Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 80

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Labyrinth Exploration 101 Episode 080

 

Who Do You Think You Are(1)

 

On a day when overtime work never ceased, in the broadcasting station’s conference room.

 

PD Im Hyeong-uk shared a specific community post with the writers and PDs.

 

│Real talk, exposing the labyrinth party│Real talk, everyone knows he’s a club addict. Frequently spotted at Gangnam clubs and everyone knows him….

 

“Has this been fact-checked?”

 

Kim A-rang asked. Im Hyeong-uk shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Not yet.”

 

The post exposing Ryu Yeon-hwa’s drug use had quite a lot of views. The site was famously unreliable, so without verification, what could it be? But still.

 

Im Hyeong-uk said.

 

“I asked Yeon-hwa and she said absolutely not. Though she did go to clubs.”

 

“She went to clubs?”

 

One of the writers tilted their head.

 

“Yeah. She said she just danced to relieve stress.”

 

“…I see.”

 

“What? Why that expression? She could go to clubs. You guys went too. The point isn’t clubs, it’s drugs.”

 

Kim A-rang looked through the comments on the post.

 

“Without proof it’s fake… Most reactions are like this.”

 

“But reporters asked about it. A reporter I know said there’s already a media company that scheduled an interview. The guy who wrote this apparently has lots of photos taken with Ryu Yeon-hwa?”

 

Kim A-rang frowned.

 

“What does Ryu Yeon-hwa herself say?”

 

“Well… she says she’ll try to handle it herself. Even so, it doesn’t seem like she’d do drugs….”

 

“Is she asking her family for help?”

 

“I don’t know. Well, she has good connections so she’ll probably use some people or whatever. Just wait until it gets fact-checked.”

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa belongs to Jeiros, a major mage guild. One of Jeiros’s major shareholders is Ryu Yeon-hwa’s father.

 

“There’s nothing good about overlapping responses. I’m just telling you to keep it in mind.”

 

“But it’s still drugs.”

 

If it’s really drugs, it’s serious. The premise that a drug-addicted explorer is more dangerous than a murderous explorer is an obvious ‘truth’.

 

“For now… I’ll go visit her once.”

 

Kim A-rang got up from her seat.

 

* * *

 

After the on-camera scouting ended, on the way up the back mountain.

 

Whoooosh.

 

Wind flowed in. It was an artificial current. I looked in that direction. Ryu Yeon-hwa was hiding behind a tree.

 

He covered his mouth with his hand and said.

 

“How much do you need for operation funds?”

 

“…What? Kim Du-gyeom won’t help?”

 

“No. Du-gyeom said he’d help. But I can’t burden that child any more than this.”

 

“Don’t call him a child, it’s disgusting.”

 

I waved my walking stick. Ryu Yeon-hwa flinched and raised his arms.

 

Uncharacteristically cowardly of him.

 

Anyway, it seemed Kim Du-gyeom’s plan to gaslight Ryu Yeon-hwa had backfired.

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa is a gentleman’s son. Rather than relying too heavily on someone, he’s the type who chooses to make deals instead.

 

“50 million in cash will do.”

 

“Please provide a contract.”

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

“…Then, please at least explain the operation.”

 

Suddenly I felt mischievous.

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

“…Please provide the account number.”

 

“Don’t you know what cash means? Cash, not account transfer. 50 million in cash.”

 

“50 million won in cash?”

 

“Yeah. You must have servants.”

 

“…Yes. How should I deliver it to you right away?”

 

He’s being too obedient. He must be desperate.

 

I shrugged my shoulders.

 

“Never mind, man. The operation funds were a joke.”

 

“A joke…?”

 

“Yeah. I was just testing your mindset a bit.”

 

“Then… it’s free?”

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa’s lips trembled as if holding back laughter.

 

“It’s not really free either. Oh right. Hey, give me your smartphone for a moment.”

 

I remember the full story of this incident.

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa had been agonizing, unable to figure out who the whistleblower was, stupidly considering dropping out, then accidentally finding decisive evidence.

 

Originally, the Ryu Yeon-hwa drug rumor was supposed to end as a trivial incident. It was just one fly sticking to a successful person.

 

The real culprit behind escalating things was purely Kim Du-gyeom’s gaslighting.

 

“Here… but why the smartphone?”

 

I opened the blocked messages folder on the smartphone.

 

“Just in case. Let me check something.”

 

Luckily, Ryu Yeon-hwa uses a model that stores messages sent by blocked numbers directly in the blocked messages folder.

 

“Oh, there it is.”

 

I held out the message.

 

“Look at this. This bastard seems like the culprit?”

 

“Culprit…?”

 

[ Hey Yeon-hwa you’re doing well these days haha nice to see haha ]

 

[ Can’t you unblock me on KakaoTalk and Instagram? You suddenly blocked me lol ]

 

[ lol hey aren’t you gonna reply? ]

 

[ If you don’t reply I’ll expose how you live? I offered to get you a table but you said no haha ]

 

[ You did drugs in the bathroom too right? haha ]

 

[ Just send 300 million ]

 

[ Account number ]

 

[ If you don’t reply I’ll expose you right away. ]

 

[ I’ll give you 3 days. ]

 

[ I’ll wait just one more week really at least reply ]

 

“…Huh?”

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa stared blankly at the screen.

 

“Huuuh?!”

 

He clutched the smartphone with both hands.

 

“How, how did you know?”

 

“Know what? I just searched through it just in case. What other reason is there for posting stuff like that besides blackmail and extortion?”

 

There’s no need to drag out the explanation. I’m not Conan or anything.

 

“That bastard, do you think you know who it is?”

 

“…Yes. There are several MDs I’ve blocked, but I know this way of speaking. I blocked him because he kept using informal speech.”

 

“Then prepare to counter from now on. If that bastard breaks a story or something, you can immediately strike back.”

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa blinked at me while looking. The way she clutched her smartphone like a sacred object was quite amusing.

 

“Just in case, make sure to back up the text message data. Someone might delete it while you’re sleeping.”

 

“Yes. Thank you.”

 

“Yeah. Good work.”

 

“…Wait!”

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa grabbed me.

 

“Why are you helping me? And for free at that.”

 

“Just think of it as my hobby.”

 

It’s repayment for trust. And it’s something that will end easily anyway.

 

“I’m more curious about you. Why did you think to trust me?”

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa pursed her lips and said something I never expected.

 

“You’re right, aren’t you?”

 

“…What?”

 

I was dumbfounded. Ryu Yeon-hwa asked back with a serious face.

 

“There’s nothing more we need to prepare, right?”

 

“Hey. Do you think your opponent is some state power? He’s just a drug addict. An idiot who spouts off without thinking about the consequences.”

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa covered her mouth and laughed. She likes it when I curse on her behalf. Maybe because she can’t do it herself.

 

“I mean you don’t need to worry too much. I’m going.”

 

I climbed the back mountain again. Suddenly thinking of Kim Jeong-wook, I waved my hand behind me. I don’t know if Ryu Yeon-hwa saw it though.

 

Back Mountain. A place that has now become like my personal training ground.

 

I silently look up at the night sky. Dark clouds flow between swaying tree branches, and a pure white half-moon shines quietly. Cold air passes by, brushing against my skin.

 

Using this monotonous scenery as a canvas, I summon my mental image.

 

Wind Ring.

 

The thing Kim Jeong-wook manifested today.

 

I chew over the image clearly imprinted in my mind.

 

He condensed magic power in the air. He formed a ring of wind with magic power.

 

He didn’t move the wind, but transformed magic power.

 

I closed my eyes.

 

Whiiiiiii…

 

The texture of wind touching my collar. I just let magic power flow into it. I release it armful by armful like invisible thread. So it seeps into the atmosphere and spreads.

 

I opened my eyes again.

 

In the distant night sky, blue particles like the Milky Way shimmer in the heavens. It’s probably streams of magic power visible only to my eyes.

 

I just watch and operate magic power.

 

Kim Se-jin once said.

 

The ultimate of formulas, the path of magic lies in the ‘eyes’.

 

Originally, mages don’t need to move their bodies. They can accomplish everything with mere observation, and they must.

 

──!

 

The sky flashes as if shattering.

 

Responding to my will, magic power binds together more strongly. Particles of magic power connect to form a ring.

 

Compared to Kim Jeong-wook’s, it’s still small and clumsy in shape, but the principle is the same. Rather, the combination of formulas itself might be more precise on my part.

 

It’s not over yet.

 

I will add one more idea to the ring.

 

‘Think about it. What if you combined your mana bullet with that wind?’

 

The moment imagination ends, reality arrives.

 

Swoooosh──-!

 

Wind shoots out. Among the swirling gale, blue spark-like fragments are mixed in.

 

Rat-tat-tat-tat─-

 

The trajectory of brilliant buckshot cuts through the sky and settles down, soon coloring the entire back mountain area like fireworks. Wind and bullets intertwine and explode in waves, and waves, and waves repeatedly.

 

There’s no pain.

 

It’s a fake formula I deliberately set up that way.

 

“…”

 

Right now, infinite possibilities arise in my mind. Countless images combine and expand into other formulas.

 

If I mix sequence into this. If I endlessly amplify the speed of wind and mana bullets…

 

Suddenly, I felt like the world was vibrating.

 

I placed my hand on my heart. There was a great trembling.

 

I was belatedly certain.

 

If it’s a formula observed with the naked eye, I can definitely replicate it. What someone reached through countless efforts, or what’s impossible even through endless effort, I can reproduce with just mental imagery.

 

That’s right.

 

It’s the privilege of genius.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Kim A-rang returned to the editing room. Im Hyeong-uk in the corridor spotted her and tilted his head.

 

“What? You already met with Ryu Yeon-hwa and came back?”

 

“No. It looked like it would be resolved.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Actually, it was already a resolved matter. She even saw how it was resolved.

 

Kim A-rang trudged over and sat down.

 

“Then where did you go?”

 

“Back Mountain.”

 

“Back Mountain… Oh right. Doesn’t Seol Ha-woon go there often? How about installing some cameras? It seemed like he was training or something.”

 

At Im Hyeong-uk’s words, Kim A-rang thought for a moment, but soon shook her head.

 

“…Leave it be. He should have some personal space.”

 

“What? No, personal space? What, is this really Kim A-rang? Aren’t you a Labyrinth Person?”

 

Kim A-rang narrowed her eyes.

 

“What would we do filming that anyway.”

 

“Hey. We’re making a genius image. Then we should film him training.”

 

“Geniuses shouldn’t have to make effort.”

 

“…Ah~ That’s true. That could be the case.”

 

Kim A-rang had just seen Seol Ha-woon. His training, the footsteps of a ‘real’ genius.

 

“About Seol Ha-woon. What if he had chosen this path from the beginning.”

 

Suddenly, words that Yu-yul Mentor had once said came to mind.

 

“…What are you talking about?”

 

Seol Ha-woon had wasted his talent until now.

 

He should have been at school, not the military, at university, not the battlefield.

 

“What do you mean what.”

 

Kim A-rang looked at Im Hyeong-uk and grinned.

 

“I’m saying Seol Ha-woon will take first place.”

 

A man who is dramatic as a human being, whose life journey is like cinema.

 

Just how far will he go, and where will he be able to reach?

 

Kim A-rang held exactly half that much conviction.

 

* * *

 

[ Ryu Yeon-hwa, Drug Rumors Spread Like Wildfire? ]

 

One day, an MD drug dealer who couldn’t extort money threw a stone with the mindset of “go to hell.”

 

Right at that moment, as if she had been waiting for it.

 

[ Ryu Yeon-hwa Reveals Threatening Text Messages. Sues Club MD Who Spread False Posts… ]

 

[ Ryu Yeon-hwa Tests Negative on Simple Drug Test. Natural White Hair Since Birth, Never Bleached Once. ]

 

[ Ryu Yeon-hwa: “Clubs Are Just a Hobby, Don’t Even Pay for Expensive Tables… Only Feel Sorry for Causing Trouble for the Show” ]

 

Ryu Yeon-hwa’s aerial bombardment-level response unfolded, and with her lawsuit declaration, various articles sprouted up like bamboo shoots after rain. With active support promised from both the broadcasting station and guild, Ryu Yeon-hwa’s rumors would now come to an end.

 

Instead, Ryu Yeon-hwa gained a new nickname: Bamboo Shoot.

 

Because her latest SNS post read, “I prefer bamboo forests over noisy downtown areas.”

 

Club regular, bamboo shoot, so just Bamboo Shoot.

 

It’s funny. Someone who hates noisy things goes to clubs that much?

 

[ Ryu Yeon-hwa: Thank you. As expected, I was right. This is right. ]

 

A strange text came from Ryu Yeon-hwa. I turned on the TV without replying.

 

The live broadcast would start soon. This would probably be the last live broadcast before the first tally.

 

“Should I just not watch it?”

 

This episode’s subtitle might be ‘The Fall of I-Was-Right.’ Kim Du-gyeom’s public image was still good, and the exposure of Kim Du-gyeom’s school violence was still weeks away.

 

I might be under carpet bombing until then.

 

“…Hmm.”

 

First, I checked the communities.

 

─5 minutes before doors open

 

─Open the doors~

 

─Am I the only one seeing lots of spoilers lately? Can’t tell what’s real

 

└That’s just how Mitamnan operates. Their mindset is to spread tons of fake news to prevent spoilers. 95% chance that posts from verified live audience members are also fake ones posted by hired workers lol

 

─Looking forward to I-Was-Right lol what I heard internally is he really caused some shit

 

─My friend went to the Live Labyrinth, says Seol Ha-woon and Lee Jun-ho’s team are insane

 

─Live broadcast starting

 

─Doors open let’s go

 

─Let’s gooo

 

Just then, the live broadcast began.

 

┌──Labyrinth Exploration NaN──┐

 

Episode 7 broadcast. My face appearing in the previous episode summary, still unfamiliar even now.

 

I watched with tension.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————