Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 323

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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 323

HERO(9)

The VVIP waiting room of the university hospital. I sat in the spacious area, waiting for people.

“I didn’t know the hospital had a place like this.”

I had never known such a space existed before, but suddenly the hospital director appeared and brought me here.

Patient information is strictly confidential in principle, and visits are naturally impossible unless you’re family. But this was the privilege of being a celebrity, I suppose.

The nurses and doctors hurriedly contacted the family, and fortunately they were fans of mine and gladly gave permission.

In fact, it wasn’t just permission.

“Wow!”

Suddenly the door opened and many people entered.

“W-wow!”

“It’s really Seol Ha-woon!”

It was Jeong Soon’s family.

Two sons, two daughters. Three grandsons, four granddaughters. The large family appeared in an instant asking for autographs, and I gladly picked up a pen.

I sign autographs by hand, not with telekinesis. That’s proper etiquette.

“Wow, no, you’re really Mr. Seol Ha-woon, right?”

The person who seemed to be the eldest son extended his hand to me.

“Yes. That’s correct.”

As we shook hands, he looked at me like he was examining a precious gem.

“What connection did you have with our mother… that brought you here…?”

“Ah. We had a connection in the past.”

“P-perhaps during your active duty days?”

“Not exactly… Did your mother never mention me?”

They looked puzzled.

“No.”

“…Didn’t she ever talk about a mage? One she met as a child.”

I thought she would have mentioned it at least once.

“Uh… Ah, she did often talk about a mage she met long ago. About a mage she was grateful to…”

A mage she was grateful to.

I was curious about that story, and the eldest son, second son, eldest daughter, and second daughter began to tell it.

The story of ‘a certain mage’ who came to her after the Korean War, when she was living alone in a shack after losing her family.

The experience of staying with him for several days. The life lessons he taught her.

Most importantly, how she carefully kept the magic stone fragment he left behind, sold it to get starting capital, and became a successful businesswoman in Seoul.

“…That’s fortunate.”

I smiled. It leaked out naturally.

“Oh, come to think of it, she said that mage carried a staff.”

He looked at my staff.

I answered honestly.

“Yes. That mage was me.”

Hahahaha. They laughed. They seemed to think it was a joke.

“But now… our mother is…”

His face darkened as his words trailed off.

It was cancer.

“…If it’s alright, perhaps.”

I carefully spoke up.

“Could I meet that friend… no, that elder?”

They seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon nodded.

“Please follow us.”

I followed them to the hospital room. A nameplate hung in front of the VIP private room door.

│Lee Jeong-soon│

“…”

I looked at the nameplate attached to the hospital room door.

Jeong Soon-i, you succeeded.

I felt nervous for no reason.

“Whew.”

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Knock knock-

There was no response from inside.

Knock knock-

“Um…”

Someone spoke to me from the side. I turned to look. Before I knew it, not only nurses but also doctors and hospital staff had gathered around me. It seemed like everyone on night duty had come out.

Their gazes felt burdensome, but one nurse whispered:

“Just… you can open it.”

I slowly grasped the door handle and entered.

Whirr─

The moment I opened the door, my body’s magic power faintly resonated with something in the room.

Beep— Beep—

A quiet hospital room with only the regular beeping of the heart monitor and faint breathing sounds. One adult lay on the bed.

It was Jeong Soon.

I approached and sat in the chair beside her. I looked at the face that had once been a child’s.

“…”

She was eleven then, so now she was eighty-six.

For me, it’s still a vague age. An age I wonder if I can reach.

“Jeong Soon.”

The child who had weathered so many storms, who had fought through so much, lay gaunt as if she had already spent all her strength.

Deep wrinkles and white hair. Seventy-five years had changed the small child who used to climb mountains recklessly beyond recognition.

“…Jeong Soon.”

I called her name softly. I carefully raised my hand. Looking at her wrist, I smiled slightly.

The bracelet I had made for her was still there.

She must have treasured it, as it wasn’t very worn.

“Thank you.”

I placed my hand on hers.

I had expected this outcome from the moment I came.

If she had been whole and healthy, she would have recognized me on TV. She would have found me somehow.

As Tae-woo said, perhaps time is already complete as time.

That’s when it happened.

The bracelet on her wrist glowed with a faint blue light and trembled.

Beep— Beep— Beepbeepbeep!

The heart monitor briefly sent irregular signals, then Jeong Soon’s eyelids trembled slightly.

Beep- Beep-

Very slowly, she opened her eyes. Her hazy pupils turned toward me.

Our gazes crossed.

In my memory, I looked at the child from that time, which was only a few days ago for me.

The child who had become an old woman over 75 years looked at me, who remained exactly as I was 75 years ago.

“Jeong Soon.”

A very faint smile spread across Jeong Soon’s dry lips.

“Thanks to you, I was able to return alive like this.”

I wrapped her hand with both of mine.

“You’ve also lived well, kindly and diligently. I can tell by looking at the children.”

She nodded quietly. Warm moisture slowly gathered in her eyes.

“…For me, all I can say is thank you.”

Suddenly, strength entered Jeong Soon-i’s hand. She gripped my hand tightly. I kissed the back of her wrinkled hand.

She couldn’t make a sound, but she moved her lips. I read one word from the shape of her mouth.

…Hero.

I smiled. Breathing out softly, I answered.

“Same for me.”

I too, certainly survived thanks to you.

Beep─ Beep─beep ──

Suddenly, Jeong Soon-i’s heart monitor moved. The strength gripping my hand weakened.

Jeong Soon-i gave me a certain look.

“Yes.”

I nodded while putting down her hand.

“…Rest peacefully.”

I quietly stood up from my seat. I opened the door and went out, gesturing to the family members waiting outside to come in.

Jeong Soon-i’s family stood by her side.

Beep─ Beep─beep ──

Gradually wavering heartbeat. Slowing breath.

As doctors and nurses came in one by one, watching Jeong Soon’s final moments surrounded by a dozen family members…

I quietly stepped back.

Whirrrrr…

The next morning. From early morning, the doors of the set stage opened again. The staff waited with bated breath for the next returnee.

The fifth person to return from beyond The Door of memories was Yoon Hwa-rim.

“Hwa-rim.”

PD Kim A-rang called her name.

“…”

Yoon Hwa-rim didn’t answer for a long time.

She was immersed in deep emotion, as if she had become the protagonist of some sad movie. Her large eyes were moist with tears, and instead of her usual liveliness, a somehow mature and wistful atmosphere surrounded her.

It seemed as if her own story that she must have experienced inside The Door of memories was clearly etched on her face.

However, Kim A-rang and the staff couldn’t dare say congratulations to her. The same went for saying she had worked hard.

It wasn’t just because of the emotional exhaustion she must have experienced inside the labyrinth.

“Hey, Hwa-rim.”

Then someone appeared from among the staff. It was Seo Ji-woo. She approached Yoon Hwa-rim to say what the staff didn’t dare to say.

“Calm down and listen carefully.”

And she held out a smartphone.

“You’re in big trouble.”

Yoon Hwa-rim wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes with the back of her hand. Looking more mature, gentle, and composed. She looked at Seo Ji-woo and asked calmly.

“…What do you mean?”

“First, I know you’re being sentimental right now, but look at this first. It’s your SNS. You know initial response is important, right?”

Seo Ji-woo held out the smartphone.

“Ah, don’t make me look. I’m a bit… I think I need psychological counseling…”

“Just look. You’re really screwed.”

Push. Push. She shoved the smartphone toward Yoon Hwa-rim’s face.

“Really Ji-woo, why are you being like this…”

“Just look at it. Then you’ll be able to return to reality right away.”

Yoon Hwa-rim reluctantly took the smartphone.

@YUUN

It was her own Instagram account. She pressed on the most recent post. Comments were infinitely copied.

@dddd12 I noticed since the Cargo Dungeon lol your personality never changes

@maloh_love Repaying kindness with enmity. Je Mal-ol is pitiful.

@noname You freeloaded off the turret Seol Ha-woon made? Why did you freeload? Answer, bitch

@AOMO1 Really no sense lol wow so fucking disgusting

@user1101 Just quit the show, it’s so disgusting

@goaway Thief lol

@ANSDnanfan Don’t curse at our Hwa-rim! The broadcast isn’t all out yet!

@truth_seeker Broadcast or whatever, isn’t the fact that she stole Seol Ha-woon’s turret and attached it to her own?

@asnlkhater Fucking crazy bitch really lol don’t live your life like that~ hehe

@Qauan12 Is it because my kleptomania won’t stop? ㅜ.ㅜ

@HAyun121030 Hwa-rim unnie, stay strong! Don’t mind the haters!

@justzach I was just a fan quietly supporting you… but this time seems wrong. I’m disappointed.

“…”

Terror was happening on Instagram. There were hundreds of thousands of comments.

Besides the readable Korean that caught her eye, English, Spanish, Russian, German, damn all kinds of languages were pouring out some kind of harsh words.

Yoon Hwa-rim’s face contorted in an instant.

“Ah, what the fuck is this──!”

Her precious Instagram account that she had barely saved from suffering from hate comments during the Cargo Labyrinth had turned to ash again.

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Um…]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Haun oppa ㅠㅠㅠ]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: I got permission, right?]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: I got permission, right??]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Ha-woon oppa what are you doing]

[Seol Ha-woon: ??]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: I did get permission thoughㅠㅠㅠ]

[Seol Ha-woon: For what]

“…Ah, what.”

I woke up to the KakaoTalk notifications that had been ringing non-stop since morning.

I stretched and looked out the window. It was the familiar Seoul cityscape.

I had returned not to the dormitory, but to the penthouse I had bought previously.

“Haaaam…”

Ding-

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Huh, you don’t know, oppa?]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Please just take a look at the community and news portal sites right now ㅠㅠ]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: It’s chaos]

I accessed the internet on my smartphone.

“…What is this.”

I rubbed my eyes. Articles related to Yoon Hwa-rim were pouring down like a waterfall.

[Exclusive] ‘Turret Theft Controversy’ Yoon Hwa-rim… Production crew remains silent

Yoon Hwa-rim’s SNS account under global terrorist attacks

Mitamnan’s Yoon Hwa-rim, fandom splits over character controversy… ‘Apologize to Seol Ha-woon’

‘Daylight robber’ vs ‘Unfair witch hunt’, what’s the truth behind Yoon Hwa-rim’s turret controversy?

Is it fandom’s misconduct, or Yoon Hwa-rim’s lack of common sense.

“Ah, I’m tired…”

I was unusually tired. Even though I slept with 「Dream Bubble」 on.

This will probably continue for a while. After completing refinement, adaptation is necessary.

[Yoon Hwa-rim: My account is being terrorized]

“…This is ridiculous.”

I tapped on my smartphone keyboard.

[Seol Ha-woon: The media is the problem]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Right!!! You think so too, oppa?!]

[Seol Ha-woon: Yeah]

I pondered for a moment, then sent another reply.

[Seol Ha-woon: If you have time, let’s do a live broadcast together.]

I don’t particularly want to just stand by and watch Yoon Hwa-rim get cursed at.

In the first place, the fact that she personally repaired that turret and modified it to match her magic power is entirely Yoon Hwa-rim’s individual ability.

I don’t want to enforce copyright or anything like that either.

If someone uses the tools I made in a useful way, if they cherish and use them like Yoon Hwa-rim does, I’m actually proud.

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Wow really!! When?!]

[Seol Ha-woon: Ask the production crew.]

[Yoon Hwa-rim: Yes!! I’ll ask right away!!]

[Seol Ha-woon: Yeah]

“…Ah, my head.”

I lay down on the bed, pressing my temples.

I turned my head slightly to look out the window at the tall high-rise buildings and Han River view, letting out a hollow laugh.

“Really a good era.”

We’re living in quite a good era.

Now that I’ve experienced it firsthand, I finally understand.

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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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