novelraw Chapter 153 : The Labyrinth of Tranquility - (1)
Chapter 153 : The Labyrinth of Tranquility - (1)
Chapter 153: The Labyrinth of Tranquility - (1)
『Wild Storm Rampage』
■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: Fires a condensed form of wind that can cause knockback even on a slight graze.
If it hits an obstacle, the condensed form loses 20% of its momentum and bounces off in a new direction.
There is no cooldown limit, but each use of Wild Storm Rampage consumes 100 mana.
“Wow, this! It looks like you can create some really creative attacks with this. If done well, maybe even a three-cushion shot?”
“What is a three-cushion shot?”
“Ah, sorry. Simply put, I meant you can calculate the angle and strike the enemy.”
“Observe it well. It is an ability you will use, and one I granted you. Do not disgrace its name.”
“Of course!”
He couldn't suppress the smile that kept forming.
What is the most important asset for a player? Level? No.
Even if the level is high, if they don't have usable skills, they’re just a high-level meat shield, nothing more.
But if they have many skills?
Even with a low level, it’s a different story.
Because the variety of offensive and defensive options increases, making them harder to deal with.
In that sense, the Steel Storm and Wild Storm Rampage skills he had acquired were tremendous support for Sanghyun.
It was likely that the God of Storms had considered Sanghyun’s style and bestowed him skills suited for it through divine power.
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
“This is only the beginning. Remember that as much as my divine power now touches you, so too have the eyes watching you increased.”
“Of course.”
The moment Sanghyun nodded.
[The Eye of Calamity begins observing you. He hates you for being favored by the God of Storms.]
[The Eye of Calamity informs his contractor of your existence. The contractor favored by him seeks to pursue you.]
“This is the irreversible path for those who form a bond with a Constellation.”
The God of Storms spoke with a calm expression. Of course, they wouldn’t recognize each other's faces.
But it was certain that a new contractor had appeared.
If there are two opposing Constellations, it’s natural for their respective contractors to share the same fate.
If he were to meet the contractor bound to the Eye of Calamity someday? Sanghyun would have to be prepared for a life-or-death battle.
“From now on, I shall watch over you.”
“Thank you, Constellation.”
“There’s no need to thank me. If you die, I will simply take and consume everything you had. That’s all there is to it.”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And also.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“You’ve been given a good Constellation. Always be thankful. Farewell, then.”
The moment he finished speaking, the human-shaped form of the God of Storms vanished without a trace.
And as if everything had been a dream, Sanghyun returned to the bed he had been lying on.
[The Goddess of Luck claps, saying that was truly a cool Constellation.]
[The Goddess of Luck suggests that maybe even that kind of bluntness or chic attitude might become your charm.]
“I thought I was already pretty blunt. Guess I wasn’t?”
[The Goddess of Luck smiles brightly. She says she’ll answer with a smile instead.]
“Goodness, Goddess, you too…”
Sanghyun laughed along.
Thus, the contract with the Constellation came to an end.
One Constellation, one divine being.
And even one Constellation that was bound.
He was now blessed by a total of three divine beings and Constellations.
Just how many players could truly enjoy such overwhelming blessings?
It would be an extremely rare few.
The next day.
After a good night’s sleep, Sanghyun moved right away to meet Han Hyunjeong.
He had already cleared his schedule for the next two days, so there was nothing to worry about.
Though there was one surprise video call from Shin Yoonhyuk, who was fully immersed in his training.
“You talked to him more intensely than you would with a girlfriend.”
That real-time video lesson had been the only unexpected variable.
The meeting place wasn’t at Hyunjeong Market or the Hyunjeong Corporation Center, but a building near the labyrinth.
More precisely, it was a special building constructed right above the dungeon entrance where the Labyrinth of Tranquility was located.
“You're here? You’re earlier than scheduled. I didn’t even do my makeup since it didn’t seem time yet.”
“You’re going into a dungeon, so why put on makeup?”
“You’ll understand when you turn forty, Sanghyun. Sometimes it’s a burden to show your bare face.”
“You’re already plenty beautiful.”
“Hoho. I didn’t think you could lie so smoothly without changing your expression!”
Han Hyunjeong’s voice was full of energy, but Sanghyun sensed a hidden shadow within it.
There was a subtle dissonance between her voice and her expression.
“But is it okay to have a building this close to the dungeon?”
“It’s fine. We actually bought the dungeon with the Labyrinth of Tranquility from the Association. It’s private property.”
“You really think big.”
“I thought the labyrinth was valuable. I plan to make it a main pillar of our corporation.”
He had known she was wealthy, but he couldn’t help but be impressed once again by her ability to make such things happen.
Because the Korean Player Union is extremely conservative when it comes to dungeon sales.
So even with money, buying one was difficult.
This much suggested she had a significant connection with the Association.
“When shall we depart?”
“After the final briefing. We should sync our teamwork a bit. It’s currently 8:50 AM. Let’s leave cleanly at noon.”
“Sounds good.”
“Come in. We have a lot to talk about.”
After finishing her canned coffee in one go, Han Hyunjeong led Sanghyun inside the building.
Following the tightly shut triple security doors, they finally reached the entrance of the labyrinth.
It was indeed a building constructed atop a dungeon. The dungeon entrance was placed squarely in the center of the first floor.
“……”
On a table located at the center, a memorial flower arrangement was placed.
Only then did Sanghyun realize the reason for the dissonance he had felt from Han Hyunjeong. There had been another casualty.
‘If I don’t take action myself, some futures flow exactly as they originally did.’
He realized it once more.
If he truly wanted to prevent things from happening, he had to act more decisively.
Just like when he attacked the Break Spot dungeon at the Dotonbori River. Only then would the same tragedy not repeat.
But this time, all he had done was give Han Hyunjeong some advice, and in the end, the tragedy repeated.
As Sanghyun’s eyes lingered on the flowers, Han Hyunjeong sighed deeply and continued.
“I tried to stop them until the end, but someone went in saying they wanted to restore our corporation’s honor—and ended up dead.”
“I see…”
“Since you and I were going to move anyway, I told them it was fine. They must have preferred internal success over relying on outsiders.”
“I understand how they felt. It’s something that’s already passed, so all we can do is mourn.”
Sanghyun bowed his head.
Nothing is more foolish than being endlessly fixated on what’s already gone.
The dead won’t come back to life either.
However, it seemed Han Hyunjeong’s emotions weren’t so easily settled.
“If it’s hard for you, I can go in alone. I’ve already mapped out a solo route.”
Sanghyun suggested gently.
It would be more difficult than going as a pair, but it wasn’t impossible.
If her condition was poor, it might actually be more dangerous for her to come along.
“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I got too lost in my emotions. Let’s get straight to the point.”
Whether by will or not, it was clear that Han Hyunjeong was trying to suppress her emotions.
The death of a companion is a sorrow and pain one never gets used to, no matter how often it happens.
It was only because Sanghyun had been dulled emotionally from his previous life spent in the bloodshed of war.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand her. She just wasn’t yet used to the feeling of loss.
“The internal structure of the labyrinth is...”
The explanation began at last.
About an hour passed like that.
Everything she described matched exactly with what Sanghyun remembered. Meaning there were no issues with his memory.
That also meant there was no chance his plans would go off track.
However, there were three things he absolutely could not forget.
First: composure.
Second: quick adaptability.
Third: various abnormal status effects.
Sanghyun had already fully prepared and was ready, so there was nothing else to worry about.
Clearing the labyrinth could take as short as a day or as long as two.
They spent about two hours checking over the necessary supplies, potions, and arranging porters to be deployed right after the clear.
Then, exactly at the scheduled noon, Sanghyun and Han Hyunjeong stepped into the labyrinth.
A dungeon no one had cleared yet. Thus began the first conquest of the Labyrinth of Tranquility, with first-clear rewards awaiting them.
Their first step into the labyrinth.
Sanghyun took the lead, with Han Hyunjeong following from behind as they entered the maze.
What greeted them was a rather provocative scene.
A naked man and woman embraced by a clear lake, making love.
And illusions of women wearing sheer, nearly transparent fabric passed by Sanghyun with smiles.
Unlike Han Hyunjeong, who awkwardly averted her gaze—
Sanghyun, with a blank expression, calmly surveyed the area, not missing even a second of the passionate display.
“Doing it in the water like that isn’t ideal. The guy’s being inconsiderate. Tsk tsk.”
He even gave a thoughtful critique(?).
It was such a considerate comment that Han Hyunjeong found herself nodding.
“First, I’ll dispel the illusions.”
“We need to find the yokai, but I don’t see it. Maybe because it’s in complete stealth.”
Han Hyunjeong furrowed her brow.
While she was specialized in reconnaissance, she couldn’t see through complete stealth.
It was her only real weakness. Though she had far more strengths to compensate.
“Either way, it’s a cowardly thing hiding like that, right?”
“Right.”
“I can guess roughly where it is. The ones who cast illusions are always perverts that hide in places just like themselves.”
“Such as?”
“Right here.”
Fwoosh!
Sanghyun immediately dashed across the ground.
Combining an acceleration skill with Brave Charge, he quickly reached a flat patch of dirt where the soil color was noticeably darker.
And then—
『Pinnacle of Will』
He used a skill right away.
A taunt skill that lured in enemies by stirring the wind of allure!
Immediately, he sensed a foreign substance being pulled in by the swirling wind.
Even without using stealth-detection skills like Gaia’s Breath, his senses were enough to detect it.
“So this is what it calls stealth. Tsk.”
Sanghyun stared at the empty air with a disappointed look. Nothing was visible, but the presence was undeniable.
『Whisper of the Sage』
『Blade of Ruin』
Whoosh!
Sanghyun unleashed a “mild version” of a death combo directly below the seemingly empty ground.
This was a quick combo used when immediate impact was needed, skipping weakness enhancement.
Squelch!
Keeek!
At that moment, the yokai hiding in the shadows revealed itself.
A being that filled the entrance of the labyrinth with lewd illusions to cloud the minds of explorers.
Because it was hard to locate—
The previous vanguard teams had struggled just trying to find the trigger to dispel the illusion-filled space.
But Sanghyun pinpointed the yokai instantly, and the creature, buried in the soil, was pierced straight through its crown.
It was such a clean skewer that calling it a shish kebab wouldn’t have been wrong—a gruesome sight, impaled by the raging Demonic Sword.