Hate You (4)
Midnight.
David, the owner of David's Bookstore, sat at the counter with his lips puckered in a pout.
Lately, the bookstore had been quite busy. It was all thanks to that rascal Seol Ha-woon mentioning the mana shop in the first episode. Sales had even gone up by about thirty percent.
"...What are you smirking at, punk?"
Yet, his mood was far from pleasant right now. It was because of Tae-woo. The guy was wandering between the bookshelves, letting out quiet chuckles.
"When did I laugh? My expression hasn't changed."
"That's a smirk, you brat. What are you even here for?"
Tae-woo spoke, fiddling with his leather gloves.
"They call him 'Je-Mal-Olh.' That soldier, I mean."
The legendary 'Je-Mal-Olh.' Seol Ha-woon had become the representative villain of the second episode of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, serving as firewood for the entire world's outrage.
"You're supposed to be a mage. Why are you wasting your time watching TV?"
"It's quite entertaining."
People often harbored the misconception that mages were non-human entities. In truth, their hobbies rarely strayed far from common sense.
David clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. It's called evil editing, you punk. Those broadcasting bastards are always like that. Are you even voting?"
"The weekly vote?"
"Yeah, that."
"Are you voting, old man?"
"...Yeah."
The voting on the Labyrinth Exploration NaN homepage allowed users to vote for up to seven contestants per week. It wasn't one vote per day, but rather one vote per week.
The polls opened on Monday and closed at midnight the following Monday. Until then, users could cancel or change their votes at any time.
"I would highly recommend not doing it."
"Huh? Why?"
David tilted his head in confusion. Tae-woo crossed his arms, staring out the window.
"When voting, a minute amount of mana leaks out. Even by the standards of ordinary people, it's an incredibly faint amount, but it's there."
"...At that point, isn't there just something wrong with your smartphone?"
Tae-woo nodded nonchalantly.
"Perhaps."
As a mage, he never spoke with certainty about things that were uncertain. After all, a blind man's touch could never truly grasp the full shape of an elephant.
"Who did you vote for, old man?"
"Me?"
Old man David scratched his cheek.
Seo Ji-woo, Kate, and Seol Ha-woon. It was only three people, but since the majority were women, he felt a bit embarrassed to admit it.
"Ever heard of a secret ballot, you punk?"
A naval base on Geoje Island. Inside the UDT barracks, the television was broadcasting the hottest show of the moment: Labyrinth Exploration NaN, which had completely swept the Korean peninsula just two weeks after its premiere.
The soldiers were all chatting about their favorite picks. Most of the talk revolved around female explorers like Seo Ji-woo, Kate, and Yun Hwa-rim, but Seol Ha-woon's name occasionally slipped into the conversation.
Just then.
"Ugh, so noisy."
The company commander barged in. The soldiers quickly scrambled to their feet and stood at attention.
"What are you guys doing? I can hear you all the way outside."
"Ah, we apologize, sir."
"I'm disappointed. I don't mind you watching TV, but you shouldn't make such a fuss... What are you watching anyway?"
The company commander's eyes drifted toward the screen with curiosity. A senior soldier quickly seized the opportunity to redirect the conversation.
"...Captain, sir. Do you happen to know someone named Seol Ha-woon? Apparently, he's ex-UDT."
The captain's expression stiffened slightly.
"Seol Ha-woon? Why him... Wait, how do you guys even know about him?"
"He's right here on TV, sir."
"...What?"
Frowning, the captain nudged the soldier's shoulder aside to get a better look.
On the screen, Seol Ha-woon's face appeared.
—Seol Ha-woon: This third route doesn't look good at all.
It was definitely Seol Ha-woon. A hollow laugh escaped the captain's lips.
"Why the hell is that bastard..."
"Do you know him, sir?"
"...Of course I do. He was UDT. Special Mission Battalion."
"Whoa!"
The Special Mission Battalion. Though they simply referred to it as the Special Mission Unit, Seol Ha-woon's background ran even deeper.
Just as DEVGRU operated under the Navy SEALs, Seol Ha-woon had served in UDT's classified UDT Black unit.
His codename was Hound—a slightly childish play on his name, Ha-woon.
"What kind of person was he?"
"...He was an odd one. Why did he grow his hair out like that?"
In truth, many soldiers had been terrified of him. Though his magical talent was minimal, his physical capabilities and athletic reflexes were outstanding. Above all, his sheer tenacity and mental fortitude transcended human limits.
"You must have run into him a lot back then."
"A few times. Not a lot."
The company commander, Captain Lee In-gang, had indeed met Seol Ha-woon before. However, they weren't close. It had been difficult to even strike up a conversation with him. In the past, Sergeant First Class Seol Ha-woon was a man whose eyes even his superiors found difficult to meet directly.
He had been utterly consumed by vengeance.
"Hey. Can we play this from the beginning?"
"We can't restart it from the beginning, sir. But as soon as it ends, they'll broadcast a rerun."
"A rerun right after it ends?"
"Yes, sir. This broadcast is actually a rerun too, but they're playing them back-to-back."
"...Really? It must be a massive hit."
"Everyone outside is talking about nothing but this, Captain. You have to watch it."
"...Is that so?"
The captain slowly slid onto the edge of the bunk.
Coincidentally, another scene featuring Seol Ha-woon came on. His appearance was vastly different from before. In particular, the massive muscle mass that had once pushed him close to ninety-five kilograms had almost entirely withered away. It made sense, considering he had been in a coma for several months.
Yet, that distinct, chilling aura of his remained unchanged.
—Yun Hwa-rim: Why? It's the easiest path.
It was the Cargo Labyrinth stage. Having tuned in midway, the captain couldn't fully grasp the context, but he found himself glued to the screen as if possessed.
—Seol Ha-woon: In this operation, my words will be absolutely correct.
"Ha. Look at this guy."
The captain let out a dry chuckle at Seol Ha-woon's sheer dogmatism. A few soldiers furrowed their brows.
"Captain, was he really like that in real life?"
"Well..."
The UDT Black team operated under unique parameters. For starters, there were no enlisted soldiers. Every single member was a core operative capable of executing missions independently.
They were counter-terrorism and anti-villain specialists who would achieve their given objectives by any means necessary.
Among them, Seol Ha-woon had been a particularly exceptional specimen.
"He was similar, yeah. He couldn't stand being under a superior who lacked competence."
"Oh~ Then was there actually a commander who could handle a senior like him?"
"There was."
"Was it you, Captain?!"
At the blatant flattery, the captain chuckled and shook his head.
"Not me. He's probably watching this from somewhere right now, though."
"Could you give us a little hint about his rank...?"
"He discharged, you punk."
Seol Ha-woon's former superior was no longer in the military. He had drifted off to the mercenary streets. Every single person connected to "that day"—regardless of nationality or race—suffered from PTSD to varying degrees.
In any case...
"...This is actually pretty interesting."
Lee Jun-ho's labyrinth raid had just begun on screen. Captain Lee In-gang found himself completely absorbed without even realizing it.
"To those who have labored hard, depart!"
In the studio set where all ninety-six contestants had gathered, Yu Ji-in, dressed in summer vacation attire, shouted with a bright smile. Large letters flashed across the monitor screen.
Today's theme was vacation, but everyone looked on with deeply skeptical eyes. These were the same broadcasting bastards who had told them to go shopping for a trip, only to dump them in a snowy wasteland, after all.
But this time, it was a real vacation. Based on my memories from before my regression, it would be a four-day, three-night break.
"It really is a vacation this time, but on one condition."
Yu Ji-in floated a GoPro into the air and distributed them.
"You must film how you spend your vacation."
It meant they had to record everything like YouTubers.
Although it was a slice-of-life segment completely unrelated to the labyrinth, it would still help secure votes.
"Also, we have guest instructors who have opened special lectures just for you! Tap your wrists twice~"
Tap, tap. The sound of ninety-six people simultaneously tapping their wrists echoed loudly.
The screen displayed about a dozen instructors' names and the locations where their special lectures would be held.
There were many famous Rankers, and even Yu Ji-in's personal class was listed, but I made my decision the moment I saw the list.
Kim Se-jin.
"...?"
Right then, my eyes met Seo Ji-woo's. She instantly averted her gaze. Her movements were as stiff as a robot's.
"Cough, cough-cough!"
She suddenly burst into a coughing fit. What was wrong with her?
"However, there is a condition to attend. The instructors will give you a very small quiz. You must answer it correctly to receive the special lecture. And of course, it's first-come, first-served."
Yu Ji-in smiled brightly.
"If too many people crowd around one instructor, some of you might have to turn back, so please choose wisely."
Yu Ji-in seemed worried that everyone would flock to her. In reality, they probably would.
"Hyung, who are you going to choose?"
Lim Hae-jun asked from beside me. At some point, this guy had started appearing next to me whenever I let my guard down.
"The Spellcaster. Kim Se-jin."
"Ah~ So we're different."
Lim Hae-jun muttered with a hint of disappointment.
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
"...Of course we're different. You're an Archer and I'm a Spellcaster, remember?"
I took an express bus back home. Worried that people might recognize me, I packed my cane into my bag and pulled my hat down low.
It was a completely useless precaution.
Nobody recognized the legendary 'Je-Mal-Olh.'
I needed to work harder.
"It's cramped."
Returning to my studio apartment after so long, it felt incredibly cramped. The show's dorms were much more spacious.
I fiddled with the GoPro before taking a video selfie.
"...I guess I do look a bit better."
Appearance: 8.05 (B+)
My Appearance stat had broken past 8 before I even realized it.
According to MoMo's stat descriptions, this was a level where one would objectively be considered "handsome."
"Not bad."
I lay down on my bed as usual and turned on the TV.
The lead story on the news was the D-Rank Labyrinth.
A sudden throb of pain shot through my temples. Reality crashed down on me belatedly.
A fact I had been desperately trying to ignore: the final fate of the Labyrinth Exploration NaN debut group was complete annihilation.
No matter how much public recognition I built up, it would all be for nothing the moment we stepped into that labyrinth.
Of course, I could choose to drop out midway. But that would require forfeiting all acquired spoils, and the penalty fees were exorbitant.
I could also intentionally fail three times in the labyrinths to naturally get eliminated while still retaining some recognition, but...
Was elimination really the right path?
Let's say I escaped the program by failing three times.
The future wouldn't change. The eight members of the debut group would still die.
Right now, I was subconsciously anticipating that tragic end.
The reason I avoided growing attached to the other explorers was because I viewed their deaths as a foregone conclusion.
"The labyrinth..."
Even so, wasn't there a better way?
What if I debuted in the top ranks and vehemently opposed raiding that specific labyrinth, or—
"...Wait. The labyrinth?"
A sudden spark of inspiration flashed in my mind.
The debut group of Labyrinth Exploration NaN was wiped out in a labyrinth. It was a D-Rank Labyrinth.
And I already knew the current location of that yet-to-be-discovered place.
Furthermore, a Black Call wasn't a phenomenon that suddenly manifested out of nowhere. It was an inherent "property" that existed within the labyrinth from the very beginning.
In other words, if I found that labyrinth first and reported it, everything would change!
Now that the parameters of the situation had shifted, a new reality began to take shape. I had to move.
I desperately combed through my memories from before my regression.
The labyrinth where the Black Call had occurred was located in the mountainous region of Samcheok, Gangwon Province. It was the fifth labyrinth the debut group was scheduled to challenge.
Because it had been the center of such massive public attention, the precise coordinates were etched into my mind. It didn't take long for me to locate the source.
"...Phew."
A natural cave, buried beneath thick moss and tangled vines. From deep within, a faint distortion of mana was being picked up by my sensory perception.
"Keep calm."
Suppressing my excitement, I stepped inside. The chilly air felt somewhat eerie, but soon enough, I reached the deepest part of the cavern.
Whoosh...
A visibly shimmering layer of air. A rift in mana.
It was, without a doubt, the entrance to a labyrinth.
"No wonder it went undiscovered for five years in a place like this."
I pulled out my smartphone and took a photo.
Click.
As I walked back out of the cave, I drafted an email to send to a major guild.
I attached the current coordinates and the photo, choosing to remain anonymous since I didn't care about a reward.
"..."
I hesitated just as I was about to hit send.
I had explicitly added the warning that there were signs of a Black Call inside this D-Rank Labyrinth.
But if the guild ignored my warning and assembled a raid team anyway, they might be wiped out.
If a Black Call triggered inside, would I be responsible for killing those nameless people instead of the debut group?
Press.
I tapped the screen. The email was sent.
There was no need to overthink this.
My absolute top priority was my own survival.
Even if everyone else died, I had to be the one to survive.
Message Sent Successfully.
The guild would move immediately. A D-Rank Labyrinth was usually cleared within two to three days. Once they confirmed its existence, secured government authorization, sent in a Scout to gather preliminary intel, and selected an elite team based on that information, they would enter and finish it.
Because of this, D-Rank Labyrinths were highly cost-effective. They weren't very large, but they could yield at least two to three billion won in spoils.
"...Sigh."
I stepped out of the cave. My mind was far from at ease.
If a Black Call did occur, everyone from that major guild would die.
Of course, if they paid heed to my warning, the casualties might be minimized.
But on the flip side...
What if a Black Call didn't occur?
That might actually turn out to be an even bigger problem.