Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Labyrinth Exploration 101 Episode 102

 

DINOSAUR(3)

 

I made a cart. As cargo, I loaded snacks and rice, high-density magic explosives made by mixing magic stones, and additionally scarecrows.

 

Most of the food supplies were turned into snacks considering the volume, and I deliberately mixed drinking water when making the snacks.

 

“This should be enough.”

 

It’s an amount that can sustain over 200 people for at least three days.

 

“Hyung-nim. This, we really have to wear it inside out, right?”

 

Lee Jong-soo asked with a stuffy voice.

 

“Of course.”

 

I wove magical beast flesh over the entire cargo and covered it like a tent ceiling.

 

It wasn’t all flesh, but rather flesh embroidered on cloth like knitting.

 

“You wear this too. Bear with the smell.”

 

A magical beast flesh robe. It’s not just somewhat disgusting – I’ve never seen such a gory item in my life.

 

It’s the work of mercenary Iroquois.

 

“Uweeeeek…”

 

Lee Jong-soo dry heaved as soon as he put on the robe.

 

I chuckled.

 

“Jong-su. Try to redeem yourself.”

 

He’s the only person I can send anyway. Smeshion and Akiman have to guard the base. Their combat power is absolutely essential for defense.

 

Same goes for Im Hae-jun and the mercenary team. As offenders, they still need to destroy the remaining crystals in the east.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Lee Jong-soo nodded resolutely. His voice was nasally.

 

“Don’t block your nose. Are you going to hold your breath for life? You’ll get used to it after smelling it for a few hours anyway.”

 

“Th… Heuup!”

 

Lee Jong-soo took a deep breath.

 

“Ugh, I will, ueek, definitely, weeek, wek… I will succeed.”

 

“Are you departing now?”

 

The Village Chief shuffled over. I asked him.

 

“If you have any objections, please feel free to tell me anytime.”

 

“No. Hehe…”

 

The Village Chief gave a bitter smile.

 

“We weren’t on good terms with that village, but not now. They need to survive for us to survive too.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I quietly gestured to Lee Jong-soo with my eyes.

 

You heard that? Feel some pressure.

 

Lee Jong-soo took a deep breath.

 

“I will definitely make it succeed. I have experience too. Hyung-nim, you know, right?”

 

He’s talking about the Cargo Dungeon when we were on the same team.

 

“Of course. Didn’t you do everything back then? You pulled the cart the longest.”

 

“Phew… You acknowledge it. Then, I’ll be going.”

 

“Okay. Here.”

 

I held out a base teleportation scroll.

 

Lee Jong-soo shook his head.

 

“No. It’s fine. I’ll go with the resolve of ‘if you must live, you die; if you must win, you lose,’ no, ‘if you must live, you die; if you must die, you live.'”

 

“Go ahead then.”

 

If that’s the case.

 

I put away the teleportation scroll. Lee Jong-soo looked secretly disappointed.

 

“Should I depart right away?”

 

“Yeah. Go.”

 

There’s no time to delay.

 

The soldiers opened the castle gate, and Lee Jong-soo put on the magical beast flesh robe inside out. He pushed the cart while patting his cheeks as if trying to keep his mind together.

 

And so Lee Jong-soo departed.

 

“Wow… I really couldn’t do that even if I died. Did you smell it, Master?”

 

Im Hae-jun, who had been standing far away, finally approached.

 

“No.”

 

I had already blocked my sense of smell with a sequence.

 

Honestly, it is impressive. They say warriors generally have high endurance.

 

“Think he can do it alone?”

 

Akiman asked.

 

“Just in case, I had him take along one scarecrow.”

 

The scarecrow I deliberately placed on Lee Jong-soo’s cart is not ordinary. It’s the result of my magical understanding.

 

The Scarecrow Blueprint was definitely an item, but I accepted it like a ‘formula.’

 

In other words.

 

“…”

 

I placed my hand on the spinal implant. The implant I had transplanted into the scarecrow using a magic stone as medium connected.

 

Crackle!

 

A blue light appeared on the scarecrow’s spine.

 

When I moved my arm in that state, the scarecrow’s arm moved exactly the same way. When I closed my eyes, the scarecrow’s vision was reflected to me.

 

“It works well.”

 

I’ll be able to provide support fire in emergencies.

 

Lee Jong-soo will think he’s alone, but behind him exists a mage’s assistance.

 

This is what a mage is.

 

Helping allies and intercepting enemies at unexpected moments.

 

* * *

 

…The air of death shimmers. Civilians lie on the roadside. The cries of magical beasts, the breath they exhale is a curse imbued with weakness. It steals away human vitality faster and gnaws at them more painfully.

 

Starving, they can’t even move.

 

How agonizing and powerless it feels to look at a child so parched they don’t even have strength to cry – the viewers won’t know.

 

“Please hold on a little longer! Relief is coming soon from the eastern village!”

 

Seo Ji-woo shouted.

 

“Relief is coming from the east! Hold onto your consciousness!”

 

Can the civilians accept this as hope?

 

Kate, the owner of the base, quietly gazes at them and thinks.

 

They’re just fakes anyway. Fakes that will disappear when the labyrinth ends.

 

Even so, the reason she tries to protect them is for one reason only.

 

To gain an ‘image.’

 

Self-making is important as the next owner of Hailford. She, a bourgeois from a great family, tries to protect civilians, no, Labyrinth People even lower than that. She makes desperate efforts.

 

It would be quite a sellable story.

 

‘Kate. Being a member of Hailford doesn’t simply mean you were born with a golden spoon.’

 

Someday, words her uncle Percival said to her echo like whispers.

 

‘You must have a sense of responsibility. Don’t ask why. Your attitude must be established before questions. Only then can you endure it. Too many people will lean on you from now on. They’ll depend on you, hate you, and sometimes revere you. Whether you like it or not, Kate, you are Hailford’s future…’

 

“Master.”

 

S-rank mercenary Ellis approached. A black-haired woman reminiscent of a spider. Thanks to her barrier, this village was being maintained.

 

“Yes. Is the barrier alright?”

 

“…It will only last about one more day.”

 

Ellis bowed her head as if feeling guilty.

 

“No. I’m just grateful for all your efforts. Ellis, you’ve been following me from the beginning…”

 

There was nothing more that could be done. Only praying while waiting for the thread of hope, the relief supplies from the east.

 

“When the relief comes, please release the barrier then.”

 

“Yes.”

 

This barrier separated the inside from the outside. You couldn’t go from inside to outside, and you couldn’t enter from outside either.

 

Therefore, if relief supplies really arrived, there would be only one chance to accept them.

 

“Please rest. I’ll keep watch.”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Kate shook her head. She gazed at the darkness-covered distance and smiled a shadowed smile.

 

“I can’t sleep anyway…”

 

* * *

 

Lee Jong-soo was climbing the mountain road. Pushing cargo that must weigh hundreds of kilograms like an ox.

 

“Kugh… Kughhhhh…”

 

It was heavy but bearable. Compared to the cart from that Cargo Dungeon before, this was 10 times lighter, and above all, he was a warrior.

 

During training camp, he had pulled a car weighing nearly 2 tons.

 

Fortunately, this disguise technique worked incredibly well and he wasn’t attacked by monsters, so the only hardship was the smell.

 

…The smell was quite severe though.

 

At first, he couldn’t eat anything, and was anxious thinking flesh was dripping off, but he was gradually getting used to it.

 

When he got hungry while pulling the cart, he would take out snacks to eat.

 

They were delicious. Thanks to Seol Ha-woon’s consideration, there was variety so he didn’t get tired of them.

 

Meanwhile, the sun was setting.

 

Hoooooo…

 

The cries of monsters. He didn’t even know how many hours had passed. He must have been pulling for at least 12 hours.

 

Crunch.

 

Lee Jong-soo chewed on a snack.

 

Glug glug glug.

 

He poured bottled water into his mouth.

 

After a short rest, he gripped the cargo again.

 

There was no time for a long break.

 

Somewhere a camera might be filming him, but such things no longer entered his mind.

 

The lives of everyone at the Western Stronghold, and the success or failure of this labyrinth depended solely on him.

 

“Kugh… Kughhh…”

 

The pressure felt like it would burst his body, but for himself. For his image. For Jemallot who believed in him.

 

For clearing the labyrinth.

 

“Kugh… Kughhhhk…”

 

By the time the moon was setting and the dawn breeze blew coolly.

 

“…I can see it.”

 

Finally, the stronghold came into view. As he had been told, it was surrounded by a barrier.

 

[ Fatigue 3 / 100 ]

 

His remaining fatigue was 3. But even if it reached 0, walking itself was still possible. Only the damage dealt to monsters or crystals would become 0.

 

“…How do I get in.”

 

Monsters swarmed around the barrier. They clung like a swarm of bees, pounding away with bang bang bang bang.

 

First, he had to time it right. If the barrier was suddenly released, monsters would pour in from all directions, so he needed to cooperate with the people inside the stronghold.

 

For that, he also needed to get as close as possible…

 

“…Over there.”

 

He could see a mountain path. If he went up, he could take the downhill road toward the back gate. But he had to climb up the mountain slope again.

 

“Damn it.”

 

Lee Jong-soo pushed the cart again.

 

Thud. Thump. Thud.

 

On the ground, the cart bumped into monsters, but the monsters didn’t even glance at it.

 

He circled around the stronghold and climbed the mountain slope.

 

“Ugh… Kughhh…”

 

Blood flowed from his torn palms, and rough groans and saliva poured from his mouth.

 

His whole body was drenched in sweat, and when his fatigue reached 0.

 

He arrived at the summit swarming with monsters.

 

“…Kugh.”

 

Now, he just had to go down.

 

But then.

 

Grrrrr…

 

Some dog-like monster approached.

 

It looked like a dog, but all its facial features were noses.

 

Nose nose nose

 

Nose nose nose

 

Nose nose nose

 

Nose nose nose nose nose nose nose

 

Nose nose　Nose nose

 

Nose nose　Nose nose

 

Ominous. Its appearance was fucking ridiculous.

 

Sniff sniff. The creature sniffed with all its noses as it approached him. If it smelled his sweat, it would be over.

 

But wouldn’t it be stranger if it couldn’t smell with all those noses.

 

Sniff sniff… sniff.

 

The noses stopped.

 

Lee Jong-soo held his breath.

 

Purrrrrrr!

 

The creature shook its body bizarrely. It sounded like it was blowing its nose. Instantly, all the monsters turned to look at him.

 

“…Shit.”

 

Monsters were already swarming around. There didn’t seem to be any strong individuals, but he couldn’t kill these things.

 

Because his fatigue was 0.

 

Purrr…

 

Just as the bastard was gathering breath to blow its nose louder

 

Swish!

 

A quiet wind pierced through the monster.

 

“…?”

 

Lee Jong-soo looked back in bewilderment. The scarecrow on the cart had moved.

 

─Run.

 

“Hyung-nim?”

 

─What are you doing. You’ve been noticed.

 

Right now, the demonic beasts are turning toward him.

 

“Ah, yes! Big brother is the best!”

 

As expected of Seol Ha-woon, as expected of Jemallot. My salvation, my salt.

 

You were watching over everything.

 

─Run.

 

“Yes!”

 

Lee Jong-soo squeezed out his remaining strength and ran down the slope.

 

Demonic beasts rushed at him from all directions, but swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh. Silent mana bullets cut off their breath.

 

“Kraaa!”

 

Lee Jong-soo stepped forward with a warrior’s spirit. He poured all the remaining strength in his thighs.

 

Wholehearted, sincere, with all his might.

 

He would never stop.

 

There was no need to worry about the demonic beasts clinging to him. The mage’s backup, Seol Ha-woon would handle them.

 

“Kraaaak!”

 

He focused his vision on one point. The faintly visible castle wall.

 

Toward that destination, blurry but getting closer and closer, he threw himself…!

 

* * *

 

I fired mana bullets borrowing the scarecrow’s vision.

 

This precise ‘consciousness connection’ was a first, but it felt quite familiar. It was similar to a first-person FPS game.

 

I shot and killed the demonic beasts approaching Lee Jong-soo.

 

Swooshswooshswooshswooshswoosh.

 

Firing like a machine gun, quieter than arrows.

 

“…Kuk.”

 

I gritted my teeth at the headache.

 

Since it was my first time, my head felt twisted. It was confusing too. Whether I was the scarecrow, or the scarecrow was me.

 

Still, I maintained the connection. Until the magic stone implanted through the implant wore out.

 

Swooshswooshswooshswooshswooshswoosh.

 

Cutting through the air, mana bullets penetrated the cores of the demonic beasts.

 

Crackle!

 

Ominous sparks flew from the scarecrow’s implant. The connection became dull. Response speed slowed down.

 

The bullets began to miss.

 

We were almost there.

 

Before I knew it, one demonic beast had grabbed the back of the cart. Another beast grabbed the one holding the cart. Yet another grabbed the one holding the one holding the cart.

 

At this rate, the cart would stop.

 

But.

 

Swoooooosh──-!

 

A single flash cutting through space. A sword strike creating wind pressure sliced through the demonic beasts.

 

Kang Hyeon.

 

A wider radius, more destructive blade surged like a wave.

 

Lee Jun-ho.

 

Following that, spider web-like lines rushed forward and pulled the entire cart.

 

Seo Ji-woo.

 

─Jong-su, let’s go!

 

She smiled brightly as she led Lee Jong-soo.

 

Before they knew it, the barrier had opened, and support from inside the base had arrived just in time.

 

“Phew.”

 

I sighed in relief and cut the connection with the scarecrow.

 

* * *

 

Rumblrumblrumblrumbl!

 

The cart went down the slope road. At a speed that made him wonder how to stop. Insane acceleration poured through his entire body.

 

“Gate, open the gate──-!!!”

 

Lee Jong-soo screamed at the top of his lungs.

 

“Gate, gate! Gate! Gaaaate!”

 

Gate! Gate!

 

After shouting about six times, the castle gate opened.

 

“Ueoook!”

 

He slipped in by a hair’s breadth. Clatter clatter clatter. He stamped both feet violently. Steam rose as the ground and his shoes scraped together.

 

Screeeeech!

 

He barely managed to stop while carving skid marks.

 

“…Kueoeoeoeo.”

 

Lee Jong-soo immediately collapsed.

 

He felt like he was going to die. He couldn’t even see in front of him. He just lay on the ground drooling, looking at the grains of sand sticking to his face.

 

“Ah…”

 

At this rate, he’d die of a heart attack. He’d really die.

 

Someone please save me.

 

Clap. Clap. Clap.

 

Suddenly, a very small sound reached his ears.

 

Clap. Clap. Clap.

 

What sound is that.

 

Lee Jong-soo perked up only his ears with his dazed mind.

 

Clap clap clap. Clap clap clap.

 

As his senses gradually returned, the sound echoed fully.

 

It wasn’t small.

 

It was a loud sound.

 

Lee Jong-soo weakly lifted his head.

 

No, someone approached and helped him stand up.

 

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap──-!

 

Now that he looked, thunderous applause.

 

It was the civilians. Hundreds of people were applauding him. Many were cheering too. Each had an emaciated appearance, but their eyes looking at him were filled with hope and joy.

 

Lee Jong-soo smiled as he faced them.

 

It was a strange feeling.

 

An emotion unknown even to himself, one he had never felt once in his life, seemed to fill his entire body…

 

It was a miraculous experience.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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