âSo what exactly is that treasure?â Kim Jin-Woo asked. Whether he was angry or not, the priority was to find a solution to this mess. And to find a solution, he had to know what exactly Ortehaga stole.
But Ortehaga kept quiet as his eyes darted from side to side, dodging the question that Kim Jin-Woo desperately needed the answer to.
âOrtehaga!â Kim Jin-Wooâs patience finally ran thin as he raised his hand and slapped the back of Ortehagaâs head. The Drakan let out a gasp as he collapsed onto the floor.
Kim Jin-Woo continued, âBecause of you, we now have the guys who call themselves the Undefeated Mercenaries or whatever waiting outside my labyrinth and causing a ruckus. Give me a good reason to let you off the hook.â
At the threat, Ortehaga belatedly realized the weight of his actions and stuttered as he explained himself. âThe.. The thing I took was Krastoâs old Labyrinth Core. I kept it in a down gem the size of my fist, but I seem to have lost it somehow as I traveled around the 9th FloorâŚâ
<Oh no! The Labyrinth Core he stole is no ordinary core⌠itâs Krastoâs birthplace!> Dominique, finally understanding the gravity of the situation, shrieked.
Kim Jin-Woo lost his cool and slapped Ortehaga on the back of the head once more. âThereâs no way that group of mercenaries are outside causing a ruckus just because of this drakan, right?â
<We canât know for sure, but it is a possibility,> Dominique responded coldly, and Kim Jin-Woo found himself kicking Ortehaga in frustration as the drakan curled up on the floor shuddering.
***
The Undefeated Mercenary, Krasto, was a giant many times larger than the naga gatekeeper. A muscular being with reddish-tinted skin, he had two heads on his broad shoulders, resembling an old man on the left and a young man on the right.
âI am Krasto, leader of these mercenaries. I have heard of your fame, Undefeated Commander. It is good to see you,â the old manâs head said. The young manâs head had its eyes shut, as if it were sleeping. The first head continued, âI have no intention of encroaching on your territory. I have business to attend to, so please forgive my rudeness.â
Despite all of Kim Jin-Wooâs concerns, Krasto was unexpectedly neither hostile nor rude. The mercenary was so polite and gentlemanly that Kim Jin-Woo felt a slight sense of shame at his own overreaction for having prepared his nagas for a possible battle.
Krasto continued, âBefore anything else, I have a question. I am looking for a drakan. A rather young drakan that is quite possibly immature and has yet to reach adulthood.â
If it was a drakan he was looking for, then it was, without a doubt, Ortehaga. Among the infamous drakans, none could be more infamous than Ortehaga himself. Kim Jin-Woo almost considered feigning ignorance and playing dumb, but something within him told him that it wasnât the best idea.
âHis name is Ortehaga. Perhaps he may be in here?â Karst asked.
At Krastoâs question, Kim Jin-Woo truthfully replied, âIf itâs that trickster Ortehaga you are looking for, then he is indeed within my estate.â
âAh, so the rumors were true. People say that awful person has contributed to the Undefeated Baronâs glorious victories. It is only a question, but do you intend to hand him over to us?â
At that straightforward response, Kim Jin-Woo glanced behind him before looking back at Krasto and replying, âIâll just ask one thing. If I do hand over that good-for-nothing brat, what will you do with him?â
Krastoâs eyes shone, almost as if he were taking joy in this little conversation. Kim Jin-Woo took this time to quickly analyze the mercenary army.
There were around forty mercenaries the size of Krasto, and every single one of them looked like they were Hero-Grade.
He could handle an enemy force of that size, but he had information that this wasnât the entirety of the mercenaryâs army. There were, in fact, another hundred mercenaries at a distance waiting for orders, and that would be a real headache for him.
âWell. What do you think?â Krastoâs tone quickly changed sharply and his voice grew deeper. The nagas hissed fiercely and their eyes widened in retaliation.
â...Well, what can I do? Going to war over one mischievous brat is out of the question, isnât it?â Krasto finally added after a long pause, and the animosity in the air quickly dissipated. It was an unexpected response, catching Kim Jin-Woo off guard.
The defeated-looking Krasto continued with drooping shoulders, âDid your Lordship really think I would risk a war for that one bastard, or did you think I was here to put our respective undefeated titles to the test?â
A joyful look spread across the old manâs face as he continued, âIf I really thought that way, you would be talking to the sleeping head and not me.â
It was a peculiar sight to see Krasto talking about himself as if he were talking about another person. Upon closer look, the young man was snoring, seemingly having completely fallen into a deep sleep.
Kim Jin-Woo just stood in silence as he continued to stare at the bizarre sight in front of him.
âI have a rough idea of what youâre thinking. But weâre mercenaries, and we donât fight without a price,â Krasto added.
Kim Jin-Woo felt lucky that this mercenary commander was as thorough as they come. He was rather relieved, but he still warily asked Krasto one last question. âSo, youâre here just to tell me that?â
âThereâs no way, is there? Didnât I just tell you?â Krasto gave him a quick smirk. âMercenaries donât fight without a price.â
***
Krasto headed back with his army, stating that he would be killing time somewhere on the 9th Floor until he heard from Kim Jin-Woo again. He had certainly left a deep impression on Kim Jin-Woo.
âWhat a tough bastard.â Kim Jin-Woo, still harboring mixed feelings about the encounter, muttered to himself.
Dominique suddenly interrupted, asking, <Who do you think it is?>
Krasto had said he was here to cooperate with the nagas, but he had never revealed who was supporting him from behind.
âSomeone who knew I would venture deeper into the Labyrinth. Someone whoâs powerful enough to support the army of the Undefeated Mercenaries. It canât be Anatolius, though. If it were indeed that Iron-Blooded Count, he would have let it show by now.â Kim Jin-Woo ran the thought through his head many times, but he couldnât come up with an answer. âIâm not sure if I should be pleased or worried about this.â
Krasto had stated he wasnât interested in going to war over such trivial matters. And as his company was known for fighting on the deep floors, even having the luxury of choosing their targets, Kim Jin-Woo knew they would be a handful to deal with.
<But theyâre definitely useful in their own right. Of course, it may take a long time before we get to the point of being able to make use of them.>
There was something majestic about having fought with the Underworld Nobles while remaining undefeated. But on the other hand, Kim Jin-Woo knew he couldnât simply extend an offer to welcome them into his army, simply due to the fact that he had no idea who was backing Krasto.
âOh, Iâm still alive!â The one being that seemed happy was the source of all the problems, including the threat of warâthe troublesome drakan, Ortehaga. âThey say the Underworld is a small place, but for us to meet here of all places... What the hell?â
Kim Jin-Woo kicked the drakan in annoyance.
âArgh! Why, why? Didnât things all work out in the end!?â Ortehaga, who had assumed he was in the clear, looked at Kim Jin-Woo with a surprised and panicked look.
âI have to know what you were doing before you returned. What other problems have you caused?â Kim Jin-Woo lifted Ortehaga up, only to swipe his feet and trip him, causing him to fall to the floor once more. âOf course, you have to be punished before that.â
Ortehaga couldnât even beat Kim Jin-Woo before the latter had truly become a labyrinth master.
And with the accelerated upgrade cycle of Kim Jin-Wooâs labyrinth, as well as all the buffs he had received, there was no way for Ortehaga to even attempt to defeat his lord now.
âB-before I came here, o-on the 10th Fl-floor! Argh!â Ortehaga quickly tried to explain himself, but Kim Jin-Wooâs fists were faster.
âWhat did you do on the 10th Floor!?â Kim Jin-Woo continued to kick and step on Ortehaga as the drakanâs cries echoed across the Nagaâs Fortress.
***
Kim Jin-Woo was about to go back to the surface after taking care of matters in the Underworld when he suddenly remembered an existence he had forgotten and turned around.
<Angela.>
<Yes, Master.>
Angela, who had been observing Yoon-Hee around the clock ever since the Party Hall was upgraded to Level 5, happily responded to her masterâs long overdue call. She quickly hugged her master and buried herself in his arms with a wide, bright smile as he finally appeared in front of her.
Kim Jin-Woo gently pushed Angela away from him after she began cuddling him like a kitten, and got to the purpose of his visit. âHowâs Yoon-Hee?â he asked.
âHnn...â Angela had warmly greeted her master with her fullest sincerity, yet her master seemed unmoved. Seeing her master not even bat an eyelid despite her unbelievable beauty and figure, she couldnât help but feel let down and neglected.
Still, she did her job and reported back to her master. âItâs exactly as Master said. Yoon-Hee has definitely recovered.â
âWhy do you say that?â
âShe continues to stare blankly into the distance, but she seems to be able to think for herself nowadays. Sheâs able to act before anyone tells her to, and sheâs even able to express her emotions from time to time.â
Angelaâs words werenât even a surprise. Kim Jin-Woo knew that on the day the Party Hallâs upgrade finished, he had seen Yoon-Hee deep in thought.
âBut I canât figure out why she isnât talking. Do you think she may change for the worse?â Kim Jin-Woo asked.
âI canât say for sure. If she had been born in the Underworld, I would be able to read her mind. But as sheâs a human, I have no way of doing so.â
Kim Jin-Woo nodded, but his expression stiffened. He asked, âDoes that mean you can read my thoughts?â
âI canât. But if your emotions start to take shape, Iâm able to roughly tell how youâre feeling. For example, right now you feel uncomfortable about me knowing how you feel.â
Kim Jin-Wooâs face fell. Even without her telling him, he knew he wasnât feeling entirely happy about how things had turned out.
âPlease donât misunderstand. If Master is uncomfortable, so am I. If Master is happy, so am I. And I may only know how you feel a certain way, but Iâll never know the reason why. Thatâs why I laugh and cry along with you. If you still feel uncomfortable despite my explanations, then Iâll definitely feel upset.â
Kim Jin-Woo looked up to see Angela looking all upset and finally eased up. After all, he had gained so much from Angela, so he could live with that slight bit of discomfort. Comforting Angela and helping her to settle down, he asked her to continue with her explanations.
âWhen the Undefeated Mercenaries visited the Fortress, Yoon-Hee definitely seemed to have something on her mind, as if she was contemplating something.â
As Kim Jin-Woo had been preoccupied dealing with Krasto, he couldnât afford to pay attention to Yoon-Hee as well. Thus, he couldnât imagine what Yoon-Hee might have been thinking back then. He asked, âContemplating?â
âYes. She felt a mix of various emotions. Conflicted, worried, regretful, and self-recriminating⌠She was an indescribable vortex of emotions.â
âYou say you canât read other peopleâs minds, but you seem quite good at it.â
Angela seemed slightly sad upon hearing those words. âVampires have no other way of knowing the joy of others. We can't even tell the difference between a smiling face and a crying face. Without seeing through Masterâs perspective, Iâm only able to see half of this world.â
Kim Jin-Woo felt pity upon realizing that could be the reason why vampires were known for being clingy to their masters. But he kept that thought to himself. He knew that Angela craved her masterâs love, but not to the extent of receiving it out of pity.
âAnd because of that, Iâm sensitive to the negative emotions of others,â Angela continued.
âIs that so?â Kim Jin-Woo looked at Angela as he tried to sort his thoughts out, before finally continuing, âSo, where is Yoon-Hee now?â
âSheâs in her own residence as usual. Despite the changes thus far, her lifestyle has yet to significantly change.â
As Kim Jin-Woo nodded, Angela suddenly froze. âMaster?â She looked at the empty space in front of her, her eyes filled with a look of concern.
[Yoon-Hee, master of âParty HallâLand of Festivitiesâ, is attempting to open a portal connecting the Party Hall.]
[Will you allow the portal to connect?]
Kim Jin-Woo jolted up at the appearance of the message and shouted, âTake me to where Yoon-Hee is!â
Angela seemed to have realized that something odd was happening. Without a word, she quickly transformed into a black mass of smoke and flew toward the labyrinth, with Kim Jin-Woo closely following behind.
[Yoon-Hee is attempting to open a portal connecting the Party Hall once more. Without the Baronâs approval, the portal will not open.]