Chapter 47 Part 1:  Theodore

“You have been confirmed. Hunter Han Seo-Ha. Take care.”

Old dungeons sometimes have an amusement park-like atmosphere. Especially when you check your Hunter Certificate at the ticket office and pay the entrance fee.

The dungeon entrance was fairly quiet. Maybe it’s because it’s midday on a weekday, but I don’t know how many Hunters hold two jobs. It’s where the honey is anyways.

「Notice: You have entered the gate.」

「Verifying user…」

「Verified User: (Han Seo-Ha) «Awakener»]

「Connecting system…」

When I opened my eyes, I saw a vast plain covered in blue reeds. They’re not real reeds though. They sway gently in the breeze, and it’s quite beautiful. At least If we weren’t in the dungeon, it would be a famous tourist spot.

The reeds swayed in the breeze, making a rustling sound. There are only a few things you can do in this dungeon. After all, this dungeon has a terrible monster spawn rate, so you’re unlikely to encounter any.

However, it is a good place to practice your reconnaissance skills, as traps are always hidden throughout the dungeon.

‘Most of it were destroyed and marked with danger signs’

And right now, there’s a danger sign about a step to the right of where I’m standing. It looks like a trap of some sort that can be triggered by stepping on it. I don’t have the Reconnaissance skill, but I do have a similar skill.

«Spatial Interference»

I closed my eyes and opened them to find a completely different landscape than the one I had seen earlier.

The traps hidden among the blue reeds were etched in my mind. My head was spinning with too much information.

‘Hmm… As far as I can remember I think I have to enter the cave on the east side and follow the wall to the left.’

I opened the compass and started heading east. I encountered traps that spewed out blades when touched along the way, and traps that looked like wooden bridges that collapsed when walked on, but I easily passed it over.

I had to hurry because my head hurt like it was going to crack if I stayed on it too long.

“Was it here?”

Before I knew it, the reeds were already towering over me. I pulled the reeds aside and finally saw the entrance to the cave. It’s an impressive place with greenery everywhere.

Even the cave was made of blackish-blue rock.

Click.

The mushrooms that lined the walls of the cave began to react. They hummed as if sensing an intruder, then emitted a blue glow.

‘Luminescent mushrooms.’

These mushrooms are in high demand if they are collected and taken because of a number of enthusiasts who seek to have it. I don’t know what they taste like, but they’re known for their beauty.

It’s no wonder they’ve taken over an entire corner of the walls. The faintly fluorescent colors made me feel like I was underwater.

‘I have to go along the left wall…. and hook my index finger in the indentation.’

‘Found it.’

I poked my fingertip into the wall and found the indentation.

‘Lift the stone beneath it..’

I looked down and saw a slab of stone on the floor. At first glance, it looked ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it felt artificial.

‘I can’t just put my hand in it, I have to rub mushroom spores on my hand…’

I picked a luminescent mushroom and rubbed it on my hand. I felt nervous. If I did anything wrong, my hand could be harpooned inside this pit.

‘Slowly… grope inside.’

The strange texture gave me goosebumps. This relief seemed to be filled with mushrooms. I poke my hand through the mushrooms and finally felt something.

It was a round ring.

‘If I pull this…’

Kugugungg.. Kugugu..

As the side cave wall turned halfway, the cave immediately shook as if it was about to collapse. A couple of mushrooms fell from the occipital bank, from the ceiling.

There was a crunch, and the sound of stone dispersing. I crouched and waited, and then the tremors stopped.

‘It worked.’

I wondered how I’d managed to accomplish such a complex set of conditions. I stood in front of an open space.

I could barely see anything in the darkness.

The luminescent mushrooms hadn’t grown all the way in there. I grabbed my flashlight from my pack.

The light of the flashlight illuminated the inside. At that moment. A strange noise came from somewhere else.

「grhahhh . . . . . Haaahhh」

It was a sharp intake of breath. I quickly pointed the flashlight into the cave. I couldn’t see anything, but the eerie sounds kept coming.

「hbrahhah . . . . Haaahbhh」

Did the vibrations from earlier wake up the monsters inside?

It’s not unexpected. I braced myself against the wall and waited, and soon the creature appeared.

It’s tall, almost reaching into the cave. It had a thick coat of fur, and its limbs were stubby, with only fingernails and toenails.

Its fur was tinged with an overall blue color probably from a diet of luminescent mushrooms.

Its fangs protruding from its fur are murderous. 「Chameleon Bear」It was a bear-like monster that changed its color like a chameleon.

It seems to have had a separate Korean name, but the monster was more often called by this name.

「Woowong……Woowooong..」

It must have spotted me too, because it stopped. We stood facing each other for a while. After a brief look around, it was me who made the first move.

Swish.

I took a step, used a skill, and before I knew it, I was flying. As I circled through the air, my vision became dizzying.

「Whhhogggooo!」

It tried to swing its blunt front paws, so I triggered the skill once again. Next thing I know, I’m already on its back and grabbing it by the scruff of the neck.

Before it could react, I pulled the trigger on Noir.

BANG!

Thud.

The giant body collapsed with a meaty thud.