Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Floor Boss
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# 10
“Blood. The three of us were in the same guild in that game.”
Kim Kang-san spoke on behalf of the other two. It seemed the three of them were close, like brothers.
Blood.
It was the second-oldest MMORPG in Korea.
Though two decades had passed since its release, it was a long-running title that still ranked among the top MMORPGs.
It was responsible for creating the darker side of online gaming, such as pay-to-win mechanics, gold farming, and excessive gambling elements, but at the same time, it was a first-generation pioneer that had broadened the very foundation of online gaming in Korea.
Literally, light and darkness.
For better or worse, it was a symbolic presence in the Korean online gaming scene.
In any case, Blood.
‘So they were ‘Bl-jeossi’ after all.’
‘Bl-jeossi’ was a term for the older users who played Blood.
Blood had a long history, and what were commonly called ‘in-game purchases’ held significant influence. On top of that, the gameplay itself was simple, which might have been why it had a considerable number of players in their forties and fifties—a demographic rarely seen in other games.
Perhaps because I was now thinking of him as older, Kim Kang-san’s face suddenly seemed to carry the weight of experience.
When I first saw him, he looked to be in his late twenties, but now he seemed to be in his mid-to-late thirties.
His actual Player age might have been even higher.
After Kim Kang-san and his two companions finished their story, all eyes naturally turned to Park Han-yeong. Her eyes darted around before she answered.
“Pekopeko Online.”
Kim Kang-san, as well as Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin, blinked.
Pekopeko Online?
It was a game name they had never heard before. Park Han-yeong hunched her shoulders even more as she spoke.
“I-It’s a Japanese game. Not on PC… It’s a co-console game. It’s a pretty famous series among enthusiasts…”
Pekopeko Online.
It was a name that gave no clue as to what kind of game it was, but it made a certain amount of sense. Given the cultural differences, it was unlikely that a game emphasizing the ninja concept to that extent would be released in Korea.
With Park Han-yeong, everyone had now introduced the game they came from.
Six Players.
They came from four different games.
Ahn Jae-min shook his head as if bewildered.
“To think we’re all from different games…”
It was something he had never imagined. Usually, in comics or novels, when something like this happened, everyone came from the same game.
Of course, the very idea of being dropped into another world with your game stats was absurd to begin with.
Kim Kang-san asked Kang-seok again.
“You said you were from Fighting God Online, right?”
“Yes, it’s a fighting game.”
Contrary to his appearance, Kim Kang-san was quite sociable. At Kang-seok's natural response, Ahn Jae-min muttered under his breath.
“Wow… Is that why you’re so fast?”
The power of a trained human was truly immense.
For ordinary people who had likely never been in a fight, let alone seen one, it might be hard to grasp, but in reality, there was a significant speed difference between a martial artist and someone with no training.
Of course, whether it was Fighting God Online or Blood, the characters in those games were all superhuman, so comparing a trained person to an untrained one was a bit of a flawed analogy.
But there was a difference in genre.
There was an enormous speed gap between a fighting game where you fought an opponent in real-time and a classic RPG where there was little control beyond clicking a mouse.
Furthermore, Fighting God Online was a game that prioritized speed even among fighting games, and Kang-seok’s character, the Dark Destiny Lord, was a speed-type character that emphasized it even more.
Ahn Jae-min had seen Kang-seok take down the gnolls with his own two eyes, but that was all he did—see it.
He couldn't properly grasp how Kang-seok had defeated them or what attacks he had used.
Before he could even process his shock, five gnolls were sprawled on the ground.
“That’s really amazing.”
Kim Kang-san also nodded at Ahn Jae-min’s somewhat naive admiration. But then Kim Nam-yeong, who had been quiet until now, suddenly interjected.
“You said you came up from the 10th floor, right? Do you know what floor this is?”
Though not overtly aggressive, Kim Nam-yeong’s question was less of an inquiry and more of an interrogation.
Kang-seok’s brow furrowed slightly, and the quick-witted Seong Yu-jin immediately stepped in. She pulled on Kang-seok’s hand and answered Kim Nam-yeong.
“This is the 6th basement floor. The place we were at was the lowest level.”
Strictly speaking, Labyrinthus was a dungeon with eleven floors, but she decided there was no need to mention the final floor.
In response to Seong Yu-jin's answer, Kim Nam-yeong said nothing, instead glancing at Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin’s joined hands.
Kim Kang-san stroked his chin and said.
“We came up from the floor just below this one. It seems there’s more than one staircase connecting the floors.”
The Labyrinthus dungeon was incredibly vast. Part of the reason Kang-seok suspected an entire ecosystem existed within it was its sheer size.
Players starting on different floors. Perhaps there were a few more Players somewhere else in Labyrinthus.
Kang-seok turned his gaze in another direction.
“What about you, Ms. Han-yeong?”
Park Han-yeong, who had been fidgeting, unable to find the right moment to speak, quickly answered.
“I, uh, I started here. On the 6th floor.”
“Do you have any proof that the place you were at was the 10th floor?”
Kim Nam-yeong cut Park Han-yeong off and asked.
Kang-seok’s eyes narrowed, while Seong Yu-jin gave his hand a squeeze, cautiously observing the situation.
Ahn Jae-min looked back and forth between Kim Nam-yeong and Kang-seok, a slightly frightened expression on his face.
As the atmosphere soured, Kim Kang-san was the first to react. He reached out with a large hand, pressed down firmly on Kim Nam-yeong’s head, and then bowed his own to Kang-seok.
“I apologize on his behalf. I think this kid is just on edge because he’s so confused… Please, forgive him.”
Kim Kang-san bowed his head once more, his face full of apology.
Seeing a man who looked at least ten years his senior bow his head and act so deferential, Kang-seok couldn't help but soften.
And in truth, it was only natural to be confused.
For all they knew, something could be happening in the real world while they were stuck here.
He could understand why Kim Nam-yeong was anxious.
Of course, understanding it didn't mean he had to put up with his attitude.
“Now, you too.”
At Kim Kang-san’s urging, Kim Nam-yeong scowled but eventually gave Kang-seok a stiff nod. It was an apology anyone could see was reluctant, but Kang-seok decided not to dwell on it.
Seong Yu-jin seized the opportunity to jump in.
“We have proof. We were able to get some information on the 10th floor.”
Speaking in a deliberately bright tone, Seong Yu-jin looked back at Kang-seok, who nodded. He then turned to Kim Kang-san and continued.
“There were bodies of other people. We managed to get some information from them.”
“Other people? People who played games like us… you mean, Players?”
There were already six Players here. It wouldn't be strange if there were a couple more.
Kang-seok shook his head.
“I don’t know about that. But if they were Players, they definitely came here long before we did.”
The existence of the walkthrough journal.
Moreover, Leif Erikson had cleared the dungeon from the 1st floor all the way down to the 10th.
From the outside in.
Kang-seok didn't reveal the existence of the journal just yet. He glanced down at Seong Yu-jin's hand, which he somehow found himself still holding, and then addressed everyone.
“Let’s move for now. We should find a safe place to talk more… and then figure out a way to escape this dungeon together.”
There was no telling when more gnolls might appear. Including the ones Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin had dealt with before coming here, the number was close to ten, but they couldn't let their guard down. There was no rule saying gnolls had to travel in packs of ten.
Kim Kang-san understood Kang-seok’s point immediately. Without delay, he signaled for Ahn Jae-min and Kim Nam-yeong to move out.
“Phew.”
Seong Yu-jin let out a small sigh of relief.
She had been worried the friction between Kang-seok and Kim Nam-yeong would escalate into a fight, but it seemed to have been resolved for the time being.
‘They don’t seem like bad people, either.’
Ahn Jae-min seemed timid, but he looked like a good person, and Kim Kang-san had a dependable air about him.
‘Thank goodness.’
Sighing in relief again, Seong Yu-jin fidgeted with her hand. She suddenly remembered that her hand was tightly clasped with Kang-seok's.
Seong Yu-jin glanced at Kang-seok, and perhaps because she had wiggled her fingers, Kang-seok looked at her too.
Just as their gazes met in mid-air.
“Uh, um!”
Park Han-yeong, who had been quiet until now, suddenly cried out. But it was only for a moment; as soon as everyone’s attention was on her, she grew timid again and mumbled in a barely audible voice.
“I, I have something important to say.”
Her shyness seemed to be part of her nature, as she even looked around cautiously. But this was the same Park Han-yeong who had shouted to get everyone's attention. Kang-seok listened intently to what she had to say.
“I, I have a stealth skill… s-so I’ve explored almost all of the 6th floor. I also… found the stairs leading up to the 5th floor.”
At Park Han-yeong's words that she already knew the location of the stairs, everyone’s expression changed. As if threatened by their gazes alone, Park Han-yeong flinched with a little ‘hic’ and stammered.
“B-But…”
Her words trailed off again as she glanced around nervously at everyone, before blurting out as if shouting.
“There’s only one staircase, and it’s blocked!”
“Blocked? You mean the stairs collapsed or something?”
Seong Yu-jin asked urgently. Park Han-yeong shook her head.
“N-No. It’s not like that… It’s…”
Park Han-yeong couldn't finish her sentence, her eyes darting around. It seemed she wanted to say something, but the right word wouldn't come to mind.
Kang-seok took a step forward. The moment he heard the stairs were blocked, something occurred to him, and he voiced it.
“A floor boss?”
A boss that exists between floors.
A gatekeeper of sorts.
A common feature in games where you clear facilities like dungeons or towers floor by floor.
Park Han-yeong clapped her hands.
“Th-that’s right! A boss! A huge monster is guarding the stairs!”
As if a weight had been lifted, Park Han-yeong nodded repeatedly. Only her eyes were visible, so he couldn't be certain, but it seemed she was smiling brightly under the layers of cloth.
The others, however, were not.
A floor boss.
A single staircase.
Seong Yu-jin looked back at Kang-seok. Her gaze was filled with a clear question, and Kang-seok nodded in response.
Leif Erikson’s walkthrough journal.
There was no mention of a floor boss on the 6th floor.