Treasure Hunt (2)
"Let me explain it simply. From now on, you lot are entering the labyrinth."
Professor Lee Jun-gyeom pointed behind him with a low voice. The concrete wall evoked images of the massive mazes seen in movies. Of course, the biggest difference was that you couldn't see the sky from here......
One of the students raised a hand.
"So we just need to find the way out...?"
"No."
At that moment, the glasses-wearing woman standing beside Professor Lee Jun-gyeom pulled a flag from her bag. She was a sophomore acting as the teaching assistant. Professor Lee took it from her and continued.
"What you're all going to do now is a treasure hunt."
"T-treasure?"
For a brief moment, the students' eyes sparkled with interest. Mine included. But once they learned the so-called treasure was nothing more than a flag, disappointment quickly washed over their faces.
Ugh... what a letdown.
Still, seeing that flag helped me understand the true purpose of this exercise. Professor Lee Jun-gyeom's class was The Theory of Dungeon Strategy. It primarily taught detection and exploration techniques—skills that hunters valued even more than combat abilities.
The world inside a Rift was always random, but it most frequently manifested as dungeons. Among those, underground dungeons were known to be the most difficult to clear. The reason was simple: they were packed with countless traps.
This place had been built specifically to train students for such underground dungeons. That was why Raven Academy's basement housed this enormous facility known as the labyrinth.
That aside, I scanned the Class 2 students standing across from us. I wasn't sure why they were taking the same class, but plenty of familiar faces stood out. There was Im Yu-bin with her lion-like mane from the rift exploration club, Gong Chae-yeon in her short skirt, and even the little rascal Oh Ha-yul from the library......
Finally, my eyes met Ju Si-eun's. She gave me a shy wave, her cheeks slightly flushed. For some reason, I could feel the jealous glares of the male students boring into me......
It was then that Professor Lee Jun-gyeom called over the TA.
"You'll hear the detailed instructions from the TA here. I'll head in first to hide the flag."
With those words, Professor Lee Jun-gyeom flashed a meaningful smile and turned toward the labyrinth. Looking at his hunched back, it was easy to see why his nickname was Hunchback. Combined with his sly personality, most students weren't particularly fond of him.
The sophomore TA stepped forward and spoke bluntly.
"Ahem! To put it simply, the reason we invited Class 2 is to pit you against each other in combat."
The students' eyes widened.
"Combat?"
"That's right. That labyrinth is full of traps, but there aren't any monsters. So students from the opposing class will play the role of monsters instead."
After hearing her explanation, I turned my head. So we had to compete with Class 2 over a single flag. What a vicious system.
"And from what I've heard, the Class 2 juniors are supposed to be more skilled...... Shall we find out if that's true?"
"What? No way!"
The sophomore TA had smoothly stirred up rivalry. The moment she finished speaking, Class 1 students began glaring daggers at their counterparts across the way. One looked like he might shoot lasers from his eyes.
Our class's competitive spirit really was something else. Not that I was any different......
The sophomore TA's lips curved upward.
"Then shall we draw the first group?"
She began vigorously shaking the prepared drawing box. Rustle, rustle! There were two boxes—one for each class—with names written on slips of paper inside.
Soon after, she pulled out the first slip and shouted.
"Class 1's Ahn Kyung-tae!"
"Huh? That's me!"
All eyes instantly focused on him. Ahn Kyung-tae stood up with a triumphant expression, as if he'd been selected for the national team.
But it didn't end there. The TA continued calling names, pulling out a total of eight slips. In short, it was a four-versus-four team battle.
"......And finally, Class 2's Ju Si-eun!"
As Ju Si-eun rose from her seat, enthusiastic cheers erupted from Class 2. It was a clear reminder of just how popular she was with everyone, regardless of age or gender.
"Si-eun, you have to win!"
"Do your best, Ju Si-eun!"
"Milk-skinned Ju Si-eun, fighting!"
Ju Si-eun blushed shyly and responded.
"Thank you, everyone......"
In contrast, the atmosphere in our class was noticeably lukewarm. Four male students had been selected, including Ahn Kyung-tae, but no one seemed to have high expectations for them. After all, they were all part of the class president's crew.
Ahn Kyung-tae suddenly shouted.
"Jeong-a! I'll take them all down and come back victorious!"
"Uh, yeah...... Fighting!"
Vice president Kim Jeong-a gave an awkward smile and made a half-hearted fighting gesture.
It was right then that the sophomore TA stepped forward again.
"Everyone ready? I'll explain the basic rules now."
The eight selected students listened with rapt attention.
*
The remaining students sat in nearby chairs, waiting for the match results. Since they had no way of knowing what was happening inside the labyrinth, it was simply a boring stretch of time.
It was then that the firmly sealed labyrinth doors opened with a heavy rumble. Rumble rumble—
Someone had finally emerged holding the flag. It was a girl with wavy hair...... Upon closer look, Ju Si-eun was flashing a V-sign with her fingers and beaming from ear to ear.
"Hehe~ I won, everyone!"
The Class 2 students erupted in cheers all at once.
Waaaaah—!
Of course they were thrilled. Even though Ju Si-eun was the one holding the flag, the entire class had technically won.
The Class 1 boys, including Ahn Kyung-tae, trudged out belatedly with slumped shoulders.
"If only we'd been a little faster......"
"Sigh."
The first group looked even more pathetic than before. The class president's dignity was in absolute tatters. Even Kim Jeong-a seemed to have given up completely, avoiding his gaze.
"Aaaah......!"
A bright, clear voice rang out at that moment.
"Alright, time to draw the next group!"
The sophomore TA shook the drawing box again. Once more, she called out eight names. I listened carefully, ears perked.
"First from Class 1: Ha Yeonjun! Kim Jeong-a! Cheol-i! Jo Min-hyuk! And from Class 2......"
Huh? I got picked.
I stood up and looked around. Cheol-i, whom I hadn't seen in a while, immediately made a scene and clung to me.
"Eek, I'm scared! Yeonjun, what am I supposed to do?"
"About what?"
"You know I have claustrophobia! Can't you see I'm shaking? Look!"
Cheol-i had always been like this. A good guy, but incredibly talkative and a bit exhausting to be around.
Anyway, I walked straight to the labyrinth entrance. There were eight total doors leading into the maze, and each student entered from a different starting point. Even though it was a team battle, everyone began in separate locations.
I suddenly turned my head. At that exact moment, my eyes met Kim Jeong-a's.
"Ha Yeonjun......?"
For some reason, she'd been watching me with suspicious eyes from earlier. I had no idea what I'd done to deserve it. Feeling oddly burdened, I avoided her gaze.
Meanwhile, Jo Min-hyuk—the class president's lackey—stood silently with his arms crossed. It was obvious he had zero intention of cooperating with us.
I turned my head to the right. The Class 2 students we'd be facing came into view. Among them were Im Yu-bin with her lion mane from the rift exploration club and her friend Gong Chae-yeon. I didn't recognize the others.
I looked forward again. The goal of this exercise was exploration and detection. The key was to simulate being isolated in a dungeon, quickly locate your teammates, and secure the flag before Class 2 could.
The sophomore TA gave the signal.
"Begin!"
At the sound of her whistle, I stepped into the labyrinth. The entrance door closed behind me with a heavy rumble. Rumble rumble—
*
I discovered a trap within a minute of entering the labyrinth.
Unique Skill: Insight
A very thin thread is stretched taut across the ground right in front of you.
This was a classic snare trap using a tripwire. If I'd walked forward without thinking, I would've been in serious trouble. I carefully cut the thread with my dagger.
Snip.
I stood up again and looked straight ahead.
"Whew."
An overwhelmingly vast maze stretched before me. Finding the flag seemed like an impossible task.
That was when a welcome voice reached me.
Lens, the cameraman from Cheon-gye TV who'd gone to file my complaint, had finally returned. I'd been feeling like something was missing......
I looked up at him.
"So, what was their answer to my request?"
The narration cut off abruptly.
The Constellation 'Love Connector' is......
※ This constellation is currently under chat restriction.
I nodded. So that was about it. Honestly, I was surprised it had been resolved so easily. Cheon-gye TV's customer service was fast, at least.
But did that mean I was stuck with this obsessive romance-crazed constellation until the end?
I clicked my tongue.
"Damn it."
I didn't like it, but there was nothing I could do. She was a variable, but I'd have to accept her. Still, considering her wildly unpredictable behavior so far, I couldn't help but worry.
I just hoped the missions she demanded wouldn't be too outrageous......
"Kyaaaaagh—"
A pained groan echoed at that exact moment. It was a male voice, and it sounded very close. I moved carefully toward the source.
When I peeked around the corner, my eyes widened in shock.