Chapter 123
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Chapter 123
“You’ve lost.”
Taesan leisurely commented as he pulled the knife out of Seo Jangsan’s chest.
“What will you do? Will you continue? If so, I won’t stop you.”
A cold gaze pierced through Seo Jangsan.
Seo Jangsan lowered his head.
“...I won’t. I’ve lost.”
He gracefully stepped back.
“I will yield.”
An undeniable strength. Even when a hundred of them charged, they were defeated without laying a finger on Taesan.
It was their defeat. Nothing more needed to be said.
“Good choice.”
Taesan laughed. That laughter sent chills down Seo Jangsan’s back.
Swallowing, he said,
“...I crave power, but not to the point of throwing my life away.”
If he had resisted even slightly or had raised his voice in denial of reality, he would have died. Seo Jangsan instinctively felt this.
“Then, Kim Hwiyeon.”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
Kim Hwiyeon, who had been watching blankly, quickly came to her senses and approached.
“I told you. I have no intention of becoming the king. And you said you could handle it.”
“...Yes.”
With a determined look, Kim Hwiyeon nodded. She looked down at Seo Jangsan with an awkward expression.
“Jangsan...”
“You’ll be the next king?”
Seo Jangsan laughed bitterly.
“I don’t think I’m in the wrong. I lost without even laying a hand on him... But in the end, only Hard Mode players can stand against monsters. The weak must be sacrificed to survive.”
This world was hell.
Only the strong survive in hell.
Seo Jangsan wanted to enforce that with his own hands.
“Do you plan to save them too? I wonder how that will end.”
“Just shut up and hand it over.”
Taesan smacked Seo Jangsan’s head. Seo Jangsan clutched his head, reeling from the sharp pain.
“I abdicate.”
[Seo Jangsan has ceded the throne to Kim Hwiyeon.]
[The king has been decided.]
[The one most involved in the change of the king is Kang Taesan. There will be a bonus when returning to the labyrinth.]
“Thank you.”
As the fallen Hard Mode players were being tended to and people were accepting the change of the king, Kim Hwiyeon approached Taesan and bowed her head.
“What is it?”
“...For not killing Seo Jangsan.”
She knew. She knew that Taesan held no feelings towards Seo Jangsan.
And that he wasn’t compassionate enough to spare an enemy on purpose.
If he had killed Seo Jangsan immediately after requesting the change, there surely would’ve been chaos. Hard Mode players who didn’t witness the process might have rebelled.
And that malice might have been directed at Kim Hwiyeon. After all, she benefited the most from Taesan killing Seo Jangsan and becoming the king.
The relationship with Taesan would have been doubted, and her right to speak would have been damaged. Even if she managed to survive and return to the labyrinth, she likely would have been excluded.
Kim Hwiyeon realized, somewhat belatedly, that Taesan had considered everything in his actions.
“You better work hard then. That’s the only way you can repay me,” Taesan said.
Kim Hwiyeon looked at Taesan with a curious expression as if asking why he was being so kind to her.
“Just consider it a debt,”
Taesan responded with a slight smirk.
“A debt...?”
“Yes,” he smirked again.
In his past life, during his third return, when he was weak, a rebellion by Choi Junghyuk caused Seo Jangsan and most of the Hard Mode players to disappear. Only about 10,000 survived. The following journey to Seoul was hellish. They were confronted by monsters they couldn’t resist, and humans died like mere playthings.
In that hell, Kim Hwiyeon saved half of their lives.
Taesan was one of them.
“It’s because I can’t stand seeing people die,”
Kim Hwiyeon had replied, on the night before her near-death, to Taesan’s question of why she didn’t just save herself by running away.
In a time when order disappeared, and laws meant nothing, she voiced and upheld this simple principle. Taesan still remembered.
“I am truly... truly grateful. For you to do all this for someone like me...”
She believed Taesan was perfect, a person who could do anything. He effortlessly solved her problems and saved many. To her, these were feats beyond her capabilities.
Upon hearing this, they fell silent. If points could be secured, it was worth taking the risk.
“We won’t just be fooling around with the Easy and Normal Modes. We need to gather as much food as possible, so we’ll move in teams, organized in a certain proportion.”
“Are we supposed to protect them?”
“I won’t ask you to risk your lives. But do your best to protect them. I’m asking you.”
Kim Hwiyeon lowered her head. Hard Mode players hesitated.
“Ah, understood.”
“I might seem like the bad guy now.”
As everyone was agreeing, Seo Jangsan spoke up.
“It’s still not enough.”
“What?”
“100,000. Even if we spread out to get food, there’s a limit. How will we get by for a week? And what about the next week? How will we survive a month?”
“Jangsan, I didn’t permit you to go that far. Shut it.” Taesan said, cutting him off before turning to the rest. “But your concerns are valid.”
“Then why did you tell me to shut up?”
“Because it’s too loud.”
Seo Jangsan closed his mouth, looking aggrieved.
Taesan held resentment towards him. He had oppressed those in Easy and Normal Modes and didn’t provide them with adequate food.
The primary rationale was that Hard Mode players needed to fill their bellies and prepare.
Taesan, being an Easy Node player himself, did not receive food. The memory of holding his starving stomach and peeling tree roots to eat still lingered.
He felt that not killing Jangasan was already an act of great mercy.
“Don’t worry about what you said. I’ll take care of it. And if possible, bring back seeds of potatoes and corn.”
“To cultivate? Wouldn’t that be difficult?”
While cultivating corn and potatoes would be beneficial, there wasn’t enough time.
With only a month, crops wouldn’t mature in time, and they’d likely rot by the time of the next return.
Taesan shook his head.
“That’s not the point. Just bring anything cultivable.”
“Um... okay.”
Hwiyeon looked puzzled but nodded.
Then, Junggeun, who had been silent, spoke.
“Do you mean any food that can be cultivated?”
“Probably.”
Taesan didn’t know for sure. Last time, they only obtained potatoes. But if potatoes worked, other crops might as well.
“I know a place nearby.”
“Then move with me.”
From there, Lee Taeyeon began organizing teams, and Taesan moved with Junggeun.
“Where is it?”
“Just this way. It’s not too far.”
Taesan followed Junggeun. Monsters occasionally appeared, but neither Taesan nor Junggeun had trouble with them.
“Here.”
Junggeun arrived at a small building next to them.
“It hasn’t collapsed.”
Junggeun entered. Passing through an empty room, he arrived at a door leading to the basement.
He confidently entered a password and went inside.
“Oh?”
Taesan was intrigued. Numerous plants filled the basement. They had rotted from lack of care, but it must’ve been a sight when they were alive.
“Just wait a moment.”
Junggeun entered deeper into the plant room. Shortly, he returned with several vacuum-sealed seed packets.
“They seem well-preserved. They haven’t decayed or dried out. They should be cultivable.”
“What seeds are they?”
“Corn, watermelon, greens... various ones.”
“Great.”
It was excellent news. Such a variety of seeds would be a significant help for survival.
“I’m sorry, but there are no potatoes. They grow from tubers, and they’ve all rotted.”
“That’s fine. How did you know about this place?”
“A friend of mine loved cultivation. I occasionally brought him here. I never thought it’d come in handy like this.”
Junggeun gave a bitter smile.
Not bringing the original person meant he probably died. A fleeting sadness crossed his face.
“They’d be happy to see their seeds used like this. But why are you collecting these?”
“There’s a skill I can obtain.”
A skill to cultivate food quickly anywhere. Essentially, a skill that sustained humanity until the end.
Taesan knew how to acquire it.
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Chapter 123
“You’ve lost.”
Taesan leisurely commented as he pulled the knife out of Seo Jangsan’s chest.
“What will you do? Will you continue? If so, I won’t stop you.”
A cold gaze pierced through Seo Jangsan.
Seo Jangsan lowered his head.
“...I won’t. I’ve lost.”
He gracefully stepped back.
“I will yield.”
An undeniable strength. Even when a hundred of them charged, they were defeated without laying a finger on Taesan.
It was their defeat. Nothing more needed to be said.
“Good choice.”
Taesan laughed. That laughter sent chills down Seo Jangsan’s back.
Swallowing, he said,
“...I crave power, but not to the point of throwing my life away.”
If he had resisted even slightly or had raised his voice in denial of reality, he would have died. Seo Jangsan instinctively felt this.
“Then, Kim Hwiyeon.”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
Kim Hwiyeon, who had been watching blankly, quickly came to her senses and approached.
“I told you. I have no intention of becoming the king. And you said you could handle it.”
“...Yes.”
With a determined look, Kim Hwiyeon nodded. She looked down at Seo Jangsan with an awkward expression.
“Jangsan...”
“You’ll be the next king?”
Seo Jangsan laughed bitterly.
“I don’t think I’m in the wrong. I lost without even laying a hand on him... But in the end, only Hard Mode players can stand against monsters. The weak must be sacrificed to survive.”
This world was hell.
Only the strong survive in hell.
Seo Jangsan wanted to enforce that with his own hands.
“Do you plan to save them too? I wonder how that will end.”
“Just shut up and hand it over.”
Taesan smacked Seo Jangsan’s head. Seo Jangsan clutched his head, reeling from the sharp pain.
“I abdicate.”
[Seo Jangsan has ceded the throne to Kim Hwiyeon.]
[The king has been decided.]
[The one most involved in the change of the king is Kang Taesan. There will be a bonus when returning to the labyrinth.]
“Thank you.”
As the fallen Hard Mode players were being tended to and people were accepting the change of the king, Kim Hwiyeon approached Taesan and bowed her head.
“What is it?”
“...For not killing Seo Jangsan.”
She knew. She knew that Taesan held no feelings towards Seo Jangsan.
And that he wasn’t compassionate enough to spare an enemy on purpose.
If he had killed Seo Jangsan immediately after requesting the change, there surely would’ve been chaos. Hard Mode players who didn’t witness the process might have rebelled.
And that malice might have been directed at Kim Hwiyeon. After all, she benefited the most from Taesan killing Seo Jangsan and becoming the king.
The relationship with Taesan would have been doubted, and her right to speak would have been damaged. Even if she managed to survive and return to the labyrinth, she likely would have been excluded.
Kim Hwiyeon realized, somewhat belatedly, that Taesan had considered everything in his actions.
“You better work hard then. That’s the only way you can repay me,” Taesan said.
Kim Hwiyeon looked at Taesan with a curious expression as if asking why he was being so kind to her.
“Just consider it a debt,”
Taesan responded with a slight smirk.
“A debt...?”
“Yes,” he smirked again.
In his past life, during his third return, when he was weak, a rebellion by Choi Junghyuk caused Seo Jangsan and most of the Hard Mode players to disappear. Only about 10,000 survived. The following journey to Seoul was hellish. They were confronted by monsters they couldn’t resist, and humans died like mere playthings.
In that hell, Kim Hwiyeon saved half of their lives.
Taesan was one of them.
“It’s because I can’t stand seeing people die,”
Kim Hwiyeon had replied, on the night before her near-death, to Taesan’s question of why she didn’t just save herself by running away.
In a time when order disappeared, and laws meant nothing, she voiced and upheld this simple principle. Taesan still remembered.
“I am truly... truly grateful. For you to do all this for someone like me...”
She believed Taesan was perfect, a person who could do anything. He effortlessly solved her problems and saved many. To her, these were feats beyond her capabilities.
Upon hearing this, they fell silent. If points could be secured, it was worth taking the risk.
“We won’t just be fooling around with the Easy and Normal Modes. We need to gather as much food as possible, so we’ll move in teams, organized in a certain proportion.”
“Are we supposed to protect them?”
“I won’t ask you to risk your lives. But do your best to protect them. I’m asking you.”
Kim Hwiyeon lowered her head. Hard Mode players hesitated.
“Ah, understood.”
“I might seem like the bad guy now.”
As everyone was agreeing, Seo Jangsan spoke up.
“It’s still not enough.”
“What?”
“100,000. Even if we spread out to get food, there’s a limit. How will we get by for a week? And what about the next week? How will we survive a month?”
“Jangsan, I didn’t permit you to go that far. Shut it.” Taesan said, cutting him off before turning to the rest. “But your concerns are valid.”
“Then why did you tell me to shut up?”
“Because it’s too loud.”
Seo Jangsan closed his mouth, looking aggrieved.
Taesan held resentment towards him. He had oppressed those in Easy and Normal Modes and didn’t provide them with adequate food.
The primary rationale was that Hard Mode players needed to fill their bellies and prepare.
Taesan, being an Easy Node player himself, did not receive food. The memory of holding his starving stomach and peeling tree roots to eat still lingered.
He felt that not killing Jangasan was already an act of great mercy.
“Don’t worry about what you said. I’ll take care of it. And if possible, bring back seeds of potatoes and corn.”
“To cultivate? Wouldn’t that be difficult?”
While cultivating corn and potatoes would be beneficial, there wasn’t enough time.
With only a month, crops wouldn’t mature in time, and they’d likely rot by the time of the next return.
Taesan shook his head.
“That’s not the point. Just bring anything cultivable.”
“Um... okay.”
Hwiyeon looked puzzled but nodded.
Then, Junggeun, who had been silent, spoke.
“Do you mean any food that can be cultivated?”
“Probably.”
Taesan didn’t know for sure. Last time, they only obtained potatoes. But if potatoes worked, other crops might as well.
“I know a place nearby.”
“Then move with me.”
From there, Lee Taeyeon began organizing teams, and Taesan moved with Junggeun.
“Where is it?”
“Just this way. It’s not too far.”
Taesan followed Junggeun. Monsters occasionally appeared, but neither Taesan nor Junggeun had trouble with them.
“Here.”
Junggeun arrived at a small building next to them.
“It hasn’t collapsed.”
Junggeun entered. Passing through an empty room, he arrived at a door leading to the basement.
He confidently entered a password and went inside.
“Oh?”
Taesan was intrigued. Numerous plants filled the basement. They had rotted from lack of care, but it must’ve been a sight when they were alive.
“Just wait a moment.”
Junggeun entered deeper into the plant room. Shortly, he returned with several vacuum-sealed seed packets.
“They seem well-preserved. They haven’t decayed or dried out. They should be cultivable.”
“What seeds are they?”
“Corn, watermelon, greens... various ones.”
“Great.”
It was excellent news. Such a variety of seeds would be a significant help for survival.
“I’m sorry, but there are no potatoes. They grow from tubers, and they’ve all rotted.”
“That’s fine. How did you know about this place?”
“A friend of mine loved cultivation. I occasionally brought him here. I never thought it’d come in handy like this.”
Junggeun gave a bitter smile.
Not bringing the original person meant he probably died. A fleeting sadness crossed his face.
“They’d be happy to see their seeds used like this. But why are you collecting these?”
“There’s a skill I can obtain.”
A skill to cultivate food quickly anywhere. Essentially, a skill that sustained humanity until the end.
Taesan knew how to acquire it.
Chapter 123You've lost.Taesan leisurely commented as he pulled the knife out of Seo Jangsan's chest.What will you do? Will you continue? If so, I won't stop you.A cold gaze pierced through Seo Jangsan.Seo Jangsan lowered his head....I won't. I've lost.He gracefully stepped back.I will yield.An undeniable strength. Even when a hundred of them charged, they were defeated without laying a finger on Taesan.It was their defeat. Nothing more needed to be said.Good choice.Taesan laughed. That laughter sent chills down Seo Jangsan's back.Swallowing, he said,...I crave power, but not to the point of throwing my life away.If he had resisted even slightly or had raised his voice in denial of reality, he would have died. Seo Jangsan instinctively felt this.Then, Kim Hwiyeon.Yes? Ah, yes.Kim Hwiyeon, who had been watching blankly, quickly came to her senses and approached.I told you. I have no intention of becoming the king. And you said you could handle it....Yes.With a determined look, Kim Hwiyeon nodded. She looked down at Seo Jangsan with an awkward expression.Jangsan...You'll be the next king?Seo Jangsan laughed bitterly.I don't think I'm in the wrong. I lost without even laying a hand on him... But in the end, only Hard Mode players can stand against monsters. The weak must be sacrificed to survive.This world was hell.Only the strong survive in hell.Seo Jangsan wanted to enforce that with his own hands.Do you plan to save them too? I wonder how that will end.Just shut up and hand it over.Taesan smacked Seo Jangsan's head. Seo Jangsan clutched his head, reeling from the sharp pain.I abdicate.Seo Jangsan has ceded the throne to Kim Hwiyeon. The king has been decided. The one most involved in the change of the king is Kang Taesan. There will be a bonus when returning to the labyrinth. Thank you.As the fallen Hard Mode players were being tended to and people were accepting the change of the king, Kim Hwiyeon approached Taesan and bowed her head.What is it?...For not killing Seo Jangsan.She knew. She knew that Taesan held no feelings towards Seo Jangsan.And that he wasn't compassionate enough to spare an enemy on purpose.If he had killed Seo Jangsan immediately after requesting the change, there surely would've been chaos. Hard Mode players who didn't witness the process might have rebelled.And that malice might have been directed at Kim Hwiyeon. After all, she benefited the most from Taesan killing Seo Jangsan and becoming the king.The relationship with Taesan would have been doubted, and her right to speak would have been damaged. Even if she managed to survive and return to the labyrinth, she likely would have been excluded.Kim Hwiyeon realized, somewhat belatedly, that Taesan had considered everything in his actions.You better work hard then. That's the only way you can repay me, Taesan said.Kim Hwiyeon looked at Taesan with a curious expression as if asking why he was being so kind to her.Just consider it a debt,Taesan responded with a slight smirk.A debt...?Yes, he smirked again.In his past life, during his third return, when he was weak, a rebellion by Choi Junghyuk caused Seo Jangsan and most of the Hard Mode players to disappear. Only about 10,000 survived. The following journey to Seoul was hellish. They were confronted by monsters they couldn't resist, and humans died like mere playthings.In that hell, Kim Hwiyeon saved half of their lives.Taesan was one of them.It's because I can't stand seeing people die,Kim Hwiyeon had replied, on the night before her near-death, to Taesan's question of why she didn't just save herself by running away.In a time when order disappeared, and laws meant nothing, she voiced and upheld this simple principle. Taesan still remembered.I am truly... truly grateful. For you to do all this for someone like me...She believed Taesan was perfect, a person who could do anything. He effortlessly solved her problems and saved many. To her, these were feats beyond her capabilities.Upon hearing this, they fell silent. If points could be secured, it was worth taking the risk.We won't just be fooling around with the Easy and Normal Modes. We need to gather as much food as possible, so we'll move in teams, organized in a certain proportion.Are we supposed to protect them?I won't ask you to risk your lives. But do your best to protect them. I'm asking you.Kim Hwiyeon lowered her head. Hard Mode players hesitated.Ah, understood.I might seem like the bad guy now.As everyone was agreeing, Seo Jangsan spoke up.It's still not enough.What?100,000. Even if we spread out to get food, there's a limit. How will we get by for a week? And what about the next week? How will we survive a month?Jangsan, I didn't permit you to go that far. Shut it. Taesan said, cutting him off before turning to the rest. But your concerns are valid.Then why did you tell me to shut up?Because it's too loud.Seo Jangsan closed his mouth, looking aggrieved.Taesan held resentment towards him. He had oppressed those in Easy and Normal Modes and didn't provide them with adequate food.The primary rationale was that Hard Mode players needed to fill their bellies and prepare.Taesan, being an Easy Node player himself, did not receive food. The memory of holding his starving stomach and peeling tree roots to eat still lingered.He felt that not killing Jangasan was already an act of great mercy.Don't worry about what you said. I'll take care of it. And if possible, bring back seeds of potatoes and corn.To cultivate? Wouldn't that be difficult?While cultivating corn and potatoes would be beneficial, there wasn't enough time.With only a month, crops wouldn't mature in time, and they'd likely rot by the time of the next return.Taesan shook his head.That's not the point. Just bring anything cultivable.Um... okay.Hwiyeon looked puzzled but nodded.Then, Junggeun, who had been silent, spoke.Do you mean any food that can be cultivated?Probably.Taesan didn't know for sure. Last time, they only obtained potatoes. But if potatoes worked, other crops might as well.I know a place nearby.Then move with me.From there, Lee Taeyeon began organizing teams, and Taesan moved with Junggeun.Where is it?Just this way. It's not too far.Taesan followed Junggeun. Monsters occasionally appeared, but neither Taesan nor Junggeun had trouble with them.Here.Junggeun arrived at a small building next to them.It hasn't collapsed.Junggeun entered. Passing through an empty room, he arrived at a door leading to the basement.He confidently entered a password and went inside.Oh?Taesan was intrigued. Numerous plants filled the basement. They had rotted from lack of care, but it must've been a sight when they were alive.Just wait a moment.Junggeun entered deeper into the plant room. Shortly, he returned with several vacuum-sealed seed packets.They seem well-preserved. They haven't decayed or dried out. They should be cultivable.What seeds are they?Corn, watermelon, greens... various ones.Great.It was excellent news. Such a variety of seeds would be a significant help for survival.I'm sorry, but there are no potatoes. They grow from tubers, and they've all rotted.That's fine. How did you know about this place?A friend of mine loved cultivation. I occasionally brought him here. I never thought it'd come in handy like this.Junggeun gave a bitter smile.Not bringing the original person meant he probably died. A fleeting sadness crossed his face.They'd be happy to see their seeds used like this. But why are you collecting these?There's a skill I can obtain.A skill to cultivate food quickly anywhere. Essentially, a skill that sustained humanity until the end.Taesan knew how to acquire it.
