121 – Bear the Weight of the Crown #2
“Why did you bring her?”
Right at the transition from Friday night to Saturday at midnight,
I asked Bangdaengi, who had brought Mibang along.
In that moment, I was reminded of my elementary school days.
When friends would arrange to meet at the playground, there were always some kids who brought along their younger siblings. Usually, they’d say something like, “Mom said I have to bring my younger sibling too!”
Often, these younger kids ended up being assigned the role of “pickled radish” in games like tag or hide and seek because they were too young to fully understand the rules or weren’t as physically capable.
A cultural tradition, the “pickled radish,” ensured that even children who didn’t fully grasp the rules or lacked physical abilities could still enjoy playing games.
Children back then had a sense of camaraderie and romanticism that I’m not sure the kids of today possess.
Anyway,
Baek Yeo-ul’s Mibang was essentially our “pickled radish”.
However, we weren’t planning to play hide and seek or tag.
Would it really be wise to bring Mibang along with us into the forbidden Great Labyrinth to face off against the “Red King”?
Yu Yeo-reum, who arrived on time for our rendezvous, also scolded Bangdaengi upon seeing Mibang.
“Hey, why bring such a young child here?”
“I’m not young! I can be helpful! I want to go into the Great Labyrinth too! It feels like an adventure, and I’m excited!”
Mibang boldly proclaimed that he could be helpful.
From beside him, Baek Yeo-ul chimed in.
“Mibang says he’s confident!”
What should we do?
It seemed like everyone was deep in thought, unable to easily reach a conclusion.
Looks like I’d better mediate this.
“We’ll bring her along.”
“Hey! Hanamjin!”
Seugal called my name loudly in protest.
Her expression, with one eyebrow raised and her lips bitten tightly, seemed to accuse me: “Are you really going to bring such a young child to that dangerous place?”
“Actually, not bringing Mibang could potentially be more dangerous.”
Given that the explosion and subsequent destruction of the “Witch’s Sect” laboratory has likely reached the ears of both Nam Bada and government officials, it’s highly probable that Mibang’s disappearance has been reported, with people already mobilizing to address the situation.
“Even in the Great Labyrinth, we are less likely to be discovered by them if Mibang stays with us. It might not be the safest option, but it’s certainly more secure.”
Most importantly, I had personally witnessed Mibang regenerate from gunshot wounds inflicted by the research facility guards. Though not entirely immortal, with the Life conceptstone within him, he was clearly capable of withstanding most dangers.
In fact, our primary concern within the Great Labyrinth should be ourselves—fighting against the Red King and his rat-hunting grand knight “Hameln” is no easy task.
The critical factor will be the condition of Yu Yeo-reum and Seugal.
Yu Yeo-reum appeared to be adjusting her body state by blinking, controlling the light emission from her eyes.
“My condition is perfect,” she declared.
So that’s settled. What about Seugal?
“I…”
Seugal hesitated subtly.
Is she reluctant to fight against the Red King?
This fight was originally our plan—an operation designed by me and Yu Yeo-reum.
Bangdaengi, Seugal, and Mibang were late additions—not accounted for as part of the main force. It’s just how it turned out.
“If there’s any unsettling factors, it’s okay to step back. We learned during the Nam Woo-joo operation that an unreliable ally can be more dangerous than the enemy.”
“It’s not exactly that I’m uneasy.”
Hmm…
Seugal smirked, giving off that sharp, fox-like attitude. Her condition seems good.
“Let’s go then!”
Mibang clenched his fist and raised it high. Baek Yeo-ul soon echoed with an enthusiastic “Oh!” and raised his own fist.
—
According to Mibang, the abandoned entrance connects to a dangerous demon cave.
“In Hanja, it’s called ‘magul (魔窟)’—a demon’s lair!”
A den for fearsome creatures—what kind of terrifying beings would live there, warranting such a name?
Even the most accomplished Awakened Ones considered it perilous to enter this place. This is why the Great Labyrinth’s entrance was sealed, and eventually, the “Witch’s Sect” took up residence there.
Suddenly curious, Seugal asked:
“Mibang, how do you know this place connects to a demon’s lair?”
“It’s because I’ve inherited great and astonishing knowledge! I’ve received some of the witch’s knowledge through the conceptstone! Though I don’t know everything!”
Could this ‘witch’ be the one from the legend of the founding of the Fairy Kingdom?
The story goes that the first Fairy King sought prosperity for his kingdom from the witch, offering some sort of payment in return.
If what Mibang says is true, it might mean he possesses useful information about the cause of the Fairy Kingdom’s decline—an event where the witch now plays a pivotal role.
Just as the Fairy Kingdom shattered into the Four Ends, our world was ruined by the Three Calamities.
The connection between the Four Ends and the Three Calamities cannot be dismissed as mere speculation.
We arrived at the deserted entrance of the Great Labyrinth.
“To open the entrance of the Great Labyrinth, a special incantation is needed. But I don’t know that part…”
“Seugal, do you still have the ring I gave you?”
I redirected my gaze to the ring on Seagal’s finger that I had given her during the operation against Nam Woo-joo—a magical artifact known as the ‘Seed.’
It seemed she hadn’t yet returned it to me.
As a matter of fact, this ring was akin to the Fairy King’s royal seal, acting as a key to grant authority within the Great Labyrinth. Based on my guess, it might also help open the labyrinth’s entrance.
“You gave Seugal a ring?”
Yu Yeo-reum interjected with an unexpected question.
Soon, both Bangdaengi and Mibang looked surprised.
“Ring? Proposal!”
“Oh, stop it, it’s not like that. It’s just something I was holding onto for her. Here you go, Hanamjin; it belongs to you originally.”
Seugal removed the ring from her left middle finger and handed it back to me. I was relieved she wasn’t too interested in keeping the treasure.
Upon reflection, Baonoi was searching for this ring with great urgency. Could it really be such an important item? I should inquire about it from Baonoi once this is over.
“Would you like to open the entrance to the Great Labyrinth?”
“Yes” or “No.”
The moment I placed my palm on a thorny vine-covered stone door, the words floated in front of my eyes. Inwardly, I nodded my intent to “Yes.”
A high-pitched sound echoed as the stone door began to open.
Interestingly, beyond the door, there appeared a cavernous tunnel that resembled the gaping maw of an incredibly massive snake—foreboding and eerie to behold. Such passages often lead to otherworldly dungeons.
“Are we really going in there?”
Bangdaengi asked in an almost fearful voice. Even as we prepared to enter the dark cave, apprehension was evident.
Mibang turned to address Bangdaengi.
“Mibang, didn’t you say that there are incredibly terrifying demons here in the demon’s lair?”
“That’s right! A creature that devoured so many other beings it destroyed the entire ecosystem. The fairies had no choice but to seal it deep in the underground caves. But because it’s been such a long time, it must certainly have starved to d*ath!”
“It’s probably still alive.”
“Probably.”
Seagal and Yu Yeo-reum muttered in unison, their eyes turning briefly to Bangdaengi.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Why indeed.
Considering Bangdaengi is an icon of misfortune, someone who triggers flags of d*ath and often resolves storylines, it’s somewhat expected.
Thud-thud…
Slowly, we stepped into the stone cave.
Squeek-kaboom!
The door sealed shut the moment we were all inside.
The cave was covered in damp moss.
Unidentifiable mushrooms grew sporadically around, and glowing insects akin to moths or butterflies added to the eerie ambience. It was as if we had stepped into an uncharted territory of humanity, an adventurous spirit of exploration rising within us.
The importance of finding the right path was emphasized, given the labyrinth was reputed to be connected directly to the Red King’s den.
“Look at this, there are massive bones!”
Pointing with his hand, Bangdaengi drew our attention to a bone pile deep within the cave—a collection of ancient fossils so large, they might have belonged to creatures with horns, resembling dinosaurs, as well as other monstrous beings entirely foreign to us.
Even when pieced together, their immense size easily dwarfed most standard vehicles.
“It looks like something ate and discarded these bones.”
The arrangement of the bones reminded me of when my phone orders takeout chicken, leaving all the remaining bones piled to one side.
Apparently, some creatures like to collect the bones in their territory.
“Hanamjin, are you saying there was something so large that it could devour these colossal monsters…!?”
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility.”
If there existed an entity capable of consuming apex demons, it would certainly reign supreme within this demon’s lair.
The Demon King.
Perhaps such a description would suffice.
What kind of being could it be?
Even knowing it might be better not to encounter such a creature, a subtle curiosity lingered. Isn’t it simply human nature to wish to see the king of monsters?
Walking farther into the cave…
“Warning! Fifty steps ahead, there is a trap set to repel intruders!”
The sound of rolling rocks echoed near.
“Yaaaak! Hanamjin, watch out! The boulders are coming!”
“Also, the right path leads to an underground wasp colony. Kindly use the left path.”
“Two paths. Which way should we go?”
Upon Seugal’s question, I focused my senses toward the right path.
Woo-woo-woo…
The buzzing sound of giant wasps could be distinctly heard.
“Let’s go left.”
“Five hundred steps to the village…”
This demon’s lair was intricate, much like a maze or dungeon, but occasionally, the fairy script appeared on the walls, guiding our way like signposts. Thanks to these markers, we avoided the demons and traps, eventually arriving at a peculiar place.
We found incredibly tall mushrooms with homes carved into their insides.
Mushroom houses.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine the fairies from fairy tales living here—indeed, it was very similar. The inhabitants dwelling within were fairies themselves.
“An outsider?”
“An outsider has entered this demon’s lair?”
However, these fairies were different from nymphs like Baonoi or Inonoi.
Their ears were longer, and their skin was pale blue, almost translucent. Their hair was long and delicate, like a spider’s web, shimmering with silver threads. They seemed similar to what one might imagine as dark elves in typical gaming lore.
“Village of Black Fairies”
The words floated before my eyes.
Literally, a settlement of black fairies nestled underground, just as the text suggested. As we observed them, they were as cautious of us as we were of them.
“What is your purpose here?”
“These fellows appear to be the Awakened!”
Zing-zing!
The native fairies pointed weapons made of demon bones at us: bone armor, bone spears, bone swords. The sight of these weapons alone was enough to instill a fear of tetanus or similar infections.
“We…”
Judging by their feelings, all the fairies were strong, akin to second- and third-tier Awakened beings. To survive in this bizarre ecosystem, every inhabitant must be exceptionally tough.
“We did not come to fight.”
Wishing for open dialogue, I said this. The male fairy with the ornate horned helmet seemed surprised.
“To think there are outsiders who understand our language. Though the decision to fight or not lies not with you. Whether you live or d*e rests in the hands of our Lord. According to the rules, we will now escort you to meet our King.”
“Hanamjin! What are these primitives talking about?”
Seugal, clearly tense, pressed for interpretation. I mulled over the recent conversation.
“The king you serve… could it be the ‘Red King’ you’re referring to? We, too, are here to see him.”
By chance, these black fairies could lead us to meet the Red King.
Perhaps it’s meant to be—disaster turned to fortune. In this struggle between luck and misfortune, it seems lucky Bangdaengi is exerting a bit more influence. Of course, whether arriving at this village is truly a boon will require further observation.
“The ‘Red King’? Ah, I see. You were outsiders who came to meet the ‘Red King’?”
But the horned helmeted fairy laughed lightly, like a deflating balloon.
“The ‘Red King’ is merely the king of the surface world. His influence holds no power in the underworld. We serve the king of this demon lair, not the ‘Red King.’ It is the essence of ‘Pain’ and ‘Hunger.'”
This strange worship of black fairies.
They continued to escort us.
“Let’s go to our Lord. If you receive permission to remain from him, even the grand warrior Moro himself might personally guide you along the way to the ‘Red King.'”
