Chapter 69 – The Dungeon of Dreams (1)
A month has passed since the dungeon race. During that time, we had to deal with the financial gains that we had acquired. Unlike previous quests, the reward this time was the dungeons themselves that we had managed to engrave our mark upon.
‘I had originally intended to finish around second or third place.’
Somehow, we ended up in first place. The main reason was that Outrising and Genesis did not actively attempt to take over any dungeons. Either they were scared after the recent incidents or they were giving us leeway, I couldn’t say, but regardless, we had no choice but to engrave our mark on over half of the dungeons in Seoul. It would have been futile for guilds like Full Moon to take them instead – they’d have little chance of a good outcome.
Let’s not dwell on the Peony Flower Guild…
Even though they didn’t commit illegal activities, they were still considered as dangerous as Full Moon. After all, it’s a place where players would risk their very lives on the order of Guild Master Lee Ah-Young.
‘But before that…’
I looked at the being blocking my path, who was staring back at me blankly.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
A single long horn protruded from its forehead. The hair that was once pure white in its infancy now shimmered an elegant ivory color, probably influenced by Rin’s blonde hair.
Baekseol, who seemed to be about the appearance of a 12-year-old, was intensely staring at me.
‘What could it possibly be thinking?’
As an infant, it would smile incessantly without reason, but now that it had grown, it rarely spoke a single word. Most of its expressions were blank, and when it did speak, its tone was quite stiff.
“I was contemplating a title.”
“A title?”
“Yes. I was considering whether to call you ‘Father.’”
What was that supposed to mean?
I couldn’t help but grimace.
At my current age, being called ‘father’ was nothing short of preposterous.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Yes.”
“Then, who would be the mother?”
“There isn’t really a mother, but…”
Baekseol slightly tilted its head while responding.
“If I had to say, it would be Rin.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Is that not acceptable?”
“Of course, it’s not.”
If such talk were to spread, I would be socially buried. It would be a far more dreadful bad ending than any I encountered in my past life.
“Just call me by my name. It’s easier for me that way.”
“I understand.”
I clicked my tongue at the stiff nod from this creature. Why had it grown up like this? Had Min-ah taught it something strange? But even now, Min-ah would dote on Baekseol, calling it cute and cuddling it often. I couldn’t understand what was cute about its stern behavior.
“Where have you been all this time?”
“I was playing with Rin.”
That sounded childlike, alright. But Baekseol was far from an ordinary child. It wasn’t just its appearance or personality that was unconventional; its intrinsic abilities were truly extraordinary.
Was it the influence of Rin’s blood, bestowing upon it a mythical qilin’s prowess? Its magical talent was unrivaled, mastering over five offensive spells already.
However, Baekseol’s primary strength lay in its healing abilities. Honestly, it might be slightly inferior to the saintly players of the past, but when considering its other abilities, Baekseol held an impressive potential. The title of “qilin” was no exaggeration.
If it continues to grow, it will become an entity alongside Rin, steering the future of humanity.
“So, waiting for me like this means you have something to say?”
“Yes.”
Baekseol nodded and then continued.
“Uncle Changwoo asked me to tell you that the dungeon you were looking for has appeared.”
“…The dungeon I’m looking for?”
“Yes. He said you would understand if told so.”
Ah, indeed.
I shifted my gaze from Baekseol and looked out the window, focusing on Namsan. It wasn’t like I could see anything particular from here regarding Namsan, but I had previously stationed a crow there that could immediately inform me of any developments in the vicinity.
‘Now that I think of it, Changwoo said he had some business in a dungeon near there today.’
Ever since Changwoo gained points from me, his strength had surged drastically. After the dungeon race ended, he ventured into dungeons daily, slaughtering monsters relentlessly. He frequented a particular dungeon we had marked, garnering a massive hoard of points, likely nearing the level of Min-ah now.
The growth was so significant that the jester seemed to have been pouring a significant amount of points into Min-ah recently, presumably not wanting his avatar to fall behind other players.
“I’ve found it.”
The crow’s vision revealed a structure resembling a white temple. It appeared to be a temple from the outside, but it was actually a dungeon. Its name: The Dungeon of Dreams.
As the name and the entrance indicated, this was no ordinary dungeon. In gaming terms, it was an Instance Dungeon. Put simply, unlike other dungeons, this one exists in a space entirely disjoint from the world.
Once inside the dungeon, one would emerge in an entirely different location.
The Dungeon of Dreams was among the more unusual instances. Despite being the earliest known instance dungeon, challengers did not emerge for a considerable time because the entrance to the dungeon required a holy relic.
Subsequent quests had revealed that holy relics, such as the horn of a qilin or the feather of a pegasus, could be used to gain entry. However, very few actually dared to enter due to the disappointing rewards from the dungeon.
The dungeon’s treasure was known as Laplace’s Hourglass, an item able to summon one person’s future for a duration of thirty minutes. It was an S-rank treasure, yet its ambiguous use relegated it to a dubious status among S-rank treasures. After all, what could one achieve in a mere thirty minutes?
‘But it’s absolutely necessary for me.’
Not just the system, GM Akartus, and the publisher would likely interfere. If I had succeeded in killing Antares, that alone might have forced the publisher or GM to retreat, but unfortunately, that was not the case.
“Let’s go.”
“Am I coming too?”
“We need the power of a holy being to open the gate.”
To open the dungeon gate, one would require a holy relic or the force of a holy water creature. With Baekseol’s qilin powers, we would undoubtedly be able to open the gate.
With that thought, I immediately set off toward the Dungeon of Dreams. There was no need for special equipment this time, as everything attained in reality would be useless within the Dungeon of Dreams.
***
On the slope of Namsan mountain.
A white temple stood majestically, clearly differing from ordinary dungeons from its very entrance.
“Is this place called the Dungeon of Dreams?”
“Yes.”
I gave a short answer and turned my head. The one who had asked wasn’t Baekseol. It was Jisoo, who appeared behind us just as Baekseol and I were about to exit. Jisoo followed us nonchalantly as if it was natural.
“But why are you following us? You can’t enter this dungeon with anyone else.”
“Just curious. I wanted to see what an instance dungeon looks like. Besides, while you’re inside, Baekseol will need someone to protect her, right?”
That made a fair point. Although the real and the dungeon worlds’ times may differ, it varied from person to person since the construction of the Dungeon of Dreams differed for everyone.
‘Alright.’
I loosened up my body and slowly made my way towards the portal. In pursuit of Laplace’s Hourglass…
***
Koogugoong.
As Sehan disappeared into the portal, the mural began to close slowly.
Jisoo and Baekseol watched the event in silence.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence unfolded between them. They never had much conversation to begin with. Jisoo lacked significant interest in Baekseol, while Baekseol seemed a bit wary around Jisoo.
Of course, it’s not that Baekseol disliked Jisoo due to proximity with Sehan, but their wavelengths simply didn’t match, a sentiment likely shared by Jisoo.
“Laplace’s Hourglass…”
On their way to the dungeon, Sehan had explained to Jisoo about the dungeon’s reward; an item capable of summoning their future self for thirty minutes.
Why had Sehan gone to the lengths of acquiring a qilin to obtain it? Was it really that important?
“Hmm.”
Jisoo crossed her arms and stared intently at the mural before slowly turning to face the unicorn girl, standing quietly.
***
The Dungeon of Dreams is unique among other instance dungeons. The reason is, within the Dungeon of Dreams, none of the equipment, status, or skills acquired in reality can be used. Upon entering, players are granted a new body and set of skills intended for the dungeon’s clearance.
Each set of equipment is also distinct. Furthermore, the objectives for clearing differ as the Dungeon of Dreams is constructed based on the player’s memories. It selects from the happiest or saddest memories and provides a related quest involving the person they most desperately wish to meet.
Depending on the quest, the means to obtain the hourglass varies, usually obtainable through a character present within the quest narrative. Having never cleared it myself, this is as much as I heard.
“Ao…”
I slowly raised my heavy body. Upon entering, I lost consciousness and the dizziness was overwhelming.
‘Where am I?’
I was inside a dark building, the damp air irritating my lungs. My body was heavy; my mind, hazy from fatigue. This was far from a healthy physical state.
“Perhaps.”
I slowly lifted my hand and let the moonlight from the window reflect upon it.
A scarred hand, calloused and heavily damaged, quite familiar to me.
It was the hand of Kim Sehan in the first timeline.
Chapter 69 – The Dungeon of Dreams (1)
A month has passed since the dungeon race. During that time, we had to deal with the financial gains that we had acquired. Unlike previous quests, the reward this time was the dungeons themselves that we had managed to engrave our mark upon.
‘I had originally intended to finish around second or third place.’
Somehow, we ended up in first place. The main reason was that Outrising and Genesis did not actively attempt to take over any dungeons. Either they were scared after the recent incidents or they were giving us leeway, I couldn’t say, but regardless, we had no choice but to engrave our mark on over half of the dungeons in Seoul. It would have been futile for guilds like Full Moon to take them instead – they’d have little chance of a good outcome.
Let’s not dwell on the Peony Flower Guild…
Even though they didn’t commit illegal activities, they were still considered as dangerous as Full Moon. After all, it’s a place where players would risk their very lives on the order of Guild Master Lee Ah-Young.
‘But before that…’
I looked at the being blocking my path, who was staring back at me blankly.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
A single long horn protruded from its forehead. The hair that was once pure white in its infancy now shimmered an elegant ivory color, probably influenced by Rin’s blonde hair.
Baekseol, who seemed to be about the appearance of a 12-year-old, was intensely staring at me.
‘What could it possibly be thinking?’
As an infant, it would smile incessantly without reason, but now that it had grown, it rarely spoke a single word. Most of its expressions were blank, and when it did speak, its tone was quite stiff.
“I was contemplating a title.”
“A title?”
“Yes. I was considering whether to call you ‘Father.’”
What was that supposed to mean?
I couldn’t help but grimace.
At my current age, being called ‘father’ was nothing short of preposterous.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Yes.”
“Then, who would be the mother?”
“There isn’t really a mother, but…”
Baekseol slightly tilted its head while responding.
“If I had to say, it would be Rin.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Is that not acceptable?”
“Of course, it’s not.”
If such talk were to spread, I would be socially buried. It would be a far more dreadful bad ending than any I encountered in my past life.
“Just call me by my name. It’s easier for me that way.”
“I understand.”
I clicked my tongue at the stiff nod from this creature. Why had it grown up like this? Had Min-ah taught it something strange? But even now, Min-ah would dote on Baekseol, calling it cute and cuddling it often. I couldn’t understand what was cute about its stern behavior.
“Where have you been all this time?”
“I was playing with Rin.”
That sounded childlike, alright. But Baekseol was far from an ordinary child. It wasn’t just its appearance or personality that was unconventional; its intrinsic abilities were truly extraordinary.
Was it the influence of Rin’s blood, bestowing upon it a mythical qilin’s prowess? Its magical talent was unrivaled, mastering over five offensive spells already.
However, Baekseol’s primary strength lay in its healing abilities. Honestly, it might be slightly inferior to the saintly players of the past, but when considering its other abilities, Baekseol held an impressive potential. The title of “qilin” was no exaggeration.
If it continues to grow, it will become an entity alongside Rin, steering the future of humanity.
“So, waiting for me like this means you have something to say?”
“Yes.”
Baekseol nodded and then continued.
“Uncle Changwoo asked me to tell you that the dungeon you were looking for has appeared.”
“…The dungeon I’m looking for?”
“Yes. He said you would understand if told so.”
Ah, indeed.
I shifted my gaze from Baekseol and looked out the window, focusing on Namsan. It wasn’t like I could see anything particular from here regarding Namsan, but I had previously stationed a crow there that could immediately inform me of any developments in the vicinity.
‘Now that I think of it, Changwoo said he had some business in a dungeon near there today.’
Ever since Changwoo gained points from me, his strength had surged drastically. After the dungeon race ended, he ventured into dungeons daily, slaughtering monsters relentlessly. He frequented a particular dungeon we had marked, garnering a massive hoard of points, likely nearing the level of Min-ah now.
The growth was so significant that the jester seemed to have been pouring a significant amount of points into Min-ah recently, presumably not wanting his avatar to fall behind other players.
“I’ve found it.”
The crow’s vision revealed a structure resembling a white temple. It appeared to be a temple from the outside, but it was actually a dungeon. Its name: The Dungeon of Dreams.
As the name and the entrance indicated, this was no ordinary dungeon. In gaming terms, it was an Instance Dungeon. Put simply, unlike other dungeons, this one exists in a space entirely disjoint from the world.
Once inside the dungeon, one would emerge in an entirely different location.
The Dungeon of Dreams was among the more unusual instances. Despite being the earliest known instance dungeon, challengers did not emerge for a considerable time because the entrance to the dungeon required a holy relic.
Subsequent quests had revealed that holy relics, such as the horn of a qilin or the feather of a pegasus, could be used to gain entry. However, very few actually dared to enter due to the disappointing rewards from the dungeon.
The dungeon’s treasure was known as Laplace’s Hourglass, an item able to summon one person’s future for a duration of thirty minutes. It was an S-rank treasure, yet its ambiguous use relegated it to a dubious status among S-rank treasures. After all, what could one achieve in a mere thirty minutes?
‘But it’s absolutely necessary for me.’
Not just the system, GM Akartus, and the publisher would likely interfere. If I had succeeded in killing Antares, that alone might have forced the publisher or GM to retreat, but unfortunately, that was not the case.
“Let’s go.”
“Am I coming too?”
“We need the power of a holy being to open the gate.”
To open the dungeon gate, one would require a holy relic or the force of a holy water creature. With Baekseol’s qilin powers, we would undoubtedly be able to open the gate.
With that thought, I immediately set off toward the Dungeon of Dreams. There was no need for special equipment this time, as everything attained in reality would be useless within the Dungeon of Dreams.
***
On the slope of Namsan mountain.
A white temple stood majestically, clearly differing from ordinary dungeons from its very entrance.
“Is this place called the Dungeon of Dreams?”
“Yes.”
I gave a short answer and turned my head. The one who had asked wasn’t Baekseol. It was Jisoo, who appeared behind us just as Baekseol and I were about to exit. Jisoo followed us nonchalantly as if it was natural.
“But why are you following us? You can’t enter this dungeon with anyone else.”
“Just curious. I wanted to see what an instance dungeon looks like. Besides, while you’re inside, Baekseol will need someone to protect her, right?”
That made a fair point. Although the real and the dungeon worlds’ times may differ, it varied from person to person since the construction of the Dungeon of Dreams differed for everyone.
‘Alright.’
I loosened up my body and slowly made my way towards the portal. In pursuit of Laplace’s Hourglass…
***
Koogugoong.
As Sehan disappeared into the portal, the mural began to close slowly.
Jisoo and Baekseol watched the event in silence.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence unfolded between them. They never had much conversation to begin with. Jisoo lacked significant interest in Baekseol, while Baekseol seemed a bit wary around Jisoo.
Of course, it’s not that Baekseol disliked Jisoo due to proximity with Sehan, but their wavelengths simply didn’t match, a sentiment likely shared by Jisoo.
“Laplace’s Hourglass…”
On their way to the dungeon, Sehan had explained to Jisoo about the dungeon’s reward; an item capable of summoning their future self for thirty minutes.
Why had Sehan gone to the lengths of acquiring a qilin to obtain it? Was it really that important?
“Hmm.”
Jisoo crossed her arms and stared intently at the mural before slowly turning to face the unicorn girl, standing quietly.
***
The Dungeon of Dreams is unique among other instance dungeons. The reason is, within the Dungeon of Dreams, none of the equipment, status, or skills acquired in reality can be used. Upon entering, players are granted a new body and set of skills intended for the dungeon’s clearance.
Each set of equipment is also distinct. Furthermore, the objectives for clearing differ as the Dungeon of Dreams is constructed based on the player’s memories. It selects from the happiest or saddest memories and provides a related quest involving the person they most desperately wish to meet.
Depending on the quest, the means to obtain the hourglass varies, usually obtainable through a character present within the quest narrative. Having never cleared it myself, this is as much as I heard.
“Ao…”
I slowly raised my heavy body. Upon entering, I lost consciousness and the dizziness was overwhelming.
‘Where am I?’
I was inside a dark building, the damp air irritating my lungs. My body was heavy; my mind, hazy from fatigue. This was far from a healthy physical state.
“Perhaps.”
I slowly lifted my hand and let the moonlight from the window reflect upon it.
A scarred hand, calloused and heavily damaged, quite familiar to me.
It was the hand of Kim Sehan in the first timeline.
