Chapter 13

Chapter 12: The Labyrinth of Labyrinthos (6)

[10 viewers have been caught for cheating.]

[These viewers will not be able to watch videos for the next month.]

[Due to the penalty, severe damage will be inflicted on a part of the body.]

[If caught twice, the viewer will be permanently expelled.]

You might even become paralyzed, or lose your sight or taste.

If you're unlucky, you might permanently lose function in a more important area.

The penalty for breaking the rules was that harsh.

“What, what’s going on here?”

Park Hana stammered.

Cold sweat formed on her face.

Until now, she thought she had been the one who had meticulously observed and planned everything.

No, she had to be the only one.

But.

Why.

Why were all her carefully prepared trump cards being read?

“Who are you, really?”

“What do you want to know that for?”

“I, I mean! Everything is just so unbelievable! It’s as if...”

It’s as if you can read my mind.

‘You seem like someone who has experienced everything.’

Park Hana couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

If she said it out loud, all the common sense she knew would crumble.

And of course.

Jinhyuk had no intention of answering that question.

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

Whether he mentioned the nickname he used while active in the [Tower of Trials].

Or the achievements he made there.

There was no one to remember him.

A relic from a game that had long since failed.

The last player floating in a world where everyone had left.

That was him.

Then.

[Conditions met.]

[Successfully copied the unique ability ‘Empathy (C)’!]

[The copied skill will be stored in ‘World’s Memory’.]

[Empathy

Acquisition Difficulty: C

Can make other living beings feel a sense of familiarity. This applies even upon first meeting. However, the effect may be reduced if the ability level is low.]

A status window appeared in front of him, indicating that the copy was complete.

This was thanks to everyone except Park Hana disappearing.

‘Good. I finally got it.’

Jinhyuk nodded with satisfaction.

A growth-type unique ability.

It was currently at C rank, but there was potential for it to grow.

B... A, and beyond.

Moreover.

He didn’t just want this ability for empathy alone.

‘The reason I was special.’

‘The reason I could reach the last floor of the tower.’

It wasn’t just about copying skills.

It was because he could fuse copied skills to create higher-dimensional new skills.

“I will call up the ability stored in ‘World’s Memory’.”

Jinhyuk muttered softly.

The abilities he would call up were...

‘Element of Fire’ and ‘Empathy’.

These two.

Whoosh!

Several strands of flames shot up in his left hand.

Hum!

And a golden light flickered in his right hand.

‘Empathy’ can amplify the effect of empathy by nearly double when fused with water-type abilities.

‘Not bad.’

It’s more like a carrot than a stick?

It would allow him to approach naturally without creating a hostile atmosphere.

On the other hand.

When fused with fire-type abilities, ‘Empathy’ can create a ‘Brand’.

A brand that forces complete submission on a target who is mentally broken.

Crack!

As his left and right hands touched, a dazzling spark erupted.

[Fusion successful!]

[You have obtained the skill ‘Brand of the Fiery Soul (A)’!]

[Brand of the Fiery Soul

Acquisition Difficulty: A

Description: Imprints a ‘Brand’ on the target. The branded target must absolutely obey the caster’s commands and cannot perform any actions that harm the caster. Violation will result in horrific pain and the entire body catching fire.]

A cursed flame that can brand the soul.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Jinhyuk’s heart beat rapidly.

The excitement that surged with each new skill he collected.

‘Yes. This is it!’

He chose the unique ability ‘Fusion’ because of this satisfaction and excitement.

When everyone relied on a single unique ability.

He could encompass all the abilities that existed in the world.

‘This is just the beginning.’

There were still mountains of abilities to collect to reach the top of the tower.

“...Hm?”

But right then.

Jinhyuk sensed something.

Immediately.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A ground-shaking roar accompanied it.

“Rooaaar!”

A familiar beast’s roar was heard.

‘Right. That guy is here too.’

He had become so accustomed to it that he had forgotten.

Another existence with whom he had an uneasy coexistence in this labyrinth.

***

“Again, again! That monster is coming.”

Park Hana stumbled backward.

The fear that seeped into her bones.

To her, the Minotaur was a disaster.

She had to run.

Right now.

But... where?

Jinhyuk, who knew the only way out of the labyrinth, was just smiling at the sky.

‘What’s so good about it!’

Curses rose to her throat, but the most urgent thing was to get out of this place.

“If you’re going to fight, at least tell me which way to go.”

Jinhyuk had always informed the party of the direction to go during battles to keep them from getting involved.

She didn’t know why.

Maybe he just didn’t like being a hindrance.

Whatever the reason.

The important thing was that she wouldn’t be involved in this fight.

But.

“Why should I tell you?”

Jinhyuk shrugged.

“Why... until now...”

“Until now, I only protected you because I needed something from you.”

Not anymore.

The copying conditions were met, and his goal was achieved.

Whether she wandered the labyrinth and starved to death.

Or fell into a trap.

There was no reason to help her.

“Are you going to abandon me here?”

“Don’t make that face like you’ve been dumped. We were always trying to kill each other, weren’t we?”

Anyone would think they were comrades who had shared hardships, given how often she ambushed him.

Jinhyuk’s cold response darkened Park Hana’s face.

“Wait! You’ll regret this. My, my brother will...!”

“My brother...”

He had been wondering why she hadn’t brought it up.

The threat of retaliation from the Black Raven Guild, where Park Jin was.

Swish!

Jinhyuk drew his dagger.

Sssss.

With mana infused, a chilling sharpness emitted.

“You really thought I was a joke.”

Until now, he had focused on increasing his evasion stats.

From an observer’s perspective, it might have looked like he was just running around like an eel, unable to fight head-on.

So...

“Watch closely. Between that stupid guild and me, which one should you fear?”

“What do you mean?”

Park Hana asked, but Jinhyuk was already gone.

Thud!

He appeared on top of the charging Minotaur’s head.

From above.

To below!

The dagger aimed for the giant bull’s nape.

Boom!

“Raaaah!”

A painful scream.

While it was said that anything below a relic wouldn’t leave a wound, that didn’t mean there was no pain.

With a level 10 weapon, and hitting the right spot...

It was more than enough to turn the opponent’s insides upside down.

‘It’s worth the effort of increasing my evasion stats.’

When they first met, it was quite a close call.

The Minotaur was fast and had a wide attack range.

He also had physical limitations.

He could barely last 20 minutes.

However.

Thanks to countless real combat experiences and stat increases over the past ten days, the situation had completely changed.

Whirr!

Jinhyuk tilted his head slightly to dodge the axe.

At the same time.

[Lv1 ‘Element of Fire’ activated!]

Three streams of fire split and struck the Minotaur’s face.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosion and the smell of burning mixed.

A direct hit.

“Roooar!”

The Minotaur staggered.

This wasn’t the end.

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

‘I need to keep pressing to prevent him from regaining his senses.’

He couldn’t kill him.

Then...

He just needed to create a similar situation.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The dagger slashed the joints.

From the ankles to the knees.

He targeted the supports that held the body.

“Raaaaah!”

The Minotaur swung his arms wildly in a storm of attacks.

Of course, Jinhyuk wasn’t the type to get hit by such blind attacks.

He retrieved his dagger and immediately put some distance between them.

Whirr!

The axe cut through the air again.

“Don’t overdo it. The meat will get tough if you build up too much muscle.”

Don’t you know that marbling is the life of beef?

Jinhyuk sneered.

“Roooar! Roooar!”

The Minotaur, naturally, was furious, grinding his hooves.

If he could just...

If he could just land one hit, he could end it.

But for some reason, that one hit was maddeningly difficult.

Seeing the Minotaur snort, Jinhyuk’s lips curled up.

‘A little more provocation should do it.’

He was almost there.

The moment that guy would use his last card.

And as expected.

Pushed to his limit by the continued provocation, the Minotaur activated his unique ability.

[The Guardian of the Labyrinth has activated Lv10 ‘Frenzy’!]

[For the next 5 minutes, the Minotaur’s attack power, attack speed, and movement speed will increase by 30%!]

[Temporary intelligence boost.]

[Ability to speak.]

Crack! Crack!

Muscles bulged to the point of bursting, and his eyes turned red.

His size had nearly tripled.

The giant axe looked like a small hatchet in comparison...

The pressure was indescribable.

“How... how can I win this.”

Park Hana collapsed to the ground.

Her legs had completely given out.

‘This guy can’t win this time. There’s no chance at all.’

She instinctively knew.

No matter how much she struggled, it was futile.

***

Zing! Zing!

Jinhyuk also felt a tingling sensation on his skin.

Overwhelming mana.

After all, this was a monster that should only appear on the 5th floor or higher of the tower.

If such a creature went all out, a level 1 player had no chance of winning.

Even if there were hundreds of players here.

Or even if dozens of veterans gathered.

“Human! I will tear you to pieces and scatter them at the entrance of the labyrinth. So that no one like you, who has lost their courage, will ever invade this place again!”

The Minotaur growled.

Clang!

The axe lunged forward.

Then, tangible mana began to devour the labyrinth.

The earth burned, and the moisture in the air dried up.

But.

“Hmm. Not bad. Your mana control seems to have improved from before. Still, wouldn’t it be better to use earth-type instead of lightning? It would be more efficient.”

Jinhyuk enjoyed even the pressure.

No matter how powerful and fast the attack, it didn’t matter if he didn’t get hit.

And Jinhyuk had the experience to make that possible.

“That’s not confidence, human. It’s recklessness and arrogance.”

Recklessness... and arrogance?

For a calf to use such difficult words.

Are you Australian?

“Maybe. But from what I see, the arrogant one is you.”

“Huh? Why do you think that?”

“Frenzy. You shouldn’t use that.”

Until now, the guy had a reason for holding back this ability.

For 5 minutes, he could use incredible power, but for 24 hours afterward, he couldn’t move due to the penalty.

That was the reason.

“...You know more than I thought.”

The Minotaur’s eyes widened in surprise.

But only for a moment.

“However, do you think you can run around for that time?”

Five minutes is a long time.

Especially in such a narrow passage.

“Who said I would just run?”

Flames burst along the blade.

Flickering fire.

From the end.

Whoosh!

Jinhyuk began to draw mana.