Chapter 226: How to Escape an Illusion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 226: How to Escape an Illusion
“Don’t give me that bullshit.”
The Orc Berserker, Krom, scowled deeply.
“I don’t like it. I don’t know if this place is any better to live in, and more importantly, following the Labyrinth Master is fucking, fucking, fucking awful.”
He jabbed Blackdog’s shoulder with his fist.
“You may be the party leader, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow your every whim, Blackdog.”
Krom couldn’t believe his old friend’s decision.
“What the hell are you talking about, wanting to keep living here? Have you forgotten what the Labyrinth did!?”
“…”
Blackdog lowered his head, ashamed.
But from his perspective, he had no choice.
Unlike Caleb, he was a father to a child and a husband to a woman.
“I’ve lived in that world for too long,” Blackdog said.
“I don’t want to be separated from my daughter or my wife, Krom.”
“So you’ll let the Labyrinth devour you? Get a grip! You’ll die in the end!”
“It’s not dying!”
“You’re saying we’ll live inside this fucking illusion? How can you believe that! That this place will become reality? How can you believe it!”
Blackdog’s party was known as the most tight-knit four-person team not just in Sohen, but in the entire world.
That was because Blackdog himself had cultivated it that way.
But now, a fatal crack had appeared in their party.
“…”
Rococo and Nimue could understand both sides, so they couldn’t take a side.
“Blackdog.”
Krom let out a deep sigh.
“In case you’ve forgotten.”
“…”
“Try to remember what happened twelve years ago.”
That day, the greatest organization in the back alleys was shattered even more thoroughly than the Magic University.
For Krom, the sense of loss and defeat from that day was still vivid.
“You know damn well how many people died…”
Click!
The door to the Pentagon conference room where the two were arguing opened.
“What the?”
The figures walking in were a shock to Krom.
“Bisan…?”
The first was a massive Dokkebi with dark red skin and a single tusk jutting out. He was once an exile from Bimungol and the only warrior in Blackdog’s organization who could match Krom in strength.
Next was the Fallen Paladin, Rupert. He was originally a follower of Nathaniel but was excommunicated for earning surplus profits beyond his contracted fees. He once vied with Peterson for the top spot among the magistrates.
And then, the Elf Druid, Elenia. She was from the Fairy Forest Council of Elders. She had been an elite adventurer granted permission to explore the Labyrinth, but after losing a party member on the 10th floor, she came to Sohen instead of returning to the Fairy Forest.
“You…”
“Have you been well, Orc?”
Elenia smiled faintly and poked Krom’s forehead with her finger.
“We’ve been waiting for you with bated breath.”
“What the fuck is this… You’re all dead!” Krom roared.
They were the ones who had fought most fiercely during the Labyrinth Eruption 12 years ago—heroes who had been annihilated by the Labyrinth’s Silver Dagger Federation that had invaded the back alleys.
They were the best of the best from Blackdog’s organization.
“Wait a minute. Then, don’t tell me…”
As Krom’s head spun, another Deep Layer adventurer appeared before him.
He was a Tier 7 wizard.
“Krom!”
Ractanius drew his wand, bellowing.
“While the White Lion was eating me, you just played dead next to me!”
“Ractanius!”
Horrified, Krom stumbled backward.
“Logically speaking, you’re much higher in protein, so it’s only natural it would eat you!”
Ractanius shoved his wand forward.
“W-wait…”
“…Hahahat!”
Then, looking at the terrified Krom, he burst out laughing.
Ractanius tucked his wand back into his belt.
“Surprised? You were surprised, weren’t you?”
“…”
“Back then, well, I did briefly think it would’ve been nice if it ate you instead of me, but I don’t care now. So.”
Ractanius clapped Krom on the shoulder.
“You can let go of your guilt, too.”
The wizard looked his old friend seriously in the eyes and said, “Knowing your personality, you’ve probably been blaming yourself for hiding and holding your breath that day.”
“Ractanius.”
Their appearance was a shock to Rococo and Nimue as well.
Ractanius appointed himself as the commentator for the bewildered group.
“Alright, now, I, Ractanius, who once served as a tenured professor at Sohen’s Magic University and even reviewed Isilof’s professorial appointment—”
It was the greatest achievement of his life.
“—will now share my thoughts on being eaten by the Labyrinth.”
“…”
“Being eaten by the Labyrinth is similar to falling asleep. You know how you dream while you’re unconscious? It’s like that.”
Bisan, Rupert, and Elenia nodded in agreement.
“Then, when an opportunity like this arises, bam! Your consciousness returns. You think we’re fakes, just bundles of illusions?”
“…”
“That’s absolutely not…”
“Shut up!”
Krom roared.
“Shut up. Shut the hell up, you bastards. Don’t you dare mock my friends!”
“Krom.”
The druid Elenia patted his shoulder.
“Just listen for a moment. The world is essentially like a chessboard for Wizus and the Labyrinth Master.”
Of course, it didn’t actually follow the rules of chess; it was far larger and more complex.
As vast as the mental worlds of Wizus or the Labyrinth Master.
“Those gods, who are fighting over the outcome of the Grand Game, each have a world they envision in their minds.”
Wizus dreams of the complete separation of the two worlds. The modern world may lack the skills and magic of the gods, but science can take their place. There is no need for gods to have a place there. The worlds must be separated. The heroes of the Ethereal Galaxy must gather all their strength to subjugate the Labyrinth Master and end the Labyrinth’s meaningless consumption of worlds.
The Labyrinth Master dreams of the complete integration of the two worlds. He is the true master of the world, his legitimacy recognized by the God-King. Furthermore, he is the ruler of all magic and all minds. He will take the immature world created by the God-King and integrate it with a new continent to develop it into a better place.
“Neither one is simply good or evil,” Elenia said.
“People move and struggle like pieces on a board according to the gods’ intentions, but for those of us who have realized the truth, there are choices.”
“…”
“We will stand with the Labyrinth Master,” Rupert said.
“First and foremost, the fact that we can bring back everyone who was eaten by the Labyrinth. That’s the most appealing part.”
“Shut up, you sons of bitches.”
Krom gritted his teeth.
“Don’t flap your gums anymore. I’m not taking part in this conversation.”
“Honestly, Krom,” Ractanius said.
“Even if you distrust us and side with Wizus, I’m fine with it. Why? Because, you bastard, how are you going to beat us!”
He cackled.
“It means that eventually, you’ll flip to our side, just like a captured piece changing color in Othello.”
“…”
“And even the existence of people like you, who refuse to believe until the very end, is within the Labyrinth Master’s calculations,” Rupert said.
“It’s because of this distrust and fear that the Labyrinth Master gave up on persuading the humans of the surface.”
To the Lord of the Abyss, a warrior like Krom was like a small, weak, terrified stray dog.
Even if you extend a hand to rescue it, it hides in a corner, barking and snapping desperately.
The Labyrinth Master doesn’t waste time trying to coax them.
He simply captures them by force and takes the necessary measures.
“No matter where you run on this chessboard, you’re within the Labyrinth Master’s calculations.”
The pieces on the board have no way of fathoming the grandmaster’s intent.
Just as they have no way of getting off the board.
*
“This way!”
We were caught trying to escape.
But don’t worry. To modern people who don’t know much about skills and magic, the breakthrough power and movement speed of a Deep Layer party are incomprehensible.
Shadow Leap!
Ethereal Blink!
Sentry Relocation!
“No live rounds!” the detectives shouted.
Never in my life did I imagine a day would come when this many cops would be chasing me.
I couldn’t have fathomed it.
“Fire the tasers!”
You think that’s gonna work? Tasers?
Just so you know, detectives, I was the strongest lightning magic user back in my world.
“Electrostatic Coat.”
I wrapped all four party members in an Electrostatic Coat.
Bzzzt!
Now, even if a taser hits, it will only add one lightning charge.
“It’s not working!”
“Cumulonimbus!”
And with that, the clear night sky was done for.
Tonight, the city of Yongin would be blanketed by a downpour of 130mm per hour.
“I can’t see a thing!”
“And they’re too fast!”
“Catch them somehow! If we don’t, we’re all fired!” the detectives yelled.
I shouted at my own party members.
“Don’t kill them!”
Even if this was an illusion, hurting civilians felt wrong.
Besides, they said they wouldn’t use live ammunition.
In a non-lethal fight, we had a huge advantage, though most of my spells were too destructive to use.
‘Sleep Gas.’
Every time Back Attack (and his clones), who were flitting about everywhere, brushed past them, police officers dropped one by one.
‘Magic Arrowhead.’
Yernil’s magic arrowheads were coated with scrolls that induced narcolepsy or confusion.
“Block them with the patrol cars!”
“Set up a barricade!”
They blocked the road ahead with vehicles.
But.
‘Rhino’s Horn.’
To stop our Monk, you should have brought an armored vehicle or a tank.
“What…”
The tip of his iron staff sent the vehicles flying like Lego blocks. The path was cleared wide open.
“What the hell was that!”
We dashed past the astonished detectives and got into a car. My car, for the record, which the NIS had confiscated beforehand.
“Wait a moment. Someone stop them from coming after us.”
Boom! Kaboom! Boom!
Yernil’s barrage rained down all around, a kind of suppressive fire to keep them from approaching.
“They’re… they’re monsters…”
Leaving the terrified police behind, we sped off.
It was the first time in my life I’d ever driven so recklessly.
*
“Hyung-nim, how did you even get around in Sohen feeling so frustrated…?”
I got around feeling frustrated, that’s how.
Sohen needs to learn a thing or two about public transportation from the modern world.
“Caleb. Back when we were Tsunami Surfing, my driving was terrible, wasn’t it…? I’m sorry.”
Aimus suddenly apologized.
It was because I was weaving through traffic like a madman.
“This is the first time I’ve driven like this, too.”
I was on a veritable rampage in a used Sonata.
“The police are chasing us!”
The highway patrol began to pursue us at incredible speed.
As expected, they were professionals and drove much better than I did.
But.
‘Triple Shot!’
Yernil calmly blew out only the cars’ tires.
After eliminating our pursuers, another enemy appeared up ahead.
“More police cars are blocking the road!” Yernil shouted.
About 100 meters ahead.
“I’ll handle it!”
Back Attack immediately focused and used Leaping Ambush. He circled around to the side of a car, grabbed its frame, and…
‘Shadow Leap!’
…instantly moved it off the road. Then he swapped places with a Mirror Rogue.
We sped along the Second Capital Region Ring Expressway. Dongtan, Bongdam, Hwaseong.
The police kept coming.
But the time to shake them was near. They would never have dreamed of this. That we, who came by car…
CRASH!
…would ram the car through the bridge fence and dive into the sea.
“Dust Explosion.”
I used magic to blow off the front and roof of the car.
Then we all jumped out of the sinking vehicle.
The police were busy radioing someone. They were probably requesting the Coast Guard.
No.
‘They’re already here?’
That was incredibly fast.
In the distance, I could see a Coast Guard boat cutting through the water toward us. Two helicopters hovered above it.
“Let’s go!”
But this was within my expectations.
[Underwater Breathing Mask]
I brought these just in case.
I even got a spare for Yernil from Professor Isilof when we passed through the US. Of course, that professor, that mask, they were all probably illusions.
FWOOSH!
We dove underwater, riding Aimus’s Tsunami Surf.
I could see the surface waves from the boat circling above in a panic.
Right, I could see them bringing helicopters, but they wouldn’t have prepared a submarine. A piece of equipment like that wouldn’t have been easy to mobilize on such short notice.
“Let’s go!”
I took out the compass again.
Since the world was summoned on a global scale, the Stairway Gate was likely quite far.
We’d probably have to travel to somewhere like China, the Philippines, or Vietnam first, then smuggle ourselves to our destination…
‘Huh?’
The compass was pointing straight down.
“What the.”
The Stairway Gate was right below us.
“It’s the stairway!” Back Attack yelled.
“Let’s go.”
We went, since there was no other choice, but I felt uneasy.
I’d developed a condition where I get anxious whenever things work out this luckily.
*
KWAANG!
We physically passed through the underwater Stairway Gate, but in reality, we had crossed the boundary between illusion and reality.
‘The magic is broken.’
We had escaped the demon’s sweet dream.
“Hah…”
“We’re out.”
“Ugh…”
Yernil, Aimus, Back Attack.
All three of them had dazed expressions.
The four of us, who had been standing with our eyes closed as if asleep, snapped to attention and raised our heads.
In front of us, we could see the members of Blackdog’s party, still trapped in the illusion.
And the Labyrinth Master, too.
“Honestly, that was rather impressive.”
The Labyrinth Master smiled faintly.
I didn’t have time to exchange words with this bastard.
“Blackdog!”
I shook his shoulder forcefully.
“Wake up!”
My party members did the same to the others.
“Wake…”
It was the very moment I grabbed Blackdog’s arm.
“Ah.”
Fur began to sprout from below Blackdog’s neck.
“Shit.”
It was a lion’s mane.
“That was close.”
The Labyrinth Master’s shoulders shook.
He covered his face with one hand.
Hehehe.
The demon’s mad laughter echoed.
“Ugh…”
Rococo came to his senses.
“We broke the illusion. Did you guys wake us up?”
Nimue also regained consciousness.
“I…”
Krom’s expression was the saddest I had ever seen on him.
“I tried to stop him…”
The Orc Berserker watched his friend’s transforming back, trapped in a suffocating sense of powerlessness and grief.