Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 17

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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 017

Rush(1)

After repeating Mana Circuit Training and Mana Breathing all day long, the filming day had arrived before I knew it.

“Everyone please gather!”

96 people gathered on the large set. The order of the line didn’t matter at all, but I subtly observed the situation and adjusted my position.

Should I stand behind Kang Hyeon? Near Lee Jun-ho? Or maybe Seo Ji-woo… pass on that.

I stealthily positioned my head next to Kang Hyeon’s shoulder. So I’d appear in the corner of the camera filming Kang Hyeon.

Anyway.

The structure of this set stage was unique. Long platforms were lined up on both sides, and the explorers stood in the middle.

Of course, I already knew this development.

Crackle──-

The door in the center of the stage opened and main MC Yoo Ji-in appeared. Today she was dressed in a red dress. Her entrance was always glamorous. Probably a contract condition.

“Nice to meet you.”

The explorers’ reaction to her was still full of praise.

She is indeed beautiful, but actually Yoo Ji-in isn’t that nice of a person. She’s not a good person either.

“Today’s task is… still a secret.”

Yoo Ji-in smiled brightly. The explorers whined things like “Ah~ it’s always a secret~”.

“First. The participants appearing on the screen above, please come up to the platform.”

She pointed to the center of the set stage.

[ Lee Jun-ho ]

[ Seo Ji-woo ]

[ Ryu Yeon-hwa ]

[ Kang Hyeon ]

[ Kate ]

[ Jo Woon… ]

The 1st to 12th place from the level test. They each stepped onto a platform.

“From now on, you must select a total of three team members.”

Then the remaining explorers reacted.

Wow. Whoa. What? Oh, that’s how it is? Wow. Huh.

Should I react too?

I guess I should.

“Wow.”

“First, starting with 1st place, S-tier Lee Jun-ho, you’ll select one by one.”

“Yes~”

Lee Jun-ho, who’s in 1st place, always has a smiling face. His constantly smiling appearance seems full of confidence and looks strong too.

He actually is, so whatever.

“What is Lee Jun-ho’s choice?”

“Yes. Haha. I… hmm.”

I know who he’ll pick.

Kim Woo-hyuk. Quite a young guy. He’s probably around 18 years old.

“B-tier 24th place. I’ll pick Mage Kim Woo-hyuk.”

At that moment, 13th place Kim Dong-ha’s expression hardened.

Right before my eyes, the scene I saw on TV was being recreated. Kim Dong-ha and Lee Jun-ho fight throughout the entire training camp because of this draft.

But it’s an understandable choice. “Labyrinth Exploration” is ultimately a competition, a fight that feeds on public attention.

In other words, you need to stand out.

It’s even better if ‘only’ you stand out.

Therefore, Lee Jun-ho’s best choice was someone who wasn’t particularly lacking in skill but was inferior to him, someone easy to handle.

“Next, S-tier Seo Ji-woo?”

Seo Ji-woo with her arms crossed said.

“A-tier. Warrior Kim Dong-ha.”

Kim Dong-ha, who stood on Seo Ji-woo’s platform, glared at Lee Jun-ho with a quite pissed off face. Lee Jun-ho faced him and muttered very quietly.

Off the record!

As a former fan, I quickly perked up my ears.

‘Relax your expression~ Why are you looking at me like that? I need a mage more than a warrior.’

‘Fuck off.’

‘…Ha. Bastard.’

The two of them are quite hostile.

“Next, Ryu Yeon-hwa.”

“I’ll choose A-tier Jin Ho-jong.”

Ryu Yeon-hwa chose A-tier warrior Jin Ho-jong.

“Next, Kang Hyeon?”

“I’ll pick A-tier Mage Yoon Hwa-rim.”

Kang Hyeon picked an A-tier, 16th place mage. The female mage who became Kang Hyeon’s first pick stood behind him with a reddened face.

“Next Kate…”

In that manner, a total of 48 people formed 12 teams.

Of course I wasn’t picked, and still half, a full 48 people remained.

“The selection for A Team has been completed.”

Yoo Ji-in reached toward another platform opposite to A Team’s platform.

“Now among the unselected personnel, those with the highest ranks – 44th, 45th, 50th… 57th, 58th place, please come up to the platform.”

Twelve people from the lower ranks stood on the platform. Then the color of the platform changed. A Team was a sparkling prism, while B Team was a dull earth color.

A very familiar system. “Labyrinth Exploration’s” characteristic skill layers. An intuitive distinction between the dirt spoon team and gold spoon team.

“Starting from D-tier 44th place, you’ll select team members in the same way.”

Main MC Yoo Ji-in quite blatantly doesn’t call out the names of the lower ranks.

* * *

…I was picked 90th by B12 Team. There are six people behind me, but it’s actually meaningless. I was picked early by force because a mage is essential for the team.

“Let’s do well! Since it’s come to this!”

The team leader is 58th place archer Im Hae-jun.

The guy who wore a ribbon during the 1-minute self-introduction.

“Yes. Let’s do well.”

“Fighting.”

61st place warrior Jin Yoon-hwa, 73rd place swordsman Ichigo (Japanese). Plus 96th place Seol Ha-woon. These four people make up the team.

“Everyone please pay attention.”

Everyone focused on Yoo Ji-in’s words.

“On the right is A Team. Starting with S-tier Lee Jun-ho as the standard, it continues as A1 Team, A2 Team.”

Team classification. The faces at the front of A Team – Lee Jun-ho, Kang Hyeon, Seo Ji-woo and so on – are beautiful and radiant.

“On the left is B Team. Starting with 44th place as the standard, it’s B1 Team.”

On the other hand, we’re incredibly weak… Instead, our team leader’s face isn’t too bad. The kid is quite cute-looking, kind of resembles a Pomeranian.

“Everyone let’s work hard! Fighting!”

58th, 61st, 73rd, 96th place. Despite being a desperate force with an average rank of 72nd place, the sight of them putting their fists together is also endearing.

“Now I’ll reveal the task.”

Yoo Ji-in said.

Cargo escort.

“It’s cargo escort.”

Cargo Dungeons belong to quite a common type among Labyrinths. A Labyrinth where the Loot itself is the cargo.

If you don’t take the cargo outside the Labyrinth, the Labyrinth won’t close, and enemies inside will keep respawning. Therefore, you’ll face fierce attacks from Labyrinth enemies while transporting the cargo.

Simply put, think of it as a beehive and a swarm of bees. Would the bees just sit still while someone steals their honey?

The difference is that if you don’t get the beehive outside, the bees respawn infinitely, and eventually the bees come out of the hive and shoot people to death like killer bees?

“This assignment is a cooperative mission between A Team and B Team.”

Cooperative mission.

At that moment, the atmosphere became tense.

“A Team will handle transport, and B Team will handle escort.”

In Cargo Dungeons, transport and escort are originally separated.

Therefore, A Team takes on transport, which is considered relatively difficult, while B Team takes on the role of escorting them from close or long range.

“This time, opposite to the previous draft, A12 Team will choose B Team first.”

“Yes, I’ll… huh?”

Lee Jun-ho, who had raised his hand triumphantly, stopped abruptly. Yoo Ji-in gestured to him and explained.

“A12 Team has the first pick. Lee Jun-ho’s A1 Team is last.”

Lee Jun-ho finally made a disappointed face. His always smiling expression went flat.

He even clicked his tongue as if dissatisfied. While doing so, he glanced at me – could it be because of me?

I’m B12 Team, so we’d likely pair with A1 Team.

“A12 Team leader Ji Woon-yul?”

“Yes. I choose B1 Team.”

A12 Team naturally chose B1 Team, next A11 Team chose B2 Team, and the predictable love stick pattern continued…

“A4 Team leader, Kang Hyeon.”

It was Kang Hyeon’s turn.

He looked at Yoo Ji-in and said.

“A4 Team chooses B12 Team.”

B12. That was our team.

A slight stir occurred on the Stage. I was quite surprised too.

B9, B10, B11 were still available, yet they chose us?

“Wow!”

Im Hae-jun was so excited his eyes sparkled as he clenched both fists, and Lee Jun-ho’s expression brightened.

It really was because of me, wasn’t it.

“Next. A3 Team.”

“…Yes.”

Seo Ji-woo stepped forward with a sour expression.

“B9.”

Continuing, A2 took B10, A1 took B11.

All teams except one were properly connected.

“Finally, we’ll draw the Scout Card and target Labyrinth.”

Scout.

Labyrinths require mandatory investigation before conquest, and these are the people who do that preliminary work. Since we can’t actually hire real scouts for various reasons, it’s simplified with cards.

Yoo Ji-in conjured twelve cards in the air.

“Among these twelve cards, there are S-rank scouts and F-rank scouts. Information about the Labyrinth interior will vary depending on the rank.”

Scouts are important. It’s no exaggeration to say they’re the most important. Having wandered many Battlefields, I’m certain of this. One very detailed piece of information can either save or kill an entire team.

“Team leaders, please consult with each other and choose which card to draw.”

“Ah! Yes!”

Im Hae-jun smiled brightly and went down from the Platform. He trotted over to Kang Hyeon and they seemed to consult with each other.

I listened carefully.

“Kang Hyeon, you draw!”

It wasn’t consultation but recommendation.

Kang Hyeon, pushed by Im Hae-jun, chose one card. The card’s contents appeared on a large monitor.

[ C-rank Scout : Tired Jae-seung ]

[ Target Labyrinth : Deep Forest ]

The Scout Card was C-rank.

Right in the middle.

“Wow, good! C-rank is sufficient!”

Im Hae-jun clapped for Kang Hyeon.

Not sufficient, but not the worst either.

“Woaaah──!”

“Wooo! Golden hands!”

Then Seo Ji-woo’s A3-B9 team alliance burst into cheers.

[ S-rank Scout : Perfect Freelancer Ji Hyeon-ju ]

[ Target Labyrinth : Undying Earth ]

Seo Ji-woo had drawn an S-rank scout.

“…Yes. Quite interesting, isn’t it?”

Yoo Ji-in smiled. Within it was hysteria saying shut up because you’re noisy. The others don’t seem to notice, but I can see it.

“Teams that have drawn Scout Cards, please move to the conference room. Meeting time is a total of 3 hours…”

* * *

Our team moved to the Conference Room. Cameras were installed everywhere, and four or five staff members were also seated in the same place.

“What should we do?!”

Im Hae-jun asked Kang Hyeon like an excited puppy.

“First, let’s check the Labyrinth’s internal structure. Our scout is C-rank, so it’ll be hard to trust it completely.”

As Kang Hyeon said, the details would be poor.

I don’t know about this Cargo Dungeon in great detail either. It’s from a while ago, and the broadcast is heavily edited.

The conquest will take at least 12 hours, but this process gets condensed to 20-40 minutes per team.

“I’ll insert the card first.”

Kang Hyeon inserted the Scout Card into the conference desk. Then a hologram whirred up into the air.

It was information about the Labyrinth interior investigated by the scout.

“…There are gaps here and there. What do you think, Im Hae-jun?”

Kang Hyeon touched his chin and asked Im Hae-jun.

“Ah, me!”

Suddenly Im Hae-jun raised his hand. Kang Hyeon and the team members looked at him. What important thing would he say?

“You can speak casually to me!”

“…Ah. Yes.”

“Casually!”

“…Okay.”

Im Hae-jun grinned widely. Kang Hyeon and his team members looked dumbfounded.

I clicked my tongue.

This is quite bad.

As expected, Im Hae-jun was someone lacking leadership qualities.

During Cooperative Operations, no matter how strong the other party is, even if a Navy SEAL veteran comes, a leader must never bow their head.

Regardless of skill differences, in situations where each person has their own purpose and role, if one side acts too much like a loser, the team’s balance itself gets ruined.

“Then Hae-jun.”

“Hae-jun doesn’t have to do it either!”

Im Hae-jun even acted cute to the very end. Then the 26th-ranked warrior, Lee Jong-soo, frowned and intervened.

“Let’s focus on strategy rather than socializing.”

This is how the entire team gets ignored because of the leader.

Kang Hyeon gave a data briefing from the Scout Card.

“The cargo is underground, and the opponent is an Orc Village. Even though it’s small-scale, hundreds will come rushing. Mages, please interpret the traps.”

“Yes~”

Yoon Hwa-rim stepped forward. I also tried to take a step forward, but suddenly someone reached out to stop me.

It was that warrior Lee Jong-soo.

I bit my teeth slightly.

“I’m also a mage.”

“…I know. Just let her go first. Opinions might get mixed up unnecessarily. Hwa-rim went to Magic School.”

How ridiculous.

Having stepped back, I glared at Im Hae-jun for no reason.

He’s grinning without knowing anything. How can his head be such a flower garden.

“Fortunately, there don’t seem to be many traps.”

Yoon Hwa-rim seemed to have already analyzed the Labyrinth.

“I’ll try planning an entry route.”

She sat at another table. Only then did I walk over to the desk and examine the Labyrinth’s information.

[ Medium-Scale Orc Village ]

Boss: Orc Chief

Soldiers: Orc Warriors, Orc Archers.

Terrain: Basin, Coniferous Forest.

Cargo Location: Underground Tunnel of the Orc Village

Magic Power Information Inside Labyrinth: ….

The scout’s information includes, in addition to this, the Magic Power situation inside the Labyrinth.

In other words, it means investigating and providing how the Labyrinth’s Magic Power circulates and what the total amount of Magic Power is, and mages can determine the presence of traps based on that data.

This is because traps themselves are artificial Magic Formulas.

In that regard, as Yoon Hwa-rim said, there don’t seem to be many traps… but.

Considering that the source of this information is a C-rank scout, if I look a bit more carefully.

“…There’s too much Magic Power compared to the number of orcs.”

The maximum number of monsters inside a Labyrinth is determined by the amount of Magic Power in the Labyrinth. With this level of Magic Power, it wouldn’t be strange to have over 500 orcs, but the actual number of orcs is only 300.

It’s one of two things.

Either another group is hiding somewhere lurking, or a completely separate variable exists.

“For now, I see about three routes. The loot is in the Underground Tunnel, and when you come out from there, there are three forks in the road. I’ll recommend the third fork.”

Meanwhile, Yoon Hwa-rim had already made a plan.

Yoon Hwa-rim’s third fork was to enter underground of the Orc Village, steal the cargo, and transport it through the Field.

“What’s your reasoning?”

Kang Hyeon asked.

“It’s simple. It’s easy to get in, and easy to come out with the cargo too.”

Yoon Hwa-rim answered confidently. Simple is best.

Kang Hyeon looked around at us.

“What does the escort team think?”

His gaze was strangely fixed on me. Im Hae-jun jumped up to block it.

“I, I’m the team leader!”

“I know.”

“Ah…”

Im Hae-jun shrank at Kang Hyeon’s words. Kang Hyeon looked at me again.

“I heard you were in the Military.”

“Military? Ah, so that’s why your leg…”

Warrior Lee Jong-soo glanced at my leg.

I quietly met Kang Hyeon’s eyes. Kang Hyeon didn’t avoid them either. My eyebrows trembled at that entanglement of gazes.

Kang Hyeon’s pupils are a bit strange. Something empty, or perhaps hollow, like no emotions can be felt.

Does this guy have depression?

“You probably don’t have any. Just according to my plan-“

Yoon Hwa-rim raised her hand.

“No.”

I cut off her words.

“More than 70% of escort work is about movement routes. If the route goes wrong, situations arise where even escort becomes meaningless. In that regard.”

I displayed the route Yoon Hwa-rim just recommended on the hologram.

“Yoon Hwa-rim’s route doesn’t look good at all.”

I contradicted Yoon Hwa-rim to her face. Yoon Hwa-rim’s expression naturally crumpled, and the staff became agitated.

However, it can’t be helped. For my broadcast screen time, and for the success of the Labyrinth.

In this Labyrinth, I’m absolutely right.

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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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