Rush (1)

After spending the entire day repeating magic circuit training and mana breathing, the filming day arrived in the blink of an eye.

"Everyone, please gather round!"

Ninety-six participants gathered on the massive set. Although the order in which we stood didn't technically matter, I quietly scanned the room and adjusted my position.

Should I stand behind Kang Hyun? Or maybe near Lee Jun-ho? What about Seo Ji-woo... No, pass.

I stealthily positioned my head right next to Kang Hyun's shoulder. Just enough to ensure I would catch the edge of the camera frame filming him.

In any case.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠structure of this particular set was unusual. Long platforms lined both sides of the room, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the explorers stood right in the center.

Of course, I already knew how this would play out.

Static—

The center doors of the stage slid open, and the main MC, Yu Ji-in, made her entrance. Today, she was wearing a striking red dress. Her entrances were always incredibly glamorous. It was probably written ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into her contract.

"It is wonderful to see you all."

The explorers' reactions to her were, as always, nothing short of absolute adoration.

She was certainly beautiful enough to warrant it, but in reality, Yu Ji-in wasn't exactly a nice person. Nor was she particularly kind.

"Today's task is... still a secret."

Yu Ji-in offered a bright, beaming smile. The explorers let out a collective whine, complaining about how everything was always a secret.

"First. The participants whose names appear on the screen above, please step up to the platforms."

She pointed toward the center of the set.

These were the top twelve from the level test. Each of them stepped onto one of the elevated platforms.

"From this moment on, you must each select a total of three teammates."

The remaining explorers immediately began reacting for the cameras.

"Whoa." "Wow." "What?" "Oh, is that how it works?" "No way." "Gasp."

Should I react too?

Probably.

"Oh my."

"First, we will begin the selection process one by one, starting with our first-place, S-Tier participant, Lee Jun-ho."

"Yes~"

Lee Jun-ho, who held the top spot, was always wearing a smile. His relaxed demeanor made him seem incredibly composed, and above all, powerful.

Well, because he actually was.

"Who is your choice, Lee Jun-ho?"

"Yes. Haha. I... well."

I already knew who he was going to pick.

Kim Woo-hyeok. A rather young kid. He was probably around eighteen.

"B-Tier, twenty-fourth place. I'll pick spellcaster Kim Woo-hyeok."

At that exact moment, the expression of thirteenth-place Kim Dong-ha stiffened.

Right before my eyes, the exact scene I had watched on television was playing out. Kim Dong-ha and Lee Jun-ho would end up bickering throughout the entire training camp because of this draft.

But Lee Jun-ho's choice was understandable. At its core, Labyrinth Exploration was a competition, a battle to capture the public's attention.

In other words, you had to be the one to stand out.

It was even better if you were the only one standing out.

Therefore, the best choice for Lee Jun-ho was someone who wasn't completely incompetent, but still clearly inferior to him—someone easy to manage.

"Next, S-Tier Seo Ji-woo?"

Seo Ji-woo crossed her arms and spoke.

"A-Tier. Warrior Kim Dong-ha."

As Kim Dong-ha stepped onto Seo Ji-woo's platform, he glared at Lee Jun-ho with a thoroughly irritated face. Lee Jun-ho met his gaze and muttered in an incredibly quiet voice.

Off the record!

As a former fan, I quickly strained my ears to listen.

"Fix your face~ Why are you looking at me like that? I needed a spellcaster more than a warrior."

"Piss off."

"...Ha. This punk."

The tension between the two was quite fierce.

"Next, Ryu Yeon-hwa."

"I will choose A-Tier Jin Ho-jong."

Ryu Yeon-hwa chose the A-Tier warrior, Jin Ho-jong.

"Next, Kang Hyun?"

"I'll pick A-Tier spellcaster Yun Hwa-rim."

Kang Hyun chose the sixteenth-place, A-Tier spellcaster. The female spellcaster who became Kang Hyun's first pick blushed deeply as she took her place behind him.

"Next, Kate..."

In that manner, a total of forty-eight participants formed twelve teams.

Naturally, I wasn't chosen, and there were still forty-eight of us left.

"The selection for Team A is now complete."

Yu Ji-in gestured toward another set of platforms directly opposite Team A's.

"Now, the highest-ranking participants among those who have not been selected—forty-fourth, forty-fifth, fiftieth... fifty-seventh, fifty-eighth—please step up to the platforms."

Twelve lower-ranked participants stepped onto the platforms. As they did, the color of the platforms shifted. Team A's platforms glowed with a brilliant, flashy prism light, while Team B's were a dull, earthy brown.

It was a highly familiar system. This was the skill-based layering unique to Labyrinth Exploration—an intuitive, visual division between the "dirt spoons" and the "gold spoons."

"Starting from D-Tier, forty-fourth place, we will select teammates in the same manner."

The main MC, Yu Ji-in, was blatantly obvious in her treatment of the lower ranks; she didn't even bother calling them by their names.

* * *

...I was picked ninetieth, joining Team B12. There were still six people left after me, but it didn't really mean anything. I was only picked early out of sheer necessity because the team absolutely required a spellcaster.

"Let's do our best! Since we're already paired up!"

Our team leader was the fifty-eighth-place archer, Im Hae-jun.

He was the guy who had worn a ribbon during his one-minute self-introduction.

"Yeah. Let's do our best."

"Fighting."

Sixty-first-place warrior Jin Yun-hwa, seventy-third-place samurai Ichigo, and ninety-sixth-place Seol Ha-woon. The four of us made up the team.

"Everyone, please pay attention."

At Yu Ji-in's voice, everyone focused.

"On the right is Team A. Starting with S-Tier Lee Jun-ho, it goes Team A1, Team A2, and so on."

The division of the teams. The faces at the very front of Team A—Lee Jun-ho, Kang Hyun, Seo Ji-woo, and the rest—were exceptionally striking and radiant.

"On the left is Team B. Starting with forty-fourth place, it is Team B1."

On the other hand, our side looked incredibly weak... though our team leader's face wasn't actually half-bad. He had a rather cute look to him, almost resembling a Pomeranian.

"Let's work hard, everyone! Fighting!"

Fifty-eighth, sixty-first, seventy-third, and ninety-sixth. Despite our devastating average rank of seventy-second, the sight of them putting their fists together was actually quite endearing.

"I will now reveal today's task."

Yu Ji-in spoke.

Cargo Escort.

"It is a Cargo Escort."

Cargo labyrinths were among the most common types of labyrinths. They were dungeons where the loot itself served as the cargo.

If you didn't transport the cargo out of the labyrinth, the dungeon wouldn't close, and the monsters inside would continue to respawn indefinitely. Because of this, you would face relentless attacks from the labyrinth's denizens while trying to move the cargo.

To put it simply, it was like dealing with a beehive and a swarm of bees. If you tried to steal their honey, there was no way the bees would just let you walk away.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only difference was that if you didn't get the beehive out, the bees would respawn infinitely, eventually pouring out of the hive like a swarm of Beedrills to sting everyone to death.

"This task is a cooperative mission between Team A and Team B."

A cooperative mission.

At those words, the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

"Team A will take on the role of the Transport Unit, while Team B will act as the Escort Unit."

In a cargo labyrinth, the roles of transport and escort were naturally divided.

Therefore, Team A would handle the transport, which was considered relatively more difficult, while Team B would take on the role of escorting them from close or long range.

"This time, in reverse of the previous draft, Team A12 will choose their Team B partner first."

"Yes, I'll... wait, what?"

Lee Jun-ho, who had confidently raised his hand, froze in place. Yu Ji-in explained with a subtle look in her eye.

"Team A12 has the first pick. Lee Jun-ho's Team A1 will go last."

Only then did Lee Jun-ho's face fall. The easygoing smile that had been plastered across his face completely vanished.

He clicked his tongue, looking thoroughly displeased. He then glanced over at me. Wait, is it because of me?

Since I was in Team B12, we would almost certainly be paired with Team A1.

"Team A12 leader, Ji Un-yul?"

"Yes! I will choose Team B1."

Team A12 naturally chose Team B1, and Team A11 chose Team B2. A highly predictable game of matchmaking ensued, until...

"Team A4 leader, Kang Hyun."

It was finally Kang Hyun's turn.

He looked directly at Yu Ji-in and spoke.

"Team A4 will choose Team B12."

B12. That was our team.

A slight stir ran through the stage. Even I was quite surprised.

Teams B9, B10, and B11 were still available, so why choose us?

"Whoa!"

Im Hae-jun's eyes lit up with excitement as he clenched his fists, while Lee Jun-ho's expression had brightened before I knew it.

It really must have been because of me.

"Next. Team A3."

"...Yes."

Seo Ji-woo stepped forward with a sour look on her face.

"Team B9."

The selections continued with Team A2 choosing Team B10, and Team A1 taking Team B11.

With the exception of one team, every group had been paired up in a standard fashion.

"Lastly, we will draw the Scout cards and the target labyrinths."

Scouts.

Before attempting to clear a labyrinth, a thorough investigation was an absolute necessity, and the scouts were the ones who carried out this preliminary work. Since they couldn't hire actual professional scouts under the circumstances, they had simplified the process using cards.

Yu Ji-in summoned twelve cards into the air.

"Among these twelve cards, there are S-grade Scouts and even F-grade Scouts. The amount of information you receive about the inside of the labyrinth will vary depending on the grade."

Scouts were important. It wasn't an exaggeration to say they were the most critical factor. Having survived countless battlefields myself, I was absolutely certain of this. A single piece of detailed information could mean the difference between life and death for an entire team.

"Leaders, please consult with your partners and choose a card."

"Ah! Yes!"

Im Hae-jun gave a bright smile and trotted down from the platform. He scurried over to Kang Hyun, seemingly to consult with him.

I strained my ears to listen.

"Kang Hyun, you pick!"

It wasn't a consultation; he was just dumping the responsibility on him.

Nudged forward by Im Hae-jun, Kang Hyun selected a card. The details of the card flashed onto the massive monitor.

The Scout card was a C-grade.

It was exactly average.

"Wow, awesome! C-grade is more than enough!"

Im Hae-jun clapped his hands excitedly for Kang Hyun.

It wasn't exactly enough, but at least it wasn't the worst-case scenario.

"Whoaaaa—!"

"Ohhh! What a golden hand!"

Just then, a massive cheer erupted from the alliance of Team A3 and Team B9, led by Seo Ji-woo.

Seo Ji-woo had managed to pull an S-grade Scout.

"...Yes. How very exciting."

Yu Ji-in maintained her smile, but beneath it lay a clear, hysterical edge that practically screamed at everyone to shut up because they were being too loud. The others didn't seem to notice, but it was glaringly obvious to me.

"Teams who have drawn their Scout cards, please move to your respective briefing rooms. You will have a total of three hours for your strategy meeting..."

* * *

Our team moved into the briefing room. Cameras were set up in every corner, and four or five staff members took their seats alongside us.

"What should we do first?!"

Im Hae-jun asked Kang Hyun, practically vibrating with excitement like a hyperactive puppy.

"First, let's verify the internal structure of the labyrinth. Since our Scout is only C-grade, we won't be able to rely on the data too heavily."

Just as Kang Hyun said, the details would be lacking.

I didn't have a perfect grasp of this cargo labyrinth either. It had been a long time, and the actual broadcasts were always heavily edited.

A raid would take at least twelve hours, but the entire process would be condensed into a twenty-to-forty-minute segment for each team on the show.

"First, I'll insert the card."

Kang Hyun slotted the Scout card into the briefing desk. Instantly, a hologram flickered and hummed to life in the air.

It was the internal information of the labyrinth gathered by the scout.

"...There are quite a few blank spots here and there. Im Hae-jun, what do you think?"

Kang Hyun stroked his chin as he turned to Im Hae-jun.

"Ah, me!"

Im Hae-jun suddenly raised his hand. Kang Hyun and the other teammates turned their gaze toward him. I wondered what kind of crucial insight he was about to offer.

"You can speak casually to me!"

"...Ah. Yes."

"Casually!"

"...Sure."

Im Hae-jun grinned from ear to ear. Kang Hyun and his teammates looked utterly dumbfounded.

I clicked my tongue.

This is not good.

I had expected as much, but Im Hae-jun completely lacked the qualities of a leader.

In a joint operation, no matter how powerful the other party was—even if the legendary founder of the Navy SEALs himself showed up—a leader must never bow their head.

Regardless of the disparity in skill, when both sides had their own distinct objectives and roles, one side acting like a complete pushover would completely destroy the balance of the team.

"Then, Hae-jun."

"You don't even have to call me 'Hae-jun-ssi'!"

Im Hae-jun went so far as to act cute. At that, the twenty-sixth-place warrior, Lee Jong-su, frowned and cut in.

"Let's focus on planning the operation instead of socializing."

This was exactly what happened when a leader's behavior caused the entire team to be looked down upon.

Kang Hyun began briefing us on the Scout card's data.

"The cargo is located underground, and our opponents are an Orc settlement. Although it's small-scale, we should expect hundreds of them to rush us. Spellcasters, please analyze the traps."

"Okay~"

Yun Hwa-rim stepped forward. I was about to take a step forward as well, but someone suddenly reached out and blocked me.

It was the warrior, Lee Jong-su.

I grit my teeth slightly.

"I'm a spellcaster too."

"...I know. Just let her handle it first. We don't want our opinions getting tangled up. Hwa-rim actually graduated from a magic academy."

How utterly absurd.

Stepping back, I glared at Im Hae-jun for no particular reason.

He was still smiling, completely oblivious to what was happening. How can his head be such a peaceful flower garden?

"Fortunately, there don't seem to be many traps."

Yun Hwa-rim seemed to have finished analyzing the labyrinth already.

"I'll start mapping out an entry route."

She sat down at another table. Only then did I walk over to the desk to examine the labyrinth's information.

In addition to this, the scout's information included the state of the mana flow inside the labyrinth.

This meant investigating and providing data on how the mana circulated within the dungeon and what its total volume was. Based on this data, a spellcaster could determine the presence of traps.

This was because traps themselves were artificial magic formulas.

In that regard, just as Yun Hwa-rim had said, there didn't seem to be many traps... however.

Considering that the source of this information was a mere C-grade Scout, looking a bit closer revealed something else.

...The amount of mana is far too high compared to the number of Orcs.

The maximum number of monsters that could exist inside a labyrinth was determined by its mana capacity. With this level of mana, it wouldn't be surprising if there were over five hundred Orcs, yet the recorded number was only three hundred.

This meant one of two things.

Either another group was hiding and waiting in ambush, or an entirely separate variable existed.

"For now, I see about three possible routes. The loot is located in the underground tunnels, and once you exit, there are three forks in the path. I recommend the third fork."

While I was analyzing the data, Yun Hwa-rim had already formulated a plan.

Yun Hwa-rim's third fork involved entering the underground tunnels of the Orc settlement, seizing the cargo, and then transporting it across the open fields.

"What is your reasoning?"

Kang Hyun asked.

"It's simple. It's easy to enter, and it's just as easy to make our exit with the cargo."

Yun Hwa-rim answered with absolute confidence. Simple was best.

Kang Hyun turned to look at us.

"What does the escort team think?"

His gaze landed on me in an strangely deliberate manner. Im Hae-jun immediately hopped in front of me, blocking his view.

"Excuse me, I'm the team leader!"

"I know."

"Ah..."

At Kang Hyun's flat response, Im Hae-jun shrank back. Kang Hyun looked at me once more.

"I heard you were in the military."

"The military? Ah, so that's why his leg is..."

The warrior, Lee Jong-su, glanced down at my leg.

I quietly met Kang Hyun's gaze. Kang Hyun didn't avert his eyes either. As our gazes locked, my brow twitched slightly.

Kang Hyun's pupils were somewhat strange. There was a sense of futility, or perhaps emptiness—an absolute lack of emotion.

Does this guy have depression?

"You probably don't have any objections. Let's just go with my plan—"

Yun Hwa-rim began, but I cut her off.

"No."

"More than seventy percent of escorting relies entirely on the route. If the route is flawed, the escort team itself becomes utterly useless. In that regard..."

I pointed toward the hologram, highlighting the path.

"Yun Hwa-rim's route doesn't look good at all."

I refuted her plan right to her face. Yun Hwa-rim's expression instantly soured, and the staff members in the room began to stir.

But it couldn't be helped. Both for the sake of securing my own screen time, and for the successful completion of this labyrinth.

In this labyrinth, I was absolutely, without a doubt, correct.