The Final Proof
Though the number of people was fewer than what I’d seen during the opening, the height of the stage was overwhelmingly greater.
At the pinnacle of the pyramid, where lights cascaded down like a waterfall, Yu Ji-in and the mentors appeared.
"Waaaaaah!"
The roar of 60,000 spectators exploded. Yu Ji-in was the first to speak, a relaxed smile on her face as she gripped the microphone.
She reached out her hand. Following that slender gesture, a hologram unfurled in the air.
Linear labyrinths, cargo labyrinths, survival labyrinths, world labyrinths, space labyrinths, apocalypse labyrinths, and even the labyrinth of life—the Labyrinth of Memory.
The history the explorers had traversed embroidered the stage in the form of intricate, miniature illusions.
Whoosh!
Numbers poured down the giant screen like a waterfall. It was the cumulative text vote count.
"Whoa."
Kim Jeong-uk couldn't close his mouth. He couldn't even count the digits. The units were so massive they didn't even register at a glance. It was an astronomical figure, already well over several billion.
Kim Jeong-uk shifted his body in anticipation. Finally, they were coming out.
Yu Ji-in began calling names starting from 24th place. Even if they were in the lower ranks, those who had survived the fierce competition climbed onto the stage as their names were called. Their fanbases were now far larger than those of most idols, singers, or movie stars.
"16th place. Ryu Wei."
From the mid-ranks onward, the cheers and applause grew louder and louder.
"15th place. Kim Woo-hyun."
"Woo-hyun is a bit of a shame."
He was a buffer with clear stats. It was disadvantageous for him to remain a supporting character in Labyrinth Exploration NaN, but since he was so young, he’d surely be highly sought after in the field.
"14th place. Jin Ho-jong."
"13th place. Kim Dong-ha."
Jin Ho-jong. Kim Dong-ha. The warrior line.
"12th place. Lee Shin-hye."
"11th place. Lee Jong-su."
Lee Jong-su's rapid progress was notable. He had been stuck in the mid-ranks, but he had climbed all the way to 11th. It seemed that the image he showed after somehow joining up with Seol Ha-woon, Kang Hyun, and Lee Jun-ho had worked in his favor.
"9th place. Jo Woon."
Like that, the tension heightened as the rankings climbed.
"8th place. Im Hae-jun."
"Wow, Im Hae-jun actually made it."
When Im Hae-jun appeared, the cheers were particularly loud. He was the guy who had been plagued by malicious comments—"He'll never debut," "He's just a Seol Ha-woon hanger-on," "He's a parasite of the 'Je-Mal-Olh' meme"—yet he had crawled his way up to the debut bracket.
"7th place. Yun Hwa-rim."
Yun Hwa-rim. She was a friend who had essentially invited malicious comments and hate, but she hadn't let her mental state collapse; instead, she showed her good-natured side. Now, as long as she didn't troll, she seemed like a lock for the debut.
"6th place. Ryu Yeon-hwa."
Ryu Yeon-hwa had been caught up in the Kim Du-gyeom incident, and because she wanted to avoid getting tangled with others, her screen time had decreased slightly. However, she maintained her high ranking through solid skills and a strong fandom.
Now, the top tier. From here on, it was impossible to distinguish between cheers and screams. Kim Jeong-uk put in the earplugs he had brought in advance.
"Uncle, what are you doing!"
"You kids just enjoy it."
I’m already too old for this. This uncle can't afford to have his eardrums damaged.
"5th place. Seo Ji-woo."
This kid was a mage prodigy. She might not be 'faster' than Seol Ha-woon, but she had the talent to become a mage at a much 'younger' age than him.
"4th place. Kate."
Kate. I was envious when she was shopping recklessly at that American store. That was a department store where I’d tremble just buying a single item.
"3rd place. Lee Jun-ho."
Jun-ho, who had been 1st, ended up in 3rd. But the way he walked out was dignified. If anything, he looked relieved. It was as if he had blown away the inferiority and helplessness he felt before Labyrinth Exploration NaN.
Shimmer!
The faces of 1st and 2nd place crossed on the screen.
"Please, please!"
"Please!"
My nieces next to me were begging. For the record, they were Noongil. Die-hard Seol Ha-woon fans.
Honestly, I thought Seol Ha-woon would be 1st, but it was impossible to predict. Kang Hyun had such a solid core fanbase.
The cheers were loud enough to pierce through my earplugs. Some were cheering because they liked Kang Hyun being 2nd, and some were cheering because they liked Seol Ha-woon being 1st. Regardless, the nieces next to me were grabbing my body and shaking me.
Lastly, Seol Ha-woon walked out, leaning on his cane.
Tap. Tap.
Seol Ha-woon, who had been 96th—the very last place—received applause from his fellow explorers and stood at the very top of the pyramid. The look on everyone's faces, acknowledging him, was a good sight for Kim Jeong-uk. He even felt tears welling up for no reason.
"Ah. I really am old."
Kim Jeong-uk wiped his eyes with his sleeves.
Boom—!
Now, with grand music, the VOD began to play.
Final Mission: Final Boss
The final mission was to face the final boss. I had expected as much. It was the part the public loved the most and the part explorers found the most difficult. The public thought of large-scale raids like a game, but the final boss stage had the highest explorer mortality rate.
"Wow! Wow!"
"Are they fighting? Are they fighting?"
Well, since the nieces were happy, I guess it was fine... Anyway, the VOD showed Seol Ha-woon and the other explorers sweating, practicing, and planning their strategies. Then, the giant door at the back of the stage opened.
Seol Ha-woon and his team members descended from the pyramid and walked forward. He stood in the center of the stage, wearing a black coat and a blue inner tee. And behind him, three large warriors lined up: Lee Jong-su, Jin Ho-jong, and Kim Dong-ha.
The sight was oddly amusing. Seol Ha-woon was tall and had good proportions, but standing between those massive warriors, he looked relatively slender. Seol Ha-woon and his bodyguards—was that the vibe?
Then, Seol Ha-woon gripped the microphone.
Waaaaaaaah!!!
As he opened his mouth, cheers erupted that seemed to shake the stadium.
"...It's different, it's different."
Kim Jeong-uk smiled. The resonance of his voice was different. He could be a voice actor.
As Seol Ha-woon turned around, the warriors introduced themselves one by one.
"I'm Lee Jong-su. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Kim Dong-ha."
They must have been incredibly nervous, as their words were all short. They quickly passed the microphone and finished their introductions, and Seol Ha-woon pointed his cane toward a portal generated on one side of the stage.
True. Explorers have to prove themselves through actions, not words.
Seol Ha-woon led the way, and the warriors followed behind him. The moment they stepped into the portal—
Wooooong—!
The space in the stadium twisted, and with a strange wave of magical power, the entire stage was altered into an unknown battlefield.
"Wow."
"Gasp!"
"U-Uncle!"
The nieces clung to Kim Jeong-uk. Kim Jeong-uk, however, laughed brightly like a child.
"Man, this..."
It felt as if the entire stadium had been moved, in its entirety, to the final boss stage. No, perhaps that was actually the case.
"X-bal, it's magic."
He cursed without thinking, then checked on his nieces and flinched, hitting his own mouth.
"It means have fun."