Chapter 180: Ma Gyeong-rok
[Memory Erasure Potion]
-Classification: Consumable
-Grade: Legendary
-Effect: Reads the target's memory and erases the desired part.
-Usage Restriction: Master grade or higher
-Description: Allows reading the target's memory and erasing the desired part. It's -also possible to make them completely forget something if desired.
-The reason Ryu Min was surprised was none other.
The Memory Erasure Potion was an item that appeared with an extremely low probability.
"Even when I used it with Joo Sung-taek to catch an impostor before, this item only appeared once..."
Fortunately, it appeared this time too.
Ryu Min's mouth curled up with satisfaction.
"Someday I'll need this."
Last time, he used it to erase Min Juri's memory, who was shocked to discover Black Scythe's true identity.
"Let's see what happens this time."
For now, it seemed he had to decide where to use it later.
"Owner, now that you've achieved your goal, will you leave the labyrinth?"
"No, there are still things to do."
"Things, huh? What...?"
"It's not something you need to do. It's something I must do."
Ryu Min avoided giving a precise answer about what it was, nodding as if indicating they should follow him.
"Let's go. You just have to stay and watch from afar."
"Yes."
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As they walked through the labyrinth, Ma Gyeong-rok asked An Sang-cheol.
"Still can't track Black Scythe?"
"No... even if I search with other names, he doesn't appear, and environmental scanning doesn't work either. It seems this forest blocks external signals."
"There doesn't seem to be another option."
Saying that, Ma Gyeong-rok suddenly showed a bitter smile.
"I'm sorry, An Sang-cheol. It was my fault for wanting to go after Black Scythe."
"Oh no. On the contrary, I feel more guilty. Just because I wanted to take advantage of the democratic buff..."
"It would have been better to track Crimson Moon. If we had, we wouldn't have ended up in this situation."
"No, the boss's decision wasn't wrong. We just had bad luck."
"Bad luck, huh...?"
Ma Gyeong-rok wondered if he should simply attribute his entry into this labyrinth to sheer bad luck.
"Did the Prophet know? Did he know that following Black Scythe would lead me to this kind of result?"
He didn't know for sure, and even if he did, he couldn't blame the Prophet.
So far, what the Prophet had provided him was already something that couldn't be valued in terms of money. And now he was going to get angry because he withheld information about the future?
Unless he wanted to sever ties right now, it wouldn't be prudent to blame him.
"Joo Sung-taek, how's Christine doing?"
"Are you worried?"
"Of course. She's my fiancée."
Though it was more of a business concern, wasn't it natural to worry?
"First, let's get out of this damn forest. We'll surely find a way out somehow."
"Even though there's only one path that seems to keep going out..."
"We can't just stay put, can we? Besides, I heard an explosive sound a moment ago."
The fact that an explosive sound was heard in the forest that had been quiet until now meant that someone else was present.
For them, who navigated the vast ocean without any light, even that was a great comfort.
"We have plenty of time, so don't give up and let's keep moving forward."
"But CEO, what if we get out and time is short?"
"Do you really think it will take that long? If you don't lose hope, you'll surely see the way."
Although the story was optimistic, in reality, it was vague and lacked foundation.
Ma Gyeong-rok also couldn't assure how long it would take to escape the forest.
"Maybe we won't even be able to get out in 24 hours. Still, let's keep going until the end. After all, we have nothing else to do, right?"
"Agreed."
"And when you're out, look for players from other countries as soon as you have time. Find them and kill them regardless of their nationality."
Killing random people.
Although it was a cruel order, they had no other choice.
Killing players from other countries would give them kill points and could make them lose the points they had.
Losing points and gaining scores at the same time?
There was no reason not to kill.
"Probably other countries also have the same mindset as me. Somewhere, there might be a war where they kill each other for points."
An Sang-cheol, who thought he had a valid point, nodded.
Killing people no longer affected them after four rounds, and even before becoming players, they had indulged in Ma Gyeong-rok's pastime.
Getting their hands dirty with the blood of other people was not an obstacle for either of them.
It was at that moment, as they walked along the path promising massacres.
"Hmm?"
Both stopped their steps as if they had made a promise.
There was someone standing on the road, blocking the view in the distance.
'A person?'
'Is there someone?'
Their faces lit up upon discovering such an unusual sight.
They couldn't be happier to find someone in the midst of the vast and unknown ocean.
Their smile appeared as if they had found a lantern in the middle of the aimless sea.
"Hey, nice to meet you. Finding another person here...".
An Sang-cheol approached with a smile.
But even that smile disappeared when they got close enough to distinguish the faces.
Clung to Ma Gyeong-rok's shoulder, who walked beside him, An Sang-cheol spoke seriously.
"Mr. CEO, please wait a moment."
"Hm? What's wrong?"
When he looked, An Sang-cheol's expression was infinitely serious.
Anger could even be seen in his eyes.
"That bastard, that guy."
"Who is he? Do you know him?"
"Yes, it's Hwang Yong-min."
Upon hearing that name, Ma Gyeong-rok also clenched his jaw.
Although he hadn't seen him in person, he had heard enough about him from An Sang-cheol.
"The idiot who attacked Director An and actress Seo in the second round?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure? Didn't you say he was dead?"
"According to Miss Seo Arin, yes. Even the prophet confirmed it by saying he was dead."
"So, is it really as I said before, an undead?"
"It seems so."
He had already heard the story that Seo Arin encountered Hwang Yong-min.
He had also heard about the profession that can revive corpses.
'At that time, I let it pass as inevitable, but meeting him in a place like this...'
Ma Gyeong-rok looked at the opponent as if he couldn't believe it. Although he was undead, he appeared as a perfect human, without apparent flaws.
"CEO. Do you think Seo Arin is lying? To me, he looks like a true human..."
"I don't know. The only thing certain is..."
Ma Gyeong-rok raised the sword surrounded by darkness.
"He didn't come here to talk with us, that's for sure."
Hwang Yong-min's gaze, standing firmly, was not at all friendly.
He raised his fist like someone with ill intentions.
"Are you going to face me with your fists? Seems like you underestimated me quite a bit."
Ma Gyeong-rok smirked sarcastically and made a decision.
To kill him and take the points.
Whether he was undead or a zombie, the important thing was that he appeared as an enemy.
"It's the right time to take the initiative."
The thought was brief, and the action was swift.
"Capture him."
The dark aura, holding the sword wrapped in darkness, transformed into a huge hand.
If you were caught by that black hand, your life would be taken as it absorbed the dark magic.
But Hwang Yong-min was faster than expected.
Swish!
Like a well-trained boxer, he dodged the aura while closing the distance.
However, Ma Gyeong-rok was also closing in on the guy.
"I expected you to dodge."
As he raised the sword over his head, the dark aura surged back and surrounded the sword's body.
"Destruction."
The level 40 skill of the Dark Knight descended directly towards Hwang Yong-min.
The timing, the angle, everything was perfect.
There was no way to dodge it.
Until the guy skillfully managed to dodge the skill.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, crash!
A louder rumble than the one from the forest was heard.
The place where Hwang Yong-min had dodged sank as if it had been struck by a meteorite.
"Damn it. I wasted a third of my dark magic."
Destruction is a skill that can adjust the amount of dark magic.
He spilled a third to kill with one blow, but unfortunately, the guy managed to dodge.
"What luck."
He didn't have time to curse.
Hwang Yong-min's dodged fist was already approaching.
"Dark Armor."
Whoosh!
The dark aura instantly enveloped Ma Gyeong-rok, protecting his entire body.
Although it was weak against magical damage, it was an extraordinary defensive skill against physical damage...
So he thought.
Until Hwang Yong-min's fist touched him.
Crack!
"Ugh!"
"CEO!"
With a sound of something breaking, Ma Gyeong-rok was miserably thrown backward.
He immediately got up and regained his posture, but felt a sharp pain in his ribs.
"Even , who was unscathed after being hit by the minotaur..."
Dark Armor is an astonishing defensive skill that absorbs up to 70% of incoming physical damage in the form of dark magic.
Seeing how the amount of dark magic drastically decreased, it seemed he had exceeded his limit.
"Is this guy just a common undead? How strong is he?"
The direct damage he experienced as an undead was astounding.
Although his appearance seemed like just a common human.
"This guy!"
Ma Gyeong-rok was injured, and An Sang-cheol, angry, ran in his place and swung his sword.
But despite his momentum, he couldn't touch a single hair of Hwang Yong-min.
Swish!
"Ah!"
As he received a blow to the face, An Sang-cheol staggered and raised his shield.
"Ugh, CEO. Come behind me! I'll protect you."
Although his helmet was dented and his nose was smashed, An Sang-cheol raised his shield.
Giiiiing!
When the shield's exclusive skill, "Knight's Protection," was activated, a wide barrier centered on the shield formed.
"Mobility decreases, but it's a skill that can protect 80% of physical damage. If you're behind me, you can rest assured...".
At that moment.
Hwang Yong-min, who had approached unnoticed, threw a punch.
Pah!
"Cough!"
The barrier, which had never before been affected even once while in use, trembled with a single blow.
Bang! Pah!
"Cough, cough!"
With two, three consecutive attacks, An Sang-cheol coughed up blood.
The massive damage that penetrated the barrier was fully transmitted to An Sang-cheol.
Ma Gyeong-rok, who couldn't bear seeing his right arm being hit, didn't miss the chance and counterattacked.
"Destruction."
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boom!
He used the remaining half of his dark magic.
He could boast of it being a critical hit.
But.
"...Damn monster."
Hwang Yong-min even avoided that.
It couldn't be anything but astonishing skill.
Though he regretted not hitting him, Ma Gyeong-rok had already thought of the next move with this in mind.
"Devour him."
The dark aura unfolded like a slug aiming for its prey, once again targeting Hwang Yong-min.
Whether due to astonishing timing or astonishing momentum, Hwang Yong-min couldn't dodge the dark net.
"It's done! He was devoured!"
He was mercilessly devoured.
It was time for his life to be torn apart while still alive.
"Huh?"
However, an incredible situation occurred.
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