Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 15 (Part 2): Let’s Fight (2)

I was left alone in the forest. I touched my throat. It was quite sore and painful, but the joy of learning outweighed it.

“…She’s a kind person.”

I smiled faintly.

Still, something about her felt off. A certain eerie aura—whether it was the scent of mana or something else. An indescribable current faintly touched my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

Maybe I’m just too thin.

“Hmm.”

I picked up my smartphone. I searched the web for the name “Yu-yul.”

—

[ World Ranking: 3,095th – Yu-yul ]

—

Her career wasn’t long. There were only a few articles about her clearing labyrinths with “overwhelming” skill, even clearing mid-sized labyrinths alone.

She certainly has the skill to be a high-ranker.

“…No user wiki, either.”

But most domestic low-rankers have user wiki pages. Searching Yu-yul returned [0 results].

How strange.

“…….”

Before I knew it, I started surfing the web.

From Yu-yul to the Titanic to unsolved murder cases. After wandering for about 20 minutes, I suddenly searched for “Tae-hyuk.”

As user wikis often do, there was no special reason. I just kept clicking around.

—

───────

Real Name│Tae-hyuk

Nationality│South Korea

Birth│October 3, 1915

Death│March 29, 2017

Spouse│Jin Kyung-sook

Children│Eldest son Tae-hoon

Grandchildren│Tae-woo, Tae-yul

───────

1. Overview

The first mage of South Korea in the early 20th century and a hero who laid the foundation for magic and spellcraft…

—

While skimming Tae-hyuk’s page, it suddenly hit me.

“…Tae-yul.”

Tae-yul. The name reminded me of Yu-yul.

Yu-yul. Tae-yul. Yu-yul. Tae-yul.

“Ah.”

I chuckled softly.

“…….”

Still, just in case, I searched for Tae-yul’s page this time.

—

1. Overview

A South Korean mage. Became an official mage of the Magic Association at the young age of 21.

Considered one of the most talented mages of the modern era, hailing from a prestigious magical family.

2. Life

2.1. Birth, Eldest Daughter of a Prestigious Magical Family.

Tae-yul was born in 1995 as the eldest daughter of mages Tae-hoon and Lee Yoo-kyung.

—

As I scrolled through the life of this talented mage, I reached the “Trivia” section.

—

11. Trivia

She has stated that her hobby is disguising her identity. She claims wandering the world and enjoying herself isn’t helped by the Tae-yul name. In a way, it’s a very mage-like pastime.

—

A hobby of hiding her identity.

At that moment, my mind went blank. The name from earlier came back to me.

Yu-yul.

Tae-yul.

“Ah…”

I chuckled dryly and took out the energy pill from my pocket. Wrapped in gold foil like a calming pill, I slowly unwrapped it.

On its surface, a faint seal bore a single Chinese character:

[ 太 ]

Tae—the character for “great.”

My expression stiffened. My mind churned for a moment, but I quickly shook my head.

“…No way.”

It couldn’t be.

Even as I muttered to myself, a confirmation bias had already formed in a corner of my mind.

That random level-up earlier.

That might be the evidence.

If Yu-yul really is Tae-yul, and if I’ve made a deep impression on her…

—

* * *

…In a dark night. At a five-star hotel overlooking the Han River, “someone” was lost in deep thought. Her plump figure gradually thinned, and her short limbs grew remarkably long.

[Polymorph] had been dispelled.

“…….”

She silently poured a glass of red wine. But her hand didn’t move, and the glass had no physical form. The wine floated in mid-air.

After taking a sip, she sat on the sofa and picked up her smartphone.

—

[ TAEWOO_ ]

—

Tae-woo’s feed was on the first page. She bit her lip.

“…This is disgusting.”

They hated each other to the point of grinding their teeth, and if given the chance, they would genuinely try to kill each other. But the only reason they followed each other was for the public.

If they unfollowed, the media would make it seem like a war had broken out.

She hated Tae-woo. She hated him to death. She quit smoking because he smoked, and she even dyed her hair blue because she didn’t want to resemble him.

After tossing her smartphone aside, she turned on the TV. She played the level test footage from this season’s 「Labyrinth Exploration」.

She was a fan of the 「Labyrinth Exploration」 series. Maybe not an ordinary fan. She had even attempted identity theft and system manipulation to get voting accounts, earning an official warning from the South Korean government.

So, she decided to watch this season more closely.

“Kang Hyun.”

Her top pick was Kang Hyun.

A flawless warrior, his face and actions perfectly matched her taste.

Her second pick was Lee Jun-ho. Third was Ryu Yeon-hwa.

All of them were men with outstanding appearances, but she denied being a shallow fan.

Because beauty and skill must harmonize to be truly beautiful.

But then.

“…….”

She narrowed her eyes. Resting her chin on her hand, she watched the mage in the footage.

Seol Ha-woon.

The mage who passed the level test without being hit once or falling into any traps.

Especially the last trick—most active mages wouldn’t have been able to avoid it.

“Age is the flaw.”

Too old.

At 27, he might still function as a mage, but he’s already past his prime. The potential of a mage is typically determined by their early to mid-teens, or at the latest, their early twenties.

Still, reaching this level in four months is impressive talent.

His face falls short compared to her other picks, but he was like a rough gem—worn and chipped in places. A soldier with a limp and many secrets. This kind of uniqueness is hard to find.

“Maybe I’ll make him my fourth pick.”

Tae-yul chuckled and sipped her red wine.

Dangun

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