NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 30
Growl.
Gray crouched low, keeping a close watch on its prey.
[Gray - Level 4 - Fang Wolf]
While his level had increased slightly during this time, he was still the size of a human hand. However, true to his noble Fang Clan lineage, he had grown strong enough to easily hunt a goblin or two. The newfound strength gave him the confidence to strut around lately with his tail held high.
But handling three goblins or more at once was still a tall task for him, and he quickly retreated back to his small cave with his tail curled whenever a trio came for him. The pursuing goblins, finding the cave too small, would eventually give up the chase and leave.
As Gray was getting used to his life in the Shadow Dungeon, toying with the large but dim-witted goblins, a major crisis emerged when an uninvited guest suddenly appeared.
With a careful gaze, Gray discreetly trailed the uninvited guest. The intruder seemed quite formidable, but it appeared that they had no strength left after a long period of hunger.
I can do it. His observation spurred on his competitive spirit. Hunting something stronger than oneself was a highly honorable pursuit.
Gulp.
Gray held his breath, his expression tense, waiting for the moment for his target to show an opening. His heart raced as the intruder began to move closer.
“I can see everything you’re doing, you know.”
Huh? To his surprise, the intruder’s hand somehow emerged behind him and grabbed his behind as he was hunched over toward the direction he thought his target was.
“Woof! Woof!”
Having been caught, he kicked his short legs frantically out of surprise. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t escape the intruder’s grip, so he stubbornly howled with a defiant look in his eyes.
“Grr!”
“Please, stop struggling. If you weren’t Suho’s pet, I’d have eaten you already. ” Tempted, a hungry Esil looked at Gray, upset that she couldn’t eat him. Who would’ve thought that a descendant of the Monarch of Fangs would end up in a place like this?
The tiny fang wolf wouldn’t be much of a meal for her, but the blood and flesh of a Fang Clan member were invaluable elixirs.
“What now? Are you trying to get a taste of me?” Esil asked playfully.
Gray licked Esil’s hand that was holding onto his tail, twisting and turning his muzzle to reach further up. Despite his helplessness, he continued to stare fiercely at the demon.
“You sure are a funny puppy,” Esil chuckled. “I’m sure it’s your instincts. You’d gain a lot of strength by eating me.” It’s sad that we’re in the same boat.
Esil was the last remaining demon noble, meaning that she was possibly the only potential successor to the ruler of the demon realm, the Demon King. Esil’s pure blood flowing through her body held a precious power unique to their kind.
And that would be the same for you. The arrogant little pup in her hand was the last remaining kin of the Monarch of Fangs and could one day fill his void. Esil suddenly felt a strange sensation. The last remaining heirs of two races decimated by war are gathered here. I wonder what purpose Suho had in mind when he saved us.
As the last member of the Radiru Clan was lost in thought, the tenacious fang wolf continued to lick her hand.
“Oh, come on! Stop slobbering all over me!”
[You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.]
Right at that moment, Suho and Beru entered the Shadow Dungeon. Suho was carrying not one but two fresh whole pigs in his hands.
Esil and Gray both turned their heads simultaneously.
“Woah!” the lavender-haired demon cried.
Growl!
Esil and Beru’s rumbling stomachs echoed throughout the dungeon.
Amused by the sound, Suho chuckled and extended his arms, holding an entire pig forward. “Well, demons like meat, right?”
“We sure do! We like everything but vegetables!” Esil quickly tossed aside Gray and received the pig from Suho.
The fang wolf returned in front of her with lightning speed, greedily baring his teeth. “Grrrr!” Gray then suddenly flipped onto his belly and began twisting his body.
But Esil remained firm. “No, get back. This is my meal. Shaking your tail now won’t help!”
Growl!
The young wolf and demon noble scuffled over the pig as Suho watched them from behind with a despondent look. I’m surrounded by hungry carnivores.
“This is delicious!” Beru rejoiced.
Beru had fervently begun to tear into the other pig Suho had brought, and not even the fearless Gray dared to snatch his food.
“Well then, bon appétit!” Esil plunged her hand deep into the pig’s body, and the massive boar started to contract around her hand.
Wow. Suho watched the scene unfold with fascination.
Beru suddenly appeared next to him and explained, “She’s absorbing the magic within the pig’s body. Demons have a wide range of dining preferences, and demon nobles typically prefer a clean method.”
“Woah, you caught me off guard. What are you, a bookworm?”
“I am an insect.” Beru nodded as if it were obvious. He then turned back to his pig, opening his mouth wide. The ant seemed to prefer a less tidy eating style compared to Esil.
Suho chuckled and subtly shifted his gaze. “Well then, I should...”
As the feast was happening, wild goblins, drawn by the scent of fresh meat, had begun to gather around them.
Suho reached out his hand, and the closest goblin suddenly rose into the air, kicking its legs. Ruler’s Authority. A faint smile crossed his lips. “Shall we start the daily quest?”
[Daily Quest: “Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon”]
100 Goblins: Incomplete (0/100)
10 Goblin Captains: Incomplete (0/10)
1 Goblin Chief Incomplete (0/1)
***
[A completion reward has arrived.]
[Would you like to confirm the rewards?] (Y/N)
Suho could feel that his stats had improved as he dusted his hands above the pile of goblin corpses. Now, even a hundred goblins aren’t enough for me to break a sweat. On either side of him, Rakan’s Fang and Vulcan’s Horn had been planted into the ground.
There are no hidden quests like this time. He had downed a few more creatures just in case, but it seemed like hidden rewards from last time were a one-time occurrence. However, the regular daily quest rewards were more than enough to satisfy him.
[The following reward will be given.
Reward 1. Health Restoration
Reward 2. Attribute Points +3
Reward 3. 1 Random Box]
Suho decided to leave the first reward unaccepted. I’ll save this for a real emergency later on. He could restore his health with potions, but they offered minimal healing and a slow recovery rate. In contrast, “Health Restoration” allowed for an immediate and complete recovery, perfect for dire situations.
I’ll invest all these into strength. He ultimately realized that the strength stat was key to becoming stronger. The higher the stat, the higher his power and speed increased.
And finally, the random box. This time, it wasn’t a hidden reward. Instead, a regular random box appeared in Suho’s hands. He opened the box, and a small ring rolled out with a faint clatter.
[Item: “Ashen Ring” has been acquired.]
“A ring?” As Suho retrieved the dull-colored ring, the item description came up.
[Item: Ashen Ring
Acquisition Difficulty: D
Type: Accessory
Sense +5]
“It increases the sense stat by 5 points?” Suho’s eyes widened.
It seemed that there was more to the item than meets the eye. The sense stat raised sensory abilities, enhancing one’s perception of danger. In other words, it heightened the ability to detect surprise attacks. Suho casually slipped the ring onto his finger. It was a bit loose on him, but it wasn’t much of a problem.
[Item: “Ashen Ring” has been equipped.]
[Sense : 29(+5)]
The Ashen Ring vanished from his finger, and the stat boost took effect immediately. Even a regular random box can yield something pretty good. This feels like winning a prize.
Belch!
While Suho was wrapping up his daily quest, the feast had also come to an end.
Esil, who had been observing Suho hunting goblins all along, wore a puzzled expression. She refrained from assisting Suho’s hunting session out of politeness, but the mere fact that goblins were wandering around here seemed peculiar.
“How strange.” Esil tilted her head slightly.
“What is?” Suho asked.
“How did dimensional refugees end up here?”
“Dimensional refugees?”
“The beasts you slayed are the surviving soldiers from the Monarchs War. They were tossed into various places through the dimensional rift. We call such creatures, ‘dimensional refugees.’”
In a way, it was an expected outcome. Monarchs were the center of their respective worlds, and without them, the creatures that served them had scattered in all directions.
“However, this doesn’t seem like a mere coincidence.”
Esil’s words piqued Beru’s interest. “What do you mean it’s not a coincidence?”
“Well, you see... Breaking through the dimensional barrier is a really challenging and cumbersome task.”
“I’m well aware of that. Otherwise, I would have returned to my Monarch long ago.” Beru nodded.
In the past, one had to be at least as powerful as the Monarch of Transfiguration to open a gate to another dimension, by no means an easy feat.
“If even Beru isn’t strong enough, could lowly war-ravaged soldiers cross the dimensional barrier so easily?”
“Could it be?” Beru’s eyes sparkled in realization.
Suho also picked up on what Esil was trying to convey and nodded. “Is it the blue mist?”
“Correct. One day, a blue mist from the outer universes began to flow toward us and started to distort the dimensional barrier on our side. The disturbance must have intensified significantly. How else could those weakened and wandering goblins make their way into the World of Shadows?” Esil shrugged, dismissing it as an incredible occurrence.
“I also agree with that,” Rakan’s Fang, held in Suho’s hand, interjected unexpectedly. “Unless they’ve gone mad, there’s no way that those war-ravaged soldiers would have entered a world ruled by the victors of the war. It seems like the dimensional rift has indeed been significantly distorted.”
As the conversation brewed, Suho suddenly came to an important realization and asked, “Beru, let me ask one thing.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you once say that my father’s forces and the followers from outer universes are evenly matched?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Both sides are so evenly matched that the Monarch of Shadows is hesitant to come to Earth in person, so he sent me instead.”
“Then if we apply the same reasoning, doesn’t that mean the enemy can’t also risk coming to Earth right now?”
“Hmm...” Beru’s eyes suddenly widened. “Woah!” They widened even larger the second time.
“That’s correct, right?”
“Indeed, the Young Monarch’s words are accurate! It’s most certainly the case!” Beru nodded vigorously as if he were losing his mind.
Suho also nodded and mumbled, “Since they can’t come themselves, they’ve gathered dimensional refugees and sent them here to establish a connection to Earth.”
In other words, the followers of Itarim were making these creatures do their dirty work. But from the perspective of the dimensional refugees, the deal was far from bad. For them, Earth was like a walk in the park. A place to kill, plunder, and conquer to their heart’s content.
And one more thing. Suho finally realized the true meaning of his assigned daily quests.
[Daily Quest: “Cleaning the Shadow Dungeon”]
“We need to clean up the goblins as quickly as possible and find and seal the dimensional rift they used to come here.
“Absolutely. If we let the dimensional refugees be, the outer universe scums will eventually discover our presence here. Well, to be precise...” Beru trailed off.
“They’ll discover my presence.” Suho was acutely aware of his position. “I’m my father’s only weakness.”
He had gained another reason to become stronger.