Gwangcheon took a deep breath as he stared at the iron door in front of him.
"Hup—!"
In that state, Gwangcheon pushed the iron door with his whole body.
He kept pushing until his face turned red, but the iron door didn't budge, as if it were an impregnable fortress.
"..."
Namgung Il watched the scene in silence.
Seeing that it wouldn't open even after being pushed that hard ant that the door itself was structured in a way that it could never be opened from this side.
'Are they telling us not to go back?'
Looking at the firmly shut iron door, Namgung Il strongly felt that.
There is no escape route, so if you don't want to starve to death, move forward.
It was a structure that reeked of the malice of whoever created this labyrinth.
'My thinking was too shallow.'
The usual Namgung Il might have anticipated that the door could close like this.
However, Namgung Il had too many things to think about right now, so he hadn't been able to pay attention to such minute details.
Kung—!
It was then.
A huge roar suddenly echoed through the labyrinth.
Before Namgung Il could stop him, Gwangcheon had thrown a punch at the iron door.
"Gwangcheon! What are you doing now?"
"They say if you knock, it will open."
Gwangcheon said and swung his fist once more.
Due to the impact, a tremor rang through the labyrinth, and stone debris fell from the ceiling.
"Stop it!"
Namgung Il urgently grabbed Gwangcheon's arm.
Although that stopped the act of mindlessly swinging his fist, Gwangcheon asked Namgung Il as if he couldn't understand.
"Why are you stopping ?"
"The door won't open even if you punch it like that."
"You won't know unless you try."
Gwangcheon was confident he could blow that iron door away.
If once didn't work, he would do it twice, and if that didn't work, he would strike a hundred tis.
Thanks to his usual training, his fists were fine no matter how many tis he punched.
"Don't worry! I'll break this iron door sohow."
"Do you know that your actions are putting us in danger?"
"...?"
"Every ti you hit the door, a shock is applied to the labyrinth. If you keep punching without thinking, the labyrinth might collapse."
He didn't know exactly where this place was, but he could tell it was underground.
But what would be the result if the labyrinth collapsed while they were underground?
Even a master, if trapped in a place like this, would have to wait helplessly for the day of their death.
"...!"
As Namgung Il said that, Gwangcheon finally seed to realize the fact.
So he was just swinging his fists blindly without knowing anything.
Since Gwangcheon had also tried his best in his own way, Namgung Il had no intention of blaming him for it.
"I'm sorry! My thoughts were too shallow!"
"It's fine, so get up."
"To think I tried to kill two people with my own hands... It is an unforgivable mistake."
"..."
Namgung Il had no intention of blaming Gwangcheon, but it seed Gwangcheon himself felt differently.
Gwangcheon knelt for a long ti, apologizing to the two, and only stopped apologizing after Namgung Il forcibly pulled him up.
'Then... what now?'
As soon as he dealt with Gwangcheon, Namgung Il looked at the iron door again and fell into thought.
If he could just cleanly cut that iron door with his sword, wouldn't he be able to pass through without applying shock to the labyrinth?
Namgung Il thought that for a mont but soon shook his head.
'The risk is too great.'
The opponent was soone who had blocked the escape route so ticulously.
So, if the door were opened in an unconventional way, there was a high possibility that it was designed to trigger another trap.
For instance, the labyrinth collapsing... Even if not, it was still dangerous.
"...Let's go back to that place."
In the end, Namgung Il decided to return to the place where the flas had shot up.
He didn't like the fact that he was moving according to the labyrinth's intention, but for now, this seed to be the safest option.
Thud— Thud—.
The three returned to where they were before.
The bridge leading to the other side was still not there, but at least the flas that had been soaring from the floor had subsided.
"..."
Namgung Il silently stared at sothing.
A device that felt suspicious at a single glance.
A disc, whose purpose was unknown, was placed in a corner.
'Does a bridge appear if I turn that?'
For so reason, Namgung Il knew what kind of device that disc was.
Because the purpose of that device was written on the inscription behind the door.
The inscription stated that if soone went there and turned the disc, a hidden bridge would appear, and through that bridge, they could cross to the other side.
"..."
Thinking simply, it seed very easy.
The place where the disc was could be reached without the risk of falling to the floor, and anyone, unless they were a child, could turn it.
However, Namgung Il was still bothered by the phrase written at the very top of the inscription.
Walk the path made of soone's blood.
Soone. That was probably referring to the person who turned the disc.
But to walk a path made of that person's blood... It was as good as openly saying that sothing would definitely happen the mont that disc was turned.
'Is this why it's called the Labyrinth of Sacrifice?'
It was a na that felt so fitting it was unpleasant.
To openly show the ans to pass the chanism, and yet to openly force a sacrifice.
He didn't know who made this labyrinth, but if that person were in front of him now, he would have imdiately thrown a punch.
"...Listen carefully."
"...?"
"You all know from reading the inscription, but if that device is turned, a bridge will form, and we'll be able to cross safely to the other side where the exit is."
Namgung Il said, looking at the two.
And hearing Namgung Il's following words, the two's eyes widened.
"I will go there and turn the device."
"...!"
"In the anti, you two cross the bridge."
"What on earth are you talking about!"
Tang Wol-yeong imdiately argued.
Until now, she had obediently followed all of Namgung Il's wishes, but Tang Wol-yeong could not follow that opinion as it was.
"It's sothing soone has to do."
"Why are you trying to do it, Young Master? I'd rather do it!"
"...Then I'll be blunt."
There's no end to this.
Namgung Il quickly recognized that fact and continued to speak in a calm voice.
"Who is the strongest among us?"
"That's..."
"Probably . Can you refute this fact?"
"..."
Tang Wol-yeong remained silent.
Considering the martial prowess Namgung Il had shown so far, the strongest person among them was probably Namgung Il.
Of course, during the entrance exam, she had lost helplessly because she hadn't used her poison arts, but even if they fought properly, she couldn't guarantee she could beat Namgung Il.
"I'm going because I think I have the highest chance of being safe."
"..."
"And... since I unintentionally got you two involved in a place like this, I have to take responsibility."
"I've never thought of it that way..."
"I know. I'm just saying that's how I feel, so please understand."
Namgung Il said and smiled lightly.
An expression contrary to his serious look just before.
It was the face Namgung Il usually showed.
"And what if nothing happens when I actually go?"
"..."
"I'm on the lucky side. So it's fine."
That was a truly absurd statent.
To say that nothing would happen in a place with a device that had instantly incinerated Gwangcheon's wooden fish.
Tang Wol-yeong naturally knew that Namgung Il was saying that to reassure her.
"Still, this is..."
It was then.
The mont Tang Wol-yeong was about to say sothing, she saw a figure walking past her, and she closed her mouth and looked in that direction.
"...?"
It was the sa for Namgung Il.
Spotting the figure walking towards the device, Namgung Il hurriedly stopped Gwangcheon.
"Gwangcheon, what on earth are you trying to do?"
"I will turn the device. So, Captain, you cross the bridge."
"...Didn't you hear what I said earlier? I'm going because I have the highest chance of being safe..."
"Then all the more reason for to go."
As Gwangcheon answered calmly, Namgung Il was montarily at a loss for words.
"I'm not as smart as you, Captain. But I can confidently say that my body is stronger than anyone else's."
"..."
"Besides, isn't a captain soone who doesn't step up for things like this? So leave these trivial matters to , your subordinate."
No matter how strong his body was, that couldn't be a reason for Gwangcheon to go there.
What if blades suddenly shot out from there?
Unless he had reached the realm of the Diamond Body, he wouldn't be able to avoid a fatal wound.
Of course, Gwangcheon's level wouldn't be that high, so he himself must know that that place was dangerous.
"..."
But to be able to smile like that while knowing that fact.
Of course, Namgung Il had also put on a smile earlier, but in Gwangcheon's smile, there was a resolve that he couldn't dare to describe.
"This is also my own way of atoning for almost putting you two in danger earlier."
"..."
"Please accept it, Captain."
When he called him Captain for the last ti, Gwangcheon's face was no longer smiling.
A very serious look that was usually never seen.
Namgung Il remained silent for a mont and finally had no choice but to nod.
"Alright."
"..."
"Trusting a subordinate must also be a captain's role. So, I'll trust you."
Captain... Namgung Il hadn't thought very seriously about this title before.
The way Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon had started calling him that had a strong feeling of being a joke.
They'll stop when they get tired of calling this later. Namgung Il had only thought of it to that extent.
However.
"...Thank you, Captain."
Seeing Gwangcheon's appearance, Namgung Il's thoughts changed.
At least Gwangcheon sincerely thinks of as his captain.
The only way to repay that natural smile would be to trust Gwangcheon.
'Labyrinth of Sacrifice? To hell with it.'
He had no intention of letting anyone die in a place like this.
Namgung Il said so inwardly to the labyrinth, as if giving a warning.
***
Namgung Il and Gwangcheon stood in their respective positions.
"..."
The two silently t each other's eyes.
Although they didn't say anything, it seed they had sufficiently understood what the other was trying to convey.
'Head to the opposite door as quickly as possible.'
If he just pulled the handle over there, the door would open and all the devices would stop.
He didn't know what would happen from now on, but whatever it was, if he crossed quickly and stopped the device, he could reduce Gwangcheon's burden.
"..."
Gwangcheon was now standing where the disc was.
As if nothing happened with just that, the inside was still quiet.
"Hoo—."
Gwangcheon took a deep breath and grabbed the disc with both hands.
In that state, his gaze turned to Namgung Il, as if asking if he was ready.
The mont Namgung Il nodded lightly instead of answering, Gwangcheon began to turn the disc he was holding.
Kkiiik—.
The disc began to turn with a sharp sound.
At that mont, sothing shot out from the stone platform below.
That seed to be the bridge connecting to the other side; as Gwangcheon turned the disc, it gradually extended out from within the wall.
'...It's fine so far.'
Please, let nothing happen.
Since the bridge hadn't extended enough to cross yet, Namgung Il could only watch Gwangcheon and pray inwardly.
Pang—!
At that mont, a deafening sound was heard from sowhere.
"...!"
It cut through the air at a trendous speed.
Simultaneously, fresh blood flowed from Gwangcheon's head.
Walk the path made of soone's blood.
The blood written on that inscription was now dripping onto the floor.
(End of Chapter)
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