Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 5 (Part 2): One Day, Magic Grew in My Head (4)

“…You little scammer.”

“Why do you say that?”

After a few rounds of back-and-forth, the label “scammer” stuck. The tussle got a bit rough, but when I pretended my leg hurt and stumbled pathetically, he backed off a little.

“What happened to your leg? It wasn’t like that from birth, was it?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

The owner gestured at my lower body.

“If it was from birth or childhood, your muscles and joints would look different. Yours seem to have changed relatively recently.”

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

From my perspective, it happened three years ago. But since I regressed, it’s now eight months ago.

Two months in a coma, six months of rehab, then discharge.

“Did you get scammed or something and end up like that?”

“No. It happened during an operation.”

“What operation? Were you a robber or something?”

“Jeez, no! I was a soldier.”

“…A soldier?”

The owner’s expression turned strange.

“Yes.”

“…Where?”

After a pause, his tone felt oddly familiar.

“I was in the UDT.”

“……”

At the mention of UDT, he completely shut his mouth.

He looked me up and down.

“You were in the UDT?”

“Yup. Want to see my discharge papers?”

“…Let me see.”

The owner clicked his tongue and held out his hand. I took out my discharge papers from my wallet.

“Seol Ha-woon, 64th class…”

He skimmed through them, then looked at me with a wry smile.

“…Nice to meet you?”

“Are you a senior, by chance?”

I knew it—his physique was no joke.

The owner shook his head.

“Nope. Navy SEAL.”

“What? American military? Are you American, sir?”

*Pfft.* His large mouth twisted like a beast’s.

“Half. My mother is Korean, and my wife is Korean, so I figured I’m Korean enough.”

The owner leaned over the counter and asked,

“So, it happened during an operation?”

“Yeah.”

“I guess the details are classified.”

“Well… pretty much.”

His expression had softened considerably. It was a stark contrast to the man who had just called me a scammer.

“Ah, I’m David Han.”

The owner introduced himself belatedly.

“…Your name suits you well.”

“Right. So, are you preparing for your next gig?”

David gestured at the magic books.

“Something like that. Do you know about Labyrinth Exploration? The explorer audition program?”

“Of course. Are you planning to join?”

“Yes. I passed the first round. But I skipped the second and went straight to the third.”

“Makes sense. Hey, punk—what were you thinking about when you pulled out that magic earlier?”

He was probably asking about the imagery I used when I channeled magic into my fingers.

“A gas stove.”

“Gas… what?”

“It comes out like a gas stove, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm… Fair enough. Good method. The power of magic depends on how vividly you visualize it. Using familiar objects makes it easier.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

David’s advice made sense, but honestly, it was probably thanks to the [Magic Concentration] technique I learned last time.

It’s a technique that focuses magic into a single point, like a finger, and draws it out.

“Alright. And, I’ll lend you that book. Take it.”

“Whoa, really? Thank you!”

I didn’t hesitate and gratefully hugged the magic book to my chest. Truth be told, coming all the way here every day was no small feat—not with my leg being what it is. Even if this is the closest bookstore to my place.

“But.”

David raised a finger.

“If you make it, give my shop a shoutout, yeah?”

“Yes, sir! Of course!”

I saluted him. My body’s pretty banged up, but my discipline’s still sharp.

“Good.”

He returned the salute.

—

* * *

Midnight, when the world was sunk in darkness.

**Scrape, scrape. Scrape, scrape.**

David, who was cleaning the empty bookstore with rags, mops, vinegar, cloths, and several robot vacuums, suddenly paused.

“…Wait a sec. That kid’s not a scammer, is he?”

The thought struck him.

Voice phishing’s been rampant lately—could this be some new form of face phishing scam? Discharge papers can be faked if you know the format.

“Damn it…!”

David’s large frame trembled. He pulled out his smartphone with a shaky hand. The tiny device looked comical in his shark-like hand.

He’d done joint ops with the Korean military before, so he had plenty of connections in that world. Using them for something like this felt a bit embarrassing, but 5.99 million won was no chump change.

*Ring, ring— Ring, ring—*

The other party picked up on the third try.

“Hey, hey! Jin-tong! Long time no see. Where you at right now? Office? Oh—what’s up, you ask? Well, funny story—something happened today…”

He explained it with some creative edits.

No point in looking like a fool if the kid was a scammer.

“So I just wanna check if this guy was really in UDT. Name’s Seol Ha-woon. Could you maybe look him up on your computer… Oh, you know him?”

The answer came immediately.

Lee Jin-tong’s a colonel. He’s the type who’s unusually invested in his subordinates, but for a senior officer to know a discharged sergeant by name? That’s no small fry.

“You’re sure? The guy with the limp? Hmm. Got it. Okay. Thanks.”

David hung up.

Fortunately, the identity was confirmed.

The probability of a UDT member being a scammer is practically zero. At least in David Han’s eyes.

They’d rather kill someone for money than scam them.

“—What’d he say?”

A deep voice came from the darkness behind the bookshelves.

It was Tae-woo.

“Goddamn it, you punk! Make some noise when you show up! And I just cleaned there—why’re you standing around messing it up?”

Tae-woo silently stared at David.

David realized belatedly that Tae-woo’s form was faint. It was magic.

“Why use magic instead of coming in person?”

“…Your obsession with cleanliness is tiresome.”

“You little— Anyway, that kid?”

“Yeah. Had to confirm his identity. Part of me got exposed.”

“What part? Everyone knows you and your sister don’t get along.”

“They might not.”

“Oh, come on. You really think that? It’s all over the internet these days—those kinds of rumors. You two fight in public so much, it’s a wonder it’s not trending. Phones and computers are everywhere now.”

Tae-woo’s lips twisted into a smirk. David chuckled.

“He’s a soldier. His identity is confirmed.”

“……”

Only then did Tae-woo give a faint nod, seemingly relieved. He glanced at the book covers on the shelf and muttered—

“Old man.”

“What.”

“He’s got talent.”

David’s eyes twitched for a second.

Tae-woo is a mage from the prestigious Tae family. His mother, father, grandfather, and younger sister are all mages, making him the perfect heir to a magical lineage.

So, for this brat to say “he’s got talent” is high praise.

He didn’t even praise the previous season’s 「Labyrinth Exploration」 winner like that.

David crossed his arms, feeling oddly smug.

“Punk. You think he’d have made UDT without talent?”

A faint sigh escaped Tae-woo.

“…You have too much faith in the military, old man.”

“It’s not faith in the military.”

He pointed at Tae-woo’s chest with his finger, correcting him.

“It’s faith in soldiers, kid.”

“Whatever. You put too much stock in useless things, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Deal with it.”

“……”

Tae-woo shook his head. Then, like a ghost, he disappeared.

He wasn’t even here in the first place. It was a fairly advanced magic called [Astral Projection].

“Prickly bastard. All he does is spy on people…”

David grumbled as he resumed cleaning the bookstore.

Dangun

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