CH 18

The Crystal Dungeon was beautiful.

The dungeon, in the form of a cave, wasn’t dark due to the soft, multicolored light emitted by the crystals. Rather, it had a dreamy atmosphere, so much so that it elicited exclamations of awe as soon as one entered.

“Wow, it’s really pretty.”

Even Kang Do-hoon, on his first visit, looked around in awe, repeatedly expressing his admiration.

“Hey, let’s go.”

I gave Kang Do-hoon a light tap on the shoulder and started walking deeper into the cave.

As beautiful as it was, we had a job to do.

“Have you been here before?How can you not exclaim in admiration after seeing this fantastical sight?”

“Does admiring the scenery put food on the table, or give us rice cakes? Isn’t it strange for you to be so rustic and keep exclaiming over what we’ll be seeing the whole way?”

At my response, Kang Do-hoon shook his head in disbelief.

“You really lack sentimentality.”

“So, does that make me a piece of trash?”

Just then, a chirping sound came from above.

“Did it wake up?”

“What? What’s going on!”

Kang Do-hoon looked around in panic.

“Ppi?”

At the sight of Salt, who had hopped down from above to my forehead, Kang Do-hoon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“A bird?”

“Yeah. Its name is Salt.”

“Wow, you’re raising a bird too? Coo coo, come here.”

“Ppi!”

Though I couldn’t see it, I imagined Salt turning its head sharply in refusal.

Initially, I thought Salt disliked people.

It had never approached or acknowledged others.

It was the same with Seo Taeju. It would sit on his hand during purification, but as soon as that was over, it would immediately fly back onto my head.

And then it would endlessly chirp and babble.

But after the fourth purification, instead of coming back to me, it started to flutter around Seo Taeju. It seemed like it had decided it was no longer wary of him and would act as it pleased.

Salt didn’t dislike people, it was just shy around strangers. I wasn’t sure if I should call this bird-like behavior, or more human-like.

“Hey, my head is fluffy and comfortable too. Try sitting here.”

“Ppi!”

“Ah, such an insolent bird, just like its owner.”

What’s so rude about expressing dislike when you dislike something?

Kang Do-hoon avoided my questioning look. Avoiding my gaze wouldn’t make him right.

I scrunched up my forehead and asked, “Why is being shy considered insolent? Are all shy people rude? And where did you learn to insult someone’s pet in front of them?”

“……”

Kang Do-hoon, who had been arguing relentlessly, now firmly shut his mouth.

Right, he had nothing to say. If he argued here, he’d end up looking worse than Seo Go-woon.

With a tut, I started walking again.

“Ppi-ppi. Ppi.”

After some time, Salt began to sing, maybe it was finally feeling better after the spat with Kang Do-hoon.

Kang Do-hoon, who had been keeping his mouth shut and observing the mood between me and Salt, once he realized that Salt had relaxed, sidled up to me again.

“Has it been on your head the whole time?”

“Yeah.”

“But why didn’t I notice?”

“Because it was hidden in my hair.”

“Isn’t it uncomfortable when you move?”

“Not at all.”

Salt had gotten clever. When I moved my head slightly, it would brace itself by twisting strands of my hair around its claws. I noticed this when some of my hair got tangled in its claws.

“Fascinating. Its name is Salt?”

Kang Do-hoon couldn’t take his eyes off Salt.

Feeling uncomfortable under his intense gaze, Salt stopped chirping and flew upwards.

“Huh? It flew away-. Oh, it didn’t.”

It then landed on my shoulder, causing Kang Do-hoon to chuckle awkwardly.

I tutted and started walking again.

“But it doesn’t run away even without a leash. Did you clip its wings like a parrot?”

“No.”

“But why doesn’t it fly away? Can’t it fly?”

“No, it just likes being with me.”

“Ppi!”

“Oh, really? It’s so cute!”

As Kang Do-hoon approached Salt after hearing the chirp, Salt quickly hopped over to the other shoulder, away from him.

Even if Salt, such a hamster, was quite averse to strangers, it wouldn’t avoid someone so extremely like this.

It seemed as if the comment I made earlier about not being able to go had rubbed Salt the wrong way.

“He really hates people.”

Does it hate people or is it just shy around strangers?

I thought about correcting Kang Do-hoon’s misunderstanding, but then I thought I might suggest seeing him more frequently until Salt is no longer shy, so I just kept my mouth shut.

I wasn’t particularly eager to meet either the Question Mark Murderer or Kang Do-hoon, who would always criticize me out of nowhere. Kang Do-hoon, as if understanding, nodded his head but then again, he approached closer towards Salt resting on my shoulder.

Kang Do-hoon approached, Salt evaded; their endless game of cat and mouse began.

“Enough. Hey, if you’re going to interfere, just get lost. It’s getting on my nerves.”

“Ah, sorry.”

At my irritated words, Kang Do-hoon quickly apologized.

“Salt, you too, stop messing around.”

Knowing that Salt would climb to the top of my head if he was truly upset, I scolded him sternly.

“Ppi.”

Salt, looking sulky, flew up to the top of my head with a small flutter. Feeling the warmth of Salt, who was no larger than my thumb, I started walking again.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Scared of what?”

“Here.”

Kang Do-hoon indicated our surroundings.

What’s scary all of a sudden when he was calling this place beautiful and fantastic just a moment ago?

“No, since we’ve come quite far into this place, who knows when a monster will pop out.”

“That thing?” I pointed at a spot where crystals were abundantly piled up.

“That’s a crystal.”

I looked at Kang Do-hoon with a pitiful face.

Is this guy really a hunter? Could he have dyed his hair and deceived us to get in here?

I clicked my tongue and placed my palm on the ground.

“Refine.”

In an instant, multiple black cones emerged from the place where the crystals were.

Along with the sound of crystals breaking, a short cry could be heard.

“What, what’s that?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? It’s catching a monster.”

I strode towards the place where the crystals used to be. Among the broken crystal fragments, a cone had pierced the belly of a spine-shaped monster, a ‘Cave Hedgehog,’ which was bleeding green.

“H-how did you know?!”

“Know what?”

I cut off the tail of the cave hedgehog, which was curled up like a pig’s tail, and held it in my hand.

Cutting this off served as proof that I had conquered the dungeon and defeated the monster.

“Ugh, it’s bloody.”

Kang Do-hoon dodged out of the way as if he was disgusted.

If I had known it would get bloody, I would have brought a bag with me.

Looking at the green blood on my hand, I then turned my gaze towards Kang Do-hoon.

Seeing my gaze, Kang Do-hoon took a step back with a queasy expression.

“Don’t you dare, or you’ll regret it.”

“What are you saying I shouldn’t do?”

“Don’t even think about smearing that blood on me!”

“Are you nuts?”

I had no such intentions.

Clicking my tongue, I looked around to see if there was anything I could use to store the tail.

In the dungeons managed by the guild, since hunters continuously came and went, it was often described that many would leave their belongings behind.

Even in the middle of the novel, there was a scene where Seo Taeju, the healer of the party, left behind vacuum-sealed jerky for the next party. So, I thought there could be something here too.

“There’s nothing.”

Perhaps because it was a D-rank dungeon, there was nothing in the vicinity.

All that was left on the ground were shards of broken crystals.

‘Why isn’t there any light coming out of the crystal fragments?’

The crystals, which had previously shone brightly in a variety of colors, had lost their light upon shattering. Moreover, the fragments, which had been so transparent that they could reflect everything, now seemed opaque.

“Hmm.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

Having decided that I wasn’t going to smear the blood on him, Kang Do-hoon approached and looked at the crystal fragments together with me.

“No, do you know what this is?”

“Crystal.”

“I mean, do you know what this crystal is made of?”

“Crystals are made of crystal. What else would they be?”

“Ha.”

Right. I’m the fool for asking you.

Giving up on asking Kang Do-hoon, I held a fragment of the crystal in my hand. The more I looked at it, the stranger the crystal seemed.

Judging by the quietness of my passive Truth Skill, it didn’t seem like an item, but it didn’t seem like a simple crystal either.

“Why are you picking that up? What for?”

Instead of replying, I started muttering an incantation to myself.

[Shard of the Balanced Crystal]

Description: Shard of a crystal formed by hardened slime produced by Balanced.

It is an opaque shard with no particular function.

“Balanced? What is that? Do you know?”

Kang Do-hoon shook his head. Even I, who had read the novel to its end, was hearing this name for the first time.

This time, I used appraisal on the shining crystal.

[Balanced Crystal]

Description: Crystal made from hardened slime excreted by Balanced for the purpose of protecting its eggs.

In its transparent form, it emits its own light.

When used, one can experience a potent hair growth effect due to the characteristics of Balanced.

※ The effect can only be seen when it is heated rapidly while shining.

※ For alchemists, it can be collected and dissected by infusing magic power.

“What’s so weird? What are you doing right now?”

Kang Do-hoon shook my arm, as if he found me gazing blankly into the void rather peculiar.

“I…”

“‘I’?”

“I’ve figured it out!”

“What?”

I grabbed Kang Do-hoon in a tight hug and started to dance joyfully.

“Yuck! What is it! Get off me!”

“Ppi! Ppi! Ppi!”

Salt (my pet) was protesting from atop my bobbing head, and Kang Do-hoon, caught in my embrace, was complaining, but I couldn’t contain my excitement.

I’d discovered a way to solve a worldwide problem, a seemingly impossible puzzle, all in one go! How could I just let this pass?

‘Financial aid?’ Don’t make me laugh. Now I’ll be the rich one!’

The ones who could gather crystals were alchemists. In other words, it was only possible for me.

The dungeon may belong to the Sunset Guild, but if mining and disassembling weren’t possible, it would just be a pie in the sky.

If I played my cards right, I could become the richest person of the century.

“Crazy, let go of me!”

Releasing the disgruntled Kang Do-hoon, I reached out again for the small pile of crystals that resembled a puffball mushroom. Upon infusing them with magic, a clinking sound was heard, and the bottom of the crystal pile broke off.

Unlike the lightless fragments from before, the ones I’d collected after infusing with magic were transparent and still radiated light.

“Huh? How did you do that?”

Kang Do-hoon, dusting off his clothes, reattached himself to my side.

Without responding, I placed the shattered crystal pieces and the newly harvested crystal pile into my crossbody bag. Just looking at them filled me with a sense of confidence. Smiling wryly, I looked at Kang Do-hoon.

“What are you doing?”

Not sure exactly what was happening but seeing that I seemed pleased, Kang Do-hoon was attempting to lift a crystal that was half his size. Unlike the other crystals that emitted a single color, this one shifted colors intermittently.

“I’m also, ugh, taking this. Huh!”

“That’s not going to work just beca-“

Suddenly, a clear cracking sound filled the air.

“Huh?”

The crystal shattered like dust, emitting light as it fell to the ground. 

Looking dumbfounded, Kang Do-hoon cleared his throat and spoke, “Did I use too much strength?”

Though Kang Do-hoon tried to shrug it off, I sensed something strange.

When I’d broken the crystals while fighting the hazards, they had broken into pieces, not turned into dust like now.

“But why did it turn into dust unlike the others?”

“Well, because I used too much force. That’s why I try not to use my strength. Everything gets ruined when I do. Got it?”

While looking at the defensive Kang Do-hoon in disbelief, it happened.

Salt, who had been quietly sitting atop my head, started to beep loudly.

“Ppi Ppi Ppi Ppi! Ppi ppi ppi!”

“Huh?”

As Salt’s chirping stopped, the ground began to shake.

Thump-thump-thump-thump. As the sound echoed and dust rained down from overhead, we saw something massive at the end of the cave.

“What, what is that?!” Kang Do-hoon shouted in horror.

And as if on cue, that massive something began charging towards us.

In that moment, the description of the crystal came to mind.

‘It said the crystal was formed from the hardened mucus that the Balanced expels to protect its eggs… Wait, was that thing an egg just now?’

“Hey! Hey! What is that?!”

“Shut up and run first.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but one thing was certain.

We had to run.