Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 31 (Part 1): Snowflower (6)

The level test of Labyrinth Exploration NaN on TV had concluded. All 96 explorers returned from the straight-line labyrinth, and soon after, the mentors appeared.

Warrior DK, Warrior Mentor Kim Yoon-jun, Mage Mentor Yu-yul, Archer Mentor Kim Ji-an. Aside from Yu-yul, they were all high-rankers familiar to the public.

──”We will now announce the rankings.”

The rankings from the level test were revealed, followed by the mentors’ feedback.

──DK : “Don’t you think you got hit too much? Like, goblins or whatever might not seem like much, but if you keep taking hits like that, you’ll accumulate damage without even realizing it….”

Their comments sent the live chat into a flurry.

– DK’s kinda showing off lol. Is he jealous of Jun-ho?
– What do you mean ‘showing off’? He’s a high-ranker. Stop talking nonsense.
– Kang Hyun’s kinda… bland? Like, yeah, he’s handsome alright, but he’s just a shiny CG effect.
-Your face looks like the piss stain left by the neighbor’s dog Bomi, and you’re talking about shiny CG lololol

Ishia felt strangely downcast. Maybe it was because, no matter how long she waited, the name she was hoping for never appeared.

Just as the ranking announcements were nearing their end—

──”96th place. Seol Ha-woon.”

As feared, his name was dead last.

“…96th? Seol Ha-woon?”

It made no sense. Even if there was a 50-minute gap between him and 95th place, his performance had been flawless.

──Yu-yul : “Seol Ha-woon.”

Then, Mentor Yu-yul addressed him.

──Yu-yul : “How did you detect the last trap?”‘

Ishia focused again.

──Seol Ha-woon :”…I saw it.”

Just those words—I saw it. His expression didn’t change. No boasting, no arrogance, just stating it like it was obvious.

A brief silence fell. Interspersed were the reactions of other contestants and the mentors’ smirking faces. It felt like mockery.

──Yu-yul : “Ah. I see. Got it.”

That was the end of Seol Ha-woon’s feedback.

Ishia checked the live chat.

– Wait, why is Seol Ha-woon 96th? He dodged every trap. Even Kim Se-jin praised him.
– There’s like an hour gap between him and 95th… What can you do? If he’s not a slow genius but a ridiculously slow genius…
– Kim Se-jin isn’t an official mentor, so his opinion doesn’t carry much weight.
– But why was Kim Se-jin a prelim mentor and this Yu-yul chick the main show mentor? Shouldn’t they switch?
– Look at how Seol Ha-woon talks. 96th place suits him. ‘I saw it’—what kind of bullsh*t answer is that? So the others got hit because they didn’t see it? LMAO.
– Yeah, exactly. They didn’t see it, so they got hit.

──Yoo Ji-in : “Alright. Now, everyone, please take your seats according to your ranks.”

The set’s seating arrangement was reorganized based on the level test results.

From the ‘wannabe’ ranking to the comparative evaluation ranking.

──Yoo Ji-in : “Before the official start of *Labyrinth Exploration NaN*, your rankings have been decided. But don’t be too disappointed or too excited. These rankings are clearly fake. The real rankings will ultimately be decided by the viewers’ votes.”

As Yoo Ji-in’s speech ended, the camera panned down from above.

1st place: Lee Jun-ho.
2nd place: Ryu Yeon-hwa.
3rd place: Seo Ji-woo.
4th place: Kang Hyun.
5th place: Zhao Yun.
6th place: Kate.
…
96th place: Seol Ha-woon. Dead last, in the farthest corner.

“…Ugh.”

Ishia let out a sigh she didn’t even realize she was holding.

Sometimes, picking the wrong main from the start leads to this. Maybe she should cut her losses before getting too invested.

But then—

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

All the lights on the main set went out. While the other explorers had already gotten up and moved, one man remained seated alone in the darkness.

Seol Ha-woon.

His head tilted slightly upward, and his eyes flashed blue.

‘What’s this? Another twist?’

Just as Ishia gulped—

*SCENE TRANSITION.*

[1st: Lee Jun-ho]
[2nd: Ryu Yeon-hwa] [3rd: Seo Ji-woo]
[4th: Kang Hyun] [5th: Zhao Yun] [6th: Kate]
…

A panel displaying the current rankings appeared.

The first episode was already over.

“…Ah.”

The broadcast, which had started at 7 PM, was now 10 PM. Three hours had felt like thirty minutes.

Shivering, Ishia was certain—

‘This season’s gonna be huge.’

She quickly went online. As expected, not just forums but every social media platform had already exploded.

│Kang Hyun’s so cute…│
│Labyrinth Exploration’s actually fun? Wasn’t this supposed to be a flop season?│
│Lee Jun-ho today—screenshot collection.jpg│
│The editing’s so blatant lol. You can already guess the top 10. They’re just burying the other 86.│
│Improvement compared to last season : Aggro│
│Voting’s only once a week? Are you fu*king kidding me?│

Everything was about Labyrinth Exploration. Countless people were talking about the same show.

Ishia uploaded a post too.

[Labyrinth Exploration NaN Episode 1 Rankings]
Fake rankings set by the level test. Subject to change anytime.

Comments poured in instantly.

─Why are they all so ridiculously good-looking? Is it the camera or are they just like this?
─LMAO so many people were praying for this to flop.
─The male-female visual ratio is insane this season lol.
─Did you see 96th place? LMAO the guy next to Kang Hyun. Dead last but acted like a boss in the ending?
└He was good though. Zero traps hit, zero damage taken.
└The still cut says he’s an ex-soldier. Bet he’ll shine later.
─Lee Jun-ho’s presence is insane. No way he’s 22.
└He’s 21.
─All I see is Kang Hyun.

Judging by the comment speed, volume, and the number of derivative posts…

In Ishia’s eyes, this episode had already surpassed the first episode of the previous season!

* * *

[Recognition Level Up!]
[Recognition Level: 7]*
[+30 days added to your remaining time.]

*Crackle, crackle.*

The warmth of the burning fireplace. An even more pleasant notification. I opened my eyes, lying on the bed, and grinned.

I’d gained an extra 30 days of lifespan.

It wasn’t an even-numbered level-up, so no tech points, but I decided to save them from now on. Who knew what would happen next?

I sat up.

“Oh. You’re awake?”

Seo Ji-woo, as if she’d been waiting, handed me coffee.

“…You’re up early?”

“Gotta earn my keep. I cleaned everything too, by the way.”

I glanced around the cabin. It was spotless. Did she specialize in cleaning magic or something?

“Let’s eat.”

“Yeah!”

I took out venison from the cabin’s fridge—quite a lot of it. Sprinkling salt and pepper, I tossed it into the fireplace.

Seo Ji-woo tilted her head.

“Isn’t that too much?”

“No. We’ll keep getting hungry.”

In survival labyrinths like this, just being here accelerates calorie consumption. Whether we realize it or not, our bodies are ‘enduring’ the labyrinth.

*Sizzle—*

Once the meat was perfectly cooked, I sliced and served it.

“Thanks~”

Seo Ji-woo grinned, clasping her hands together. She immediately picked up the meat, and I paused for a moment.

“……”

I silently watched her eat. Unconsciously.

Her table manners were identical.

The unusual way she held her chopsticks, the way her lips moved as she chewed, the slight nod when something tasted good—all of it.

Was it because family imitates family? Because blood resembles blood?

Seo Ji-woo noticed my gaze and glanced at me sideways.

“…What?”

I feigned ignorance and ate the meat. It felt awkward for no reason.

Dangun

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