Aldein left the inn, leading their subordinates.
Jeong Yusin remained seated at the table in exactly the same posture Aldein had when they left.
The boar human, nicknamed Delnaco, quietly stood behind Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin, who had been staring motionlessly at the table as if nailed to the spot, finally rose from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
Delnaco was confused. He had expected Jeong Yusin to look for comrades to fight together and plan strategies, but that didn’t seem to be happening.
At the very least, he should have prepared some recovery potions, but Jeong Yusin had only nonchalantly picked up the sword and coat given by Aldein before standing up.
‘Is he really going to face 31 people by himself?’
He needed to stop this reckless, insane act by this young half-barbaroy.
Delnaco spoke up:
“Are you sure now? You don’t seem adequately prepared.”
“Don’t meddle. Just guide the way.”
Jeong Yusin put on the black coat and gripped the single-edged sword.
Just as Delnaco opened his mouth to speak again, their eyes met.
Beyond those eyes swirled an eerie aura.
It resembled the ‘Darkness’ of the labyrinth.
Delnaco’s body trembled.
‘Those aren’t human eyes.’
Despite having faced countless battles under Aldein and having a strong spirit that rarely flinched, Delnaco felt his heart shake while looking into Jeong Yusin’s eyes.
The beast-like gaze seemed to slowly grasp his heart.
“Let’s go.”
Jeong Yusin spoke again.
“Y-yes.”
Unable to meet his eyes further, Delnaco bowed deeply.
The two walked through the dark, quiet southern streets.
Delnaco, walking beside Jeong Yusin, explained the characteristics of the Eastern Sector – the bottom of the city’s lowest levels, where creatures with monster mutations and strange criminal marks lived, unable to die.
Jeong Yusin walked silently while listening to Delnaco.
Before long, they had passed the southern district and arrived at the entrance to the Eastern Sector.
“Stop.”
There were guards blocking the entrance to the Eastern Sector. Just like the inner gate entrance Delnaco had seen before, the Eastern Sector entrance was also guarded.
“It’s past the curfew time for the Eastern Sector. Go back.”
Delnaco came forward, handing a leather pouch to the guard while whispering something.
The guard’s eyes widened upon hearing Delnaco’s words.
“O-oh, really? Proceed!”
Jeong Yusin passed through the door first.
The Eastern Sector.
Vivid lights flickered dazzlingly everywhere. It was, as Delnaco had said, the place where beings with monster marks gathered.
On one side of the road, slimes lined up and slithered in procession.
Arachne, half-human half-spider, wrapped in a veil, was buying goods on the street.
Small kobolds were gathered with goblins, arguing noisily.
A towering ogre stood arms crossed in front of a tavern, glaring.
All sorts of strange monsters milled about the streets.
It was a completely different atmosphere from the quiet southern district.
People were drunk, shouting and howling on the streets.
Some were haggling with prostitutes in dark alleys.
Orange, yellow, green, blue, red.
All sorts of lights from the shops mixed together, lighting up the decadent and hedonistic streets.
Only Jeong Yusin walked with a somber expression.
Delnaco cautiously spoke:
“We need to go deeper into this area. If you need to take care of any business, we can stay for a moment…”
“Just go.”
“Yes.”
Leaving behind the raucous noise, they walked for quite some time before reaching a dark and quiet area.
Shoddily built wooden houses appeared. The ditches were filled with foul-smelling filth, and vomit and blood stains clung to the old walls.
They walked for some time.
Sounds of fighting, snoring, groaning, and crying leaked out from the shantytown.
Jeong Yusin advanced further into the depths while hearing all these sounds.
About three hours passed.
A wooden building resembling an inn came into view.
Faint light seeped through the cracks of the decrepit wooden entrance.
Noisy voices could be heard from within.
“Here it is. There are a total of 30 people as far as we know. They’re probably all gathered here. Although they’re low-level, the middle-level members meet here once a month, excluding the decentralized ones.”
Delnaco explained.
“They’re all managers, basically.”
“Now’s a good time to reconsider. Prepare a little more before proceeding.”
“Go back.”
“Scath sir.”
Jeong Yusin turned to look at Delnaco.
“Go.”
Unable to meet his eyes again, Delnaco bowed and left.
Jeong Yusin watched as the boar human disappeared into the darkness before standing in front of the tavern.
Creak.
The decrepit door creaked open as Jeong Yusin entered.
The noisy chatter suddenly stopped.
Jeong Yusin looked around, counting the number of people.
Total of 31 people.
This differed from the number Delnaco had mentioned.
Jeong Yusin’s gaze suddenly fixed on a human male wiping glasses at the counter.
Tarman.
A member of the Kael party.
Because his leg was injured, he couldn’t enter the labyrinth with the Kael party, so Jeong Yusin had gone instead.
As a result, he nearly died.
All the goodwill and assistance Jeong Yusin had shown afterward had been conveniently overlooked.
He heard that Tarman was working in the labyrinth city with Ann.
He was earning money to support Mari, who was pregnant with a Hobgoblin after Din lost her mind to ‘Darkness’.
‘Why are you here?’
His head spun from the overwhelming despair.
He wanted, desperately, to know why this person was here.
Just then, a bearded human male approached.
“Who are you?”
Jeong Yusin pulled a dagger from his robes to show it.
“Someone like this.”
The man flinched back.
Seeing the insignia on the dagger, the man nodded in relief.
“What? A barbaroy? Are you the newly arrived manager?”
“That’s right.”
“The newbie is so terse.”
The man grinned and nodded.
“New recruit joined!!”
The man shouted. Snickering sounds came from around.
“Sit. Let’s have a drink.”
Following the man’s guidance, Jeong Yusin sat near the center of the tavern.
Tarman approached with a wine bottle and glass.
When their eyes met, Tarman recognized Jeong Yusin and trembled.
“What? Tarman, do you know him?”
“No… no sir.”
The man smirked.
“Is that so? That makes sense. Barbaroys look similar, muscular and savage. They can’t help themselves when they see a hole. Like wild animals.”
The man snatched the bottle and glass from Tarman and placed them on the table.
The one-eyed man opened the bottle and poured wine into the glass.
“Come on, drink a lot.”
The wine poured down, filling the glass.
The wine dripped here and there, soaking the table.
Jeong Yusin quietly sat there, looking down into the glass of wine.
“What? Afraid there’s poison in the wine? Scared?”
It was silent. Not even the sound of a mouse could be heard.
The man chuckled as he continued speaking.
“Scath, what a gutsy little brat. Do you know where this place is? Did you enjoy the gift we gave you?”
The man smirked.
Jeong Yusin responded by tapping his fingers on the glass.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
No sound of breathing could be heard.
Only the sound of the wine glass ringing echoed in the silent tavern.
Jeong Yusin spoke.
“How did you know?”
The man with the furry appearance smirked.
“Stupid brat. There’s only been one barbaroy who has entered the labyrinth city in the past three years – you. There’s no way we wouldn’t know.”
That’s so.
“We must have seemed foolish to you, right? That just showing you a dagger would let you in? We let you in intentionally knowing everything.”
The man poured himself a drink while saying this.
Gulped.
As the glass was half-filled with wine, the man continued speaking.
“Did you like being around Karin? Did you think you were something special because you were under Darmong’s protection?”
Jeong Yusin silently endured the man’s insults and turned his head to look at Tarman.
Tarman stood trembling, unable to decide what to do.
Jeong Yusin spoke.
“Why are you here?”
Tarman hesitated and didn’t answer.
The hairy man gestured for Tarman to come closer.
Tarman approached the man, bowing.
Crack!
Thud!
Tarman was hit and rolled over, breaking the chair and table.
“You need to answer. Stupid brat. This half-blood barbaroy asked you a question, didn’t he? You said you wanted to earn money and grabbed his pants, but can’t even do proper work. Foolish.”
The man looked at Jeong Yusin and smirked.
“Right?”
“…”
“Am I right? Give me an answer. Am I talking to myself here?”
“…”
“Why did you mess with Dito’s family?”
The man smirked, leaning back and taking a sip of wine.
“That foolish kid was trying to make money to treat his mother, going to the pharmacy. I just didn’t want to see his hopeful face. So I killed him. He went to join his father. If he had just done what he was told, none of this would have happened. Karma.”
The man stood up and continued speaking.
“I saw some food in your pocket. Did you meet someone very kind-hearted?”
“Where is your leader?”
The man chuckled and looked around quietly speaking.
“Hey guys, this person is just a beginner explorer who’s only been into the labyrinth three times. Just a young half-blood. Send him off nicely.”
Swish!
The men surrounding Jeong Yusin’s table pulled out their weapons in a circle.
Seated, Jeong Yusin looked around.
These various creatures were wielding all kinds of strange weapons.
Mace, spear-sword, hand axe, crossbow, dagger, longsword, rapier, hammer.
All sorts of famous weapons gleamed eerily under the tavern lights.
On the faces of the men surrounding the table, similar emotions were visible.
Derision, contempt, scorn, mockery.
But Jeong Yusin reacted to none of it. He simply sat there silently, looking at Tarman’s face.
Tarman was staring at Jeong Yusin, still sprawled on the ground.
The fact that this half-blood barbaroy who had saved his childhood friends and been so kind, was about to die right before his eyes, pricked at his conscience.
But there was nothing he could do.
Because he was no more than a weak scum from the bottom.
A smirk appeared on the man’s face.
“Scared stiff, not moving. What a fool of a barbaroy.”
Then, suddenly.
Scream!
A bright light flashed from the sheath.
Poof!
In one stroke, the man’s head flew high into the air.
Whish!
Blood sprayed out from the severed neck.
The headless body collapsed to its knees, weakened.
Boom! Thud! Thud!
The man’s head rolled on the floor.
The people in the tavern stood frozen like statues, blinking as they watched the scene.
In Jeong Yusin’s hand was a long single-edged sword.
None of those in the inn saw when Jeong Yusin had drawn his sword.
Tarman’s eyes widened to the size of lampshades.
Jeong Yusin slowly stood up and looked around.
“You filthy scum. I’ll kill all of you.”
The man wielding the mace shouted convulsively.
“Kill him!”
Jeong Yusin kicked over the table.
Bang!!!
The men hit by the table fell over.
All weapons swung toward Jeong Yusin simultaneously.
The mace from the right.
The spear-sword from the left.
The dagger from behind.
Level-up enhanced instant cognition made it possible.
Turning his body, Jeong Yusin evaded the dagger coming from behind.
Jeong Yusin struck down with his sword. The target was the man with the mace.
Swipe!
The face of the man with the mace split in two.
Blood and gray brain matter splattered on the face.
One man had fallen.
But there was a cost.
The spear-sword pierced and tore a chunk of flesh from the shoulder.
Grind.
“Ugh.”
A sound of Jeong Yusin gritting his teeth seeped out.
[Avenger]
Mark activated.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes blazed with blue fire.
A man cried out in shock.
“It’s a mark ability!”
“Be careful!”
The men began to move more cautiously.
The spear-sword that passed his shoulder came flying again.
Jeong Yusin spun his sword diagonally, turning his body.
From bottom to top.
Slice!
The thin blade cut open the belly and sliced through the innards.
“Arrrgh!!!”
The man with the spear-sword dropped his sword, clutching his stomach and screaming.
There was no time to rest. Weapons were already flying toward him.
Jeong Yusin quickly rolled and stood behind the man clutching his stomach.
Various weapons flew in and shattered the man, cutting him into pieces.
Thud. Crack. Rip.
Jeong Yusin’s coat flapping, he charged toward the next target.
The man with the longsword.
The man charged with a roar, holding the longsword vertically to stab.
‘Wrist.’
The blood-red sword cut through the man’s wrist.
Slice!
Blood spurted from the severed wrist.
“Haaaagh!!!”
The man whose wrist was cut off screamed, trembling in panic without even trying to stop the bleeding.
He quickly surveyed his surroundings.
A spear and rapier came from the front.
A dagger and axe came from the side.
‘I can’t block them all.’
I’ll let them wound me.
As long as it’s not fatal.
He grabbed the incoming spear and swung his sword.
The sword cut through the air.
Whoosh!
In a single stroke, he slashed the throat of the spear-wielding man and the eyes of the rapier-wielding man.
“Aaaaahhhhh!!!”
One man clutched his throat and the other covered his gouged-out eyes, retreating while letting out anguished screams.
An axe flew in.
Jeong Yusin took a step forward to meet the axe coming down on him.
Bang!
The axe handle struck his shoulder. His shoulder throbbed with pain. At the same time, the dagger thrust from the side pierced into his abdomen.
Once. Twice. Three times.
The dagger tore into Jeong Yusin’s side.
However, Jeong Yusin ignored it completely, biting into the neck of the axe-wielding man like a wolf.
Gnash.
His mouth was full of flesh and bone.
The man whose throat was ripped out tumbled and fell to his knees.
Crumble.
The axe dropped to the ground.
He chewed for a moment before spitting it out onto the floor.
“Phoo!”
Pieces of crushed throat and flesh, mixed with saliva, flew and stuck to the floor.
Jeong Yusin looked down at the man stabbing him persistently beside him.
[Avenger]
Jeong Yusin’s eyes blazed with blue fire.
The man’s face convulsed at the eye contact.
“Kid… stop stabbing already.”
Jeong Yusin grabbed the man’s wrist wielding the dagger and twisted it sideways.
Snap.
“Huff!!!”
The man whose wrist bones shattered gulped for air.
Jeong Yusin snatched the dagger and stabbed it into the man’s abdomen.
Thump.
“Guhhh!!!”
Without stopping there, he plunged the long sword deeply.
Phwoosh.
“Ugh!!!”
While pushing away the man’s body, he stabbed the man’s stomach continuously with the dagger in the other hand.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Every time the dagger stabbed into the abdomen, the man’s body thrashed like a fish.
Bang!!!
The sound of the crossbow’s bowstring.
Jeong Yusin quickly crouched down.
Bang!
The bolt pierced through the head of the man beside him.
The man already couldn’t survive having his innards shredded by the dagger.
“Mon… monster.”
The remaining people trembled in fear.
“Ki… kill him!! We still have the advantage!!!”
A muscular man charged in, swinging a massive hammer.
Jeong Yusin drew his sword, sidestepping slightly.
Whoosh!!!
The table and chair struck by the hammer shattered, sending pieces of wood flying.
The wooden splinters floated through the air slowly.
Jeong Yusin gripped his sword with both hands.
One breath would be enough.
Overhead slash.
Whoosh!!!
The man’s wrist fell off.
“Aaaaagh!!!”
The muscular man screamed, turning his body.
Knee strike.
The long sword cut through the knee cartilage and passed through.
The big man knelt down on one knee.
Uppercut.
Recovering the sword to deliver the final blow to the neck.
Boom!!!
The large head flew through the air before falling to the wooden floor and rolling somewhere.
Scream!!!
Jeong Yusin reflexively raised his palm.
Bang!
The pointed spike of the military pick刺穿突破了Jeong Yusin’s palm and protruded out.
“Haa… haa.”
The man gasping for breath wore a triumphant smile.
Jeong Yusin gritted his teeth and pulled out the pierced hand.
The man dropped his weapon and retreated.
“Now!”
The man’s words were cut off.
Smash!!!
Jeong Yusin’s headbutt slammed into the man’s face.
The nose was crushed and broken teeth flew through the air.
“Guhhhh!!!”
The man thrashed around while screaming.
Jeong Yusin pulled out the military pick embedded in his palm and drove it into the man’s forehead.
Crack!!!
The spike pierced through the forehead bone and into the brain.
The man’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed like a log.
Boom.
The sound of the body hitting the floor was like a signal.
“Aaaahhhh!!!”
The few remaining men rushed toward the exit.
Are they trying to escape?
[Sacred Weapon]
A shining dagger shot out like a bolt.
Just as it grabbed the tavern door handle, it pierced into the wrist of the man.
“Kyaagh!!!”
The man screamed, clutching his wrist.
Jeong Yusin quickly ran up and cut off the man’s head.
The fierce blood gushing from the severed neck splattered the tavern door.
Swish.
Jeong Yusin swung the thin sword in the air, shaking off the blood.
Thanks to the effect of the Avenger mark, his wounded body was slowly healing.
Blocking the entrance, Jeong Yusin looked at the single-edged blade reflected in the tavern light and said,
“You can’t leave. No one.”
Jeong Yusin’s emotionless voice was a death sentence to those still in the tavern.
