Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 38 (Part 1): Day of Peace (1)

[Antique Shop]

I arrived at Kim Se-jin’s special lecture venue—the antique shop.

*Chalang.* The doorbell chimed as I stepped up to the counter.

─Seol Ha-woon: “In this mission, my word is absolute.”

A TV in the corner of the shop showed Seol Ha-woon speaking. I addressed the elderly man behind the counter.

“Good afternoon.”

“…Hmm?”

The old man looked at me. His eyes widened briefly before he let out a dry chuckle.

“Yes. It’s me. ‘MyWordIsAbsolute’….”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Suddenly, I sensed a distinct ‘fragrance’ from this man—the same peculiar sensation I’d felt around Yu-yul.

But if Yu-yul was like a single drop of ink in a lake, this man was like paint poured into a cup. The scent of mana was incomparably clearer than hers.

There was only one answer.

“By any chance… are you Mage Kim Se-jin?”

“…….”

The old man froze. He tilted his head slightly, then his expression shifted into one of mild disappointment.

“Hmm~”

Polymorph. Transformation magic. Disguise arts. Whatever name it went by, this was unmistakably ‘magic’—something beyond mere spells.

“Your senses are quite sharp. That was my little quiz. Nine people came before you and all left without a clue.”

Just because someone can wield a few spells doesn’t make them a true mage, but Kim Se-jin was undoubtedly close to one.

“You’ve got a good eye.”

“Thank you.”

“Mr. Seol Ha-woon, did you come for the lecture? Or for filming?” He pointed at my GoPro.

“Both, but the lecture is my main priority.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I want to grow as a mage.”

I needed to get stronger. Facing the labyrinth dwellers had made it clear—to survive, I needed far greater effort and skill.

If I became a mage with 60 million followers, maybe I could live without worrying about recognition.

“Wanting to grow as a mage, you say….”

Kim Se-jin studied me from behind the counter.

“Aren’t you already growing well enough, Ha-woon?”

“I understand the basics of spellcraft. However, I believe there’s more to the subtleties of being a mage.”

Even a warrior feels pain when shot, but well-trained muscle fibers reinforced with mana can withstand rifle fire. A master warrior can deflect or even cut bullets.

A mage, however, dies if ambushed by a gun. The trigger pulls faster than the time it takes to weave a barrier.

“Hmm… Come along, then.”

Kim Se-jin stood and led me downstairs into the antique shop’s basement. I followed.

—

The basement was vast—an open space like a training hall, barren and empty. Kim Se-jin stood at its center.

“Set the camera down there. On the tripod.”

“Understood.”

I positioned the camera. Through the lens, Kim Se-jin spoke.

“Then… I suppose I should recommend a method suited for you, Ha-woon?”

His gaze lingered pointedly on my left leg.

“Your left leg is too much of a penalty for a mage. Mobility on the battlefield is practically nonexistent.”

“I’m aware.”

“You’d want a way to compensate for your mobility as much as possible, right?”

“Yes.”

“In that case… try casting a spell at me.”

I fired a mana bullet at him without hesitation. There was no need to worry.

Mages are weak to ambushes, but pre-announced attacks are easily blocked.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The barrage of mana bullets dissipated before they could even touch him.

“More. Give it everything you’ve got. Use every method you’d employ to harm someone.”

“Understood.”

[Mana Memory] learns and retains every spell I repeatedly cast.

Thus, my ammunition count now neared hundreds.

Moreover, I could manipulate the trajectory of each bullet at will.

Fingers weren’t even necessary—handguns were just tools to ease aiming and amplify power.

I conjured bullets in midair. Dozens materialized behind me before I unleashed them all at once.

…Not a single one reached Kim Se-jin.

Every shot warped away right before his face.

“Did you dispel them?”

“Calling it dispelling isn’t quite right.”

He smiled faintly.

“The moment you fired, my mana—linked to my nervous system—reacted first. It reflexively perceived the threat and consumed your spell.”

“…What? Nervous system?”

What kind of nonsense was this?

Since when could mana connect to nerves? There was nothing like that in [MoMo].

“Ha-woon. Look at this.”

Kim Se-jin raised his hand. I narrowed my eyes, focusing intently.

A faint layer of mana hovered just above the skin of his hand.

“Think of mana as cells. I’ve overlapped them externally like this and linked them to my nervous system. In simple terms, it’s about connecting mana to the brain and spinal cord.”

He tapped his temple lightly.

“Then, the mana fused with my nerves reacts autonomously to external threats. Ever heard of conditioned or unconditioned reflexes? It’s similar.”

In other words, before my brain even registers an attack, the mana in my central nervous system perceives and responds first.

If such a technique was possible, it was exactly what I—with my lack of mobility—desperately needed.

“This mana layer autonomously reacts and adapts to external threats. Think of it as my danger sensor.”

Kim Se-jin brushed his hand over the mana on his skin. It rippled like fur.

“Please teach me.”

I meant it. If necessary, I’d kneel.

Dangun

I'm currently Translating the following novels: "Labyrinth Exploration 101" & "The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring " If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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