Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 174

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

Labyrinth Exploration 101 Episode 174

 

As world caves in(10)

 

The long, cold passage leading to the rocket launch vehicle. Kate followed behind Seol Ha-woon, but her mind was complicated. The analysis results from the authentication panel were clear.

 

Clone.

 

Since when had he been one?

 

From the moment he entered the Labyrinth?

 

There was no way to know for certain. This was the Labyrinth. A place where common sense and causality twisted, where the boundary between truth and falsehood became ambiguous. If she let her guard down even slightly, she would lose herself as well.

 

“You seem deep in thought.”

 

Suddenly, Seol Ha-woon, who had been walking ahead, stopped and turned around. His two eyes seemed to pierce right through her.

 

Kate forced herself to hide her expression.

 

“…I was just thinking whether other explorers might come here.”

 

“Probably just the two of us in America.”

 

Seol Ha-woon was resolute. His certainty struck Kate as strange.

 

“Let’s go in.”

 

Before she knew it, the rocket’s gate had opened. The two entered inside. The interior was filled with complex dashboards.

 

“There isn’t much time left now.”

 

Seol Ha-woon scattered magic power in front of the rocket panel and console. He was trying to detect any potential internal dangers through sequence.

 

Kate hesitated for a moment.

 

How should she deal with him? This Seol Ha-woon was a clone. However, the fact that he was a clone must not be discovered. If he found out he was fake, even Seol Ha-woon wouldn’t be able to handle it.

 

He might go mad and try to kill me.

 

No, he might even try to kill the original Seol Ha-woon.

 

He was that dangerous. A Seol Ha-woon who could use both legs was stronger than the original. If both were under perfectly equal conditions, the one with intact legs would win.

 

Therefore, she had to eliminate him here and now. She had to let him die in this Labyrinth.

 

Her magic power was nearly depleted, but Seol Ha-woon’s condition wasn’t particularly good either.

 

Kate composed her expression as much as possible.

 

“The rocket will launch soon.”

 

Seol Ha-woon manipulated the dashboard while checking his wristwatch. Only six hours remained until Doomsday.

 

“The scavengers outside…?”

 

“The Dales on the underground floors will buy us time. Even though most are defective, there are many of them.”

 

Kate finally realized why he had kept One-Eyed Dale alive. Even in that moment, he had calculated the utility value.

 

“…”

 

Seol Ha-woon continued preparing for the rocket launch. Kate stared at his defenseless back. Conflict raged in her mind.

 

Though she had decided to kill him, memories of their mere five days together came flooding back.

 

She had learned much from him. Without him, she might have already died in this place filled with malice.

 

Right now, the person before my eyes is not the real Seol Ha-woon.

 

He’s not real.

 

…He’s not the Seol Ha-woon who killed Percival.

 

Kate shook her head. She pulled herself out of falling into the Labyrinth’s trap.

 

[Cryogenic sleep mode activation available]

 

[Passenger vital signs confirmed stable]

 

[Minor damage to hull section confirmed]

 

“There’s a broken part.”

 

“…Do we need parts?”

 

“No. I can fix it.”

 

Seol Ha-woon calmly checked the panel’s message.

 

“…”

 

Kate suppressed her killing intent.

 

Let’s keep him alive until Seol Ha-woon fixes the rocket. He’s still a person with utility value.

 

He examined the damaged section of the rocket wall. Opening the metal plate, he connected severed wires and circuits with duct tape, and meticulously repaired the ruptured parts.

 

Kate watched him concentrate on the repairs.

 

She had to make a decision. She couldn’t leave with him like this.

 

Just because he was a Labyrinth Person?

 

Thump… Thump…

 

The reverberations echoing through the Space Center interior grew closer and closer. Gunshots could also be faintly heard. The scavengers were fighting the Dales.

 

“…”

 

Kate looked at Seol Ha-woon’s backpack sprawled on the floor. There were three vials of mana liquid inside. She carefully drew them over with telekinesis and injected them into her arm.

 

Magic power surged within her.

 

This much would be enough to fight and win.

 

[Damaged area repair complete]

 

[Final launch system check in progress… No problems]

 

“It’s done.”

 

Kate preheated her magic power. The moment she resolved to act, Seol Ha-woon suddenly turned around.

 

Without realizing it, she froze.

 

“Ah, there’s one more problem.”

 

“Another one?”

 

“Yes. Please step back a few steps.”

 

“Back…”

 

“Do you see something like a threshold there? That’s the part.”

 

Seol Ha-woon peered into the panel, and Kate stepped back three or four steps as he instructed.

 

Then.

 

Thunk!

 

Suddenly the gate slammed down. Exactly at the threshold Seol Ha-woon had pointed to. Thick reinforced glass divided the space between them.

 

Kate rushed to press against the glass window.

 

“What the hell are you doing right now-”

 

─Ms. Kate. That place is the rocket launch vehicle.

 

Seol Ha-woon leisurely brushed his hair. Kate quickly formed a Magic Spear.

 

─And this part where I’m standing is merely the fuel tank.

 

You’ve been tricked. His eyes twitched playfully.

 

─I’ll handle things down here. The scavengers will probably arrive faster than expected.

 

“…What did you say?”

 

Kate’s pupils wavered momentarily.

 

Seol Ha-woon continued speaking quietly.

 

─Ms. Kate. Did you think I wouldn’t know?

 

In that moment Kate held her breath. She looked into Seol Ha-woon’s eyes through the glass window.

 

─With that much hesitation, you won’t be able to kill anyone.

 

He seemed to have no hesitation.

 

It wasn’t resignation. It wasn’t sadness either.

 

Just the heart of someone fulfilling their duty.

 

─I know myself better than you do.

 

The spear that had formed in Kate’s hand slowly scattered away. She blankly lowered both hands.

 

─I am Seol Ha-woon. But I am not the ‘real’ one.

 

His voice was calm. As if he had known for a long time already.

 

─So I should stay here.

 

Kate’s lips went dry. She lowered her head in shame she couldn’t understand.

 

The thoughts of trying to use him until the very end surged back and twisted her insides.

 

─Kate. You resemble Colonel Percival.

 

Kate’s shoulders trembled.

 

Seol Ha-woon’s gaze lingered somewhere distant for a moment. As if recalling that person who had once been with him.

 

─However, I will not apologize to you. I will not reveal anything about that day to you.

 

Seol Ha-woon’s eyes flowed back to Kate. Kate also raised her face to look at him.

 

He is a clone. A being who inherited all of the original Seol Ha-woon’s memories and principles intact.

 

A real that is no different from a fake.

 

That’s why….

 

─If you want to hate such a me, you may do so as much as you wish. I will not lose.

 

He does not avoid hatred. He does not sell others out to save face.

 

─Instead, I would like to give you one piece of advice.

 

The words such a person wanted to convey to her.

 

─Please do not be defeated by malice.

 

The dull tone resonated low through the speaker.

 

─Be wary that your malice and malice that is not yours do not devour yourself.

 

Kate stared at him blankly.

 

“…Will you be alright?”

 

She asked without realizing it.

 

“Even if you stay here alone.”

 

The end of her barely uttered words cracked thinly.

 

─Yes. It will be nothing special.

 

Seol Ha-woon smiled. The first smile she had seen that carried the warmth of the human Seol Ha-woon.

 

─Nothing special.

 

Kate forgot to answer. Her mind went completely blank.

 

[Final launch countdown initiated. Hatch closing.]

 

─Well then, farewell.

 

Seol Ha-woon turned his body back toward the outside of the rocket.

 

Kate watched intently through the transparent glass window as his retreating figure grew distant, his limping gait.

 

Bang!

 

With a heavy resonance, the titanium gate separated the space.

 

He left, and I remained.

 

* * *

 

The process of recognizing myself was difficult. It was an endless series of rejections.

 

I will not lie.

 

I hoped it wasn’t true.

 

I too wished that I was real.

 

However, there is probably no one who doubts me as much as I do.

 

There is probably no one who believes in me less than I do, and no one who believes in me more than I do.

 

I simply act according to my principles.

 

“…Anonymous.”

 

Suddenly, the beginning of this labyrinth, the moment I opened my eyes, came to mind.

 

At this point, I became curious about what happened to the ‘original’ Seol Ha-woon.

 

Probably… he would have followed almost the same path as me. However, since he had trouble with one leg, he would have been a bit slower.

 

Perhaps he too tried to access the doom net and leave comments.

 

But seeing the comment I left first, he might have thought ‘there’s someone who thinks similarly’ and sent a note.

 

[Anonymous : Are you an explorer?]

 

And I might have replied to him.

 

[Yeah]

 

“…Interesting.”

 

I think.

 

What defines me as me.

 

And what makes me someone who is not me.

 

There is only one thing.

 

Belief in oneself.

 

Therefore, there is no reason to resent the situation. No need to be sad or hate.

 

If it were Seol Ha-woon, he would definitely make the same choice as I am making now.

 

I am that kind of person.

 

Thud──-!

 

A loud noise echoed from outside as if trying to forcibly break down the hangar door. The Scavengers had reached right in front. It seemed One-Eyed Dale and the other failures had failed. Failures had reasons for being failures.

 

Sorry, Dale.

 

I’ll fulfill your calling in your place.

 

Rumble───-!

 

The sound of metal being crushed grew louder. Did they bring siege weapons?

 

But they won’t be able to use indiscriminate firepower either. If the rocket is destroyed, they’ll all die too.

 

[Final launch sequence confirmation complete.]

 

A completion message appeared on the panel.

 

The rocket will launch in 15 minutes, as scheduled.

 

Crash──-!

 

Finally, the crushed hangar door burst open inward. Dust clouds and rough curses poured in first.

 

“Damn, that was fucking solid.”

 

“Hey, go straight to the rocket… shit, what’s with that bastard?”

 

Beyond the door, the Scavengers’ eyes widened as they discovered me standing alone. They looked back and forth between the rocket and me.

 

I said to the uninvited guests.

 

“Sorry, but you can’t enter without a card.”

 

“What the fuck is he saying, hey! Kill that bastard!”

 

One impatient guy immediately pulled the rifle trigger.

 

They’re rude, but not bad.

 

I need to end this as quickly as possible anyway.

 

So Kate can leave safely.

 

And so I can prepare for my end.

 

I drew the pistol from my holster.

 

* * *

 

──The battle was over.

 

All the scavengers were dead, and the rocket was successfully launched.

 

I left the Space Center and walked across the wasteland. I threw off the cumbersome gas mask onto the ground and walked forward calmly, then leaned against the only remaining tree stump and sat down.

 

My whole body was covered in blood and I didn’t have the strength to move a finger, but this was fine.

 

It was satisfying enough.

 

Today had been a fairly decent day.

 

I learned one more thing about myself.

 

Now I had come to trust myself completely.

 

“Haah….”

 

I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

 

The dome lid of the Space Center opened, and I could see the rocket launch vehicle flying through the sky.

 

The rocket dropped objects that interfered with its flight one by one as it glided higher. The launch vehicle that would penetrate space was less than 1/10th of that massive rocket.

 

Only by discarding, by discarding again and again, could it rise higher.

 

I checked the digital numbers on my wristwatch.

 

[00 : 03 : 20]

 

3 minutes remaining.

 

The time left for this labyrinth, and for the replicated me.

 

When Kate crossed the cold space and reached the moon soon, Doomsday would be executed.

 

[00 : 02 : 10]

 

I raised my head and looked toward the horizon. I gazed at Earth shrouded in vague mist.

 

This world was my world.

 

I was a fake born in the labyrinth, and now it was time to exit.

 

Whiiiiiii…!

 

At some point, a piercing sound rising from the distant edge of the sky.

 

I closed my eyes, waiting for the nuclear missiles that would simultaneously strike the entire Earth.

 

Suddenly, memories that weren’t mine came flooding in like waves.

 

Colonel Percival.

 

I think of you. I remember your resentful gaze in that final moment.

 

But I am different from you.

 

You destroyed yourself by obsessing over a fake daughter, but I accept this end because I know I am fake.

 

I have killed countless fakes. I directly ended their lives with my own hands.

 

Now it is finally my turn.

 

My principles must be applied equally to myself as well.

 

Even if everyone in this world makes an exception for themselves, I decided not to live that way at the very least.

 

I always face those I have killed.

 

So I too must meet the same end as them.

 

If I am fake, I will surely cut myself down.

 

Colonel Percival.

 

You told me that even if I were you, it would have been the same.

 

Back then, I would have answered like this:

 

“I am always… prepared to discard what is most precious.”

 

Looking back now, that was truly the case.

 

Though that day’s answer wasn’t solely for this moment.

 

The proper time has come.

 

[ 00 : 00 : 00 ]

 

I opened my eyes. I looked at the sky. Hundreds, thousands of missiles descending across the dark space. The soundless approaching landscape of the end. Facing such things directly, I did not close my eyes.

 

I captured the final moment.

 

───Kwaaaaaaaah!

 

A flash that covered heaven and earth. Heat and shockwaves that devoured everything.

 

Into the distant light, the ground and sky collapsed.

 

This world crumbled.

 

And I, willingly as well.

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