Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 289

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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 289

Talking to the Moon(1)

L A B Y R I N T H E X P L O R A T I O N N A N

The live broadcast ended.

Lee Si-ah placed both hands on top of her head.

“Ah…”

The current rankings were displayed, and Labyrinth Inside would air after the commercials, but she had no strength left in her body.

She looked at her laptop again. She toured sites including communities.

As always after the live broadcast ended, she became an internet ghost.

─Kim Byeong-su : There’s some kind of aftereffect.

Kim Byeong-su, famous as a major YouTube content creator and internet broadcaster, also had a gloomy expression.

Not only that, but in almost all live broadcasts, everyone was immersed in the lingering feelings and talking about Mitamnan. Having discussions and chatting with viewers about Mitamnan-related topics.

─Kim Byeong-su : About 5 episodes left now, right? I feel like it’ll be really more devastating when it ends. They say the viewership rating was 40%.

40% viewership rating. Including people watching on OTT, almost the entire nation was watching the live broadcast.

─Kim Byeong-su : I’m also curious about that. Will the explorers appear at the year-end awards ceremony?

The final episode is at year-end. Mitamnan ends when snow falls. These were the actual words of main PD Yoon Sa-hyuk, the father of the Mitam series.

Lee Si-ah was already sad. Even if the explorers debut and continue conquering labyrinths, it would be hard to watch them every week like now.

─Kim Byeong-su : I heard the program and explorers were included as candidates for the Gold and White Arts Awards.

Click. Click.

She moved her mouse to watch other broadcasters too. Mainly focusing on the broadcast title [Snow Road].

─Yoon Su-a : Sigh… Ha-woon oppa also ultimately wanted to live an ordinary life, I thought…

─Lee Jong-hyuk : I found it touching when Mal-ok hyung made eye contact with his students at the end.

They were all Seol Ha-woon fans. She kept their broadcasts on to avoid silence while exploring communities.

A new popular post had been uploaded.

│Story from a Current Explorer : The biggest enemy in this Life Labyrinth was ‘life’ itself.│

A named user presumed to be a high ranker. Someone who posts quality reviews of labyrinths after they end.

Hello, this is ONS. Did everyone enjoy watching Mitamnan’s current labyrinth? I couldn’t just enjoy watching it. Because it reminded me of the past.

Actually, one of the labyrinths that explorers find most difficult is this kind of ‘world without purpose’. Explorers are human too, so they inevitably form attachments. Stories of explorers falling in love with Labyrinth People are boringly common.

Kang Hyeon, Lee Jun-ho, Lee Sin-hye, Seo Ji-woo, Yoon Hwa-rim, Im Hae-jun… Many explorers lived different lives. Life is addictive to explorers. That’s why it’s the most difficult.

In that regard, I want to talk about Seol Ha-woon first, more than anyone else.

As you all know, I’m not a fan of Seol Ha-woon. Rather, I focus on the duality of the explorer called Seol Ha-woon, so you could say I’m an anti-fan.

However, I saw a new side of Seol Ha-woon in this labyrinth.

Seol Ha-woon wasn’t a two-faced person, but a multi-faceted person. Above all, he wasn’t someone without feelings.

You can tell just by looking at how he treats his fellow explorers. Sometimes he’s blunt and cold, but he also shows joy and smiles brightly when seeing them.

Sometimes ordinary people think this way.

If the emotional turbulence that occurs when explorers conquer labyrinths is a problem, wouldn’t people with little or rare emotions, psychopaths or sociopaths, be suitable as explorers?

No.

Absolutely not.

They might be advantageous ‘sometimes’, in ‘specific’ labyrinths. Because they’re not swayed by emotions.

But that type of person can never understand cooperation. Above all, they extremely hate self-sacrifice.

The explorers you commonly call sociopaths or psychopaths are the type that fellow explorers hate most.

Why? Because they act all cold and detached, but when they’re actually in danger, they pour all that coldness entirely into their own survival. They extremely hate self-sacrifice.

But Seol Ha-woon is different.

He’s already proven himself. He’s always ready to sacrifice himself. He’s not someone without emotions, but someone who endures them. Someone with superhuman patience.

So now, I finally agree. That Seol Ha-woon is truly the most explorer-like explorer…

“…”

Lee Si-ah sighed. The mage community was in chaos like a nuclear bomb went off, and the muggle communities were crying about having aftereffects.

“…There really are aftereffects.”

She wished they’d just upload the unedited version. Even 240-hour videos per explorer would be fine. She could sleep while watching.

│Hyeon’s Kitchen compilation uploaded│

“Oh?”

Hyeon’s Kitchen compilation. Lee Si-ah quickly entered the YouTube channel.

│Labyrinth Exploration NaN Special Compilation│Hyeon’s Kitchen│Including Unaired Footage│

Only the Hyeon’s Kitchen parts were compiled and edited like a variety show, and it was even 80 minutes long including unreleased footage.

Lee Si-ah clicked on it right away.

Let’s just watch this today. Sleep while soothing this empty feeling.

Late at night. The staff and guests were all asleep in their cabins. It was practically fainting. The ship’s swaying was still severe.

I concentrated the sequence on my brainstem to prevent seasickness as much as possible.

Honestly, it doesn’t affect me at all.

“…”

After touring the interior full of corpse-like people, I floated the camera with telekinesis.

“Can you see? Everyone seems to be having a really hard time.”

I filmed the sleeping people.

PD Kim A-rang who had fainted while drooling, full close-up.

Lee Je-hoon whose body was completely curled up like a dried shrimp, side profile extreme close-up.

I just left Jin Yu-ha who was lying face down like a crime scene victim.

Uuuuuung…

Grrrrrrk…

Groans that sounded like they’d been stabbed echoed from here and there.

“These things happen in life.”

I walked through the cabin while filming myself with the camera.

“Ah. This ship I made also has a bathroom.”

I showed the bathroom. I worked hardest on this. The atmosphere of a space is determined by the bathroom.

Clean white tones with shelves, not just a washbasin, but even a toilet was prepared.

“I took the toilet from the house on the deserted island. I’ve imbued it with the magic formula needed for purification, so it functions exactly like a toilet. Like this, implementing magic formulas through magic stones can somewhat replace scientific technology.”

I introduced the ship’s various facilities. Solitary confinement, kitchen, break room, storage room, etc.

“Personally, I like this ship. If possible, I’d like to ride it around even after this work is finished.”

A yacht.

Honestly, I was a bit envious when Im Hae-jun gave us a yacht ride.

“There are related laws, so you need a permit to operate a boat, but… Ah. Wait a moment.”

I came up onto the deck, leaning on my walking stick.

“I’ll show you the scenery.”

Kwaaaaaa!

The rain is still fierce, and dark waves are surging, but it’s okay.

I filmed the distance with the camera. The pitch-black sea, the landscape of magic power disaster rushing as if to swallow everything.

“However, it’s clear far over there.”

When I zoom in with the camera, it suddenly becomes calm from a certain point.

“Like the eye of a typhoon, it’s the center of the magic power disaster. It’s safe if you’re there. But you mustn’t mistake it for the end. It’s just a brief rest, as there’s still thick disaster to get through.”

I sat down on a chair on the deck.

“I think life is like that too. When you endure hardships and finally think you’ve arrived, there’s always a greater trial waiting.”

The boat is still rocking, but I apply telekinesis to the chair to offset the vibration. It’s as cozy as sitting in a massage chair.

Thanks to my frail body, my formula techniques develop with precision.

“Well then. I’ll enter now.”

I’ll enter the eye of the typhoon, catch my breath for a moment, recover my stamina and mental strength, then finally break through this magic power disaster for sure.

If possible, I should finish quickly while the staff are sleeping. This level of seasickness could kill people if it goes on too long.

I closed my eyes. I had opened circuits in this boat.

I connect my sensory organs to the hull with ‘Sequence’, breathe deeply, and prepare for navigation.

Pushhhhhhh──-!

The bow cut through the waves. I operated the boat until morning. It was similar fatigue to special operations, but I finally entered the eye of the disaster.

The current calmed and the sky cleared.

“Success.”

I looked at the camera and gave a thumbs up. I was tired, but a smile flowed out.

“I’ll spread the net.”

I lowered the net into the sea. Perhaps the seafood had also flocked here to avoid the typhoon, as various fish species were quickly caught.

Among them, red crabs caught my eye.

“Now for today’s breakfast menu…”

Meanwhile, people from the cabin stealthily came up onto the deck.

“We must have entered the eye of the typhoon?”

It was Lee Je-hoon.

“…Right. Ha-woon. The next labyrinth is the last one, right?”

“Yeah.”

The last one. This broadcast that seemed like it would never end is also coming to a close soon.

“What will you do when it’s over?”

“…”

Well.

My life is all about raising recognition. I have to keep becoming famous, keep getting stronger without stopping.

Otherwise, I could be ‘disposed of’ at any time.

“For now… I should become a mage.”

At my answer, Lee Je-hoon flinched for a moment, but then smiled brightly. Jin Yu-ha, who had appeared at some point, was the same.

“Wow… cool. You say it so casually, like getting promoted at some company.”

“But I think you can really do it. I definitely want to see it too. Ha-woon becoming a mage.”

I’m quite the sight too. Really quite the sight.

Lee Je-hoon muttered somewhat bitterly for some reason, then looked toward the seaside.

“Can I ask just one more thing?”

“What.”

“You. Before you started filming this labyrinth exploration. Did you have… friends or anything?”

It was a sudden question. Probably a script Kim A-rang had written in advance.

Jin Yu-ha also looked at me with a mischievous face.

“Ah. Right. People were making fun of Seol Ha-woon for having no friends.”

Friends. I don’t really want to reveal my privacy, but now I can answer to this extent.

“I had them.”

I had them. Definitely.

“…”

“…”

Everyone fell silent for a moment at those words. Had them. They all probably vaguely guessed the meaning contained in the past tense.

“Ahem!”

Lee Je-hoon cleared his throat.

“No, it’s just that Ha-woon, you always seem to have a line when dealing with people. So… it’s fascinating.”

Fascinating.

Same for me.

“…Right. It was fascinating.”

I smiled briefly.

“It was like a miracle.”

At such an important period of my life, such an important guy appeared. He filled the density in my empty life.

“Thanks to that, I feel like I’m living like this.”

I had a small premonition.

Perhaps my coming to this place was also… that guy’s grand arrangement.

Of course, I’m not certain yet. There’s almost nothing I know.

“Ha-woon.”

Lee Je-hoon and Jin Yu-ha looked at me with fresh eyes. Their lines were similar.

“You’re human after all.”

“…It’s Je Mal-ol’s human side.”

I found them absurd and shot back.

“Then what, am I a monster?”

I stood up while brushing back my hair.

“Let’s prepare a meal now. The sun seems like it’ll rise soon.”

I picked up the red crab I had just caught.

“Breakfast is red crab ramen.”

“Oh! That scene’s good, wait a moment.”

Kim A-rang suddenly appeared. She hurriedly picked up the camera.

“Do it again. Red crab ramen. Spread the crab’s arms like doing a cheese pose.”

“Red crab ramen.”

I looked at the camera while spreading the red crab’s claws to both sides.

“Film a preview too, hold one red crab in each hand.”

I held one red crab in each hand.

“Red crab. Red crab.”

“One more time.”

“Red crab. Red crab.”

Watching me like that, Lee Je-hoon let out a hollow laugh.

“…He does everything he’s told to do.”

“Let’s film now.”

“Yes.”

I took out a pot. I pour water into it and light a fire. I scrub the red crab thoroughly with a brush, open the shell and remove the innards. When the water starts boiling, I add the cleaned red crab, radish, and onion to make broth. When it’s sufficiently steeped, I add ramen and soup. Bubble bubble. When the red broth comes to a boil, I finally cut and add scallions and peppers to complete the red crab ramen.

Bubble bubble. When the red broth comes to a boil, finally add chopped scallions and chili peppers to complete the red crab ramen.

Jin Yu-ha swallowed and asked.

“What’s on the menu today?”

I pointed to the pot full of ramen and said.

“Red crab. Red crab ramen.”

The staff members who had emptied their stomachs from seasickness also gathered one by one, drawn by the smell. We sat around on the deck and ate the hot ramen, blowing on it to cool it down.

The harmony of noodles, broth, and crab meat was perfect.

“Peaceful.”

I nodded at Kim A-rang’s words.

“Yes.”

I looked around, searching for a camera placed somewhere.

“Still, it’s Seol’s Three Meals.”

“…Yeah.”

“…Seol’s Three Meals is good. Ha-woon.”

Kim A-rang and Lee Je-hoon looked at me somewhat pitifully as I tried to maintain the concept until the end.

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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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