‘Tanya, you were talking like you know a lot about our world. How do you know all that?’
– There’s no special method. I just observe.
‘… You can see the entire world all at once?’
– I have countless eyes, but that’s impossible. I focus on significant historical events, the rise of notable figures, newly coined words, and so forth.
‘Ah, so you can still see the outside world, huh?’
– That’s correct.
‘Hmm… I see. That’s a relief.’
The golden sphere, looking puzzled, drew an infinity symbol in the air and asked.
– What do you mean by relief?
*Swish!*
‘Time’s up… What I mean is, it’s good that you have something to enjoy like that. It gets boring just fighting all the time.’
– … I’ve never really thought fighting was boring. It’s truly joyful to be able to do something for my master.
‘Really? Have you seriously considered whether this is something you actually want to do?’
– … That, you are! You are truly a strange skeleton! In a way, I might be your enemy. Think about what might have happened if your master had been dragged here.
‘Huh? Wouldn’t that make it easier to win?’
– … Then what about companions?
‘Who are companions? If just running a few dungeons together makes everyone your companion, then before long, all the world hunters would be companions?’
*Shimmer!*
As the particles of dust danced, the light emitted by Tanya faintly blended in. Even knowing they’d be reborn, at the moment of death, such trivial things can feel beautiful.
‘… And if I lost in a contest and died, that’s the end of it. I don’t think I’d feel much about it. If you’re a hunter, you have to accept that. It’s not like you earn a lot of money for nothing. Not all hunters are like that, but I hope most know they enter dungeons with a certain resolve.’
– … Understood.
‘And am I as strange as you? A suspicious mimic that’s suspicious enough.’
– … What you just said doesn’t make any grammatical sense.
‘Ugh— you’ve definitely got a degree in linguistics!’
I gazed at the slowing golden sphere for a moment before continuing.
‘Tanya. I’ve experienced things I never even dreamed of, so I don’t need to conclude that we can’t meet again. Someday, there will surely be a day when we meet again.’
– I’m sorry, but that won’t happen.
‘Wow, what a stubborn mimic. Still, I had that feeling. So, Tanya, let’s meet again. Thanks for the fun. Oh! And my name is Il-wol! Remember!’
– ……
The golden sphere, which had been slowing down, showed no reaction to my farewell. Somehow, beyond the sphere, I vaguely sensed Tanya’s changed appearance.
*Crackle—!*
And that was my last memory of this life.
– Skeleton Mage Il-wol has shattered.
– Trait [96 Lives] is activating…
“……”
The skeleton, shattered beyond recognition, turned into dust, making it impossible to discern its original form.
Tanya, who had been staring at it for some time, had somehow transformed into her true form.
“Il-wol······.”
A monster that couldn’t be fully dedicated to battle due to the ancient incantations inscribed throughout this entire space, none of which seemed to affect her.
Moreover, a strange monster who claimed to have been born just over a month ago.
“A month… That’s impossible. No way.”
The summoner is undoubtedly special, and even Tanya can’t grasp many parts of her existence, but given all possibilities, there shouldn’t be any reason for that monster to be connected to the Seven-headed Dragon’s incarnation, Jo Gi-man, or even harbor any feelings of anger toward him.
“Il-wol… You are probably…”
Tanya once again glanced around her nest. The simple yet extremely beautiful space filled with gold. A place always brimming with the heart that works for her master felt strangely foreign now.
Having lived for a long time to the point of forgetting her memories, Tanya now felt an unfamiliar void she’d never felt before.
“I can see you again···.”
That was something even Tanya couldn’t comprehend. What was certain was that, while their meeting had been fleeting, that moment felt incredibly special to her.
“······.”
As Tanya quietly mulled over her conversation with the skeleton, she was pulled back to reality by her only partner and minion, Tiny, whom she had created alone one day.
[Master! I have great news! I found the most powerful being among the orcs I’ve ever seen! Hehe! I’m sure even that person will be satisfied with this!]
At Tiny’s call, Tanya transformed back into her golden sphere form and turned her gaze toward the dimension where this legendary orc resided.
* * *
– Summoned Creature Skeleton Mage Il-wol has shattered.
“……”
Lee Yeon-hee was sitting in the café closest to the dungeon with her party members, staring blankly at the message in her head.
The golden mimic appeared, and when she tossed a coin, Il-wol was chosen.
And then she suddenly found herself outside the dungeon. With the message about Il-wol’s death, that was.
“Did Il-wol fail…?”
“……”
Yeon-hee couldn’t muster the strength to respond to Joo-ah’s cautiously asked question. She just didn’t feel like it.
“At least eat this.”
A delicious cheesecake was placed in front of Yeon-hee. It was a café known for its great desserts.
Thirty minutes after being flung out of the gate, it was time to get a grip again. She couldn’t make her party uncomfortable every time Il-wol died.
*Clink!*
She picked up her fork and took a bite of the cheesecake. The sweetness that melted in her mouth eased her bittersweet feelings just a little.
“It’s tasty, right?”
“It is… You should try some too, unnie.”
Yeon-hee looked at Eun-young, who was happily smiling while clutching a pocket mirror.
Then, Ham Eun-young nodded energetically. She was overwhelmingly pleased that the mirror that distorted her appearance had returned. Whether it was a good thing that her appearance-distorting mirror had come back was debatable, but the other party members didn’t want to voice any opinions on it.
Arin had once asked about the mirror, but Eun-young had gone mute after tasting honey.
“Should we talk about work again once you’ve collected yourself? There’s still over five hours left until Il-wol can be re-summoned. It’s not even 10 yet. What do you want to do?”
Bae Joo-ah thought it would be a shame to just go home like this. But she had to consult her party members first. Since they had just experienced a huge event involving the mimic, it was normal to think about going back.
“Ugh… I need money until the mine starts producing. It’s not like I’ll starve for not doing anything for a day, but routines are routines, right?”
“Right? It’d feel a bit disappointing just to leave, huh?”
Joo-ah thought it was fortuitous. Considering Arin, who had several siblings hanging on her, she’d probably make that choice. The problem was Eun-young. If she said she didn’t want to, whatever they planned wouldn’t work.
“Sure…!”
“… Really?”
Surprisingly, Eun-young agreed readily. For some reason, it felt weirder than if she had refused.
“I-I have to check inside…”
“……”
Of course. Joo-ah nodded. She wanted to check if the mirror that had been temporarily inactive while entering the mimic’s space would function correctly in the dungeon. Regardless of her reasons, Joo-ah didn’t care.
“That’s three of us. What about you, Yeon-hee? If you say you’re just going back, we’re all leaving.”
She casually suggested that it was no big deal, but her tone slightly hinted that they could play ball today based on her choice.
“Hmm, I’m okay too. We should be able to handle at least this much dungeon without Il-wol.”
‘Okay.’
Bae Joo-ah cheered inwardly. Her only joy in life was the daily increase in her bank account. Of course, the dungeon they were about to enter was known for not yielding any money, but if they could clear it quickly, they could move to a more profitable location, so she wanted to get it over with.
The four of them re-entered the dungeon. The public servants guarding the gate regarded the four who re-entered with indifference. Many hunters would go out for a quick break during lunch and re-enter.
*Eeeeek!—*
Upon entering the dungeon, they were greeted by a terrible scream that made them want to run out immediately.
“That’s just dreadful.”
Arin spat, frowning deeply. She felt anxious because she thought she had shown an embarrassing moment when tossing a coin to determine the mimic’s challenger. Eager to make up for it, she quickly took the lead.
Lee Yeon-hee, while hurriedly moving, busied herself analyzing the messages in her head.
Even though she had already read the messages when they had been flung out of the dungeon, achievements don’t appear often, so she naturally ended up reading them several more times.
– Achievement [Mimic’s Space] completed!
Resistance +5, Dominion +5, Magic Power +50
– Achievement [Golden Mimic] completed!
Magic Power +100, Dominion +10, Summonable Creatures +10
– The summoned creature defeated a powerful enemy alone. Experience has been greatly acquired!
– Level has increased!
– Level has increased!
– Level has increased!
Everything a summoned creature does is partially shared with the summoner. Simply put, even if you just sit there with the summoned creatures out, your level will increase. Moreover, what gets shared isn’t just experience but also achievements.
They likely wouldn’t have achieved such accomplishments simply by encountering the mimic. It would have been because Il-wol won in the space isolated by the brown mimic and triumphed in the contest with the golden mimic.
Lee Yeon-hee’s mood drastically lowered as she revealed to her party members what she hadn’t been able to say back at the café. That it seemed Il-wol had won against the mimic.
“Wow!! That’s insane!! Then what happens to the storing ability?”
“Uh… I don’t think I have that ability just yet. It might just be something unique to Il-wol.”
“Oh… Well, anyway, even if Il-wol has that ability, it would still come to you, so isn’t it the same?”
“Is that… so? I’m not sure yet.”
“That’s just incredible… What kind of monster did Il-wol fight and win?”
“There’s a saying that difficulty can be unpredictable… But if Il-wol fought hard enough to make a vow, he must have faced at least an army of ten skeletons or the Bone Dancer.”
“The Bone Dancer has self-destruct capabilities like Il-wol, so it would have been tough to deal with.”
“Definitely… If it were the monsters of the Nargul dungeon… After all, they’d be several tiers above here.”
Walking for about twenty minutes while speculating what kind of experiences Il-wol might have had, Lee Yeon-hee kept reassuring herself that she could manage even without him. And it seemed her companions felt the same way.
“We’re plenty strong. One knock from a Rock Fist could take out three.”
“That’s a bit nerve-wracking though.”
Bae Joo-ah confidently thumped her chest twice, assuring her to rely on her.
“We’re facing Ghosts. Everyone, prepare.”
And the first battle in this dungeon was about to commence.
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