novelraw Chapter 58 : Chapter 58
Chapter 58 : Chapter 58
Chapter 58: The First Mission (2)
“Sigh, I never thought things would turn out like this so suddenly.”
It was after I returned to the dormitory following the meeting with Cha Yu-na.
Watching the time as evening approached, I threw myself onto the bed and recalled the events of the day. Specifically, what happened after Cha Yu-na told us to back out if we were scared.
“I did not expect that level of reaction.”
The expressions the children showed immediately after hearing those words from Cha Yu-na were quite a sight. Even Kim Su-hyeok, who usually wore a bright smile as his default, hardened his expression and told Cha Yu-na that he would do it.
I knew they all had strong pride, but I never imagined it would be to that extent.
‘Then again, I suppose it is only natural.’
Glory’s prestige was recognized everywhere in the world, even if it seemed a bit messy lately. In short, most of the cadets here were individuals who had been remarkably successful somewhere else.
The middle-ranked cadets would surely compete for first or second place if they went to other academies, and those in the upper ranks would certainly be able to debut as active players immediately after receiving a certain amount of education.
When I thought about Kim Su-hyeok and Ryu Jin-oh, who remained the immovable first and second ranks even within such a Glory, along with Oh Jin-eon in the upper ranks and Do Gang-ho, whose grit was second to none, it occurred to me that their reactions might have been obvious.
“Still, Do Gang-ho is a bit….”
After hearing Cha Yu-na speak, Do Gang-ho’s eyes shone as he said he would do whatever he was told if it meant he could become stronger. That felt a bit excessive. To my eyes, he looked as if he was ready to sell his soul to a devil.
I wondered what he would do if he ended up signing a slave contract or something similar. If he ever mentioned signing a contract later, I felt like I should follow him with the heart of a mother.
“But that aside, the mission is the real problem….”
As my idle thoughts reached their end, worries about the actual problem assigned to me began to creep back into my mind. Naturally, the concern was about the mission. There were plenty of reasons why I was frowning and saying such things.
“To think we would be split up for the missions.”
When the mission was first mentioned, I naturally assumed all five of us would do it together. In the first place, she had gathered all five of us, so was it not common to think that way?
However, the mission Cha Yu-na assigned to us shattered all those expectations.
“I never thought I would be going on a mission with only Ryu Jin-oh.”
And it was not just any mission. Unlike the other three, who received the standard mission of Gate clearing, the mission Ryu Jin-oh and I received was a special mission. It was nothing less than Villain Hunting.
“Damn, my head still aches just thinking about it.”
I still remember what Cha Yu-na said. While assigning the Gate missions to the other three, she used plausible words to separate Ryu Jin-oh and me for the special mission.
She persuaded Ryu Jin-oh by bringing up the individual training conducted by the Ryu family. And for me, she used the fact that I had fought a villain during the first real combat training, forcing me into it under the guise of persuasion by saying I could do it since I had experience.
I did not know what kind of individual training the Ryu family conducted, but Ryu Jin-oh nodded and agreed to the mission. And I, too, could not contradict her words and refuse the mission.
The Sound Transmission she sent to me separately was full of her determination not to give me even a chance to argue. How could I refuse when she said things like, ‘I trust you are not such a fool that you would reject a table that has been set for you, especially when I have given you a chance to improve both your connections and your skills’?
In my opinion, if Cha Yu-na had not become the guildmaster of the Horizon Guild, she would have surely become a swindler who manipulated people with her words.
“…Still, thinking positively, it is a good opportunity.”
Although I grumbled because it felt like a mission fueled by personal emotions, the situation itself was indeed a good opportunity. First of all, if I went on a mission alone with Ryu Jin-oh, there would inevitably be a chance for us to talk.
If I played my cards right, we could at least develop into the kind of relationship where we greet each other casually.
“And Villain Hunting will surely be a great help to me as well.”
Recalling Cha Yu-na’s personality and her words, she would not have given us an easy Villain Hunting mission. However, she also would not have given a mission that was impossible at my level. In short, it meant that although I would suffer immensely, my skills would surely improve in the process.
‘Considering what lies ahead, I need to get more used to fighting people.’
The people I had faced so far were either those who were no match for me at my level or those who were below my level. Considering those points, this was a golden opportunity to push my practical combat abilities to the limit. No matter how much Cha Yu-na intended to tease me with this mission, it was an opportunity I had to take. After all, the person who is desperate is the one who has to yield.
“Furthermore, it is unlikely that a major problem will occur.”
She spoke as if she was trying to scare us by saying our skills would improve in life-threatening situations, but the reality would likely be different. Although Cha Yu-na did not say it explicitly, it was obvious that she had prepared her own safety measures. Even if she assigned a mission intended to push our limits, we were still cadets.
Moreover, it would be even stranger if there were no safety measures when the young master of the precious Ryu family was heading out. Therefore, I felt I could focus solely on increasing my skill without worrying that a hero might fall into danger. Of course, since there is always a "what if," I would still pay some attention.
“And if things go well, it could be an opportunity to use Ryu Jin-oh’s ability.”
Of course, I did not plan to act with that intention, but it was true that I was looking forward to it on one hand. Considering Ryu Jin-oh’s talent, it was certain that our compatibility would be good, and it was always exciting to be able to use the ability of a hero I admire.
“So, for now, the thing I must do is get a good night's sleep.”
Normally, it would be right to act after preparing something meticulously, but I could not do that even if I wanted to. Even if I wanted to make a plan, the only thing I knew about the mission was that it was Villain Hunting.
This was because of Cha Yu-na’s instruction to listen to the mission details in person at the designated location on the day of the mission. She said something about maintaining realism because one cannot always be prepared for a Villain Hunting mission. Therefore, rather than preparing something specific, it was a much better decision to simply sleep well and bring my condition to its peak.
“Yawn, then I should just head to sleep for now….”
It was still early evening, but I felt as if a slight drowsiness was slowly enveloping my body. Perhaps it was because I had not rested much recently, or maybe it was because thinking about tomorrow’s events made me feel even more tired.
And I slowly accepted that drowsiness and fatigue without pushing them away. With my eyelids gradually closing and my consciousness fading, I could only think of one thing. I hoped that tomorrow’s mission would be completed well without any major issues.
***
“We are looking for one rear-line dealer for a D-Rank Gate! Anyone who can also give commands is even more welcome!!”
“Many experiences with C-Rank Gates! We are looking for one person to join a party that already has a supporter! Rogues are politely declined!!”
It was early morning, even before the sun had fully risen. Arriving at the entrance of the Incheon Plains, which I had visited once before when I was blinded by A-Rank rewards, I shook off my lingering sleepiness and surveyed the surroundings.
“There really are a lot of people.”
There were many people when I came here before, but it was not to this extent. If it felt like being in a PC cafe on a weekend back then, it now felt like walking through an amusement park during a holiday period. There were literally several times more people than before.
‘Then again, this is normally how it is.’
It was just that I had more encounters with top-tier players because I attended Glory; in reality, this kind of sight was common. Most players belonged to small-to-medium guilds rather than large ones, or they operated without being part of any guild at all.
In short, they did not grow while receiving specific care; their livelihood was maintained only by working hard enough to make their feet sweat. Therefore, it was natural for there to be more people in the early morning like this.
‘Still, I am glad I could enter quickly, just like last time.’
When I first arrived here, I was worried that it might take several hours to get in, but fortunately, that did not happen. Unlike the livelihood players here, I came here strictly as a member of a large guild. And not just any large guild, but the Horizon Guild.
Thanks to that, as Cha Yu-na had told me, I mentioned the name of the Horizon Guild to the guard guarding the front, and I received an immediate free pass. It was a good opportunity to reconfirm the fact that the world runs on money and connections.
“Now I need to find the person, but where could they be?”
Feeling that any world is not much different, I once again reminded myself of the purpose of coming here today. According to Cha Yu-na, she was too famous, so she had selected one of the Horizon Guild members.
‘I can roughly guess the structure of the mission.’
The location is the Incheon Plains, also known as the Gate Forest, and a face that is too famous is not helpful for the mission. It was not that I knew a lot about Villain Hunting, but in this situation, it was not very difficult to figure out what kind of mission it was.
As I was thinking about the mission and slowly looking around, I saw him. Ryu Jin-oh was standing there, in a way that made it impossible to miss him. It was somewhat absurd to see him standing alone as if he were looking down on the world, but he was a fellow who suited that look perfectly.
‘Should I act like I know him or not?’
I hesitated because he was radiating an aura that practically screamed "do not approach," but I eventually decided to speak to Ryu Jin-oh. We had to do the mission together now, so if I could not even speak to him in this situation, how could we complete it together?
As I approached Ryu Jin-oh with that thought, he turned his head slowly toward me, as if he had confirmed my presence. Surprised by that, I forgot to think about how to greet him, and the words just popped out of my mouth.
“Oh, hello?”
“…….”
Ryu Jin-oh stared at me silently for a long time after hearing my somewhat pathetic greeting. During the heavy silence that lasted so long I almost wished he would just swear at me, Ryu Jin-oh finally opened his mouth and spoke to me. Of course, he did not say something normal like, ‘Yes, nice to see you.’
“Hmph. I do not know how you caught that person's eye and received his recognition.”
“…….”
“But do not make the mistake of thinking that I also recognize you. So, do not speak to me as if we are close.”
“Oh, uh….”
I had forgotten because I had only seen Ryu Jin-oh use formal speech recently, but this was how he originally felt. And I guessed that the "person" he was referring to was surely Shin Yu-hwan.
‘I do not know how I received his recognition either, man.’
I truly did not know. There was not a single reason I could think of why Shin Yu-hwan would take an interest in me.
‘Still, it is not bad for now.’
It was a fact that would horrify someone who did not know Ryu Jin-oh, but this level of reaction was actually not bad. If I were to interpret those words, it meant that if an opportunity to recognize me arose, I could speak to him as if we were close. So, to put it simply, it meant that Ryu Jin-oh had opened up the possibility of becoming friendly.
‘I am going to have to work like a dog.’
Of course, I had originally intended to participate diligently in this mission. However, it was true that a clear goal like "a definite chance to become friends with Ryu Jin-oh" was more motivating than a vague goal like "let's get stronger."
As I was nodding to myself, resolving to seize this opportunity and create a connection, I heard a voice.
“Oh! Here you are!”
A large man was walking toward us from a distance, looking exactly at us. It was obvious which organization that man with the rustic way of speaking and simple impression belonged to.
‘He is the person Cha Yu-na mentioned.’
A guild member from the Horizon Guild who would be moving with us for today's mission. I felt that the relaxed time had passed and the time to move in earnest had arrived.