The Obvious Melody (2)
A dimly lit room. Lee Si-ah is watching episode three on a home theater system that has been fully calibrated for Labyrinth Exploration 101.
The entire transport team is in crisis following the appearance of an Orc Shaman.
At the very moment the extreme tension makes the air beyond the screen feel taut and stretched, a voice rings out with crystal clarity:
"There is no need for that."
Radio.
Lee Si-ah perks up her ears.
"This is Team B. We have identified the location of Team A."
Seol Ha-woon. She feels like she can recognize that voice just by hearing it now.
Goosebumps break out all over Lee Si-ah’s body, and the screen switches instantly.
It was an advertisement.
"Ah, seriously! Damn it!"
The summit of the forest. Between the high branches, there is a hammock woven from magical power, and a man is perched silently upon it.
Whoosh.
The leaves and his hair sway in the blowing wind, and Seol Ha-woon lifts his head to stare at something.
Eyes looking into the distance.
Soon, he deploys a spell on his staff. The magical power takes the shape of a sniper rifle.
Lee Si-ah had already seen this spell in the field—the Situation Labyrinth—but the viewers seeing it for the first time were in an uproar.
Seol Ha-woon spoke into the radio.
— Seol Ha-woon: We have also recognized the situation here, so we will begin more active escort duties.
The muzzle points toward the distant ground, and the camera zooms in on the finger resting on the trigger.
Click.
He fired the rifle.
The camera followed the blue magic bullet. A dazzling trajectory cut the night sky a deep blue, and at its destination, which it reached like a whisper, stood the Orc Shaman.
Crunch!
The Shaman’s forehead was pierced. The Orc died without even being able to let out a final scream.
The sniping wasn't just one shot. He moved the scope, meticulously eliminating the distant Shamans one by one.
In the dark firmament, the support continued like a meteor shower against the backdrop of the forest. It was so fantastic, or perhaps fairytale-like, that it felt as if the Milky Way were falling.
Even in the midst of it, Seol Ha-woon remained calm. He didn't boast or act arrogant. He simply performed his duties without wavering, quietly steadying his breath.
Gulp.
Lee Si-ah swallowed hard.
The reaction wasn't bad. No, it was explosive.
— Seol Ha-woon: Bravo 1, Alpha Team is surrounded. Prepare for fire support after advancing 500m.
Having suppressed all the Orc Shamans, Seol Ha-woon gave the order to Im Hae-jun.
— Im Hae-jun: Roger!
Im Hae-jun quickly moved to the immediate vicinity of the cart and fired Split Arrows and Explosive Arrows at the Orc horde.
BOOM!
The power of the spell-arrows was transmitted beyond the LCD monitor. The surround sound filled the room. For reference, both were products promoted via PPL in Labyrinth Exploration Season 2.
Anyway, thanks to the escort team—Seol Ha-woon’s sniping and Im Hae-jun’s spell-arrow support—the transport team escaped the crisis.
— Yun Hwa-rim: The cart is ready!
The cart moved again.
The chat was moving too fast to even read. The cargo re-entered the forest. From then on, the Orcs couldn't even get a look at the cargo. It was thanks to the guerrilla warfare of the escort team, who had scouted the terrain in advance.
Kek! Grrr!
Between the arrows of the shooter Im Hae-jun, the surprise attacks of the warrior Ichigo, and Seol Ha-woon’s sniping constantly pouring in from long range, the Orcs collapsed one after another without even being able to properly regroup.
"Phew..."
Lee Si-ah also let out a sigh of relief. The progress itself was quite smooth.
But something felt strange. Or perhaps, ominous.
Yun Hwa-rim, shown on camera, is nodding off. Her eyes are blinking slowly.
This... is a cliché.
Crunch!
"Ah."
As expected, bad premonitions are never wrong. The cart hit a tree. Yun Hwa-rim’s eyes snapped open, and the cart’s dashboard was zoomed in on.
DURABILITY: 0 / 100
Durability zero. The cart was broken.
Yun Hwa-rim’s face turned pale. She called for Kang Hyun in a trembling voice.
— Yun Hwa-rim: Um... Kang Hyun, Mr. Kang Hyun?
Lee Si-ah glanced at the live chat, worried for a different reason.
Public opinion is like that—it changes in an instant.
It was hard to watch, so she turned her gaze back to the main broadcast.
— Kang Hyun: We just need to remove the cart part and pull it with our bodies.
Kang Hyun’s response was composed, and the warrior Lee Jong-su grabbed the front of the cargo with gusto.
He tried to pull it—Hup!—but it didn't budge. Embarrassment was evident on his face.
— Lee Jong-su: It’s... a bit heavy.
— Kang Hyun: Let’s take turns in pairs. One person pushes from behind, and one pulls from the front.
— Lee Jong-su: ...Yeah, yeah. Okay. But this. I think we need to call the escort team warrior, too? Hwa-rim won't be able to do it, right?
Kang Hyun nodded and requested support via radio.
"Scary, it's scary."