The voice was grating, sounding like air escaping from a pair of lungs.
……A shift change?
The shadow spoke once more as if waiting for Seo Jaewon’s reaction.
“It’s. Time. To. Change. Shifts.”
Seo Jaewon forced himself to respond calmly.
“Yes, yes.”
The knight nodded in satisfaction and naturally took the spot where Seo Jaewon had been standing.
‘Is it not going to attack?’
Feeling dazed, he looked down at his own body.
His outfit was slightly different from the knight in front of him.
It looked like a breastplate worn over some kind of uniform.
He even had a sword at his waist.
While he looked more formal, he felt like he’d lose if a fight actually broke out.
Seo Jaewon quickly regained his composure and assessed the situation.
‘……So this time, it’s an Escape Room.’
This was a type of dungeon commonly referred to as an “Escape Room.”
They were rarer than the “Subjugation” types where you kill a boss to destroy the core, but they appeared every once in a while.
Basically, these dungeons have rules. You have to find those rules and fulfill specific conditions to obtain the core.
The “Escape Room” dungeon was the same.
The only difference from a normal dungeon was that once you entered, you couldn’t leave until it was cleared, and the method of getting the core was a bit more complicated than just killing a boss.
‘This must be why the teacher’s team couldn’t escape midway.’
There is no way to prepare for this kind of dungeon. You never know what direction it will take.
Since there are almost no overlapping structures, most of them don’t even have known strategies.
In some cases, there are dungeons where you don’t need to engage in combat at all, but that doesn’t mean they are easier to clear than a standard subjugation type.
Seo Jaewon had heard a story about a tone-deaf Esper who almost starved to death because they were trapped in a “pitch-matching” dungeon.
There were all sorts of bizarre dungeons out there.
However, this was the first time he had seen one that forced people to role-play.
‘Anyway, I have to find my teammates.’
His clothes had changed into armor the moment he entered the dungeon.
Not only was his gear gone, but his radio had vanished too, leaving him with no way to communicate.
Without his team members, he was just a civilian.
The best move was to avoid creating variables until he could regroup with his colleagues.
And more than anything…….
The faces of several people flickered before his eyes.
Regardless of his trust in their abilities, weren’t there people in his group who were famous for acting out unexpectedly?
Especially Joo Youngha…….
Would a guy who doesn’t even care about the rules of the real world care about the rules of a dungeon?
Just thinking about it made cold sweat run down his back.
He had to go pick that guy up at the very least.
Fortunately, the knights didn’t seem to pay Seo Jaewon any more attention.
He moved away from the spot quickly and quietly.
The space felt like a Western medieval castle.
It was hard to specify a certain era or country, but people in long, flowing clothes were busy moving around.
Ornate tapestries and paintings decorated the stone walls.
Sunlight streamed in through long windows, and if he listened closely, he could hear the sound of people whispering.
In many ways, it was a very well-crafted stage—except for the fact that the faces of all the characters were covered in deep shadows.
‘Where on earth are you, Joo Youngha?’
After wandering the hallways for a while, Seo Jaewon reached a dead end.
At the end of the corridor, a massive door stood before him.
It was a heavy structure that stretched up to the ceiling, which had suddenly become much higher.
The door, made of gold and ivory, was covered in geometric lattices and ornate carvings of plants.
Furthermore, the door was blocked by a massive bar.
It was as long and thick as a log made of solid gold.
“Where does this door lead?”
Seo Jaewon carefully placed his hand on the door.
He tried pushing it slightly, but of course, it didn’t budge.
He could feel its weight and solidness just by touch.
Was this some kind of clue?
Seo Jaewon looked around the hallway thoroughly.
It felt as though even the surrounding air had grown more still and quiet.
Only now did he notice the splendor of the marble walls and the red carpet spread across the floor.
Gold-rimmed frames hung along the corridor.
The figures in the paintings were all wearing magnificent clothes.
Like the people in the castle, their skin was made of dark, translucent shadows.
Among the many portraits, one was the largest.
And on the head of the king wearing luxurious robes, a crown embedded with a faint blue gem was placed.
“……Ah.”
Seo Jaewon’s eyes widened.
It was a familiar shape.
‘The Dungeon Core!’
It seemed the condition for clearing this dungeon was to get ahold of that crown.
Fortunately, he had found a clue faster than expected.
The problem was the method of obtaining that crown.
Defeating the king would be the most intuitive way, but seeing how they were forced into this play, it probably wouldn’t be such a simple structure.
Though, dungeons weren’t exactly known for being logical or rational things.
‘A treasure hunt? Solving a puzzle? Maybe just stealing it is the answer.’
Escape Room dungeons were often unpredictable and hard to guess.
In his past life, there was a dungeon where they had to make dumplings out of mud and bugs until the boss was satisfied, and another where he had to solve math problems…….
He only barely survived because there was a Guide from a science background.
‘Seeing as this portrait is hanging here, there’s definitely something beyond this locked door.’
Seo Jaewon tried knocking on the door and even tried to lift the bar.
Nothing happened. Naturally, the bar didn’t move an inch with his strength.
‘…….’
Finally, he pressed his ear against the door.
Sliiiide, thud…….
Sliiiide, thud…….
There was a sign of life.
The sound of weak footsteps.
Someone was moving inside.
‘Is it the owner of the crown?’
Just then, a shout erupted from the other end of the hallway.
“Who. Are. You?”
It was a soldier with a drawn sword.
‘Oh no.’
Startled, Seo Jaewon reflexively reached for his scabbard.
At that moment, a familiar message window appeared before his eyes.
!TIP!
Your role is a Knight.
Please stay in character to complete the mission.
“……!”
Seo Jaewon froze in place.
Was it telling him not to provoke the opponent?
If he started a fight in a dungeon designed to be cleared without combat, he would generally be at a disadvantage.
No, wait, that’s usually true, but didn’t I just fail?
At this rate, I’m going to die regardless of the mechanics!
“Identify. Yourself.”
Seo Jaewon shut his eyes tight and shouted for now.
“I-I am a knight!”
The opponent isn’t human anyway.
He would win this with natural thick-skinnedness!
“Lies!”
Damn it, you’re just a monster!
To make matters worse, the system message popped up again to criticize him.
His ears even started to burn with embarrassment.
Ah, I’m a Guide, not an actor!
As if things couldn’t get worse, dozens of shadow soldiers swarmed in to join.
The dungeon had judged Seo Jaewon’s terrible acting as failing the condition.
Shring, shring—
The sound of swords being drawn one after another was terrifying.
‘Hey, this is actually dangerous…….’
Seo Jaewon swallowed hard and lowered his posture.
Even if it was an Escape Room, it was A-rank.
He had been lucky with the Merman, but he couldn’t expect a fluke while surrounded like this.
Normal monsters would be able to tear through armor with their bare hands.
Was his second life going to end so pointlessly?
Then, a cool, gentle voice echoed over their heads.
“Leave him be. He’s doing what I ordered.”
A soft brown head appeared from behind the shadows.
It was positioned higher than the others, making it very easy to see from a distance.
Joo Youngha!
‘Hi, Jaewon.’
With a faint smile, Joo Youngha whispered only with his lips.
Hair neatly combed back, a light green cloak with a soft luster flowing over his shoulders.
Countless jewel decorations were embroidered onto the high-quality fabric…….
Seo Jaewon was completely stunned.
‘No matter how I look at this…….’
“A Prince?”
Yes, he looked like a prince.
Even though their faces couldn’t be seen, he could feel the enemies wavering.
In contrast, Joo Youngha was composed.
“Yes, he is my knight, so you may all retreat.”
He was…… shamelessly composed. He even exuded a certain dignity.
Overwhelmed by the pressure, a soldier spoke up cautiously.
“Why……?”
Joo Youngha tilted his head slightly, still wearing a light smile.
“Do you dare to question me?”
“……Ah, ah, ah, ah.”
At the soft and gentle voice, the shadow humans trembled as if they had been struck by a sword and bowed their heads.
Seo Jaewon trembled as well, likely for a different reason than them.
‘Why is he so good at this……?’
As if Joo Youngha didn’t care about Seo Jaewon’s shock, he looked down at them with indifferent eyes.
His gaze didn’t linger on any one person for long, passing over them lightly.
He then turned his back.
“Follow me, Sir Knight.”
“Huh? Ah, yes…….”
He had a mountain of things he wanted to say, but he didn’t dare for fear of causing another disaster.
Seo Jaewon kept his mouth shut and followed behind Joo Youngha.
Only the sound of their two pairs of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
It felt like they were heading deeper into the palace.
Seo Jaewon followed him with a feeling of uncertainty.
‘……This is Joo Youngha, right?’
That pretty, blank face was definitely Joo Youngha.
There couldn’t be two faces like that.
But how should I put it, isn’t he too…… normal?
He wasn’t acting limp or smiling airily.
On top of that, he was speaking clearly like a human being?!
As he glanced suspiciously at the guy walking ahead, they soon arrived in front of another door.
The soldiers guarding the spot saw the prince and opened the door.
Joo Youngha walked inside with a relaxed attitude.
On the other hand, Seo Jaewon followed hesitantly, feeling an anxiety as if he were walking into a trap of his own volition.
Once the door closed, Joo Youngha spun around to face Seo Jaewon.
Glass-like eyes scanned him.
“…….”
Seo Jaewon remained silent due to the strange atmosphere.
Joo Youngha was always an unpredictable guy, but the sight of him staring intently in unfamiliar clothes against the backdrop of a fancy room felt particularly strange.
Joo Youngha slowly approached.
The eyes that were quietly observing Seo Jaewon narrowed slightly,
And a finger as white and clear as white jade grabbed his wrist.
“Aren’t you going to praise me?”
