CH 233

Chapter 233

Kim Jin-Woo had been waiting for the moment when the Nagas could finally break free from their limitations and ascend to greater heights of power for far too long. The Sea Dragon’s Heart would definitely serve that purpose. As such, this was truly a happy moment for him.

His moment of joy was soon broken, however.

“Master! A monster is wreaking havoc outside the labyrinth!” Dominique’s urgent calls interrupted Kim Jin-Woo’s thoughts. At any other time, he would probably have ignored it. The troops that had been reinforced in preparation for the Duke’s attacks would have been sufficient to buy enough time in any other situation, and the ferocious Grand Labyrinth would not have allowed any enemy to invade.

But right now, with the Usurper on the move, he could not afford to ignore even the slightest of signs.

Thus, Kim Jin-Woo looked at the box Daedalus had brought out, and he bit his lip several times before getting up from his throne and saying, “Stay here and wait until I return.”

He had his reservations, but once he made the decision, he moved faster than anyone else as he ran straight to the outskirts of the Grand Labyrinth. When he arrived, he commanded, “Report!”

“A monster I’ve never seen before has appeared with the Satyrs! Quantus and the other Nagas are engaged with them out on the outskirts, but they alone won’t be enough to stop the enemy forces!” Dominique replied.

The Satyrs were already formidable enemies, but to make matters worse, an unknown monster had appeared, aiming for the Grand Labyrinth.

Amid the sense of utter crisis, Kim Jin-Woo sped up upon hearing the urgent report, even leaving behind the Sea Dragon’s Heart as he headed to the site.

“Is that the monster Dominique was talking about?” When he identified the mysterious unknown monster, all that remained on his face was disappointment. That was because he was familiar with the monster that had crossed into the border of the labyrinth.

“Ah…” Dominique looked alternately between the monster and the Satyrs with a confused expression.

“Keeeeeek!”

The Satyrs screamed as the abominable monster—the Ant Ghost—gnashed its gigantic jaws and devoured them whole, continuing the battle between the two parties.

“How the hell did this happen…” Kim Jin-Woo muttered. Apparently, the Ant Ghost and the Satyrs had appeared in the same direction, which was why the Nagas had mistaken them for allies.

“Urgh.” Looking displeased, he explained to Dominique with a sigh. “They aren’t on the same team.”

The sight of both the giant monster and the Satyrs running toward the Grand Labyrinth together was definitely an unpleasant sight, but it was clearly obvious that they weren’t allied.

“I apologize. I’ve never seen a monster this ghastly…” Dominique replied. Her reaction wasn’t unreasonable, though. The Ant Ghost that Kim Jin-Woo had reunited with had changed so much that even he was surprised.

Its squirming body was now huge enough to fill up the entire passageway, and the maw visible through its mangled fangs was so deep and ominous that its end couldn’t be seen. In addition, its tail, which had somehow been cut off, was spewing disgusting fluids as it kicked up a fuss. Thus, it was more than understandable that the wise King’s Advisor had urgently reported the situation back to her king.

“Sigh.” Kim Jin-Woo didn’t blame Dominique. After all, it was also his fault that the monster had come to the 9th Floor, so he couldn’t scold her for interrupting an important moment.

Dominique must have been just as disappointed as he was. One thing that was certain was that she must have been anxiously waiting to utilize the Sea Dragon’s Heart as soon as possible, possibly even more than Kim Jin-Woo himself.

Moreover, seeing the surprising changes in the Ant Ghost, which he hadn’t seen in a long time, made Kim Jin-Woo curious about it just as much as he was interested in the Sea Dragon’s Heart.

“What the hell happened to it?” Kim Jin-Woo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Ant Ghost, which had grown several times larger and fiercer than the last time he had seen it.

All the Satyrs were eventually hunted down. They were mighty warriors, too good to die such vain deaths, but the Ant Ghost was much more terrible than they were. However, that ferocious beast showed an absurd level of friendliness toward Kim Jin-Woo.

Kyuun.

The Ant Ghost, its jaws smeared with its own bodily fluids and the Satyrs’ blood, stretched out its head on Kim Jin-Woo’s feet and flipped over with its belly up, like an affectionate dog. Seeing the murderous creature so docile was truly an incredible sight.

[The Ant Ghost is showing affection toward you.]

Kim Jin-Woo, who had been frowning at its nausea-inducing appearance, looked disgusted. He had suspected it, but now it had been confirmed that the Ant Ghost was truly being affectionate towards him. He exclaimed, “What?”

[The Ant Ghost seems to have something to say. Unfortunately, however, the Ant Ghost has no means to express its feelings and will.]

[The Ant Ghost is feeling very frustrated.]

Kyuuuuun.

When Kim Jin-Woo saw the messages, he was left stunned. He simply couldn’t comprehend the behavior of the Ant Ghost that had changed so much in just a few days.

[The Ant Ghost is desperately ‘saying’ something to you, to the extent that its bizarre gestures could be called a ‘language’.]

Regardless of what Kim Jin-Woo thought of it, the Ant Ghost was constantly trying to convey something to him. However, it was too difficult to interpret the Ant Ghost’s gestures, which bore no resemblance to any kind of language in existence.

“Hmm?” Nevertheless, slowly, Kim Jin-Woo could start to vaguely feel what the monster was trying to say.

“Perhaps, are you…” He asked the Ant Ghost, feeling hopeful, “Are you trying to tell me who cut off your tail?”

Gawr! Gaaaawr!

Kim Jin-Woo’s guess was correct. As soon as he finished speaking, the Ant Ghost wiggled its huge head, then pointed to its severed tail and the half-chewed head of a Satyr.

“Urgh.” Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t be happy, even though his guess was correct. After all, the gigantic monster was behaving like a little child who was happy to have their story heard.

[The Ant Ghost is very happy. The Ant Ghost develops a greater affinity with you, someone who understands its meaning.]

Kaaaargh!

[The Ant Ghost speaks with its whole body. It explains over and over again that its tail was cut off by the Satyrs.]

“Master?” Dominique watched the scene from off the side. She called for her master, wondering if she had seen something she shouldn’t have. She asked, “What’s going on right now?” Even the wise Advisor couldn’t comprehend what was unfolding before her eyes, and her pale face revealed a look of confusion and exhaustion.

“I’m not too sure myself.” Even Kim Jin-Woo found the situation absurd as he said, “But I think I’ve just picked up a crazy bastard.” With an awkward expression that was neither laughing nor crying, he looked back at the Ant Ghost.

***

The Ant Ghost was left unattended on the outskirts of the Grand Labyrinth. Kim Jin-Woo was worried that it might forget all the hard work he had put in and go out of control again, but there was no other way. For now, he simply hoped that it was smarter than he assumed it to be.

“Just in case, I told the Under-Elf Rangers in charge of patrolling the outskirts to not even approach the west entrance,” Dominique said.

In the end, it was only after Dominique issued an evacuation order of the area where the Ant Ghost resided that Kim Jin-Woo was finally able to put the matter aside.

“That thing is a handful to deal with. I’ll make sure it’s worth all the trouble,” Kim Jin-Woo said. He had a look of humility, as if he were making some kind of excuse. After all, he could have never known that the Ant Ghost he had lured to wreak havoc on Luyang and the Satyrs would turn out to be much more than he had bargained for.

But after a while, he looked satisfied. The Ant Ghost’s appearance was an unexpected visit, but any unintended luck was always welcome. He looked pleased as he remembered that the Ant Ghost had slaughtered all the Satyrs.

“But even such a mighty monster was no match for a Duke,” he muttered. He was a little concerned about the power of the Duke, who had been able to drive away the terrifying monster.

Meanwhile, Angela, who had been away acting on his orders, returned and reported, “All the living beings in the vicinity have been taken care of.” She had been circling the vicinity to prevent any Satyrs, who had been chasing the Ant Ghost, from escaping and informing their master of the location of the Grand Labyrinth.

By the look of her red-stained lips, Kim Jin-Woo could tell without asking how she had dealt with the Satyrs. He asked, “Did you run into any trouble?”

“Please. They were all tasteless, dreadful meals,” Angela replied. The power of the True Blood was truly great, as she radiated confidence like never before.

Dominique, who was beside Angela, glanced at her and said, “Obviously, she dealt with them all and immediately headed back. That’s why I’ve sent the Under-Elves to erase any traces of them, so please don’t worry.”

“Thanks for having my back.” Angela smiled gleefully as she thanked Dominique.

Kim Jin-Woo’s eyes lit up as he watched the two interact. He found it strange that Angela, who was usually arrogant and selfish, was somehow being obedient toward Dominique.

“As I said before, I’m not happy about it, but I know she’s Master’s favorite,” Angela added, as if she could peer into Kim Jin-Woo’s mind. “Of course, that all changes when we’re on the surface.” Her words were brief, but it was obvious what she was getting at.

For some reason, Kim Jin-Woo suddenly recalled the faces of his parents who were pushing him to get married, and he put on a stern expression.

“What do you mean?” Dominique asked.

“Hm… Let’s just say, I’m his lawful wife and you’re his concubine,” Angela replied.

Dominique raised an eyebrow and glared at Angela before looking back at Kim Jin-Woo.

***

“My King! Hurry, use the Sea Dragon’s Heart!”

Despite the commotion, Daedalus’ research had continued. The Big-Headed Dwarf was still standing in the master room, hoping that the Sea Dragon’s Heart he had worked hard on would be put to use as soon as possible.

“I was just about to do so.” Kim Jin-Woo, sitting on his throne, took the box Daedalus had passed to him.

Gulp.

Dominique gulped as she watched from the side. She didn’t show it, but in the presence of the Sea Dragon’s Heart, she couldn’t keep her composure. And she wasn’t the only one. The Nagas, who had gathered in the master room before Kim Jin-Woo even knew it, all had the same expressions.

“You’ve all held on well. Your hard work will definitely…” Kim Jin-Woo clutched the Sea Dragon’s Heart as he looked at the altar and finished, “Be rewarded.”

He loosened his grip, and the Sea Dragon’s Heart fell onto the altar.

[You have used the ‘Improved Sea Dragon’s Heart’.]

[The Naga’s Heart has become the Grand Labyrinth’s Core, but its essence still remains. The Sea Dragon’s Heart is the only way to upgrade the Naga’s Heart, which has stagnated at Grade 7, to Grade 8 or higher.]

[The ‘Improved Sea Dragon’s Heart’ has been absorbed into the altar.]

[The Naga’s Heart has begun upgrading.]