Chapter 177: The Forest Of The Labyrinth (Part 1)


    “ck Scythe-nim!”


    As Ju Seong-tak waved his hand and approached, Ryu Min gave him a sharp look.


    “Be quiet. Even if there aren’t many people around, don’t be so obvious.”


    “I’m, I’m sorry.”


    Ju Seong-tak, who always looked at him with fierce eyes, lowered his gaze like a meek puppy.


    Reading his thoughts revealed absolute loyalty to his master.


    ‘This is why I like the duel system. Just a duel and you practically have control over them.’


    Although a male ve wasn’t part of the original n, looking at Ju Seong-tak made him think it was a good idea.


    At least he wasn’t like some others who harbor hidden intentions or cling persistently to their master.


    “Ju Seong-tak.”


    “Yes, Master.”


    “Follow closely so you don’t get lost. From here, we’re entering thebyrinth.”


    “Thebyrinth?”


    Currently, Ryu Min was at the entrance of the Forest of the Labyrinth.


    He nned to capture the boss of this forest, Doppelganger, and obtain the Doppelg?nger’s Ring, which allows nickname changes.


    ‘For that, I definitely need Ju Seong-tak’s rune, which increases boss-level drop rates by ten times. Getting the Doppelg?nger’s Ring isn’t easy.’


    This was why Ryu Min had summoned Ju Seong-tak.


    He needed his help to defeat the boss.


    “Thebyrinth? You mean this forest?”


    “Yes. We’re going to capture the boss here. I need your help with that.”


    “The boss? What boss?”


    ‘I take back what I said about a male ve being better.’


    Talking to Ju Seong-tak had its downside: he asked too many questions.


    “Just shut up and follow me.”


    “I’m, I’m sorry. I’ll follow quietly.”


    Entering the forest, Ryu Min didn’t look back.


    He didn’t need to see to know who was following him, thanks to his irvoyance.


    *


    “Did he go in?”


    “Yes, he went in. With some guy.”


    Seeing ck Scythe entering the forest with another man, Shizukan tilted his head.


    (T/N: Shizhikang is now Shizukan.)


    “What’s in there that he just went in without hesitation?”


    Even though the forest was eerie enough to make anyone hesitate, ck Scythe entered as soon as he had apanion.


    As if he knew what was waiting inside.


    “This seems suspicious. Should we follow?”


    “Do you think we came all this way to turn back? Of course, we’re following. Hey, Punk.”


    “Yes?”


    The Korean yer, who had been captured, looked at them with a scared expression.


    “Why are you just standing there? Lead the way.”


    “O-okay. This way…”


    “If you think of doing anything funny, you’re dead. Got it?”


    “Eik. Y-yes…”


    As the Korean yer led the way, Shizukan’s sneer pierced his back.


    “A man crying like a baby. Tch.”


    “Um… Mr. Shizukan. Are you really nning to go up against ck Scythe? Isn’t it dangerous?”


    “Who do you think I am? I’m Shizukan, the leader of the underground.”


    Originally, the n was to keep the target a secret, but since he had a Korean guide, he had to reveal it.


    Of course, he kept the part about using his subordinates as bait hidden, mixing some truth with lies.


    “If I talk to him in Korean, he’ll surely have to lower his guard. Then we can strike from behind.”


    “The n is good, but ck Scythe is infamous…”


    “To catch a tiger, you have to enter the tiger’s den. If you stay in the well, you’ll never get out. A man should live in the big world, don’t you think?”


    “You’re right.”


    “So shut up and trust me. If the n works, we’ll make a big haul.”


    “Understood. I trust you, boss.”


    Having convinced his subordinates, Shizukan pursued ck Scythe with a sinister smile.


    Unaware of who was following behind them.


    *


    “Mr. An, are we going the right way?”


    “Yes. ck Scythe went this way.”


    In front of Ma Kyung-rok was a huge forest.


    It looked ominous, with a dark aura seeping out, clearly a dangerous ce.


    “So ck Scythe went in here.”


    “ording to our tracking skill, yes.”


    “But did you see? It seemed like there were others who entered this forest too.”


    “Yes. There seemed to be a group of about ten.”


    They saw yers entering the forest in a group.


    Whether they were allies or enemies was uncertain from the distance, but it was clear they hesitated before entering the forest.


    ‘Could there be others chasing ck Scythe?’


    Considering his famous face and nickname, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be pursued.


    The problem was they might encounter others while tracking him.


    ‘Are they like me, trying to get a piece of the action from ck Scythe?’


    He would find out if he followed more closely.


    But it could be foreign yers.


    ‘If they’re foreign yers, I’ll kill them if necessary.’


    To prepare for such a situation, Ma Kyung-rok instructed An Sang-cheol.


    “Mr. An. If we encounter foreign yers, kill them if the opportunity arises.”


    “What? Kill them?”


    “They probably think the same as us. By the rules, we’re enemies. The one who strikes first survives.”


    “I understand.”


    “Also, keep your presence-detecting skill active. Just in case.”


    “Understood.”


    The two entered the Forest of the Labyrinth.


    Unaware that it would be difficult to escape.