Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 25

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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 025

Fall(5)

The explorers were looking around the department store for now. They seemed cautious about exchanging currency.

Unless you’re in the top tier, spending too many votes now would leave you short later. In fact, votes are quite useful in the future.

I walked around the lobby. The 1st floor was mostly luxury shops.

In other words, I had no need for them.

“….”

I stopped mid-step.

[ Pure White Snowfield. Spend peaceful time in that place where nothing exists! ]

An advertisement panel hanging on the department store wall. A white landscape stretched endlessly.

They said there would be hints here and there.

“Hieek! This is Hermesian!”

I heard a loud voice. It was Seo Ji-woo and Yoon Hwa-rim. The two seemed to have become close and were standing in front of the Hermesian store.

“What’s Hermesian?”

Seo Ji-woo asked Yoon Hwa-rim.

“The ultimate luxury! This bag costs 30 million won.”

“What?!”

Seo Ji-woo’s eyes widened.

“That’s crazy. They’re insane. This tiny little handbag?”

Seo Ji-woo picked up the bag with trembling fingers.

That surprised me too. How could a bag the size of three wrapping cloths cost 30 million won.

“What’s even more surprising is… Ji-woo.”

Yoon Hwa-rim covered her mouth with her hand and whispered meaningfully.

“This only costs 3,000 coins here.”

“3,000 coins?! It’s fake, isn’t it fake?”

It’s not fake. They’re all genuine.

“Come on. This is all PPL. It must be real.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. Ji-woo. Do you have any luxury items?”

“No. I don’t have any.”

“Really?”

Yoon Hwa-rim smiled slyly and picked up the Hermesian bag.

“Then take this opportunity to get one~”

“What, what are you saying. What would I do with something like this?”

“Come on. You should still have at least one bag for important occasions. Besides, it’s practically free. Ji-woo, you must have received a lot of votes.”

“…That’s true.”

Seo Ji-woo is in the top tier. She’s probably already accumulated votes in the hundreds of thousands.

“Wait. If you think about it, wouldn’t it be profitable just to resell this?”

Seo Ji-woo muttered with a face that was already half-convinced.

“Of course~! But once you try it, you’ll never want to resell it.”

“…Hm, hmm.”

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“Here~ over here~”

Yoon Hwa-rim hung the Hermesian bag on Seo Ji-woo’s finger. Seo Ji-woo swallowed, pretending to be reluctant.

“Then… should I buy just one? Just, just one?”

“Buy it!”

“Should I really buy just one?!”

“Buy it!”

“Should I buy it?!”

“Buy it!”

“Well. I guess it would be nice to have something like this. This isn’t wasteful, it’s practically free, right?”

“Right~ Wow. So your first luxury item will be Hermesian? Our Ji-woo is in big trouble, big trouble~~”

“Haha~”

“Big trouble~”

“Haha~”

Yoon Hwa-rim clapped her hands, and Seo Ji-woo struck various poses like a performing bear.

I passed by them acting all cutesy.

I took the escalator up to the 2nd floor, travel goods section.

First, I picked out a suitcase.

“Hyung!”

Someone called me from behind.

“Ah seriously, I looked for you for so long. How can such a tall person be so hard to find?”

It was Im Hae-jun. In his hands was already a handful of churros.

“Hyung. You know.”

“What.”

“I’ve been thinking about this…”

Im Hae-jun looked around and whispered quietly.

“I think it would be good if we traveled together.”

“You saw the still cuts.”

“….”

Im Hae-jun’s pupils shook. He looked like he’d been hit right on target.

“No, it’s not like that. I just feel like we get along well somehow? And, two people can gather more votes than one alone… Hyung, are you buying a suitcase~?”

Im Hae-jun quickly changed the subject.

“Yeah.”

“Ah~ Going on a trip?”

I picked out a suitcase. The sturdiest one with the largest capacity.

“What. Hyung, that’s way too much.”

“What’s too much about it.”

“The suitcase is ugl… ah, everything here is PPL. No, but even if it’s PPL, isn’t it too big?”

“It’s fine.”

I looked at the price. 30 coins. The cost-effectiveness was sufficient.

“…Ugh. Hyung. But you know.”

Im Hae-jun looked around the department store and shivered.

“Doesn’t it feel cold here somehow?”

“….”

I nodded silently. It wasn’t my imagination, it really was cold. Even though it was clearly indoors, you could almost see your breath.

This was also a hint.

“I should buy some clothes to wear first.”

“You should get a suitcase too.”

I pointed to the suitcase.

“Come on. I’m a backpacker. I don’t really like dragging suitcases around…”

“Buy one.”

I looked down at Im Hae-jun intently. Im Hae-jun blinked and then nodded.

“…Yes.”

He tactfully picked up a suitcase. It was a mini suitcase about the size of his thigh.

“A bigger one.”

“This one’s enough for me though?”

“I said buy a bigger one.”

Im Hae-jun frowned rebelliously.

“What’s with you? Why are you interfering so much, hyung? This kind suits me.”

I looked at Im Hae-jun. I didn’t say much. I just glared at him.

“….”

Im Hae-jun quietly picked out another suitcase. It was the exact same model as mine.

“Ah, why is it so big, seriously. What am I gonna put in this thing? If I have too much luggage, it’ll just be cumbersome.”

“Food.”

“…Huh? Hyung, don’t you know what traveling is?”

The reason I’m bothering to give this guy hints is nothing special. He’s a guy who settled from the 50s to the top 10.

That means he’s popular.

If I stay near someone with high recognition, my recognition goes up too. Since we were on the same team in the previous Labyrinth, I can expect some synergy effects.

There’s no other reason besides that.

“Hyung. Did you watch something like Cast Away yesterday? Robinson Crusoe? Don’t tell me we’re going somewhere like a deserted island?”

We’re not going to a deserted island.

We’re just going somewhere worse.

* * *

Im Hae-jun and I started shopping in earnest.

First, all useful tools including hand axes, saw blades, hammers, and screwdrivers. Emergency rations including canned food and MREs. Frozen compression bags that could freeze and store up to 5kg of meat. Plus top-quality winter parkas with lots of pocket storage space.

We packed the suitcase full to the brim.

“But why are you going so overboard, hyung?”

Im Hae-jun asked while chewing on churros. He bought the exact same clothes as me and packed lots of food too, but most of it was snacks. Snacks, chocolate, almond chocolate, Dubai chocolate, and so on. It wouldn’t be bad since they had high calories relative to their volume.

“Let’s go pay.”

“Ah~ I wasn’t planning to buy this much. Hyung. Our vote count isn’t just vote count, you know. The viewers worked blood and sweat for it….”

“Be quiet.”

“…Always telling me to be quiet.”

Im Hae-jun pouted. I was dumbfounded.

“I said it once, just once right now.”

“You only said it once, but you’re always doing it with your eyes.”

“What am I supposed to do about that.”

Anyway, we came down to the 1st floor together.

Beep- Beep- Beep-

At the checkout counter on the 1st floor, barcode sounds were frequent. The explorers were scanning the barcode readers themselves.

Beep-

Just now Kang Hyeon shined the barcode reader light on his forehead. He was holding the reader upside down. Lee Jong-soo came over and helped him hold it properly.

“Hyung. Our spot’s open.”

“Yeah.”

I also grabbed a checkout counter.

Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep-

At the endless beeping sounds, the explorers glanced toward me.

Items essential for survival, a suitcase full of them.

Total: 3,035 coins.

“Now you do it.”

“Yes.”

Im Hae-jun also grabbed the barcode reader with his sugar-covered hands.

“Ji-woo~ You’re so pretty~”

Then, that familiar coquettish voice was heard. It was the Yoon Hwa-rim and Seo Ji-woo combo.

Ms. Seo Ji-woo had somehow transformed her entire body with luxury goods.

“How do you feel~?”

“Well… I don’t feel bad~ Haha, hahaha!”

Certainly, it feels different from when she was in uniform. Is this why luxury goods are luxury goods?

I was glancing around for no reason when my eyes met with Seo Ji-woo’s.

Seo Ji-woo confidently lifted her chin.

“You there. What are you looking at?”

“Oh? Ha-woon Mage-nim.”

Yoon Hwa-rim also noticed me. She looked back and forth between me and Seo Ji-woo, then raised her eyebrows mischievously.

“How is it~ Ji-woo’s pretty, right~? Hehe.”

Yoon Hwa-rim herself was dressed quite warmly. She even had a thick backpack on her back. Meanwhile, Seo Ji-woo had… just one Hermès handbag.

I let out a sigh.

Seo Ji-woo frowned.

“A sigh? What sigh?”

I just suddenly felt like sighing. I get that you’re happy because it’s a department store, but you’re being too stupid.

I picked up a handbag. I roughly stuffed emergency rations, chocolate, a matchbox, gloves, portable cooking utensils, and so on inside. Whatever I could grab, I shoved in and threw it to Seo Ji-woo.

“Hey! Hyung! That chocolate, that’s mine!!”

While Im Hae-jun was whining, Seo Ji-woo caught it reflexively. She looked back and forth between the handbag and me and asked back.

“So, what am I supposed to do with this?”

She shrugged as if she genuinely didn’t know.

“…It’s cold outside.”

I only said that and turned around. Im Hae-jun hit my shoulder.

“That chocolate is mine, hyung! It’s cream chocolate.”

“Then buy another one.”

“But….”

Im Hae-jun grabbed my sleeve and shook it like he was throwing a tantrum, but suddenly something occurred to him and he made a sly face. He suddenly went from a Pomeranian to a man in his 50s.

“…Hehe. Hyung, you like Ms. Seo Ji-woo, don’t you?”

“Be quiet.”

If you ask about my personal feelings toward the person called Seo Ji-woo, I’m actually the opposite.

I hate Seo Ji-woo.

A lot, at that.

“Hey~ You’re lying~”

“I told you to be quiet.”

* * *

“Ji-woo. Don’t they look like penguins over there?”

Yoon Hwa-rim pointed to the Seol Ha-woon and Im Hae-jun party walking over there.

“Papa penguin, baby penguin.”

They were both wearing the exact same super thick clothes, and their suitcases were identical too, so their side-by-side walking looked like waddling penguins. The tall one was actually limping too.

“Oh. The papa penguin just disciplined the baby penguin.”

Smack. The papa penguin hit the back of the baby penguin’s head. Did the baby penguin say something bad? I’m curious.

Seo Ji-woo also watched their retreating figures and asked Yoon Hwa-rim.

“Hwa-rim. Do you know Seol Ha-woon?”

“I know him. We were on the same team. At first, I honestly suspected he was a troll….”

Yoon Hwa-rim shook her head as if she didn’t even want to think about it.

“The troll was me. That person did really well.”

“…Well. He’s military. There’s no way he’d be trash tier.”

There’s no way he’d be trash tier, but….

Seo Ji-woo tilted her head as she looked at the handbag. She had no idea why he gave this to her.

Yoon Hwa-rim poked Seo Ji-woo in the side.

“Ji-woo, don’t you like him?”

“Come on. That’s bullshit….”

Seo Ji-woo belatedly checked Yoon Hwa-rim’s outfit. It was a puffy down parka. No, not just Yoon Hwa-rim, but everyone else was dressed similarly too.

Everyone must think the destination is somewhere cold.

“…Hwa-rim. Stay here for me. I’m going to buy a few more things too.”

She felt uneasy somehow.

Was it because of Seol Ha-woon’s words that it was ‘cold Outside’? She felt like she should have at least one warm coat.

“Okay~ There’s only 5 minutes left, so hurry back. You can buy it on the 3rd Floor.”

“Okay. Wait for me.”

Seo Ji-woo ran to the escalator.

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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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