Chapter 187
Chapter 187
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: The Great Labyrinth is Dangerous - 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Great Labyrinth is home to monsters that can't be seen on the surface.
Incorporeal monsters start appearing from the 5th floor onward, and they're one of the bunch.
Ghosts, wraiths, screams—these bizarre monsters pop out, and dealing with them is tricky.
First off, to block their attacks, you need items with mental resistance.
Overlook that, and you'll end up seeing illusions mid-fight.
Your eyes clearly show a ghost right in front of you, but it looks like an ally—how are you supposed to attack?
Resistance is better, but immunity is the dream.
Though I've never seen an immunity item myself.
And to attack incorporeal monsters, you need ectoplasm coating.
Ectoplasm, the material itself, drops on the 5th floor.
Meaning you have to scour the 5th floor just to conquer it.
Mi-kyung grumbled after hearing the rundown.
"This is totally a crap game."
"Tell me about it."
We were hiding inside the dimensional gate at the 5th floor entrance.
The moment we descended to the 5th floor, a scream's shriek welcomed us.
Mi-kyung nearly had a fit from it.
In the game, it just blurred your vision a bit and made you sway, but hearing it for real hit hard.
Anyway, the reason we came here was to harvest ectoplasm.
Mi-kyung blinks us to the spot, I quickly scoop up the ectoplasm, and we duck back into the dimensional gate.
To secure visibility, I'd bundled several ultra-bright flashlights, and Mi-kyung had earplugs in too.
Even so, we couldn't quite nail the timing and stayed holed up in the gate.
Why won't those damn ghosts just piss off?
Their translucent shrouds fluttering around made my eyes spin.
Mi-kyung clung to my arm.
"Oppa, how do you wear those things on your head?"
"Hit 'em first. With ectoplasm coating."
"And then what?"
"Take 'em outside and freak people out. Newbies without mental resistance see hallucinations when hit by ghost attacks."
"Like, ecstasy or something?"
"You tried it?"
I knew ecstasy was popping up on the auction house lately.
Mi-kyung frantically shook her head.
"No, no. Never tried it, but I've seen the reviews on the auction house..."
I turned to glance at the dimensional gate.
"Best not to get curious about that stuff. Lose your grip in the apocalypse, and you're dead. We're not doing it."
"Bunny Duo ajusshi seems like he'd try it."
"That guy's... let's not worry about him."
His body's so tough, he doesn't die no matter how stupid he acts.
Even if he does, resurrection brings him back.
He's specialized in idiocy, but you can see him holding back in the shelter.
Follow his lead, and you're in danger—thankfully, no one's crazy enough in our shelter to mimic him.
Still... Mi-kyung kept holding onto my arm, distracting me.
I tried to pull away, but she gripped tighter.
"Not uncomfortable?"
"I'm fine. But oppa, doesn't this make us seem like, y'know, a couple?"
"More like big bro and little sis."
"Eeeek. I even dressed cute to look good for you."
Shorts in the apocalypse? Kinda iffy, but inside the shelter, no big deal.
I gruffly shot back.
"What good's impressing a psycho like me? I've got nearly three hundred kills under my belt."
She silently rubbed her cheek against my forearm.
"I know... You're scary out there, but soft inside. You've never yelled at us."
"I did draw a line with you once."
"That was ages ago..."
Ages? A few months, tops.
Still, seeing Mi-kyung whine while stuck to my arm softened me a bit.
Me, who's clashed with crowds and killed enemies nonstop—I've built bonds now.
Not family, not lovers, but people who'd leave a void if gone.
Mi-kyung hovered right on that ambiguous edge.
That's when the ghosts flitting like shrouds vanished.
I patted Mi-kyung's shoulder, and she blinked us over quick.
A thin membrane clung to the wall ahead—like plastic, or maybe a jellyfish body.
Ectoplasm.
Per the lore, it's the shell incorporeal monsters shed crossing from their dimension to reality.
I don't care about the fine details—as long as it lets you damage incorporeals.
I pulled a bucket from my dimensional slot and scooped it up.
As the gooey slime stretched between the membrane and wall, Mi-kyung waved her hands in disgust.
"Eww... so gross..."
"It's weirder in combat."
I gathered a few more patches nearby into the bucket.
Then a few pale ghosts drifted toward us.
Their hazy shrouds undulating in the air made Mi-kyung yelp and hide behind me.
"Open the dimensional gate."
Right after we fled to the shelter, an eerie glow from the ghosts splashed against the gate.
"Doesn't work on us!"
Mi-kyung stuck out her tongue.
.
.
.
Coating with ectoplasm is simple.
Just soak your weapon in the bucket.
Dunno if it actually rots—no smell—but we call it coating anyway.
Leave it a day or two, and the weapon gets a hazy glow plus options.
Like that.
Soo-yeon was squatting nearby and piped up.
"Just thought of this... but couldn't we coat bullets too?"
"Dunno. No guns in the game."
"Mind if I try?"
"Go for it."
Soo-yeon got my okay and huffed as she dragged over a heavy ammo crate.
Normally she couldn't lift it, but with an item equipped, her strength surprised.
I stared at her blankly, then noticed her glasses were cracked.
They were taped and glued, but precarious.
"How'd your glasses get smashed?"
She hid a smile, tucking hair behind her ear.
"Y'know, in the fighting..."
That's the hassle of glasses in the apocalypse.
Constant running and rolling—glasses don't stay intact.
Soo-yeon's were jointless and sturdy, yet still wrecked.
She took them off and rubbed her eyes.
"Almost got LASIK once, but held off. Regretting it now."
"Griffon's Eye should fix that."
"Really? I'm nearsighted..."
"The skill sharpens distant vision. For me, it's near-perfect."
Soo-yeon's face softened, then stiffened a tad.
"If I take it, others can't. Griffons aren't common..."
"It's fine. There'll be griffons here too. We got a wyvern before, so griffons should spawn."
"Good to hear."
She unpacked bullets and gingerly dropped them into the bucket.
If this works, jackpot.
No need for melee against incorporeals—huge win.
Soo-yeon rinsed her hands under the faucet.
"Sung-ho, heard about the Korea Shelter?"
"Yeah. Sounds rough."
Rough was an understatement.
Battle Royale aftermath so bad they're blocking gatherings.
Problem is, that strengthens factions...
Soo-yeon wiped her glasses on her hem.
"Heard stuff inside—fights, thefts are routine, even... rapes..."
"Factions formed, so they see each other as enemies. Sad state."
Big crowd means grudges galore.
From her tales, at least seven folks grinding teeth over unfinished kills.
"Put myself in their shoes—makes sense. Not blood, but friends, siblings killed, and the killer's next door flirting..."
"Makes everyone nearby look bad too."
That's Battle Royale's terror.
Friendly neighbors turn foes overnight.
The restaurant brawl? Just pus leaking from a festering wound.
When it bursts, it'll spew.
I wondered what Jang Won-taek was planning.
Screen survivors post-event, or drag it out?
Lost in thought, Soo-yeon leaned her head on my shoulder.
"Makes me grateful. If we'd been in Korea Shelter, no peace like this."
"You're a healer and doctor—anywhere would treat you well."
Her expression stayed wistful.
"You think? Apocalypse fate for someone like me is obvious. If I hadn't met you..."
Yeah... not great.
Made me worry about Hyung-jun hyung.
Fine in the Great Labyrinth now, but back at shelter...
His partner Yoo Ji-hye—one of few women—drawing eyes.
Before, no one dared, but chaos invites opportunists.
They've got goods too—maybe visit soon...
Then Seok-hyun burst from the open dimensional gate.
Half-dead ghost draped over his head.
"Horororororol!"
"Eek!"
"Kyaaak!"
The pervert dashing with a hazy shroud sparked shelter chaos.
"You psycho, why bring a ghost here?"
Da-jeong dropkicked Seok-hyun down, and he went still.
Soo-yeon, spooked, sidled behind me.
"G-Ghost okay here?"
"Half-dead, so... yeah. Get close, and hallucinations hit."
Anyway, time to clear the 5th floor.
Depths too tough for now, but push to 8th.
I brushed off my knees and stood.
.
.
.
Soo-yeon's idea panned out surprisingly well.
Coated bullets ripped holes in the wraith's curtain-like body.
But holes in fabric don't kill—effect meh.
I slipped on a mental resistance ring and farmed 5th-floor monsters relentlessly.
Others need at least one mental defense item to enter.
Two days of grinding piled up items.
Brought extra rings on purpose—they dropped most.
"Drop rate's decent at least."
If not, we'd be stuck here days longer.
Handed rings to the veterans, and our team shone.
We swept the 5th floor like wildfire, then hunted the boss room.
No need minding bosses up to 4th, but 5th ramps up.
Boss room? Just the zone with the strongest monster roaming.
Hid in dimensional gate scouting— no boss.
"Where's this bastard?"
"Can't see it?"
Seok-hyun asked, ghost shell on head—four holes punched.
"Should be around here... gone."
6th-floor entrance opposite, so boss should patrol.
But nada.
No one else cleared it... respawn glitch?
We poked around, then someone emerged from the dark.
Before Seok-hyun reacted, I blocked him.
"Who... no need asking. Doctor, nurse, now programmer?"
The man before us looked utterly ordinary.
Face you'd see a few times in ten minutes on a busy street.
Slacks, shirt, glasses—out of place.
He smiled at us.
"Pleased to meet you. Kang Sung-ho, Hwang Seok-hyun, right? Been waiting. Choi Da-jeong and Bae Geom-in probably in a sub-space."
"...Know a lot."
I clenched my fist; Seok-hyun lunged.
But the man waved lightly, and Seok-hyun vanished through the wall.
What? Illusion?
But my mental resistance ring's on?
I drew mithril blade and shotgun, aiming.
"Not dead, right?"
He spread his arms.
"Of course not. No such power. I can just tweak the situation a bit."
Words like the nurse's—swept up in apocalypse, for sure.
No absolute authority.
"You a programmer?"
"Yes. Main programmer for Survival Life."
Finally showed up.
The Great Labyrinth is Dangerous - 7 End