episode_0121

A forest slightly away from the watchtower.

The party members’ faces filled with questions at the sudden remark from the guide, Mars.

“A wooden box? There’s no way there’d be something like that…?”

Iron Mask muttered.

Jeong Yushin stealthily raised his fist.

“Could he be possessed by an evil spirit?”

Emerging from the bushes, Mars was startled and stepped back, waving his hands.

“Ah! No, I’m not! You crazy bastard!”

“It’s possible it’s a treasure chest.”

Kubo interjected.

A treasure chest, you say.

“A treasure chest in a place like this?”

“I’ve heard they sometimes pop up in the labyrinth. No one knows how they appear, though.”

Jeong Yushin stroked his chin.

Ah.

I’d forgotten for a moment.

Back when he was trapped in the Engrave City Tower with Karin’s party, Roinel had briefly mentioned it.

Didn’t he say that boxes sometimes appear in the labyrinths?

But, is my luck really that good?

Is that even possible?

Having experienced it before, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Do we really have to open that box? Shouldn’t we be going to the 7th floor? If we get hurt for nothing, the schedule will be delayed.”

Mars shrugged.

“What does it matter? It’s not like it’s far off the beaten path. If we’re lucky, we could get a decent magic tool, you know?”

“Hmm.”

“And I learned lockpicking skills from the guide association. This kind of wooden box? I can just pop it open!”

Mars exclaimed enthusiastically.

“How much is a decent magic tool worth?”

At Jeong Yushin’s question, Kubo scratched his beard and opened his mouth.

“The best magic tools you can get on this floor usually go for about 10 to 15 gold coins.”

Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.

Isn’t that the same price as the frozen magic tool he bought?

“Crazy. That much?”

“There’s a reason people go crazy for the labyrinth. Once you get past the beginner explorer stage, your earning potential expands greatly.”

“Hoo. There won’t be room because of the water and food, though?”

“…”

The party members closed their mouths and stared blankly at Jeong Yushin.

“Why?”

“You’re already worrying about backpack space when we don’t even know if there’s treasure? And you were against it until just a moment ago? You’re shameless.”

Jeong Yushin’s face turned slightly red at Kubo’s words.

That was true.

He’d drunk a whole bowl of kimchi soup in front of the party members, so he was a little embarrassed.

“Kubo, are you possessed by an evil spirit or something?”

“No, you crazy… I can’t say anything.”

Kubo paled and backed away as Jeong Yushin glared at him.

“Let’s go take a look.”

Jeong Yushin took the lead. He knew there were no enemies, but if something happened, he had to block it instead.

It definitely wasn’t because he was greedy.

The party members slowly approached the watchtower.

As they pushed through the randomly growing bushes, they saw an open space and a small, raised watchtower.

They passed the moss-covered stone wall and arrived in front of the watchtower.

Its preservation condition was better than the watchtowers he’d seen on the previous labyrinth trip.

Something like a pattern was engraved above the watchtower entrance. It was old, so the original form couldn’t be discerned, but it looked like a picture that would be used in the military.

He turned his head, exchanged glances with the party members, and then,

secured the shield to his wrist and opened the old wooden door.

Creak.

The sound of the wood screaming rang out, and the cool air trapped inside the watchtower slipped out, passing by the party members.

Just as Mars had said.

In the center of the watchtower’s interior was a large wooden box.

“Are you really going to open it?”

Kubo asked one more time, seemingly worried.

“Priest Kubo, please trust me just this once.”

Mars put down his luggage, took out the lockpicking tools, and slowly approached the wooden box.

He looked around, inserted the lockpicking tools into the box’s keyhole, and turned them this way and that.

“…”

The party members quietly watched Mars’ back.

Click.

Clack!

After struggling for a while, Mars’ face brightened as he heard something open.

“I opened it!”

“Oh!”

Mars grinned and grabbed the top of the box, slowly lifting it up.

At that moment.

Thwack!

At the same time as the sound of a string being plucked from inside the box, Mars quickly turned his head.

Whoosh!!!

A bolt that came out of the box grazed Mars’ cheek and became embedded in the wooden door of the watchtower entrance.

“Hahiiek.”

Mars let out a strange scream and collapsed as if his legs had given out.

“Mars!”

“You bastard!”

The party members rushed over and surrounded Mars.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Iron Mask asked urgently.

“Uh…no. I’m okay.”

Mars said, wiping the blood flowing from his cheek. He had a blank expression, as if he was half out of it.

“There might be poison on the bolt, so use an antidote.”

Jeong Yushin took out an antidote from his chest and handed it to Mars.

With trembling hands, Mars opened the glass bottle and poured the antidote on his face.

“Ouch, hot!”

Mars was horrified and turned his head to the side.

‘What a drama queen.’

Seeing him shudder, he was somehow compared to the brave and fearless Lynn. It felt even more so because they were both rodents.

“What about a healing potion?”

“I have one.”

Mars regained his senses, took out a healing potion, took a sip, and then poured a little on the wound.

When the situation had stabilized to some extent, Jeong Yushin got up from his seat and examined the inside of the box.

“What’s this?”

Inside the box, there was only one glass bottle filled with a black liquid.

“What is it?!”

Mars came rushing over from his seat, and Jeong Yushin pushed Mars’ head away.

“Kubo, there’s a glass bottle inside the box. Something like a potion.”

“Really?”

“But the color looks a little ominous.”

Kubo’s complexion changed drastically, and he hurriedly came over and looked inside the box.

“This is…?”

“Why?”

The party members swallowed hard as they watched Kubo, who couldn’t find the words to speak.

Is it a jackpot?

Or a bust?

“This is Inferno Oil.”

Jeong Yushin and Mars tilted their heads, but Iron Mask seemed to know what the black liquid was.

“Ah. Is this that ‘burning water’?”

“That’s right. I’ve heard humans call it that.”

Iron Mask crossed his arms and observed the glass bottle.

“Still, it’s strange. Isn’t that black water supposed to only come from deep underground or the bottom of the deep sea? How is something like this being discovered in a labyrinth? And so well-packaged?”

“I don’t know. It’s a labyrinth, so I guess that’s how it is.”

Kubo also looked into the glass bottle and blurted out a word.

“I’ve heard that only magic tools or scrolls come out?”

Kubo shook his head at Jeong Yushin’s question.

“No. Various items come out. It’s just that magic tools are traded for a high price, so people only mention magic tools.”

Mars opened his mouth with a gloomy face.

“Sometimes, when explorers gather, this kind of story comes up. That the items that come out of the boxes might be the relics of former explorers.”

‘Shit.’

His spine tingled.

Jeong Yushin glanced at the glass bottle in Kubo’s hand and turned his head away.

“Let’s stop and rest for a bit. We’ve been walking for a long time.”

The party members put down their luggage and sat in a circle around the torch.

Jeong Yushin took off his helmet and loosened his walker laces.

Just as he was about to catch his breath while sitting down, Mars smiled and took out a glass bottle.

“Hehe. You’re tired of jerky now, right? I brought a special dish.”

“A special dish?”

Jeong Yushin looked into Mars’ glass bottle and widened his eyes.

“…Eel jelly?”

“That’s right!”

Mars smiled and held up the glass bottle.

Chunks of fish trapped inside the pale jelly swayed.

Kubo’s eyes lit up.

“Mars! This guy knows what’s up!”

“Come on, come on, have a bite. You lose energy when you’re rolling around in the labyrinth, right? If you eat this, you’ll get strength!”

Mars opened the glass bottle and offered it to the party members. He’d prepared it sometime, but he’d even carved small twigs from the bushes to make something similar to a fork.

“…”

A strange, fishy smell wafted from the opened glass bottle, filling the watchtower.

‘Shit.’

Jeong Yushin shook his head.

“Eat a lot. I’m okay.”

Mars thumped his chest.

“I brought it for you and Iron Mask.”

“Suddenly?”

“Because the two of you are the vanguard. You run out of stamina when you’re in the labyrinth for a long time, right? If you eat this, you’ll get strength. I emptied my pockets to buy it for you guys.”

‘Was there a need to empty your pockets to buy it?’

No matter how precious seafood is, there’s such a grotesque food?

‘Close your eyes and eat it. Isn’t it food that a party member prepared? He said he emptied his pockets to buy it, is there a need to refuse and hurt his feelings?’

‘You crazy bastard, I don’t know which is the voice of conscience. You eat it all yourself. You devilish bastard!’

An angel and a devil fought in his head.

Iron Mask shook his head.

“I’ll eat later. Leave my share.”

“Really? Okay. I know it’s hard to eat because of the mask. Then Priest Kubo, you eat first, and then Sky, you eat it.”

Kubo smiled brightly, took the glass bottle, poked the eel with a twig, and licked it up with his tongue.

Munch, munch.

Kubo, who was savoring the eel, nodded.

“Delicious! I can already feel strength in my body. Look at this. My muscles are already bulging and trying to pop out!”

The naked dwarf bent his arm to show off his biceps.

Mars rubbed his hands and smiled like a sycophant.

“Hehe. It’s also good for stamina, they say.”

Kubo ate a few more bites and then handed the glass bottle to Jeong Yushin.

“Sky, eat a lot. I’m in the rear guard, so I only tasted a few bites. The jelly part is the best, especially, put it to your mouth and swallow it all.”

“…”

Jeong Yushin received the glass bottle with trembling hands.

When he glanced up, Mars was looking with sparkling eyes.

He said he spent money to prepare food for him and Iron Mask, so he couldn’t be so cold as to not eat it.

He took a toothpick, poked an eel, and took it out of the glass bottle.

‘This is bullshit.’

The slimy eel came out with the jelly.

A spasm occurred in Jeong Yushin’s eyes.

‘Hoo. I can do it.’

He stopped breathing, put it in his mouth, and chewed it.

Glug.

He swallowed and closed his eyes.

The mushy fish meat and soft jelly, combined with the spices that amplified the terrible fishy taste, mercilessly trampled on his mouth and mind.

“The…the best.”

Jeong Yushin raised his trembling hand and gave a thumbs up.

Mars smiled brightly.

“Eat one more!”

“You son of a bitch!”

Kubo and Mars’ faces hardened at the sudden outburst of profanity.

“Son of a bitch. It’s fucking delicious! My dick is already getting hard! Mars, come here. Let’s have a quiet conversation in the bushes over there.”

As Jeong Yushin slowly approached,

“D, don’t do it.”

The horrified Mars dragged his butt backwards and retreated.

Jeong Yushin tightly sealed the glass bottle and handed it to Iron Mask.

“Leader, you eat it.”

“Sky, your tone is a little strange.”

Iron Mask chuckled and put the eel jelly that Jeong Yushin had handed him into his backpack.

The party members gathered around the torch and shared various stories. Mainly stories of Mars and Kubo praising the eel jelly, though.

After resting for about 2 hours, they got up from their seats, packed their luggage, and left the watchtower.

“If we go a little further from here, we’ll see the transfer stone.”

Mars said, putting the map in his chest.

The party members pushed through the bushes and slowly moved forward.

For a whole 6 hours.

They didn’t encounter any monsters because they had dropped into the central area, and also because they were close to the transfer stone.

Still, they often saw the corpses of explorers covered in mold and cut into pieces on the way.

Every time that happened, the party members’ atmosphere gradually hardened.

No matter how much they laughed and enjoyed themselves at the rest stop, it was difficult to relieve the pressure of the labyrinth with just that.

“We’ve arrived.”

Mars muttered in a low voice.

It felt like the laughing and talking from a few hours ago was a lie.

The party’s atmosphere was very heavy.

As they pushed through the bushes and moved forward, they could see it right away.

A wide open space with only sparse weeds growing.

The transfer stone was placed in the middle of it.

Jeong Yushin took the lead and approached the transfer stone.

He turned his head and looked at the party members.

“Are you ready?”

“…”

No one answered.

They only made eye contact with Jeong Yushin and gripped their weapons.

That was enough.

When he placed his hand on the transfer stone, two portals were created.

Whoosh.

A red portal and a blue portal.

He stepped into the red portal.

His vision turned red, and he felt a sense of floating.

Thud!

He landed on the familiar dirt floor.

“Kkeuaaaaaak!!!”

“Sa, save me!!!”

He immediately looked around at the sudden scream.

“What?!”

Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.

Hell was unfolding before him.