Chapter 55. The Sky Road

Kim Do-Joon wondered if the name Sky Road meant a path to heaven. The labyrinth he and Karlish had entered this time was truly deserving of its name.

— It's really tall.

"... Indeed it is,” Kim Do-Joon replied to Karlish.

The mountain was so high its peak was barely visible. The path beyond a few steps ahead was shrouded in clouds and mist that obscured everything. All they could see were stone steps reminiscent of those from a temple.

"Do you think these steps are remnants of some ancient civilization?" asked Kim Do-Joon.

— How should I know? You would know better than me.

Kim Do-Joon sighed because Karlish had a point. However, just like Karlish, he did not know much about labyrinths.

So far, he had seen many ancient structures. The first labyrinth, the Catacomb, was a maze and a building in itself. The third one, Collapsed Temple, had the temple and castle wall built by Siwelin's companions. The fourth, the Middle Orc Kingdom, had Karlish and wooden fences made by those orcs.

And now, they were at the fifth labyrinth, a lone mountain with nothing but stairs leading up.

Where are the monsters?

Kim Do-Joon squinted and surveyed the surroundings. He even used his skill to enhance his vision but found no signs of life. Not even the usual sounds of insects or cicadas could be heard. The silence, coupled with the fog, created an eerie stillness.

— Maybe something will appear if we go up.

"Probably," Kim Do-Joon nodded at Karlish’s advice.

Kim Do-Joon always surveyed the area when entering a new labyrinth, but there was nothing more to be seen here besides a stairway leading upward.

He tapped the ground lightly with his toes, preparing himself. Then, he began ascending the stairs, taking two or three steps at a time, quickly moving upward. The scenery blurred past him, but there was nothing noteworthy.

"

Hmm...

"

After three minutes of climbing, Kim Do-Joon sensed something was off, but he didn’t stop. He had no reason to stop.

Five more minutes passed, and then another five. Finally, Kim Do-Joon halted.

"

Haa

..."

He stopped in the middle of the staircase and took a deep breath, not because he was tired, but to replenish his mana. The mountain air was remarkably clean, and pure mana filled his body.

As he caught his breath, Kim Do-Joon voiced his concern.

"There really is nothing here."

— Indeed.

Karlish responded, equally perplexed.

Kim Do-Joon felt odd that despite climbing so much, the scenery barely changed. The only difference was that the starting point was now hidden by the fog below. He stood in the middle of the stairway, enveloped by mist and clouds above and below.

"We've been running for over ten minutes, though..." Kim Do-Joon added.

— Moreover, although your steps aren’t perfectly refined, they're much faster than an ordinary person's.

Just like Karlish mentioned, Kim Do-Joon's pace up the stairs was indeed impressive, thanks to the mana he channeled into his legs. In anticipation of encountering something, he didn’t sprint at full speed. Nevertheless, he was still moving swiftly, like a gust of wind.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. Usually, I’d have come across some monsters already," Kim Do-Joon said.

— Where have you been to again?

Kim Do-Joon briefly recounted his experiences and Karlish listened thoughtfully. However, Karlish didn’t offer him any answer.

— Well, I’m sorry, but I don't have a clue either. This place certainly feels different, though.

Kim Do-Joon frowned because he had hoped for new monsters that were stronger than the orcs, that would drop new items and help him grow. After all, that was why he entered the labyrinth. Instead, he found himself climbing the stairs like some pointless training exercise.

— It seems we have no choice.

Karlish said nonchalantly, causing Kim Do-Joon to look at him curiously.

— How about you take this opportunity to learn how to run?

"Learn how to run?" Kim Do-Joon asked to clarify.

— I was planning on teaching you that skill later, but you're progressing quickly. Now might be a good time.

Kim Do-Joon had heard a bit about the running technique from Karlish before. Karlish said that the spear techniques of the God of Storms, Nox, included a method of running. If he mastered it, he’d outrun any cars.

— It's not just about speed. If you master it, you can even step on air.

"Excuse me?" Kim Do-Joon blinked in surprise. "You mean... flying without any equipment, just with your body?"

— No, that method is different from flying. Flying is for mages, and this technique is much more useful than simple magic.

Karlish spoke cheerfully, and Kim Do-Joon imagined the muscular old man grinning mischievously.

"That doesn't sound like a method of running anymore," Kim Do-Joon said, bemused by Karlish's playful demeanor.

***

With a burst of wind at his toes, Kim Do-Joon propelled himself several steps upward, soaring with each leap.

— That's too wasteful. Compress it more! Concentrate the mana into a single point!

Karlish's voice echoed in his ears, full of critique. Kim Do-Joon adjusted his mana, trying to condense it as instructed. It was easier said than done. Every slight mistake caused the wind to dissipate, and the carefully compressed mana would scatter like air escaping a punctured balloon.

However, that wasn’t the only problem.

— Your rhythm is off. Step like this:

tap, totap, tap.

The running technique isn't for immediate combat. Stick to the basics and master them first!

Kim Do-Joon tried to match the rhythm as Karlish described. For a few steps, he managed to follow, but soon, he would falter. This happened repeatedly until Karlish finally spoke up again.

— Tell me, did you always fail to learn an instrument or something similar as a child?

"..."

Kim Do-Joon's steps slowed, and he eventually stopped on the stairs, sighing quietly. Then he nodded.

"To be honest... I've always been terrible at music."

While he managed the theoretical parts, his practical skills were abysmal, particularly his sense of rhythm, which Karlish emphasized.

"Once, the entire class had to perform a choir for a talent show and..." said Kim Do-Joon.

— And?

Kim Do-Joon averted his eyes, embarrassed. "The morning of the performance, the teacher told me not to sing and to lip-sync instead."

— Lip-sync?

Karlish repeated the unfamiliar term. Kim Do-Joon explained what that meant, and Karlish sighed.

— A teacher said that? What a cruel person!

Kim Do-Joon appreciated Karlish’s empathy, but his concern was about his own lack of rhythm, not the teacher.

"I guess I was that bad," Kim Do-Joon replied.

— I see...

Karlish seemed to ponder this for a moment. Kim Do-Joon looked at him with a glimmer of hope that perhaps Karlish had a solution.

— Don't worry. I have a brilliant method for this.

"A brilliant method? What is it?" Kim Do-Joon asked eagerly.

— It's simple. Practice until you get it right.

Karlish replied as if he was sharing great advice.

"...What?"

— Keep practicing until your feet are about to fall off. When you think you can't go any further, take one more step. Overcoming weaknesses is done this way. And look...

Karlish continued.

— We've come to the perfect training ground, haven't we?

Kim Do-Joon lifted his gaze to the endless staircase shrouded in clouds. Nothing but the mountain and the steps stretched out before him. An ideal place with no distractions.

"Understood," Kim Do-Joon responded with a determined expression and resumed his ascent.

Mana enveloped his legs and feet again. As he compressed it into the tips of his toes, there was another explosive burst.

Bam—!

Kim Do-Joon leaped up the steps. He was still clumsy and the mana scattered, making noise and leaking energy instead of being soundless. Despite this, Kim Do-Joon's focus didn’t waver. He didn’t care about being good or bad. His only goal was to be slightly better than he was a moment ago.

In this solitary place with no distractions, he concentrated solely on improving his technique, step by step.

Time passed, and as his mana depleted and even his strong stamina began to wane, he finally reached a midway point of the staircase. Two massive statues holding crescent blades flanked the path, marking a significant point in his arduous climb.

***

“China has already assembled a large expedition team. The government moved swiftly to gather it. The U.S. will soon finalize their team, too,” said one of the guild masters in a loud voice.

"We can't just sit around doing nothing! How long are we going to waste time like this?"

The guild masters' loud voices made Son Chang-Il rub his aching temples.

Looking at the guild master from Light One who had just spoken, Son Chang-Il responded, "That area is completely uncharted territory. Who knows if formidable opponents like the elves from before might be there. For safety, it might be wise to wait for the others to bring back some results."

"By then, it'll be too late! Do you really think they'll share their findings with us?" the guild master from Light One replied.

"Even just knowing the expedition returned would give us some sense of the risks," said Son Chang-Il.

"That's far too passive."

The guild master from Light One shook his head, clearly rejecting the idea outright.

Son Chang-Il nodded with a sigh. He had not really expected his suggestion to be accepted.

When the roots first appeared... so many people rushed in without knowing anything and died.

Many died not only due to the monsters, but also exploring the roots. At least outside, modern weapons and military structures offered some protection, but inside, there were no such things.

However, not everyone who ventured inside perished. Some returned with significant accomplishments. These were the first-generation Hunters, who now led the established four major guilds.

Those who died... were just numbers in the end. But those who survived became powerful forces.

This was precisely why guilds like Light One were eager to venture into the stem. They had no personal experience of the massive casualties from the roots. They only knew the numbers on paper, not the real fear.

In contrast, the four major guilds lived like beasts beside the tiger, constantly feeling its breath on their necks. To them, the unknown dangers inside the stem were less intimidating than the power they could gain from it.

"..."

"..."

Representatives from the four major guilds remained silent. Already holding power, they had no desire to upset the current balance. Son Chang-Il understood this well. Even if they were observing for the time being, eventually, they’d join the exploration to maintain their positions.

“If an expedition is formed, our guild master has volunteered to join,” said a member of the Mir Guild.

Usually, Son Chang-Il would suspect ulterior motives, but not this time. Other guild members were casting wary glances. Yet, they couldn’t outright oppose due to the significant benefits of having Shin Yoo-Sung, the Mir Guild master, involved.

Son Chang-Il had a slightly different perspective.

The Mir Guild master is a man of integrity.

Son Chang-Il had learned a bit more about Shin Yoo-Sung during the recent Hwaseong incident. While it’d be naive to think there were no hidden agendas, he trusted that Shin Yoo-Sung would fulfill his role as a Healer diligently.

“The matter is too significant to entrust to a single guild. We should form a group and...” said Son Chang-Il.

“But if too many guilds are involved, it’ll become unwieldy. We need a small, effective team that can handle their responsibilities...”

“And how do you propose we select them? With an interview process? That would take too long!”

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

As the heated and unproductive debate continued, a voice calmly cut through the noise.

“President, I heard you’ve requested a special promotion for a certain individual.”

The voice was low but carried weight, drawing everyone’s attention.

Son Chang-Il’s expression soured. It was not exactly a secret, but he hadn’t announced the special promotion either. So, how did they find out?

“Yes, that’s true, but it’s unrelated to the current discussion,” Son Chang-Il replied.

“I heard that this individual dealt with the elf that appeared in Seoul. So, it seems quite relevant,” said Oh Tae-Jin, the representative of the guild master of Karma.