Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 67

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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 067

Living That Way(1)

Crackle. Crackle.

The back of my neck stings. It feels like electricity is suddenly surging up, or like being branded with a hot iron.

I placed my hand on the back of my head.

“No, so…”

There’s someone chattering right in front of me. The space is generally noisy. It’s a dining hall. Many people in identical uniforms are eating identical meals from identical trays.

“Ha-woon. So let’s go out together on the next leave, okay?”

He speaks while smiling. Looking at that stupid smile, I…

Crackle!

The pain got worse.

“Ugh.”

I covered the entire back of my neck with my hand.

“Whoa. What’s wrong? Did you get stung by a bee or something?”

“…No.”

I shook my head. Wiping away cold sweat, I raised my middle finger.

“Fuck you. Why would I go on leave with you.”

“Aw. There you go again. You don’t have anything to do at home anyway…”

His voice stretches out bizarrely. The pitch mixes up chaotically, and my vision loses focus. It feels like the whole world is moving away from me.

Bzzt!

The pain blinded me.

Or maybe I closed my eyes.

“…Hah!”

I opened my eyes again. Breathing heavily, I clutched my chest. Thump thump. It was pounding as if someone was kicking from inside.

“What’s wrong. Are you really sick somewhere? Seol Ha-woon is sick?”

I looked at him.

“If you’re sick, isn’t it cancer?”

This bastard spouting annoying bullshit.

Looking at this face, I definitely think this is a dangerous labyrinth.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

I barely escaped thanks to that electrode just now.

If the implant had been even slightly wrong or insufficient, I might have been trapped forever.

I suddenly became curious.

How many years did my unconscious experience in this place?

I can’t remember now. Just as memories scatter when you wake from a dream, the time experienced by the unconscious is as faint as powder dissolved in rainwater.

“What are you doing. Dreaming?”

He asked again. I let out a laugh I didn’t understand myself.

“…Yeah.”

A dream.

It is a dream.

“I’m dreaming.”

“What are you saying. What should we do~ The duty medical officer this week is Lee Eul-yong. Why get sick today of all days.”

Medical officer Lee Eul-yong. A real fucking asshole. A famous bastard who’s stubborn despite having no skill.

Didn’t he get sued for not sending a cancer patient for outpatient treatment? He was first priority to kill with friendly fire if war broke out.

“Are you really okay?”

“…I’m fine. I’m fine.”

I was meeting him again after such a long time. Blue hair. Blue eyes. Looking at him like this, he really has a face identical to his younger sibling.

“Nice to see you.”

“…Huh?”

Seo Ji-hyuk tilted his head with a dumbfounded expression. Even his light habits and gestures were exactly the same as before.

No, they were exactly as I remembered.

“Suddenly?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you again.”

This bastard who cruelly never once visited my dreams.

Of course, it’s probably just a representation created by my unconscious, but even that was welcome.

“What are you talking about. Did you hit your head?”

They say the memory humans forget fastest is auditory. Unfortunately, I don’t have any recordings of Seo Ji-hyuk’s voice. So I don’t know if this bastard’s voice is real.

“Who knows.”

I stood up from my seat. Perhaps because it was a dream, both my legs were fine. I wanted to feel this sensation, so I bounced around a bit.

“…What exactly are you doing?”

Seo Ji-hyuk narrowed his eyes.

“Hey.”

“What.”

“You bastard.”

I extended my hand to Seo Ji-hyuk.

“Thank you.”

“…?”

Seo Ji-hyuk had a completely confused expression, but I wanted to convey my words. There was something I definitely wanted to say if I ever met him again.

“I won’t forget you.”

Seo Ji-hyuk blinked. Suddenly, he laughed as if it was ridiculous and countered with two fingers.

It was scissors.

“What are you talking about. You’d be a bastard if you forgot-“

Bzzt──zzzt!

Another electrode. Pain that seemed to burn the back of my head awakened me.

The darkness cleared, and the space gradually revealed itself.

“…Ugh. What a headache.”

It’s a space decorated like a hotel. Probably inside the Unconscious Labyrinth. There’s an exit behind me and I’m alone in the lobby.

“Sigh.”

Rooms line a long corridor. They’re probably rooms leading to the explorers’ unconscious minds.

I have to wake all of them up.

That means there’s a lot of work to do.

“This is going to be tiring.”

Slam.

I threw open any door.

“…What is this now.”

It was some restaurant.

* * *

The world’s greatest tycoon Mr. Lim went out for the first time in a while to enjoy his hobby. His destination was a restaurant famous worldwide for having the most beautiful pastries.

Mr. Lim walks in wearing the world’s most expensive and glamorous suit coordination, carrying the world’s most elegant cane.

Everyone in the restaurant seemed ready to welcome him, as a red carpet stretched out long as soon as the door opened. Staff lined up on both sides greeted him with smiles.

Mr. Lim sat in the VVIP lounge with dignified gestures. The chef bowed and offered him a menu.

“Thank you.”

Mr. Lim opened the menu. After browsing for a while, he finally spoke in a soft, authoritative voice.

“Estro, I won’t bother mentioning the menu. Serve me your dream.”

The chef bowed politely.

“It’s an honor.”

“However.”

I briefly stopped the chef who was about to leave.

“I’d like an explanation about this Chevrolet Mileage Chocolate.”

Chevrolet Mileage Chocolate. Mr. Lim had caught that item on the menu.

The chef smiled and began his explanation.

“The Chevrolet Mileage Chocolate is made with specially aged cocoa beans and rare spices. Each bite delivers flavors that feel like embarking on a journey. At the end, a subtle fruit aroma lingers to awaken the senses.”

Mr. Lim nodded as if intrigued.

“Good. I’ll choose that for dessert.”

“Understood, Mr. Lim. Do you need anything else?”

Mr. Lim thought for a moment, then said.

“What about wine pairing?”

“The wine that pairs best with Chevrolet Mileage Chocolate is the 1990 port wine from Chateau de Anselm. Its deep, rich sweetness perfectly complements the chocolate’s subtle flavors.”

The chef was perfectly prepared.

“Good. Please prepare that as well.”

“I’ll prepare it right away, Mr. Lim.”

Mr. Lim smiled faintly and prepared for his meal.

Before long, the Chevrolet Mileage Chocolate was served.

Usually pastry comes at the end of a course, but the chef knew that Mr. Lim loved desserts.

Well, of course he’d know the tastes of the world’s richest man. With assets worth 10 quadrillion dollars.

“Is this the Chevrolet Mileage Chocolate?”

“I don’t know, you bastard.”

“Actually, I do know… what?”

Suddenly, such insolent and violent language, like a complete lunatic. Mr. Lim turned to look at him with bulging eyes.

“What are you?!”

“What do you mean what, man. Chevrolet, what. Is it a car? There’s no such chocolate in this world.”

“…How outrageous! Owner! Come out here, owner! How do you train your staff!”

“Owner? Okay. Wait a second.”

He lifted his waist. A pistol was drawn. Click. The gun barrel was aimed at Mr. Lim’s temple.

“…Calm down. Are you after my money? Young man. You’re being too reckless right now. There are high ranker bodyguards stationed outside. If I just snap my fingers, they’ll come and subdue you.”

Mr. Lim tried to persuade him. The world’s greatest tycoon, the one who ruled the world, being robbed so pathetically like this. The future of dying a dog’s death was obvious. For the sake of this promising young man’s life, Mr. Lim…

Press!

He pushed the gun barrel in forcefully. Mr. Lim gasped.

“Ah, shit, that hurts.”

“Hae-jun. Get your head together.”

“…What? Hae-jun?”

Hae-jun.

That name revived Mr. Lim’s hazy memories, and warm fragments of the past floated up.

“How do you know my old name…”

“Man. Why are you carrying a walking stick too?”

He fiddled with the walking stick’s handle.

“…Walking stick?”

Walking stick. Mr. Lim’s pupils gradually widened.

“Did it look cool? When you actually need to use it, it’ll be inconvenient as hell.”

Mr. Lim looked at him closely.

A familiar… no, unfamiliar face.

Someone he seemed to have met in his youth, but too much time had passed, definitely someone seated in distant memories.

No matter how much time passed, he could never forget his intensity.

“Could it be… Seol Ha-woon?”

“That’s right. Nice to see you.”

He raised his hand. Im Hae-jun unconsciously raised his hand. High five.

Smack!

His large palm struck the back of his head hard instead of a high five.

Im Hae-jun’s eyes nearly popped out.

“Ahhhhh!”

He bounced up high like a spring.

Thunk!

“Ahhh!”

He crashed into something again. It was a glass window. Im Hae-jun hurriedly checked his condition. He was inside a strange capsule.

“What, what! Open the door! Open the door! Uwaaahhh!!!”

Whoosh. Im Hae-jun flailed around and accidentally opened the capsule.

“What, what… where is this?”

He tried to get up quickly, but all the strength drained from his body.

His mind was hazy as if he’d had a long dream, and his limbs were shaky. He couldn’t even remember the dream’s content.

“Im Hae-jun.”

Someone called Im Hae-jun.

“Hyeon hyung?”

It was Kang Hyeon. He gestured toward the door and said.

“Come help.”

He was in a standoff with menacing gunmen.

* * *

“…The eldest son of the Ryu Family. You must be Young Master Ryu Yeon-hwa.”

Ryu Yeon-hwa’s unconscious. I looked at him sitting in front of the folding screen. Unusually, the setting was the Joseon Period.

“Yes. I heard you’re a very skilled fortune teller.”

With pure white hair, he sat in a posture that matched his gombangdae.

“That’s right. Very skilled indeed.”

To wake someone from a dream, you first need to make them sense something strange about themselves. Some opponents like Im Hae-jun are easy to wake, while others are difficult.

Ryu Yeon-hwa is fifty-fifty.

“Please proceed. I’m curious about my future. I’m about to go see His Majesty.”

He smiled while fiddling with his fan.

“Yes.”

I grabbed rice grains from the lucky pouch and scattered them on the table with a rustling sound. Pretending to read fortune telling from their arrangement, I said.

“…Interesting. This is the position of falsehood.”

“Position of falsehood?”

Ryu Yeon-hwa asked back.

“Yes. It means this world isn’t real.”

“Huh? This world isn’t real?”

“That’s right. You understand very well.”

“What… what kind of fortune teller are you?”

Ryu Yeon-hwa naturally became suspicious.

However, if you turn suspicion into truth that must be believed, one awakens from the dream.

“Please believe me. All my words are truth. I can even show you evidence.”

“Evidence?”

I grabbed rice grains again.

“Yes. Let’s speak logically. If these rice grains I’m holding are the exact number you want, would you believe it?”

“The number I want?”

“Of course. Tell me how many rice grains there should be. I already grabbed these rice grains before you even said a number, didn’t I?”

“Ha!”

Ryu Yeon-hwa let out a hollow laugh and opened her fan.

“Go ahead. There’s no harm in it, is there?”

He glared at me with displeasure, but eventually spoke a number.

“…5.”

I opened my fist. Exactly five rice grains fell onto the table. Ryu Yeon-hwa’s eyes widened.

“Young Master Ryu. How about it?”

“…This is, this is nonsense. You expect me to believe this world is fake based on just this?”

“Then shall we try once more?”

I leisurely suggested and grabbed rice grains again.

“…Fine. Let’s see you do it.”

Ryu Yeon-hwa smiled meaningfully. His expression showed he had thought of something clever.

“333,003.”

Three hundred thirty-three thousand and three. A number impossible to grab with one’s hand.

I opened my hand. Thud, thud, thud. Exactly three grains fell. Ryu Yeon-hwa triumphantly raised his chin.

“Ha! And you call this impressive? Hey! What are you doing outside! Drag this quack out-“

“Look behind you.”

“…Behind?”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

I gestured toward the back. Frowning, Ryu Yeon-hwa only turned his head slightly.

In that moment, the back of his neck stiffened.

The folding screen lined up behind him.

“There should be exactly three hundred thirty thousand drawn there.”

Rice grains were drawn densely across the entire surface.

“How, how is this possible…”

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Snap.

When I flicked my finger, three hundred thirty thousand rice grains poured down from the folding screen. Aaahhh! Ryu Yeon-hwa screamed as he was engulfed by the wave of rice.

“It’s all fake.”

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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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