NPLLD 16

Chapter : 16

Korea Martial Arts Association (4)

The skin of Karzak, drenched all over, had hardened into a spiked armor covering its entire body.

Seoyul, who had entered the labyrinth, met Karzak’s gaze.

Its demonic, eerie eyes made anyone’s heart drop instinctively.

But for Seoyul, who was maintaining a calm, mirror-like state of mind, it had little effect.

Instead, looking into those eyes, he felt a question arise.

‘There’s no reason behind that rage.’

It had indeed been pierced through the right arm, but Karzak’s fury was strangely excessive and obsessive.

Monsters harm humans.

But prey is just prey to them.

They don’t normally hold unnecessary hatred.

Even monsters with strong convictions don’t act like this.

‘That madness is coming from the dagger lodged in its heart.’

But even knowing the cause didn’t provide any solution in this situation.

—KRAAARRR!

With a roar, Karzak launched its body like a battering ram at Seoyul.

[Spin Block has been designated.]

As Seoyul pressed his back against the wall, the wall rotated like a revolving door, shifting him smoothly to the opposite direction.

BOOM!

A deafening impact shook the ground, and the labyrinth walls trembled as if they were about to collapse.

‘A direct confrontation is impossible right now. I need to use traps as much as possible.’

Seoyul quickly moved through the labyrinth, avoiding Karzak’s path, and checked the map.

[Red Goblins: 24]

[Ghouls: 22]

After the labyrinth reconstruction, the respawned monster count was oddly balanced.

“Like they say, numbers win fights.”

[Cross Block activated.]

[Cross Block activated.]

Seoyul manipulated the labyrinth walls, forcing monsters and Karzak to collide.

—GROOOO—

—KIEEEEK!

Ghouls and Red Goblins appeared before Karzak and charged all at once.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Karzak grabbed a ghoul by the head with both hands and crushed it effortlessly like ringing a bell before throwing it aside.

As for the Red Goblins, it stomped them like moles—BOOM! BOOM!—crushing them one after another.

In an instant, half of the labyrinth monsters were annihilated.

Seoyul’s head throbbed.

‘Individually, it’s stronger than a hornet. That hardened blood armor won’t be pierced by traps. No choice… I’ll have to use that.’

After some thought, Seoyul decided to engage in sustained close combat tactics.

[Cross Block has been designated.]

With a heavy rumbling sound, a massive gate slid open like a sliding door, revealing a giant presence.

It was the boss of the tutorial labyrinth—“Jjeori.”

Growl…

Seeing an equally large monster, Karzak became interested and immediately charged.

CLANG!

The two locked hands and began a strength contest.

At first, it seemed evenly matched.

CRACK! BOOM!

But Jjeori’s arms twisted under Karzak’s power, bones and flesh tearing apart violently.

BOOM!

Karzak then repeatedly pummeled its face until Jjeori was reduced to a pulp.

[Labyrinth Boss Jjeori has been defeated.]

[Karzak level has increased by 1.]

[Due to boss defeat, labyrinth monsters can no longer respawn.]

“….”

Seoyul was briefly speechless.

Then he regained composure and observed Karzak.

The creature was chewing Jjeori’s corpse, acting purely on instinct.

Through his synesthetic ability, Seoyul immediately understood—it was tracking his scent.

It had realized that to escape this labyrinth, it must kill Seoyul.

“I can’t go down easily.”

Seoyul activated Spin Block and moved closer to Karzak on purpose.

—KRAAANG!

Sensing Seoyul’s scent, Karzak slammed its body into a nearby wall in rage.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

After several impacts, the wall collapsed completely, and Karzak charged through the opening.

“…idiot.”

Seoyul smirked, standing right beside a wall.

And through the broken gap—

Countless arrowheads glimmered.

[Trap: Steel Rain activated.]

SHHHHHHHHH!

A storm of arrows rained down on Karzak.

The force was so great that it staggered violently, limbs flailing uncontrollably.

The final arrow struck its jaw, snapping its head back.

“…Is it over?”

Seoyul checked its life force through synesthesia, then frowned and stepped back.

Karzak slowly reset its neck with a sickening crack.

It bit down on arrows and spat them out while chewing others.

—GROOOOAAARRR!

[HP: 721/3000]

[Effect: Madness triggered by Demon Dagger]

‘Why isn’t it dying, damn it.’

Although its HP had dropped significantly, Seoyul couldn’t relax.

Because its power had grown enough to destroy labyrinth walls in a single blow.

BOOM!

Karzak shattered the wall between them and glared at Seoyul.

Seoyul made a decision.

[Sphere has been generated.]

A sphere leading outside the labyrinth appeared.

[Do you wish to escape the labyrinth?]

Seoyul immediately selected yes.

He and Karzak were swept away by the sphere’s force.

Korea Martial Arts Association

Members were on alert due to the Steel Blood Orc incident.

“Damn it! What’s going on?”

“Is Senior Seoyul okay?”

“I don’t know.”

Despite everyone’s concern, Jang Geun-su couldn’t answer properly.

Seoyul had told him to keep quiet about earlier events, and no one truly knew what was happening.

Then—

KRAAAANG!

A furious roar echoed.

“That way!”

“They’re fighting in the inner courtyard!”

“Seoyul senior is there!”

Jang Geun-su ran without hesitation.

“Hey! You’re still injured!”

But he didn’t stop.

Soon, he arrived—

And saw Seoyul wielding a spear called “Roga,” pushing Karzak back fiercely.

‘It’s like watching the Master.’

His spear technique resembled Kang Tae-san’s movements.

BOOM!

Karzak’s attack shattered the air, but Seoyul blocked it with Roga.

The shaft bent like a bow, but its flexibility saved him.

‘It’s not just that.’

Seoyul stepped forward, twisted his body, and struck Karzak back.

The monster staggered despite its size.

‘So this is the true Dragon King Spear Technique.’

He now understood the purpose of his recent grip-strength training.

To fully use high-tier spear techniques like this, one needed both grip strength and flexibility to control the weapon in any situation.

Before, he would have lost his spear already.

But now—

‘It’s different.’

CRACK!

He launched a series of precise thrusts.

Dragon King Spear Technique: First Falling Kill Spear (Chogangsaechang)

Karzak staggered under the relentless barrage.

But—

[HP: 321/3000]

It was a berserker-type monster that grew stronger as its HP decreased.

Then—

BOOM!

Karzak retaliated.

A heavy punch landed in Seoyul’s abdomen.

“Ugh!”

He was blasted into the training hall doors.

Pain exploded through his body.

Inside the dojo lay a grip trainer made from the jawbone of an Iron Demon Ghoul.

Seoyul wiped blood from his lips.

Karzak charged again.

‘I release all energy in my body.’

He steadied his mind into calm clarity.

Then—

He unleashed his full force.

Dragon King Spear Technique: Dragon Flame Heart Piercing Strike.

BOOM!

A moment of silence fell.

Karzak’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Its right arm was torn apart—flesh and bone scattered.

—KRAAAAAA!

[HP: 5]

Karzak reached out for a final attack.

But Seoyul had already grabbed the jawbone grip trainer.

CRRRRACK!

With a grinding sound, it opened.

“You should have realized you were prey too.”

—Grrrr…

Karzak tried to flee in fear—

But the jawbone snapped shut.

CRUNCH!

Karzak was torn apart completely.

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Item acquired: Demon Dagger]

Members of the Martial Arts Association stood frozen.

Seoyul had won.

The man who once couldn’t even open the Iron Demon Ghoul’s jawbone had finally surpassed it.

But Seoyul ignored their shock.

“Is anyone injured?! Treat the wounded first!”

“R-right… huh?”

Jang Geun-su froze.

Seoyul’s voice overlapped with a memory.

—Don’t fall unconscious! Stay awake!

‘No way…’

That voice—

It was exactly the same.

‘He was the one who saved me back then!’