Chapter 2 - Dungeon Balak (2)
Flustered, Taehyun cautiously approached Riel. She stood with her head bowed, seemingly not even breathing. Up close, she was even more striking. Her skin was flawless, her features as delicate as a doll’s, and her slender figure was accentuated by the form-fitting uniform. She was a goddess descended from the heavens.
Taehyun, who had intended to wake her, found himself swallowing hard, a blush creeping up his neck.
"Is she really not moving?" he muttered, his eyes drawn to the long, elegant legs visible beneath the hem of her tantalizingly short skirt.
He quickly shook his head, forcing himself to focus.
"Th-this is no time for this. Excuse me? Can you wake up?"
He had summoned a Supporter as instructed, but it would be a disaster if she remained inert. He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently. The timer on the system message had vanished, but he knew this couldn’t be the end of it.
After a few moments, Riel’s eyes fluttered open. The sudden movement startled Taehyun so much that he stumbled backward, landing hard on his rear.
"Ow, ow, ow, owww."
A sharp stone must have been behind him, because a searing pain shot through him. He rubbed his bruised tailbone, tears welling in his eyes.
Just then, a soft, melodic voice cut through his pain.
"Are you alright?"
Riel was extending a hand to him, her expression filled with genuine concern.
"Uh, y-yes!"
A complete novice when it came to women, Taehyun felt his face burn as he took her offered hand and allowed her to help him up.
"You weren’t seriously hurt, were you?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
"I-I’m okay, more or less."
"That’s a relief," she said with a gentle smile. She then politely clasped her hands and bowed her head. "May I introduce myself now? I am the B-rank Named Supporter, Riel of Healing. I offer my greetings to you, Master. I look forward to serving you."
"L-likewise!" Taehyun stammered.
"You may speak comfortably with me, Master," she said, her smile unwavering. "We are bound in a master-servant relationship, so there is no need for such formalities. It is more than I deserve."
"Oh, is that so… Well then, I’ll try to be more casual. My name is Taehyun Yoo. It’s nice to meet you."
"It is an honor, Master Taehyun," she replied. "Ohh, is that your dungeon’s Crystal Sphere?" she asked, gesturing to the nearby orb.
"That’s right," he confirmed. "I was suddenly dragged here and made into a Dungeon Master or something, but I still have no idea what’s going on. Riel, do you know how to escape?"
"Hmm. As a Supporter, I know of only one method."
"What is it?!" he demanded, a spark of hope igniting within him.
"You must develop your dungeon until it is unconquerable and obtain the title of Demon King."
He fell silent.
Her serious, unwavering reply extinguished his hope as quickly as it had appeared. The strength drained from his body. He’d already seen that answer in a system message. With a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"So that’s the only way, huh."
"Oh my. Master Taehyun, what’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing," he mumbled. "Nothing at all…"
* * *
[System Directive]
[You have cleared the first tutorial quest.]
[Reward: 10 Experience Points.]
[Reward: 500 Zen.]
His attention returned to the glowing text in front of him. A system message announced his completion of the first tutorial quest. Summoning a Supporter, it seemed, was the first step.
"So Zen is the currency here," he mused aloud.
"Yes, that’s correct," Riel confirmed. "You will need a great deal of Zen to develop the dungeon."
"Huh. Develop the dungeon to become the Demon King… That means I’m stuck here until I die," he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. "Damn it. Who the hell created a place like this? What’s their goal? Why did they bring me here?!"
"…I’m sorry, Master," Riel said softly. "As a Supporter, I have no way of knowing. Beings like me were created with the sole purpose of assisting our Dungeon Masters."
"Damn it," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice. It’s not your fault you don’t know anything."
"Not at all. If I were suddenly dragged to a place like this, I imagine I would feel the same way as you, Master Taehyun."
"Thanks for understanding," he said, a small measure of his frustration easing. "Hah. So I have no choice but to develop this dungeon called Balak. What a headache."
"That is correct. For now, I shall inspect the interior of the dungeon."
Riel excused herself, giving him a moment alone to process everything. Grateful for her consideration, Taehyun reviewed the final objective once more.
[Dungeon Master’s Final Objective]
[Defeat S-rank or higher Raid Expeditions: 0/1,000]
[Defeat Named Rank or higher Raiders: 0/1,000]
[Raise the Dungeon’s Rank to SSS: 0/1]
[Raise the Crystal Sphere’s Rank to SSS: 0/1]
Even on a second look, the objectives were suffocatingly daunting. He didn’t know the exact difficulty, but he could make a grim guess. Just by looking at those numbers, I can tell this is going to take a very long time. He sighed and pulled up the dungeon information window again.
[Dungeon Name: Balak]
[Master: Taehyun Yoo]
[Rank: D]
[Location: A cave deep within the Valley of Silence, on the western frontier of the Astral Continent.]
[Supporter: Riel of Healing (B)]
[Boss: None]
[Mercenaries: None]
[Guardians & Keepers: None]
[Soldiers: None]
[Monsters: None]
[Servants & Maids: None]
[Traps: None]
[Installed Facilities: None]
[Modification Status: None]
[Rooms: 5]
[Dungeon Status: A dungeon that could be conquered by even a ragtag group of Raiders. With no troops or traps deployed and no facilities installed, it offers a straight, undefended path to the Crystal Sphere. A swift change is needed. Due to the B-rank Named Supporter Riel, the health recovery rate of all units has increased, but this is useless in the current situation with no units to benefit from it.]
As expected, the Supporter slot had been filled, and the dungeon status had been updated. Taehyun tapped the Supporter slot to view Riel’s detailed information.
[Riel of Healing]
[Rank: B (Named)]
[Level: 1]
[Class: Priest]
[Title: Healing Touch]
[Affiliation: Balak]
[Loyalty: 70]
[Favorability: 30]
[Obedience: 20]
[Skill: Battle Heal]
[Special Ability: Light of Healing (Active)]
[Strength: 1] [Endurance: 1] [Agility: 2] [Stamina: 1]
[Mana: 3] [Divinity: 5] [Affinity: 3] [Luck: 2]
Even though it was my first summon, she seems like a great asset, just like the ‘Great Success’ message said. She has a good personality… and, well, she’s beautiful.
His assessment of Riel was quite generous, colored by both her impressive stats and his personal impression. In any game, a dedicated healer was an invaluable asset.
It looks like she’ll learn new skills as she levels up, and her special ability is a powerful buff for the dungeon, fitting for her rank. Plus, she has a divinity stat that I don’t, confirming she’s a pure healer.
He felt he had a decent grasp on Riel for now. He then went through his own status, checking the windows for skills, special abilities, class, and titles, but they were all empty. Finally, his gaze fell on a set of five icons on the far right. They all looked like coins, though their labels were different.
This looks like a shop. I’ll ask Riel about it when she gets back.
As he finished his initial assessment, the suffocating tightness in his chest eased slightly. Feeling mentally drained, he shut his eyes and muttered to himself, "To survive, I have to kill the Raiders who invade."
It would be a serious problem if the Raiders were players summoned like him, or if they looked human like Riel. It meant he would have to commit murder, an act he had never even contemplated. While he probably wouldn’t have to do the killing with his own hands often, he knew the guilt would ultimately fall on him, the master. He clutched his head, wrestling with the impending guilt and the desperate need to prepare.
"Damn it. I don’t want to die," he resolved, his voice low and fierce. "To live, I have no choice but to kill. I will survive this, and I will go home!"
In that moment, Taehyun made a choice. He would fight. He had to focus on the dungeon because his very survival depended on it.
"Alright. Let’s do this. I’ll survive and make it through the end in this godforsaken world."
And so, Taehyun began to accept, however reluctantly, his new life as a Dungeon Master.
* * *
"I’m back."
"Oh. Good job. So, what do you think?"
Riel had returned from her tour of Balak. She hesitated for a moment at his question before finally speaking.
"I don’t know how to tell you…"
At that exact moment, his stomach let out a loud, demanding growl. The tense atmosphere he’d felt while awaiting her report crumbled instantly. Mortified, Taehyun dropped his head, his face flushing crimson.
"Oh my. You must be hungry," Riel noted, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I didn’t realize. My apologies."
"…It’s fine. How would you know I haven’t eaten since I was summoned?"
"Hehe. That’s true. For now, let’s go to your room, Master Taehyun."
"My room? I have one?"
"Of course. You would normally discover it during the third tutorial quest, but there is no harm in going there now. Among the icons below, do you see one shaped like a crown?"
Following her instructions, Taehyun scanned the dozens of icons and found it.
"Yeah. I see it."
"That icon will transport you to the Dungeon Master’s private room. Go on, try pressing it."
"Okay."
Taehyun nodded and pressed the crown icon. In a flash, his surroundings shifted, and he found himself in a large, well-furnished room decorated in a modern style. He stared, dumbfounded, but the constant stream of unbelievable events had numbed his shock, allowing him to recover quickly.
Did my room turn out like this because I’m from Korea? In a strange way, the System was surprisingly thoughtful.
As he was looking around, the crown icon began to shake, and a small red ‘1’ appeared above it. The sudden chime startled him, but Riel’s voice, seemingly coming from the icon itself, put him at ease.
[Master Taehyun, it’s me. Please press the icon to grant me entry.]
"Uh, okay."
He wasn’t sure if she could hear him, but he answered anyway as he pressed the icon again.
[B-rank Named Supporter Riel of Healing (LV.1) is requesting entry.]
[YES/NO]
The red number vanished, replaced by an entry request. Understanding now, he immediately pressed ‘YES’.
[Entry has been granted for B-rank Named Supporter Riel of Healing (LV.1).]
[B-rank Named Supporter Riel of Healing (LV.1) is entering the Dungeon Master’s private room.]
The moment he granted permission, Riel appeared in the room. It was clearly her first time seeing a modern interior, and she looked around with wide, curious eyes. Then, as if remembering her duties, she composed herself and turned to him.
"Do you understand now? When you receive a notification like that, it is typically an entry or report request. You can choose to permit or deny it as you see fit."
"Got it."
"Hmm. Then, for now, please have a seat over there. I will prepare a meal for you shortly."
"I-it’s fine. You don’t have to go to the trouble."
"Don’t worry, Master. While advising you and assisting with dungeon management is my primary role, domestic duties are also part of a Supporter’s responsibilities."
Somehow, she had already donned an apron that had been hanging on the wall and disappeared into the kitchen area. Taehyun sat at the table and waited. A few minutes later, a large bowl of steaming kimchi fried rice was placed before him.
"Is this kimchi fried rice?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes. I briefly reviewed information on the cuisine from your world, Master Taehyun, and saw that this was a dish you often enjoyed, so I prepared it immediately."
"Whoa. Thanks."
"Please, eat up," she smiled shyly.
Faced with the unexpected taste of home, Taehyun grabbed the spoon and began to eat with gusto.
"This is delicious. It’s so good," he said, giving her an enthusiastic thumbs-up, his eyes shining.
Seeing his reaction, Riel smiled, a look of genuine satisfaction on her face. After the pleasant meal, the mood turned serious once more as the long-awaited report on the dungeon finally began.
* * *
