A Disaster-Level Assassin Has Been Freed

Chapter 118: Ancient Dungeon (1)

“…What is this?”

When I saw the blade, pitifully shattered and scattered on the ground, the first emotion I felt was bewilderment.

The sword had been fine even during my clash with Sword Master Heitz. If there had been any issue then, I, a seasoned swordsman, would have noticed.

That meant something had gone wrong with the sword between escaping Acanthus' hideout and arriving here.

‘No way.’

I shook my head.

That couldn’t be.

Not only had I felt no signs before it broke, but no situation had arisen that could have caused it. I’d moved carefully, avoiding trouble with anyone, in case Heitz pursued me. It was utterly nonsensical.

So what was it?

Why had the sword shattered?

And not just any sword, but an exceptional one, carefully chosen from the treasures of ancient royalty. Why had it ended up in such a pathetic state?

Fortunately, the answer came soon after.

Zwoooom—!

Light burst from the fragments of the broken sword.

Not ordinary light.

A golden light so intense and vivid it made me grimace!

The light, humming with vibration, grew brighter, then shot toward the sky like lightning. It spread wide, forming a rectangular shape.

It wasn’t an ordinary shape.

‘Map’ was a more fitting term. As time passed, contour lines and symbols began to appear within the empty rectangle.

“……”

I stared at the scene in a daze. Instinctively, I memorized the one spot on the map glowing red.

I had to go there.

If I didn’t, I’d regret it deeply.

Gripped by that thought, I did my best to commit the map, floating in the night sky, to memory.

Wooooom…

After about five minutes, the light completely dissipated.

Darkness returned.

It was another ten minutes before I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“Phew!”

An astonishing sight.

And an astonishing opportunity.

Now I understood why the sword had broken. While it had been remarkable in its own right, I realized it had served as a ‘guidepost’ to a dungeon.

My face lit up with uncontainable anticipation.

‘How incredible must the treasure be, to use such an extraordinary sword as a mere guidepost?’

I didn’t know.

That made it all the more thrilling. I felt an urge to head to the location marked on the map immediately.

Fortunately, I had a rough idea of where it was. The terrain looked familiar, likely near the Nadan Kingdom, where the Commercial City Marzen was located.

‘If I switch horses and move without rest, about five days…’

‘Good. I’ll stop by a nearby village, buy a horse, and head out.’

‘Of course, I’ll need to confirm the exact location when I get there, but it’ll work out somehow.’

A wide grin spread across my face as I made my plans.

Losing such a fine sword was a significant loss. Having realized there were countless powerhouses in the world—Heitz, Konjinyu, the Mercenary King—I knew I’d need to acquire a proper weapon again someday.

But what if the treasure in the dungeon was even greater?

Something so incredible that the broken sword wouldn’t even cross my mind?

“…Hm!”

Dash!

No time to waste.

I exaggeratedly flexed my facial muscles and sprinted across the plains. Luckily, a village was nearby. Paying the asking price for a horse without haggling, I raced toward my destination like a gale.

Then.

“Ah!”

I realized.

I wasn’t the only one who had seen the map in the night sky.

‘I need to move faster.’

Hoping the dungeon wouldn’t be excavated before I arrived, I whipped my horse into a frenzy.

***

“That’s the place. See it? As you can see, it’s swarming with people.”

“Indeed. Is it really a dungeon?”

“Seems like it. The kingdom tried to keep it under wraps, but… you know how it is. That light in the sky five days ago. Too many people saw it. The number of mercenaries, adventurers, and onlookers gathered here is countless. The kingdom’s knights probably can’t monopolize it.”

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean a rookie like you should get your hopes up.’

The guide inwardly scoffed at his client.

He couldn’t help it.

No matter how tempting the opportunity, it was useless without the ability to seize it. One needed to know their place.

In a situation with hundreds of competitors, the smart move was to quietly take on a role like guiding or selling food and drink to the crowd.

But what about this black-haired young man?

Pale skin that looked untouched by sunlight.

A flawless face without a single scar.

No armor, just a single sword at his side, nodding along. The more the guide looked at him, the more convinced he was.

‘This kid’s going to die here. Even if he survives, he’ll be crippled.’

Of course, he didn’t say that out loud.

His job was to show the dungeon’s location, get paid, and leave.

Just as he was about to bring up the payment, the black-haired young man asked,

“By the looks of it, the dungeon’s entrance was found a while ago…”

“Yes? Oh, right. The quick adventurers moved as soon as the map appeared in the sky, and even the usually sluggish nobles arrived within two days.”

“Then why hasn’t the dungeon been cleared yet?”

“Hm.”

The guide paused, considering. Information was separate from guiding, so he thought about charging extra.

But he shook his head. Extorting more from a pitiful youth about to die felt wrong.

Having made up his mind, he shared the information freely.

“The entrance won’t open.”

“Won’t open?”

“Yeah. Most dungeons are like that, right? Magic barriers, trials, or whatever… Anyway, this one’s different. They say it can only be opened with lock-picking.”

“Lock-picking?”

“You know, that thing thieves do with tools like tweezers to pick locks… Anyway, that’s the only way to open the dungeon door. Try to force it, and the whole dungeon might collapse. That’s all I know.”

It was true. The guide had shared everything he knew, clamping his mouth shut as if to say there was nothing more to tell, staring at the youth. The message was clear: pay up if you’re satisfied. Another question would really annoy him.

Thankfully, the youth wasn’t that clueless. He handed over the payment without further hassle—1.5 times the agreed amount, no less. The guide, delighted, headed back the way he came, while the youth walked steadily toward the massive dungeon.

***

“Drinks for sale! Beer, wine, whiskey, rum! We’ve got juices and more, so come take a look!”

“Food for sale! Don’t just nibble on jerky—fill up with proper meat! You need to be strong to conquer a dungeon, right?”

“Hey! Two beers over here!”

“Sure thing! Two silvers per glass.”

“What the hell? Two silvers for a beer? You trying to die?”

“If you don’t want it, don’t buy it. Why pick a fight? We’re with the Adan & Kain Kingdom Merchant Guild, and we’ve got close ties to the Austin Mercenary Brokerage. If you think you can throw your weight around…”

“Fine, fine. Just give me the two beers and get lost.”

“Here you go! Four silvers received. Two beers!”

“Hey, buddy! You selling roast duck?”

“Of course! Delicious duck wrapped in clay and roasted—wait fifteen minutes, and you’re in for a treat!”

It was a scene straight out of a bustling market.

Mercenaries and adventurers sprawled chaotically, waiting for the dungeon’s entrance to open, while merchants eagerly hawked food and drink to the crowd.

They weren’t alone.

On one side, nobles with their knights had set up tents. On another, ordinary travelers stood in lines.

Even the mercenaries and adventurers returning with beer and roast duck joined the crowd, gawking at something.

The answer was obvious.

Click, click, click.

“Damn it! Why… won’t this work!”

“Hey, buddy, give it up. You’ve been at it for an hour.”

“Just… just a little longer…”

They were watching challengers struggle to open the dungeon’s entrance.

Everyone was anxiously awaiting when this dungeon, appearing in the southern continent after so long, would finally open.

But so far, there was no progress.

Some onlookers shook their heads.

“It’s done for.”

“What, you think it won’t open?”

“Not for at least a week, I’d say. You know how it is—these things are best handled by thief guilds. But the Adan Kingdom doesn’t have any notable ones. It’d take a master from a major thief guild in another country to crack this. So yeah, it’s done. I’m thinking of coming back in three or four days.”

“Hm. That so…”

“Yup, that’s how it is.”

The onlooker spoke with confidence.

Some adventurers grimaced at his words but couldn’t easily argue. He was right.

‘Damn it. If it were a magic barrier, our party’s magician could’ve done something.’

‘Lock-picking, of all things. Just how old is this dungeon?’

‘Should we just take a few days off? But if someone opens it while we’re gone…’

They were stuck, unable to move forward or back.

In the midst of this, one adventurer, glaring at the keyhole, finally gave up.

The crowd’s faces showed a mix of resignation and disappointment. He’d been the most renowned among the challengers so far, so it was hard not to feel some expectation.

“Damn.”

“Hope it opens soon. If more competitors show up, it’ll get messy… Hm?”

As impatience and irritation spread, a black-haired young man appeared out of nowhere and said,

“Excuse me.”

Then, he thrust a simple picking tool into the keyhole.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing!”

“You cutting in line, punk?”

“What’s with this crazy bastard!”

“Hah, look at this thief guild apprentice-looking kid. Think the dungeon’s that easy?”

The mercenaries and adventurers waiting their turn exploded in anger, looking ready to resort to violence. The onlookers understood their frustration.

To see a kid in dark clothes, clearly a rookie, nonchalantly tackling the keyhole was infuriating.

But only for a moment.

Click!

“?”

“?”

Grind…!

“Huh?”

“What the—?”

As the massive dungeon entrance split open, everyone stared at the black-haired young man with dumbfounded expressions.