NPLLD 05

Chapter : 05

Subjugation of the Red Goblins

“This isn’t the time to stand around.”

After trapping four Red Goblins inside the labyrinth, Seoyul shook his head.

His job in the Rescue Department wasn’t to hunt monsters—

It was to save people from disasters caused by monsters.

And inside Hotel Renaissance—

There was still a child who hadn’t escaped.

[Synesthesia activated.]

Seoyul fully engaged his original role as a scout.

Sound, smell, touch—

All sensory data transformed into visual information.

He traced the path through burning hallways, past corpses being toyed with by Red Goblins—

Until he reached the 7th floor.

There—

He saw it clearly.

The form of a child.

“Found you!”

Maintaining his active skill Sphere, Seoyul kicked off the ground and sprinted up the stairs.

Between the 6th and 7th floors—

Dozens of Red Goblins blocked the way, drooling as they stared at him.

Seoyul flicked his arm as if annoyed.

The floating Sphere shot forward.

Whooong!

Every goblin it touched was sucked inside—

Dragged into the labyrinth.

[Red Goblin count: 34]

Inside the labyrinth, the goblins panicked—

Only to be ambushed by ghouls.

Seoyul ran past the now-empty staircase and reached the 7th floor.

[Level Up.]

Several goblins had already died.

His level increased.

‘So this is what they call auto-hunting.’

He smirked—

But his expression soon hardened.

[Remaining Ghouls: 42]

Originally, there were 50.

Though ghouls were also 1-star monsters—

Red Goblins were slightly stronger in one-on-one combat.

‘If the ghouls are wiped out, the goblins escape.’

Seoyul sharpened his focus and began manipulating the labyrinth.

If 1v1 didn’t work—

Then force 2v1.

[Spin Block activated.]
[Cross Block activated.]

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Walls shifted instantly.

The labyrinth rearranged itself, splitting the goblins apart.

“Kiiik!”

A goblin trapped by a spinning wall suddenly found itself facing two ghouls—

And was brutally torn apart.

The goblins, just starting to adapt—

Were thrown into chaos again as the layout changed unpredictably.

‘Good. That buys me time.’

Moving forward again—

Seoyul soon encountered another group.

Kiiik!
Crash! Crash!

At least thirty Red Goblins.

They were sniffing the air, smashing doors and walls—

Desperately searching for the hidden child.

Then—

They spotted Seoyul.

—“Human. Kill. Human!”

The largest goblin—likely the leader—pointed at him.

A command.

“Kiiik!”

The entire group charged at once.

Seoyul frowned.

“…This might be a bit much.”

Without hesitation—

He swung his arm.

[Active Skill: Sphere created.]

The goblins were instantly swallowed.

Silence fell over the hotel—

As if nothing had ever happened.

But Seoyul wasn’t relaxed.

Not at all.

[Red Goblin count: 72]
[Remaining Ghouls: 40]

The labyrinth was now overcrowded.

If the ghouls were wiped out—

The goblins would escape.

But first—

There was something more important.

Creak—

Seoyul opened a broken linen room door.

Inside—

Between stacks of bedding—

A little girl was trembling.

“Are you Somi?”

She nodded stiffly.

“M-Mister… where did the goblins go?”

She grabbed his hand tightly, terrified.

“It’s okay now. I took care of everything. Let’s go see your mom.”

“Okay!”

Relief filled her face.

At that moment—

[Warning! More than 50% of labyrinth monsters have been eliminated.]

‘The child is safe. Now I deal with the goblins.’

Seoyul pulled out his phone and called a teammate.

“Where are you?”

—“I’m right outside the hotel! Why did you go in alone again?! Are you hurt?!”

Kim Seong-ho’s worried voice poured through the phone.

Seoyul spoke calmly.

“I’m on the 7th floor, linen room. There’s a child—take responsibility and get her out. I still have work to finish.”

—“Again?! Stop doing reckless—!”

Click.

He hung up.

Then gently placed a hand on Somi’s head.

“Someone else will come soon. Go with them.”

“…What about you?”

She looked anxious, refusing to let go.

Seoyul gently removed her hand—

And pointed at the floating sphere.

“I’m going in there. I have to deal with the bad guys.”

“…What’s in there?”

She looked confused.

She couldn’t see it.

‘Only visible to Awakened? Or just me?’

No time to test it.

Seoyul patted her head—

And walked into the sphere.

[Enter the labyrinth?]

He accepted.

And vanished.

Inside the Labyrinth

[Remaining Ghouls: 12]
[Red Goblins: 65]

The situation was bad.

Seoyul immediately assessed the battlefield.

Too many goblins had been absorbed too quickly.

Worse—

The Red Goblin King was among them.

The goblins regained composure—

And began slaughtering the ghouls.

“…Then I fight too.”

After becoming a Labyrinth Designer, his capabilities had increased significantly.

He searched his inventory.

‘In a labyrinth… a long weapon is better than a sword.’

He chose a spear.

[Training Spear]
Grade: Common
Attack: 20–30
Durability: 50/50

“Better than nothing.”

Through the map—

He saw a goblin approaching from behind a wall.

[Spin Block activated.]

A rotating wall forced the goblin into view—

Stab!

“Kiiieeek!”

The spear pierced its chest.

Seoyul twisted it sideways—

Tearing its abdomen open.

The goblin died instantly.

He picked up an item from its body.

[Goblin Paralysis Poison]

“Carrying poison too… nasty bastards.”

Clicking his tongue—

He coated his spear with it.

“I’ll make good use of this.”

Soon—

[Spin Block activated.]

Seoyul moved like an insect in the labyrinth.

Free.

Unpredictable.

Like a butterfly—
Sting like a bee.

He appeared behind a goblin—

And struck.

The poisoned spear tore into its side.

The goblin trembled, paralyzed—

Unable even to move its tongue.

Slash!

Its head fell.

[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]

There was a flaw—

His speed meant he couldn’t fully utilize the map.

So—

He tried combining it with his scout abilities.

That was a mistake.

Drip…

Too much information flooded his brain—

Labyrinth data, enemy positions—

Overload.

A nosebleed.

Blackout.

‘Damn it… I need to fix this fast.’

He steadied himself against a wall.

Kikikikikikik—

A sinister sound echoed.

‘No way—!’

He swung instinctively.

Crack!

His spear snapped in half.

Before him—

The Red Goblin King emerged.

Breathing white mist.

Holding a massive club.

BOOM!

It swung.

Seoyul rolled forward just in time.

The wall behind him collapsed.

“Kiiik!”

The goblin dropped its weapon, shaking its hand—

Then—

Crunch!

It grabbed Seoyul’s face.

“You bastard!”

Seoyul struggled—

But the goblin slammed his head into the wall.

Blood ran down.

Still—

He refused to yield.

“You piece of shit!”

He wrapped his legs around the goblin’s arm—

Twisted his body—

Locked it in place.

The goblin tried to pull away—

Too late.

Seoyul forced the joint backward.

A faint—

Crack.

The arm bent unnaturally.

“KIEEEEEK!”

The goblin screamed—

Then struck him with its other arm.

Seoyul was thrown to the ground, coughing blood.

Their eyes met.

Cold.

Unyielding.

I will kill you.

The intent was overwhelming.

The goblin—

Felt fear.

And ran.

“You should’ve finished it.”

Seoyul smirked.

The map unfolded.

[Cross Block activated.]
[Cross Block activated.]

All escape routes sealed.

The goblin ran blindly—

Straight into a room.

“…Goodbye, idiot.”

Click.

Chains rattled.

The goblin looked up.

Spikes.

Too late.

CRASH!

The ceiling dropped—

Crushing it instantly.

[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]

[Red Goblin King defeated. Remaining goblins request surrender.]
[Accepting will assimilate them into the labyrinth.]

Seoyul accepted.

[Red Goblin Army has been assimilated.]

“…It’s over.”