Hour upon hour had passed as they wandered aimlessly, lost in the labyrinth.
Of course, this was to be expected, since Dean, who was supposed to be their guide, had fled.
And he took the map with him.
The power of the flames was growing weaker.
They had only three torches left.
Relying on their faint light, they felt their way through the cave system, which branched out like an anthill. It felt more like they were searching for a place to die than a way out.
Especially when the laughter of goblins could be heard from other tunnels, making death seem that much closer.
But this laughter was different.
“Hahaha…”
It was clearer and more childlike, almost… human.
“Dean?”
Ann spoke, her voice trembling with disbelief.
“Scath! It’s Dean!”
“Calm down.”
Ann was overly excited.
Leaving aside how he had survived in this darkness, the voice he was hearing was not normal.
Could it be a trap set by hobgoblins?
There might be makeshift nails on the ground, or there could be arrows and spears flying out from the dark.
Still, they couldn’t just leave it alone. Ann wouldn’t allow that.
If it’s a trap, I’ll leave Ann and run. If not, bait will increase.
Resolving this in his mind, he slowly approached where the voice was coming from.
He threw the almost useless, nearly extinguished torch toward the source of the sound.
A man was crouched in the corner of the passageway, staring at the wall.
“Dean?”
Ann rushed forward and grabbed Dean’s shoulder.
There were no traps.
No pressure plates targeting their feet, no arrows flying out of the darkness.
“Dean? Dean, wake up!”
“Hahaha…”
Ann turned Dean around so that he faced her.
Dilated pupils.
Thick saliva dripped down the corner of his mouth.
It was evident to anyone.
He had gone mad.
Caught in the absolute law of the Outer Labyrinth – “Darkness” – he had descended into insanity.
No one is exempt from it.
If you spend too much time in a place without light, that’s the end.
“Hohohoho!!”
“Dean!”
As Ann shook his shoulders and slapped his cheeks, Dean just giggled uncontrollably.
‘This isn’t how it should be.’
Jeong Yusin approached Dean and searched through his clothes.
A rumpled map appeared.
He unfolded it.
While he couldn’t pinpoint their exact location like a professional guide, by leveraging the rudimentary knowledge he had picked up in Explorer training, he managed to get a rough idea.
“Damn…”
Swearing slipped out naturally.
Their current location was far off from the Central Zone, in the outskirts—an area dense with hobgoblins.
The map’s outer regions were filled with goblin faces drawn by Dean, each rendered cutely enough to make Jeong Yusin want to snap his fingers in anger.
“What the hell? Why did you draw goblin faces on the map? Are you out of your mind?”
“Dean has always liked drawing. He was timid, but his observational skills were exceptional.”
Ann’s voice was full of affection and sorrow.
“Let’s go.”
Now they had a map.
A glimmer of hope stirred.
A thin shred of hope.
“Marie?”
Ann asked cautiously.
Jeong Yusin froze abruptly.
It seemed this friend had already found a new hope.
“If we don’t hurry, we’ll be in more trouble than even Marie. Barely clinging to these torches… You don’t want to wander around here like Dean, do you? Even if we hurry, escaping will be uncertain.”
“Marie is useful. She can use recovery magic and likely has ample supplies with her.”
“Supplies?”
“I saw the hobgoblins grab her bag when they attacked her.”
This explained why one backpack was missing from the site of the ambush.
Still…
“Are you certain that Marie and the supplies are still together? To be honest, your reasoning is too optimistic. Let’s not indulge in happy fantasies.”
“Marie’s bag contains candles.”
“Candles? Wax candles?”
“They’re items handed out by the temple that worships the Dejimoseon. They’re given to apprentice priests as a precaution in case the torches run out. They’re not ordinary items but special relics. Do you trust that, Scath? With just three torches, do you really believe we can make it back to the Central Zone or to the Transition Zone from there?”
Ann’s argument was compelling.
Except for one thing.
“How are you planning to find her?”
“…”
“How will you find her amidst this vast layer? Answer me. If you say we’ll find her by luck or discover traces as we search, I’ll rip your lips off.”
Faced with Jeong Yusin’s question, Ann went silent like a honey-fed bear.
Jeong Yusin thought.
‘Should I stop here?’
He lied to himself, convincing himself that he would use her as a decoy.
It was his conscience meddling.
But even this scheme had its limits.
With this much naivety, even Confucius, the Buddha, or the Pope would step aside and tap dance, ceding the seat of saints to him.
He was about to suggest they part ways when Ann spoke up.
“Alright. I will look for Marie later. Reconsidering, it does feel a bit like a fantasy. Sorry.”
Not bad perceptiveness.
He felt a bitter sensation.
“Alright. Let’s go out first. Asking for help from the Explorer Guild after getting out will be the best option.”
He took a rope from the backpack and tied it around Dean’s waist. Since dragging him by hand wouldn’t work, he planned to pull him with the rope.
When Jeong Yusin yanked the rope, Dean followed, drooling continuously.
“I’ll do it.”
“No, I’ll do it. You need to use the bow.”
Though Ann stepped forward, Jeong Yusin refused. His reason for placing Dean behind him was clear.
Both Ann and Jeong knew the reality.
Distrust.
He could sense Ann’s devious thoughts.
‘Ann, something seems to have gone wrong with you.’
In his head, a one-eyed Maitreya Buddha was tap-dancing.
‘Namooabita Buddha. Asura fall to fall. Please, don’t make a sound.’
The moment the sound of a bowstring being pulled came, he was prepared to use Dean as a shield, draw his sword, and decapitate Ann.
But Ann, maybe reading Jeong Yusin’s mind, cautiously kept her distance as they moved forward under a tense atmosphere.
Hours passed, and they eventually found a resting place in the outskirts.
There was light leaking from the entrance of the resting site.
It seemed someone was staying there.
Kiiiiiik.
The cautious sound of a tightening bowstring.
Simultaneously, Jeong Yusin’s Long Sword was swiftly drawn from its sheath.
Ann’s eyes met his.
“It’s goblins.”
“How do you know?”
“An archer needs sharp eyes and ears. You’ll hear if we get closer.”
And Ann was right.
As they moved nearer, the laughter of goblins could be heard at the entrance.
They seemed to be enjoying some sort of festive feast.
The sound of flesh slapping against flesh and a pungent smell permeated the area.
Chep. Chep.
“Kikikkeke!”
“Kukkekeke.”
He cautiously peeked through the entrance.
Just as expected, it was a scene of horror.
Six or seven goblins were gathered around three women, ravishing them without mercy.
It was unclear if the women were alive or dead. The goblins were so aggressive in their seed-spreading activities, and the women, their pupils vacant, were being treated as cadavers.
Among the victims was Marie.
Though most of her clothes were shredded, the necklace symbolizing the Spirit Church was still visible. Plus, her short brown hair and petite frame identified her.
His mouth soured.
Eight hobgoblins.
‘Pretend not to notice and just walk by?’
Even with a surprise attack, how could they possibly take on eight of them alone?
Their current condition wasn’t normal either. They hadn’t adequately used healing potions; the wounds from arrows still throbbed painfully.
Not to mention Ann. The bandage wrapped around her abdomen was oozing fresh blood.
Ann tapped Jeong Yusin’s back.
The careful gesture gave him a glimmer of hope amidst his heavy sigh.
They swapped positions.
As soon as Ann peeked inside, she sharply inhaled and covered her mouth with both hands.
Jeong Yusin immediately understood.
The fight was decided.
Still, one question lingered in his mind.
Why did the hobgoblins have the torches lit?
Did they intend to preserve the victims’ mental sanity?
Didn’t know. Doesn’t matter. They were all going to die.
Jeong Yusin grabbed Ann’s shoulder.
Her eyes, filled with sorrow and rage, locked onto his.
He explained the plan using sign language he’d learned in class.
[Kill the four farther away with your bow. I’ll handle the four nearby.]
A flicker of question appeared in Ann’s eyes.
‘Shit.’
Forgetting for a moment how smart she was—she hadn’t attended the Explorer classes. This friend didn’t understand sign language.
‘Still, isn’t she from a hunting family? Shouldn’t she know basic hand signs?’
He swallowed his doubts.
Bringing his lips close to Ann’s ear, he whispered.
“You kill the four goblins farther away. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Yes.”
They hid their torches and drew their weapons.
Dean’s mouth was securely gagged with rope, leaving them ready for the ambush.
Jeong Yusin and Ann locked eyes.
They nodded and moved in.
Jeong Yusin ran low to avoid blocking Ann’s field of vision.
“Kieeek?”
The nearest goblin raised his head.
Chaac!
A flash of the blade severed the goblin’s neck.
‘One down.’
At the same time, an arrow struck the chest of a goblin further away.
A few goblins stood up, startled by the sudden chaos.
He swung the edge of the shield and shattered the neck of another.
Uhhdudd.
The goblin collapsed, its tongue hanging out.
Then, he smashed one goblin’s skull with a pommel and kicked the last one in the gut.
Deuk!
The hobgoblin was hurled back as his stomach burst.
While this was happening, another arrow from Ann pierced the chest of the last goblin.
“Kuekeek!”
Thump.
Clutching its chest, the goblin let out its final scream before falling over.
Jeong Yusin approached the hobgoblin whose abdomen was caved in.
Though coughing up blood, the goblin wasn’t dead yet.
He stepped on the goblin’s throat with his boot, crushing its neck.
Pruddug.
While checking around to ensure no one was still breathing, Ann rushed to Marie and embraced the limp body.
“Marie! Marie!”
Marie’s condition was terrible.
Her body was covered in semen, and one eye had been crushed by some sort of blunt weapon, hardened fragments of blood and eyeball stuck together.
For emergency care, he poured disinfectant wine over her eye, cleaning the crushed eye socket and the dried blood before dressing it with a clean bandage.
“Any potions?”
“All used.”
Seeing his suspicious expression, he showed her an empty potion bottle.
Just then, something hit.
He was now certain that if anything went wrong, he would drive an arrow through her skull at the back of her head.
Ann wiped away the semen from Marie’s body and hugged her.
Even though Ann spoke to Marie several times…
“Ugh…E…E…”
Marie appeared to have suffered severe mental damage, making strange sounds like a broken doll.
“Ahahaha and Ughugh.”
One friend gone mad, the other severely damaged.
Their lives, if they were even still considered alive, were sure to be rough.
Of course, that rough life would only start if they survived here.
They rummaged through the hobgoblin corpses and nearby backpacks, refilling their supplies. Luckily, Marie’s backpack was found.
Just as Ann had said, there were candles and candlesticks.
‘These are surprisingly big.’
Compared to fire, they were just a little smaller.
“Now, we just need to find Kael…”
Ann’s mutter sent a chill down Jeong Yusin’s spine.
“Kael is dead. Just like this.”
He showed her the goblin with its head smashed flat by the pommel.
“His skull was crushed; his eyes bulged like a crab’s, and he’s dead. I’ve told you this already.”
“…”
“It’s hard to believe, huh?”
The end was drawing near, step by step.
