Chapter 133
A disheveled woman sipped from a bottle of alcohol in the early morning.
Unni did you drink all night again? Its almost time for your next Adventure. You should be taking care of your body right now
"Haha, looking after my body? Yeah, that's important. But, you know, Inyeong it's not like only the fittest, buffest folks come back from Adventures, right? So, taking care of my body... is it really necessary?"
Youre drunk right now, Choi Inyeong turned around, Ahjussi, you should go back now too.
Inyeong then faced the disheveled woman once more, Unni! You need to sober up.
The inebriated woman happened to be a crucial member of Audenin's guild alliance, Son Juyeon.
Seeing the usually composed and alert woman in such a state was tough.
Just a bit more
What? I cant hear you.
She had a mournful look in her eyes.
Is it okay if I just wait a bit more?
...Unni, Changsik oppa is dead. So Cant you stop this now?
You Argh!
Shatter!
Juyeon hurled a delicate glass cup at the wall, shattering it into pieces.
Hrgh Hah Changsik isnt dead. Hes not dead!
"I know... you tried to stop him from going, but he went anyway. And... that means it's over."
There was a reason why the atmosphere had been so somber when deciding on the individuals for the labyrinth expedition.
While friction between the guilds played a role, the primary concern was that Changsik was essentially their leader. Everyone was worried about his absence and the potential consequences if he didn't return.
This was especially the case for Juyeon.
Which, in turn, became the reason why she looked for other people to undertake the labyrinth.
It was a plan that failed brilliantly with the appearance of Seol, though.
Inyeong was someone privy to Juyeon and Changsiks private relationship.
In reality, Changsik was a popular figure in Audenin. His commendable character and self-assured demeanor attracted a considerable following.
With a somber look, Inyeong slowly approached Juyeon and began picking up the glass shards near her feet.
He has been killed by the labyrinth.
Fucking
Hey Watch your language! Youre doing it again.
God fucking damn it Why did that idiot have to go there
Unni.
He shouldve just been satisfied with what the alliance was giving him. Why why did he choose to go?!
Inyeong grabbed Juyeons hands.
You know better than anyone that Changsik oppa wasnt someone whod do that, unni.
Asshole. Dumbass.
But that dumbass brought all of us together, didnt he?
...Sure, at first.
The first thing that disappeared after being transferred into The World of Eternity was trust.
Mutual trust, promises, faith in party members, etc.
Since everyone was grappling with survival, it didn't matter to them who was pushed down in their pursuit to live.
However, Changsik was different.
He wasnt like them.
And it was for that reason people began following Changsik, leading to the formation of the alliance.
However, without him, the alliance was now just a boring group driven solely by self-interest and unsavory motives.
The alliance without Changsik was lonely.
The longest an Adventure has ever taken was three months.
...Three months?
Yes, and its been four since Changsik oppa entered the labyrinth.
Four months since entering the labyrinth
There was no room for hope.
Once again, the labyrinth had killed its intruder.
Thats why to prepare for whatll happen next
Suddenly, there was a loud noise.
Juyeoooooooon!
...Huh?
Juyeon! I heard Juyeon was here! Haah Haah Juyeooooon!
A mans voice rang throughout the store that Juyeon was at. It was a familiar voice, so Juyeon assumed he was one of her guild members.
And her assumptions were correctt.
Why are you here? Juyeon unni drank all night and
Haah Haah So you were here Hold on, just let me catch my breath and Fuu
The man was covered in sweat, indicating that he had hurried over here.
What was so urgent that he ran here? Exhausted and inebriated, Juyeon buried her head in her arms.
But then a chill ran down her spine.
Are Are you
The man laughed.
Haah Yeah.
Juyeon got up and attempted to leave the store to run to him but got tripped up by her own feet and stumbled.
Unni!
Its you, right? Its you?! shouted Juyeon, getting back up as if nothing had happened.
The man nodded back.
Im back.
The wait had come to an end.
* * *
Ill kill you! Ill fucking kill you!
Juyeon tightened her grip around Changsiks neck.
Krgh Krrg S-Someone I cant breathe
What the hell happened?! What happened in there?
Ill explain everything so l-let me breathe!
Inyeong wrapped her arms around Juyeons waist and pulled her off Changsik.
Unni, stop This is why I told you to stop drinking.
Let me go! That asshole You
Fuu I can finally breathe now.
Changsik laughed while touching his neck.
He then looked around, judging the situation. There were onlookers all around them.
The labyrinth? Really, the labyrinth?
I thought they went there four months ago?
Didnt they all die? I thought you said it was hopeless?
I dont know either, I just got here.
With the crowd growing, Changsik began to believe that every transferee in Audenin had gathered here.
Juyeon, after calming down, asked,
But why are you alone?
......
The others
Changsik limped over to where the guild members had gathered. He then gave a deep bow.
I apologize. Heungsu, Jaeho, and Taegyu all died in the labyrinth.
......
It is all my fault for being weak, they
Thud
No Jaeho Jaeho died?
Youre lying to us, right? Are they really all dead?
What about Private then? Is Private still alive?
Did that bastard leave behind everyone else to survive on his own, huh?!
They did not know. They did not know what happened in the labyrinth.
For their respective reasons, they were seeking a target to vent their anger.
Clench
Changsik clenched his teeth, seething angrily as though the crowd had personally insulted him. Despite his fury, he made an effort to calm down before responding to them.
We shouldnt be talking about this here. Why dont we talk about it at the lighthouse?
Changsik and the other guild members distanced themselves from the crowd and headed to the lighthouse.
After arriving, Changsik sat down at the conference table. Juyeon, who noticed Changsiks limp, called for a healer in the guild to look after it as they talked.
Its fine. It should return to normal once he gets some rest.
Thank you.
Urgh you smell like alcohol.
Have you been drinking since morning, Juyeon?
Nope, since last night.
......
The leaders of the alliance all smirked and laughed over it.
They were all waiting for Changsik to speak.
We
Changsik then continued, sharing the details of what happened.
His detailed story was so gruesome that it made the listeners cringe and draw away.
So youre saying that in the end it was a fight with oneself.
And that was where people failed which was also why Jaeho attacked Taegyu and
Oh no
Some of the more sensitive people began to tear up.
Then What happened to the people who had their souls taken away?
Yeah, dont tell me theyll forever
Thats
Changsik continued, telling them about what happened during the Final Penance.
He told them about how powerful the final boss was and how powerful Private was to face it.
Thats impossible!
You werent able to help him at all, Changsik?
Eventually, it flowed to how Private defeated the final boss and the rewards they gained from it.
Thud!
Changsik placed a treasure chest on the table.
Everyone could instinctually tell that it was the treasure from the labyrinth.
Click
Ha Haha
These equipment
There were dozens of extraordinary equipment, ancient coins, and even gems.
But they werent enough.
The rewards that I selected were these.
Considering that three guild members lost their lives and had their souls trapped in the labyrinth, these rewards seemed far too inadequate.
What about Private? Did he get something else on his own?
Where is he now?
I told him to return to the room I prepared for him so he doesnt get caught up in troublesome matters like this.
One of the leaders shot up.
Youre lying! I doubt thats the case. I bet you sent him ahead of time so that we cant claim a right to his rewards.
Thats right! And if you look at it, the only reason he could get those rewards in the first place was
Changsik had a disheartened look on his face.
The only person who caught it, though, was Juyeon.
...What did Private choose for his rewards?
Why are you asking something so obvious?! Hes obviously trying to monopolize his treasures
Changsik shook his head.
He freed the souls.
......
He chose to free all of the souls trapped in the labyrinth. Even though he knew it wouldnt be an adequate reward for all that he went through.
......
N-No way
Changsik closed his eyes for a second.
It was thanks to his goodwill the party members whose souls were trapped by the reaper were freed.
Are you seriously telling us to believe that right no
Changsik glared.
Do not insult him further if you value your life. He isnt someone who should be treated like that. If he puts in even the slightest of effort, he could silence everyone here.
......
Well, thats my story. Feel free to take a portion of the treasures as payment for me using the token. Im just tired now.
The room was silent.
Though everyone was happy that survivors had returned, a heavy silence hung in the air due to the price they paid, the lives of their comrades. They were also speechless from Privates incredible actions.
And then a woman, who had been quietly sitting in the corner, spoke up.
By the way did everyone look at the newly updated rankings?
Ah, now that I think about it
I havent checked it yet.
A man who harbored jealousy over Changsik's relationship with Juyeon voiced his thoughts.
"By the way, Changsik, did you know I've surpassed you now?"
Really?
The man glanced at Juyeon after taunting Changsik.
Well, points arent absolute at representing ones strength, but
N-No way!
...Huh?
The points! Everyone, check the points!
What is it?
Whats going on?
Everyones eyes headed to the rankings.
Their eyes froze on the Privates who were listed 1st and 2nd.
Changsik surpassed 2 million points?
The labyrinth gave more than a million points?
M-More importantly look at the 1st place
Oh my god
There was only one person in Audenin who could surpass Changsiks 2 million points.
* * *
[Your information is set to Private.]
[You have 5,482,500 Points.]
[You have surpassed 5,000,000 Adventure Points.]
[You have earned the Inaugural Achievement 'The Front Lines'.]
[You have earned the Inaugural Title 'Vanguard'.]
[Adventure Points Leaderboard
1. Private (5,482,500)
2. Private (2,211,710)
3. WithWords (1,502,120)
4. SpoonMurderer (1,372,420)
5. WhoAteAllTheMangoes (1,240,130)]
After entering his room, Seol changed out of his torn clothing and into his comfortable clothes.
He was exhausted after spending so long in the labyrinth. It had reached the point where even checking his titles was a pain.
[[Inaugural Title: Vanguard]
Related Achievement: The Front Lines (Adventure: N/A)
Bonus Effect: It now costs one less to upgrade a skill that you've already unlocked on the skill tree.]
Now that I think about it, Ive gathered quite a lot of skill points now
- Woah Its such a nice effect, but Snowmans just so nonchalant about it.
- <- Snowman right now.
- He looks like hes thinking about what to eat for lunch LOL
- Is he really someone who just came out of the labyrinth? Hahaha
- Inaugural Titles dont mean shit to him now!
- Snowmans snowballing right now
- The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer! Hes just sweeping through all of these achievements and getting stronger!
- But its fun to watch him. Very exciting!
- I hope you read my dono~
Seol was confident that Changsik would organize everything for him and provide the details later.
For now I just want to rest.
Seol was exhausted after the ordeals he went through in the labyrinth. He laid down on a long, comfortable chair, ready to sleep. However, as he was about to close his eyes
Knock, knock.
Someone interrupted his rest.
Is it the alliance?
Seol had considered it a possibility. They mightve had some questions for Seol about the labyrinth.
Who is it?
...Is it possible to have a talk?
A talk?
It was clear the person behind the door wasnt a member of the alliance.
Urgh
Seol slowly got up and walked toward the door.
Youll have to tell me why youre here if you want me to open the door.
...meli.
Huh?
My name is Chameli, I am a Black Pilgrim.
A Black Pilgrim?
They were the organization that Boseok, the person Seol fought to enter the labyrinth, belonged to.
Were they here to settle the debts of what happened four months ago?
Creak
Seol opened the door and looked at the person.
They werent particularly tall.
And judging by how the clothes rested on their body they were a woman.
The Black Pilgrim had a hood over her head, and behind her were more Black Pilgrims.
I came here because there is something to discuss with you, brother, said Chameli.
Why havent you left Audenin yet?
Because we had to wait.
Wait for what? Dont tell me
You are correct.
Chameli awkwardly laughed.
We were waiting for you.
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