Chapter 37: Labyrinth vs Human
Y784“Time loop, time leap, time slip. Ah, and lately they also use the term ‘regression.’ In any case, I think it’s possible. Any of it.”2lh3xsQ
shsMWhen someone who believes in strange conspiracy theories also holds a high social position, it stops being a problem that concerns only them.9Z2oQwa
nAFOWz“Labyrinths are, at their core, phenomena that distort space. Contact-type labyrinths work by passing through a rift into a space completely separate from Earth. And invasion-type labyrinths, well, you’re seeing them for yourself. If they can distort space like this, why couldn’t they distort time?”IdILtK
EioP02This was precisely the argument used by conspiracy theorists who believed labyrinths could enable travel back in time.NYnoQh0
bkgI had always thought it was an absurd escapist fantasy, closer to a religious belief than anything else.VSQEG
fFGlwMkBut the problem was…SiMyYjZ
WZWQHEven though nobody knew why or how labyrinths existed, they still physically existed in reality.Wb0Oi
9Q4Wxv3And that made the theory sound fairly convincing.xC6
lRCAnd the real problem was…R3xla
AiE4mnI was experiencing exactly that kind of phenomenon.yfF
fw8MWSo the truly strange people weren’t the conspiracy theorists.pyLlbN
TATIt was me.TdKfXa
EsUkrVE“One of the reasons our company helps labyrinth survivors is precisely because of that. Just in case there might be someone who has experienced temporal regression.”wn7
x7DYuwi Guild supported PTSD treatment programs for labyrinth survivors.E18Obn
ygmGFEven though the probability of dying in a contact-type labyrinth had become comparable to dying in a traffic accident, that didn’t mean psychological treatment could be approached in the same way.tjV
vnF“Because if someone like that exists, I want to be the first to know.”IvwMO
orw“Are you saying that’s the real purpose behind helping those people?”YlY
kvVgor“No? The existence of a hidden purpose doesn’t make the visible purpose false, Mr. Seon Yuhan.”wcF
jgVHe didn’t seem to be lying.1pIr
RfjAnd honestly, I had no intention of criticizing him.XQqXOm4
IgsSEhb“I sincerely want people to escape labyrinths not only physically, but mentally as well.”a70qK
hHBKLabyrinths are places that are difficult to escape completely.1r90
VcZYoo Hyunjae added that almost like a murmur.PpqX0A
L7Rv“Anyway, back to the subject. The interview question is little more than a personality test and a small joke. After all, someone who had truly experienced temporal regression wouldn’t come to such a trivial interview.”qPsAj
D9UlbCHe lacked imagination.h9NYrut
i5DgsSomeone could experience temporal regression precisely after attending such a trivial interview.8QXXyR
KUd“Director.”BzBkfkP
0u7i“Yes.”tove
puEp“Why do you really think something like that is possible?”rpAXuA
OaQWCrThe moment I asked directly, Yuwi Guild’s conspiracy-minded director widened his eyes as if he had never heard such a question before.9koz8z
Vkza“Then, Mr. Seon Yuhan. Isn’t there a moment you’d like to return to?”1Ql
1MuEgI was speechless.TUelAL
RoG“I see there is. We all have moments like that.”HXL
mcz5ecB“Then… if you found someone like that.”2YWyCqI
U9eNDrI tried to keep my voice from trembling.T9wV
AUxryXH“If you found a person who had gone back in time, what would you do?”keUVEhb
DaNQ2“I would have to experiment on them. There are too many things to verify.”4Gn2Uz1
ZS1MWThe owner of the Jaerae Building smiled faintly, like a figure shrouded in mist.ZZp
WqoM“Even if I had to lock them inside a labyrinth again.”tq6Cyl
sLm2BI stared at him.qcoN
3faBWAnd then I remembered a very famous meme.gfQsl
w9I0Question: What’s scarier, a labyrinth or a human being?Rvl
EZZAnswer: A human being trapped inside a labyrinth.dz5zDRz
jcD8***9uF
WVYvjsHe can’t find out. He can’t find out. He can’t find out. Ever.PzFT7WK
jqcUAfter that, I barely remember what we talked about.CD7bX9
aaaiMy head was completely occupied by a single thought:JB9
VgvFYoo Hyunjae must never discover that I had gone back in time.hJpWP
y3zx3I was trapped inside a labyrinth with a man who had just said he would lock a labyrinth survivor up again to experiment on them.RSNWf
4o4KqL0It was as though I hadn’t merely set the table to be devoured, but had personally shoveled a huge spoonful straight into the predator’s mouth.IXA
8hNIf he discovered me in here.KHmS
Q4vV8P8I might end up rotting in this place forever.NmBAWEQ
KpeO2oGI still thought he wasn’t a bad person.lCOw01
IYgIn fact, even now I still believed that.qfn5
M2ZC0nBut it was obvious that he had a few screws completely loose.rpd
I7wQeYou know.dkK
pxcYDThere are conspiracy theorists who are nice people.AATVR
xyDAaWho get along well with others.lx1
tdECThe problem is simply that they hold strange beliefs.D0JMO
hjnZbYw“I think we should try going down again. Is everyone feeling okay?”vGE
qXLIt was already past five in the afternoon.6Ep35ad
fX4sQK8Until now, even though the hallway had no electricity, sunlight came through the windows and it was only slightly dark.x9Rw04a
wjRUP7JBut once night began to fall, things would become much worse.ZprXsT0
ZgUo“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”3PAw3G
lQY“Jiho, what about you? Can you walk? Are you okay? Good, come on, get up.”r9B9G
LbM9AO“But this time the next floor will really appear, right? If the condition was delivering that photograph.”htZPthk
ruiPlease.wN6
PHjI hope so.AbXnwp
34b“It’s a shame the diary only contains information up to the fourteenth floor.”TarT
0oLn7qu“Yes.”YpbhAe
G17oGJlClank.i13C5
ltxUI answered naturally while opening the emergency exit door.egv
DXqnuyI probably shouldn’t keep using the diary so casually either.nMPBU
ZzkEvery time I went back in time, the shape of the letters became more distorted and drifted further away from my actual handwriting.q4qeol
ijanBut even so, the content itself could arouse Yoo Hyunjae’s suspicions.4xz34
w5L‘It seems to mean he’s not completely sure. For a labyrinth artifact, it almost feels as though it was written by a person.’0c865k
usEkzYVI remembered perfectly that he had said something like that.qt2F
HyPMaybe it would be better to completely eliminate the possibility of him suspecting the existence of a regressor somewhere inside this labyrinth.OMOi
ALFWjHAfter all, the only reason I started taking the diary out in front of the others was to record the scripts from Happyland.QXlu
RUIO6And now I already knew I didn’t need to write them down.2wlNXM
vbnMOI just had to keep choosing the option.kCq5Gv5
kiPYksa‘Be unhappy.’3uIYmT
yQntEven without the diary, getting through the fourteenth floor would only be a minor inconvenience.HRfj
PGCIt wasn’t actually difficult.QVAbY
jG0ClTyI would simply seem like someone with quick reflexes and disproportionate courage.udoyeg
e2MClank!AA99gtL
6x9ZPMiWhile organizing my thoughts, I opened the emergency exit door once again.DM4
TFZnk“Huh?”DGLILQ
ZnU0“Floor 11?”80BJhy
5i7“Did this place always look like this?”JfGM
jNIcAt last.cMLT
a0NdHWe had left the fourteenth floor.DgGdKr
Y2SPenVIt seemed my liver really had been used for something important.a50
HK6duBX**S4hW
38KT12. Keep the photograph that contains your happiest moment. The entity in the vacant office across from NeoSoft will accept it.MXod6
6grieK**5ys
6bqmo8MFloor 11.AuWzZZs
Jm21YR[Strategic Planning Department | Future Strategy Team | Budget Planning Team]9UTlJB
SMp1That was what the sign beside the elevator said.BKCN
1P5ceThe words “Strategic Planning Department” were written in slightly bolder letters.nvo
4DUf“Ah. On this eleventh floor, the Future Strategy Team and the Budget Planning Team were located on opposite sides.”rHANp
eChCAccording to the brief explanation from Yuwi Guild’s director, the Strategic Planning Department consisted of the Future Strategy Team, the Budget Planning Team, and the Planning & Public Relations Team.WRT
O1BcThe Planning & Public Relations Team was on the tenth floor.O6v
TPMTA“It’s changed a little.”haF3Lci
HlVldI“I don’t think this can be called just a little…”sVk8D
tvjkaThe Jaerae Building originally had a hollow square-shaped structure.6aZky3v
Mzu57“I take that back. It’s changed a lot.”Bwm
mWxJcHowever, the current eleventh floor looked more like an 工-shaped structure.z5Q80e
e9ROn this side was a straight hallway containing the elevator and emergency exit.NSqg9
iHPPK4There was a single corridor connecting this side to the other.JLR6EUu
5ikKjZQAnd on the opposite side, the Future Strategy Team and the Budget Planning Team, which would originally have faced each other, were now merged side by side.zrYac
cSkLCl“I wonder if the employees are safe…”gvc
e4XjCRnThe eleventh floor was eerily quiet.oI6Vx5
YYR7lrThere wasn’t the slightest sign of life coming from the offices on the other side.cnv4
BvW“What would happen if someone fell from here…?”geh3
s3JQbYWe crossed the new corridor that cut straight through the eleventh floor.Ol8c
7UbW“They’d probably die… or fall right back onto this same floor.”5yt
dPafJWhen I looked out the window from the fourteenth floor, I was sure this corridor hadn’t existed.QjV
FhLThough, considering labyrinths could distort space, it wasn’t that strange.1n7Ae
Xe7“What on earth is in there…?”1Ws
fZBYH92Since there was only one door, it seemed both teams in the Strategic Planning Department had been completely merged into a single office.HGEv
B75Uxa“I’ll open the door. Be careful.”dHTtE9
EPeSlide.tHT6XLj
fVw6gYDWhat appeared when the door opened was—CYyW
Wl9“Ah! Finally. The first guests.”G7Ay
2DZiyA scarlet cube.mB2l
ScVA cube larger than a human head.q6jNX
wbWoJMvIt looked as though it had been made from flesh, blood vessels, and mucus kneaded together like clay.GZRs
79sThe twisted folds writhing across its surface resembled both intestines and a brain.a7U
bd2NGThat mysterious cube floated in the air.QJyKv6
S6KkQ“I was so bored my eyes were about to fall out.”rWG2
Mms“Ugh…”UNL
P14f8“What the hell is that…?”I3LfO
fFvKIEyes were embedded into all six of its faces.gb5pf7
CKXyXjOne face had one.Cnfi
17eQdAnother had two.4ESbVS0
ln282Another had three.LPBpWqL
6OeqBKFour.aDrMsAu
siyFive.JQTLa
uhS8And six.kbg
NTFF“A die?”cdC3xW
dki“What an observant guest. Or are you simply quick to catch on?”8cEV
Lya5SWhoosh!1mN
ATsThe flesh die flew directly in front of me and began spinning in the air, displaying all of its faces.qWiw0
bQYztVBlink.DJ3BNN
8J5Of0Blink.16sG
gxfdVEach time one of those enormous eyes blinked, the reddish membrane surrounding it twitched slightly, and a wet sound could be heard as the eyelids touched the mucus.BQAk
nhbppF7As though all twenty-one eyes were singing in unison.P5wb27
jUFjDOWas it my imagination?mMYd
2tTxMIt was only for an instant.DWRs
WWkUkPBut I could have sworn it frowned while looking at me.yiJqbc
IoFjnW“Games of chance with someone like you are fun.”nup
ueSYErjThe voice speaking that unpleasant word was a beautiful androgynous voice that seemed to cling to one’s ankles like a shadow.K7UyD9J
DSs5bbOf course, it had no mouth.buD
t7jNor any throat.7FMC
FVqk“Betting! Gambling! Challenges! Gambling!”cHx
BamQSuddenly, the die began bouncing around while shouting as if it were singing.RZ3n
qBab6k8The veins covering its surface pulsed in rhythm with its voice.XHT
zKKIsLx“A contest where money, time, lives, and everything one possesses are wagered against an uncertain future! The reason for my existence!”dJbR
kE6JWas that why it had appeared precisely between the Future Strategy Team and the Budget Planning Team?gUv
KfkmEm“My name… yes. Call me Do.”IkhnO
visqIt was obvious he had just made that name up on the spot.aQc7
MWI“Good. Everyone, take a seat.”Rmko
a46kDo spun around a large white round table that could comfortably seat several people.pjzN3SK
H2qfzRW“Go ahead.”IjyTLzH
ugLM“I suppose we should sit down…”zoE
4nFq“M-maybe we should…?”WFT0cn
IlRTb0UThey say that if a dog spends three years at a school, it eventually learns poetry.aa5MH
vXb2RAnd it seems that if you survive three floors of a labyrinth, you eventually become obedient.Jim1
tbUI took a seat and quickly surveyed the surroundings.9mya
TsZkPcIThere didn’t appear to be any Yuwi Guild employees.QKN
OhYnjNot even corpses.75L
YLojxI had assumed we would find at least one or two people per floor.4C2uRz
81sBut it seemed some floors were completely empty.0bqx
0qRO“Hmmm.”Ssn
ELyn7Do floated around the five of us while blinking his fist-sized eyes.Y1I
2jbXYvyOne by one.vnICECZ
YD6VeAs though inspecting us.shfWCl
AoKSF“W-why… is it looking at us like that…?”uj4
Vk7IThe flesh die ignored Choi Jaeha’s pitiful protest and continued onward.jxI
ETcrJDdIt stopped in front of Jung Jiho, a child nearly three times its size.EgJpSvM
HcoIqcqJung Jiho squeezed his eyes shut and began trembling.D9cS
TU8hCJThen it moved on to Hwang Juyeon.ITb
uHmNcaShe met the creature’s gaze with a stiff expression for a few seconds before looking away.duz3
0anXThen Do flew again.r9S
TTaLlIAnd stopped in front of me.Yfr
NZ3“……”uX5w
WrmJ9Just as I thought.qGdUy
PKBuuFtIt wasn’t my imagination.NKYG4
ad5lThe bloodshot eyes trembled around their eyelids once more while looking at me.oEa
1rLyIt was literally the blink of an eye.zNB
x9rkoOnly an instant.mHQIYJX
nnFO2rThen it moved away.uiIzY
yVVFinally, Yoo Hyunjae tilted his head, apparently fascinated by a die that possessed nineteen more eyes than he did.3O6
obE“Excellent. I like it.”6Wf
50fpvDo remained floating there for a long while, savoring our reactions with all those eyes.vpmQC
5TlOnly then did he speak again.tIC
0WUqQTQ“This will be a very interesting competition.”JZH
lPUdFXj“A competition?”C7la
Dg9V2“That’s right.”QtQyf8s
ZmBThe scarlet die replied cheerfully.gqnar9
qSOzBEq“A competition between you and me. You may call it a game. Or a wager. Or a challenge. Or gambling. Any name will do.”l6H
Rdj3DHis voice sounded as though the mere idea filled him with happiness.ZKub
Vy0eZ“The competition will always be one-on-one. And it will take place in private.”FKElLjm
wb907aThen the red-eyed die made a declaration in a strangely seductive voice.MFFbf
yFv“To whoever defeats me…”fW4j
0UBN9“I will let them leave this place.”OaZ
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