âArgh!â The dull gunshot sound was followed by a loud shriek. Kim Jin-Woo pulled the trigger again as though nothing had happened. âStop! Stop!â cried Ortehaga.
Kim Jin-Woo only lowered his gun when he saw Ortehagaâs tears, musing, âHmm. Seems like a gun isnât enough.â He was visibly disappointed to find the drakanâs golden scales perfectly unscathed.
âYou⊠youâŠ!â Although Ortehaga didnât have the facial expressions of a human, one could tell that he was furious. However, he had already sworn loyalty to Kim Jin-Woo. The best he could do was beat his chest and swallow his pride.
<This is already commendable. Creatures with weaker armor than the drakan can be injured by these weapons.> Dominique had begun to show interest in human weapons ever since she witnessed the remarkable feat of the nagas in the previous battle. That was only natural, as she was only a naga maid despite her heroine-grade status. These weapons appeared convenient, and thus highly attractive to her.
âBut we canât inflict much damage by just tearing through leather and leaving cuts on the enemy creaturesâ flesh. After all, the naga warriors and the gatekeeper were the ones who finished the creatures off in the previous battle,â Kim Jin-Woo replied.
<How about that thing called a âbombâ? That seems pretty useful.>
Ortehaga trembled when he heard that word. His body seemed to remember the impact of the bomb that had penetrated through his torn scales.
âItâs difficult to get hold of them. Also, I have to use explosives judiciously, or else the nearby passageways may collapse.â
The use of guns and explosives in the underground world was pretty limited. Not only could their loud sounds attract nearby creatures and beasts, but explosives could also lead to catastrophic collapses.
Nonetheless, Kim Jin-Woo had no compunctions about using guns. He was different from the ordinary explorers who roamed around the underground world without a place to stay.
Unlike the explorers who had to cross the territories of various beasts and creatures, the nagas could fight on their home ground. Even at this moment, they were patrolling the vicinity and chasing beasts and creatures away. Three months had passed since the revelation of the nagaâs labyrinth, but there hadnât been many unfriendly visitors.
Their biggest issue was the lack of firepower. Unless Kim Jin-Woo obtained a powerful weapon that could subjugate even an elephant, guns wouldnât be of much use. Furthermore, he didnât have the connections to obtain such weapons in South Korea.
âWe were lucky in the previous fight. The naga magicianâs spell played a more critical role in achieving victory than the guns.â
<Thatâs a shame. The labyrinth would grow exponentially if the nagas learned to use the guns properly.>
Ortehaga shivered when he heard Dominique. She sounded as if she thought it a pity that his scales were still intact.
âHow did humans drive the labyrinth masters out in the past?â Kim Jin-Woo asked. There were several records of the war, but the details regarding how the humans had won were shrouded in mystery. Frustrated, he tapped on the butt plate of the shotgun.
âI-Iâll excuse myself if youâre done.â Ortehaga attempted to escape while Kim Jin-Woo was deep in thought.
However, Kim Jin-Woo had no intention of letting the useful drakan go. âWait, let me run a few more tests.â
âArgh! I did pledge loyalty, but please treat me with respect! Iâm a proudââ
Bang!
Kim Jin-Woo pulled the trigger of his K2 rifle nonchalantly before Ortehaga could finish speaking.
Ortehaga was a crybaby despite his immense pride and strength. He was a poor fellow, to be honest. Not only did he lose thirty subordinates and his war chest, but he also had to serve his nemesis now.
However, Kim Jin-Woo didnât empathize with Ortehagaâs circumstances. Neither was he foolish enough to show hospitality to an intruder, nor sentimental enough to be moved by a forced pledge of loyalty.
He planned to overwork the drakan and use the war chest to upgrade the labyrinth.
âKyaaak!â
The test only ended when he used up all the bullets in a magazine.
***
Ortehaga might have been a crybaby, but he was indisputably strong. Not only was he blessed with a ridiculously hard body, but he also boasted great power and speed. Had it not been for Kim Jin-Wooâs âWeakness Detectionâ ability, the drakan could have been the victor.
Ortehaga could thus become one of Kim Jin-Wooâs great assets, unless his âreverse scaleâ[1] got attacked. In addition, there were naga warriors and a gatekeeper to support the drakan in battle.
Kim Jin-Woo could finally leave the labyrinth with some peace of mind, as the drakan could buy him time during emergencies.
Kim Jin-Woo returned to Mr. Baek.
âWhat urgent matters do you have this time⊠Tsk.â Mr. Baek saw Kim Jin-Woo and shook his head. He seemed very curious about Kim Jin-Wooâs affairs ever since the latter had suddenly left during the last visit.
âI apologize for what happened back then. I had urgent matters to attend to.â
âWhat urgent matters? Hmph, never mind. Not as if youâll tell me, anyway,â Mr. Baek grumbled.
Kim Jin-Woo replied with silence, but then said, âI came here to finish listening to your story.â
Mr. Baek complained about how Kim Jin-Woo only visited to seek answers to his queries as usual, but he began talking in the end. âThe labyrinth of Anaxtus is located on the ninth floor. It was one of the labyrinths discovered by the military scouts during the under-war. There werenât any significant battles, but there seemed to have been minor clashes near the end of the war.â
Kim Jin-Woo frowned when he heard âninth floorâ. He had guessed that the labyrinth was located deep underground, but he had never expected it to be on the ninth floor. âWhat are they like?â he asked.
âWhat do you mean?â
âThose basilisks and their king. Are they strong?â Â Kim Jin-Woo now had the answer to his question regarding the floor on which his labyrinth was located. So now, he had to learn more about his enemies.
As the saying went, âif you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear a hundred battlesâ.[2] Therefore, Kim Jin-Woo was desperate to obtain some information about his opponents, who could invade the nagaâs labyrinth anytime.
âOne thingâs for sure: Guns donât work. There arenât any records that describe soldiers shooting the opponents dead.â
âTroublesome bastards, huh.â
âNot really. It seems that the basilisks are ridiculously tough but slow. Records show that the basilisks move as fast as a brisk walking adult. It may be difficult to kill one, but avoiding an encounter wouldnât be an issue.â
Kim Jin-Wooâs eyes gleamed. He was thrilled to have unearthed the basilisksâ weakness. He still had to ponder on how to take advantage of this information, but he had obtained a piece of useful intel without a doubt.
âWhatâs the basilisk king like?â he asked. There was bound to have information about the basilisk king since his name had already been revealed.
However, even the talkative Mr. Baek declined to elaborate this time, saying, âWell, this is high-quality information.â
âIâll pay you well,â Kim Jin-Woo replied.
He had a few lowest-grade down gems in his pocket. In addition, his naga workers were diligently collecting the down gems at this very moment, amplifying his wealth every second. In essence, he was able to purchase the information without being in debt to Mr. Baek.
âNo, no. I donât need down gems.â Mr. Baek shook his head when Kim Jin-Woo dug through his pocket. âJust do me a favor.â
Kim Jin-Woo pulled his empty hand out from his pocket and narrowed his eyes at Mr. Baek.
âSince youâre asking me about the labyrinth of Anaxtus, I assume youâre exploring somewhere deep down this time?â Mr. Baek asked. He must have misunderstood, which made things easier for Kim Jin-Woo. He continued, âTell me when youâve finalized your schedule. Iâll tell you closer to the date.â
âBut I donât even know what favor you wantâŠâ
âI promise itâs nothing difficult. You can listen first and decide whether you feel comfortable doing it. Iâm fine with anything.â
Kim Jin-Woo nodded, as he had nothing to lose from this proposal.
âAnaxtus isâŠâ
***
The nagaâs labyrinth had become much noisier recently. The naga workers had frequent target practice, which attracted nearby wandering creatures.
Whenever there was a battle, Ortehaga would step forward and shred the enemy creatures into pieces, as if he were venting his anger on them.
Furthermore, the labyrinthâs expansion work was ongoing. Kim Jin-Woo installed surveillance equipment and motion sensors in the passage leading to the labyrinth. Multiple traps had been set to compensate for the weak defenses as well.
However, Dominique and Kim Jin-Wooâs expressions were still full of concern.
<These are only temporary measures for wandering creatures or beasts.>
âI guess weâll have to wait for the labyrinthâs upgrade to be complete.â
<Youâll be able to summon nagas that can fight the basilisks once the labyrinth reaches Level 5.>
âTime is the limiting factor. Letâs pray that Anaxtus doesnât notice us before then.â
They were running out of time again. Although this upgrade was taking longer than any of the previous ones, Kim Jin-Wooâs team would have a breather if they endured for its duration.
However, the underground world wasnât so kind to him.
Beeep!
The siren linked to the motion sensor blared. It wasnât very loud, as Kim Jin-Woo had adjusted the volume, but it felt louder than any other sound to him.
âMaster!â Rikshasha, who had been patrolling the outskirts of the labyrinth, returned hurriedly to her master. Instead of lying prostrate on the ground, as usual, she exclaimed urgently, âBasilisks! The basilisks are here!â
âGoddamn it!â Kim Jin-Woo swore. Not even a week had passed since the battle with Ortehaga. In addition, he wasnât done installing the traps. âCall all the naga workers!â he commanded.
âAs you wish, master!â Rikshasha disappeared into the dark again.
Kim Jin-Woo shouted at Dominique, âWhoâs guarding the gate?â
<The gatekeeper, the drakan, and two warriors!>
âGather the rest and send everyone to the gate! Iâll be going straight there!â Kim Jin-Woo released a sequence of commands.
Dominique shook her tail busily and slithered out of sight.
The assembly of troops was swift and efficient this time, as it was more systematic. The naga workers aimed their shotguns at the enemyâs front line, while the naga gatekeeper and warriors supported them from behind. Meanwhile, the naga magician and priest were chanting spells.
It was a perfect defense. Kim Jin-Woo felt slightly relieved.
<Master! Look!â>
As he was arranging the nagaâs formation, Kim Jin-Woo heard Dominiqueâs exclamation. He turned around to see the basilisks, which resembled crocodiles that stood half-upright.
âWhy are there so few of them?â Kim Jin-Woo, who was prepared to face Anaxtus and his whole army, was bewildered by the small size of the enemy troop. Five meters tall from head to toe, the basilisks were domineering, but there werenât that many of them considering it was a labyrinth war. The creatures might have been powerful individually, but the nagaâs labyrinth wouldnât fall from merely five of them.
The basilisks, who were tottering around with their short hind legs and tails, stopped once they discovered the nagas.
<What should we do? Fire?> Dominique asked, with a shotgun in her hand for some reason. She had seemed anxious moments ago, but now she was visibly at ease due to the small number of enemy soldiers.
âHold on first.â Kim Jin-Woo stopped Dominique and hid behind the naga gatekeeper. He gave a signal to the drakan, who nodded and stepped forward, releasing a mighty roar.
âKyaaa!â Ortehaga was nothing but a crybaby drakan, but the basilisks who didnât know his true nature flinched from his overwhelming aura.
âYou who claim to be the descendants of the ancient dragon! What brings you to the labyrinth of Drakanus Ortehaga?â he exclaimed. It sounded as though he owned the place. In fact, this was what Kim Jin-Woo had planned.
Ortehagaâs eyes gleamed eagerly. With his raised, brilliant golden scales and the sulphuric fumes that seeped out from his mouth, the drakan appeared as if he were the master of the nagaâs labyrinth.
1. Dragons are said to have a reversed scale that, if touched, sends them into a rage.