CH 229

Kim Jin-Woo’s shoulders drooped, he had a weary expression, and even each breath he exhaled revealed his fatigue.

“You’re driving me crazy.” Eventually, he couldn’t hold in his grumbling any more. He continued, “At this rate, I’d rather be fighting the Dukes in the Underworld.”

Seeing him admit to a rare moment of weakness, Angela smiled meekly, saying, “If only you hadn’t said that… Phew, never mind.”

Kim Jin-Woo was about to say something, but seeing tears start to form in Angela’s eyes, he ended the conversation with a long sigh.

He had finally met up with his family after a long time, and they were as warm and lively as ever. Their embrace was so warm that he had immediately forgotten about all the troublesome matters of the Underworld.

If it weren’t for Angela complicating matters, he would have been smiling happily along with the warmth of his family.

“This is crazy, really.”

For him, however, the complications outweighed the warmth his family provided him with. His family was treating Angela like their daughter-in-law, and they refused to give him a break.

“You’re not young anymore; shouldn’t you be starting your own family soon?”

“She’s a good girl. Don’t miss this opportunity and end up regretting it. Mom and dad want to live long enough to see grandchildren, too.”

When he thought of how his parents were pressuring him more assertively than before, Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t help but be even more annoyed at Angela, who was simply smiling carefreely at him.

“Well, what’s wrong? I don’t think it’s bad to practice filial piety at this point,” Angela remarked.

Kim Jin-Woo wondered what on earth had happened on the surface for Angela to be speaking like a Terran. He wasn’t sure if it was all the Korean dramas she had been watching that had influenced her, but one thing was for certain: She had gotten harder to deal with than ever before.

“Stop your nonsense, okay, Angela?” Kim Jin-Woo finally managed to utter a few vague words in response, sounding neither like an angry scolding or a complaint.

“Aren’t you curious, Master?” Angela asked. Her happy smile gave way to a serious expression as she continued, “What a great child might be born from inheriting a part of Master?”

Dominique had once suggested that he plan for his descendants as well. Kim Jin-Woo once again felt the same awkwardness as back then. Unlike the Terrans, the beings of the Underworld were quite cold-hearted when it came to their successors; they were treated more like pawns on a chessboard.

It was something Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t bring himself to agree on. He said, “I don’t want my child to be tied to the damn Underworld.” That was his honest opinion.

“But Master is already a being of the Underworld, aren’t you?” Angela seemed to have no intention of stopping there. The bitterly cold reality behind the words that left her red lips struck Kim Jin-Woo. “Whether Master likes it or not, that fact won’t change.”

“Then I would rather not have children,” Kim Jin-Woo said firmly, in a resolute tone that left no room for objection. If there was no way out, he would rather end everything with him.

However, Angela continued to smile at him. Her smile made him feel bad, as if it were to ridicule him for thinking that his wish would ever come true, but he simply kept his mouth shut and said no more.

***

{Yes, I’ll take care of it as you wish.}

The problematic gate that had appeared on the 2nd Floor was handled by Park Sung-Jin, who reinforced the area with more troops to close off the entrance. The Chinese explorers who had been aiming for South Korea’s Underworld suffered great losses; thus, they wouldn’t be invading for the time being.

Even if they decided to attack now, it wouldn't matter. According to the information Liu Zhifeng had confessed to, it was Luyang, the ruler of the Duke-level labyrinth, who was behind everything. He was the master of the labyrinth adjacent to the Grand Labyrinth. And Kim Jin-Woo intended to shake up Luyang.

But first, he had some work to do.

***

[The Mystical Parasite has detected danger.]

[You have found the hunting ground of an Ant Ghost—a terrible monster that devours existence itself. This large, greedy behemoth has survived the terrible earthquake and is still displaying its unchanging, terrifying hunger.]

The Ant Ghost, which Kim Jin-Woo had finally found after wandering for a long time through the changed terrain, looked completely different from before. It had crumbling skin, a thick body, and toothy jaws that were as big as its whole body. It was indeed a monstrous beast.

“Disgusting.” Kim Jin-Woo frowned when he saw the physical form of the Ant Ghost. Even in the Underworld that was filled with bizarre and vicious monsters, its unusual and ugly appearance was truly something else.

However, he never took his eyes off it. What the Ant Ghost was trying to do right now was a reckless act that not even he would have thought of, and it was also a spectacle he was certain he’d never see again.

[Despite having devoured countless beings, this Underworld beast is now about to add an unlucky labyrinth to its list of victims.]

[The Ant Ghost is trying to devour a whole labyrinth.]

Kim Jin-Woo wasn’t sure whether to call it good fortune or bad luck, but the Ant Ghost had been about to consume its meal when he arrived. However, the meal wasn’t a creature, but a labyrinth itself.

Even for Kim Jin-Woo, who knew the extraordinary characteristics of the monster from the beginning, that was a surprise. The Ant Ghost was immersed in what it was doing, however, regardless of whether Kim Jin-Woo was surprised by it or not.

Crush.

The labyrinth’s passageway was smashed in, and its entrance was sucked into the monster’s snout.

Crunch, crunch.

The monster chewed on the exterior of the unknown labyrinth as if it were munching on a biscuit.

First the entrance, then the passageway, and after that, the warehouses and facilities that were crude but painstakingly made in their own way; they were all swallowed up by the Ant Ghost.

Finally, the Labyrinth Core was revealed, and the Ant Ghost’s snout twitched more ravenously than ever.

“Kargh!”

The master of the unknown labyrinth, who had been trying to somehow stop the monster, screamed as he was sucked into its huge snout and crushed. Finally, the entire labyrinth was devoured.

“Buuuurp!” As the Ant Ghost did so, it let out a smelly belch.

“Oh my.” Just as the Ant Ghost began to dig back into the soil after finishing its meal, Kim Jin-Woo managed to come to his senses. He belatedly remembered his purpose for finding the Ant Ghost and stepped in front of the monster.

The Ant Ghost, which had just finished eating, was too full; it stared blankly at the being standing in front of it. However, that moment only lasted briefly as its greedy appetite took over. It immediately opened its vicious snout and charged toward Kim Jin-Woo.

At that moment, Kim Jin-Woo whispered softly, exuding the presence of the Highlord.

“Stop.” His voice turned into a manifestation of his will, and his word became an irresistible command.

[The Ant Ghost is trying to resist your command.]

[Unfortunately, the Ant Ghost is a creature with low intelligence and weak will compared to its formidable body. The beast, which merely chases and devours its prey by instinct, has failed to resist your command.]

[You have successfully stopped the Ant Ghost.]

[The Ant Ghost will listen to you temporarily.]

He whispered once more, chasing the message that appeared in front of him with his eyes. “Be my subordinate.”

[Ant Ghosts are severely lacking in social skills. They only know how to distinguish between what is food and what is not. Thus, the word ‘subordinate’ is too difficult for the beast to understand.]

[You have failed to convey your meaning, but it feels vaguely compelled to obey your orders. For the first time in its life, the Ant Ghost feels very confused.]

[If you do not suppress it quickly, the monster may run rampant in its confusion.]

Kim Jin-Woo felt that capturing the Ant Ghost was a lot easier than he had thought, and he realized that it was because of how intellectually incapable the monster was. He stepped forward, looking at the monster shaking around stiffly in a show of resistance, and said, “If you follow me, I’ll make sure you have enough to eat.”

[To the Ant Ghost, who is driven only by gluttony, your words have proven to be the most effective.]

[The Ant Ghost is highly tempted.]

Indeed, as expected of the stupid monster, a simple command was much more effective.

“I’ll tell you where all the delicious food is, incomparable to what you’ve just eaten,” Kim Jin-Woo continued.

[The Ant Ghost is now fully interested in your words.]

Drool.

The Ant Ghost started to drool thickly as it leaned toward Kim Jin-Woo’s face. It was as if it wanted to hear his words just a little more closely.

***

Yaaaawn.

Kim Jin-Woo watched the Ant Ghost running rampant, yawning with a tired expression. Taking care of the stupid monster was not as easy as he had thought.

The Ant Ghost was truly stupid. Just as he thought it was starting to listen to him, it would forget his orders and immediately start running toward him as if he were its next meal.

Each time, he had to use his powers to entice the monster once again; thus, leading it from the 10th Floor to the 9th was incredibly tiresome. As a side effect of using too many command words, he started to get a headache, and he even considered giving up on his plan.

But now, it felt as if his difficult journey were being rewarded.

“Kaaaargh!”

The Satyrs, with their goat-human bodies and eagle heads, were hunted down by the Ant Ghost. They were smashed, torn to shreds, and swallowed up in its large jaws.

Crunch, crunch.

Fifteen Satyrs contributed to the Ant Ghost’s first meal, and Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t help but clap as he watched the scene unfold in front of his eyes.

This was likely enough to keep Luyang busy for the moment. Unless the Duke himself intervened, the greedy Ant Ghost would continue to run rampant, and the Satyrs would continue to suffer damage to their numbers.

“Ah.” Kim Jin-Woo looked up, having been broken out of his thoughts when he felt the Ant Ghost’s stinking breath getting closer.

[The Ant Ghost looks at you hungrily.]

[It had just finished eating, but the meal was not enough to fill it up after such a long journey.

[The Ant Ghost has identified you as its prey.]

Kim Jin-Woo’s joy was short-lived, and he had to strike the monster’s head in order to avoid its attack. He swore, “You son of a bitch!”

The Ant Ghost was indeed very stupid.

***

The Ant Ghost was once again suppressed by Kim Jin-Woo’s willpower. It was obvious that it wouldn't last long, but since Luyang’s labyrinth was nearby, he didn’t care anymore. From now on, the Ant Ghost was a problem that Luyang and the Satyrs would have to deal with, not him.

Without hesitation, he left the open plains and headed for the Grand Labyrinth. Upon his arrival, he put off visiting Valicius and Daedalus and checking on their unfinished research, and headed straight to Angela instead.

“The ritual is all ready.” Angela greeted him, her cheeks flushing red.