Deep Labyrinth (2)
Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.
The clock he'd bought for 7,000 AP in the [Convenience] section let out its dry alert tone. He'd set the timer for 168-hour cycles, so another week had passed.
Already? Time flies.
Choi Yun-seok quickly checked the date. May 4th, Korean time. Seven weeks had slipped by since he'd started the 10th floor trial.
In that time, he'd only met with Eshton once a week in the plaza to hear updates on Earth—otherwise, he'd devoted himself entirely to training in his waiting room. He'd swing his sword until something clicked, then sit and meditate for a while. Stand up, test it with more swings, and repeat endlessly.
But there hadn't been any major breakthroughs. He'd experimented with various sword forms and gained more insight than before, but that was it. Combining them to push past the Sword Realm was still far off.
Of course, he believed that steadily honing the foundations like this would eventually reveal the path... but lately, with progress stalled, frustration was building.
For Yun-seok, who had always seen answers just beyond a bit more effort, this was a first.
And this Middle Dantian—still no clue how to use it...
Yun-seok sighed and stood. With the weekly timer going off, it was time to meet Eshton, report he was alive, and get Earth updates.
"You've arrived, sir."
As he entered the plaza, Eshton greeted him calmly, as if expecting him any moment, seated patiently. Yun-seok sat across and listened to the past week's Earth events.
Nothing as urgent as the recent demon invasion, but Yun-seok found it engaging. Eshton had a talent for spinning even mundane tales into something captivating, giving his sword-obsessed mind a nice breather.
"Oh, do you know about this? The religious world is in an uproar right now."
"An uproar?"
"Yes. You remember the Salvation Church I mentioned last time?"
The Salvation Church was a new cult worshiping Yun-seok as their savior. With visible proof of his miracles, believers had surged worldwide. Apparently, even abroad, they pronounced it "Salvation Church" following the Korean phonetics—probably because he was Korean.
"That Salvation Church just declared all other religions heretics."
Yun-seok was dumbfounded. A faith barely two months old calling out religions with thousands of years of history? He let out a hollow chuckle, and Eshton smirked too.
"A bit ridiculous, right? But the situation's actually quite serious. If it were just some fringe cult, no issue—but the Salvation Church has grown too massive."
The Tower of Heaven's appearance had shaken the foundations of all religions. Then Yun-seok appeared, displaying power near-divine. A miracle made real. One who proved himself in the Tower and returned with the strength to save the world. Faith is born from the desperate hopes of the weak. And what he'd shown that day seemed more than enough to fulfill theirs.
"It seems distrust in the powerless world governments at the time fueled this outcome."
"...I see."
After that, they chatted about non-religious topics too. Pahur had cleared the 8th floor and reached the 9th. A Chinese challenger was rising in prominence lately. Some female challenger was sweeping TV popularity.
"You're staying quite a while today."
Eshton suddenly cut in after their rambling talk. Yun-seok usually ghosted back to training the moment conversation wrapped, so curiosity filled his eyes.
Well, droning on about swords wouldn't help anyway. Yun-seok brushed it off casually.
"More importantly, any update on that?"
"You mean...?"
"You said you'd verify if that info was solid. What'd you find?"
Eshton nodded in realization.
"Truth be told, nothing concrete. Few Earth explorers have reached the 11th floor, and those who have say no such item exists."
"I see."
Just a rumor after all? The one about an item on the 11th-floor Exploration that bound gear for other dimensions.
He'd planned to burn 500 LP and switch to Exploration the moment it checked out, so disappointment showed plainly.
Guess I wait longer?
You couldn't revisit 11th-floor Exploration once ascending. That's why he'd stalled on the next floor, training instead.
Seeing Yun-seok smack his lips, Eshton spoke slyly.
"That said, oddly enough, rumors of such an item in 11th-floor Exploration are quietly spreading among challengers."
"And?"
"As the Korean proverb goes: 'Where there's no fire, smoke doesn't rise.'"
Hearing a black American-born Brit quote a Korean proverb to his face felt surreal.
"And recently, one of our Earth explorers found a hidden room on the 11th. Seemed to need a key, but couldn't find it—came back empty-handed."
Yun-seok got the hint. At least one hidden room existed; claiming it would make the 500 LP worthwhile. Go for it.
"......"
Yun-seok rubbed his chin, expression ambivalent. Truthfully, it tempted him plenty.
LP's useless otherwise anyway...
Waiting room stagnation itched. Hoarding 500 LP felt petty now.
Even without the item, opening the hidden room recovers costs at minimum.
Plus, new environments might spark inspiration, unsticking his rut.
He decided quickly.
"Exploration time flows 1:1 with outside, right?"
"Yes."
"Then push the next contact to 15 days out."
"Pardon?"
Eshton tilted his head, then understood and nodded readily, listing must-haves for Exploration.
* * *
Purchased items have arrived.
Please verify the lower part of your body.
Subspace bag, E-rank Mapping skill, lantern, rations. Back in the waiting room, Yun-seok bought everything Eshton suggested except lantern and rations.
Darkness wasn't an issue anymore, and Purification Light could sub in if needed. Food? Unnecessary since gaining Heavenly Demon Body—he hadn't felt hunger once.
Allows undertaking an Exploration trial of the corresponding floor's difficulty.
Note: Rewards obtainable, but no promotion possible.
Yun-seok gripped the directive bought for 500 LP in both hands. Prep done...
Time to leave this damn waiting room.
ZZZzt!
Exploration Directive used.
11th-floor Exploration zone: Deep Labyrinth.
Survive and explore the area for 15 days.
Moving to start point.
Unlike the silent waiting room, murmurs buzzed around from the start. Yun-seok opened his eyes quietly.
As Eshton said, dozens of challengers crowded the start point—about a hundred.
Feels like a real dungeon dive.
Yun-seok scanned slowly. The start was a vast underground cavern, ant-nest-like with hundreds of branching paths ringing the edges.
Safe zones including start point: Cumulative stay limited to 24 hours.
Like return timers on Earth, a countdown ticked in his vision's corner.
Likely to penalize time-wasters camping safe zones during Exploration.
Feels different from missions.
As he craned his neck, explorer-like, a man approached.
"Um..."
"Waiting for a party?"
Eshton had mentioned: Parties formed routinely at start points in Exploration. Makes sense—survival over days, more allies better.
Long-term, seems like a loss to me, though...
Yun-seok wasn't waiting but had no intent to recruit either—he made that clear. The man grumbled audibly and spun away.
"Looks average but picky as hell."
He'd taken Yun-seok's rejection personally.
Jerks like him everywhere.
Yun-seok pulled blank parchment from his bag and activated Mapping. Visible areas auto-drew into a map.
Really feels like a game...
But no room for complacency. Even the "easier than missions" Exploration was still a Tower trial.
Let's go.
He picked the nearest path from his position and moved. Darkness fell instantly beyond the start—some system filter blocked sight.
"Purification Light."
He used it purely for visibility and pressed on. With Plum Blossom Sword's mana recovery, sustain outpaced cost—no issue.
Which way now?
Third junction in under three minutes. Left or right? Then the first monster appeared.
"Grerrrk...!"
A skeletal figure armed with sword, shield, iron helm. Viking descendant—or ancestor? Bones only, yet towering at least 4 meters.
Encountered enemy neither human nor beastkin.
Ark Hunter gloves activated. No large-monster buff, though—size insufficient despite bulk.
Hydra was bigger. And no evil alignment... Was that special?
As he pondered casually at first contact—
"Guaaaah!"
Displeased, the skeleton warrior screeched and swung its sword overhead down.
Whoosh!
Its massive frame and thick blade boomed heavily. But...
That all? Weak.
To Yun-seok, child's play. No need for Blood Demon Qi—he raised Judgment Sword to parry. Barely effort, yet the skeleton flew back.
Uses a sword, at least. Good test dummy.
He swung slowly. Dull Sword, practiced endlessly in the waiting room.
Whoosh!
Dull Sword wasn't mere slowness. Slow, yet striking first. That was Dull Sword.
Fighting weaklings sharpens the feel better.
Dull Sword demanded reading foes, dominating space. Perfect low-level practice—self-clones via Blood Demon Qi were too tough.
Came to the right place.
He spared it deliberately, drilling Dull Sword. No leisure in duels.
As familiarity grew—
"What a retard."
A man from behind muttered. The earlier party-seeker.
He startled at Yun-seok's face, then sneered viciously.
"Fucking retard for real?"
"...?"
So rare now, or gap too vast? Yun-seok realized late: aimed at him.
Honestly, not angering. Just... novel.