Believer, Part 3
Back in my room, I lay on the bed and thought.
What would happen in The Square?
The Situation Labyrinth was tomorrow, and Kim Du-gyeom would likely move in a way that favored himself.
What happened in my past life... I decided to stop making such assumptions.
Too much had changed already. The most dangerous element in executing a mission wasn't a new threat; it was a variable popping out of the familiar. It was better to just empty my mind completely.
In that sense, there was a high probability that the difficulty of The Square would skyrocket. That had been the case for every stage of Labyrinth Exploration NaN I had experienced so far.
It was safer to assume a situation would arise that far exceeded both my and Kim Du-gyeom's calculations. That was why, rather than trying to coordinate a plan with a bastard like him, it would be much easier to let the other seven move as they pleased and pull the strings from behind.
Knock, knock.
"?"
A knock at the door. A visitor.
I got up from the bed and opened the door. Kate stood outside. Even late at night, her appearance was flawless.
"...What brings you here?"
"I came to talk. May I come in?"
This is a first, hosting a guest.
I stepped aside to let her in. She took off her shoes, walked inside, and sat at the table.
Should I offer her some coffee? While I was debating, Kate spoke up.
"Are you perhaps wary of Kim Du-gyeom?"
It was an odd question. I sat across from her, bringing a bag of snacks with me.
Potato chips. You know, the kind where people are fiercely divided between the blue bag and the green bag. I was on team green.
"Well..."
I tore open the bag along the center seam and placed it on the table.
"I don't trust Kim Du-gyeom."
"Neither do I. One can't place absolute trust in him."
Kate picked up a potato chip and ate it.
"He nudged Lee Jun-ho toward a different option, only to claim the other one for himself. It's a minor thing, of course, but a truly good person doesn't behave that way. Those who parade their virtue as a weapon are rarely virtuous."
As expected, Kate was quite cold and analytical. However, this probably wasn't her true, unvarnished opinion. She had come to 'mediate.' She was the type of person who moved others, pretending to agree with them to extract cooperation by any means necessary.
"What is it you want to say?"
I asked her directly. Kate answered with another question.
"Why do you dislike Kim Du-gyeom so much?"
A reason to dislike Kim Du-gyeom? There was no need for one.
Just as he had tormented others and crushed the weak without a second thought.
"Who knows. Does a person really need a reason to dislike someone?"
Though, if I had to name one...
"Maybe just because it's fun?"
Kate's brow furrowed.
"A petty sort of pleasure."
Pleasure? Is that like joy?
I shrugged it off.
"Could be."
Kate grabbed three or four potato chips at once and ate them.
"That wasn't much of an answer."
With that, she stood up. My response clearly hadn't satisfied her.
Kate was someone who detested waste. She likely believed there was no point in spending time on someone who couldn't be persuaded.
"You should ask Kim Du-gyeom too," I added as she turned to leave.
"How he feels about someone who dislikes him for no reason at all."
"..."
Kate quietly stepped out.
Gangwon Province, the live concert hall for Labyrinth Exploration NaN.
Lee Si-ah had arrived. The queue was incredibly long, which made sense given there were four thousand live audience members.
"Whew..."
To be honest, Lee Si-ah had wrestled with a lot of doubts. She had successfully scored a ticket, but Seol Ha-woon—who had somehow become her absolute favorite—was currently in a major slump.
Je-Mal-Olh. Je-Mal-Olh.
It had driven her so close to a nervous breakdown that she had practically cut herself off from the internet for the past three days.
"Here is your admission wristband. It's standing room only, so feel free to move around. Please take this tablet as well. The show might run a bit long, but you're free to use the restroom whenever you need."
"Thank you."
She took the tablet and fastened the wristband.
Today, Lee Si-ah was going to see Seol Ha-woon in person. She was determined to figure out exactly why she had fallen for this guy—whether she would finally wash her hands of him or double down on her support, she would decide today.
She entered the stage area.
The space in front of the main stage was divided into eight sections, each equipped with its own monitor.
Lee Si-ah stood at the edge of the very front row. She waited while scrolling through online communities on her smartphone.
Before long, the hall dimmed. A grand, sweeping melody began to swell from backstage.
*Beep—*
Her smartphone shut off. It was the anti-spoiler magic wave that had been announced beforehand.
Soon, Yu Ji-in made her entrance.
"—Welcome, live audience members, to Labyrinth Exploration NOW AND NEVER!"
Dressed in an idol-like outfit, she walked down the stage bathed in dazzling lights. She was undeniably beautiful, even if there were numerous industry rumors about her terrible personality.
"—It is wonderful to meet you. I am your host and the representative of the National Scouters, Yu Ji-in!"
"Are you all ready to meet your explorers?"
Yu Ji-in worked the crowd with various opening remarks, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
"Now, your task today is simple. You will observe the explorers and evaluate them. You all have the tablet PCs we handed out, correct?"
Lee Si-ah lifted her tablet. Yu Ji-in continued to explain the flow of the stage.
"Once the labyrinth raid begins, key events will be broadcast on this main monitor. Meanwhile, the eight sub-monitors will display the individual POVs of the explorers. You can watch them alternately and cast your ratings."
"Please feel free to move to the section of whichever explorer you wish to follow."
Lee Si-ah nodded. So that's why they said we could move around freely.
"Additionally, please remember that the Situation Labyrinth is entirely fictional. The Labyrinthins appearing inside are merely constructs of mana, so try not to get too emotionally invested. Most graphic elements like blood, filth, or violence will be filtered, so there is no need to worry."
It was a rapid-fire list of warnings, delivered like a disclaimer at the end of an insurance policy.
"And now..."
Yu Ji-in flashed a meaningful smile. Lee Si-ah's heart fluttered with anticipation.
"—Let us introduce our ninety-six explorers!"
The floor of the stage split open.
*Whirrrrr...* Amidst the mechanical hum and the swelling theme song of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, all ninety-six explorers rose into view.
They stood tall, weapons strapped to their waists, slung across their backs, or gripped firmly in their hands.
Out of them all, Lee Si-ah's eyes locked onto just one person.
He stood out. He had to. He was the only one with long hair, and the only one holding a cane.
A man who looked as if he had stepped straight out of a movie or comic book, embodying the classic stereotype of a wizard.
Lee Si-ah stared at Seol Ha-woon.
Suddenly, his head tilted slightly.
Their eyes met.
Her heart skipped a beat.
...Was it just my imagination?
Ten minutes before the opening.
Beneath the stage, staff members were rushing back and forth, shouting instructions.
"Everyone, please step onto your platforms!"
Since I was ranked ninety-sixth, I was positioned at the very edge.
"Opening starts in a moment!"
"—Welcome, live audience members, to Labyrinth Exploration NOW AND NEVER!"
Yu Ji-in's voice echoed through the walls. The ninety-fifth-ranked explorer next to me was sweating bullets, his face pale with nerves.
Watch the sweat, buddy.
"Going up! Everyone, watch your expressions! Look sharp! Give them your most confident face!"
*Whir.* The ceiling parted.
The platforms began to rise. Slowly, but surely.
This was the moment I would show myself to the public for the first time—not as a viewer of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, but as a participant.
"Waaaaaaah—!"
A roar of cheers like nothing I had ever heard washed over my ears. In the distance, glow sticks waved like a rolling tide, and blinding spotlights bathed us in light.
It was a bit awkward, to be honest. It wasn't like I was an idol.
I kept my expression neutral and scanned the crowd. My eyes locked with a girl wearing glasses.
"From this moment on, your explorers will enter the labyrinth."
Yu Ji-in's voice boomed across the arena.
"Introducing the first team!"
With those words, the lights cut out one by one, plunging the entire hall into pitch darkness.
"—Warrior, Lee Jun-ho!"
A single spotlight pierced the dark, illuminating Lee Jun-ho on stage.
"Waaaaaaah!"
The crowd erupted. It was a reception befitting the number one rank.
"—Archer, Kate!"
Kate received a similar welcome. She smiled and waved to her fans.
"—Spellcaster, Kim Woo-hyun!"
Then came Kim Du-gyeom, Ryu Wei, Jeong Min-gi, Lee Jong-su, and so on, until...
"—Spellcaster, Seol Ha-woon!"
The reaction to my name was mixed. There were cheers, but they were laced with a faint undercurrent of ridicule.
*Clap, clap, clap.* A quiet patter of applause reached my ears.
It was the girl with glasses I had locked eyes with earlier.
A smirk tugged at my lips. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Team One, entering the labyrinth!"
A swirl of magical light enveloped us.
Objective: Resolve the situation.
Team One had entered the labyrinth.
First attempt.
Upon entering the Situation Labyrinth, Kim Du-gyeom checked the timer floating in the air.
Exactly ten minutes. The Square was packed to the brim with a massive, bustling crowd.
"—Everyone! Do you remember what I told you in ■■■! Do you remember my promise to protect ■■■ from you!"
Listening to the booming speech, Kim Du-gyeom moved toward his designated zone. His assignment was the northeast sector—a perfect spot to show off.
"—Confirming personnel placement."
Kate's voice crackled through the earpiece he had put on beforehand.
*Every time I hear it, I swear she has a gorgeous voice. If things go well this time, maybe I can make a move on her.*
"—Please brief us if you spot any hazards. I know this is an individual evaluation, but let's try to clear this in one go if possible."
"Of course," Kim Du-gyeom replied smoothly.
After his polite response, he casually made his way through the area—
"—Everyone!"
"Ugh."
*So damn loud. Did that politician swallow a megaphone?*
Kim Du-gyeom covered one ear and scanned his surroundings.
"Huh?"
He pretended to spot something by chance, narrowing his eyes as he stared intently at a specific spot.
"Could that be...?"
It was an abandoned building he had already scouted out beforehand.
"I'd better check it out!"
Kim Du-gyeom dashed forward. Pushing through the crowd—while paying extra attention to keeping his running posture photogenic—he arrived in an instant.
"...Bodyguards?"
Two bodyguards stood in front of the building. Hiding behind a tree, Kim Du-gyeom muttered to himself.
"No. They aren't bodyguards."
He wasn't just putting on a solo show; he was providing commentary for the audience watching him.
"They're disguised as bodyguards, but..."
Their uniforms were slightly off, and most importantly, they weren't communicating. If they were real bodyguards, constant communication and reporting would be mandatory in a situation like this. You never knew what variables might arise. At the very least, they should have their hands on their earpieces.
"They're enemies."
Nodding solemnly, Kim Du-gyeom gripped his scabbard.
*A moment like this requires a bit of theatrical flair.*
Dropping to one knee, he lunged forward as stylishly as possible, drawing his blade.
"Hah!"
Subduing the two bodyguards in the blink of an eye, he rushed up the stairs.
The rooftop of this building. A vantage point that offered a clear view of the entire Square. In other words, the most ideal spot to snipe the politician... and there...
"..."
Kim Du-gyeom froze in his tracks.
*Whoosh.* A gust of wind swept across the open sky, making his hair flutter.
On the rooftop he had worked so hard to reach, a familiar face was already waiting. To Kim Du-gyeom, it was an incredibly repulsive face.
"...You're late."
Seol Ha-woon.
He took a sip from his coffee cup and smiled.