Chapter 12
Episode 12: Labyrinth Rabyrinthos (6)
[Ten viewers have been detected for cheating.]
[The involved viewers are now prohibited from watching videos for the next month.]
[A penalty inflicts serious damage to parts of their bodies.]
[Upon the second detection, the viewers will be permanently expelled.]
One might end up paralyzed. They could lose their sense of sight or taste.
If unlucky, even more vital parts might permanently lose their function.
The penalty for breaking the rules was just that harsh.
"What, what the hell is happening here?"
Park Hana stuttered, beads of cold sweat forming on her face.
All this time she thought she was the one who had been thoroughly observing and planning.
No, it had to be just her.
But why...
Why were all the trump cards she prepared being read so clearly?
"Who are you, really?"
"What would you do with that information?"
"That! It's all so nonsensical! This is like..."
...like he's reading minds.
'Or like he's someone who's experienced it all before.'
Park Hana couldn't bring herself to finish the thought.
The moment she vocalized it, it felt as if all the common sense she knew would collapse.
And, of course,
Jinhyuk had no intention of answering her question.
"It wouldn't matter if I told you."
Whether he mentioned his nickname from the [Tower of Ordeal].
Or the achievements he made there.
No one would remember him.
An old hand in a game long defunct.
He was the final player to wander a world everyone else had left behind.
Then it happened.
[Conditions met.]
[You have successfully copied the unique ability 'Sympathy (C)'!]
[The copied skill is stored in 'Memories of the World'.]
[Sympathy
Acquisition Difficulty: C
You can invoke amicability in other living creatures. This is effective even upon the first encounter. However, the effect may be weak if the level of the ability is low.]
The status window announcing the completion of the copy appeared before him.
Thanks to everyone else disappearing except Park Hana.
'Good. I finally have it.'
Jinhyuk nodded with satisfaction.
An ability with growth potential.
Currently a C-rank, but it held promise for much more.
B... A and even beyond.
Moreover,
He hadn't sought after this ability just for the sake of sympathy.
'The reason I was special.'
'The reason I could reach the top floor of the tower.'
It wasn't just about copying skills.
It was about merging the copied skills to create superior abilities of a higher dimension.
"I'll draw out an ability from 'Memories of the World'."
Jinhyuk murmured quietly.
The abilities to call forth...
'Element of Fire' and 'Sympathy'.
The two of them.
Whoosh!
Flames soared up around his left hand.
Woowoowoong!
A golden light flickered in his right hand.
'Sympathy,' when fused with water-attribute abilities, could nearly double its effect.
'Not bad.'
More of a carrot than a stick, right?
Avoiding a hostile atmosphere while still being able to naturally approach.
On the other hand,
When 'Sympathy' was merged with a flame-type ability, it could create a 'Brand'.
A Brand that could enforce absolute submission from a psychologically shattered target.
Fssssht!
When the left and right hands came together, a blinding spark erupted.
[You have successfully merged the abilities!]
[You have acquired the skill 'Soul Flame Brand (A)'!]
[Soul Flame Brand
Acquisition Difficulty: A
Description: You Brand a target. The Branded must obey the caster's commands unconditionally and cannot take any action to harm the caster. Violation of this will result in agonizing pain and combustion of the entire body.]
A cursed flame that could Brand the soul.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Jinhyuk's heart raced.
The thrill of collecting new skills.
'Right. This is it!'
He had chosen the unique ability 'Fusion' for this satisfaction and excitement.
While others rely on their one-of-a-kind abilities,
He was capable of encompassing all abilities in the world.
'It's just the beginning.'
There were still mountains of abilities to collect in order to ascend to the pinnacle of the tower.
"......Huh?"
It was then that he sensed something.
Immediately.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The shaking of the earth was followed by a roaring noise.
"Kraaaugh!"
The familiar roar of the beast echoed.
'That's right. I forgot about that thing.'
Jinhyuk had become so accustomed that he had almost forgotten about the other presence that was uncomfortably cohabiting the labyrinth.
***
"Not, not that monster again."
Park Hana stumbled backwards.
Fear had crawled deep into her bones.
To her, the Minotaur was akin to a calamity.
She had to run.
Right now.
But where?
Jinhyuk, who seemed to be the only one knowing the way out of the labyrinth, was simply grinning at nothing.
'What's so great about this, damn it!'
Swearing rose up to her throat, but right then, getting away from this place was the priority.
"If you are going to fight, just tell me which way to go, and I'll keep out of it."
Throughout the fights, Jinhyuk had always informed his party members in advance which direction they should take to avoid getting caught in the fray.
She didn't know why.
He probably just didn't like the hassle.
Whatever the case,
The important part was that she wouldn't have to get involved in the fight.
But then.
"Why should I have to tell you that?"
Jinhyuk shrugged.
"But you always have until now..."
"Up until now, I had reason to keep you safe because I needed something from you."
Not anymore.
Having met his copying objectives, there was no longer a single reason he should help her.
Whether she died of starvation wandering the labyrinth,
Or fell victim to a trap.
"You're going to abandon me here?"
"Don't give me that look as if you've been dumped. Weren't we always in a kill or be killed situation from the beginning?"
He had someone who would ambush him at the first opportunity.
As Jinhyuk drew a cold line, Park Hana's face darkened rapidly.
"Wait, just hold on! You'll regret this. If my, my brother finds out about this...!"
"Oh, your brother, huh..."
Jinhyuk mutters, as if he had been expecting that threat.
The threat of retribution from the Black Crow Guild, where Park Hajin was.
Ssssht!
Jinhyuk drew his dagger.
Tssst.
Energy crackled around the blade, emitting a nearly blinding aura.
"They really did see me as a joke, it seems."
Up until this point, he had mostly been evading due to his gap stats.
To an onlooker, it must have looked like he was merely fleeing from a confrontation like a slippery eel.
That's why...
"Watch closely. Who they should be afraid of - that stupid guild or me."
"What do you mean by that?"
Park Hana asked but Jinhyuk had already vanished from his spot.
Sprint!
He reappeared above the charging Minotaur's head.
Downwards.
Straight for the massive bull's occiput, went the dagger.
Boom!
"Aaaarrrgh!"
A pained bellow.
Even if it couldn't be wounded by anything less than a holy relic, pain was inevitable.
With a weapon made 10-fold stronger, aimed at the precise spot...
It was more than enough to flip its stomach inside out.
'The training to improve my gap stat really paid off.'
Their first encounter was dangerously close.
The Minotaur was incredibly fast, its attack range was wide, and he also faced a physical handicap.
He could barely maintain opposition for around 20 minutes.
But now.
After ten days brimming with real combat experience and stat improvements, the situation had completely changed.
Vroom!
Jinhyuk slightly cocked his head to dodge an axe attack.
At the same time.
[Lv1 'Element of Fire' has been activated!]
Three streams of fire ravaged the Minotaur's face.
Whomp whomp whoop!
A detonation sound mixed with the smell of burning flesh.
It was a direct hit.
"Krrraugh!"
The Minotaur reeled, staggering heavily.
But this was not the end.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
'I need to keep pressuring it so that it can't recover.'
The creature couldn't be killed,
But creating a situation akin to death was enough.
Crack crack crack!
The dagger sliced across its joints.
From the ankle to the knee.
Targeting the very pillars that upheld its body.
"Aaaarrrghhh!"
The Minotaur swung out wildly in response to the storm of strikes.
Of course, Jinhyuk was not one to be hit by such blind attacks.
After retrieving his dagger, he immediately distanced himself.
Vroom!
Once more, the axe cleaved through empty air.
"Don't be too rowdy. Your muscles will be tough if they heal."
The tenderness of beef is life, isn't it?
Jinhyuk teased.
"Rrrraaagh! Krrraaaugh!"
Naturally, the Minotaur was furious, stamping its feet in anger.
If it could just manage to land one blow...
Even just one hit could end it all.
But for some reason, that one blow elusively tormented the creature.
Watching the panting Minotaur, the corners of Jinhyuk's lips rose.
'Just a bit more to provoke, and I'm there.'
Almost at the limit.
That moment when the creature had to play its last card was nearing.
Just as predicted.
Unable to handle the ongoing provocation, the Minotaur triggered its unique ability.
[The Guardian of the Labyrinth has activated Lv10 'Rage Barrage (狂暴化)'!]
[For the next five minutes, Minotaur's attack power, speed, and mobility will increase by 30%!]
[It temporarily gains increased intelligence.]
[It will be able to communicate using language.]
Crunch! Crackle!
The muscles swelled almost to bursting, and the eyes turned bloodshot.
The figure grew nearly three times larger.
The enormous axe looked nearly like a hand-axe by comparison...
The sheer intimidation was difficult to describe in words.
"How can I possibly defeat that?"
Park Hana slumped down where she stood.
Her legs had given way entirely.
'That man, this time, it's impossible. There's no chance.'
It was something she could instinctively grasp.
No matter how much she flailed, it was in vain.
***
Zap! Zing!
Jinhyuk also felt a tingling on his skin.
An overwhelming magical power.
After all,
This was a creature one would normally encounter only above the fifth floor of the tower.
So if it's going full power, a level 1 player would have no chance.
Even if there were hundreds of players present,
Or even a group of experienced players.
"Human! I shall tear you to shreds and scatter your remains at the entrance of the labyrinth. To ensure none as reckless dare to invade this place again!"
The Minotaur snarled.
Clank!
The axe lunged forward.
And with it, materialized magic began to seep into the labyrinth.
The earth scorched, and the moisture in the air dried up.
Nevertheless,
"Hmm. Not bad. It even feels like you manage your magical power better than before. But wouldn't it be more efficient to use earth attributes? Wouldn't that be better for you?"
Jinhyuk even enjoyed the mounting pressure.
No matter how strong or swift the attack, if it doesn't hit, it's futile.
And Jinhyuk had the experience to make avoiding it possible.
"That's not confidence. Human. It's rashness, arrogance."
Rashness... and arrogance?
Little calf has a big vocabulary.
Show off some Aussie beef.
"Well, I think the arrogant one isn't me, but you."
"Oh? And why's that?"
"Rage Barrage. You shouldn't be using it, right?"
There was a reason why it had been conserving that power all this time.
Able to wield formidable strength for 5 minutes, but with a 24-hour complete immobilization penalty afterward.
That was the reason.
"...You know more than I expected."
The Minotaur's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
But that was only for a fraction of a second.
"However, do you think you'll be able to run around within that time?"
Five minutes is a long time.
Especially in such narrow corridors.
"Who said I'll only be running?"
The flame danced along the blade.
Flickering fire.
From that end.
Fwwooosh!
Jinhyuk began to muster his power.