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

[Jayros]

Next, Ryu Yeon-hwa and Seo Ji-woo from Jayros entered. The appearance of these well-known faces electrified the atmosphere.

“What? Why’s Lee Jun-ho sitting there…?”

Seo Ji-woo glared at Lee Jun-ho at the top. Lee Jun-ho simply waved cheerfully.

“Ji-woo, hi!”

“Tch.”

She had no desire to engage in childish chair battles.

Seo Ji-woo walked toward the 2nd-place seat, but Ryu Yeon-hwa beat her to it.

“…Ugh, seriously. So tacky.”

“You were too slow.”

She settles for the third seat instead. These numbers don’t mean anything right now anyway.

Lee Jun-ho tilted his head.

“Huh? Why aren’t you guys fighting for it?”

“Fight for what, you idiot—er, sicko?”

Seo Ji-woo almost cursed out of habit. She and Lee Jun-ho went to the same high school, after all.

“What? Last season, you were all about fighting for the top seat.”

—

[Wei Lang]

Just then, participants with Chinese nationality entered.

Zhao Yun, Ryu Wei, and Li Tianwei. Ryu Wei and Li Tianwei looked around, seemingly deciding where to sit, but Zhao Yun was different.

He seemed to have already chosen his destination.

The pyramid’s peak.

First place. Lee Jun-ho.

Zhao Yun stood directly in front of Lee Jun-ho, looking up at him. Lee Jun-ho smiled faintly and met his gaze.

“Lee Jun-ho. I’d like to determine the rightful owner of this seat.”

“…With a duel?”

Lee Jun-ho asked. Zhao Yun nodded resolutely.

“Sure~”

“Sounds good~.”

Zhao Yun and Lee Jun-ho descended the stairs together and stood on the stage. The PDs smiled at the sudden competition.

The stage is unnecessarily large for a reason—duels like this.

“Ooh.”

“Ah, my heart’s racing.”

“They’re going at it from the start.”

Lee Jun-ho, who showed the qualities of a sword saint, and Zhao Yun, a descendant of the legendary Zhao Zilong.

The clash between the two heated up the contestants’ reactions.

*Swoosh!* Lee Jun-ho drew his sword. It was a long blade that nearly touched the ground.

Zhao Yun extended a spear even longer than the sword.

“Whoa. He’s really like Zhao Zilong.”

Despite Lee Jun-ho’s admiration, Zhao Yun remained motionless. He stared at Lee Jun-ho with serious eyes.

“Let’s begin.”

“Yep.”

*Clang!*

Zhao Yun took the first step, thrusting his spear. Lee Jun-ho twisted the blade of his sword to deflect it.

*Clang!*

A sharp clash erupted.

“Ooh.”

Lee Jun-ho raised an eyebrow, and Zhao Yun continued to swing his spear. His spear techniques were as flexible as acrobatics, with free and unpredictable thrusts.

*Clang! Clang! Clang—!*

In a spear versus sword duel, the spear usually has the advantage due to its reach.

Thus, many swordsmen Zhao Yun had faced before would crumble under his relentless spear strikes.

But this time was different.

Unlike other swordsmen, Lee Jun-ho wields an exceptionally long blade. Its reach rivals the spear’s, and with wide steps, he can even pressure the spearman back.

*Clang-! Clang-!*

The spear struck the sword. The sword deflected or parried the spear. The spear couldn’t easily penetrate, and the sword aimed for the gaps in the spear’s defense, curving in.

Each clash of steel sends fierce sparks flying. Sweat mingles in the exchange of iron. A faint shimmer of mana begins to coat their weapons.

*Clang—!*

The PDs and production staff nodded in admiration.

As expected, Lee Jun-ho had the potential of a sword saint. A talent recognized even by the demanding martial world.

Zhao Yun’s spear relentlessly chipped away at Lee Jun-ho, but Lee Jun-ho didn’t falter. He didn’t simply dodge or retreat—he steadfastly blocked every attack, even advancing forward, closing the distance to bring the spearman into his range.

“Hup!”

Finally, on the 42nd exchange.

Zhao Yun’s spear, always sharp, dulled for just a moment. Whether his hand was sweaty or his strength waned, the spear’s trajectory and weight slowed.

As a result, the spearhead struck the sword at an angle.

A mistake.

In that instant, Lee Jun-ho’s eyes widened. The pupils of a predator seizing an opening. He scraped the spear shaft with his blade and dashed forward.

*Scrrrrrape—*

“Kuh!”

The distance between them closed in an instant, and the tip of the sword touched Zhao Yun’s neck.

“Huh~ Over?”

Lee Jun-ho smirked.

“…Yes. I lost.”

Zhao Yun admitted defeat gracefully.

“Well done. Good job~”

Lee Jun-ho sheathes his sword and saunters back to his seat. Zhao Yun, however, isn’t ready to give up—he approaches the second-place Ryu Yeon-hwa next.

“Are you a mage?”

Ryu Yeon-hwa nodded. He then moved to Seo Ji-woo in third-place.

“Are you a mage?”

“Yeah. Wanna fight?”

Seo Ji-woo rolled up her sleeves as if she was looking forward to it.

“No. Duels are too unfair for mages. I’d rather not.”

“…You’re overly honest.”

Or, in other words, stubbornly principled.

Zhao Yun eventually fought and won against Jin Ho-jong, the warrior in 4th place, to claim his rank.

—

* * *

Three hours into filming.

All 96 participants from various agencies were seated. Fortunately, I remained in 11th place.

Since the initial rankings didn’t mean much, no one bothered to challenge me, even though they kept glancing my way.

Or maybe my vibe’s just a bit intimidating right now.

—

*Clank—*

At that moment, a spotlight shone on the front of the stage. A woman appeared under the dazzling light.

She walked confidently and surveyed the area.

“Welcome. I’m Yoo Ji-in, your main mentor.”

Yoo Ji-in. Currently ranked 333th in the pro rankings, a top-tier high ranker worldwide.

“And a high-ranking mage from South Korea.”

The 96 participants reacted with mixed expressions.

Some froze in place, others clapped in admiration, and people like me remained expressionless.

The cameras busily captured our reactions.

“First, I’d like to formally welcome all of you to the third season of *Labyrinth Exploration*, ‘Now and Never.’ ”

Hearing her voice in person, it was even more beautiful.

“From now on, you’ll work together—or alone—to overcome challenges within the *Labyrinth Exploration* system. Yesterday’s ally could become today’s rival, and today’s rival could become tomorrow’s ally.”

The classic opening spiel, straight out of the first episode.

Being a regressor, it felt oddly nostalgic.

“However, as you all know, the *Labyrinth Exploration* series has a unique system.”

Everyone tensed at Yoo Ji-in’s words.

To reiterate, *Labyrinth Exploration* is an invention. No other country can replicate this format.

If it weren’t special, guilds wouldn’t have sent their assets—promising talents under 28—to participate, nor would they have granted exclusive usage rights for two years.

Even the South Korean government strictly limited the number of foreign participants.

“So… yes. It seems we’re ready.”

—

*Zzzt!*

As soon as she finished speaking, mana flashed. Like a camera flash, it filled the space in an instant.

The participants instinctively closed their eyes, and when they opened them again…

—

[Labyrinth Exploration NaN Participant: Seol Ha-woon]

Rank: TBD

Votes: 0

—

A hologram floats before my retina.

Compared to [MoMo], it was quite simple, but for those experiencing the *Labyrinth Exploration* series for the first time, this status window was a novelty.

“You have been chosen by *Labyrinth Exploration*. This status window activates by tapping your wrist twice.”

*Labyrinth Exploration* is a magical invention.

This entire broadcast program is a large-scale spell.

“You’ll see your rank and vote count. The votes, of course, represent the precious support from the public.”

Around this time, subtitles would likely appear.

—

[Voting is available on the IoNet website, only for verified accounts.]

—

“Later, your rank will be determined based on your vote count, and you’ll be able to earn tangible bonuses.”

Even after *Labyrinth Exploration* ends, many of these bonuses stick around permanently.

This was why Lee Je-hoon, the previous season’s winner and a 4-star prospect, had grown to a world-class figure.

“Now, before we introduce the mentors who will help you grow…”

Yoo Ji-in smiled.

“We’ll begin with a level test.”

Groans ripple through the participants.

This level test would determine the rankings for the first week. The challenge was likely to be the ‘Straight Labyrinth.’

“…….”

I subtly glanced at Kang Hyun. There was no change in his expression.

Should I say something?

“Confident…?”

“?”

He turned to me as soon as I spoke. His reaction was too sharp.

“Are you confident?”

I unintentionally used informal speech.

Kang Hyun responded.

“We’ll see.”

He glanced at my cane.

“Are you okay, Seol Ha-woon?”

“…….”

I hadn’t expected a counter-question.

“…I’ve lost some things, but I’ve gained others.”

At my words, Kang Hyun blinked.

“Means I’m fine even with this leg.”

It was a slip of the tongue, but I decided to stick with informal speech.

The camera was on me.

Using informal speech from the start would definitely draw more attention than just speaking politely.

Dangun

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