Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 162
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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 162
Eight(6)
[Weekly Vote Rankings]
１. Kang Hyeon ( – )
２. Kate ( – )
３. Lee Jun-ho ( – )
４. Seol Ha-woon ( +1 )
５. Seo Ji-woo ( -1 )
６. Jo Woon ( +1 )
7. Ryu Yeon-hwa ( -1 )
8. Kim Dong-ha ( – )
9. Yoon Hwa-rim ( +2 )
10. Im Hae-jun ( – )
* * *
│Fan Signing Winner Verification│Won Kang Hyeon fan signing lol At first I was applying for those in the 40-50th place range and just planning to watch my bias from afar, but I fairly chose Kang Hyeon and won. I was at work when I got the text and screamed lol─Damn, I’m jealous─But you can only get autographs from the explorer you applied for, right?└Yeah, but you can look around while going back and forth.
Since Mitamnan only had 50 people, you had to select a specific explorer when applying. It was possible to use the trick of choosing someone with lower competition instead of giving up on autographs, but Lee Si-ah fairly chose Seol Ha-woon and won.
“Phew…”
Now she had entered the fan signing hall and was waiting in her seat following the staff’s guidance.
She was nervous. What kind of person would Seol Ha-woon be when she actually met him?
She clenched and unclenched her hands, then turned on her smartphone again.
[Breaking News: Identity of Nowon District murder victim confirmed as Labyrinth Exploration NaN 57th place Kim Hyeok-jin. Grudge relationship suspected…]
Whoa.
The rumor that Kim Hyeok-jin had been murdered had been circulating since yesterday, and breaking news just came out.
“…The world is scary.”
As Lee Si-ah was skimming through the article.
“Ah shit, when does this start. I don’t have time, fuck.”
Quite rough language. Insolent behavior of crossing legs and tapping the front chair with toes.
Lee Si-ah’s brow furrowed. That guy won too.
“Ha, fucking boring.”
A famous troublemaker. His SNS account name was @thisdudeagain.
First, you could tell from the telephoto camera hanging around his neck that he was a photo fanatic, a homma. He took photos at almost mage level, so he was practically a paparazzi.
Not all photo fanatics were bad people of course, but this guy was bad.
A real malicious of malicious who frequently appeared not only in the exploration world but also in the entertainment industry. The king of troublemakers. Yet agencies and guilds couldn’t easily blacklist him.
Because there was no telling what kind of photos this person might obtain through what channels. He was a psychopath who would blow up dating rumors or whatever on SNS if you got on his bad side.
And this guy had apparently been eyeing Seol Ha-woon lately.
Lee Si-ah, annoyed for no reason, twisted her body to block the camera angle.
“Ah, what. Move.”
An immediate reaction came.
“What.”
“…Ah, shit.”
He also recognized my face and changed his camera position without saying much.
─Hello everyone. I’m Lee Chan-woong, the MC for the Labyrinth Exploration NaN fan signing event.
Just then the host appeared.
Finally, the fan signing begins.
* * *
All 50 first-round survivors gathered for this Labyrinth Exploration NaN fan signing event.
Originally it would have been 38 people since quite a few explorers had been eliminated, but they called everyone together to prevent spoilers.
“Everyone just go sit in the spots marked for you.”
The spacious fan signing hall was divided into open booth format. It looked like 50 explorers each occupied one booth.
Among the waiting winners, there were quite a few people in their 40s and 50s as well as those in their 20s and 30s.
[The highest cable TV ratings in South Korea since Dangun. Number 1 in OTT viewing time for 5 consecutive weeks. Labyrinth Exploration NaN has caused a huge sensation worldwide…]
The VCR before the signing event started was about bragging how successful Mitamnan was, and individual videos of about 3 seconds each that the explorers had filmed.
─We will now begin the fan signing event.
I also took a deep breath.
“Go out everyone. Work hard~”
All 50 Mitamnan members went up on stage.
The fans applauded, and we each sat in our designated booths.
Click. Clickclickclickclick. Clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick.
There were tons of camera shutter sounds. They were cannon-like cameras. It was distracting for no reason.
─First. Those who drew number 1 tickets for each explorer, please come up.
The first customer was, surprisingly, a middle-aged man who looked about 20 years older than me.
“Hello.”
He smiled and extended his hand. I acquired one piece of information at the moment of that handshake.
“Hello.”
“Oh my, I’m getting all nervous.”
“Please relax.”
“Ahaha… This is my first time doing something like this. But fortunately I can see there are quite a few people my age too…”
“That makes sense.”
“See, seeing you in person, you’re even bigger in build. That, that thing from your military days seems to still remain…”
He kept stammering as if it was hard to speak casually.
“Please speak comfortably. It’s okay.”
“Yes, yes. Originally my son was a Seo Ji-woo fan, but as I watched along with him, somehow…”
“You were a former soldier, weren’t you?”
“Huh?!”
He was startled.
“How, how did you know?”
I gestured to his hands.
“When we shook hands. I can tell just from the location of the calluses. You must have been in actual combat for quite a long time.”
Just from the location and size of the calluses, it was at least 20 years.
“Well… I was commissioned at 21 and served my full term for 34 years.”
He spoke proudly as if it was nothing special. He looked younger than his age.
“Thanks to Ha-woon, the perception of soldiers has improved tremendously these days. I can even brag to my kids now. I’m truly grateful.”
“I’m the one who’s more grateful.”
“Ah, why is it taking so long!”
Suddenly, the sound of barking came from somewhere.
“Oh no, I’m taking up time-”
“It’s fine. Just ignore them. Please bring all of those up too. I’ll sign them for you.”
His name was Jin Kyeong-hyeon. A retired soldier.
I signed all of his goods. We also talked about military-related topics.
By coincidence, he was a master sergeant from a unit I had briefly visited when I was still a trainee.
“Please continue your great work. These days, retired soldiers live for the joy of watching Mitamnan. Haha.”
“Thank you.”
He left with a bright smile like a child.
Next, the second person.
“Hello…”
This time it was a young woman. She approached hesitantly and sat down.
“My name is Si-ah.”
I looked at her intently.
“You came to the Live Labyrinth before too, didn’t you?”
Si-ah’s eyes widened instantly.
“H-how did you know?”
“I’m pretty good at remembering faces.”
“Oh…”
Her cheeks trembled as if she was moved.
It’s amazing and overwhelming. Can someone be this happy just from a single word that I remembered them?
“Yes, yes. Actually, since episode 1… I’ve been a Seol Ha-woon fan.”
“It must have been hard being a fan back then.”
“Yes… So I made a lot of memes and stuff.”
“Thanks to that, my recognition probably went up a bit. Thank you.”
“I, I also… I pulled this.”
Si-ah held out a card.
“Oh?!”
A Seol Ha-woon Gold Card.
“You just brought this with you?”
It feels a bit odd for me to say this as the person involved, but this must be incredibly expensive. It’s like carrying at least 500 million won in cash.
“Yes… Actually, I thought it would be better if you had it rather than me…”
“Absolutely not.”
I placed my Rookie Card in front of me.
“Watch carefully.”
I wove magic power into the form of a pen.
This much is easy now. Magic power is as familiar as moving my fingers and toes, or maybe even more so.
I’m gradually reaching the level where I could juggle magic power even while sleeping.
“From Gold tier and above, this card is practically an artifact.”
Scratch. Scratch. I carved my signature onto the card.
“When you imbue letters with magic power on ordinary paper, it usually doesn’t last more than three days… though my magic power might last about a month.”
This isn’t arrogance or conceit. These days, my nickname after Jemal-ol is apparently Gao-seol. It has a similar sound to Gao-gal.
Anyway, my talent is real and special compared to any other mage.
“This Gold Card is an artifact imbued with pure magic essence, so my magic power signature gets permanently preserved like this.”
Seol Ha-woon’s signature was inscribed in blue, completely embedded.
“It will never disappear.”
A large magic power signature was carved on the back of this Gold Card.
“Wow…”
Si-ah stared with her mouth agape. She looked like someone possessed by a ghost.
Honestly, I’m also curious about how much this will be worth in the distant future. Won’t it be much more expensive than Prism Cards?
“This is a gift only for Si-ah, who’s been watching since I was ranked 96th.”
I returned the card to Si-ah. Si-ah looked back and forth between the card and me with tears in her eyes.
“Never carelessly show this to other people. And later, if you’re in real trouble or need money, put it up for auction.”
“Th-thank you! I’ll never sell it. Oh, and I bought these as gifts.”
She gave me quite a lot of various things, and I accepted them all.
“And please sign here…”
“Of course.”
I signed everything – Mitamnan photo cards, diary, laminated Seol Ha-woon photos, and more.
“Th-then I’ll be going. This was fun.”
Bow.
“Si-ah. I’ll remember you. See you again.”
“Yes, yes!”
Si-ah left, nodding her head repeatedly.
Next.
This time a student came up.
“I, I…”
She hesitated as well. Am I that scary?
“It’s okay. Tell me.”
When I deliberately smiled, she finally approached brightly and held something out.
“Oppa! Could you please wear this just once?!”
“Uh…”
It was a bunny ear headband. Her eyes sparkled so much that I had no choice but to put it on, and at that moment, click.
The sound of a photo being taken.
I wonder if this is right, but it’s the sound of recognition rising. If I can bring joy, I’m willing to do this much.
“…Oppa. You’re really much more handsome in person. The camera director needs some criticism!”
I sign autographs, have conversations, receive gifts, and take photos together.
What I give in return is just listening and sincerity. Plus, a small spell to help them sleep well tonight.
When about ten or so people had gone by like this.
Waaaaaah-! Waaaaaah-!
A child was crying somewhere.
“Hey, make that kid stop crying!”
“Sorry, sorry. I don’t know why he’s acting like this.”
“No, really, why would you bring a kid here!”
A crying child. A mother holding the child. Someone harassing that mother.
I spoke to the staff behind me.
“I’ll see that person first. The baby.”
“Ah, yes.”
Waaaah- Waaaah-
The mother came up with the crying child.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Really. Suddenly…”
“What is there to be sorry about?”
I looked at the child. The moment the child met my eyes, the crying stopped.
“Oh my, he…”
“They say he always stops crying when he sees this guy. What’s your name?”
She gave a bitter smile.
“Ah. I’m Lee Yoon-seol. Actually… I just happened to buy one pack of those cards and won. My child’s father is away on a business trip starting this week, so I wasn’t going to come.”
“If you won, you should come.”
Winning is luck. There’s no reason anywhere that she should give up her joy just because she’s a mother.
I gently stroked the child’s cheek and smiled.
“I’m envious. This child. I don’t have a mother, you see.”
“Ah…”
It’s a joke but she’s not laughing. This is why my sense of humor.
“I’m joking.”
“Ah~ hahaha. Phew. I was just wondering if I shouldn’t have brought her.”
For me, it’s something to be envious of. A world I’ve never experienced even once.
“Here, I wrote questions on Post-it notes and brought them…”
I had a conversation with Ms. Lee Yoon-seol. The child’s name, her job, what got her into Mitamnan, and so on.
“I brought quite a lot, so just these ones-”
“No. I’ll do all of them. Give me everything.”
After that, I signed her goods, and I cast a formula on the child’s swaddling cloth.
This time I designed it a bit more meticulously.
So it could last at least a month even without a medium. So the child could sleep even a little better.
“Thank you. I’ll keep voting! Yoon-seo, you say goodbye too~”
The mother and child waved together as they left.
“Then… let’s do that person next.”
I pointed to one person to the staff.
The person who’s looked extremely dissatisfied since earlier, yelling to hurry up and not block the camera at every opportunity.
It’s better that she got me instead.
If she had gone to someone like Im Hae-jun, she would have tormented him for ages.
“What the hell. Why are you doing this?”
She starts having a fit as soon as the staff helps her stand up.
“I paid my own money and won to come here, so why are you doing this? Don’t you know who I am?”
“That’s why we’re letting you go first.”
“…Ah. First? Special treatment?”
Only then does she trudge over and climb up to the platform. She walks over majestically and sits across from me.
Close enough that her nose would break if I threw a punch.
I asked her.
“What’s your name?”
“Wow, so businesslike. Don’t you usually make small talk before asking for names?”
“Your name.”
“…You need to learn how to talk to fans better. It’s Jin Yeon-hee.”
Jin Yeon-hee.
Jin Yeon-hee?
My brow furrowed slightly.
“Wow, your skin is really white up close.”
She suddenly reaches out her finger and presses my cheek.
Press press. Press press.
“Is it rice cake or what. What cosmetics do you use?”
“…Aha.”
Press press. Press press.
While being pressed.
I remembered.
[…Popular idol group VAN member Lee Tae-hwan suicide. Cause is sasaeng fan’s threats?]
[Desperate suicide note filled with curses and sorrow… Family petitions for severe punishment]
Around next year, based on before my regression, it was an incident that caused quite a stir.
A first-tier idol member in his third year after debut committed suicide, and the fans who went completely insane spread his personal information indiscriminately, plastering the name Jin Yeon-hee all over various communities.
“…Ah, but you know. I know we can’t get spoilers this time, but who was the most annoying person?”
“There wasn’t anyone annoying-”
“It’s Lee Jong-soo, right. Lee Jong-soo? I knew it. You honestly wanted to kick out Lee Jong-soo but held back, right? Because you were short on offenders.”
She doesn’t even listen to what I’m saying and chatters like a machine gun.
Everything is her own interpretation of my actions in the broadcast.
“…No-”
“Come on, what do you mean no. I know everything. I understand.”
Even with the person in question right in front of her, she won’t accept any disagreement. As if she’s someone who knows all my thoughts.
“You didn’t just do magic for 7 months, right? You practiced here and there during your military service and then act like a genius. Just tell me.”
I stared intently at Jin Yeon-hee. Jin Yeon-hee smiled smugly as if she knew.
“That’s also a fact, as expected. And you know what. Did you never have a mom and dad from the beginning? I mean, this is also important…”
“Yeon-hee.”
I called Jin Yeon-hee’s name.
People usually shut up when you call their name.
“Why are there some people who get abandoned in the middle among orphans, and some who get abandoned from the beginning…”
This person is not normal.
More action is needed.
“Jin Yeon-hee.”
Thud.
I placed my hand on the back of hers.
The motor-like mouth stopped. Jin Yeon-hee blinked and looked down at her hand.
“…Huh?”
“Do you know this?”
Grip. I grabbed it so she couldn’t escape.
“Long ago, there was this uncle who would come looking for you saying ‘you bastard’ when you did bad things.”
My sense is too old-fashioned, so this is the only analogy I can give.
“What are you talking about…”
Sometimes there are people with twisted desires who act badly because they want to be remembered meaningfully, or who want to become special even by causing trouble on purpose.
You should look at who you’re dealing with before doing such things.
“I’m only telling you this.”
I lowered my decibel level. I leaned my head forward. I shook my hair to let it fall like a curtain.
This way, the camera filming from the side can’t see my expression, and my gaze converges only on the person in front.
The advantage of long hair.
“You see, I have.”
I looked at Jin Yeon-hee. Without any emotion, just with a cold expressionless face, opening only my eyes wide.
“A radar that detects such bad people…”
As if whispering a very important secret to a young child.
“A radar.”
I shared my secret.
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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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