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< Labyrinth of the Fallen Soul >
I was standing in front of the office mirror, trying on my brand new combat uniform, which had been finished an hour earlier.
“Hmm. Not bad, huh?”
The new battle suit, made from white Uruk leather previously obtained from the Uruk village, had a clean design, was lightweight, and had excellent defensive capabilities.
In the future, this combat uniform would be used as the basic weapon, and various types of equipment would be worn on top of it depending on the situation.
Next to me, Lily, wearing the same combat uniform as me, was looking at herself in the mirror.
“Little one. Do you like your new clothes?”
The little boy nodded and held out both sleeves to me.
“Yeah! Look at this!”
The left sleeve of the boy’s combat uniform had a chicken leg embroidered on it.
“This is chicken!”
And on the right sleeve there was a pizza embroidered.
“This is pizza! Pizza is delicious too.”
···Jang Young-shin. It seems that the timid little kid expressed his feelings in that way.
This combat uniform was Jang Yeong-shin’s first work.
Two days ago, we were chatting a lot at the hair salon while ordering chicken and pizza, the two little ones’ favorites.
The two people were shocked when they found out that the little boy and I were superhumans.
What happened next was a natural progression.
I told Jang Yeong-shin that I thought she had talent and suggested that she try working at the guild workshop.
But I didn’t think you would come back the very next day…
I glanced at the kid.
“Is this the power of love?”
As soon as Jang Young-shin arrived at the workshop, he surprised all the technicians in the guild.
He was a genius from the beginning, and he also had a fraudulent personality called [Producer].
He grabbed the workshop technicians and asked them how to use the equipment in the workshop, and within a few hours he was able to use most of it.
One day was enough to make two sets of clothes for Jang Yeong-shin.
But three sets seemed a bit difficult.
“Um, Team Leader. My combat uniform is···”
To Wang Gu-ho, who was timidly asserting himself, I spoke bluntly.
“You don’t need anything like a combat uniform.”
“That’s true, but… I think it would be nice to have one too….”
Wang Guho seemed very envious of our new combat uniform.
I nodded my head in agreement.
“I’ll ask you to make some for me later.”
“yes···.”
Looking at the way Wang Guho timidly smiles and clenches his fists, it seems like he really believes that I will tell him.
At that time, Baek Young-hee entered the office.
“The on-site support team is ready. You can go down now.”
I nodded.
Over the past few days, I’ve done everything I could to prepare.
Because I couldn’t let my guard down as I was entering one of the worst dungeons.
I said as I headed to the elevator.
“let’s go.”
On my left and right were Kkomaengi and Baek Yeong-hee, and behind me was Wang Gu-ho. We rode the elevator together.
While I was simulating various situations that could occur in the dungeon in my head, Baek Young-hee spoke to me from the side.
“Excuse me, team leader.”
“why?”
“The new combat uniform really suits you.”
“thank you.”
“however···.”
Through the mirror installed in the elevator, I could see Baek Young-hee’s gaze directed towards my head.
Baek Young-hee covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.
“That fluffy hair… isn’t it so cute?”
“···Let’s stop there.”
I was already upset every time I looked in the mirror.
Jang Young-shin’s mother, unlike her son, was not very talented with her hands.
For some reason, there were no customers in the store.
*
*
*
When we arrived at the gate, absurd news was waiting for us.
Baek Young-hee glared at the government official and shouted.
“What do you mean, another guild left first!”
The government official, who looked like he was being treated unfairly, protested.
“No, that’s all I heard. The operation time has changed… I thought we discussed it together?”
Baek Young-hee asked back with a face of absurdity.
“Huh? We’ve never heard of such a thing!”
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The government official said, scratching his rough, bearded chin.
“That’s strange. They say White House is a latecomer···.”
“What? Who the hell said that?!”
“No… Don’t be so excited….”
The situation is this.
This operation was a joint operation involving four guilds at the request of the government.
White House.
Black hound.
Warriors.
Red shark.
The original plan was for these four guilds to gather here by 9 AM and depart together.
But when I actually arrived at the gate, all the other guilds had already left two hours ago.
A government official said.
“Anyway, that’s what I heard. The three guilds will leave first, and White House will join later…”
Baek Young-hee glared at the government official as if she was going to eat him.
“So you’re saying you didn’t notify us at all? Didn’t you ever think that something was strange?”
A government official said, sweating profusely.
“No, I told you, it’s no use asking me···.”
“I will formally protest to the government!”
I looked at the sight and sighed.
I had a rough idea of what was going on.
In short, three guilds conspired to screw us over.
They want to eat it among themselves without us.
It was obvious who was in charge of this.
“That guy, Kim Tae-jin. He still has a bad ending.”
It was clear that Blackhound had taken the lead in this.
Here, the Warriors were not a guild that I had particularly good feelings towards. Recently, they had a bad relationship with the fat team leader.
Red Shark must have fallen for it since the two guilds tried to persuade him to do it together.
I stepped forward and grabbed Baek Young-hee’s arm.
“There’s no need to get so worked up. We can just leave as scheduled.”
Baek Young-hee looked back at me with a face full of resentment.
“Team Leader! Even if we go in there now….”
“Then, should we come all the way here and go back to the guild?”
“That, that’s not it, but···.”
Baek Young-hee bowed her head weakly. I turned my head and spoke to the government official.
“We will enter the gate as scheduled.”
Government officials breathed a sigh of relief.
“Phew. Don’t waste time and do that sooner… Team Leader, you’re quite articulate.”
I looked at him with a smirk.
I thought there was an agreement between the guilds?
That’s bullshit. This kid must have taken bribes and changed his schedule.
So, they probably didn’t even contact us.
Well, this kind of thing has happened before too, so it’s nothing new.
I took Baek Young-hee back to where the team members were gathered.
“What is all this···”
“under···.”
The on-site support team members who heard the news also looked dispirited.
It will be absurd and disappointing. Everyone has been busy preparing for several days for today.
I clapped my hands to get their attention.
“Okay, everyone.”
I felt everyone’s eyes on me.
I said it like it was no big deal.
“Let’s not be too disappointed. Who knows? We might get in late and hit the jackpot.”
The team members nodded their heads weakly, perhaps not feeling very comforted.
Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now.
“Anyway, we’ll be moving in in 5 minutes. Each team should do a final check and report back.”
“There is nothing wrong with the filming crew.”
“There is nothing wrong with the medical team.”
“There is nothing wrong with the equipment team.”
After a while, we finished preparing and stood in front of the gate.
White House Team 7, total of 18 people.
There were 15 of them, excluding the secretary, operator, and driver.
Baek Young-hee bowed her head as she saw me off.
“I’m sorry. I should have checked more carefully…”
Baek Young-hee raised her head and there were tears in her eyes.
They were tears of resentment and anger.
“Even if you go in now, there’s almost nothing to gain···.”
“···Really.”
Well, it wasn’t unreasonable for everyone to think that way.
As far as I remember, the risk level of ‘Labyrinth of Fallen Souls’ was initially B.
However, after several failed expeditions, the danger level gradually increased, eventually becoming one of the worst dungeons.
Not knowing that, the three guilds that went first left us behind and went in on their own.
I sighed softly.
“Those idiots. I tried to take them with me but…”
“···yes?”
“Oh, I’m just talking to myself.”
I had no intention of taking care of those who crawled into the grave on their own feet.
I tapped Baek Young-hee’s shoulder, whose eyes were bright red.
“Don’t worry. I’ll come back with a trunk full of loot.”
“Team leader···.”
“Then let’s meet in a few days.”
I left those words and crossed the gate. The little boy, Wang Guho, and the field support team vehicles followed me and crossed the gate.
***
After entering the dungeon,
We advanced for more than two hours, but there was no fighting.
All that was visible were traces of battle and the crushed and dismembered corpses of monsters.
Cheon Seol-ah spoke in an anxious voice next to me.
“Team Leader. They swept everything in front of me.”
I was now riding in the equipment support team vehicle.
‘The Labyrinth of Fallen Souls’ was a large dungeon accessible by vehicle.
Up until about a third of the way into the dungeon, there was enough space for a vehicle to move around.
I leaned back on the seat, clasping my hands behind my head.
“It’s okay. It’s a dungeon.”
“···I wish I could be as relaxed as the team leader.”
Cheon Seol-ah shook her head and took out my equipment and started cleaning it.
I watched the scene for a while, then turned my head to see what the kid in the backseat was doing.
“······.”
“······.”
The little boy was eating the lunchbox that Sirutteok had packed for him, and when our eyes met, he quickly avoided eye contact and hid the lunchbox behind his back.
“Little one.”
“······.”
“Hey. Don’t avoid my eyes and look at me.”
“······.”
The little boy just rolled his eyes and looked at me.
“You just ate your packed lunch, right? What are you going to eat for lunch?”
The little boy shook his head in denial.
“Oh, you’re not staying here?”
Even though his cheeks were swollen like a squirrel carrying an acorn, saying something like that didn’t sound convincing at all.
I quickly snatched the lunchbox the kid had hidden behind his back.
“This is confiscated until lunchtime.”
“Blindfold! Give it back!”
I sighed, pushing the rushing brat’s forehead away with my palm.
“Haa. If you keep doing this, you’ll end up obese…”
It was then that something caught my senses, which had been spread out as wide as possible.
“···All vehicles stop!”
Suddenly my expression hardened and the little one became quiet.
The little boy asked, blinking his big eyes.
“what’s the matter?”
“What’s outside?”
I put my lunch box aside and got out of the car with the little one.
“All vehicles are waiting here. Wang Gu-ho. You stay here and guard the vehicles.”
“Yes, four!”
Leaving Wang Guho’s voice behind, I walked forward with the little boy.
Grrrrr···.
From the darkness beyond, something like the howling of a beast was heard.
At first, there was only one cry, but it gradually increased in number.
Grrrrr···.
Grrrrr···.
It wasn’t one or two. It was at least five. The number kept increasing.
The noise, which had grown to about ten, began to approach us.
After a while, they showed up.
“oh my god···.”
“What is that···.”
I could sense the surprise of the field support team members at the back.
That was understandable.
“Grrrrr···.”
Because the people who entered the dungeon before us were crawling on all fours with the whites of their eyes exposed.
The reason why this dungeon is called ‘Labyrinth of the Fallen Soul’.
That was because it turned anyone who entered the dungeon into a monster.
< Labyrinth of Fallen Souls > End
ⓒ Ganjjajang
