Chapter 103. Were You Trying To Run Away?

When Kim Do-Joon arrived at the coastline, he saw the sleds used by the Naga Warriors. Each sled was tethered to a creature that looked like a white wolf. However, they weren’t ordinary wolves, since they were much larger and had a single horn sprouting from their foreheads.

The horned wolves were huddled together, pressing their bodies against each other—probably to conserve warmth.

Crunch.

When Kim Do-Joon approached them, one of the wolves pricked up its ears and opened its eyes lazily, staring at him. After a moment, it snorted and closed its eyes again.

However, when he inspected the sleds, placing his hand on one of them, the wolves snapped to attention, barking furiously.

“

Ruff! Ruff, ruff, ruff!

”

Then, as if triggered, all the other horned wolves joined in, barking loudly at Kim Do-Joon. One of them even lunged forward, biting Kim Do-Joon’s shoulder.

Crunch.

However, then the wolf froze.

“

Ruh?

”

The wolf felt like it had bitten on a rock. Its master had tough skin too, covered in scales, but nothing compared to this human. Kim Do-Joon's skin was so hard that the wolf could have broken a tooth.

Calmly, Kim Do-Joon grabbed the wolf by the scruff of its neck and pulled it off his shoulder. Then, locking eyes with the creature, he released an icy surge of mana.

Even in the already freezing landscape, the coldness in the air thickened. Sensing Kim Do-Joon’s chilling bloodlust, the horned wolves started trembling. One by one, they tucked their tails between their legs, barking no more.

Satisfied, Kim Do-Joon patted the wolf that had bitten him on the back of its head.

“Looks like this one's sled will do just fine,” Kim Do-Joon muttered with a smirk.

Whether or not the wolf understood him, its eyes began to spin in confusion. Moments later, a convoy of ten sleds set off from the harbor. One of them carried a lone human passenger.

***

The scenery blurred by as they raced across the ice. Kim Do-Joon laid comfortably atop a bundle of supplies, using it as a cushion. The small sparks of flame from the Flame Heart’s Fragment that floating in the air beside him, provided warmth.

Since they were gliding smoothly across the ice, there was no jarring or bumping, making for an unexpectedly cozy ride.

Occasionally, he caught glimpses of Ice Golems along the way, but he ignored them. Stopping and dealing with them one by one would have been a hassle. Besides, his priority was reaching the Naga Warriors' base.

Finally, the sleds arrived at a small island. Kim Do-Joon could see a few Naga Warriors patrolling the coastline where they were headed. Upon spotting the approaching sleds, they slithered forward with a hiss. When they saw the sleds were empty, their faces twisted in confusion.

Just as they began to look around suspiciously, Kim Do-Joon leapt from the sled and brandished his spear in a flash.

Baaam—!

Thwack! Thwack!

In one swift move, Kim Do-Joon passed between two Naga Warriors, killing them before they even realized what had happened.

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points (EXP).]

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points (EXP).]

Soon, he was notified that he had gained some experience points. Then, he returned to the sled, securing it firmly to a nearby rock before heading deeper into the island.

The island was covered in dense vegetation, and scattered throughout the forest were Naga Warriors patrolled the area.

Thwack!

“

Kieeek—!”

Kim Do-Joon took down the Naga Warriors one by one, making his way toward the center of the island. He went toward this direction because of a simple assumption. Back at the harbor, the Core was at the center of the place, so he assumed it’d be the same here.

His instinct proved correct. In the center of the island, he found a large object placed on a stone altar, the Aether Core. Below the altar, a group of Naga Warriors stood waiting, already in battle formation.

One of them stood out for being smaller than the rest, along with having a white fur decoration adorning her head. It was clearly female, because her chest was more pronounced. Stepping forward, she shouted boldly.

“Who are you?”

Kim Do-Joon blinked a couple of times in surprise.

They can talk?

This wasn’t his first encounter with speaking creatures in the labyrinth. After all, he had met Siwelin, Karlish, and Jecheon Seong before. However, this situation was entirely different. This wasn’t a hidden quest like with Siwelin or Jecheon Seong, and unlike Karlish, these were clearly monsters.

While he was still processing this, the Naga Queen, Nagaraja Ashunaga, caught the heavy scent of blood coming from him. It wasn’t his own, but that of her fallen soldiers.

“How dare you kill my warriors!” she hissed.

There was no need for further words. Ashunaga raised her hand, and as she dropped it, the Naga Warriors, who were brandishing their weapons, charged at Kim Do-Joon all at once.

I’ll kill you!

Ashunaga sneered, a malicious grin spreading across her face.

These weren’t the lowly guards from the coastline or forest patrols, but the elite warriors of her tribe. She thought that Kim Do-Joon had gotten confident after killing a few guards. How she couldn’t wait to see his face twist in the realization of his mistake!

However, a moment later, it was Ashunaga's expression that contorted in shock.

Thwack!

“Krack!”

Baaam!

“Kyaaah!”

Every time Kim Do-Joon moved, several warriors fell like leaves in the wind. While some were pierced clean through, others had their spines shattered by his spear. Each one perished in a different, gruesome way.

Kim Do-Joon rampaged through the Naga Warriors like a wolf among sheep. A few managed to get close to him, stepping over the fallen bodies of their comrades.

Clang!

However, their attacks were futile, deflected with ease. Despite the swarm of elite warriors throwing themselves at him without hesitation, they couldn’t inflict a single wound on the human.

Not long after, Kim Do-Joon had slain every last one of the warriors, bathed in their blood. He walked forward, and to Ashunaga, he appeared like a terrifying grim reaper. She started trembling uncontrollably, retreating in fear.

Kim Do-Joon slowly raised his spear, aiming it at her. The scene mirrored his earlier encounter with the horned wolves. Ashunaga, just like them, shivered before his cold, merciless aura.

“Spare me! Please, just my life!”

With a desperate cry, she threw herself to the ground, her forehead pressed into the dirt. Her voice was filled with a desperate plea, clinging to her life.

“Why should I?” Kim Do-Joon asked, looking down at her.

His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. Ashunaga shivered at the tone of his voice and her fear intensified.

“I-I’ll do anything! Anything you command!” she begged, her face still pressed into the ground.

Kim Do-Joon let out a small laugh, lowering his spear. He still had questions for her, after all. There was the matter of her speech, and something else.

“Do you know the location of the other islands?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

He was already planning his visit to the next island.

***

Swoosh—!

Kim Do-Joon swiftly subdued Ashunaga and pulled out a set of chains from his inventory, binding her tightly to a tree. If she was desperate, she was strong enough to break the tree to escape. But there was no way he wouldn’t hear that. Confident she wasn’t going anywhere, he turned his attention to the Aether Core atop the altar.

"

Ah

... no..."

Ashunaga’s face twisted in despair, about to burst into tears at any moment. And yet, tied up as she was, there was nothing she could do to stop him. Then, without hesitation, Kim Do-Joon destroyed the Aether Core.

Clang—!

Instead of simply breaking, the core violently exploded into large shards. At the same time, Kim Do-Joon could feel an invisible and pulsating being released from the Core.

This is...

He had a strange but familiar feeling, and soon realized what it was. It was condensed mana. Then, that mana flowed toward him, gradually being absorbed into the Aether Core strapped to his shoulder.

[You have conquered Zone 7.]

As the mana merged with his Core, its color darkened, becoming richer and more radiant. Along with that, the durability of the Core improved.

[Aether Core]

Durability

- 100%

[Additional Effect]

- Defense power + 351

The Core’s durability, which had been chipped away during the battle at the harbor, was now fully restored.

So this is how it works.

It was becoming clear how this labyrinth functioned. Zone 13 meant there were likely at least thirteen islands like this one, each with its own Core. It seemed like if he destroyed all the Cores, the labyrinth would be cleared.

Nodding to himself, Kim Do-Joon turned to face Ashunaga. However, just as he did, the remaining mana from the Core seeped into his skin. His skill, Mana Breathing, kicked in instinctively, allowing him to naturally absorb the mana.

[You have absorbed the energy of Ice Crystal.]

[Your mana has increased by level 1.]

Kim Do-Joon stopped in his tracks, startled. It was the same sensation he had experienced on the first day he entered this labyrinth. Afterward, he had tried entering A-rank dungeons and even spent hours meditating in the mountains near his home, but it never happened again in the past week.

Yet, the moment he destroyed the Aether Core, his mana surged once more.

So, it only happens in this labyrinth?

Destroying the Aether Core seemed to be directly tied to clearing the labyrinth. He began to suspect that this labyrinth had a unique environment that affected mana growth. More specifically, it seemed to be connected to the Aether Core itself.

It’s too soon to say anything for sure...

Regardless, he felt relieved to have found a clue. If breaking more Cores led to increased mana, clearing this labyrinth would be more than worthwhile.

After checking the message again, Kim Do-Joon smiled in satisfaction. He walked over to Ashunaga, who had passed out, perhaps from the shock of seeing her core get destroyed. He had planned to interrogate her, but seeing her current state, he frowned and casually sat down in front of her.

After a short while, Ashunaga began to stir. As she slowly opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Kim Do-Joon sitting by a campfire, casually chewing on some dried meat. She flinched at the sight of his calm demeanor and tried to feign unconsciousness again, cautiously closing her eyes.

"Hey."

However, Kim Do-Joon wasn’t the type to let her get away with it. He called out to her, but she stubbornly kept pretending to be unconscious, tense with fear.

"I know you’re awake."

His voice was cold and threatening, sharp as a blade against her neck. The moment she heard his voice, Ashunaga's eyes shot open wide.

"

Hoaaahm

—" Ashunaga exaggeratedly faked a yawn, pretending as if she had just woken up.

Kim Do-Joon sighed quietly. From the moment she threw herself at his feet after all her underlings had been slaughtered, he could tell what kind of person she was. Still, her personality didn’t concern him.

Kim Do-Joon decided to get straight to the point. He asked the question that had been on his mind.

"How were you able to speak?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Speak? My mother taught me..." Ashunaga answered, tilting her head.

"Not that. I mean, how can you speak human language?" he clarified.

Ashunaga gave him a confused look, clearly not understanding.

"Human language, I don’t know. I’m speaking in the Naga tongue," she insisted.

No matter how many times he asked, her response was always the same. Ashunaga was convinced she was speaking in her native language.

"Actually, I’m curious," she said after a moment. "How can you speak my language?"

Kim Do-Joon frowned but quickly realized the situation. He had encountered something similar before. When the elves appeared through the Stem, communication with the people of Earth had been mysteriously seamless despite the difference in languages. This seemed to be another one of those strange phenomena. He didn’t know the cause, but it wasn’t important.

So, she isn’t worth keeping alive.

It would’ve been another story If she had known about the reasoning behind this phenomenon. However, it must have been something that didn’t stir people’s interest. His eyes turned cold as he gazed at her. Sensing his killing intent, Ashunaga started frantically waving her hands in the air.

"Wait, wait!" she blurted out in a panic. "You said... you’re looking for the next island, right?"

At that, Kim Do-Joon’s menacing aura subsided slightly.

"I... I can guide you," she stammered, seizing the opportunity.

Then, a sled carrying both a human and a Naga slid off the island and toward the next destination.

***

"Wait here," Kim Do-Joon commanded.

They arrived at a smaller island compared to Ashunaga’s. The landscape and forest seemed quite similar, though. Kim Do-Joon left Ashunaga and the horned wolf on the coastline and entered the island alone.

Ashunaga, left behind, kicked a few pebbles on the ground as she waited. After about ten minutes, she glanced at the horned wolf, who had been watching her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, a strange sense of camaraderie passed between them.

Without saying a word, they both nodded at each other. Ashunaga then slowly began untying the ropes that secured the sled. Although no one but the horned wolf was watching, her hands moved cautiously.

"There! It’s done!" she whispered to herself after freeing the ropes.

She gulped nervously and tiptoed toward the sled, about to make her escape.

Boom! Bang!

Pzzzz—!

Suddenly, the ground shook as if struck by an earthquake, and the forest trembled. Birds, startled by the disturbance, flew up into the sky in a loud chorus of flapping wings.

Ashunaga stood there, slack-jawed, staring at the strange phenomenon in the forest. She had missed her chance, because Kim Do-Joon was already walking out from the woods.

Covered in the blood of the Naga Warriors he had just slaughtered, Kim Do-Joon looked down at Ashunaga and the now-loosened sled ropes.

"Were you trying to run away...?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"N-no, not at all!" Ashunaga quickly jumped up, retying the ropes back to the rock before he finished his sentence.

Kim Do-Joon chuckled softly, amused by her panic.

"We’re heading to the next island. So go ahead and untie those ropes.”