Livelihood Dungeon! (English Version)

"My Lord, Thomas and the guards have already left."

This was the report from the subordinate he had assigned to monitor the traveling merchant's group several days earlier.

"Excellent..."

Boris smirked upon hearing the good news before loudly calling his right-hand man.

"Felipe!"

"How may I serve you, my lord?" the knight replied respectfully.

...

"Old Man John, I'll leave what we discussed in your hands."

Peter gave the tavern owner a meaningful look.

Old Man John let out a sigh upon seeing the young man's determined gaze before slowly nodding.

Peter felt slightly relieved after receiving the old man's agreement. Some of his worries eased.

"Peter, I can't promise that I can protect them from him. He is much more powerful compared to a mere tavern owner in a remote village like this."

Old Man John paused briefly before continuing.

"Remember, he is the most powerful person here. He is the lord of the entire Village of the Beginnings."

"Just promise me you'll do everything you can to help them avoid harm from Boris," Peter insisted.

"I'll try," the old man replied calmly, his words enough to ease Peter's tension.

"Thank you," Peter said sincerely.

Over the past days of visiting Old Man John's tavern, Peter had noticed something unusual.

Although subtle, he observed the great respect and trust Thomas showed toward the old man—something that didn't seem fitting for a simple tavern owner.

He also discovered Thomas' true identity as a Rank C merchant, as well as his ability to hire a Rank C adventurer party like The Harbor of Surging Rocks.

After connecting these pieces of information, Peter gradually started to believe that there was more to Old John than met the eye.

Peter left the tavern feeling lighter than before.

He felt reassured that, somehow, there was still a chance to protect the people who had become connected to him in the village.

At least, that was what he hoped.

He was gambling on the possibility that Old Man John's unclear background would be enough to act as a deterrent against Boris.

Peter even gave a few gold Terragon coins to Old Man John as a sign of sincerity for the favor he was asking.

Old Man John sighed as he watched Peter's departing figure.

From his perspective, the young man looked strangely sorrowful as he walked away with a slightly hunched back.

After Peter disappeared from view, a subtle change appeared in the old man's eyes.

Slowly, he clenched the hand holding the Terragon gold coins.

...

"Peter is leaving the village," a man muttered as he bent down, pulling weeds in the field.

"I'm not blind. I saw it too," replied the man beside him, also busy pulling weeds.

"What do we do, Rogue?"

The man called Rogue was one of Boris's subordinates who had first reported the sighting of the Frosty Chickens.

Rogue turned to his side.

"You! Come here!"

He called out authoritatively to a quiet farmer.

"Rogue," the man acknowledged.

From behind him, another farmer approached.

The three men under Rogue were all members of Boris's militia, currently disguised as serfs.

"You," Rogue pointed at one of them. "Go to the mansion and report to Lord Boris that Peter seems to be escaping. Hurry!"

He sharply pointed toward the direction of Boris's mansion.

The subordinate immediately rushed off.

"You two, come with me. Let's follow that wretched merchant, Peter!"

He led the way in the direction Peter had taken.

Rogue couldn't help but smile.

He loved the feeling of commanding others, and he was quickly growing accustomed to this kind of authority.

Soon enough, they spotted Peter's back again.

Rogue signaled to his companions.

They slowed their pace, afraid that if they got too close, Peter might notice them and escape.

Rogue couldn't allow that.

He still valued his own life.

While he dreamed of the wealth and rewards awaiting them, he was also fully aware of the danger involved in this mission.

If they succeeded, the reward would be immense.

But if they lost Peter...

It would mean certain death for them.

He knew their lord very well.

For now, all they could do was quietly observe and follow Peter.

However, all three of them suddenly tensed when they noticed Peter's destination.

Rogue's face stiffened.

If they allowed Peter to enter that place, they might never see him again.

"Move."

The two subordinates nodded silently.

"You're really unlucky..." Rogue muttered.

He hadn't expected their target—assigned by Lord Boris—to be this reckless.

"If you want to die, don't drag us with you."

Rogue cursed under his breath as they quickly ran after Peter.

"Wait!"

Rogue grabbed Peter's shoulder tightly.

"Who are you?"

Peter calmly removed the man's hand from his shoulder, his gaze filled with suspicion.

"Don't be alarmed, Peter. We're just villagers," Rogue quickly explained. "We happened to see you heading toward the Eternal Forest. We heard you're a traveler from a distant land, so we're sure you don't know how dangerous that forest really is."

He subtly signaled his companions with a hidden hand gesture.

"Yes! He's right! We're just trying to help," one of the men quickly added. "Don't be so suspicious. That's hurtful."

Only then did Peter realize Rogue wasn't alone.

The third man, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

"Rogue is right. The Eternal Forest is extremely dangerous. Many who entered never came out again, including well-known adventurers."

Peter was almost moved by their warning.

Almost.

But he still didn't fully trust them.

Their timing was too suspicious—especially given his current situation.

It was as if they were deliberately trying to stop him from progressing.

"Thank you for the warning," Peter said coldly. "But I need to go."

As Peter turned away, Rogue suddenly attacked.

Fortunately, Peter was alert and easily dodged the sneak attack.

He quickly distanced himself while continuing toward the entrance of the dangerous forest.

He then coldly looked at the three men, now confirmed to be Boris's subordinates.

There was no one else who had a reason to chase him except the lord of the village.

During his short stay in the Skylark Realm, his movements had been limited to the Village of the Beginnings.

Peter glanced to both sides when he noticed Rogue's two companions positioning themselves to surround him.

"I'm warning you," he said coldly, his tone sharp and dangerous. "Stop what you're planning unless you want to get hurt."

The three of them only laughed in response.

"No hard feelings."

"Attack!"

"Help!"

Both sides shouted at the same time.

The three of Boris's men were stunned and confused when they heard Peter's shout.

"G-go!"

Rogue stammered as he repeated his order, and the three immediately lunged into action.

A punch and a kick came from both sides of Peter.

He quickly raised his arms to block them.

"AAAAH!"

The two attackers screamed in pain at the same time.

Rogue froze mid-charge when he heard the crisp sound of breaking bones, followed by the agonized groans of his companions writhing on the ground.

He looked at the increasingly mysterious merchant in shock.

Rogue looked at Peter with a completely different gaze.

At that moment, it felt as though he was staring at a monster.

Meanwhile, the center of his fear only wore a forced smile.

One of Peter's fists remained raised above his head, while the other arm—held in front of his face—trembled slightly from pain.

He had successfully blocked the punch from one of Rogue's companions, who now lay collapsed on the dusty ground near the entrance of the Eternal Forest.

Peter's head was slightly turned toward his raised arm.

His cheek was red on the other side, having been directly struck by a kick.

However, aside from a slight spin on the ground to reduce the impact, it seemed to have little effect on him.

Rogue swallowed hard at what he had just witnessed.

He was certain the kick had landed cleanly.

And yet Peter had not even been pushed back.

Was this man really just a mere merchant?

Rogue was filled with dread.

Still, he forced himself to stay composed and quickly drew a dagger from behind his back.

Peter's lips twitched when he saw the blade.

A few beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

This is bad...

This is a different matter when a knife is involved.

I don't want to become an example of a "human fountain."

Peter's heartbeat suddenly quickened.

In an instant, the confidence he had gained from his increased Resilience seemed to vanish.

Carefully, he adjusted his stance.

He put up his guard.

A defensive posture formed against the incoming blade.

"Hah!"

Rogue charged forward, swiftly thrusting his knife toward Peter.

Peter relaxed his body, calmly waiting for the attack to land.

The blade was just inches away when they heard it.

"GRAAA!!"

A furious roar from a massive beast suddenly echoed through the surroundings.

The ground trembled.

A smirk formed on Peter's face.

Meanwhile, Rogue felt as though his world was collapsing.

"Ichiro! Iyashi!" Peter called out to his trusty companions.

"Choose."

Peter's voice was cold as he looked at the man.

"Promise me you'll stop chasing me... or you'll become food for my wolf."

To Rogue, it sounded like the voice of a demon.

Shaking, he looked at the enormous wolf pinning him to the ground.

It was too heavy.

He couldn't move his limbs under its weight.

He couldn't believe a wolf could be this large.

It was impossibly huge.

Rogue closed his eyes as he felt warm, thick saliva dripping from the beast's mouth onto his face.

He trembled as he heard Peter's cold voice again.

Desperately, he tried to find his dropped knife.

But his fear only deepened when he saw it lying just a few inches from his hand.

The blade was slightly bent.

He didn't realize it, but when Ichiro had lunged earlier, the knife had struck the giant wolf's abdomen.

And that was all it did.

It only managed to leave a tiny dent on its hardened body.

I'm going to die...

I'm going to die...

Damn it...

Rogue almost lost all hope.

Driven by intense fear, he reverted to his most primal instinct—survival.

He quickly made a decision.

If there was even the slightest chance to live, this was it.

If he stayed stubborn, he would die right there.

But if Peter spared him...

He would cling to whatever hope remained.

And if Boris's reinforcements still hadn't arrived by then, he would make sure to escape far away from the village.

"Don't kill me! I'll never bother you again! I swear! I swear!"

Tears and snot streamed down his face as he desperately pleaded.

"Please..."

He kept sobbing repeatedly.

Rogue only managed to breathe in relief when Peter finally disappeared from his sight, along with the giant wolf.

However, his body still wouldn't stop trembling.

His limbs felt completely weak and drained.

So he decided to rest for a moment to recover his strength before escaping from that place for good.

...

Old Man John paused, busy behind his bar. With a cloth in one hand and the glass he was cleaning in the other, he suddenly frowned and looked into the distance.

He slowly lowered what he was holding before stepping outside the tavern.

As soon as he stepped out of his establishment, the howls of wolves from the Eternal Forest became clearer to his ears.

"It looks like it's starting," he muttered casually after hearing them.

He looked up at the sky. The late afternoon had already reached its peak.

The old man's brow furrowed further.

"This isn't good."

He immediately began closing the tavern.

He had already heard the heavy thunder of galloping horses earlier.

After locking the tavern door, the old man casually walked in the direction where the howls were coming from.

Not long after he left his tavern, the sky finally darkened.

Along with the disappearance of light, the old man's presence seemed to change as well.

It was as if the light of dusk itself had vanished from him.

The ordinary and faint aura that had surrounded his body moments ago disappeared without a trace.

The Eternal Forest was several kilometers away from the Village of the Beginnings.

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to hear wolf howls from there.

...

Inside the Eternal Forest.

...

Let us go back a moment before Old Man John could hear the howls of the guardians stationed at the entrance of the most dangerous forest in the entire Terragon Kingdom.

"I'm screwed..." Peter muttered as he swallowed hard, staring at his current horrifying situation.

"GRA!"

Peter slightly calmed down when his companion Terrestrial Wolf, Ichiro, reassured him.

"They're my subordinates."

That was what the giant wolf seemed to be saying.

Peter sighed as he looked past Ichiro at the ferocious wolves surrounding them.

As preparation, Ichiro and Iyashi had volunteered to take a risk and train deeper inside the Eternal Forest in order to further enhance their ability to protect Peter.

At first, the dungeon master strongly opposed their suggestion, but after their persistent persuasion and logical reasoning, he eventually gave in—though still with hesitation.

Some of their arguments were as follows:

If they intended to stay, since they did not fully trust the people they might encounter in the port town of Seaham, they needed to grow stronger first.

As extensions of Peter, they believed it was also their duty to become more powerful.

If they did not want to be used or killed by others, they had to gain strength.

If they wanted to face Boris's threat without hesitation, they needed to reach a level where no one would dare challenge them out of fear of retaliation.

In short—

They needed to become stronger than their current state.

To reassure Peter, Ichiro said they would only stay at the entrance of the Eternal Forest—the very place where he had evolved.

During that process, Ichiro had become the leader of the wolves in that area of the Eternal Forest.

"GRA!"

At the Terrestrial Wolf's howl, it seemed as though all of them understood the command. Like magic, the wolves under Ichiro's control over the past few days sat down in unison.

Ichiro raised his head toward the sky and let out a long howl.

It was the signal.

One after another, the surrounding wolves followed, howling in response.

But their actions were abruptly cut short when they heard loud crashing sounds coming from the forest entrance.

"GRA!"

At Ichiro's command, the wolves quickly formed a formation.

They moved to the front, acting as a protective barrier for Peter and their leader. Their sharp eyes locked onto the dense forest ahead.

They were ready to strike at any moment.

"GRA!"

Ichiro gave the signal to attack after receiving Peter's telepathic approval.

The wolves all leapt at once, baring their fangs and claws at whatever creature was emerging from the boundary between the inner and outer parts of the Eternal Forest.

Peter closed his eyes as a sudden burst of blinding light erupted.

When he opened them again, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

He clearly saw the wolves that had charged forward falling one after another.

In an instant—

The bodies of the wolves still midair were split cleanly in two.

Their corpses became fountains of blood.

Peter shivered as he identified the newcomer.

Felipe coldly observed each wolf he had slain.

He even let out a mocking snort upon seeing the remaining wolves retreat in fear.

Not a single one dared to fight back.

They knew only death awaited them if they gave in to their pride.

The knight, Felipe, casually swung his blade.

As he did, his cold gaze slowly lifted from the trembling wolves toward Peter, who sat atop his valiant Terrestrial Wolf.

The three beings met by Felipe's sharp stare all felt a chill run down their spines.

Each of them acted instinctively in the face of an opponent they knew was far beyond their level.

Peter then telepathically ordered Ichiro and Iyashi to retreat away from Felipe.

He knew that only death awaited them if they insisted on fighting the knight.

He also ordered that if they were ever cornered, it was acceptable to flee into the deeper parts of the forest—areas Ichiro himself had described as even more dangerous—if that was the only way to survive.

Meanwhile, the Regeneration Slime, Iyashi, quickly crawled from the top of Ichiro's head down to the back of his neck.

There, it wrapped itself around the wolf's neck and shoulders.

That motion had already become familiar to both of them.

In that state, they were partially merged, allowing Iyashi to share its powerful regeneration ability with Ichiro.

Iyashi positioned itself on the wolf's back not only to support him but also to hide itself from potential threats.

The combination of Iyashi's extreme regeneration and Ichiro's incredibly tough defense was what allowed them to subdue the wolves in that part of the Eternal Forest.

Ichiro, on the other hand, looked eager to fight such a powerful opponent, but he restrained himself.

The Terrestrial Wolf raised its two front paws—the signature motion before activating its ability.

Small fragments of rock began to materialize in the air above him before being violently launched toward Felipe using Meteoric Drops.

Afterward, he quickly turned and fled.

Felipe smirked at what he had just witnessed.

"Interesting..."

He raised his sword above his head and pointed it toward the fleeing giant wolf.

Despite the limited visibility caused by the falling rocks, he swung it without hesitation.

A powerful blade aura surged forward toward Peter and the others.

At the same time, he calmly sidestepped, effortlessly evading the falling stone fragments.

Peter gasped as a sharp pain shot through his right shoulder.

He suddenly felt dizzy and nearly fell from Ichiro's back, if not for his left hand gripping tightly onto the Terrestrial Wolf's thick fur.

Iyashi immediately reacted upon seeing its master's critical condition.

It quickly detached itself from Ichiro and flowed toward Peter's nearly severed right shoulder.

While absorbing the blood flowing from the wound, it began reconnecting and healing the almost severed part of his body.

Just as Felipe was about to pursue them again, he suddenly sensed danger.

He had intentionally missed the earlier attack to slow Peter down.

If it had hit directly, the dungeon master would already be dead.

At the top of one of the towering trees guarding the entrance of the Eternal Forest, a figure silently observed the entire battle.

The hem of his clothing fluttered in the wind.

He had quietly witnessed everything.

From the horizontal crescent-shaped blade aura that had slain hundreds of wolves...

To the vertical slash Felipe had deliberately diverted away from Peter's vital point.

And just as Felipe was about to move again—

He decided to intervene.

Without hesitation, the mysterious observer leapt from the peak of the towering tree.

His descent was impossibly fast.

The sheer velocity ignited his clothes, flames briefly licking the fabric due to air friction.

But mid-fall, he suddenly adjusted his posture.

He performed a series of rapid somersaults, rotating his body one hundred and eighty degrees to redirect his momentum.

And then—

He stopped.

Several feet above the ground.

It was as if time itself had frozen in the space he occupied.

The air around him began to distort.

And then—

Explosions erupted one after another.

It was as though he had become the center of a raging storm of destruction.

Even as the explosions continued, the mysterious figure calmly resumed his descent.

The ground beneath him disintegrated with each blast.

His shoe was the first to touch the earth—lightly, almost gently—as if in slow motion.

And just like that, the explosions ceased.

A shallow crater had formed around him.

And the moment he fully landed—

He stepped forward slowly but steadily, one foot at a time.

Toward the knight who was slumped on the ground.

Felipe had been knocked down by the overwhelming pressure of the newcomer's arrival.

Even his horse had completely broken down in fear.

"YOU?!" Felipe shouted in shock as the moonlight revealed the face of the newcomer.

"Who are you really, Old Man John?!

Do you understand what you're doing?!

This is an act of blasphemy against Lord Boris—and the punishment for that is death!

You will die!"

Felipe quickly regained his composure, displaying the quality of a veteran knight despite the immense pressure radiating from Old Man John.

"Me?" the old man replied with a shrug.

"I am simply a good samaritan helping others."

Then he gave a cold smile.

"And you, Felipe?"

"Are you still following your code as a noble knight?"

It felt as though Felipe had been struck in the chest by those words.

He stood up and swung his sword, pointing the blade directly at Old Man John.

But suddenly, his heart skipped a beat when he saw what the old man was taking out from inside his robe.

It glimmered under the moonlight.

Felipe was stunned.

Dark gray with a hint of silver.

Shiny.

Thin.

Perfectly circular.

At a single glance, he immediately recognized it as being made of an extremely rare metal—Adamantium.

And based solely on the craftsmanship alone—

He knew it was crafted by the finest artisans in the entire kingdom.

Who else would have the authority and resources to commission such people?

There was only one answer.

The royal family.

A chilling sensation crept over Felipe as he recognized the familiar emblem of the royal family.

At its center was a terrifying dragon standing upright on two legs.

It had five sharp horns pointing skyward.

Its color was a deep chocolate brown, laced with faint hints of green.

According to legend, this dragon symbolized bountiful harvests.

The Terrestrial Dragon was the origin of the name of the Terragon Kingdom.

Felipe slowly released his grip on his sword. Drawing a weapon in front of the royal emblem was considered an act of rebellion against the kingdom itself.

He raised his hand to his abdomen and slowly knelt on the ground of the Eternal Forest, no longer caring about the dirt beneath him.

Felipe surrendered before Old Man John—the only one bearing the royal family's emblem.

He had many questions, but chose not to voice any of them. He did not have the courage to question someone capable of mobilizing troops from major cities across the kingdom. Nor did he intend to endanger his lord, a mere landowner with no official standing in the kingdom.

Deep inside, Felipe desperately searched his memories, trying to identify the true identity of Old Man John.

Royal Family?

No.

There was no member he could recall who resembled him.

High-ranking officials without royal blood?

Ministers?

None.

Royal guards?

Generals of the military?

Court mages?

None of them matched either.

No matter how hard Felipe tried to recall, he could not remember anything.

While he sat dazed and restless, Old Man John calmly slipped the emblem back into his clothing.

He briefly glanced in the direction where Peter had fled, but the young man was already gone.

The old man let out a soft sigh.

"I've already repaid the kindness you showed me," he said coldly. "It's up to you whether you survive the trouble you've gotten yourself into, kid. But remember this, Peter—I will fulfill what I promised."

Old Man John walked up to the confused knight and lightly kicked his thigh, just enough to make him sit properly again.

"Get up and return to your master. I'm leaving as well."

Felipe let out a breath of relief at those words. A wide smile appeared on his face, as though he had narrowly escaped death.

But that smile froze the moment he heard the follow-up warning—which sounded more like a threat than an order.

"Stop pursuing that boy. And do not ever attempt to interfere with anyone connected to him," Old Man John said sharply.

Felipe nodded repeatedly, desperately trying not to show any disrespect that might anger the terrifying old man.

"You probably already know what will happen if you ignore my advice, don't you?" Old Man John added coldly. "I will personally go to your lord. Make sure you tell him that."

Felipe swallowed hard, struggling to meet the old man's cold gaze.

His eyes trembled as he watched Old Man John slowly vanish before him—like a bubble that had never existed at all.

...

Felipe reported everything that had happened in the Eternal Forest, without omission or exaggeration.

Rogue looked nervously at his silent lord while kneeling inside the mansion.

His hands, bound behind his back, were cold and damp with sweat. He knew the mission had failed, and at any moment, his life could come to an end.

To make matters worse, Felipe had arrived—dragging the messenger who had been sent earlier—before Rogue had even fully recovered. One by one, they were bound and restrained under the knight's orders.

Now, they stood before Boris.

The lord's gaze was cold as he looked down at them.

"Rogue," Boris said.

"H-huh?" Rogue responded in shock.

In an instant, he saw his master's massive figure looming over him—from his face down to the floor of the mansion.

Boris's fury erupted.

With a violent motion, he kicked Rogue's head, sending it rolling across the floor where it collided with two other severed heads nearby.

...