An Ordinary Day (6)

Kim Du-gyeom was escorted away.

If one were to predict his future, he would likely end up confined in a labyrinth.

In this world, there exist special kinds of labyrinths. Labyrinths called "prisons." They are rifts where mana does not exist.

Consequently, even if these labyrinths are not cleared for a long time, they cause no harm, and they yield no loot.

Because of these characteristics, explorers never paid them any mind, but human society found value in them.

In an environment devoid of mana, humans cannot use magic. Thus, by locking up superhumans who commit crimes, society can protect universal human values while maintaining the state's punitive authority.

Most criminal explorers are imprisoned in these facilities and stand trial. Kim Du-gyeom will likely be sentenced to ten to fifteen years. High school students and graduates of explorer academies are subject to special state management, after all.

Whether long or short, ten years is more than enough.

Over those ten years, his body will gradually grow numb to mana, and eventually, he will forget how to manipulate it entirely.

It won't just be Kim Du-gyeom's mind; his very body will become incapable of accepting mana.

In that manner, he will degenerate into the very "non-explorer" he so thoroughly despised.

Perhaps, for Kim Du-gyeom, this is a punishment more agonizing than death.

Even serious news broadcasts are using my catchphrase. It seems "I just don't like him" is poised to become the next big meme after Je-Mal-Olh.

"...I thought you said you were going on vacation. Were you tailing Kim Du-gyeom?"

On a bench outside the police station, Kim A-rang asked as she handed me a canned coffee.

I had explained the situation to her, and she had rushed over immediately.

"Yes. I had a bad feeling."

"Did you know from the start that Kim Du-gyeom was that kind of person?"

I nodded silently.

Because I did know.

"...Incredible."

I felt the same way.

My first double level-up. Thanks to the massive success of the trait, my Appearance stat rose to 9.2.

I suppose I have Kim Du-gyeom to thank for this, in a way.

"But about those whistleblowing posts... how did you plan to respond? Though there's no need to now."

Kim A-rang seemed curious about what might have been. I suppose that's what makes her a talented PD.

"I was planning to film a video."

"A video?"

"Yes. Since I knew who the whistleblower was, I was going to create a personal channel and upload an explanation video—"

"Oh?!"

Kim A-rang's eyes widened, and she snapped her fingers.

"That's perfect!"

"...Pardon?"

"Let's film it right now!"

"...Right now?"

"Yes. Did you plan on just letting this slide without a word? You beat the living daylights out of Kim Du-gyeom, so you have to explain yourself somehow..."

For Lee Si-ah, this past week had been a rollercoaster between heaven and hell.

A downward spiral relay between Seol Ha-woon and Kim Du-gyeom, so to speak.

Ultimately, Seol Ha-woon returned to the land of the living while Kim Du-gyeom was practically sent to the underworld, but Lee Si-ah's heart had been thoroughly worn out.

There were even news reports that Seol Ha-woon and Kim Du-gyeom had engaged in a life-or-death duel inside a residential home.

In many ways, Labyrinth Exploration NaN was shaking the entire Korean peninsula. And in the midst of it all...

A video was uploaded to YouTube.

On a channel with no profile picture, the editing was simple and lacked even subtitles. Instead, the subject on screen was extraordinary.

─Hello, I am Seol Ha-woon. There is something I wish to say to you all, so after consulting with the production team of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, I have filmed this video.

A pitch-black ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠screen, a pitch-black shirt. His signature long hair was tied back in a ponytail, unlike his usual messy look. Before he could even apologize, his sheer appearance commanded attention.

Was Seol Ha-woon always this handsome?

─First, I would like to address the allegations of school violence that have been raised.

He intended to share his thoughts on the issues that had dominated the past week.

─The identity of the person who wrote the whistleblowing post has been confirmed. Another individual who associated with them at the time relayed the facts to the broadcasting station.

Wow. They really must have been a bunch of thugs. To think they'd sell out their former friend so quickly.

─It is true that he was someone who bullied the younger children at my orphanage in the past. At the time, I went to warn him multiple times, but he only bullied the children more out of spite. I believed I had no other choice, and for that, I apologize.

Seol Ha-woon bowed his head.

─I am not trying to justify my violence. It was my mistake, born of a foolish mind, to believe that violence was the only solution...

Explorers—and more broadly, humans capable of manipulating mana—must not inflict violence upon ordinary citizens. Even minor assault can be treated as a major crime.

It was a categorical imperative: with great power comes great responsibility.

However, Seol Ha-woon had been a student at the time. His opponent had been the same.

Of course, in most situations, violence is never the right answer. It is a means that is absolutely forbidden in almost every aspect of daily life.

But Lee Si-ah wanted to say:

So what?

Sometimes, there are people who truly deserve a beating.

Even for explorers, situations where they must kill others to survive are frequent.

She wasn't advocating for breaking the law, nor was she condoning violence, but that was just how it was.

Conventionally and socially, there was definitely violence that could escape condemnation.

─Next... I will remain silent regarding the events of my active-duty days. The individual in question has deleted their post and has expressed a desire to apologize personally through the broadcasting station.

"If you were going to do that, why blow the whistle in the first place?"

What strange people. Had they simply been unable to contain a sudden surge of overwhelming jealousy? Still, they needed to be shown that real life has consequences.

─Finally, regarding Mr. Kim Du-gyeom...

This was the most important topic. Lee Si-ah perked up her ears.

─Actually, I knew.

Lee Si-ah's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

He knew? He knew all along?

─I knew what kind of person he was. I knew what he had done. I knew from our very first meeting.

"What?!"

Lee Si-ah was astonished. Seol Ha-woon's past actions flashed through her mind like a kaleidoscope.

The way he tripped Kim Du-gyeom. The way he criticized him, saying "I just don't like you," and refused to select him as a scout... Those puzzle-like scenes finally clicked into place.

─However, I believed that exposing the matter as a third party could cause secondary harm to the victim, so I chose to simply observe.

Lee Si-ah stared at the Seol Ha-woon on the screen.

─Though, I didn't just watch. Seeing him pretend to be a good person made my stomach churn. It was difficult to bear.

He spoke honestly, running a hand through his hair.

─...On the day the victim posted their exposé and Kim Du-gyeom decided to step down, I had an exceptionally ominous feeling. So, I followed him, and I was able to prevent a tragedy.

For a moment, it didn't feel real. It suddenly felt like a scene from a webtoon.

His face was handsome. His voice was handsome.

─I apologize for causing a stir. As I continue my work as an explorer, conflicts with others will frequently arise. There will undoubtedly be times when we must kill or be killed...

Explorers operating in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the labyrinths, or in lawless zones where nations do not exist, walk a gray line.

They must follow the logic of the labyrinth while inside, yet respect the laws of society once they return.

─...However, I will never lose sight of my duty as an explorer.

Seol Ha-woon concluded.

Lee Si-ah looked at the comments.

She clicked over to the community forums.

"...Unbelievable."

Was this a seesaw? She couldn't believe how many times public opinion had swung back and forth in just one week.

Seol Ha-woon's ranking, which had plummeted to 40th, had shot back up. He had even broken through the barrier of the top 10.

His current rank was 13th.

Making the debut group was no longer an impossibility.

No, at this rate, making the debut group was practically guaranteed; the only question was what rank he would finish at.

"...Phew."

Lee Si-ah logged into her social media. There were numerous feeds related to Seol Ha-woon.

Since it was a secondary account where she only followed Seol Ha-woon fans, it was to be expected.

Among them, a post with an exceptionally high number of likes caught her eye.

"...Yeah. It's good to have a strong mindset."

Every other Seol Ha-woon fan likely felt the same way.

You had to fangirl over an explorer while you still could. Once they entered a labyrinth, they would be out of touch for months, and even though things were said to be much safer these days, many explorers still died in action.

Children looked at them with eyes of envy, while adults looked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with jealousy, envy, or admiration—but the mortality rate of the explorer profession was excluded even from official statistics. It was simply too overwhelmingly high compared to any other occupation.

"Sigh... Yes. It's all yesterday's snow."

Steeling her resolve, Lee Si-ah began creating animated GIFs of episode 7 once more.

Returning to my room, I laid out my items.

The internet and the outside world were still noisy, but I had my own work to do.

[B-Class Random Box x4]

[Skill Draw Ticket]

[Lucky Snake Wine]

Finally, it was time to use the snake wine.

I could have waited until I gathered more probability-based items, but saving things until you die is just a waste. It wasn't because of Kate's warning that "Seol Ha-woon is in danger."

I simply felt that if I kept calculating efficiency like this, I would never end up using it.

If I opened the boxes and got something with great potential, it might be better to cherish and care for it, turning it into a Cherished Item.

"This looks delicious."

I prepared jokbal as a side dish.

Ah, I had thought about borrowing the Jewel File from Yu Yul, but I decided against it. There was a high probability that the Perfect Cleansing Candy and the snake wine would be incompatible.

The snake wine granted luck through the state of drunkenness, but the Perfect Cleansing Candy might classify that as mental contamination and purify it completely.

Instead, I planned to refine my Nervous System Implant.

"...Has it been five years?"

Drinking. Especially drinking alone—it had been five or six years.

Pop!

I opened the snake wine.

I would probably have to drink the entire bottle. Fortunately, it was only about the volume of eight soju glasses, or two regular cups.

I had no intention of chugging it painfully. I would enjoy it while watching TV. In truth, I was in quite a good mood.

First, a neat shot.

"...Ugh."

It was strong.

The alcohol content was higher than vodka. It easily exceeded 60% ABV.

"Phew."

My face contorted involuntarily. I stuffed a piece of jokbal into my mouth and turned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the TV.

I put on a random variety show and poured another glass of snake wine.

─No, does that even make sense? You should have set it up properly.

─What's the point of setting it up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠properly? This is human bowling.

─Still, set it up right!

─They're all going to run away! It's human bowling! The humans are running away!

The people on the show were laughing, but I watched in silence. It was my drinking habit. I became quiet. But I felt good. Internally, I was smiling.

Haha.

By the time I finished the eighth glass...

It worked.

I rolled up my sleeves.

Clap! I offered a brief prayer, like a monk, and started with the Skill Draw Ticket.

Epic!

It seemed like an excellent skill. The text was a bit blurry to read, but Subspace.

Haha. It was similar to an inventory, yet different. At any rate, it was Epic.

I would try it out later.

Next, I opened the random boxes.

All four, opened at once!

I didn't know what they all were, but they looked good.

Ah, there wasn't enough time. I had two hours and forty minutes left. If I wanted to refine the implant, I had to move quickly.

Focus. Tension. Calm.

I steadied my mind with a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the floor. I placed my hand against my spine. In that state, I began to graft the implant. I was infusing mana.

Whoosh.

The flow of mana spread throughout my entire nervous system. Originating from the spinal cord, it wrapped around my central nervous system. I connected it stitch by stitch, with utmost care.

"Phew..."

Zzzzt!

Did something just get tangled? Was it an illusion?

Let's keep going.

Bzzt!

It stung. It stung, but it was bearable. If it was only this much...

Bzzzzzt!

Electricity sparked.

At the same time, a sensation of clarity washed over my entire body.

How should I put it? It felt as though my entire nervous system was being hyper-activated...

"Uh?"

The system announced the change before I could.

I calmly probed inside my body. I checked the mana pathways coating my nervous system.

"Ah."

I realized it belatedly.

It wasn't a straight line.

Because I was drunk, the flow of mana had tangled without my realizing it. The alcohol had turned it into a winding, curved path.

But thanks to that, I understood.

It was a very simple concept.

Something so obvious that it wasn't even written in textbooks: "A curve is less direct than a straight line."

The same applied to mana.

Spells designed purely for destruction had rigid structures. This was because they needed to unleash mana in an instant.

On the other hand, spells with more delicate and useful functions were curved.

In truth, it wasn't a matter of "because it is straight" or "because it is curved."

The cause and effect were reversed.

The shape of the spell changed according to the Cognitive Image.

It was the same this time.

This was an implant that interfered with the most sensitive and delicate part of my body—my nervous system.

Therefore, it required an even more delicate approach. A much gentler flow of mana was demanded. A curve was far more suitable than a straight line.

By chance—or perhaps with the help of my high Luck stat—the threads of mana were now spiraling around my central nervous system. Not following a straight line, but embracing it from the sides.

The implant had been created in a daze.

It was something to celebrate... but it was hot.

My body was burning.

Was it because of the alcohol? It felt as though my entire body was melting.

Humans are vulnerable to heat. No matter how superhuman one is, the brain is no different from an ordinary person's, and a brain can suffer severe damage if its temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius.

My eyes blinked erratically, and my limbs went limp, twitching.

Am I going to die like this?

It didn't hurt much, though.

As I was completely dazed by the combination of the high fever and the alcohol...

Suddenly, white flakes began to drift down.

Flutter. Flutter. A cold sensation brushed against my skin.

It was snow.

Inside my room, it was snowing.

Lacking the strength to turn my head, I only moved