Believer (4)
At the live venue, Lee Si-ah watched Seol Ha-woon’s POV screen with rapt attention.
Having entered the scenario, Seol Ha-woon moved with diligent efficiency. Since he lacked mobility, the method he chose was his wire.
He shot a wire toward the rooftop of a nearby building, pulling himself up in an instant to neutralize the sniper first. Then, sitting comfortably in the sniper’s chair, he pulled out a teacup from somewhere.
For the first two minutes, he looked like he was filming an espionage thriller, but now he was casually brewing coffee. Just as he leisurely stirred it with a spoon and took a sip—
Kim Du-gyeom arrived.
“...You’re late.”
Seol Ha-woon smiled as he looked at Kim Du-gyeom. The atmosphere between them was strangely tense. Before anyone knew it, a sizable crowd had gathered around Lee Si-ah.
They were spectators who had come to watch Seol Ha-woon.
“How did you get here...?”
Kim Du-gyeom looked quite surprised.
“It’s a habit. Looking for the high ground,” Seol Ha-woon replied, taking in the coffee’s aroma.
“I’ve taken care of the sniper, so you can head down.”
“...And what are you planning to do here?”
There was a slight edge to Kim Du-gyeom’s voice.
On the other hand, Seol Ha-woon was completely relaxed.
“We still have five more attempts anyway. I should gather as much information as possible.”
Kim Du-gyeom furrowed his brow.
“Did you actually find out anything?”
“Who knows,” Seol Ha-woon deflected, taking another sip of his coffee.
“I asked what you found out. You should share it.”
Kim Du-gyeom’s expression was quite venomous. To Lee Si-ah, this was unexpected. He hadn’t shown this kind of image in the first two episodes of Labyrinth Exploration NaN. Hadn’t he received a lot of screen time for being the nice guy?
“......”
Seol Ha-woon remained silent, merely pointing at his watch with a smile.
“Six minutes left.”
“Tsk, seriously...”
Gritting his teeth, Kim Du-gyeom finally turned and trudged down the building.
“What’s up with those two?”
“Did they have a fight?”
“Kim Du-gyeom is acting weird. Why does he keep pestering him when it’s an individual match?”
“We’re running out of time, they should move faster.”
Whispers could be heard from the surrounding crowd.
This was the downside of a good-guy image. If the audience sensed even a shred of selfishness in Kim Du-gyeom’s actions, they would immediately write him off as a hypocrite who only put on a nice front.
On the other hand, Seol Ha-woon was currently in a state where... to put it bluntly, no matter what kind of crazy stunt he pulled, people would just accept it as 'classic Ha-woon.'
The more they became entangled, the more of a loss it was for Kim Du-gyeom.
The Square. Kate was weaving through the crowd, rooting out potential threats. Her eyes vigilantly scanned her surroundings without missing a single detail, and her highly sensitive senses detected even the faintest flow of mana.
“......”
Suddenly, she shifted her gaze toward a specific spot.
A suspicious individual. He was wearing a jacket, but his torso was abnormally thick.
Kate tailed him, keeping a close eye on his clothes. A bomb was strapped around his waist.
A suicide bomber. The countermeasure was simple.
She leaned down, picked up a moderately sized stone, placed it between her fingers, and—flick!—sent it flying.
“Gah!”
The lightly thrown stone pierced the man’s throat. The terrorist collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
It was instant death.
“This is Kate. I’ve neutralized a bomber on the east side.”
The first threat: a suicide bomb.
“This is Kate. I’ve neutralized a bomber on the east side.”
Lee Jun-ho heard Kate’s voice over the radio while standing amidst the crowd in The Square.
“Everyone, make sure to memorize the threat factors. We’ll have to repeat this exactly the same way in the next run.”
“Confirmed.”
He walked forward, his hand firmly gripping the hilt of his sword at his waist.
He was in a combat-ready stance, prepared to respond instantly to any sudden ambush. However, not a single suspicious person could be seen in his designated sector. Everyone was holding signs or placards, passionately cheering for the speaker.
He said there were lots of suspicious guys around here. What the hell was that bastard Kim Du-gyeom talking about?
“Three minutes left...”
“South side! South! Over here! Requesting backup! It’s an emergency!!!”
Kim Woo-hyun’s panicked voice crackled through the earpiece.
Combat had initiated!
Lee Jun-ho eagerly adjusted his course, but he was already too late.
“...What on earth is that?”
Stopping in his tracks, he muttered as he looked up at the sky.
A monster was soaring through the air. It was a Labyrinthin clad in spiked armor. Leaping high like a pole, it descended like lightning and cleanly severed the politician’s head.
The second threat: the spiked-armor Labyrinthin.
Second attempt.
The early events repeated, but with a different progression. Seol Ha-woon climbed the abandoned building to secure the high ground, while Lee Jun-ho immediately shouted to Kim Woo-hyun.
“Woo-hyun! Tell me where that bastard is!”
“South, one hundred and ninety degrees!”
“Jun-ho, I’m coming with you!”
Kim Du-gyeom quickly tagged along, having sensed an opportunity for screen time.
The two men rushed toward the spiked monster.
“This is Kate. Move calmly. We still have plenty of opportunities.”
Lee Jun-ho and Kim Du-gyeom arrived at the location. Standing there was a creature that looked dangerous even at a glance. A suspicious figure whose eyes were entirely black without any whites, and purple spikes wriggled along its back.
“Hah!”
Lee Jun-ho immediately lunged forward and swung his sword. The Labyrinthin’s body sprouted sharp spikes to defend itself.
Clang!
The longsword became caught between the spikes, but Kim Du-gyeom, rushing in from behind, stabbed the creature’s flank. Thud. Despite the blade sinking into its flesh, the Labyrinthin’s reaction was entirely indifferent. It swung its right arm, striking Kim Du-gyeom squarely in the temple.
“Gah!”
Kim Du-gyeom was sent flying instantly, while Lee Jun-ho retreated three or four steps to readjust his stance.
It was stronger than he had anticipated. He needed to carefully control the distance and tempo of his attacks.
Whoosh— Whoosh—
Lee Jun-ho’s longsword sliced through the air. Whip-like strikes rained down. Lee Jun-ho strictly maintained his distance, and the Labyrinthin, unable to close the gap, could only endure the onslaught with its body. Its spikes were sturdy enough to easily deflect the longsword, but Lee Jun-ho’s blade began to glow red.
It was thermal energy.
The temperature of the blade, which had been heating up from the very moment they clashed, was now hot enough to incinerate his opponent.
Sizzle! Sizzzzzle!
A burning sound echoed every time the sword clashed with the spikes. The steel-like spikes were soon scorched black.
“Hyaaaah!”
Having finally recovered, Kim Du-gyeom made a loud re-entry. He managed to draw the Labyrinthin’s attention for a brief moment.
Lee Jun-ho did not miss the opening. He executed a long thrust toward the Labyrinthin’s neck. The creature twisted its head to avoid the tip of the blade, but it was already too late.
Slash!
Pulling back the extended longsword, he sliced diagonally. The Labyrinthin’s head was severed completely.
The decapitated head rolled across the ground.
“...Labyrinthin successfully neutralized!” Kim Du-gyeom quickly reported over the radio, acting as if he had done it all himself.
“This is Kate. I’ve eliminated four more bombers.”
“This is Ryu Wei. I’ve also neutralized three armed terrorists.”
Lee Jun-ho let out a sigh and replied.
“Yeah. Good job. Now...”
BOOM—!
A massive explosion shook the area. Lee Jun-ho and Kim Du-gyeom instinctively ducked their heads.
This time, it came from the podium where the politician was speaking.
“......”
“......”
As the two men stared blankly at the scene, the politician’s body sailed gracefully through the air. Like a spinning top, or a paper airplane, it spun round and round before... splat.
It crashed onto the pavement, reduced to a bloody pulp.
“Ah... what the hell.”
Lee Jun-ho slapped his hand against his forehead.
The third threat: the darkest place is under the candlestick—a bomb planted right beneath the podium.
Third attempt.
The progression was much smoother than the first and second runs.
“Woo-hyun, I’ll leave the bomb to you.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Kate quickly hunted down and killed the suicide bombers, while Kim Woo-hyun stealthily slipped beneath the podium. Afterward, Kim Du-gyeom and Lee Jun-ho neutralized the spiked-armor Labyrinthin.
“...This is exhausting,” Kim Du-gyeom muttered.
Lee Jun-ho leaned against a wall and ran a hand through his hair.
“Tell me about it.”
The spiked-armor creature was no ordinary foe. Although its patterns were becoming visible on their second encounter, it drained a significant amount of his stamina. It was the type of opponent that possessed absurd durability rather than high attack power—the kind of enemy he hated facing for prolonged periods.
Lee Jun-ho spoke into his radio.
“Hey, Woo-hyun. Are you ready?”
“Of course, hyung!”
Right on cue, the bomb detonated. However, the explosion had no impact on the surroundings. It was Kim Woo-hyun’s spell. He had woven mana around the base of the podium, suppressing the shockwave so it couldn’t leak out.
Startled by the muffled sound of the explosion, the politician was quickly escorted by his security team into a bulletproof limousine, which sped away.
“...Whew.”
Lee Jun-ho let out a sigh of relief.
“We did it, Jun-ho,” Kim Du-gyeom said, offering a fist bump. It was the kind of premature celebration Lee Jun-ho hated most.
Still, had they actually succeeded this time?
“Well...”
“Huh?”
“...What?”
Both Lee Jun-ho and Kim Du-gyeom were dumbfounded.
Not just them, but the entire live audience watching the situation from afar was equally bewildered.
Fourth attempt.
Without even knowing why, they were sent back to the beginning.
Kate stood in The Square, lost in thought.
They had clearly neutralized all the significant threat factors, and the politician had safely departed.
Could another trap have triggered in the meantime? Or was there a variable they had failed to perceive?
As she pondered intensely, a certain person suddenly crossed her mind.
“...Could it be?”
Seol Ha-woon.
If he was actively sabotaging them.
No, if he was the one who had caused the failure.
“What was the problem?”
Kim Du-gyeom approached her. It was perfect timing. Kate turned to ask him.
“Du-gyeom, where is Seol Ha-woon?”
“Ah... on the building rooftop. He’s been covering that area since the beginning.”
Kim Du-gyeom pointed toward the northeast.
“What is he doing?”
“He neutralized the sniper and said he was gathering information...”
Just then, Lee Jun-ho joined them. He was rubbing his eyes, looking incredibly fatigued.
“...Kate. It seems you and I are thinking the same thing.”
His voice carried a hint of anger. Was he also suspecting Seol Ha-woon?
However, Lee Jun-ho’s condition seemed off.
“Jun-ho, you look exhausted. Let’s swap. I’ll handle the spiked monster.”
“No.”
Lee Jun-ho shook his head.
“It’s your first time facing it. I’m starting to get used to its patterns. It’s much better for the team this way. And...”
He twisted one corner of his mouth.
“I’m not tired.”
He was heating up, growing excited, getting thrilled—those were far more accurate descriptions. Combat always exhilarated Lee Jun-ho. The spiked bastard was the perfect toy to warm him up.
At least, that was what Lee Jun-ho himself believed.
“Is that so?”
To Kate, it looked like the exact opposite. He seemed to be in a dangerous state. Overheated, or perhaps hyper-sensitive.
“Alright. Have it your way, then.”
But she knew he wouldn’t listen to persuasion. Kate was someone who detested wasting time.
Lee Jun-ho and Kim Du-gyeom headed back toward the Labyrinthin. Kate also began to move.
Even if Seol Ha-woon was suspicious, she couldn’t afford to make hasty assumptions.
She quickly neutralized the suicide bombers first, then scanned The Square to search for any other potential dangers.
“I’ve taken care of the bomb too!” Kim Woo-hyun briefed over the radio.
“This side is clear too.” Lee Jun-ho had also neutralized the Labyrinthin. The progress was identical to the previous run.
“......”
Kate watched the politician from the center of The Square.
Having finished his speech, he waved to the crowd and began to step into the limousine with his wife and daughter. At that exact moment—
A blue trajectory struck the security chief standing next to the politician. His temple was pierced, killing him instantly.
Though faint amidst the crowd, it was unmistakably a mana bullet.
Kate traced its path back.
The abandoned building.
Seol Ha-woon’s position.
“Tsk...”
Biting her lip, she stared at the departing limousine.
“...If the security chief is dead.”
Even if the limousine departed, there would be no one left to protect the politician inside the vehicle.
Fifth attempt.
Kate lowered her head. An unbearable surge of anger welled up from deep within her chest, but she forced herself to suppress it. For now, clearing the labyrinth was the absolute priority.
“I’ve found the cause. Everyone, proceed exactly as before.”
Kate moved rapidly. She first scooped up a handful of stones, practically sprinting across The Square as she flicked her fingers. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! She killed every single suicide bomber she had memorized beforehand.
She soon stood in a spot with a clear view of the abandoned building. Glaring up at the rooftop, she channeled her mana.
Crackle! Spark—! Sparks erupted from her hand. High-density mana condensed into a long, sharp form.
It was a javelin.
“Seol Ha-woon. Don’t move.”
Kate spoke. It was a private radio transmission audible only to Seol Ha-woon.
She could see him clearly now. On the rooftop not too far away, a man was bracing a blue sniper rifle against his shoulder.
“This is a warning.”
Kate’s javelins could bring down entire buildings. Among spellcasters, she was a rare talent possessing the Destroyer attribute.
Seol Ha-woon replied.
“You’ll regret this.”
“Who are you planning to shoot this time?”
“I’m choosing. Deciding which of the two to shoot.”
“...Ha.”
The voices of the others crackled through Kate’s earpiece.
“I’ve defused the bomb. Just in case, I checked the limousine for explosives too, but there was nothing.”
“I’ve also neutralized all the armed suspects in the square.”
“Spiked monster is down. Kate, it’s your turn now.”
Everyone had eliminated their respective threats.
The bomb beneath the podium. The assassins and bombers blending into the crowd. The spiked-armor Labyrinthin. And finally, the last variable.
Seol Ha-woon.
“If you make even the slightest move, I will destroy you.”
Kate took her stance, keeping Seol Ha-woon in her sights. Seol Ha-woon countered nonchalantly.
“Trust me. This is necessary.”
“I make the judgments.”
“I am the one who is right.”
“...You really are hopeless. Do you honestly think you can best me?”
“I am curious, though. Which is faster—a javelin or a bullet?”
What a bold statement. To Kate, it was almost laughable.
Click.
Mana began to condense at the muzzle of Seol Ha-woon’s rifle.
In that instant, Kate hurled her javelin like a bolt of lightning.
The trajectory of a mana bullet shot toward the ground, while a massive spear, dozens of times larger, tore through the atmosphere and—BOOM!
It obliterated the abandoned building.
As the upper floors completely shattered and scattered into dust, Kate twisted her lips into a smirk.
“...I’ve finished on my end as well.”
“Confirmed.”
It was Lee Jun-ho’s reply.
Now, Kate could look back at The Square with peace of mind. The security chief was safe, and the politician was stepping into the car to depart.
And...
“...Wait, why?”
Without any reward for their efforts, they were sent back to the beginning once again.