Chapter 1: Floor 100 Boss – Good at Farming

Go Nam-tae suddenly woke up.

'Is it a dream, or a typhoon...?'

The house was spinning around and around.

But his eyelids were heavy, as if he were paralyzed by a nightmare.

Instead, his other senses were relaying the situation.

Creak, creak, the pillars shook, and the dresser rattled.

The house—no, the world—was rushing toward an unfamiliar place.

He felt like he was caught in a centrifuge, his consciousness constantly sinking.

Just as it felt like he would be dragged into the abyss, the spinning stopped.

The house was slowly landing.

Thud.

The moment it settled on the ground, the house screamed.

Creeeeeeak!

It didn't seem like the house would be safe at this rate.

'I have to wake up...'

He wanted to find out what was happening, but his body wouldn't listen.

That was his last thought.

Go Nam-tae's consciousness was finally dragged beneath the surface of sleep.

Thud, blackout.

It was then.

Ding!

[Go Nam-tae has defeated the Floor 100 Boss, ‘Pichipitotitapatet’.]

[Please select a reward.]

.

.

.

[Reward selection time expired. Applying automatic reward.]

[You are now the Floor 100 Boss.]

[Please operate the Labyrinth peacefully!]

Suddenly, Go Nam-tae regained consciousness.

Opening his eyes slightly, he checked his surroundings first.

“Was it a dream...?”

Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any collapsed areas.

“Phew...”

Just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, the view outside the window felt a bit strange.

The old truck he had parked on the side of the road was gone.

In fact, the road itself was gone.

Opening the door and stepping outside, Go Nam-tae's jaw dropped.

“Where on earth is this...?”

Mountains, trees, a stream...

If asked to describe the landscape of his home, he would say the same things, but this was definitely not the front of his house.

To make matters worse.

Looking back at the house, Go Nam-tae's mouth hung open again.

A person was pinned under the house.

A foot stuck out from under one wall, and a pointed hat protruded from the other side.

“S-S-Someone is d-dead...!”

Just as he was about to scream, a golden window like a hologram appeared before his eyes.

[It is not a ‘person’.]

[Go Nam-tae has defeated the Floor 100 Boss, Pichipitotitapatet.]

“W-Who is it?”

[I am Go Nam-tae's system helper.]

System?

This was a privilege held by those who had Awakened.

However, he had never heard of one responding with a voice.

Anyway, that wasn't the important part.

“Defeated? I was sleeping until just now!”

To be precise, he had just been fired from his company, kicked out of his studio apartment, and had fallen into a deep sleep due to the aftermath of being forced to return home.

[This is the 100th floor, the top floor of the Labyrinth, and Go Nam-tae's house crushed and killed the previous boss.]

[As a reward for defeating the former boss, Go Nam-tae has become the new Floor 100 Boss.]

“That makes no sense...”

He had never even stepped foot on the 1st floor of the Labyrinth.

Moreover, he had never heard of the Labyrinth kidnapping people.

Yet, there was no way to explain why his house was even here.

Above all, wasn't it even weirder that a mere ‘house’ killed a ‘boss’?

No, no! Setting all that aside...

“...I'm the Floor 100 Boss?”

[Yes, that's correct!]

The nonchalant answer made him even more confused.

He didn't know where to start questioning this nonsensical story.

It had been about 100 years since the Labyrinth appeared.

Initial humanity saw a 1/10th death rate due to the monsters that poured out the moment the Labyrinth opened.

The history of tragedy was short-lived.

As humans who Awakened special abilities appeared, a counterattack became possible.

Since then, the Labyrinth and humanity had been engaged in a struggle for survival.

Humans were originally a species that fought wars with missiles and bullets.

Could it be said that the appearance of the Labyrinth actually served as a deterrent to wars between humans?

But Labyrinths, Hunters... those were all stories for other people.

Go Nam-tae was someone who called himself an ordinary citizen.

He didn't wish for Awakening, and even if he did, he had no intention of setting foot in the Labyrinth.

“Cancel it! I never asked for such a reward. I don't want to be a ‘boss’!”

[There is only one way to step down from being the boss.]

“What is it?”

[You must meet the same end as the previous boss.]

‘...!’

Reflexively, his eyes went to the boss pinned under the house.

It was a way of saying, ‘Die if you don't want to be the boss!’

A chill ran down his spine.

His gaze was drawn to the boss under the house.

Mud-colored hair as thick as tree roots stretched out as if it were crawling.

Go Nam-tae, who was about to move what his foot had bumped into, hurriedly let go at the eerie sensation.

Was it the feeling of something being sucked in, or was it the feeling of being sucked out?

The subtle discomfort felt at his fingertips made even his stomach tingle.

“Can't you... clear this away?”

[It is possible once the Boss becomes a true boss.]

It was a message that felt strangely determined.

As if it was bent on making him the boss no matter what.

“Let's summarize. Me... No, my house crushed the boss to death, so I became the boss. Is that it?”

[That's correct.]

“How did my house get all the way here?”

[I was just born and do not know how the Boss arrived.]

“...”

Go Nam-tae took a deep breath and asked again.

“So you're saying being the boss can't be canceled. Then what about me going back to Earth? That's possible, right?”

[Yes, it is possible.]

For a moment, it felt like the breath he had been holding was released.

Then he had to go. Just as he was about to turn around.

[A boss's movement between floors is immediately detected by other bosses.]

[Floor 1 is fine since there's no boss, but you must defeat all bosses from Floor 99 to Floor 2.]

“...What?!”

Wasn't this basically saying it was impossible?

The highest floor humanity had conquered so far was Floor 53.

Korea was at Floor 51.

For Go Nam-tae, who hadn't even entered Floor 1, whether it was Floor 50 or Floor 99, it was a world beyond reach, someone else's story.

Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he asked again.

“I'm the Floor 100 Boss, right? Aren't you usually stronger the higher the floor?”

[The one who defeated the boss was not Go Nam-tae, but the house Go Nam-tae is staying in.]

[It is possible if you can carry the house on your back.]

‘Carry the house on my back...?’

Before he could even let his imagination run wild, the sight of the ‘previous boss’ who died under the house caught his eye.

Go Nam-tae looked at the house anew.

‘An old house that's about to collapse is an ultimate weapon? ...Does that even make sense?’

He wished he could just dream again and return to his place.

However, denying reality wasn't going to solve anything.

‘Even so, I'm not a Labyrinth boss!’

His father always said.

If a person is born as a person, they must die as a person.

He couldn't become a monster.

“I have to go back!”

He had to go back to take care of his father's grave and the house...

The house was here, but anyway.

To live like a human, he had to go back no matter what.

So, did he have to eliminate the bosses from Floor 99 to Floor 2?

‘...!’

As he hit another despairing dead end, the system offered a new alternative.

[As the boss's interference power grows, it may be possible to return to Earth.]

“...What is interference power?”

[It is sending the boss's influence to Earth.]

Go Nam-tae flinched and furrowed his brow.

“Wait... is that a crack? The thing that invades Earth...?”

[That is correct.]

“Crazy!”

Curses poured out automatically.

Hunters enter the Labyrinth, and monsters pour out of the cracks.

No wonder, he felt like they were persistently trying to make him the boss for some reason.

Go Nam-tae shouted out loud.

“Make some sense! Are you telling me to send monsters to Earth?”

[‘Interference’ depends on the boss's will.]

[Monsters can be sent, but they can also not be sent.]

[Whether to cause harm on Earth or the opposite, that too is up to the boss.]

“So... that's how it was...”

Feeling like he had glimpsed the secret of the world, Go Nam-tae became confused.

The helper's explanation continued.

[Before that, the boss must first have monsters to subordinate.]

[Subordinated monsters absolutely obey the boss's orders.]

It might just be his imagination, but it sounded like it was getting too far ahead for a novice boss who didn't even have a single monster yet.

His father also said.

A real man must be clear when apologizing.

“...Sorry.”

For a moment, it felt like the ‘helper’ flinched.

[...I am only the boss's helper, there is no need to apologize.]

[The Boss only needs to give me orders or requests.]

But perhaps because he had gotten angry, it felt a little awkward.

Suddenly, an appropriate question came to mind.

“...By the way, don't you have a separate name?”

[If the Boss gives me one, that will be my name.]

Somehow, it sounded like a request to give it one.

Suddenly, the situation that had unfolded so far was etched into Go Nam-tae's mind like a photograph.

Looking back, it could be said to be a scene from a famous classic novel.

A house blown away by the wind,

A witch crushed to death by that house,

A story that begins with a girl and a dog.

Of course, he wasn't a young girl like that, but he still wanted to have a partner like the girl.

“Toto. Toto, how about it?”

[...]

Was it not suitable for a system helper?

There was no answer for a while.

“If you don't like it, I'll change—”

[...My name is Toto!]

Somehow, the system screen felt gentle.

The helper, no, Toto, said in a slightly higher tone.

[As the boss's power grows, the interference power also grows.]

“Do I have separate abilities too?”

[Of course.]

[The final boss gains specialized unique abilities.]

“...!”

He couldn't help but look forward to what kind of ability it would be, honestly.

The Awakened known as the strongest hunters on Earth were mostly warriors.

The images of those holding swords, spears, and axes flashed through Go Nam-tae's mind.

He was essentially just born, but wasn't he still the ‘final boss’ in name?

He hoped it would be a decent ability.

Go Nam-tae cautiously called out the status window in his mind.

A blue window, different from the helper Toto's, popped up.

“Uh...”

Only one line appeared in the status window.

Nevertheless, Go Nam-tae rubbed his eyes several times and looked again.

He asked in a trembling voice.

“This... is a joke, right?”

[The system does not play jokes or make jests.]

This couldn't be. This... could only be described as a trick of the gods.

Go Nam-tae shook his head back and forth.

“No... this isn't it!”

However, the system, which claimed not to know jokes, finally drove the nail in.