I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 32

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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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[032] Traveling Together
“Damn it! I won’t let this slide!!”
The Dwarf God seated at the marble round table slammed his arm down roughly.
At the heavy impact, the wine glass trembled, and the gazes of those around him snapped toward him all at once.
Though it appeared to be an ordinary banquet hall at first glance, the sacred air permeating the space and the extraordinary figures present revealed that they were far more than mere mortals.
A Goddess adorned entirely in amethyst tapped her silver goblet and spoke curtly.
“What’s wrong with the Blacksmith God? Did Antagon pluck his beard again?”
“Just leave him be. He’s a bit sensitive right now.”
“What, did he lose some legendary artifact?”
“Not that… A beast he was raising escaped while he wasn’t looking. He’d been cultivating it diligently to extract its rune… It was definitely some creature called a Night Stalker.”
“A Night Stalker? That’s an incredibly rare monster! I remember its fur was absolutely beautiful… But he was trying to extract that creature’s rune?”
A Night Stalker’s rune was a notorious dud, wasn’t it?
While it granted access to powerful active skills, the side effect was a creeping darkness that flowed through the veins like venom, gradually consuming the user until death.
There was even a tale of a hero in the past who carelessly absorbed that rune and wasted away from illness before dying.
Unless one possessed truly formidable poison resistance,
it was a power that couldn’t be used—a useless treasure.
“He was trying to create a cursed blade by extracting the rune, but the creature escaped, so he failed at the final stage.”
“Then why not just capture it again? It’s just one monster.”
The Dwarf God drained his goblet in one gulp and shouted.
“Damn it! The magical tracking has been severed! I don’t know what mortal did this, but when I find them, I’ll rip out their spine and saw through their bones with…! Wait, with your abilities, you should be able to tell who the culprit is, right?”
As he looked over, the Goddess seated across from him sighed and answered.
“Listen, Blacksmith God. We can’t punish mortals over just one creature. It’s partly your fault for not keeping watch, and remember our First Principle?”
A law established to prevent excessive divine intervention.
The First Principle, built upon the blood of countless mortals.
─We cannot intervene without justification.─
“I just want to check out of curiosity! I won’t take any petty revenge! If things go well, I might even negotiate to get the rune back. …If you help me, I’ll give you one of the ornaments from my collection!”
“Sigh… Just this once. So I need to find the young ones who defeated the beast you were raising?”
While the other Gods, having lost interest, gossiped about other scandals, the Goddess placed her hand on the crystal sphere.
As divine power infused it, the crystal sphere began to glow with violet radiance, reflecting the image of the surface world.
Soon, the image of a black-haired Young Man and a Beast-kin Girl appeared in the sphere.
“The result is in. Oho… They’re quite young, aren’t they? Their faces are cute and pretty—a handsome man and a beautiful woman… Wait, hold on.”
“What is it? Let me see too!”
As the Goddess hesitated, the Dwarf approached and peered into the crystal sphere.
In an instant, upon seeing the face of the black-haired Young Man reflected in the sphere, he froze completely.
The Blacksmith God hastily covered the crystal sphere with his palm, shielding it from the other Gods’ view, and barely managed to suppress his emotions as he asked.
“…Who was in charge of reincarnates this quarter?”
“…It was probably Agatha, the Goddess of Healing.”
“So it was her… How dare she pull such a stunt and keep her mouth shut?”
The Blacksmith God desperately suppressed his rage, then limped away toward somewhere.
The Goddess, having put away the crystal sphere, called out to his retreating figure.
“First, let me ask—what exactly are you planning to do?”
“…I’ve found my justification.”
The Dwarf left those words hanging in the air before kicking open the door and departing the Banquet Hall.
In his crimson eyes, flickering with the flames of the Blacksmith’s Forge, burned an intense question.
…Why, exactly.
“Doran… so you’re here.”
* * *
“Achoo─!”
Pollen allergies, perhaps?
A week had passed since I defeated the Night Stalker, and I made my way to our meeting place, savoring the brilliant weather.
Passing through clusters of Adventurers and Mercenaries chattering amongst themselves, I arrived at the Dungeon entrance and spotted a familiar blonde elf.
“Hey, Malton.”
“Long time no see, Doran! Good to see you again. …Did you rest well?”
“Rested plenty. Though there were a few complications along the way. But where have you been? I didn’t see hide nor hair of you all week.”
“I stepped outside Dungeon Village for a bit. An acquaintance I owe a debt to lives quite far away.”
I stood in line beside Malton without much concern.
Today was the day we’d resume our dungeon delving after our rest.
We were exchanging idle pleasantries to pass the time when Malton suddenly spoke in a regretful tone.
“But… thinking about entering the dungeon with just the two of us feels a bit lonely. I thought you and Radi could work well together….”
“Ah, her? Don’t worry. She’ll be here soon.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“The body doesn’t lie.”
“…Please stop saying strange things.”
At the sudden voice, I turned to find Radi approaching with a displeased expression.
She naturally adjusted her backpack and joined us.
“Hello, Malton. I hope you’ve been well. …And Doran, it’s good to see you too, I suppose.”
“So, did the new equipment fit well? Now that you’ve earned a fortune, are you dissatisfied with other parties?”
“I didn’t come back for the money! …And you know exactly why.”
As Radi sighed and grumbled, Malton exclaimed with delight.
“Radi! Have you decided to rejoin us? That’s wonderful! …But it seems something happened between you two while I was away?”
“It did. A monster tore into my limbs, I nearly died in the Temple, and then for a whole week in the Tent….”
“Wait, hold on! Doran, come here for a moment!”
Radi suddenly grabbed my forearm and pulled.
Bewildered, I followed her outside the line, and she whispered urgently.
“Are you insane? I told you not to mention that I nursed you in the Tent!”
“Oh right, that. …But why?”
“Why?! What do you think Malton will assume if he finds out we slept and lived together in the same Tent for a whole week?!”
“What would he think? We’re both men.”
“….”
｢Radi’s fury erupts as she kicks my shin!｣
“Strength increases by 4!”
As I fled in a panic and arrived at the dungeon entrance, I immediately sensed how dramatically everything had changed.
Just a week ago, the entrance had been cramped and narrow, yet the expansion work was already complete.
After paying the steep entrance fee and stepping into the cave, I found Troll laborers here too, widening the passages with massive pickaxes.
“…Only a week has passed, and yet the changes are this dramatic.”
“With so many people flooding in, they’re developing it in earnest now. The more adventurers visit the dungeon, the more taxes they can collect.”
“They’ve even installed wooden stairs on the floor! Before, we kept slipping….”
“Right… that’s already become a memory.”
Doran gave a suitable response while surveying his surroundings.
Knowing that monsters would soon overrun this place in the not-too-distant future, I couldn’t simply rejoice at the developments.
Passing through the downward slope, which felt considerably shorter than before, a vast grassland opened before us with breathtaking splendor.
“You have arrived at Medaolinum Dungeon Layer 1!”
“This location consists of expansive grassland and marshes.”
“For efficient leveling, we recommend reaching Layer 2!”
‘This place has changed quite a bit too.’
Unlike before, merchants were now visible in considerable numbers, and burly beings hauling cargo caught my eye.
The sight of adventurers wandering aimlessly through the barren wasteland had vanished entirely, and now signposts stood erected, giving the place a properly organized appearance.
As I stretched and caught my breath, Malton returned from gathering information in the area.
“Ah, Malton. Any new information?”
“Hmm… nothing particularly noteworthy. However… do you see those adventurers over there?”
“That group of about a dozen? They look like complete beginners, but why?”
“They’re members of the Acaia Guild from Verastin, same as me. I’m acquainted with some of them. They proposed traveling together through the first half of Layer 1—what do you think?”
“Traveling together, hm….”
Doran paused briefly, resting his chin in thought.
It was common for adventurers to form groups and move together within dungeons.
With more people, bandits wouldn’t dare target them easily, and fighting monsters became safer.
More importantly, it reduced those grueling hours of watch duty that consumed two or three hours daily.
The problem was that I harbored more than one or two secrets….
‘Antagon’s Rune is fine as long as I don’t transform… and my past life shouldn’t be exposed under normal circumstances… my black hair is hidden by my robe anyway.’
If combat erupted, I could even use the [Chaos] skill as a tactical advantage.
Having made his decision swiftly, Doran answered without hesitation.
“Well, traveling together for a bit should be fine. Since they’re familiar faces, their identities are verified… what about you, kid?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Then it’s settled. Even if we travel together, it’ll only be for a day or two, so there shouldn’t be any major issues. I’ll call them over now.”
At Malton’s gesture, a young man who appeared to be the group’s leader approached and greeted us.
“You must be Malton’s colleague. It’s a pleasure! I owe Malton a great debt from our time in Verastin!”
“It’s good to meet you. Is this your first time in this dungeon?”
“Ah, yes. We only just arrived. …But how did you know?”
“Your equipment tells me. Since you’ll be walking for a long time here, it’s better to pack heavy items in your backpack. That machete in your hand won’t be necessary either.”
“Ha ha… your eye for detail is impressive. Thank you for the advice.”
The Young Man was uttering an exclamation of admiration and bowing his head when an excited voice rang out from behind.
“Wow! So this is that Dungeon! Now we’re going to rake in a fortune in gold coins and head back, right?!”
“Of course! I even took out a loan to get myself some new equipment!”
‘Gold coins? What’s going on here?’
No matter how lucrative Dungeon delving was, it should be impossible for complete novices to earn such sums right from the start.
“Aha… I apologize for the commotion. Since this is everyone’s first expedition and they’ve just heard the Guild’s rumors about the legendary trio, they’re all quite excited.”
“The legendary trio?”
“Yes! A party that supposedly swept up rare Golems on their very first exploration and earned an enormous fortune! It’s already become quite the famous tale in our Acaia Guild! Everyone’s saying ‘I could become like that too’ and they’re all brimming with anticipation…!”
“….”
I kept silent, and Radi nudged my sleeve from beside me, whispering.
“That… could that possibly be about us?”
“Seems like it. At least they haven’t figured it out yet, thankfully.”
As I wore a wry smile, Malton skillfully commanded the Adventurers and spoke.
“Then… let’s depart shortly. Since I have Dungeon exploration experience, I’ll take the lead, so everyone follow slowly behind me.”
Radi and I took our positions at the very back of the line and proceeded at a leisurely pace.
* * *
The journey proceeded more smoothly than expected.
Instead of going through the Forest like last time, we traveled across open Grassland, which was far more convenient without the tangled undergrowth to hinder us.
There were some disagreements along the way as we crossed Rivers and detoured around monster habitats, but….
‘Malton’s reputation certainly proves useful in situations like this.’
With the leadership befitting a former high-ranker, he smoothly resolved each situation as naturally as water flowing, so I merely had to observe.
Walking leisurely with my hair concealed beneath a hood, the peaceful landscape of the Dungeon came into view.
“Hey kid, see those alpacas frolicking on that Hill over there… kid?”
Looking around, I noticed that Radi had somehow been surrounded by a group of Female Adventurers further ahead in the line.
‘…Well, that one’s certainly pretty enough.’
A pretty boy like that would naturally be popular with women.
As I watched his retreating figure, a Female Adventurer who seemed to have grown curious approached me and asked.
“Um… you’re Doran, aren’t you? I’ve been wondering about something since earlier….”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Are you and Radi in a relationship?”
“Hm?”
I slowly pondered the meaning of the question, then let out a scoff as if it were absurd.
“That’s quite the joke. How could that be? Of course, I’ll admit that kid is pretty enough to be mistaken for a girl, but….”
“Huh…?”
“I’m heterosexual, after all. Haha….”
“…??”
In that moment, the Adventurer doubted her own ears.
If what she just heard was correct….
‘Could this person possibly be mistaking Radi for a man?’
Even though they’re in the same party?!
‘Ah, wait… Since Radi is a Beast-kin, maybe different races can be confusing about these things…’
No, that doesn’t seem right either.
Even for Beast-kin, aside from the ears and tail, they look identical to humans—so how could anyone possibly mistake such a beautiful girl for a man?
‘Should I… should I tell her? No, isn’t that overstepping my bounds…?’
No… but maybe just a subtle hint…
Would a gentle nudge be acceptable?
It should be fine, right…?
Just as the Adventurer was about to speak, Malton suddenly interjected.
“Pardon me. Do you have a moment?”
“What, Malton? You’re allowed to be here now? Weren’t you supposed to be commanding up front?”
“This is an open field devoid of monsters, is it not? I grew bored and came over.”
“Well… so what did you want to say?”
After waiting for the Female Adventurer to turn away, I asked in a low voice, and Malton chuckled before speaking quietly.
“Actually… you’ve probably already noticed, but rumors are spreading about our massacre of the Golems. Everything from the number three to a rough description of our appearances.”
“…So that’s why you proposed traveling together? At least while we’re with these people, other Adventurers won’t suspect us.”
“Exactly right.”
In the Canyon, we didn’t just massacre the Golems—we even transformed into Undead and defeated the boss, so it’s best to avoid any connection to those events.
If the threads were to connect, someone might begin to suspect my true identity.
“…This works out perfectly anyway. I needed to reach Layer 2 as quickly as possible, and having more people will reduce combat time.”
“Hmm… is there a particular reason you must reach Layer 2 in such a hurry?”
“To level up faster, of course. You’ll need to hunt stronger monsters to recover from the curse’s aftereffects too…”
I trailed off and checked the log window message.
｢Main Quest: Achieve Level 30 within the time limit! Failure to achieve the goal will result in the annihilation of your soul.｣
｢Current Level: 28｣
｢Remaining Time: 32 days 14 hours…｣
‘Damn it…’
As time passed, I felt an invisible shackle slowly tightening around my neck.
With only low-grade monsters scattered throughout this place, accumulating experience would take considerable time.
To level up reliably, I needed to hunt the higher-tier monsters dwelling in Layer 2.
And there was one more decisive reason.
“…Hey, Malton. Remember when you said Mages had flocked to this Dungeon?”
“Hmm… was that when I exchanged materials at the Adventurer’s Guild? Thanks to that, the Golem’s core sold for a high price. But why bring that up suddenly?”
“Why? If those expensive Mages are buying up Golem cores in bulk, what else could they be preparing to do in this new Dungeon?”
“Hmm… are they preparing some large-scale magic?”
As Malton looked at me with interest, I lowered my voice and spoke quietly.
“…A Gate.”
“A Gate? Isn’t a Gate a spell that even numerous first-rate Mages gathering together can’t guarantee success with? The maintenance costs are so high that without a ley line with enormous magical output, no one would even attempt it… Ah, I see.”
“Right. This place is overflowing with magical power. With plenty of Adventurers willing to pay for its use, the long-term finances would work out too. …By now, the Mages are probably preparing the Gate at the entrance to Layer 2.”
When I was actively operating in this Dungeon, Gates were installed on each layer.
A cheat-level spell that allowed instant travel between the Surface and the Dungeon.
By utilizing the Gate, not only can we retrieve far more materials from the Underground, but we can also grow at a speed far superior to before.
Of course, using the Gate requires paying an enormous sum in exchange….
“…If we arrive at Layer 2 early and help the Mages install the Gate, we can obtain usage rights at a bargain price.”
「You have acquired a clue regarding the Dungeon Gate!」
「The Mages are particular, but they reward merit fairly! If you help them and earn their recognition, the compensation will be substantial!!」
「(New) Auxiliary Quest: Reach Layer 2 of the Dungeon within five days!」
「Reward: Strength +2 (Permanent)」
As the newly appeared Quest confirmed my conjecture, Malton stepped forward with a smile, moving to the front of the column.
“Now that we have a clear objective, we must make haste… I’ll increase our marching pace.”

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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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