Chapter 89: The Ruined Laboratory
Chapter 89: The Ruined Laboratory
Instead of breaking a path straight to the second floor, we would clear the first floor completely before moving up. Increasing our pace was good, but I changed my mind after Shin Sangyong read the ancient record. If we could find the Aura Spearman, investing two or three months, let alone two or three days, would be well worth it.
To be honest, I was a little skeptical. We had just found the Chimera Alchemist a short while ago; would another one really appear? Wasn't I being too greedy? Could Secret and Rare Classes really pop up so easily, just as I hoped?
Nevertheless, I held a strange sense of anticipation because I was currently on an upswing. That was how life worked. During my first run, when I fell, I truly fell without end. I had even experienced falling to the lowest level of Hell.
But even if the descent carried you into the abyss, the ascent could likewise carry you endlessly to the very top. I felt as though I was riding that upward momentum now. I did not know how long it would last, but while it did, I wanted to exploit it—and lean on it—as much as possible.
In the center of the hall, I activated my Third Eye again. I was certainly getting a lot of use out of it.
“Leader. Which way will you go first?”
Was he asking me to choose where to go first? I combined Sensing with Third Eye to examine each route. Just as Shin Sangyong had said, the hall occupied the center of the first floor’s layout. Excluding the corridor we had entered through, there were three directions available.
Since it was a laboratory, there were countless obstacles in the way. However, there were only a few rooms or spaces worth entering. Six to the west, along with a staircase; four to the north; and one to the east, with another staircase. I guessed the stairs led to the second floor.
“We'll start with this direction.”
I turned toward the western passage. Better to get the hard part over with first. It seemed best to tackle the west, which had the most places to check. If we were exhausted, I would have gone east first, but our stamina had been fully restored by our rest.
Naturally, I was at the head of the party. The lead position should, in principle, be taken by the caravan's leader and a ranger, but since we didn't have a ranger, I stood there alone. Hoping that the next User we recruited would be an archer, I led the group forward.
The vanguard plays a crucial role. They must be prepared for surprise attacks and can make or break a caravan depending on the direction they lead. Since we lacked a ranger, Shin Sangyong or Jung Hayeon should have been in front, but we couldn't put a mage in the vanguard. Besides, after following my lead, which had proven far superior to any ranger's, they had no complaints about me taking the point.
Without a hint of hesitation, I walked down the corridor at a normal pace. The laboratory seemed to have a complex structure at first glance, but it was quite simple if you could distinguish which rooms to enter and which to ignore. Aside from the one person in the corridor when we first arrived, I couldn't sense any other presence in the hallways. That meant we only had to be careful of the rooms and other spaces.
Of course, there was no guarantee that the second and third floors were the same as the first, so this assumption was limited to this floor.
A short while later, we found the first space. It was the outermost room on the western passage that my Sensing had picked up. The rooms we had passed on our way here from the south felt like ordinary hospital rooms, but this space gave off the complete opposite impression.
The heavy iron door was shut tight, and its surface, along with the walls, was stained with faint, dark-red bloodstains. And from within… I could feel the presence of something alive, breathing. What could it be? What could have stayed alive and breathing in here for so long? I stopped in front of the iron door and turned to the party.
“Before we reached the central hall, you were all startled when those things suddenly poured out of a room we opened.”
I stopped and stared at Yoojung. The culprit who had flung the door open after saying, “Huh? What’s this?” lowered her head. I clicked my tongue inwardly and continued.
“I don't sense that many presences in this room. But instead of retreating blindly like last time, it might be better to fight with the door between us. It seems the creature is aware of our presence, so don't let your guard down for a second when I open the door.”
Tension filled the faces of my companions. After watching them make their own preparations, I approached the door.
“I’ll open the door. An attack may come the instant it opens. Sol, cast Shackles immediately. You two Mages, cast spells inside to restrict its movement. Hyun and Yoojung, move a little farther forward from your current positions. And do not neglect the flanks.”
No one answered. They just nodded silently at my orders. I added one more thing.
“Whatever's in there, we have the advantage if we fight at the door. Now then….”
I put my hand on the iron door’s handle. Behind me, I heard Yoojung whisper, “Please let it be an empty room,” and Ahn Hyun reply, “Hyung said there’s something in there.” I ignored them. Closing my hand around the handle, I grunted and pulled. The iron door was heavy enough that an ordinary person could not open it alone, but it was nothing compared with my Strength Stat.
Grrrnd.
Since the door had been closed for a long time, I heard the sound of its stiff mechanisms being forced open. The moment I put more strength into it and threw the door open at once, I heard something shatter, and a foul stench washed over me. And at the same time—
“Kuaaaang!”
A huge fist shot toward my body. But we weren't just standing by.
“Shackle!”
Sol's spell erupted, and I saw a white light flash past me. Nice, I thought, praising her perfect timing, but the scene that followed was anything but nice.
“Grrr… aah!”
The arm, which had paused for a moment, soon began to twitch. It ignored Sol's binding spell and threw the punch at me again. Ha. It resisted a spell from someone with a Magic Power stat over 80? I was surprised, but I raised my scabbard to defend against the attack.
“Soohyun, look out—!”
Thwack! Crash! Thump.
“Kereck! Keleck! Keleck!”
That's some power. I hadn't used my full strength, but I was still forced back half a step from its blow. However, I brought out the technique I had once used against the boss monster during the Rite of Passage. My own technique, based on the principle of Four Ounces Deflect a Thousand Pounds.
I combined the shock of the blow that entered my body with my own strength and returned it to the creature. Its right hand exploded from the impact, and I saw it fly backward. With a loud crash, the creature fell flat on its back and screamed in pain.
“…A giant.”
“I-it's my f-first time seeing a giant in person.”
The creature clutching its hand inside the room was none other than a giant. Its height of over five meters was a magnificent sight, but it was hard to see it as a pure giant. Various mechanisms and artifacts were dangling from its body. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were implanted.
I now understood why Sol's spell hadn't fully worked. The blood flowing through the bodies of the Hall Plain's giants naturally possesses strong magic resistance. Normally, it should have been able to reflect the spell, not just resist it, but it seemed to be significantly weakened, so it hadn't gone that far. I could deduce that while the visible mechanisms and artifacts had extended its lifespan, the giant's natural traits had weakened over time.
“Grrr… Grrr… Haa, haa.”
“Everyone, focus. It's a giant, but it's in a very weakened state. However, its magic resistance seems to still be active, so the mages and Sol should fall back for now.”
“Hmm… I may not be able to help directly, but I can provide indirect support.”
“I won’t stop you. Yoojung, take the Keeper position. Ahn Hyun and Vivian, behind me.”
“Hyung. Support?”
“Yes.”
Chosen over Yoojung, Ahn Hyun rushed over as if on wings. Vivian, though an alchemist, understood why I had called her and moved to my side. As I watched the party swiftly change formation, I turned my gaze forward again. The giant was just pushing itself up with its remaining arm.
My eyes met the giant's. This giant, too, was likely another victim of the Residents' experiments. Its eyes blazed with unconcealable hostility. But that was all. I hadn't been the one to experiment on it, so I felt no guilt or sympathy.
Giants possessed powerful racial traits by nature. During my first run, the leader of the giants had been a being called a demigod. Yet giants tended to be earnest and simple by temperament, which made them reliable companions. Even so, I had no intention whatsoever of making the creature before me an ally.
From behind, I could hear Vivian muttering an incantation. The giant must have seen it, as the killing intent in its face deepened.
Whoosh. I saw its remaining left arm fly toward me. Its innate physical strength was a far cry from the blows of the giants I knew. But. Even so, the fist it swung was packed with ferocious power.
I leaned my head back slightly, and its fist cut through empty air. But it was too good an opportunity to just let the fist go. I raised my sword with my left hand, adjusting it so the flat of the blade would just touch the giant's fist. And just as I intended, the moment my blade and its fist made contact, I channeled my magic. Let's see how you like this.
The sight that followed was enough to draw gasps from everyone. During my first run, I had developed a sword style to compensate for my lower Strength and Magic Power compared with top-tier Users. Its essence was founded on Taiji—not overwhelming force and severing power, but softness and redirection.
Though my blade was only touching the giant's hand, its arm was being led around by the movement of my sword. Naturally, the creature couldn't maintain its balance and staggered about. I pulled it far to the left, then bent it back to the right. It was just like dangling a string in front of a cat. In that moment, the giant, over five meters tall, was reduced to a mere pet. And Ahn Hyun was not one to miss such an opening.
“Hah!”
With a spirited shout, Ahn Hyun thrust his long spear. Seeing the giant staggering, he seemed to be aiming for its torso, just trying to land a blow. But a giant is a giant, however weakened, and its instincts remained. It wasn't going to go down so easily. Even as it stumbled, the giant accurately tracked the tip of the spear and struck the shaft with the wrist of its free arm.
“Whoa…!”
The force of the blow sent Ahn Hyun stumbling. He must have poured a lot of magic into the attack, as the collision created a loud noise, but his thrust had been too direct. It would have been better to aim for a blind spot.
At the same time, the giant put in a burst of effort, and I felt the magical connection between its hand and my sword snap. My eyes glinted. Well, I had just been toying with it, so I wasn't disappointed. And our little game had bought Vivian more than enough time to finish her spell.
As if in answer to my expectations, Vivian's clear incantation echoed through the room.
“Come! Imprison! Steel Restrainer who rules the 49th Legion!”
The familiar magic circle appeared, and a hazy smoke began to flow into the room. Then, as if responding to Vivian's summons, the magic circle began to glow brightly. Sensing something amiss, the giant, which had been charging recklessly, instinctively put distance between us.
As I watched this unfold, I heard Vivian's calm voice call to me from behind.
“Soohyun, I’ll order Imprison to focus on support. You and Hyun deliver the decisive blows.”
“You plan to restrain it? A giant's blood won't be easy to deal with.”
“Hmph. My magical beasts are chimeras I've personally enhanced. Just watch. I'll show you whose power is greater.”
“I'm looking forward to it.”
Vivian and I exchanged words leisurely. She was so confident in her reply that she even smiled. Imprison. I was very curious to see what abilities it would show this time. Annoyed that his first attack had failed, Hyun gripped his spear tightly beside me. Seeing this, I also took my stance.