Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

Madness 99% (1)

"He's perfectly fine?!"

The captain monitoring the surveillance station shot to his feet.

The Security Force, watching the labyrinth from above, couldn't hide their shock.

"He's an existence outside the rules."

"If someone like him exists... the very foundation of our city will be shaken."

"W-What is that...?!"

The officers exchanged uneasy glances.

With a Madness Gauge of 99, it was impossible for someone's Sanity Gauge to remain intact.

It should have dropped to zero.

No—before that, none of them had ever even seen someone with a Madness Gauge above ninety.

"A Madness Gauge of ninety-nine should automatically turn him into an NPC. Then why..."

"We can't leave that bastard alone. He's a calamity that destroys the rules of this city."

"Shall we activate the trap?"

"Yes. Awaken the heart of the labyrinth immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

Thump. Thump. Thump...

The entire underground labyrinth began to shake.

Grapevines burst from the walls, writhing like snakes as they lunged toward Ju-Heon's arms and legs.

"Hm. I guess I should stop cutting everything in sight."

"I've been telling you from the beginning to stop treating property destruction like it's normal!"

Ignoring Majesty Yu Jae-ha's complaints, Ju-Heon looked around.

"Huh. Just weeds causing trouble."

He swung his longsword in a single powerful arc.

A crimson blade of light flashed like lightning, slicing every vine apart.

The severed vines burst with the fragrance of wine, making the air even denser with its intoxicating scent.

"For now, all of you, come with me. Let's get out of here."

"...!"

The prisoners stared at him in disbelief.

[Sanity Gauge -5]

The people around him staggered drunkenly, nearly collapsing.

Ju-Heon let out an "Ah," and casually lowered his sword.

"Who... in the world is that...?"

"He possesses both madness... and sanity at the same time..."

The prisoners began following him.

Then—

Thump... Thump... Thump...

Heavy footsteps echoed through the labyrinth from somewhere in the distance.

[Minion: Satyr]

[Effect: Sanity Gauge -10]

And then—

The prisoners were overwhelmed with terror.

[Hehehehehe... What's this? You've made it all the way here, yet some of you still have your sanity?]

It had the body of a man, the legs of a goat, and short horns protruding from its forehead.

A Satyr.

A drunken half-man, half-beast constantly drinking wine.

It was one of Dionysus's servants—the mad musician responsible for imprisoning humans within the labyrinth.

As a creature obsessed with wine and pleasure, even its laughter alone corroded a person's sanity.

The moment it appeared, even the surrounding air became dizzyingly warped, as though intoxicated.

"That's... the master of the labyrinth!"

The scholarly-looking man trembled as he spoke.

"It forcibly injects madness into anyone who refuses to abandon their sanity... Majesty's first servant."

The Satyr laughed lazily and flicked a finger.

Instantly, grapevines burst from the floor as though alive.

The thorn-covered vines seized people's arms and legs, dragging them toward enormous wine barrels.

"Aaaaah!"

"Damn it... my mind...!"

"I feel dizzy...!"

"Aah! Let go of me!"

"No! If you go in there... you'll become an NPC!!"

Then—

The people entangled by the vines struggled desperately, but it was useless.

The crimson liquid inside the barrels surged like waves, threatening to swallow them whole.

Boom!

A blood-red flash exploded.

The vines were mercilessly severed.

Muramasa glowed with a crimson radiance as it hacked through every last vine.

[Sanity Gauge -10]

[Madness Gauge +20]

"Ghk!"

As the numbers appeared and their gauges rose and fell, the prisoners' eyes shook with panic.

Screams filled the labyrinth.

The Satyr's face twisted in anger.

The Rope of Binding immediately snatched the people who had been dangling helplessly from the severed vines.

Whoosh!

Like a lifeline, the rope gently lowered them back onto the ground.

The Satyr glared at Ju-Heon with blood-red eyes.

Ju-Heon, however, merely dusted off his clothes and muttered calmly.

"Just carrying it gives you a defensive effect."

"And besides, this Satyr isn't simply following Dionysus's orders."

"It's a creature that genuinely enjoys madness of its own free will."

Then it's entirely possible it'd even betray its own master.

"No wonder a Dionysus relic is here. Even the surrounding relics are famous ones."

"This is better than I expected."

"If I steal that thing, I should be able to destroy this entire city."

"That's an ownership-bound relic. How exactly are you planning to take it?"

"Just watch."

The Satyr was a devoted follower of Dionysus.

One of Dionysus's servants.

Meanwhile, the Satyr stared at Ju-Heon in utter disbelief.

Relics with subordinate authority normally can't attack those who possess superior authority...

[…What is this? His Madness is incredibly high... so why is he saving people? Is he some kind of mutant?]

The Satyr soon wrapped the citizens tightly in its vines and threatened Ju-Heon.

"Ah! No!!"

"You there—the one who saved those humans."

"Drink the wine."

"The moment you refuse... these humans will rot alive."

"Aah! I'm being dragged away!"

"No... I'll become an NPC!!"

A woman screamed in terror.

"The moment you swallow even one sip... you'll immediately become an NPC...!"

Crimson wine flowed into Ju-Heon's throat.

The scholarly-looking man cried out in despair.

Gulp.

"You're our only hope! Forget about us... just keep going! The wine that monster is offering isn't ordinary liquor! Even a single sip is an addictive drug!"

Ju-Heon paid him no attention.

He slowly reached out and accepted the wineglass the vine held out to him.

For an instant, everyone stopped breathing.

Ju-Heon slowly lowered the glass, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, and said calmly,

"...Ahh. Refreshing."

[?!]

The corners of his lips curled into a wicked grin.

The Satyr's eyes widened.

"...But it tastes like garbage."

Silence.

The Satyr's smile froze.

The citizens stared at him in utter disbelief.

[Madness Gauge: 99]

[No abnormal status detected]

[How... is he perfectly fine?]

"Because he's already so broken that there's nothing left to corrupt."

At those words, Ju-Heon glanced sideways at Majesty Yu Jae-ha.

The Satyr's face twisted.

It seemed to realize that simply forcing Ju-Heon to drink wasn't going to work.

As expected.

Inside this labyrinth, Ju-Heon alone could consume madness itself without collapsing.

[This city is a city of festivals.]

"Bullshit. You mean a city of drugs."

[Hmph. Wine and madness aren't the only elements of a festival. Even fate itself is poured into a wine cup and rolled like dice here. Defeat me in a game, and I'll guarantee everyone's escape.]

"Forget escaping."

[?]

"I'm taking you with me."

The Satyr couldn't understand what he meant.

Only Majesty Yu Jae-ha caught on.

"Be careful. If it's poison used by one of Majesty's servants, it won't be ordinary poison."

[That's right. Every invading Majesty has fallen to this poison. It can even kill Divine-Grade relics.]

The Satyr burst into loud laughter.

So it really isn't ordinary poison.

[You dare target me, a servant of Dionysus? Fine, you madman. But if you lose, I'll rip out your organs and sell them.]

With a flick of the Satyr's finger, six wineglasses appeared on the table.

Each glowed with the crimson color of red wine, though it was impossible to tell what was inside them.

[The rules are simple. One of the glasses contains poison. The game consists of three rounds, and in each round you'll choose two glasses.]

"Two glasses?"

[Correct. One is the glass you must drink yourself. The other is the one you'll force your opponent to drink.]

"Huh. So every round we're betting our own lives once... and the other's life once."

[Exactly. Only the gods know which glass contains the poison.]

"I don't care about gods. If it's all down to luck, that's my specialty."

Without hesitation—

Ju-Heon picked up the glass that looked the most suspicious and emptied it without pausing for even a single drop.

The imprisoned people cried out in horror.

"W-Wait!!"

"That's completely unfair! That monster prepared the drinks!"

"He obviously knows which one contains the poison!"

A startled Yu Jae-ha reached out to stop him, but it was already too late.

Ju-Heon merely chuckled.

He casually looked over the remaining glasses before immediately picking up another one.

Gulp.

The entire labyrinth fell silent.

Everyone was convinced the poison would tear Ju-Heon's body apart.

Instead—

"Probability? Doesn't matter."

"A grave robber always checks the most suspicious thing first."

"...Ahh."

Ju-Heon wiped his lips and smiled casually.

"...!"

"This one's got a decent flavor, at least."

Then, without another word, he picked up two more glasses and drained them both in one go.

Gulp. Gulp.

Majesty Yu Jae-ha's eyes widened as his body trembled.

Isn't that bastard afraid of poison at all?!

As wine and poison flowed down Ju-Heon's throat together, Yu Jae-ha shouted,

The people looked at him with a mixture of terror and disbelief.

But the real shock hadn't even begun.

After all...

"Are you insane?! Are you out of your mind?! Those weren't even glasses you had to choose!!"

For a moment, Yu Jae-ha wondered if he should create an antidote relic immediately.

Tap. Tap.

But could I even make one?

He looked toward the visibly shaken Satyr.

Impossible.

If I could create a medicine capable of curing anything, I would've done it long ago.

Then maybe I wouldn't have lost my comrades...

Even Cup Ramen Yu Jae-ha screamed,

"Then... I guess it's your turn to drink now?"

[Aaaah!! Captain! He's drinking poison!]

Ju-Heon calmly set the empty glasses down with a couple of taps and wiped the corner of his mouth.

Then, like a customer thoroughly enjoying a round of drinks, he grinned.

"What?"

"You thought I couldn't drink it?"

He lightly tapped the remaining glasses with his finger before turning toward the Satyr.

Toward the Satyr, who was now visibly flustered.

"So..."

"It's your turn to drink."