Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Unqualified

Long, pale-pink hair flowed down, and red eyes shone clearly even in the darkness.

It was an atmosphere and impression one could never forget after seeing it once.

[Jin Hwayeon]

Epithet: Plum Blossom Sword Venerable

Age: ???

.

.

.

As expected of Evil Eye.

Beyond her epithet and age, information about her was listed at length.

After speed-reading it, I lifted my head.

‘So she isn’t a real person.’

Until I heard her voice, I had wondered whether I had encountered another person inside the Labyrinth, an unprecedented situation.

But when I looked closely, her form had an ambiguous density, fainter than a person yet clearer than a ghost.

It made me wonder whether this was what holograms in movies felt like.

I opened my mouth to answer the question from earlier.

“I am Ryu—”

“Enough. I shall take back the question I just asked. Since you made it all the way here, I had some expectations, but...”

Jin Hwayeon smiled as if dumbfounded.

“You were a mere brat not even worth asking for a name.”

I decided to put telling her my name on hold.

This was a person whose manners had gone straight to the afterlife from the very first meeting.

Instead, I shifted my gaze and stared at the red orb placed beyond Jin Hwayeon.

That was it.

The Hidden Item indicated by the Great Labyrinth Library.

Jin Hwayeon, whose gaze followed mine, shook her head.

“It seems you came aiming for the Plum Blossom Jade, but it is far beyond your reach. The Plum Blossom Jade, which contains the essence of my swordsmanship, can only be taken by one who possesses the proper qualifications. It is not something a brat like you, who has never even held a sword, dares to covet. In other words, you are unqualified. Do you understand this Exalted One’s words?”

Jin Hwayeon pointed at me with the smoking pipe in her hand.

The gesture clearly carried the message, How dare someone like you?

“I understand them, at least.”

Jin Hwayeon’s eyebrow twitched.

“I know you are a brat from another world, but you would do well to show this Exalted One some respect. This Exalted One is—”

“Plum Blossom Sword Venerable, Jin Hwayeon.”

Jin Hwayeon’s calm eyes widened.

Her epithet might have spread far and wide, but even within the Mount Hua Sect, only a very small number of people knew her True Name.

“You... How do you know that name?”

“Is that important?”

I shrugged and moved toward the Plum Blossom Jade.

“I am certain I told you. You are unqualified.”

She warned him once more, but Ryu Jin did not stop.

He merely continued getting closer to the Plum Blossom Jade.

Even then, Jin Hwayeon did not grow angry or anxious.

She merely wore a pitying expression and continued speaking leisurely.

“This Exalted One shall mercifully warn you. Coveting treasure is human instinct. However, three more steps. If you advance any farther than that, you will lose your life because of that greed.”

Jin Hwayeon had made a contract with the Labyrinth in the final moments of her life.

In exchange for belonging to the Labyrinth, she would protect the Plum Blossom Jade until someone she acknowledged arrived.

A thick line lay three steps ahead of the brat.

The moment he crossed that line, the dreadful curse prepared by the Labyrinth would take hold, and he would die in agony.

Step. Step. Step.

Ryu Jin took the final step without the slightest care.

Jin Hwayeon closed her eyes and shook her head.

This had happened from time to time since long ago.

People who could not acknowledge the limits of their own vessel, who grew excessively greedy, and who brought disaster upon themselves because of that greed.

‘This Exalted One certainly warned him.’

Five seconds? No, three seconds would be enough.

Soon, the terrible scream of the brat who had indulged in excessive greed would fill this entire cave.

Jin Hwayeon counted inwardly.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight... ??????

As the number grew far too long, she opened her eyes.

Had he only pretended to step forward, then gone back?

“Ah?”

It was probably the first time in her life.

The first time the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable, Jin Hwayeon, had let out such a dull and foolish sound.

However, it could not be helped.

Because the brat who should have collapsed from the curse as soon as he crossed the line had reached right in front of the Plum Blossom Jade.

Far from enduring pain, he wore an utterly peaceful expression.

‘Why is the Labyrinth’s curse...!?’

She hurriedly lifted her head.

She thought something had gone wrong and the curse had failed to activate, but that was not the case.

There was dreadful death energy, distinguishable even with the naked eye.

The curse had activated normally.

Yet for some reason, it could not seep into that brat.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Ryu Jin looked at the messages lined up in the air.

[The Labyrinth Rules inflict the status effect ‘Marrow Rot’!]

[The Labyrinth Rules inflict the status effect ‘Vitality Blockade’!]

[The Labyrinth Rules inflict the status effect ‘Stiffening of the Soul’!]

.

.

.

How many of them were there?

It had prepared an entire full-course menu of curses.

Of course, no matter how many it poured onto me.

BEEP!

[You are an Unselected Individual!]

[You are immune to status effects through the effect of the Unique Trait ‘Unselected Individual’!]

[Status effects whose source is the Labyrinth Rules do not work on Unselected Individuals!]

They had no effect on me whatsoever.

Before acquiring the Plum Blossom Jade, I turned my head and looked at Jin Hwayeon.

There was no longer any composure left in her.

Jin Hwayeon was reaching her hand toward me with her face twisted and even cold sweat running down her skin.

“B-Brat. Calm yourself. Let us speak calmly.”

She could not allow his hand to touch it.

The Plum Blossom Jade would become fully bound to the first person who touched it.

If she had possessed a physical body, she would have immediately shot forward and suppressed him by force, but now she could not even do that.

She had to somehow persuade him with words and send him away.

“Ryu Jin.”

“W-What?”

“I’m not Brat. I’m Ryu Jin. That’s my name.”

After saying that, Ryu Jin slowly drew up the corners of his mouth.

In that fleeting moment, Jin Hwayeon realized it.

No matter what she said to persuade him, no matter what conditions she offered, this human named Ryu Jin would absolutely take the Plum Blossom Jade.

And as if proving that realization correct.

GRIP!

Ryu Jin seized the Plum Blossom Jade without hesitation.

DING!

[The Plum Blossom Jade containing all the essence of the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable!]

[The owner of the legendary Plum Blossom Jade has been decided!]

[The Plum Blossom Jade is fully bound to Player Ryu Jin!]

---

About five minutes later.

After Jin Hwayeon was completely sucked into the Plum Blossom Jade, I lowered the hands that had been covering my ears.

Judging by her appearance and the fact that her epithet had something to do with plum blossoms, I had thought she was a refined person.

-You little.

Her vocabulary was enough to make even a foul-mouthed grandmother weep and walk away.

‘Are they bleeding?’

After checking a couple more times that my precious ears were safe, I checked my Status Window.

Along with the Plum Blossom Jade’s binding, I had acquired the Unique Skill Plum Blossom Venerable.

It was a skill that allowed me to enter the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable’s Unique Domain.

There, I could learn swordsmanship from the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable one-on-one.

‘What a pity.’

Since it said her essence was contained in it, I had thought I would learn everything with a single click, like using a skill book.

I had not thought that the “essence” meant the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable herself.

In other words, it meant I still had a reunion with that foul mouth waiting for me.

When I entered next time, I should wear earplugs.

“Hmmm.”

I still did not know exactly how impressive the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable was, or how incredible it was to learn swordsmanship from her.

But separate from that, I had achieved what I had aimed for.

So let us wake the unconscious demons and run.

Ddrrr... Ddrrr...

Near the cave entrance, Poporu and Aris were still asleep.

I carefully reached toward their shoulders.

I had worked them hard all day, so I should wake them gently...

DING!

[Player Ryu Jin has ignored the Labyrinth Rules and obtained the hidden Hidden Item!]

[Due to this abnormal acquisition, the Labyrinth notices the existence of the Unselected Individual!]

[The Labyrinth’s Special Alert will activate in 5 minutes! All Titans will watch the player!]

There was no time to shake them awake.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

“Dduaaaaaagh!”

“Waaaaaaah!”

When I struck their backs, Poporu and Aris leaped up in shock.

Seeing them blink, it seemed they still had not come to their senses.

Since I had no leisure to wait for that, I tied both their bodies with rope.

“Huh? Boss? Why are you suddenly tying us up?”

I had no leisure to answer.

I slung them over myself and ran, then jumped down the cliff.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!”

“Du? Why are you screaming like tha... Ddurk.”

Poporu went limp again, while Aris screamed as if her throat would tear apart.

I immediately pulled the cord and opened the parachute.

It had taken more than three hours just to climb up.

It would likely take almost as much time to descend.

Five minutes was nowhere near enough.

I shifted my gaze toward the distant ground.

I had always thought I was fairly brave, but right now, courage or whatever else did not matter. This was genuinely terrifying.

Fortunately, no Titan was looking this way yet.

But I could not relax.

The remaining time in the air was decreasing quickly.

The distance I had to run was also considerable, so I was not certain.

Could I get out before that time ran out?

SLASH!

As soon as I landed, I cut the parachute cords and ran toward the exit.

My whole body ached from the brutal rock climb, but I could not stop.

“Booooss!! One minute left!! Hey, you crazy seal, wake up already!!”

It was a little too short to reach the exit.

The one fortunate thing was that the Titans were still wandering at the top of the cliff and along the path.

If I considered the time it would take them to get from there to here after the alarm activated, I would not be late.

A moment later, the number that had dropped into single digits turned to zero.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

A sharp alarm sound spread throughout the entire floor.

As if they had made a promise, the swarm of Titans all looked this way at once.

I dared to say this was the scariest moment I had ever experienced in my life.

Even scarier than when I had secretly climbed over the wall to skip late-night self-study and ran into the teacher in charge of student discipline!

CRACK!

I felt an ominous vibration beneath my feet.

As if proving it was not a needless worry, one Titan burst out from the path leading to the exit.

“Tsk!”

The moment I stopped running, I would also have to face the swarm of Titans rushing from behind.

Please, just let me get through one strike with the shield I drew earlier—

?

Kung-du Poporu, who had awakened from his faint, somehow untied the rope wrapped around his body.

“Duuuu...! I shall open the path my lord walks, du!!”

Poporu stuck out his plump thumb and took a straight-punching stance.

Then.

“Dduaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!!”

With an incredible shout, he used Aris’s face as a foothold and leaped forward.

“Gueeek!!”

Aris flew backward, as if he had stepped on her with tremendous force.

The force transmitted through the rope was enough to make even my body sway for an instant.

WHOOOOOOOSH!!

Poporu, the Demon of the Kung Fu Dugong, glared at the approaching Titan.

‘For enemies who block my lord’s path.’

He drew up the strength he had steadily stored and focused it into his right hand.

‘Only death awaits, du.’

Opening his fierce eyes wide, he brought his fingertips near the Titan’s heart.

[One-Inch Punch - Island-Smashing]