dungeons can still be pretty dangerous even if they’re treasure dungeons. So how about it? Want to travel with us?”
He stepped forward with a friendly smile.
But why did Yohan get the sense of rotting corpses behind that smile?
Well, after surviving that chaos and making it inside the dungeon, one shouldn’t expect “kindness.”
[Lv1 ‘Eye of the Prophet’ activated!]
[Cooldown to use on the same target again: 3 days.]
He checked the items chosen in the Mystery Room.
Since his level was still low, he couldn’t examine everyone’s status windows in detail.
For higher-ranked beings, fatigue would accumulate far more.
Or he might only see part of it, or be completely unable to confirm.
[A-rank ‘Prophet’s Kindergarten Summer Vacation Bug Collection Box’]
[D-rank ‘Golf Club for Screens’]
[E-rank ‘Alarm Clock’ (made in South Africa)]
[C-rank ‘A Certain Count’s Portrait’]
[None.]
The last woman seemed to have been unable to choose an item in the earlier mess.
He could understand—that situation had been chaotic.
Still, she had joined the group probably because of her looks.
Not a breathtaking beauty, but with long, glossy hair and a tear mole near her eye. She flashed a bashful smile that triggered protective instincts.
She possessed a strangely alluring charm.
Yohan’s gaze shifted to the man who appeared to be the leader.
‘He picked an A-rank item—pretty lucky.’
Odds-wise, about five percent.
Not an S-rank (only three existed), but still fairly rare.
He scanned the other members one by one.
From information acquired in previous runs, three guilds were known to have entered this dungeon.
[Daesan Industrial Association]
[Iron Sword (Ttŏkgeom)]
[Priests of the Sun]
Unlike riff-raff who came in seeking treasure, these were mid-tier guilds with proper raiding parties.
Of course, besides the item they’d gained this time, their equipment and individual skills should be considerable.
‘At least these guys aren’t the threat.’
They were simply too weak.
In mana quality and quantity, and even in experience.
Bitterly, he was sure the others thought the same.
He could see them licking their lips while looking over here.
A look that said, ‘I wonder what he chose’—a gaze stained with greed.
Besides, he was traveling alone, which made him look like a tasty target.
However—
This side also needed actors to decorate the stage spectacularly.
They weren’t the only ones here now.
“We encountered monsters twice on the way in. They were no joke. I guarantee it’s much safer than wandering alone.”
“Fine, let’s do that.”
When Yohan accepted cheerfully, the man laughed and introduced himself.
“Ha ha. A wise choice. I’m Yoo Youngho. Beside me, in order, Kim Yunyeol, Jeon Mincheol, Jo Yongbae, and Park Yeri. Some are friends I knew before, some I met here.”
Each nodded or offered a brief greeting.
They didn’t have rigid positions, but they claimed to have at least three dungeon runs each.
“I have no dungeon experience.”
Yohan briefly stated his background.
“Ah, well. It’s not a bad place for a first time. The problem is coming because of large guilds. Closed dungeons can be pretty lucrative.”
The smile on Yoo Youngho’s face deepened.
He should manage that expression a bit.
At that rate, the prey he’d already cornered might run away.
“Then, could you tell us which item you picked in the Mystery Room?”
“……”
Seeing Yohan’s uncomfortable expression, Yoo Youngho quickly added a word.
“No other motive. Now that we’re allies, I thought it’d be good for the team to know each other’s strengths.”
All for the group, not the individual.
He threw in a politician-level justification that public interest should trump private.
And it wasn’t really a question of choice.
From the looks of them, they were ready to draw their weapons depending on his answer.
If he had something useless, they wouldn’t keep him around—they’d prune him immediately.
If he had something useful, they’d milk him for everything, then take it once the juice ran out.
Yoo Youngho reached toward the item Yohan kept in his bosom.
Answer, or fight.
It was time to make that decision.
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