Normalizing the Labyrinth City in the Game

“…Pardon? An explorer who just joined yesterday?”

“Yes.”

At Reni’s answer, Whiskey also seemed to come to his senses and immediately let go of Reni’s shoulders that he had been gripping tightly.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Ah, it’s okay. These things can happen.”

“…This person called Sion, what’s his explorer rank?”

“Well, since he just joined yesterday, of course he’s 1st class….”

“Pardon? A 1st class explorer?”

“….”

Even to Reni, it didn’t make sense.

How could it be that an explorer who had just set foot in the labyrinth yesterday knew the entire structure of the 31st floor that hadn’t even been cleared yet?

Reni thought that this man called Sion had probably just heard the information from someone else.

“Perhaps, could I know some personal details about this person called Sion? Like how old he is, what he looks like, where he’s from….”

At Whiskey’s question, Reni finally showed reluctance.

It was time to follow the rules as a receptionist.

“Ah, well… Originally, I’m not even supposed to reveal names.”

Whiskey’s expression hardened.

“A moment ago, I told you without thinking because you looked so upset, but I can’t give any more information about that persoooon?!”

Reni’s gaze was fixed on the gold coins shining in Whiskey’s hand.

The count was 10.

In terms of meat soup, about a thousand bowls.

An amount that could easily buy a couple of decent jewels and still have change left over.

“I’m not asking you to tell me for free. I just have a few things I want to ask that person. I absolutely won’t do anything problematic.”

“He, hehe….”

A receptionist might be able to sell information about the labyrinth, but should never sell information about explorers.

That’s what was written in the manual, but.

“Th-That, ah, really, I shouldn’t do this. But I guess I have no choooice~”

There was no way such a rule could win against money.

Reni soon opened a drawer and ended up giving something that shouldn’t be given.

“…What is this?”

A rectangular card.

Whiskey’s brow furrowed.

“It’s that person Sion’s ID card! He hasn’t picked it up yet.”

“…Pardon? Is it okay to give this to me?”

“It’s fine. I can just print another one~ I received this much money, so I should give you at least this much to break even, right?”

“….”

Whiskey examined Reni with clouded eyes for a moment, but.

“…I understand.”

Soon he bowed his head and left the office.

“….”

After he left, a moment of silence.

Gulp.

Reni swallowed the saliva that had filled her mouth.

A palpable tension rising.

“Th-This. It’s all my money… hehe.”

While looking at the gold coins received from Whiskey.

“Hey, how did it go?”

“Hii, hiek?!”

Reni was startled by the office manager’s voice suddenly heard from behind.

“…Why are you so surprised? Did you receive some bribe or something?”

“Ah, th-that couldn’t be….”

“I’m joking. What would there be to receive bribes for.”

“Th-That’s right….”

“So, how much did they pay for the information?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking how much they paid. We need to fill in what’s missing, don’t we?”

‘…Huh?’

Suddenly, a good idea crossed Reni’s mind.

“Well, about 10 gold….”

“10 gold? You sold it cheaper than I thought.”

“Ha, haha… Th-That’s right?”

“The information?”

At the office manager’s question, Reni immediately handed over the information about the 31st floor that she had written down earlier.

“Hmm, no monsters appear even though it’s the 31st floor… This is indeed information worth about 10 gold. It’s not worth selling separately.”

“….”

The office manager muttered this and handed 10 gold to Reni.

“Here you go. Put in what’s missing, and you can go now.”

“Ah, yes!”

The office manager said this and went back inside.

In Reni’s left hand was the 10 gold received from the office manager, and in her right hand was the 10 gold received from Whiskey.

“Hu, huhu….”

Today, Reni earned 20 gold.

But if there’s one thing she overlooked.

‘N-Nothing… will happen, right?’

The truth of the labyrinth doesn’t just apply inside the labyrinth.

Whatever she gained, if it’s related to the labyrinth.

‘Su-Surely not… hehe.’

A fitting price would follow.

“Agh!”

Even now, Hassan’s screams were spreading through the labyrinth.

“You bastard, can’t you follow faster?”

“Si-Sion-nim. If I could just rest a bit… Agh!”

“‘If I could rest’ is informal speech, you bastard!”

“Ku, kuuk….”

Uttering his death throes, Hassan lost consciousness.

“….”

‘This bastard, could he be dead?’

With that thought, Siwon approached Hassan and checked his pulse.

“…What, he’s not dead yet.”

As long as he’s alive, there’s no problem.

Siwon immediately took out two healing potions that come with extreme pain and a terrible taste.

Of course, from Hassan’s bag.

Siwon gathered those healing potions and poured them all into Hassan’s mouth.

“Ku, kuaaaaaargh!”

A moment later, a scream burst from Hassan’s mouth.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Aargh, agh!”

“Hey, you bastard. Can’t you be quiet?”

After Siwon kicked him a few more times, Hassan finally seemed to come to his senses and tried his best to suppress his screams.

Like that, about 1 minute.

The pain that couldn’t kill Hassan only made him stronger.

Hassan’s body had somehow become as healthy as before.

“Now, you’re feeling better, right? Let’s depart, quickly.”

“….”

All this was thanks to the blessing of the healing potions, but.

‘Sa-Save me, please, anyone….’

To Hassan, it was no different from a curse.

“Agh!”

“You bastard, are you deaf?”

“I-I’ll depart!”

The hand of salvation was far, and Siwon’s feet and fists were close.

In the end, Hassan, with only his body restored to health, dragged his tattered mind as much as possible and once again moved his feet according to Siwon’s words.

They continued like that for about half a day more.

They completed all the requests while catching most of the monsters except for orcs.

Hassan lost consciousness about three more times.

The total number of healing potions consumed so far was 8.

“….”

Hassan had become close to a wreck by now.

“We should be arriving soon.”

“….”

If it were before, Hassan would have asked where he meant, but.

He had become a machine that only answered Siwon’s questions and orders, as if he had given up all hope.

“Hey, aren’t you happy? I said we’re arriving soon.”

“I’m happy! Very happy!”

Thwack!

“Agh!”

“Damn it, what are you happy about. Do you even know where I’m talking about?”

“….”

Because he had been hit for asking questions before, Hassan didn’t ask anything.

Despite the situation being so unfair.

“I’m sorry! I’ll do better!”

Hassan only repeated that he would do better.

At this, Siwon nodded with satisfaction, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“Right, let’s do better.”

“I understand! I’ll do better! Agh!”

Hassan was now crying out in pain even when Siwon didn’t hit him.

‘Good, excellent.’

By now, Hassan had become a perfect sla… no, slave in both body and mind.

But this was just on the surface.

He was still lacking to become a true slave.

There was a need to make him taste true despair just once.

“I’m talking about the warp gate. We’re almost there.”

“…Pardon?”

At Siwon’s shocking words, Hassan momentarily broke the rules.

‘As expected.’

The slave conditioning wasn’t properly completed yet.

Thwack!

“Agh!”

“Pardon? Pardooon? Did you just say ‘Pardon?'”

Thwack!

“Agh!”

“You bastard, didn’t I tell you to say ‘Could you please inform me whether it would be possible for you to repeat what you said!’ if you didn’t hear properly? Have you already forgotten?”

Compound interrogative sentences still seemed difficult for Hassan, but Siwon didn’t care.

Thwack, thwack!

“Agh! I’m sorry! Agh!”

The beating continued for a few more minutes like that.

When Hassan collapsed on the spot, Siwon immediately initiated his advice time that becomes flesh and blood.

“Hey, I’m not doing anything too bad to you, am I? Did I tell you to eat a bug as big as your finger, or did I beat you with that club? I’m only hitting you with my body now. You know that, right?”

“….”

Hassan didn’t answer.

‘This damn, what kind of person would do such things….’

Feeding bugs and beating with a club, that’s something you wouldn’t do even to animals.

Of course, this was common sense that only applied in the Argan Kingdom where Hassan lived.

Hassan didn’t know that in South Korea where Siwon lived, there were actually groups that frequently engaged in such absurdities.

“This is very gentlemanly, you know. I even give you healing potions when you’re struggling. So let’s do a bit better. Okay? If you just do your job well, why would I hit you? It’s more tiring for me who’s hitting, you know.”

It was half a lie.

Even if Hassan had been an ace, Siwon would have driven him hard.
Because it’s a necessary process to make a slave.

Yet the reason Siwon says this is.

“….”

Because Hassan is trash-tier.

That’s why he’s quite good as a slave.

Thwack!

“Agh!”

“Damn it, not answering again.”

Thwack! Thwack!

“Agh! That’s right! Agh!”

Hassan was a slave with very good self-awareness.

“Right, you understand well. You’re being hit now. So let’s get hit a bit more.”

Thwack! Thwack!

“Agh! Aargh!”

Soon Hassan fainted from the continued beating, and Siwon again took out two bottles of healing potion from Hassan’s backpack and fed them to him.

With this, there were no more healing potions left in Hassan’s backpack.

‘Damn, this bastard had a lot too. Come to think of it.’

Siwon felt angry for a moment, but.

‘Well, the slave’s belongings are mine now anyway.’

He decided not to worry about it too much.

After Hassan endured the pain of the healing potions, gritting his teeth.

“Now, you’re all fresh again. Anyway, we’re almost there, so let’s depart.”

“Yes! I understand!”

A ray of hope bloomed in Hassan’s heart.

We’re about to arrive at the warp gate soon.

If he could just get outside, he would surely be able to escape from this man.

After that, he would inform his gang about this fact, and they could beat up this damn bastard.

‘A long time of humiliation and oppression….’

It had been so tedious.

Even if this guy was a sword saint, he couldn’t win against a gang.

On the way to the warp gate.
Hassan moved his feet cheerfully, imagining scenarios of torturing Sion by plucking out his eyes and pulling out his nails, but.
“….”

Strangely, no orders were heard from Sion.

There was no beating either.

‘What, is he getting nervous now that we’re about to leave?’

Even so, there will be no mercy.

Hassan will never forget the five times he fainted, the countless beatings from Siwon, and the 10 healing potions that entered his mouth.
He will inflict even greater pain on this man every day.
He will even feed him healing potions so he can’t even die.

“Oh, we’ve arrived.”

At the moment of his resolution, Siwon’s voice was heard from behind.

‘Fi-Finally…!’

Filled with anticipation, Hassan raised his head, but.

“…Huh?”

Not even realizing that he had broken the rules himself, Hassan muttered like that.

“….”

Even though he broke the rules, Siwon didn’t hit Hassan.

Because he knew that an even greater pain was consuming his heart.

‘Th-This can’t be….’

A warp gate should have blue and red colors, but.

In front of Hassan’s eyes, only a red warp gate was visible.

“What’s this, did a stirring occur or something?”

Siwon’s nonchalant soliloquy, as if he already knew, despite the extremely serious situation.

When a stirring occurs, the warp gate leading to the labyrinth city closes.

Theoretically, there are two ways to escape.

One. Wait until the stirring ends.

This is impossible at present.

They would need at least a month’s worth of food.
It’s also uncertain if they could maintain their sanity staying in the labyrinth for such a long period.

Realistically, there’s only one option left.

Clear the 5th floor that separates 1st class and 2nd class, and take the warp gate leading to the safe zone.

“….”

Hassan turned his head.

‘I have to explore three more floors with this man?’

Hassan’s expression was tinged with despair.