Deep Labyrinth (4)
Even if one didn't know the tale of Oedipus and the Sphinx, it was rare for anyone to have never heard this riddle in their lifetime. It was that famous.
...There isn't a trap here, is there?
The answer was obviously "man". Even in the Tower of Heaven, where beastkin, elves, orcs, lizardmen, and countless similar races existed in reality... the dictionary definition of "man" encompassed any creature with the intelligence to use language, create and wield tools, and form societies.
But Choi Yun-seok couldn't bring himself to say it easily. It was too straightforward. Of course, it might be a clever puzzle requiring wit and ingenuity for challengers from other dimensions... but even accounting for that, something felt off.
"Answer within one minute."
As Yun-seok racked his brain, the gatekeeper Arepton began counting time in an annoyingly smug voice.
"One... two... three... four...."
What was this? An unnecessary sense of urgency washed over him. Yun-seok agonized within the time limit. But he couldn't pinpoint any hidden trick in the riddle. The nagging doubt was probably just his imagination—maybe there was no trap at all.
I can only hope it's based on an Earth motif...
In the end, time ran out, and Yun-seok gave his answer.
"The answer is man."
But...
Challenger, you are incorrect.
Arepton kindly revealed the correct answer.
"The answer to this riddle is eknophehitu."
"......"
He might have accepted it if it had been beastkin, elf, or even orc. He could've chalked it up to testing luck rather than wisdom. But this was hard to swallow. No, he had to know at least this one thing. What the hell was eknophehitu?
The gatekeeper helpfully elaborated without being asked.
"Eknophehitu is a deep-sea fish from the abyssal depths of the Arboton Sea. It walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening."
"......"
Yun-seok was speechless. It wasn't a metaphor likening life to a day. There really existed such a creature in some unknown dimension—four legs in the morning, two at noon.
How was I supposed to guess that...?
The Arboton Sea. A sea from who-knows-where. And it lived in the deep abyss. His first thought was honest: Are you kidding me right now?
Qualification verification failed.
Even if it was a joke, it was a shitty one... but the real nightmare was that this wasn't a joke. With the failure message, the human-face protrusion above the stone gate vanished. It didn't feel real.
"Hey?"
He knocked on the door, wandered far away and came back, tried all sorts of things—but retrying was impossible.
"That's it? Just like this?"
A hollow laugh escaped him. His eyes and mouth curved in amusement, but something hot surged inside. It was his blood pressure.
Bam!
Yun-seok punched the stone gate. He'd meant to pull his punch lightly, but anger slipped in unconsciously. The impact point shattered, shaking the cavern.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Yun-seok froze. He stared intently at the dent. It was regenerating like new flesh sprouting—not even a second had passed.
So I can break it?
Unlike the waiting rooms, impervious to any damage due to absolute system protection, this was different.
Why didn't you tell me that from the start?
That changed everything. Yun-seok infused his swords with Blood Demon Qi. Then he slashed wildly at the stone gate.
Boom!Boom boom!Boom!
Regeneration outpaced destruction. But Yun-seok just grinned, unconcerned.
"Not enough, huh?"
He activated King of Ten Thousand Swords. And used Judgment of the Destruction Lord too. He'd wondered what would happen without a sky—apparently, a beam shot from above anyway.
Divine Possession effect: All stats +1 for 10 minutes.
Activated right in front of the gate, it had already gouged out a chunk.
How thick is this thing?
No idea. And it was already regenerating slowly. Yun-seok hurriedly maxed out his Blood Demon Qi on his dual swords, crossing and swinging them.
Boom boom!
The wall shattered in an X-shape, revealing the empty space beyond. Yun-seok darted through the gap.
I can't believe this actually works...
Scraaaape!
The moment he entered, the broken gate regenerated, sealing the exit. But Yun-seok pressed forward without hesitation. He could just smash it again on the way out.
Step.
He scanned the surroundings as he advanced. Called an ancient tomb, it felt more like a treasure vault. Sure, there were hundreds or thousands of stone coffins that might hold mummies... but gold and jewels filled every visible spot.
However, as mere backdrop, attempting to pick anything up triggered a message.
Item cannot be acquired.
Appraisal didn't work either, confirming it. Gold bars weren't exactly essential anyway... but it was deflating.
Still, as a hidden dungeon of sorts, not everything would be like that. Yun-seok slowly wove between the coffins, scanning carefully. At the end of the coffin-filled cavern, atop stairs, stood another stone gate.
Feels like a boss room in a game.
Thankfully, unlike the qualification gate, it slid open easily. Unsure what lay within, Yun-seok drew his swords and entered cautiously.
The first thing he saw was a spear-wielding statue. Clad in full plate armor, gripping a fancy spear—helmetless, its face was fully visible. And...
Why does the face look familiar...?
Narrowing his eyes at the statue, Yun-seok soon realized why. It was the face from the gate earlier, spouting that ridiculous riddle.
Creepy. Can I just smash it?
As he approached with that thought, the statue's eyes snapped open. Spotting Yun-seok, it recoiled in shock.
"Y-you're that challenger from before! How did you get in here?"
Was its iron ears defective? After all that noise breaking in, it acted like it was news. Yun-seok couldn't help but chuckle inexplicably.
From the way it talks, it's not a copy—it's the real deal from earlier.
Meeting again like this, he felt oddly glad. Yun-seok honestly replied that he'd smashed the gate.
"Smashed it? Impossible... no, I can check myself."
The tomb guardian Arepton closed his eyes. Apparently, it had some CCTV-like ability... It took a while. After about five minutes of deep focus, he shuddered and opened his eyes.
"Ch-challenger! This place is only for the qualified. Leave peacefully... Agh! Aaaargh!"
It wasn't intentional. Yun-seok truly hadn't noticed. Only with the message did he realize.
Ten minutes had passed.
Divine Possession duration ended. Stat increases removed.
The moment Divine Possession ended, the brilliant light waves coiling around his body exploded outward.
Flash!
Weaker than from the sky, but still a light of utter destruction. Like a nuke, it razed a 50-meter radius.
"......"
Like the earlier gate, terrain regenerated swiftly... but Tomb Guardian Arepton didn't. Leaving only a handful of screams, he vanished without a trace—and without regenerating.
Did defeating the guardian trigger the reward?
Ancient Tomb exploration completed.
A chest appeared on the central altar. Solid gold frame studded with jewels—gaudy and ornate.
Well, it worked out in the end.
Not the proper way, but he'd cleared the secret space somehow. Yun-seok approached and opened it without hesitation.
Click!
Atop luxurious red cloth lay a thick tome. Before touching, he appraised it first.
◈ Randomly acquires one B-rank skill.
◈ A type of skill book.
A skill book with random results—who knew what it'd give? But more skills were always better. And he couldn't sell it to anyone else, so Yun-seok opened it promptly.
Acquired Unique Skill Shadowless Chant.
"...?"
Yun-seok flinched. Acquiring a Unique Skill like this was surprising enough—but Shadowless Chant of all things? Even more shocking.
'Force Shield.'
Testing, he mentally recited a random command. It worked. It was the same Shadowless Chant he'd gotten before.
I was just hoping to get it back...
Plus, as a B-rank skill acquisition, no AP needed for rank-up. What would a higher grade have given? Curiosity burned, but he'd have to return to the waiting room to check.
Hummm!
Boss defeated(?) and treasure claimed—was that it? A blue portal opened beyond the altar where the chest had been. Through the rippling space, he saw the cavern before the stone gate.
Makes it feel even more like a game.
At least he wouldn't need to smash the door again to leave.
Anyway, check everything before going.
Wondering if there was more, Yun-seok scoured every corner. But apparently that was it—nothing else caught his eye. Returning to the portal, he tested by sticking his hand through first, then stepped in.
He didn't know the LP value, but an achievement popped. Even if it was worth less than 100 LP, no regrets. The 500 LP spent coming here? Shadowless Chant alone covered it.
Yet Yun-seok's eyes gleamed hungrily. If his hunch was right, more secret spaces awaited in the exploration area.
If I find them all...
Not all would be jackpots like this. But even one more big hit... might yield rewards equal to—or better than—a single duel win.
Tap tap!
Yun-seok moved more nimbly than before. No time to waste. The Exploration Trial... was truly a land flowing with milk and honey.
* * *
Giant's Altar exploration completed.
Clearing another secret space, Yun-seok checked the reward.
Not bad.
A potion raising one stat below A-rank. No hesitation—he uncorked and downed it.
Strength (B-) rank increased.
This made five clears total. Exactly four days by calendar. Most secret gates were in hard-to-reach outer areas, but not all.
And the requirements vary wildly.
Some demanded specific skills or items, others barred non-natives, one even required sacrificing a companion. Too diverse and complex—finding them wasn't enough.
But no issue for Yun-seok. He just smashed through.
Makes sense, though.
After the ancient tomb, he'd wondered: why were Exploration challengers so much weaker than Duelists despite this honey pot of a trial?
Simple answer: most lacked the leeway to reach the outer edges. Even discovering secrets required meeting conditions, then battling for rewards. So they hunted and gathered essence within safe limits for 15 days. Too late to change now.
Not my concern anyway.
Yun-seok approached the exit portal. But...
"...?"
Unlike before, two portals. One the usual blue, the other dark-red and ominous, swirling with grim energy.
What now? The mystery resolved quickly.
Gate to Hell has opened.
He smirked. Who knew life would lead him to walk into Hell on his own two feet.