Die With a Smile (3)
The day the 6th episode of Labyrinth Exploration NaN aired, I took a shower and sat down on the sofa.
The C-Tier rooms come with several new pieces of furniture, and this sofa is one of them. It’s better than most beds, so I’m quite fond of it. I should remember the brand and buy one for myself later once I’ve made some money.
Labyrinth Exploration NaN
Right on cue, the commercials ended and the opening sequence began. *Ding, ding.* My smartphone buzzed. Whenever it’s time for the live broadcast, messages suddenly come flooding in.
Seo Ji-woo must have snuck off to the Mage Association on her day off. Perhaps because she’s an elite graduate of a magic school, the quality of her connections is on a different level than mine.
I lay down and watched the TV without replying.
—*Thud.*
Seo Ji-woo falls into the snow. The opening scene shows a wolf rising from behind her and heading somewhere.
—Wolf: *Grrrrr.*
“…Do we really need subtitles for that?”
Anyway, the wolf walks softly across the snow alone and stops in front of a man. His face is still hidden by his hood.
—Wolf: *Grrrrr. Growl. Grrrrr.*
The wolf places its front paws on the man’s calf. It even acts cute, as if asking him to follow. The man gazes at the wolf for a moment, then quietly follows it.
*Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch.*
The camera angle cleverly hides my legs and cane.
Before long, the man and the wolf reach the snow-buried Seo Ji-woo. The man’s two legs sink into the grave-like pile first, and the most decisive piece of evidence—the cane—presses deep into the snow.
Finally, the camera pans up to reveal ‘that man’s’ face. Beneath the parka hood, two eyes shine coldly.
—Seol Ha-woon: ….
The real-time chat is scrolling by incredibly fast. The reaction is quite passionate.
Seol Ha-woon loads Seo Ji-woo onto a wooden sled used for transporting food and returns to the cabin with the wolf.
Upon arriving at the cabin, Seol Ha-woon places Seo Ji-woo on the bed and glances at the wolf.
—Seol Ha-woon: …What are you?
—Wolf: *Grrrrr.*
And, screen transition.
—Im Hae-jun: *Snore… Snore….*
It’s Im Hae-jun. Im Hae-jun is just sleeping in a hole. In a way, he’s smart. Because the simplest method can be the most efficient.
But when exactly is he going to show his skills?
Im Hae-jun’s screen time ends at 7 seconds. Afterward, other explorers are shown in a cross-edit, and it returns to Seol Ha-woon’s cabin.
Seo Ji-woo is ravenously devouring soup.
—Seo Ji-woo: I’m grateful, but… um, can I ask why you saved me?
—Seol Ha-woon: Your necklace. That’s what turned the dead wolf into a familiar. You shouldn’t use things if you don’t even know what you’re wearing.
The conversation between the two is edited appropriately, and a strange atmosphere flows in the chat.
“…What are they talking about?”
I was dumbfounded, but from the viewers’ perspective, maybe it makes sense.
—Seo Ji-woo: Then~ how should I express my gratitude?
—Seol Ha-woon: Gratitude isn't necessary, just leave now.
Seo Ji-woo and Seol Ha-woon. I watch the screen quietly.
Looking at it from a third-party perspective, a little further away, the flow of the conversation feels strangely familiar.
—Seo Ji-woo: …No! I’ll become your bodyguard. You can dump me if things go south. I’ll sacrifice myself.
—Seol Ha-woon: Before talking about bodyguards, fix your tone. What’s the age gap here?
When I first met Seo Ji-hyuk.
It was similar to that time.
To me, who was trying to distance myself from the whole world because of some middle-schooler syndrome or whatever, that guy who insisted on approaching me, step by step.
—Seo Ji-woo: It was only 6 years.
—Seol Ha-woon: How is that "only"? Where did you meet, at a construction site?
Although "lol" fills the chat at the banter, there are also people who feel uncomfortable. Why are they so uncomfortable?
Anyway, Seol Ha-woon accepted Seo Ji-woo into the cabin. A few scenes of the two spending their daily lives together, many explorers surviving on their own, or failing to survive, flash by quickly….
—Jin Ho-seung: Hey! Over here!
A-Tier warrior Jin Ho-seung appeared.
No, the Labyrinthin wearing Jin Ho-seung’s skin.
—Jin Ho-seung: Excuse me, could you please help us?!
It’s a scene from Jin Ho-seung’s perspective, waving his hands and running toward Seo Ji-woo and Seol Ha-woon.
The POV from the other side is surprisingly fresh.
—Seo Ji-woo: Oh? Jin Ho-seung-ssi.
—Jin Ho-seung: Ah, Ji-woo-ssi! Thank goodness. I needed a mage. One of our team members is severely injured right now.
—Seo Ji-woo: I’m coming right away!
I sat up. From here on was the important part.
—Jin Ho-seung: Please, come in.
Seol Ha-woon and Seo Ji-woo entered Jin Ho-seung’s shelter and met Lee Jun-ho there. Lee Jun-ho’s eyes widened.
—Lee Jun-ho: Ji-woo, why are you here?
—Seo Ji-woo: Why do you think? You said someone was severely injured.
—Lee Jun-ho: …Oh. They’re injured. I accidentally cut them. At night. I thought they were an enemy.
The past is inserted like a flashback. Hidden by the raging blizzard, Lee Jun-ho cuts the opponent without realizing it.
—Seo Ji-woo: What? Are you crazy?
—Lee Jun-ho: I guess so. I must have been crazy for a moment.
While the two are talking, Seol Ha-woon is shown in a close-up.
His eyes are sunken and dark for some reason. The camera meaningfully follows Seol Ha-woon’s sharp gaze.
The ‘left hand’ of Jin Ho-seung’s party. Seol Ha-woon looks at their left hands one by one, and the camera scans the left hands as well.
A gloomy background track plays persistently.
Suddenly, Seol Ha-woon pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket.
—Seol Ha-woon: Just a moment. I’ll go have a smoke.
—Lee Jun-ho: Oh, you smoke? Do, do you have any? Give me one, just one!
—Seol Ha-woon: Follow me.
Smoke break. The two went outside and stood quite a distance away. Seol Ha-woon spoke while pretending to hand Lee Jun-ho a cigarette.
—Seol Ha-woon: Listen closely.
—Lee Jun-ho: …No, but why do you keep talking informally? Do you think I want to use polite language all the time?
—Seol Ha-woon: (Withdrawing the cigarette) Hmm.
—Lee Jun-ho: Maybe it wouldn't be bad to get close this time.
Lee Jun-ho succumbs to the cigarette, and Seol Ha-woon states his deduction.
—Seol Ha-woon: 85–90% of the world’s population is right-handed. It wouldn't be wrong to say 9 out of 10 are right-handed. But over there, all 4 of them are left-handed. It’s possible for all 4 to be right-handed, but isn't it too strange for all of them to be left-handed?
Left-handed deduction. I watched the real-time chat with narrowed eyes. The reaction was heated in many ways.
“…What are you guys fighting about?”
Such mockery and fighting are unfamiliar. They were unfamiliar, but I checked the rankings on my smartphone.
It really is in the top 20. Although it’s limited to profile voting where you can only vote for 10 people per account and can change your vote at any time, it’s in the top 20 line nonetheless.
I feel good for no reason.
On such a good day, I hope you don't fight….
“What kind of guy is this?”
One chat caught my eye. It was deleted due to accumulated reports, but the pure malice felt suspicious.
Could this be Kim Du-gyeom?
—Lee Jun-ho: You think it’s strange that all four of them are left-handed?”
—Seol Ha-woon: Yes.
—Lee Jun-ho: …It could just be a coincidence. If you ignore coincidences, you’ll end up dead.
Anyway, the live broadcast continues. Lee Jun-ho dismisses the fact that the entire party is left-handed as a coincidence.
—Seol Ha-woon: The patient you said you cut. Their heart was beating on the right side.
—Lee Jun-ho: What are you talking about again. Please, just give me a cigarette.
—Seol Ha-woon: The guy you have lying down there as a patient. Their heart is beating on the right side.
—Lee Jun-ho: …Sigh. Look here. Hearts beat everywhere. It’s just a little louder on the left.
—Seol Ha-woon: Then go check it.
Seol Ha-woon finally hands over the cigarette, and Lee Jun-ho takes it quickly.
*Spark.* Lee Jun-ho rubs his blade against the scabbard to create a spark. Seol Ha-woon lights it with a lighter.
—Lee Jun-ho: So, what are you trying to say?
*Phew…* Just as Lee Jun-ho, relieved from his withdrawal symptoms, asked more leisurely.
At that very moment.
—Seol Ha-woon: Those guys. They’re Labyrinthins.
All the background music on the screen stops abruptly. The silence of the snowfield is emphasized, and the chat is hard to even look at properly. The characters are just scrolling by like patterns.
—Lee Jun-ho: …Labyrinthin?
—Seol Ha-woon: Yes. Let’s make a guess. The Labyrinthins are imitating the ones who were eliminated. Do you know about the Jangsan Tiger?
The conversation pauses for a moment. The camera slowly zooms out. Both of us and the Labyrinthins’ shelter are captured on one screen. It’s a cinematic long shot. Perhaps because of the hazy scenery, the chat calms down, and I can finally grasp the content.
And.
The chat caught fire again.
“…Really?”
I became curious too, so I accessed the broadcasting station’s website. I was planning to watch Jin Ho-seung’s voting video, but….
502 BAD GATEWAY
I couldn't connect.
“Wow. It crashed.”
The entire broadcasting station’s website had crashed due to traffic overload.
I let out a dry laugh.
Almost simultaneously, a pleasant notification popped up.
Recognition Level Up!
Recognition Grade: 12
60 additional days of the trial version are granted.
Karma: A grade-up gift is granted!
You have acquired a Mana Core.