Chapter 55

00055 Dungeon Of Alchemist(2) =========================================================================

Despite a considerable amount of time having passed, we were able to move without any interference. The deeper we entered the pitch-black forest, the more the dark blue color of the leaves and undergrowth gradually faded. This was proof that we had passed through a significant portion of the forest. With our marching speed significantly increased from yesterday, it seemed we could cross the midpoint faster than expected.

“This is strange. I’m sure I met a lot of monsters in my dream today.”

“Huff, huff. Dreams are supposed to be the opposite, right? Big brother. I’m sorry, but can we take a short break? It feels like half a day has already passed, and we haven’t rested at all.”

Anhyun tilted his head in confusion. Yujung was panting. Ansol, though silent, had a pale face with several bite marks on her lips, indicating she had been enduring the journey. They all followed without complaint, but it seemed they had been holding back. Feeling the need for a substantial rest, I nodded and stopped to look around. As soon as my permission was given, the sound of someone plopping down on the ground could be heard.

The caravan’s trail was still visible. The lack of monsters suggested that the distance between us and the caravan was decreasing. It was also possible that the caravan had already dealt with the monsters ahead. However, two questions arose.

If they had information about the Alchemist’s Dungeon, was it necessary to clear all the surrounding monsters? And if they had cleared the monsters, why were there no bodies to be seen? Of course, these were questions based on my perspective, and there could be various open-ended answers.

After pondering for a while, I cleared my throat and emptied my mind. Worrying now wouldn’t yield any answers. The conclusion was to follow the caravan’s trail and reach the Alchemist’s Dungeon as quickly as possible. Even if they hadn’t secured the dungeon, the chances of success were higher based on my memory and various circumstances. Besides, we had little to lose. If we viewed it as merely gaining combat experience, there was nothing to lose.

Just as I was about to rest, I heard a slight commotion from the already seated kids. Turning my head, I saw Ansol looking awkwardly at me, asking for help.

“What are you being so curious about? Take care of yourself first.”

“Crazy. Don’t you know that knowledge is power? You ignorant brute.”

“There is a saying that knowledge is power, but it doesn’t suit you. You’re better off being ignorant.”

“What did you say?”

Anhyun and Yujung were in the midst of a heated argument. Observing the situation, I realized they were discussing the current hot topic: the Golden Lion Clan and the Steel Mountain expedition. While I agreed with Anhyun’s point, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to explain things to the kids.

“Idiot. Do you really think we can go on an expedition with our current skills? We’d just be ignored and left to watch, sucking our thumbs.”

“Who said that? I’m curious why they are so determined to go on an expedition or advance. What’s the point of saying that?”

“I told you. You’re being curious about useless things. What did you hear from Suhyun? Focus on our current situation. Got it? Or are you feeling inferior to Kim Hanbyul?”

“What? This is getting ridiculous...”

As the atmosphere grew tense, I stepped back and sat down. Yujung, who was about to unleash a torrent of curses, saw me and quickly shut her mouth, looking flustered. Anhyun, too, scratched his cheek and avoided my gaze. I stared at them for a moment before speaking calmly.

“Being curious isn’t a problem. Information in the Hall Plane is almost as valuable as life. However, if it’s just out of simple curiosity or a desire to join the expedition, that’s a different matter.”

Yujung’s face brightened at my words, probably because I was on her side. Anhyun pouted and looked dejected. Yujung, looking triumphant, smiled smugly before turning to me.

“Big brother, what’s so special about the Steel Mountain that everyone is talking about? When we were at the inn, all the users were only talking about this.”

After a moment’s thought, I answered Yujung’s question.

“The Hall Plane is currently limited to the Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern continents. We need to advance into the Central Continent. To do that, we must occupy the Steel Mountain.”

“So, we just need to occupy it, right?”

“Stupid.”

Anhyun answered for me. I smiled wryly at Yujung’s words and continued.

“If it were that easy, it would have been done already. The Steel Mountain is said to be home to monsters far beyond anything we’ve encountered or can even imagine.”

“So, if we cross the Steel Mountain, we can advance into the Central Continent? What’s so special about the Central Continent?”

Yujung’s endless questions left me momentarily speechless. However, even Anhyun and Ansol, despite trying to hide it, looked curious, so I felt the need to be careful with my words. But since we were on a break and this much information wouldn’t hurt, I slowly began to explain.

“I don’t know the details. After crossing the Steel Mountain, we might immediately reach the Central Continent, or there might be another preparatory continent. According to ancient texts, there’s a major city called Atlanta in front of the Northern Continent. Although it’s just ancient texts, the news of a new major city has users eager to explore it.”

“Atlanta... What’s so good about occupying a major city? Can we return home if we occupy it?”

“No. No one knows. But let me ask you something, Yujung. What do you think is the most important thing for an individual to survive in the Hall Plane?”

Yujung closed her eyes, thinking, and then answered, twisting her fingers.

“Strength. Abilities. Stats.”

“Right. In other words, an individual’s abilities are the most important. Having strength doesn’t guarantee survival, but it does increase the chances. Right?”

“Yeah. So, the users who get Atlanta will gain strength?”

Nodding, I continued.

“Something like that. The Northern Continent is gradually reaching a saturation point. A continent’s dungeons are not infinite. Most expeditions have already been completed. Of course, Muel was discovered recently, but due to the Steel Mountain, small cities, and other reasons, it hasn’t received much attention. Once Muel and other cities are stabilized, there will be nothing left to do. The only option will be to hunt the occasional monsters. The same applies to other continents. Once the Northern Continent users reach a fully developed and saturated state, they won’t be able to gain more strength or abilities. The possibility of returning home is uncertain, and without strength, no one knows what will happen. Moreover, they won’t be able to nurture new users with the potential to become powerful.”

Although I spoke at length, I still felt it was insufficient. Clearing my throat, I looked at the kids, who were intensely focused on my words, and continued.

“So, if we cross the Steel Mountain and develop Atlanta, we will have a new foundation for growth. New monsters, new expeditions, new dungeons, new equipment, and so on. Most importantly, our stats are relatively low now, so we might be able to improve them relatively easily. But once we reach our limits, it will be extremely difficult to increase our stats. When the major city Barbara was developed a few years ago, the users who participated in the development saw a significant increase in their stats as a reward. They also monopolized all the lucrative expeditions. That’s why they are determined to cross the Steel Mountain.”

Of course, after occupying Atlanta, there will be more mountains to climb. At that point, we will have to compete with users from other continents. The major cities of the Central Continent, such as Atlanta and Ragnarok, and the Zero Code within Terra, come to mind. Thinking about the sacrifices made to obtain the Zero Code, I felt a chill run down my spine.

As I finished speaking, the kids looked at me with wide-eyed amazement. Anhyun, who had been blinking, finally regained his composure and spoke in a slightly hurried tone.

“Big brother, then wouldn’t it be better for us to stay in a major city? Of course, I’m not doubting your decision. But hearing you say that, the benefits seem enormous. If we could build our skills in the major city Barbara and join an expedition, even as a minor participant...”

“Exactly. How arrogant do you think Kim Hanbyul is being right now? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me angry.”

It ultimately came down to Kim Hanbyul. Anhyun and Yujung showed signs of wavering, but only Ansol looked at me with unwavering eyes. Her gaze was full of trust, as if she had decided to believe in me after the events of this morning. I was a bit worried that she might become a fanatic, but I also felt a sense of expectation.

I cleared my throat to quiet the kids.

“Ahem. As I’ve said before. According to the instructors from other clans at the User Academy, going on an expedition now and participating in it is foolish. At least, that’s my opinion. I can’t be certain, but I trust their words more.”

The kids looked somewhat relieved but still showed signs of wavering. Honestly, I felt a bit frustrated. If I could tell them how the expedition would fail and how the Golden Lion Clan would fall and be ridiculed, I would do so immediately. Sighing inwardly, I knew I needed to provide a reasonable basis to convince them, so I had to continue explaining. However, I needed to set up a minimum smokescreen.

“Sigh. Listen well. This is just my opinion, so don’t take it too seriously. The Golden Lion Clan seems to think that the Northern Continent is already stable, which is why they are preparing for the expedition. But I don’t agree.”

“Big brother, but isn’t it possible to go on an expedition after stabilizing? Even if it’s a bit risky, it could be a huge success.”

“That’s true. The problem is that the users’ lives are the collateral in this gamble.”

Mentioning the word “lives,” Yujung immediately shut her mouth. The atmosphere seemed much heavier than before.

“I read the records of the occupation of the major city Barbara out of interest. The first emotion I felt after reading was a sense of tragedy. If Barbara was that difficult, how easy do you think Atlanta will be? I don’t think it will be. To successfully complete the expedition to the Steel Mountain, they need to saturate the continent they control. They need to extract the maximum strength they can and secure new users before thinking about the expedition. The Northern Continent is in the process of saturation but is not yet saturated. Just looking at Muel, it’s clear that an expedition is premature. Many people think so. The Golden Lion Clan, despite seeing the fate of the previous Lord, still hasn’t come to their senses... tsk.”

“Huh? The previous Lord?”

I realized I had made a slip of the tongue and said, “Oops.” Fortunately, I had set up the smokescreen of reading the records, so I had a way to defuse the situation. However, I knew I needed to be more careful with my words in the future. I composed myself and looked at Anhyun calmly, nodding.

“He was the one who made the greatest contribution to the occupation of the major city Barbara. You must have heard about him at the User Academy? Impressive, right? He founded the Golden Lion Clan, currently the most prestigious clan, with just a regular swordsman class and achieved such great accomplishments.”

Seeing the kids nod, I felt a bit relieved.

“Originally, the Hall Plane was based on the western cities of Halo, Bes, and Dorothy before occupying Barbara. After stabilizing the eastern cities, they launched an attack on the major city Barbara but ultimately died from the injuries sustained during the battle.”

“Perhaps if he were still alive, they would have already entered Atlanta.”

Damn. I almost blurted out the word. In reality, the entry into Atlanta only happened after the Golden Lion Clan’s dissolution and several internal conflicts. While I acknowledge the development of Barbara, there was no guarantee that he could occupy the Steel Mountain even if he were alive.

Anyway, to survive in the Hall Plane, individual strength is important, but having extensive knowledge in various fields is also crucial. Although we took a longer break, I considered it a beneficial time for the kids and got up from my seat.

“Anyway, just keep this in mind. We don’t have the qualifications or the meaning to participate in the current expedition, so just forget about it. Focus on what we can do now.”

This time, Anhyun looked at Yujung triumphantly. Yujung, looking embarrassed, nodded and got up to follow me. It was time to use the Third Eye. If my prediction is correct, we should discover the Alchemist’s Dungeon within 1 to 2 days.

============================ Author's Note ============================

Hello, I am Royujin.

Well, the pitch-black forest section is now concluded.

From the next chapter, the true story of the Alchemist’s Dungeon will begin.

What will the protagonist’s group do, and what events will unfold?

I look forward to your support and attention.

1. CrossDie: Haha, congratulations on being number one. :)

2. Energi: I will always strive to maintain consistent updates. Thank you.

3. Seuryuin: I hope this chapter has resolved some of your questions. The purpose and existence of the Hall Plane will be revealed gradually. For now, focus on survival. Look forward to the upcoming developments. :)

4. GradeRown: Of course, that’s a possibility. And...rape of corpses... Hmm. It’s a bit disturbing. If many readers request it, I might consider it, but personally, I’m not inclined to write it.

5. 幻影: Huhuhu. 幻影’s theory is generally correct. However, there are some foreshadowing elements in Sol’s backstory. Look forward to the future developments. :)

6. Toranoanal: Your comments always make my heart race. Thank you for pointing out the typos. They have been corrected.

7. Katamunai: When the first H scene comes, you might be quite surprised by Suhyun’s stamina. If he also solves the stamina issue, he will become an unstoppable munchkin. I plan to balance it out gradually. Please wait a bit longer. :)

8. hohokoya1: Huhuhu. Please wait a bit longer until we leave Muel. When that time comes, the protagonist’s actions will be as smooth as you can imagine. Of course, he is already showing some of his true colors. Huhuhu.

9. Peopleinlife: Oh, I’m sorry to hear you have a cold... I hope you get better soon! As for your plans... Huhuhu. (?!)

10. Refill: Haha, thank you for your message. I greatly appreciate your high evaluation of my work. However, as a reader myself, I also enjoy the works that reach the top of Tuber. I might plan a volume attack someday.

I always read all the comments. Please don’t be too disappointed if I don’t reply to all of them. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a message! (More comments and recommendations would be great! ☞☜)

That’s all for today.

I hope you always read my work with a comfortable mind.

I welcome pre-reading, recommendations, comments, reviews, and questions.