[Title] Datamined Spoilers: Soot’s Lore from the DLC
This information emerged from the Tintal-related questline recently released, so I decided to organize it.
It’s data found after clearing the new area for the Science Cultists on the fourth underground floor, and there’s evidence that Soot was born here through experimentation.
(Game screenshot. A creature resembling Tintal is depicted.)
This is essentially the original form of Soot and Tintal, while the one appearing in the game is a clone created based on that genetic material.
This original creature instinctively antagonizes and slaughters beings from other dimensions.
The Science Cultists thought, ‘Ah! If we release this one into the Nether Depths, they’ll just fight and kill each other!’ So, they implanted Tintal’s genes into the womb of a normal dog and created Soot.
However, instead of hunting monsters as intended, Soot only killed the Science Cultists.
It turned out this was their way of showing affection.
Soot had lost those primal instincts and simply wanted to play with people.
‘They like people, but killing them is nonsense, right?’ you might think.
But it’s actually true.
From Soot’s perspective, humans are like beautiful soap bubbles.
They sparkle and float in the air, so out of curiosity, Soot might bite, pop, or touch them.
But being incredibly powerful, anyone licked by Soot would simply explode and die.
For this reason, the Science Cultists fled to the second underground floor.
Soot followed them, then just settled down there, chasing, licking, and biting anyone they saw, causing all that chaos.
Datamining confirmed that Soot’s actual characteristic isn’t ‘hostile mob.’
While their appearance might suggest it, they are actually a neutral mob.
Moreover, the achievement name received upon defeating them is ‘Hug with Thorned Arms.’
At first, it seemed like a random title, but there’s an interpretation that it actually reflects Soot’s situation.
In any case, it’s a unsettling story.
[Comments]
– So we killed a doggo that was wagging its tail because it liked us…
– But it’s still a fact that they’re a crazy dog that killed a ton of people.
– [Fay acknowledging icon]
– You threw the first punch, you crazy b*tch!
– Regardless, it’s definitely a story that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
– Then, each time we respawned and encountered Soot, its stats seemed weaker and it attacked less. Could it be that it realized something?
Seeing players stubbornly trying to catch it after everyone else was one-shotted, it might have realized, ‘Ah, humans don’t like it when I approach them.’
– ‘Even if I like humans, it could hurt them.’
– Harm (physical, fatal)
– Hahahahaha ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– I feel so hollow.
Back in CBT, I saw Fay’s face, gritted my teeth, and swore that monster was my enemy, that I’d kill it.
I finally defeated it yesterday, but seeing this… it’s just something else.
– Revenge is truly this hollow.
– [Fay sobbing icon]
– Fay-Fay, at least play frisbee together in heaven…
– [Deformed Fay head staring coldly icon]
– Head frisbee LOL
– You lunatic.
****
“We… we’ve met before, right?”
“Myang!”
The puppy barked lightly at me, as if confirming my words.
They were incredibly cute.
“Can I touch you?”
I stretched my hand out towards the puppy.
“Myang!”
Responding to my gesture, the puppy ran up and rubbed its cheek against my palm.
They really were cute.
To think I had fled in fear from such an adorable creature.
“You’re so cute, yet I ran away. I was too harsh, wasn’t I?”
“Myang!”
The black puppy barked once more, as if agreeing with me.
“Is there anything I can give them?”
Soon, something came to mind.
“Oh, there was some leftover roasted deer, wasn’t there? Myangmyang! Come here!”
‘From now on, you’re Myangmyang.’
Having roughly named them after their cry, I led Myangmyang to where we had eaten.
“Oh, it’s still here. Hey, eat this at least.”
“Myang!”
The dining area was set a short distance from the campsite, and at night, we would leave the leftovers untouched.
It was partly because going to the river for washing dishes was dangerous, and reportedly to satisfy any monsters drawn by the scent and send them on their way.
From there, I tore a chunk of roasted deer from a skewer and tossed it to them, and Myangmyang eagerly gobbled it down.
“Myang! Myangmyang!”
Myangmyang licked their chops and barked, seemingly asking for more.
“Have you been starving for days? Here you go.”
I tossed the entire remaining roasted deer to them, and Myangmyang devoured that as well.
And then,
“Myangmyang! Myang? Myangmyangmyang!”
“Oh, wait! That’s…”
Still not satisfied, they audaciously pawed at the stew Fay had made.
‘Are you Guus Hiddink (TL Note: A famous Dutch football coach. This is a common Korean joke referring to someone who is always hungry or has an insatiable appetite, referencing a time when he famously said his players were ‘still hungry’ for victory.)? Still hungry?’
‘Isn’t human food bad for dogs?’
Thinking that, I tried to pull Myangmyang away from Fay’s stew.
– Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp.
But they were eating it so deliciously that I eventually scooped some out with a ladle and handed it to them.
“Perhaps it’s fine because it’s an otherworldly dog?”
Come to think of it, country dogs usually ate human leftovers.
I decided to believe it was fine because they had grown up tough.
“Myang…”
“If you lie there like that, you’ll turn into a cow.”
“Myangmyang…”
Having instantly licked Fay’s stew clean to the bottom, Myangmyang sprawled out on their back, seemingly satisfied.
What a carefree fellow.
‘Did they get separated from their mother or pack?’
Their small size, wandering alone, and their appearance as if they hadn’t eaten for days—all raised the suspicion that they might have been abandoned in the wild.
“I wish I could tame them and have them travel with me.”
A journey with a dog—isn’t that a lethal dose of romance?
If I trained them well, they would be helpful in many ways.
As I was contemplating how to coax Myangmyang into coming with me,
“Myang!”
Myangmyang suddenly flipped their body over, as if sensing something.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“Arrr…”
Then, they bared their teeth and became wary.
“Myang! Myangmyang!”
Suddenly, they dashed like an arrow into the bushes and vanished.
“Ah, Myangmyang!”
‘Did I do something wrong? Or did they find something?’
I headed towards where Myangmyang had run, but they were long gone.
“Darn it.”
Does life truly never go as planned?
Perhaps because they are wild, it seems they won’t be easily tamed.
“What a shame.”
I, who had savored the lost romance, had no choice but to turn back towards the campsite.
– Thump, thump, thump.
– Crunch.
The sound of the wind that reached me on the way back seemed a little strange.
But, it was probably just my imagination.
****
The next day.
“Oh? Someone ate all the leftovers from yesterday!”
After handing over the night watch to Lark and waking up from my sleep, I saw my companions looking surprised at the neatly emptied pot.
“It wasn’t an animal or a monster. They don’t eat this cleanly.”
“Then… Hey, Will, did you eat it yesterday?”
“Ah, that wasn’t me, but…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Sparkling.
Fay LeBlanc was looking at me with a deeply moved expression.
“Ah, yes. I was a bit hungry, so just a little bit of soup.”
Even so, saying a stray dog ate it would be a bit… unseemly.
“That’s not ‘a little bit.’ You licked it clean to the bottom.”
“Hahaha…”
As I offered a white lie to Fay, whose confidence had noticeably soared compared to yesterday, they triumphantly swept back their hair.
Their forehead glistened in the sunlight.
‘It’s a relief their energy has recovered, but…’
‘Surely, this wouldn’t give them some strange conviction about their culinary direction.’
‘I hope this incident positively influences their cooking.’
After a brief moment like that, we once again pushed through the jungle in search of mandrakes.
After several hours of walking,
“We’ve arrived! This is the Mandrake colony!”
We reached our destination for this expedition, the mandrake colony.
“Alright! To explain again, while we stand guard around the colony, you are to harvest as many mandrakes as possible.”
One of the guild members briefly explained our task.
“And the most important thing! When pulling out mandrakes, you must wear these specially enchanted earplugs! Absolutely!”
This was a famous trope in fantasy.
The tales spoke of how if you heard their scream when pulled out, you would bleed from all seven orifices and die.
We soon received earplugs from the guild members, one by one.
“Ah, Mr. Will? You should use this one. It’s a more premium item.”
Just then, Lark called me over and handed me a different pair of earplugs than the others.
Its luxurious purple hue and smooth, polished surface indeed made it look like a high-end item.
“Hahaha, oh, there’s no need for such a thing.”
“You stood watch for me last night, didn’t you? Consider this a token of my gratitude.”
Sweet.
He was truly kind.
Although his image had taken a slight hit because he’d pawned off the night watch to another guild member yesterday, at least he was kind to us.
‘I’ll just consider yesterday’s mistake a touch of human imperfection.’
“And, isn’t your luggage heavy? We only need to stand guard, so I’ll hold it for you.”
And even the warmth of his heart, caring for a trainee.
His kindness warmed my chest.
‘There should be more people like him in the world.’
“Then, I’ll trouble you with it.”
“Yes, I’ll keep it safe.”
I handed my luggage, including my rifle, to Lark.
With Fay also present, we could handle any situation, and it was certainly true that carrying it cumbersome would only hinder the harvesting process.
Of course, considering Fay’s words and what happened yesterday, it wasn’t as if I had no reservations.
‘It’s been peaceful so far, so I can relax a little, right?’
There was no need to act as if I were in ‘hard mode’ when I was clearly in ‘peaceful mode.’
Rather than burdening my heart with baseless distrust, I chose to trust and find comfort.
With a heart as light as my now unburdened self, I headed towards the harvesting grounds.
****
“…That’s it. A perfect plan.”
Lark, the guild leader of the Golden Duck Guild, watched Will’s retreating back as he parted ways with Fay, a vile smile twisting his lips.
‘Farewell, you idiot.’
He was a nuisance from beginning to end.
Thanks to his efforts, Lark had failed to win Fay’s favor.
Moreover, because of his unnecessary meddling, Lark suddenly found himself having to stand guard for real.
“But then again, this will be the last time I see his living face.”
The earplugs he had given Will were not, in fact, meant to block sound.
It was engraved with amplification magic, making even the slightest sound resonate loudly—a type of speaker.
What would happen next was simple.
Will, hit squarely by the mandrake’s scream, would die, and Lark would seize the confusion to swap out the earplugs.
Since forensic investigation would be impossible in such a place, it would be concluded as an unfortunate accident of an incompetent novice explorer who hadn’t properly worn their earplugs.
“This way, I’ll get rid of him, comfort LeBlanc, and while I’m at it, pilfer this artifact. Perfect.”
He had absolute confidence in his eloquence.
He had experience in ruining countless trainee adventurers who had set out for the Nether with grand ambitions, all with his silver tongue.
If necessary, he could demand contract fulfillment based on the toxic clauses hidden in the corners of the contract.
“…Well then, it’s about time.”
Lark glanced at his wristwatch, awaiting the news of Will’s demise.
Yet,
“…”
As time passed,
“…”
No news came.
“…What?”
‘Are they slacking off? Those foolishly diligent fellows wouldn’t do that, would they?’
‘I suppose I’ll have to go take a look…’
Just as Lark was thinking that and about to move towards the colony,
– Thump! Thump! Thump!
A ground-shaking vibration rattled Lark’s body.
‘What is it?’
An ominous premonition bit at his nape.
“Aargh! Run!!”
“A Giant Brain-Licking Anteater! F*ck, of all days, it had to be today…!!!”
“Guild Leader! Guild Leader! It’s coming your way!”
The screams of guild members echoed from all directions.
And then,
“Kuwaaaah… Kraaaaargh!!!!”
Before his eyes, a house-sized anteater with blue fur was charging madly towards him.
Scarlet blood, gushing from its body as if it had been torn apart by something, contrasted starkly with its blue fur, making it appear even more grotesque.
“Why is that here?”
The Brain-Licking Anteater.
A top-tier demonic creature of the ‘Noble’ rank, inhabiting the deepest parts of the Black Forest.
It was now right before him.
As if all his past good fortune was being repaid with ill luck.
“…F*ck.”
Lark’s expression twisted into one of horror.
