Out of sheer instinct, Gi-Gyu jumped up and narrowly dodged a giant spider’s front leg. Then, he propelled himself with the help of an adjacent wall and swung Lou. 

Slice!

With a gruesome slashing noise, he amputated the giant spider’s front leg. 

“Kweggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the giant spider screamed as its body twisted in pain.

-Focus! It’s not dead yet!

But, there was no need for Lou to shout because Gi-Gyu was already prepared.

“I know that!” Gi-Gyu yelled as he turned toward the monster again. Using the torque from that turn as fuel, he swung Lou. That turn also helped him narrowly dodge a piece of spider web that flew out from nowhere.

Crack!

With a loud crashing sound, the giant spider’s head dented visibly. 

‘Got one!’

He had killed one monster successfully, but there were still two more surrounding him. Gi-Gyu jumped again to escape a clump of spider webs; while still being in the air, he set his trajectory toward his next target. But…

“Dammit!” he swore when he spotted an extra monster that had escaped his detection. Then, a spider web suddenly entered his field of vision; seconds later, it had engulfed him. Gi-Gyu, helpless and immobile, fell to the ground. 

Thud!

“Ugh!” Gi-Gyu groaned. It wasn’t a bad fall, but his whole body spasmed. Since the spider web was extremely sticky, freeing himself from it was proving difficult. Meanwhile, the giant spiders didn’t stop for a smoke break; they were still speeding toward the immobile Gi-Gyu. Just imagine a swarm of spiders rushing toward you—horrifying, right? Now, imagine them 100 times bigger; that was what Gi-Gyu was seeing.

Gi-Gyu struggled harder and faster as he groaned, “Argh!” The struggle paid off as he succeeded in reaching his bag; from it, he fished out a potion. By this time, the giant spiders were just inches from him. 

Blaze!

He busted the potion bottle, poured its contents on himself, and started a fire using that as a base. Thanks to that, he burned away the spider web bounding him, but he couldn’t avoid being burnt as well. 

Whack!

It was just then that a giant spider’s front leg slammed down on Gi-Gyu’s torso. The giant spiders’ legs were known for both their sharpness and power which was comparable to a heavy hammer. That single kick sent Gi-Gyu flying before he was plastered on a wall. 

Crack!

Two explosions took place at that moment. The first was when Gi-Gyu hit the wall, and the second was the giant spider’s head cracking from Brunheart’s reflection skill. 

‘That’s the second one so far.’

[Strong Will is being triggered.]

[Your stamina will recover very quickly.]

The giant spider’s last attack must’ve been strong enough to kill Gi-Gyu. He suspected this was why the Strong Will skill was activated. Then, he stood up slowly. 

“Kweggg!”

“Kweg!”

The giant spiders continued to shoot their webs in confusion, but Gi-Gyu managed to dodge them. Thanks to Strong Will, much of his stamina had recovered. Gi-Gyu kicked the ground again to attack. There were only two spiders left, but he had been fighting them for the past 30 minutes. Had there been a single extra monster there, he would’ve been imagining his tombstone.

After finishing off the rest of the giant spiders, Gi-Gyu picked up their crystals and sat down on the ground. His legs were shaking so badly that he didn’t think they could support him. 

“Haa…” 

The battles were becoming tougher. Fighting higher-level monsters allowed his Egos to level up faster, but the risks were increasing significantly as well. However, Gi-Gyu was adapting to his new situation quickly. When he first entered this gate, he found fighting a single giant spider difficult. It was just like when he battled a goblin every day before he found the Egos. But Gi-Gyu had been fighting without any skills or abilities for the first five years as a player. He was used to stress and danger, which were part of his everyday life. Now that he had been in this gate for a while, Gi-Gyu could hunt three spiders simultaneously. It was a close battle, but he managed to survive it. 

“Let’s take a little break,” Gi-Gyu suggested to his Egos. 

-Don’t be in such a hurry.

-Lou’s right, Master. 

“All right. Anyway, I don’t feel like anyone is watching me anymore.” Gi-Gyu thought out loud. It had been a week since he entered the Maze of Heryond; by now, that distinct feeling had faded. Perhaps Gi-Gyu was imagining it all, and there was never someone spying on him. After mulling over the matter for a while, he decided to chuck it at the back and focus on the more important stuff: His current situation. 

At odd times, he did face monsters other than the giant spiders; at the end of the day, giant spiders remained his most frequent customers. This wasn’t a good sign since it meant he wasn’t getting any close to where he needed to be. As players got closer to a boss room, the monsters they encountered would become progressively stronger. And that was rousing Gi-Gyu’s anxiousness. 

At the very least, Gi-Gyu should’ve been seeing different types of monsters as he advanced. This would’ve meant he was on the right track. Sadly, nothing changed even as more time passed, so Gi-Gyu couldn’t help feeling panicked. 

“Kyaaa!” 

While Gi-Gyu was resting on the ground, he suddenly heard a young girl’s scream.

***

Before taking any action, Gi-Gyu contemplated for a brief moment. Should he save the screaming girl? But, what was a young girl doing inside the gate? Wasn’t she a bit too young for this? 

“Kyaaaa!”

When he heard another scream, he didn’t hesitate. In this day and age, a player’s age was meaningless. Even a 10-year-old child could become a player and hunt monsters. 

“Gotta act like a decent man,” Gi-Gyu muttered as he sprinted with Lou and El in his hands. Since he could hear the scream, the girl shouldn’t be too far away. Following the scream was easy, and his speed helped him close the distance fleetly. 

“Kya! Please save me!” the screamer shouted in Korean.

“Hang on!” Gi-Gyu yelled to reassure the little girl. Before long, a young girl with jet-black hair entered his sights. She was holding a short dagger and trembling as she stared at a giant spider. The moment Gi-Gyu confirmed that it was indeed a colleen who needed his help, he ran towards the giant spider. 

Gi-Gyu screamed urgently, “Step back!”

“It’s dangerous!” the little girl shouted, but he continued to dash forward.

‘Huh?’

Gi-Gyu flinched when he suddenly felt himself moving a little faster. But, before he could process what was happening, Lou was already around the giant spider’s head. 

Slice!

Now, a single slash from Lou was enough to split a giant spider’s head. The monster’s head began spurting green blood; to make sure it was dead, Gi-Gyu took another step forward and stabbed the monster’s head several times with Lou. 

[You have gained some experience points.]

[Lou has absorbed the giant spider’s blood and has developed internal immunity against poison.]

After Lou succeeded in absorbing the giant spider’s ability, Gi-Gyu didn’t pick up the crystal. Instead, he ran toward the young girl and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Ah, Ahjussi[1], thank you!” the young girl replied gratefully. 

“Ahjussi? Umm… You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re okay. Would you like to rest for a while now?” Being called Ahjussi surprised Gi-Gyu, but he quickly recovered. 

“O-okay…” answered the still-shocked girl and sat down with a dazed look. After making sure she was safe, Gi-Gyu picked up the giant spider’s crystal. Then, he grabbed a water bottle, some jerky, and offered it to her, “Here, have some.”

“Thank you.” The young girl seemed much calmer now. She certainly looked young; since she was a player, she wouldn’t be mentally scarred or anything by this encounter. After handing her the jerky and the water, Gi-Gyu sat down some distance away from her. 

The young girl was very beautiful, perhaps too beautiful for a child. Suddenly, Gi-Gyu wondered, ‘Maybe she isn’t a child?’

From the looks of it, she seemed 16, but her long jet-black hair and alluring face suggested otherwise. Her small height made her look like a child, but there was something very mature about her overall look. What shocked Gi-Gyu the most was her unique violet eyes. 

‘Maybe she is multiracial?’

He felt curious; knowing it would be rude to ask such a personal question, Gi-Gyu kept quiet. He also decided to give her a little more time to calm down before asking any questions.

‘This is the Maze of Heryond, which means it’s the worst place to be. So a young Korean girl here… Anyway, since she can survive for so long in a place filled with giant spiders, she can’t be a newbie.’ 

There were so many things that didn’t make sense about this girl. Feeling oddly apprehensive, Gi-Gyu distanced himself a bit more from her. There was something very strange about this situation.

The young girl thanked him again, “Thank you so much.”

“Why are you here alone?” Gi-Gyu finally asked. 

“I came in here as a part of a group, but I got lost,” she replied as tears began welling in her eyes. She looked pitiful, but he ignored it. There weren’t any monsters around them, which meant she was safe for now. Back then, he felt obligated to save her, and he did. However, wiping away her tears was never his responsibility. 

But, Gi-Gyu still felt a bit uncomfortable. The more he looked at the girl, the more she reminded him of Yoo-Jung. 

He asked her awkwardly, “You’re lost? Haa… Is there a way for you to contact your group?”

“No…”

After contemplating for a long time, Gi-Gyu stood up and said, “I’m sorry, but I’m not in a position to take you back to the gate entrance. You’re a player too, so you must know that only you’re responsible for your own life, right?”

Then, he began rummaging through his bag. The girl looked surprised, but she accepted the reality soon. Handing her a small package, Gi-Gyu continued, “This is a safe zone installation kit. This isn’t the highest quality item, so it might perish in just a single day. But someone might come to help you within that time, so it will at least give you a chance.”

 “A-Ahjussi…” the girl murmured fearfully, but Gi-Gyu said, “I’m sorry, but you’ve to save yourself.” 

He felt apologetic for being so blunt, but he had no choice. She reminded Gi-Gyu so much of his sister Yoo-Jung, but this whole “damsel in distress” scenario smelled fishy to him. And even more importantly, he didn’t have any time to waste. Gi-Gyu had to clear this gate as quickly as possible. So, there was no time for him to help this girl find her group.  

Besides, he had already done the decent thing. He had already saved her life, and that was more than enough in most cases. Gi-Gyu was just about to leave when suddenly, he felt his shirt being pulled. 

“Ahjussi…”

When he turned around, he saw the girl holding the edge of his shirt and looking up at him. Now that he saw her up close, he realized that she was even more beautiful than he initially thought. Despite her vernal looks, there was something strangely seductive about her. 

Feeling uncomfortable, Gi-Gyu pushed her hand away and took a step back. 

‘She smiled?’

For a second, he thought he saw her smile. But perhaps he was mistaken because there were only tears in her violet eyes. She pleaded, “I belong to the support category! I’m pretty talented, which is why I came here. A-and… When you were fighting that spider, I even cast a buff spell on you to help…”

Only then did Gi-Gyu recall the sudden increase in speed and strength he experienced back then. Now, he realized it was the girl’s doing. With an ugly frown, he warned her, “Haven't you learn not to cast spells on others without permission?” 

Unless it was a familiar companion player, casting a buff spell on another player without permission was a huge taboo. A supporter player could only cast a buff spell on another player if they were given clear permission. This was important because a sudden buff could confuse players and lead them to their deaths; this was especially true during a battle. 

Whimper, whimper. “I-I haven’t been a player for lo-long, and my level is v-very low too. But, I have a unique ability, so they told me they would pay me a lot… A-and my mom is really sick, s-so…” the young girl explained between her sobs. She kept wiping her eyes with her sleeves, but her tears refused to stop. 

“Haa…” 

Gi-Gyu finally had a clear picture. This child was a newbie player, but she was blessed with a unique ability at a very young age. It seemed her unique ability was the buff-up spell. Because buff-related unique abilities were rare, some players must’ve recognized her usefulness. It was obvious they lured her into this place of extreme danger. 

To bring an uneducated young child to a gate like this was a stupid idea. It was no wonder she got lost and was now separated from the group. 

‘I don’t know which group she belongs to; if I ever make it out, I’ll have to report it.’

A player was, of course, responsible for their own life regardless of their age. But this girl didn’t receive even the most basic training, and she was a minor. So, Gi-Gyu decided to make an exception.

He asked, “Is your mother’s illness something a hospital can cure if you had the money?”

“Yea-yeah,” the girl answered hesitantly. 

Like that, if Gi-Gyu found the elixir, he wouldn’t have to share it with her. This also meant she wasn’t going to stab him in the back to steal the elixir. After deciding what he must do, Gi-Gyu offered, “I’m not going to go back to the gate entrance. I have to reach the maze’s center, and that means it’s only gonna get more dangerous. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“Pardon? You’re going to take me with you?” 

“Yes, but if I find out you’re not useful, I’m going to dump you on any group we meet on the way. If that’s still okay with you, you can come with me.”

The young girl smiled brightly and replied, “I’ll go with you!”

Her buff skill could prove useful as they could certainly make his battles much easier. Meanwhile, Gi-Gyu kept telling himself he wasn’t helping her because of her sick mother. And it also definitely wasn’t because she reminded him of Yoo-Jung. 

While Gi-Gyu justified his decision, Lou muttered in annoyance.

-Gosh, you’re an idiot.

1. Ahjussi is a term used by a younger person to address a middle-aged male. A younger male is generally addressed as Oppa (by females) or Hyung (by males). ☜