In the House (6)
[Tairung]
The screen displays the East.
It is Lee Jun-ho's party. After working together to slay a giant tiger, they hand its pelt over to a Taoist master.
Taoist Master: "It seems you are indeed worthy of this dobok."
Impressed by Lee Jun-ho's skill, the Taoist master bestows upon him the sect's official dobok. Lee Jun-ho accepts it with a dazed expression.
So that's why all of Lee Jun-ho's recent photos show him wearing a dobok. That's where he got it.
Lee Jun-ho: "...Thank you."
He looks incredibly pleased.
He looks completely spellbound.
Seo Ji-woo: "What about me and Zilong?"
Seo Ji-woo asks, her curiosity entirely genuine. The Taoist master looks slightly flustered.
Lee Jun-ho: "I'll give you guys a bigger share when we hunt the dragon."
Seo Ji-woo: "...Fine, whatever."
Jo Woon: "I am fine."
Seo Ji-woo: "Hey, what do you mean you're fine? You should get something too. Seriously, Lee Jun-ho is hogging everything."
Lee Jun-ho: "...When we hunt the dragon—"
Seo Ji-woo: "Anyway. Give us our next quest."
Just as Seo Ji-woo is pressing the Taoist master for a quest, a hawk flutters in through the window. A small note is tied to its leg.
Lee Jun-ho: "'The suits are coming from the West...' What is this? Zilong, this is in Hanja. Did I read that right?"
Jo Woon: "Let me see... Yes, that is correct."
The suits are coming. The audience knows exactly what that means.
But Lee Jun-ho merely scratches the back of his neck, looking utterly clueless.
Seo Ji-woo: "Master, give us the dragon! The dragon!"
Taoist Master: "Not yet—"
Seo Ji-woo: "Give us the dragon! The dragon! Hey, Zilong, you do it too!"
Jo Woon: "...Give us the dragon."
Taoist Master: "Rest, just rest a little. Did you not just slay a giant tiger?"
The broadcast continues to show the East for about three more minutes. The chemistry between the three is excellent, and Seo Ji-woo is as lively as her nickname, "Human Vitamin," making it highly entertaining. However, they inevitably lose out in terms of screen time.
It isn't the East's fault.
It's just that the West is far too overwhelming.
[RAINOS]
The moment the screen cuts back to the West, the atmosphere instantly plummets into a heavy silence.
Ah, so that's why they split them into East and West.
The West is such a thriller that if the entire broadcast had maintained this tension from start to finish, it might have been exhausting to watch.
Indeed, right from the beginning, numerous explorers are captured by Seer.
Lee Shin-hye: "Are you crazy? Let go of me! Let go! Let me go, you bastards!"
Some are lured in with WP as bait, while others are dragged away while visiting the exchange office to purchase return tickets.
Im Hae-jun: "Let go of me! Let go!"
Im Hae-jun is forcibly abducted by Seer's men.
Suddenly, the camera pans up to the sky. Seol Ha-woon's floating drone is tracking the vehicle carrying Im Hae-jun.
Seol Ha-woon: "Got it. I've pinpointed the location of the research institute."
Kang Hyun: "Shall we head out immediately?"
Inside the collapsed hotel, Seol Ha-woon and Kang Hyun sit facing each other.
But it feels like a portion in the middle was cut. Did the camera crew fail to get into position in time because they blew up the hotel so suddenly?
Seol Ha-woon: "No. We need to investigate the interior with this first."
Seol Ha-woon pulls out a calling card and flicks it through a gap in the rubble. The camera desperately follows its trajectory.
The calling card glides through the air before landing in a puddle near the research institute.
Splat.
A patrolling guard steps right on it. Sticking to the sole of his boot, the calling card infiltrates the research institute, wriggling its way deeper inside.
A sequence of the calling card moving through the facility plays, accompanied by a surprisingly cheerful soundtrack. It is highly entertaining to watch.
The calling card crawls through the research institute until—it discovers a document!
[ UNCONSCIOUSNESS LABYRINTH ]
> A labyrinth accessed by connecting one's consciousness to a capsule.
> Projects the deepest, most desired happiness of the entering individual into their subconscious...
★★★ Full activation is expected to take at least 4 days.
Seol Ha-woon: "It really is a Ritual Labyrinth. An Unconsciousness Labyrinth, no less. Fortunately, we still have some time before it fully opens."
Kang Hyun: "Shall we move out now?"
Seol Ha-woon: "Let's get some sleep first."
Seol Ha-woon flops down onto a mattress.
Kang Hyun: "..."
Kang Hyun stares at him quietly for a moment before lying down beside him.
Sometime later.
Seer: "...He will be here soon."
Seer's office. Seer has already anticipated that Seol Ha-woon is tracking them. He has gotten the correct answer yet again.
Subordinate: "He hasn't been spotted anywhere inside or outside the hotel. Even so... do you truly believe that?"
The subordinate doubts Seol Ha-woon, underestimating his abilities.
However...
Seer: "Of course."
Seer does not. If anything, he is absolutely certain of Seol Ha-woon. Without a shred of complacency, he awaits his arrival.
Seer: "Without fail."
Next, a panoramic view of the hotel is shown.
Shot from a high-angle aerial perspective, Seer's forces are guarding every square inch of the perimeter with ironclad security.
Lee Si-ah finally understands what the subordinate meant.
Even if he knows where the research institute is, how is Seol Ha-woon going to break out of there?
Seol Ha-woon: "Wake up. It's time to go."
At the bottom of the ruined hotel, Seol Ha-woon, who has woken up, pushes himself up using his cane.
Kang Hyun: "Yes."
Kang Hyun stands up as well, but his eyes betray his curiosity about Seol Ha-woon's plan.
Snap.
Seol Ha-woon: "Get ready."
Seol Ha-woon says as he snaps his fingers.
Boom!
An explosion erupts from within the hotel's ruins.
Pitch-black smoke billows out from the hotel. It looks like smog—a massive, suffocating smog that blankets the entire city.
Lee Si-ah marvels at the sight.
So that's how he does it. Whatever he does, the scale is always massive.
Seol Ha-woon: "Clear a path."
Kang Hyun: "Yes."
Seol Ha-woon slips on a gas mask, while Kang Hyun slashes through the debris to forge a path.
Easily breaking through the encirclement, they navigate through the thick smoke and hijack an SUV.
Kang Hyun: "Hyung. Are you a good driver?"
Kang Hyun watches Seol Ha-woon climb into the driver's seat with an anxious look.
Seol Ha-woon: "Of course."
Kang Hyun: "..."
Seol Ha-woon steps on the gas.
Vroooom!
Startled by the sudden burst of speed, Kang Hyun quietly fastens his seatbelt.
Seol Ha-woon: "Hey."
Kang Hyun: "You're supposed to wear a seatbelt. It's not that I don't trust your driving—"
Seol Ha-woon: "I know. Fasten mine too."
Kang Hyun, whose guilty conscience gave him away, and Seol Ha-woon, who couldn't care less.
Laughter ripples through the theater.
Vrooooooom!
Together, they speed down the road. The smog has spread all the way to the bridge outside the city, allowing the SUV to slip past Seer's blockade under its cover.
[MC and BURGER]
Once they clear the city limits, they apparently find some breathing room, as they even stop by a drive-thru.
Kang Hyun: "This burger is delicious."
Seol Ha-woon: "Eat up. We have a fight ahead of us."
Like a classic buddy cop movie, upbeat music plays as they cruise down the highway, eventually arriving at a vast, empty lot.
Seol Ha-woon: "We're here."
Kang Hyun cranes his neck forward.
Nothing is visible on the screen.
Seol Ha-woon: "You won't be able to see it. It's quite far."
It must be in a spot only Seol Ha-woon can see. His eyesight is incredible.
Kang Hyun: "So, how should we infiltrate? Stealthily?"
Seol Ha-woon: "Stealth is out of the question."
Kang Hyun: "I'll leave it to you, Hyung."
Seol Ha-woon seems to ponder for a moment, then suddenly grips the steering wheel tighter.
Seol Ha-woon: "We're just going straight in."
Kang Hyun: "...Straight in?"
Seol Ha-woon: "Yeah."
Just going straight in.
Which probably means...
Shhh!
Inside the SUV, barriers manifest around the driver and passenger seats. They are thin, crystal-like membranes of blue light.
Crackle—
At the same time, blue currents of energy crackle across the vehicle's chassis. The SUV suddenly transforms into something akin to a siege engine.
Whoa.
Seol Ha-woon: "Here we go."
Seol Ha-woon slams his foot down on the accelerator. Thank goodness his good leg is on the right.
Swoooooosh—!
The speed is terrifying. Steel tears through the air, a gale-force wind whipping up in the wake of their charge.
The scenery blurs past in an instant. The sheer G-force of the acceleration seems to reverberate even inside the theater. Because the screen is so massive, it feels as if she is riding right along with them.
It's spine-chilling!
Craaaash—!
A deafening crash shakes the theater. The car smashes straight through the research institute building.
They breached it by concentrating all their force on a single point.
Crumble...
Shards of titanium rain down, and the SUV's engine sputters and dies as if broken.
Yet, the interior remains perfectly intact.
Seol Ha-woon: "...You okay?"
Kang Hyun: "Yes. That was an excellent barrier, Hyung."
Suddenly, Kang Hyun smiles like a child.
He seems to be genuinely enjoying himself. This smile is incredibly special. It is different from his usual smiles—it carries a warmth of pure, unadulterated joy.
As expected of Je-Mal-Olh. He's a walking chemistry bomb who brings out people's true selves...
Seol Ha-woon: "Let's get out."
Seol Ha-woon steps out of the car.
Kang Hyun: "Hyung. Do you want me to carry you?"
Seol Ha-woon: "Do you really think I wouldn't have prepared for this?"
Smiling confidently, he pulls something out of his pocket. It looks like some kind of laser projector.
Seol Ha-woon: "Come on out!"
With the look of someone summoning their ultimate trump card, he shouts as if throwing a Pokéball and presses the button.
Whirrrr—
A hologram infused with mana begins to take the shape of a beast.
Seol Ha-woon: "..."
In an instant, Seol Ha-woon is struck speechless, and a massive wave of laughter erupts throughout the theater.
"Pwahahaha!!"
Laughter from people of all ages echoes like a chorus.
Seol Ha-woon: "...What is this?"
"Pfft, hahaha."
The contrast between Seol Ha-woon's utterly bewildered, despair-tinged expression and the proud, majestic posture of the "creature" that has appeared is incredibly hilarious.
Kang Hyun: "...It's cute, Hyung. What's its name?"
Kang Hyun, whose cheeks are puffed up as he desperately tries to hold back his laughter, is equally funny.
Seol Ha-woon: "No... isn't this basically a dachshund?"
It is a pony. An incredibly tiny one. Compared to the tall, lanky Seol Ha-woon, this creature is the very definition of "dinky" and "adorable."
Neigh!
It snorts proudly, trying its best to act like a majestic steed, which only makes it funnier. The theater is filled with non-stop giggles.
Seol Ha-woon: "Ah, damn it... Let's just go."
Seol Ha-woon is truly a man of many faces. I can't believe he can pull off comedy like this too.
He definitely bought that on purpose for the broadcast.
Seol Ha-woon: "Giddy up!"
Yet, the way he still treats it like a proper horse keeps everyone laughing. Some are even tearing up from laughing so hard.
"Ah, Noona, this is too funny. He's killing me."
"I know, right? Ah, my stomach hurts..."
"Just hang in there. I'll kiss it better when the movie's over..."
Ugh, gross. That couple next to me just ruined my mood.
Neigh!
At any rate, the pony trots along, snorting. Surprisingly, it is quite fast.
Kang Hyun cuts down every guard that appears in their path, and the two descend into the basement together.
Seol Ha-woon: "...Huh?"
But something feels ominous.
The door is wide open.
Kang Hyun: "It's open?"
Seol Ha-woon slips the explosives back into his pocket, tilting his head in confusion.
Seol Ha-woon: "Let's go in first."
The two of them enter alone, keeping their guard up.
Snort.
Suddenly, the pony throws a tantrum.
Seol Ha-woon: "What? What is it now?"
Neiiigh!
The pony twists and squirms.
Seol Ha-woon: "Ah, why?"
The moment Seol Ha-woon reluctantly dismounts, the pony vanishes back into the projector.
Seol Ha-woon: "..."
A close-up of Seol Ha-woon's utterly dumbfounded face flashes on screen, and the theater erupts into a sea of laughter once more.
Kang Hyun: "Hyung. Look over here..."
Snapping out of it, Seol Ha-woon looks around. In the vast chamber lie dozens of capsules. These are the capsules connected to the labyrinth within the labyrinth.
So many explorers have already fallen into the unconsciousness.
Lee Si-ah's expression quickly turns serious again.
Seol Ha-woon: "Hah. And they said we had three days left."
Could it be that Seer even falsified the documents in the research institute?
Lee Si-ah silently marvels at Seer's meticulous planning.
"So, you have arrived."
A voice as sharp as a blade pierces through their ears.
With a static crackle, a panel on one wall flickers to life. On the screen is Seer.
Seer: "As you can see, you are already too late."
Lee Si-ah, sitting in her theater seat, gazes back and forth between Seer and Seol Ha-woon on the screen.
Seer: "Do not worry. Every single one of them is experiencing the happiness they desire. To them, it must be a paradise on earth."
Crackle!
Intense sparks fly from the fissures of the Unconsciousness Labyrinth.
Seer: "This Ritual Labyrinth projects happiness onto them. It allows them to infinitely experience the joy they crave. If it were possible, even I would wish to go there."
Once again, the camera zooms in on Seer.
Seer: "I propose a negotiation."
Seer's gaze seems to pierce right through the screen.
When he says 'you,' does he mean Seol Ha-woon, Kang Hyun, or perhaps us, the audience sitting here?
Seol Ha-woon: "And if we refuse?"
Seer: "You are not the subject of this negotiation. I will negotiate with those who sent you here."
The negotiation Seer desires. Lee Si-ah finds herself slipping into philosophical contemplation without realizing it.
They say a great movie leaves the audience lost in thought.
Kang Hyun: "Ha-woon Hyung. What should we do?"
Seol Ha-woon: "...There are two ways to enter a Ritual Labyrinth. Entering with only your subconscious, or entering physically."
Seol Ha-woon looks at the capsules. There is no capsule for him to use. Thus, his gaze lands directly on the labyrinth itself.
Seol Ha-woon: "I'll go in and wake them up. You guard this place in the meantime."
Seer: "That is impossible. The human species is designed such that it cannot overcome its own subconscious."
Seer tries to dissuade him. Beneath Seer's incredibly dry, cold voice lies a faint trace of desperation.
He, too, is slightly afraid of Seol Ha-woon.
If there is any 'variable' capable of clearing this labyrinth, it would undoubtedly be Seol Ha-woon.
A special forces operative who endured grueling survival training, traversed a battlefield known as a living hell, and even overcame complete paralysis.
Seol Ha-woon: "...First of all."
Seol Ha-woon lets out a soft sigh as he looks at Seer.
Seol Ha-woon: "I do feel a bit of sympathy for you. I probably would have done the same if I were in your shoes."
He expresses his respect and regret.
Seol Ha-woon: "There's a famous saying in the world I used to live in. I've heard it so many times I'm sick of it, but..."
The theater is completely captivated by this moment.
Seol Ha-woon: "We do not negotiate with terrorists."
Seol Ha-woon firmly defines Seer, a Labyrinthian, as an enemy, refusing to make any compromises.
With such unwavering conviction and resolve, he walks straight into the labyrinth.
Kang Hyun: "...You heard him."
Left alone, Kang Hyun quietly turns around, drawing his sword...
Kang Hyun: "My stance is the same."