WETRIED TRANSLATIONS
The Legendary Newbie of the Ghost Story Labyrinth
[Translator – Aren]
Chapter 58 - The Master of Floor 8 (2)
The moment Ivan and Nicola finished setting up camp, Park Minho collapsed, passing out from exhaustion. It took a full two days before he finally regained consciousness.
“Wouldn’t it be better to return to the Fortress City and receive proper medical treatment?”
Park Minho shook his head at Ivan’s question.
"I can’t afford to return to the Fortress City carelessly anymore.”
Park Minho explained the situation to the party members. Specifically, that he had become the master of Floor 8.
This was not a simple matter. Especially from TBU’s perspective. After all, a being now existed who could control Floor 8, which was like the front yard of their organization.
Director Yoon would undoubtedly protect me, but he was not the only one holding power within TBU. There were numerous influential figures competing against him, meaning he couldn’t simply handle a matter this significant however he pleased.
“Something like this……”
Even Ivan, who was normally calm and composed, couldn’t hide his shock. He agreed with Park Minho’s concerns.
“There will certainly be people who try to seize control of you and use you as they please, Sir Minho. They'll try everything from threats to persuasion to coercion.”
Of course, TBU wouldn’t immediately understand the exact nature of Park Minho’s relationship with Floor 8. But the Indian and Chinese parties had witnessed enough to raise suspicion. It was only natural for interest to arise.
Unless he killed everyone who had seen it to silence them permanently, rumors would spread.
“They witnessed me communicating with the biological system. They also saw the Miner entities acting as if they were following my orders. There’s no way people won’t talk.”
“So what do you intend to do?”
At Ivan’s question, Seol Suyeon and Nicola also turned their attention toward Park Minho.
“I’m going to take complete control of Floor 8 and build my own power base. To the point where even if TBU learns everything, they won’t be able to do anything about it.”
Park Minho had no intention of handling things halfway. Because he was already in a situation akin to riding a tiger. There was no turning back.
If he didn’t want TBU using him however they pleased, then he needed to move quickly and establish a system so powerful that they couldn’t touch him even if they wanted to.
“This situation has grown bigger than I expected. Ivan, Nicola. If you don’t want to get involved, you can leave now. But if you stay with me, you’ll receive rewards greater than anything you’d earn from ordinary explorations.”
Ideas for making money through Floor 8 were already shooting through Park Minho’s mind. But none of it would be easy, so he wanted their decision beforehand.
After a moment of thought, Ivan answered first.
"......The order Director Yoon gave me was clear. Do whatever is necessary for Sir Park Minho. If there’s something you want done, I’ll help.”
“Thank you, Ivan. If you stay by my side, you’ll be rewarded well. What about you, Nicola?”
“Uh, Mister. What exactly do you mean by rewards?”
“For now, money. Stay with me and I’ll make sure you earn a lot of coins.”
“Then are you giving up on exploring deeper into the Backrooms?”
Park Minho shook his head.
“No, we’ll keep pushing deeper into the Backrooms. I’m just handling Floor 8 first. Besides, if we accumulate enough coins, it’ll make searching for your uncle easier. We won’t be limited to searching ourselves. We’ll be able to hire explorers as well.”
"...Can we really earn that many coins?”
"Of course.”
In Park Minho’s eyes, Floor 8 was practically a treasure trove. And for the plans he had in mind, Nicola, who had incredible technical skills, was indispensable.
“……If you say so, Mister. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever find a party this good again.”
With that, Nicola accepted as well.
As for Seol Suyeon, he hadn't even bothered asking her. At this point, they were practically bound by fate. Naturally, she fully intended to help Park Minho no matter what.
However, there was something more important on her mind. She had wanted to bring ut up earlier, but Park Minho’s condition had prevented it.
“Oppa. I saw Suhyeok.”
“What? Seol Suhyeok? Where?”
Seol Suyeon explained what had happened. That Seol Suhyeok had been among the Molting Church members.
“What? Seriously? Is that why you were spacing out back then?”
"Yes..."
“You should've said something! I almost shot him, you know?”
For a moment, Park Minho felt a chill run down his spine. What would have happened if he had killed Seol Suyeon’s brother with his own hands?
“There wasn’t any time. The moment I recognized him, he disappeared again……”
After that, the Molting Church had tried to overload the biological system and fled. And since Park Minho had been busy hovering between life and death, she hadn’t been able to bring it up until now.
“I heard those Molting Church guys are being held captive.”
"Ah! Maybe my brother is among them.”
“Yeah, I want to check.”
Only now did Park Minho realize just how anxious Seol Suyeon must have been while he was unconscious.
“Let’s find out right away.”
He called out to the biological system in his mind.
'How many Molting Church prisoners are there? What’s their current condition?”
The response came immediately through telepathy.
[17 prisoner entities in total. Several entities are currently experiencing panic-induced seizures. One entity has expired.]
'Is there someone named Seol Suhyeok among them?’
[Unable to verify individual designation codes of organic entities. However, if ordered, all entities can be secured and transported.]
“Use the Miner entities and bring them here.”
[Executing the Administrator’s command.]
Several hours later, heavy footsteps echoed from beyond the darkness.
-Thud, thud.
Soon, the captured Molting Church members came into view, dragged along by Miner entities.
“Let go of me! You hideous monster!”
One of the bound cultists struggled against the ropes and chains restraining him. The Miner entity didn’t react the slightest. Instead, it mercilessly pressed down with its massive hand.
-Crack! Snap!
“Aaaargh!”
A scream accompanied the sound of breaking bones. The captured cultists looked no different from livestock being hauled to slaughter.
Yet despite their battered condition, their eyes still burned with fanatic determination.
“This is why fanatics are such a pain…Tsk…”
Park Minho clicked his tongue, realizing that they wouldn’t be easy to deal with.
Seol Suyeon hurriedly searched through the group, but then her expression fell.
Seol Suhyeok wasn’t among them.
"Ah.......”
Park Minho started by asking about Seol Suhyeok. The cultists’ response was immediate.
"You think we’d reveal a brother’s secrets?!”
“You vile bastard! We will never submit!”
Still, judging by their reaction, they clearly knew who Seol Suhyeok was.
"Suyeon, we need to investigate further, but it looks like your brother escaped. Remember? The biological system said 2 people got away.”
“...I see."
Having come this far only to miss her brother, Seol Suyeon looked utterly deflated. But soon, worry filled her face once more.
“Oppa, you said there was one casualty…when did that happen……?”
“It won’t be him. Don’t worry too much.”
"Okay…”
About 30 minutes later, a Miner entity brought over a corpse. It was an elderly man. Seol Suyeon let out a sigh of relief.
She had been so tense the entire time that her legs nearly gave out, forcing someone to steady her.
However, the moment the Molting Church cultists saw the body, they broke into wails.
"Aah…!”
“The High Priest!”
“Uwaaaaaaagh! You bastards! What have you done?!”
Apparently, the dead man was the High Priest. The leader of the Molting Church.
“We didn’t do anything.”
But there was no way Park Minho’s explanation would get through to them. Soon curses and insults erupted from every direction.
“You deserve to be torn limb from limb!”
“We’ll never forget this!”
“We’ll have our revenge! Revenge! Aaaagh!”
As the uproar grew louder, the Miner entities that had been standing idly by began beating the cultists. Bones cracked and blood splattered everywhere. Only then did they finally quiet down.
Seeing that, Ivan stepped forward.
“The prisoners are in an extremely agitated state. I believe it would be best to wait a while before interrogating them. I’ll handle it.”
“Understood. I’ll leave it to you.”
Just then, a telepathic message arrived from the biological system.
[Administrator, it is recommended to vacate the Gap Zone as quickly as possible.]
'Why? What’s the matter?'
[Extended exposure within the Gap Zone results in increasingly severe cognitive contamination. Remaining for more than a few days is considered hazardous.]
Park Minho hadn’t known Entity Rifts had such a problem. Normally, conditions varied from Floor to Floor in the Backrooms, but people could generally survive for weeks. With proper preparation, even months. In contrast, it seemed that Entity Rifts became dangerous after only a few days.
After explaining the situation to his party, Park Minho announced that they would return to Floor 8.
"Let’s pack up. We’re leaving.”
“What about these fanatics?”
“We’ll lock them up on Floor 8. We’ve got a lot to do there.”
After returning to Floor 8, Park Minho immediately issued orders to the Miner entities.
“Build a prison to hold these fanatics.”
"Kieek!”
As components of Floor 8 itself, they faithfully obeyed the commands of their Administrator.
Ivan offered a suggestion.
"Several of those fanatics are Awakened. If we can’t suppress their anomalous abilities, they may escape.”
“How do we deal with that?”
“Normally, there are anomalous restraint collars designed for that purpose. Unfortunately, we don’t have any.”
At that moment, Nicola cut in.
“I can solve that. We can use this.”
He pulled out a rusty spike from his phase-compression backpack. It was one of the spikes the Molting Church had driven into the biological system.
“This isn’t just a rusty piece of metal but a suppressor. The thing they used to keep the biological system under control.”
“So? You’re saying it has the power to suppress anomalous abilities?”
“That’s right. If I modify it a little, I can turn it into a restraint device for people. We can make smaller spikes and drive them into their chests.”
“Nice. I’ll leave it to you.”
It really drove home the fact that every operation needed a good technician. Thus, the 17 fanatics were imprisoned in a makeshift jail built into one corner of the dead-end section of the mine, complete with iron-barred doors, while their abilities remained suppressed. Several Miner entities were assigned to guard the prison in shifts.
After resolving the Molting Church issue, Park Minho requested that the biological system summon even more Miner entities.
The goal was to build a base in the deepest and safest part of Floor 8.
* * *
While Park Minho’s party was busy handling various matters on Floor 8, the Indian and Chinese parties who had been with him finally returned to the Fortress City on Floor 7.
Having narrowly escaped death, everyone was naturally overjoyed to be alive.
However, Wang Weo seemed deep in thought. After brooding for a while, he spoke to his party members.
“Keep what happened on Floor 8 to yourself.”
“Boss! This is important information.”
“I know. That guy definitely gained at least partial control over Floor 8. That’s something unprecedented.”
“Exactly.”
Even so, Wang Wei shook his head.
“Don’t you get it? Back then, that guy could’ve killed us all and buried the evidence. Think about those entities that surrounded us.”
“True…”
"But whether he was soft-hearted or had some other plan, he let us leave peacefully. Even after everything was over.”
At the time, Wang Wei had been loudly demanding a share of the loot, but after he’d calmed down, he realized he couldn’t simply ignore this act of goodwill.
“He could’ve killed us, but instead he let us go. Running our mouths now would be dishonorable. Remember that.”
In the end, his party members nodded.
"......Understood, Boss.
Wang Wei reassured the disappointed men.
“And this is just a hunch, but…I think that guy is going to become a huge player someday. Wouldn’t it be smarter to build a relationship than sell him out for a few coins worth of information? I've got a feeling there’s money to be made here…”
"Oh, as expected of you, Boss!”
If Park Minho intended to remain on Floor 8, he would need people to transport and sell various goods. Wang Wei figured that if he could position himself as that middleman, the commissions alone would be sweet enough to make him rich.
However, while some were considering a mutually beneficial relationship with Park Minho, others had very different ideas.
One of them was Rahul, the leader of the Indian party. He headed straight to meet one of TBU’s Directors, Advik.
Advik was a rival of Director Yoon and enjoyed the support of many of the Indian explorers who made up a large portion of TBU’s membership.
"Director."
“Rahul! I heard there was trouble on Floor 8. I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely. It must surely be Lord Shiva’s blessing.”
“Director, that’s not the issue right now. I saw something unbelievable! This could be an enormous opportunity.”
Rahul carefully recounted everything that had happened on Floor 8. The eyes that had appeared so refined and gentlemanly in front of Park Minho now gleamed with naked greed.
“It seems that Korean somehow acquired partial control over Floor 8. We need to recruit him by any means necessary, Director.”
“Really?”
“If Floor 8 can be controlled, it would greatly strengthen your position. Frankly, simply controlling the flow of supplies and collecting tolls would generate enormous profit.”
“How should we bring him over to our side?”
“We offer him every advantage possible and convince him that working with us is better than trying to manage everything himself.”
“And if he refuses?”
A dangerous glint appeared in Rahul’s eyes.
“If a beast won’t listen to words, then it’s time for the whip.”
“I heard he can command entities. Would that really work?”
“You don’t seriously think he can control every entity on Floor 8, right? And even if he could, it doesn’t matter. We can take hostages. We can use drugs. There are plenty of methods.”
"That sounds like a plan worth pursuing.”
Director Advik immediately began calculating how many Awakened he could mobilize for this task.
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