Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 14 (Part 1): Let’s Fight (1)

[1-Minute Self-Introduction]
[Unaffiliated Kang Hyun]

“I’m Kang Hyun, a warrior. My favorite food is ramen. Actually, I like all kinds of noodles. I don’t really have a nickname. My weapon? Oh, yes. I use a broadsword.”

Suddenly, he pulls a sword from his waist and points it at the camera. It’s a gleaming, well-polished broadsword.

“This is a treasured sword gifted to me by my father.”

He smiles innocently, like a child.

“See how sharp the blade is? Both edges are razor-sharp.”

He shows off various parts of the broadsword to the camera. Is this a self-introduction or a sword introduction?

“The double-edged blade allows for flexible attacks. It’s effective for both slashing and thrusting…”

—

[1-Minute Self-Introduction]
[YNG Lim Hae-jun]

“Hi there! I’m Lim Hae-jun! I’m an archer! Though I’m currently ranked C-tier due to some mistakes during the level test—well, actually, more like three mistakes—but I believe one shouldn’t judge me based on just that! The real rankings will be decided by you, the viewers!”

The man has a ribbon pinned to his chest. His curly hair gives him the impression of a small dog. I know who he is. He started in the top 50 and settled into the top 10—Lim Hae-jun, a decent pick for the rankings.

“My main weapon is this, a recurve bow! The range is short, but it’s incredibly powerful. People often say I’m a gift—that’s why I’ve got this ribbon here! If you vote for me, your votes are… uh, no. Your votes themselves are the real gift to me!”

—

[1-Minute Self-Introduction]
[Jayros’ Seo Ji-woo]

“I’m Seo Ji-woo. I’m a mage. I use… the ‘Seon’ spell formula.”

Seo Ji-woo. A familiar face to me. She’s incredibly awkward. Her gestures, her tone—everything about her is stiff.

“Seon. Not the ‘good’ Seon. Haha. Just Seon. Literally just a line.”

She seems even more camera-shy than I am.

“Let me show you.”

She even messed up while drawing the line. The mana in her hand burst out in multiple streams like fireworks.

“Whoa! Ah, crap! Wait a sec—”

The 1-minute timer ends.

—

“…Are you really only filming this once?”

I asked while watching the reference footage. The assistant director and writer across from me shrugged their shoulders.

“Hoo…”

Watching this on TV didn’t make me think much of it before, but now that I have to do it myself, my chest feels tight.

“No need to be nervous. You saw them—they all just winged it. That rawness is what makes it good.”

“Right.”

The assistant director’s words gave me courage.

“Ahem.”

I had actually prepared a bit for the self-introduction.

“Greetings. I’m Seol Ha-woon, a mage. Due to an accident during active duty, I was discharged from service, but I’ve come here to start the second chapter of my life. Of course, nothing comes for free. I came here to earn everything through my own efforts. I won’t shy away from any challenge.”

Ha ha ha.

I tried to laugh heartily but stopped short.

The assistant director and writers’ expressions were completely deadpan.

Did I mess up that badly?

“Shoot your gun.”

Suddenly, someone appeared from behind. It was PD Kim A-rang.

Shoot your gun? I tilted my head in confusion.

“The gun. The one you used to shoot goblins.”

“…There’s no target, though.”

“Shoot at the camera lens. It’s magic, so just lower the output. Ask for votes while you’re at it.”

“Uh… okay.”

For some reason, aiming at Kim A-rang made me uneasy, but I followed her instructions anyway.

“To all the national scouts out there.”

I pointed my finger.

“Please vote for me.”

*BANG.*

The magic bullet fired and pressed against the camera lens.

—

[Your appearance has increased by 0.1 due to the effect of Camera Love.]

—

* * *

…After the 1-minute self-introduction filming ended.

I arrived at the dormitory. The participants’ dormitories were also located inside the 「Labyrinth Exploration」 portal, and the quality of the rooms was tiered based on ranking.

– 81st to 96th [F-tier]: 1st floor
– 61st to 80th [D-tier]: 2nd floor
– 41st to 60th [C-tier]: 3rd floor
– 21st to 40th [B-tier]: 4th floor
– 11th to 20th [A-tier]: 5th floor
– 1st to 10th [S-tier]: 6th floor

It’s practically a caste system, but what can you do? It’s a tradition of 「Labyrinth Exploration」.

The labyrinth has no room for sympathy for the lower ranks. Sympathy will just get you eaten by goblins.

“…Not bad, though.”

From my perspective, it’s actually pretty good. Even the last-place room is bigger than my current studio apartment.

There’s even a bed. Not just a mattress, but a proper bed frame. At this point, it’s practically a hotel room.

“So this is the uniform.”

The wardrobe was filled with several sets of uniforms. The same jacket, pants, and tie combo were neatly hung.

From now on, this is where we’ll be living together.

“Man, I’m hungry.”

When will they serve food?

As I rubbed my stomach absentmindedly, I opened a shelf and found instant noodles.

“Oh~”

Nice touch.

“Is there a pot…?”

While looking for a pot or coffee maker, I suddenly remembered.

Oh right, I have that.

I pulled out a cup from my pocket.

It’s a spoil from the labyrinth I just cleared in the level test.

Surprisingly, spoils from the 「Labyrinth Exploration」 series are kept by the individual. Even if you don’t make it into the debut lineup, if you manage to clear a labyrinth, you can still make a decent profit.

—

【Goblin Cup】

■ Overview: A mysterious cup crafted by the skill of goblins.
■ Effect: By using mana, it can quickly adjust the temperature of the liquid inside.

—

By the way, this is [MoMo]’s system. Specifically, the effect of my trait 【Good Ears, Good Eyes】.

The [NaN] system doesn’t have this kind of emotional function.

I wonder if the two systems are connected somehow.

I poured water into the [Goblin Cup], set it to maximum heat, and poured it twice over the instant noodles.

Steam rose vigorously.

“No need for a kettle.”

—

* * *

　　Strength　 　│　2(-5)　│　F
　　Stamina　 　│　2(-5)　│　F
　　Agility　　 │　2(-5)　│　F
　　Durability　 │　2(-5)　│　F
　　Magic　　　 │　11.5　│　D+
　　Perception 　│　9　　 │　B
　　Mental Strength│　9　　 │　B
　　Appearance 　│　7.6　 │　C+
　　Luck　　　 │　6　　 │　C+

Dangun

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