Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 260

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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 260

Uprising(4)

The ships docked at Magic Harbor. Countless small boats and fishing vessels, and one destroyer. The soldiers boarded the ships in orderly fashion, though with some skepticism. The crew members also helped them board.

“….”

I looked down at the beach from the deck. There was a familiar face leading the evacuation.

“Please board carefully! Wounded first!”

Seo Ji-woo. For a moment, I saw Seo Ji-hyuk overlapping with her.

They certainly resembled each other.

Well, she is your sister after all.

───Whoosh!

Suddenly, a spear of magic power shot up from the sky. The bright blue line accurately shot down an enemy reconnaissance plane approaching from afar.

It was Kate’s support.

“Wounded board first!”

Even during this, the boarding continued. The ferry was packed full of soldiers, far exceeding its capacity.

The soldiers pulled each other’s hands to help. They loaded the wounded first, then lifted the young soldiers next.

“Any more is impossible!”

Before long, over 500 ships were completely full.

“I repeat! Any more is impossible!”

However, there were still many people left on the beach. With this fleet size, 30,000 people was the limit.

I looked at the soldiers and made eye contact with Seo Ji-woo.

Seo Ji-woo smiled brightly.

“…I’ll be waiting!”

Even the faith contained in that smile resembled that guy I knew.

I nodded silently.

“We return.”

Carrying tens of thousands of soldiers, but leaving even more people behind, we turn the bow.

Swoooosh──

Hundreds of ships move away from the coastline.

The figures of those left behind gradually become smaller, and we return to the sea again.

“…They’re returning!”

The Admiral looked toward the distant horizon from the deck of the cruiser.

At dawn as the sun rose, countless ships were returning. Led by destroyers, along with small warships, old fishing boats, and even small ferries. They were all heading toward the port, packed dangerously full of soldiers.

“…Hmm.”

The Admiral quietly watched them.

When they reached the port, soldiers rushed out all at once.

They supported and helped up their comrades disembarking from the ships.

The soldiers who returned alive and those who had been waiting embraced each other.

An unnamed soldier patted a young private’s shoulder in praise.

Warm soup and blankets were handed to the hungry and exhausted soldiers.

The Admiral looked at the destroyer. There on the deck stood a man leaning on a cane.

Seol Ha-woon. His gaze also suddenly met the Admiral’s.

Seol Ha-woon saluted instead of speaking.

The Admiral took a deep puff of his pipe.

“How many returned in total.”

“According to the report, 35,142 people. The objective itself was far exceeded.”

They had far surpassed the 10,000 people that was 10% of the target. It was a satisfactory achievement.

“That means more than half are still left there.”

The Admiral muttered and exhaled tobacco smoke. He fell into thought for a moment.

It was a calculation weighing his own Achievement over the lives of soldiers.

After brief maintenance, I prepared to sortie again. This would probably be the last return operation.

Not only were there large-scale air raids, but the ground forces’ situation was also reaching its worst.

I didn’t know to what extent we needed to rescue people to call it a ‘success’, but I should try my best.

“We depart.”

My adjutant received my words and spread them loudly.

“Departure──!”

Hoooooo──.

The destroyer sounded its horn loudly and turned its bow to advance, with hundreds of ferries clinging like shadows to its sides and rear.

We formed a single fleet.

“…Can we save them all?”

Looking at the darkening sea, Second Lieutenant Michael Grant asked.

“I don’t know yet.”

Optimism and pessimism are forbidden in operations. You must always see things as they are.

We couldn’t rescue all 50,000 remaining people with this scale, but there were still variables left.

Swoooosh───.

How much time had passed?

As we advanced across the sea while watching for air raids.

─Can you hear me?

A radio transmission came to the destroyer.

It was the Admiral’s voice.

“Yes.”

─Look behind you.

The instruction to look behind.

Second Lieutenant Michael turned his head first. I belatedly followed his gaze.

Michael shouted with a shocked expression.

“It’s a battleship!”

The silhouette of a battleship appeared quite far in the rear.

It wasn’t just the battleship. Several destroyers and transport ships too.

Leading the entire fleet, the Major General had appeared in person.

─Advance.

People sometimes become greedy like this.

If achievements are visible before your eyes, if merit is within reach, you willingly take on a certain degree of risk.

Political power is fundamentally like that.

It’s difficult to subdue opponents with just words and social skills. If tempting fruit is visible, you must advance despite the danger. You must make a decisive move.

─This time our air force will secure air superiority and provide support.

Major General─’three stars’ was proof that he had made and handled such calculations countless times.

“Yes. Understood.”

I tried to give the Admiral some confidence. Fortunately, the Admiral also accepted my efforts as an opportunity to build his own achievements.

That was enough.

I disliked them for their political aspects, but I shouldn’t ignore their experience either.

─However, there isn’t much time. Load them as quickly as possible and return.

This is of course a labyrinth, but I learn many things in the labyrinth.

“Yes.”

In the distance, the coastline they were waiting for came into view.

Countless soldiers stood with hope in their hearts. They were lined up in orderly formation.

─Go.

I spotted friendly aircraft positioned in the sky above. They flew through the air, keeping watch over our surroundings, and during this time the fleet reached the port.

The soldiers first boarded small boats. Ferries and fishing vessels carried the soldiers and transported them to larger warships. Afterwards, small warships and destroyers received them, and finally the battleship that arrived last accommodated thousands of troops at once.

However, there were still more people remaining.

The ground forces who had been buying time for our allies’ escape at the front lines were now retreating here.

“Retreat order has been issued!”

Im Hae-jun shouted urgently from the front lines on the ground. It was a telegram he had received from a communications soldier.

An order to retreat immediately, as they wouldn’t be able to leave if not now.

“Go ahead first!”

Lee Jun-ho shouted to Im Hae-jun from inside the trench.

“No-“

“Go ahead first──!”

Lee Jun-ho screamed in a voice like scraping metal.

“Sniff. Got it, hyung!”

Im Hae-jun made a sniffling sound, then ran toward the retreating soldiers and shouted.

“Let’s go down first!”

“…Hah.”

Lee Jun-ho stood alone on the plateau and gripped his blood-stained sword tighter. Beyond the swirling dust, endless enemies were lined up, and his magic power was almost completely depleted. His body itself had reached its limit.

“Jun-ho.”

Before he knew it, Kang Hyeon was standing beside him.

The two men silently looked toward the other side.

The enemy’s scale was countless. Dozens of tanks rumbled and shook the ground, and the thousands of infantry following behind them were like a swarm of ants. The sky was already covered with enemy fighter jets, glinting with metallic light.

“Shall we go?”

Lee Jun-ho asked while swishing his sword back and forth.

Kang Hyeon smiled faintly.

“Let’s go.”

Nodding to each other, they took a step forward. They advanced toward the front line.

Whiiiiiiik──-!

Lee Jun-ho’s sword cut through the enemy territory like a whirlwind, and Kang Hyeon moved at high speed, piercing through the enemies’ hearts. Lee Jong-soo fought hand-to-hand with tanks.

However, the battlefield was simply too vast.

No matter how much they cut down, enemies kept pouring in. No matter how strong an individual might be, they were merely an individual. An individual is just an ‘element’ of the battlefield.

A bullet pierced through Lee Jun-ho’s forearm. Kang Hyeon’s shoulder was already burned and seemed broken. Lee Jong-soo was limping on one knee.

At some point, they found themselves surrounded in the middle of the enemy forces.

“…Hmm.”

Kang Hyeon looked at Lee Jun-ho. Lee Jun-ho looked at Lee Jong-soo. Lee Jong-soo… Im Hae-jun wasn’t there.

There were only three of them.

Lee Jong-soo said to them.

“Im Hae-jun went with them when they retreated.”

“…I knew it would be like this.”

Lee Jun-ho roughly ran his hand through his hair. I knew this would happen. I knew that someday, at least once, it would turn out like this…

Lee Jong-soo let out a hollow laugh.

“I think when you told him to go first, Jun-ho. I think Hae-jun understood it as you telling him to go.”

“…Sigh.”

At this rate it would be forced return, but that’s not too bad. It’s possible to fail at least once.

From the beginning, it feels more like a stepping stone toward success rather than failure. Like the mountain descent Jo Woon showed in the Defense Labyrinth before.

“Then until the end…?”

Just then, some kind of mechanical bird flew over their heads. A bird with metal wings.

Chirrrr- Chirrrr-

The creature made strange crying sounds as it circled above the battlefield. As if conveying the ‘coordinates’ of this place to someone.

And then.

───Shriiiiiiiiek!

Rain began falling from the sky. It was missiles imbued with blue light. An air strike deployed from somewhere very far away. It struck the ground forcefully, causing chain explosions.

Kwaaaaaaaak───!

The earth turned upside down and tanks crumpled like paper, shooting up into the sky. The enemy formation collapsed in an instant, and blue flames and flashes erupted in clusters from within.

A descent of formulas that burned everything in the area to ashes.

Thanks to that, a path opened up.

“….”

“…What is this.”

The three men stood dazed for a moment, but,

Chirrrr- Chirrrr-

The mechanical bird chirped as it guided them along the escape route.

“…Okay. Let’s go.”

Lee Jun-ho gestured to his companions.

Whose doing this was, whose help this was – there was no need to think about it for long. There was only one person who could deploy this kind of formula.

“To where that guy is.”

The battlefield mage, Seol Ha-woon.

All the soldiers who had remained on the coast boarded the ships. Nearly a thousand ships accommodated those tens of thousands of people.

“Seol Ha-woon!”

“Ha-woon oppa!”

On the deck of the destroyer, Seo Ji-woo and Yoon Hwa-rim approached me, waving their hands.

“Seol Ha-woon! I believed in you!”

I frowned.

“Am I your friend?”

“…Aw, why are you like that~ Between people who are happy to see each other.”

“Ha-woon oppa! I have something to tell you!”

Yoon Hwa-rim fidgeted with her fingers with a nervous expression.

“That turret-“

“Later.”

The situation wasn’t over yet. There was no time for trivial talk.

Shriiiiek! Kuuuuung!

I looked up at the sky. The battle between aircraft was in full swing.

However, there was no need to worry. Kate’s spear throwing was helping our side.

“…Master!”

Im Hae-jun appeared from somewhere. He was covered in dust and his eyes were glistening.

“Be quiet.”

I covered Im Hae-jun’s mouth first. Im Hae-jun narrowed his eyes.

“…I haven’t said anything yet.”

Baaaaaaaa───-!

Just then, the battleship sounded its horn. It was a signal that they were departing.

Second Lieutenant Michael saluted me and spoke.

“Colonel, a total of 59,173 people have boarded.”

“What’s the remaining number?”

In that moment, his face became overwhelmed with emotion.

“None!”

“…Wait! There are still some over there!”

Seo Ji-woo pointed to the ground. Three men coming down the mountain ridge on Yoon Hwa-rim’s cart. However, the ship had already departed.

“Ah~ Don’t worry about those guys. It’s fine. It’s my cart after all.”

Yoon Hwa-rim leaned against the ship’s railing with a proud expression.

Vrooooom!

The cart carrying the three people suddenly accelerated and leaped from the port. Splash. It fell into the sea with a splash, but soon safely approached alongside the destroyer.

“It’s amphibious. Hehe. How’s that? Amazing, right!”

Yoon Hwa-rim shouted to the guys on the cart. Lee Jun-ho in the driver’s seat was the first to give a thumbs up.

He looked up at me on the deck and chuckled.

“…Hyung. It’s really been a long time!”

Kang Hyeon and Lee Jun-ho also poked their heads out.

“Ha-woon hyung. Have you been well?”

I nodded at Kang Hyeon’s words.

“We also made it this far thanks to you, hyung.”

“….”

Well, there’s no need to respond. It’s just embarrassing.

I fidgeted with my walking stick for no reason, then a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“I feel like we’re missing someone.”

“Someone? Who?”

I looked toward the beach. Just then, that one person appeared.

“…Ah.”

The person who came down to the coastline late. Currently America’s most popular explorer and Hailford’s noble with 100 million followers.

Kate was still there.

“…She’s jumping up and down.”

Im Hae-jun muttered.

Was she angry, or was she saying she was fine? She waved her clenched hands in the air.

“Ahem….”

Seo Ji-woo scratched the back of her neck awkwardly and muttered.

“…Is Kate good at swimming?”

Im Hae-jun replied.

“I don’t know about that.”

“Still, just in case….”

Seo Ji-woo created a wire and floated it on the sea like a rope. Then she shouted loudly.

“Hey! Grab this and swim!”

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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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