Chapter 12

Choi Soo-jung closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them.

Then she asks me.

“It’s been a little over eight hours since we came in. What should we do?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Ah, right. What should we do, Team leader.”

“Well. What do you think, Gi-woong.”

Team leader Kim Jeong-su, having been asked the question, looks back at me.

“It will definitely look strange if we leave now.”

“Right? Then should we rest here for today?”

“Why are you asking me…?”

“I thought it would be best to ask you.”

Ah, I see.

“Shall we call it a day and rest?”

I continued, maintaining a shameless expression.

“Everyone seems to be in good condition today. It’s nice that we’re progressing so quickly.”

“Condition, my ass.”

“Pardon?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t sound like nothing. Please, tell me.”

“It’s nothing. Who am I to say anything.”

“Understood. Then please rest.”

As I said that, Team leader Kim Jeong-su’s face turned dumbfounded.

After a moment, as if he couldn’t hold it in any longer, he shouted.

“Isn’t this taking it too far?”

“What’s wrong now?”

“Just a moment ago, I really thought we had all reawakened or something. Kim Soo-gyeom suddenly became a Sword God, and Lee Won-sik was a veritable Iron Wall. Not to mention Soo-jung and me.”

Ah, so that’s what this was about.

In times like these, a shameless attitude is important.

“I guess our bodies were well warmed up. You must have all stretched diligently.”

“If we get warmed up twice, we’ll be entering an A-Rank Dungeon.”

“My buffs played a part, too.”

“It wasn’t just ‘a part,’ without it we’d be corpses by now. And what kind of F-Rank Hunter uses over ten skills? What’s with the Elemental Magic, Mental Magic, and also…”

“Buff Magic.”

“Right! They were already good, but now there are even better buffs all of a sudden!”

A sense of disappointment appeared on their faces.

“A little while ago, I was scared to death thinking you were really going to die, but I’m the only idiot who was fooled.”

Team leader Kim Jeong-su grumbled.

I fully understand why he’s acting like that, and a bitter taste fills my mouth.

Just as I was thinking about how to explain it away and about to open my mouth.

“Don’t worry. We won’t ask anything.”

“What?”

“We’ll keep quiet. We have that much sense. Well, you must have a reason to hide it.”

At Choi Soo-jung’s words, the excuse I had been working so hard to come up with vanished like a soap bubble.

“We actually talked amongst ourselves while you were resting, Hyung. We agreed not to say a single word even when we get back to the company.”

Lee Won-sik chimed in from the side.

At that, even the pouting Team leader Kim Jeong-su sighed and said.

“Still, you should have at least given us a hint, you punk. Do you know how scared I was earlier?”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t find the right time to say anything.”

When I apologized with an awkward smile, Team leader Kim Jeong-su snickered.

“Forget it. It’s not like we get to do a D-Rank Dungeon Raid every day. We should be the ones thanking you.”

Just as the atmosphere was getting warm and fuzzy, Kim Soo-gyeom spoke with a serious face.

“I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Thinking?”

“So, Hyung, you’re like a black ops agent for the National Intelligence Service. You’re hiding your identity and infiltrating Ilseong to… Ah! Why’d you hit me!”

“You, be quiet, you punk. And stop watching weird dramas.”

The warm and fuzzy atmosphere instantly turned into a sea of laughter.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

If the atmosphere is like this, then joining Ilseong might not be so bad.

The Boss Monster of the D-Rank Orc Dungeon is an Orc named Centurion.

It’s a creature twice as large, faster, and stronger than a Warrior Orc.

In other words, the risk is too great to leave it to the other team members.

So that thing was my responsibility.

“Everyone, get back.”

I said, stepping forward.

“Chwii-reuk!”

The creature snorted. As if to say, ‘You impudent bastard.’

Then, it started running toward me.

It was incomparably faster than a Warrior-class Orc.

Though it didn’t matter.

[Restraint]

[Binding]

The effect of even Beginner Magic varies greatly depending on who casts it.

The creature’s charging body tilted forward.

“Chwii-reuk?”

Just as a look of bewilderment appeared on its face.

[Severing Wind]

A single crescent of wind flew out and snapped the creature’s neck.

Snip-

That was the end of it.

The team members, who had been watching me with bated breath, fell silent.

The way they looked at me became even stranger.

What’s with them?

Severing Wind is Intermediate Magic, so my Mana is so low I could die.

Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now.

The Dungeon will collapse in five minutes. There was something to do before then.

I spoke hurriedly.

“Everyone, take off your gear!”

“What?”

“Hurry!”

Though bewildered, the others quickly began to take off their equipment one by one.

As soon as I received the gear, I pounded on them with a fist that had been layered with Strength Enhancement several times.

Kwang! Kwaang! Kwang!

The gear, which had looked brand new, began to crack one by one.

After damaging the equipment to some extent, I immediately smeared the Orc’s green blood all over my body.

“Wh-what are you doing right now?”

“It’ll look suspicious if we leave looking too unscathed. You guys hurry up and smear some on, too.”

Only then did they realize what I was doing and hurriedly joined in.

A short while later, when we emerged looking like beggars.

The one greeting us was Team leader Choi Hyeong-woo.

“The gear? The gear I lent you. Where is it!”

I spoke with a genuinely apologetic expression.

“Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how many times our lives were saved thanks to the gear you lent us.”

Then I handed over the junked items.

Choi Hyeong-woo’s face soured.

A C-Rank Dungeon attack squad’s Team leader.

That was my current assessment of my own level.

But this was just my current state.

The Mana Heart, even at this very moment, is writhing and sucking in Mana.

Soon, I’ll be able to use Intermediate Magic with ease…

-Regarding this, Ilseong has stated that it is greatly disappointed in the Association’s administrative capabilities.

A serious voice came from the radio.

-Ilseong has shown a strong stance, stating that it will leave the Association’s hands and take measures for self-sufficiency.

My excited heart sank in an instant.

Ilseong’s intention was clear.

Independence from the Association.

“This is out of my hands now.”

The first thing that came to mind was my bet with the Association President.

“Tsk.”

Now that the matter had grown this large, there was a high chance the bet would be nullified.

In that case, the card I could hold instead was…

As I was thinking that, I stepped into the now-familiar Ilseong lobby.

“Excuse me.”

As I was about to pass, someone grabbed my arm.

“You’re Mr. Choi Gi-woong, right?”

“I am, but who are you…?”

“What a coincidence. To run into you in the lobby. Haha.”

The man laughed awkwardly.

Are the reporters still tailing me?

Those persistent bastards.

Just as I narrowed my eyes and was about to tell him to get lost.

“We have to enter a C-Rank Dungeon soon. Could you please help us pick which one to go to?”

A ridiculous question flew at me.

“Pardon?”

“We have to enter a C-Rank Dungeon soon…”

“No. I heard you, but why are you asking me…?”

“Ah. I’m late with my introduction. I’m Kim Hyeon-woo, the Team leader of C-Team.”

The good-naturedly smiling man spoke quickly, not giving me a chance to answer.

“I heard you’re very good at setting the direction for a Raid. Since we’ll be eating from the same pot soon anyway, I thought it would be good to get acquainted beforehand.”

“……”

I stood still, utterly dumbfounded.

It’s been a while since I’ve had an experience where I didn’t know how to respond.

As I was listening to his bewildering words, another man started striding toward me.

“Mr. Choi Gi-woong! Hello. I’m Park Yeong-seok, a C-Rank Team leader. Could you possibly take a look at the training program I’ve put together?”

What’s this now?

“Yeong-seok Hyung. There’s an order to things. What do you think you’re doing? I’ve been waiting here for three hours.”

The man who had approached first scowled and shot back.

“Order? If we’re going by that, I’ve been here since last week…”

The C-Rank Team leader who arrived late didn’t back down either.

Even then, I was still racking my brain trying to grasp the situation.

I think I have a rough idea of why this is happening.

The news that we cleared a D-Rank Dungeon two days ago must have spread.

Even so, it’s a bit bewildering to be approached like this out of the blue.

Especially by people who, until recently, looked at me as if I were an enemy who had sold out the country.

Then, the Head of the Main Office’s words suddenly came to mind.

He had said that being able to make a Hunter grow so quickly in such a short period was an incredible ability.

Thinking of it that way, it started to make some sense.

While I was thinking, the number of people gathering to see what was going on gradually increased.

If I stayed like this, I felt I would have to say something, so I made a vague excuse and got away.

When I finally arrived at the shabby office.

A man in a suit was waiting for me.

“Mr. Choi Gi-woong. The Head of the Main Office is summoning you.”

“How did you do it?”

The wrinkles on the Head of the Main Office’s face smoothed out. It was a genuinely surprised expression.

But to my eyes, the ring and necklace he was wearing stood out more than his expression.

Why are those bothering me right now?

The Head of the Main Office, noticing my gaze, grinned.

“They’re items the Lizard Queen left behind when she died.”

The Lizard Queen was the Boss Monster of the S-Rank Dungeon that Im Seong-joon had raided.

So, those items were something of a memento of Im Seong-joon.

“They’re half-useless now because they’re sealed.”

“Sealed… you say.”

“I heard that Monsters who mainly use magic do this kind of thing. Tsk.”

So that’s why it was bothering me. I thought I smelled a familiar magic formula.

“Hey, if you know anyone who can undo a Seal, introduce them to me. Even S-Rank Mages who’ve studied abroad said they couldn’t undo this.”

He let out a hearty laugh.

I laughed along with him, quickly memorizing the magic formulas on the ring and necklace.

I couldn’t dismantle it right away, but just in case.

At that point, the Head of the Main Office returned to the original topic.

“Anyway, how did you clear the Dungeon? It’s beyond my comprehension.”

“Thank you.”

“So you have no intention of telling me. That’s fine. We can get to know each other slowly.”

The Head of the Main Office nodded and clicked his tongue.

“But why did you follow them in there? Wasn’t this bet about whether Kim Jeong-su’s team could clear the D-Rank Dungeon or not?”

He then reprimanded Park Cheol-hyeong, who was next to him.

“Why did you allow that?”

“I apologize.”

Park Cheol-hyeong bowed his head soullessly.

So he’s coming at it like this.

I expected it, but this is a bit blatant.

“I was under the impression that you also gave your permission, Head of the Main Office.”

“Did I? I’m getting old, so my memory isn’t what it used to be.”

The Head of the Main Office waved his hand as if annoyed.

“The bet is off.”

Right. I didn’t expect anything from this.

Instead, I brought up the proposal I had been thinking of on my way here.

“If I were to join Ilseong. Could you help Head of department Han Seung-hoon get reinstated at the Association…”

“That’s a bit difficult. I’d have to give the Association something for that. I don’t want to do that.”

So that’s a no.

“Then please let me join Kim Jeong-su’s current team…”

“That’s a bit difficult too. I’m not recruiting you just to stick you in a place like that.”

“If you can’t do this and you can’t do that, it’s a bit hard for me to accept.”

I heard a snort from the side.

It was Park Cheol-hyeong.

“In your position, you should be bowing in gratitude, and you’re saying what? Difficult?”

I ignored Park Cheol-hyeong and looked straight ahead again.

“Do you think so too, Head of the Main Office?”

“Hmm. I am curious about your abilities. But didn’t I say it last time? I don’t covet them enough to grant your every wish.”

“……”

“So, what’s your answer?”

The Head of the Main Office leaned his head toward me.

“I think I need… some time to think.”

“That sounds like a refusal to me.”

“It could be.”

“I’ve learned through life that sometimes the stick is more necessary than the carrot. That’s usually the case with kids who don’t bring up money.”

The Head of the Main Office smiled once more.

“Was Han Seung-hoon a Non-Awakener?”

“I thought we were here to have a conversation, but you’re threatening me.”

The pendulum that had been slowly moving just tilted completely.

I thought I would be angry, but strangely, my head felt crystal clear.

“I’d like to give you a final chance as well. Of the proposals I made, is there really nothing you can grant me?”

Park Cheol-hyeong let out a deflating sound.

“This guy is hilarious. There’s a limit to playing hard to get. What can you do in your position? A final chance? A proposal?”

This time, even the Head of the Main Office’s expression hardened noticeably.

“I see now you’re a punk who doesn’t know his place. Let’s pretend I never said anything about you working under me. I have no need for a dog that bites its master.”

At that point, I stood up from my seat.

“Did you know? That Lizards are a lesser version of Dragons.”

“?”

“I’ll be going now.”

“Do as you please.”

The Head of the Main Office nodded, his face devoid of interest.

Let’s see how long that expression lasts.