novelraw Chapter 60 : Chapter 60
Chapter 60 : Chapter 60
Chapter 60: The First Mission (4)
Around the time Choi Yu-seong and Ryu Jin-oh’s group was moving in earnest, busy days were continuing on the other side as well.
“Jin-eon! I will leave the right to you!”
“Understood!”
“Gang-ho, focus on the ones approaching from the rear!”
“Got it! That is easy enough!”
Kim Su-hyeok’s group had entered a C-Rank Gate under the guidance of Cha Yu-na. As soon as they entered the Gate, they were immediately thrust into combat due to a swarm of monsters.
Fortunately, no unfortunate incidents occurred despite the sudden battle. This was because they carried out the combat without difficulty, centered around Kim Su-hyeok, who had grown tremendously compared to before. Kim Su-hyeok took charge of the front and the left, where the most monsters were swarming, while assigning the right to Oh Jin-eon and the rear to Do Gang-ho.
One might say it was a reckless judgment for a first-year cadet to make, but the story was different if that person was Kim Su-hyeok.
SLASH!
BOOM!
Faced with an endless swarm of monsters, Kim Su-hyeok cut them down in a fluid motion without showing a single hint of panic. His appearance was more than enough to call him the protagonist of a world. If one were to compare his current self with the clumsy appearance he showed during the first joint training, they might believe he was a different person entirely.
After some time had passed, Kim Su-hyeok’s group finally finished off all the monsters. Thanks to that, Kim Su-hyeok and the other two were able to catch their breath for a moment as they confirmed the end of the grueling battle.
“…….”
No matter how well they fought without panicking, they were still seventeen-year-old cadets. Normally, various conversations would be exchanged, but perhaps because the battle had been quite a struggle, everyone remained silent and took a quiet rest. It was then that Cha Yu-na spoke first in the silence.
“Everyone did a great job. Especially Cadet Su-hyeok; you performed so well that one would not even notice if you were mixed in among active players right now.”
Cha Yu-na, after closely observing the cadets' combat performance, first offered praise toward Kim Su-hyeok. At her words, Kim Su-hyeok spoke with an awkward smile.
“Ahaha… Thank you.”
“Not at all. I am simply stating the facts as I saw them. And the other two were not bad either. First, Cadet Gang-ho.”
Do Gang-ho, who had been catching his breath, snapped into a proper posture at Cha Yu-na’s call and focused on her words.
“Yes.”
“It was quite surprising that you were able to do that much with only a D-Rank talent. You have been consistently training your body, have you not?”
“Yes. I thought that training was the only answer for me.”
“Hehe, that is a good attitude. And I especially liked how you fought aggressively without showing fear. It might be dangerous at times, but since you have good friends, it should be fine.”
As she spoke, Cha Yu-na gave a bright smile toward Do Gang-ho. Do Gang-ho looked slightly pleased as he opened his mouth to respond.
“Yes. I will take your words to heart.”
“Right, right. Keep working hard in the future.”
It might have seemed like she was giving light, flattering praise, but that was not the case at all. Cha Yu-na was never a person who made things up.
‘If effort itself is a talent, that phrase surely exists for that boy.’
The performance Do Gang-ho showed was truly impressive. To fulfill his role as well as the others in a C-Rank Gate despite having a D-Rank talent… this was something that was truly impossible without an extraordinary amount of effort.
‘I cannot even imagine how much grit and tenacity he must have lived with.’
Among the active players, there are some who say that talent is merely a side note and that one’s actual skill is what matters. However, she had never seen a single person among them whose talent was actually poor. This meant that whether a talent is outstanding or not is a very important measure.
Yet, this cadet standing before her had only a single D-Rank talent. It was not as if he had multiple D-Rank talents; he had only one. Since there is even a saying that it is much better not to walk the path of a player if one possesses only talents at D-Rank or below, one can imagine how difficult it must be.
Someone might call Do Gang-ho’s actions a lingering attachment, but she wanted to give him nothing but praise.
‘With that kind of grit and effort, he might reach the top someday.’
She felt that his combat sense itself was much better than most others. Of course, even so, he would suffer twice as much and find things twice as difficult as others. It was essentially the same as starting without something that everyone else begins with. In the first place, the speed of a car and the speed of a person running cannot be the same.
However, she felt that this child might somehow reach it—no, she was certain he would. If it were this child, who runs consistently even while the car stops at a rest area to take a break.
‘I think I finally understand why Yu-hwan said those things to me that day.’
You have a tendency to judge people too much by their outward appearance. That was what Shin Yu-hwan had said to her when they first discussed Cadet Yu-seong. She felt as though she finally realized the reason why he had said those words.
‘If I had only looked at the documents, I never would have known.’
If she had checked Do Gang-ho’s information only through documents, she surely would have scoffed and passed it over. His talent was D-Rank, and the comment would have likely ended at something like ‘shows signs of working hard.’ Seeing that, was it not certain that anyone, not just herself, would have lacked interest?
Thinking about it that way, she felt that it would be good to check things with her own eyes once in a while. Though she did not know if that would be possible, given that she lived a life buried in work. Cha Yu-na thought this as she finally turned her head toward Oh Jin-eon.
“Then, shall we talk about Cadet Jin-eon this time?”
“I look forward to your evaluation.”
“Even if you say that, I do not have much to give you. Hmm… Then, what should I start with?”
Cha Yu-na spoke as she pondered for a moment before continuing.
“First of all, overall, you were not bad. However, it would be more accurate to say it is difficult to call you good, either.”
“…….”
“Ah, what I mean to say is not that your combat skills are immature, but rather the part regarding your weapon proficiency.”
“…….”
“It is not that I know a lot about spears, so it is a bit difficult for me to say, but when I see Cadet Jin-eon using a spear, it looks very awkward.”
“I think I understand what you mean.”
“I am glad you understand. It would be better for you to go see Yu-hwan later. That fellow is truly amazing when it comes to using a spear, is he not?”
“Understood. I will be sure to visit him later.”
“Right. I will put in a word with Yu-hwan separately.”
With those words, Cha Yu-na finished her brief evaluation of the first battle and wore a pleasant smile. At first, she had been worried about whether the other two could perform their roles as well as Kim Su-hyeok, but once she saw them in action, she realized that such worries were meaningless. Kim Su-hyeok showed a performance that was several times more impressive than she had imagined, and the other two also did exceptionally well beyond her expectations.
She felt this was exactly why the current first-year class at Glory was called the Golden Generation. If these children were to come to the Horizon Guild later, the Horizon Guild would surely enter its own golden age.
‘It is practically a foregone conclusion, as it seems everyone else will follow in a line if I only succeed in bringing in that child, Choi Yu-seong.’
She felt that if she could just secure that boy, it would not be very difficult to persuade the other children. It was then, as Cha Yu-na was mentally painting a happy picture of the future.
“Excuse me….”
Kim Su-hyeok spoke to Cha Yu-na with a voice that sounded slightly hesitant. At that, Cha Yu-na wondered what was the matter and replied with a kind voice.
“What is it?”
“Um… will Yu-seong and Jin-oh be alright?”
“Hmm?”
“I do not believe that you, Cha Yu-na, would have sent them without any measures, but to be honest, I am a bit anxious.”
“Ah.”
At first, she thought his expression was bad because he was anxious about being in a C-Rank Gate, but it was for that reason. Cha Yu-na could not help but smile warmly at Kim Su-hyeok’s concern.
‘He truly is a child with a kind heart.’
He was a rare kind of child in today’s world. Honestly, how many people would engage in player activities while thinking only of their comrades and a sense of justice without greed? Furthermore, since he was not just dreaming a vague dream but also possessed the skills to match it, how could she not wear a satisfied smile?
Therefore, Cha Yu-na answered Kim Su-hyeok’s question with all her heart.
“You do not have to worry. Those two will do well, and the guild member I sent with them is also quite a capable fellow.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. He is someone who ranks in the top ten in terms of skill even within our guild, you know?”
Of course, since he looks a bit… just a bit old-featured, we cannot use him as the guild’s star face. Swallowing those unspoken words, Cha Yu-na soothed Kim Su-hyeok’s anxious heart.
“So there is no need to worry much. In the first place, I did not give them a mission that they could not complete.”
“I see. I am sorry for asking something unnecessary. I just kept thinking about it, and it seemed like I could not focus well….”
“Hehe. It is fine. If I were in your position and a close friend had taken on such a mission, I would have been anxious too.”
The problem was that her own close friend did not care at all about her worrying. She did not know Choi Yu-seong well since she had not seen him for long, but she felt that he might be that type of person as well. If Shin Yu-hwan spoke of him that way, it was likely accurate. He might seem mindless because he always goes around laughing, but in reality, he is a fellow with quite deep thoughts.
“In that sense, it seems like you two have met quite well….”
“What did you just say?”
“Ah. It is nothing. I just thought that you and Cadet Yu-seong would make quite a good pair of partners.”
“Ahahaha… Thank you for saying that.”
Kim Su-hyeok laughed shyly at Cha Yu-na’s words. However, this was also not said simply to change the subject. She truly felt that Choi Yu-seong and Kim Su-hyeok would become a pair of partners who suited each other very well.
‘No matter how I look at it, the compatibility is good.’
It is good to have a strong sense of justice, but unfortunately, this world is not a beautiful place where things work out based on justice alone. Surely, a day would come when he would be greatly hurt because of that sense of justice.
‘But that child, Choi Yu-seong, will be able to prevent that in advance.’
It was true that there were reckless aspects to him, but on the other hand, he was quite a scheming child. To put it a bit harshly, should she say he had a dark-hearted side? He was exactly the type of child who would boldly choose even a rough method if it proved beneficial. That kind of personality could certainly complement Kim Su-hyeok’s weaknesses.
‘And Kim Su-hyeok can complement Choi Yu-seong’s weaknesses.’
If one were to point out Choi Yu-seong’s weakness, it would likely be how he tries to push through with his reckless actions no matter what. In that regard, Kim Su-hyeok was certain to be a good deterrent. Given Kim Su-hyeok’s personality, he would likely never be able to stand by and watch a friend fall into danger.
‘Hehe. I do not know how the two of them became friends, but they really do suit each other.’
The two did not share many similarities. However, it was precisely for that reason that the compatibility felt even better. Since they were so different, they could complement each other’s weaknesses; was that not truly wonderful? It felt as if they reminded her of someone from the past.
‘Still, I hope the ending does not turn out like that person's.’
Things had not ended with a very good conclusion on that side. Cha Yu-na thought of this and spoke toward Kim Su-hyeok.
“So put your worries aside and focus on what you have to do. Those children are ones who will do well anywhere.”
“Yes! Understood!!”
Fortunately, Kim Su-hyeok replied with a much more energetic tone than before. At that, Cha Yu-na smiled brightly while internally thinking about Choi Yu-seong.
‘I wonder what kind of performance he is showing right about now.’
I am truly curious to see how a dark-hearted child will act against villains. However, Cha Yu-na did not openly show such curiosity. While it was true she was curious about the situation over there, her current role was to lead this group well. Yet, it was true that it was difficult to suppress the rising curiosity.
‘But for the sake of greater happiness, let us endure for now.’
They say that one should save the best for last, after all. Cha Yu-na thought this as she slowly moved along with Kim Su-hyeok’s group.