Ambush in the Labyrinth
Rookie: Baek Jaesung 29
Another fork in the path appeared. Kim Seonuk frowned.
Contrary to their initial worries, the only monsters they'd encountered so far were variants of evil bats, so progress hadn't been too difficult. The real problem was the paths. This cave was far more labyrinthine than they'd imagined, with tunnels twisting together in complex ways.
If another fork came up, they'd have to turn back. They'd agreed that if they hit four or more forks, they'd return to the starting point.
"Everyone holding up okay?"
As party leader, Kim Seonuk checked in on the group regularly.
"Of course."
"I'm good."
"Yeah, me too."
His gaze shifted to Jang Hana. Her cheeks had been flushed red for a while now. He wondered if she might be coming down with a cold, but she didn't have a fever. It could just be dungeon fatigue—something that happened all the time in places like this.
"Hm?"
Lee Minhyuk, the party's damage dealer who'd taken point instead of tank Hwang Minjun, suddenly tilted his head.
"Minhyuk, what is it?"
"I swear I just heard something."
"Monster?"
At Lee Minhyuk's words, everyone snapped into combat stance. There might be something powerful like the golem they'd fought earlier. They had to steel themselves. If they ran into another golem, they'd bolt without looking back.
"Sounded like a collision. You think a monster makes noise like that? Hmm. Felt like it came from the side."
Lee Minhyuk tilted his head again. Right then, just as he said, a dull thud echoed from immediately beside them.
Thud!
"!?""
This time, the sound rang clear in everyone's ears. Kim Seonuk swallowed hard. He had no idea what was causing it, but it sure as hell wasn't a good sign. This was a dungeon, after all.
Kim Seonuk turned to the group.
"Should we head back?"
Jang Hana was the first to agree.
"Yeah, better to turn around. Could be a monster."
Everyone nodded. There was no reason to take risks right now. But then, faint footsteps echoed from the direction they'd come.
"What the...?"
Kim Seonuk swallowed again. Bipedal monster? Or maybe another party? An inexplicable unease washed over him. Raising his voice toward the opposite tunnel, he called out.
"Who's there? You people?"
A reply came back almost immediately.
"Yeah. Kim Seonuk, right?"
It was the voice of one of Do Byeongseok's party members from earlier that day. Kim Seonuk let out a sigh of relief.
Three people emerged from the opposite tunnel. Kim Seonuk remembered their names well: Sim Chunsik, An Jiho, and Han Siyoung. Sim Chunsik and An Jiho were Do Byeongseok's damage dealers, while Han Siyoung was the healer.
"Fancy running into you here. This cave has a weird layout."
Sim Chunsik spoke first. Kim Seonuk pictured the cave's structure in his mind.
"Maybe all these forked paths converge somewhere? If so, there might be a detour around the dead end, just like Byeongseok said."
"That'd be lucky."
"Yeah. Oh, we just heard something weird here. Like something big crashing into something else. Bad vibes. Think we should head back."
"Big crash?"
Sim Chunsik tilted his head and asked. Kim Seonuk described the sound in detail. After hearing it, Sim Chunsik nodded.
"Might be a monster nearby. Something like that golem, maybe."
"Exactly. Best to regroup with the others first."
"Sounds good."
With that, the two parties decided to turn back. Kim Seonuk's group took the lead. Suddenly, Jang Hana grabbed his arm. He was caught off guard by how close she'd gotten.
It didn't feel bad. If anything, the subtle distance he'd always sensed from her seemed to melt away, leaving him pleased. She whispered to him in a low voice, her expression grave.
"Seonuk. Something's off."
"Huh? What?"
"Those guys. They said they came from another tunnel, right? But we took the rightmost path. Their group was assigned the leftmost. And we agreed to always go left at forks. How the hell did they link up with us?"
Her words sent chills racing down his spine, hair standing on end. Now that he thought about it, the situation was blatantly suspicious.
"Well... the cave's layout is kinda unique, so maybe the forks merge..."
"Possible, but super unlikely, right? Plus, they don't look like they've fought anything. It's like they just followed our trail..."
"Ah. Busted."
A cold voice came from behind, laced with mockery. Kim Seonuk made a snap judgment.
"Combat ready, everyone! They're demonic!"
"Haha! Too late."
An Jiho, Do Byeongseok's damage dealer, had already closed in on him.
An Jiho's ability was Hyper Sense. He could amplify all his senses or detect special ones. He'd been eavesdropping on Kim Seonuk and Jang Hana with super hearing.
"Sharp little bitch, huh? That's why Byeongseok told us to watch out."
"Hey, take out the guy quick. I can already picture Byeongseok bitching about it."
It was Sim Chunsik, Exster Clan's number two and Do Byeongseok's right-hand man. He'd wanted to kill Kim Seonuk's party from the moment he laid eyes on them. Simple reason: Jang Hana was hot.
Do Byeongseok had told them not to act rashly, but he was planning to PK Baek Jaesung anyway. Sim Chunsik figured one more wouldn't hurt. Classic demonic thinking.
Shunk!
"Guh!"
An Jiho's dagger pierced Kim Seonuk's gut. It narrowly missed the vitals. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Kim Seonuk pulled back and activated his ability.
"Heal!"
The stab wound knitting shut rapidly as blood flowed. But An Jiho wasn't done. He wasn't some soft dealer who'd let a healer slip away.
"Seonuk!"
Jang Hana rushed forward, blocking An Jiho's next strike. She slapped his arm away with a knife-hand strike, then drew her sword from her waist.
Jang Hana's ability was Acceleration. In short bursts of speed, she outclassed any hunter. That was why Acceleration, common as it was, remained popular across parties—it had clear strengths.
"Damn it! Seonuk!"
Lee Minhyuk, Kim Seonuk's damage dealer, charged at Sim Chunsik. Kim Seyoung, the other party member, joined him.
"Don't care about the scrub and the orc bitch."
Sim Chunsik clenched his right fist. The two charging at him froze in place. Not by their own will—some external force had seized control of their movements.
Lee Minhyuk and Kim Seyoung felt like massive boulders were crushing their shoulders. Lee Minhyuk realized the ability.
"Gravity Control?"
One of the natural abilities, freely manipulating gravity. Sim Chunsik ramped it up on them.
"Kyaaah!"
"Grrgh!"
They screamed in unison. While Sim Chunsik pinned the two, An Jiho marked Jang Hana.
Jang Hana exploited An Jiho's openings with full Acceleration, her agility boosted and sword razor-sharp.
But An Jiho, senses heightened to the max, blocked her attacks precisely. The speed gap from her ability reset against his keen senses.
Their abilities had a bizarre matchup. Whoever wielded theirs better dominated. If Acceleration outpaced Hyper Sense's perception, she'd pummel him like a dog in summer heat. If Hyper Sense caught her speed, he'd parry every blitz.
An Jiho's edged out hers.
"Ngh! Triple speed!"
Jang Hana gathered mana to boost output. Double speed would've gotten her killed.
Her blood boiled hot. Heart pounding, breaths ragged—yet the world in her eyes slowed, dynamism shrinking. The world decelerated. Speed was relative; her acceleration meant the world's slowdown.
Pushing her body to the limit, Jang Hana chased An Jiho with her blade tip. Her sword style was Cloud-Moving Sword Technique. Its foundation: tracking the foe's movements flawlessly. It demanded superior speed, perfect for Acceleration user Jang Hana.
Sensing her surge, An Jiho matched it. Hyper Sense amplified his dynamic vision and reflexes. Her accelerated moves sharpened in his sight again.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew with each dagger-sword clash. They fought at speeds alien to their surroundings.
Unlike Jang Hana's lethal strikes, An Jiho focused on nullifying her attacks. The skill gap showed here. He aimed to suppress her.
"Heh heh! Gotta love how bitches bounce."
"Hngh! Coward!"
Jang Hana poured everything into her sword. Triple speed left scant mana spare. But the fear of death shattered her limits. Clear mana light blazed from her blade.
Cloud-Moving Sword Technique: Cloud-Breaking Annihilation Flash!
Maximized mana cleaved a single point—the secret art manifesting at her tip. Condensed mana looked like a stamped dot in the air, stretching into a line with her triple speed.
That line bisected An Jiho's body. Her strike was flawlessly clean, even surprising her.
"Watch it, kid."
A purple orb spawned between An Jiho and Jang Hana. Gravity-pull orb. It shattered her killing blow's momentum. Her blade tip swept past him, not into him.
Screee!
Mana slashed empty air, carving the cave wall. Seeing her sword pierce solid rock so easily, An Jiho flashed a relieved grin.
"Chunsik. Nice assist."
Sim Chunsik had aided An Jiho leisurely while binding Kim Seonuk's two party members.