Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 56 (Part 2): Let You Down (4)

Shopping was over. Most explorers dressed warmly. Seo Ji-woo managed to grab a puffy jacket at the last second.

─Yoo Ji-in: “Everyone, are you ready to set off on your journey?”

Yoo Ji-in flashed a meaningful smile.

─Yoo Ji-in: “But before that… What do you have inside your suitcase or travel bags right now?”

Ominous BGM played. Ishia nodded. *As expected.* They wouldn’t let the explorers enjoy such luxury without a catch.

─Yoo Ji-in: “Let me tell you. This mission is a Survival Labyrinth.”

Survival Labyrinth.

The shocked faces of the explorers flashed on screen, followed immediately by:

[ Entering the Labyrinth ]

The screen went black, subtitles appearing. As the darkness faded, the landscape emerged.

A snowfield.

“Called it.”

All those hints about the cold…

[ To Be Continued Next Week ]

“…Already?”

Ishia flinched and checked the clock. Three hours had flown by unnoticed. Time slipped away so fast.

The wait is long, but the show feels like a fleeting moment.

“Today was fun.”

Ishia smiled warmly. There was some juicy fodder too—the strange tension between Seol Ha-woon and Seo Ji-woo.

“…It’s cold outside.”

Whatever it was, it was an intriguing scene.

Ishia checked SNS first.

#LabyrinthExplorationNaN
#KangHyun
#LeeJunHo
#SeoJiWoo
#LimHaeJunSeolHaWoon
#ItsColdOutside

“…It’s blowing up.”

Real-time trends were dominated, with a ton of tweets. Even English-speaking countries had keywords trending. Isn’t it the middle of the night there?

*Click. Click. Snap.*

Ishia checked community reactions.

“The whole page is *Labyrinth Exploration NaN*…”

There were tons of posts, all about the show. Seol Ha-woon had a decent share among them.

[ Today’s Penguin Duo Highlights ]

Lim Hae-jun and Seol Ha-woon waddling under the weight of their giant suitcases and backpacks.

[ Spoiler Alert: Today’s Kickass Scene ]

Seol Ha-woon: “It’s cold outside.”

The scene where Seol Ha-woon looks out for Seo Ji-woo because it’s cold.

Ishia checked the comments.

─ It was jarring seeing someone so stoic act like that
─ lol Seo Ji-woo must’ve frustrated him. Even with all the hints, she dressed like that ;;
─ Honestly, it felt like he likes her
─ If he didn’t care, would he bother if she froze? It’s obvious lol…

Ishia skimmed portal site articles last.

[ Spotlight: Labyrinth Exploration NaN… How and Who to Vote For? ]

*Labyrinth Exploration NaN* is the talk of the town every week. Nicknamed ‘MiTamNan,’ the show has dispelled concerns about living up to its massively successful previous season, instead writing a new chapter in exploration entertainment history.

Among the cast, Kang Hyun and Lee Jun-ho stand out as absolute powerhouses, alongside Kate from the Hailford family, mage candidate Seo Ji-woo, and the comet-like Seol Ha-woon…

[ MiTamNan’s Dark Horse, ‘MyWordIsAbsolute’ ]

A new star has emerged in *Labyrinth Exploration NaN*: Seol Ha-woon. Initially mocked as ‘Mr. MyWordIsAbsolute,’ he’s now being reevaluated as a leader who covers for his teammates’ mistakes.

UDT sergeant, limping leg, cane, long hair—covered in unpredictable keywords, he’s inching closer to the main cast of *MiTamNan*’s early episodes.

Unlike Kang Hyun, Lee Jun-ho, Seo Ji-woo, and Kate, who had established recognition and fandoms before airing, many didn’t even know Seol Ha-woon existed. Now, he’s built his own fandom, with people everywhere encouraging votes for him…

There were quite a few articles about Seol Ha-woon. Of course, compared to major players like Kang Hyun, Lee Jun-ho, or Seo Ji-woo, his share was still small.

Still, combining communities, SNS, and fan cafes, it was enough to form a ‘chunk.’

Ishia could see people teetering on the edge of becoming Seol Ha-woon fans—or already hooked without realizing it.

As the articles said, Seol Ha-woon had gained a fandom.

Ishia was curious.

How big could this fandom grow? And how much could it be nurtured?

“Hehe.”

Smirking, she placed her hand on her laptop.

* * *

[ Recognition Level Up! ]

[ Recognition Rank: 11 ]

[ An additional 60 days have been granted for the trial period. ]

My recognition suddenly spiked. Probably thanks to the episode airing right now.

Good news.

“Here you go.”

*Thud─.*

The orphanage director placed a sack of tea leaves on the table.

“For now, this is all I have. I’ve spoken to my father in my hometown about the rest, so the rest should arrive next week.”

“Understood.”

Taking the sack, I suddenly grew curious.

“…What’s your hometown like?”

“It’s a peaceful place. No people, no factories, nothing—but the air is clean.”

The director fiddled with his glasses using his right mechanical arm, a bittersweet smile crossing his face as if recalling something.

Labyrinth dwellers, too, carry their own stories, pasts, and memories.

I asked him, “…Do you just steep the tea in hot water?”

“I recommend boiling water at 97 degrees.”

“Got it. 97 degrees.”

I brewed the leaves in water heated with mana. Sipping the reddish tea, I felt my body stabilize. The overheated back of my neck, spine, and eyes calmed down.

But the fatigue was still intense. The sequence was undeniably taxing for a mage.

“How’s the taste?”

The director asked.

“…Satisfactory.”

I looked out the window. The sun had already set.

“Stay the night. We have a spare bed. Business has been good, so we can afford to treat a guest.”

The director smiled, patting his pocket. I hadn’t counted, but I gave him half of that creep’s money, so it must’ve been a decent amount.

“Alright. I’ll stay just for tonight.”

Consider it a donation.

“This way. I’ll show you.”

The director stood up.

“Alright.”

I arrived at a small room. Slightly bigger than a goshiwon, it was cozy enough, with two bunk beds where my legs would stick out halfway if I lay down. It looked like a kids’ room hastily cleared out, with various well-worn items scattered about.

“Rest well, then.”

The director left. I paced the room before sitting on the bed.

Closing my eyes to review the day, I was suddenly interrupted.

*Tap. Tap. Tap.*

A knocking sound came from the window. I extended my cane to pull back the curtain.

Three or four kids were looking up at me from the first-floor playground. Meeting my eyes, they mouthed exaggeratedly:

─”Thank you!”

I said nothing, staring at their beaming smiles. I drew the curtain again and sat back on the bed.

You don’t need to thank me.

No, it might even be the opposite. I could be the villain who’ll erase you all.

Perhaps this entire program is one giant perverse joke…

“…….”

Silently, I pulled out a few bills.

I was an orphanage kid too. Sometimes, outsiders visited. Some volunteered, some came for business, but as a child, my favorite type was the adult who opened their wallet generously.

I stuffed the bills into an envelope and scrawled a note.

[ Lodging Fee ]

This was the kids’ room originally.

For the ones kicked out because of a guest, would this be enough to make them smile brightly?

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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