It's been a few days since Hana's kidnapping and subsequent saving. In that time, we spent most of it at home, hanging out, talking, playing video games, and caring for her. Ryung and I made a pact that if we would help her however we can.
Along with the playing, I kept up with the police about the investigation. Apparently the kidnapping was linked to an organized crime ring. The police didn't give much more information that that but searching up online netted more results than I would've liked.
Searching through different websites, chatgroups, archived posts, and other information storing sites, I learned more about the Organization. It's been dubbed Netherworld and has fingers in every part of crime. From assassination to larceny and kidnapping, anything relates to crime is under their command.
No one knows who leads Netherworld, safe to say that they strong, and they are ruthless.
It's while searching this up that I get a text from Seok. switch over to it and read.
[We're all heading to the Association right now, are you available for an E-Rank?]
I think it over. Were it not for Crimson, shivers run down my spine at the thought, I would've survived. In fact, I would've cleared that dungeon spectacularly if he wasn't there.
I holler out to Hana and Ryung who are in their rooms, "Would you two be okay with me heading off to hang out with my friends for a little bit?"
No response from either of them. I get up from the coach and walk to Ryung door first, knocking lightly on it. No response. I crack the door open a little and find no one, high or low.
The door closes and I head to Hana's. I knock on it like before and get the same response. Opening it a crack once again, I see Hana and Ryung sleeping together, snug in the other's embrace. A smile cracks my lips.
I close the door and write up a little note in case they were to wake up before I get back. Putting it down on the counter, I grab my Hunter armor and Wodao and skedaddle down the stairs and to the Association.
I arrive after half an hour to see everyone gathered. Seok notices me first and hails me over. I go over while Iseul asks "How have you been."
"Tired and slightly vengeful."
That surprised not only her, but everyone else.
"Did something bad happen?"
I go to say the truth but stop before stopping and filling in with unspecific, "Something bad happened."
She seems like she wants to ask more but my answer stops. Instead, she says "I hope it wasn't too bad."
"Hm, I fixed it so it's good now."
"Glad to hear it."
The conversation stood still for a few moments, long enough for Seok to speak.
"Choehabu, I've already informed everyone else about the Labyrinth, but not you. It's another E-Class Labyrinth, like the first one we went into before."
He stops talking to gauge my reaction. Though there's barely any, all of the memories came running through my mind like a flash flood. Seeing my minute reaction, he continues.
"You okay with that?"
"Yeah, let's do it."
He nods before pulling out his phone. While Seok's busy looking for the Labyrinth, I mingle with the other members, first Iseul.
"Hey, Iseul, sorry about earlier. It was something personal."
"It's okay, I can understand the sentiment."
"Glad you're understanding."
An awkward silence settle over us. To try and uplift it, Seung asks the question, "Did you hear about the warehouse massacre?"
"What?"
"Yeah, it's a whole thing going on right now. There was a Kidnapping ring or something similar and they suddenly nabbed he wrong guy's, guy. Just hearing about the autopsy reports made my stomach churn."
"Oh, I remember hearing about that, terrifying to think any man is able to do such grotesque things."
"I don't know, I don't know."
With that said, the conversation moves onto brighter pastures, like what we're going to murder. Iseul starts us off with, "Do you think you'll be another Greater-Red like last time?"
Seong-Jin says something, finally, "Most likely not. That Thing was unnatural. The likelihood of such a creature being born in that Labyrinth was zero, or it should've been. In most cases, we'll get an Orc at the highest."
From the corner of my eye, I see Iseul shiver a little. Seong-Jin adds onto his sentence, "There's no need for worry, Iseul, we're stronger than before, and we have Choehabu who has been shown to be a good vanguard."
"Tha-thank you Seong-Jin."
"It's my pleasure."
"I got the Labyrinth down, let's go."
" " " "Okay." " " "
-
After walking for an hour, we arrive at the Labyrinth. It was in the middle of a street which, were it not for the police already sealing off the area, blocked the passage of cars. It was much less, grand, than the Labyrinth before. Though it was made of stone blocks, they were weathered soft by age and wind.
In a near trance, my fingers flowed along the edge like a winding river. There were grooves that one could barely tell by feeling the stone, and only in certain area. It's at times like this that I wish I knew more about European architecture, for if I did, I'm sure I would've enjoyed the artistry even more.
The door itself was also old and withered. A few boards were even missing, allowing view into the inky darkness.
I'm taken from the trance or hyper focus when Iseul tugs on my shoulder. I look back to see everyone was ready. There was a new determination in them, the one you would see a soldier in a battle take on.
"Are we you ready?"
I nod my head
"Then let's head in."
Seung moves up and pushes the left door while I, the right. The door open easier than the one before. Once fully open, we're met wit a surprisingly well lit hallway, with candles on the walls.
The walls are made of stone and are nearly weathered as the doorway one, though how, I do not know. The floor had a similar make, stones from beginning to end. Something that this Labyrinth has is the feeling of Stagnation, like something's been dead for several centuries.
Seung and I head into the Labyrinth Hallway, weapons drawn and eyes peeled. We walk slow, making sure that now foe steps through unknown cracks.
We walk for a time, the the hallway never changing, never opening up, never showing something different. We've looked behind us several times but we can always see the entrance, thought it does look farther away the deeper we get.
Another while of walking and we're finally brought to a room. It opens up grandly to a ballroom that set in the Fifteenth-Century. Chandeliers and candles and braziers light up the grand room which reaches out to the heavens above. It's wide enough that fifty couples could dance at once and still have breathing room.
Though, instead of couples and dancing, we see a humanoid figure playing a grand organ. The figure and the organ, are both too large to be considered human. The humanoid creature has limbs stretched far beyond what any human could fathom, far enough it could possibly reach the ceiling.
I take a step forward to immediately recoil at the thing. Upon hearing the sound of something entering its domain, the creature's terrible grin circles around the head and like an owl, it too rotated one eighty degrees.
In a voice as thick as mud, the creature spoke, "Greetings, greetings, how might I appreciate my guests?"