Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: The Great Labyrinth is Dangerous - 2
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The Great Labyrinth was tough in every way.
It was enclosed on all sides, dark, and damp—everything people hated.
And yet it was ridiculously vast, so even we veterans didn't know the entirety of the first floor.
The monsters were a problem too.
The labyrinth's monsters were higher level and stronger than those on the surface.
Above all, many of them used equipment.
Goblins and orcs wearing armor and wielding iron swords, that sort of thing.
Were they looting the skeletons scattered in every corner of the labyrinth?
Anyway, there were tons of traps too, so one wrong step and you'd be stuck, with monsters swarming you.
Of course, that was just the beginner traps.
The deeper you went, the more advanced and dangerous they became.
A moment's carelessness could cost you your life—it happened all the time.
For a place this dangerous, Seok-hyun was actually the greater threat.
With every buff stacked, Shadow Grape securing his vision, and Ogre Gloves on his fists, he had no equals.
So whenever Seok-hyun charged, the monsters could only explode one after another.
"That skeleton's got an iron sword."
It did—but not anymore.
One punch from Seok-hyun shattered its skull.
Skeletons gathered from the dark corners of the labyrinth.
Their signature bone-clacking sounds were oddly nostalgic.
Seok-hyun blocked their attacks with his body and kept punching.
Thud! Thud!
Bone fragments flew everywhere.
We had nothing to do, so we just stood back, watching blankly.
By the way, what level was Geomin now?
"Geomin, what's your level?"
"28... level."
"We gotta get you to 30 fast."
Da-jeong squatted down next to Geomin.
"At 30, you get some special extra effect. Sung-ho got the ability to bring others into his dimension gate, I got monster domination, and Seok-hyun's body changed."
"I'd be happy with just one extra trait."
Geomin currently had Physical Enhancement, Binding, and Soo-yeon's healing ability.
Blink wasn't very useful in the labyrinth's lower levels.
Anyway, it was a mystery why he still couldn't copy our traits.
You couldn't even enter the dimension gate without establishing trust first.
I called out to Seok-hyun, who was smashing skeletons to pieces.
"Seok-hyun! Let's help Geomin level up."
"Good idea."
He came running in his underwear, took the mace from me, and shoved it into Geomin's hands.
Then he hurled Geomin into the skeleton horde.
"Whoa—!"
"You crazy bastard!"
Da-jeong kicked his butt, but Seok-hyun looked proud.
"This is the fastest way, right?"
"Too fast... way too fast."
Well, with Geomin's stats, skeletons were no big deal.
He just didn't step up on his own.
Maybe because of lunatics like us around him.
A bit later, Geomin returned, rubbing his eyelids.
A faint light emanated from his hand.
"Ow ow... got hit by a shield bash."
"You got hit by a skeleton? You're done for, Geomin, totally done."
Even with Da-jeong's teasing, he just smiled.
Was this kid a masochist?
"Geomin, use this."
I handed him the iron mace.
Best for cracking skulls over other weapons against skeletons.
He took it and swung it a few times.
"Definitely cruder than the ones the beetles make."
The beetles were currently extracting metal from Yu-gwang ore and forging weapons in the furnace.
Even their arrows were far superior to store-bought ones, but they called those low-grade.
With proper facilities and tools, they could make even better stuff.
But that required more materials and blueprints.
With Yoo-hyun and Yeo-ul scouting the area, results would come soon.
Da-jeong placed a hand on Geomin's shoulder.
"How about pushing everything up to the underwater cave on him?"
"I'm for it."
I said that and blocked Seok-hyun's hand.
"Not you too—stop throwing him around."
"It saves time, doesn't it?"
"He can just support from the back."
Seok-hyun thought for a moment, then borrowed the adamantine spear from my dimension slot.
He stabbed it into the ground and started an impromptu pole dance.
His hairy body spun around the pole, legs extending straight.
Was that supposed to be sensual?
Unable to watch, Da-jeong dropkicked him.
"That's not support—that's terrorism!"
Couldn't agree more.
.
.
.
We quickly cleared the first floor.
Stuffing Geomin with crops and adding Soo-yeon's buffs let him plow through skeleton hordes effortlessly.
He seemed surprised by his own combat prowess, clenching his fist after each fight.
"You're stronger than you think. Just gain some confidence."
"...Yeah."
As we roamed the first floor, I caught an unexpected sound beyond the wall with my super senses.
"Sounds like Chinese people over there."
"Chinese? You can hear them?"
"Arguing about whose hometown is better, nice or whatever—loud as hell."
"Gotta give it to them for those lungs."
"What? Chinese people came in?"
"Probably..."
Da-jeong wrinkled her nose, displeased.
"They came here to die. Do they know what this place is?"
"Ignorance makes them brave."
Everyone nodded at Geomin's words.
A huge dimension gate appeared in their territory—they'd come out of curiosity.
Incheon and Bucheon weren't theirs, but they were occupying them for now.
I stopped Seok-hyun from raising his fist.
"These walls are super tough. You'll wreck your hand."
"Some magic on them?"
"Dunno."
An ogre's strength could probably crumble the wall, but his fist wouldn't hold.
We'd smash them later—focus on the goal now. Everyone agreed.
We pushed forward, crushing monsters, and found the passage to the second floor.
Commonly called the dog hole.
Follow the narrow path where water drips, and the ground weakens.
Seok-hyun punched the floor, debris rained down, punching a hole.
Da-jeong shone her flashlight into it.
"Whoa, a lake."
"Lizardmen?"
"Not yet. Sung-ho, got rope? Let me check it out."
"Hold on."
I opened my dimension storage, pulled out rope, tied it to a pillar, and dropped it in.
Da-jeong rappelled down, landed by the lake, and flashed around.
"Nothing much. Come on down."
We all clambered down to the lakeside.
The lake in the middle of the vast cavern was too dark to see anything.
I scooped some water—ice-cold and crystal clear.
Seok-hyun did some stretches, then dove in.
The guy had no fear.
He surfaced soon after, a fish in his mouth.
"These are real monster fish."
Da-jeong took it and tossed it on the ground.
No eyes, huge mouth—like a deep-sea fish.
Its scrawny body looked inedible.
Seok-hyun bit into it anyway and spat out flesh.
"Tastes awful."
If even Seok-hyun—who devoured goblin meat—said that, it had to be nasty.
Anyway, not the point.
"Hold up."
I tied the rope around Seok-hyun's waist.
Ate a Winter Strawberry and equipped the Wood Toad skin.
That stacked cold resistance buffs to fend off the chill.
I plunged into the lake, and saw Seok-hyun jump in too.
You too, you idiot!
I dove deep and found the underwater cave.
The lake was eerily still, peaceful except for the occasional mutant fish.
I used dimension walls to push deeper.
Aquatic Breathing let me last a good while.
There it is.
I groped the bottom and found the rock from memory.
A huge hole gaped beside it.
Black as pitch inside, but I trusted memory and swam in.
After a long passage, I surfaced.
"Pha!"
I cleared the water from my face. A narrow tunnel led to an open space.
I climbed out into the cave.
"About 15 pyeong... not bad."
Too small for a full shelter, but good for temporary use.
"It's just a waypoint anyway."
A forward base for conquering the Great Labyrinth.
I opened the second dimension gate and called the members.
Soo-yeon first, then Yeo-ul, but no Ji-mani.
"Ji-mani's guarding the shelter."
I nodded at Yoo-hyun's words.
Obviously needed one person.
Soo-yeon looked around the cave and asked me.
"Sung-ho, turning this into a shelter?"
"More like a transit point than a full shelter. A forward base."
"Ah."
The rope tautened, and in came Seok-hyun, Da-jeong, and Geomin.
Eight people crammed in a tight space—total chaos.
I told Yoo-hyun,
"Can you run power lines here?"
"Probably? But bro, you leaving this gate open?"
"Unless we're going deep into the labyrinth, yeah."
"Got it. I'll set it up now."
If we went below floor 5, we'd make another base there.
"Gotta have Aquatic Breathing to come and go here, right? Anyone missing it?"
Soo-yeon hesitantly raised her hand.
Mi-kyung jumped in quick.
"Last time in the Black Forest, it was Soo-yeon unnie's turn for the lizardman, but Top-gong ajusshi was doing that to the Elderwood..."
The root of all evil, as always.
I patted Geomin's shoulder.
"I'm leaving how we set this up to you."
Then Da-jeong wedged between us.
"No. Geomin needs to level first. 28? We're over 30, Sung-ho's 40."
Shelter or level up—that was the question.
Geomin looked at me desperately.
But Seok-hyun grabbed his wrist first.
"Not coming back till 30."
"W-wait, hold on."
"Plenty of food around—no need for a backpack. Let's go."
He wasn't talking about those monster fish, was he?
"Sung-ho! Sung-ho!"
I ignored Geomin's pitiful SOS.
Grow and come back.
.
.
.
While Sung-ho's group set up a forward base in the second floor's underwater cave, commotions erupted across the first floor.
People entering through various entrances started clashing.
Among them, the Chinese forces dominated.
Sheer numbers, and disregard for life—they were unstoppable.
On the outside, superior skills would crush them, but this was an unfamiliar labyrinth.
Couldn't see a foot ahead, barely lighting the way with glowstones for fights.
Monster ambushes from behind made it worse.
Then, safe zones were discovered.
Odd areas in the corners where monsters didn't approach.
Animals passed through to drink, so food was available—perfect spots.
Impossible not to think forward base. The Chinese noticed and seized them fast.
Koreans, outnumbered, fought desperately but had to retreat.
Daily deaths exploded the auction house chat.
Everyone hoped a Korean shelter would step up, but no sign of it.
Because the Korean shelter was in agony.
Battle Royale survivors returned, sparking fights.
Already down to half strength, internal fights made the Korean shelter tense.
Jang Won-taek rushed to mediate, but excited people ignored him.
Warehouse locked tight to prevent gun leaks, rations cut further.
With the shelter like this, no way to handle Great Labyrinth events.
Then the Hannam-dong Clan stepped up.
Not their official name, but everyone called them that, so it stuck.
Lucky in Battle Royale—no big losses, shelter secured.
Dimension gate near the shelter let them hunt easily with guns.
Even superior Chinese numbers fled at their sight.
A volley in tight quarters meant instant massacre.
Thus, Hannam-dong Clan swelled rapidly.
Especially popular: So-ye, the "gun idol."
But she ignored others, searching for Sung-ho.
Where did he go?
She bit her lip.
Once cursed by a woman who seemed his lover in front of the museum, but she wouldn't give up.
No other man suited her.
Guns and supplies weren't enough for this harsh apocalypse.
To survive, she needed a strong man by her side.
Or bring him here.
Leading Hannam-dong Clan, she swept the first floor—but no Sung-ho.
He was helping his shelter members level, breaking through the third floor.
Meanwhile, Ji-mani found two huge eggs in the jungle.
In an Owl Bear nest, bigger than ostrich eggs.
"What eggs are these? So big?"
"Dunno... first time seeing them."
Everyone marveled, rolling the eggs, when Seok-hyun licked his lips.
"Looks tasty. Let's eat."
Before anyone could stop him, Seok-hyun's fist cracked the shell.
Inside was a strangely formed chick, eyes closed.
A bird with a horn on its head.
[The Great Labyrinth is Dangerous - 2] End