Chapter 150
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Paldalsan, The Secret of the Dragon Labyrinth - 4
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“—Hey! Kim Kang-seok, what do you think you’re doing, bringing these distinguished individuals here for this!”
Commander Jeong Sang-sik shot up from his seat with a shout.
He glared at Colonel Kim Kang-seok as if he were about to grab him by the collar.
Beside him, Edward Woods and Director Hwang Yeon-soo sat with hardened expressions.
“Sir? What do you mean?”
“What the hell is that, you bastard!”
He was pointing at the TV. Breaking news was currently on the air.
- …This is the scene at the Paldalsan Labyrinth. It’s been an hour since Lee Hyun-wook, Steel Rain, arrived on site. According to a report that just came in, Lee Hyun-wook’s raid team has entered the labyrinth!
This had been anticipated since yesterday, so there was nothing particularly special about the scene.
However, just as Kim Kang-seok had mentioned earlier, the ‘qualified’ candidate, Captain Seo Eun-ha, appeared on the TV…
“R-right now… Captain Seo is following… who… into where!”
She was with Lee Hyun-wook. No matter how you looked at it, Lee Hyun-wook had beaten them to the punch.
For those who had come seeking her, believing she was the ‘qualified one,’ the situation couldn’t be more baffling.
“…Sir, I’m not sure why you’re suddenly acting this way. What mistake have I made?”
“What, you bastard?”
“As I mentioned before, Captain Seo has been deployed on a very important mission. That is all.”
Kim Kang-seok feigned ignorance, a rare move for him. That’s how much he wanted to mess with them, and he had succeeded.
Edward Woods remained expressionless, but unlike usual, his face was flushed bright red.
Director Hwang Yeon-soo, who had been watching the scene unfold, sighed and shook his head.
“Ha— General Jeong, you’re not very good at managing your troops, are you?”
“N-no… Director Hwang, that’s not it…”
A three-star general was trembling at a single word from a future powerhouse.
Kim Kang-seok found the scene not just pathetic, but disgusting.
“Director Hwang, it’s not too late. I’ll order Captain Seo to be brought back immediately.”
At those words, Hwang Yeon-soo scoffed.
“Shit, you think that’s gonna work? And doing that would make us look terrible. Hah… This British gentleman here came all this way to be polite, so what do you think people will say if we do that? Huh?”
For a moment, a heavy silence fell over the battalion commander’s office.
“Ha— Well, it doesn’t matter. Even if General Jeong messes up, I’ll handle it.”
“……”
“And just because some hero-wannabe treats a mere colonel with respect, he’s getting way too arrogant, this one…”
Hwang Yeon-soo scoffed at Kim Kang-seok and then shot up from his seat.
“But you, it won’t be long before you realize just how wrong your attitude in your professional life is.”
He whispered the ominous words and then led Edward Woods out of the battalion commander’s office.
***
At that moment, Lee Hyun-wook stood before the left door at the fork in the labyrinth’s entrance.
- Do you wish to open the door to the ‘Dragon Lair Ruins (Labyrinth)’? (Y/N)
* 1 ‘Dragon Lair Ruins - Entry Token’ will be consumed. (3 in possession)
As shown, the number of times this labyrinth door could be opened was limited.
The entry tokens had been given as a reward for defeating Azi Dahaka.
‘And this labyrinth was likely designed to be attempted multiple times.’
Since it gave a hint at the final gate, at least two entry tokens would be necessary.
‘But for me, one is more than enough.’
Rumble—rumble—rumble—!
Soon, the massive door opened, revealing a vast darkness from which a chilly wind seeped out.
“Wow… this looks more like a royal palace than a labyrinth.”
Just as Park Jun-mo said, it had the ornate feel of a European mansion’s hallway. However, as if they were in a land of giants, everything was dizzyingly large and distant, and with the thick darkness, the end was nowhere in sight.
And…
Groooan—
From within the darkness, along with an unidentifiable breathing sound, blue lights began to glow in the distance.
The strange thing was that these lights were also emanating from the walls, ceiling, and floor.
“What are those things… they look like they’re crawling out of the walls.”
Just as Lee Jeong-jun said, they poured out from every surface like maggots, splatting onto the floor.
“Those must be Draugr.”
Lee Hyun-wook said.
Draugr, undead soldiers from Viking mythology that guard tombs, looked like mummies at a glance. They were common monsters in tomb or ruin-type dungeons.
“Don’t let their appearance fool you. Their strength varies wildly depending on the power of their summoner.”
“So, since this is the Dragon Lair Ruins, we can assume they’re stronger than average, right?”
- Draugr of the Dragon Lair Ruins (LV: 81)
‘Still, each one isn’t particularly strong on its own.’
The problem was, as seen before, dimensional rifts were opening in the ceiling, walls, and floor, from which they poured out.
The moment one stepped into this labyrinth, one would have to fight ceaselessly, without a moment’s rest.
In other words, this was a place where you had to grab the treasure and get out as quickly as possible, rather than leisurely exploring.
“…Wow, they keep crawling out from all sides. We’ll need to be extremely careful.”
But Lee Hyun-wook had the ultimate legion of tankers, which felt no fear.
“Advance—”
Clank— Clank—
The Living Armors and Iron Golems advanced shoulder to shoulder, maintaining their formation.
His plan was to push forward using the 45 Living Armors and 15 Iron Golems as a shield.
With the addition of Talos, the ‘Bronze Sentinel,’ they could push through like a tank corps.
「You can leave the front lines to us!」
And the fruits of his continuous research in magitech began to shine, one by one.
The first was the further improved magic machine gun, the ‘Graver Buffalo.’
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!
A whopping 25 Graver Buffalos simultaneously spat fire, literally pulverizing the approaching Draugr. A few managed to break through the hail of bullets, but at the very front, the Iron Golems stood firm like a wall of rock.
The Draugr’s greatswords and axes, imbued with a sinister power, struck the Iron Golems’ bodies.
Clang—!
With a single blow, the hard metal bodies were sliced through like tofu.
But if they lacked the intelligence to aim for the core, the attack was useless.
Gurgle— Gurgle—
The metal fragments scattered on the floor were absorbed back into the Iron Golems’ bodies.
And then, the severed parts were completely restored.
“Wow— this combat system is simple, but it’s no joke.”
“I know, right? Incredible firepower and absolute defense…”
Even the Hope Guild Players following behind couldn’t help but be impressed all over again.
Not that they were just standing around. There was no better opportunity for them.
“Hey, what are you all doing! Free EXP is coming right at us!”
At Kim Se-hee’s shout, the Hope Guild members all used their skills at once—wiping out the swarming Draugr.
“You won’t get a chance like this unless you’re raiding with the boss!”
“Yeah! I’m hitting level 35 here today!”
The Hope Guild Players, feeling like they had hit the jackpot, diligently cast their area-of-effect spells.
Boom—boom—boom—boom—!
“Oh, the EXP is really piling up.”
“Heck— I’ve already leveled up once!”
Among the excited Players, Lee Hyun-wook spoke up.
“Quite a lot of Draugr are respawning here. Let’s hunt a little longer before we go.”
Everyone cheered at his words.
But for Seo Eun-ha, the sight was simply dumbfounding.
“Wait a minute, hunting…?”
But it truly was a hunt unfolding before her eyes, or rather, something closer to a massacre.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!
They set up a formation at the center of a four-way corridor and annihilated the insect-like swarms of Draugr pouring out from all directions—no, from the ceiling, walls, and floor—as if they were swatting bugs.
“N-no way, can you even call this… a raid?”
It was a scene she couldn’t easily comprehend. The raids she had experienced so far had been quite arduous. No matter how easy the monster, you had to face it directly, risking death or injury. That’s why you always had to be extremely cautious, but this… this was so stable it was peaceful.
‘Huh— can raids be automated? At this rate… will Players be out of a job in the future?’
It was so absurd that such a thought crossed her mind. She was in a state of considerable shock.
“…Lee Hyun-wook, are you controlling all of those things?”
Seo Eun-ha asked Lee Hyun-wook with a dazed expression, and he nodded.
With the ‘Athena’s Golden Reins’ he had obtained earlier, his maximum number of subordinates had increased significantly.
‘I can control up to 93 units now.’
Meaning, he could operate twice the current number, but he saw no need to overexert himself.
“Oh, and if you cast buffs on the front line, Captain Seo, you’ll also get EXP.”
Even now, the members of the Hope Guild under Lee Hyun-wook were happily raking in EXP that way.
“You know, when you’re with our boss, it’s what you’d call power-leveling.”
Kim Se-hee added, but Seo Eun-ha looked like she didn’t know what that meant.
“……Power-leveling?”
“Ah, unni, did you not play computer games or anything when you were younger?”
“No…”
Kim Se-hee smiled sheepishly and continued to explain.
“Uh, well… it means you can gain experience easily.”
Of course, high-level Players helping low-level Players grow was not unheard of, but such arrogance could easily endanger the entire raid team, so it was something to be avoided.
‘But with a method like this, you can definitely gain EXP safely.’
Come to think of it, besides Lee Hyun-wook, the growth rates of Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo, who were originally soldiers, were also astounding.
“Hani—now!”
Kim Se-hee whipped up a gust of wind that tore through the left corridor, shredding a dozen Draugr into pieces.
Whoosh—sh-sh-sh—!
The dozens of wind currents that formed the gale were all sharp ‘Blades of Wind.’
“—To the right corridor, I’ll clear it out!”
At Park Jun-mo’s shout, sparks began to fly violently from his palm.
Rumble—
The sight of dark clouds forming near the ceiling was a marvel even for Seo Eun-ha.
And…
Crack—crack—crack—le—!
From within, lightning rained down, turning dozens of Draugr to ash.
Not long ago, they were literally at the level of soldiers, and even as aces, they were far below her…
‘…Now, honestly, they’re almost on par with me.’
Seeing their incredible growth, she felt they would soon surpass her… and she felt an unwarranted sense of deprivation.
‘Lee Hyun-wook, how are you developing the people around you so quickly?’
This sense of otherness and awe she had felt from Lee Hyun-wook long ago… it only grew with time.
“Unni, it seems like a waste to just stand there and watch.”
“Ah, right… I should help out too…”
Seo Eun-ha eventually joined the hunting party and managed to gain a decent amount of EXP.
***
After advancing for about eight hours without a break, they finally arrived before the ‘Final Door.’
Gooooong—
A massive iron door, a good 10 meters high, completely blocked the path.
‘This is the final gate.’
And on its surface, a red lock symbol was glowing.
- (!) This area can only be entered by satisfying a ‘special condition.’
When Lee Hyun-wook approached and placed his hand on it, words began to form on the door.
- This door can only be opened by one who possesses the ‘qualification.’
“You’re saying that the one with the qualification is me now?”
Seo Eun-ha asked, raising the ‘Sword Containing an Unknown Authority,’ and Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
She slowly approached and placed her right hand on the door. Then…
Thud—!
With a loud noise, something could be heard turning inside the wall, and soon, the door began to open.
Rumble—rumble—rumble—
And so, a massive hall, presumed to be the final room of this labyrinth, unfolded before them.
Lifting their heads, they saw a chandelier so large it seemed to rival a helicopter in size.
“Whoa— was this place actually inhabited by a dragon? Everything is so huge.”
And in front of them was a staircase, at the top of which sat a large chest.
‘…There it is.’
Inside that very chest was the ‘Dragon Egg.’
But naturally, they couldn’t just take it.
Clank—
That was because a hulking Draugr was guarding the chest.
- Guardian of the Dragon Lair (LV: 115)
As it slowly raised its head, blue flames blazed fiercely in its eyes.
「Where… do you think you are… mere humans…」
The moment it gripped the greatsword embedded in the floor and pulled it out, the ground rumbled.
The sword alone was about 4 meters long, and the creature itself seemed to stand 6 meters tall.
Woong—
Just then, a small magic circle appeared in the center of the hall.
“—Something’s coming!”
The Players anticipated a magic attack and prepared their defenses, but nothing happened.
Woong—
The tiles on the floor near the entrance began to glow, forming the shape of an arrow.
“…What? Is it telling us to step on that magic circle?”
Someone said, and that was the correct answer.
Lee Hyun-wook turned his head to look at Seo Eun-ha.
“Captain Seo, did a system message or something not appear before you?”
She nodded, her eyes still fixed on the ‘Guardian of the Dragon Lair.’
- (!) To prove your qualification, you must face the ‘Guardian of the Dragon Lair’ in a one-on-one duel.
* Victory in this duel will grant you the qualification to obtain the ‘hidden reward.’
* If you win with the help of others, you will only obtain the ‘standard reward.’
“Hmm, does it mean you have to fight that thing alone?”
Lee Hyun-wook asked, pretending not to know, though he was already well aware. But she didn't answer.
“……”
She was currently looking at the ‘Guardian of the Dragon Lair,’ gauging its ‘class.’
“……”
Players who reach a certain level awaken their ‘intuition.’ This allows them to feel mana more keenly, to sense the class of their opponents, and to distinguish between foes they should fight and those they should dare not challenge.
‘That sense is a crucial element in a raid.’
It was a leader’s instinct that could prevent not only their own pointless death but also that of their team members.
Soon, she nodded with a grim expression.
“I hate to sound weak… but this seems a bit impossible…”
Her intuition—her instincts—were screaming at her that charging that thing one-on-one would be suicide.
“That thing seems stronger than most boss monsters, right?”
Indeed, a level 115 boss monster was something that would typically only appear in a major event.
In other words, being able to defeat it one-on-one would be proof of being one of the world’s top Players.
‘Right, Seo Eun-ha isn’t at that level yet.’
She was an excellent tanker and raid leader, not a hero who could crush enemies single-handedly.
However, just because it was difficult didn’t mean she was the type to simply back down at such a crucial moment.
“…But there’s no other way here, is there?”
“No, I don’t think there is.”
At his answer, she took a step forward.
She couldn’t be sure she could win. No, she couldn’t win.
“If by some chance I die… find the next candidate from the Order of the Holy Knights.”
But even as she said this, she wasn’t certain she would die.
At least, not while Lee Hyun-wook was here to prevent it.
“In that case, I’ll lend you some items so you don’t die.”
At his words, Seo Eun-ha looked at Lee Hyun-wook with a still dazed expression.
“Just like how you gave me that bracelet, Captain Seo.”
“You… you’re really milking that, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I was quite moved. I’ll repay that favor now.”
Thud—
He brought over an AD-2, took something out from within, and began placing it on the floor.
It was a helmet, a chestpiece, greaves, and vambraces—a full set of black armor.
“This is an Adamant 85% Full Plate Armor set.”
For a tanker Player, a full set of Adamant armor was considered a lifelong dream.
It was the same for Seo Eun-ha. And now, it was right in front of her.
She slowly reached out and picked up one of the pieces.
[Item Information]
- Name: Adamant Armor Chestpiece (Proficient)
- Effect: Most impacts will not even scratch this armor.
It was a Proficient-grade crafted item. In other words, it was on par with the Hero grade.
As she equipped all the pieces of armor…
- The <Adamant Armor Set (5/5)> effect has been activated!
* A certain amount of all physical damage is ignored. (-30%)
* Inflicts additional damage when in contact with the opponent. (+20%)
“…Wait, a thing like this actually exists in reality?”
Of course, at this point in time, such an item couldn’t possibly exist.
‘This is what the dimension traveler William Bernard was wearing.’
It was likely 7 to 8 times more effective than the full plate armor Seo Eun-ha was currently wearing.
“You can just have that, Captain Seo.”
Seo Eun-ha’s expression turned to one of surprise again, but she had been surprised so often today that it was becoming embarrassing.
“Now, I can’t give you this, but I can lend it to you.”
It was a belt… none other than ‘Megingjörð.’
“It’s… a Legendary-grade item…”
Lee Hyun-wook pulled it out of the AD-2 as if it were a piece of camping gear and casually dropped it on the floor.
Then he continued to rummage through the AD-2’s subspace, apparently about to pull out something else.
“Oh, and by any chance, are you immune to electricity?”
“Of course. I’m a Holy Knight, aren’t I?”
One of the greatest advantages of the Holy Knight class was having a slight resistance to all elements.
“That’s a relief. There’s something that can activate a set effect with that belt.”
Thump—
What he placed down was a short-handled hammer.
“Gasp!”
She knew what it was without even needing to check.
“…It’s M-Mjölnir, isn’t it?”
It was the item that had caused a stir in the world for a while after Lee Hyun-wook had revealed it.
“If you use that with Megingjörð, you get a set effect that adds an electric current option. Oh, and…”
That wasn’t the end of it.
Thud—
This time, he brought out the ‘Shield of Achilles’ and the ‘Spear of Achilles.’
“Here, hold the shield in one hand, sling the spear on your back, and pull out the spear in a dangerous moment. It’ll make you invincible for a short time, buying you some time. If you use it well, it’s also great for landing a counter.”
She nodded with a blank expression and did as Lee Hyun-wook instructed.
“So, does it seem a bit more manageable now?”
Lee Hyun-wook asked with a slight smile.
It was like a line a third-generation chaebol would coolly toss out after splurging a ton of money.
“Yeah, with this much… it has to be completely different, right?”
And only then did Seo Eun-ha realize. Why so many talented individuals joined private guilds instead of the A.M.T… Was this the thrill of a spec boost through what people called ‘splurging’?
Meanwhile, watching him casually bring out such incredible items sparked a strange excitement in her.
She started to think that if she stuck with this man, she too could accomplish great things.
“…Thank you.”
“Pardon?”
“—N-nothing!”
She donned the items Lee Hyun-wook had provided and, feeling a thrilling sense of fulfillment, advanced.
“Hoo— anyway, since you trusted me and supported me like this…”
She walked forward, holding Mjölnir in her right hand and the Shield of Achilles in her left.
“…It’s my turn to prove it, right?”
Confidence had already begun to bloom on her face.
With a foundation of overwhelming items, her skills would be multiplied.
And since she was confident in her combat sense, she had high hopes for herself.
However…
‘That’s been bothering me for a while now…’
Lee Hyun-wook’s eyes were catching something else.
His gaze fell on a plain, featureless wall in a corner of the hall.
Because…
- Hidden Stage: Entrance to the Sovereign’s Secret Space
Those words were clearly displayed in Lee Hyun-wook’s vision.
‘Strange… in my past life, no one ever found a passage like that.’
It seemed to have been detected by the ‘Insight Lens,’ which had been upgraded just this morning.
‘Hmm, a hidden stage concealed in a labyrinth of this level… what could it be?’
Whatever it was, it would be a reward that Lee Hyun-wook didn’t know about, and one beyond imagination.