Chapter 61: Mage and Alchemist (Rare)

M E M O R I Z E

Thirty minutes had already passed since we’d barely managed to calm down the bickering party and set off again. Even after all that time, the afterglow of the battle with the Rengas seemed to linger, as they all fidgeted with the weapons in their hands. The gloomy atmosphere from seeing the other users’ corpses had lifted considerably. Satisfied, I quickened my pace with a faint smile.

In the clearing where we had taken care of the Rengas, there was another passage. It was a path on the opposite side of the one we had entered through. After passing through it, we advanced deeper into the dungeon without any hindrance. I couldn't be sure if this simple structure would continue, but so far, the dungeon had a relatively straightforward layout.

To be honest, if this was the extent of the Dungeon of the Ancient Alchemist Vivian, its difficulty was on the easier side. My mind drifted back to my first life, to my time exploring a labyrinth as a new user. I’d arrogantly ventured into a place even skilled users wouldn't dare enter, only to get lost and suffer miserably for nearly three months. With that experience under my belt, it was only natural that this current dungeon seemed relatively easy.

Comparing those desperate memories with my current situation, I let out a small chuckle. The old me couldn't have even imagined this. Back then, I was so cautious that I would check a stone bridge before crossing it, meticulously analyzing every trap and potential monster spawn route with each step I took. Now, however, I felt my caution gradually fading away.

I’m the type who generally prefers to handle things calmly and methodically. As they say, haste makes waste, so I believe it’s better to proceed safely and surely, even if it’s a bit slower. However, with my current outstanding abilities and accumulated experience, doing things the old way felt somewhat stifling. Above all, since time was short, a certain boldness to proceed quickly when necessary was also required.

Perhaps because it was a dungeon in a small city, I could definitely feel that its difficulty was lower than expeditions in regular or large cities. Still, I’d been a little tense since it was close to an unexplored region, but it was nothing like those places riddled with traps where monsters would pop out the moment you advanced. I felt quite at ease.

Come to think of it, even when we cleared the Cave of Screams, there hadn't been any major difficulties, if not for *that bastard* who appeared at the very end. Remembering how *that bastard* had suddenly appeared and killed half the caravan sent shivers down my spine. In any case, I couldn't let my guard down completely, so I maintained a basic level of vigilance as I moved forward.

The tracks of the previous caravan continued this far. That meant they had passed through the clearing, and since sneaking by would have been impossible, it was likely that the Rengas had been replenished. This implied there was a dungeon master with a certain degree of intelligence.

As I organized my thoughts and continued deeper, I saw another clearing connected to a new passage. However, this clearing was incredibly small, less than a quarter of the size of the one where the Rengas had been.

Before us was a small space that couldn't even hold fifty people, fronted by a sheer, dizzying cliff. Four gaping holes were visible, leading down into the ground. Further progress was impossible without going through one of them. In other words, we had to choose a hole and enter it, no matter what.

As I stepped into the clearing and stopped, the others followed suit. Without needing to ponder which one to enter, I immediately activated The Third Eye and Mana Sense simultaneously. After carefully examining the four holes, I nodded and was just about to step towards the second one.

Just then, I caught sight of Sol, staring blankly at the cliff. Sol must have felt my gaze, as she soon turned to me and tilted her head quizzically. Her expression was so adorable that I felt the urge to go over and bite her cheek, but with An Hyeon standing right there, I barely managed to restrain myself.

Seeing the conflicted look on my face, Yu-jeong, the epitome of a mood-driven person, came up to me playfully. Wary of getting dragged into something troublesome again, I immediately turned away, but Yu-jeong instantly moved to follow me. She must have been incredibly bored, as she spoke while twirling her dagger.

"Oppa. You're trying to decide which one to enter, right?"

"..."

Taking my silence as affirmation, Yu-jeong continued with a bright smile.

"I have a good idea."

"What kind of nonsense are you thinking of now..."

"Hey! You're always picking on me. Just leave it to me this time. Huh? You can just stand back and watch, Oppa. I have a really good idea."

She tried to look serious on the outside, but the slight curl at the corners of her lips made it clear she was plotting some mischief. However, I felt bad ignoring Yu-jeong as she held onto my shoulder, her eyes pleading earnestly. I spread my senses around but detected nothing.

I decided to let Yu-jeong do as she pleased for now. She often showed a sharp side that even I couldn't predict. I also intended for her to gain some experience in the process. When I shut my mouth and took a step back, Yu-jeong's face lit up triumphantly. She then turned to An Hyeon, who was similarly swinging his spear around.

"Hyeon~?"

"You're crazy."

"You... Hohoho. That's not it. There's just something I want to check."

An Hyeon immediately responded to Yu-jeong's cloying call with a curse. For a moment, I could see a thick vein pop on Yu-jeong's smooth forehead. In the past, we would have witnessed her infamous sharp tongue right then and there, but Yu-jeong continued speaking in a gentle tone. However, I could feel the faint killing intent laced within her voice.

"...What is it."

"Back during the Rite of Passage. Remember? What you said."

"I've said more than one or two things."

"You know, in that city. Didn't you say our Sol has re~ally good intuition?"

I saw Sol's ears, which had been busy looking around, perk up. It seemed she was interested now that her name was mentioned. What gives her the right to be so cute? Maybe I should pinch her cheek, or her ear... no. What on earth am I thinking about a child?

While I was lost in my own sinister thoughts, Hyeon was already passionately rattling on with an enthusiastic face. It was the second coming of a doting brother.

"Aha. You mean that. Yeah. That's right. Her intuition is so good that..."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll hear all about it later. Is it really reliable?"

"Of course! It's one hundred percent accurate."

Good timing. Watching Yu-jeong cut him off at the perfect moment, I gave her a mental thumbs-up. I also let out a sigh of relief, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. An Hyeon nodded along before tilting his head, as if he too sensed something was wrong. But by then, it was already too late. Seeing Yu-jeong turn away with a mischievous smile, An Hyeon's eyes widened in shock.

"But why are you suddenly asking about that... Hey. Wait a minute. Lee Yu-jeong. Hey!"

Hyeon called out urgently, but Yu-jeong ignored him and walked toward Sol. Sol, who had been listening intently to their conversation, stared blankly as Yu-jeong closed the distance. But Sol didn't just stand there. Whether it was because she'd learned to read the room or her 100 points in Luck had triggered a premonition of danger, she immediately fled behind my back. I heard An Hyeon's sigh of relief, and Yu-jeong frowned. Soon, however, Yu-jeong put on a gentle expression and spoke kindly.

"Su-hyeon oppa. Could you please pick Sol up for a moment and place her at the entrance on the far left over there?"

I could hear An Hyeon and An Sol groaning in disgust. I felt nauseous as well. But since I'd decided to leave it to Yu-jeong, I forced myself to endure it and lifted Sol up. Sol, who was clinging tightly to my collar, tilted her head with a clueless expression. Seeing the question marks floating above her head and the look of pure, innocent trust on her face, I already started to feel an inexplicable sense of guilt.

If I had suddenly picked her up like this before, she would have been startled into a fit or burst into tears, but she didn't anymore. She was simply relying on me with a face full of trust, as if to say, "There's no way Oppa would do anything to harm me." The thought of being a man acknowledged by a female user who would one day become the Brilliance Priest made me put Sol down in front of the leftmost entrance with an arrogant expression. For the record, this was one of the entrances we should absolutely not enter, but I intended to watch Yu-jeong's next move for now.

"H-Hyeong?"

I heard Hyeon's flustered voice from behind, but I paid it no mind. I patted Sol's head and took a step back. Sol just kept looking at me, her eyes bright and clear, without a hint of doubt. Seeing this, Yu-jeong wore a twisted, bitter smile, as if her insides were churning. For some reason, seeing Sol's face like that made a wicked feeling surge within me—an urge to tease her, to make her cry.

Since I had given my permission, An Hyeon seemed at a loss for what to say and could only watch with a dumbfounded expression. Yu-jeong wet her lips slightly with her tongue, approached the blankly standing Sol, and slowly whispered something insidiously in her ear. I quickly sharpened my hearing to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Now, Sol. Go on inside. Quickly."

"Huh? Inside?"

"Yes. By yourself."

"Wh-what? Alone? I'm going in alone? What about you, Eonni, and the Oppas?"

"That's right. Oppa, Hyeon, and I will be waiting outside, so go in by yourself first and scout to see if there's anything dangerous. Su-hyeon oppa approved it, too. He even said it was a very good idea, you know?"

Yu-jeong was whispering in a truly insidious manner. Overwhelmed by her tone, Sol was also muttering in a small voice. An Hyeon's expression turned strange at their barely audible voices, but he stayed put for the time being.

Being such a pure child, Sol nodded once and fell into deep thought. She closed her eyes and tapped her cheek with a finger, as if calmly mulling over Yu-jeong's words. After finishing her thoughts, An Sol opened her eyes and spoke, her gaze trembling.

"But... there are lots of dangerous things inside... for me to go alone... There's no way Su-hyeon oppa would do that..."

"No, no. You've been given a very important role. You're the bait. Bait. You know? It's a common trope in movies and stuff. Based on your sacrifice, we get to avoid the dangerous places, happily grab the treasure, and return to the city. How about it?!"

Watching Yu-jeong repeatedly emphasize the word "bait," Sol's face crumpled, and she threw a glance at me. She seemed to firmly believe there was no way I would have said such a thing. In response to her dazzlingly earnest gaze, I simply shrugged my shoulders. Sol blinked a couple of times, looked at me, and opened her mouth.

"Oppa."

"...Yes?"

"Did you really say that?"

"S-Say what?"

In reality, I hadn't uttered a single word of permission. However, Sol seemed to take my stammering in a different way, and her eyes widened in shock. Her lips began to tremble, and she clenched her small hands. An Sol spoke again, her face like she was delivering an ultimatum.

"I'm going to cry, you know?"

I just averted my gaze. It was partly payback for Sol avoiding my gaze earlier, and partly because I kind of wanted to see her cry. As I subtly looked away and scratched my cheek, Sol's expression changed into something quite spectacular. She must not have expected me to avoid her eyes, because her mouth gaped open with a look of profound shock. And then. I got to see the result I had been hoping for.

"Waaaaaah!"

Sol collapsed right where she stood and burst into tears. Yu-jeong, who apparently hadn't expected her to actually cry, took a step back with a dazed look. An Hyeon shot a sharp glare at Yu-jeong. Yu-jeong stammered for a moment, then pointed a finger at me. As if I did anything.

"Waaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaaaah!"

Seeing Sol wailing her heart out, An Hyeon and I rushed over to her.