The dungeon's hidden secret has been revealed. The skill
"Just step on the tiles I step on and follow me."
For the two of them who possessed
However, there were occasionally puzzle-like challenges where the two skills wouldn't work.
As they entered a certain space in the labyrinth, dozens of small lights flashed rapidly along the walls. Yet, nothing happened.
The group, aiming to speedrun the dungeon, decided to just press the wall randomly to trigger the trap and break through. However, still, nothing happened.
"It seems this is the kind of problem where you must get the correct answer to pass. What should we do now?"
"Hmm…."
Kwon Jihan stroked his chin and asked the group.
"Did anyone remember the sequence?"
"Are you serious? How could we memorize the order with dozens of lights flashing in just 7 seconds!"
"I memorized it."
All eyes turned to Yoon Seo.
Kwon Jihan nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"The structure of those lights matches the structure of this labyrinth. We just need to press the lights in the order corresponding to the problematic spots we've passed through."
"Got it."
Yoon Seo quickly pressed the lights in sequence along the wall.
Rumble—
The wall split open, revealing the next room. While the turtle, bartender, deer, and rabbit were in shock, Kwon Jihan winked.
"You've got great memory, and I've got great deduction skills. We're seriously the best couple, don't you think?"
"Of course."
The God of Love is pleased.
As they continued, Yoon Seo eventually began running low on mana.
"Kwon Jihan."
"Huh, hyung?"
Yoon Seo beckoned with his finger. Kwon Jihan stopped walking, smiled, and leaned forward slightly. Yoon Seo grabbed him by the neck and kissed him forcefully.
The God of Love cheers.
The God of Love punches the wall.
The God of Love roars and runs around.
The God of Love bestows a blessing upon you.
Thanks to divine favor, your mana is restored.
For Yoon Seo, who had resistance to healing, the only way to recover mana was through divine blessings. The God of Life and the God of Death only provided mana support when he was in a critical state, with less than 5% mana. In contrast, the God of Love was much easier. As long as there was some skinship, blessings would be showered upon him.
Peep!
As Yoon Seo turned around after giving Riceball a kiss (who absolutely couldn't stand it when anyone kissed without him getting one too), everyone except for Myam stood there with stunned expressions.
"Do Earthlings normally engage in so much physical contact in front of others?"
"My apologies. It was an unavoidable situation. Usually, I restrain myself in front of others."
"Yeah, our hyung gets surprisingly shy."
"It's not shyness. It's called being respectful."
"Ah, seriously, you're so cute."
"..."
The leader of Black Kalia let it go for the time being.
However, later on, when they had to collaborate with Earth's awakened ones, his prejudice against Earthlings only grew stronger. This was because the dispatched Earthlings turned out to be Lawrence Mille and Rio Deli. But that would be a story for another time.
Twenty-one hours after entering the labyrinth, they finally faced the treasure chest.
It was the last space of the labyrinth, and the chest was trembling alone on a precarious cliff on the other side of a vast abyss. The distance between the cliff the chest was on and the one they stood on was about 100 meters, with nothing but a dark, barren void in between.
"Chest… Chest, you!"
The turtle, nestled in the bartender's arms, raged, thrashing about.
"What was lacking that made you run away? Do you know how much I've cherished and cared for you? You ungrateful thing! Do you have any idea how many people are suffering because of you right now?"
As the turtle scolded, Kwon Jihan stuck his foot out over the abyss and waved it around. As expected, there was nothing but air.
"How did it get over there? The space between us is completely empty."
In response to Kwon Jihan's question, the deer answered.
"Since it's not a person, the chest wouldn't have faced the labyrinth's trials. But even though it's not human, it would still be threatened by monsters or dissonant entities, so it likely ran and ran until it reached the deepest part."
"No, but how did it cross the abyss?"
"The chest can adjust its weight at will. It can become very heavy or very light."
"Ah, so it must have floated over. Well, we can just float across too."
Kwon Jihan pulled out his black wings. He lightly leaped toward the pitch-black abyss but bounced off with a thud.
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
"There's some kind of invisible wall. It feels just like when the dungeon walls block you."
Peep!
Curious after watching this, Riceball flapped its wings and flew up, only to bump its head against the invisible wall with a similar thud.
Peeeeep…!
Though it wasn't particularly painful, Riceball tearily dangled as Yoon Seo gently blew on it to comfort it.
"How do we cross if it's blocked?"
While Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo were still confused, a system window appeared in front of the group.
Final trial of the labyrinth.
Cross the Bridge of Anadi Viiva.
※ All members must pass.
Rumble-.
Soon, a massive structure materialized between the cliffs. It was a translucent bridge, wide enough for just one person to cross at a time. However, because they could see straight down, it didn't seem particularly sturdy.
Peep!
Riceball flapped its wings and flew around the bridge again.
Once the bridge appeared, the invisible wall vanished. It seemed the treasure chest had crossed this way as well.
"No way! Anadi Viiva…!"
"Damn it, we're doomed."
Black Kalia let out a dismayed groan. Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo were still perplexed. Wasn't it just a matter of crossing the bridge?
Myam asked.
"Why are you all so upset, myam? What's the Bridge of Anadi Viiva, myam?"
"Anadi Viiva was the God of Purity worshipped by the ancients before the Gaia system appeared."
"The God of Purity."
"Exactly. So, that bridge…"
"..."
"…can only be crossed by those who are virgins."
Myam let out a long sigh, finally understanding.
Myam, the bartender, the turtle, the rabbit, and the deer… they were all alien species who had lived for hundreds of years. If even humans, who only live for a few decades, rarely remained pure, there was no need to even mention aliens who lived for centuries.
Kwon Jihan rubbed his chin.
"It says everyone must pass. What happens if we fail? Does it count as a complete failure?"
"That's right. The dungeon will explode, flood, and a new labyrinth will be formed."
Failure to clear the dungeon meant that everyone inside would die.
The turtle wore a gloomy expression, and the other aliens looked equally grim. However, they weren't particularly panicked or terrified.
The reason Yoon Seo, Kwon Jihan, and Myam weren't worried was obvious. They had the 'Little Salvation's Emergency Exit.' Although it was currently on cooldown, it would be available again before the dungeon's time limit expired.
But it was odd that Black Kalia, unaware of the emergency exit, wasn't too despairing over the thought of death.
"Is there another way? Spill it."
"We could blow up the entire labyrinth."
"Does that mean it won't count as failing the trial?"
"When the trial we need to solve disappears, new ones are created. However, there are two problems. The first is that we'll have to start over from the beginning."
"Ugh, what a pain."
"And the second problem is that we could get hurt in the process of destroying the labyrinth. In that case, we'll need Yoon Seo Earthling's shield."
"My hyung's Miracle Angel Power Shield will be more than enough."
Kwon Jihan was already dreading the thought of spending several more days retaking the trial from the start, but there wasn't any other option.
They could use
Instead of asking Yoon Seo how much magic he had left, Kwon Jihan used
"Shall we begin then?"
"Ah, wait, wait!"
Just as the swirling black spheres appeared in Kwon Jihan's hands, the turtle flailed its short arms to stop him.
"Why?"
"When the labyrinth resets, the chest will also be caught in it. The chest isn't a living being like us. We need to secure it first."
"Ah, I see."
Kwon Jihan dispersed the spheres in his hands and said simply.
"Alright. We'll go and get the chest. Hyung, let's go."
"How are you two going to manage? Haven't you been in a relationship for years?"
"We're a no-sex couple."
Kwon Jihan immediately headed for the translucent bridge, confidently stepping onto Anadi Viiva's bridge and passing through the invisible barrier without hesitation.
Peep.
Riceball, who had been flying around the bridge, landed on Kwon Jihan's head.
Halfway across the bridge, Kwon Jihan turned around.
"..."
Yoon Seo hadn't taken a single step from the other side, standing there with a slightly awkward expression.
"Hyung, what are you doing?"
Kwon Jihan grinned as he asked.
Yoon Seo, his face flushed so red it was noticeable even from afar, cleared his throat.
"Well… isn't the definition of purity… a bit vague? How does the system even judge that?"
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere grew incredibly awkward.
The dungeon's hidden secret has been revealed. The skill
"Just step on the tiles I step on and follow me."
For the two of them who possessed
However, there were occasionally puzzle-like challenges where the two skills wouldn't work.
As they entered a certain space in the labyrinth, dozens of small lights flashed rapidly along the walls. Yet, nothing happened.
The group, aiming to speedrun the dungeon, decided to just press the wall randomly to trigger the trap and break through. However, still, nothing happened.
"It seems this is the kind of problem where you must get the correct answer to pass. What should we do now?"
"Hmm…."
Kwon Jihan stroked his chin and asked the group.
"Did anyone remember the sequence?"
"Are you serious? How could we memorize the order with dozens of lights flashing in just 7 seconds!"
"I memorized it."
All eyes turned to Yoon Seo.
Kwon Jihan nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"The structure of those lights matches the structure of this labyrinth. We just need to press the lights in the order corresponding to the problematic spots we've passed through."
"Got it."
Yoon Seo quickly pressed the lights in sequence along the wall.
Rumble—
The wall split open, revealing the next room. While the turtle, bartender, deer, and rabbit were in shock, Kwon Jihan winked.
"You've got great memory, and I've got great deduction skills. We're seriously the best couple, don't you think?"
"Of course."
The God of Love is pleased.
As they continued, Yoon Seo eventually began running low on mana.
"Kwon Jihan."
"Huh, hyung?"
Yoon Seo beckoned with his finger. Kwon Jihan stopped walking, smiled, and leaned forward slightly. Yoon Seo grabbed him by the neck and kissed him forcefully.
The God of Love cheers.
The God of Love punches the wall.
The God of Love roars and runs around.
The God of Love bestows a blessing upon you.
Thanks to divine favor, your mana is restored.
For Yoon Seo, who had resistance to healing, the only way to recover mana was through divine blessings. The God of Life and the God of Death only provided mana support when he was in a critical state, with less than 5% mana. In contrast, the God of Love was much easier. As long as there was some skinship, blessings would be showered upon him.
Peep!
As Yoon Seo turned around after giving Riceball a kiss (who absolutely couldn't stand it when anyone kissed without him getting one too), everyone except for Myam stood there with stunned expressions.
"Do Earthlings normally engage in so much physical contact in front of others?"
"My apologies. It was an unavoidable situation. Usually, I restrain myself in front of others."
"Yeah, our hyung gets surprisingly shy."
"It's not shyness. It's called being respectful."
"Ah, seriously, you're so cute."
"..."
The leader of Black Kalia let it go for the time being.
However, later on, when they had to collaborate with Earth's awakened ones, his prejudice against Earthlings only grew stronger. This was because the dispatched Earthlings turned out to be Lawrence Mille and Rio Deli. But that would be a story for another time.
Twenty-one hours after entering the labyrinth, they finally faced the treasure chest.
It was the last space of the labyrinth, and the chest was trembling alone on a precarious cliff on the other side of a vast abyss. The distance between the cliff the chest was on and the one they stood on was about 100 meters, with nothing but a dark, barren void in between.
"Chest… Chest, you!"
The turtle, nestled in the bartender's arms, raged, thrashing about.
"What was lacking that made you run away? Do you know how much I've cherished and cared for you? You ungrateful thing! Do you have any idea how many people are suffering because of you right now?"
As the turtle scolded, Kwon Jihan stuck his foot out over the abyss and waved it around. As expected, there was nothing but air.
"How did it get over there? The space between us is completely empty."
In response to Kwon Jihan's question, the deer answered.
"Since it's not a person, the chest wouldn't have faced the labyrinth's trials. But even though it's not human, it would still be threatened by monsters or dissonant entities, so it likely ran and ran until it reached the deepest part."
"No, but how did it cross the abyss?"
"The chest can adjust its weight at will. It can become very heavy or very light."
"Ah, so it must have floated over. Well, we can just float across too."
Kwon Jihan pulled out his black wings. He lightly leaped toward the pitch-black abyss but bounced off with a thud.
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
"There's some kind of invisible wall. It feels just like when the dungeon walls block you."
Peep!
Curious after watching this, Riceball flapped its wings and flew up, only to bump its head against the invisible wall with a similar thud.
Peeeeep…!
Though it wasn't particularly painful, Riceball tearily dangled as Yoon Seo gently blew on it to comfort it.
"How do we cross if it's blocked?"
While Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo were still confused, a system window appeared in front of the group.
Final trial of the labyrinth.
Cross the Bridge of Anadi Viiva.
※ All members must pass.
Rumble-.
Soon, a massive structure materialized between the cliffs. It was a translucent bridge, wide enough for just one person to cross at a time. However, because they could see straight down, it didn't seem particularly sturdy.
Peep!
Riceball flapped its wings and flew around the bridge again.
Once the bridge appeared, the invisible wall vanished. It seemed the treasure chest had crossed this way as well.
"No way! Anadi Viiva…!"
"Damn it, we're doomed."
Black Kalia let out a dismayed groan. Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo were still perplexed. Wasn't it just a matter of crossing the bridge?
Myam asked.
"Why are you all so upset, myam? What's the Bridge of Anadi Viiva, myam?"
"Anadi Viiva was the God of Purity worshipped by the ancients before the Gaia system appeared."
"The God of Purity."
"Exactly. So, that bridge…"
"..."
"…can only be crossed by those who are virgins."
Myam let out a long sigh, finally understanding.
Myam, the bartender, the turtle, the rabbit, and the deer… they were all alien species who had lived for hundreds of years. If even humans, who only live for a few decades, rarely remained pure, there was no need to even mention aliens who lived for centuries.
Kwon Jihan rubbed his chin.
"It says everyone must pass. What happens if we fail? Does it count as a complete failure?"
"That's right. The dungeon will explode, flood, and a new labyrinth will be formed."
Failure to clear the dungeon meant that everyone inside would die.
The turtle wore a gloomy expression, and the other aliens looked equally grim. However, they weren't particularly panicked or terrified.
The reason Yoon Seo, Kwon Jihan, and Myam weren't worried was obvious. They had the 'Little Salvation's Emergency Exit.' Although it was currently on cooldown, it would be available again before the dungeon's time limit expired.
But it was odd that Black Kalia, unaware of the emergency exit, wasn't too despairing over the thought of death.
"Is there another way? Spill it."
"We could blow up the entire labyrinth."
"Does that mean it won't count as failing the trial?"
"When the trial we need to solve disappears, new ones are created. However, there are two problems. The first is that we'll have to start over from the beginning."
"Ugh, what a pain."
"And the second problem is that we could get hurt in the process of destroying the labyrinth. In that case, we'll need Yoon Seo Earthling's shield."
"My hyung's Miracle Angel Power Shield will be more than enough."
Kwon Jihan was already dreading the thought of spending several more days retaking the trial from the start, but there wasn't any other option.
They could use
Instead of asking Yoon Seo how much magic he had left, Kwon Jihan used
"Shall we begin then?"
"Ah, wait, wait!"
Just as the swirling black spheres appeared in Kwon Jihan's hands, the turtle flailed its short arms to stop him.
"Why?"
"When the labyrinth resets, the chest will also be caught in it. The chest isn't a living being like us. We need to secure it first."
"Ah, I see."
Kwon Jihan dispersed the spheres in his hands and said simply.
"Alright. We'll go and get the chest. Hyung, let's go."
"How are you two going to manage? Haven't you been in a relationship for years?"
"We're a no-sex couple."
Kwon Jihan immediately headed for the translucent bridge, confidently stepping onto Anadi Viiva's bridge and passing through the invisible barrier without hesitation.
Peep.
Riceball, who had been flying around the bridge, landed on Kwon Jihan's head.
Halfway across the bridge, Kwon Jihan turned around.
"..."
Yoon Seo hadn't taken a single step from the other side, standing there with a slightly awkward expression.
"Hyung, what are you doing?"
Kwon Jihan grinned as he asked.
Yoon Seo, his face flushed so red it was noticeable even from afar, cleared his throat.
"Well… isn't the definition of purity… a bit vague? How does the system even judge that?"
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere grew incredibly awkward.