Dinosaur (7)
A ruined village fills the screen. Half-destroyed buildings line the streets, and sparks crackle and fly from severed power lines, creating a desolate, bleak landscape.
Right through the center of it, Seol Ha-woon and Seer walk side-by-side.
Ha-woon leans on his cane. Beside him, Seer maintains a proper, calculated distance.
In the hazy, shimmering fog, illuminated by searchlights, the two of them look incredibly picturesque.
They possess completely different character designs, yet both are equally flawless and sharp.
—Seer: After you.
Seer boards the elevator first. Ha-woon glances at him and nods.
A simple dialogue, yet their actions are thick with tension. It feels as if they are trading invisible blades back and forth.
Clunk.
The two of them descend together in the elevator. The conversation continues inside.
—Seol Ha-woon: I believe it's time you told me what this is about.
—Seer: Yes. We are currently conducting an excavation.
—Seol Ha-woon: An excavation?
—Seer: An act that triggers a rift.
A rift.
Goosebumps break out across Lee Si-ah's back. A slight stir ripples through the theater as well.
Ha-woon looks at Seer and asks.
—Seol Ha-woon: ...A rift?
—Seer: A labyrinth.
A labyrinth within a labyrinth.
Lee Si-ah rubs the goosebumps on her arm.
—Seer: As you know, Mr. Ha-woon, labyrinths are assets. In fact, this particular labyrinth possesses unprecedented value. If we monopolize and control it, it will generate hundreds of millions in profit...
Ding.
The elevator reaches the basement.
—Seer: However, it seems that information has leaked somewhere. Most likely the work of my sister.
—Seol Ha-woon: A succession feud?
—Seer: You are quick-witted.
The elevator doors open. Ha-woon puts on a gas mask, while Seer steps out casually.
—Seer: Follow me.
The two walk through the mining site.
Ha-woon doesn't let his guard down for a single second. The camera frequently captures his eyes meticulously scanning the interior, constantly absorbing information.
—Seol Ha-woon: You plan to move the labyrinth.
Seer's lips twitch slightly. As if caught off guard by something he wanted to keep hidden.
—Seer: Yes. We plan to excavate the ground where the labyrinth is sealed and transport it to a suitable location. Deep underground like this isn't ideal for marketing.
Tap. Tap.
Ha-woon taps his cane, and Seer adjusts his pace to match.
The distance between them is precarious.
It is an employer-employee relationship, but clearly misaligned. An strangely mutual undercurrent of suspicion. A hazy intersection of distrust.
That scene is pure suspense.
...No, the very existence of Seol Ha-woon is suspense itself.
Probably hundreds of people here think just like me. The person next to me who stopped sipping their cola, the person next to them clutching their popcorn bucket.
Lee Si-ah stares at the massive IMAX screen without even blinking.
—Seer: Please, come in.
Seer finally opens the office door. Ha-woon scans the interior before stepping inside.
—Seol Ha-woon: ...What is this?
He pauses. The tension that had reached its peak suddenly deflates.
—Seer: These are the teammates who will be joining you.
—Seol Ha-woon: ...I thought I was working alone.
—Seer: It would be too much for one person. The other side has hired their own people, so we must form a team to counter them.
The screen shows the teammates.
Sitting side-by-side on the sofa are Kate and Kim Du-gyeom.
Kate stares intently at Ha-woon, looking utterly dumbfounded. Ha-woon doesn't avoid her gaze.
—Kim Du-gyeom: Ha-woon!
Dick-gyeom—no, Kim Du-gyeom—is the first to stand up and offer his hand.
—Kim Du-gyeom: Nice to meet you~
—Seol Ha-woon: Can't say the feeling is mutual.
He walks right past without shaking Kim Du-gyeom's hand. Complete and utter disregard.
The audience laughs at this unexpected, satisfying moment.
—Seer: Ah, so you already know each other.
—Seol Ha-woon: No. I don't know him.
He snubs Kim Du-gyeom right to his face again. Kim Du-gyeom's sullen face is shown in the corner of the screen. The audience laughs even louder.
So that's why they didn't edit this out. He's basically a laughingstock to be ridiculed.
Well, the production crew must have been pretty pissed off at Kim Du-gyeom too.
—Kate: Is this the whole team? Just the three of us?
—Seer: Yes.
Seer places a document on the table.
—Seer: And this is the profile of our opponents, which we recently acquired.
It seems the other side has also hired specialists.
—Kim Du-gyeom: Let me see.
Kim Du-gyeom, who grabs the paper first, flinches. Kate's expression also stiffens as she takes it.
And then...
The scene changes.
—Shindra: Listen up. I'm only going to say this once.
Shindra, who hired Kang Hyun, is conducting a briefing at their operational camp.
—Shindra: We are going to strike this location. Those fools are happily mining away, but we will naturally seize it from them...
Strike. Mine. Seize.
The keywords are suspicious.
Why is this scene placed right after Seol Ha-woon's? It's a highly suspicious cross-cut edit.
—Shindra: We'll have the advantage in numbers. We need to push through before the labyrinth is fully excavated, but they've also hired specialized personnel.
"They've also hired specialized personnel."
—Shindra: Can you handle this for sure?
A thought flashes through Lee Si-ah's mind.
Shindra and Kang Hyun.
Seer and Seol Ha-woon.
If the leaked rumors are true, could it be...?!
—Kang Hyun: I will do my best.
—Kim Dong-ha: ...Hey, what do you mean 'do your best'? We'll get it done, no matter what. Trust us.
—Shindra: Right. I'll trust you. First, take a look. These are the profiles of the specialized personnel they hired. Here is the first one.
The hologram shows Kim Du-gyeom.
"...!"
Lee Si-ah's eyes widen. The theater, which had been filled with light laughter just a moment ago, falls dead silent again. Everyone gasps.
—Shindra: This guy is a swordsman, just like you.
Kang Hyun's expression doesn't change at all at the sight of Kim Du-gyeom. Kim Dong-ha nods confidently.
As expected, Kim Du-gyeom is a non-threat.
—Shindra: Next.
The second is Kate. The genius of the Haleford family, a Mage Candidate with the Destroyer attribute.
Kim Dong-ha flinches and takes a step back.
Even for him, she's a heavy opponent. Kate's combat power, while not optimized for close-quarters duels, is still on par with Lee Jun-ho's.
—Shindra: You look a bit concerned about this one.
—Kim Dong-ha: Ah~ well...
Kim Dong-ha glances at Kang Hyun.
—Kang Hyun: It's fine.
Kang Hyun remains calm. In fact, with a face full of confidence, he says:
—Kang Hyun: I have the elemental advantage over this person.
Gasp. A collective intake of breath, almost like a scream, echoes from the front rows.
Probably Kang Hyun's fans. They must be thrilled. But they really should keep it down.
Regardless, Kang Hyun is overflowing with confidence.
Still, it's quite surprising to Lee Si-ah. Kang Hyun is usually humble to a fault, often showing a goofy side despite being perfect in looks, skill, and personality.
Does this mean he simply has that much pride when it comes to combat—that he refuses to believe he could lose?
—Shindra: Good. Then the last one. He's the most recently hired.
The final hologram is a man leaning on a cane.
Seol Ha-woon.
—Shindra: Rumor has it he's a spellcaster.
—Kim Dong-ha: Pfft.
Kim Dong-ha scoffs. Lee Si-ah frowns.
—Shindra: What? Is there a problem?
—Kim Dong-ha: No way~ A problem? Just trust us. 99.9% reliability!
Kim Dong-ha treats Seol Ha-woon like absolute dog food, but Shindra's eyes are fixed elsewhere.
In the first place, her question "Is there a problem?" wasn't directed at Kim Dong-ha.
The camera points to him.
Kang Hyun.
—Kang Hyun: .......
He, who didn't care about Kim Du-gyeom and was overflowing with confidence against Kate, falls dead silent as he stares at the hologram of Seol Ha-woon.
A reaction completely different from before. His eyes, staring at Seol Ha-woon as if facing a formidable foe, are shown in a close-up...
Back to Seol Ha-woon's perspective.
—Kate: Is it this person?
Kate asks Seer. Seer nods.
Kim Du-gyeom and Kate turn dead serious.
Kate rests her chin on her hand, lost in thought as if devising a countermeasure, while Kim Du-gyeom, completely terrified, repeatedly brushes back his hair.
At that moment, Seol Ha-woon picks up his profile.
How will he react? Lee Si-ah watches in anticipation.
A noir-like soundtrack begins to play...
—Seol Ha-woon: ...Kang Hyun.
The name of his soon-to-be enemy. Murmuring the name, Seol Ha-woon smiles brightly. There is no fear, nor does he grit his teeth in frustration.
He merely wears a boyish smile.
Lee Si-ah gulps. She rubs the goosebumps on her arm.
The screen shifts to the East, but she doesn't care. There were many interesting parts. It was an action-comedy-adventure drama, unlike the West.
But to her, Seol Ha-woon is much more interesting.
Back to Raynos.
A brief montage of what Ryu Yeon-hwa and the other explorers are doing, and then Seol Ha-woon appears again.
At this point, he really is the protagonist of the movie.
—Seer: They will likely raid us soon. They'll want to finish this before the labyrinth excavation is complete.
Ha-woon is on the rooftop with Seer.
—Seol Ha-woon: Is that all the information you have?
—Seer: Unfortunately, yes. Their numbers will be greater than ours, but it won't be an army-scale force. If they move too conspicuously, external hyenas will try to bite at our corporation's weaknesses. Family matters must remain within the family.
Seer points to a corner of the rooftop.
—Seer: These are the items you requested. Is it enough?
—Seol Ha-woon: Yes. Not bad.
Stacked there are steel plates and explosives that look terrifying even at a glance.
Ha-woon places his hand on them. Blue mana seeps into them.
—Seer: Well then. I shall watch from a distance.
Seer boards a helicopter and leaves. Ha-woon sits on a chair.
—Kate: Is there anything we can do to help?
Kate and Kim Du-gyeom approach. Ha-woon shakes his head, looking only at Kate.
Kim Du-gyeom is treated like a ghost.
—Seol Ha-woon: No. Kate, please think of a way to defend the ground level. Our roles are different.
Kate glares at him. But perhaps due to what happened in the Situation Labyrinth, she doesn't try to control him.
Rather, her nuance suggests she is leaving it to him.
—Kim Du-gyeom: Uh, how about I go on a scouting run?
Kim Du-gyeom, completely oblivious to the mood, chimes in.
—Seol Ha-woon: Shut up and just stay still.
Laughter erupts in the theater again. Kim Du-gyeom tightly purses his lips, and Kate asks:
—Kate: What do you plan to do, Ha-woon?
—Seol Ha-woon: I need to prepare. It will probably take a while.
Ha-woon smiles as he mentions preparation. He raises his head seriously, as if thinking of someone.
—Seol Ha-woon: Even if I make every possible preparation...
What thoughts are contained in his eyes as he looks up at the night sky?
—Seol Ha-woon: ...I still wonder if I can win.
Probably, respect for Kang Hyun.
He doesn't break, even if his opponent is Kang Hyun. Even when facing an opponent everyone would want to avoid, he doesn't back down. He isn't afraid. He never runs away.
He merely respects them, and never lets his guard down.
What a resilient man.
What a splendid spellcaster.
—Kate: I see. It feels like you're already on the battlefield, Ha-woon.
Kate and Kim Du-gyeom leave together. Left alone, Ha-woon crafts several drones out of the steel plates.
His drones, each carrying an explosive, fly off somewhere...
Lee Si-ah has no idea how time is passing in this theater. At times, it doesn't even feel like a theater. The immersion is so intense it feels like it's grabbing her brain and pulling her in.
She thinks to herself once again:
This season is going to be a massive hit.
* * *
"...How are you feeling today?"
Inside a large van, PD Kim A-rang asks the four people in the back seat.
Kang Hyun, Kate, Ryu Yeon-hwa, and Ha-woon. Four in total.
Today's schedule is a stage greeting. The top 4 from the West and the top 4 from the East who received the best mentor evaluations in the World Labyrinth—8 people in total—are making an appearance.
It seems Ryu Yeon-hwa did pretty well too.
"Isn't this your first time? Meeting and talking to fans. Are you still tired from the Defense Labyrinth?"
"...I'm a bit nervous," Kang Hyun answers first. Kate nods in agreement.
"What about you, Ha-woon?"
Kim A-rang looks at him with a beaming smile.
"Just... it's surreal."
To think a day would come when he'd do a stage greeting in this lifetime. It's honestly absurd.
"There's about an hour left before the movie ends. Let's go wait in the waiting room."
"Understood."
"Be careful. Once we enter the station, people are going to swarm you."
Kim A-rang deliberately chose a route with heavy foot traffic. Naturally, it's for publicity. It's great if photos are taken and posted all over social media.
Even though the stage greeting is only today, tickets will sell like hotcakes if people think, What if they show up again?
The more he looks at her, the more he realizes she has an incredibly brilliant mind for this kind of business.
"Alright... please step out."
The door opens.
By the way, Ha-woon is sitting by the window. Out of consideration or whatever, the others yielded the seat to him.
He steps out, leaning on his cane.
Tap.
He stands on the street.
He takes exactly one step.
"...Huh?"
A person walking right in front of him looks at him.
Three people walking together. One of them spots him, eyes widening, and the other two, who were about to keep walking, turn around asking, "What? Why?" Their eyes widen just as much.
Ha-woon gives an awkward smile.
"Uh, uh-uh?"
"Huh? Oh! Oh my god!"
"Whoa, wow. Wow!"
"Wow!"
They perfectly express their emotions with those simple sounds.
What should he say?
Yes, I'm Je-Mal-Olh? Seol Ha-woon?
Then, as Ryu Yeon-hwa, Kang Hyun, and Kate step out after him...
"Whoaaaa!"
"Oh! Oh, oh! Wait, holy crap!"
The noise grows. The surrounding attention focuses in an instant, and a crowd swarms them along with smartphone cameras.