A Light in the Labyrinth
“Ghh!” A groan escaped my lips the moment I opened my eyes. My entire body felt like it had been torn to pieces. Well, that was to be expected after getting caught head-on by a massive tidal wave. My left arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and my whole body was covered in wounds. No doubt I had bruises everywhere besides the arm, and several bones were cracked or broken.
‘Still, at least I’m alive.’ I was satisfied with the outcome. Surviving a tidal wave like that was already a win. While pulling out a [Healing] card to attempt self-recovery, I looked around. Fortunately, no enemies were in sight. A mountain rose behind me, and the sea stretched ahead. It seemed I’d been washed up onto a sandy beach along the coastline.
‘How did I end up here?’ The only place on Jebudo where mountain slopes and beaches coexisted was the northwestern part of the island. The wave had come from the east, so suddenly finding myself in the northwest was baffling. This had to be another effect of the [Fog Labyrinth].
Boom! Bang! Rat-tat-tat!
Explosions echoed in the distance. Battles were raging everywhere……
‘I hope everyone’s safe.’ I knew it was shameless to hope they’d survived being swept away by that wave, but I couldn’t help clinging to the possibility. Right before the wave hit—
“May fortune be with you and your companions.”
The [Luck] card had blessed not only me but everyone. A 110% increase in luck. For now, that was all the hope I had.
Whoosh.
The restorative power of the [Healing] card was remarkable. I could feel the pain rapidly subsiding.
‘I’ll have to set this myself……’ Gritting my teeth, I grabbed my twisted left arm and forced it back into place. Crack! With a sickening sound, the arm snapped back into position.
“Ugh.” The overwhelming pain made my vision blur for a moment. The [Healing] card began mending the arm, and the agony quickly faded.
‘Better than most healing-type hunters.’ I was surprised. The [Healing] card’s performance exceeded my expectations. Maybe I wouldn’t even need to team up with healing hunters anymore……
Scanning my surroundings, I slowly pushed myself to my feet.
‘Nothing lost.’ Thanks to keeping the gun slung over my shoulder, I hadn’t lost it, and while ammunition wasn’t plentiful, I had enough for a couple of fights.
‘First, I need to find a way out……’ The moment the thought crossed my mind, a card slid out of the [Infinite Deck] and floated before my eyes.
[Search] card.
Inside the card was depicted an old man holding a staff in one hand and a lantern in the other. Last time I used it, only the lantern had been drawn……
Anyway, since it was presenting itself so insistently, ignoring it would be rude. I reached out and took the card.
Shhhk!
The old man with the staff and lantern stepped out of the card and bowed respectfully.
“My lord, I shall light the way for you.”
“M-My lord?” I waved my hands frantically. I hadn’t sunk so low in character that I could remain unfazed while an old man who looked at least eighty called me “my lord.”
“Just call me Eun-seong, please.”
“My lord is the master of infinite power. How could I dare speak your name so casually?”
“Someone else was joking around with me earlier……” I muttered, recalling Helkian—the [Mutation] card.
“Did someone dare to jest with my lord?!” The old man who had emerged from the [Search] card flew into a rage. If the person in question had been present, he looked ready to beat them senseless with his staff.
“Ah, it’s nothing serious. Just pretend you didn’t hear it.”
“But……”
“By the way, what should I call you, sir?”
“You may call me Lumos.”
“Then I’ll call you Elder Lumos. And there’s no need to call me ‘my lord.’ Just treat me casually. You can even use my name.”
“What are you saying? My lord is the master of infinite power. It is only proper to address you as ‘my lord.’”
“I have my own position to consider…… Is there no other title besides ‘my lord’?”
“Then how about ‘my liege’?”
“That’s still embarrassing. Hmm.” After pondering for a while, I came up with a suitable form of address.
“How about calling me ‘young master’?”
“Young master, is it? Hmm!” Lumos stroked his beard with a reluctant expression, then nodded as if he had no choice.
“Since it is my lord’s command, I shall address you as such from now on, young master.”
‘Young master’ was still embarrassing, but it was better than ‘my lord’ or ‘my liege’……
“Young master, do you require guidance?”
“Yes.”
“Then this old man shall serve as your guide.”
“Thank you.”
“One of your companions is nearby. Shall we head there first?”
“Please do.” I nodded at the welcome news. Even I couldn’t navigate the [Fog Labyrinth]…… Wait. The fact that I had summoned Lumos, the guide, was part of my own ability. Did that mean finding a path through the [Fog Labyrinth] was also within my power?
‘Maybe the one finding the way isn’t Lumos, but me……’ With that thought, I began walking after Lumos.
The large-scale spatial transfer incident on Jebudo had thrown not only South Korea but the entire world into an uproar. Of course, taken as a single event, the Jebudo incident wasn’t particularly newsworthy on its own. However, the fact that someone had predicted this transfer in advance—and that person was a mysterious 10-star hunter—changed everything.
As the existence of the unidentified 10-star hunter Supernova, previously only discussed on Hunter Link, and his statements became known to the world, the entire globe was set abuzz.
Media outlets from South Korea and around the world ran extensive coverage on Supernova, and the incident captured the attention of people worldwide. Through this, the world learned that 10-star hunters existed. And that he was called Supernova.
* * *
Amid the large-scale spatial transfer incident on Jebudo, the South Korean government—more precisely, the Ministry of Defense Strategy—was operating under extreme urgency. Even without looking inside, the outward signs made it obvious.
Vroom, vroom!
“Delivery!”
“Who ordered the spicy chicken?”
Delivery riders were gathering one by one at the main gate of the Ministry of Defense Strategy. It was a common sight whenever a large-scale incident occurred. There was something called the “Delivery Index”—an unofficial metric gauging the overtime intensity of hunters, soldiers, and officials affiliated with the Ministry. When they ordered delivery food to stave off hunger during all-night emergency shifts, the more serious the situation, the more exponentially the number of delivery riders converging on the Ministry increased. It had even become a running joke that if the Delivery Index exceeded three digits, the situation was tantamount to a national emergency.
“Who ordered the Fire Pot spicy fried chicken?”
“Over here. By the way, aren’t you Mr. Kim Du-hyeon?”
Captain Im recognized Kim Du-hyeon and spoke up.
“Do you know me?”
“Weren’t you the security guard at the apartment where Mr. Eun-seong used to live?”
“Huh? Yeah, that’s right.”
“I thought that motorcycle looked familiar.”
Captain Im gave a wry smile, recalling how Eun-seong had visited the Ministry riding Du-hyeon’s motorcycle. Of course, Du-hyeon didn’t understand what he meant.
“I heard there was a large-scale spatial transfer on Jebudo?”
“That’s correct, for now.”
“Eun-seong hyung…… I mean, what about Eun-seong? Nothing happened to him, right?”
“I can’t disclose that. It’s classified. I’m sorry.”
“Ah, right.”
Du-hyeon nodded, remembering that information about hunters contracted with the Ministry was confidential.
“Well then, drive safely. Thanks for the delivery.”
Captain Im hurried away with the food Du-hyeon had brought, as if fleeing.
“No way he’s actually on Jebudo right now. That would be seriously bad luck……”
However, Du-hyeon’s thoughts about Eun-seong didn’t last long.
Ding, ding!
Du-hyeon’s phone rang nonstop.
[New delivery request!]
[New delivery request!]
[New delivery request!]
Delivery calls were pouring in. It meant that with the situation so dire, people working at the Ministry had long since given up on going home and were ordering delivery food left and right.
“Oh!”
Du-hyeon grabbed the nearest call from the Ministry and immediately twisted the throttle on his motorcycle.
Vrooooom!
The old motorcycle spewed acrid exhaust as it sped off energetically.
* * *
Lumos guided me with the lantern held forward. The route he led was completely unpredictable. He would suddenly turn in an odd direction while walking straight, and sometimes it seemed like we were going in circles, making me doubt if this was right. That was exactly why I trusted him. In the thick [Fog Labyrinth], any normal route would be the wrong way.
“Young master, enemies will appear soon.”
“Really……?”
“This old man will handle them, so please rest easy.”
Lumos smiled as if there was no need for me to step in. Soon enough, the enemies appeared.
“Kkadeuk, kkadeuk!”
“Kkadeudeuk!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Out of nowhere, dozens of hermit crabs the size of calves began charging at terrifying speed. I recognized them. Man-eating crabs. Monsters that commonly appeared when spatial transfers occurred in tidal flat terrain—creatures with both exceptional defense and attack power.
‘How’s he going to deal with them?’
The question flashed through my mind.
“How dare mere vermin block the young master’s path!”
Lumos bellowed and swung his staff.
Crack!
The pincer of the first man-eating crab that lunged at us exploded outward.
“Insolent creatures!”
Lumos swung his staff again, striking the shell—the hermit crab’s home—of the already pincer-less creature.
Crunch!
The sturdy shell shattered into countless fragments.
“W-What the……”
I was shocked. The shells of man-eating crabs were notoriously tough—capable of deflecting bullets with ease. Yet he had smashed one apart with a mere staff swing? But my astonishment was premature. Lumos’s performance had only just begun.
Crack! Smash! Crunch!
Lumos wove between the man-eating crabs, shattering them one after another.
“……A guide, right?”
The disbelieving mutter slipped out on its own.