Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 78 (Part 2) A Bit of Fresh Air (3)

Lee Jun-ho and Kang Hyun were public rivals. They’d crossed paths often but weren’t exactly close.

Lee Jun-ho turned his head.

Seo Ji-woo was there, her expression just as serious.

*Why’s everyone so grim? It’s annoying.*

Just then, Seol Ha-woon’s Stage 5 monster was announced.

Lee Jun-ho smirked.

“Talk about bad luck. A Mana Spider, huh?”

Mana Spider. A B-rank monster particularly tough for sorcerers. Perfect for the final stage.

Lee Jun-ho crossed his arms, intrigued.

* * *

Stage 5.

Somehow, I’d made it this far, but the headache was intense. The combat sequence put a heavy strain on my spine.

*Maybe I should’ve just failed earlier.*

Still, *In-Camera Scouting* was a major segment. To rack up performance points, I had to show off my full capabilities.

I put on the 【Reinforced Compression Rimless Glasses】.

The opponent: a Mana Spider. Time limit: 5 minutes. The arena: a spacious cave. Stalactites glimmered on the ceiling, and the eerie drip of water echoed.

The spider’s appearance, visible in the distance, was even more daunting.

It was the size of a bear, with eight furry legs. Its look would definitely be filtered for the broadcast.

*Skskskt!*

The creature moved between massive webs.

*Tap!*

I struck the ground with my Cane.

Mana rippled outward like a wave, and the cave’s layout became clear in an instant. Mapping the terrain was essential.

*Shweeek!*

The spider shot out a web. I deployed a crystal barrier. The reinforced barrier caught the webbing.

*Skskskt.*

The web dissolved the barrier—or rather, absorbed its mana.

*Ssssk. Ssssk.*

I fired a volley of mana bullets at the moving spider. The bullets got caught in the web, shriveling up.

I’d imbued the bullets with explosive flames, but the web absorbed the mana first.

That’s why it’s called a Mana Spider. It feeds on mana, making it a notorious natural enemy for sorcerers.

“…Hmm.”

Win or lose—I think the difference comes down to whether you can overcome control.

The Mana Spider was nearly impossible to overcome.

Even a war of attrition, waiting for it to tire, offered slim chances of victory. And with only three minutes left, the odds were even worse.

*Should I just give up?*

But then—

*Crackle──!*

Mana sparked from the cane like lightning.

Synchronization complete.

No time to check the item’s changes.

*I’ll find out by using it.*

I tapped the ground with the cane.

*Tap.*

The ripple was sharper. The resonance clearer. The flow of mana through the cane had increased.

No, not just increased—this was on another level. It might even be possible to compress mana to a single point and detonate it with precision.

*Let’s do this.*

I closed my eyes and sent mana flowing underground.

At the same time, I activated the sequence.

Time slowed. But the speed of my mana followed my will.

*Fzzzt.*

The mana surged underground like an electric current, reaching a specific coordinate—directly beneath the spider.

Pinpoint bombardment.

*BOOOOM──!*

An explosion erupted from below. A high-heat, high-pressure blast from a single point engulfed the spider. Swept up by the shockwave, its eight legs twitched before going limp. Steam, like from well-cooked meat, rose from the corpse.

“…Ugh.”

Dizziness hit me, and I staggered, barely steadying myself with the cane.

It’s a basic magic theory: *the farther mana is from the caster, the harder it is to control.*

The mana consumption was far more intense than expected.

I glanced at the scoreboard.

[Failure]

I’d gone over the time limit by about five seconds. I failed, but I couldn’t help but smile.

*AC-0308.*

*You’ve gotten seriously impressive.*

* * *

The Mana Spider. A monster notoriously difficult for “pure mage” to face. A “pure mage” is a specific classification, known in English as a “Pure Magician.”

In the less-developed explorer theories of the 70s and 80s, this might have been common, but in modern times, with established position play, it’s a nearly obsolete concept.

*A good mage should move as dynamically and swiftly as any archer or warrior.*

This has been thoroughly proven through modern statistics and analysis, championed by corporations, guilds, schools, and factions.

Yet Seol Ha-woon stood in direct opposition to this modern theory. He was a pure mage, a rare exemplar of the archetype, almost impossible to find elsewhere.

And he’d burned a Mana Spider to a crisp.

In Kim Jung-wook’s view, while Seol Ha-woon lacked individual mobility, his mana’s mobility was overwhelming. His mastery of mana was already at a veteran level, with no bad habits to speak of.

*So, what are bad habits?*

For those curious, here’s a small example. Some sorcerers in the media wave their hands, feet, arms, or legs when casting mana. They move their bodies to guide the mana’s path.

That’s the result of flawed learning.

Mana can move dozens, hundreds, thousands of times faster than the human body. Intentionally slowing it down by tying it to physical movement is foolish.

And yet, such sorcerers are surprisingly common.

In contrast, Seol Ha-woon’s mana had no such limits. He understood perfectly that mana’s speed was proportional to the caster’s will.

Thus, he resolved everything from a single point. Standing in one spot, he established his domain, controlling everything thoroughly without so much as twitching a finger.

The purest form of a mage.

—

“…Tch.”

Kim Jung-wook propped his chin, his expression grave. He was growing suspicious of Seol Ha-woon.

“Is something wrong?” PD Kim A-rang approached.

“PD-nim,” he said.

“Yes?”

“You described Seol Ha-woon as a rough gem in your brief.”

“A rough gem, right? Isn’t he?”

*Ha!* A scoff laced with irritation escaped him.

“A rough gem. An unpolished mineral, mixed with impurities but holding radiant potential within.”

“That’s… what I meant, yes. Seol Ha-woon’s been a sorcerer for less than a year.”

“…You don’t need to keep that up with me. I understand it’s for the show’s narrative.”

“What?”

Kim A-rang glanced at Yu-yul, her eyes pleading for help.

Yu-yul spoke up.

“Not a year.”

“See?”

“Seven months.”

She’d reduced the number. Seol Ha-woon had admitted to being a four-month sorcerer when they first met, and three more months had passed, making seven months more accurate.

Kim Jung-wook glared at her, brows furrowed.

“…Are you certain?”

“My personal guess is he might’ve exaggerated a bit.”

“Exaggerated how?”

Yu-yul thought about Seol Ha-woon.

During his interview, his talent was merely dismantling cheap artifacts—a last-minute pivot after trying to set paper on fire.

More crucially, he’d first visited David Han’s bookstore just four months ago. So, Seol Ha-woon was a sorcerer of at least four months, at most seven—a veritable infant.

“…Nevermind. It must be between six or seven months.”

Four or seven, his talent was undeniable.

“Hrmm…”

Kim Jung-wook crossed his arms, his expression serious. Suddenly, he turned to Yu-yul, brow raised.

“Yu-yul-ssi.”

His gaze was intense. Already slick-faced, his burning eyes were especially striking.

*The kind of guy who’d cry butter instead of tears.*

“I have something serious to discuss.”

“Hmm~ Well, I’ll leave you two to talk.”

Yu-yul suppressed her discomfort, while Kim A-rang turned away, barely stifling a laugh.

—

“Now then!”

*Clap.* A speech began with a clap.

“I’d like to have a deep discussion about Sorcerer Seol Ha-woon. Assuming he’s truly a seven-month sorcerer…”

Kim Jung-wook was passionate, spitting as if coughing up blood.

“…Yes, I know. I can guess what Mentor Yu-yul thinks of Seol Ha-woon. But this is for his future.”

Some people were like that—crazies who thought and judged however they pleased.

“Just get to the point,” Yu-yul said.

Kim Jung-wook, as if waiting for the cue, spoke.

“Let Seol Ha-woon go.”

“I never held him in the first place.”

“…”

His mouth twitched.

As expected, he didn’t believe her. *What a tiresome guy.*

“Yes, I understand. Given his talent, you’d want to keep him close, Mentor Yu-yul. Is your goal to found a school? If so, Zephyrell can help. We can be your connection. A school isn’t changed by one individual. If a mage emerges among your disciples, the school might end up consumed by them—”

“Seol Ha-woon,” Yu-yul cut him off.

“You think he has the makings of a mage?”

“…That’s for our dean to judge. You know who our dean is, don’t you?”

The dean of the Zephyrell School was Zephyrell himself, a sorcerer. In Yu-yul’s view, he wasn’t particularly exceptional—mid-tier, maybe a touch above.

Not all sorcerers were created equal.

“Do whatever you want,” she said.

Yu-yul stood. Kim Jung-wook smiled.

“Are you sure? I heard from PD Kim that Seol Ha-woon holds deep mentor-disciple loyalty toward you.”

Smoothing her brow, Yu-yul replied, “I’m not the type to take disciples.”

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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