Chapter 17

Given that there was no significant hostility shown towards him despite having learned the Irock Weapon Technique, it seemed the conflict among them wasn’t too severe. However, caution was warranted.

Unlike Aintzhar and the dwarf, NPCs who are overtly hostile towards each other could very well exist.

“Do you need anything else?”

“I’m out of money, so this will do for now.”

“Then hurry down. Don’t dilly-dally, or you’ll lose your way, right?”

“I was planning to do so without you telling me.”

Taesan passed the shop and headed towards the 2nd floor. The dwarf waved him off.

“See you on the next floor.”

Thump.

The door closed. At the same time, a system window appeared.

[You are now slightly away from the entrance of the labyrinth.] [This is where creatures that die when stabbed live. The power here is not very strong.] [2nd Floor Quest Starts.] [Defeat the boss of the 2nd floor and pass through.] [Reward: Beginner Mana Potion.] [Secret Reward: ???] “A mana potion?”

A potion that increases mana, not sold in shops and extremely valuable. It was something Taesan had rarely seen while roaming the labyrinth. If it’s a beginner potion, it should increase mana by about 10. Given that his mana was only around 15, it held significant value. This would greatly alleviate the constraints on using skills.

Looking forward to it, Taesan proceeded through the corridor when suddenly,

Ding.

He received a notification. Someone had called him. Taesan opened the community.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: What’s up?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Oh. You were here.] As soon as Kang Taesan posted, replies flooded in.

[Lee Sang[Solo]: It’s Mr. Taesan! Glad you’re alive!] [Kim Taejin[Solo]: Thanks to you, I made it to the Fountain of Life! Really, thank you!] [Kim Junan[Solo]: Mr. Taesan! I have a question for you!] [Kim Suhyun[Solo]: Mr. Taesan! Mr. Taesan! Wow! It’s Mr. Taesan!] In an instant, messages directed at him filled the screen. Taesan scrolled through them, replying cursorily.

[Kang Junhyuk requested a private chat with Kang Taesan.] Taesan accepted.

[Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Wow, it’s crazy. Can’t even speak, can you?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: What do you want?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Nothing much. Just checking if you’re alive?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: You should worry about yourselves instead of me.] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Well, I’m stuck here, what can I do? Ah, really, thinking about it gives me the creeps. Thanks, bro. Everyone’s thankful to you.] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: It’s because you guys trusted and followed. That’s all.]

Taesan had posted a strategy for the 1st floor on the community. If followed, it provided a decent chance of survival to the Fountain of Life.

But he didn’t have high hopes.

Trapped in an unknown space, on the brink, would someone really risk their life based on a simple community post from someone they’ve never met? He thought it unlikely they would follow without distrust.

However, contrary to Taesan’s expectations, most of Solo Mode followed his guide.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but did you really rush here just based on one post?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: We had no choice. Everyone was at their limit. We were desperate for anything that could help.] Kang Junhyuk’s explanation was surprisingly simple.

Without entering the labyrinth, there was no way to get food. Not eating didn’t lead to health deduction or death, only to the depletion of stats and mental strength. So, if determined, one could hold out indefinitely.

But hunger was a different issue.

Trapped in a disaster, there have been instances where people, pushed to their limits, resorted to eating their own limbs. This implies that the pain and horror of amputation are less than the agony of starvation.

Here, since death was off the table, one had only to endure endless hunger.

People became desolate.

If players from different modes could meet, they might have conversed, but that wasn’t an option here.

In the town outside the labyrinth, NPCs only provided programmed responses. The Broken Man outright refused to interact.

While the community allowed for some level of interaction, it was nowhere near the same as conversing face-to-face.

There was no one to talk to.

Nothing to eat.

A perfect environment for going mad.

Indeed, in the previous world, numerous Solo players rashly met their demise, essentially choosing to die as they ventured into the labyrinth in despair.

In such a scenario, Taesan posted his guide.

A strategy for the 1st floor.

[Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: You might not have expected much, but for us, that post was exactly what we needed.] Taesan’s post contained information.

It mentioned a shopkeeper within the labyrinth and that the 1st floor’s monsters resembled capybaras, targeting only the ankles, and that one could return to the shop by running away immediately upon encounter.

For Solo Mode players, the labyrinth was an unknown entity. Their reluctance to enter stemmed from that uncertainty. The unknown was too frightening.

But thanks to Taesan, they gained information.

Freed from the fear of the unknown, they began to muster the courage to enter the labyrinth.

Lee Taeyeon was among the first to act.

Following Taesan’s advice, she entered the labyrinth, met the shopkeeper, reached the Fountain of Life, and survived the labyrinth.

Lee Taeyeon had been very vocal on the community. To those reading, she seemed no different from themselves, equally fearful.

Yet, she succeeded.

Meaning, they too could reach a place where infinite recovery was possible—a very enticing proposition. Lee Taeyeon’s success inspired many Solo players to rush into the labyrinth.

Not everyone succeeded. Knowing the strategy didn’t make the difficulty any less challenging. The Fountain of Life was quite a distance from the shop, and encountering Big Rats along the way was not unlikely.

Still, an unprecedented number managed to reach the Fountain of Life compared to the previous world, surprising even Taesan.

However, reaching there and defeating the Big Rats were two different challenges.

Infinite recovery was possible, but overcoming a monster that surpassed one’s reaction speed was impossible without inherent talent.

Only two had succeeded in hunting.

Lee Taeyeon.

And Kang Junhyuk, who was currently conversing with him.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: What were you planning to do before my post went up?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: I was just gonna run into the labyrinth. Couldn’t stand the hunger. I thought I’d beat down the monsters and then have something to eat.] A 17-year-old boy, not yet an adult. Having already defeated a Big Rat, his talent must be on par with Lee Taeyeon’s.

But he was a name Taesan hadn’t heard before.

Likely, in the previous world, he would have charged at a Big Rat and died immediately. His survival was an irregularity thanks to Taesan’s post.

“……”

Would posting the guide lead to a surge in clears?

Taesan didn’t think so. Even if some managed to defeat the Big Rat, proceeding further would be unlikely. Survival rate and clear rate were separate matters.

Even in the previous world, there were a few who reached the Fountain of Life, but none besides Lee Taeyeon passed the 1st floor.

The only ones with a clear chance were Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk. Just the two of them.

‘Is it worth nurturing?’

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: What are you doing now?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Just taking a break after hunting a Big Rat.] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: And Lee Taeyeon?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: She’s probably sleeping right now?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: Did you meet the paladin?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Huh? Who’s that?] He seemed unaware. Given that Lee Taeyeon met Aintzhar before, it’s fair to assume that anyone staying at the Fountain of Life would eventually meet him.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: You’ll meet a weird old man looking for a god. He’s an NPC whose treatment of you changes based on your actions. He’ll attack you out of nowhere, but don’t freak out. Respond properly, and you’ll get something useful.] Whether Kang Junhyuk would receive the Irock Weapon Technique was uncertain, but acquiring some skill was likely. In the early stages, every skill was precious.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: Tell Lee Taeyeon when she wakes up too.] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Uh……] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: What’s wrong?] Kang Junhyuk seemed to hesitate for a moment before deciding to speak up.

[Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Are you okay with this?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: What do you mean?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Isn’t it too much? I mean, I appreciate the help, but we’re essentially competing to clear the labyrinth. Even though I’m weaker than you for now, aren’t you worried I might catch up if you keep giving away so much? I don’t plan on doing anything to you, but it seems like you’re giving away too much for what you’ve worked hard for.] Taesan chuckled at the unexpected concern.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: What kind of competition are you talking about? We’re all just humans trying to survive the same disaster on Earth.] They weren’t competitors. They were comrades.

There were a few opportunities to return to the outside world before clearing, and then he’d realize how foolish he’d been. Some didn’t understand their place and acted up, but those either turned into monsters or died by Lee Taeyeon’s hand or her allies.

And another misconception.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: The only reason I’m telling you all this is so you don’t die in some weird place.] Knowing the strategy doesn’t mean it can be actualized.

Lee Taeyeon’s clear of the Solo Mode was a stroke of luck upon luck. She herself said she wouldn’t be confident in surviving if she were to enter Solo Mode again.

A clear by the one who cleared couldn’t be guaranteed in the same place.

That was Solo Mode.

Even if Taesan told Kang Junhyuk about the Secret Room, he wouldn’t be able to clear it. He’d likely be skewered by the last fifteen arrows and die.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: And you think you can catch up to me just by knowing a few things?] He was comparing to when he cleared Easy Mode, being on par with Lee Taeyeon. Kang Junhyuk’s words felt like a chick expecting to surpass its feeder by eating what’s given, not understanding the reality.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: Don’t get ahead of yourself and just focus on making your way down.] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Well, I haven’t even passed the 1st floor, so maybe I was reaching for the stars.] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: Good. Keep at it. I’m going down further.] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Where are you now?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: 2nd floor.] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: …Wow. And here I am just having defeated a Big Rat. It’s only been a week, isn’t that too fast?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: Fast? It’s normal.] During their conversation, Taesan suddenly thought,

‘Isn’t it about time?’

It had been about a week. Players from Easy and Normal modes would be adapting by now. Taesan asked,

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: How’s the community these days?] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Normal, I guess? Oh, lately people from other modes started talking a bit too. But… there are some picking fights. We’re just ignoring them for now, but I don’t get why they’re doing it.] Those picking fights.

Taesan knew who they might be.

‘The fools who don’t know their place are starting to act up.’

Each mode’s players cannot see players from other modes.

They misunderstand their own mode’s difficulty as the highest, presuming their struggle is the greatest.

In the previous world, Taesan interfered, but now absent, they would run wild as they pleased.

He wasn’t particularly interested. Let them act up if they want; they’d be dealt with accordingly.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: Take care.] [Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Yes, you too.] Taesan closed the private chat.

The structure of the 2nd floor was similar to the 1st. The environment changes every 10 floors, so there wasn’t much difference.

Moss-covered bricks and floors were visible, and the interior of the labyrinth seemed likely similar.

However, Taesan knew from Lee Taeyeon that the Solo Mode’s 1st floor was somewhat of a tutorial. The real challenge began from the 2nd floor.

A place without the Fountain of Life, where healing options were limited.

Taesan knew what awaited here.

He walked down the corridor. A door appeared. Just beyond it lay a room. Taesan opened the door just enough to peek inside.

“Kieeeek.”

“Karak. Karak.”

Green monsters were visible. These creatures, resembling humans but smaller, reached only up to Taesan’s chest. They were talking and laughing among themselves, each holding swords, shields, and bows.

“Karuk.”

“Kek, kieek!”

One said something, and the others burst into laughter, as if amused by a joke.

[A goblin with a bow appeared.] [A goblin with a short sword appeared.] [A goblin with a short sword appeared.] [A goblin with a shield appeared.] ‘Goblins.’

The green monsters. Frequent denizens of both the middle and upper layers of the labyrinth, they’re the most common monsters encountered.

The 2nd floor’s monsters were precisely these creatures.

Chapter 17: Second Floor (2)

Given that there was no significant hostility shown towards him despite having learned the Irock Weapon Technique, it seemed the conflict among them wasn’t too severe. However, caution was warranted.

Unlike Aintzhar and the dwarf, NPCs who are overtly hostile towards each other could very well exist.

“Do you need anything else?”

“I’m out of money, so this will do for now.”

“Then hurry down. Don’t dilly-dally, or you’ll lose your way, right?”

“I was planning to do so without you telling me.”

Taesan passed the shop and headed towards the 2nd floor. The dwarf waved him off.

“See you on the next floor.”

Thump.

The door closed. At the same time, a system window appeared.

[You are now slightly away from the entrance of the labyrinth.] [This is where creatures that die when stabbed live. The power here is not very strong.] [2nd Floor Quest Starts.] [Defeat the boss of the 2nd floor and pass through.] [Reward: Beginner Mana Potion.] [Secret Reward: ???] “A mana potion?”

A potion that increases mana, not sold in shops and extremely valuable. It was something Taesan had rarely seen while roaming the labyrinth. If it’s a beginner potion, it should increase mana by about 10. Given that his mana was only around 15, it held significant value. This would greatly alleviate the constraints on using skills.

Looking forward to it, Taesan proceeded through the corridor when suddenly,

Ding.

He received a notification. Someone had called him. Taesan opened the community.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: What’s up?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Oh. You were here.] As soon as Kang Taesan posted, replies flooded in.

[Lee Sang[Alone]: It’s Mr. Taesan! Glad you’re alive!] [Kim Taejin[Alone]: Thanks to you, I made it to the Fountain of Life! Really, thank you!] [Kim Junan[Alone]: Mr. Taesan! I have a question for you!] [Kim Suhyun[Alone]: Mr. Taesan! Mr. Taesan! Wow! It’s Mr. Taesan!] In an instant, messages directed at him filled the screen. Taesan scrolled through them, replying cursorily.

[Kang Junhyuk requested a private chat with Kang Taesan.] Taesan accepted.

[Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Wow, it’s crazy. Can’t even speak, can you?] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: What do you want?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Nothing much. Just checking if you’re alive?] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: You should worry about yourselves instead of me.] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Well, I’m stuck here, what can I do? Ah, really, thinking about it gives me the creeps. Thanks, bro. Everyone’s thankful to you.] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: It’s because you guys trusted and followed. That’s all.]

Taesan had posted a strategy for the 1st floor on the community. If followed, it provided a decent chance of survival to the Fountain of Life.

But he didn’t have high hopes.

Trapped in an unknown space, on the brink, would someone really risk their life based on a simple community post from someone they’ve never met? He thought it unlikely they would follow without distrust.

However, contrary to Taesan’s expectations, most of Alone Mode followed his guide.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but did you really rush here just based on one post?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: We had no choice. Everyone was at their limit. We were desperate for anything that could help.] Kang Junhyuk’s explanation was surprisingly simple.

Without entering the labyrinth, there was no way to get food. Not eating didn’t lead to health deduction or death, only to the depletion of stats and mental strength. So, if determined, one could hold out indefinitely.

But hunger was a different issue.

Trapped in a disaster, there have been instances where people, pushed to their limits, resorted to eating their own limbs. This implies that the pain and horror of amputation are less than the agony of starvation.

Here, since death was off the table, one had only to endure endless hunger.

People became desolate.

If players from different modes could meet, they might have conversed, but that wasn’t an option here.

In the town outside the labyrinth, NPCs only provided programmed responses. The Broken Man outright refused to interact.

While the community allowed for some level of interaction, it was nowhere near the same as conversing face-to-face.

There was no one to talk to.

Nothing to eat.

A perfect environment for going mad.

Indeed, in the previous world, numerous Alone players rashly met their demise, essentially choosing to die as they ventured into the labyrinth in despair.

In such a scenario, Taesan posted his guide.

A strategy for the 1st floor.

[Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: You might not have expected much, but for us, that post was exactly what we needed.] Taesan’s post contained information.

It mentioned a shopkeeper within the labyrinth and that the 1st floor’s monsters resembled capybaras, targeting only the ankles, and that one could return to the shop by running away immediately upon encounter.

For Alone Mode players, the labyrinth was an unknown entity. Their reluctance to enter stemmed from that uncertainty. The unknown was too frightening.

But thanks to Taesan, they gained information.

Freed from the fear of the unknown, they began to muster the courage to enter the labyrinth.

Lee Taeyeon was among the first to act.

Following Taesan’s advice, she entered the labyrinth, met the shopkeeper, reached the Fountain of Life, and survived the labyrinth.

Lee Taeyeon had been very vocal on the community. To those reading, she seemed no different from themselves, equally fearful.

Yet, she succeeded.

Meaning, they too could reach a place where infinite recovery was possible—a very enticing proposition. Lee Taeyeon’s success inspired many Alone players to rush into the labyrinth.

Not everyone succeeded. Knowing the strategy didn’t make the difficulty any less challenging. The Fountain of Life was quite a distance from the shop, and encountering Big Rats along the way was not unlikely.

Still, an unprecedented number managed to reach the Fountain of Life compared to the previous world, surprising even Taesan.

However, reaching there and defeating the Big Rats were two different challenges.

Infinite recovery was possible, but overcoming a monster that surpassed one’s reaction speed was impossible without inherent talent.

Only two had succeeded in hunting.

Lee Taeyeon.

And Kang Junhyuk, who was currently conversing with him.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: What were you planning to do before my post went up?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: I was just gonna run into the labyrinth. Couldn’t stand the hunger. I thought I’d beat down the monsters and then have something to eat.] A 17-year-old boy, not yet an adult. Having already defeated a Big Rat, his talent must be on par with Lee Taeyeon’s.

But he was a name Taesan hadn’t heard before.

Likely, in the previous world, he would have charged at a Big Rat and died immediately. His survival was an irregularity thanks to Taesan’s post.

“……”

Would posting the guide lead to a surge in clears?

Taesan didn’t think so. Even if some managed to defeat the Big Rat, proceeding further would be unlikely. Survival rate and clear rate were separate matters.

Even in the previous world, there were a few who reached the Fountain of Life, but none besides Lee Taeyeon passed the 1st floor.

The only ones with a clear chance were Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk. Just the two of them.

‘Is it worth nurturing?’

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: What are you doing now?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Just taking a break after hunting a Big Rat.] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: And Lee Taeyeon?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: She’s probably sleeping right now?] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: Did you meet the paladin?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Huh? Who’s that?] He seemed unaware. Given that Lee Taeyeon met Aintzhar before, it’s fair to assume that anyone staying at the Fountain of Life would eventually meet him.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: You’ll meet a weird old man looking for a god. He’s an NPC whose treatment of you changes based on your actions. He’ll attack you out of nowhere, but don’t freak out. Respond properly, and you’ll get something useful.] Whether Kang Junhyuk would receive the Irock Weapon Technique was uncertain, but acquiring some skill was likely. In the early stages, every skill was precious.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: Tell Lee Taeyeon when she wakes up too.] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Uh……] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: What’s wrong?] Kang Junhyuk seemed to hesitate for a moment before deciding to speak up.

[Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Are you okay with this?] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: What do you mean?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Isn’t it too much? I mean, I appreciate the help, but we’re essentially competing to clear the labyrinth. Even though I’m weaker than you for now, aren’t you worried I might catch up if you keep giving away so much? I don’t plan on doing anything to you, but it seems like you’re giving away too much for what you’ve worked hard for.] Taesan chuckled at the unexpected concern.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: What kind of competition are you talking about? We’re all just humans trying to survive the same disaster on Earth.] They weren’t competitors. They were comrades.

There were a few opportunities to return to the outside world before clearing, and then he’d realize how foolish he’d been. Some didn’t understand their place and acted up, but those either turned into monsters or died by Lee Taeyeon’s hand or her allies.

And another misconception.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: The only reason I’m telling you all this is so you don’t die in some weird place.] Knowing the strategy doesn’t mean it can be actualized.

Lee Taeyeon’s clear of the Alone Mode was a stroke of luck upon luck. She herself said she wouldn’t be confident in surviving if she were to enter Alone Mode again.

A clear by the one who cleared couldn’t be guaranteed in the same place.

That was Alone Mode.

Even if Taesan told Kang Junhyuk about the Secret Room, he wouldn’t be able to clear it. He’d likely be skewered by the last fifteen arrows and die.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: And you think you can catch up to me just by knowing a few things?] He was comparing to when he cleared Easy Mode, being on par with Lee Taeyeon. Kang Junhyuk’s words felt like a chick expecting to surpass its feeder by eating what’s given, not understanding the reality.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: Don’t get ahead of yourself and just focus on making your way down.] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Well, I haven’t even passed the 1st floor, so maybe I was reaching for the stars.] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: Good. Keep at it. I’m going down further.] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Where are you now?] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: 2nd floor.] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: …Wow. And here I am just having defeated a Big Rat. It’s only been a week, isn’t that too fast?] [Kang Taesan[Alone]: Fast? It’s normal.] During their conversation, Taesan suddenly thought,

‘Isn’t it about time?’

It had been about a week. Players from Easy and Normal modes would be adapting by now. Taesan asked,

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: How’s the community these days?] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Normal, I guess? Oh, lately people from other modes started talking a bit too. But… there are some picking fights. We’re just ignoring them for now, but I don’t get why they’re doing it.] Those picking fights.

Taesan knew who they might be.

‘The fools who don’t know their place are starting to act up.’

Each mode’s players cannot see players from other modes.

They misunderstand their own mode’s difficulty as the highest, presuming their struggle is the greatest.

In the previous world, Taesan interfered, but now absent, they would run wild as they pleased.

He wasn’t particularly interested. Let them act up if they want; they’d be dealt with accordingly.

[Kang Taesan[Alone]: Take care.] [Kang Junhyuk[Alone]: Yes, you too.] Taesan closed the private chat.

The structure of the 2nd floor was similar to the 1st. The environment changes every 10 floors, so there wasn’t much difference.

Moss-covered bricks and floors were visible, and the interior of the labyrinth seemed likely similar.

However, Taesan knew from Lee Taeyeon that the Alone Mode’s 1st floor was somewhat of a tutorial. The real challenge began from the 2nd floor.

A place without the Fountain of Life, where healing options were limited.

Taesan knew what awaited here.

He walked down the corridor. A door appeared. Just beyond it lay a room. Taesan opened the door just enough to peek inside.

“Kieeeek.”

“Karak. Karak.”

Green monsters were visible. These creatures, resembling humans but smaller, reached only up to Taesan’s chest. They were talking and laughing among themselves, each holding swords, shields, and bows.

“Karuk.”

“Kek, kieek!”

One said something, and the others burst into laughter, as if amused by a joke.

[A goblin with a bow appeared.] [A goblin with a short sword appeared.] [A goblin with a short sword appeared.] [A goblin with a shield appeared.] ‘Goblins.’

The green monsters. Frequent denizens of both the middle and upper layers of the labyrinth, they’re the most common monsters encountered.

The 2nd floor’s monsters were precisely these creatures.