Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 68 (Part 1): Living Like That (2)

One, two, three, four… Starting with Lim Hae-jun, the explorers were waking up one after another.

This meant Seol Ha-woon had succeeded, but Kang Hyun had no time to tend to them.

The enemy was right in front of him.

*Shwaaaak!*

He swung his sword. A flash of mana burst from the blade’s tip, slicing through limbs. Lim Hae-jun’s arrows backed him up.

*Paaaaah──!*

Suddenly, a sonic boom roared from behind. It was literally the sound of air being struck. A violent shockwave blasted the enemies away.

Kang Hyun and Lim Hae-jun turned to look.

Mage Ryu Yeon-hwa. Having just awakened, he snapped his fan shut with a flourish.

“Hey! Yeon-hwa hyung! Help us out!”

“…Alright.”

Ryu Yeon-hwa seemed to grasp the situation instantly. *Chrrrrk.* With the poise of a noble, he let his fan unfurl, preparing a spell.

With someone like Ryu Yeon-hwa, it was like gaining an army.

Kang Hyun shook off the blood and oil from his broadsword and glared at Sier.

“No need for negotiations, it seems. Thanks to you gathering the explorers for us.”

Yet, on the screen, Sier’s face remained infuriatingly composed.

─ “Kang Hyun-ssi. You must know this, but sometimes, certain people are profoundly affected by the labyrinth. They’re said to have exceptional resonance.”

Kang Hyun stared at him silently.

“Hyung! Don’t listen to that bastard!”

“Stay back.”

Kang Hyun pushed the agitated Lim Hae-jun aside.

─ “This Unconscious Labyrinth has ensnared her. Or rather, *she* has ensnared the labyrinth. She’s someone with an immense desire for happiness. Perhaps she’s never once been truly happy.”

Someone who’s never been truly happy.

─ “You’re probably someone like that too, aren’t you, Kang Hyun-ssi?”

Kang Hyun raised his sword. A faint spark of anger flickered in his clear eyes.

Sier was acting as if he knew everything about him. He couldn’t be left alone. His throat, his body—they needed to be cut down.

─ “For me, it was fortunate. That *she* was such a person.”

Sier murmured cryptic words.

─ “She is a noble person.”

A single figure flashed through Kang Hyun’s mind.

In an era where hollow equality and empty notions of inherent human rights ravaged society, there was a person regarded openly as noble. A person whose very existence refuted hypocritical claims that there was no hierarchy among humans.

Catherine Violet Hailford.

─ “Perhaps she is worth more than all of you combined, more than the entirety of our Nan World.”

Kang Hyun’s eyes darted around, searching for her.

She wasn’t there.

Not in any of the capsules. Kate wasn’t inside any of them.

─ “Yes. Her *body* is inside.”

*Fuusssst!*

The labyrinth’s rift widened further. Kang Hyun stared at it with cold eyes.

A transformation was occurring.

─ “She is already becoming one with the labyrinth. No, *she* has embraced the labyrinth.”

Kate had embraced the labyrinth.

Kang Hyun voiced the reason aloud.

“Because she found happiness?”

─ “Exactly.”

Sier nodded with a faint smile.

─ “So, may I propose negotiations again? To those watching us from afar…”

* * *

│ *Labyrinth Exploration NaN*, #1 on global OTT… The PD’s philosophy shines through! │
│ Season 3 of *Labyrinth Exploration* soars past countless doubts and controversies │
│ I’m enjoying it too~ Selfie from Season 2 winner Lee Je-hoon │
│ Follower counts for key contestants like Kang Hyun and Lee Jun-ho skyrocketing │
│ Dark horse Seol Ha-woon! Moments from the Always-Right Ex-UDT Soldier │
│ Vote rigging gone too far… Weekly votes at 10,000 won each, vote-buying rampant │

Somewhere in South Korea, in a monitoring room, the world was ablaze with *Labyrinth Exploration NaN*.

“This is insane. Absolutely insane.”

Kim A-rang rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. The developments were *that* wild.

The episode featuring Kang Hyun and Seol Ha-woon, encompassing the entire western sector of the Nan World.

She’d never felt a rush like this in her life. It was like buying a lottery ticket and knowing—before even purchasing it—that you’d won. Even a meticulously crafted script couldn’t produce something this gripping.

“…This is seriously insane.”

Another writer spoke up from behind.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be monitoring your assigned section? The east is just as important as the west.”

“It’s already over for them. Total failure. No way they’re hitting WP. They’re ranked 90th to begin with…”

She wasn’t the only one. Too many writers and PDs were engrossed in the current situation.

“PD Kim, be honest. Did you script this?”

“It’s just straight-up insane.”

“Isn’t this going to hit 50% viewership?”

Their observation was legal—after all, their assigned explorers were all trapped inside the Unconscious Labyrinth.

“…I kinda feel bad for that Sier guy, though.”

“Feel bad? For what?”

Kim A-rang let out a dry laugh.

“It’s a fake labyrinth anyway. If you’re gonna feel bad, save it for a real one. Those guys are just programmed that way. You don’t feel bad for GPT when you use it, do you?”

“Well, that’s different…”

“Won’t this cause problems?”

One writer asked with a hint of worry. Kim A-rang clicked her tongue.

“The problem’s already here.”

They’d have to redo the previews, and above all—

This Nan World was shaping up to be an epic saga.

“We’re gonna go way over on runtime.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

The response came from someone else. Kim A-rang and the staff turned their heads.

It was the main PD, Yoon Sa-hyeok, holding a cup of instant coffee.

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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