Chapter 12: Labyrinth Libarintos (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Labyrinth Libarintos (6)
[10 viewers have been caught cheating.]
[These viewers will be banned from watching videos for one month.]
[Due to the penalty, severe damage will be inflicted on a part of their bodies.]
[Upon a second offense, the viewer will be permanently banned.]
They could suffer paralysis of their limbs, or lose their sight or taste.
If they were unlucky, an even more vital part of their body might lose its function forever.
The penalty for breaking the rules was just that harsh.
"W-what... what's going on here?"
Park Ha-na stammered.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
Until now, she had believed she was the one thoroughly observing and planning.
No, it had to be her, and her alone.
But then...
Why on earth?
Why were all the trump cards she had prepared so carefully being read so easily?
"Who... who are you?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"B-because! None of this makes any sense! It's like..."
It was as if he was reading her mind.
Or like someone who has already experienced everything.
Park Ha-na couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
She felt that the moment she spoke those words aloud, all her common sense would crumble.
And of course, Jinhyuk had no intention of answering her.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."
Whether he told her his nickname from the Tower of Trials, or the achievements he had accomplished there, there was no one left to remember.
A veteran of a game that had gone under long ago.
The final player who drifted through a world everyone else had abandoned—that was me.
It was then.
[Conditions have been met.]
[Successfully copied the unique ability 'Communion (C)'!]
[The copied skill has been stored in 'Memory of the World'.]
[Communion
Acquisition Difficulty: C
Description: Allows you to evoke a sense of familiarity in other living creatures. This applies even upon your first meeting. However, the effect may be reduced if the skill level is low.]
A status window indicating the completion of the copy appeared before his eyes.
It was thanks to everyone else having disappeared, leaving only Park Ha-na.
Good. I finally got it.
Jinhyuk nodded with a satisfied expression.
A growth-type unique ability.
Though it was currently C-rank, it had plenty of room to grow.
To B... A... and even beyond.
Furthermore, his desire to obtain this ability wasn't just for Communion itself.
The reason I was special.
The reason I was able to reach the final floor of the Tower.
It wasn't just because he could copy skills. It was because he could fuse those copied skills to create entirely new, higher-dimensional skills.
"I will summon the abilities from 'Memory of the World'."
Jinhyuk muttered in a low voice.
The abilities to summon were...
'Fire Element' and 'Communion'.
These two.
Whoosh!
Several streaks of flame erupted from his left hand.
Hummmm!
And a golden light shimmered in his right hand.
If 'Communion' was fused with a water-attribute ability, it could amplify the effect of Communion by nearly twofold.
Not bad.
More like a carrot than a stick, perhaps? Since it would allow him to approach others naturally without creating a hostile atmosphere.
On the other hand, fusing 'Communion' with a fire-attribute ability would create a 'Brand'.
A brand that forced absolute submission, though only on targets whose minds had completely broken down.
Crackle!
As his left and right hands met, a dazzling spark erupted.
[Fusion successful!]
[You have acquired the skill 'Brand of the Flame Soul (A)'!]
[Brand of the Flame Soul
Acquisition Difficulty: A
Description: Imprints a 'Brand' upon the target. The branded target must obey the caster's commands absolutely and must not perform any action that harms the caster. Violating this will cause their entire body to burst into flames along with excruciating pain.]
A cursed flame capable of imprinting a brand upon the soul.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Jinhyuk's heart beat rapidly.
A rush of exhilaration washed over him, just as it always did whenever he gathered new skills.
Yes. This is it!
It was this satisfaction and excitement that made him choose 'Fusion' as his unique ability.
While everyone else relied on a single ability, he could encompass every single ability that existed in the world.
This is only the beginning.
To climb to the top of the Tower, there was still a mountain of abilities he needed to collect.
"...Hm?"
But right then, Jinhyuk's senses picked up on something.
Immediately after,
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Along with an earth-shaking rumble,
"Groooar!"
the familiar roar of a beast echoed.
Ah, right. That guy was still around.
He had gotten so used to it that he had temporarily forgotten.
The other entity with whom he shared an uncomfortable cohabitation in this labyrinth.
* * *
"Not again! That monster is coming back!"
Park Ha-na stumbled backward.
A fear that penetrated to her very bones.
To Park Ha-na, the Minotaur was nothing short of a disaster.
She had to run.
Right now.
But... where?
Jinhyuk, the only one who knew the way out of the labyrinth, was just grinning foolishly into thin air.
What on earth is he so happy about?!
Curses welled up in her throat, but escaping this place was her top priority right now.
"If you're going to fight, I'll stay out of it. Just tell me which way to go."
Until now, Jinhyuk had always told his companions which direction to go beforehand so they wouldn't get caught up in his battles.
She didn't know why. He probably just hated having obstacles in his way.
Whatever the case, the important thing was that she didn't have to get caught up in this fight.
But then...
"Why should I tell you that?"
Jinhyuk shrugged.
"What do you mean why...? Up until now, you..."
"Up until now, I only protected you because I needed something from you."
Not anymore.
Since the copy conditions had been met, he had already achieved his goal.
Whether she starved to death wandering the labyrinth, or fell victim to a trap, meant there wasn't a single reason left for him to help her.
"Are... are you abandoning me? Here?"
"Don't look at me like you've been dumped. Weren't we in a kill-or-be-killed relationship from the very start?"
Anyone would think we were comrades who shared life and death. You, who tried to ambush me every chance you got.
As Jinhyuk coldly drew the line, Park Ha-na's face darkened dramatically.
"W-wait! You'll regret this! If my... my brother finds out about this...!"
"Your brother..."
He wondered when that would come up. The threat of retaliation from the Black Crow Guild, where Park Ha-jin was.
Shring!
Jinhyuk drew his dagger.
Sizzle.
As mana flowed into it, a sharpness so intense it made the eyes sting radiated from the blade.
"I guess I really did look like a pushover to you."
Until now, he had focused mainly on evading to raise his Gap stat.
To an onlooker, it must have seemed like he was just running around like a slippery loach because he couldn't handle a head-on fight.
Therefore...
"Watch closely from right there. That foolish guild, or me—which one you should truly fear."
"What does that mean?"
Park Ha-na asked back, but Jinhyuk had already vanished from his spot.
Tap!
He reappeared right above the charging Minotaur's head.
From above, straight down!
His dagger plunged toward the back of the giant bull's head.
Boom!
"Graaaah!"
A painful scream.
Although it was said that it wouldn't take damage from anything below a sacred relic, that didn't mean it was immune to pain.
With a +10 weapon, aiming for a precise weak point... was more than enough to turn the opponent's insides upside down.
All that effort raising my Gap stat was worth it.
When they first met, it had been a pretty close call.
The Minotaur was incredibly fast and had a wide attack range. On top of that, he had stamina issues. Facing it for twenty minutes was his absolute limit.
But now... thanks to ten days of countless real combat experiences and raised stats, the situation was completely different.
Whoosh!
Jinhyuk dodged the axe with a slight tilt of his head.
At the same time,
[Lv1 'Fire Element' is activated!]
Three streaks of fire blasted directly into the Minotaur's face.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ear-splitting explosions and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
A direct hit.
"Groooar!"
Stumbling, the Minotaur's massive body swayed violently.
He wasn't done yet.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
I have to keep pressing him so he can't regain his senses.
He couldn't kill it anyway.
In that case... he just had to create a similar situation.
Slash!
Slash! Slash! Slash!
His dagger sliced left and right across its joints.
From the ankles to the knees.
He thoroughly targeted the pillars supporting its body.
"Graaaaaah!"
Under the storm of attacks, the Minotaur flailed its arms wildly.
Of course, Jinhyuk was not about to get hit by such blind swings.
He retrieved his dagger and immediately widened the distance.
Whoosh!
Once again, the axe sliced through empty air.
"Don't thrash around so violently. If you build up too much muscle, the meat gets tough."
"Don't you know marbling is everything for premium beef?"
Jinhyuk sneered.
"Groooar! Groooaaar!"
It was only natural for the Minotaur to stamp its feet in rage.
Just once...
If it could land just a single hit, it could end his life. Yet, for some reason, that single hit was maddeningly elusive.
Watching the snorting Minotaur, the corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
Just a little more provocation should do it.
He was almost there. The moment when that guy would play his final card.
And just as expected, pushed past its limit by the continuous provocation, the Minotaur activated its unique ability.
[The Guardian of the Labyrinth activates Lv10 'Berserk'!]
[For the next 5 minutes, the Minotaur's attack power, attack speed, and movement speed will increase by 30%!]
[Intelligence temporarily increases.]
[Enables the ability to speak.]
Crack!
Crackle!
Its muscles expanded as if they were about to burst, and its eyes turned blood-red.
Its size had grown nearly threefold.
The massive axe now looked as small as a hand hatchet... making the sheer pressure it exuded indescribable.
"H-how can anyone beat that?"
Park Ha-na collapsed to the ground. Her legs had completely given out.
Even that man can't win this time. There's absolutely no chance.
She knew it instinctively. That no matter how hard he struggled, it would be futile.
* * *
Tingle! Tingle!
Jinhyuk also felt a tingling sensation on his skin.
It was an overwhelming amount of mana.
Well, of course.
Originally, this was a monster one should only encounter on the 5th floor of the Tower or higher.
As long as such a beast went all out, a Level 1 player stood absolutely no chance.
Even if there were hundreds of players here, or even if dozens of veterans had gathered.
"Human! I will tear you to shreds and scatter your remains at the entrance of the labyrinth! So that fearless fools like you will never dare trespass here again!"
The Minotaur growled.
Clang!
The axe pointed forward.
Instantly, materialized mana began to consume the labyrinth.
The earth scorched, and the moisture in the air dried up.
But...
"Hmm. Not bad. Your mana control actually feels better than before. Still, wouldn't it be better to use the earth attribute rather than lightning? In terms of efficiency, that would make much more sense."
Jinhyuk actually enjoyed the pressure.
No matter how powerful or fast an attack was, it meant nothing if it didn't hit.
And Jinhyuk possessed the experience to make that a reality.
"That is not confidence, human. It is foolhardiness and arrogance."
Foolhardiness... and arrogance?
Using such big words for a mere calf.
Is he imported?
"Well, from where I'm standing, the arrogant one isn't me—it's you."
"Oh? And why do you think that?"
"Berserk. You shouldn't have used that, right?"
There was a reason the beast had saved this ability until now.
While it granted immense power for five minutes, it came with a penalty that rendered the user completely immobile for the next twenty-four hours.
This was exactly why.
"...You know more than I expected."
The Minotaur's eyes widened slightly in surprise. But it was only for a brief moment.
"But do you truly believe you can run from me for that long?"
Five minutes was a long time. Especially in a narrow passageway like this.
"Who said anything about just running away?"
Flames bloomed along the blade of his weapon.
The shimmering fire.
At its tip...
Whoosh!
Jinhyuk began to channel his mana.