Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: The Great Labyrinth is Dangerous - 8
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"Main programmer... I don't know much, but it's an important position, right?"
He shrugged.
"I can answer seven out of the ten questions Sung-ho wants to ask."
"What about the other three?"
"I'm not omniscient, either."
Still, this was odd.
The doctor and nurse had seemed half out of their minds, but this guy was reasonable.
Surprisingly, he protruded part of the wall to create a seat.
Kkuguk—
The floor where I stood also jutted out, turning into a chair.
So this is what it means to alter the environment.
Is it a programmer trait?
He gestured invitingly.
"Have a seat. Seok-hyun will be back soon. Let's talk quietly between ourselves."
"...What's your name?"
"Names aren't important, but we need a title. I don't want to be called Programmer... Call me Ahn Geun-seok."
"You talk like you've transcended humanity."
"Haven't you?"
I looked down at my body.
Muscular, rough, rugged.
The difference from any other man was my superhuman abilities.
I regenerate from bullets and punch through concrete walls.
Can you call this human?
Pure stats alone had already surpassed the game's endgame.
That included buffs from various crops and Su-yeon.
Skills and gear were still lacking.
Ahn Geun-seok smiled faintly at me.
"We're the same kind. Under that assumption, I'll answer three questions as a gesture of goodwill. Of course, I trust you won't do anything rash. You're a veteran, after all."
"How kind of you."
"To get what you want, you have to put in some effort."
That must be aimed at me... or rather, my dimension gate trait.
Killing him here wouldn't mean much.
Where else would Joo Seung-chul have gotten that resurrection scroll?
Should I ask the key questions?
I doubted he'd answer properly.
Three questions, so let's start with one.
"You said programmer, so let me ask... What's in the Unknown Monsters expansion? Brute can't be the end, right?"
"That's two questions."
"Nitpicky, huh. Then tell me Survival Life's final boss."
"That one resides in the deepest part of the Great Labyrinth."
Ahn Geun-seok's finger pointed to the floor.
I was more shocked that he called it "that one" than the final boss being in the labyrinth.
"Are you aligned with the monsters?"
"Is that your second question?"
No, rewind, rewind.
I gathered my thoughts.
Asking their purpose here would just get a vague survival spiel.
Better to ask what I really wanted instead of broad questions.
"When does the Tier 4 system come out?"
It didn't exist in the original game.
But if it's not coming now, it'd be disappointing.
Ahn Geun-seok furrowed his brow.
"Skills, or gear?"
"Both. Tier 3 skills and gear are lumped together too."
"We calculated them separately... but fine. After you defeat the Brute."
So it does come out.
That means Brute is just the first boss of the Unknown Monsters expansion.
That monstrous thing...
Seeing my face, Ahn Geun-seok looked like he expected it.
"Feels hopeless, right? We understand. We have no future either. There's only one way: coexist with them."
"...By fusing with monsters like you?"
"No other choice."
"Sorry, but I don't want that. The doctor and nurse... Are they even human?"
"You'll keep asking that, but what would people from a year ago say about you now?"
Superhuman, monster...
I gritted my teeth.
"I'm not like you."
He sighed long, as if pitying me.
"You still don't get it. Fine. We have time... What's your last question?"
"Who made this system?"
What I was most curious about.
Excluding traits, our system—the status window—was from Survival Life.
The main programmer made it, so Ahn Geun-seok would be the creator.
But he said he doesn't know everything.
Ahn Geun-seok's face grew complicated.
Hit a nerve?
"Hmm... I didn't want to go this far, but no choice. The system was made by... magic itself."
"Magic?"
"How many Etherstones have you collected? That's magic's energy source. The superhuman powers you use casually... all magic. Magic has overlaid our world."
Combine that with Survival Life's settings overlaying it.
"This world's magic... swept through your company?"
Ahn Geun-seok gave a bitter smile.
"Now you get we're victims too. Just survivors lashing out in the apocalypse. So you and us..."
"We're not the same."
"Why? Why reject us?"
His voice rose.
I stood, leaning on my mithril blade.
"I don't know your exact goal, but I don't want to become a monster like that doctor."
"If it's the only way?"
"No one knows that. You don't even know my exact abilities."
If they knew traits, they'd mention dimension gate right away.
But the doctor and nurse called it subspace.
They don't know precisely.
Ahn Geun-seok chuckled.
"Big misconception. We made Survival Life. We know your trait connects to another world, Lothos."
Lothos... so that's my shelter's dimension name.
But it didn't add up.
Lothos surely existed independently.
Yet they claim they created the Lothos setting.
When I pointed that out, Ahn Geun-seok's face hardened for the first time.
He looked around, brushed off his butt, and stood.
"I've answered three. Now answer my three."
"When's Seok-hyun coming back?"
"Answer, and I'll bring him right away."
"Ask away."
"Are there survivors in Lothos?"
Referring to the beetle and stag beetle.
I answered calmly.
"Haven't seen anything humanoid."
Beetles and stag beetles aren't humanoid, so not a lie.
And we found a backpack, not survivors themselves.
He peered into my eyes.
"I believe you're not lying. Second... where are your comrades?"
"In my shelter. Why?"
He looked shocked.
That surprising?
"No more questions? Bring Seok-hyun."
He composed himself.
"Last one. Will you join hands with us?"
"Join you, and my mind goes? Body warps? Who'd want that?"
"Not always. Jeon Ji-hoon and Sung Hyo-jin warped due to side effects. We're progressing right now."
Doctor's dead, nurse is Sung Hyo-jin.
"Progress by merging with monsters? Don't need it."
"Frustrating... Time is medicine, so wait a bit. By the way, your value's dropping. Soon we might not need you."
"That'd be great."
Ahn Geun-seok glanced back and headed to the wall.
"Below floor 8, you die."
Thanks for the advice.
His body faded, sinking into the wall.
Looks like a non-corporeal monster.
Soon Seok-hyun burst from the wall.
"Sex!"
I dodged his fist, calmed him, and explained.
After hearing it all, Seok-hyun scratched his bald head.
"So the final boss is below here?"
"Probably."
"Then we gotta smash to the depths fast. Kill the final boss, and Ahn Geun-seok can't touch us."
Doubt it'd be that easy.
Warning about below 8, so caution needed.
"Let's head back and conference."
We returned to the shelter.
.
.
.
Shelter members' reactions varied: shock, fear, subtle excitement.
Su-yeon and Yu-hyun were last.
"Final boss means an ending, right? Apocalypse might end."
Some agreed, but veterans like me were skeptical.
Monsters vanishing suddenly? Hard to buy.
Mi-kyung blinked and giggled.
"If this is magic, I'm a mage?"
"Could see it that way."
Not the point.
Post-Brute monsters confirmed, Tier 4 coming—prep time.
I organized thoughts, called leader beetle and leader stag beetle.
They crawled eagerly to Ji-man's shoulders; Da-jeong grumbled.
"Always favors Poor Man. Owe him?"
"Trait thing, don't be like that. Anyway..."
I asked if here was Lothos.
They startled.
How'd you know? their eyes asked.
"Guy told me. This Lothos, right?"
They dodged Ji-man's neck, nodded.
Time to reveal their identities.
I'd avoided asking before, but situation changed.
We need secrets.
"Lothos dimension... continent, right? Draw a map."
Leader stag beetle and leader beetle eyed me, descended from Ji-man's shoulder.
I pulled a large sketchbook from dimension gate, gave pens.
"Whole thing. Including shelter."
They know this.
Else couldn't reach volcano with Da-jeong.
The two insects took pens, started mapping.
Lothos continent revealed; all speechless.
"Huge..."
"We're here? This peninsula?"
"That mountain's the peninsula's center..."
Beyond forest: plains, snowy mountains.
Mountain towered like Florida in the peninsula's heart.
Lothos continent far grander than imagined.
Our peninsula a speck.
North of black forest: sea.
Two insects finished outline, looked up.
More?
"No point adding now. We only know it's Lothos."
Nod nod.
But certain: natives of Lothos.
Time for true forms.
Da-jeong urged at my look.
"Not chickening out now? Draw true selves."
Hmm...
They pondered long.
Glancing at people, whispering between themselves.
These feud-prone guys heads together?
Ji-man met my eyes.
I read his intent: reveal, stay till end?
Bit goosebumpy, but anyway.
I told them.
"Whatever you are, we won't abandon. If curse-altered, we'll help. If you tell us everything."
They decided, flipped page, drew new.
Geom-in focused on stag beetle's drawing.
Forest elf as he said?
Long ears done; he silently fist-pumped.
Too excited?
Geom-in met my gaze, grinned sheepishly.
"Tattoo on forehead, tattoo."
"Hair kinda long?"
"Girl, so long hair?"
"Prejudice."
People chattered; they worked silently.
Stag beetle faster than leisurely beetle.
Revealed: rabbit-eared female warrior.
Body tattoos, leather clothes for mobility, facing us.
Quiver at waist, arrow nocked.
Tall, toned.
Beetle's: bushy-bearded squat dwarf.
"Whoa, real dwarf?"
"Beetle grandpa, not uncle..."
"Taste for older guys."
He ignored, finished digging pose.
Summary: stag beetle forest warrior, beetle underground craftsman.
Bad blood makes sense.
They finished, looked at me.
"As expected."
Wanted names, but their script gibberish to us.
I asked.
"Cursed into this?"
Their eyes welled.
Deep story... learn slowly.
No solutions now anyway.
Future plans key.
I cleared throat, drew attention.
"We've defended; now change. Aggressively hunt monsters, secure territory."
"Expand shelter?"
Geom-in asked; I nodded.
"Yes. Hunt more aggressively, stockpile, expand territory. Especially black forest north."
Monsters finite.
Peninsula chokepoints blockable for safe zone.
First, conquer dangerous black forest.
Seok-hyun chin-propped, muttered.
"Wanna revisit that wounded Elderwood."
Not sure injured, but securing forest puts Elderwood roots under us.
Da-jeong poked stag beetle, asked me.
"What about us?"
"Said death below 8, so clear to there. Then surface. Flying monsters soon."
Ghoul flower time to release devoured energy.
To Ji-man:
"Keep going, but scale up. Need lots of points."
"For Tier 4?"
"Ahn Geun-seok might lie, but possible. Stock points."
Tier 3 gear prices surged.
Tier 4? Skyrocketing.
"Yes. I'll gather via trade."
Ji-man's trait nets tons.
Sea traps: seafood flocks "eat me."
Sell to survivors: they eat, we points.
Mutual aid.
I emphasized.
"Peace good, but stay alert. Bullets limited—conserve, use other weapons. Build strength. Upcoming monsters, foes no joke. Great Labyrinth hides horrors."
Gulp.
Tension spread.
Perfect.
No panic needed.
But prepare.
To survive.
The Great Labyrinth is Dangerous - 8 End