Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 10 (Part 1): I AM (2)

The main set of [Labyrinth Exploration NaN].

A large stage holds 96 chairs arranged in a pyramid formation. At the very top sits the dazzling first-place chair. Just below it, the second tier holds ranks 2 and 3; the third tier, 4 through 7; the fourth, 8 through 15…

This was the iconic opening setup of the *Labyrinth Exploration* series.

“Cue.”

At PD Yoon Sa-hyeok’s signal, two unaffiliated individual applicants entered the set first.

“Whoa. This is amazing.”

“It’s huge. Oh, so those are the chairs.”

[Lee Dong-hyuk] and [Kim Yoon-seo]. The two—a man and a woman—with name tags pinned to their chests glance around, reacting with curiosity.

To PD Yoon Sa-hyeok, they’re nothing special—just bottom-tier contestants.

“So, uh, where are you going to sit? I heard you can pick anywhere in the beginning.”

The woman asks.

“Oh, I’ll go here… humbly.”

The man takes a seat at the 40th chair. The woman hesitates briefly before settling into the 20th. They sneak glances at each other, chuckling awkwardly for no particular reason.

“Your name is Lee Dong-hyuk, right…?”

“Yes. I’m Lee Dong-hyuk. I’m 22.”

“Oh, I’m 23. Kim Yoon-seo. It’s, uh, a bit awkward, isn’t it?”

“Haha, yeah. I know you, though, Kim Yoon-seo.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. You’re a mage, right? You do YouTube too?”

*Thud.*

A distinctly heavy footstep cuts through their chatter. Both turn toward the sound.

The third individual applicant. A man with brown comma-shaped hair walked down the runway-like stage. His proportions and physique were almost unrealistically perfect. Even in a plain shirt, his presence was striking—a man who exuded star quality just by his looks.

The name tag on his chest read [Kang Hyun].

He entered the set. Lee Dong-hyuk’s eyes widened unconsciously, and Kim Yoon-seo covered her mouth with both hands.

Kang Hyun walked over and sat down without even glancing at the number on the back of the chair, as if he had no desire for the top spot.

The 10th chair.

“Wow…”

“……”

Lee Dong-hyuk and Kim Yoon-seo glanced at Kang Hyun but didn’t dare speak to him.

The atmosphere was oddly tense. His features are soft by nature, yet his expressionless face carries a sharpness like a blade.

—

“Wow, so this is the set?”

“It’s so different from last season. Back then, it was tiered.”

Next, four individual applicants entered in a group. They seemed quite close, their voices loud and lively.

“Oh, those must be the ranking chairs…”

“Yeah…”

“Huh?”

*Thud.* Their conversation abruptly stopped.

Probably because of Kang Hyun.

Overwhelmed by the presence of just one person, they quietly shuffle over and sit in random chairs, deliberately avoiding eye contact while searching for the cameras.

—

*Thud. Thud.*

This time, an entirely different echo reverberated. It sounded like something hard hitting the ground. The seven contestants, including Kang Hyun, turned their attention to the source.

There stood a rather peculiar man.

“…What’s with that guy?”

“Oh. He made it too.”

Kim Yoon-seo, 23, was the first to act like she knew him.

“You know him?”

“I saw him during the mage prelims.”

For starters, he has long hair—a style that suits his decadent vibe perfectly. He’s tall with good proportions, but an overwhelming aura of melancholy seems to swallow everything else. Perhaps it’s the limp in his step or the cane clutched tightly in his left hand.

The name on his chest reads [Seol Ha-woon].

*Thud. Thud.*

He leaned on his cane as he climbed the stairs and took a seat.

Seat number 11.

In other words, right next to Kang Hyun. Whether he likes it or not, it’s a spot guaranteed to catch the camera’s eye.

A prime spot.

—

* * *

“PD, what do you think of Seol Ha-woon?”

Yoo Eun-jin asked while watching the camera feed.

Kang Hyun and Seol Ha-woon. The shot of them side by side wasn’t bad.

Normally, when someone like Kang Hyun—who is almost absurdly good-looking—appears on camera, the other person in frame usually pales in comparison unless they’re on Lee Jun-ho’s level. But Seol Ha-woon held his own surprisingly well.

Of course, Kang Hyun was still more handsome.

But their auras were so different that it created an intriguing synergy. And why was Seol Ha-woon’s skin so good?

“At least we won’t be getting any PC-related complaints.” ///TL: “PC” here refers to “Political Correctness.” The PD is joking that Seol Ha-woon’s unexpected visual synergy with Kang Hyun avoids potential complaints about unfair representation or problematic portrayals in the show.///

“…What? PD, you’re being too T. You could get in trouble for saying stuff like that.”

Yoon Sa-hyeok shrugged.

“Focus.”

He turned his attention back to the set.

There were a total of eight unaffiliated individual participants. Once they filled their seats, the large screen at the front flickered to life.

—

[Forest]

Forest. Four participants from a mid-tier guild entered one by one. They greeted the other contestants who had already taken their seats and looked around.

“…Wow. First place.”

“It’s too flashy. Feels overwhelming.”

The seat at the very top. They glanced at it but didn’t dare approach.

Drawing unnecessary attention without the skills to back it up wasn’t healthy.

They settled into seats within the top 10.

—

[Heroes]

Next, two participants from Heroes briefly sat in the first-place chair before immediately standing up.

“Haha, gotta at least try it once, right?”

Who knows if they’d ever get another chance…

The contestants continued to arrive.

While they could sit anywhere, the top seat remained empty for quite some time, as if everyone was wary of it.

—

[Fate]

[SNM]

[HYPE]

As the guilds continued to arrive, more than half of the 96 seats were filled.

[Cellion]

Cellion.

Three participants from the major guild entered. One of them particularly caught everyone’s attention.

“Jun-ho, where are you sitting?”

“Hmm…”

Lee Jun-ho. Already famous among guild fandoms, he smiled mischievously and casually climbed the stairs to sit in *that* spot.

“Here. Nice view.”

Lee Jun-ho from Cellion was the first to claim the center seat. The other contestants gave him slightly odd looks.

Not quite “Who do you think you are?” but close. Lee Jun-ho was someone they could all acknowledge.

Dangun

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