Chapter 26: 26

Chapter 26. The Maze of Heryond (5)

Ugh...”

Gi-Gyu coughed up a spurt of blood as Ironshield landed on him; Ironshield’s arm was still pushing down on him. The damage from that single stomp was so immense that Gi-Gyu was surprised he didn’t faint on the spot. His vocal cords struggled to form words; in the end, he weakly stammered, 

“Soo… Soo-Jung, run!” 

There was no answer to his plea. Instead, Ironshield asked in English, “Who are you? How did you follow me and keep your presence hidden?”

“Wh-what the h-heck are you s-say-saying?” Gi-Gyu couldn’t understand a word Ironshield said. The high ranker pushed Gi-Gyu down further as he persisted, “Answer me. Tell me, how did you deceive my senses! What are you? If you tell me the truth, I will make your death painless.”

“Kill? Kill? Please no kill. I can’t speak English!” Recognizing the word “kill,” Gi-Gyu begged in his broken English. Ironshield, looking down at Gi-Gyu emotionlessly, seemed confused as he asked, “What?!” 

Unable to hide his shock, Ironshield muttered, “You can’t even speak English? Seriously?”

“No. I can’t speak English,” Gi-Gyu answered desperately. Now, all he could do was use his severely-lacking arsenal of English words to explain his situation. Ironshield loosened his grip around Gi-Gyu’s neck a little and murmured, “Haa… This is ridiculous.” 

After a short conversation, the high ranker concluded Gi-Gyu wasn’t lying. Gi-Gyu’s lack of grammatical knowledge made it obvious he didn’t speak English. He could connect every English word he knew to barely create a sentence at his best. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. Just gate hunting. Hunting,” Gi-Gyu stammered, frustrating Ironshield even more. Looking down at Gi-Gyu with pity, Ironshield let go of his neck. 

“Khegg…” When Gi-Gyu could finally breathe, he opened his bag and drank an internal damage potion. Thankfully, the high ranker didn’t make any move to stop him. 

‘She isn’t here.’

The moment he escaped Ironshield’s grasp, Gi-Gyu turned to where Soo-Jung was standing. However, she had vanished from her spot. It seemed she ran away the moment Gi-Gyu was attacked. But he wasn’t disappointed; he was just thankful she got away safely.

‘I’m so relieved she escaped.’

-This isn’t the time to worry about her. I can’t believe a human could have this level of presence. You should be more worried about your own life.

‘It doesn’t look like he will kill me.’

Gi-Gyu glanced at Ironshield, who was watching him with his hand on his forehead. As things stood, it didn’t seem like the high ranker was interested in killing Gi-Gyu. Thinking his explanation had worked, Gi-Gyu began repeating the same broken sentence. 

“I can’t speak English. I’m just hunting. Gate hunting.” When his hands regained their functionality thanks to the potion, he used them to gesture that he was no threat to the high ranker. 

“Ha! Dammit!” Ironshield spat out the words as if he had made his decision. Moving so fast that Gi-Gyu couldn’t even see him, Ironshield whacked the back of Gi-Gyu’s neck. Gi-Gyu fainted without making a single sound.

-Haa…

-Master…

As Gi-Gyu fainted, he could hear Lou and El sighing. After Gi-Gyu fainted on the ground, Ironshield turned to face his guild members running toward him. 

“Guild Master, we haven’t found any traces of other players around the area,” one of the players reported. 

“...”

When Ironshield didn’t reply, the same player asked, “Sir? Did you say something?”

“No, just carry this child back to the camp. And gather all the Asian guild members,” ordered Ironshield. 

“Yes, Sir!” all the players answered respectfully. One of the players carried Gi-Gyu as ordered, while another man headed toward where the remaining guild members were resting. 

A pair of violet eyes glowed nearby, but no one seemed to have noticed them.

***

“Just who is this kid?” Ironshield murmured in confusion as he watched Gi-Gyu on the ground. Gi-Gyu was stripped of his weapons and currently bound. 

“Maybe he was sent by Athena or another guild?” When one of his men suggested, Ironshield frowned in annoyance and muttered, “Idiot.” Without turning toward the player, Ironshield explained, “Why would Athena send a spy who can’t even speak English? What’ll he report if he can’t even understand what we are talking about? And no guild would ever dare to send a scout to spy on us.”

“I-I apologize, Sir. B-but, what if he’s pretending not to speak English?” the player asked, convinced his idea was a definite possibility. 

“He’ll spill once we begin torturing him. It won’t matter if he speaks English or not then,” Ironshield replied. It seemed the player who spoke up was a rookie. One of the middle-aged guild members reminded the newbie, “David, I hope you realize how kind our guild master is being by explaining everything to you. He wants you to learn.”

The middle-aged player was speaking the truth. Although Ironshield didn’t bother to hide his annoyance, he still took the time to explain his thoughts. 

David’s eyes glowed with admiration. He shouted, “Thank you so much, Sir!”

The mindless enthusiasm annoyed Ironshield, so he grabbed his head and muttered, “Steve, don’t encourage him like that. I don’t need a blindly loyal soldier. I want my men to think for themselves and present contrasting opinions from time to time.”

“Of course, Sir,” Steve replied with a curt nod. With a slight shake of his head, Ironshield asked, “Where are the Asian members I asked for earlier? Aren’t they here yet? I told you to gather those who haven’t forgotten their mother tongue, right?”

“We’ll go and check on them again,” two players answered and left. Now alone again, Ironshield looked down at his right hand. It was the same hand that grabbed Gi-Gyu’s neck earlier. 

‘Was that Lucifer’s aura?’

It was very faint, but he could feel a trace of Lucifer’s aura on his hand. Ironshield felt frustrated, but he was certain his curiosity would be satisfied soon. But, he failed to realize that his favorite sword, Calleon, was trembling, which was very unlike him. 

***

Gi-Gyu regained consciousness with searing pain in his cheeks. 

“Mmm…” A distressed moan escaped his mouth as he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ironshield in his snow-white armor and the Iron Guild members. Soon, Gi-Gyu noticed that all the members gathered around him were Asian.

‘They are here to interpret.’ 

Gi-Gyu quickly realized Ironshield wanted to communicate with him. Ironshield mumbled something, but Gi-Gyu couldn’t understand what he was saying. Thankfully, the Asian members walked up to him one by one and began translating. The interpretation took place in the order of Chinese, Japanese, and finally Korean. 

Gi-Gyu knew who this Korean player was. 

‘That’s Korean-American Rogers Han. I remember the Korean media going wild about him entering the Iron Guild.’

When Rogers Han entered the famous Iron Guild, the entire Korean population felt pride. Gi-Gyu was star-struck for a moment before he quickly shook his head with a smile.

‘Ironshield is standing right in front of me, so why am I surprised to see Rogers Han?’

Meeting Ironshield was probably as uncommon as meeting the president of the United States. So, Gi-Gyu couldn’t help laughing at himself for being surprised at meeting Rogers Han, who was just one of the many Iron Guild members. 

“You must be a spy,” said Roger Han in Korean when it was finally his turn to interpret. 

“I’m not a spy,” Gi-Gyu replied. 

“So you’re Korean,” Rogers murmured. He then said something to Ironshield, who nodded. It seemed like it was finally time for the long-awaited conversation. Gi-Gyu and Ironshield spoke with Rogers Han’s help.

Rogers relayed, “Our guild master is asking who you are. He wants to know why you were spying on our guild and what guild you belong to. Also, tell him how you hid your presence from him and fooled his senses.”

All Iron Guild members present seemed shocked after learning that Gi-Gyu had somehow deceived Ironshield’s senses. Gi-Gyu ignored them as they erupted in murmurs and answered, “I’m just a plain player. I came to hunt inside the Maze of Heryond. I never spied on anyone, and I don’t belong to any guild.”

Rogers Han interpreted Gi-Gyu’s answer to Ironshield, who nodded.

‘Did it work? Does he believe me now?’

Ironshield’s simple nod briefly brought Gi-Gyu solace, but he quickly realized he was mistaken. 

“Ackkk!”

Rogers Han suddenly took out his dagger and stabbed Gi-Gyu’s thigh. He then pulled out the weapon and poured a healing potion on Gi-Gyu’s wound. Looking down at him without any sympathy, Rogers Han muttered, “You must be here for the elixir. I can’t believe you thought lying would work in this situation. Not a wise choice.”

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“Ugh…” As Gi-Gyu endured the pain, he couldn’t help but draw a deep breath. At the same time, he contemplated what he must do to escape this place. He still had Arachne's ball of thread in his pocket, but…

‘I don’t have Lou and El with me.’

His Egos were nowhere near him: Not on his body in their sword form or on his fingers in their ring forms. 

‘Dammit.’

When Gi-Gyu looked around, he saw a middle-aged guild member with a white beard studying Lou and El with curiosity. There was no way Gi-Gyu could escape using Arachne’s Ball of Thread without his weapons. 

‘I can escape and then return to this place later… ’

Doing so would take him a long time, but Gi-Gyu was certain he could return to this very place from the gate entrance. It was because he had memorized the path to where he was currently. Also, he had been marking all the routes he took, so he knew he could return to this exact spot without much difficulty, even if he was transported to the gate entrance. 

But, leaving without Lou and El was as stupid an idea as could be; Gi-Gyu was just thankful he was still wearing Brunheart. After a brief hesitation, he opened his mouth.

“You’re correct. I came here to get the elixir. When I noticed your guild, I thought it would be easier for me to approach the keeper if I followed you. But I never intended to spy on you, and I never hid my energy. I just thought Ironshield was leaving me alone for whatever reason he had. I thought it was his way of permitting me to follow.” 

Gi-Gyu’s answer was mostly true, but there was a bit of a lie in it as well. The result of his response was quickly displayed. Ironshield took out his own dagger and approached Gi-Gyu.

***

“I-I’m no-not lying…” stammered Gi-Gyu in pain. His mouth was so dry that his voice was beginning to crack. 

“Damn fool. I can’t believe you’re lying even after being tortured by our guild master,” Rogers Han commented in disgust. 

“No… No-not l-lyi-lying…” Gi-Gyu pleaded. He really wasn’t lying anymore. The only thing he left out was the fact that he was traveling with Soo-Jung.

“That doesn’t make any sense. We have already used the detection skill on you, so we know the truth. I never expected to find a Level 1 player without any skills in this maze. I never thought I would see a player like you, period. Are you sure you’re even a player?” Rogers Han interpreted Ironshield’s message. Before Gi-Gyu could even answer, the guild master twisted his dagger plunged in Gi-Gyu’s thigh. 

“Ackk…” Gi-Gyu groaned in pain as Rogers Han continued to speak on Ironshield’s behalf. 

“You want me to believe you made it all the way here alone? Look at you. You can’t even handle my torture right now. Do you know I changed the rope while you were unconscious? I did that to test you. Currently, you’re bound by a normal rope rather than an item. Yet you can’t even free yourself. The only reason you’re going through this torture is that you’re weak. So weak that you can’t even break a normal rope. All this can only mean one thing: Someone helped you get this far.”

Gi-Gyu had to admit this was true. Right now, Lou and El were with some unknown middle-aged man. Gi-Gyu could physically feel his connections with his Egos becoming faint. The only reason he wasn’t dead yet was because of Brunheart. He had enough strength to break the rope; without Lou and El, he couldn’t even attempt an escape. 

Indeed, the only reason Gi-Gyu could make it this far was because he had help from Lou and El. As a player, they were more important to him than his own life. 

‘Without Brunheart, I would’ve been dead by now.’

Gi-Gyu’s hatred toward Ironshield grew exponentially. The high ranker refused to believe Gi-Gyu and continued to torture him without mercy. At the very least, it would have made more sense to Gi-Gyu if Ironshield had killed him without hesitation. 

‘I’m going to kill him someday. I swear I will.’

If he ever made it out alive and saved his mother with the elixir, Gi-Gyu swore to become powerful enough to plunge Lou into the heart underneath that snow-white armor. Noticing the vicious look in Gi-Gyu’s eyes, Ironshield murmured, “Guess you still haven’t had enough. The torture will continue for another 30 minutes.”

“Ackkk!”

Ironshield turned around and left the screaming mess behind. In his place, Rogers Han took control of the dagger still stuck in Gi-Gyu’s thigh. It was clear the Korean-American player had no intention of going easy on his hostage just because they had the same nationality. In fact, unlike Ironshield, who remained blank as he tortured Gi-Gyu, Rogers Han seemed excited. His face was filled with pleasure as he whispered, “I love the sound of a pained scream.” 

Rogers Han licked his lips and cut off Gi-Gyu’s little toe. Screaming in agony, Gi-Gyu swore to himself over and over again.

‘Ironshield, Iron Guild, and Rogers Han… I will kill you all someday.’

***

“I’ll ask you one last time.” Ironshield looked at Gi-Gyu with obvious frustration. Gi-Gyu was by now in a gruesome state. He was covered in blood, and his fingers and toes had been regenerated so many times that his nerve endings there were fried. The only mercy Ironshield showed was not touching Gi-Gyu’s face. 

But Gi-Gyu’s face was still covered in blood and tears. 

Rogers Han interpreted Ironshield’s question, “You must be working for Athena, right…?” 

It was a leading question. There was no way Ironshield believed Gi-Gyu was sent by Athena. When Gi-Gyu didn’t answer, Ironshield asked another question, “Or did Lucifer send you?”

“I-I told yo-you. I am alone…” When Gi-Gyu replied weakly, Ironshield thought out loud.

“It couldn’t have been Athena. That woman hates people like you. Then it must be Lucifer.”

Ironshield contemplated all the possibilities. He felt certain Gi-Gyu was sent by Lucifer, but he needed Gi-Gyu to confess. Lucifer was known to act alone, except when she was accompanied by her well-known minion. So if Lucifer moved with Gi-Gyu, what was her reasoning behind it? 

What was Gi-Gyu trying so desperately to hide? Ironshield still had many unanswered questions, which was why he kept Gi-Gyu alive until now. To confirm his suspicion, Ironshield offered some information to Gi-Gyu.

“It’s possible you were used by Lucifer. I’ll tell you what she looks like, so tell me if you have seen her. If you tell me the truth, I will let you live.” This was the last chance Ironshield was willing to give Gi-Gyu. This whole situation confused Ironshield to no end. They had continuously tortured Gi-Gyu for three days, but he still didn’t confess anything useful. 

Although Ironshield didn’t spell it out, Gi-Gyu also knew this was his last chance. Finally, Ironshield said to him, “She has violet hair and black eyes. Have you seen her before?”

A long silence fell. The guild master didn’t prod his hostage; instead, he waited patiently. But when Gi-Gyu remained silent, Ironshield shook his head and muttered, “I guess you have no intention of answering me.”

With a disappointed look, the high ranker announced, “I’ll admit that you’re a fierce one. Had you been a better player, I might have scouted you. You endured everything very well. I will end your misery with my own sword now.” 

When Ironshield unsheathed Calleon from his back, Rogers Han licked his lips as if disappointed. 

Just then, one of the guild members yelled as he ran toward them. 

“Guild Master! We found the gatekeeper’s location!”

Gi-Gyu recognized this novice player: It was David. Gi-Gyu had seen him being scolded multiple times for making beginner’s mistakes. Although he was slowly losing his consciousness, Gi-Gyu vaguely recognized the words David yelled so loudly.

‘Kee… per…?’

As he realized the importance of those words, Gi-Gyu began regaining his wit. Meanwhile, Ironshield scolded David, “David! You shouldn’t be yelling out important information like that!”

“I-I’m sorry!” David stammered. 

“Well, he’ll be dead in a minute anyway, so I suppose it can’t hurt him to know. Perhaps he’ll feel better knowing this before he dies. David, tell me where the keeper is.” When Ironshield ordered, David glanced at him nervously before answering, “It’s within 300 meters from here. Because of a device, we couldn’t…”

Per Ironshield’s order, Rogers kindly interpreted the information to Gi-Gyu. It was disgusting to see Rogers looking so pleased with the prospect of Gi-Gyu’s impending death.

‘Dammit.’

When Gi-Gyu listened to David’s description, he couldn’t help swearing to himself. He was certain he recognized the place David was talking about. It was where he was attacked by Ironshield. 

Tears of regret began rolling down his eyes.

‘It was right in front of my eyes, yet I didn’t see it.’

But what was the point of knowing the keeper’s location now? After all, he was going to die in just a few minutes. Suddenly, the memories of his mother, Yoo-Jung, and Tae-Shik crossed his mind. From the beginning, Gi-Gyu had known there was a high chance he was not going to survive this journey, but he didn’t expect to die at a fellow player’s hands. 

After David gave his report, Ironshield turned toward Gi-Gyu and said his final words, “Now, you must go in peace. It has been a long time since I met a player with such grit. You have no abilities at all, so to have endured my torture for so long is truly impressive. I can see why Lucifer allowed you to accompany her. ”

It was clear Ironshield was genuine in his compliment. He really thought Gi-Gyu was “impressive.” Ironshield grabbed Calleon again and said his farewell, “Goodbye.”

Ironshield wanted to show his respect to Gi-Gyu for enduring his torture for so long. Calleon moved beautifully in the air and was just about to fall on Gi-Gyu when suddenly…

Thwock!

A moonlit arrow struck Ironshield’s shoulder. 

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