Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 11

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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 011

I AM(3)

The “Labyrinth Exploration” series is itself a massive magical invention, but no one knows who actually invented it.

There are plenty of speculations, of course. It’s the same person as Bitcoin’s creator, it’s main PD Yoon Sa-hyuk, or maybe PD Yoon Sa-hyuk’s lost brother, or a college friend, things like that.

Anyway, the mysterious inventor entrusted the “Labyrinth Exploration” series to IONet, just a cable channel in South Korea, and PD Yoon Sa-hyuk used it to create an explorer competition program.

[ Level test will begin in 3 minutes. ]

“Wow. Amazing.”

“This, everyone else can see it besides me, right?”

“Can’t touch it though.”

“Ooh. It follows. It follows.”

The participants’ reactions are varied. Some laugh and chat with people next to them, others tap at the air, or turn their heads this way and that, seemingly fascinated by the unfamiliar system.

“Huh…”

In contrast, I took deep breaths and prepared. I seriously calmed my mind.

For me, this is a matter of life and death. My remaining lifespan is only about 70 days.

[ You will be transported to the Labyrinth shortly. ]

[ If you suffer fatal damage, forced summoning will occur, and a Labyrinth failed once cannot be challenged again, so please be careful. ]

[ 3, 2, 1 ]

With the countdown, space flipped around. More precisely, ‘I’ was transported.

Thud.

I touched the ground first with my walking stick.

“…Hmm.”

[ Objective: Find the loot and escape ]

The Labyrinth objective floating in the air.

The texture of the road surface is rough stone flooring. All around is dark, nothing visible.

However, this entire process will be recorded, and my everything… well, not everything but the edited version will be watched by the whole world.

I concentrated magic power in my eyes. My desired will was ‘Optic Nerve Awakening’.

My vision brightened blue and the far side was clearly revealed.

“…Optic Nerve Awakening.”

I even recited the incantation deliberately.

In case people didn’t know what I was doing.

Thump. Thump.

I walked slowly. I had watched Season 3’s level test live before my regression, but it was so long ago that my memory was hazy.

Keruk- Keruruk-

As I walked, tongue-clicking sounds from the right side of the straight path.

Just from those monosyllables, I could tell. Goblins.

They’re not creatures to take lightly. Because they form groups and never travel alone.

Keruk- Keruruk- Keruk-

Going a bit further, sure enough there were three Goblins near the passage. A torch hung on the wall illuminated their faces. They looked like someone had smashed them with bricks.

“…”

I quietly extended my fingertips.

Keruk- Keruruk!

Kerek!

The creatures seemed to be conversing with each other. Goblins have low durability, so if I hit between the eyes, I should be able to kill them without much difficulty.

“Fire.”

Bang.

A mana bullet penetrated one creature’s forehead. The noise was considerably reduced but there was still a blast, and immediately one more shot.

Bang.

When the second one died, the third one noticed me.

Keruruk!

It glared with bulging eyes and charged at me. It wasn’t a straight rush. Zigzag. Basic evasive maneuvers.

Clever.

I waited calmly. Until its short strides stopped right in front of my nose.

Keeeeek!

It tried to stab a blade into my neck, but bang.

I shot it between the eyes first and killed it.

No matter how small and quick, it has to stop eventually. If it doesn’t stop, it can’t attack me. I just need to not be afraid.

“Hmm…”

I picked up the torch stuck in the wall and looked up. There was a recessed space near the Labyrinth’s ceiling.

The most important thing on a battlefield is securing high ground. If I position myself there, I should be able to grasp the overall structure of the Labyrinth.

I reached my hand toward that direction.

Whoosh! Wire-form mana shot out and caught on the wall. The next moment my body floated up, and I controlled my speed appropriately to land there.

Thud!

I misjudged the ground. The impact on my left leg was severe. I collapsed while clutching my knee.

“Ugh…”

It hurts.

It hurts so much I can’t speak, but it’s bearably tolerable.

“Hah, hah…”

I exhaled and got up. Leaning firmly on my walking stick, I surveyed the Labyrinth.

The primary objective of this Labyrinth is to find the loot.

To do that… magic power.

The Labyrinth’s loot has special magic power unique to loot flowing through it.

The farther the distance, the harder it would be to detect, but with a magic power stat of 11.5 and [Good Ears, Good Eyes], it should be possible.

I concentrated magic power in my optic nerves. A special current was captured in my retina that had turned deep blue.

A flow like a long continuous line.

I should be able to follow it and proceed.

“Found it.”

I nodded while striking a cool pose.

I have to act like I know what I’m doing to get even one more shot on camera.

* * *

In the Monitoring Room of “Labyrinth Exploration NaN.” In that place where they observe participants and pick out editing points, Kim A-rang was genuinely impressed.

“Lee Jun-ho. He’s really good.”

As expected of a talent carefully nurtured by Celion, one of the Four Major Guilds. His distinctive style of wielding a long sword is very flashy and enjoyable to watch. It’s not for nothing that Murim is keeping an eye on this talent.

“Goblins lose their heads the moment they make eye contact.”

“His talent for combining muscle fibers with magic power is exceptional.”

PD Yoon Sa-hyuk’s voice was mixed with the smell of cup ramen. Kim A-rang glanced in his direction.

“…What? When did you open the ramen?”

“Just now.”

“You should have said something. I was hungry too.”

“There was only one.”

Yoon Sa-hyuk slyly turned his King Cup to the side. He was doing that because he was afraid someone might ask for a bite. There’s a reason why someone who looks perfectly fine can’t get married.

[ Lee Jun-ho Escape Complete ]

Just then, Lee Jun-ho finished.

“He finished in 17 minutes. First place.”

“He charged in recklessly. It’s not first place, he just finished first.”

“What’s the difference?”

Yoon Sa-hyuk continued speaking while eating his cup ramen.

“Lee Jun-ho was hit 7 times. He stepped on 3 traps. If it had been real combat, it could have been dangerous.”

“But it’s not real combat—”

“‘But it’s not’ has no meaning. Are we picking entertainers? We’re selecting explorers who will actually enter labyrinths.”

“…Yes, yes.”

Kim A-rang, who was pouting, looked over the other participants.

[ Ryu Yeon-hwa Escape Complete ]

Second place just came out.

Mage Ryu Yeon-hwa. She was also quite fast, but as expected, her hit count was quite high at 9 times. She stepped on 2 traps.

“What do you think about Ryu Yeon-hwa?”

“She’s a talented mage. Especially gifted in offense, but she’s careless. At this rate, she’ll become a glass cannon.”

Glass cannon. Slang referring to damage dealers with tremendous output but inversely proportional durability.

[ Seo Ji-woo Escape Complete ]

Third place was Seo Ji-woo. 0 hits. 4 traps.

“Seo Ji-woo got caught in a lot of traps. But her hit count is 0.”

“There are rumors she has mental issues.”

“Really?”

“Her older brother died about a year ago.”

Kim A-rang’s eyes widened.

“What are you, an encyclopedia? How do you know that?”

“It’s basic knowledge.”

[ Kang Hyeon Escape Complete ]

Next was Kim A-rang’s top pick… no wait. As an assistant director, she shouldn’t let personal feelings interfere.

Kang Hyeon escaped the labyrinth fourth.

0 hits. 1 trap.

“He’s perfect.”

“Indeed he is.”

This time even Yoon Sa-hyuk just smiled without much comment. That smile contained multiple meanings.

Confidence in the season being a hit.

In reality, Kang Hyeon was PD Yoon Sa-hyuk’s top pick.

Of course, “Labyrinth Exploration” featured as many as 96 young people, but ultimately the participants who drive popularity are at most 6-7 people.

Additionally, the early episodes need a ‘protagonist’ to immerse viewers. Whether a fake protagonist or real protagonist, whatever.

Yoon Sa-hyuk was quite fox-like in that regard.

Since openly featuring your top pick from the beginning could create resistance, he would put forward a fake protagonist, then at some point create a moment where viewers are suddenly drawn to the ‘real one’ and shift the weight.

This season would probably… have Lee Jun-ho play the fake protagonist role. Though a double protagonist setup might be good too.

“But Kang Hyeon is self-taught, right? I’ve never seen an individual like that before.”

“His father was an explorer.”

Did he get homeschooling from his dad? What an enviable case of like father, like son.

“Still, he has some humanity. One trap.”

“There’s one trap that’s unavoidable.”

“Really?”

An unavoidable trap. If Yoon Sa-hyuk said so, then it was so.

“Even decent active explorers would get caught if they’re careless.”

“…Ah~ I know what it is.”

Snap. Kim A-rang flicked her finger.

“That last one, right?”

“Yeah.”

Yoon Sa-hyuk threw his cup ramen container straight into the trash. He had thoroughly finished even the broth.

“I’ll leave the wrap-up to you.”

He stood up from his chair.

“Where are you going?”

“To eat. Eating ramen made me hungry.”

“…What?”

“Good work.”

What a funny guy. But Kim A-rang was also proud. Not of Yoon Sa-hyuk, but of herself beside him.

The person who wouldn’t entrust her with any work during the first season, started to gradually trust her from the latter half of Season 1, and now in this season trusted her enough to leave like this.

“Yes, yes. Have a good meal.”

No reply came. He had already left.

His speed was unnecessarily fast. As befitting someone who was once an explorer.

“…Hmm~”

Kim A-rang, grumpily resting her chin on her hand, looked over the participants still conquering the labyrinth.

* * *

I walked following the magic traces of the loot. Occasionally I encountered groups of goblins, but I killed them all. They probably didn’t even sense my presence.

The safest way to deal with enemies is to kill them from a distance.

“Seems like I’m almost there.”

Then a fork in the road appeared. The loot’s magic power continued to the right, so I naturally tried to go there but hesitated.

Kerrrk-

Signs of presence. I could sense quite a large number moving.

I crouched down and placed my hand on the road surface.

Sssssh.

I let magic power flow into the ground.

Using [Mana Manipulation] to spread magic power through the ground, I counted the number of presences caught by this wave.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.

Fifteen total.

Too many entities to handle with mana bullets. But there didn’t seem to be any other path either.

Can’t be helped.

I condensed a formula in the air.

What I wanted to achieve was humid wind. A water mist that would dampen this entire space.

“Spread.”

The moment I murmured, air rushed into the passage.

Whiiiii.

The weight of the wind was damp. The torches exposed to moisture went out one by one, and the passage was dyed pitch black.

Kerrk?

Kererrek.

The sounds of the panicked goblins were chaotic. I lowered my body. I drew the knife from my back.

It was the military dagger I actually used in the military.

I am of course a mage, but there’s no law saying mages can’t engage in close combat. A mage is ultimately a position that uses formulas to accomplish objectives.

Therefore.

“…Intent Concealment.”

I recited the incantation I needed. Though it was a formula I had never attempted before, it was completed as if I had used it many times already. A membrane of magic power clung to my body and walking stick.

I tapped the road surface with my walking stick.

No sound was made. No trace was left behind.

Nodding, I advanced while holding my breath.

The first goblin. Standing behind the one groping the wall trying to relight its torch, I stabbed with my knife below both shoulder blades—that is, ‘between the ribs in the upper back.’

When you insert a blade here, no voice comes out. Simply because the lungs are punctured.

The goblin died silently, and my actions made no sound either.

The concentration of the formula was that high.

I laid the corpse down on the road surface.

Again, I approached the one right next to it and stabbed the exact same spot.

A quiet death.

The goblin pack, unable to perceive their comrades’ assassination, not even knowing of their own deaths, fell one by one, two by two, slowly…

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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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