The Old Man Tells You The Strategy

Chapter 11

Bzzt!

As the portal crackled with energy, Jun-hyuk glanced at Killian and asked,

「Aren’t you going in?」

Killian, with his usual nonchalant expression, casually responded.

‘What’s the rush?’

His face said it all—why bother? Killian leisurely watched the other boys dive headfirst into the portal as if he were just a bystander. After a while, he turned to Jun-hyuk with a question.

‘Hey, Junyeok.’

「It’s Jun-Hyuk. How many times do I have to tell you, you idiot.」

‘You’re sure you know exactly what’s going on in there, right?’

「Of course I do…」 Jun-hyuk began, but then a sense of foreboding crept over him.

「Wait, don’t tell me…」

‘It’s a labyrinth, right? I’ve already got a map. Why should I rush inside?’

Jun-hyuk felt light-headed as Killian’s reason for being so relaxed became clear—his laziness and arrogance were unmatched.

‘You said we’d have to wait for ten days inside anyway. What’s the point?’ Killian continued, still unfazed.

「Yeah, until the passage to the Paragon’s Disguise opens up.」 Jun-hyuk reminded him, his voice dripping with exasperation.

This was no ordinary artifact; the Paragon’s Disguise was essential. The reason was simple.

‘It’s one of those rare pocket space artifacts, right?’

Jun-hyuk had played through this scenario before, in a game that was notoriously realistic and unforgiving.

Unlike typical games, where you could manage your inventory at will, here you had to physically carry everything—unless you had a spatial artifact like the Paragon’s Disguise.

The convenience it provided was invaluable, especially since there were no easy alternatives for acquiring such an artifact early in the game.

‘It’s just that getting it is the hard part…’

Jun-hyuk recalled how difficult it had been to obtain the artifact during the game.

Right now, the Labyrinth of Beginnings was their best and easiest opportunity to get it.

Otherwise, Killian would have to wait until much later in the story, perhaps buying it at a secret auction in the imperial capital or scouring high-level dungeons like the Ruins of Despair. Both options were impractical at this stage.

「I still remember the nightmare of getting it the first time.」

While Jun-hyuk was lost in thought, Killian spoke again, snapping him back to the present.

‘Junyeok.’

「It’s Jun… Ugh, whatever. Just say it.」

Killian, unusually motivated, continued.

‘So, all we have to do is wait until the passage opens in ten days, right?’

Jun-hyuk, sensing the familiar unease in the pit of his stomach, hesitated.

「Well… yes.」

And, as if on cue, his worst fears materialized.

‘Alright, decision made!’

With that, Killian promptly laid down on the floor of the hall, sprawled out as if it were his personal lounge.

‘I’m going to rest here for the next ten days until that Paragon thing opens.’

Watching Killian’s brazen behavior, Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but stutter.

「…Are you serious?」

‘Absolutely.’

Killian’s unwavering response left Jun-hyuk feeling utterly defeated. He had no choice but to change his mindset.

‘There’s no way he’s actually going to lie there for ten whole days… right?’

Surely, Jun-hyuk thought, even Killian, lazy as he was, couldn’t stay in one spot that long.

After all, he was human. Sooner or later, he’d get bored, restless, and move.

Jun-hyuk watched Killian closely, convinced that, after a day or two, something would prompt him to take action.

But as the days passed, Jun-hyuk’s hopes faded. And when an exasperated supervisor finally approached Killian on the tenth day, he said what Jun-hyuk had been thinking all along.

“Are you crazy?”

Jun-hyuk couldn’t agree more. Killian really had done nothing but rest for the entire ten days.

—

Ten days later.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the scene before Jun-hyuk’s eyes began to shift. Killian had finally entered the portal.

“Is it starting now?” Killian asked.

「You’ve got to be kidding me…」

Jun-hyuk couldn’t believe it. After seeing this portal so many times, he never thought he’d be so relieved to see it again. It felt almost like the first time he had entered the Endless Saga.

「How is it even possible for someone to do nothing for ten whole days?」

Over the course of the ten days, Jun-hyuk had tried everything to convince Killian to enter the labyrinth earlier.

After all, Killian could’ve gained valuable combat experience, improved his Soul Flame Form and Demon King’s Sword, and learned from fighting monsters.

But Killian had refused to budge, grumbling about a previous incident in the kobold colony when Jun-hyuk had made a similar suggestion.

‘How did a guy like him end up with so much talent? Ugh.’

Jun-hyuk sighed but quickly refocused on the labyrinth’s interior. Killian had timed his entry perfectly with the labyrinth’s transformation, but Jun-hyuk remained on high alert for any unexpected variables.

After a few moments, as Killian’s eyes adjusted to the labyrinth’s darkness, a low rumble echoed in the distance. The ground beneath them trembled slightly.

Rumble…

「Finally!」

Jun-hyuk’s voice brimmed with excitement. This was the moment they’d been waiting for.

「The passage has opened. Let’s go!」

‘So that sound was the signal, huh?’ Killian replied, standing up.

It was time to move.

“Looks like vacation’s over…”

「Vacation? You don’t even work!」

Killian muttered about how quickly the peaceful days had passed, running his hand over his face in exaggerated exhaustion. He scratched his messy hair and then asked with a sigh.

“So, where do we go from here?”

「I’ll guide you. Be careful not to trigger any traps.」

Jun-hyuk, having anticipated this moment for ten days, expertly guided Killian through the labyrinth, and Killian followed, now fully engaged in the trial ahead.

「Take the third path here. Oh, and be careful not to step on the protruding plate. Poison arrows will shoot out.」

“Hmm…”

Killian stared at the plate intently, then muttered casually.

“I don’t think we need to worry about this one.”

「What do you mean?」

“It looks like someone already triggered it. I can see faint footprints.”

「Huh…?」

Jun-hyuk looked closely at the plate and finally noticed the faint footprints Killian had spotted.

‘How sharp are this guy’s eyes…?’

Finding such a small trace in this dimly lit labyrinth? It was almost unbelievable. But before he could dwell on it, Jun-hyuk let out a sigh.

「Ah… this complicates things.」

“Why? Is it because of our ‘plan’?”

「It might take longer than I thought.」

Jun-hyuk muttered to himself, lamenting how small traps like these were causing delays.

But as quickly as he showed frustration, he composed himself and started planning their next steps, reciting the various traps in the labyrinth.

Watching Jun-hyuk’s sudden shift in demeanor, Killian, now fully awake, commented in his usual laid-back tone.

“…It’s impressive.”

「What is?」

“How do you know so much about this? Not just the Bloodline Ritual, but even this labyrinth. It’s like you know everything.”

Jun-hyuk had indeed become an invaluable guide. His knowledge extended far beyond the rituals of the Pablo family; he seemed to have every detail of the labyrinth memorized. Even Killian, who had grown used to Jun-hyuk’s presence, found it remarkable.

“How did you learn all this?”

「I told you before, didn’t I? I know quite a bit.」

Jun-hyuk cut the conversation short, not wanting to go into too much detail.

Explaining how he gained this information would only lead to more questions, and he doubted Killian would believe him anyway.

‘Besides… even if he knew, it’s not like he could do much with that information.’

Jun-hyuk thought to himself. If he ever became certain that Killian could reach the ‘clear’ point, he might explain. But now wasn’t the time.

“Hmm…”

Killian glanced at the ring on his finger and, with a tired sigh, said,

“Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, fine. I’m too lazy to push.”

Before Jun-hyuk could respond, Killian shifted the topic.

“We’ve been walking for a while, haven’t we?”

「It’s been about half an hour. Why?」

“I just noticed… we haven’t seen a single person. And not many monsters either.”

「That’s normal. Most people should be able to clear this labyrinth within three or four days.」

Jun-hyuk explained that passing through the Door of Trials meant the participants had received at least basic mana training, and the labyrinth was filled mostly with lower-tier monsters. It wasn’t surprising that they were progressing quickly.

「Of course, if someone steps on a trap, they’ll be disqualified, but…」

“True. Anyone who steps on something like this deserves to fail.”

「It’s only easy for you because I’m guiding you.」

“I wouldn’t have stepped on it even without your help. Though, I probably would have gotten lost in the maze.”

「…」

Jun-hyuk sighed as memories of participants meeting their end to these “simple” traps flashed in his mind.

“I’m not stupid. Just… a little lazy.”

「Yeah… sure.」

Another sigh escaped him.

‘He really means it, doesn’t he?’

At first, Jun-hyuk had assumed Killian’s attitude was just bluster, but by now, he realized that Killian genuinely believed himself to be an average person—lazy, perhaps, but ordinary.

「Anyway, let’s keep moving.」

As they ventured deeper into the labyrinth, the traps became more intricate and dangerous. After a few more minutes of walking, Killian came to a halt at a fork in the path.

One path seemed ordinary, but the other gave off an eerie sensation. The torches along the walls flickered with a sickly green light, and strange, irregular noises echoed from deep within the passage.

– Crkk…

It sounded like the grinding of teeth, like a predator searching for prey.

「Take the left path.」

Step, step

The further Killian walked down the left passage, the louder the unsettling noise became.

– Crkk, Crackkk!!!

At the end of the passage, a massive iron door stood, and the noise reached its peak. Jun-hyuk’s voice trembled with nervousness as he spoke.

「I told you before we came to Ironblood Fortress… the monster in here is no joke.」

But Killian merely shrugged, placing his hand on the door.

“Well, we’ll see soon enough.”

With a firm push, Killian forced the door open.

Rumble… screech!!!

The door creaked loudly, revealing a large, dome-shaped arena reminiscent of a gladiator pit. Standing in the center was a hulking figure.

Its skin was a dark green, and its lower jaw jutted forward, revealing sharp tusks. Around its neck, a black gemstone ring hung from a thick chain.

Clink…

Killian gestured towards the ring and asked,

‘That’s it, right?’

「Yeah, that’s the Paragon’s Disguise.」

Sching!

Killian drew his sword and focused on the giant, having already heard about this monster from Jun-hyuk.

‘An orc.’

A beast known for its brutal strength, capable of splitting boulders and turning people into minced meat with a single punch.

– ROAAARRRR!!!

As if recognizing Killian as a threat, the orc let out an earth-shaking roar.

And immediately after—

Boom! Boom!

With thunderous footsteps, the colossal creature charged straight toward Killian, its massive form shaking the ground.