Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 44 (Part 2): Believer (4)

Third attempt.

The progression was far smoother than the first or second rounds.

—”Woo-hyun, handle the bomb.”

—”Got it. Leave it to me!”

Kate swiftly hunted down the suicide bombers, while Kim Woo-hyun stealthily infiltrated beneath the platform. Meanwhile, Kim Doo-gyeom and Lee Jun-ho took out the spiked-armor labyrinth dweller.

“…That was tough.”

Kim Doo-gyeom muttered. Lee Jun-ho leaned against a wall, running a hand through his hair.

“No kidding.”

The spiked-armor dweller wasn’t ordinary. The second round gave him a read on its patterns, but it drained his stamina just as much. Its durability was absurd, more than its attack power. Not the type you’d want to face for long.

Lee Jun-ho spoke into the comms.

“Hey, Woo-hyun. You ready?”

“—Of course, hyung!”

Fwoom───-

Right on cue, the bomb detonated. But the explosion didn’t affect the surroundings. It was Kim Woo-hyun’s magic. He’d woven mana at the platform’s base, containing the shock so it couldn’t leak out.

Startled by the blast, the politician was escorted by bodyguards into a bulletproof limousine. *Vroooom!* It sped away.

“…Phew.”

Lee Jun-ho exhaled.

“We did it, Jun-ho-ssi.”

Kim Doo-gyeom held out a fist. The kind of premature celebration Lee Jun-ho hated most.

Still, had they succeeded this time?

“Well….”

[ Failure ]

“Huh?”

“…What?”

Both Lee Jun-ho and Kim Doo-gyeom were stunned.

Not just them—every spectator watching from afar was, too.

* * *

Fourth attempt.

They were back at the start, clueless about why.

Kate stood in the plaza, thinking.

They’d clearly handled all the significant hazards, and the politician had left safely.

Had another trap sprung in the meantime? Or was there a variable they hadn’t noticed?

As Kate racked her brain, a certain someone flashed into her mind.

“…Wait.”

Seol Ha-woon.

What if he was interfering?

“What went wrong?”

Kim Doo-gyeom approached. Perfect timing. Kate asked him.

“Doo-gyeom-ssi. Where’s Seol Ha-woon-ssi?”

“Ah… the building rooftop. He’s been holding that spot since earlier.”

Kim Doo-gyeom pointed northeast.

“What was he doing?”

“Took out a sniper, said he was gathering some kind of info….”

Then Lee Jun-ho joined them. He looked exhausted, rubbing his eyelids.

“…Kate-ssi. Seems like you’re thinking the same thing I am?”

His voice carried a hint of anger. Did he also suspect Seol Ha-woon was the problem?

But something was off about Lee Jun-ho’s state.

“Lee Jun-ho-ssi. You look tired. Let’s switch. I’ll handle the armored monster.”

“No.”

Lee Jun-ho shook his head.

“You’d be facing it for the first time, Kate-ssi. I’m getting the hang of it. That’s better for the team. And.”

He twisted one corner of his mouth.

“I’m not tired.”

Fired up, heated, excited—those words fit better.

Fighting always exhilarated Lee Jun-ho. The spiked dweller was the perfect toy to warm him up.

…At least, that’s what he thought.

“Is that so.”

Kate saw the opposite. He seemed in a dangerous state. Overheated, or oversensitive.

“Alright then.”

But he didn’t seem likely to listen to reason. Kate hated wasting time.

Lee Jun-ho and Kim Doo-gyeom headed back toward the labyrinth dweller. Kate moved as well.

Though she suspected Seol Ha-woon, jumping to conclusions was reckless.

She quickly neutralized the suicide bombers and scanned the plaza for any other potential threats.

—”Bomb’s handled!”

Kim Woo-hyun’s briefing.

—”This side’s clear too.”

Lee Jun-ho had taken down the labyrinth dweller. The progress was identical to before.

“…….”

Kate stood in the plaza’s center, watching the politician.

He finished his speech, waving as he boarded the limousine with his wife and daughter.

Fzzt—

A blue trajectory struck the head of the security team leader beside the speaker. The team leader’s temple was pierced, and he died.

It was faint, blending into the crowd, but unmistakably a mana bullet.

Kate traced its path backward.

The derelict building’s rooftop.

Seol Ha-woon’s position.

“Tch….”

Biting her lip, she stared at the departing limousine.

“…If the security team leader’s dead.”

Even if the limousine left, there’d be no one to protect the politician inside.

[ Failure ]

* * *

Fifth attempt.

Kate lowered her head. Unbearable anger surged from deep within, but she forcibly suppressed it. Completing the labyrinth was the priority now.

“I found the cause. Everyone, proceed as before.”

Kate moved swiftly. She scooped up a handful of pebbles and, while darting through the plaza, flicked them—*Tuk! Tuk! Tuk! Tuk!*—killing all the suicide bombers she’d memorized.

She soon stood where she could see the derelict building. Glaring at its rooftop, she drew up her mana.

*Pzzt! Pzzt-!* Sparks crackled in her hand. Dense mana coalesced into a long shape.

A spear.

“Ha-woon-ssi. Don’t move.”

Kate spoke. A comms message only he could hear.

She could see him now. On the not-so-distant rooftop, a man shouldering a blue sniper rifle.

“Final warning.”

Kate’s spear could level the entire building. Among Archers, she was a rare ‘destroyer’ by nature.

Seol Ha-woon responded.

—”You’ll regret it.”

“Who’re you planning to shoot next?”

—”Deciding now. Which of the two to pick.”

“…Ha.”

Other voices came through Kate’s earpiece.

—”The bombs are handled. Just in case, I checked the limousine for bombs—nothing.

—”All the armed terrorists in the plaza are neutralized.”

—”Got the armored freak. Kate-ssi, your turn.”

Each had eliminated their hazards.

The bomb under the speech platform. Assassins and suicide bombers in the crowd. The spiked-armor labyrinth dweller. And the final one.

Seol Ha-woon.

“Move even a little, and I’ll destroy it.”

Kate took her stance, keeping Seol Ha-woon in check. He retorted calmly.

—”Trust me. It’s necessary.”

“I’ll decide that.”

—”My word is absolutely right, remember that.”

“…You’re hopeless. Think you can beat me?’

—”Curious, actually. What’s faster—your spear or my bullet?”

Bold words. Kate found them almost laughable.

*Click.*

Mana gathered at Seol Ha-woon’s muzzle.

Instantly, Kate hurled her spear like lightning.

*Whoosh— BAM!*

A magic bullet streaked toward the ground, while a spear dozens of times larger tore through the air—*KABOOM!*

It obliterated the derelict building.

As the upper floors disintegrated, Kate smirked.

—“…I’m done too.’

“…Confirmed.”

Lee Jun-ho’s reply.

Now, Kate surveyed the plaza with ease. The security team leader was unharmed, and the speaker had boarded the car and left.

And then….

[ Failure ]

“…What! why?”

Pointlessly, they’d reset again.

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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