Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Second Demon

Aris stopped shrieking.

Instead, she opened her mouth wide.

Something fired from the pillar and drew a red line through the air.

The metal projectile that created that line pierced all three Watchers with perfect accuracy.

How did she know that?

Because they disappeared.

All three Watchers’ eyeballs vanished at once.

Naturally, the lasers that had been about to fire also disappeared cleanly.

She turned her gaze toward the pillar.

Perhaps because of the aftershock from the railgun, Ryu Jin’s hair was disheveled every which way.

But why was it? Today, he inspired an unusual amount of awe.

Smack!

“Ow.”

At the flying impact, she whipped her head around.

A Goblin was clattering as it swung its cotton-soft fist at her.

Because of the Watchers, she had forgotten for a moment.

She had forgotten the atrocity of the Goblin, who should have died alone but had almost dragged her down with it.

Bubble, bubble, bubble.

Rage surged from deep within her dantian.

Aris sprang up and slapped the Goblin across the face.

She did not stop there, immediately lunging in and jabbing its eyes.

She could never forgive it.

The crime of coveting a demon’s life was punishable by death!

‘What is she doing now?’

Ryu Jin, who had climbed down from the pillar, made a grimacing expression.

Aris and the Goblin continued their life-or-death struggle while scuffling with each other.

He felt as though his head would start hurting, so he decided to pretend he had not seen it.

Ding.

[The Constellations stare blankly at the second underground floor.]

W-What just happened?

Where did the Watchers’ heads disappear to?!

Where else? They had evaporated.

Ding!

[The Watchers that supported the Labyrinth’s second underground floor have fallen!]

[The Labyrinth’s second underground floor has been destroyed!]

[Clear settlement will be carried out when you exit the second underground floor!]

[The second underground floor regenerates, and Ownership is transferred!]

[Player Ryu Jin becomes the new owner of the Labyrinth’s second underground floor!]

“You little punk, acting up like that!! You were not even worth one punch!”

Aris stood up while dusting off her hands.

For her to say it was nothing, the state of her hair and clothes was a complete mess.

Even the Watch Goblin had died thanks to the Labyrinth’s destruction.

However, he decided not to mention it.

She had worked hard, after all.

Perhaps her anger had not yet cooled, because Aris stomped her feet in place.

Just as he was about to bring that Aris back.

Shimmer……

Light rippled before his eyes.

[The Evil Eye’s unique ability, “Item Search,” activates!]

[It is within the search range! As the Watchers broke through the ground and emerged, a hidden item has been exposed!]

[Guidance will begin!]

The Watchers’ appearance had greatly increased this floor’s difficulty.

The additional reward for that would probably be settled after returning to the lobby.

In other words, what the Evil Eye had detected now was separate from that.

He took Aris with him and walked side by side for a while.

“Mm?!”

Aris sniffed the air.

“I smell a demon!”

A demon smell from the place Item Search was pointing to.

Were there item-type demons too?

“We might fall if we are not careful!”

Because the Watchers had broken the ground as they burst out, the floor was split apart everywhere.

Carefully, they hopped from one sturdy-looking patch of ground to another.

‘What is it? There is nothing here.’

The light from Item Search stopped near the edge of the cliff.

There was nothing immediately visible.

Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff!

Aris, who had her nose to the ground, pointed beneath the cliff.

“It is down there!”

He swallowed dryly.

She was practically on the level of a Sapsali dog raised in the countryside.

Just in case they fell, he crawled with Aris to the edge of the cliff.

Something was dangling from a thick iron chain.

“Is there someone there-du?”

It had a peculiar way of speaking.

When he did not answer, the demon continued talking on its own.

“My master once said-du. For a martial artist, death is like the wind-du. Because it is always by my side-du. That is why there is no need to fear it, he said-du.”

The first impression that came to mind was strict, serious, and solemn.

Its voice was also deeply grave.

On top of that, it even called itself a martial artist.

‘I cannot see it.’

Perhaps because it was a demon on the same level as Aris.

Unlike ordinary Monsters, its information could not be read through the Evil Eye.

He turned his gaze toward empty air.

He wondered if a draw card would appear, as it had with Aris, but there was no particular reaction.

Perhaps because there had been no response for a while.

“Are you there-du?”

The demon asked again.

“I am.”

“I see-du. Long ago, my master said-du.”

“Your master said a lot, did he?”

“When you see someone in hardship or trouble, help them-du!”

“Boss, I think it is asking you to help it right now.”

“Silence!! A true martial artist needs no help-du! I merely told you that such a teaching exists-du!”

“That is what it says.”

“Really? Then let us just go.”

Perhaps because it really heard him getting up.

“Wait-du! Wait a moment-du!!!”

When he poked his face out again, the demon who called itself a martial artist also snapped its head up.

“Please free me-duuu!”

He had wondered what all the “du-du” was about.

It was an actual dugong.

It was even bawling, with a snot bubble forming at its nose.

“Boss. May I cautiously offer my opinion?”

“Go ahead.”

“Let us just leave. It became a demon, yet it is sniveling and making snot bubbles. It is hopeless.”

He looked at Aris.

She had squealed too when she was under the Gaze.

“No.”

He had only just learned that demons’ abilities could be shared.

He might abandon an item, but he absolutely had to bring a demon with him.

He wrapped his arm around the heavy chain.

“You pull too.”

“Ah. I do not really feel like……”

“I will push you.”

“I will pull!”

After they pulled for a long while, counting, “One, two, heave-ho, heave-ho.”

Ding!

[You have obtained the Legendary Item “Chain of Kaldrium”!]

[Kaldrium’s Cursed Chain / Grade: Legendary / Level Requirement: 1]

This is the chain used by Kaldrium, the very curse itself!

A special power resides within it!

The physical abilities of any being bound by the chain are sealed!

The chain absorbs the power of the bound target and completely annihilates it!

Bind them. Then they shall kneel.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

It had appeared.

Not a draw weapon that disappeared after one use, but a real Legendary Item.

Was it because it had been the chain that bound a demon?

The ability contained within it was absurd.

It was unknown up to what level of being it would work on, but as long as it did work, it was a truly fraudulent ability.

It was a fight that would be won as long as he could bind the target.

“The end of the chain is embedded in the cliff-du. You have to cut it to free me-du.”

The dugong demon kept sniffling, constantly forming and popping snot bubbles.

He looked back and forth between the squat Aris and the dugong.

Suddenly, a question occurred to him.

What exactly was a demon? Was this what they were originally like?

He shrugged and leaned forward.

He could not simply free it for nothing.

The moment he met its eyes to ask for its True Name.

“I will serve you as my liege-du!”

Ding!

[Poporu, the Demon of Kung Fu, swears loyalty to Player Ryu Jin!]

[He is a demon who knows honor and loyalty as a martial artist!]

[Since Poporu has sworn loyalty first, he will follow his liege no matter what happens!]

Perhaps because they had entered a Subordinate Relationship.

Poporu’s Status Window appeared.

[Poporu]

Demon of Kung Fu.

Weakness: Tickling.

Nickname: Kung-du.

Dispositions: Loyal, strict, solemn, serious, cowardly, crybaby.

.

.

.

‘So a Subordinate Contract can happen like this too.’

Apparently, he did not necessarily have to step forward and discover a demon’s True Name first.

If he had to guess, each demon probably had various contract methods.

First, he examined its Dispositions.

It was the exact opposite of Aris, whose list was pitch-black with terms like rebellious, insidious, and scheming.

Very excellent.

He formed a satisfied smile as he looked at Poporu, who had a snot bubble hanging from his nose.

Before he began exploring the Labyrinth, he had thought all demons would look frightening and vicious.

Looking back now, that had truly been a massive prejudice.

However, he had a question.

Was it really correct to call these fellows demons?

“I will free you.”

He stood up and examined the cliff with the Evil Eye.

At least this was fortunate.

Thanks to the impact of the Watchers crawling out, the ground had weakened considerably.

“You can shoot it with that gun-du.”

“This thing has no bullets.”

Then he would use it as a hammer instead.

Since it had been made by an outstanding scientist, it should be sturdy, right?

After moving Aris and Poporu behind him, he lifted the railgun.

Then he brought the railgun down as though swinging a pickaxe.

He had thought there would be no more chances to swing a pickaxe after his military discharge, but here he was, making use of it again.

Had he struck it three or four times with all his strength?

With a crackling sound, the edge of the cliff collapsed.

“I am falliiing-duuu!”

Poporu, the Demon of Kung-du, screamed first in terror.

Aris and Ryu Jin stood side by side, watching him blankly.

It seemed he really was cowardly.

He would have to take another ten steps before he could fall, yet he was acting like that.

“Haa.”

Ryu Jin tossed the railgun aside and tilted his head back.

Until now, he had not particularly felt tired.

Perhaps it was because he had climbed the pillar while tense and even swung the thing like a pickaxe afterward.

His entire body ached.

For now, they should leave.

[You are exiting the Labyrinth’s second underground floor, “Altar of the Watcher”!]

---

Evening at Sillim Station, where there was heavy foot traffic.

A man who had come out of the station looked around.

The man took out his phone and rechecked something.

“This is the place.”

The man nodded and formed a smile.

It was the kind of smile others would feel was slightly rotten if they saw it.

Regardless, the man confidently pushed up his glasses and began walking.

Not long afterward, a tremendous uphill road spread out before his eyes.

“This will not be an easy battle.”

He adjusted his glasses once more.

“Interesting.”

Of course, after that, he did not dare let the word “interesting” leave his mouth again.

It was disgustingly exhausting.

Breathing roughly, he leaned his body against a wall.

Then he raised his head and looked at the villa located at the end of the uphill road.

Even amid his exhaustion, another rotten smirk appeared.

He had finally arrived.

At the place where Ryu Jin lived.

---

[You are entering the Personal Lobby!]

[Settlement for the Labyrinth’s second underground floor begins!]

[The First Destruction Bonus is given!]

[Changes made according to the Labyrinth’s Choice are listed!]

Alert State added to the Watch Goblin unit.

Appearance of the Watcher, the master of the second underground floor.

[You have cleared the second underground floor at Maximum Difficulty!]

[Player Ryu Jin levels up!]

[Player Ryu Jin levels up!]

.

.

.

[Player Ryu Jin levels up! Current Level: 32 achieved!]

As expected of Maximum Difficulty.

He had exceeded level 30 in one go.

If he posted this on the Labyrinth Site, he would probably get comments telling him not to lie.

[All Stats except Luck increase!]

[The Draw Ticket recharge time is shortened to 19 hours!]

[You have acquired the Unique Skill “Reset - Value LV1”!]

[Reset - Value / LV1]

Resets the ability values of Labyrinth-exclusive items.

Each item has a minimum value and a maximum value.

Resettable Item Grade: Normal.

When the skill level rises, you can reset the values of higher-grade items.

The corners of his mouth rose even higher.

At a glance, a very useful friend had appeared.

[A sufficient amount of Labyrinth Energy is charged!]

[You can draw a book from the Great Labyrinth Library!]

Just as he was happily imagining what floor would appear this time.

Ding!

A message appeared.

[Additional Magic Stones and reward items are given for destruction at Maximum Difficulty!]