Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 84 (Part 2): New Friends (4)

“Whoa~ What are they even trying to do with this?”

On a dark night, along the Mitamna site’s walking path, PD Lim Hyung-wook scrolled through his smartphone, grinning ear to ear.

“This week’s episode is no joke either.”

The whole world was buzzing about *Labyrinth Exploration NaN*.

As a staff member, the flood of PPL and ad inquiries alone signaled an unprecedented hit, but the real impact was felt online.

Korea, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia were already swept up, and reactions were starting to trickle in from North America and Europe.

If there was one disappointment, it was that Seol Ha-woon wasn’t getting as much hate as expected this episode.

Maybe it’s because he hard-carried every labyrinth, or maybe Lee Jun-ho’s fandom was helping out, but despite being more uncompromising than ever, Kim Doo-gyeom was the one taking the heat. They say the way he pretends to be nice while refusing to give up the scout role was unsightly

“Incompetent Kim Doo-gyeom, what kind of nickname is that… Huh?”

Lim Hyung-wook noticed someone on a bench along the path.

Even from behind, it was unmistakably Kim Doo-gyeom. He was trembling, clutching his smartphone tightly, looking strange.

“Doo-gyeom-ah. What’re you doing out here?”

Kim Doo-gyeom flinched and looked up.

“…Oh, it’s nothing.”

That was not the face of someone for whom it was ‘nothing.’

Lim Hyung-wook smacked his lips and sat beside him.

“What, is it because of Seol Ha-woon?”

“….”

Kim Doo-gyeom stayed silent.

“Talk to me. It’s okay.”

“…It’s fine. Really.”

Lim Hyung-wook felt for Kim Doo-gyeom. He’d never met a guy this kind.

Sure, plenty of contestants were nice to writers and PDs—hoping for more screen time, better edits, or some kind of favor.

Kim Doo-gyeom was different. He genuinely wanted nothing.

A pure, uncalculating kid.

“No, it’s not fine. We all saw how Seol Ha-woon was picking on you.”

And yet, Seol Ha-woon targeted Kim Doo-gyeom for no apparent reason. This time, Kim Doo-gyeom was clearly the victim, but the fandom wars had left him taking the brunt of the backlash.

“Want me to help?”

“No, no. Seol Ha-woon-hyung is PD Kim A-rang’s favorite, isn’t he?”

“…Well, yeah.”

That’s why the PDs and writers couldn’t openly criticize Seol Ha-woon. He was Kim A-rang’s top pick, and he got a ton of screen time. Especially in the next World Labyrinth, he’s so tied to Kang Hyun’s arc that it’s hard to use Kang Hyun’s story without him.

“Still, kid. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get caught up in some scandal later. He’s got that vibe, like he’s up to something shady.”

Lim Hyung-wook’s words were just that—words. He couldn’t actually do much.

Honestly, Seol Ha-woon scared him a little. Those eyes weren’t messing around.

“…It’s really okay.”

Kim Doo-gyeom gave a bitter smile and stood up.

“I’m heading out, PD-nim.”

“Where to?”

“Training.”

“Hey, take it easy. If an A-tier like you works that hard, what’s left for the guys below you?”

Kim Doo-gyeom gave a small laugh and bowed deeply.

Lim Hyung-wook scratched the back of his neck as he watched him leave.

“Ugh, why’s that Seol Ha-woon guy bullying such a nice kid…”

He’s like a delicate deer, just too adorable.

Feeling frustrated, Lim Hyung-wook looked up at the full moon in the night sky. Something seemed to shimmer on its surface.

A Porsche 777.

“…I’m buying one with my bonus, no question.”

* * *

The day after the live broadcast, the studio and dorms were noticeably quiet. The explorers were given time to reflect or review the episode, while the staff handled post-broadcast tasks, so no filming took place.

│ Seol Ha-woon and Kate’s power struggle: Who’s the real explorer? │ Episode 7 Clip │ Labyrinth Exploration NaN │

*Views: 3.32M · 12 hours ago*

Kim A-rang watched the cutscenes uploaded to YouTube since early morning. 3.32 million views in 12 hours. Absolutely insane.

@user-aosmd: Seol Ha-woon’s scenes are always iconic.
@minoxcidel: The type to never share the spotlight. Honestly, I respect it.
@muamua: Probably one of the top moments in all of Labyrinth Exploration. Wow.
@arlize: Always-Right was right all along…

│ Seol Ha-woon and Lee Jun-ho bring madness and chaos to the plaza │ Episode 7 Clip │ Labyrinth Exploration NaN │

*Views: 1.42M · 10 hours ago*

@99qoals8: I jumped when Lee Jun-ho started slashing out of nowhere, but it was all part of the plan;;
@heaqazi: Always-Right’s experience + Lee Jun-ho’s combat prowess = unstoppable.
@user-mua: Killer-Jun-ho is legit the top in raw strength.

│ Seol Ha-woon explains the strategy to the judges, proving ‘Always-Right’ │ Episode 7 Clip │ Labyrinth Exploration NaN │

*Views: 920K · 8 hours ago*

Kim A-rang had focused the cutscenes on Seol Ha-woon’s team moments.

─ Kim Yoon-jun: I’d like to ask Seol Ha-woon first. In the final sixth round, was that a coordinated decision?
─ Seol Ha-woon: Yes. It was a rough approach, but I thought it was necessary. If we’d hesitated, we’d have been swept away. To seize control, we needed a far more aggressive method, so we executed it together.

As a seven-year veteran PD, she edited these herself. She didn’t trust anyone else to capture her vision.

The response was phenomenal.

@lee-yujin88: Seol Ha-woon’s observation skills are on another level… Is it because he’s a veteran?
@zozozo: How high will Peak Always-Right climb?
@qoasd-w9a: The insane foresight to even account for eavesdropping.

YouTube highlights were edited to be short, teasing without revealing too much, to drive viewers to the main broadcast. A win-win, so to speak.

“…Huh? It’s already night?”

Kim A-rang glanced at the pitch-black window. She’d stayed up all day.

It was worth it.

Seol Ha-woon’s personal profile vote had skyrocketed to 13th place.

Labyrinth Exploration NaN’s voting system had two types: weekly votes (up to seven people per week) and profile votes (up to seven people for the entire season). Profile votes were more reliable, as they could be canceled anytime, making them more sensitive to public sentiment.

“Phew~ He’s trending in the top 5 on communities and SNS.”

The buzz was unreal. Her vision was slowly coming together.

Satisfied, Kim A-rang browsed the internet.

│ Incompetent subordinate Kim Doo-gyeom │
│ Why’s Kim Doo-gyeom getting so much hate, though? │

The one issue was that Kim Doo-gyeom was getting dragged too harshly.

She felt a bit bad for him. It’s a downside of his saintly image.

People claim to like kind people, but they don’t like *overly* kind ones. Two reasons: either they’re not kind themselves, or they suspect that kindness is hypocrisy.

│ Doesn’t he seem like he’s wearing a mask? │

“A mask, my foot.”

Kim A-rang shut off her desktop.

She headed to the duty room, showered, and lay in bed, scrolling through *Labyrinth Exploration NaN* reactions before drifting off.

*Ding.*

“…Huh?!”

A trending community post jolted her upright.

│ Seol Ha-woon school bullying exposé │

“What the hell is this?”

Immediately, another trending post.

│ Labyrinth Exploration NaN: S.H.W. military misconduct allegations │

“…What’s going on?!”

Sleep was the last thing on her mind now.

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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