◈ Episode 130. The Labyrinth of Teffern (3)

[10 Wonders Quest: The Labyrinth of Teffern].

Teffern, the 10th Wonder of the Arcana Continent.

Clear the Labyrinth of Teffern.

Let the world know the true nature of Teffern.

Wonders uncovered so far : 0 / 10

─Witness the Labyrinth of Teffern. (Success)

Reach the depths of the Labyrinth. (Ongoing)

The updated goal is to reach the depths of the Labyrinth.

Well, not an unexpected goal.

Since you’ve entered the Labyrinth, you must reach its depths in order to clear it.

I feel like I’m doing a hybrid quest.

“…… Is that a spirit?”

At first glance, it’s hard not to be surprised.

It’s so aesthetic in its appearance.

The explorers stare at Hiel and the Dark Spirit in awe.

“My lord, will you leave us in charge from now on?”

Fabian was the first to realize what was happening.

‘That damn title.’

Lord Ho-Yeol from the start.

It was a title that was not disrespectful, but it was disrespectful to me.

I understood.

‘Because the Explorers’ Federation belongs to the Kingdom of Yusra.’

If I do say so myself.

After all, I had [Authority] in the Kingdom of Yusra.

At the very least, it was natural for the Explorers from the Kingdom of Yusra to be polite to me.

That’s why.

I replied generously.

“I look forward to seeing what you do.”

Fabian and the two men stepped forward.

Salposhi–

Reaching out and scanning the high walls.

Probing for traps, I suppose.

Still, since I have experience, I can find out.

I’ve tasted traps before.

In the rift of the [Quernberg Machine Tower].

‘Of course, it doesn’t feel the same.’

The traps in the machine tower were only for hunting demons.

Compared to those silver traps.

The traps here, in the Teffern Labyrinth, are…….

‘I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m sure it’s much worse.’

For starters, the warning message was dire.

[O foolish one who enters the Labyrinth of Teffern].

[There are no riches here].

[Leave this place immediately.]

[Unless you want to die].

But if you say it doesn’t exist, it does.

If you say don’t do something, it makes me want to do it more.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who got this message.

I can’t be the only one thinking, “I wonder if every player who enters is thinking the same thing?’

There must be something to the Labyrinth of Teffern.

I see a message emerge from the beginning.

Maybe it’s not the usual loot.

They’re making a big deal out of it.

‘Wouldn’t I have thought the same thing?’

The embodiment of innocence.

The jaded nature of Grandfell.

And a dark spirit.

“Mr. Fabian, this trap is not ordinary.”

“No mere mechanical device. It’s enchanted.”

” …… It is magic, but it doesn’t look like ordinary magic, judging by the way the device doesn’t react.”

“Indeed, it is a wonder.”

“Tricky. Indeed, it’s a good thing you brought the Federation’s treasure.”

Look.

Fabian, having discovered the trap, looked at me.

…… was just standing there, or was he giving me a hint?

Needless to say, I didn’t avert my gaze.

He’d already laid down the law.

I’ll be watching your performance.

‘That’s why I told you to be prepared. I am.’

To be with me.

To handle my bubbles.

It’s going to take a lot of preparation.

I even wrote you a nice letter.

‘But I can’t in good conscience eat it raw.’

A tired personality that crawls through overestimations……!

A personality that relies on others is even worse.

Being prepared.

It means you’ve done your part.

‘It’s a shame my stamina has reached superhuman levels.’

In that case, it was a good thing that there were no labyrinth books in the Magic Tower.

I couldn’t afford to cram all that labyrinth knowledge into my head.

I thought of the best preparation I could do.

‘I have no knowledge of labyrinths or traps.’

I could get information about the [Teffern Labyrinth].

I looked at the dark spirit.

.

.

.

“My reason for inviting you is simple.”

Chief of the Magic Tower.

Dalcak-

I said, setting my teacup.

“To hear your two seniors’ opinions regarding the Dark Spirits.”

Dark spirits are a subject about which very little is known.

No matter what books I searched, there was no more information than I already knew.

There was no need to search the internet. The other players didn’t know anything about regular spirits either.

So I invited the two seniors, Matisse and Feiyan.

“It’s an honor to be invited.”

“Yeah, I’m honored too, but……. Do you mind if I quench my thirst first?”

“Sure.”

Immediately, Feiyan raised her teacup.

‘Good medicine tastes bitter in the mouth.’

Most medicinal herbs don’t taste good to humans.

They were more of a medicine than a tea in the first place.

I’ve been consuming them to compensate for my poor stats…….

Monstrous senior mages don’t need herbs.

Herbal teas are not appropriate for hospitality.

So I prepared this tea.

“……Sweet, that’s an odd flavor, isn’t it? It’s different from black tea.”

Someone who’s had a lot of it knows best?

Feiyan, a big eater, seemed to recognize it immediately.

‘Yeah, it’s a strange flavor.’

Those are high-grade green tea tea bags that cost 300 won each.

Why was tea bag green tea treated as such a high-quality treat?

I had to go back and explain the early morning delivery and the discount coupon.

I looked over at Feiyan, who frowned, and cut to the chase.

“What do you think is the reason for the appearance of the Dark Spirits in Teffern?”

I asked.

It was Feiyan, who was about to one-shot her tea, who spoke first.

Feiyan quickly cleared her throat.

“As you know, I think it’s because the conditions for the Dark Spirit’s appearance were tricky, and I have nothing to say about that…….”

“I have not summoned you to rebuke you, Feiyan Lot.”

“… … yes?”

I said then, it was no one’s fault.

The appearance of the Dark Spirit.

It was just a coincidence.

Matisse nodded.

“Senior Feiyan. He’s asking us why Teffern has become a place that fulfills his requirements.”

That’s what I was trying to say.

Matisse, you’re a black magic senior.

A black history seeker who can read my mind.

“Ah, if that’s what you mean…….”

Feiyan smiled wryly before continuing.

“Uncontracted spirits have a habit of staying in the places they wake up. Although they are heterogeneous dark spirits……. I don’t think they differ in their basic nature, so I’m guessing that the Dark Spirit is probably one that was born in Teffern.”

“Matisse, what are your thoughts?”

“My thoughts are the same as Senior Feiyan’s.”

The founder of black magic.

Matisse spoke up with his knowledge.

“Just as the uncontracted spirits draw their power from nature. Dark spirits must also draw their power from nature.”

“Right, they are spirits after all.”

“Which is to say that Teffern could not have been a more fitting place.”

In other words.

There would be plenty of magic to go around in Teffern.

I swallowed hard at Matisse’s speculation.

…… This wasn’t a mystery quest for nothing.

‘Proper magic comes from the past and background.’

Surely, you must have a history with Teffern.

Matisse spoke politely.

“Perhaps a conversation with a dark spirit would help you identify a proper source of magic, even if there is some history involved. Though that shouldn’t be a problem for your lordship.”

You’re putting too much faith in me, Senior Matisse.

But Matisse was not mistaken.

Yes, black magic and the proper nature of magic.

‘Darkness buries itself in deeper darkness.’

Matisse was grossly overestimating my proper magic, thinking that even a Teffern wouldn’t matter to me.

‘In the end, it would be best to speak to the dark spirit.’

That was the end of the conversation.

The two seniors rose from their seats.

Following Matisse out of the office, Feiyan suddenly spoke up.

“…… over there, Chief Lee Ho-yeol.”

“?”

“That tea, by any chance, how can I get just one?”

Feiyan smiled wryly.

“It has a strange flavor, so I’d like to try just one more cup.”

She’s such a glutton that even a 300 won green tea is delicious.

I would have given her a few.

The timing was unfortunate.

“I’m afraid I can’t.”

There was only one tea bag left.

But this man’s pride and dignity.

I honestly can’t give it to you because I’m going to drink it.

I couldn’t tell him the truth.

So I spoke firmly.

“Too much caffeine interferes with sleep.”

“……? Caffeine? What kind of trouble are you talking about?”

.

.

.

If anyone overheard, they’d think I was having trouble sleeping because of too much caffeine. A conversation that, even as I replay it, makes my tongue stick out at its shamelessness. But I was prepared for it.

I spoke in my normal voice.

“I have a question about Teffern.”

Teffern.

The dark spirit replied, almost afraid to say the name.

“I have been waiting for that question. O infinite darkness.”

Indeed, Matisse was right.

He had a lot to say.

I glanced at Fabian’s group, who were focused on disarming the trap.

‘This could be useful to them, too.’

It wasn’t the kind of information I’d want to hide from someone in the same boat.

So I spoke up.

“I want to know the past of Teffern, Dark Spirit.”

*

A message flashed into my vision.

A voice echoed through the labyrinth.

The players who had come to their senses spoke.

“Did you all hear that?”

“Nothing, they’re telling us to leave now…….”

“A strong negative is a strong positive! I guess we should have gotten in after all.”

Mostly guilds and parties.

Less often, solo players.

While players who entered in guilds or parties had no problems, the situation was a little different for solo players.

Most of them were nettubers.

“No, brothers. I’m alone, how can I sprint in a human way, I don’t know what traps will pop up where!”

“If I’d known it was going to be like this, I’d have gotten a party or something……!”

“I heard that this labyrinth has different starting points, surely I can’t be the only one, there must be other players like me who entered alone?”

Nettuber players just like them.

Park explained the situation to the viewers.

Once again, the explorer’s knowledge shone through.

“The labyrinth has only one exit, but multiple entrances, which means that players, including me, are separated from each other in different places! What? You don’t see Mr. Ho Yeol? No, because we’re supposed to meet up with each other in the deepest part of the labyrinth.”

-That means we have to go to the deepest part???

-Does Huigang think he can do it alone?

-If it’s not possible, let’s just give up.

-You can also wait until Ho-yeol clears it.

What the viewers said was always right, but…….

Park Hwigang promised himself.

This time, he decided to make a little effort.

‘This is my chance to let the world know about Mr. Ho Yeol’s achievement.’

Never let the world know what I did!

It was as if Ho Yeol had lived up to that motto.

Even in simple interviews and press conferences, Ho Yeol never bragged or showed off his achievements.

‘Even when you cleared the Demon Castle Rift…….’

This was no ordinary clear either.

He “crushed” three Demon Castle Rifts.

He cleared it in just 10 minutes.

Therefore, Park Huigang sincerely thought.

‘The world needs to know more about Mr. Ho Yeol’s hard work.’

Just Homen.

After muttering the words, Park took a deep breath.

Then he called out.

“Hey, is there anyone out there who wants to party with me?”

“……? Look, brothers. I’m not the only one here.”

“My class is Explorers, they’ll be useful in the Labyrinth!”

“……Explorers? Wow, thank goodness!”

“Me too, count me in!”

The players quickly gathered.

They were all different.

Some were nettubers like Park Hwigang, some were high-level players with enough skill to enter the game on their own, and some were even known as supernovas.

But it didn’t matter where they came from.

They all had one goal in mind.

“Let’s join forces and go deep!”

No ordinary labyrinth, of course, but one of the Ten Wonders of the World, the Teffern Labyrinth.

Unsurprisingly, the first steps were not favorable. Shouts came from all over the labyrinth, including from Park Hwigang’s party.

“What, what, the walls of the labyrinth are cracking?”

“Excuse me, Mr. Hwigang. Isn’t this thing collapsing?!”

“Wait, brothers, is there something inside the wall?”

“Aaahhhhhhh! Something is moving inside the wall!”

.

.

.

Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

So many starting points in the Teffern Labyrinth.

But the only one that was silent was the one where Ho-Yeol and Fabian entered.

Who was Fabian? The greatest labyrinth expert on the Arcana Continent and a legendary living explorer.

“Whoa……. Trap disarmed.”

It had been a long time since I’d been in action, but the sensations in my body hadn’t dulled.

Of course, it had a lot to do with the preparation.

If it weren’t for the machetes, I would have lost face in front of Lord Ho Yeol.

‘This is no ordinary labyrinth.’

A labyrinth is a place where someone hides valuable loot.

It’s only natural that the route to retrieve that loot would be calculated.

Maybe there’s a shortcut that’s safe from traps.

There are rules for easily disarming traps.

Yes, that was common labyrinth knowledge.

But none of those things existed in the Teffern Labyrinth.

As in, it didn’t really allow anyone access.

Every trap was too elaborate to dismantle.

‘……Maybe the voices are true.’

Riches and fame do not exist.

Leave this place now.

Unless you want to die…….

Fabian wasn’t the only one who picked up on it.

“Aaron, what do you think?”

“……Mr. Fabian, don’t you feel something is wrong too?”

“Of course, I don’t feel right either.”

Fabian was puzzled.

Unless it is to store wealth and fame.

Why had Teffern built such a labyrinth?

“A mystery.”

It didn’t make any sense to me.

But the question didn’t last long.

The Dark Spirit began to explain.

“Tefern was meant to be protected. Everything.”

Yes, the truth of Teffern.

“……!!!”

The faces of Fabian, Aaron, and Rombus as they listened to the tale were colored with horror.

An unbelievable story. Yes, the truth was the reason for the silence in this moment.

But of course.

Ho-Yeol’s expression didn’t change at all.

Finally, he spoke.

“I have come to know your pride. Teffern.”

Then he spat out the shocking words.

“Fabian, from now on, I will confront the trap head-on.”

“……?”

“You must act according to your pride.”

……Suddenly?

Confronting the trap?

And pride?

Hmm.

A cold sweat broke out on Fabian’s forehead.

“My lord, what do you mean by that?”

.

.

.

What I mean is.

It’s a simple one-liner.

‘Teffern sacrificed themselves for the continent of Arcana.’

This has triggered a pride that will never die.

It’s never easy, is it?

Still, I’m glad I did.

There was still one item I hadn’t returned.

There was no time to waste.

I went straight to the Garnet Hall of the Magic Tower and donned the borrowed equipment.

Flutter─