Kim Jin-Woo had known from the beginning that Park Sung-Jin was a labyrinth master. It was all thanks to the power of the Highlord and the fact that he was a much more powerful master of a deeper labyrinth.
Heâd had his doubts. But it didnât matter to him how his opponent had gotten a labyrinth.
âWinner takes all. Thatâs the law of the Underworld.â
The only thing that was important right now was to destroy the enemy in front of him.
âPortal.â Kim Jin-Woo let out a low murmur, and a portal several times larger and deeper than Park Sung-Jinâs portal appeared in midair.
âWhat theâŚâ Park Sung-Jin muttered, but his words would soon be drowned out.
Keeeeeeeeek!
Park Sung-Jinâs summon, a giant centipede, had been wreaking havoc across the battlefield. But just a moment later, its screams were silenced as Heimdall crossed through the portal and beheaded it.
The centipedeâs dying scream was like a signal that announced the start of Park Sung-Jinâs tragedy. Several other Hero-Grade summons, including Balzark and Quantus, crossed the portal as well, and started engaging in battle with the centipedes.
âLeave the boss alive, and help yourselves to the rest!â Kim Jin-Woo ordered.
âAs the King wills!â the Hero-Grade summons that had crossed over from the Grand Labyrinth roared in unison. Park Sung-Jin watched the scene unfold before his eyes with a blank look on his face.
âKaaargh!â The dungeon babies screamed in pain. They couldnât avoid the blades that suddenly sliced away at them from the darkness, and their skin was ripped from their bones. From the shadows of their fallen bodies, the Under-Elves appeared.
âYou should have heeded my warning. I might have even let you live,â Kim Jin-Woo remarked.
The whole area was filled with screams. From the annoying screeches of the giant centipedes to the screams of the dying dungeon babies, the whole world around them was drowned out. All the screaming and dying belonged to the Associationâs forces.
The Associationâs ambush forces were strong. But the Under-Elves were the natural enemies of dungeon babies. The blades of the Under-Elves led by Rikshasha, were swift and deadly, and they were completely different monsters from any giant creatures the dungeon babies had ever dealt with. Nevertheless, they soon reformed their ranks, beginning to fight on an equal footing.
âTheyâre just fast, nothing more!â
âFuck! If only weâd brought the Bunkers!â
âThe loss of an arm is nothing! Just ignore it and press on! Just press on and weâll win!â
As expected of combat specialists that were highly experienced in the Underworld, they were indeed formidable.
âMorrigan,â Kim Jin-Woo began.
âYes, my King,â Morrigan replied.
âAre you just going to stand around and watch?â Kim Jin-Woo urged her. The Under-Elves were doing well so far, but he couldnât ignore the potential of the dungeon babies. He didnât wish to have any casualties on his end.
Morrigan rolled her eyes. Seeing how hesitant she was despite the raging battle going on in front of her eyes, Kim Jin-Woo could only wonder how much she disliked obeying Rikshashaâs orders while he wasnât around.
However, Morriganâs loyalty was beyond such pettiness, and she wasnât shallow enough to reject the Kingâs orders just for such a reason.
Flap!
A single flap of the ominous black birdâs wings sounded like the call of death resonating across the battlefield,
âArgh!â The ranks of the dungeon babies, who had held up for so long, collapsed in an instant. The tide of battle, which had been stuck in a gridlock for a while, instantly turned with Morriganâs entry.
Seeing the Under-Elves retreat back into the shadows, Kim Jin-Wooâs attention turned away from the battle.
Shudder.
His eyes made contact with Park Sung-Jin, whose body was shaking as if he were being bullied. He exclaimed, âTsk.â
If Park Sung-Jin had been fighting with only his dungeon baby abilities and not his labyrinth master abilities, he wouldnât have looked as pathetic. That was because dungeon babies would never give up, even if they were overwhelmed by their opponents.
But unfortunately, he was both a dungeon baby and a labyrinth master. Kim Jin-Woo, being the ruler of the mighty Grand Labyrinth, was so powerful that Park Sung-Jin didnât dare make eye contact with him. He was trembling in fear due to the unique aura of the Highlord that emanated from Kim Jin-Wooâs body, and he sat frozen on the spot until every single member of the Associationâs forces and the centipedes he had ambitiously summoned were killed.
âClean up the area. Leave no survivors!â Kim Jin-Woo commanded. Heâd had no intention of summoning his labyrinthâs forces, but against an unknown army of a hundred dungeon babies and centipede summons, it would have been risky to suppress his own strength.
Fighting for victory was a given, but it had been more important not to drag out the battle for too long and risk revealing his powers. Unlike the Underworld, there were mobile phones and other technologies on the surface that could potentially expose him through video recordings.
âKrrrrrgh.â
The groan of a survivor could be heard. The Under-Elves, who had been wandering around looking for survivors, quickly tracked down the survivor and confirmed the kill.
The sight of a dungeon baby, who was by all means a Terran, getting killed by an Underworld being was never a pleasant sight, but Kim Jin-Woo didnât look away. He wasnât soft-hearted enough to give unrequited recognition to an enemy that had been intent on killing him in the first place.
If these were kind-hearted dungeon babies that had been used for ill intentions by the Association, he might have thought twice about it. But Park Sung-Jin had not only admitted to being involved with the disappearance of his father, but had even opened his portal in front of them without hesitation. By association, that meant these dungeon babies werenât just people on the fringes of the Association, but had actually been deeply involved in its evil deeds.
âHow pathetic, to come up with excuses now.â Kim Jin-Woo looked straight into the corpseâs still-open eyes as he shook his head. This wasnât a battle between good or evil. It was a battle between beasts. To eat or be eaten.
The last hint of unease in his eyes faded, and Kim Jin-Woo returned to his cool, collected demeanor. He thoroughly scouted the area, but there were no traces of any spies. It seemed Song Jong-Chul had firmly believed in Park Sung-Jinâs abilities.
âErase all traces, and if there are even vague hints left, bury them and leave nothing behind,â Kim Jin-Woo commanded.
Experienced explorers might be able to figure out what happened if they were to visit later on. Thus, Kim Jin-Woo ordered his forces to erase any possible traces in the vicinity.
Most of the summons returned through the portal, and the only ones that were left were the Under-Elves, who didnât look too different from humans. They meticulously erased all traces of battle, as they were highly skilled in tracking and searching. Even if someone were to find those traces that had been forcibly erased, it would be difficult to believe that there had been a battle between labyrinths.
When they were done with their work, even Kim Jin-Woo, who was sensitive to changes and details, found it hard to notice anything that was off.
But just because the traces had been erased didnât mean that everything was settled. Portals didnât disappear for 24 hours once opened, and that was a problem. There was also the risk of a follow-up search party by the Association, who might arrive after losing contact with the main ambush forces.
âYou,â Kim Jin-Woo called out toward Park Sung-Jin.
It had been a long time since the battle had ended, but Park Sung-Jin was still lying on the floor, unable to raise his head. When he heard the call, he trembled again.
âWhat happens if you donât return?â Kim Jin-Woo asked.
âI-If there are no reports in between, theyâre supposed to send reinforcements.â Completely succumbing to the Highlordâs authority, Park Sung-Jin obeyed his commands like a lowly slave.
âAbout an hour has passed, right? They might suspect something is off by now,â Kim Jin-Woo remarked. With so much manpower dispatched, an hour without contact was a long time. He was certain that reinforcements were on their way by now. âWhat shall we do about this?â
If reinforcements from the Association were to arrive, the reason he had called forth his summons from the Grand Labyrinth would become totally moot. In that case, it would have been wiser for him to deal with the enemies alone, even if he had to expose his own abilities.
But the portal had already been opened, and enemy reinforcements were on the way. Since there was no law stating that war had to go according to plan, it was time for Kim Jin-Woo to revise his plan.
Kim Jin-Woo calmly ordered Park Sung-Jin, whose spirit was almost completely subdued, âCall them.â
âSorry?â Park Sung-Jin exclaimed.
âCall them and report that the operation was successful, and that youâre returning with the captured target,â Kim Jin-Woo commanded.
Park Sung-Jinâs eyes wandered around in panic, unable to grasp the meaning of Kim Jin-Wooâs statement.
âIf you report that youâre on your way back, those reinforcements will stop, right?â Kim Jin-Woo asked.
It might already be too late to make the situation any better, but at the very least, that could buy him some time. And he was confident that with the time he bought, he would be able to make the Association so busy that they would forget about these unknown mountain foothills.
In response, Park Sung-Jin slowly got up and searched his pockets. He asked, âThatâs all I have to say, right?â
âWhat? Do you have more to add on?â Kim Jin-Woo asked.
It was a casual remark, but Park Sung-Jin freaked out and quickly grabbed his mobile phone, dialing a number. Although there was a possibility that Park Sung-Jin might play a stupid trick, Kim Jin-Woo didnât threaten or warn him any further. Just standing in front of him and staring at him was more than enough.
âBoss Jong-Chul, itâs me, Sung-Jin. The operation was successful, and Kim⌠Jin-Woo⌠yeah, we captured him and are heading back. The guys? S-some were injured, but fortunately, not too many. Ah, yeah, Iâm injured a bit as well. Of course⌠We were capturing a Level 12 dungeon baby, how could there not be any injuries⌠Anyway, Iâm on the way back, letâs talk then.â
Although his slightly trembling voice was awkward, Park Sung-Jin carried out Kim Jin-Wooâs order quite nicely. Afterward, he said, âH-he ordered me to return immediately.â
âI guess we bought around an hourâs worth of time?â Kim Jin-Woo smirked as he looked at the time. âThen, letâs go.â
âWhere to?â Park Sung-Jin paused, thinking that Kim Jin-Woo really wanted to head to the Association.
âWhere do you think? Where my father is, of course,â Kim Jin-Woo said. Park Sung-Jin hesitated, but didnât move.
âGuide me,â Kim Jin-Woo said. But once again, Park Sung-Jin stood still. Already running low on time, Kim Jin-Woo frowned before pausing, as he turned to stare at the portal. âYou son of a bitch, donât tell meâŚâ Blue streaks of light began to flow from the corners of his eyes.
âI-Iâm sorry! I had to think of the most secretive spotâŚâ Park Sung-Jin explained frantically.
What he said was correct. But nevertheless, it was something he shouldnât have said in front of Kim Jin-Woo. If his father had been kept in a hotel room, he would still have been pissed. But they had crossed the line, as theyâd locked his father up in an Underworld labyrinth.
And Kim Jin-Woo, who knew better than anyone how harsh an Underworld labyrinthâs environment would be to a human, exploded with rage.
***
âStrange, itâs about time they returnedâŚâ Song Jong-Chul muttered.
âWell, they did say they were pretty badly beaten up, so thatâs why itâs taking so long,â remarked a subordinate.
âCut the crap! You think theyâre just gonna crawl over here like dogs? What the fuck were the cars all for then?â
Despite having heard from Park Sung-Jin that he and his men would be back immediately, when they didnât show themselves, Song Jong-Chul started to get more and more anxious.
Park Sung-Jin was a labyrinth master and a member of the Association. With him leading the attack, there was no way things could have gone wrong. And yet, Song Jong-Chul somehow felt there was something ominous about the whole situation.
Perhaps due to his anxiety, even the minor chit-chat by his subordinates started to tick him off. He yelled, âWhy the hell are you still here!? Didnât I order you to go out and prepare to take in the wounded!?â
âI already instructed those kidsâŚâ his subordinate began.
ââKidsâ!? You son of a bitch, you think youâre already tough enough to boss others around!?â Song Jong-Chul yelled. At his sudden outburst, his subordinates hurriedly left his presence, but yet another subordinate came into his office at almost the exact same time. He exclaimed, âWhat now!?â
âBoss Sung-Jin has returned!â the subordinate reported.
Song Jong-Chulâs face finally lit up after all the waiting. He asked, âIs that so? Has he returned with the rest of the men?â
âNo, he said he came alone first due to the urgency of the matter,â the subordinate replied.
With a sigh of relief, Song Jong-Chul finally felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He asked, âAnd of course, heâs brought Kim Jin-Woo along, right?â
âYes, he made a total mess out of him, it seems. Thereâs blood all over his body and he seemed more like a walking corpse than a human.â
âLooks like there was a lot of resistance. Is Sung-Jin okay?â
âBoss Sung-Jin must have suffered a lot as well, seeing how his face and body was completely smashedâŚâ
âI canât be waiting here. I should head down and greet him personally.â
At that moment, even the assailant who had made him lose sleep over countless nights no longer mattered. He would finally be able to put the shackles around the Level 12 dungeon babyâs neck.
But just as he was about to rush excitedly down the stairs, Song Jong-Chul stopped dead in his tracks. He asked, âWait, did you just say that he was walking? On his own feet?â
âYes, it looked really painful, but I definitely saw him walking on hisâŚâ the subordinate began.
âBut Sung-Jin brought him back alone?â Song Jong-Chul asked urgently.
Only then did the man notice Song Jong-Chulâs expression, and his face stiffened at the realization that something was clearly off.
âDungeon babies will fight tooth and nail to consume their enemies whole just to survive. Sure, they may be all bloodied, but Sung-Jin brought back Kim Jin-Woo while heâs still able to walk on his own two feet!? What the fuck are you talking about!?â Song Jong-Chul exclaimed.
But just before he could finish speaking, screams exploded from the main entrance of the Association building.