Chapter 3. Treasure Room

"

Cough, cough!

"

When Kim Do-Joon opened his eyes, he found himself by a shallow stream. His lower body was submerged, while his torso was resting on the bank. Spitting out the sand that had filled his mouth, he pushed himself up to crawl.

Splash—

Kim Do-Joon groaned. "

Ugh...

"

He felt as if his body was about to fall apart. From his head to his toes, not a single part of him was free of pain.

"

Heuk... heuk...

"

Although out of breath, he still somehow managed to crawl onto dry land and get a Healing Potion from his inventory. This time, he managed to open the lid properly and down the liquid inside it.

[You have consumed a Greater Healing Potion.]

[You have gained the Greater Regeneration effect for 15 seconds.]

"

Ha...

" Kim Do-Joon sighed.

Drinking the potion made him feel better.

Thud.

He turned over and faced the dark sky. It had been bright just a moment ago, but it seemed so much time had passed after the scuffle that night had fallen.

How do I get back...?

The first thought that came to his mind was, naturally, the idea of going back. They had only been given until midnight to gather resources. He wasn’t sure what time it was now, but it could already be past midnight.

Considering how fast the Association proceeded with things, they would likely defeat the boss and close the dungeon within the next two days. That said, if one of the Gatherers failed to return and a missing person report was filed, defeating the boss would be postponed. However, that risked the dungeon eventually breaking.

Dungeons can only last for so long before they break...

Upon breaking, a dungeon would release all the monsters inside it onto Earth. The Association and guilds alike strove to defeat the boss and close dungeons before the time limit to prevent that from happening.

I have to return before that.

If the dungeon Kim Do-Joon was in broke, everything would be over for him. While its monsters would get pushed into the world, the people stuck inside would not. Instead, they were written off as "dungeon refugees," essentially declaring them dead.

Giving the Gatherers a one-day deadline meant that this dungeon would break in three to four days. To avoid becoming a dungeon refugee, he had to get out of here before then.

"

Ugh...

"

After drinking another Greater Healing Potion, Kim Do-Joon finally managed to get up and check his surroundings.

Considering the situation, he wouldn’t be able to cover much ground today. He needed to recover a bit more, and it was too dark. Since more of the wild-dog-like beasts could be prowling about, he could not just recklessly wander in the forest.

I’ll focus on recovery tonight and move out early tomorrow morning.'

Not knowing how far the water had swept him was making him so anxious and uneasy that he wanted to start making his way back immediately.. However, he knew that he needed to remain calm during times like this. Making irrational decisions now would lower his chances of survival.

While exploring his vicinity, Kim Do-Joon noticed something.

Is that a cave?

Upon taking a closer look, he realized he was right. The cave’s entrance wasn’t particularly large, but it had a spacious interior.

Kim Do-Joon carefully looked around but found no signs of a monster. Hence, he decided to stay in the cave for now.

He wasted no time retrieving some firewood and a lighter from his inventory and then starting a fire. Afterward, he took off his soaking wet clothes, which had been robbing him of body heat, and laid them out near the flames. He also took out canned food from the Food Box and forced himself to eat it.

"

Ha...

" He felt somewhat better after eating.

Although he was still aching all over, regularly drinking Healing Potions had significantly improved his condition.

No longer feeling like a corpse, Kim Do-Joon opened the status window.

Status Window.

[Yggdrasil System]

Name

- Kim Do-Joon

Age

- 35

Compatibility

- 7%

Stat Runes

- Strength Level 7, Agility Level 7, Vitality Level 7, Mana Level 7, Perception Level 7

Skill Runes

- Potion Crafting

"Huh?" Confused, Kim Do-Joon frowned.

His Compatibility had risen from one percent to seven percent. As a result, all of his stat runes, like Strength and Agility, had leveled up as well.

Compatibility indicated one’s affinity with the spores of the World Tree. Like a character's level in a game, defeating monsters slightly increased it, and for every percent gained, their stat runes leveled up by one as well.

Since the system used percentages as the metric for Compatibility, It was speculated that one hundred was the highest value they could attain. However, with anyone yet to reach the elusive hundred percent, that remained a mere assumption. Even the strongest Awakener in the world was said only to have a Compatibility of eighty-three percent.

Did the monster die from the fall? Did it count as my kill?

That was the only explanation Kim Do-Joon could think of.

His expression slightly brightened. As a Potion Crafter, his Compatibility had always been stuck at one percent. Now, it had increased due to a small trick. Although it had almost killed him., it also heightened his chances of survival, which was good news for him.

When Kim Do-Joon clenched his fist, he felt a little strange. His muscles tightened more than usual, and his body felt oddly sturdier. He also seemed to be overflowing with energy.

To test his newfound strength, he picked up a nearby stone and applied force to it.

Crack!

The stone was crushed like a walnut.

"

Whoa...

I’m already this strong at seven percent...?" Kim Do-Joon muttered in amazement.

It now made sense to him why Hunters were crazy about increasing their Compatibility. Considering how noticeably stronger he had become, it would be hard not to get obsessed. If someone with a mere seven percent Compatibility already possessed this much power, how much of a monster would the person with eighty-three percent be?

The next moment, Kim Do-Joon, now dressed in dry clothes, covered himself with a blanket and closed his eyes to sleep. Although he lacked a proper bed and only had the fire to warm him, it was okay. He was not planning on sleeping deeply; he’d just have a light nap with his ears perked.

Swoosh!

Hearing the sudden blow of the wind, Kim Do-Joon’s eyelids flung open. He quickly looked around. Much to his relief, he was not under attack. He slowly got up and took out a flashlight, turning it on.

Click.

While listening to the wind, he shone his flashlight in the direction it was coming from.

Wait... It’s not coming from outside?

The wind seemed to be coming from the floor inside the cave. Puzzled, he walked over to it and examined it closely.

Hmm, I didn’t realize there was a hole here.

Beneath a large rock was a small crack from which Kim Do-Joon could hear the wind coming. He held the flashlight in his mouth and gripped the rock with both hands. With a grunt, he then slowly pushed it.

In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to move something this heavy. However, thanks to his now level seven Strength Rune, it began to budge little by little.Kim Do-Joon let go of the rock once the hole had been completely uncovered, revealing a swirling black gate.

[You have discovered a treasure room.]

A treasure room?

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes sparkled. Treasure rooms, akin to bonus stages, were hidden spaces occasionally found within dungeons. They were famous for their lack of monsters and various item rewards. Since they appeared and disappeared at random, they were notoriously difficult to find.

One of the most notable treasure rooms that the world had found was the Imperial Armory, which had been inside a British dungeon. It housed dozens of unique items. Such cases were exceptionally rare, though. Most treasure rooms only offered one useful item.

But that’s good enough for me.

Kim Do-Joon remained level-headed, refraining from setting himself up for disappointment. Still, he could not miss this opportunity. Just getting one good item would already greatly help him in dungeon exploration.

Upon touching the swirling gate, information about the room appeared. Kim Do-Joon flinched.

[Treasure Room: Ruins of Chilgeo Mountain]

Rank

- ???

He had never seen or heard of such a rank before.

However, he could not stop here. He nervously gulped and entered the treasure room.

... Is that a statue?

Amid a vast and rocky terrain, he could see a large statue built on a square pedestal. It had the face of a very grim-looking man, unreadable characters engraved on its bare upper body, and a long-handled hammer in one hand. In front of it was a small chest.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes lit up.

Is that the item?

He looked around as he cautiously approached the chest. He then opened it, finding a key almost the size of his arm. It could even be used as a mace if needed.

[Tier 1 Catacomb Key]

Rarity

- Common

Classification

- Key

Effect

- Grants entry to the labyrinth ‘Catacomb.’

As he absentmindedly picked it up, light flashed before him.

[You have entered the Catacomb.]

[You will be engraved with ‘???.’]

[Engraving in progress...]

When Kim Do-Joon returned to his senses, he found himself in a completely different place, no longer in the cave that he had taken shelter in.

[Engraving complete.]

[You can now copy-paste the effect of an item onto other targets.]

[Target: No limitation]

What...?

The voice and the sudden change in environment startled and perplexed Kim Do-Joon. What was communicating with him was not the Yggdrasil System; the Yggdrasil System’s voice was not this clear.

[A hidden quest has been created.]

[Hidden Quest]

- Break through the first labyrinth using your new abilities. You will be rewarded accordingly upon your return to Earth.

*Hint: The labyrinth has several safe rooms, each containing various items. How you use them is up to your discretion.

Confusion and astonishment enveloped Kim Do-Joon’s expression.

***

"Mr. Jang! Have you seen Mr. Do-Joon?" Lee Ji-Ah asked urgently.

"Not since we entered the dungeon. Has he not come out yet?" Mr. Jang replied.

"No," Lee Ji-Ah replied with furrowed brows.

Apart from Kim Do-Joon, all the other Gatherers had come out.

This has never happened before...

Lee Ji-Ah was worried that something might have gone wrong.

"He might have simply lost his way. He’s a pro, so he'll be out soon, won't he?" Mr. Jang said.

"Well, that would be ideal..." Lee Ji-Ah replied.

Mr. Jang headed home shortly after, saying that his wife and son were waiting. One by one, the other Gatherers also collected their belongings and left. The sun had long since set, and amid the diminishing crowd, Lee Ji-Ah nervously waited alone. Dawn eventually broke, yet Kim Do-Joon still hadn’t emerged.

How...?

The Association declared an emergency and dispatched a search team. Meanwhile, Lee Ji-Ah anxiously waited for the results. By the time the search team got back out, carrying something, she had lost track of how many hours she had been waiting.

Lee Ji-Ah approached them and anxiously asked, "Did you find him?!"

One of their members shook his head and drew her attention to what they had brought out: the corpse of a beast that resembled a wild dog. It was one of the monsters that the Hunters had claimed to have killed all of during the first phase of the raid.

"

Ah...

" Lee Ji-Ah’s gaze shook as the bad feeling she had grew even worse. Her boss, the team leader, tapped her shoulder.

"Ms. Ji-Ah, just in case... I want you to prepare to contact his family," he said.

"W-we’re not even sure yet..." Lee Ji-Ah replied.

"Still... it’s better to be prepared. As the one in charge, you’ll have to bear this responsibility."

Ms. Ji-Ah could tell from the look in his eyes that he was already leaning toward a conclusion.

Her superior, their team leader, hadn’t confirmed yet that Kim Do-Joon was dead. However, he couldn’t guarantee that Kim Do-Joon would return before the dungeon had to be closed either. After all, if he could return, he would have already done so.

Lee Ji-Ah’s lips trembled. She knew Kim Do-Joon only had one relative. She had even met her a few times.

Still, how could she break the horrible news about Kim Do-Joon’s disappearance to a six-year-old child confined in a hospital?