Chapter 77: The Only Way

“You… son of a…”

Shin Sodam collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut.

Swish—

Just before her face hit the floor,

Thud!

I caught her and slung her over my shoulder.

Light as a feather.

Compared to the 50 kg rice sacks I used to haul during my loading days, she was nothing.

I looked at the metal needle stuck in her neck.

A long, thin acupuncture needle about two hand-spans in length.

Soon, the Featherback log unfolded.

Palala!

-<Tsetse Fly’s Sleep Needle> / Dagger / A+  

The acupuncture needle carried by the manager of the Sleep Desire section. 

Anyone pricked by it falls into False Eternal Sleep within seconds.  

A creature in False Eternal Sleep can only be awakened by intense external shock.

– Attack +1  

Skill False Eternal Sleep available  

└ False Eternal Sleep (A): Puts the target pierced by the Tsetse Fly’s Sleep Needle into False Eternal Sleep. There is no time limit; awakening is possible only through intense external stimulation.

An artifact I’d pocketed from the Sleep Desire section, just in case.

“Never thought I’d use it here like this.”

Shin Sodam was now in such a deep sleep that someone could carry her off and she wouldn’t notice.

Her sleeping face was completely different from when she was awake.

Peacefully closed eyes, long delicate lashes, a sharp nose, full lips, a slender jawline.

So pure and beautiful it was hard to look away.

A faint fragrance rose from her disheveled red hair, tickling my nose.

My heart thudded, electricity prickling across my skin.

I immediately slapped both my cheeks.

SMACK! SLAP!

The stinging pain cleared the fog in my head.

For a moment, I’d almost lost my reason.

The Sexual Desire section was starting to affect me.

Even with my high Mental Strength stat, I was reaching my limit.

‘I need to get out of here fast.’

The door hadn’t broken even under the Gluttony Slayer Secret Art.

I had pushed it to 15% output by absorbing every last drop of Shin Sodam’s mana.

‘…Looks like there really is only one way.’

[A Room You Cannot Leave Unless You Do It] 

– If you do it, you can escape the Sexual Desire section.  

– If you don’t do it, you cannot escape the Sexual Desire section.  

※ However, if only one person remains in the Sexual Desire section, the door will also open.

The way out had been written on the sign from the beginning.

There was only one method for both of us to leave.

“This is the only option.”

Better to do it now while she’s asleep.

I slowly reached toward Shin Sodam lying on the bed.

At that moment, she murmured.

“No… don’t…”

A fragile, weak voice completely unlike her usual self.

She was still asleep.

I continued reaching.

At the same time.

Ding-dong!

<Received command ‘Open’.>  

<Opening Morg’s Magic Vault.>

I summoned the entrance to the vault.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK—! CRUNCH! SNAP!

The sound of something shattering and crumpling echoed.

Space distorted, and a huge rift tore open.

Beyond it, glowing red eyes gleamed.

The vault’s mouth opened, spewing black mana.

GRRRRRRRRR—

Then.

Step, step, step, step—

A shadow strode out with majestic steps.

A commanding presence.

[Hohoho! Vault Keeper! It is I, Yi Seonggye! I have come at your summons! Are you in some sort of trouble?]

It was the Shadow Knight, Yi Seonggye.

His armor and helmet were drenched in green liquid.

Noticing my gaze, he lifted his bow and laughed.

[I was just slaughtering some vermin! Got bored of only using the bow, so I crushed a few with my fists! Hahaha! …Anyway, where the hell are we?]

He began looking around the room.

Garish wallpaper. Suggestive red lighting.

A fully visible glass shower, handcuffs and a whip on the table.

To a real (?) historical figure like Yi Seonggye, this place must look utterly depraved.

As expected.

[Tsk, tsk… What a vulgar room!]

He suddenly froze while surveying the area.

He had spotted Shin Sodam lying on the bed.

[Hm.]

A sigh that somehow sounded uncomfortable.

He looked at me.

[Hmmm!]

Then back at Shin Sodam.

[Hmmmmmmmmm~!]

Then at me again.

[Hm! H-Hmmmmmmmm—!]

The sighs kept getting longer.

Finally, a thunderous roar.

[Vault Keeper! Did you abduct a maiden and call me here to ravish her!?]

“…?”

[You insolent—! Damn it all! The Three Bonds are collapsing! The Five Relationships are crumbling! The world is ending—!]

“No, wait, let me explain—”

[Explain what!? You really dare… to use me, Yi Seonggye, for some thug’s dirty work…! Ugh! Jeong Do-jeon! Somebody! Bring Jeong Do-jeon right now—!]

***

Five minutes.

That’s how long it took to calm Yi Seonggye down.

Finally, he gave my shoulder a hearty slap.

[Hahaha! Of course I believed in you! I knew the Vault Keeper wasn’t the kind of lowlife who’d do something so vile! A real man must live proudly! Indeed! Indeed!]

“Yes, well… anyway. Could you take this woman into the vault for a moment? It’ll only be a second.”

[Leave it to me! I’ll handle her gently, not a hair harmed!]

Yi Seonggye lifted Shin Sodam like a sack of rice and carried her into the vault.

Instantly.

Flash—!

The magic stone above the door reacted.

A red laser-like beam shot out and began scanning the room.

…Just as Shin Sodam had explained.

An artifact that detects life signs of life.

That was exactly why I sent her inside the vault.

The third way to leave the Sexual Desire section:

If only one person remains, the door will open.

As a result, the only person left in the room was me.

The red light moved toward the vault entrance.

But.

Fizzle—

As it neared the entrance, the beam scattered in all directions and vanished.

‘As expected. The vault is treated as a completely separate dimension.’

The light skipped the vault and continued scanning elsewhere.

Soon.

Clunk! Creeeeak—!

The door slowly opened.

“…Bingo.”

A perfect escape with no one getting hurt.

Beyond the door was, as always, another gate.

At that moment.

—Ding-dong!

<You have cleared the 1st Hierarchy, “Physiological Needs”!>

The familiar notification appeared before my eyes.

…Though it was only cleared the first hierarchy.

The dungeon boss was on the fifth.

‘Still a long way to go.’

I shouted toward the vault entrance.

“It’s done. Bring her back out.”

[Already? Whatever it was, that was quick! Good!]

Yi Seonggye walked out with Shin Sodam still slung over his shoulder.

I pulled the Tsetse Fly’s needle from her neck.

Even so, she showed no sign of waking.

“It said she needs a strong external shock to wake up.”

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently back and forth.

Then.

“U… uugh… where…?”

Shin Sodam opened her eyes with a dazed expression.

Before she could fully regain her senses, I hurled her through the gate.

Whoosh!

“Wh-what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuck—!?”

With a final scream, she vanished into the gate.

Sorry, but this is the best way.

I don’t have time to explain.

There’s no reason to reveal the miracle that is the vault to anyone else.

Yi Seonggye spoke.

[Vault Keeper, if there’s nothing else, may I return?]

He looked eager to get back to the spectator zone.

I nodded. He turned to leave, then looked back with a grin.

[By the way, you’re quite the man yourself!]

“?”

[Hahaha! How can a true hero be satisfied with just one woman? They say great men are fond of beauties for a reason. Hahaha! Vault Keeper! You’re a real man!]

“???”

[Even so, moderation is key. That Jeanne girl is terribly worried about you. Don’t make a lady pine too much—too much is poison.]

“???”

…What the hell is he talking about?

Laughing heartily, Yi Seonggye stepped back into the vault.

Ding-dong!

<Received command ‘Close’.>

<Closing Morg’s Magic Vault.>

The distorted spatial rift vanished in an instant.

CRUNCH CRACK—!

The warped room returned to normal.

It felt like a storm had just passed through.

“Well then, shall we go?”

Without hesitation, I threw myself into the gate.

The moment I entered, a violent mana storm roared.

GRRRRRRRRR—!

At the same time, new text appeared.

—Ding-dong!

<Entering the 2nd Hierarchy, “Safety Needs” – First Section!>

***

A moment later, I blankly looked around.

“…This is… outside?”

An open terrain in all directions.

No ceiling, no walls—an endless expanse.

The surroundings had transformed into a vast desert.

Everything visible was gray.

Gray sand, gray pebbles, gray sky, gray clouds.

As if a graphic designer had accidentally painted the entire world in monochrome.

Then a booming announcement echoed from the sky.

Ding-dong!

<Physical Safety Desire Section: The 4th Monster Wave will now begin! Please be careful.>

Massive text appeared in the gray sky as the ground shook violently.

GRRRRRRRRRRR—

“Oh. Well, damn.”

Looks like a very not-normal event is about to start.