Chapter 122 – The King of the Dead (1)

The following morning.

At exactly 9 o’clock, our group gathered at the reception on the first floor.

“Did you sleep well?”

Abel flinched at my question. She avoided eye contact and murmured,

“…Of course. I don’t let my guard down, even if it’s just a D-rank dungeon.”

I observed her with narrowed eyes. Her pale face clearly showed she had had a restless night.

Her words said one thing, but her voice revealed a hidden emotion.

‘Abel is really bad at lying.’

Still, I found that straightforward honesty rather charming.

I didn’t bother saying anything more.

“Miss, Sir Kang Geom-Ma, are you ready to depart?”

Shail asked. Abel frowned for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes.”

A short answer, yet loaded with meaning.

I glanced at Abel’s profile. Her pupils burned with an intense coldness.

***

It took an entire day to cross the border, so the distance from our lodging to the dungeon wasn’t that great. About a 30-minute drive.

The trip was by taxi, just like the day before. Thanks to the driver, who was familiar with the area, we arrived quickly despite the slow speed.

The driver said he would return before sunset to pick us up, then left slowly like a turtle.

I stood right in front of the entrance and looked around.

‘This is the place, the undead dungeon.’

The classification of dungeons is managed by the association, which assigns risk levels with letters based on various complex criteria.

〈D〉, 〈C〉, 〈B〉, 〈A〉, 〈S〉—ranging from lowest to highest risk.

Officially, there are five levels, but unofficially, + or – are added to these categories.

The risk level of the undead dungeon was ‘D-’.

The lowest of the low. Even its popularity was so poor that there were no permanent checkpoints.

As I mentioned before, the rewards are inadequate, and the creatures that appear are simply walking corpses. Heroes can easily handle even monsters with sharp horns and fangs. However, ‘undead,’ which resemble humans, are enough to provoke an uncanny valley effect.

That’s why the undead dungeon has earned the triple title of ‘low rank,’ ‘unpopular,’ and ‘practically abandoned.’ But…

“…Is this really the undead dungeon?”

Abel murmured in confusion. Shail responded with a look of disbelief.

“I’ve checked multiple times and confirmed the geography—this is definitely the place. But…”

Shail couldn’t finish her sentence. She seemed at a loss, checking the GPS app over and over again. Still, the app marked the same location.

I shifted my gaze from them toward the entrance of the road.

‘Why does this dungeon have such an imposing atmosphere?’

This place, supposedly a very low-ranked dungeon. Even though it’s said that an S-rank monster sleeps here, the entrance alone exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure. Almost like a majestic castle.

The cold air, reminiscent of a haunted mansion, was piercing. The surroundings, despite it being broad daylight, were grim and barren. It made the C-rank buffalo dungeon look like a local amusement park compared to this sinister atmosphere.

‘Now I understand why the driver left so quickly.’

The stench of death stung my nose. I licked my dry lips and instinctively felt inside my clothes. The sashimi knife was close to my heart.

“Let’s go in and take a look.”

I was the first to speak to lift their spirits.

“Uh… yeah.”

“Sorry, Kang Geom-Ma. This is my first time seeing a place like this too—it caught me off guard.”

Abel and Shail made their respective comments. We approached the entrance. As we got closer, the atmosphere grew even more ominous. A cold wind brushed against our faces.

The door was chaotically constructed of human bones. Cobwebs hung everywhere, completing the eerie scene.

Among us, overwhelmed, a tall form materialized in the corner of our sight.

“…A tombstone?”

It was a gravestone about two meters high. An inscription was carved into its surface, but it wasn’t in Korean.

“What does it say?”

“Yeah, I wonder.”

Our attention focused on the stele.

I asked Abel,

“But I don’t know which country this language belongs to. Do you?”

“Um, I’m not sure… I know most European languages, but I have no idea what this says…”

“Hmm, I feel a little uneasy just ignoring it.”

While Abel and I were observing, Shail, who had been silent, suddenly spoke in a low voice.

“It looks like runes.”

“Runes?”

Abel’s eyes widened. Shail simply nodded solemnly.

“It’s not strange that you don’t know. Runes were used from the mythical era up until 700 years ago. They’ve been a dead language for a long time.”

…A dead language. A place devoid of life, eerily unsettling.

“How do you know it’s runes, Lady Shail?”

I asked. Shail smiled faintly and answered,

“I had an interest in ancient languages while at the academy. I learned a bit of runes on my own. Of course, I’m not an expert.”

“Could you decipher what it says?”

“Um, I’m not sure—I only learned it as a hobby…”

Shail hesitated slightly. Abel looked at her with bright eyes. Shail smiled gently.

“I can’t guarantee complete accuracy, but I’ll do my best.”

There might be a clue about ‘draugrs’ in this inscription. Any clue is crucial for me.

“Please do.”

“Yes, Sir Kang Geom-Ma.”

Shail studied the inscription with a hand on her chin.

Her eyelashes lowered as her pupils slowly moved side to side.

Soon, Shail turned her gaze toward me. She began speaking.

“For some reason, the upper part seems to have been intentionally damaged to make it unreadable. As you can see, it looks like someone scratched it with something like a sword.”

“……”

Despite her momentarily darkened expression, for some reason, a radiant smile appeared on Shail’s lips.

“However, I can try to decipher a few words from the back portion.”

“……!”

“There will be quite a bit of interpretation involved, so please keep that in mind.”

Ehem—Shail cleared her throat twice and then recited the content as if it were a poem.

Those who disturb the rest of the dead.

They, too, shall become the same.

Those who bring rest to the dead.

They shall be the king of the dead.

“…Hmm.”

It was a bit chilling. It felt like a curse.

What could be inferred is that… ‘the king of the dead’ refers to the king of liches—the ‘draugr.’

But the connection to the three previous lines was ambiguous.

‘…It’s somewhat vague.’

As I stood there chewing over those thoughts, Shail spoke hesitantly.

“That’s all I could decipher. I’d like to say more, but that’s beyond my ability. I’m sorry.”

“No, this has been very helpful.”

If it weren’t for Shail, we probably would have passed it by.

Both Abel and I would have been blind to a language that had been extinct for 700 years. Shail has been of great help on this journey.

‘We should go inside.’

The most precise clues are always found in the field.

I pushed the door firmly.

—Creeeak.

The door opened with an ominous sound, almost like a human scream.

I took the first step. A sinister air surged forth like a tide.

“““……”””

Forcing my stiff neck to turn, I looked back.

“…Let’s go in.”

***

Step, step.

A space devoid of light.

We walked through a corridor shrouded in darkness.

Thanks to the flashlights we had brought, moving around wasn’t an issue.

Despite the ominous appearance of the exterior, beyond the door, there was only silence.

The entrance had heightened the tension. On the other hand, the interior was quiet and solemn, like a cemetery, which somehow eased the mood.

So this is a D- dungeon…

Every now and then, sounds resembling distant screams echoed, slightly unsettling.

But with the three of us together, it didn’t seem too serious.

Abel only trembled slightly, and Shail kept silently glancing behind her.

I wonder if something will jump out here.

Just as I was beginning to feel bored—

…Shortly after, a shape stirred in the deep darkness, triggering a primitive sense of disgust.

““““Gruuuuuuuh.””””

A twisted, distorted cry reverberated through the chamber.

‘The undead.’

Five corpses staggered forward, arms outstretched like mummies dragging themselves along.

They weren’t particularly threatening, but their approach was deeply repulsive.

Chunks of flesh hung from their skeletons, maggots writhed over their decaying skin, and their joints creaked with every movement.

They were certainly the walking corpses described. If a fearful companion had seen them, they would probably have screamed and retreated.

I only shifted my eyes slightly. A flicker of surprise crossed Abel’s face. However, she quickly composed herself and unsheathed her sword.

Clang.

The sound of steel sliding from its scabbard.

Abel gripped the hilt of her sword at an angle and stepped forward.

“Miss, allow me to handle this.”

Shail spoke, but Abel shook her head.

“I’ll go first.”

“But…”

Shail’s eyes wavered with concern.

Regardless of the danger, the undead were something to avoid. She feared the decaying flesh might cling to Abel.

Abel smiled at Shail, gently reassuring her.

“Shail, I always appreciate your concern. But today is a battle of endurance. I’ll take the lead for now. If I run out of energy later, it’ll be your turn, so rest for now. Okay?”

“…Alright, if that’s your wish.”

Abel smiled, satisfied with the response.

Her gaze briefly flickered toward me before returning to the undead.

Abel watched them with serene eyes.

What she was searching for wasn’t visible.

…Then.

Step, step.

A stride filled with foreboding. Her hair swayed with a faint blue hue.

Abel swung her sword.

The blade was surrounded by a faint halo of light. It wasn’t an aura. Just a meticulously restrained force, the result of effort embedded in steel.

Soon, Abel approached.

““““Gruuuuuuuh!””””

The undead roared.

Abel closed her eyes, then opened them again, murmuring softly—

“…I’m sorry.”

Swish!

The blade sliced through five necks at once.

Thud!

After a brief pause in the noise, heads rolled across the pavement.

“…Ha.”

I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle.

It was a flawless sword strike, devoid of unnecessary embellishments—
incredible for someone only seventeen years old.

‘But in the game, she wasn’t this good.’

Could it be? Originally, Abel was ranked first, but a small twist in events had made me snatch that position away from her.

That must have been enough to ignite the pride of a descendant of a noble line of swordsmen.

The conclusion was that because of me, Abel had grown much faster than she would have under normal circumstances.

Abel stared at the ground, as if silently praying for the rest of the dead.

‘…Impressive.’

I murmured inwardly, barely moving my lips—when suddenly, Abel turned her head.

““…….””

After 30 seconds of a tense staring contest, Abel withdrew her gaze with dignity and took the lead.