Chapter 121
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: The Final Penitent
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bwoooong...
Kwajiiiik-!
"Aaack! The floor!"
Son Joo-yeon let out a scream even though she hadn't been struck by the hammer.
It was because the hammer had smashed into the innocent floor, leaving a hideous dent.
Karen seized the opening and slammed her fist into Kang Bo-seok's jaw.
Thwack-!
Despite his impressive durability, Kang Bo-seok bellowed and swung his hammer even as he reeled.
"Urgh... Don't toy with me! Draw your sword!"
"My sword? Drawing it wouldn't be hard, but I might accidentally cut you."
In short, Karen was going easy on Kang Bo-seok.
Kang Bo-seok was starting to get angry.
Karen hadn't used any skills at all. Yet he couldn't lay a finger on her.
The gap in their levels was that vast, and this was undoubtedly the first time he'd encountered such an opponent since transferring here.
Kang Bo-seok came up with a ploy to turn the tables. It was almost instinctual.
"Hraaaah!"
"That won't..."
This time, he swung from above downward.
Karen easily dodged his power-packed hammer swing. But Kang Bo-seok hadn't been aiming for her.
Whoosh-!
His hammer spun around, heading straight for Kang Seol, who had been watching from behind her.
"No!"
"Block it!"
In an instant, shouts and roars filled the arena.
And then, just as suddenly, all sound dropped away.
Thwap!
Kang Seol's left hand, partially transformed into the shape of a night raven, caught Kang Bo-seok's hammer with effortless grace.
Shing-!
No one could utter a piece at the sight.
The warhammer that had felt crushingly heavy as he swung it now looked feather-light in Kang Seol's left hand.
Karen's sword pressed against the defenseless Kang Bo-seok's throat.
A single drop of his blood trickled down his Adam's apple. One slight twitch of her blade, and it would pierce his neck.
Karen spoke, looking genuinely pissed.
"Hey, Snowman. Can I kill this guy?"
She was asking Kang Seol.
He shook his head.
He had anticipated Kang Bo-seok might pull something dirty and prepared accordingly.
Kang Bo-seok slowly raised both hands.
"I... I forfeit the labyrinth."
Clack-!
Son Joo-yeon dazedly smacked her forehead.
At that moment, someone using analysis shouted in shock.
"Th-that... That's the Undying Blade!"
"...What?"
"The sword that woman's using... it's the Undying Blade..."
All eyes turned to Karen's sword.
The blade Karen had drawn was, of course, the Undying Blade.
It was indeed.
"What? The Undying Blade? Did you say Undying Blade?"
"Can you still get the Undying Blade these days?"
"How? How'd she get it?"
The chatter flew back and forth, mostly in questions.
Son Joo-yeon's face twisted in despair as the truth came out, biting her lip hard. Park Chang-sik crowed triumphantly.
"So, it's settled—the labyrinth token goes to our side, right?"
"...Yes. We accept the result. The one Chang-sik brought is more fitting as the final penitent."
"Good match."
"You too."
As Karen sheathed her sword and stepped back, Kang Bo-seok lowered his hands.
"Hoo... Hooah..."
It wasn't an experience one got often—having a sword at one's throat—so he wiped the cold sweat dripping down with the back of his hand.
Son Joo-yeon asked Kang Seol.
"But... I have one question."
"A question?"
"So, does that mean this lady's entering the final penance door?"
"...Pardon?"
"Well, yeah. She beat Bo-seok, so even if you're party members, you can't both go through the same door, right?"
Karen burst out laughing at that.
"Kahaha! You could think that. Yeah, she's right... Heh..."
"Wh-why are you laughing?"
"Oh, sorry. But no need to worry."
"Saying it like that doesn't..."
Karen gave a meaningful smile.
"Just do this."
Whirlic-!
She turned into a black whirlwind and got sucked into Kang Seol's right hand.
A heavy silence fell.
Anyone could see that the Karen using the haze ability was an ordinary fairy.
Yet she'd been absorbed into Kang Seol's palm.
Son Joo-yeon's pupils lost focus.
She stammered.
"Uh... so, that means... uh... um..."
Kang Seol cleared up everyone's doubts at once.
"She's my summon."
"...What? Pardon?"
"So, I have to enter the final penance door."
"Th-that can't be..."
Suddenly, it was like a volcano erupting—everyone started babbling at once.
"That doesn't make sense! A summon...?"
"W-wait. So you gave the Undying Blade to a summon?"
"This guy's totally nuts, right?"
Calling him a madman lololol
Call it unique lol
Threw one of his 4 capes at 'em and they're freaking out (shrug)
Oh come on, who doesn't recognize the cape? lol
This is why commoners ^^
There could be no more objections to Kang Seol being selected as the final penitent.
Kang Seol stood with the members Park Chang-sik had pre-selected.
Forming a circle facing each other revealed the party's lineup.
"Then, we'll now apply the brand."
Hummmm...
The five, already in party status, were enveloped in light.
Your name is engraved on the [Token of Qualification (Penance)].
The [Labyrinth of Penance] adventure is scheduled.
[This adventure is extremely dangerous.]
[This is a linked adventure, so you cannot select the next one.]
Things wrapped up without a hitch.
The rest period was now over.
All that remained was entering the labyrinth.
After the duel to decide the final penitent, crowds loitered around his lodging.
Park Chang-sik's associates chased them off each time, but it was a hassle.
Kang Seol grew even more cautious about revealing his identity with every incident.
This time, he'd had no choice but to use this method to enter the labyrinth, but otherwise, he'd have chosen differently.
Thanks to Park Chang-sik's arrangements, Kang Seol had started preparations early.
'Breaking the labyrinth is a marathon.'
The labyrinth wasn't something resolved in a short time. Unless you died right away upon entering, but Kang Seol wasn't the type.
'At least a month, maybe over three.'
Compared to other adventures that ended in a month at most, calling the labyrinth a prolonged battle wasn't off.
'Preparations help, but most will likely be useless.'
Especially the Labyrinth of Penance—its name alone implied suffering.
He'd experienced it twice through pieces already, but going himself felt different.
If someone asked if he was scared, Kang Seol's answer would probably be:
'I'm scared.'
But he couldn't back down because of fear.
That would betray his pieces, always leading the way into danger.
He'd become a shameless coward who hung back and shoved lesser beings into peril for amusement.
'If I can break through the Labyrinth of Penance, the gains will be immense.'
Gains meant he had to go.
Backing down from fear would contradict all his past actions driving pieces to the brink.
'And there are things only reachable at the labyrinth's end.'
Everyone who cleared a labyrinth knew its rewards far outstripped normal adventures.
Was it treasure Kang Seol wanted? Or something more?
He wouldn't know until he reached the end.
Knock, knock.
"It's about time, Snowman."
Park Chang-sik came to greet him.
He'd already exchanged basic introductions with the party members entering together.
He'd given them his nickname instead of his real name, but no one complained.
"I'll head out now."
His preparations were thorough, but whether he'd even get to use them was another matter.
Kang Seol followed Park Chang-sik to where the labyrinth had appeared.
A bit removed from Audenin, the area was thick with underbrush, strikingly similar to the ruins where Izumokan slept, including the entrance.
'The penitent statue... even that's here.'
A massive statue bearing a boulder on its head in agony stood at the labyrinth's entrance.
The five had varying rest periods left, but Park Chang-sik had assembled the party from those ending around the same time.
From prior entries into two labyrinths, the transfer synced to the latest rest period ender.
Among the five, Kang Seol had the latest, so transfer would start soon.
Son Joo-yeon had already transferred to her next adventure, so other guild masters stood in.
One woman spoke up.
"Chang-sik, you can't fail this time. Got it?"
"What kind of cheer is that?"
"Anyway. Joo-yeon unnie might flip out again, so succeed. Come back cool. Oh! And half the treasures are union property... you didn't forget, right?"
"Yeah, and half goes to the entrants too, right?"
"Of course, we slammed our thumbs on the contract. Everyone... come back alive. Joo-yeon unnie worried about you a ton, even if she didn't say it."
"You heard her?"
"Nah, just my guess?"
"Sheesh... Got it. And coming back isn't my call. It's that guy's over there. Others just need to endure."
Amid the murmurs, Kang Seol spoke.
"It's time."
Park Chang-sik and the party nodded. Someone among the crowd tried to cheer.
"Everyone, stay al—"
Ziiiiiing—
[Starting the next adventure.]
[Adventure 17 begins.]
[Adventure 17. Labyrinth of Penance]
The Labyrinth of Penance, one of the horrific labyrinths appearing near Audenin and across the continent, has been discovered.
At that moment, tokens were also found from the biting Gallia, the hushed Homuru, and the thorny Juri.
The two tokens yielded no results due to insufficient penitent qualification.
Now, the last remaining token.
You have branded your name upon it.
You must prove it.
That you are a being who can press forward, no matter the pain you bear.
The Labyrinth of Penance will watch you.
Goal: Break through the Labyrinth of Penance
Caution: This adventure is extremely dangerous.
Remaining time "None"
It felt like stepping deep into a cave.
As Park Chang-sik had described, he could only see his feet; the surroundings were pitch black.
"Same as before..."
"Hyung, this the place?"
"Yeah, Jae-ho. Right here."
Park Chang-sik had brought Sung Jae-ho, a cherished younger brother figure. That showed his full commitment.
"Over there..."
Someone spoke.
Probably gesturing with a finger too, but nothing was visible here.
There was a door.
Five doors.
Ignorance, Pain, Doubt, Patience,
And the door of Penance.
Kang Seol knew to some extent what agonies lurked behind each.
And that none were easy.
"Hyung, you're going through Ignorance, right?"
"Yeah, I went that way last time."
"I'll do Doubt as planned."
"Pain for me."
"Patience."
Everyone was looking at Kang Seol.
Invisible, but he felt it.
"I'll take Penance."
"Then..."
Each stood before their door.
"I'll go first."
Creeeak...
The Door of Doubt opened, and Sung Jae-ho vanished.
Creeeak...
The Door of Pain opened, and party member Kim Tae-gyu disappeared.
Creeeak...
Through the Door of Patience went another, Jang Heung-su.
"Then, until we meet again."
Creeeak...
Park Chang-sik opened the Door of Ignorance and vanished.
With all doors claimed, change began.
Clank.
Clank, clank.
The chains on the Door of Penance before Kang Seol were breaking one by one.
Clank!
Crackle...
[Four doors have welcomed their penitents.]
[The final door, the Door of Penance, opens.]
Kang Seol flung open the Door of Penance.
Creeeaaaak...
Clank.
Kang Seol vanished inside, and the Door of Penance closed.
[The Door of Penance has welcomed the final penitent.]