Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 78

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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 078

 

Getting Some Fresh Air(3)

 

The observation room of [In Camera Scouting]. Experts gathered in a place that looked down on the explorers on the 1st floor like a balcony. They were celebrities from various schools and sects who frequently appeared in the media.

 

Yoo Yul sat in the mentor seat.

 

“Ah~ So you’re the one.”

 

Someone spoke to Yoo Yul. Yoo Yul looked in that direction too.

 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Jeong-wook. I’m the Korean branch manager of the Zephyrell School.”

 

Kim Jeong-wook. A man with a greasy impression extended his hand. Yoo Yul shook hands.

 

It wasn’t even a real hand anyway, so it didn’t matter what touched it.

 

“Yes. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Hahaha.”

 

Kim Jeong-wook sat in a chair. He adjusted his suit and looked around at the distinguished guests.

 

“There are quite a few people from the schools. Well, that makes sense. Seo Ji-woo, Ryu Yeon-hwa, Yoon Hwa-rim – they’re all overflowing with talent. This Mitamnan mage pool is really broad.”

 

Yoo Yul listened silently.

 

Actually, she let it go in one ear and out the other.

 

“Well, we’re not interested in them though.”

 

Kim Jeong-wook, who had briefly closed his mouth, glanced at Yoo Yul. He seemed to be hoping she would say something first.

 

Yoo Yul remained quiet.

 

Kim Jeong-wook laughed heartily.

 

“Ah~ But please don’t think our noses are too high in the air. Seo Ji-woo and Ryu Yeon-hwa are worthless? Absolutely not~ We’re just keeping an eye on other personnel.”

 

Yoo Yul nodded.

 

“Haha. I also have something to tell you, Ms. Yoo Yul. It will definitely benefit you too. For sure.”

 

Meanwhile, the simulation began.

 

[ Stage 1 ]

 

Stage 1. The first batter was Seol Ha-woon.

 

Time limit: 1 minute 30 seconds. Opponent: Rock Golem.

 

“Hmm~ It’s pretty tough from Stage 1. A mage facing a rock golem. It even looks like it’s granite-based?”

 

Stage 1 monsters have easy patterns. That’s the same for golems too, but their basic specs are quite high. It means it’s pretty tough for a novice mage to face one-on-one.

 

Thud thud thud thud!

 

The golem charged. Staring at the massive body, Seol Ha-woon only raised his finger.

 

“Oho~ That’s the hand gun. I wanted to see it in person…”

 

Kim Jeong-wook was quite talkative, and before he finished speaking, a mana bullet was fired. The large-caliber bullet destroyed the golem’s core in one hit.

 

“…Huh?”

 

Kim Jeong-wook blinked his eyes. He seemed to have expected a brawl with mana bullets spraying like a machine gun.

 

“Wow, wow~ Bravo. Just as I heard.”

 

He clapped again.

 

Yoo Yul didn’t react. Kim Jeong-wook glanced at her as if slightly offended.

 

“But, Mentor Yoo Yul. Aren’t you being too quiet? I’m definitely your senior. My rank is higher too.”

 

Sometimes there are people like this. Those who mistake themselves for mages just because the head of their school is a mage.

 

“I’m originally the quiet type.”

 

Fortunately, Yoo Yul doesn’t hold grudges. She’s not the kind of cruel and wicked person who remembers situations like this to get revenge later.

 

“Haha~ That’s fine. But we can still communicate well, right? Now, let’s watch the remaining explorers!”

 

Starting with Seol Ha-woon, 69 people challenged in turn.

 

Some finished easily, some barely made it, and 10 failed.

 

“…What the. Are they crying?”

 

That was Kim Jeong-wook’s pure impression. The 10 who failed gathered separately in the waiting room and cried loudly. They must have sensed their elimination from the first round. The VJs persistently shoved cameras at them.

 

“Oh… wow. Look at that sad sight. They’re wailing. Ohoho, my. Is that snot or tears.”

 

[ Stage 2 ]

 

Regardless, the development moved on to the next Stage 2.

 

It’s a gargoyle. The time limit is the same 1 minute 30 seconds.

 

This time too, the first was Seol Ha-woon, and this time too, he cleared it easily.

 

He baptized the gargoyle in the sky with mana bullets from where he stood. The bullets accurately hit the gargoyle’s weak point─between the wings and shoulder blades.

 

“Wow~ Bravo~”

 

Kim Jeong-wook jumped up and clapped this time too. Officials from other schools looked at him and raised their eyebrows.

 

“…At this level, you can tell everything’s been marked, right?”

 

Kim Jeong-wook whispered to Yoo Yul and grinned. Yoo Yul just nodded silently.

 

[ Stage 3 ]

 

The next Stage 3 monster is a cursed dead person.

 

It’s an undead-type zombie.

 

Seol Ha-woon didn’t move a single step the same way. He cooked the zombie from the same spot. He poured all kinds of firepower on the creature whose strength was its durability, and eventually burned its entire body. Rather than being penetrated by mana bullets, it looked like it had been cooked by the heat from countless gunshot wounds.

 

In Yoo Yul’s view, his combat ability had definitely improved. The real combat in the Labyrinth must have helped quite a bit.

 

“…He’s a pure mage rarely seen in modern times.”

 

However, Kim Jeong-wook’s expression had become serious at some point.

 

Rather than admiration, it was a face that sensed some kind of ‘suspicion’.

 

* * *

 

“He’s good.”

 

Explorer waiting room.

 

Lee Jun-ho watched Seol Ha-woon’s monster hunting replay on the monitor.

 

His personal impression was, has he specialized? It was to that degree. Like how in games too, there are classes good for PvP and classes good for PvE.

 

Thud.

 

Kang Hyeon in the seat next to him closed his notebook. Lee Jun-ho glanced in that direction.

 

“Why are you putting it down? You were doing well taking notes.”

 

“It’s meaningless.”

 

“Meaningless? What meaning?”

 

“That hyung doesn’t have anything like patterns or routines.”

 

“…Isn’t just standing there and shooting formulas a pattern?”

 

“Similar but a bit different. The development order of formulas, gaze handling, behavioral reflexes, magic power collection patterns. But…”

 

Kang Hyeon trailed off.

 

Seol Ha-woon doesn’t have the habits that mages often call ‘quirks’. No patterns. No signals or omens that precede formulas.

 

As if he had deliberately erased all his rules and order.

 

“He’s a mage impossible to analyze.”

 

“…Ah, I see.”

 

“In human terms, he’s like a person without fingerprints.”

 

“That’s kind of creepy.”

 

Lee Jun-ho and Kang Hyeon are public rivals. They’ve seen each other’s faces many times in passing, but they’re not particularly close.

 

Lee Jun-ho turned his head to the side.

 

Seo Ji-woo was there. She also had a quite serious expression.

 

Why are both sides like this, so annoying.

 

Just then, Seol Ha-woon’s 5th stage monster was decided.

 

Lee Jun-ho grinned wickedly.

 

“Bad luck. You got the Magic Spider?”

 

Magic Spider. A B-rank monster that’s especially strong against mages. It’s perfect for the final stage.

 

Lee Jun-ho crossed his arms with excitement.

 

* * *

 

5th stage.

 

Somehow I’d made it to the end, but my headache was severe. Combat sequences put especially heavy strain on the spinal cord.

 

Maybe I should have just dropped out earlier.

 

Still, in-camera scouting is a part with quite a bit of screen time. To attract skill picks, I need to showcase my abilities as much as possible.

 

I put on my 【Rimless Glasses】.

 

My opponent is the Magic Spider. Time limit is 5 minutes. The space is a spacious cave. Stalactites shimmer on the ceiling, and the drip-drop sound of falling water droplets is eerie.

 

The appearance of the spider I can see in the distance looks even more intense.

 

It’s the size of a bear, with fluffy fur on its eight legs. Its appearance will be filtered out in the actual broadcast.

 

Hisss!

 

It moves between webs as large as houses.

 

Tap!

 

I struck the ground with my walking stick.

 

Magic Power radiates like waves, and the structure of this space is instantly perceived. Understanding the terrain is essential.

 

Screech!

 

It shot out webbing. I deployed a Crystal Barrier. The thread stuck to the Enhanced Barrier.

 

Hisss.

 

The spider web dissolved the barrier. More precisely, it absorbed the Magic Power.

 

Rustle. Rustle.

 

I fired Mana Bullets rapidly at the moving creature. The Mana Bullets were caught by the webs and shriveled up.

 

I had applied Explosion Enchantment to the bullets, but the spider webs absorbed the Magic Power first.

 

This is why it’s called the Magic Spider. It’s a famous natural enemy of mages since it feeds on Magic Power.

 

“…Hmm.”

 

Can I win, can I not win. I think the difference lies in ‘whether I can overcome control issues’.

 

The Magic Spider is impossible to overcome.

 

Even if I set up a defensive position and engage in a siege battle waiting for each other to tire out, it’s hard to guarantee victory, and I only have 3 minutes left.

 

Just as I was thinking I should give up.

 

Crackle——!

 

Magic Power sparked from my walking stick like electricity.

 

Synchronization was complete.

 

However, there’s not enough time to check the item changes.

 

I’ll know when I try it.

 

I struck the ground with my walking stick.

 

Tap.

 

The waves are clearer. The resonance is transparent. The amount of Magic Power flowing through the walking stick has increased.

 

No, it’s not just increased by a small amount. At this level, it might be possible to compress Magic Power precisely at one point with high density and detonate it.

 

Let’s try it.

 

I closed my eyes. I sent Magic Power flowing underground.

 

At the same time, I activated my sequence.

 

Time slows down. However, the speed of Magic Power follows my Mental Visualization.

 

Whoosh.

 

The Magic Power that advanced underground like electricity reaches specific coordinates, right beneath the spider.

 

Pinpoint Bombing.

 

Boooom——!

 

An explosion erupted from underground. High-heat, high-pressure blast waves generated from a single point engulfed the spider. Caught in the shockwave, it trembled with all eight legs before going limp. Steam like well-cooked boiled meat rose from the corpse.

 

“…Ah.”

 

I staggered from dizziness. I barely managed to stand upright by leaning on my walking stick.

 

One of the most basic mage theories: ‘Magic Power becomes harder to control the farther it gets from the mage’.

 

The Magic Power consumption was much more intense than expected.

 

I looked at the scoreboard.

 

[ FAILED ]

 

I went over the time limit by about 5 seconds. I failed, but I couldn’t help laughing.

 

AC-0308.

 

You’ve gotten incredibly good.

 

* * *

 

Magic Spider. It’s a monster that’s difficult for ‘pure mages’ to handle. Pure mage here refers to one classification of mages. In English, Pure Magician.

 

It might have been different in the 70s-80s when explorer theory wasn’t well developed, but in modern times where positional play has been established, it’s an almost obsolete concept.

 

‘A good mage should be able to move as busily and quickly as other archers or warriors.’

 

This is a proposition perfectly proven through various modern statistics and analytical techniques. It’s knowledge advocated and led by corporations, guilds, schools, and martial sects.

 

However, Seol Ha-woon stands at the opposite end of their spectrum. He’s a pure mage who completely contradicts the above modern theory. He’s like the crystallization of pure mages, to the extent that it’s hard to find other counterexamples.

 

And he burned down the Magic Spider.

 

In Kim Jeong-wook’s opinion, while the individual mage’s mobility is lacking, his Magic Power’s mobility is overwhelming. His mastery of wielding Magic Power is already at veteran level, yet he has no bad habits whatsoever.

 

Now here. What are bad habits?

 

For those curious, let me give a small example. Sometimes in media, there are mages who wave their hands, feet, arms, and legs when wielding Magic Power. They move their bodies to guide the path of Magic Power.

 

It’s the result of incorrect learning.

 

Magic Power can move dozens, hundreds, thousands of times faster than the human body, yet they’re doing the stupid thing of imposing limitations and slowing down their own Magic Power.

 

There are far more such mages than you’d think.

 

In contrast, Seol Ha-woon’s Magic Power has no limits. He knows very well that Magic Power’s speed is proportional to the mage’s Mental Visualization.

 

Therefore, he solves everything just standing in place. Standing at one point, he establishes his domain, then thoroughly controls everything without moving a single fingertip.

 

It’s the purest form of a mage.

 

“…Tsk.”

 

Kim Jeong-wook seriously rested his chin on his hand. He was suspicious of Seol Ha-woon.

 

“Is there some problem?”

 

Just then, PD Kim A-rang approached. Kim Jeong-wook glanced at her.

 

“PD.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You said in writing that mage Seol Ha-woon is a raw gem.”

 

“He is a raw gem. Isn’t he?”

 

Ha! A bitter laugh escaped.

 

“Raw gem, you say. It means an unrefined mineral. Something mixed with impurities, but holding shining possibility within.”

 

“That meaning… is correct, isn’t it? Seol Ha-woon hasn’t even been a mage for a year.”

 

“…You don’t need to keep that up with me too. I understand it’s a setting for broadcast purposes.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

PD Kim A-rang looked at Yoo Yul. It was a look asking for help.

 

Yoo Yul spoke.

 

“Not one year.”

 

“See?”

 

“Seven months.”

 

Instead, she reduced the number. Seol Ha-woon had confessed to being a 4-month mage when they first met, and now three more months had passed. Therefore, seven months was a more accurate number.

 

Kim Jeong-wook glared at Yoo Yul with a furrowed brow.

 

“…Are you certain?”

 

“In my personal opinion, I think he might have inflated it himself.”

 

“He deliberately inflated it?”

 

Yoo Yul thought about Seol Ha-woon.

 

The skill he had shown during the interview was merely dispelling a cheap artifact. It was the result of hastily changing course after trying to set paper on fire.

 

Most importantly, Seol Ha-woon had first visited David Han Bookstore only four months ago. Therefore, Seol Ha-woon was a newbie mage of at least four months, at most seven months.

 

“…Nothing more. It would be between six months, or maybe seven months.”

 

Whether four months or seven months, there was no doubt it was exceptional talent.

 

“Hmm….”

 

Kim Jeong-wook crossed his arms seriously. Suddenly he furrowed his brow and turned to look at Yoo Yul.

 

“Ms. Yoo Yul.”

 

His gaze was burdensome. His face was already greasy enough, but those blazing pupils especially.

 

He looked like someone who would shed butter instead of tears.

 

“I have something serious to discuss with you.”

 

“Hmm~ Then you two have your conversation.”

 

Yoo Yul forcibly suppressed her troubled feelings, and Kim A-rang turned away with a face trying to hold back laughter.

 

“Now then!”

 

A lengthy speech that began with the sound of clapping hands.

 

“I’d like to have an in-depth conversation about Mage Seol Ha-woon. Assuming that Mage Seol Ha-woon is definitely at seven months….”

 

Kim Jeong-wook was passionate. He spat saliva as if coughing up blood.

 

“…Yes. I know too. How Mentor Yoo Yul might think about Mage Seol Ha-woon. But this is for Mage Seol Ha-woon’s future.”

 

Sometimes there are such strange people. Crazy bastards who think as they please and judge as they please.

 

“Just get to the point.”

 

Kim Jeong-wook spoke as if he had been waiting for this.

 

“Please let go of Mage Seol Ha-woon.”

 

Yoo Yul answered.

 

“I never held onto him in the first place.”

 

“….”

 

Kim Jeong-wook’s lips twitched.

 

As expected, he doesn’t believe it. What a tiresome person.

 

“Yes. I understand. Considering Mage Seol Ha-woon’s talent, you’d want to keep holding onto him. Mentor Yoo Yul. Is founding a school your goal? If so, we at Zephyrell will help you. We can provide connections. Schools don’t change through individuals. If a mage emerges among the disciples, that school would rather be devoured by the disciple-”

 

“Seol Ha-woon.”

 

Yoo Yul cut off his words.

 

“Do you think he has the qualities of a mage?”

 

“…Well, our dean would be the one to judge that. You know who our dean is, right?”

 

The dean of Zephyrell School is Zephyrell. He is a mage. In Yoo Yul’s view, he’s not a particularly outstanding mage. Skill-wise, he’s slightly above average.

 

It means that not all mages are the same kind of mage.

 

“Whatever. Do as you please, however you want.”

 

Yoo Yul stood up. Kim Jeong-wook smiled.

 

“Are you really okay with this? I heard from PD Kim that Mage Seol Ha-woon holds very deep master-disciple affection for you.”

 

Yoo Yul said while adjusting her eyebrows.

 

“I’m not the type to keep disciples or anything like that.”

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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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