Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 32 (Part 1): Snowflower (7)

Lee Jun-ho didn’t care much about his image, contrary to expectations. Of course, an explorer smoking wasn’t exactly a major scandal—given the nature of the job.

Besides, someone as good-looking as him could make even smoking seem cool.

“Ah~ I seriously almost lost it back there. At least it turned out okay.”

Lee Jun-ho still seems to carry some guilt, but if my hunch is right, there’s no need for him to beat himself up over it.

“Why are we walking so far?”

We had moved quite a distance from Jin Ho-seung’s hideout. Far enough that our voices wouldn’t carry. I pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

Lee Jun-ho blankly held out his hand. I pretended to hand him one but spoke instead.

“Listen carefully.”

“…Okay, but why do you keep talking down to me? You think I’m using polite speech because I want to?”

He frowned.

I tucked the cigarette back in.

“…Maybe getting chummy on this occasion wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

“Listen.”

I fiddled with the cigarette between my fingers before continuing.

“About 85–90% of the world’s population is right-handed. Saying nine out of ten people are right-handed isn’t far off.”

I raised my right hand, the one holding the cigarette. His eyes stayed fixed on it.

“But over there, all four of them were left-handed. Sure, it’s possible for four people to all be right-handed, but all of them being left-handed? That’s too weird, don’t you think?”

I don’t pay much attention to the other 95 contestants besides myself. I don’t know whether their dominant hand is left or right. But even so, something’s off.

Lee Jun-ho furrowed his brows.

“You’re saying it’s weird that all four were left-handed?”

“Yeah.”

I jerked my chin toward Jin Ho-seung’s hideout. Lee Jun-ho still looked clueless, eyes locked on the cigarette.

“Could just be a coincidence. Ignoring coincidences gets you killed.”

Fair point. The odds were low, but it could be a coincidence.

Except for the last one.

“That ‘patient’ you slashed? His heart was beating on the right side.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Just give me the damn cigarette.”

“The guy they laid down over there, calling him a patient. His heart beats on the right side.”

“…Haah.”

Lee Jun-ho roughly grabbed his own hair.

“Hey. Hearts beat everywhere. It’s just louder on the left.”

“Then go check.”

The patient’s heart was unmistakably skewed to the right.

A trait of labyrinth dwellers. They always have at least one feature that diverges from humans—and share that trait among themselves.

“Check where the patient’s heartbeat is clearer—left or right.”

After speaking, I finally handed him the cigarette. He snatched it eagerly. I stuck one between my lips and lit it.

Had to smoke at least one to avoid suspicion.

*Tsssss—!*

Lee Jun-ho struck his blade against its sheath. A spark, like a falling petal, ignited his cigarette.

“Hooo……”

He exhaled slowly, savoring it. A relaxed smile touched his lips. His expression cleared.

“So, what’s your point?”

I stared at the hideout.

“Those bastards. They’re labyrinth dwellers.”

“…Labyrinth dwellers?”

“Yeah. My guess? They’re mimicking eliminated contestants. Ever heard of the *Jangsanbeom*?”【T/N: Jangsanbeom (장산범): A creature from Korean folklore, often depicted as a tiger or demonic entity that mimics human voices to lure victims. The name combines Jangsan (a mountain in Busan) and beom (tiger), though some legends describe it as a more supernatural predator. Think of it as Korea’s answer to the wendigo or skinwalker—a shapeshifter that blurs the line between human and monster.】

A tiger that mimics human voices.

“…….”

Lee Jun-ho silently took another drag. A mist-like breath curled from his lips.

“Maybe you slashing that ‘patient’ was instinct kicking in.”

A person in the middle of a blizzard. Even for a battle junkie like Lee Jun-ho, he wouldn’t slash without reason.

His animalistic senses—that razor-sharp intuition—must’ve picked up something off about them.

“…Labyrinth dwellers.”

Lee Jun-ho smirked and pointed at me.

“How do you plan to confirm it?”

“We’ll say we’re getting supplies. Leave one person behind as bait. They’ll reveal their true colors.”

The bait would be Seo Ji-woo.

Once you’ve caught the attention of hostile labyrinth dwellers, there’s no escaping. They’re relentless hunters—once they lock onto prey, they’ll chase it endlessly.

Besides, I’m curious.

In「MoMo」, killing hostile labyrinth dwellers gave special bonuses. Will the same happen here?

“Using Ji-woo as bait… I don’t like it, but.”

Lee Jun-ho crushed the nearly burnt-out cigarette in his palm. *Crunch.* It crumbled into the snow.

“Gotta secure some screen time, right?”

—

Before we knew it, the sun had set.

“Hwaaaah.”

Seo Ji-woo yawned. Lee Jun-ho and Seol Ha-woon had left to get supplies, so she stayed behind at Jin Ho-seung’s hideout to tend to Lee Yong-seung.

She couldn’t leave easily—Lee Yong-seung had been a classmate during her explorer high school days.

*Clatter, clatter.*

But something’s been off with these people for a while now. Maybe they’re losing it from hunger, or maybe the cramped space is getting to them.

“What are you doing?”

*Clatter, clatter.*

Jin Ho-seung kept washing something. No—ever since sunset, everyone here had been repeating the same motions.

One was scribbling on the floor, another was pacing the edges of the hideout.

“…….”

To Seo Ji-woo, it was weird. Chilling, even.

“When are those guys getting back?”

She made an excuse and stood up.

“Did something happen?”

Maybe.

“Jin Ho-seung-ssi. Uh, I’m just going to step outside for a moment. Just in case something might have happened.”

That’s when it happened.

Dangun

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