The Woman in Sunglasses (1), The Woman in Sunglasses (2), The Woman in Sunglasses (3) and The Woman in Sunglasses (4)
“… !”
Drawer and Reward’s complexion hardened at the blunt voice.
“As expected, it is as written in the community! I had no intention of keeping my promise to Hyun!”
“Then we… Are you going to die here?”
“Oh, yes.”
Shuk. Hyun handed over two 10th grade magic stones to each of them.
Drawer and Reward accepted the blue crystal in a bewildered mood.
“This… ?”
“The cost of labor on the 18th floor.”
“ah… thank you! I didn’t know you would really give it to me… !”
“Now, you can kill us whenever you want!”
“… ?”
Hyungwon tilted his head for a moment.
‘The sentence is a little strange. Is the translation wrong?’
Thank you very much. thank you enough to die I decided to think that it might mean something like that.
The entrance to the 19th floor was a single road.
Hyeon moved assimilated into Ain, and Drawer and Leeward hesitantly followed Hyeon.
“Hyeon, is this a floor with nothing on it?”
“No, there are no traps, but there are some monsters… There is someone else besides him.”
“who?”
“NPCs.”
“Is there an NPC in a place like this?”
“Yes, it’s easy to misunderstand that now is the time when players are flocking, but it’s not like NPCs aren’t interested in the labyrinth either.”
Labyrinths are dangerous enough to be lethal to NPCs, but the by-products are also attractive.
So, the Nation of Darkness also made the choice to develop the labyrinth rather than neglect it.
For five years like that, the NPCs’ steady efforts completed the map of the upper layer.
I couldn’t draw all the places, including the 16th and 17th floors, but the locations of the key magic circles, important passages, and dangerous traps were all known.
“It’s probably time to start exploring the lower layer by now.”
It is inevitable that the Nation of Darkness will turn its attention to the lower layers once the upper layer has a rough understanding.
Leading by those who had skills but were in need of money, the NPCs were risking their lives to create a map of the lower level of the labyrinth.
“Look, that’s the base.”
After a few minutes of walking, Hyun pointed to the entrance of a circular building about 50 meters in diameter.
At first glance, the place that looks like an old and old ruin plays a very important role.
The 19th floor is safe because there are few monsters as a whole, but the stronghold with a defensive magic circle is even safer.
“What is it, is someone here?”
“Isn’t it time for a replacement?”
As I entered the building, all eyes were on me.
Anyway, there were all five of us in total.
The reason why the number of explorers was not large was because they needed a minimum level of 300 and NPCs with that level of ability didn’t bother to take risks.
“Are all three of you users?”
nod
“yes.”
“you’re right.”
“Ha, that’s a big deal.”
Conversation was short and dry.
Only one middle-aged man in a shabby robe paid attention to the party, while the others glanced away and then went back to their own business.
At the subtle reaction, Ain tilted his head.
“What are they… ?」
“don’t mind. It’s just that I’m not interested.”
Hyun seemed to know why their reaction was so dry.
As far as he knew, Asura’s base had only facilities that could provide the bare minimum of food, clothing, and shelter.
‘It’s a bit different from the past.’
But now, two more facilities were created within the base.
First of all, a table that looks like a card game in one corner.
The other was a display stand lined with items that had nothing in common.
“What is that?”
As Ain’s eyes turned to the display stand, Hyun answered what he knew.
“It’s probably a collection of keepsakes.”
“A memento… ?」
“It must belong to those who do not return.”
Hyun recalled a memory from a while ago.
A similar thing existed near the ‘sanatorium’ where Shatin and Shatina met, and he himself had asked Rublen the same question as Ain.
Placing belongings is a funeral ritual common to Heaven and Abyss.
The development of artificial intelligence would have an impact on Assrian culture.
「Awesome… .」
“It’s the NPC’s job. It has nothing to do with us.”
Hyun moved his feet to pass the base as it was.
——————
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It was at that moment that the NPC who showed interest earlier spoke again.
“Are you going downstairs?”
Hyungwon nodded quietly.
“It’s amazing, what day is it today? A user went downstairs earlier.”
“Users… Did you go downstairs?”
“Yeah, I was wearing weird clothes like you guys. There are only users like that.”
Suddenly, someone brushed Hyun’s head.
I handed over 100 gold to the NPC and asked for more details.
“What does it look like?”
“I don’t need this penny.”
Still, the man who did not refuse the money he gave me readily answered the question.
The explanation didn’t last long, and Hyun was immediately able to hear a crucial clue.
“hmm… She was once a woman And she was wearing black glasses I don’t know what.”
‘As expected, that guy!’
“Hyeon-ah, isn’t that the woman you’re talking about?!”
Ain seemed to have had the same thought.
It was clear that the user who headed downstairs was the girl who had suddenly disappeared near the entrance to the labyrinth.
The woman who was wearing sunglasses and an earring limited to level 200!
‘What happened?’
Hyun noticed that a contradiction existed.
He had obviously accomplished the feat of opening the lower layer for the first time.
By the way, is there a user who reached the lower floor before you?
Even if you take the elevator at the entrance of the labyrinth, there is no way to go directly to the lower floor.
This meant that in order to reach the lower floor, you had to pass through the passage between the 18th and 19th floors.
‘How the hell did you get past the 18th floor?’
Is there a way that you don’t know about?
Hyun, whose head was complicated, asked the NPC about something else.
“When did you pass?”
“Not too long ago. Probably less than an hour.”
“one hour… ?”
“I heard that the strongest user is around level 200, but I guess that’s not it? If users come to the lower floors like this, I might have to look for another job soon.”
Tiri-ring!
At that moment, the emergency bell suddenly rang.
It was communication magic transmitted from the ground.
<Emergency! Everyone in the lower levels, please stop exploring and come upstairs! I say it again! Everyone in the lower layer stopped exploring and went to the surface… .>
The sound of the emergency bell roared over the stronghold.
Perhaps because of the labyrinth’s unstable magic, it was a hoarse voice.
“Eh? A retreat signal?”
The middle-aged man who had just been talking murmured shyly.
“I never thought I would lose my job so quickly… .”
When the warning bell rang, not only he but also the other NPCs in the base stopped their work.
“What’s the fuss?”
“Be quiet, I can’t hear you!”
<A mysterious shock has occurred on the 1st, 3rd, 14th, and 15th floors of the upper floors! A total of 560,000 Gigantes were confirmed to generate magical power! We are trying to determine the cause of the shock, so everyone in the lower layer, stop exploring right now and return to the surface!>
buzz buzz.
The quiet base quickly became busy.
“Is anyone out right now?”
“Pachet and Luke are exploring, and it’s time to come back soon. We only have five minutes left.”
“Okay, then let’s wait for them and get out!”
The NPCs quickly began to assess the situation.
To reach the 13th floor, where the nearest elevator is located, you must pass the 14th and 15th floors.
However, the communications were warning of something mysterious that existed on the 14th and 15th floors.
It was only natural that we would gather our full energy and go up because we might run into it on the way up.
“What are you guys going to do? Are you going down despite all this fuss?”
Hyun nodded at the man’s question.
“after… yes i was a user I wish I had a life left.”
“The two of them are going up, so take them with you.”
Hyun pointed to the drawer and reward and said.
I looked at them again and said.
“Good. If you are with the NPCs, you will be able to go back without dying.”
“Ah, we… ”
“Don’t say you’ll follow me.”
Hyun interrupted them before they could say anything.
“Because I can’t protect you from below.”
“Yeah, that’s right… .”
“really… I will never forget this day for the rest of my life!”
Drawer and Reward hurriedly thanked the NPCs and joined them.
While everyone was running down the road to the upper floors, only Hyun and Ain walked the opposite path.
He was not interested in the commotion in the labyrinth.
Hyun’s attention was focused on only one face.
“Who is it?”
Finally, when only the two of them were left, Ain asked.
Although there was no subject, Hyun was able to understand the meaning immediately.
“I really don’t know this time.”
“You don’t even know the prefecture?”
“Yeah, I can’t even guess at all.”
I tried to recall the characteristics of the women I passed by in the city.
He was wearing an earring with a level limit of 200.
There seemed to be no co-workers.
And according to the NPC at the base, she has already gone down to the lower layer.
‘Minimum level 200, solo player, plus I know the way to the lower layer I don’t know… ?’
However, the more he thought about it, the more complicated his mind became.
Even in Asura Online, there was no other ranker with the same atmosphere as her.
If you weren’t a user of Asura Online, it would make even more sense.
To be honest, I even thought that it was a cheat character from the development team.
‘Lump power explosion!’
Hyun increased his speed as much as possible.
Near the base, I quickly found a hole leading downstairs.
This place, which at first glance seemed like an endless cliff, was the entrance to the 20th floor.
The floors where Louise is likely to be are the 20th, 22nd, and 23rd floors.
In other words, Hyeon and Ain have reached the place with the first possibility.
“Let’s find Louise first.”
Hyun followed the route on the prepared map to visit the place.
“This is where the first possibility lies.”
“No?”
“okay… It doesn’t seem possible to be here.”
When you arrive at a large clearing.
Hundreds of snake-shaped monsters formed a huge habitat there.
Shaa! Since the wriggling guys, wary of intruders, were rushing in in an instant, Hyeon hurriedly escaped from the place.
‘Well, this place is too conspicuous. It’s too close to the base.’
In the first place, it was the point with the lowest probability among the candidates.
Hyun was not disappointed and started moving along the next route.
“By the way, there aren’t that many monsters on the 20th floor right now?”
While running, Ain suddenly asked.
“No, it’s incredibly crowded.”
“But there is nothing?”
Hyun was also a question I had been feeling a few minutes ago.
The 20th floor is the first layer of the actual lower layer. It was a place where monsters who had been kicked out of the competition for survival flocked.
If it was the same as usual, from the moment I entered the 20th floor, I would have had to continue the constant battle.
Hyun’s eyes narrowed.
Where did all the monsters go?
“Looks like you’ve already been hunted.”
“Ah, there was a monster over there just now!”
Ain shouted. The monster didn’t completely disappear.
It was because I was able to spot monsters that were sometimes far away and gathered in the corner.
“That’s not the way to go.”
“Where are we going?”
“The 21st floor.”
However, there were no monsters on the way to the destination.
Monsters in the labyrinth are regenerated over time. Nothing means that someone passed this road very recently.
“huh?”
As he kept going, Hyun was able to discover something new.
Traces of destruction engraved in the labyrinth. There were countless cracks on the walls and floor.
Terrain restoration is much faster than monster regeneration. In other words, the meaning of these traces was clear.
“I don’t know if I’ll see you soon.”
“Shall we fight?!”
“no… You don’t have to fight so recklessly. laugh, wait… !”
At that moment, Hyun reacted reflexively to the sudden flash of light.
Quadduk. At the same time, the armor of darkness covers Ain’s whole body.
Kang! Karleung! Something brushed off and bounced off.
“What is it, a boomerang? ring?”
“It’s Hwan!”
Even after the ring bounced off, it did not stop spinning and gnawed at the walls of the labyrinth.
At the same time, the same traces I saw on the way here were engraved on the wall.
‘It’s quite a shock… !’
Hyun had just guessed the amount of damage carried by the attack through the number of consumed shields of the armor of darkness.
‘Eighteen thousand… Is it this much even if it was hit by a miss?’
Damage enough to cause physical damage at the moment of a miscarriage.
Thinking that Ain’s opinion was ignored for nothing, Hyeon quickly prepared for battle.
「Ain, just fight!」
“That’s what I said!”
Kwadeuk! Ifrit’s claws sprouted from Ain’s hands.
Hyun was also very tense. He didn’t know how strong his opponent was, so he was prepared to use even the strong god.
When he ran in the direction the attack came from.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
There, a woman raised her hands and smiled awkwardly.
With sunglasses on in this dark labyrinth.
“I know you’re a monster… It’s natural that you don’t think there will be users here, right?”
23rd floor.
Poppy’s steps, which were about to head to the ground, stopped abruptly.
He quietly closed his eyes and said.
“Priestess, it would be better to go back to the hiding place.”
“huh… ? Why?”
“It seems that the feeling coming this way is stronger than I thought.”
“What level are you?”
“I don’t know exactly, but… It is certain that the priestess will find it difficult to fight alone.”
“Uhm, isn’t it a 300 level loan?”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. It would be better to fight in a place we are familiar with.”
“But aren’t you with me too? I don’t think we’ll lose if it’s 2-1.”
Poppy answered Louise’s question immediately.
“… .I don’t really want to fight.”
“Ha, that sound again! Are you saying you’re not really scared?”
“You are saying strange words again. Anyway, I’m not going to fight.”
It was natural that Poppy would not want to fight.
Because a celestial man must consume his life in order to exercise power in the sky or in a place other than the celestial world.
There will be very few celestials who want to use their powers close to the ground. Except for a few geeks like Radiette and Maria.
“after… Then let’s go back to what you said.”
After a short conversation, the two started going back the way they had walked.
‘I wanted to meet you sooner, but… .’
Even in the midst of that, Louise could feel the energy of the shadows getting closer and closer.
Wait, a ridiculous assumption came to mind.
‘Couldn’t it be that the person Poppy is talking about isn’t Hyun?’
Louise shook her head.
Didn’t it say that those who approach have divine power?
Hyun has demonic energy. It was a law that conflicting powers, magic and divine power, could not be mixed.
‘A person with divine power… I hope it’s not just an oracle.’
After five years of being safe, Louise only wished for a little more safety.
***
“Are you Abyss?”
Those were the first words of the woman wearing sunglasses.
“Influence… Are you talking?”
For a moment, Hyun was taken aback.
Because I’ve never seen a user ask for power as soon as they meet.
Suddenly, the rune of lightning engraved on the back of the opponent’s hand came into sight.
If it wasn’t for cheating on Rune, this woman would be the sky.
Surely, it’s not like we’re fighting in a place like this just because the forces are different, right?
“It’s an abyss, why?”
“no… It wasn’t for any reason. just… Please use the flame.”
“… ?”
Hyun first asked the woman’s name.
“What is your name?”
“my ID? It’s a macaron.”
‘macaroon… ?’
Hyun narrowed his eyes.
It was an unheard-of ID.
I had never heard of such a name in the Hall of Fame or in any community.
“What is your name?”
Hyun took off his hat instead of answering.
Ain is a celebrity among users, so except for a very few people, they will recognize him right away.
Macaron stared at Ain for a long time, then opened his mouth as if he realized something after a while.
“Oh, I think I know who you are. Id maybe… What?”
“No, it’s Ain.”
“Ah, yes, Ain, that’s right, it was so long ago that my memory was fuzzy.”
“A long ago?”
“iced coffee. don’t mind. Because my memory is not good.”
In the midst of the strange air flowing, Hyun wanted to ask more questions.
Her level, job, and even the purpose of entering the labyrinth.
This was because a user like this could not suddenly appear without falling from the sky.
Besides that, there were a lot of suspicious things.
But before Hyun could ask anything, Macaron spoke first.
“Do you know how to open this door?”
Macaron pointed to the tightly closed metal door next to him and asked.
“I think I can break it, but I was thinking about it because it would take a long time.”
“This door? It must be difficult to break it by force.”
“But somehow I think I can break it. I’m not sure.”
“Where are you going?”
“That’s a secret.”
Hyun clicked his tongue inwardly.
I tried to get information subtly, but it didn’t seem to be the type that came over easily than I thought.
At that moment, I thought of a useful method.
“I know how to open the door.”
“Then open it.”
“Nope?”
For an instant, Hyun could feel Macaron’s gaze sweeping him up and down.
Did it look like a fight?
For a very short time, Hyun, who had been silent, spoke again.
“But I might open it if you answer a few questions.”
“What question?”
“It is not difficult to answer.”
“… … good.”
Macaron nodded and added a comment.
“But there is only one question that can be answered.”
“two.”
“… … .”
Another long silence ensued.
Ain’s voice broke the silence first.
“Instead, how about on the condition that you can change the questions you don’t want to answer?”
“… Unless you ask several things at once. good”
Such a strange transaction was made.
Hyun asked the most curious question first.
“What level are you?”
“… Something else.”
The first question was rejected.
As expected, she kept information about herself strictly hidden.
No matter how much I ask for personal information, they won’t answer.
Hyun tried to find out her identity with other questions instead.
“How did you get past the 18th floor?”
“what do you mean?”
“How did you get from the 18th floor to the 19th floor?”
“Yeah, of course I opened the door. Now, I have one question left.”
Hyun frowned and asked again.
“that… Isn’t that a lie?”
“I have never lied in my life. Are you done with the two of them?”
“No, I was talking to myself just now.”
“… .”
silence again.
The first thing to break the silence this time was the macarons.
“Okay, I was just about to skip it. Quick start with the second question.”
In this atmosphere, it is clear that you will not be able to ask any more questions.
The second question is, in fact, the last question you can ask the macaron.
“Hyun, let’s ask him if he can take off his sunglasses!”
I ignored Ain’s sudden, nonsensical voice.
Hyun carefully selected the questions.
‘What are you trying to do? It would be good to find out their intentions.’
What is the purpose of coming to the labyrinth? Depending on the situation, you might not get a proper answer.
Because meaningless answers such as ‘to go down’ or ‘to find something’ are also possible.
So, Hyun tried to ask the question that would get the most definitive answer.
“What floor is the destination on?”
“Is that a question?”
“okay.”
“… .”
Macaron kept adjusting his sunglasses as if his eyes were uncomfortable.
I couldn’t see if I was blinking or frowning because I was wearing sunglasses.
Her mouth opened only after the faint trembling of her face stopped.
“It’s the 23rd floor.”
***
It wasn’t difficult to open the door.
The key is to align the puzzle with the pattern engraved on the doorknob.
Originally, it was a way to collect clues by searching every nook and cranny of the 20th floor, but Hyun didn’t have to.
Clap!
According to the information in the previous work, when the rotating plate was turned, the locking device was released.
“Do you know how to open it?”
In response to Macaron’s question, Hyeon returned her words in the same way.
“secret.”
In response, she fiddled with her sunglasses a few times before turning her head.
Suddenly, Ain shouted to Hyeon through his soul.
“Hyun, do you want to secretly attack him from behind?!”
“what? Why all of a sudden… ?」
“No matter how you look at it, it’s suspicious.”
“So, let’s start with the attack first?”
“But those sunglasses. I really want to take it off!”
“Be quiet for a while.”
Hyun moderately calmed down Ain.
Ajin was a person whose eyes continued to shine until his curiosity was resolved when he was obsessed with something.
Now, even if you stay still, there was a way to figure out the identity of the woman named Macaron.
“You’re curious about that guy’s true identity, too, right?”
“Of course!”
“For now, let’s watch from behind.”
“what?”
“Hunt. Let’s see how he fights.”
In order to hunt, there is no choice but to use skills inevitably.
Perhaps information such as occupations could be easily found.
Immediately after passing through the door and descending to the 21st floor, Hyun deliberately slowed down.
It was to watch the macaron pierce the road ahead.
From a distance, Hyun watched her hunt.
“Take a good look at you too.”
Macaron’s weapon was very unusual.
A pair of rings called rings.
Karleung! Karleung!
Every time the white ring rotated, the monsters split and cracks were left on the floor and walls of the labyrinth.
‘It’s a whirlwind… But it’s not real. Is it a weapon made with skill?’
A pair of rings were created in Macaron’s hands, and they disappeared by themselves as time passed.
Hyun thought that skill was similar to his own ‘sword of darkness’.
The way to create the virtual weapon was exactly the same.
‘Looks like he’s very used to handling rings.’
In addition, Macaron was freely handling the pair of rings created by the skill as if they were limbs.
‘How can I get that level of proficiency?’
Hyeon suddenly had a question.
In general, the weapons that users deal with will be swords, spears, axes, bows, and blunt weapons.
Most of them have never even heard of a weapon called Hwan.
To show that level of proficiency, wouldn’t it be that he had experience handling similar weapons from a very young age?
No matter how you look at it, it seemed impossible to explain the movement of the ring through the air simply because the user was assisted by a skill.
“How about Ain, if we fight, can we win?”
“There are so many suspicious things… I don’t know.”
Ain, who always assures victory in PvP, also showed a suspicious reaction.
“Still, wouldn’t it be possible to win if Hyun was with us?”
“What if you were alone?”
“hmm… I don’t think you’ll lose if you raise your agility beforehand with latent power explosion.”
The reason why Ain mentioned the potential explosion was simple.
It was because the macaron’s agility seemed ridiculously high.
Even a rough estimate would be 300. No, since he still seems to be able to afford it, the minimum is 300, and there was a possibility that it would be much higher than that.
Hyun’s doubts deepened.
‘I couldn’t open the door on the 20th floor. It must mean that I am not an Asura user.’
Is it possible for a user who does not have information about the previous work to grow that much?
Didn’t he make the most of his Hall of Fame fame like Latisse and Mayday did?
Also, it was strange that such a user had not been mentioned in any community until now.
“I’d rather not fight for now.”
Ain was startled by Hyeon’s muttering and asked.
“Does Hyun look so dangerous?”
“I don’t know about that, but there are too many suspicious things. Even if we win, we’ll have to figure out who he really is.”
The 21st floor was very easy to pass.
When the macaron pierced the road ahead by flying two rings, Hyeon and Ain simply followed her.
So, without having to worry about monsters or traps, I was going down the stairs to the 22nd floor before I knew it.
“Why do you keep following me?”
But when he went all the way down the stairs, Hyun could see a macaron with arms crossed right in front of him.
I opened my mouth quickly because I thought I was caught doing something bad.
“I wasn’t following you.”
“then?”
“This is the only passageway down to the 22nd floor. They must have been in the same direction.”
“but… That’s right.”
Macaron readily acknowledged Hyun’s excuse.
“Then we won’t see each other in the future, will we? There are so many passageways from the 22nd to the 23rd floor.”
“what… Do you want to?”
“If you’ve been following me, you’d better quit.”
Saying that, Macaron turned the corner of the crossroads and disappeared.
When Hyun walked slowly and arrived at the same intersection.
‘Did they disappear?!’
The people there were completely gone.
The macaron disappeared in seconds. Just like the time she disappeared at the entrance of the labyrinth in an instant.
“Where did he go?!”
“There was no logout effect. I think I used some skill.”
“What skill? You couldn’t even hear footsteps!”
Ain shouted in anger at the fact that he missed the macaron, but Hyun reacted differently.
“Ah, I think I figured it out.”
Suddenly, Hyun’s emotions were filled with a deep laugh.
“I was a bit suspicious from the beginning. It just became clear.”
“Just what?”
“I don’t have time to explain in detail. If I’m right, we should hurry as much as possible.”
Kwaaang!
The latent explosion of agility gradually overlapped Ain’s body.
The battles with the monsters we encountered occasionally were minimized.
A group of monsters that seemed to be annoying were skipped using transparency and biorhythm acceleration.
「Hyeon, isn’t this the direction?!」
At one point, Ain panicked and shouted.
While checking the arrows drawn on the 3D map on one side of the screen.
It was because the direction they were running now was at odds with the first line of movement.
「At this rate, wouldn’t you just pass by a place where Louise could be on the 22nd floor?!」
“It’s okay, I know.”
Hyeon briefly explained to Ain.
“I think we should go to the 23rd floor first.”
The purpose of the macaron was said to be on the 23rd floor.
Now, rather than searching every place where Louise might be, the priority was to follow her.
Besides, there was a possibility that the two places were the same place.
“Did I tell you not to follow me? Then it won’t matter if you go ahead.”
Hyun intended to reach the next floor before Macaron.
I definitely saw it from the 21st floor. Macaron has only moved forward along the most honest path.
It is a path that seems to be the shortest distance at first glance, but it is actually a roundabout way.
This is because the macaron’s movement did not take into account the numerous secret passages scattered throughout the labyrinth.
‘This way is faster!’
Click. The model of Ain who rushed toward the wall disappeared.
I passed through the revolving door of the secret place and crossed the wall of the labyrinth along the empty passage.
After repeating this several times, it only took about 30 minutes to reach the 23rd floor.
‘Okay, it’s on the 23rd floor.’
Hyun did not go further and sat quietly near the stairs.
It was to wait for the macaron that was coming late.
After a while, macaroons descend the stairs.
I saw Ain belatedly and stopped walking. Before she could open her mouth, Hyeon spoke out first.
“Oh, we met by chance again.”
“I told you not to follow me earlier… ”
“Is this what followed? you came late Weren’t you following me?”
“… .”
At that, Macaron did not answer for a moment.
After a while, I questioned it.
“How did you come before me?”
“Looks like you’re lost.”
“Nothing like that. Because I know the most perfect way.”
“Then the guy who showed me the way was wrong.”
“… !”
At that moment, Hyun felt an eerie feeling.
I could see her fiddling with her sunglasses nonstop.
I couldn’t see what kind of expression it was, but it was clear that he wasn’t laughing.
Macaron, who had been staring at it, suddenly asked a question.
“What floor is your destination on?”
In an instant, Hyun’s head rotated rapidly.
I answered almost reflexively.
“The 25th floor.”
“Okay, if the destination is different, we won’t meet again.”
The macaron went around the corner of the labyrinth and disappeared in an instant, just like before.
As she said, there is little chance that the paths of two people with different destinations will overlap in this vast labyrinth.
“Let’s move too!”
“Where?”
“From now on, I will follow the map again!”
Hyun zoomed in and looked at the map on the 23rd floor.
The end of the route marked with an arrow is the last place where Louise may be staying.
If you use the shortcut hidden in the labyrinth, you can continue to outperform the macarons.
‘what?’
At some point, Macaron also came up with a question.
Because I kept running into the girl I just met.
Third already. Coincidentally, she had arrived on her own path first.
‘It’s a coincidence?’
Now there is no fork in the road to the final destination.
That means that this girl is heading to the same place as herself.
Macaron asked in a low voice.
“Didn’t you say you were going to the 25th floor?”
“that’s right. We met again by chance.”
“lie!”
At Hyun’s clever answer, the macaron made a loud noise for the first time.
It was because he found a contradiction in the girl’s words.
If the 25th floor was really the goal, there was no way we would encounter each other like this here.
“This is a dead end road. There is no way down to the 25th floor.”
Of course, Hyun knew that.
This is the road to the sealed place. There was no way there was a passage leading down to the next floor.
“It’s not.”
Hyun, however, took off his pretense again.
“I know the labyrinth well. There is also a secret passage on this side to go downstairs.”
“… .”
At that, Macaron had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
Even on the way here, the girl in front of him somehow arrived ahead of him and waited for him, didn’t he?
Even though he thought he had passed the fastest and most perfect way.
It was a disprove that there was a path in the labyrinth that he did not know existed.
“Hyun, is that true?”
“Look at the map. There is no space itself, is it really?”
The lower layer, which is in the form of an inverted pyramid, gets narrower as you go down.
Also, the place where Louise is supposed to be is the farthest corner on the 23rd floor.
Of course, the bottom would be a space tightly blocked with soil or rocks.
If Macaron noticed that fact, the lie would be exposed right away, but that didn’t happen.
“Isn’t that a lie?”
“I’ve never lied… never had one.”
Ain, who suddenly noticed the fluctuating emotions, swallowed a laugh.
From now on Hyun won’t be able to lie to me.
Once again, it was a moment when I liked the fairy tale skill.
“… okay. Let’s say that.”
However, Macaron, who cannot look into the emotion itself, cannot judge the authenticity of the words.
Macaron decided to trust the girl’s words one last time.
However, since the suspicion had sprouted, I couldn’t treat it with indifference like I had until now.
“Instead, you take the lead from here on out.”
***
Celestials are sensitive to divine power.
From a certain moment on, Poppy could clearly feel the divine energy without having to concentrate.
It means that a person with great divine power exists on the same floor.
However, while following the movements of the presence, Poppy fell into doubt.
‘how… .’
Can the opponent come this way without straying even once?
As if you already know where we are!
“It is dangerous.”
“What do you mean?”
“It looks like our location has been completely discovered.”
Louise’s heart sank at Poppy’s words that the presence was coming towards her.
To find a location and find it! Because it has only one meaning.
‘Is it really an oracle… ?’
The reason I sealed the sympathy was to prevent this from happening.
Louise asked again.
“How many people are you feeling?”
“For now, there is only one person.”
“one person… ?”
questioned again.
If an oracle had come, why would he come alone? On that day five years ago, hundreds of thousands of troops, including knights, came crashing in.
‘Maybe it’s not an oracle of light?’
Louise came up with a third possibility.
Issuing a trust is an act that affects royalties.
Transcendentalists must also be prepared to consume their ego or empathy.
The greater the oracle’s influence, the more!
That was the reason why, unless you were an archangel, you could only give ambiguous oracles.
‘It’s not the light, is it another oracle?’
Also, the more ambiguous the sentence, the smaller the oracle’s influence.
If it were not an oracle of light, the word ‘darkness’ wouldn’t be included.
Then, even from the point of view of the interpreters, it will be difficult to fathom the importance of the oracle.
It won’t happen that the sky rushes in like it did back then.
‘Maybe the light is saving its power… If that’s the case, I’m glad I did!’
Poppy spoke again when Louise finished her thoughts alone.
“No, sorry. It doesn’t look like you’re alone.”
“what… ?! Don’t keep confusing me!”
“Two people. One side had no divine power, so I could feel it now.”
“You don’t have divine power?”
In an instant, a possibility flashed through Louise’s head.
I asked Poppy what a sudden thought came to him.
“Isn’t the other one the one with demonic energy?”
Poppy asked Louise’s question back with a surprised face.
“Exactly. But how does the priestess know that?”
“Oh, no… It was just speculation. The two of them are together now… ?”
“That’s for sure.”
‘How’s things going?’
Louise’s head was complicated.
It was clear that Hyun was the one who possessed demonic energy. I can still feel that the distance with the shadow is getting closer and closer.
So, is the rest of the people who claim to have divine powers allies?
Or is Hyun standing on the other side of me?
If that’s not the case, aren’t the two of them one team? ?
‘I hope it’s not the second time… .’
The bad memories of the past five years popped into Louise’s mind.
Those who pretended to be in the abyss and tried to strike the back of the head… . It won’t be the same as them, though.
Anyway, I guess I’ll have to watch more to be sure.
“Not even one other person’s presence is formidable.”
Poppy’s expression became serious.
Unlike Louise, who left the possibility open, he recognized all who approached as enemies.
There was a deep ‘hostility’ in the aura of both sides, so it was difficult to interpret it in a good way.
“It seems dangerous, so I will help you.”
“Are you fighting too?”
“No, I intend to secure a retreat. Goddess please wait without fighting for a while. Wouldn’t it be best if we could get out of the labyrinth without fighting?”
“Whoa, yes, it must be my fault for expecting it… .”
anger. Mana began to sway in Poppy’s hand.
It was to find a way out of the labyrinth without being noticed by approaching enemies.
He, too, did not want to see Louise killed or captured.
‘Priestess will never die.’
Even for a celestial being who lived for thousands of years, five years was by no means a short time.
The reason Poppy devoted her time was because she remembered the nobleness of the priestess she saw in Iluna.
***
‘I won’t need this for a while.’
Hyun put away the map that had been displayed on the screen.
Now that Louise’s aura was clearly felt, there was no doubt that she was very close.
‘Now this is the problem… .’
Hyun glanced behind him.
A woman named Macaron follows.
Her purpose was still unclear.
However, it would not be a coincidence that he and his destination were the same.
“Hyun, what is he?”
Ain also raised the same question.
“This is the place I said Louise is. What is he going to do here?”
“There is a reason for that.”
“what reason? ah… !”
Ain shouted as if he realized something.
“Did he get a quest related to the darkness too?!”
The only reason users seek darkness is quests.
If you think normally, Ain would be right, but Hyun was thinking of a slightly different idea.
“Ahin, what you said is right, but I think it’s wrong this time.”
this is probably… Something that could never happen in the past.
He was able to realize that possibility because he understood the difference between Asura and Asrian to some extent.
“Probably not a quest… .」
“for a moment. stop.”
The moment Macaron opened his mouth, Hyun was just about to give Ain an answer.
“Where is the passage going down?”
The girl said that there is a secret passage to the 24th floor here.
Accompanying them for a while was also to avoid unnecessary disputes.
At first glance, it seemed that the girl was not a user that could easily be subdued.
But you can’t go to your destination together.
If the routes overlapped like this, or if she had a different intention, she had no choice but to take the trouble and take action.
“It’s all here. It’s right in front.”
“How many meters?”
“Within 100 meters. We’ll be breaking up soon anyway, so there’s no need to overreact.”
Macaron slowly counted the remaining distance.
100 meters… If that is true, you will be separated from the girl before you reach your destination.
“good.”
To that extent, I could still accompany them.
It’s before the gig, so it’s better not to make a fuss.
Macaron decided to suppress his uncomfortable expression for a while.
“Concentrate.”
“uh… ?!”
“I have to fight now, but you were thinking about something else.”
“Because it has a tongue and a string. It’s okay!」
Hearing Hyeon’s voice suddenly heard, Ain, who had lost his mind, quickly made an excuse.
“No, there are no fairy tales. You have to move.”
“Then Hyun… ?」
“Let’s pincer. I will also use the strong god.”
Hyun explained the plan to Ain.
We do not yet know how much Macaron’s ability will be.
However, what is certain is that it is far beyond the user’s ability.
If my guess is correct, it would have been safer to ambush them 2-on-1.
‘So far… I can’t go any further than this.’
100 meters is a very short distance.
Hyun, who walked for a while, soon stopped.
Also, if you wander, you will no longer be able to avoid the suspicion of macarons.
‘I have to see the match here!’
In front of a mural painted with angels and demons like a cathedral.
Hyun groped for a secret device in front of the wall.
Of course, there is nothing hidden in the mural, but at first glance it looked like a very mysterious painting.
Especially since it depicts angels and demons.
‘Will he react?’
Fumbling along the wall, Hyun uttered a word that Macaron couldn’t ignore.
soliloquy. But I muttered a little louder so that I could hear from behind.
“uh? what? Someone drew a picture of a strange demon next to the device.”
“… .”
Macaron said nothing.
However, Hyun did not miss the sight of her head moving at the word devil.
Next, you will have no choice but to react unconditionally.
“Yes? There is also a new sentence written at the bottom. It seems like it was written a while ago. trust? What does the word trust mean?”
“What did you just say?”
At that moment, the macaron, who seemed uninterested, approached the mural.
“No, it’s nothing. It seems that the device has changed a bit recently.”
“No, not that. What sentence is written on it?”
“Oh, that’s over there.”
Hyun pointed to the most complicated looking part of the mural.
It was a part where countless angels and demons were intertwined and fighting.
I don’t even know what the picture means.
“Descent of the devil was written about and so on… I don’t know who made those graffiti.”
“Advent… ?”
Suddenly, Macaron’s voice contained a bit of nervousness.
“In the middle, the text is small, so you’ll have to look closely.”
Macaron moved a little closer to the mural.
“I can’t see it well because the writing is small.”
closer.
Hyeon and Ain moved when Macaron’s face came close to the wall.
“now!”
That short cry was the signal of a plan.
Hwareuk. Flames formed in Ain’s hands.
A small spark is a claw of flame.
The reason why Ifrit’s claws didn’t activate was because Fairy Tale’s skill bonus disappeared.
Then, where did Hyun, who had been assimilating into Ain’s body, go?
‘Kangshin!’
On the ceiling 20 meters high from the mural, Hyun released the assimilation and immediately used the skill.
Whoa! At the same time that the whole body was wrapped in demonic air, the body curves and hair grows.
young darkness.
However, by human standards, he looks close to an adult!
Hyun, who had transformed into Louise’s body, kicked off the ceiling and leaped vertically.
“Ahin, draw attention!”
“I know… !”
Ain slapped Macaron on the back of the head as he peered into the mural.
Ordinary users can’t even react.
However, the macarons were turning their heads from the moment the flames bloomed.
Hwareuk! The pair of flames that Ain struck did nothing but burn a few strands of her hair.
‘Incarnate steps!’
However, Ain expected that his flame would miss.
That’s why, as soon as the attack was missed, a bright red flame covered the top of the macaron’s head.
Surprisingly, Macaron ducked his head to avoid even that.
The reaction speed has already far exceeded the human category!
It was close to impossible for any user to see the incarnation’s steps and avoid it in such close proximity.
‘Perfect, Ain!’
However, even though Ain’s attacks all missed, Hyun was delighted.
Aren’t the remnants of the flames she created obscuring Macaron’s view?
Invisibility, Acceleration, and… Until half a bullet!
Hyun poured all his skills.
Besides, he is currently borrowing Louise’s body. I was able to use the strongest linkage skill.
‘To the sword of darkness… Black wind!’
About 0.5 seconds from the moment the assimilation is released.
Fain! At the same time as the wind exploded, a space of death was created on the ground.
The blade, which rotated dozens of times in an instant, began to shred everything around it.
Everything around her, including the macaroons!
T-D-DD-DDING!
While spinning, Hyeon felt slight resistance to the sword he was swinging.
Did the guy die? Will he be alive?
Judgment is impossible in the midst of blurred vision, but there was no need to judge.
In the first place, Hyun’s plan was to continue the series of movements he had drawn in his head.
‘Fairytale!’
The sword of darkness was caught in Ain’s hand again.
Just in time, Ain, who used the incarnation’s step, was floating in the air.
Two mobile units combined.
The moment Hyeon used Shadow Dash, a shadow was overlaid in the opposite direction to the passing flame.
It was for this last moment that he had saved a mobile unit.
In order to complete a certain combo that anyone has no choice but to die!
“Got it, you NPC bastard!”
Caang!
But at that moment, the sword of darkness stopped.
‘huh?’
I figured out the situation a bit late.
The blade of the sword of darkness was contained in a ring tightly gripped by macaron.
The sword stopped moving due to the overwhelming difference in power.
‘He didn’t die with this?’
Hyun was very tense for a moment.
How much of an opponent’s counterattack can withstand such an attack?
However, the moment I witnessed Macaron’s situation, I was a little less worried about counterattack.
‘No, there is no damage!’
“Big uh… .”
A moan of pain flowed from Macaron’s mouth.
She was in no condition to fight back.
In the Labyrinth, even a small amount of damage can easily cause body damage.
As if to disprove that fact, one of her arms had been cut off, and the rest of it seemed to be intact.
The innumerable cracks on the body are traces of attempts to regenerate through divine power.
Still, there was clear evidence of considerable damage to the extent that one arm could not be regenerated.
‘It seems that only the vital part was barely blocked.’
And, the sunglasses came off, revealing the crumpled eyes that made it creepy just by looking at each other.
Macaron muttered in an eerie voice.
“The filthy bastards of the abyss… .”
Why didn’t she take off her sunglasses?
In order to imitate the user, he had to maintain a calm expression even in front of the existence of the abyss.
However, sunglasses were an inevitable choice for her, who could not hide her physiological aversion.
“You’re lying!”
The angry Macaron’s expression was like that of an angry yaksha.
No, not macarons.
In addition to those ferocious eyes, Hyun knew the name of the NPC who handled the illusion.
Her real name is Karma.
He was the Heretic Inquisitor of the Holy Kingdom and a story name with a level of 370.
“As expected, Carmane.”
“uh… ? Aren’t you a user?!”
“I was somewhat certain.”
Ain asked as if surprised by Hyun’s calm voice.
“Since when did you know?!”
“I had doubts from the moment I didn’t recognize you when we first met, and I knew for sure when I added a friend request.”
[The user named Macaron does not exist nearby! Please remember the opponent’s ID correctly!]
That’s the message that came to mind earlier.
The other person may have given the wrong ID, but Hyun focused on the other possibility.
“It was strange from the first appearance. What kind of user would use a ring, which is not such a common weapon, freely? Among the NPCs, there are only a handful of people like that.”
“Hyun, you look like a detective today!”
“Ha, because there are so many clues.”
Karma is the NPC responsible for initiating the Dark Episode.
In addition, Asrian’s NPCs have higher artificial intelligence as they take on more important roles.
Considering that, it wouldn’t be impossible for Karma to imitate the user.
Even if it’s hard to come up with such an idea on your own, you have the ability to carry out someone’s orders.
“By the way, lie… Dare to lie… !”
Karma’s severed arm kept regenerating and then dispersing.
Hyun thought it was fortunate that this place was a labyrinth.
It seemed that the surprise attack earlier had a great effect.
If it hadn’t hit, Karma would have restored the lost body in an instant.
But in this situation, our odds are much higher.
“I know that? Users are all liars. If you’re going to imitate a user, you should have done it right!”
The one who served the truth more deeply than anyone else.
Telling lies to Karma is not disrespectful.
“Kick, that’s right. The meaning of the oracle was this… .”
When the arm couldn’t be regenerated no matter what, Karma stopped acting in vain.
I looked at the girl wrapped in the black wind with slanted eyes.
No, for some reason, the existence in front of my eyes turned into a woman instead of a girl.
“Under the land of Labyrinth. You were the one whose demonic energy grew thicker as time passed!”
Dozens of priests covered their heads to interpret the sentence given by the representative of light.
Two words narrowed down like that.
One is a person whose demonic energy grows thicker, and the other is a traitor.
Karma was convinced that the one in front of him was the one whose demonic energy was deepening.
See, didn’t she suddenly scatter enough demonic energy to make you feel sick just by touching it?
Karma couldn’t relate the woman in front of her to the darkness.
While the last shell Darkness showed in the sky was that of a little girl, Louise had grown rapidly over the past five years.
Hyeon was also surprised to see the portrait in the letter for the first time, so it is not unreasonable that the NPCs do not recognize her.
“I can never let you meet Louise.”
Hyun was well aware of the dangers of karma.
The ability to recognize opponents as a demonic characteristic.
Rather than a skill, it was a skill unique to the Heretic Questioner.
It was clear that Karma would feel unusual energy when she saw Louise, and if she was unlucky, she could even be found out that she was the archevil.
“If I let her live, it would be quite a headache.”
Perhaps, as a user, he also remembered his magic.
“Are you going to catch it anyway?”
“Right, we have to end it here!”
Karma’s resistance was fierce.
After slowing her down with a debuff, Ain could barely keep up with her speed.
Karung! Karleung!
In addition, the ring filled with divine power hovered around her, making it difficult to approach.
Fortunately, there is only one ring.
It was because the one arm that had to deal with the remaining ring was missing.
‘Okay, it’s worth doing!’
After several sums were exchanged like that, Hyun intuited victory.
With one ring, it was impossible to block both attacks from both himself and Ain.
What if you couldn’t cut off one of your arms?
Perhaps, even access was not easy.
But Karma right now is in a state where I can’t even show half of my skills.
「Ah, run away!」
Ain shouted.
At the same time, Karma also seemed to have a premonition of her own defeat.
‘Oops!’
Hyun realized his mistake in an instant.
He was only obsessed with keeping Karma from approaching Louise.
However, contrary to expectations, Karma started to run in the opposite direction.
“I have to catch it here!”
Hyun immediately assimilated into Ain.
At least because Ain’s location was close to Karma.
However, the moment he turns the corner of the labyrinth to catch up with Karma with the black wind.
“huh? It’s gone!」
The figure of Karma, which should have been right in front of her, evaporated.
‘Kuh, where did he go?!’
In the past, sometimes Karma would disappear like this.
In an instant, Hyeon came up with a lot of thoughts.
Transparency? stealth? No, Karma doesn’t have that kind of skill.
If so, is it a movement skill?
Karma’s only movement skill is short-range teleportation of 2-3 meters.
However, the walls of the lower labyrinth were only thick enough that even a fairy tale with a range of 30 meters could not overcome it.
There must be no way to hide from Karma so suddenly… !
“Kaaak!”
It was when Hyun was anxiously continuing his thoughts that he heard a terrible scream from behind.
Hyeon quickly turned around the corner he had passed and returned to the place where the sound came from.
Two women were there.
The karma that scatters into the light with the chest open.
And behind it is Louise, who is aiming a spear at Karma’s chest.
Whoops. Even now, the blow of the spinning spear, emitting a piercing sound, seemed to have ripped off Karma’s entire chest.
[Level up!]
[The main quest ‘Reunion with Louise’ has been completed!]
After a while the karma is completely dissipated.
Charrrrrrrr! At Louise’s gesture, the straight spear folded into a small size like an umbrella.
