Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 230
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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 230
Lonely(8)
The Great Demon looked up at the castle wall.
The camel, fox, and human standing arrogantly. Though they were so insolent and arrogant that he wanted to tear them apart and dismantle them, the wisdom gained from his long life was speaking to him.
This was a fight with no chance of victory. The difference in compatibility was that stark. The ethereal aura emanating from that being was enough to shake this entire boundary and more.
It was time to retreat.
“….”
The Great Demon gestured backward to his forces. It was a retreat signal.
It was just one person anyway. It would be fine to let one person pass through to the other side.
Rustle.
A voice drifted from a corner of the thicket.
“I told you to give up.”
It was a dokkaebi.
A demigod, different from demons and different from humans.
He looked like a monk and smiled as he gazed at the Great Demon.
“We can no longer stop them now.”
The dokkaebi had assessed the human on the other side through dreams.
Mental strength that was immune to illusions and shamanic magic, and never doubted itself. That type belonged to the indomitable.
“The time has come for us to give up our existence as well.”
The demons were enjoying eternal life in this maze. The maze always supplied new humans, and the demons devoured them to strengthen their true forms and extend their lives.
So they couldn’t let the humans destroy the maze.
“Do you wish for annihilation?”
At the Great Demon’s question, the dokkaebi smiled.
“Annihilation is rebirth.”
He opened his palm. He caught the magic power’s ash that was still gently scattering.
Sizzle!
The mage’s magic power burned his skin, but the dokkaebi continued speaking calmly.
“Flowers wither to bear fruit, and rivers flow to the sea to become rain and fall again. Every ending holds a new beginning. If one doesn’t perish, they merely stagnate. That is not life but death.”
Beings that don’t die are already dead beings. Rather, they are even more pitiful creatures. Never able to reach their own peace….
The Great Demon glared at the dokkaebi, then turned his body around.
“…When he leaves, I’ll return.”
Thud. Thud. The demon army retreated. The monk pondered the demon’s words and tilted his head.
“You’re making your defeat declaration quite grandly.”
In the end, it meant he was giving up because he couldn’t do anything about that human, and would just devour the other humans who followed.
The forest had become quiet before they knew it.
The dokkaebi climbed up into the tree. He looked at the distorted half-moon in the sky.
“Monk.”
The young disciple below called to the dokkaebi.
“Will we also disappear someday?”
The dokkaebi looked down at the young disciple and smiled.
“…It’s all reincarnation in the end.”
Whoooosh──
The wind blew, shaking the leaves. That rustling was as cozy as a clear breathing sound.
“At the moment we perish, we will be able to know our reason for being.”
The monk looked at the human standing on the castle wall. He was also looking back at him.
An unusual man.
“What created us, and who is watching over us.”
From him, a woman he had once seen came to mind.
‘What is your name?’
When he was still a young disciple, a human who dared to ask the dokkaebi’s name.
The moment he met with her alone, the dokkaebi felt awe. She was not just a human. She was something that transcended species.
‘My name is Yul.’
She sparkled in the sunlight. Though she had a beautiful exterior, she was more terrifying than any demon and more ruthless than any saint.
Compared to her, the human on the other side was still not special at all.
However, a similar aura was definitely emanating….
Thud!
The time had come. The Reincarnation Gate leading to the 5th Zone opened.
* * *
“…Huff, huff.”
The desert heat is equal to everyone. Nature is originally like that. Nature makes all humans bow humbly.
“Huff, huff….”
Seo Ji-woo and Im Hae-jun were panting like dogs.
“Maintain your posture.”
Kate, the leader, minimized showing signs of difficulty as much as possible.
Thanks to the sunshade woven with Seo Ji-woo’s ‘Line’, the situation was relatively better.
“Huff… huff… wa, water….”
Im Hae-jun reached for the water bottle dangling from Seo Ji-woo’s backpack.
It was already empty. Resentment rippled in Im Hae-jun’s eyes.
“Damn it….”
“…Hey. What’s that…?”
Seo Ji-woo shaded her eyes with her hand and looked somewhere.
In the distance, a tent sitting alone in the middle of the desert. A flag was fluttering above it.
│Kang Jun-su Party│
Use as much as you like
“Oh, it looks like a shelter?!
“Let’s go for now!”
They entered the tent.
Thanks to the deeply dug pit, it was much cooler than outside.
“Wow, this is much better….”
Im Hae-jun lay down at an angle, and Seo Ji-woo wove the edges of the tent with lines to block out the sunlight.
“There’s water here too!”
Im Hae-jun, who had been tossing and turning, discovered a water bottle placed in the corner of the tent. About 1 liter perhaps. He opened the cap with trembling hands.
One sip. Two sips. Three sips.
He drank slowly then handed it to Seo Ji-woo. Seo Ji-woo likewise drank the water then passed it to Kate.
“But where did these guys get this water? Did they discover an oasis on the way?”
At that moment, the three people fell silent for a while.
“….”
Seo Ji-woo looked back at Kate.
“….”
Im Hae-jun did the same.
“….”
Kate silently leaned back.
Im Hae-jun muttered the same thing.
“Did they discover an oasis on the way?”
Kate’s lips moved wordlessly.
For reference, Kate had led the party.
In other words, if there had been an oasis, Kate would have ‘passed by’ it.
“…It probably wasn’t an oasis. And oases are more dangerous than you think. The water isn’t drinkable.”
“I can make a filtration device.”
“….”
Kate answered, trying to remain calm.
“If we passed an oasis, that would be my oversight. But can you be certain it was an oasis?”
The two continued to glare at Kate.
Kate added.
“…I’ll somehow figure out the water situation with my experience-“
“Ah, just move aside.”
Seo Ji-woo pushed Kate’s shoulder lightly.
“I’ll take the lead from now on. When I think about it, it didn’t make sense.”
“Right! Right!”
Im Hae-jun clenched his fists and nodded repeatedly.
“Noona should lead. I mean, Ji-woo’s luck is incredible. I’ve never seen Kate noona be particularly lucky, you know? She just has money. Does having money make you lucky?”
Im Hae-jun stared intently at Kate. Kate unconsciously smoothed her eyebrow area with her finger.
“Fine, let’s rest for a bit. I’ll give up the lead position.”
Being a leader was harder than expected. There was a certain burden that came with showing your back to others.
“…Let’s sleep for 3 hours.”
Kate quietly closed her eyes. Im Hae-jun and Seo Ji-woo also lay down.
Seo Ji-woo looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
“Damn it. I had a bad feeling somehow. Even while following, this uneasiness wouldn’t leave my mind.”
“Noona, but why didn’t you say anything!”
“Someone was leading so confidently. I thought she had GPS in her head or something.”
“By any chance, is that person’s hair yellow?”
“Yeah. Bright yellow.”
Snicker snicker. The sound of the two laughing could be heard.
Kate pretended to sleep while biting her lips hard.
* * *
“Wow, camels are really comfortable. They’re lovely.”
Lee Jun-ho stroked the camel’s neck.
Compared to 3 hours ago, the comfort level was like night and day. The heavy water containers, food, and other luggage were all carried by these creatures, making the heat more bearable too.
Clip-clop.
The sound of camel hooves walking on sand was like cozy ASMR.
Should I raise a camel when I go back?
Clip-clop.
Over the endlessly spread golden dunes, the shadows of three people stretched long.
The blazing sun was gradually setting, and the sky was dyed in a mysterious light mixed with red and purple.
Meanwhile, the terrain changed.
The sand beneath their feet decreased. More humid wind touched their skin.
“…It changes in an instant.”
The desert disappeared, and a canyon with bizarre rock formations undulating like a folding screen appeared. Thick fog hung between the steep cliffs, and the natural sounds heard from afar were somehow eerie.
“This place feels similar to Murim.”
Lee Jun-ho got down from the camel.
“Should we send the camels back now?”
“Let’s do that. Give them some water first.”
Lee Jong-soo opened the water container. He rationed 1L each to the two camels.
Gulp gulp gulp.
The creature that downed the 1L straight shook its long neck as if satisfied.
“Good work.”
Everyone hugged them once and turned around.
“Go.”
Wave wave. When they waved their hands, the two camels departed back toward the desert.
“Let’s go too.”
Kang Jun-su’s party entered the fog on the opposite side of the desert.
Hissssss—
Something felt eerie. The vines hanging from the cliffs looked like an old man’s hands, and with each step, the road surface seemed to ripple like waves.
The fog swallowed not only sight but also hearing, making even breathing sounds distant.
Everyone!
Lee Jun-ho shouted loudly. However, his voice couldn’t be heard.
He was clearly speaking and moving, but it felt like flailing in a vacuum.
Before he knew it, Kang Hyeon and Jong-su had also disappeared somewhere in the fog.
Thud.
His stepping leg felt unsteady, and just as the world swayed hazily.
Something blue was visible in the distance.
A mass of magic power. It was a Mana Stake driven into the ground.
Lee Jun-ho rushed over and placed his hand on it.
Whirrrrr──!
Instantly, wind was sucked in and his five senses returned. He took a deep breath first.
“Haa, haa…”
“Jun-ho. Are you okay?”
It was Kang Hyeon. His voice became clear again.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Jong-su is coming too.”
“Kyaaah!”
Lee Jong-soo screamed as he slid into the stake’s range.
“Hey, guys. What was that just now?!”
His face had turned white as rice cake.
“Bleegh!”
Lee Jong-soo turned over and retched.
“We just need to find these stakes and follow them.”
Kang Hyeon gestured beyond the fog. Beyond the black and white mixed like paint, a blue dot was flickering.
It was a path left by someone trustworthy.
“The problem is…”
This scenic area had very high magic power concentration, and the demonic energy was also thick.
This meant that crossing to the second stake itself would be a challenge.
* * *
[Opening the Reincarnation Gate.]
The gate opened, dyeing the area with mysterious sunset light. Beyond it was dark. Nothing could be seen from outside.
[The Reincarnation Gate will close in 30 minutes.]
30 minutes.
Before entering, I did a final inspection of the fortress.
Other explorers would use this fortress too, so I planned to do some maintenance in the meantime.
I applied magic oil to prevent monsters from climbing the castle walls. Blue petroleum seeped out from the crude oil stones and was applied. I retrieved the Scarecrows, but left the turrets.
There were many smart Mages, so they should be able to reuse them sufficiently.
“Let’s go.”
What could be inside here? I’m starting to get excited too.
I entered through the gate while mounted on the camel.
My vision went dark.
Then a status window appeared and the world cleared.
5th Zone
DEATH OR ALIVE
The starting point of the 5th Zone was… some kind of apartment.
An old-style apartment of about 11 pyeong. The colors were dark, and the atmosphere and air quality itself was very inorganic.
I got off the camel. I looked around inside. There was some kind of official notice stuck on the refrigerator.
[Don’t worry! The murderer cannot enter the houses in our apartment complex.]
[Daily rent: 30,000 won]
Daily rent, not monthly rent. ‘Won’, not experience points.
I sat on the sofa. A smartphone and laptop were placed on the desk, and there was a TV too.
Pretty cozy.
Click. I extended my magic power to turn on the laptop. There were about three document files on the desktop.
[Murderer Information File.HXP]
Among them, the murderer information file particularly caught my eye.
Just as I was about to open it,
Bzzt-
A portal opened in the room.
[Rest time 3:00:00]
They give vacation time too, I see. I don’t particularly want to go out.
I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.
Who is today’s guest bringing a refrigerator! It’s!
“…What?”
It’s a familiar variety show with familiar cast members. A real variety show, meaning a variety show from our original world.
Maybe it got connected when the portal opened.
“That’s right.”
I flipped through channels and it was accurate.
“Wait. Then.”
Today is Friday afternoon.
In that case?
┌──Labyrinth Exploration NaN──┐
“Oh.”
The live broadcast started just in time. I let out a hollow laugh, and the camel and fox lay down in the corner of the room.
[Previous Episode Summary]
After about a minute of episode summary video.
Death Temple
The Death Temple of Wolryeong Village fills the screen.
Yoon Hwa-rim, Ryu Yeon-hwa, Lee Sin-hye, and Lee Jong-soo confronting Kate.
─Yoon Hwa-rim: …Kate.
Yoon Hwa-rim draws up her magic power warily.
─Yoon Hwa-rim: No, who are you?
─Kate: As you can see. I’m Kate.
I turned on my smartphone.
-Ah, is Kate really the culprit?
-Is she the culprit?
-No way
-Absolutely not lololol
Real-time chat works too. Fascinating.
There are still too many things I don’t know about this world.
Snap─!
Ryu Yeon-hwa unfolds her fan and asks politely.
─Ryu Yeon-hwa: Why did you step on the stairs?
-Ryu Yeon-hwa is handsome too
-lolol judging looks at a time like this
-No but is Kate really the culprit ffs
─Kate: I think there’s a culprit among us.
“That’s true.”
There actually is a culprit among those five.
─Kate: So I made it so we can’t escape.
Kate takes out a rope from her bag.
This is a story I don’t know.
─Kate: From now on, we’re going to…
Ominous background music plays. Kate’s face, tinted red, is shown in close-up.
─Kate: All commit suicide together.
-Suicide?
-Suicide?
-?
-Suicide
-Wow
-Never thought of that
-?
-Wow
-??
-Wow ffs lol
-So there was a reason she asked Seo Ji-woo to make that rope lol
-Is Kate going to end this labyrinth?
-As expected of Kate. Ke-mal-ol.
-Ke-mal-ol wtf lololol
“…So that’s what happened.”
I didn’t know exactly what Kate was trying to do alone. The real-time chat was going wild, and even I as a viewer was excited.
There’s a reason it’s popular these days.
Used Bookstore
The screen switches to Seol Ha-woon at the used bookstore. This time my face is shown in close-up.
-Wow Seol Ha-woon close-up lol
-Did the production team get addicted lol
-This guy has good skin so it’s easy on the eyes
-Ah ffs show us Kate’s situation
-Just showing his face but he seems to be thinking something cinematic by himself lol
As Seol Ha-woon himself, honestly these close-up scenes make me cringe a little every time. It’s also burdensome.
─Seol Ha-woon: …
It’s a scene with only Seol Ha-woon’s face. His expression moves slightly, but that’s all there is to this scene lasting several dozen seconds.
But the real-time chat seems to think differently somehow.
-Look at that expression lol Seol Ha-woon knew everything
-Je Mal-ol is watching
-Seems like he predicted what Kate would do
-There’s actually a real culprit among those five people?
-He predicted Kate’s suicide plan too, right?
-Mal-ol-haem is using Kate as a chess piece too…
-Stop the deification ffs
-This guy’s been playing chess from the beginning
-Knowing they’d commit suicide, he deliberately sent them to the Death Temple.
-Wow creepy; that’s right ffs putting a bounty on the Death Temple was this bastard’s mal-ol move
-For real lololol there was a reason he sent them there even putting up a bounty lololol
-Mal-ol style conversation really seems sociopathic;; just scary..
-Seol Ha-woon is just fucking cool lololol
-If Jo Woon is Jo Ja-ryong, isn’t this guy Zhuge Liang?
-Jemal-ol knew 100% of everything…
“Hah.”
Watching Those Who Ascribe Meaning to the Meaningless, I let out a hollow laugh.
I had no idea.
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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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