Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 318

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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 318

HERO(4)

Thanks to Jeong Soon, we found the lightning-struck tree more easily than expected.

“Here! Over here!”

There was a tree on the backhill that had been charred like coal. When I split open its center, ‘dragon scale stones’ that looked like dragon scales came out.

I gathered the dragon scale stones and pieces of the tree.

Now only one ingredient remained: ‘red star grass’.

“The red star grass is the problem. I don’t even know where it is.”

Jeong Soon had become an expert before I knew it. Her face looked quite cute as she pondered while looking at the herb book.

“It’s okay.”

There’s no problem.

“I think I roughly know where it is.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.”

I had deliberately offered a mask as payment for the barter exchange with the vigilantes not long ago, and they gladly accepted it.

Zombies roam around at night. But if you only move during the day, it’s not particularly dangerous.

Yet the reason they need masks is probably because they know of the red star grass’s existence and location.

“From now on, I’ll be moving alone.”

Just in case, Jeong Soon might face danger while I’m gone.

That’s probably highly likely.

“Here.”

I handed Jeong Soon a pistol-shaped self-defense weapon made from magic power-infused wood.

If you load magic stone fragments as bullets, it becomes a recoilless pistol.

“Practice by shooting at targets.”

“Wow~ Yes.”

Jeong Soon fiddled with the weapon as if it were fascinating.

“And.”

I took out vials containing herb extracts. Four in total.

“These magic liquids need some time to mature, so I’m going to bury them underground.”

I looked at Jeong Soon.

“If any strange people come in here…”

I pointed to the pistol in Jeong Soon’s hand.

“Protect yourself.”

“Yes. I will.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? Thanks to you, it’s been days since I’ve slept warmly without my stomach growling!”

“….”

Honestly, I want to do more for her.

Lately, no, ever since I was on the verge of death, my heart seems to have softened quite a bit. It’s also uncomfortable to receive help from a child like this.

“Well then. Before I leave.”

I began full-scale expansion work on the shack. I renovated the interior space itself to almost double or more, and created a refrigerator and freezer with magic stones.

I cleaned abandoned cloths thoroughly, then sewed them together to make a fluffy blanket and small bed.

Besides that, I made locking devices to prevent outsiders from intruding, a boiler technique that heats hot water using magic stones, a bathroom, shelves, a doghouse for Baduk…

However, I maintained the exterior to look shabby to anyone who saw it.

That way it wouldn’t be taken away.

“How is it?”

I stepped back and asked for her impression of the interior.

“It’s like a dream!”

Jeong Soon’s reaction was childlike. She ran around the room with Baduk, laughing brightly.

I looked at her and bent one knee.

“Jeong Soon. It’s a bit awkward to say this to a child like you, but just in case.”

I pointed to the pistol in Jeong Soon’s hand.

“If someday in life, a situation comes where you have to kill someone else first in order to survive.”

Jeong Soon’s round eyes looked at me.

A child of war. For years to come, all kinds of bandits will be rampant, and more fighting and plundering will occur.

“…Whatever you do then, it’s absolutely not your fault.”

The child has done nothing wrong.

In the end, it’s the fault of the adults who made this world like this.

Jeong Soon smiled brightly.

“I know that too!”

“…Right. Well then, see you later.”

“Yes! Please come back safely!”

I left the shack, leaning on my staff.

My destination was the vigilante village.

I had something to discuss with Mr. Lee Won-nam.

Red star grass appears to bring dead people back to life at first glance. Since the red spores make corpses move again, those who witness that strange phenomenon might feel that way.

Most people are tempted by such things.

It can’t be helped.

People love people too much, and they inevitably become powerless before the endless farewell called death.

Therefore, the hope of being able to revive the dead comes more desperately than any rational judgment.

I understood their desperation.

The vigilante members I had been watching had been going back and forth to some building’s basement without any particular incident, and the red star grass had probably bloomed in that basement.

Seo Ji-woo, Kang Hyeon, and Lee Jun-ho. Three pairs of eyes are glued to the TV, sparkling.

─Seol Ha-woon : I’ll open the ceiling hatch.

A sequence with only Seol Ha-woon appearing. He stretches his staff high, opens the train’s ceiling, and lifts up Truck.

Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle.

Truck advances through the train’s ventilation duct.

“That thing is really quite useful, you know?”

Seo Ji-woo was secretly impressed. Kang Hyeon shook his head.

“Don’t say that in front of hyung, he’ll hate it.”

“Huh? Why?”

“You can’t say it’s quite useful, you have to say it’s totally awesome.”

“That’s funny. Totally awesome sounds really old-fashioned.”

“You can’t say old-fashioned in front of hyung.”

“…Oh yes.”

─Jane : Is it working?

It’s Jane’s radio transmission.

─Seol Ha-woon : Yes. Doing this reminds me a bit of District 3.

─Jane : Haha. Right. But that toy only has reconnaissance functions, doesn’t it?

─Seol Ha-woon : It’s not a toy. To explain properly, it’s an advanced magic power object that compressed a state-of-the-art military truck. The truck’s freight car can carry over 400kg of weight, and can perform very delicate work with its robot arms…

“It’s real.”

Seo Ji-woo let out a hollow laugh. Kang Hyeon looked at it as if he was used to it.

“Yeah. That hyung really loves trucks.”

“It’s practically a trigger button.”

Lee Jun-ho also chuckled.

Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle

The truck had already arrived at the ventilation duct of the conductor’s room.

─Seol Ha-woon: I’ve reached the conductor’s room.

─Jane: Wow, really?

─Seol Ha-woon: Yes. It seems possible to separate the freight car as well.

The [Passenger Car Separation Button] was displayed in an easy-to-see manner.

The truck opened the ventilation duct door, and click click. It changed its wheels.

Swish swish swish swish

“Wow, it’s like some spider truck.”

“…Is that a joke?”

Lee Jun-ho frowned at Seo Ji-woo’s words.

Anyway, the spider truck silently moved across the ceiling and stopped right above the [Passenger Car Separation Button].

─Ilron: Is it really possible?

─Seol Ha-woon: Yes.

─Ilron: Then in six hours from now, we’ll arrive at the junction point we calculated.

Six hours.

The truck extended its robotic arm and sprayed magic power onto the [Passenger Car Separation Button].

─Seol Ha-woon: I’ve installed a timer.

─Ilron: …Can we trust it?

─Seol Ha-woon: Yes.

─Ilron: Phew… Thank you.

In contrast to his words of gratitude, Seol Ha-woon’s dry expression was shown in close-up.

They are people I’m grateful for. However, there’s a very high probability they’re not people.

His monologue flowed.

─Seol Ha-woon: I’ll head there as well.

─Ilron: Yes.

If there’s an NPC among NPCs who knows they’re an NPC, that’s dangerous.

Seol Ha-woon retrieved the truck and crossed back to the freight car.

In all games, NPCs reset the moment a quest ends and return to the beginning to wait for the next player.

“Ah. No way.”

“I think I know what it is.”

Seo Ji-woo rubbed her arms as if she had goosebumps, and Lee Jun-ho looked at KakaoTalk.

-Ah I think I know what it is.

-So exciting ㄷㄷ

-If the quest succeeds, they’ll all get reset too

-Then what happens?

-From their perspective, reset = death, yeah

The freight car.

Seol Ha-woon, who had returned to the freight car, looked around at the NPCs inside.

─Jane: Wow. It really worked? Can we trust it?

─Seol Ha-woon: ….

At a glance, there were over a hundred of them.

The scale of NPCs couldn’t have been this large from the beginning. This train probably hasn’t reached Zone 6 for a very long time, and so naturally formed a society.

Seol Ha-woon tilted his head slightly.

The moment I reach my destination, the entire interior of this train will probably be ‘reset’.

─Jane: Then. Everyone, let’s go prepare for six hours from now!

Seol Ha-woon nodded slightly and came outside. He stared intently at the scenery outside the train window.

“He seems to be contemplating.”

Kang Hyeon shook his head at Seo Ji-woo’s words.

“No. Hyung has already made his decision. He’s waiting now.”

“…Why do you always contradict everything I say?”

Seo Ji-woo’s eyes narrowed. Lee Jun-ho chuckled and said.

“Because you only say wrong things.”

“Ah, this is annoying.”

Click.

Meanwhile, the door of the freight car opened, and one person followed Seol Ha-woon out.

─Ilron: Thank you.

Looking straight at Ilron who was expressing his gratitude, Seol Ha-woon asked back.

─Seol Ha-woon: Do you think it’s possible to derail only the freight car?

─Ilron: It’s the only way.

A long silence. Seol Ha-woon looked at Ilron. Ilron didn’t avoid his gaze either.

But….

“Foolish.”

It was Kang Hyeon’s commentary.

“Lies don’t work on hyung. He shouldn’t engage in such a direct confrontation. He’d have a better chance if he stayed away from the area entirely.”

“…Anyone watching would think you’re his real brother.”

Lee Jun-ho glared at him.

─Seol Ha-woon: You.

Suddenly, Seol Ha-woon throws a fatal question at Ilron.

─Seol Ha-woon: When and how did you realize?

A declaration that ‘you are an NPC who became aware of your identity.’

Seo Ji-woo was also impressed.

“He really caught him right away.”

“That hyung can even detect the slightest muscle twitch.”

“…How do you even know that though?”

Seo Ji-woo asked while focusing on the live broadcast.

“I can feel that magic power.”

Kang Hyeon opened SilTalk.

-Wow

-Wow lol

-Seol Ha-woon isn’t human

-Human lie detector lmao

-Just..

-Got caught right away

-Psychological warfare doesn’t work on Seol Ha-woon

-Then did those NPCs actually deceive Seol Ha-woon?

Ilron, gritting his teeth tightly, answers him.

─Ilron: Every time I met you people from the outside, I felt something was different. But decisively, someone told me.

Ilron’s lips twist with resignation.

─Ilron: That we are fake. That all of us are nothing but fakes.

Ilron glares at Seol Ha-woon again. With resolute eyes filled with determination.

─Ilron: I want to ask you instead. Must fakes necessarily disappear?

Seol Ha-woon doesn’t even hesitate at that question.

─Seol Ha-woon: Yes. From the real one’s perspective, that’s how it is.

Seo Ji-woo, Kang Hyeon, and Lee Jun-ho stared intently at him on the screen.

─Ilron: No. Everyone is the same as us. Real or fake… do you think it would have been different if you were us?

Saying that even he would have been the same if he were in their position.

“That’s the thing Ha-woon hyung hates hearing most.”

Kang Hyeon seemed to have switched careers to commentator.

─Seol Ha-woon: ….

Seol Ha-woon slowly tilts his head as if lost in thought for a moment.

With his face hidden by his hair, he continues with chilling words.

─Seol Ha-woon: I installed bombs in the freight car.

“Whoa!”

Seo Ji-woo’s eyes widened.

“Shh.”

Lee Jun-ho placed his hand near his lips.

Ilron on screen twisted his lips confidently.

─Ilron: We don’t die.

─Seol Ha-woon: Can you be certain?

I have always thought about this.

Seol Ha-woon’s monologue mixed between the two people’s conversation.

─Ilron: We’ve already verified dozens of times-

─Seol Ha-woon: No. Not you,

How far can a person go for their beliefs.

─Seol Ha-woon: I’m asking if you can be certain that people who never existed originally are also NPCs.

For their beliefs, what kind of acts can they commit.

Ilron’s expression hardens. Seo Ji-woo, Lee Jun-ho, Kang Hyeon, and the entire chat understood Seol Ha-woon’s meaning.

─Seol Ha-woon: Yes. The children were never originally yours. The longer life continues, the more weaknesses emerge.

I have always staked my everything.

─Seol Ha-woon: It’s a life that cannot be sustained from the beginning.

Therefore.

─Seol Ha-woon: Losing your memories would be more beneficial for you.

There is no room for negotiation.

Seol Ha-woon’s face was shown in close-up. His pupils had turned a deep blue color.

“Whoa….”

Seo Ji-woo drew in a sharp breath. Lee Jun-ho had almost stopped moving, and Kang Hyeon let out a long sigh.

“You can’t face Ha-woon hyung head-on….”

He keeps talking about facing him head-on.

Seo Ji-woo looked at the SilTalk messages crackling up on screen.

-Wow..

-Crazy.. he’s really cold

-Not just cold-hearted, but cruel

-It’s too much but there’s no choice.

-If even we watching feel this way, what about the people involved;;

-Wow ㅠㅠㅠ

-Fuck what kind of situation is this, my head hurts

-Damn it’s just spectacular

-Seol bastard..

-For real that’s a true leader; doesn’t care about means and methods for the goal

-Seol bastard is killing the kids..

-Even so, taking kids hostage is crazy ㄷㄷ

-But aren’t they NPC kids? What’s the problem?

-Even if they’re NPCs… to them they’re real children

-Seems like a sociopath for real

-Isn’t that kind of judgment natural on the battlefield?

-If you only consider strategy, it’s the right call but…

-But damn he really has no hesitation

-That’s a true leader. Never swayed by emotions.

The situation itself is quite controversial. Messages are flooding in saying things like “even if they’re fake, they’re still children” and “even if they’re children, they’re just fake.”

“Still.”

Lee Jun-ho, who had been watching, smiled bitterly and reached a conclusion.

“This is Seol Ha-woon.”

“…Right.”

The other two understood Jun-ho’s words.

…Probably while recalling the Seol Ha-woon that remained in each of their ‘memories.’

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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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