Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 231

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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 231

Lonely(9)

[Unwavering comfort. Smonsi bed]

Mitamnan airs for about 3 minutes and then immediately goes to commercial break again. I heard advertising rates are incredibly expensive these days. How annoying.

Lee Si-ah puffed up her cheeks like a pufferfish and browsed through the communities.

│Gangnam Station verified ㄷㄷ│

It’s Friday night but there’s literally no one around lol

─For real, it’s completely empty

─Wow, what about the small business owners

─Shouldn’t Mitamnan compensate for this? lol

│Really nobody’s here│

Is the viewership rating really 40%? Isn’t it 70%?

─Smartphone and OTT viewing probably isn’t counted in the statistics

─Honestly, there’s never been a program with this level of impact in history.

─Acknowledging K-pop culture GOAT..

│Next week’s New Quiz preview│

Yoon Sa-hyuk, Kim A-rang PD appearance!!!

─Wow, I definitely have to watch

─Producer Yoon Sahyeok has his own vibe too ㅋㅋ

─From what I heard, Kim A-rang was the one who brought out Seol Ha-woon

└Yeah that’s right, the PD who cast Seol Ha-woon is Kim Arang.

In fact, whenever Seol Ha-woon does official activities, Kim A-rang is always by his side, so it’s famous even in the fandom.

Anyway, there’s one more program to watch next week.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast started.

Wolryeong Police Station

─Lee Jun-ho : I’ll go check it out. To the shaman village.

Lee Jun-ho jumps up and grabs two victim files. A case file flutters down between the document folders.

•Name: Kim Young-mae

•Gender: Female

•Age: 79 years old

•Family relations: Husband Lee Yong-tae, son Lee Jong-seok

•Special notes: Dementia patient

•Status: Missing

The hand picking it up belongs to Seo Ji-woo.

─Seo Ji-woo : …What’s this photo?

─Lee Jun-ho : It’s nothing.

─Seo Ji-woo : Do you know this person?

─Lee Jun-ho : No. Why?

─Seo Ji-woo : I think I’ve seen her somewhere.

─Lee Jun-ho : Where?!

─Seo Ji-woo : When I went to the abandoned hospital, near that area. She seemed to have dementia. Even when I tried to take her with me, she wouldn’t move.

─Lee Jun-ho : …Thanks. I’ll go right away!

Lee Jun-ho, having gathered the information, stands at the police station entrance. The clock on the ceiling shows 6 o’clock. A particularly dangerous even hour.

─Kang Hyeon : Jun-ho. Let’s go together.

─Lee Jun-ho : Okay.

Just like in the preview, it’s Kang Jun-ho. The two leave the safe police station and enter into the darkness.

Abandoned Hospital

The two who arrived at the abandoned hospital search for someone while shining their flashlights.

─Kang Hyeon : Jun-ho. Do we really have to find her?

─Lee Jun-ho : Not necessarily…. But it would be good if we found her. Like how we brought So-yeon back.

-But why is he really looking for her?

-She’s Grandfather Ghost’s wife. He’s trying to help her find peace

-Human butcher pretending to care about some maze lol

-Cold outside, warm inside.. that’s Jun-ho

-Hahaha acting all innocent now

The real-time chat reactions are polar opposites. It means the fans are fighting.

Hehehehehe

A chilling laugh that makes your ears tingle. It’s Will-o’-the-wisp.

─Lee Jun-ho : Oh, you scared me. You came too?

It gently settles down beside Lee Jun-ho’s shoulder.

─Kang Hyeon : Jun-ho. Look over there.

Kang Hyeon shines his flashlight somewhere. An elderly woman is crouched at the station behind the abandoned hospital.

─Lee Jun-ho : Oh! Grandmother!

─Grandmother : …Who are you? Are you my son?

Lee Jun-ho quickly approaches and hesitates for a moment before answering.

─Lee Jun-ho : Uh… Yes. I’m your son. Get on my back.

─Grandmother : What’s my son’s name?

─Lee Jun-ho : Lee Jong-seok.

─Grandmother : That’s right?

─Lee Jun-ho : Get on my back.

Lee Jun-ho shows his back, and Grandmother gets on.

They’re about to go somewhere together.

─Lee Jun-ho : …What’s that?

There’s some kind of stake driven near the abandoned hospital. A blackly shimmering iron stake. Ominous.

Crrrrrack─!

Then, the sound of joints breaking echoes loudly. Something quickly and massively rises up from beneath the pitch darkness with a creaking sound.

“Oh my god.”

The sound is too scary.

─Kang Hyeon : Jun-ho, run!

The two run together with Grandmother’s spirit.

Crrrrack─

Crrrrack─

Crrrrrrrack─!

The ghost behind them follows while twisting its bones. The silhouette briefly visible at the edge of the camera is grotesque.

-Ah shit

-So fucking scary;

-Crazy

-Ah can’t he kill that thing?

-If you just look at the silhouette it’s not that scary lol don’t just look at the screen

Thump thump thump thump thump thump!

They run for a long time. Surprisingly, the ghost almost catches up to Kang Jun-ho!

Was he a runner when he was alive?

─Kang Hyeon : Jun-ho.

Kang Hyeon looks at Lee Jun-ho.

─Lee Jun-ho : What?

Suddenly, time slows down and a lyrical soundtrack plays. The faces of Kang Hyeon and Lee Jun-ho pass by in turn.

Kang Hyeon seems to be contemplating this situation. Lee Jun-ho carrying Grandmother, the vengeful spirit chasing them, and himself.

─Kang Hyeon : ….

He stares intently into Lee Jun-ho’s eyes, then soon smiles softly.

─Kang Hyeon : I’ll handle the rest!

He shouts energetically and changes course.

─Kang Hyeon: Jun-ho, do your best!

He advances to the opposite side of Jun-ho and swings his sword at the evil spirit.

This is the scene from the preview. Where Kang Hyeon sacrifices himself….

Creak─

Creak─

Crack─

Lee Jun-ho watches that retreating figure and clenches his teeth tightly.

─Lee Jun-ho: …Thank you.

-ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-No, Hyeon

-Come back

-Ah shit, because of Lee Jun-ho

-They’re all gonna die trying to save that old hag

-Watch your language

-Lee Jun-ho, that bastard is stubborn too, really;; So frustrating

-It’s all necessary work..

-Those two seem to trust each other

-This is what camaraderie is, what’s with the people cursing;

Death Temple

Inside the Death Temple. Shoes are neatly placed at the threshold, and sacred ropes hang abundantly at the entrance. Ropes hang from the ceiling like nooses.

Kate gestures to the people behind her.

─Kate: Everyone, please come in.

─Yoon Hwa-rim: Are you really going to do this?

─Kate: Yes. We get forcibly returned when we’re in danger anyway. The one person who fears death or can’t endure it would be the culprit. Or should I kill you instead?

─Yoon Hwa-rim: …No, no. That’s a bit much.

They enter one by one.

Even though they’re explorers, suicide would still be scary.

-But they won’t actually die

-Seems like a good method

-Since they won’t die, there’s definitely a lot they can do

-You can tell this isn’t a real maze because of stuff like this lol. If it were a real maze, you wouldn’t even be able to do things like this.

Kate holds out nooses to them.

─Kate: Everyone hold onto these. These ropes were woven by Mage Seo Ji-woo. Once tied, they absolutely won’t let go.

-Wow, they’re really going to commit suicide

-Is this right;;;

-Isn’t this too much when minors are watching too!

-Won’t Mitamnan get a broadcasting warning?

-It’s fine, the Explorer Association has way more power

By the way, the Explorer Association is infinitely supportive of Mitamnan. Well, it does improve the perception of explorers and has a huge influence on talent recruitment.

Apparently there’s another global explorer boom or something.

─Kate: Then….

Kate. Ryu Yeon-hwa. Lee Jong-soo. Yoon Hwa-rim. Lee Sin-hye.

Five explorers stood holding nooses.

They put their necks through the loops.

─Kate: Everyone rest peacefully.

※Warning※

This episode deals with themes of death.

Suddenly the nooses moved on their own and caught their necks.

Snap!

A harsh sound effect rings out, and their bodies rise upward. Meanwhile, the camera goes down. It doesn’t show them. Only the temple floor appears on screen. Only intermittent groans flow like sound effects.

Guk, kuk, kek, keoeoek.

-Ah shit, scary

-This is scarier, really

-Is Kate thinking about suicide too?

-But if the culprit is among them, wouldn’t they catch them?

-That’s Kate for you.. Really bold judgment

-How can a person be so daring? You can really tell she’s from Hailford in moments like this

-Such self-sacrifice is so amazing and beautiful…

The butlers are praising infinitely as expected.

Still, if the culprit is among them, Kate’s method is successful. Since it’s rope made by Seo Ji-woo, even the culprit couldn’t escape-

─???: Kheoeoeoek!

Someone exhales loudly and falls. Only the sound is heard. The screen still only shows the temple’s wooden floor.

─???: Fuck, fuck… Kheuk.

They repeatedly walk and fall, walk and fall.

-What

-Wow

-What the fuck

-Who is it

-Who’s coughing?

There’s noise mixed in, and the voice seems modulated. It’s a man for now.

─???: Cunning bastards….

No, it could be a woman. Each syllable of the voice has a different tone.

The figure roughly tramples the floor and leaves the temple.

-That’s creepy as hell

-But how did they escape?

-It’s the Human-Skin Masked Ghost

-Seems like they just abandoned the body

-Right, since they were stealing bodies, they could escape by just abandoning the body…

Seol Ha-woon’s Boat

Under the bridge, the mound where Seol Ha-woon built his boat.

─Lee Jun-ho: Ha. Destroyed?

The camera moves following Lee Jun-ho’s gaze.

The boat is miserably smashed to pieces.

─Lee Jun-ho: ….

Lee Jun-ho looks up at Wolryeong Bridge. He seems afraid of that bridge.

Hehehehehe

Suddenly a dokkaebi fire flies to Lee Jun-ho’s hand.

─Lee Jun-ho: …You’re helping?

Hehehehehe

-How does Lee Jun-ho communicate with that thing?

-Who is that really

-Seems like it’s helping, doesn’t seem like a villain

-She was following Seolhaun around and now she’s switched to Lee Junho lol

-Is the look more to your taste? lol

─Lee Jun-ho: …Okay. I’ll trust you.

Hoo. After taking a deep breath, Lee Jun-ho climbs up to Wolryeong Bridge.

Hehehehehe

The dark bridge. He walks across it. Following the dokkaebi fire that leads the way, step by step, little by little, walking forward,

He suddenly stops.

─Lee Jun-ho: ….

What kind of voice is reaching Lee Jun-ho’s ears right now? Whose voice is enchanting him with illusions?

-Probably his younger sister..

-Yeah, they said the Moon Bridge looks into people’s hearts, so the younger sister will probably appear

-Fuck, Junho ㅠㅠㅠ

-Jun-ho is really heartbreaking

-His family situation is legendary too

-What about just Seo Ji-woo lol Seo Ji-woo got abused as a child and everyone around him died too lol

-If you put it that way, Seol Haun was an orphan from the beginning lol

-Are you having a misery battle? Just stop it

Lee Jun-ho hesitates. His stride wavers. His entire body slowly tilts toward the railing.

“Gasp!”

Just as Lee Si-ah clenches her fists.

Hihehehehehehe!!!

With Dokkaebi Fire’s help, Lee Jun-ho’s eyes snap wide open.

─Lee Jun-ho: Haah… Thank you.

Having regained his senses, Lee Jun-ho successfully crosses the bridge.

Imgak Mountain

8 o’clock

Right after, the scene completely changed 180 degrees. It was Imgak Mountain, rippling with darkness.

Thud. Thud.

The sound of a walking stick echoes heavily on the dirt path. Someone is climbing the steep mountain road.

Thud. Thud.

It’s Seol Ha-woon. He seems quite burdened by the climb, enduring his limping leg while struggling to steady his breathing.

But he doesn’t stop.

He’s someone who never makes excuses. Someone who acts before speaking.

Like that, Seol Ha-woon reached the summit of Imgak Mountain.

There stood a massive tree. A tree so tall it seemed to pierce the sky.

Its trunk, holding hundreds and thousands of years, was twisted like dragon scales, and many things hanging densely above it fluttered in the wind.

Faded paper, stained cloth fragments, old talismans. The unknown wishes of countless people.

─Seol Ha-woon: ….

Seol Ha-woon silently approaches and places his hand on the tree.

In an instant, voices of countless unspecified people pour out.

Please, please. We beseech the heavens.

Please help us. Please help this pitiful one.

Our daughter, it’s already been five days since we last saw her. Please… please let her return safely.

My son, where are you? Aren’t you cold? Have you eaten?

That bastard killed our family. Please let that bastard fall into hell.

The missing children, please let them at least be alive.

My younger sibling whom even the police can’t find, please let the spirits find them.

Resentments and wishes that would shake an ordinary human’s mind. Unbearable sadness and anguish are conveyed even through the monitor.

“Ah….”

However, Seol Ha-woon doesn’t remove his hand from the sacred tree.

Rather, he closes his eyes while accepting it all. He listens to their continuing wishes.

Our father buried in some nameless mountain, please let us find at least his bones.

That night, I shouldn’t have sent them to that alley.

Please appear even just once in my dreams.

Please let the culprit be caught. Please let there be no more wronged people.

I still believe they’re alive. I believe they’ll definitely return.

If you see this paper, please find our So-yeon….

Emotional blues settle heavily. The camera captures Seol Ha-woon’s profile.

His complexion is tinged with sadness,

Soon his long hair falls down, completely covering his expression.

The angle slowly pulls away.

It shows the distant view of Imgak Mountain.

The left side is filled with the giant tree, while on the right side, Seol Ha-woon, small compared to the tree, exhales deeply with his hand placed on its trunk.

The composition is artistic.

-Wow.. fuck it’s like a movie..

-Ma-ol-ja broadcasts well too

-He looks sad.

-Seol Ha-woon seems like he’d be really good at enduring pain

-It’s a movie..

-There’s a reason critics rate it highly

-Ma-ol seems to not let anything go to waste

-The labyrinth has a story, and the explorers have stories too.

-If you watch, Seol Ha-woon never tries to avoid anything

Seol Ha-woon is like that.

He doesn’t avoid. He doesn’t turn away.

He just silently faces suffering people, hideous monsters, and ghosts head-on.

He doesn’t judge them arbitrarily, doesn’t pity them, and just accepts them as they are.

Yes, Seol Ha-woon is someone who ‘doesn’t run away.’

He’s completely different from the typical modern person. He’s not the type who runs when disadvantaged and returns when advantaged.

A person with deep roots. A man like a lighthouse who has dropped anchor in this world.

In Lee Si-ah’s opinion, this is why Seol Ha-woon is still in first place.

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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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