It seems like the rumors are true that elves are all beautiful men and women.
The lady in front of Kang Jinhyuk was the most beautiful woman heâs seen in his whole life.
Feeling Jinhyukâs intense stares, the woman glared back at him.
âWhat are you looking at?â
Realizing that his actions were rude, Jinhyuk hurriedly diverted his gaze.
He awkwardly asked her a question.
âUhm, are you perhaps⊠an elf?â
It was a question from the top of his head.
He knows that a dwarf lives inside the dungeon, so it wouldnât be an odd thing for an elf to live here too.
Her response to Jinhyukâs question was neither positive nor negative.
âYouâre partly correct. Iâm a half.â
Only her appearance resembles an elfâs. She added that her eating habits and lifestyle were no different from humans.
âHave you heard of Lucia the half elf?â
âNo, I havenât.â
âR-really? I thought I was famous, but I guess Iâm not that good yet.â
Lucia scratched her cheek with an awkward face.
She spoke with pride, yet shame rebounded upon Jinhyukâs answer.
âAnyway, thatâs my name. Iâm a platinum-rank adventurer.â
She showed a platinum medal with colorful decorations as she introduced herself.
Jinhyuk didnât know what that meant.
Kang Jinhyuk pretended to admire the object made of âprecious platinumâ, which he assumes to be a rare material in this world as well.
âWow, thatâs amazing.â
ââŠIf youâre going to pretend, then do it a bit more convincingly.â
Lucia sighed as she put back the medal.
âSeeing that you donât know my name and even what this medal means, tells me that youâre really not from around here.â
âThatâs what I told you. Iâm not from the world that you know of.â
Lucia became interested in Jinhyukâs words.
âHow different is it?â
âFirst of all, the language that we use is completely different.â
âWe can understand each other just fine though.â
âThatâs probably thanks to this thing.â
Jinhyuk took out the necklace that he was wearing.
Lucia made an odd expression once she saw it.
âPerhaps, is that thing made by the dwarf that lives on the upper floor?â
âOh? Do you guys know each other?â
âWellâŠâ
Lucia was obviously uncomfortable as she spoke in a shivering voice.
âDonât get involved with that dwarf. Heâll tire you out.â
âEh? Why?â
âWhy do you think? He just swears like crazy all the time.â
Jinhyuk thought something was strange when he heard what she said.
âHe does swear a lot, but itâs not that bad.â
âWell, thatâs because youâre a human. Iâm a half elf so hearing that loose-tongued dwarf makes me just wannaâŠ!â
Luciaâs face gradually heated up as if she was getting a fever just by thinking of it.
She realized that the topic was steered away from what they were talking about.
Lucia took deep breaths to calm her emotions.
âAnyway, it doesnât matter that we donât speak the same language. Itâs all about using magic.â
âMagic also doesnât exist from where I came from. There are also no elves like you.â
To be fair, she was a âhalf-elfâ, but now was not the time to point out such a trivial thing.
Lucia doubted what Jinhyuk said.
âThere are no elves? Then how did you know that I was one?â
âT-that⊠Itâs because I read about elves in booksâŠâ
âElves appear in literature but not in real life? Is your world apocalyptic?â
âI-I donât know.â
Jinhyuk doesnât know how to explain it.
How could someone from earth accurately describe a race that existed in a different world?
He wants to ask those fantasy novel writers personally.
While Jinhyuk was hesitating, Lucia deduced the situation on her own.
âMaybe itâs written in books because it existed in the past. Then, itâs going to get crazy when they discover that elves still exist.â
Lucia imagined herself being discovered by researchers from the other world.
Itâs obvious that extinct species that reappear would be subjected to all kinds of experiments and observations.
Luciaâs face turned darker and darker the more she imagined, and she shuddered as she shook her head.
âI should put off going to the outside world. I think itâs too dangerous.â
Lucia realized that she should refrain from going outside on impulse, which was for her own safety.
She needed to go out at least once to investigate, but she thought that she need more preparation.
âAnyway, youâre saying that thereâs a dimension connected to this dungeon, right?â
âUhm, I guess soâŠ.?â
Although Jinhyuk isnât very sure, he knew that the dungeon was not an isolated place. Because it was connected to his own attic.
After hearing Jinhyukâs answer, Lucia looked relieved.
âThatâs a relief. The crazy wizardâs spell worked for now.â
âEh? What do you mean?â
âWhat do you think? Youâre able to reach this dungeon because of that crazy wizard.â
Jinhyuk looked surprised.
âWhy in the world would he do that?â
âDo you know Naendeul?â
The wizardâs thoughts couldnât be understood by a sober person.
The drunker he got, the crazier he turned.
âIf he makes a successful potion, it could be possible to turn it backâŠ. But it looks like he made a way out now.â
Lucia talked to herself while Jinhyuk was left confused.
Perhaps the womanâs goal was to return to where she came from.
âU-uhm, so is it possible for you to go back right now?â
âIâll need more information first. Itâs the very reason Iâm stuck here anyway?â
âWhatâs that?â
âThereâs a hidden place thatâs blocked from the outside?â
âA hidden place?â
âYeah. Itâs a place that I recently discovered.
Lucia stared right at Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk unknowingly took a step backward, perhaps because the elfâs gaze was burdensome.
âI think youâll be quite useful. Help me.â
âHelp you? With what?â
âTo catch the boss monster.â
âB-boss monsterâŠ.?!â
Jinhyuk drooled at the thought of a boss monster.
Boss monsters were more than twice as strong as other monsters.
They were difficult to hunt, but hunters searched for them regardless because they can earn great rewards from catching them.
Lucia noticed Jinhyukâs reaction and she knew that he had taken the bait properly.
âI can handle him alone, but since thereâs a lot of small monsters surrounding the area, itâs a bit annoying.â
âSo you want me to handle the small ones?â
Lucia smiled, satisfied that Jinhyuk understood it quickly.
âIâll give you a reward, so help me investigate it. Howâs that?â
Of course, thereâs no reason to refuse that offer.
He knew first hand just how good Luciaâs skills were. And besides, he might discover more about her purpose if he comes along with her.
âAlright. Iâll help you.â
âGood.â
*Â *Â *
After securing each otherâs cooperationâŠ
Lucia took the lead in guiding Jinhyuk inside the labyrinth, and inside the temple.
At the center of the collapsing temple, there was a statue of a goddess with broken arms.
When Lucia pushed aside the statue that looked like Venus, a pair of hidden stairs were revealed.
âYouâre quite strong.â
âAre you just saying that because Iâm a girl?â
Lucia went down the stairs with a sulky face.
Jinhyuk followed her behind. He was surprised at the sight of a large underground space.
A row of knight-shaped stone statues and colorful patterns decorated the walls.
The atmosphere indicates that a Boss monster was indeed hiding n here.
âThe boss lives here?â
âNo, we have to walk a bit further. This place is wider than you think.â
âHmm, would it take 1-2 hours?â
âA day.â
âExcuse me?â
âIncluding rest time, itâd take us about a day.â
Jinhyukâs jaw dropped wide open when he heard that.
âIt takes a whole day?â
âThatâs what I said. There are a lot of small monsters on the way. There are also some things that we need to take care of separately.â
The boss monster was in the middle of mediation, so itâs going to take a considerable amount of time to get to him.
Lucia that considering the time and the distance, they might experience some delays.
Kang Jinhyuk, who was initially shocked for a while, decided to accept the situation positively.
âIâm going to level up anyway, so itâs not that bad.â
He made sufficient preparations before entering the dungeon, so he doesnât have to worry about starving.
âHow do you know all these? Have you been here before?â
âTwo days ago, before I was in a different dimension.â
âSo, why are you here againâŠ?â
âThereâs a high possibility that the potion made by the crazy wizard was left in here.â
Jinhyuk prayed that there was nothing like that in here.
He was sorry for Lucia, but he didnât want her to move the dungeon to its original dimension.
*Â *Â *
Luciaâs abilities were displayed as they moved towards the direction of the boss monster.
Every time she lifts her bow, at least two monsters immediately die.
Even the monsters with their own armors couldnât survive.
Her arrow penetrates their vital points accurately.
There was no way for monsters to stop the arrows from flying incredible distances.
If it wasnât for his enchanted weapon, Jinhyuk wouldnât have noticed that Lucia was shooting at all.
It would have been nice if he could keep relying on her, but her arrows were not infinite.
Intact arrows were recovered and used as much as possible, but due to the fragile nature of the arrows, itâs impossible to recover 100% of the arrows that were shot.
Lucia only has 10 arrows left when she pulled out the rapier on her waist.
âYouâre gonna have to help me out from here on. I want to save some arrows for the boss.â
âLeave it to me.â
Jinyuk confidently grabbed his bat and stepped forward.
Just in time, Lucia was itching to know more about his skills.
The monsters wore armors. They were âghoulsâ, half-rotten corpses.
Theyâre not that much stronger than skeletons, so they werenât that difficult to deal with.
âIyaa!â
Jinhyuk hit the ghoulâs head accurately with his bat.
The ghoulâs head was crushed instantly.
âGeuuuhâŠâ
Unlike the skeleton, hitting the ghoulâs head kills him instantly.
It was way easier to deal with the ghouls than the skeletons.
âIâm quite good.â
Even though heâs instantly defeated, the armor worn by the ghoul was made of iron.
Itâs not easy to crush such sturdy material with one hit.
Ordinary people wouldâve admired Jinhyukâs ability, but Lucia was indifferent.
âDid the dwarf strengthen that bat for you?â
âHow did you know?â
âHe was bragging about it last time I saw him.â
The weapon made of Oriharukon was enchanted by the dwarf.
It was something anyone would covet.
That made Jinhyuk worry that Lucia wanted his bat.
Lucia recognized what Jinhyuk was thinking, and she smiled.
âDonât worry. I heard that the bat belongs to you, so youâve got nothing to worry about.â
âDoes that mean that if you didnât know that it was mine, you wouldâve definitely stolen it?â
âOf course. Itâs a precious material after all.â
Her honesty paired with her smile was terrifying.
This woman doesnât seem to be lying.
ââŠâ
Jinhyuk relaxed a bit after that exchange.
He was worried that he might lose the elf, so he took his steps one by one.
âWhat a cute bastard.â
The platinum-grade adventurer seemed skillful and trustworthy.
It was an award given to only the best and most honest people, who do not dare to commit even petty crimes.
Although sheâs now in a different dimension, Lucia doesnât intend on tarnishing her trustworthiness.
The platinum token was proof of her skill as an adventurer.
However, itâs understandable that Jinhyuk would doubt her since he doesnât know exactly what the platinum token entails.
The sight of Jinhyuk acting like a small, wary, rabbit slightly pleased Lucia.
âIâm curious about something.â
âW-what is it?â
âItâs about that bat. Would the effects of it still remain even when you die?â
â⊠I want to go alone from here on.â
âHahahaha! Iâm kidding.â
Jinhyuk started walking a bit faster.
Itâs almost like he was running.
Lucia noticed it of course, so she grabbed Jinhyukâs back.
âGeeuk!â
Jinhyuk exclaimed as he was caught suddenly.
âWhat are you doing?â
âIâm not going to kill you, so calm down and look at this.â
There was a large door where Lucia pointed her finger.
The door had a lionâs pattern engraved on it.
âWhat is that? Have we arrived already?â
âNo. This is the first step towards meeting the monster.â
âThe first stepâŠ? What is that?â
âBeyond this door, there is one guard that we need to catch.â
In short, it was kind of like a middle boss.
Lucia took out an arrow, knowing that the monster beyond this door was not easy to deal with.
âI want to finish him off in one hit, so run forward as soon as I open the door.â
âYouâre not going to shoot me from behind are you?â
âThatâs a good idea, but Iâm not gonna do that now. Weâve got a lot of work left to do.â
âThatâs a relief.â
As Lucia pulled her bow and signaled with her eyes, Jinhyuk opened the door with all his might.
Behind the open door were blue shining magic pearls and a knight-shaped golem guarding it.
âNow!â
Even before Luciaâs signal, Jinhyuk was already rushing towards the golem with all his might.
The golem swung his sword at the sight of the intruder approaching him.
However, Luciaâs arrow was faster than the giant sword of over 2 meters.
Her arrow accurately hit the vital point of the golem.
When the disoriented golem stumbled and let down his defenses, Jinhyuk knew exactly what he had to do.
His gaze was directed at the core embedded in the center of the golemâs chest.