Chapter 10

A Black Rotten Dragon.

Every syllable of that name screamed “Danger! Danger!”

“W–we’re supposed to fight a dragon?”

[Ignore the clearance condition. We’re not here to conquer this dungeon.]

“Eh? But then I can’t get out of the dungeon.”

[It’s only newly formed dungeons that are like that. Here, as long as you find the entrance, you can come and go anytime. Think of it like visiting a neighboring country and just follow me.]

As Iji hesitated, the Grimoire didn’t push her—it gently added,

[You are my precious contractor. I would never put you in danger.]

“……”

[More importantly, even if something unexpected happens, I believe you’ll handle it well.]

There was a sense of trust in the Grimoire’s tone. Iji slowly straightened her shoulders and followed the path it guided her on.

A beautiful forest path unfolded.

Sunlight was soft, and wildflowers swayed in the breeze.

It was such a peaceful scenery that her tension naturally eased.

……Though mushrooms the size of her shoulders were a bit concerning.

‘This feels just like Alice in Wonderland.’

If so, the tea party mentioned in the quest might also be waiting ahead.

The participants of that fairy-tale tea party were the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse.

‘Is the Black Rotten Dragon going to raid that?’

Just imagining the poor rabbit and mouse trembling made something boil inside her chest.

That was exactly why she had hesitated earlier instead of immediately following the Grimoire.

Even if they weren’t here to clear the dungeon, if small animals were in danger…

‘I have to find a way to help!’

Maybe she could buy them time to escape through conversation skills.

Steeling her resolve, she moved forward.

Then—

From a little distance away, a strange sound reached her ears.

The clinking of dishes, and someone shouting angrily.

[No need to worry about it, Iji. It’s just a tea party.]

The Grimoire’s reassurance only made her more curious about the source of the sound.

Beyond the bushes, a tea party scene came into view. A large table and dozens of teacups—just like something from a storybook.

The problem was the massive creature seated among them.

She knew immediately.

‘It’s a real monster…!’

A status message appeared.

[Black Rotten Dragon]

An adult dragon covered in black scales.

It emits a foul, toxic stench from its mouth.

Attacks below C+ rank do not affect its scales.

A body large enough to fill a classroom, gleaming with a slick sheen. Bluish protrusions across its body emphasized its uneven, muscular build.

But what shocked Iji even more was…

“Want some wine? No, I didn’t mean eat me! An uninvited dragon dares to expect something? I won’t even let you smell the tea!”

“Grrrgh…!”

The March Hare wildly shook its head, its long ears slapping the dragon’s cheeks from both sides.

Beside it, the Mad Hatter was no less intense.

“A bald guest, you came to buy my hat, right? If you’re going to try it on, sit properly! If you keep acting up, I’ll just stack hats on top of your head!”

“ROOOAAR!”

“Hats look great on hats! What if a hat wore a hat? Bow lower!”

The Mad Hatter kept placing hats one after another on the dragon’s head.

The pressure seemed no joke—the dragon’s chin repeatedly slammed into the table.

BANG! BANG! All the teacups shook.

Each time, the Dormouse would wake up—living up to its name—glare at the dragon with its tiny eyes, then fall asleep again…

‘What is going on here?’

Iji asked the Grimoire beside her.

“Isn’t the tea party being attacked?”

It looked more like the dragon was the one being attacked.

[It is an invasion. That dragon is an uninvited guest from another dungeon.]

“Another dungeon?”

[Yes. Do you know what a dungeon break is?]

She had learned it in safety class.

“It’s when a failed dungeon explodes. Monsters spill out and it becomes dangerous.”

[Similar. When a dungeon collapses, its fragments sometimes mix with other dungeons…]

The Grimoire pointed upward.

Square-shaped holes were scattered across the sky.

[Because this dungeon is themed “Wonderland,” uninvited guests often get drawn in. That dragon is one of them.]

“Like Alice falling into a rabbit hole?”

[Yes. Of course, the control remains with the original dungeon. Even monsters that once ruled their own dungeons are treated as mere guests under Wonderland’s rules.]

Guests?

‘Does the Grimoire even understand what “guest” means?’

Still, the residents seemed safe.

The dragon didn’t seem like it would be harmed either.

‘Though its pride might be.’

[Visit the tea party when you have time. Our real destination is further inside.]

Feeling slightly relieved, Iji left the tea party behind and followed the Grimoire.

Along the way, objects completely out of place in Wonderland were scattered everywhere.

A drill, a flat tire…

‘Is that a box drink? And there’s a stick of instant coffee mix too.’

As if noticing her confusion, the Grimoire explained.

[These are traces of broken dungeons. Objects, monsters, even unlucky humans are scattered when a dungeon collapses.]

“Humans too? What happens to them?”

[If they are lucky, they fall back into their original world…]

The Grimoire stopped fluttering in front of a massive zelkova tree.

Iji immediately understood what “unlucky” meant.

Under the tree—

A man was trapped inside a giant crystal formation.

Because of the structure, his body looked distorted, like a broken puzzle.

Beneath his black hair streaked with early gray, only his clenched expression remained vivid.

Instinctively, she knew.

He was still alive inside there.

[He must have fought until the end in the collapsed dungeon.]

“…Huh?”

[Even if I don’t know his name, that will of his—]

“This guy… I think he’s a hunter named Jin Siheon.”

[You know him?]

“I saw him online.”

While searching “hunters, allies” at school, she had come across a hunter community post.

Title: Is Jin Siheon really dead?

No updates for 3 months

[Comments]

• If the rank 1 guy died, the association would’ve announced it. It’d be a crisis.
• They can’t officially declare death without witnesses…
• He was a solo player. Even if he died, who would know?
• “Schrödinger’s corpse” is the most accurate description in the hunter world lol

(Video attached)

Inside the video—

A handsome man whose mixed gray streaks looked like silver powder stared down at the camera and said:

mark

“Stop telling me to stop monopolizing dungeons. The association’s official stance is ‘encourage teamwork,’ not ‘ban solo play.’ The problem is your lack of skill that can’t even earn you food unless you group up.”

[Comments]

• The deceased is now resting in the place where his attitude belongs…
• This guy definitely has no friends
• ↑ Defamation, I’m reporting this
• Please correct to “defamation of the deceased”
• He’s not even around and you’re all celebrating lol

That impression of Jin Siheon stayed deeply in Iji’s memory.

A hunter who could clear A-rank dungeons alone without a scratch.

But then, at some point, he disappeared.

In short—

“He’s a hunter famous for having no friends.”

[Seems he really didn’t have many friends. Anyway, this is our destination.]

“Huh? Wait, is he supposed to be our companion?”

A grumpy, insulting uncle as her first human ally?!

‘I was hoping my first companion would be a kind magical girl…!’

So reality really was different from comics.

While Iji was trying to accept reality like a mature adult…

The Grimoire, oddly enough, pointed beneath the crystal.

[Look here.]

At first it looked like flowers had bloomed, but on closer inspection, they were shimmering translucent stones.

“Is this… mana stones?”

[Correct. That answers your first question: how to make money.]

“Wow, thank you!”

Iji carefully reached toward them.

Meanwhile, the Grimoire explained.

[Since they grew by feeding on a hunter, they are high-grade mana stones.]

Her hand stopped mid-air.

‘Gross.’

[You can harvest them later. Leave them and they’ll grow even larger by feeding more.]

‘That’s even worse!’

Iji crouched down and looked up.

Jin Siheon’s face was now even clearer.

‘He looks about the same age as my sister.’

People say early gray hair comes from hardship.

‘My sister doesn’t even have gray hair… but living without friends must be really hard.’

Thinking that way, the man felt strangely pitiful.

“Grimoire. What happens if we break the crystal?”

[The hunter’s mana will be absorbed by whoever breaks it.]

“He won’t be freed?”

[Abandon such naive hope. Like prey becoming food, those who fail a dungeon become mere fertilizer for the system.]

“……”

[Pick up the mana stones. You won’t be able to break the crystal with your current strength anyway.]

The stones glittered enticingly, as if trying to tempt her.

They were expensive items.

With her small hands, she could only collect a few—but if she sold them, bought equipment, and farmed more in better dungeons…

‘Each stone I pick up leads to a two-story house!’

And yet—

Iji did not reach for them.

“I’ll mine them later.”

[Later? Not even tomorrow, but later? Are you… planning to help this man?]

“Yes.”

[Why? You’re not even friends!]

“I have a sister about this tall at home.”

[…? I don’t understand, but is that important to you?]

“Yes.”

[What will you do?]

“First—”

Iji gathered all her determination and shouted the words she had wanted to say for the past 24 hours.

“Magic Girl Shin Iji, trans—FORMATION!”