The Hunter Returns Chapter 6

006 – 2nd floor (2)

Baekja was at a loss for words as he watched Kim Yun-do calmly advance through the labyrinth.

What kind of guy is this?

Labyrinths that test the successor’s mind and body to their limits. These are the “Labyrinth of Fire” and the “Labyrinth of Ice.”

But, what on earth happened? The guy who passed through the impenetrable labyrinth with a nonchalant expression was holding two ores in his hands.

“Labyrinth Ore (Fire).

 – A mineral discovered in the Fire Labyrinth. The stone, soaked in heat, appears to be swaying with living flames. As if it were remembering a glorious time in the past.

“Labyrinth Ore (Ice).

 – A mineral discovered in the Ice Labyrinth. The stone, covered in cold air, seems to tremble with a freezing coldness. As if remembering a glorious time in the past.

Of course, it is possible to clear the labyrinth.

It is a maze that was originally made to be broken. And for the sake of the new rookies, the actual difficulty level is not high. If you spend about 6 days at a leisurely pace, you can pass one maze.

Yes, that’s right.

6 days.

It takes an average of 6 days for a novice Successor to clear one labyrinth.

But what is this successor before my eyes?

It took only four days to clear the three labyrinths, including the Sword Labyrinth.

Kim Yun-do, who had entered the fifth day, was now left with only the dark labyrinth left.

I have to admit, there was a part of me that really believed in it.

This successor is different from ordinary humans.

“Okay. Successor Kim Yun-do. You are different from the other successors. But the final labyrinth won’t be that simple.”

I was a little surprised, but that was it.

Baekja did not lose his composure.

It is different from the previous three labyrinths. The last labyrinth waiting for Kim Yun-do is the Dark Labyrinth. There is no chance that he will clear this labyrinth within the time limit. This is the only labyrinth that Baekja can intervene in.

It’s not a matter of level or stats.

If the guy were human, if he were a successor who just entered the tower, he wouldn’t be able to break through here.

“You’ve become quite talkative, Baekja. Are you feeling anxious, given that you’re a constellation?”

“Say whatever you want. I wonder if you can still laugh after challenging this labyrinth.”

Kim Yun-do, who entered the final labyrinth, saw the approaching darkness.

The surroundings became quiet. It was so dark that it was hard to tell what was ahead. Wasn’t he afraid? Kim Yun-do stepped into the darkness, not knowing what was waiting for him.

*&*

The Dark Labyrinth was a short passage that could be walked in less than two minutes at an adult’s pace.

It is a structure that is shameful to even call it a labyrinth. Originally, there were only three tests. The fact that the tests increased to four was simply due to Baekja’s whim. In addition to the tests presented by other constellations, I would like to add something special.

A unique test where you can engrave your own name on Baekja.

This dark labyrinth was born from such an idea.

The content of the test was simple.

Baekja brought the worst despair to the successor who entered here.

A lump deep in the heart.

It draws out the darkness beneath the deep consciousness that even the successor is not aware of. What the successor fears the most. It unfolds despair itself before his eyes. There are only a few successors who can overcome the fear that has been visualized. Depending on the intensity, it is a dangerous test that can even break a person’s heart. In reality, several successors have turned into nothing more than useless people, but Baekja did not care.

There are plenty of successors.

If they can’t pass this level of test, then they are just that kind of people.

Baekja’s prediction was correct.

Kim Yun-do, who entered the dark labyrinth, stopped walking for the first time not by his own will but by force.

“Tsk tsk. How dare you meddle with a human being.”

Empty eyes.

What the blurry eyes are looking at is not darkness.

Deeper than that. I was staring aimlessly into the nightmare that Baekja had created.

Let’s see.

Originally, Baekja’s amusement was to show it every few hours and enjoy the successor’s reaction. However, this guy can’t be satisfied with a few hours. One day? No. Two days would be better. Yes. After suffering from nightmares for two days, he will definitely break.

The thought of that insolent bastard’s face being ruined was already making me feel excited.

A cruel smile appeared at the corner of Baekja’s mouth. A creepy laughter sound was heard.

That was the moment.

Between the laughter, a crackling sound was heard.

“…what?”

Baekja doubted his eyes.

It was an unbelievable sight.

Kim Yun-do, who had fallen into a nightmare a moment ago, was walking calmly. Beside him was a small sphere that drove away the darkness. A light that could barely distinguish what was ahead. Strange. He had clearly fallen into a nightmare. But how was he walking?

You think you got out of there on your own?

In that time that could have been just a few minutes?

That’s nonsense.

A mere tutorial successor with no skills or tolerance can destroy his own power?

Don’t make me laugh.

Baekja raised his hand again. The skill was directed towards the arrogant successor. 

Kim Yun-do’s feet stopped.

This time it was certain. He would be lost in a nightmare that would last for days. But within seconds, Kim Yun-do began to walk again.

「… … .」

That’s ridiculous.

If the guy is the successor. If he were human, this wouldn’t be possible.

In contrast to Baekja, who was completely speechless, Kim Yun-do followed the light that the sphere created.

I heard it from the saint, but this test was too simple.

“The Dark Labyrinth is a test that draws out human trauma. It nurtures the darkness hidden in your heart and destroys you from the inside. The bigger the thing you hide, the faster your heart will break. What do you think, Mr. Yoon-do? When the thing you fear the most is right before your eyes. If it comes as a reality, how will you overcome it?”

“Is that even a test? How ridiculous.”

Saint Laurelia of the Crusader.

I felt like I was seeing beautiful blonde hair sparkling before my eyes.

“You’re so confident. If my guess is correct, the power of the constellation Baekja is involved in that labyrinth. You shouldn’t underestimate it. No matter how strong a person is, they can’t make their insides out of steel.”

“Laurelia. You really don’t know me yet.”

A nightmare that brings out human trauma.

It was fortunate that Baekja created this test. If it had been a nightmare of a different kind, Kim Yun-do might have been stuck here. However, if it was despair, there was no problem at all.

I have already seen a world that has ended once.

As time goes by, the number of colleagues with whom I used to drink and share food decreases one by one.

Among them was a young friend who lived dreaming of tomorrow.

A colleague who has a fiancé with whom he has promised a future.

There are also women who say that it is better to spend each day peacefully.

There was also a friend who said there were still many things he wanted to do.

The war against monsters crawling from the abyss never ends.

Maybe everyone knew, even if they didn’t say anything.

This war is one that humanity cannot win. We knew the outcome before it even started.

And humanity was defeated.

I walked through that hellish landscape with a few colleagues every day.

Yeah. What could be a worse nightmare than that?

“Congratulations! You’ve cleared the Dark Labyrinth.”

“A certain reward will be given to the successor who clears the labyrinth.”

“Bonus stat: 10.”

Kim Yun-do, who cleared the labyrinth almost as soon as it started, looked up at the white porcelain.

Our eyes met.

Two cold, calm eyes. There is determination in those eyes. The broken doll did not walk on its own. The boy passed this white porcelain test with his own strength.

It is a completely unexpected entity.

Irregular. Of all the successors who have visited the Tower so far, there has never been one as unusual as this one.

“Ugh… I admit it. Successor Kim Yun-do. You won.”

The white porcelain flicked his hand.

“Congratulations! You have cleared Baekja’s proposal.

 – Surprisingly, the successor is the manager of Section 1. You have passed all the tests prepared by the constellation Baekja. Your reckless challenge will not be recorded as recklessness, but as great courage! This is a great achievement that stands out among the many successors. Additional stats will be given to the successor who clears Baekja’s proposal.

“Additional stats: Physical resistance, Magic resistance.”

“Yes. I am the Constellation Baekja. I keep my promises.”

Even Kim Yun-do was a little surprised by this.

I never thought I would be able to gain stamina from the tutorial. I thought at best they would give me useful items for the early game or bonus stats.

tolerance.

It is a special stat that allows you to withstand physical or magical attacks a little longer. Without this stat, it would be nearly impossible for the successor to climb the tower. No matter how high your general stats are, everything is useless in the face of overwhelming violence. 

This isn’t a game where you have HP and you don’t die until it’s all gone.

If your head is shattered, you die, and if your heart is pierced, you cannot live.

Whether you die from a unique weapon or a rare weapon, the outcome of your death remains the same.

Endurance could not be increased by the stat given when leveling up.

You can’t grow with bonus stats, and you can only use stats attached to special rewards or items.

I thought that gaining tolerance would be after passing at least one section. This would make progress much easier.

“Consider yourself honored. You are probably the first successor to pass all the trials of this labyrinth.”

Baekja’s words are not over yet.

Three items emerged from Kim Yun-do’s pocket. They are the ores obtained after clearing the labyrinth.

Baekja, who was looking at the ore, bit his own toenail.

The toenail snapped off and went into the ore.

Eventually, the four items fused together to form one sword.

“Sword of the Labyrinth (Monarch).

 – A sword wielded by the Lord of the Tower. A replica made from the claws of the Constellation White Porcelain.

   Despite being a replica, this sword is imbued with the mysterious power of the monarch.

   As if remembering one’s own prototype. “

“If you have decided to go on a path, there should be no hesitation in your feet. If you start to hesitate, it means you are doubting your choice.

 “Keep this in mind, fool. Those who walk the path of the successor must never waver. – The Lord of the Tower.”

I see. Dantalian. Your guess was correct.

“Successor Kim Yun-do. I will remember your name.”

Baekja, who had been spitting out words, disappeared into the darkness that seemed to be a subspace.

Kim Yun-do looked at the place where the white porcelain had disappeared for a moment and then moved forward.

The time spent in the labyrinth was 4 days. There was still a long way to go.

*&*

What greeted Kim Yun-do as he emerged from the labyrinth was the strong scent of grass.

The endless trees and large leaves blocking the sunlight. The sound of insects tickling my ears. It seems like the summer I remember is unfolding before my eyes. Cicadas are everywhere, chirping noisily.

Kim Yun-do came out and looked around.

A group of people were gathered in front of a labyrinth that resembled a ruin.

“You’re so late, you’re so annoying.”

“Anyway, that makes 10 people? We can proceed now.”

Like Kim Yun-do, they are successors who passed the test of the labyrinth.

“Just a moment. I need to explain this to the person who just arrived.”

“That’s something you have to figure out for yourself.”

Those who arrived earlier seemed to have already finished talking and were wrapping up their conversation.

“Coming late is also a skill, young lady.”

“I’ll tell you the detailed story, you smart little rat. Why bother explaining it?”

“What kind of people are like that? Okay. If everyone else is like that, I’ll just explain.”

A woman emerged from among the successors, seemingly unwilling to do so.

Coming out from among the successors, she opened her eyes wide when she saw Kim Yun-do.

“Over there. This is… Aah!”

“… … .”

Someone said… .

It’s the woman I met on the first floor. I’m sure she was Jeong Eun-ji.

Her eyes were filled with shock when she saw Kim Yun-do, as if she had already passed through the labyrinth.

“Hey, why is Mr. Yoondo still here?”

“I’m climbing the tower, so I’ll be here.”

People burst into laughter at his calm answer.

Jeong Eun-ji’s face turned red as she was embarrassed in front of her.

“No. That’s not it….”

I know what the question is.

He must have gone up to the second floor a long time ago, so why did he come out here only now? He must be asking the reason.

She is a woman with more broad-mindedness than you might think.

“Hello, Successors. This is the friendly Constellation Baekja from Section 1. It seems that all ten of us are here now. Those who have come before have heard the story several times, so I will keep the explanation brief.”

There was no more time for a leisurely conversation.

A white porcelain, as small as a miniature, rose on top of the stone.

“It’s okay. This field isn’t a difficult area either. As you can see, there are quite a few species living in this forest. Most of them are monsters that you can hunt, but there are some species that need help.”

The white porcelain’s front paw knocked on the stone.

At the sound, statues shaped like animals fell from the air.

A tiger, a wolf, an eagle, and finally a rabbit and a turtle who seemed to have come to the wrong place.

「Now, the four tribes gathered here need your help. Since the quests given to each tribe are different, you should think carefully. The higher the difficulty, the better the rewards, right? However, you should also consider your level. If the rice cake is too big, it will get stuck in your throat.」

There was a creepy, squeaky laugh.

It’s just as Baekja said.

The theme of the third floor was to become the strength of one of the four tribes and solve their problems.

“The maximum number of participants per tribe is 3. Think carefully. Once you choose, you cannot change your mind.”

The faces of the successors were crumpled.

The tribe that seems to give the most difficult quests is the Tiger tribe.

After that, it would be wolf, eagle, rabbit, and turtle. If you think you want the most rewards, it would be right to choose tiger, but it is likely not an easy quest.

“Three people each… It’s first-come, first-served.”

“Then I’m a wolf. In this case, the middle is the best.”

“I’m a wolf too.”

“I am an eagle.”

“I think the rabbit and the turtle would be okay, too.”

Baekja smiled brightly at the sight of the gossiping successors.

“For the record, I never said the tiger was the hardest. I never said the rabbit or the turtle was the easiest. Who knows? One of the two might be really hard, and the other might be really easy.”

“… … .”

What the fu*k.

Jeong Eun-ji’s feet, which had been set on the rabbit and the turtle, stopped.