Chapter 5
[Easy Mode] [The easiest difficulty. Here, food is plentiful, and the rest stops located throughout the labyrinth will be a godsend. Even the ordinary and weak can eventually clear it with effort.] Easy Mode.
The mode he had chosen was very easy. As the description said, even a dullard could clear it if they were determined.
Of course, there were still deaths. The clear rate was about 70%.
[Normal Mode] [A standard difficulty. Food is scarce here, and the rest stops found throughout the labyrinth are significantly fewer than in Easy Mode.] [Ordinary people will find it difficult to survive, but those who give their all and do not succumb to despair can clear it.] The survival rate drops drastically from here. The average clear rate for Normal Mode was about 30%.
[Hard Mode] [A difficulty that tests your limits. Food is extremely scarce, and the rest stops scattered throughout the labyrinth are very few. Monsters will gladly sacrifice their lives to kill you, and you will die horribly without securing maximum safety.] The clear rate for Hard Mode was a mere 1%. Those who emerged from it boasted power incomparable to Easy or Normal modes.
Up to this point, players of the same mode could cooperate. They could clear the labyrinth together and jointly attack bosses.
And finally,
[Solo Mode] [A mode where you are alone. You will not meet anyone from your world. The only beings you will encounter are monsters, those hostile to you, and NPCs.] [Luck, talent, wisdom, strategy. Everything will be tested here. If your life is precious to you, do not choose this difficulty.] The description was still as grim as ever. Ironically, despite this warning, about ten thousand people chose Solo Mode.
Only Lee Tae-yeon survived.
A labyrinth with an unknown clear rate.
Tae-san had chosen Easy Mode back then. He had chosen it because he was weak, because he didn’t know his own worth.
But now, he knew his value.
Tae-san looked up at the rift in the sky. Beyond it was the Apostle that had killed him.
Would he have won if he was fully prepared? Tae-san thought there was a possibility. Maybe if he pulled out all the stops, he might have won.
But would that have been the end?
It was only the fourth wave. The monster that appeared in the sky last was stronger than the Apostle. The strongest monsters hadn’t even shown themselves yet. In the end, he would have lost.
But if he chose not the easiest mode but the one that allowed him to gain the most and become the strongest.
Tae-san smiled.
“Wait for me.”
[Solo Mode selected.] [May luck be with you.] His view flipped, and his body was transported. Tae-san closed his eyes and waited quietly.
Soon, the sense of being in a different place faded. When he opened his eyes, a village appeared.
Houses with chimneys. A well in the middle of the village.
A world with a medieval setting was before him.
“Sigh.”
Tae-san exhaled with a mix of nostalgia and weariness.
After a long time, he had returned to this place again.
“It looks the same.”
The appearance of the village was no different from Easy Mode. Since the village wasn’t the main focus but the labyrinth was, it probably wasn’t made with much care.
He had no business here. After a brief check, he planned to head straight to the labyrinth. Tae-san spoke up.
“Community.”
[Community.] [Posts.] [Kang Jun-hyuk[Solo] : ??? What is this?] The community. The only means of communication with players of different difficulties. Pioneers shared various information here, providing great help.
‘There’s already a post?’
He had logged in and immediately accessed the community. But the existence of a post meant someone shouted for the community and left a message as soon as they entered.
Whoever it was, they adapted quickly. Tae-san left a comment.
[Kang Tae-san[Solo] : Fight on.] The community would be useful later. Right now, it didn’t matter much.
“Status window.”
[Kang Tae-san] [Level: 1] [Health: 100/100] [Mana: 10/10] [Strength: 10] [Intelligence: 10] [Agility: 10] [Attack Power + 0] [Defense + 0] [The target is in optimal condition.] A familiar window appeared. The stats were laughably weak, bringing a smile to his face.
All players who entered the labyrinth started with the same stats.
However, the growth difference depending on the difficulty was significant. As players progressed through the labyrinth and leveled up, the gap widened and eventually became insurmountable.
For example, strength directly affected physical power. Hard Mode players, with all stats over a thousand, could shatter mountains and part seas with a single blow.
Previously, as an Easy Mode player, he was limited by his boundaries, but now it was different.
Now he was in Solo Mode. He would become stronger faster than anyone else.
The brief check was complete. Tae-san headed towards the labyrinth.
Walking through the village streets, he recalled Lee Tae-yeon’s words.
‘There’s a guardian at the entrance of the labyrinth, right?’
Easy Mode also had one. An old man with a long white beard who only answered what was asked, a typical NPC found everywhere.
It would be different here. Tae-san remembered the description of Solo Mode.
[NPC.]
There must be a reason why it was mentioned meaningfully.
Arriving at the entrance of the labyrinth, a man was seen sleeping against the cave wall. As Tae-san approached, the man slightly opened his eyes.
“So, you’re already here? Thought it would take at least a month.”
The black-haired man yawned and stood up. Sharp eyes were revealed.
‘Interesting.’
As the man stood up, it felt as if the world itself was rising. Something massive seemed condensed within his small frame.
An aura or intimidation. Something was felt.
‘This is…’
Stronger than Lee Tae-yeon. The past him would not have been able to guarantee victory against this opponent.
‘And he’s the gatekeeper?’
“First of all, congratulations. I am the guardian of the labyrinth. The protector who guards this place and will guide you.”
Stretching, the man asked,
“What’s your name?”
“Kang Tae-san. Tae-san.”
“Tae-san. Not a bad name. Call me Broken Man.”
“Broken Man?”
“Those who fail the challenge become gatekeepers. Sounds cool, doesn’t it?”
“It does.”
Tae-san nodded slightly. Outwardly, he engaged in casual conversation, but internally, he was quite astonished.
‘It’s real.’
Lee Tae-yeon often talked about how difficult her difficulty was. He wasn’t particularly interested, but since she provided alcohol, he listened.
Among those conversations, one thing stuck in his memory.
[What were the NPCs like in Easy Mode?] [Just NPCs. Anything different?] [Predefined responses, repeating actions, NPCs in games. All NPCs in Easy, Normal, and Hard modes were such entities.]
But Lee Tae-yeon denied Tae-san’s words.
[NPCs in Solo Mode were different. They were almost like real people.] [People?] [Yeah. They had proper intelligence and moved freely. That’s one of the differences between other modes and Solo Mode.] Proper NPCs. That existed in Solo Mode.
Why was this exclusive to this mode and not the others?
The reason wasn’t hard to guess.
‘Probably only this mode is the real deal.’
As Tae-san calmly sorted his thoughts, Broken Man twitched his eyebrows.
‘Why is this guy so calm?’
He expected Tae-san, who had only known a peaceful world, to freak out upon being thrown into this reality.
So, the plan was to beat him up first and then explain, but Tae-san was undisturbed. He just silently observed him.
“…You want an explanation?”
“Yes.”
Tae-san answered. Most of what he knew was from Easy Mode. It would be beneficial to listen.
“You’ve probably heard outside? Your world is being destroyed by invaders. This place is an opportunity bestowed by a benevolent transcendent being.”
Broken Man grumbled.
“Such a benevolent being, indeed. Would’ve been happier just letting it be destroyed.”
“Is that so?”
Tae-san’s response confirmed it for Broken Man. He was a being similar to them.
A being from a world that had been destroyed.
Broken Man continued,
“This is the labyrinth. Call it a tower if you like. It has a hundred floors, with major changes every ten floors, and it gets harder the deeper you go. You’re on your own for food, and you can find out the details yourself. That’s all.”
“…Is that all?”
The explanation was very rough. Broken Man grumbled,
“What, should I tell you what’s on the first floor and the second? There’s a guy inside who sells stuff; ask him.”
The irritation was palpable. Tae-san recalled Lee Tae-yeon’s words.
‘The gatekeeper was so annoying with complaints that I beat him up. I almost died before even entering the labyrinth.’
Tae-san wisely kept his mouth shut, following the advice of the pioneer. Broken Man reached into the space.
“But I should at least do the basics.”
Space tore open.
“Here.”
Broken Man threw a cloth armor and a sword he pulled from the space.
“Say ‘check’.”
“Check.”
The same system window as before obscured his view.
[Worn Cloth Armor] [Defense + 1] [It seems it can block minor scratches.] [Rusty Sword] [Attack Power + 1] [It seems it will break soon.] “It’s the same as the Easy Mode.”
“Don’t like it?”
“No.”
Now he could finally enter the labyrinth. The mere fact was exhilarating.
Broken Man looked at him strangely.
“Why?”
“No, nothing.”
After a moment of consideration, Broken Man decided.
“Take this too.”
He handed Tae-san a wrist guard.
[Worn Wrist Guard] [Defense + 1] [Worn from use, it has lost its original value. It seems it can block the teeth of beasts.] Tae-san was momentarily taken aback but silently accepted it.
‘What’s this?’
Lee Tae-yeon mentioned receiving only a rusty sword and cloth armor. There was no mention of a wrist guard.
But Broken Man didn’t explain.
“Now, shout ‘inventory’.”
“Inventory.”
The window obscured his vision.
The black window split into twenty separate slots.
“You can put one item in each slot. The same item can stack up to 20 times. If it’s full, carry it or sell it. And…”
“Status window.”
The window appeared in front of Tae-san.
“You know well?”
“It’s common.”
Tae-san checked the status window familiarly.
[Kang Tae-san] [Level: 1] [Health: 100/100] [Mana: 10/10] [Strength: 10] [Intelligence: 10] [Agility: 10] [Attack Power + 1] [Defense + 2] [The target is in optimal condition.] Seeing the numbers, Tae-san smiled with satisfaction. An extra point of defense made a significant difference in the early stages. It was an unexpected gain.
“Find out the rest on your own. What each stat does, the effect of skills, etc.”
Broken Man gestured with his chin.
“Now, go in.”
“Yes.”
Tae-san quickly entered the cave.
“Thank you.”
“Good luck.”
Broken Man waved him off. Only when Tae-san’s figure vanished into the darkness did he lower his hand.
“Will he survive?”
This place is hell.
Broken Man had seen many come and go. Among them were born warriors and skilled magicians. Even those called geniuses failed to conquer this place.
But to Broken Man, Tae-san seemed different.
Not just talent or skill, but something more fundamental.
The power to survive.
“I hope he survives.”
But he was just the labyrinth’s gatekeeper. He couldn’t interfere with the labyrinth. Unless Tae-san returned, they would never meet again.
Broken Man turned off his concern and continued to guard the labyrinth.
Tae-san walked through the cave. Despite the lack of torches, visibility was as clear as if the sky had opened.
Soon, the cave ended, and a brick corridor appeared.
It was the labyrinth.
As he recognized it, a window obscured Tae-san’s vision.
[This labyrinth, created long ago by a great magician, is rumored to grant a wish to those who conquer it.] [This is a prison.] [Dreadful beings move without breath, and the living die. Everything here exists to oppress you.] [Eternal glory awaits you as you break through this deep abyss.] Familiar.
Yet different description.
Tae-san stepped into the brick corridor with a joyful face.
[This is the entrance to the labyrinth.] [A place where things that die when stabbed live. The power here isn’t very strong.] As soon as he checked, another window appeared.
[Main Quest Start.] [There are many hidden places and secrets here.] [Rewards will be given based on the secrets you uncover when clearing.] [Floor 1 Quest Start.] [Defeat the boss on the first floor and pass through.] [Reward: Random Stat Increase Potion.] [Secret Reward: ???]