Snow Flower (1)
Once the allotted shopping time came to an end, the ninety-six explorers gathered in the department store lobby once more.
"Everyone, are you ready to embark on your journey?"
Yu Ji-in asked with a bright smile. Most of them answered with energetic shouts. It seemed almost everyone had deciphered the hint about a "cold place," as they were all bundled up in cozy winter wear. After all, the department store interior itself had been freezing. Even Seo Ji-woo had hastily grabbed a parka from somewhere and thrown it over her luxury clothes.
"But before that... what exactly is inside your suitcases and travel bags right now?"
Yu Ji-in let her gaze sweep over the explorers' luggage, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
"I shall now reveal it to you. Your next trial is a Survival Labyrinth."
A Survival Labyrinth. The explorers' eyes widened in shock.
However, before they could even formulate a response to Yu Ji-in—
Entering the Labyrinth.
The brief sentence flashed across their retinas, and the scenery instantly warped.
The extravagant backdrop of the department store vanished entirely. The marble floor dissolved like dust. In its place, their feet sank into something soft. A biting chill pierced straight through their clothes.
It was snow.
In an instant, the entire space had transformed into a vast, pristine snowfield.
Whoooooosh—
A desolate, isolated world whipped by a raging blizzard. A wind as sharp as blades grazed their faces.
There was no one by my side. Only a single suitcase clutched in my hand. This was because the entry points were randomized.
Survival Labyrinth
📍 Objective: Survive for 360 hours
The goal of a Survival Labyrinth was simple: survive. To preserve oneself without losing one's mind in an extreme environment.
In other words, do not die.
Perhaps this was the most fundamental skill and principle of an explorer.
Survival Labyrinths of this nature actually existed in the real world. A prime example was the "White Hell" known as the Rocky Snowfield. It was a labyrinth that had manifested near the Rocky Mountains in the United States, and its clear condition was simple.
If even a single explorer managed to survive for 600 days, it was a success.
"It's cold."
Haaah. As I exhaled, a thick, white plume of breath bloomed vividly in the air.
Standing in what felt like an endless ocean of snow, I surveyed my surroundings.
It was white enough to be mesmerizing, but there wasn't a shred of warmth to it. Instead, it felt incredibly desolate.
The blizzard in this area accelerates calorie consumption.
So they say.
I dragged my legs forward. Though the teleportation had been sudden, I didn't feel lost.
I already had a pre-planned strategy. To execute it, I first needed to find a suitable location. A forest would be ideal. I'll explain the reason why later.
*Crunch. Crunch.*
As I trudged through the knee-deep snow, a dilapidated cabin came into view.
I paused, pushed open the cabin door, and stepped inside to check the kitchen shelves and drawers.
There was a decent amount of food. Two cans of tomatoes, three packs of crackers, and an energy bar. I even grabbed a canister of oil sitting in the corner of the living room.
While wandering the labyrinth, one would occasionally stumble upon these looting spots, but they wouldn't be common. I had to secure them whenever they appeared.
No matter how much food I had packed in my suitcase, it wouldn't be enough to last fifteen days. Besides, my plan required a substantial amount of sustenance.
Ah, you want to know what my plan is?
I intend to build a base camp with my own two hands.
An endless, dizzying landscape of snow. A blizzard scattering like thick fog. In this Antarctic-like wasteland where it was impossible to tell north from south, Seo Ji-woo stood in a daze, clutching her Hermenean bag under her arm.
*Whoosh!*
"Ugh, so cold!"
A sudden gust of wind whipped the snow violently. Ji-woo tightly clasped her collar. The freezing cold slapping her cheeks finally brought her back to reality.
"Oh, damn it..."
This was all Yun Hwa-rim's fault. That girl kept egging her on...
To be honest, she was incredibly flustered, but she maintained a calm facade and cast her spell. Ji-woo began weaving lines of mana, wrapping them around her body. By manipulating the rise and fall of her magical energy, she enveloped herself as if wearing a thick coat.
This technique was known as Weaving.
Her innate attribute, the talent of "Lines," was highly versatile and efficient in this regard. Of course, a coat made of pure mana wasn't exceptionally warm, but it was far better than nothing.
"How many hours do I have to endure like this...?"
It was an unimaginably long time.
"Seriously, this is too much."
Ji-woo let out a hollow laugh.
How on earth is this a vacation, you broadcast bastards? I dressed up so nicely because you said we were going on a trip!
"..."
Ji-woo forced herself to look at her reality again. She had no food on her, which was the most critical issue. She did have the small bag Seol Ha-woon had given her, but using it felt like a blow to her pride.
If I run out of food... I can just hunt for it.
Surely there would be wild animals around.
Don't panic.
Even if you fall into a tiger's den, you can survive as long as you keep your wits about you.
While scouting for a suitable location, I looted six or seven more ruins. Thanks to that, I gathered a decent amount of miscellaneous food. I used the materials from the ruins to assemble a makeshift sled, loaded my food and suitcase onto it, and resumed my search.
To build a proper base camp, I needed to find a strategic spot.
If you were to ask why I didn't just choose one of these ruins as my camp, the answer was simple: they were too dilapidated and stood out too much. This meant they would attract attention not just from wild animals, but from other "people" as well.
When survival itself was the objective, fellow explorers were by no means guaranteed allies.
"...Around here. This looks decent."
And so, I settled on a spot deep within a coniferous forest.
Surrounded by towering trees, it offered natural protection against the freezing winds, and the flat ground was perfect for constructing a base camp.
Above all, I simply couldn't move any further. My left leg was starting to ache so intensely that it felt as if it might snap.
I pulled a hand axe out of my suitcase. Placing my bare hand on the steel blade, I closed my eyes.
"...Kelotin Edge."
The cognitive image I wanted to imbue was sharpness and durability. The motif was Kelotin, a military-grade weapon magic crystal I had only used a handful of times during my service. It was a destructive material capable of easily slicing through thick conifers.
Of course, I wouldn't be able to replicate it perfectly, but...
*Ssssszt.*
Sparks flew. A blue magic circle, the proof of an active spell, etched itself onto the flat of the axe blade.
Gripping the handle tightly, I approached a tree.
Putting strength into both arms, I swung. *Thwack!*
Strike one. The axe blade bit halfway through the trunk.
*Thwack!*
Strike two. The tree shuddered.
*Thwack!*
The third and final strike. The spine of the tree snapped.
*Creeeeak.* I pivoted away to avoid the falling timber.
*Thud!*
The log crashed heavily into the snow.
"Impressive."
I spun the axe in my hand, marveling at the result. My physical capabilities had been slashed to barely a quarter of what they were before my injury, yet this required far less effort than it would have back then.
Next, I pulled out an angle grinder. Imbuing it with a similar cognitive image, I began shaving down the surface of the wood.
*Whirrrrrr.*
The rough bark was stripped away in an instant, leaving a smooth, gleaming surface as if it had been painted.
"...So this is why people become spellcasters."
The utility and versatility of a spellcaster were undeniably superior to any other class.
"Should I do a bit more?"
I had originally planned to build a rudimentary shelter just barely fit for human habitation, but since the enchanted tools performed so exceptionally well, I felt I could afford to be a bit more ambitious.
I began logging in earnest.
At the same time, Im Hae-jun had devised a similar strategy.
*Shovel, shovel, shovel.*
Otherwise known as digging a tunnel with a shovel. A.K.A. Operation Mole.
*Shovel, shovel, shovel.*
Once he judged it was deep enough, he curled up like a squirrel and lay down.
"Hmm..."
The ceiling was right in front of his nose. He could barely move his body, and his limbs felt practically bound.
He could manage to sleep like this, but it was woefully inadequate for living in for fifteen days.
"This won't do."
Hae-jun picked up the shovel again.
"Ah, if I knew this would happen, I would've bought a bigger tool."
The shovel was way too tiny. Seol Ha-woon had bought an incredibly sturdy one. He should have just copied him and bought that one too.
Hae-jun gripped the shovel with both hands.
*Jab, jab, jab, jab.* He dug deeper and deeper, like a mole tunneling through the earth.
*Jab, jab, jab, jab. Jab, jab, jab, jab.*
Sweating profusely, he expanded the width of the tunnel and packed the floor flat. He lightly sprinkled water on the ceiling, letting the freezing air above freeze it solid. Surprisingly, this layer of ice would act as a barrier against the cold outside air.
After about three hours of labor—
"Whew, whew..."
Hae-jun wiped the sweat from his forehead and surveyed the interior.
"Done."
It finally felt cozy. There was plenty of room left even when he lay down with his legs fully stretched out.
"...Hehe."
Suddenly, Hae-jun's gaze fell upon the massive suitcase resting in a corner of the tunnel. Just looking at it warmed his heart. He patted the suitcase with his palm before resting his body on top of it.
"Seriously... listening to that hyung really pays off."
How did he do it? It was truly amazing. Did Seol Ha-woon deduce this entire trial solely from the department store hint? His observation skills were incredible.
Then again, you'd need that level of intuition to serve in the UDT for five or six years.
Wait, what did UDT stand for again?
"...*Yaaaaawn.*"
A yawn escaped his lips. Hae-jun rubbed his eyes and opened his suitcase. Inside was a heating lantern that also doubled as a light source. He had tossed it in simply because he saw Ha-woon buying one.
"Hehehe."
He hung the lantern from the ceiling of his snow tunnel. Rubbing his fingers together, he generated a spark of mana to light it.
*Flicker!*
Warmth began to spread from the ceiling. The light was cozy.
Being in here makes it feel like a secret hideout. I love it. I always wanted to build a secret base like this when I was a kid.
Hae-jun smiled contentedly and lay down on the ground.
The temperature was just right. The environment was peaceful. No sounds could be heard, no one was there to disturb him, and only the occasional howling of the blizzard outside drifted in faintly.
His consciousness began to drift into a pleasant drowsiness.
Should I sleep for just a bit?
Actually, I think I can sleep for a long time.
"Phew..."
Hae-jun fell fast asleep, his mouth half-open.