Let You Down (1)

"Y-you. Whether Professor Emer is handsome or ugly, do you even understand the formulas in that book? You've never even met him, so why do you keep... It's not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like you're jealous... Huh?!"

Seo Ji-woo pointed a finger at me, her face flushing a strange shade of red.

"..."

I sat at the desk and picked up a pen. Since she asked if I understood, I supposed I needed to prove it.

"...What are you doing?"

Seo Ji-woo leaned in to peek.

Emer's first formula, Hollow Resonance.

To my eyes, a way to bypass the overly complex flow of this formula was clear. I could see a path to reconstruct the circuit, making it simpler and far more efficient.

I began to capture it on the paper.

"What are you scribbling?"

The principle of the formula itself was excellent. The naming wasn't bad either, as it was a formula designed to unleash Amplification.

For example, if used where a tiny spark existed, even a single match flame would turn into a raging inferno that shook heaven and earth.

Hence, Hollow Resonance. It seemed to have no effect as a standalone formula, but if given the right environment, it amplified the entire space.

"Here."

I handed the paper to Seo Ji-woo.

"Compare it to that."

"Compare? As if..."

Seo Ji-woo, who had been staring at the paper with narrowed eyes, suddenly went quiet.

She was a good spellcaster. Though not on my level, she was an elite with outstanding talent.

So, she would understand.

The difference between my formula and Emer's.

Even if the final output was identical, she would see which one was more precise and optimized.

"...This."

Seo Ji-woo looked up at me blankly.

"How did you do this?"

I tapped the corner of my eye with my finger.

"My eyes are just a bit sharp. I can see the pros and cons of formulas pretty well."

While my execution ability fell far short of Seo Ji-woo's, I possessed the power to perceive mana as mana and understand formulas as formulas.

A talent value of 12.5.

Just because something was complex or difficult didn't mean it was good. Being able to unravel it simply was the mark of a true master.

"..."

Seo Ji-woo lifted her gaze from the paper. A strange light flickered in her eyes.

"Can I... keep this?"

"Yeah."

"...Thank you."

Seo Ji-woo left the library. I watched her retreating back before running a hand through my hair. I lightly slapped my own cheek.

I had shown off.

This wasn't my own effort, nor was it my own talent. It was merely a fake achievement accomplished through MoMo.

Had I unconsciously developed a desire to help her?

It was frustrating.

Seo Ji-hyuk.

Why do you still remain in my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heart, placing a burden of debt upon me?

Why can't I erase you yet?

"...Sigh."

A deep sigh escaped from the depths of my chest.

'Snowflake. I'm back.'

Late at night, Kate stopped her pen. Her notebook was filled with mana formulas.

As both a shooter and a spellcaster, she never neglected her studies, refusing to waste a single second of her time.

'Have you been guarding the house well~?'

Seol Ha-woon had arrived at the lodging.

He surprisingly liked flowers. It wasn't just a casual liking, either. When dealing with flowers, he showed a side that neither Kate nor anyone else would have expected.

It was a deeply jarring contrast, completely different from the cold-blooded man who had shot a child without hesitation.

'You're growing well. Thank you.'

Kate picked up the documents she had placed on a corner of her desk.

This was information regarding Seol Ha-woon that she had gathered with great difficulty. Since this record was from his active duty days, many details—including his physical specs—were different, but he had indeed been a member of the UDT Black Team, a Tier 1 special operations unit.

Her family had ordered his exclusion, and Kate had found a suitable method.

Expulsion, or voluntary withdrawal.

By inflating public opinion regarding how he treated Kim Du-gyeom, and then releasing the hidden vulnerability she had uncovered at the right moment, he would have no choice but to leave.

Kate transmitted her proposal to the family.

The next day.

The back mountain was now as familiar to me as my own bed. I embedded a mana circuit into my gloves.

"This takes some effort."

It was much harder to succeed than with the cane. The cane was probably easy because it was already a Cherished Item.

The changes caused by the Mana Coefficient were almost like a game of spot-the-difference.

Originally, they were just 'gloves made of mana fiber,' but 'sturdy' had been added. And 'receives a faint correction to hand-related actions' had been upgraded to 'a vague correction.'

"I wonder if the stats will go up more if it becomes a Cherished Item."

Naturally, these gloves weren't a Cherished Item yet. I wanted to make them one, but I didn't know the method. I probably just had to wear them for a long time...

"I'll be in your care from now on."

I decided to keep talking to them. Just like the care I poured into the Snowflake.

Conveniently, a summons to the set arrived. I trudged down from the back mountain.

"Seol Ha-woon-ssi?"

Suddenly, someone called out to me.

Mentor Kim Yoon-jun was leaning against a tree.

"Yes, Mentor."

He offered a faint smile.

"Seol Ha-woon-ssi, is your body alright?"

"Ah, yes. Despite my leg, my body is surprisingly sturdy."

"Mmm... please be careful."

His warning was sudden. It felt strangely significant.

Observing my expression, Kim Yoon-jun took a step closer. The shadow of the tree receded from his face.

"Seol Ha-woon-ssi."

"Yes?"

"Why do you want to be an explorer?"

I looked at Kim Yoon-jun. I glanced around, searching for any hidden cameras.

"There are no cameras. You can speak freely."

"Uh..."

Hearing that there were none made it even stranger. I had assumed he came to shoot some footage.

"Well," I answered shortly. "To survive?"

To survive.

And also.

"To finish what hasn't been finished."

"What hasn't been finished..."

Kim Yoon-jun nodded quietly.

"But Ha-woon-ssi, have you ever heard this saying?"

He continued softly.

"The world viewed from within the labyrinth and the labyrinth viewed from within the world are indistinguishable from one another."

"...I've heard it."

It was a famous proverb in the exploration world, akin to a philosophical discourse on labyrinths.

Though I had no idea why Kim Yoon-jun was bringing it up now.

He looked at me and smiled.

"Then, don't trust this program too much. That's all I can tell you."

He then placed a hand on my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shoulder.

"I want to see you active for as long as possible. You're in my TOP 3, if not my absolute one-pick."

Patting my shoulder a few times, he headed down the mountain first.

I watched his retreating back.

Mentor Kim Yoon-jun seemed like a good person.

The epitome of a good commander.

However, 'good' and 'great' were very different. One must not mistake them as the same.

Rather, an even greater chasm existed between them.

"Don't trust the program too much..."

If I weren't a regressor, I would have simply assumed he was warning me about evil editing. Since I had already fallen victim to it once.

But as someone who knew the ending of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, it was a warning I couldn't easily dismiss.

A good commander speaks the truth. Therefore, there was a high probability that Kim Yoon-jun's words were factual.

However, mere 'truth' could solve nothing.

If this program was truly dangerous, then you, who are trying to tell me the truth, might be the one in danger rather than me.

That was the thought that occurred to me.

I arrived at the set. This time, the scenery resembled an arcade.

"...Ssaboo. What is it this time?"

Before I knew it, Im Hae-jun had appeared. I had grown used to him, but now a new face attached himself to us as well.

"I suspect it's related to gaming."

Kang Hyun responded to Im Hae-jun.

He turned to look at me.

"What do you think, Ha-woon-hyung?"

I shrugged.

"They'll tell us soon."

Perhaps many were wondering at this point: how many labyrinths were actually in Labyrinth Exploration NaN?

While no two labyrinths in the world were identical, they could be grouped into broad categories.

Survival, Cargo, Scenario, Urban Legend, Arcade, Linear, Dungeon, and so on... Labyrinth Exploration NaN included more than half of those categories.

As an explorer audition program, it aimed to let us experience almost every kind of labyrinth.

"Nice to meet you~"

Yu Ji-in made her entrance. Today, she was dressed in an SF-style outfit.

"Today is Labyrinth Day... and it's the last labyrinth before the first vote tally."

The first tally was like the Grim Reaper. Those at the bottom of the votes would be sliced away.

"After the first tally, only fifty of you will remain here. Of course, those who fail in this labyrinth will be leaving even sooner."

In truth, the difficulty of this labyrinth was going to be high. The lower-ranked participants, who had barely any screen time, would be wiped out in droves.

"Today's labyrinth theme is..."

Yu Ji-in paused for effect. The explorers held their breath, their faces tense.

"Open World."

Open World.

Most of their faces stiffened.

"You will enter the open world 'NaN World'."

NaN World. The hint was right there in Yu Ji-in's outfit. She was currently wearing a futuristic suit that looked like something out of a cyberpunk setting.

"You must achieve a specific objective in that world to return here. You will gradually learn what that objective is once you are inside."

She continued with a serious expression.

"If you fail to achieve the objective and suffer critical damage within the world, you will be forcibly recalled, which will be counted as a failure. Three failures mean elimination."

It was incredibly hardcore.

Beside me, Im Hae-jun was trembling like a leaf.

"S-Ssaboo. Let's team up."

"We can't."

"Why?"

"It's probably a random start."

All open-world labyrinths had different starting points. The scale of the labyrinth itself was also massive.

Of course, NaN World's size would be reasonably restricted, but we would only know the details once we entered.

"Also, one more thing."

Yu Ji-in raised her index finger.

"All goods you acquire within the world will be treated as loot."

Treated as loot.

That meant.

"They belong to you."

The explorers' expressions shifted. Desire bloomed in the eyes of those who had been filled with fear just moments ago.

An open world was a different reality. Therefore, items entirely alien to Earth—things that could be called treasures—might exist there.

If they could just get their hands on one good item, it would change their lives.

"Open-world labyrinths are vast, complex, and difficult, but they are also the most fitting for the spirit of 'exploration'."

It was a parting gift from the production team before the first vote tally. A chance to take something home even if they were eliminated.

...Assuming they could actually get it, of course.

"Shall we enter now?"

The explorers answered with faces mixed with excitement and anxiety. Feeling the tension, they became quite noisy, chatting with one another or stretching.

"Ssaboo. We'll meet again, right?"

Im Hae-jun asked with a worried face.

"It's a matter of self-preservation."

"Self...?"

He didn't seem to understand the term.

"Selfie?"

"Let's begin."

Yu Ji-in smiled. At that moment, I furrowed my brow slightly. For some reason, her gaze was fixed on our side.

The target of her gaze wasn't me.

It was Kang Hyun, who was blinking beside me.

"Good luck to you all."

In that instant, a burst of light erupted, blanketing the entire space.

"..."

I opened my eyes. Looking at the world stretching out before me, I let out a dry chuckle.

"Flashy, indeed."

Under the dark night sky, all kinds of neon signs blared. Repair shops, gun shops, alchemy houses... To describe the scenery simply, it was the very definition of 'cyberpunk.'

A world where science and magic had advanced excessively, threatening to swallow humanity—perhaps the distant future of our own generation.

With no deadline set, it was a fairly long labyrinth. In terms of content before my regression, it was about four chapters' worth.

Perhaps around this time, the broadcasting station would go crazy, and a single episode's length would stretch to four or five hours. I had read an article stating that their advertising revenue per episode reached tens of billions of won.

Raynos.

"Raynos..."

It was likely the name of the city. I walked, leaning on my cane. There were many vagrants sprawled along the streets. Rather than begging, the beggars were sizing me up. Since no one in this gutter would donate money, they were probably looking to rob me.

It seemed I had dropped into an area with terrible public security.

AMOS WAY Exchange.

"At least there's an exchange."

A thick, sticky heat. Amidst the suspicious and greedy gazes, the exchange building stood neat and tidy.

I stepped inside. Several ATM-like machines were lined up.

A return ticket. That was likely the objective of this labyrinth.

I pressed 'Exchange Service.'

I had accumulated quite a few votes. I didn't know the exchange rate yet, but I decided to exchange 30,000 votes for now.

Whirrr—

Thirty bills. Three thousand NaN Dollars.

Tucking them into my pocket, I stepped out of the exchange and looked around.

A particular sign caught my eye.

Chrome Oasis.

A bar. In this kind of world, such places usually served as employment agencies.

I entered the establishment. The place was bustling, thick with the smell of alcohol. Pushing through the crowd, I stood before the counter. The owner was a man with a long mustache.

"Boss."

I called out to him.

"Got any work?"

He glanced at me.

"There's no work for a cripple."

I felt a sudden surge of irritation. What kind of Nazi-like bastard was this?

"Should I put a hole in your neck to prove myself?"

He wiped a glass as he answered.

"Not a bad idea."

Some of the attention inside the bar shifted toward us.

Those further away were still noisy, but those nearby were watching me. It didn't matter. Verifying one's skills was always a necessary process.

I floated a magic bullet in the air above my shoulder. The owner's mustache twitched.

"...A face I haven't seen before. An aspiring runner? You can't even run with that leg of yours."

"Try thinking about why I wouldn't need to run."

The atmosphere was similar to a mercenary street in many ways. In fact, 'runner' was the term used to refer to mercenaries in this city. Since mercenaries were a breed that spent their days running around.

"...As it happens, I have one job suited for newbies. A job where you don't need to run."

He pulled out a piece of paper.

DEAD or ALIVE.

It was a bounty poster featuring a vicious-looking face.

"He killed an orphan playing at a playground and ran. It's a request from the orphanage, so the pay is decent."

It seemed this was how one acquired WP.

I picked up the bounty poster.

"Where is the orphanage? I need to see the scene to know for sure."

The owner handed over some documents. The location and details of the orphanage were recorded on them.

I turned around to leave.

"See you around."

"If you can make it back, my one-legged runner friend."

"..."

I wasn't going to tolerate it a second time.

I discharged the bullet behind my shoulder.

—Crash!

The silent mana grazed the owner's neck, shattering a liquor bottle behind him. Shards of glass sprayed in all directions. The bar fell silent for a moment.

I spoke to the owner.

"I have two legs. So I'm not one-legged."

"...My mistake."

The owner smiled. I smiled back.