Chapter 52
[You have arrived on the 21st floor.]
[A special event is being held on this floor. 1,000 players will be summoned at random.]
A vast desert stretched endlessly in every direction.
There wasn't a single cloud in the sky.
People filled the surrounding area, all of them visibly confused after being summoned without warning.
"W-What the hell is this? Why am I here...?"
"Why did we suddenly get summoned here...?!"
Suhyeok looked around.
One thing was different from the Tutorial.
Aside from a few exceptions, quite a number of the people here had already adapted to life in the Tower.
Some of them seem to belong to guilds.
He spotted the emblem of the Haegwang Guild on several shoulders.
They seemed to be elite players, too.
"I'm Park Seunghyeok of the Haegwang Guild! If you follow our instructions properly, we'll make sure you can get out of here safely!"
He raised a massive shield while trying to calm the crowd.
The moment people saw the guild insignia, they began to relax.
"R-Right. They're from the Haegwang Guild. We can trust them, can't we?"
"They're even elites. That says everything, right? H-Haha! We can all make it out of here alive!"
Just as everyone began cheering for Park Seunghyeok and his group, a middle-aged man suddenly pointed at Suhyeok with a shocked expression.
"Th-That guy! Right, I remember now. His name was... Ah, right! Lee Suhyeok!"
"That's him! The guy who ranked first in the Tutorial!"
"What? He's here too...?!"
"Th-Then... doesn't that mean we might actually survive...?"
Every gaze immediately shifted toward him.
Apparently, word about Suhyeok had already spread to the lower floors.
Taesu awkwardly cleared his throat and raised a hand in greeting.
"Isn't everyone staring a little too much? This might not be the time to say it, but... standing here like this almost makes me feel like some celebrity."
Lee Yumi looked up at Bong Taesu, then shook her head and sighed.
"Do you seriously think they're looking because of us? It's all because of Suhyeok oppa. Look. Everyone's gathering around him."
"N-No way. Surely a few of them came because of me too...."
Taesu desperately looked around, refusing to accept reality.
All he found was empty space and drifting sand.
Seeing his shoulders droop, Kim Hyuna patted him consolingly.
"D-Don't be too disappointed, ahjussi. If you wait a little, I'm sure someone will come over to you too!"
Unfortunately, her consolation changed nothing.
Even the few people who had remained elsewhere soon ran toward Suhyeok.
"Please save us...! My wife is still on the 10th floor, so p-please...."
"I-I really might die. So... c-could you let me stay with you? Please?"
Leon was lying in midair, licking Churu.
He clicked his tongue as he looked down at the crowd surrounding Suhyeok and begging for help.
[ Tsk, tsk. Humans really are idiots, every last one of them, nya. Aren't they embarrassed, acting like they entrusted their lives to him? Why don't we just kill all of them right here, nya? ]
[ Kitty! No bad words! ]
Seong-a puffed up her cheeks and glared at him.
Leon immediately trailed off and looked away.
[ I-I didn't say anything bad, nya. What did I even do...? Ahem. ]
The Constellations' reactions were just as cold.
Tch. Why are there no decent ones at all? It's hard to even choose.
Maybe those three and the guild members are the only ones worth anything? Where are all the talented people?
Watching them scream their heads off is honestly pathetic lol
Utterly weak.
(shakes head) Truly deplorable.
Suhyeok gave them no answer.
As if saving them had suddenly become his obligation, some people even began pointing fingers and demanding an explanation.
"If you don't save us, then who will?! Don't just stand there irresponsibly! Say something!"
"That's right! A person should have some compassion! Hey! You people from the Haegwang Guild, say something too! Please!"
Pushed forward by the crowd, Park Seunghyeok walked up to Suhyeok.
He tried to remain calm as he opened his mouth.
Then he froze.
The moment he met Suhyeok's icy gaze, his entire body stiffened.
His pupils trembled.
He couldn't get a single word out.
"...The more I listen, the more ridiculous this gets. You've all spent quite some time in the Tower by now, so I thought you'd at least learned how to tell right from wrong."
Step. Step.
Suhyeok walked closer.
"Then let me ask you. Did you entrust your lives to me?"
"..."
"Or do I have some obligation to protect all of you?"
"W-Well...."
Park Seunghyeok fell silent.
Because every word was true.
This wasn't Earth.
There was no reason everyone could continue demanding the same rules and expectations they'd lived under there.
"You should all know by now."
Suhyeok's cold voice continued.
"You should know exactly how selfish and worthless that shallow sympathy of yours becomes in a place like this."
"Th-That's...."
"..."
They all already knew how cruel and unfair this world was.
They had learned painfully well that many of the things they'd once taken for granted had only been possible because laws protected them.
Whoooooosh!
At that moment, a fierce sandstorm erupted.
A flash of light followed.
An enormous shadow fell over them.
Something massive flapped its wings, blasting away the cloud of sand.
"Grrr. Greetings. My name is Sark. I am the Administrator of the 30th floor."
A winged lion.
It was far larger than an ordinary lion, with huge fangs jutting from its mouth.
The crowd instinctively backed away in fear.
"That will be enough introductions."
Sark looked around.
"Now, I'll explain the game that will take place on the 21st floor."
[The special event ‘Labyrinth Escape’ has begun.]
Oh, this looks fun as hell lol. Finally get to watch these guys die.
Honestly, choosing Incarnations might be even more fun.
I want to pick mine already. When do we get to choose?
Start it! Start it! Start it!
A huge screen appeared in midair.
It showed a map of the inside of a maze.
"In a moment, all of you will be dropped into the maze located on the 21st floor."
Sark's voice echoed across the desert.
"If you escape it, the 21st floor is cleared."
He grinned.
"But if it were merely a normal maze, there would hardly be any point calling this a game."
A massive hologram appeared.
It displayed a gigantic labyrinth.
A helpful arrow pointed to one section labeled 21st Floor.
"While escaping the maze, you may encounter your own doubles."
The crowd went silent.
"Their personalities, mannerisms, actions, and even memories will be identical to yours."
Sark bared his teeth.
"They're called doubles, but in truth, they are essentially another version of you."
The screen changed.
"Naturally, the maze also contains traps."
Images appeared one after another.
