Kim Jin-Woo waited for the imp girl to continue with her interpretation, but instead of her reply, what he heard was a roar that sounded as if it were emanating from a deep cave.
âNice to meet you, Undefeated Commander,â the white bear said. Kim Jin-Wooâs expression blanked for a moment. Surprisingly, what came out of the bearâs mouth was Korean, and pretty accurate Korean at that.
âIâve known of your reputation for a long time, so Iâve wanted to meet you at least once,â the bear continued. Although it was slightly difficult to understand his words because of his echoing voice, he was rather fluent with the language.
âYou seem to speak my language,â Kim Jin-Woo replied, bewildered by the unexpected situation.
The white bear smiled widely, revealing his white teeth, before saying, âWe Ursus are different from those knucklehead Taurus. Those who know us donât hesitate to call us the Sages of the Underworld. Itâs no surprise that we speak several languages.â
Kim Jin-Woo could feel the bearâs pride behind those words. He replied bemusedly, âIs that so?â
Seeing a giant white bear with his chin raised up as if to puff himself up was quite a sight to behold. He continued, âSo please donât be surprised about our language proficiencies.â
Admittedly, it was rather difficult to get accustomed to seeing a bear speak Korean, but Kim Jin-Woo didnât voice out his thoughts. After all, he had encountered countless experiences that were more bizarre than a mere talking bear. He shouldnât have considered himself surprised at the sight of the bear who had introduced himself as an Ursus. However, it was going to take some time before Kim Jin-Woo could get accustomed to seeing the white bear talking away with his gigantic snout.
âHmm.â Kim Jin-Woo brushed off his feelings about the bear with a deep sigh, and looked at the imp girl who was restlessly fidgeting around. Somehow, she seemed reluctant to talk to the white bear.
âIt would be foolish to try and peek inside an impâs tiny head. Despite their small heads, theyâre surprisingly wicked and cunning,â the white bear said. The imp girl furiously tried to charge toward him, but noticing his expression, she quickly thought better of it and stepped back.
âYouâre hiding something from me.â Kim Jin-Woo, who had been observing the imp girl for a while, spoke with a cold expression. âExplain yourself. If you fail to convince me, neither you nor your master will be safe.â
As he noticed the imp girlsâ unpredictable reactions as well as the white bearâs attitude toward her, he couldnât help but wonder if there was something between them. Thus, he built up his presence to pressure the imp girl, letting her know that he wouldnât tolerate any excuses or lies.
It was the Highlordâs energy that radiated from Kim Jin-Woo, something that not even the mighty rulers of the Underworld could withstand. There was no way a mere imp could face it.
In the end, the imp girl quickly explained, her complexion pale as if she were being asphyxiated by the Highlordâs presence alone, âThe Ursus are one of the forces the Black Merchants have recruited.â
âTo be precise, our king has not given the Black Merchants a definite answer.â The white bear corrected the imp girl before continuing, âBut now, after seeing you defeat those fearless Satyrs, our king has made a decision.â
The white bear followed up with a wide smile that showed off his white set of teeth, saying, âWe, the Ursus clan, formally request an alliance with the Undefeated Commander, the Naga King.â
***
There was nothing to lose from forming an alliance with the Ursus; thus, Kim Jin-Woo readily accepted the proposal. In the process, he also formed a secret agreement with them to deal with the Taurus who had visited his Grand Labyrinth previously, but clarified that there was no need to form an army to assist him right away.
âFor now, please donât turn down the stupid Taurusâ offers; that will be more than enough to buy some time. While theyâre dreaming up nonsense, weâll be able to buy sufficient time to diligently evaluate the situation,â the white bear said before his entourage returned to their labyrinth with great satisfaction, promising that they would return soon.
âNow, shall we talk about the rest of the story?â Kim Jin-Woo watched the white bears head back before turning to the imp girl, his expression hardening as he did so.
***
âThe Usurperâs beasts are on the move while my Lord isnât yet ready. Do you understand how worrying that is from my point of view?â For some reason, as soon as the Ursus left the labyrinth, Mimir appeared and started to recite a long spiel about how much he cared for his master. âWeâre very lucky to have formed an alliance with the Ursus under such great circumstances. Theyâre kind, gentle and good-natured folks; something thatâs rare in the Underworld.â
Mimir seemed to be so wary of Kim Jin-Woo that he could almost hear Mimir glancing sideways constantly toward him. Most people would have overlooked the matter out of respect for the amount of effort Mimir was putting into his acting, but not Kim Jin-Woo, who said, âYouâve yet to give me a good enough explanation to convince me.â
âThat is, when we formed the agreement with themâŠâ Mimir began.
âDonât even think about using the excuse of swearing upon the Mysteries of the Underworld to brush this matter aside,â Kim Jin-Woo interrupted him. The secret agreement with the Black Merchants aside, the Ursus had accurately identified who exactly the Undefeated Commander was.
âSince youâve sold my name, youâll have to pay the price,â Kim Jin-Woo added. Upon hearing those words, Mimir fell silent as if he were mute. However, Kim Jin-Woo continued, âTell me the name of the Duke youâve formed your secret agreement with, other than the Ursus clan.â
In the end, sensing Kim Jin-Wooâs resolute attitude and knowing that he wouldnât even concede an inch, Mimir put on a defeated expression and said, âIâll tell you. So please, calm down. This lowly imp is unable to withstand such a fearsome presence.â
âThat depends on your answer,â Kim Jin-Woo said.
Despite his expression of defeat, Mimir still hesitated. But sensing that there was no way out of this situation, he finally decided to reveal everything. He said the name, âAnulax.â
It was a name Kim Jin-Woo had never heard before. But since the Dukesâ names were as difficult to figure out as a Highlordâs real name, it wasnât strange that it was an unfamiliar name to him. But despite that, the moment he heard the name, his whole body froze without him even realizing it.
âItâs another name for the harbinger of the most painful deathâthe Lord of Absolute Venom.â Mimir looked Kim Jin-Woo straight in the eyes as he continued, âRuler of 431,621 Hell Spiders.â
The name of the monster who had once mistreated and abused Kim Jin-Woo had escaped Mimirâs mouth.
âAnulax, the King of the Hell Spidersâ Nest where my Lord was born, is our other ally.â After finishing, Mimir closed his eyes tightly. He didnât have the courage to open his eyes in the face of his master, when he knew what kind of ties his master and the Spider Duke were bound by.
âAnulax, huhâŠâ After a while, Kim Jin-Woo broke the silence as he spat out the Spider Dukeâs name.
âAnulaxâŠâ No matter how many times he brought it up, unadulterated hatred and wrath lingered in his voice. He muttered, âSo, he had such a name.â
Mimir blinked in response to the unexpected reaction, then froze. Kim Jin-Wooâs expression was no different from usual. But for some reason, that only terrified Mimir even more.
***
Mimir returned to the Black Merchantsâ stronghold. Left alone, Kim Jin-Woo repeated Anulaxâs name over and over again. âSpider Duke, Anulax. Lord of Venom, Anulax.â
He could understand why Mimir had tried to hide the story of their alliance until the very end. As someone who had been watching him by his side ever since he first took over the Nagaâs Labyrinth, Mimir had known his relationship with the Spider Duke from the very beginning. As such, Mimir wouldnât have been able to easily bring up the fact that he was now under the same banner as his mortal enemy.
Perhaps Mimir had thought that that would break the alliance that he had formed with much difficulty. That was how deep Kim Jin-Wooâs hatred and resentment for the Spider Duke was.
But now, instead of losing his sense of reason upon hearing the name of his mortal enemy, Kim Jin-Woo had judged the situation more sensibly than ever. Even he was surprised by himself. By now, he felt he could face the Spider Duke with a smile. A smile that wasnât that of warmth or friendliness.
âIâm already this close.â
The enemy who had once stood so far above him that he hadnât been able to figure out that beingâs name was now within his grasp. He laughed at the realization, as it only made him happier.
âIronically, weâre on the same side this time.â
If possible, he wanted to make full use of this opportunity to destroy the Spider Duke. What could be a better revenge than that? Kim Jin-Woo smiled for a while, before his gaze abruptly turned cold once more.
âBut Iâll never forget to make you pay for their blood.â
His eyes flashed fiercely as he recalled the countless tunnel diggers who had died miserably in their attempts to save his fleeting life, leaving him alone, abandoned in the dark.
***
Even the brazen and thick-skinned Mimir seemed unable to simply get over this incident, as he uncharacteristically sent over several gifts, shuddering as he did so. Naturally, Kim Jin-Woo willingly accepted them all, and used them to fill the power vacuum left behind by the temporary absence of the Nagas.
âIf thereâs anything you want, Iâll bring it to you.â Mimir looked at Kim Jin-Woo sullenly, as if he were ready to even give up his liver for his master.
âHow rare of you to be this kind,â Kim Jin-Woo remarked.
It was a rather shameless statement to make toward Mimir and the Black Merchants, who had contributed greatly to the growth of his labyrinth thus far, but the little imp didnât dare to express any form of displeasure.
âWhoa, these all belonged to my Lord in the first place; Iâve simply been taking good care of them for you all this time.â Mimir smiled cunningly and rubbed his hands, jumping up and down as he stated that it wasnât a big deal.
With a look of satisfaction, Kim Jin-Woo spoke. âI donât wish for anything more, but I do have a question for you.â
Even if he had asked Mimir to bring out the most precious treasure from the Eternal Treasury, Mimir wouldnât have looked so terrified. Mimirâs expression was full of hesitation and terror. After all, it was because of his response to his masterâs previous question that he was in his current predicament, so it was difficult to fault him for his overreaction.
âWhat else do you want to ask me again this timeâŠâ Mimir had barely regained his composure, but now his eyes darted around as he panicked.
âItâs not a big deal; thereâs no need for you to already be freezing up like that.â Having spoken, Kim Jin-Woo took out something from his possession.
âTh⊠ThatâŠâ Mimir seemed terribly surprised to see the small object Kim Jin-Woo had taken out. âH-how does my Lord⊠Iâm sure this guy was in the Eternal TreasuryâŠâ
âThis guyâs called the Hypocriteâs Mask, but I have no idea where to use this, you see.â Kim Jin-Woo cut off the impâs trembling voice as he held out the mask and waved it in front of Mimirâs face.