Everywhere was filled with gray cement. The air in the dungeon felt sharp and harsh on the skin, mixing the smell of blood and stale dust, which made it impossible to let down one's guard. The lack of ventilation made it both hot and humid, causing discomfort in breathing, prompting Kang Sihyun to furrow his brow.
The aesthetics were nonexistent in this place constructed solely of gray cement—floor, walls, and ceiling alike.
There wasn't a single light fixture, and the darkness made the group murmur about their inability to see. Sihyun, having heightened his divine power to secure better visibility, realized additional measures were needed and swung his divine energy.
Bright light burst forth like flames, shooting towards the ceiling and illuminating the dark space.
"Ah, I can see now!"
Haeun exclaimed in short admiration as the light filled the ceiling, revealing the expressions of the group and the layout of the dungeon at a glance. Sihyun quickly scanned the group to check if anyone was injured during their traversal and then looked forward in astonishment.
"What is this?"
The expression on Sihyun's face showed unfiltered alarm as the dungeon, now illuminated, revealed a level of oppression far beyond the brief glimpses of cement walls seen in the dark. Paths were everywhere, yet every direction led to walls. Some pathways were inexplicably blocked.
The structure was not entirely unfamiliar to Sihyun, who clenched his fist tighter around his divine power and took a deep breath.
A labyrinth grander than the luxurious dungeons of Decumanus but more maze-like.
A massive labyrinth.
Primus had created this maze to trap him.
"Hmm..."
"Ah..."
The group, disoriented by sudden spatial displacement, sighed upon seeing the maze, sharing the confusion and helplessness felt by Sihyun.
Given their location deep within the labyrinth—neither the start nor the end—it was unclear where the entrance or exit might be. They had followed an Irregular into the dungeon and swiftly lost their way.
Sihyun scanned the general structure of the maze, shook his head in frustration, and looked back. The number of his group matched those who had entered, but an additional presence that should have been there was missing.
Not a member of the group, but the Irregular who had brought them here.
"Primus?"
The mastermind behind this labyrinth was nowhere to be seen.
Doubting his sight, Sihyun re-examined the area, but it was the same. As he voiced his confusion, the group, previously distracted by the maze, turned their heads, looking for Primus with serious expressions.
"What? Where did that guy go?"
Hamin spoke roughly, confirming for everyone that Primus was missing. The awakened individuals, realizing he was gone, grasped their weapons, readying themselves for a possible ambush.
Sihyun spread his divine power thinly and broadly throughout the maze. It was challenging to navigate the dungeon; whenever he directed his energy, it moved opposite to his intention, and some areas absorbed it like a black hole, making him feel as though space itself was distorted. Sweating from effort, Sihyun focused intensely on locating Primus, eventually grinding his teeth when he realized the miscreant was beyond his reach of exploration.
His head felt numb with pain.
"Armus."
Upon calling the name, the Irregular, lost in thought, looked back at him. Sihyun met his gaze and pressed for information about Primus's whereabouts.
"Where did he go?"
"How should I know? I was moved here with you guys."
"Isn't there something you can feel since you're kin?"
"Do you feel where your group is just because they're the same people?"
Armus's expression soured as he dismissed the illogical query. Even in this situation, the fact that he made sense reassured Sihyun that he could trust his future words.
Sihyun realized that the shortcut he had hoped to use was impossible and ran his fingers through his hair.
So this is how it goes.
"Primus..."
This bastard. He had whimsically dragged them into the maze and then vanished completely.
The deceit was not just ludicrous. An ominous premonition that escaping the maze would lead to Primus washed over him.
"Mr. Sihyun."
"Kid."
Ruth and Hahyuk approached, assessing the situation. Confirming that Primus had indeed vanished, their expressions darkened. Hahyuk glanced at the maze and tightened his grip on his sword.
"It seems he intends to reduce our numbers in this maze."
Unperturbed, Sihyun agreed with the calm judgment. Primus wouldn't have locked them in this dungeon for fun. It was clear he had tampered with the maze to kill them, prompting Sihyun to speak out as a warning to others.
"There are too many of you."
A voice suddenly rang out.
From an unseen being.
Everyone jolted, reflexively looking up as giant eyeballs appeared
to encompass the cement ceiling. Although they followed the sound, the source was not there. As they furrowed their brows, as if mocked, the voice now came from the left.
"I do not need to confront all of you. You must prove your worth to challenge me."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Hamin sharply retorted to the absurd statement.
"Where's the qualification in fighting? Are you scared?"
Haeun clicked her tongue, agreeing with Hamin. However, Primus stubbornly continued with his point.
"Pass through the maze and come to me. Only those who have grasped their qualifications may challenge me."
The heavy voice echoed off the walls, magnifying the grandeur of the sound. Sihyun's face twisted with annoyance. A qualification, indeed. Such an arrogant statement was worthy of Gula's firstborn. He intended to filter out the underqualified awakened through this maze.
Who does he think he is?
Not even being Gula himself, he alone had taken on all the pretense. Sihyun muttered about how annoying the guy had always been, and Armus approached to join in critiquing Primus's unknown arrogance from the ceiling.
"Then prove your worth."
The heavy voice of Primus was accompanied by a loud noise.
Thud, thud, thud.
The cement ground vibrated as if alive, and walls crumbled, revealing three diverging paths. Caught off-guard by the sudden development, the group stared blankly at the paths that had appeared. They had entered the dungeon prepared to fight Irregulars fiercely, not expecting to navigate a maze.
Sihyun looked at the newly formed paths and then back at the ceiling. His gaze seemed to demand, "What now?" As if directly receiving his look, Primus continued.
"All three paths lead to me. You must be torn apart."
"Torn apart, he says."
It seemed they were to split into three teams. Sihyun scoffed, dismissing the ludicrous statement of Primus with a flick of his divine energy, intending to break down the maze's walls.
However, as he swung his divine energy, hundreds of sharp spears shot up from the ground. The spears blocked Sihyun's attack and stood firm.
They blocked it?
Sihyun blinked at the unexpected resistance. He swung his divine power again to break the spears, but they did not budge.
This feels ominous.
It seemed that Primus had created something very bizarre. Sihyun cautiously crafted a protective platform over the three paths, intending to merge the paths or at least navigate them aerially. However, like before, spears shot up, shattering the transparent platform.
"Ah."
It wasn't meant to be broken through so easily. Frustrated, he recreated the platform several more times. Ruth grabbed Sihyun's shoulder.
"Arthur, kid. You'll only lose out if you keep up this war of attrition."
The truth of her words was undeniable.
"Whatever you do, unless you directly traverse the paths, you will be attacked by the maze."
Primus taunted with a sneer in his voice. Narrowing his eyes, Sihyun gripped his divine power and was about to swing again when Hahyuk grabbed his wrist, and Seowoo approached to hold the other shoulder Ruth wasn't holding, shaking his head.
"Just continuing will only exhaust you, Sihyun."
He soothed him with a gentle voice. Sihyun suppressed the anger of being ignored and took a deep breath. Yes, he had to think calmly. Acting on impulse wasn't necessary until after escaping the maze and encountering Primus.
"It seems better to be torn apart."
Hahyuk muttered as he looked at the three paths. Reluctantly, Sihyun nodded and divided the group.
"Let's split into two main dealers, two supports, and one healer or buffer."
Ruth, Sihyun, and Hahyuk collaborated to form the teams. Team 1 consisted of Ruth, Haru, Geonu, Haeun, and one IRS guild member brought by Ruth. Team 2 included Hahyuk, Taeju, Daun, Jihye, and Armus. The final team 3 had Hamin, Seowoo, Sihyun, and one IRS guild member. With Sihyun being the strongest, no one objected to him leading the smallest team.
"Shall we get started then?"
With a resigned tone, Sihyun announced the start. Ruth took the first path, Hahyuk the second, and he himself the third. He would have been lying if he said he wasn't nervous, but he tried to think positively.
This was the best decision and arrangement they could make under the circumstances.
Having experienced dungeons more than once or twice, Sihyun believed they could handle it easily and wished everyone luck as he entered the third path.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
