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#48. Oddity

The first thought that came to Kim Jin-Woo’s mind when he heard the title of One-Eyed King was Morrigan’s previous master. However, the connection between the two was feeble at best. This One-Eyed King didn’t seem like a strong entity that a proud and powerful warrior like Morrigan would choose to serve.

“You’ve heard of me?”

“There is none in this vast Underworld that knows not of your undefeated streak and the title of Conqueror.” Contrary to his bizarre appearance, Ustus\' voice was dignified and gentle.

Thus, Kim Jin-Woo found himself responding casually without thinking twice. “That doesn’t sound like good news to me.”

Being well-known in the Underworld meant that the Naga’s Fortress was exposed to more enemies. The rapid growth of the Fortress had been in part due to the fact that Kim Jin-Woo had tried to lay low as much as possible, so it seemed it would be rather difficult to do the same in the future.

No point crying over spilled milk, Kim Jin-Woo thought as he went straight to the point. “It seems you were actually waiting for me; am I wrong?”

He had initially believed that Molzark had revealed everything to him due to the effects of Noble’s Majesty, but now in hindsight, it could possibly have been all part of the plan.

Besides, what kind of labyrinth master would lay in wait for his arrival? Not only that, but Molzark had also pretended to be under the intimidation effect to intentionally lure him in. If this hadn’t all been planned beforehand, there was no way he would lead a dangerous entity like Kim Jin-Woo straight to his master’s labyrinth.

Ustus’ rotund body bobbed up and down in a ‘nod’ of sorts, to confirm Kim Jin-Woo’s suspicions. He explained, “Molzark informed me that along with the usual group of traders, the Undefeated Commander was among them. I knew at that moment that the Undefeated Commander was both of the Underworld and the surface. And so, you would pay me a visit soon after.”

“Damn it. All these precautions were for nothing.” Kim Jin-Woo felt flustered. He had gone through so much to hide his identity, and yet it had been exposed with laughable ease.

“So why were you waiting for me?” He went straight to the point to change the mood of the situation.

But instead of an answer, Ustus replied with his own question. “Is it not the same reason you came to find me?”

Kim Jin-Woo found himself unintentionally looking up at the unexpected response. Despite Ustus’ body being mainly composed of a single giant eyeball, it seemed to almost be laughing.

“No way…” Kim Jin-Woo trailed off. The suspicion he had written off suddenly became probable once more.

Ustus only confirmed his suspicions as he asked, “How’s my lovely little crow doing?”

“If you’re talking about Morrigan, then she’s having a hell of a good time.”

So it was true. This laughable entity that called himself the One-Eyed King was definitely related to the One-Eyed Lord who had once ruled the ancient labyrinth. Otherwise, there was no way he would ask about Morrigan...

Although Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t agree with Ustus calling her a “lovely little crow”.

“Now, how about we talk about what we’re really here for,” Ustus began.

“No, before that, there’s one thing I want to be certain of. Are you the ancient labyrinth master, the One-Eyed Lord?” Kim Jin-Woo asked with a serious expression.

Ustus shook his body in response. “How could that be? I am simply one of the many fragments he sowed in his final moments. I am merely a humble fragment of him; how could I dare even compare myself to him?”

“One of his fragments? You mean there are many more like you?” Kim Jin-Woo asked. Ustus didn’t respond, but he didn’t need an answer to realize that there were indeed many more beings like Ustus scattered across the Underworld.

“The Black Merchants are going to flip out if they know about this,” Kim Jin-Woo muttered. Ustus moaned, as though to sympathize with him.

“Now, can we get down to business? Both you and I do not have much time. The Guardians are about to make their move soon,” Ustus said. Without even waiting for Kim Jin-Woo’s reply, he continued with his explanation.

***

Kim Jin-Woo returned from Ustus’ labyrinth, unable to find peace of mind due to the constant ongoing conflicts between the surface and the Underworld, both in the past and the present.

His simple desire to find the truth behind the war on the 11th Floor had now been blown out of proportion. All the information he had gathered ended up being critical, so his dilemma had only grown.

Thankfully, he had managed to get quite a lot of benefits out of his mission. For one, he had managed to form an alliance with Ustus, descendant of the ancient labyrinth master, and gained access to a secret passageway leading directly to the Deep Floors.

Whether Ustus was trustworthy enough was a question for another day, but now that Kim Jin-Woo had another route he could use in the future, it was undoubtedly a win in his books.

On top of that, he now had something to control Song Jong-Chul with. The information Kim Jin-Woo had obtained from Ustus with regard to the dungeon babies that had been released before the end of the war, what the purpose of doing so had been, and what they had been doing thus far was all useful knowledge he could make use of in the future in one way or another.

But despite all of this, Kim Jin-Woo was unable to move hastily due to the discovery of an unexpected but formidable enemy.

“The Underworld is not just another network of tunnels. It is another world in itself, completely different from that of the surface. But there is someone who ripped this world apart. That is our enemy.”

“And who is that?”

“The traitor who betrayed nine of his allies. The King of the deepest floor of the Underworld. The One True King of the Underworld. The Immortal King. That is our enemy.”

***

It was slowly time for Kim Jin-Woo to return to his labyrinth. There were still a lot of things left for him to do, but the sole reason he had gone to the surface was to find information on the Deep Floors, which he had more or less accomplished. Now that he had gained a strong ally in Ustus, there was no need for him to waste time on the surface.

He opened a portal and returned to the Naga’s Fortress. But just as he crossed the portal, someone threw themselves into his arms.

“Dominique?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

Dominique looked up at him with her beautiful face, her long black hair hanging down. “Master!” she exclaimed. A mix of loneliness and joy was reflected in her deep purple eyes as they twinkled like the stars.

In response to Dominique’s blind affection, Kim Jin-Woo smiled brightly as he greeted her back. “So it’s finally complete?”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to Master.” With that, she detached herself from Kim Jin-Woo’s embrace and twirled. And as she proudly spun around, Kim Jin-Woo realized her tail had been replaced with two long, skinny legs.

“Legs!?” Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t help but exclaim as his jaws dropped.

Dominique smiled even brighter at her master’s positive reaction. “I’ve told you this before, but a select few Nagas will gain the honor of being able to take on Master’s form.”

Thinking back, Dominique had mentioned that the most noble of Nagas could gain the honor of walking on two legs. At that time, Kim Jin-Woo had been unable to understand why that was an honor for them, but now he did.

It was because the Naga King had, in their eyes, the perfect form. And the Nagas craved nothing more than to take on the form of their King.

[King’s Advisor (Hero-Grade) Dominique has evolved.]

[Dominique is now the perfect deputy and advisor to the King. Just one word of her advice is enough to spur on the development of the Fortress.]

[The abilities Administrator’s Dignity and Deputy’s Authority, and her devotion and acts of servitude to the King, have all grown closer to perfection.]

[Dominique is now the closest being to a Naga Noble, but she is not yet perfect. She will spend her days in the form of a regular naga, and will only emerge in her humanoid form briefly in the deepest of nights.]

Kim Jin-Woo exclaimed as he belatedly read the messages. Unfazed, Dominique looked at him with a gleeful expression. But her eyes indicated that she wanted something more, and Kim Jin-Woo started to break out in a sweat.

“Ah…” Perhaps due to not being accustomed to walking on two legs, Dominique lost her balance as she walked toward him and started to fall. Instinctively, Kim Jin-Woo rushed forward and caught her just before she hit the ground.

“Hehe.” Her innocent giggling was very different from her intellectual, provocative appearance, and she started to speak as if she were making excuses. “Ah, I’m still not used to this…”

“You’ll get used to it in time,” Kim Jin-Woo said in response to her awkwardness.

Dominique pulled away slightly from his embrace. “I’ll let everyone know that Master has returned. Everyone has been waiting for Master,” She said as she left the master room, but somehow, her gait no longer seemed unstable.

“Hmm. Maybe I’ve been fooled.” It was obvious she was pretending, but Kim Jin-Woo didn’t particularly dislike it.

***

Kim Jin-Woo quickly shared what he had learned upon his return to the Fortress.

“H-he…” Morrigan seemed lost upon realizing that a part of her former master was still alive.

“Huh. Are you trying to betray Master? Aren’t you being too full of yourself in front of Master!?” Angela snapped as she leered at Morrigan.

“It looks like we have a problem with her attitude,” Dominique muttered. Even she, who usually never showed any kind of anger, was unusually disgusted at her colleague’s unsightly behavior.

Of course, the ever-loyal Quantus and the rest of the Nagas were no different. “Behave yourself!” Quantus roared.

Morrigan belatedly apologized and got to her knees. “I was momentarily lost in nostalgia at the mention of my past connection; please forgive me.”

But still, she looked ever so confused. Seeing the usually strong-willed and arrogant crow this shaken left Kim Jin-Woo feeling complicated. He felt as though his possession had been taken away, so he couldn’t help but voice his discomfort. “Morrigan, it’s not that I don’t understand how you feel, but don’t forget who your Master is now.”

Morrigan growled as she showed her displeasure, but she still bowed her head and apologized.

“I’ll repeat myself for the last time. Straighten out that attitude of yours. Every single one of you gathered here is someone I trust with my life, but if you keep this up, you’ll find yourself no longer worthy of being here.”

The Black Merchant had said previously that no one knew what the Guardians truly looked like. Thus, in order to tell Ustus’ story to the others, Kim Jin-Woo had gathered all his trustworthy subordinates in one spot.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” The proud and powerful Crow of the Battlefield had already apologized thrice. Compared to her usual arrogant self, it was an unimaginable sight to see.

Morrigan finally gathered herself and stood up, her expression as stiff as a board as she was finally ready to listen.

Kim Jin-Woo clicked his tongue as he finally resumed his explanation. He relayed what Ustus had told him earlier to his subordinates, as well as the information he had gathered on the surface.

Dominique suddenly interrupted with a question. “So the reason for the war in the Deep Floors is…?”

Kim Jin-Woo replied with a heavy heart, “The divided Underworld might be heading toward a reunification.”

“That means…” Dominique couldn’t bear to finish her sentence.

Instead, Kim Jin-Woo helped to complete it.“The war will only get fiercer. And it will eventually find its way to the 9th Floor.”