Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I opened my eyes.

“...!”

It was an enormous cave.

The ceiling was impossibly high. It looked as tall as a ten-story building. Blue moss glowed faintly along the walls, and the sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Cold air filled my lungs. The smell of dirt. Mold. And... something fishy.

‘So this is a dungeon...’

My heart began beating rapidly.

“Lee Junhyeok?”

Someone beside me called my name.

I turned my head.

A woman who looked to be in her late twenties was standing there. She had a sturdy build. In one hand, she held a shield as tall as a person, and in the other, a short sword.

Her gaze was sharp. The eyes of someone who had seen plenty of real combat.

“I’m guide Hunter Park Jeongsu. I’ll make sure to lead you safely today.”

She held out her hand. We shook hands. Hers was hard and covered in calluses.

Vwoom!

Then blue light flashed behind us. The portal rippled, and two more people came tumbling out.

One was a woman with a bow slung over her back. She had sharp features and short hair. Her eyes were cold.

The other was a man holding a staff. He was thin and wore glasses. He looked younger than me. Early twenties?

“Everyone’s here.”

The guide gestured.

“Let’s introduce ourselves briefly. Just your class and name.”

“Archer, Choi Yuna.”

The woman spoke curtly. She seemed like the quiet type.

“M-Mage, Han Dongmin.”

The bespectacled man stammered. He was visibly nervous.

It was my turn.

“Growth-Type, Lee Junhyeok.”

“...Growth-Type?”

Choi Yuna raised an eyebrow. Han Dongmin’s eyes widened too.

“Really? I’ve never seen a Growth-Type before. I heard they’re incredibly rare...”

“Do you control summons or something?”

Both of their gazes focused on me. Their eyes were full of curiosity.

“Yes, but...”

I paused for a moment.

“I can’t summon them yet. I’m still raising them.”

I answered honestly. There was no point lying when they would find out during combat anyway.

“Ah...”

Han Dongmin looked slightly disappointed. Choi Yuna nodded and looked away too.

‘Well, can’t be helped.’

Then it happened.

“It’s fine.”

Guide Park Jeongsu spoke with a smile.

“Growth-Types always struggle in the beginning. Their summons are still weak. But you know what happens after some time passes? They become absolute monsters. Once their summons are fully raised, they can sweep entire dungeons alone. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

It was encouragement. Her voice was sincere.

‘Yeah. I know that too.’

I knew what happened when Primitive Humanity advanced to the civilization stage. I knew what kind of strength they would have once Awakened individuals began appearing in droves.

“All right, then let’s head in.”

The guide pointed deeper into the cave. Thick darkness lay ahead. Faint sounds came from beyond it.

Kiiik. Kiiik.

Monster noises.

“Stay behind me while we move. Today is just about learning how things work with your own eyes. If anything gets dangerous, I’ll block everything, so you don’t need to be too nervous.”

The guide raised her shield in front of her and strode forward.

Choi Yuna followed with a hand on her bowstring. Han Dongmin tightly gripped his staff and followed behind her.

I moved too. I tightly gripped the spear issued by the center. Cold and solid.

We entered deeper into the cave.

Ding!

[Dungeon Entry]

F-rank Dungeon: Goblin Cave

Time Limit: 6 hours

Objective: Defeat the Boss Monster

Darkness swallowed us.

Had we been walking for about ten minutes?

Something moved in the darkness.

Kiiik! Kiiik!

“Stop.”

The guide raised a hand. Everyone stopped.

Three shadows jumped out from behind a rock up ahead.

Goblins.

Green skin. Pointed ears. Small bodies barely over one meter tall. Rusted daggers in their hands. Drool running from their mouths.

“Hiiik!”

Han Dongmin stepped backward. The hand holding his staff trembled violently.

Choi Yuna flinched too. She raised her bow but couldn’t draw the string. Her fingers seemed frozen stiff.

A foul stench assaulted my nose. Rotten meat. Urine. Disgusting.

“Kieeeek!”

The goblins charged.

Sssup.

The guide moved. So fast that only an afterimage remained.

Slash!

The first. Its head flew off. Blood sprayed like a fountain from the severed neck. The head rolled across the ground, eyes rolled back.

Slash!

The second. It was split between the neck and shoulder. Its entrails spilled out.

Slash!

The third. Its waist was cut in half. Its upper and lower body collapsed separately.

One second.

Blood soaked the cave floor. The metallic stench filled the air.

“Ghk...”

A groan came from beside me.

Han Dongmin covered his mouth. His face had turned white. Choi Yuna was the same. Her lips had gone pale blue.

“Uugh...!”

Han Dongmin turned toward the wall. He retched. The sound of his stomach turning.

“Ugh... haa...”

Choi Yuna dropped to her knees too. Her shoulders heaved.

‘...Understandable.’

It was their first time. Seeing a living creature die right in front of them.

Me?

I had been drenched in bear blood. I had cut an orc’s throat. I had stabbed a spear into flesh with my own hands.

I had already gotten used to it.

“...You’re completely fine?”

The guide looked at me. Her eyes were curious.

“Most newcomers are like them. But Junhyeok, is this really your first time?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impressive. Maybe you’re just naturally suited for this?”

I shrugged instead of answering.

“Either way, it’s a good thing.”

The guide smiled as she spoke. Then she looked back at the two who were still retching.

“We’ll keep moving forward. You two okay?”

Han Dongmin and Choi Yuna quietly nodded. Their faces were still pale, but they didn’t refuse.

The two of them looked at me. Their expressions seemed to ask how I could possibly be fine.

“You’ll be okay once you get used to it.”

When I said that, the two nodded awkwardly.

The guide took the lead, and we followed behind her.

____________

About thirty minutes passed.

Kieeek!

Another group of goblins jumped out. This time there were five.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The guide’s sword flashed like lightning, blood sprayed, and heads rolled. All of them fell in less than five seconds.

“Ugh...”

Han Dongmin covered his mouth again. But this time, he didn’t vomit. Choi Yuna turned her head away, but she didn’t drop to her knees either. They seemed to be adjusting little by little.

Thump. Thump.

My heart began beating faster. Not because I felt like vomiting. Because I wanted to jump in there too.

‘I want to fight too.’

I remembered fighting the orcs on the primitive planet. The sensation of a spear piercing flesh, the moment blood sprayed, the feeling of being alive spreading through my entire body.

But I held back. Today was supposed to be a day for learning.

______________

At last, we arrived in front of a massive stone door.

“This is the boss room.”

The guide turned around and spoke.

“I’ll handle the boss too. This is everyone’s first experience today, so focus on getting used to things with your eyes.”

Han Dongmin and Choi Yuna nodded. They looked relieved.

I quietly touched the spear strapped to my back. It was a basic weapon issued by the staff before entering the dungeon. Cheap, but the edge was fairly sharp.

‘Guess I won’t have a chance to step in.’

A slight sense of disappointment passed through me.

“We’re going in.”

The guide pushed the stone door.

Ruuumble...

As the door opened with a heavy sound, a foul stench came first. Rotten meat, blood, and urine mixed together until it almost numbed my nose.

The cave ceiling stretched high above us, and torches burned along the walls.

And in the center.

A massive goblin sat there.

It looked two or three times larger than an ordinary goblin. Its body was over two meters tall, and knotted muscles writhed beneath its green skin.

Goblin Chief.

The creature was asleep, snoring with its eyes closed.

I saw the guide scan the surroundings. Left, right, even the ceiling. Then she nodded. It seemed there were no other monsters.

“Come in.”

We cautiously stepped inside.

Boom!

At that moment, the door shut on its own. I looked back. The path out was gone.

“Grrrr...”

I turned back again. The chief’s eyelids trembled, then slowly opened. Blood-red eyes were revealed.

It turned its head toward us.

[Boss Encounter]

The Goblin Chief Awakens.

The dungeon is evaluating the enemies’ level...

It happened at that exact moment.

[Warning!]

The enemies’ level is above average!

Dungeon mutation occurring.

Boss monster will be strengthened.

“...What?”

I read the message again. Dungeon mutation? Now? Why?

Dungeon mutation was a rare phenomenon that occurred when explorers entered a dungeon far beneath their level.

But there was absolutely no way it should happen with one guide and three beginners!

―Thump.

‘...Is it because of me?’

No, there’s no way it’s counting all 100 tribe members as my combat power!

“Damn it.”

The guide’s brow furrowed deeply. The relaxed expression disappeared, replaced by tension. But she didn’t panic. She raised her shield in front and lowered her stance.

“Everyone, get back. Right now.”

Her voice was low and firm. The voice of a professional.

She hadn’t even finished speaking.

Ruuuumble!

The entire cave shook. Dust and pebbles rained from the ceiling. I braced a hand against the wall to keep my balance.

“Graaaaaaaaaagh!”

The chief roared. I covered my ears, but it was useless. The vibration penetrated deep into my bones.

Then green light erupted from its body.

Instinctively, I covered my face with my arm, but the light still penetrated through my eyelids.

Crack.

The sound of bones growing.

Crack. Crack.

The sound of muscles expanding. Skin tearing. Something growing larger.

The light gradually faded.

And when I opened my eyes.

“...!”

I unconsciously stopped breathing.

The body that had been two meters tall was now over three meters. Its muscles had doubled in size, stretching its skin so tightly it looked ready to burst. Two black horns rose toward the sky.

Its eyes had changed. Not blood-red, but gold. Eyes containing intelligence.

Ding!

[Goblin High Chief]

Rank: E+

‘E-rank...’

A boss was generally considered two ranks, no, slightly more than two ranks above the ordinary monsters in the same dungeon.

That meant an E-rank boss was stronger than even an ordinary C-rank monster.

“Back!”

The guide shouted. Her face was tense, but she didn’t waver. If anything, her gaze became sharper.

“I’ll hold it off, so move toward the exit!”

The guide was a D-rank Hunter, but the standard for D-rank Hunters was that five or more of them together could clear a D-rank dungeon.

The Goblin High Chief, stronger than even an ordinary C-rank monster, would not be an easy opponent for her either.

“Hiiik!”

Han Dongmin screamed and stumbled backward. Choi Yuna also retreated, her face drained white.

But I didn’t move.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded like crazy. It wasn’t fear. A thrill spread throughout my entire body. Excitement.

I remembered fighting the orcs on the primitive planet. The moment when I thought I was going to die, but survived. That exhilaration came rushing back.

I pulled the spear from my back. The feel of the wooden shaft pressed against my palm. A familiar weight.

‘It’s here.’

My turn to step in.

There Is Primitive Humanity Inside My Body

Author |

Webjung

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Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.

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Editorial Department

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