4.
The labyrinth of the Labyrinth City was brutal for players.
It wasn’t just about monsters appearing out of nowhere—
but also the traps that caught players off guard, leading to countless casualties.
But the most unforgiving aspect of all—
was that the labyrinth itself kept changing.
A turning corridor from yesterday might be a straight path today—
or even a dead end.
Because of this,
having Thief-class and Mage-class players in your party was essential.
Without the maps provided by the Magic Tower
or the trap-detection skills of a Thief,
players would inevitably get lost.
If a player entered without a map—
unless they died and respawned back in town,
they might never find their way out.
But—
"There are monsters ahead."
"Ah, thanks."
For Noctrynnium,
the labyrinth’s dangers were meaningless.
The Spirit of the Dark Castle.
To be precise—
a spirit bound to land, labyrinths, and mansions.
This labyrinth was his home,
and he moved through it like a fish in water.
He led the way effortlessly,
navigating twists and turns as if he had designed the place himself.
Watching this, Fiora and Leonic muttered—
— "H-He’s enjoying himself."
"Yeah, he definitely is."
They both grinned as they watched Noctrynnium in action.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat as if denying it—
but it was obvious to them.
They had spent years together.
There was no hiding it.
Meanwhile, Seong—
"Wait... isn’t his face completely expressionless?"
He couldn’t see it at all.
Noctrynnium’s usual stoic and professional demeanor hadn’t changed a bit.
How the hell did they know he was enjoying himself?
Seong tilted his head, confused.
And then—
— "His heel lifts slightly higher when he walks."
— "A-And his steps are a little... quicker. Like he’s skipping a bit."
"...Oh."
If a normal person heard that, they’d call it bullshit.
But Seong wasn’t normal—
his visual perception had long surpassed that of a human.
And now that they mentioned it...
He could see it.
Noctrynnium’s heel was indeed lifting just a fraction higher,
and his steps were just a little lighter than usual.
Barely noticeable, but definitely there.
"I guess it makes sense."
After all, while he had fought well in previous battles,
this was the perfect battlefield for him.
He was dominating.
With just a wave of his hand,
every trap was disabled,
allowing them to pass through effortlessly.
It was as if the labyrinth was his domain.
Even Seong couldn’t help but be impressed.
But right now,
there was something more important—
testing his new power.
Seong adjusted his grip on his weapon.
There were monsters ahead,
and this was the perfect chance to experiment.
As he prepared for battle,
his undead followed suit.
But Seong raised a hand to stop them.
"I’ll handle this alone."
This was a test for his staff—
if they joined in, it would ruin the experiment.
The moment he spoke,
his undead immediately lowered their weapons.
His command was absolute.
With his minions standing down,
Seong advanced to the area Noctrynnium had pointed out.
And sure enough—
there they were.
Living Armors.
The classic haunted suits of armor,
moving on their own without a body inside.
"Perfect."
This would be an ideal opponent
to test his enhanced stats.
As the empty suits of armor began to move,
Seong charged forward.
His feet glided smoothly across the polished stone floor,
and he immediately noticed—
he was much faster than before.
"Oh?"
His movements stretched like taffy,
his body flowing effortlessly.
He lightly stepped forward again,
and a blurred afterimage remained in place.
The Shadow Glide effect had always left traces of him,
but now—
his speed was so high that the afterimage count had increased dramatically.
The Living Armors reacted.
Seeing his afterimages,
they swung their weapons at the wrong target.
CLANG!
A massive morningstar smashed into the stone floor,
sending shards of rock flying in all directions.
Seong sidestepped the debris,
then smoothly swung his sword at the nearest enemy.
Since they were literally just armor,
Living Armors had high physical defense.
But—
His blade sliced through its arm like butter.
SHRRRK—!
The sound of his sword cleaving metal
was unnaturally smooth.
As if he had just cut through tofu.
Seong’s eyes widened in shock.
"Damn... I’ve really gotten stronger."
He had expected an increase in Strength—
but the combination of Agility and Endurance made his movements far smoother.
He hadn’t even used a sword technique,
yet he had landed a perfect strike with ease.
Feeling confident,
he decided to test his magic next.
Living Armors were technically magical constructs—
so while their physical defense was high,
their magic resistance was even higher.
Seong extended his hand toward the next target.
"Dark Bullet."
A whirlwind of shadows surged toward his palm.
A sphere of darkness formed,
a compressed mass of destructive energy.
Then—
he fired.
The Dark Bullet tore through the air,
spinning like a cannonball as it streaked toward the Living Armor.
And the moment it made contact—
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted.
The Living Armor’s upper body was completely obliterated.
Its chest plate disintegrated,
and the rest of its body was shredded into countless pieces.
It was an instant kill.
Seong let out a breath of disbelief.
"Hah."
Even before,
his Dark Bullet had been a powerful spell.
But this—
was on another level.
"I think it’s finally time."
Seong had been saving his Overlord’s Tome and Kyo’s Unique Skillbook,
waiting for the right moment to upgrade his magic.
"After the lab, I’ll choose my new skills."
There was a saying—
"If you wait too long, your treasures turn to dust."
But in this case—
the lab might offer even better skills,
so he needed to be patient.
For now,
his current skills were more than enough.
Even if he didn’t use them immediately, it wasn’t a big deal.
To be honest, the Unique Skillbook from Kyo was something he could sell at any time without hesitation.
Regardless, the power of the newly evolved Lord Helena’s Staff was overwhelming.
— "Magnificent, my lord!!!"
— "L-Lord! Y-You’ve become even stronger!"
— "My congratulations, Lord."
His undead minions showered him with praise.
Seong waved them off and turned to Noctrynnium.
"Lead the way."
Their destination was Melisia’s Laboratory.
Though the journey was longer than expected,
they took their time, fighting monsters along the way.
Seong racked up plenty of experience and collected various items.
Most of them were crafting materials, but still useful.
After what felt like a long trek,
they finally arrived—
thanks to Noctrynnium’s guidance and the shortest route possible.
"We’re here."
Seong looked at where Noctrynnium was pointing—
only to see a blank wall.
Normally, this would have caused confusion—
but Seong had already glimpsed Melisia’s memories.
He knew what to do.
"Right... I need to press here first."
First, he pushed a hidden brick.
Then, he tapped several specific spots on the floor.
With a few precise movements,
the mechanism activated.
GRIND— CLUNK—
The sound of massive gears interlocking echoed through the chamber.
Soon—
the stone wall began sliding down, revealing an entrance.
Beyond it,
a single, weathered wooden door stood—
dry and twisted like it had been carved from a dead tree.
This was it.
Melisia’s Laboratory.
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Now, all he had to do was claim its treasures.
Just as he stepped forward—
[You have discovered the Labyrinth-Type Hidden Dungeon: ‘The Mad Alchemist’s Laboratory.’]
[You are the first to discover this Hidden Dungeon!]
[First Discovery Rewards granted.]
[EXP gain in ‘The Mad Alchemist’s Laboratory’ increased by 50%.]
[Loot drop rates increased by 50%.]
[The Hidden Dungeon has activated!]
[Your title ‘Treasure Explorer’ is now in effect.]
[Hidden Dungeon drop rates increased by 20%.]
[Secret door discovery chance increased by 20%.]
[First Discovery Bonuses last until the dungeon is cleared for the first time.]
"...?"
What the hell?
According to Melisia’s memories,
this was supposed to be just a laboratory.
But now—
it had turned into a Hidden Dungeon.
At first, he was surprised.
But thinking about it—
"The owner, Melisia, is dead. So the game must’ve repurposed it into a dungeon."
That was the most likely explanation.
It would have been strange for the lab to just sit there untouched.
But still...
"‘The Mad Alchemist’s Laboratory’? Really?"
Even the name sounded ominous.
And considering what he knew about Melisia,
it was kind of accurate.
"A Hidden Dungeon, huh...?"
As Seong stood there, processing the situation,
Noctrynnium bowed deeply, looking apologetic.
"...Forgive me, Lord. I am unable to detect anything beyond that door."
"It’s a Hidden Dungeon. That’s normal."
"...My deepest apologies."
Noctrynnium looked disappointed.
He had hoped to be of greater use.
But honestly—
he had already been invaluable in getting them here.
That wasn’t the issue now.
The real concern was—
Melisia herself.
"Damn it... Melisia was researching Chimeras and Homunculi."
She wasn’t just studying the Dragon’s Heart Fragment.
She had been experimenting to see if it could be fused with a Chimera.
That was why Seong had been interested in her research.
"If I could raise Chimeras as part of the Death Legion, it would’ve been perfect."
His original plan had been to quietly eliminate the test subjects and convert them into undead.
But now—
That wasn’t an option.
He’d have to fight every single one of them.
But actually—
"This isn’t bad."
Since the lab had turned into a Hidden Dungeon,
the rewards were even better.
Feeling more optimistic,
Seong approached the door and grabbed the handle.
[Opening this door will enter you into the Labyrinth-Type Hidden Dungeon: ‘The Mad Alchemist’s Laboratory.’]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
[Yes / No]
[Warning: It is recommended to use all buffs before entering.]
Yup.
That meant the Chimeras and Homunculi inside were already loose.
And judging by his memories—
"Those things must be here too."
Seong grimaced at the thought.
Still, after a brief mental preparation,
he clicked ‘Yes.’
The door creaked open,
revealing a vast, chaotic laboratory.
The room was massive, far larger than it looked from outside.
Scattered broken flasks and shattered glass littered the floor.
Nearby, grotesque Chimeras were devouring chemicals that had spilled from ruined containers.
Some had three chicken heads,
others resembled Living Armors, except they floated and wielded staffs like magic constructs.
Then there was the worst one—
a fusion of a snake’s head, a wolf’s body, raptor talons, and massive wings.
And these weren’t just a few of them.
There were over fifty Chimeras prowling the lab.
Each one was a nightmare of twisted biology,
and all of them turned to face him the moment he stepped inside.
"Seriously... ‘The Mad Alchemist’ is an understatement."
Seong sighed at the absurdity of it all.
This was definitely a Melisia-level disaster.
Then—
the Chimeras charged.
Drooling, snarling, screeching—
they rushed at him in a frenzy.
Seong let out a deep breath.
Then, he spoke.
"Let’s go."
— "For our lord, we shall strike!!!"
— "I-I’ll do my best!"
— "I shall give my all, my lord."
Seong and his undead minions launched into battle.