Chapter 61 …
“Communication and access to the Hunter Market are obviously down. Items can’t be used either.”
Now that I’d regained my composure, I started by assessing the situation.
The basic environment matched the original story, so I was able to adapt quickly and revise my plans. Still, something about it bothered me.
How did the others get separated? I thought Kwon Seowoo and Baek Gyeon would obviously end up together.
Why had I fallen here with Baek Gyeon instead?
Wasn’t this episode supposed to restore the relationship between those two?
Or maybe something happens after we reach the center of the maze….
Honestly, I had no idea what the original story’s forced narrative was trying to make me do.
“So what’s the solution? From what I can see, it’s just a maze everywhere.”
“Ah, the solution.”
I lifted my head from my thoughts.
Right. Kwon Seowoo’s situation was important, but getting to the center of the maze came first.
“Over there.”
“Over there?”
Baek Gyeon’s expression turned strange as he looked in the direction I pointed. Before he could ask what I meant, I quickly added—
“That above us—that’s the path!”
Since it was an unpopular E-rank dungeon, there wasn’t much information available about Minotaur’s Labyrinth beyond the basic details released to the press.
The same went for interviews with the first entrants I managed to dig up.
Q: What was the internal structure like?
A: The walls and ceiling were extremely high. There were no markers to determine direction, and aside from escape items, other items couldn’t be used.
No, I need new information, not stuff everyone already knows!
Even the structure described in the interviews had already appeared in the original novel. I was obsessively scrolling when—
Q: If items couldn’t be used in an enclosed maze, wasn’t the darkness a major obstacle?
A: Oh, that part was fine. The ceiling was designed like a night sky, so it was fairly bright. We still failed the clear, though. (laughs)
A night sky?
A short sentence at the end caught my eye.
The next day, I gathered the team and began explaining the information I’d organized overnight.
“The official name of this new dungeon is Minotaur’s Labyrinth. And if it’s been given that name, there has to be a reason. For example, the dungeon structure might be related to the myth.”
“The myth?”
“In the myth, the Minotaur is a monster that devours people and is trapped in a labyrinth. There’s only one way to escape that maze. You use Ariadne’s Thread.”
“Oh! The dungeon escape item! That’s right. It’s named after the myth too, isn’t it?”
The Minotaur—a half-man, half-bull monster from Greek mythology.
The labyrinth that imprisoned it was said to be impossible to escape. But thanks to Princess Ariadne’s wisdom—using a ball of thread—Theseus defeated the monster and safely exited the maze.
A famous myth.
That’s why Ariadne’s name is still used today. A prime example being the hunter essential escape item—
Ariadne’s Thread!
An item that allows emergency escape from otherwise uncleared dungeons.
“Got it! So once we enter the dungeon, we just use Ariadne’s Thread—”
“And get forcibly ejected outside. Just like the people who went in before us.”
“…Ah. Right. Then how do we get out?”
“If the dungeon concept is based on the myth, then we follow the myth.”
Kwon Seowoo had excitedly shouted before realizing that wasn’t the answer and going quiet again. I pointed to several photos on my phone.
“What matters is this. Escaping the Minotaur’s Labyrinth is always tied to Ariadne. And if the ceiling is a night sky….”
“Northern Crown? That’s a constellation?”
“Yes!”
After staring intently at the ceiling, I nodded.
Above the maze dungeon we had finally entered, the night sky was indeed spread wide and filled with stars—just as I’d predicted.
“There’s a constellation that symbolizes Ariadne—Corona Borealis. So directly beneath that constellation should be the dungeon’s center.”
In other words, to navigate here, we follow the constellation. The most traditional way possible!
In the original novel, the only internal descriptions were “high walls,” “items unusable,” “magic stones present,” and “three days later.” I’d never imagined this detail.
If you were going to include this kind of setting, at least—… no, forget it.
I was tired of complaining.
Baek Gyeon pointed at the ceiling.
“So the center of the maze is under that?”
“No, not where you’re pointing. A bit more to the left.”
“Like this?”
“Now you’ve gone too far left. Not there—over there.”
“…You can really tell the difference? They all look the same to me.”
Of course they would. I’d spent hours memorizing those photos with the others.
It’s not like people walk around memorizing Corona Borealis.
At that moment, Baek Gyeon narrowed his eyes at me.
“Where did you get information like that? This is a new dungeon. There shouldn’t be any data.”
“Well. I’d say the ‘Comic Version of Greek and Roman Mythology’ series I read at the children’s library when I was little provided a solid educational foundation. Very informative books.”
“…Not that. How did you know such specific details?”
“Huh? I just searched online for constellation photos and memorized them.”
“That’s not what I meant—… never mind.”
Why was he making that ‘This conversation is pointless, I give up’ face? It irritated me.
Anyway, Baek Gyeon and I began walking in the direction of the constellation.
“Oh, and one more thing. Given the concept, there are probably traps scattered throughout the maze—”
Swish!
“Waaah!”
The moment I opened my mouth to warn him, a trap activated and an arrow shot straight at my face!
Damn it!
Even knowing about it beforehand, the attack was so sudden it startled me. I reflexively tried to dodge, but soon realized I didn’t need to.
Crack!
“Is this the trap those guys were talking about? They came out half-dead, so I thought it’d be something impressive.”
“….”
Baek Gyeon had casually caught the flying arrow with one hand. He brushed it off, and the shattered arrow crumbled into powder and fell with a miserable sound.
A chill ran down my spine.
Wow. That was really close….
My heart felt like it might leap out of my chest. Though whether I was startled by the arrow or by Baek Gyeon’s inhuman display of strength, I couldn’t say.
“I’m sure there’ll be more traps like this. But judging by what you just did, I’m not too worried.”
“Is that so?”
I nodded—and that’s when it happened.
Baek Gyeon suddenly turned to me with an extremely suspicious look. More cunning than usual. As if several layers of humanity had been stripped from his face.
“By the way, I think I just saved you from dying.”
“Even if you hadn’t caught it, I would’ve dodged.”
“No. From that position, it would’ve grazed your cheek or neck. You hesitated too long to fully avoid it.”
“Hm.”
Now that he mentioned it… that sounded convincing. I nodded honestly.
“Yes. That’s true.”
“Oh? And where’s my thank-you?”
Of course. I wondered why he was being unusually quiet.
“…Thang you.”
“Good.”
With my teeth clenched, I forced the words out. Baek Gyeon smirked down at me.
No matter how you looked at it, he was mocking me.
I made a silent vow.
Fine. I’ll just grit my teeth and go for my second awakening, damn it.
[Article] Hunter Baek Gyeon Enters Hwaseong No. 23 Dungeon (+45)
Rank 1 hunter Baek Gyeon has appeared without prior notice at Hwaseong No. 23 Dungeon.
Reporters on site stated that Hunter Baek Gyeon entered alongside 204th Class Team 4 hunters. While it is unusual for him to enter an E-rank dungeon, it is believed that his close relationship with Hunter Kwon Seowoo influenced his decision.
Meanwhile, 204th Class Team 4 consists of Hunters Kwon Asol, Kwon Seowoo, Shin Yeomyeong, and Piuri.
[Comments]
—Rank 1 giving them a first-class promotion bus;;;; insane
—Wait, didn’t Kwon Asol join Baekyeom Guild? Was this Baek Gyeon’s backing all along?
↳ Nah, not that. Baekyeom Guild and Baek Gyeon have terrible relations. The chairman backed Baek Gyeon and appointed Han Jaehyun as guild leader.
↳ Oh right… Then why did Baek Gyeon go there?
↳ Probably really just because of Kwon Seowoo?
—They haven’t even been official for long and they’re already portal main-page material every time;;
“Waaahhhh!!”
“Hyung, please stop crying….”
“I told you not to go in! Get out, get out!”
“Ugh, that lunatic— I mean, calm down and come out, hyung.”
“Waaahhhhh!!”
After the team members left the room, the man who had been scrolling through comments burst into tears once more.
“Kwon Asol, Kwon Asol, Kwon Asol…!”
No matter how far he scrolled, that detestable name filled the screen. His own three-character name was nowhere to be found.
“They took my armor… humiliated me like that….”
His name was Choi Hangyeol.
The very hunter whose armor Kwon Asol had taken during the Gyeongbokgung Gate incident.
