Chapter 177
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Labyrinth Forest
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“Black Scythe!”
Joo Seong-tak waved his hand as he approached, and Ryu Min shot him a sharp look.
“Keep it down. Even if there’s no one around, you don’t have to make it that obvious.”
“S-Sorry.”
Joo Seong-tak, who always used to glare at him with fire in his eyes, now lowered his gaze like a docile puppy.
Reading his thoughts, Ryu Min found them filled with absolute loyalty to his master.
‘This is why the duel system is so great. A consensual duel gives you control that’s basically the same as ownership.’
He hadn’t planned on making a male slave, but seeing Joo Seong-tak now, he thought it was a good call.
At least he wouldn’t harbor secret feelings for his master or cling like Yamtti did.
“Joo Seong-tak.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Stick close so you don’t get lost. We’re entering the labyrinth now.”
“The labyrinth?”
Ryu Min was currently at the entrance to the Labyrinth Forest.
His plan was to take down the boss here, the Doppelganger, and obtain the Doppelganger Ring that would let him change his nickname.
‘For that, I need Joo Seong-tak’s rune that boosts boss drop rates by ten times. The Doppelganger Ring isn’t easy to get.’
That was why Ryu Min had called Joo Seong-tak.
He needed to borrow his hands to kill the boss.
“You mean this forest is the labyrinth?”
“Yeah. We’re taking down the boss here. I’ll need your help for that.”
“The boss? What boss?”
‘Cancel that point about male slaves being better.’
Talking to Joo Seong-tak revealed a downside.
He asked too many questions.
“Just shut up and follow me.”
“S-Sorry. I’ll follow quietly.”
As they entered the forest, Ryu Min didn’t look back.
He didn’t need to—his Heavenly Eye let him know who was following.
* * *
“He went in?”
“Yes, he did. With some guy.”
Shizkang tilted his head as he watched Black Scythe enter the forest with another man.
“What’s in there that he’d head straight in without a second thought?”
The forest was so ominously creepy that anyone would hesitate, yet Black Scythe darted in the moment his companion showed up.
As if he knew exactly what awaited inside.
“Suspicious, right? You gonna follow?”
“We’ve come this far—think I’m turning back? Obviously we follow. Hey, Bbangz.”
“Yeah?”
The Korean player he had his arm around looked intimidated.
“What’re you staring at? Guide us already!”
“O-Okay. Th-This way…….”
“Get any funny ideas, and you’re dead. Got it?”
“Y-Yeah…….”
As the Korean player led the way with a whimper, Shizkang’s mocking laugh stabbed into the back of his head.
“Crying like a little bitch. Tsk.”
“Um…… Shizkang. You really planning to take on Black Scythe? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Kid, don’t worry. Who am I? Shizkang, number three in the black societies, that’s who.”
He’d originally planned to keep his target a secret, but with a Korean guide in tow, he had no choice but to reveal it.
Of course, he hid the part about using his underlings as bait, mixing truth with lies.
“If I sweet-talk him in Korean, he’ll drop his guard. Then we hit him from behind. That’s the plan.”
“Sounds good, but he’s that famous Black Scythe…….”
“You gotta go into the tiger’s den to catch a tiger. Stay out of deep waters, and you’ll just stay a small fish forever. Life’s short, man—real men play in the big leagues.”
“You’re right.”
“Then shut up and trust me. If it goes to plan, we’ll make a killing.”
“Got it. I trust you, Shizkang.”
Having convinced his underlings, Shizkang tracked Black Scythe with a sly grin.
Oblivious to who was following him.
* * *
“Manager Ahn. We’re on the right track, right?”
“Yes. Black Scythe came this way.”
A massive forest loomed before Ma Kyung-rok.
Dark, humid energy seeped from it—a clearly dangerous, unnatural place.
“So Black Scythe went in here.”
“That’s what the guide said.”
“But did you see? Looked like another group went in too.”
“Yeah. Maybe ten or so people.”
They had spotted a group entering the forest together.
Couldn’t tell if they were friend or foe from afar, but they’d hesitated just like them before going in.
‘Someone else chasing Black Scythe?’
It wouldn’t be strange, given his well-known face and nickname.
The problem was they might run into others if they kept tailing him.
‘Guys like me, trying to latch onto Black Scythe for scraps?’
They’d know more if they closed in.
Might even be foreign players.
‘If they’re from another country, I’ll kill them depending on the situation.’
Anticipating possible murder, Ma Kyung-rok instructed Ahn Sang-chul.
“Manager Ahn. If we run into foreign players, take the chance and kill them.”
“Huh? Kill them?”
“They’re probably thinking the same as us. Rules make us enemies. First strike wins.”
“Ah, got it.”
“Keep your detection skill on too. Just in case.”
“Understood.”
The two soon entered the Labyrinth Forest.
Unaware it was a place from which escape was nearly impossible.
* * *
The Labyrinth Forest lay between the Alvitz Kingdom and the Braham Kingdom.
Even the kingdoms avoided this uncharted territory.
No one who entered had ever returned alive.
‘When I first heard the NPC’s explanation, I was a bit scared. Thought I might waste a whole run by going in carelessly.’
But Ryu Min, already far ahead in growth even then, had escaped the Labyrinth Forest unscathed.
‘Though it took a solid five hours of wandering.’
True to its name, the Labyrinth Forest was hell to escape.
It looked like a straight path at a glance, but like a Rubik’s Cube, the routes shifted every five minutes, splitting based on where you stepped.
Countless patterns and possibilities separated those who entered.
‘Even someone right in front of you could vanish in five minutes.’
That’s why Ryu Min told Joo Seong-tak to stick close.
“Don’t walk beside me—just follow from behind. Keep the distance to me over five meters, no more, no less.”
“Got it, Master.”
He knew the paths, so as long as Joo Seong-tak followed well, they wouldn’t get separated.
‘Getting out’ll take fifteen minutes tops.’
His initial five-hour escape had shortened with each run, reaching his current mastery.
He’d memorized every path and pattern after twenty-five attempts.
‘So what chance do these rookies have on their first try?’
Ryu Min smirked at the groups trailing him.
They could enter freely, but leaving was another story.
‘They’ll probably take at least five hours, like I did.’
If unlucky, they’d be trapped for twenty-four straight.
At that point, all they could do was pray their team had stockpiled points inside the labyrinth.
‘I get why they’re following. Both the Chinese and Ma Kyung-rok’s group.’
But he had no intention of letting them go easily.
‘You guys aren’t supposed to leave this labyrinth.’
The Chinese and Ma Kyung-rok saw players as walking points.
Let them loose from the labyrinth, and they’d run wild, killing everywhere.
‘That’s why I lured them into the labyrinth on purpose.’
It looked like they were following him, but really, he’d baited them.
‘I told Min Ju-ri too. Stay away from Black Scythe this round.’
He’d prophesied it for one reason.
He couldn’t let Min Ju-ri get dragged in.
He couldn’t leave her lost in the labyrinth.
‘Come chase me if you dare. Doubt you’ll find me in here.’
Ryu Min curled one lip and plunged deeper.
* * *
Shizkang’s black society crew pushed into the labyrinth under his lead.
They trusted him, their reliable senior, even as the forest grew denser.
But that trust didn’t last.
Five minutes in, the Korean guide up front suddenly stopped.
“Huh?”
“What’s up, Bbangz?”
“Th-The tracking…… it’s weird.”
“What’re you talking about? Weird how?”
“It says…… tracking impossible.”
“What?”
Shizkang’s face twisted like a demon’s.
“You pulling some shit right now?”
“N-No, really! B-Believe me!”
The Korean trembled as he spoke.
Too real to be acting.
He didn’t seem bold enough to lie now anyway.
‘Is it real?’
Doubt flickered in Shizkang’s mind and his underlings’.
“What’s wrong, Shizkang? Problem?”
“Uh, well…….”
For a split second, Shizkang debated telling the truth.
He decided quickly.
“This crazy fucker wants a break.”
“What?”
“Bbangz has lost it bad.”
“Got some balls saying that after we caught you.”
“Looks like we should gut him right now.”
His underlings glared and raised their voices at the Korean.
Unable to communicate, he shrank as the mood turned hostile.
‘Good thing I lied. Telling the truth would make me look like a fool for leading us here.’
Shizkang smirked inwardly and barked in Korean.
“Just go!”
“Huh?”
“Tracking’s down? Lead anyway!”
“O-Okay.”
A “tracking impossible” message hung there, but the Korean walked on blindly.
What choice did he have?
“Just do it.”
‘Fuck, what the hell? Why’s tracking suddenly failing?’
To check, Shizkang tried tracking someone else—his underling right beside him.
[No signal detected. Tracking impossible.]
‘Right next to me, and it’s impossible?’
He even tried area scan.
[No signal detected. Scan impossible.]
‘What?’
All his skills were dead.
They’d worked fine moments ago.
‘Goddamn it. Stepped into this shithole…….’
He’d followed Black Scythe and ended up in a bizarre place where tracking and scanning failed.
Were they the ones trapped?
‘No way.’
Paranoia.
How could Black Scythe know they were coming?
They’d kept over 500 meters distance to avoid detection.
‘Situation’s bad, but no worries. It’s a straight path—keep going, and we’ll hit Black Scythe.’
But that thought evaporated in five minutes.
“Huh? What the—!”
The Korean five meters ahead vanished in an instant.
Shizkang rushed forward, but he was gone.
“What the fuck? Where’d this bastard go!?”
“Shizkang, where’d Bbangz go?”
‘That’s what I wanna know, fuck!’
No presence even with detection—he was losing his mind.
Meanwhile, his underlings panicked and side-eyed him.
They’d trusted him and followed, only for this mess.
“Fuck, this is bullshit.”
A sigh burst from Shizkang.
The Chinese group, chasing Black Scythe, had lost their way instead.