The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

Chapter 97

In the park, nearby residents watched the two young beast-kin with fond smiles. The children’s cheerful playfulness was so endearing that everyone seemed to forget their own conversations, simply captivated by the scene.

“Cluck-cluck.”

Gyeoul mimicked the sound of a chicken, bobbing her head back and forth. Levinas looked thoughtful for a moment before confidently raising her hand.

“Answer! A cat!”

“Nope, this time it’s a chicken.”

“Huh…?”

Levinas tilted her head in confusion. She was sure it had been a cat—everything about it seemed so cat-like!

“Wang-ah, why can’t we ever get the answer right?”

“This game might be harder than it seems…”

Gyeoul felt a pang of frustration. She’d been sure this time it was a horned rabbit, but for the fourth time, it wasn’t. Not once had the horned rabbit actually come up.

‘She was head-butting; I thought it had to be a horned rabbit.’

Who would have guessed it was actually a “Mean Sheep” card? Overwhelmed by the unfairness of it all, Gyeoul stamped her feet on the ground.

“Wang-ah, should we play something else?”

“Hmm… yeah, maybe.”

What should they play next? Gyeoul looked around and spotted Sophia and Yeoreum sitting on a bench nearby.

“Oh, hey.”

When did they get there? Competing to see who could reach them first, Gyeoul and Levinas raced toward the bench.

“Answer! Shark!” Levinas pointed to Sophia triumphantly. Sophia merely shrugged.

“Yes, a shark indeed.”

“Wow! Levinas got it right!”

Levinas, who was now bouncing with excitement, then looked at Yeoreum, stroking her chin thoughtfully like a detective in the animated show they’d watched last night.

“Yeoreum… is a kangaroo!”

“A kangaroo? Why am I a kangaroo?”

“Because you take good care of Levinas!”

With that, Levinas climbed onto Yeoreum’s lap and snuggled under her shirt, poking her face out by Yeoreum’s collar, just like a baby kangaroo in its mother’s pouch.

“How do I look, Wang-ah? Do I look like a kangaroo?”

“Yeah, you look just like a real kangaroo.”

Their innocent playfulness brought smiles to the faces of those watching, with some even chuckling quietly.

“Aren’t they adorable?”

“Absolutely. They’re like a breath of fresh air.”

Their voices were full of affection, and Gyeoul felt grateful that people were so kind to Levinas.

‘Levinas didn’t have the happiest past, either.’

Gyeoul silently wished for Levinas to have a future filled with love and happiness.

“Gyeoul, do you want to try this too?”

“Try what?”

“This kangaroo game.”

Yeoreum gestured to Levinas, who was snuggled under her shirt, but Gyeoul firmly shook her head.

“I’m good, thank you.”

“Alright.”

She’s still a bit shy, but Yeoreum thought this was a big improvement from when they first met. She decided to give Gyeoul a gentle pat on the head.

“By the way, why do you have your weapon with you?”

“I’m going to a dungeon today.”

“A dungeon?”

“Yes, a Level 6 dungeon.”

A Level 6 dungeon. As a newly initiated adventurer, Gyeoul couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity.

“Can I watch?”

“Watch the dungeon? It might be dangerous for you, Gyeoul.”

“I don’t want to go inside. I just want to observe from nearby.”

“Oh…”

Maybe Gyeoul wanted to see how top adventurers prepared before entering a dungeon. It would be good experience for her, as long as she stayed outside.

“Alright, but you have to follow my instructions, okay?”

“Yes…”

Getting to watch top-tier adventurers prepare for a dungeon—what luck! Gyeoul’s tail swayed with excitement.

---

We all piled into a twelve-seat car on our way to the dungeon. Stronger adventurers paired up with the less experienced ones, just in case any unexpected dangers arose.

“Wow! It’s like a road trip!”

Levinas, thrilled to be with everyone, was holding onto Encia and Argo’s tails, one in each hand. Argo’s tail was so strong that if he moved even slightly, Levinas could get hurt, so he was concentrating on keeping it still.

“Levinas, we’re not going on a trip.”

“We’re not?”

“No, we’re going to check out a dungeon.”

“But isn’t that the same as a trip…?”

Hmm… How should I explain this? I looked over at Yeoreum, hoping she’d help explain.

“We’re going there to study. Let’s play afterward, okay?”

“Okay!”

Hearing the word “study,” Levinas promptly closed her mouth, looking quite mature for her age. She still clung to Encia and Argo’s tails, though.

“Gyeoul, the area near the dungeon is dangerous, so remember to listen carefully to what I say.”

“Yes, I’ll listen closely.”

“Then let’s see if you remember what I told you earlier.”

Were we reviewing safety rules for the dungeon? They weren’t difficult, so I’d memorized them all.

“I shouldn’t approach the portal. It’d be a disaster if I got sucked in.”

“Good. And what else?”

“If something happens, I should tell an adult nearby and ask for help.”

“Wow, Gyeoul, you’re really smart. You remembered everything?”

Yeoreum ruffled my hair with a warm hand. I felt a little shy at the unexpected praise, so I quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“Why do dungeons appear?”

If I understood the cause of dungeons, maybe there’d be a way to get back home. I’d be happy about that, but at the same time, I’d feel a bit sad thinking about leaving my new family.

“There are many reasons.”

“Many?”

“Yes. Some dungeons form when mana gets twisted, or sometimes they appear in response to someone’s strong emotions…”

“Emotions…?”

Could dungeons really form from something as simple as emotions? If that were the case, the whole world should be overrun with dungeons by now. I looked up at Yeoreum, puzzled.

“It can’t just be any ordinary feeling, though. It usually takes a lot of resentment or something equally intense for a dungeon to form.”

“So, can people create dungeons if they hold strong enough grudges?”

“No, not exactly. Ordinary grudges won’t be enough to create a dungeon.”

“Like… for example?”

Yeoreum hesitated a bit, and an awkward silence fell over the car.

“…For a Level 1 dungeon, it’d take four or five people being horrifically tortured to death to even have a slim chance of forming.”

She pressed down on Levinas’s ears, who was sitting in the front seat. I could understand why Yeoreum had hesitated with that answer.

“So it must be really hard for emotions to cause dungeons?”

“Yes. Even a war wouldn’t create a dungeon.”

“Not even a war?”

“No. War usually involves collective madness rather than pure hatred…”

“Oh…”

So even intense emotions don’t necessarily cause dungeons. I’d hoped that maybe dungeons prevented wars in this world, but it seemed like people were people everywhere.

With mixed emotions, I looked out the window.

“Huh…?”

The view outside looked familiar, like a place I’d been to before.

Where was this? After a moment of reflection, I realized: this was the landscape I’d first seen when I arrived in this world.

“We have to walk from here. The dungeon’s deep in the mountains,” Choi Jinhyuk, who was driving, announced to everyone. We all nodded, but I stayed quiet, lost in thought.

The memory of being buried in these mountains resurfaced vividly.

---

The mountain was steep. Gyeoul could probably manage, but Levinas might have some trouble. As Yeoreum turned to check on the children, Gyeoul tugged at her sleeve.

“Hm?”

Gyeoul’s hand was trembling, her face pale with fear.

What was wrong? Was she frightened by the dungeon’s aura? Given how sensitive she was, that could be it. To comfort her, Yeoreum knelt down in front of her.

“Gyeoul, what’s wrong?”

“H-here… this place… this is…”

“Gyeoul, take a deep breath and try to explain. I’m right here.”

Yeoreum placed a comforting hand on Gyeoul’s shoulder. She shivered but then took a deep breath and began to speak.

“This… this is where I was buried…”

“What…?”

Everyone stopped climbing, frozen in place, except for Levinas, who was fast asleep on Choi Jinhyuk’s back.

“I… I was buried here, under the ground…”

Gyeoul was clearly distressed, on the verge of tears.

“…Yu-na, could you take Gyeoul back down? I’ll clear the dungeon and come right back.”

“Oh… okay.”

Yeoreum gently handed the frightened Gyeoul over to Jung Yu-na and also asked her to take Levinas, who was still sleeping. Having a friend nearby would hopefully reassure her.

‘What could this mean…?’

As Yeoreum watched them leave, she recalled their conversation from earlier about dungeons sometimes forming in response to someone’s emotions.

“…”

A mountain where Gyeoul had been buried. A dungeon that appeared out of nowhere. Could it all just be a coincidence?

She silently prayed to a god she didn’t believe in, hoping it was nothing more than a coincidence. After all, the dungeon they were about to face was a Level 6.

And a Level 1 dungeon only barely formed from the horrific deaths of several tortured souls.