Chapter 115: No One Can Be Trusted

Episode 115

Shin Woong charged at Kim Jinsung again.

Kim Jinsung raised his scythe-transformed hands, as if he had been waiting for this.

**Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!**

The sharp sound of clashing metal rang out again.

Blocking all the attacks, Kim Jinsung quickly spun and swung his scythe at Shin Woong.

**Swoosh!**

A deep slicing sound was heard as a sharp wound appeared on Shin Woong’s body.

Looking at Shin Woong, who had already sustained quite a few injuries, Kim Jinsung thought,

‘This is much more manageable than before.’

The first reason for this was the labyrinth environment.

—

▶ Your surroundings are saturated with dark energy.

▶ Activating dark energy slightly increases all stats.

—

Inside the Demon World Dungeon filled with dark energy, Kim Jinsung’s physical abilities had dramatically increased compared to when he fought in the Colosseum arena.

Additionally, he had already activated ‘Space Dominated by Dark Energy’ around him.

Essentially, Kim Jinsung was giving it his all, except for not using his clone skill.

‘If I summon clones in this state, I might be able to take him down faster than expected.’

Kim Jinsung immediately used all his remaining MP to create clones.

In an instant, the number of Kim Jinsungs, including himself, increased to 11, surrounding Shin Woong and launching a coordinated attack.

Shin Woong hurriedly switched to a defensive stance to block the attacks, but it was nearly impossible to block them all.

He consistently allowed one attack through, and as a result, quickly became covered in blood.

It was then that,

“Aaaaargh!!”

With a loud roar, Shin Woong’s eyes turned blood-red.

It was evidence that he had used his unique ability, the ‘All or Nothing’ trait.

Simultaneously, Shin Woong’s attack speed increased dramatically.

**Swoosh! Swoosh!**

In an instant, two of the clones were decapitated by Shin Woong.

Kim Jinsung frowned at the sight.

‘Tch, as expected.’

However, this was an ability he had already experienced once.

Kim Jinsung, unfazed, blocked Shin Woong’s attacks while summoning more clones.

Then, sensing unfamiliar presences from all directions, Kim Jinsung turned his head.

“……!”

Kim Jinsung, who had remained calm until now, widened his eyes in surprise.

He saw numerous monsters emerging through the mist.

From Demon World minions to Tainted Ones like the Aards and Mantodeas.

But that wasn’t all.

‘Even Void monsters…!’

The beings rising from the ground one by one were identical to the purple monsters he had seen in the ‘Void space’.

All these monsters, upon appearing, began charging towards Kim Jinsung and his clones.

The situation quickly turned unfavorable in terms of numbers.

The clones, already struggling against Shin Woong alone, now surrounded by numerous monsters, began to fall one by one at a rapid pace.

Seeing this, Kim Jinsung urgently called out to Dantalian.

‘Tell me how to get out now!’

In fact, Kim Jinsung had intended to ask Dantalian about how to escape from the Mist of Illusions earlier.

He thought it would be a waste of time to stay here any longer, seeing only apparitions of past opponents.

But Shin Woong’s immediate attack had made him miss the chance to ask.

[You’re asking me to tell you?]

Dantalian’s surprised voice was heard.

[I thought you had found the answer when I saw you immediately realize they were illusions.]

‘Whoa!’

At that moment, Kim Jinsung sharply bent backward to dodge a missile from a Void monster flying at him from the side.

By now, all the clones Kim Jinsung had summoned had been destroyed.

‘This won’t do. I need to break out of this encirclement first.’

Kim Jinsung immediately concentrated to enter a state of resonance.

In that state, he attempted to resonate with all the surrounding Demon World minions.

Soon, he succeeded in resonating with all of them.

All the Demon World minions changed their targets from Kim Jinsung to the other surrounding monsters.

More than half of the surrounding monsters, now allies, naturally allowed Kim Jinsung to break free from the encirclement.

‘Phew…. Alright, now explain.’

Kim Jinsung, now able to focus solely on Shin Woong’s attacks, asked Dantalian again.

[Okay, I’ll explain step by step. First, you need to understand what illusions are.]

‘Illusions? I know they’re non-existent beings, at least.’

[That’s right. To add, they are all beings from memories lodged in your brain.]

‘Beings from memories…’

[Illusions are essentially hallucinations that can only be seen when in a state similar to mental disturbance. Now, think about it. How can you eliminate these non-existent illusions?]

Kim Jinsung quickly racked his brain at Dantalian’s question.

He didn’t immediately find the answer, but he did realize one thing for certain.

‘At least, subduing them by force isn’t the right answer.’

[That’s it!]

Dantalian’s voice exclaimed in agreement.

Hearing this, Kim Jinsung soon reached a thought.

‘Then, perhaps I don’t take damage from the illusions’ attacks?’

Kim Jinsung lowered his guard, not blocking Shin Woong’s incoming sword attack this time.

Shin Woong’s sword slashed Kim Jinsung’s side,

**Swoosh!**

‘Ugh…!’

Kim Jinsung grimaced as he was deeply cut.

Seeing the wound immediately start bleeding, Kim Jinsung quickly used a healing skill to treat it.

[Puhaha! Did you think attacks wouldn’t work because the illusions aren’t real?]

‘Tch…. I was just experimenting.’

[Kukukuku! Unfortunately, countless beings from the middle world have died in the ‘Mist of Illusions’ thinking that way. Don’t let your guard down.]

Kim Jinsung fell into thought while blocking Shin Woong’s attacks with both arms.

Beings that couldn’t be dealt with by force, yet would inflict real wounds if not defended against…

What was the perfect way to handle these illusions?

‘You said I’m fighting beings that remain as memories in my brain. …Wait a minute.’

Soon, Kim Jinsung began to focus on the word ‘brain’.

If these illusions before him were beings born from the brain, couldn’t they be easily dealt with using an ability that utilized the brain?

‘Come to think of it, isn’t the resonance state an ability that uses the brain?’

Having reached this thought, Kim Jinsung began to concentrate on maximizing his resonance ability.

In that state, he attempted to resonate with Shin Woong in front of him.

“……!”

Kim Jinsung’s eyes widened as he saw Shin Woong, who had been swinging his sword, turn into gray smoke.

‘This is the answer! Then…’

Kim Jinsung immediately attempted to resonate with everything within his controllable range.

Then, after a few seconds.

All the numerous illusory monsters fighting each other began to simultaneously turn into gray smoke.

Moreover, the gray mist that had thickly covered the surroundings began to thin rapidly before Kim Jinsung’s eyes.

Soon after, the gray mist completely disappeared, and the surroundings returned to the original appearance of the passage.

Even the gray rift that had remained until the end rapidly shrank and then completely vanished.

‘Whew…. I did it.’

Kim Jinsung, finally ending the resonance, let out a deep sigh of relief.

Due to extremely elevating his resonance ability in a short period, his entire brain felt heated, but having used it several times now, he was quite accustomed to it and didn’t feel as dizzy as the first time.

[Well done! That’s it! As expected, you find the answer on your own without being taught! How fortunate I am to have spotted such talent first! Huhahaha…!]

Dantalian shouted joyfully and even burst into laughter.

But Kim Jinsung wasn’t listening to his voice at all.

He was focused on the notification window that had appeared before him.

—

▷ You have defeated an evil entity.

▶ You have acquired the ‘Mist of Illusions’ skill.

▷ Mist of Illusions: Covers the area around the user with the ‘Mist of Illusions’. Enemies trapped in the mist fall into a state of mental disturbance.

– Enemies encounter illusions of beings from their memories, and these illusions continue to be summoned until they overcome the mental disturbance on their own.

– The ‘Mist of Illusions’ can only be created in one location at a time. Creating it elsewhere will cause the existing ‘Mist of Illusions’ to disappear.

– Uses half of maximum MP when activated.

▶ Do you want to delete an existing skill to acquire the ‘Mist of Illusions’ skill?

—

‘I… absorbed this?’

Kim Jinsung couldn’t hide his surprised expression upon seeing the notification.

He hadn’t even imagined he would gain it as a skill, as he hadn’t actually defeated a monster.

‘But if it works like this, why couldn’t I get the Void ability?’

Having reached this thought, Kim Jinsung began to wonder inwardly.

‘Is it because I didn’t eliminate it directly, but it disappeared with the help of the labyrinth’s dark energy…?’

[What are you talking about?]

‘Ah…. It’s nothing. Just talking to myself.’

Kim Jinsung evaded answering Dantalian’s interjecting question.

There was no reason to reveal his abilities unnecessarily. It’s not like he had made that soul contract Dantalian mentioned.

‘Even if I had made a soul contract, there would be no need to reveal it.’

Kim Jinsung then deleted his existing ‘Laser Beam’ skill and registered the new ‘Mist of Illusions’ skill.

‘Now, I just need to get out…’

Kim Jinsung looked at the exit portal right in front of him.

Once he stepped into that shimmering black space, Kim Jinsung’s Colosseum Survival journey would be completely over.

However….

[…Why aren’t you walking towards the exit?]

Dantalian asked curiously, seeing Kim Jinsung hesitate.

[Don’t tell me you’ve decided to make a soul contract with me before leaving?]

‘That’s definitely not it.’

[Ugh….]

Dantalian’s reaction showed he had gotten his hopes up only to be disappointed. Kim Jinsung spoke honestly to him.

‘I’m just uneasy about those Daehan Clan guys.’

[Daehan Clan…. You mean those humans who were secretly creating rifts in this labyrinth?]

‘Yeah. I clearly saw them standing around the dungeon portal.’

When the floor of the transport plane opened and they were falling towards the dungeon portal,

Kim Jinsung clearly remembered seeing hunters standing guard around the portal, with Taegeuk marks drawn on their armor.

And the white-haired old man he saw just before entering the portal.

He was definitely Yong Hangil, whom he had seen in room 3001 of the Colosseum Hotel.

‘If they’re doing suspicious things inside the dungeon, what’s stopping them from doing worse outside? They’re probably plotting something even more freely out there.’

Moreover, he didn’t think Baek Jun would stop the Daehan Clan’s schemes.

When he met Yong Hangil in room 3001, Baek Jun was sitting right next to him, conversing intimately.

Considering their seemingly close relationship, honestly, Kim Jinsung couldn’t trust the Colosseum or Baek Jun anymore.

[So what are you going to do? You’re not planning to stay here forever, are you?]

After pondering Dantalian’s words for a moment, Kim Jinsung asked again.

‘Is there no other exit? Or a way to create a new exit portal?’

[Unfortunately, there’s no such thing. In a Demon World Dungeon, there is always only one exit portal, no matter the circumstances.]

‘Tch….’

As Kim Jinsung clicked his tongue in disappointment, Dantalian probed,

[From the way you’re talking, it seems like you want to escape without anyone knowing.]

‘……’

When Kim Jinsung didn’t respond, Dantalian, taking his silence as tacit agreement, continued,

[If that’s your goal, I might be able to help.]

‘How?’

Kim Jinsung asked with an eager expression, and Dantalian questioned,

[Have you heard of the ‘Inclusio’ phenomenon?]

—