“Who’s that?” asked a petite, black-haired woman wearing a black mask and a pair of large sunglasses. The man standing next to her, who was carrying a comically large bag, answered, “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.”
“Then use your fancy detection skill and figure it out,” the woman ordered. Very few players of the support category had the Detection skill; it allowed a player to peek into other players’ approximate levels, stats, and skills. This ability depended on the user’s strength, so the information gained by various players with the same ability could be different. The man carrying the large bag wore nerdy glasses; of course, he was the highest support level player.
“Huh?” When the man seemed confused, the woman’s expression changed as she asked, “What’s wrong?”
The mild interest on her face turned into full-on curiosity as the man explained, “He’s only Level 1? And… he basically has no stats. From what I can see, he has a unique ability; no idea what it is, though.”
“What? You can’t see it?” the woman asked in confusion.
“No, this has never happened before, so I’m not sure how to proceed,” replied the man in glasses, seeming genuinely bewildered.
The woman lamented, “Gosh, your old age’s finally hindering the one good thing about you? Can’t even use your only skill properly, useless! Tsk.”
“What did you just say? How dare you! Just give me a minute,” the man in the glasses replied angrily. While glaring at her through his glasses to “detect” her, the man continued, “We’ve been together almost every day, so when did you get the time to level up? You’re already Level 3—”
Before he could even complete his sentence, she stood on her toes, smacked her hand on his lips, and complained, “I didn’t put any barrier around us, jerk. Have you lost your mind? What if someone's listening in?”
“Haa… Can’t you be more… lady-like?!”
“Don’t complain about the way I speak. You’re being sexist.” When the woman warned him, the man nodded and replied, “Alright.”
The woman with long black hair took a step back and watched Gi-Gyu, who was looking around as if he was lost. A few foreign players approached him with interest, but Gi-Gyu just stammered with his broken English.
The woman took her large sunglasses off and murmured, “That player arrived in the association car to enter the Maze of Heryond, but he can’t speak a lick of English? He’s getting more interesting by the minute.”
Her unique violet eyes sparkled as she continued, “His face is my type too. Very interesting indeed.”
“Haa… Please don’t do anything stupid,” the man with the large bag begged.
“Don’t talk back to me,” replied the woman as her eyes remained glued to Gi-Gyu’s back.
***
“Please stay here. I’m going to go see some association people to get the entrance permission.” When Sung-Hoon asked politely, Gi-Gyu replied, “Ah, of course. Please take your time.”
All capable players could enter maze-type gates; to sieve out dangerous players like the Red Players, the association confirmed everyone’s identity beforehand. If a ranked Red Player entered the Maze of Heryond, this hell on earth could instantly transform into something much worse.
“Why is everyone staring at me?” Gi-Gyu murmured in confusion. Sung-Hoon left him only for a moment, but all the many eyes glued on him gave him chills. Some even tried to make conversation with him, but all Gi-Gyu could do was keep repeating the only English phrase he knew.
“I can’t speak English,” Gi-Gyu said once more to another player who approached him. Every time this happened, they seemed confused as they tilted their heads before leaving him.
“Haa…” sighed Gi-Gyu. If he survived this journey inside the gate, he decided to make learning English a priority. Gi-Gyu knew that someday, he would have to enter not only the Korean gates but also those located all over the world. Meeting foreigners would be a surety then, so learning English was an absolute necessity.
Until now, he never had to speak English because he had been working as a guide for the Korean association. But, he suspected things would be different now. After Heo Sung-Hoon didn’t return for quite a while, Gi-Gyu’s mind began to wander, and he had a silly thought. He muttered, “Maybe I’ll get so powerful that the association will provide me with an interpreter wherever I go. That would be nice.”
-By the time something like that happens, you might already be speaking every language in the world.
“Now that I think about it, how am I able to communicate with you guys? Are you speaking Korean to me?” asked Gi-Gyu.
-What are you talking about? Our communication is conceptual. We don’t know Korean. Well, we’ve learned a little from you now, but not much.
-Lou is right. I have been studying Korean very hard to not become a burden, Master. To be honest, I think Lou can also speak pretty fluent Korean.
-S-shut up!
His Egos' conversation made Gi-Gyu smile. While busy chatting with Lou and El, he finally noticed Sung-Hoon waving at him from afar. It seemed Sung-Hoon wanted Gi-Gyu to come closer, so he got walking. When he got closer, Sung-Hoon offered, “Please follow me.”
Before long, they stood before an interim tent where Sung-Hoon handed him a bag.
“Please take this bag.”
“What is it?” asked Gi-Gyu.
“This is something the general manager prepared for you in advance. This bag has a built-in expansion spell, and it’s filled with potions and disposable items. There is also enough food to last at least a month,” explained Sung-Hoon.
“A month?” Gi-Gyu was surprised to hear this because he expected the Maze of Heryond to take at least three months to clear. Noticing Gi-Gyu’s confusion, Sung-Hoon continued, “The general manager also asked me to tell you that if you’re still alive after a month, you should return home.”
“Oh, I see,” Gi-Gyu answered easily, but he had no intention of following Tae-Shik’s order. He didn’t plan on leaving the gate until he had cleared it and had the elixir in his hands. Unless, of course, something unexpected forced him to do otherwise.
“And this is also for you as well,” said Sung-Hoon as he took something out from his pocket. He explained, “It’s the Arachne’s Ball of Thread. This is known to be a necessity inside all maze-type gates. This item gives you a single chance to return to the gate entrance, so please make sure you don’t lose it.”
“...”
Gi-Gyu took the red ball of thread, making its status screen appear.
[Arachne’s Ball of Thread]
[Single use item that can be used to teleport to the gate’s entrance.]
As he held the bag and the ball in his hands, Gi-Gyu ran a mental calculation. The bag with the expansion magic, all items inside, and then there was the Arachne’s Ball. Buying all this together would’ve sent any normal player into a spiral of debt, but he got it for free. He couldn’t help feeling that his debt to Tae-Shik was growing fast.
‘I might have to repay him for the rest of my life.’
Gi-Gyu already owed Tae-Shik so much. He mumbled, “If he’s so willing to help, I wish he could’ve helped me when I was having trouble with the family debt.”
“Pardon?” asked Sung-Hoon, thinking he missed an important comment from Gi-Gyu.
“Nothing,” Gi-Gyu murmured and shook his head. Despite what he mumbled, Gi-Gyu would’ve never accepted any sort of financial help from Tae-Shik. In fact, Gi-Gyu would’ve distanced himself from Tae-Shik had he made such an offer. Although Gi-Gyu knew the importance of paying one’s debt, what he valued, even more, was doing his best to avoid being in debt in the first place.
“Let’s go inside now. I have one day to spare, so I will help you to the best of my abilities,” Sung-Hoon offered.
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“Thank you for your help.”
After going through different procedures and preparations, it was finally happening—It was finally time to enter the gate. Gi-Gyu felt his heart ache a little.
‘I will either obtain the elixir for my mother or…’
Or he was going to die trying.
***
“Dodge that web!” Sung-Hoon warned Gi-Gyu.
“Got it!” Gi-Gyu yelled as he turned once to avoid the giant spider’s web.
“Fire!” shouted Sung-Hoon and threw his spear. His weapon flew like the wind and hit the center of the spider’s countless eyes. Seconds later, it began glowing with a crimson-orangish hue; then, it exploded.
“Kweggg!!!!!!!” the giant spider screamed and fell. Within a few seconds, it stopped moving.
“Haa…” As Gi-Gyu huffed breathlessly, Sung-Hoon walked up to him and asked, “Are you alright?”
Just like Gi-Gyu, Heo Sung-Hoon’s clothes were also in shreds, proving how intense their battle was. With a sigh, Sung-Hoon stated, “I didn’t expect grade C monsters to appear so early on.”
Studying Sung-Hoon with awe, Gi-Gyu replied, “I’m more surprised by you, Sung-Hoon. You killed that grade C monster so easily.”
Sung-Hoon laughed as he responded, “I’m just a bottom-level staff at the association.”
For the past ten hours, they had been hunting inside the Maze of Heryond without rest. They’ve been trying to study the routes within the gate; by now, the two players had an idea of the general directions.
The Maze of Heryond was vast and twisted, so they couldn’t find the correct path easily. If they found the correct path, they could advance without being interrupted by the monsters or the traps. The best they could do now was mark the roads with a special dye, so they could avoid crossing the same path twice.
“Sung-Hoon, what level are you? Oh, but if you’re uncomfortable with telling me, you can just tell me your grade,” Gi-Gyu asked respectfully. In their last fight, it became apparent that Sung-Hoon was, at the very least, as strong as a grade C monster. A moment ago, they had a little trouble because a swarm of monsters attacked them together. However, if Sung-Hoon fought a grade C monster one on one, Gi-Gyu suspected Sung-Hoon could kill it in under five minutes. Gi-Gyu had never hunted with a high-level player, so his curiosity was at an all-time high.
“I’m grade B, but I’ll take the Fifth on my exact level,” replied Sung-Hoon with a faint smile. This answer made Gi-Gyu compare Sung-Hoon to himself. There was no doubt Sung-Hoon was stronger, but Gi-Gyu felt confident he could catch up if he worked hard enough. The gap between them didn’t seem as impossible as the one between Tae-Shik and himself.
After a short rest, Gi-Gyu and Sung-Hoon resumed hunting. By now, the duo had a solid routine. Whenever they came across a crossroad, they marked the path they took. When they found themselves at the same crossroad, they chose the other path. It was a simple plan, but this was the only way to effectively manage a maze gate.
Whatever booby traps or monsters they faced on their way were their burdens to carry. Other than that, there was nothing else to be concerned about.
After 15 hours had passed since they entered the Maze of Heryond, Sung-Hoon announced, “I better turn around now, considering how long it will take to return to the entrance.”
“Thank you for your hard work,” thanked Gi-Gyu as he offered his hand. Sung-Hoon shook it and added, “Based on what I saw, clearing this gate would be hard for you, but I don’t think you’ll die from it. I heard you used to be called the ‘Player Who Can’t Level Up’ until very recently. So, it’s obvious your growth rate is incredible.”
“I’m flattered, but I know I still have a long way to go.”
With seriousness in his eyes, Sung-Hoon continued, “I believe you have enough skills to escape if you meet any monsters you can’t handle. So your main problem will be the other players. Please be wary of them.”
When Gi-Gyu nodded, Sung-Hoon emphasized, “You must especially avoid all the guilds and players that were highlighted red on that list. And if you meet a ranker or a high ranker, please use the Arachne’s Ball of Thread.” With a smile, he added, “Please, don’t try to save it in an emergency situation. You must remember that there is nothing more important than your own life.”
“I will remember that. When you return, please tell Tae-Shik hyung not to worry,” Gi-Gyu requested.
“Of course. Then I’ll take my leave.”
Sung-Hoon took the marked path and left without looking back once. After spending 15 hours together, they should’ve, at least, become acquaintances even if they were strangers before. So, Gi-Gyu expected Sung-Hoon to turn around and say goodbye again; to Gi-Gyu’s surprise, Sung-Hoon never turned around. He quickly disappeared from Gi-Gyu’s sight.
“Now, let’s get started for real,” Gi-Gyu announced quietly. The truth was… He never went all-out while fighting alongside Sung-Hoon. He only revealed a part of his skills that was enough to pass the 20th-floor test.
It wasn’t that Gi-Gyu didn’t trust Sung-Hoon. It was because…
‘I could feel someone watching us from somewhere.’
-I do too.
-Me too, Master.
During this entire hunt, Gi-Gyu had this faint feeling that someone was watching him. Now that Sung-Hoon was gone, it was going to be much easier to lose this unknown observer.
***
“Oh, my. Did he figure out I’ve been watching him?” the black-haired woman murmured quietly; She was the one spying on Gi-Gyu all this time from close by.
The woman was no longer wearing sunglasses. She was only wearing her mask; based on the shape of her face and eyes, it was clear she was a great beauty. Even with the armor, her silhouette suggested she was an attractive woman.
Her companion murmured, “He must’ve good instincts.”
“Good instincts? He figured out the fact that I’ve been observing him. He also found out where we were hiding. You think that’s just ‘good instincts?’” replied the woman with a smirk. Suddenly, the surrounding air turned cold as she added, “That’s not just instinct.”
The man in glasses frowned in confusion. Ignoring him, the woman continued, “There is something more to that man. This confirms it. I’m finding him so much more interesting now.”
“Aren’t you going to clear this gate?” asked the man in frustration. With an annoyed frown, the woman grumbled, “Who cares about this maze? I finally found a man who can pique my interest!”
“Haa…”
“This isn’t enough. Let’s try to get closer,” the woman proposed.
“Pardon? W-wh-what?” the man in glasses yelled, but the woman had already disappeared.
“Sighhhh…” The man in glasses sighed even more deeply.
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