Chapter 503. Maze of Exiles (3)
The day of the raid—D-1.
The advance party members were busy spending time with their families. Of course, there were others who had decided to spend time on their own.
A text message arrived in Seo Jun-Ho's Vita.
"Hmm?"
The sender was Kim Woo-Joong.
[There’s something I want to share with you before the 7th Floor reconnaissance, do you have time?]
[What's going on?]
[I'll tell you when once you’ve arrived. Try to be as inconspicuous as possible.]
Kim Woo-Joong was saying that Seo Jun-Ho should go to the designated location on his own.
What the hell was going on—
"No, wait a minute."
Seo Jun-Ho's eyes became filled with doubts.
‘He's not tech-savvy, so he's usually really slow at texting.’
[Who are you?]
[I'm Woo-Joong.]
[That’s a lie. He's not this fast at typing.]
[For this conversation, I pre-written messages to use as a reply depending on what you would say.]
A screenshot arrived as evidence.
There were roughly a hundred pre-written sentences.
[Chae-Won told me to write my replies in advance. For your information, this is also a pre-written sentence.]
[What? Then, why are you the one contacting me?]
[It’s because I’m closer to you.]
Well, Kim Woo-Joong was not wrong, but it was a bit strange. It couldn’t be helped because his personality had always been odd and unique.
Seo Jun-Ho immediately packed up and left.
***
Silent Moon Guild’s office building was located in Gwanghwamun.
Seo Jun-Ho sneaked in there and moved to the designated location.
‘Is it this room?’
Upon entering the conference room, he saw Kim Woo-Joong and Son Chae-Won sitting a few chairs apart from each other.
"Hmm, you’re really capable of sneaking in wherever. The security level is at maximum, but you still slipped past our security."
"I told you; you can’t stop him."
"Whew, that triggers me a bit. Do you know how much money I spent on this office building?" Son Chae-Won frowned. Afterward, she stood up and offered Seo Jun-Ho a seat. "Please take a seat here."
Seo Jun-Ho sat down and asked directly, "I'm sure you didn’t call me here to see my skills, so why did you call me here?"
"I have something to tell you about the members of the advance party."
Beep-
A hologram window appeared in the air, and the portraits of the members of the advance party were displayed on the hologram window.
"The 7th Floor advance party has grown significantly compared to the 6th Floor advance party.”
"That’s true."
The advance party only had nine people for the 6th Floor, but the advance party for the 7th Floor had a hundred people. The team was so large that it should have been called a raid team rather than an advance party.
"Do you know why there are so many members this time?"
“Is there something going on internally?” Son Chae-Won nodded and tapped her Vita.
The hologram window flickered, and it became full of clipped articles that had been collected in the past.
"As you can see, these are the cases committed by the defunct Fiend Association."
"You said it yourself, the Fiend Association is no more.."
"Yes, and that is why it is more dangerous.”
“More dangerous?” Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes narrowed upon hearing that. "What do you mean?"
"Would you like to take a look at these cases?”
At that, Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly started reading the summary of the cases. Every single one of them was both terrible and horrible. Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that he had to hunt these people down because they were the remnants of the Fiend Association.
"But..." It was strange. There was something off about these cases. Especially when Seo Jun-Ho compared the official articles and the report that Son Chae-Won had gathered using her influence.
"You seem to have noticed it somewhat." Son Chae-Won nodded and said, "At first, I thought the Fiend Association became competent. I actually got curious. Just what kind of horrible lives those brilliant minds had been living to the point that they would commit such atrocities against other people?
"They were smart, but their intelligence isn’t enough.”
Hearing that, Seo Jun-Ho slowly spoke, "So there’s a traitor...”
“Yes, and they have to be a part of the Big 5..."
"Are there any clues?"
"Not yet…"
Those words were a bit scary to hear. Silent Moon knew that there was a traitor, but they couldn’t find them despite their in-depth investigation.
"It’s even worse because you destroyed the Fiend Association. Oh, I am not blaming you for that."
“…” Seo Jun-Ho remained silent and pondered. He had made tens of thousands of fiends confess while he was in the middle of destroying the Fiend Association.
'That's not all. I even read the memories of top executives like Chef and Nazad Hallow.’
However, their memories didn’t contain any information about a traitor.
In other words…
"The traitor has a direct connection with the Heavenly Demon?"
“It’s most likely the case. At the very least, the traitor has a connection with Isaac Dvor. I mean, Isaac is considered the Heavenly Demon’s brain."
"Hm." Seo Jun-Ho seemed baffled as he asked, "What do they stand to gain by helping the fiends?”
"I’m not sure. Perhaps they consider it a business rather than a betrayal."
However, the slightest connection with the fiends meant the destruction of a guild in modern society. Fame and image were important for Guilds, which meant that cooperating with the fiends was basically staking their Guild’s existence.
Therefore, if a Guild were cooperating with the fiends, they would hide the fact as thoroughly as possible.
"It’ll be a great weakness.”
The Heavenly Demon has always been decisive about using his cards, so there is no reason for us to avoid threatening them."
"Are you saying that you have a few people in mind?"
"Yes." Son Chae-Won flicked her finger, and the hologram window flickered.
The pictures that appeared were all familiar faces.
Seo Jun-Ho carefully examined their faces before saying, “These people are at least team leaders of one of the Big 5, and even the entire Nine Heavens are included aside from Kim Woo-Joong and me.”
These people were big names of this era. They were so powerful that even the leaders of the most powerful countries couldn’t treat them recklessly.
"This report was made after a year of investigation. Only people as powerful as them are capable of accessing key information.”
“…”
Indeed. The issue was that most of them were people who had once laughed and chatted with him on the battlefield.
'The 6th Floor has been cleared, and mankind is about to go up to the 7th Floor.’
In addition, no one else had any idea aside from his friends and him, but the Heavenly Demon was about to fully recover.
If the traitor had received an order from the Heavenly Demon that was related to the 7th Floor, then they would have to join the advance party to accomplish it.
Seo Jun-Ho held his chin. "There are many people to monitor."
"I’m sorry to bother you, but I think it’s better to know the perpetrator before getting backstabbed than not knowing anything before getting backstabbed."
"I agree."
It would be awful to keel over and die without knowing the perpetrator.
“Your determination to bring down the fiends and your hatred toward them led us to the conclusion that you’re not the traitor. You’ve sacrificed a lot to clear the Floors as well, so we decided to share this information with you.”
“So you’re saying that I should hide this information.”
"Please.”
Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "All right, but I will tell my friends. I’ll tell them to be careful, too."
Son Chae-Won didn’t say anything against it, which made it clear that she already knew that Seo Jun-Ho would do such a thing.
"I will ask you one more question. Who is the most suspicious among them?"
"I didn’t tell you that because I was afraid that you’ll be biased."
"I will listen. I’ll let you be the judge.”
Son Chae-Won agonized about it for a while before zooming in on one of the photos.
"Christin[1] Lewis, The Guild Master of the Silver Constellation. Silver Constellation is a religious guild that believes in the Sun God."
"And why are you suspicious of him?"
"I’m sure you already know, but it’s the same case with the Schumern Saintess. Their Guild looks clean, but there are more rotten parts than we thought."
In other words, there was a vast difference between their public image and what they really were inside. Seo Jun-Ho nodded while staring at the picture floating in the air. The young man with platinum hair was smiling gently in the picture.
"I’ll keep an eye out."
***
Step, step, step.
A few dull footsteps echoed before the boulder—which was as huge as a house—flew into the skies as if it were a bullet. With that, the boulder that had been blocking the entrance of the cave was no more.
"Congratulations on your recovery, Heavenly Demon."
"Congratulations."
“…”
The Heavenly Demon looked at Isaac and Valencia before closing his eyes.
He took a deep breath and exhaled before opening his eyes once more.
"Only the two of you are left?"
"Yes, are you perhaps lonely?"
"Nonsense." The Heavenly Demon emitted a tinge of his demonic energy.
Flinch!
Isaac flinched and broke out into a cold sweat.
He smiled bitterly and said, "Congratulations. It appears that you have completely absorbed the neigong you have obtained from the 5th Floor.”
"Not everything."
He had lost a lot of neigong because of his archnemesis, Seo Jun-Ho.
"If I had completely absorbed all those neigong, I wouldn’t even think twice about doing it.” He would have immediately gone down to Earth and destroyed everything in his way.
The Heavenly Demon flicked his fingers lightly.
Isaac and Valencia knelt subconsciously.
"...I was planning on destroying you two, but it seems that you two have become a bit stronger than before."
"Please be merciful."
“We are strong, and that is how we are able to remain by your side."
"I suppose."
The weak had died long ago.
'Only two, but they’re useful. Not bad.’
The Heavenly Demon clenched and relaxed his fist before saying, "Were there any messages from the demons?"
"Yes. They said that they would visit you once you have recovered.”
"Hm."
The Heavenly Demon still had no idea what they wanted from him and why they were supporting him. However, one thing was for sure—he was still a useful tool in their eyes.
'I will have to use you, too.' The Heavenly Demon looked up at the red skies of Balbortan and muttered, "A red sky… That's good."
The Heavenly Demon smiled upon coming up with a great plan.
"Once more, let’s go out and have fun with the Players."
***
The next day, Seo Jun-Ho summoned his friends and told them what Son Chae-Won had revealed to him.
"Hm. In other words, you’re telling us to be careful about getting backstabbed?"
"I will keep an eye on the others."
With this, Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that his friends would be fine.
Afterward, they headed to the artificial island in the Pacific Ocean.
"It's spectacular.”
"Haha, their auras are great."
The combined aura of a hundred elites was indescribable. It felt like their combined auras had enveloped the entire island. The reporters who had come here to report on the advance party’s progress were impressed.
"I think each of them is comparable to a thousand Players…”
"They’re the cream of the crop…”
"If they fail, progress on the 7th Floor will be postponed for at least a few months."
Yes, and there was a traitor among them.
Seo Jun-Ho examined the Players while walking.
"Frost, what time is it now?”
"10:28 A.M. There are two minutes left."
"Two minutes..."
10:30 A.M.
At 10:30 A.M., the advance party would enter the 7th Floor.
Their first goal upon arriving at the 7th Floor was to build a camp and a stronghold.
“It's Specter."
"It's Seo Jun-Ho-nim!"
The reporters quickly showered the Heroes with camera flashes. Seo Jun-Ho calmly walked past them and arrived in front of the Dimensional Elevator. They were greeted by the other Players who had arrived before them.
‘There are people I know, and there are people whose faces are the only thing that’s familiar to me.’
Upon arriving at the 7th Floor, some of them could turn into enemies who would stab him in the back.
'You better stab me properly if you’re going to do it.’
If they went about it clumsily, then his sword would tear them apart first.
10:30 A.M.
The Players started entering the Dimensional Elevator in groups of twos and threes.
Seo Jun-Ho pressed the button for the 7th Floor with his friends surrounding him.
[This is the 7th Floor. The door is opening.]
[Bringer of Spring’s effect has been activated. All stats increased by 30.]
Fortunately, he arrived safely on the 7th Floor, unlike when he attempted to enter the 6th Floor for the very first time.
However, Seo Jun-Ho’s expression immediately stiffened.
"H-huh? Specter-nim?"
"Where did you—No, why are there other people here?"
"What the hell is going on?"
There were four other people for a total of five, including himself. Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he walked into the Dimensional Elevator with his friends, but he found himself with strangers upon arriving on the 7th Floor.
There were only five of them in the empty circular clearing.
“I think…” They were surrounded by walls that were so high that one couldn’t see their summits. While staring at the walls, Seo Jun-Ho continued. “I think this maze isn’t going to be easy to clear.”
They walked into the Dimensional Elevator with their friends whom they trusted and whom they synchronized with, but the Maze of Exiles tore them apart from their comrades.
1. Original name is Christine Lewis, but she’s actually a he. Christin has never been referred to with a pronoun before until recently, and since his name is usually a girl’s name, the translator presumed that Christine is a girl, but it has been proven incorrect today. We have decided to rename Christine to Christin and change his pronouns accordingly. Thank you for your understanding
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