Chapter 158: Faction Selection (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158: Faction Selection (2)
Wroooooom!
With a bright flash of light, a new figure materialized.
Liaoyu.
The second-in-command of the China Guild.
"Mr. Liaoyu!"
Maria welcomed him warmly.
Due to the random assignment mechanic, the players had been split into small groups and scattered all over. Because of this, they desperately needed every bit of high-level combat power they could get.
Liaoyu also let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew. Thank goodness. I'm glad I ended up in a place with such capable people..."
But then.
Liaoyu trailed off mid-sentence.
He had spotted Jinhyuk, who was pretending to be busy looking elsewhere in a corner.
"Did he end up here too?"
"Yes. I'm not thrilled about it either, but it looks like we have no choice but to work together."
"I... see."
Grit.
The sound of teeth grinding echoed exceptionally loud.
It was only natural for him to be furious, having landed in the same spot as the culprit who forced them into this absurd difficulty level. However, the situation was so dire that he couldn't afford to openly vent his resentment.
I'll tolerate you for now.
The China Guild and the Samurai Guild had already joined hands with the Murim, a massive faction. This meant that when it came to this Faction Selection Battle, they held an incomparably advantageous position over everyone else.
In the end, no matter how much of a high-flying veteran Jinhyuk was, his hands and feet would be completely tied this time.
Thinking of this made the knot of anger in Liaoyu's chest loosen slightly.
"Hmm~ hmmm~ hm~"
Whether he was aware of Liaoyu's thoughts or not, Jinhyuk hummed a tune as he examined the entrance to the labyrinth.
The main theme of this labyrinth was 'Protecting the Tomb of the Ancestors.' Naturally, countless traps lay in wait inside.
It's a cliché premise. "Intruders who disturb the rest of the dead kings shall be slaughtered without mercy." Something like that, I suppose.
Right then.
"We're heading in now. Player Kang Jinhyuk, please come over here."
Maria called out to Jinhyuk.
Once Jinhyuk joined them, a detailed briefing on the raid began in earnest.
"First, let me give you a brief overview. There are six of us here in total: one tank, two melee damage dealers, two ranged damage dealers, and one sub-healer."
Though their numbers were severely lacking, the party balance was decent. Their formation wouldn't collapse in an instant.
"We will proceed inside slowly and with the utmost caution. Since I have the most experience with labyrinths, I'll stay in the rear to identify traps and the like, so please follow my instructions."
"Understood."
"Let's do that."
"Damn it. Even if this is the 25th floor, as long as we do what we've always done, it won't be impossible."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
* * *
The tank at the very front anchored the group, with the melee and ranged damage dealers positioning themselves behind.
Since each individual was highly skilled, they formed a remarkably solid-looking formation despite their small numbers.
And.
Watching them, Jinhyuk let out a soft chuckle.
It's textbook, at least.
But that was all.
The traps here were not the kind you could withstand just by being prepared. Of course, since they had never been here before, they wouldn't know that.
Well, shall I get going?
Without offering any warning, Jinhyuk took a step forward.
Step.
In a silence so profound they could hear their own heartbeats, everyone sharpened their senses.
Because they had no idea when or where a trap might trigger, the tension was at an all-time high.
Just as Maria, positioned at the very rear, passed between the two stone statues on either side—
Rumble, rumble!
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently.
It was a trap.
"Deploying shields!" Maria shouted.
The tank raised his shield high, while the damage dealers crouched low, ready to leap in any direction.
Though they didn't know what kind of trap it was, they could instinctively feel that something ominous was about to happen.
[Hear me, insects who have trespassed into the 'Valley of the Former Kings'!]
A grating, metallic voice echoed throughout the valley.
The sound came from above. Specifically, from where the two stone statues stood.
"Is it... a monster?"
"No. There's no sign of movement."
Maria drew a firm line.
The statues remained rooted to the spot, motionless. At the very least, they wouldn't have to fight those massive giants.
Yet, why?
An ominous energy constricted her entire body, causing Maria's face to freeze colder than ever before.
Something was wrong. The situation... was highly unusual.
The moment she realized this—
[Grave robbers deserve fitting punishment. Let your lowly bodies bear the wrath of the kings!]
A translucent wave erupted from the swords held by the statues.
Crackle, crackle...!
There was no dodging it.
The range of the wave was so vast that the players had no choice but to take the light head-on.
"Ugh!"
"Aaargh!"
[Physical Defense and Magic Defense have been reduced to 0!]
[The probability of receiving a critical hit has increased by 100%!]
[All resistance to piercing attacks has been removed.]
[All resistance to the five elemental attributes has been removed!]
[All defense-related unique abilities and skills have lost their efficacy...]
The flood of status windows was nothing short of a death sentence.
"I can't... I can't feel any mana in my shield," Maria muttered, her face blank with despair.
It would have been better if that light had been a direct attack. The debuff inflicted by the statues was so devastating that it drove them to utter hopelessness.
"T-this can't be..."
"How can there be such an absurd penalty?"
"Does this mean if we get hit by a trap even once, we're dead?"
Furthermore, judging by the fact that similar waves of energy could be felt in the distance, the other players who had been teleported to different locations were undoubtedly facing the same predicament.
With this, their chances of surviving the labyrinth plummeted to zero.
It was only natural.
The tank who was supposed to reliably hold the front line.
The sub-healers who were supposed to cast shields and buffs in case of emergencies.
The main damage dealers who had to dive into enemy lines relying on their survival skills.
All of them had had their wings clipped.
And so, not a single person present realized that one of their companions had vanished.
* * *
"Cough. Ugh, this damp air..."
Having slipped inside the labyrinth, Jinhyuk looked around.
Front, back, left, right.
Passageways stretched out, with no indication of where they led.
In the darkness, the only things to rely on were the faint luminescent stones embedded in the walls.
Yet, there wasn't a trace of tension on Jinhyuk's face.
If getting grazed means instant death, then all you have to do is not get hit at all, right?
He couldn't understand why no one else had realized such a simple fact. If they had, they wouldn't be wallowing in such despair.
Ah...!
Right, it actually is impossible for normal people to clear this place with a no-hit run.
It seemed he was the one who had been short-sighted.
Sigh, my problem is that I always judge things by my own standards.
Jinhyuk bowed his head slightly toward the labyrinth entrance in a brief gesture of self-reflection.
Even now, the panicked players outside were probably at a complete loss. They were floundering in the opening stage, the very part the factions were watching most closely.
Looks like first place in contribution points is already decided.
Warming up lightly, Jinhyuk picked up a small stone from the ground. Then, he tossed it down the passage.
Whoosh!
The stone drew an arc but didn't travel very far.
Rumble, crash!
Bang!
Boom!
The ground, which had seemed solid, collapsed downward like sinking sand. From both walls, dozens of fire arrows and ice spikes shot out, crisscrossing the space.
It all happened in less than a single second.
It would be practically impossible for a player who lost their defensive capabilities to pass through this.
In fact, even without the debuff, surviving here would be no easy feat. And these were just the traps installed at the entrance.
As one went deeper, the traps would become far more powerful and their patterns infinitely more complex. For all intents and purposes, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to consider the quest a failure.
But.
That was only for ordinary players.
It has nothing to do with me.
Jinhyuk approached the wall right beside him. He saw a stone wall inscribed with complex runes and ancient languages.
I'm sure it was around here...
Brushing away the cobwebs and dust with his palm, the engraved letters were clearly revealed.
Found it.
Even after all this time, the muscle memory from his countless runs remained. Thus, no matter how high the floor, the advantages of a veteran player never faded.
Just like now, there was a back path to bypass even a place of extreme difficulty.
To reinterpret the barrier formula constructing the labyrinth, Jinhyuk activated his 'Moon's Insignia'.
[The 'Moon's Insignia' reacts to the ancient language!]
A soft glow emanated from the tattoo on his shoulder.
At the same time, cracks formed on a section of the solid wall.
A blue line of light began to trace itself along the stone. The line soon connected to form a rectangular shape.
[A passage leading to the Tomb of the Former Kings has appeared.]
[Only one door may be chosen per person.]
[Time Remaining: 0h:0m:60s]
Five doors had materialized.
Symbols representing the five elements were embedded above each door, and each element pulsed with a fierce, living light.
Jinhyuk scanned the symbols one by one.
Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Light.
Whichever he chose, it would not be an easy path. Those passages connected directly to named monsters representing the five elements.
Naturally, with his defense stats nerfed, defeating even one of them would require a life-or-death struggle. Yes, if he fought them, the probability of death would be overwhelmingly high.
If... I fight them, that is.
...40 seconds left.
The grains of sand in the hourglass fell rapidly. Time was running out.
Jinhyuk clenched and unclenched his fists.
10 seconds.
The moment of decision was fast approaching. Yet, Jinhyuk still did not move.
Instead, he summoned the Fang and the Twin Dragon Sword from his subspace inventory.
And at that exact moment.
[Time has expired.]
The last grain of sand fell.
"Kieeeeee!"
With a wild roar, creatures began to emerge from the five doors.
Because he hadn't made a choice, all the monsters sealed inside had been released.
Whoosh!
The first to show itself was a fire spirit breathing flames from its mouth. It was a 'Salamander.'
Though only a meter tall, the Salamander, as a spirit beast, was a formidable threat in its own right.
"How dare a mere human set foot here? I shall roast you to the bone and swallow you whole."
The Salamander flicked its tongue.
"Did you just threaten me? Saying you'll kill me?"
"Eliminating intruders is my duty. Especially when the target is a human less than an insect, I can burn them to ashes without mercy."
"...That's what it says."
Jinhyuk glanced down.
At that,
"Mogi!"
Goguma raised its tail high. It was as if it was furious that its master had been threatened.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The atmosphere vibrated violently.
Phantasmal beasts and spirit beasts that ruled over monsters.
And...
The ultimate creature standing at the absolute peak of the entire food chain. An Ancient Species.
[Goguma activates Lv4 'Fear'!]