Chapter 25 (1/2)

One week.

That was it time it took them to breakthrough Poison Bog.

Not all problems were solved by lifting the fog.

Although they were weaker than in other areas, monsters also existed in this place.

It took them longer to move forward as they dealt with the monsters.

“That cave,” Jin-woo pointed, “is the entrance.”

It was an ordinary-looking cave, no different from others.

But no one doubted him.

For a week, they hadn’t been lost in the swamp thanks to the ring’s navigation.

It took three months for the huge team of the Noblesse Guild to break through the Green Dragon’s Forest… but we broke through in just a week, Jin-woo thought.

It would not have been possible without the ring.

[Hmm, the flow of the energy inside seems distorted.]

What does that mean?

[As soon as you enter the cave, you are likely to fall into a labyrinth. Prepare yourselves for changing terrains.]

The swordsman warned him.

[It won’t be easy.]

Jin-woo looked around his colleagues.

“Let’s go,” he said, then stepped into the cave.

Beyond the entrance, there was no light coming in.

“It’s normal,” Kim Dae-sung said.

Darkness was not unusual for caves.

[Be careful.]

Before he could ask the swordsman, Jin-woo suddenly felt the cave vibrate.

Coroorung-!

“Earthquake?!” a surprised Han Ji-joon shouted.

“Stick to me!” Jin-woo yelled, and his colleagues went close.

Soon, the walls and the ceiling split.

Like a cube, the four sides of the cave switched places, moving up and down.

“We almost got caught…”

“Um… It’s the first time I saw something like this,” Han Ji-joon had a cold sweat, despite having a vast experience in dungeons.

Thank you, Master.

[Before the labyrinth switches, the flow of energy changes. Focus your mind and let it feel it.]

Yes.

Jin-woo focused his mind.

Then, he felt the flow of the air around him.

Left, he thought.

The energy on the left feels slightly distorted.

At that moment, the ground rose and went up to the ceiling.

Right.

This time, the wall on the right collapsed.

Top.

“Fall back!” Jin-woo yelled out, and his colleagues immediately jumped backward.

Immediately afterward, the ceiling descended and crashed where they had been standing.

If they were late for a second, it would have been dangerous.

Afterward, Jin-woo was able to confidently follow the changes in the energy and respond safely to the changes in the terrain.

The swordsman was amazed as he watched his apprentice’s figure.

Humans in this world know the existence of Ki, but they cannot perceive it.

However, Jin-woo was accurately detecting it after just hearing his advice.

[It’s funny.]

What is?

[Nothing, focus!]

“Jump to the left!” Jin-woo yelled, just before the ceiling above their heads crashed.

* * *

After about 10 minutes, the terrain stopped changing.

The first stage is over.

“I can’t believe we made past that,” Han Ji-joon said, looking back at the cave that continued to move.

“What’s our current location?” Kim Dae-sung asked.

“Open the map!” Jin-woo showed them their location, marked with a green dot.

“I think we’ve already reached the center of the labyrinth,” he explained.

“Wow… in just ten minutes.”

“If there was no map, we would have been in trouble,” Han Yu-ra said.

“The Noblesse Guild got disconnected after it passed through the Green Dragon’s Forest and reached the labyrinth,” she continued.

Jin-woo nodded.

“Yes. There are four entrances to the labyrinth, one in each section. The Green Dragon’s Forest also had an entrance, and electronic devices must have stopped working after they entered.”

“Uh, that’s right. The drone is not working anymore,” Kim Dae-sung confirmed.

“Well… their radios wouldn’t even work.”

“The main team would have already arrived by the labyrinth. Can you confirm their position using the ring?”

Jin-woo reached out and zoomed in on the labyrinth area.

Then, they saw several blue dots that are separated but seemed to be surrounding one point.

“Who could be acting as a central point?” Han Ji-joon asked.

“It would surely be the master,” Han Yu-ra answered.

“Mr. Park Tae-sung?”

“Yes, only Master can cope with such an unexpected situation and control the number of people at once.”

“That’s right.”

[They have great faith in that child named Park Tae-sung.]

I know, right?

Park Tae-sung was a legendary figure.

First rare item holder; hero item holder.

First, who broke through various dungeons.

In particular, his achievements made the Taewang Guild a globally-respected guild.

“Huh?” Kim Dae-sung noticed something.

“They are moving,” he pointed to the map.

Seven blue dots separated from the main team.

Jin-woo’s face hardened when he saw where they were going.

* * *

“Captain, is this the right path?” a member asked Hao-jun.

“How do I know that?! It’s my first time here, too!”

The man fell silent at Hao-jun’s raised voice.

Damn it, Hao-jun thought.

At first, it was easy.

Simply follow the trail of the Noblesse Guild.

The Noblesse Guild’s support team had their route, so tracking was not difficult.

After exiting the Green Dragon’s Forest, they reached the point where the Noblesse Guild lost contact.

The traces they left were confusing. Some moved the other way; some moved straight onwards.

Their problems started then.

As if it was not hard enough, a fog appeared, and they watched their colleagues disappear in it one by one.

Eventually, they lost sight of Master Park Tae-sung.

There was no way to communicate. Their devices stopped working.

“Will the master be okay?”

“Of course. Master is a monster.”

“Yes, he’s been through worse.”

The members talked about Park Tae-sung’s achievements.

Hao-jun didn’t like it.

I’d rather have Park Tae-sung die here, he thought.

Then, the Taewang Guild will naturally come into the hands of the Chinese.

It was the best scenario.

But first, we have to get out of here.

Hao-jun raised his hand as they came across a huge statue.

The people who followed him stopped walking in unison.

“That’s… … What?”

“When did that happen?”

“It looks old.”

The statue has a bull’s head on a human torso. It was standing on two bull’s legs.

Its muscular human arms carried a huge ax.

“Is it for decoration?”

Suddenly,

Courung-!

The stone statue shook.

And its red eyes glowed.

“Damn it! Ready for battle!”

At Hao-jun’s cry, the players pulled out their weapons all at once.

Hao-jun also pulled out a shield engraved with a red dragon.

“Koo-oh-oh!”

The stone statue roared mightily.

“Check the level.”

“Yes… Search!”

A player with the Search ability used his skill.

“What does it say?”

“Madness… The Minotaur of Madness…”

“What is the level?”

“It is… 382!”

Hao-jun’s face hardened.

Monsters were categorized as general monsters or named ones.

General monsters were not that strong, even at high levels.

A player of the same level can catch it alone.