Chapter 36: Ninth Floor, Hounds of the Labyrinth (5)

The Community of the Dead.

[Fuck! Again? How is this even possible? Didn't someone say they started watching Kwon Su-Hyeok on the first floor?]

[Yeah, that was me. Why?]

[I’ve been watching him since the sixth floor. Hasn’t he found a hidden room or mission on every floor?]

[Yeah, that’s right. Su-Hyeok has found the hidden stuff for each floor he has conquered.]

[Crazy. Is he from the future or something? Sometimes when he talks with Ha Hee-Jeong, we can’t even hear what they’re saying.]

[Idiot lol.]

[No, seriously! Even if Ha Hee-Jeong has some kind of foresight skill, it doesn’t make sense. She wasn’t even with him on the lower floors, right?]

[Well, except for the stuff they found on the sixth floor with her foresight skill, has he really gone looking for secrets on purpose? I think he has found them all because of good karma. He saved Doppy and Seo Ho-Su, so it’s all coming back to him 🙂. Let me explain it to y’all again, it all started when he saved Doppy on the first floor...]

***

[Escape from the Maze of Kashatum. Time remaining: 5 hours 54 minutes.]

We ran into an issue about forty minutes after we gathered our gear and set out again. Although we had encountered three battles along the way, none of them posed any real threat. The problem arose when Doppy’s usually reliable instincts began to falter.

Reaching a new intersection, it hesitated, unable to decide which direction to take.

“

Kriee!

I’m not sure!”

“Hmm... Doppy, just pick the direction that feels right.”

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“Kriee!

This one! No, wait, maybe not!”

Doppy replied, uncertainty etched on its face.

Up until now, we had relied on its judgment to navigate the maze, so the sudden indecision left everyone in the party uneasy.

Fuck, where did we go wrong?

“Cole, you’ve been keeping track of our route, right?”

“Yes, I know exactly where we are. Should we turn back?”

“I’m debating on whether we should. We could either pick a direction and move forward, or go back and retrace our steps.”

“Retrace our steps to find a way out of the maze?”

“No, just to the previous intersection. Maybe that’s where we went wrong.”

What should we do? Should we go back to the last intersection?

Yeah, that seems like a good idea. If Doppy is still indecisive there, we can figure something out.

“Let’s go back to the previous intersection and decide from there.”

“Alright, sounds like a plan.”

The walk back didn’t take very long, only about fifteen minutes. However, when we arrived at the previous intersection, Doppy pointed toward the path we had just walked down.

“

Kriee!

It’s the left!”

Seo Ho-Su cleared his throat before giving Doppy a questioning look.

“Really, Doppy? The left again? We just came from there.”

“

Kriee!

Goblin sure! Left!”

Doppy repeated, standing its ground.

Could it be...?

“Maybe we missed something.”

“Hmm? What do you mean, Su-Hyeok?”

“I think whatever we are looking for is hidden between the intersections.”

“You know what, that actually makes sense. We didn’t pay much attention while we were walking.”

Right, when we hadn’t seen any enemies, we picked up the pace. Since there was a time limit, we had to move as quickly as possible.

“Let’s go back and check again. Keep an eye out for anything strange on the walls, floor, or ceiling.”

“Yes!” Seo Ha-Rin responded enthusiastically.

With renewed focus, we began retracing our steps once more. Although it was our third time walking down the same path, this was the first time we paid close attention to our surroundings.

Let’s stay sharp.

We moved slowly for ten minutes, scrutinizing every detail of the corridor. However, nothing unusual stood out. The bricks that made up the maze walls were all the same size, and staring at the repetitive brick pattern was starting to strain my eyes.

“Oh!” Cole suddenly exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Everyone’s attention immediately shifted to him.

“Doesn’t this look a bit off?”

“Huh? It looks the same to me.”

“Hmm, I don’t see anything unusual.”

I looked closer at the spot on the floor where Cole had pointed. At first glance, it looked identical to the rest, but then I noticed there was a brick that was slightly smaller than the others.

“It’s a little smaller, isn’t it?”

“Yes, there’s a tiny gap around the edge, unlike the other bricks. Just enough to fit a fingernail.”

“It doesn’t seem like something we can press...”

“Yeah, Ho-Su already stepped on it, and nothing happened.”

I pressed down on it with my foot just in case something would pop out, but nothing happened.

What’s this? A construction error?

No, that didn’t make sense. None of the other bricks had even a fingernail’s width of space. The Tower of Ordeal wouldn’t be this sloppy.

“Should we try pushing something into the gap?”

“Yeah, that might work. But what could we use to put in there? Is there something that would fit in this tiny gap?”

“Hmm.”

My axe was too wide and Seo Ha-Rin’s mace wasn’t suitable either. Seo Ho-Su had a sword, but...

Our eyes met and Seo Ho-Su quickly stepped back, startled.

“Su-Hyeok, not my sword! How about using an arrow? An arrow would be better, right?”

“Come on, I wasn’t thinking that! Cole, why don’t you try shoving in an arrow?”

I quickly redirected my attention to Cole, not wanting to push Seo Ho-Su any further.

“Yeah, using an arrow seems like the best option. I’ll give it a try.”

I continued pretending that I hadn’t considered using the sword. Given that Seo Ho-Su’s found his sword in a hidden room, his attachment to it was understandable.

Cole carefully inserted the tip of an arrow into the narrow separation. The gap was small, so it didn’t go in completely, but Cole gripped the arrow tightly and pushed it sideways.

“Huh?”

“Whoa!”

With a scraping sound, the brick and the one next to it began to shift to the side. The brick next to it must have been hollow.

As expected, Doppy’s instincts hadn’t failed us. Our trusty guide would surely prove useful again in the future. Seo Ho-Su, sharing my thoughts, patted Doppy on the head.

“Haha, Doppy’s instincts weren’t off after all.”

“

Kriee!

Goblin smart!”

“Oh, right. Good job, Doppy.”

As the brick moved aside, it revealed a metal handle. I assumed that pulling on it would reveal the hidden room.

“Su-Hyeok, should I pull it right away?”

“Yeah, go ahead. The sooner we clear the hidden area and get out, the better.”

“Alright, here goes.”

Cole tugged at the lever. However, it was stuck. The lever was stiff and didn’t want to budge easily.

Should I help...?

His face was turning red from all the effort he was expending. Not wanting to hurt Cole’s feelings, I hesitated to offer. Seo Ho-Su was also watching from the side, although he cautiously offered assistance.

“... Do you need some help?”

Cole refused outright, his pride clearly on the line.

“

Huff!

I can manage.”

I don’t think he’s going to move it.

Cole finally gave up, admitting he wasn’t strong enough to budge the lever.

“

Ahem!

It looks like we’ll need Ho-Su or Su-Hyeok to do this.”

He backed away, his face flushed with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. Whether it was from the effort or the sting of failing, it was hard to tell. Probably a bit of both.

“Don’t worry about it, Cole. You’re an archer, after all.”

“Archers are strong too...” Cole muttered, his voice trailing off.

Seo Ho-Su cleared his throat before turning to me.

“Su-Hyeok, why don’t you give it a try?”

... Does he think he can’t do it?

“Sure, I’ll give it a shot.”

Despite my thoughts, I decided to take the initiative. I briefly considered making Seo Ho-Su try first, but with Seo Ha-Rin watching, I decided to help him save face.

I set my axe down and approached the lever. Judging by how much Cole had struggled, it seemed really stuck...

Gripping the lever with both hands, I gave it a firm tug.

“Huh?”

“What?”

Clank—

The lever swung effortlessly. It moved so easily that I was momentarily stunned.

Cole’s expression shifted from embarrassment to sheer curiosity. The shame of failing had been replaced by a burning desire to know my stats.

“... Su-Hyeok, how high is your strength stat?” Cole asked, staring at me in disbelief.

“Haha, not that high.”

If I tell him the truth, it might get complicated...

The truth was, my stats were just that abnormal. I wasn’t sure if it was because I refused to open the status window during the tutorial, but my stats were significantly higher than average. Also, unlike what Ha Hee-Jeong kept saying, they increased incredibly fast.

It would be a hassle if I had to explain everything.

In hindsight, maybe I should have pretended to struggle a bit more...

Thankfully, Cole didn’t press the issue further. Just then, the ground beneath us began to shift, the heavy sound of stone grinding against stone filling the air.

“Ho-Su! Move back!”

“Whoa!”

Seo Ho-Su jumped back just in time, as a staircase that descended into the darkness appeared in the spot he had just been standing. A dry wind blew up from below.

So, the hidden room was at the bottom of a staircase... I hadn’t expected that. I thought the hidden room would be behind a wall, not beneath the floor.

But does it really matter? Whether it’s down or across, we will clear it.

“I’m heading down. Everyone, stay alert.”

We didn’t descend very far, just deep enough to reach what felt like a single level below. As soon as we reached the bottom, a notification appeared.

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s party has discovered the hidden room ‘Resting Place of the Hounds.’]

Resting Place of the Hounds...

The underground’s darkness made me uneasy. Just as I had finished processing the first message, another notification flashed before my eyes.

[The Hidden Room ‘Resting Place of the Hounds’ has been unlocked. The hounds of Kashatum have been released.]

Clang, clang—

The sound of metal gates crashing open echoed from deep within the dark passageway. Moments later, the guttural growls of beasts reverberated through the underground space.

“Grrr, woof woof!”

“Hee-Jeong!” I called out.

Before I even finished speaking, Ha Hee-Jeong conjured a wall of flame in front of our party, casting light far into the darkness.

“Whoa...”

“Ah...”

Through the illuminated tunnel, we saw dozens, no, over a hundred black hounds charging toward us. The sheer number left our group momentarily stunned. These creatures looked unearthly, more like wolves than dogs.

Damn, there’s no time to be amazed.

“Prepare for battle! Keep the stairs at our backs and hold the line! I’ll take the front!”

While each individual hound didn’t seem particularly dangerous, their overwhelming numbers were concerning. No matter how fiercely I fought, I doubted I would be able to stop every single one from slipping by.

The only advantage we had was the bottleneck created by the staircase. Seo Ho-Su and Cole should be able to hold their ground, while Seo Ha-Rin would do her part.

And if worse comes to worst, there’s always Ha Hee-Jeong.

My goal was to create as much havoc up front as possible, drawing the hounds’ attention. That should minimize the number that made it to the back.

“Stay sharp!” I shouted, launching myself forward the moment the words left my mouth.

Lightning crackled around me, brightening the tunnel further. With the additional lighting, the charging hounds’ mad, glowing red eyes were all too clear. Their frenzied gaze suggested they had lost their minds...

Thankfully, insanity doesn’t make a creature stronger.

Once we finished off these beasts, there was bound to be a door somewhere that this golden key would unlock.

I summoned more lightning, wreathing it around me, and then swung my axe with all my might, cleaving through the oncoming hounds.