I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 7
* * *
“D-rank Dungeon party, everyone confirms, yes?”
“Yes, confirmed.”
I answered briskly, and Leader glanced at me for a moment.
He looked over me and the others once, then extended his hand.
“If everyone confirms this is a D-rank Dungeon party, please show me the Gamja Market chat screen. I’ll verify quickly.”
“Of course.”
The others and I switched on our screens and showed Leader the app interface.
Leader examined each person’s app screen in turn and nodded.
“Right then, we’re all here.”
I looked at the people around me, my hair tucked completely under the hood of my Hoodie.
Two people wore Heavy Armor and carried Shields, one wore lighter chest armor with a sword at his hip, and the last wore light leather armor and held a Staff.
Everyone appeared to be outfitted with items.
‘I’m the only one in casual clothes.’
Standing alone in my Hoodie and Jeans, I felt somewhat out of place.
Fortunately, the feeling didn’t last long.
After Leader confirmed the head count, he began the introductions.
“We’ll use the designations we discussed in the chat, determined by position. Call me Leader. And you there?”
“As you can see from the outfit, I’m the Tanker.”
The two people in Heavy Armor each introduced themselves as Leader and Tanker.
Next, the person with the sword stepped forward.
“I’m the Melee Dealer. Just call me Melee Dealer. My main weapon is the sword.”
Everyone turned their heads in sequence to look at the person holding the Staff.
That person bowed slightly in greeting first.
“Hello. I’m the Mage—the ranged dealer, that is. I don’t have separate support or healing skills. I’m pure damage output.”
Finally, all eyes turned toward me.
I hesitated briefly, then bowed slightly like the person before me.
“Hello. I’m a support Healer. Feel free to call me whichever you prefer.”
It was nothing more than a light greeting, yet my Synchronization Rate climbed by 5%.
The reason was unclear, but something seemed to have aligned with the system requirements.
“Then let’s call you Healer. The shorter name will be more convenient inside the dungeon.”
Leader settled the designations casually and turned toward the dungeon entrance.
Above the dungeon entrance, the Dungeon Saturation was displayed in translucent text.
It was system text invisible to ordinary people, visible only to Hunters’ eyes.
[Dungeon Saturation]
70%
“The dungeon we’ll enter today is the Shadow Cave with saturation at about 70%. It’s the perfect timing to clear it now.”
Leader briefed us methodically, pointing to the dungeon entrance.
“Our objective is not to close the dungeon. You don’t need to worry much about the saturation rate. A dungeon wave won’t occur unless it reaches 100% anyway.”
If saturation drops to 0%, the dungeon closes completely and becomes safe, but then we can’t harvest resources.
That’s why Hunters rarely bothered to close dungeons unless they were particularly dangerous or worthless.
Leader stressed this part with particular emphasis, as if it were crucial to understand.
“Our goal is to handle the Magical Beasts appropriately, clear the Boss, and leave with the rewards. Combat with minor enemies should only happen when necessary, so absolutely do not provoke them first.”
“Understood.”
When all four of us answered in unison, Leader seemed reassured and gave final position instructions.
“The Tanker and I will hold the front. Melee Dealer in the middle, and Mage and Healer in the rear. Even if an emergency arises, you must not leave these positions.”
The other Hunters took their positions with practiced ease.
I stood there blankly until the others had formed their formation, and only then did I find the spot beside the Mage.
“Right then, we’re going in.”
Leader stepped into the dungeon first.
It was my first entry into a dungeon.
* * *
The Magical Beasts inside the dungeon had the form of black cats.
But don’t imagine them cute and lovable just because they look like black cats.
Screeeeeech—!
Though they resembled cats in appearance, their true essence was warped shadow.
Aided by the darkness of the cave-type dungeon, they were far larger than human size, and they gnashed their teeth constantly.
The reason it didn’t charge at us immediately was that two Shadow Cats already lay motionless at our feet.
With gleaming eyes, it glared at us briefly, then wheeled around and fled.
“Stand down.”
Leader lowered his shield. Only then did the rest of the party members put away their weapons and relax their alert status.
I pulled a bottle of water from my bag and offered it around.
“Water, anyone?”
“Oh, no thanks.”
“I’m alright.”
Mage and Melee Dealer both declined my water.
Judging by the fact that Leader and Tanker were already drinking from their own bottles, they didn’t seem interested either.
I sipped my water quietly while stealing a glance at my Synchronization Rate.
[Current Synchronization Rate]
20%
Had offering water counted as a good deed?
Before I knew it, my Synchronization Rate had climbed to 20%.
But it still wasn’t enough to activate a skill, and anxiety gnawed at me with each passing moment.
No one was injured yet, but what if my Synchronization Rate didn’t fill up before someone got hurt?
While I was lost in that worry, Tanker approached Leader.
“Leader, doesn’t something feel off? I don’t think Shadow Cats are supposed to appear this early in this dungeon.”
Tanker’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough for everyone to hear.
All the party members looked up, their eyes turning to the two men.
Leader rubbed his chin, acknowledging Tanker’s point.
“I was just thinking the same thing. Shadow Cats usually appear in the middle section of the dungeon. This is unusually early.”
“So, should we head back out?”
Mage raised his hand with the question, his tone tinged with reluctance—clearly he didn’t want to leave yet.
Fortunately for him, Leader shook his head.
“No. It’s possible prey became scarce in the middle section, or they were pushed back during territorial disputes. I think it’s fine to push forward to the middle of the dungeon, assess the situation, and then retreat if needed.”
Melee Dealer and Mage exhaled in relief, their shoulders loosening.
I, not fully grasping the situation, felt awkward joining in their relief, and Tanker’s expression darkened as if something still bothered him.
“Alright then, let’s keep moving forward. Healer.”
……
“Healer!”
“Oh, yes?”
I’d forgotten that I was the Healer, so I snapped to attention and answered loudly.
Leader chuckled lightly at my reaction, understanding, and then instructed me.
“Please be ready to cast buffs and healing spells whenever necessary.”
“Yes. I will.”
If my Synchronization Rate fills up, that is.
Even as I gave my assurance, I scratched my head with an awkward smile.
Fortunately, my Synchronization Rate had just jumped another 10%, now at 30%.
‘I still don’t understand the criteria.’
I grumbled inwardly and followed the party members deeper into the dungeon.
* * *
The deeper we ventured into the dungeon, the darker it became. It truly lived up to its name, Shadow Cave.
Shadows engulfed everything around us, making it difficult to see even a step ahead.
“We’re going to turn on flashlights now. Once we do, the enemies will know our location, and they can hide within our shadows. From here on, you must not lower your guard.”
I raised my hand slightly to ask a question, even knowing I might not be heard clearly in the darkness.
“How can we tell when enemies are hiding in our shadows……?”
“The direction of the shadows changes. If my shadow’s position differs from someone else’s, just let me know immediately. The same goes if an enemy hides in someone else’s shadow instead of mine.”
Leader answered my question carefully, as if it was never a bother at all.
Oddly enough, each time he did, my Synchronization Rate ticked up a little more.
[Current Synchronization Rate]
37%
“Since Healer is at the very back, it would be good if you kept watch over the shadows for us. The rest of you, keep an eye out for any Magical Beasts approaching from the sides.”
“Understood.”
After giving his final instructions, Leader pulled out a flashlight from his bag.
The moment he switched it on, the surrounding area flooded with light and the cave’s features became distinct.
The cave was spacious enough for all five of us to walk in a single line with room to spare.
Leader held the flashlight straight ahead and strode forward with confident strides.
I kept my eyes fixed on the party members’ shadows, stretched in the opposite direction of the light, and followed close behind them.
Clink. Clink.
Screeeee— Shrieeek—
We’d been walking through the dungeon for some time when we reached a fork in the path, and that’s when we first heard it—a strange sound echoing faintly through the darkness.
The moment Leader caught the noise, he dimmed his flashlight and angled it toward the ground.
“By the sound of it, there are quite a few of them. It seems they’re engaged in combat with each other—our best course is to avoid the area altogether.”
Leader tilted his head, listening intently toward the source of the noise, then gestured to us with a slight jerk of his chin.
He meant for us to take the path where no sound was coming from.
“We’ll head down the left fork. Keep your noise to a minimum and stay alert.”
“Understood.”
The entire party moved carefully, dampening every footfall as we shifted toward the left passage.
Leader went ahead, sweeping his flashlight down the left fork to check for any other magical beasts lurking nearby.
Once he’d confirmed it was safe, he stepped into the passage.
Tanker, Melee Dealer, and Mage followed in sequence, with me bringing up the rear.
The moment we’d all entered the fork in near-total silence, Leader gradually picked up his pace.
Until finally his walk became a run.
Leader didn’t slow down until we were far enough from the fork that the sounds faded away entirely.
Tanker, Melee Dealer, and the others were fine, but Mage and I were breathing hard.
“Everyone made it through without falling behind, I trust?”
“Yes.”
Leader swung his flashlight toward us to do a headcount.
Our shadows stretched long across the cavern floor beneath my feet.
All but one.
“Melee Dealer’s shadow!”
Clang!
The instant I cried out, Leader raised his shield and charged toward Melee Dealer.
Something emerged from Melee Dealer’s shadow and slammed directly into Leader’s shield.
Screech, screech.
Four Shadow Cats came pouring out one after another, driving both Leader and Melee Dealer backward in a harsh shove.
“They were hiding in the passage! Flame Arise!”
Mage quickly unleashed her spell to keep the Shadow Cats at bay.
The Shadow Cats scattered from the flames, pressing themselves flat against the cave walls.
Tanker seized the opening and took position at the front line.
One of the Shadow Cats, sensing the shift in position, tried to slip through the gap.
But it was a grave mistake. Melee Dealer’s blade flashed through that opening in a heartbeat, skewering the beast.
The Shadow Cats, showing no bond of kinship for their fallen companion, seized the moment to attempt an escape.
“Ignition!”
Mage unleashed a wall of flame, as though she had no intention of letting the beasts slip away.
Screech, screech—
The Shadow Cats hesitated as their escape route cut off, their eyes darting about in panic.
There wasn’t a shred of loyalty to be found, not even if you looked with your eyes wide open.
Tanker and Leader raised their shields and advanced slowly toward the Shadow Cats.
The beasts snarled, their hackles raised in a threatening display.
And that was as far as it went.
Screeeek!
Shriek! Shrieeeek!
From the right fork, something shot through the air like an arrow, snatching one of the Shadow Cats.
The beast thrashed and screamed, but its cries grew fainter by degrees.
Crunch, crunch, crack.
As the Shadow Cat’s screams faded, a sickening wet sound grew louder in the darkness.
The entire party fell silent.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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