The Incident in the Labyrinth

The labyrinth was pitch black. So dark I couldn't even see my own hand in front of my face. But I stayed calm. This wasn't some random accident. Real underground dungeons sometimes have traps like this that plunge the area into total darkness. This blackout was probably a pre-planned training exercise to simulate that exact scenario. They were deliberately trying to disorient the students, make us lose our bearings and panic.

In a situation like this, one option was to stay put and wait it out. But that's when a voice came from the wall beside me.

"Yeah."

She was thinking the same thing I was. In class, we'd learned that wandering around a dungeon in complete darkness with no light source was basically suicide. Our bodies needed at least ten minutes to adjust to the dark. So Kim Jeong-a's suggestion made sense, but...

It was strange. I'd expected her to approach this darkness differently. The Kim Jeong-a I knew was courageous and sharp. She had this image of someone who would take risks to achieve her goals. Or maybe that was just my own misconception.

I answered, "No. We need to move now if we want to grab the flag before Class 2."

"Dangerous? Then you stay here. I'll go alone."

Kim Jeong-a called out to me in a trembling voice. I tilted my head. What was the problem? She knew this wasn't a real dungeon. A small sigh echoed in the darkness, and right after that came the sound of sniffling.

"What?"

Kim Jeong-a suddenly raised her voice. I asked back, completely baffled.

"......"

I did as she asked and placed my hand on the left wall. A million questions swirled in my head, but I followed her request first. Her voice came again.

"Yeah, I did. But why—"

Her voice was shaking for some reason. I didn't ask her any more questions.

To think that Kim Jeong-a—the girl they called the ace of Raven Academy—had a side like this. It was completely unexpected. The reason she'd asked me to keep my left hand on the wall was probably so she could sense my mana and endure her fear. Even if I took my hand off the wall right now, she'd probably believe with absolute certainty that I was still beside her.

I spoke carefully. "Then let's go."

Kim Jeong-a answered one last time. For a long while after that, we walked side by side through the invisible darkness with the wall between us. I don't know if she was doing the same, but at least I kept my hand on the wall as I moved. She kept talking to me the whole time, probably to confirm I was still there. Sometimes she'd tell me to slow down. Every time she did, I just felt sorry for her.

Because I could see just fine.

I raised my dagger. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was giving off a soft glow like a lamp. I'd reinforced it with Radiant Polish before, so it naturally gained the light attribute. That was to be expected.

Srrrng.

It was a gentle white light. Not bright enough to blind, but more than enough for this.

That's when my eyes narrowed. A strange feeling hit me at that exact moment.

It was a disgusting, foul stench. At the same time, Kim Jeong-a spoke to me again.

But I couldn't answer her. Because right in front of me, a person was lying on the ground, bleeding out...!

I pulled my hand off the wall and rushed over to the man.

Up close, the amount of blood was horrifying. And when I checked his condition, I couldn't help but gasp. A massive hole had been punched through his chest—you could see straight through to his back. His heart was nowhere to be seen, obviously.

That's when Kim Jeong-a's voice rang out again.

She was desperately searching for me now that she couldn't sense my mana anymore. I spoke in a low voice.

"Someone's dead."

Right then, the lights came on in the labyrinth.

Flick!

I looked again at the man's corpse beneath the newly lit torches. It was a face I'd never seen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before today, but I definitely remembered him. He was a student from Class 2. Staring at the brutal hole punched through his chest, I bit my lip. What kind of lunatic would do something like this?

At that moment, a familiar narration sounded.

I stared at the translucent window floating before me. This time it was a sudden mission from 'Moving Answer Sheet.' Solve the murder in the labyrinth and deduce the culprit? What am I, a detective?

She really is a total mystery fanatic. But before that, I glanced behind me. It had gone quiet, so it seemed Kim Jeong-a had already moved somewhere else. She might be heading this way. In that case, I'd leave her be for now...

I turned my gaze back to the corpse. There was something I needed to check carefully. A huge hole had been torn through the chest where the name tag should have been, so I couldn't read his name. But there was one spot that kept drawing my eye. I activated my skill.

The dead student was from Class 2. At first, I wondered if Jo Min-hyuk from the same team might have done it. Just like how Im Yu-bin and I had fought, maybe Jo Min-hyuk and this guy had gotten into a brutal brawl. But I quickly changed my mind. It probably wasn't Jo Min-hyuk. Regardless of his personality, he specialized in blunt weapons. Precise cuts like this would be impossible for him.

Then was it an internal conflict? No, there was something even more suspicious. I shifted my gaze forward.

I walked over to where the bloody footprints appeared. That's right. There was one more person in this labyrinth besides the students.

I stared at where the footprints ended. The culprit behind this murder had to be right there.

*

Gong Chae-yeon from Class 2 was exploring the labyrinth without any trouble. She had a special 'skill' that could light up the darkness for her. That's when the girl next to her spoke up.

"Chae-yeon, look over there! It's the flag!"

Gong Chae-yeon's 'Eye of Light' followed the girl's pointing finger.

"Heh, you're right."

After confirming the flag, Gong Chae-yeon smiled. The girl cheered and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ran toward where the flag was planted.

"Hehe! We win again, right? The Class 1 kids aren't all that!"

Gong Chae-yeon wasn't the type to show her emotions easily, but even she looked happy this time.

"Hey, slow down!"

But at that moment, the girl suddenly collapsed with a thud. A male silhouette appeared behind her. Right then, the lights came on in the labyrinth.

Flick!

The instant the lights turned on, the man's face appeared huge right in front of her. Gong Chae-yeon screamed in terror.

But the man simply smiled and smacked her in the head.

Thwack!