Chapter 26

I took the kids to the cafe inside the Association building.

After ordering coffee, I told them everything from the beginning, step by step.

From the story of catching Wi Jeong-rak at the underpass, to the fact that JW’s Chairman Lee Jeong-hwan was targeting them.

“So if we join the Association.”

Choi Soo-jung asked cautiously.

I made my expression as gentle as possible and answered.

“You’ll be safe for now. But that’s not the only reason I told you to come.”

“Then?”

“It’s because I rate your potential highly.”

At my words, every single one of them furrowed their brows.

“Thanks for rating us highly. But even putting it nicely, we’re not exactly the type with high potential.”

“We’re all D-Ranks. Not our current Rank, our Potential Rank.”

“I’m a C-Rank.”

“Same difference.”

“Noonim. There’s an insurmountable wall between D and C.”

“And is that why Mr. High-and-Mighty Close-Range Dealer was crying his eyes out when Daehu rejected him?”

“Who was crying?”

The kids, who had been bickering for a moment, cautiously glanced at me.

“You still need us, even with all this?”

“I do.”

At the very least, their low Potential Ranks aren’t a problem for me.

Because the answer lies in the memories that flicker in and out of my mind.

-Everyone has a class that’s set for them. From the moment they’re born.

-You too?

-Everyone but me.

-What a guy. I’m jealous.

-If you want, I can raise your class too, Isaac.

-Is something like that possible?

-Well, I think I can make anyone capable of using Advanced Magic, at least.

The ‘class’ Ian spoke of was an Awakener’s Potential Rank.

He could raise it. As for the method I couldn’t remember exactly, I could just use Rewind.

However.

I wasn’t going to talk about that here and now.

Not because I didn’t trust these people, but because I was afraid they’d get needlessly greedy and, forgetting how precious their lives were, dive in like moths to a flame.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I spoke.

“But this isn’t a problem that can be decided by my greed alone. Think it over carefully.”

“It’ll be dangerous, right? If we join the Association.”

Kim Jeong-su asked with a grim face.

I nodded. And I told them without adding or subtracting anything.

“Much more so than entering a Dungeon.”

The kids suddenly fell into silence.

The first to speak was Choi Soo-jung.

“They say the Association cafe is famous for its tiramisu.”

“What?”

As I asked, bewildered, Choi Soo-jung took out her wallet and said.

“You need to eat something sweet for your brain to work properly. Kim Soo-gyeom.”

“Yep.”

Kim Soo-gyeom, who took the card, quickly went and bought a cake.

“It really is their signature menu. A whole cake costs 70,000 won.”

“You bought a whole cake, not a slice?”

“Ah, didn’t you tell me to buy a whole one?”

“…If I ever entrust my card to you again, I’m not human.”

Cackling that he had succeeded in his revenge, Kim Soo-gyeom stabbed the cake with a fork.

From then on, the atmosphere changed.

From the happy news that Team leader Kim Jeong-su had found a woman to marry, to Kim Soo-gyeom teasing Team leader Kim Jeong-su for being a prude, to Choi Soo-jung smacking the back of Kim Soo-gyeom’s head, and Lee Won-sik just smiling quietly beside them. In between all that, Kim Soo-gyeom even shoved a piece of the cake—which Choi Soo-jung had carefully wrapped up to take home—into his mouth.

At some point, I too forgot about the serious situation and started chuckling along. After we had been chatting like that for a while, suddenly.

Kim Soo-gyeom shot his hand up.

“I’ll do it. I’ll be an Association agent.”

His face became quite serious, unlike his usual self.

“When I left Ilseong, I thought about where to go, but nothing really appealed to me.”

“That’s not it, you just got rejected from every place you applied to.”

Despite Choi Soo-jung’s jab, Kim Soo-gyeom continued speaking, unfazed.

“I have no idea what you’d use a guy like me for, or why you even need me, but I’m going anyway. I got a strong feeling. That this is an opportunity. Just let me be your driver, if you want.”

He then muttered words like undercover, black ops agent, and so on. His face was so full of anticipation that I was about to say something.

Choi Soo-jung shot her hand up.

“Me too.”

I was so dumbfounded that I had to say something.

“You did think about this seriously, right?”

“Nope.”

“What?”

“Thinking seriously about things like this doesn’t give you an answer.”

“You can take your time. I’m not telling you to decide in a hurry.”

“And taking my time to decide won’t give me a better answer either. You’re not going to push us into a situation where we’d die, are you, Oppa?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Out here, it’s hard to find Dungeons, and it’s hard to get a job again. Being an Association employee would look cool on a business card. So I’ll join.”

“Me too.”

Lee Won-sik, who was next to them, chimed in.

“Since all the kids are going, I’ll just follow along.”

This was even worse than Choi Soo-jung.

“I don’t want to burden you by saying I trust you, Hyung. Just use me and throw me away whenever. You’ve earned that right, Hyung.”

And this was touching.

Anyway, why are everyone’s answers so lukewarm?

It was getting to the point where I felt wronged for creating such a determined atmosphere all by myself on the way here.

“I’m.”

“Team leader, you shouldn’t join.”

I shook my head firmly.

Just as I expected, Kim Jeong-su frowned.

“Why not me! I can do well too! My driving experience alone is longer than Im Seong-joon’s…!”

“Someone who’s getting married doesn’t belong here. Just open a bakery.”

“Damn it, thanks. To be honest, I was a little scared.”

Everyone burst into laughter at Kim Jeong-su’s words. As the atmosphere loosened up, I also let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed that although I pretended not to, I had been hoping they would join quite a bit.

In any case, as long as the result is good, that’s all that matters, right?

As I was thinking to myself, Kim Soo-gyeom tilted his head.

“But aren’t we counting our chickens before they hatch? Will the Association even accept us?”

“No.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong stared at me like I was a madman.

“This guy gets more unpredictable by the day. What? You’re bringing who?”

“When I was at Ilseong, they were on the same team…”

“Did you take a bribe or something?”

“No.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes. I’ve never taken anything like that.”

“Right, I heard you even go Dutch when you have a single drink. Fine. I can believe that.”

It was the first time my bribe-free past had ever helped me.

Looking ahead, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong was resting his chin on his hand, looking me up and down.

It was a look I hadn’t seen in a long time.

Exactly the kind of face one makes when looking at a troublesome guy.

“Alright, let’s say you didn’t take anything. What’s it about? What, do you feel sorry for them?”

“No.”

“Then what is it? What’s got you so fixated on bringing them in?”

“I have a good feeling about them.”

“Get rid of that feeling.”

“In my eyes, they have potential.”

“I think you need to get your eyes washed.”

“I want to recruit them for my team.”

“Team? Your team?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s expression soured even more than before.

“You’re making a team?”

“I heard the requirement is met from 4th rank…”

“It is. It is. But I’m so dumbfounded, I can’t seem to find the words.”

Good that he can’t find the words.

At times like this, I have to be shameless. Let’s push forward.

“Are you giving me your permission?”

He shook his head as if to say, ‘not a chance.’

“Making a team, well, that’s your freedom, so fine. Not that there’ll be anyone willing to work under you. But not these kids.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong pushed the profiles of the kids I brought far away.

“They’re all currently D-Rank, and their Potential Ranks are D-Rank too.”

“One of them is C-Rank.”

“Same difference.”

If Kim Soo-gyeom heard that, he would have thrown a fit.

“What in the world am I supposed to do with these? Do you think being an Association agent is a joke? Or do you want to wear an armband and play boss?”

I silently took the barrage of insults, then counterattacked.

“Didn’t you say you would trust me until I fall?”

“That has its limits. This is a no. Absolutely not.”

Of course, it didn’t work.

Then, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong spoke in a suggestive tone.

“Alright. There is one way.”

“What is it?”

“If you beat Jung Hye-in at the initiation ceremony tomorrow, I’ll allow it.”

“I’ll give up on bringing them in.”

“That’s more like it.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong nodded and asked casually.

“By the way, you’re not really an S-Rank, are you? You’re not C-Rank, right? You’re S-Rank, right?”

For some reason, his face was filled with so much anticipation that it felt very unsettling.

“My Status Window Rank is F-Rank.”

“And your real Rank?”

“Between C-Rank and B-Rank. I’ll probably become B-Rank soon, though.”

His face crumpled.

“How did you hide it until now? You should have revealed you were B-Rank from the start.”

“I haven’t particularly hidden it.”

“What do you mean you haven’t hidden it? Then, are you saying you suddenly developed superpowers one day or something?”

That’s exactly it.

But I didn’t think Head of department Kim Yoon-joong would believe me even if I said that.

I wouldn’t either, if I were him.

A guy who was F-Rank yesterday says he’s C-Rank today, and that he’ll be B-Rank tomorrow. Anyone who believed that would be the crazy one.

Compared to that, it’s more plausible that a guy who was B-Rank from the start was hiding his power.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong grumbled.

“Damn it, whatever it is, it means my 100,000 won is gone for sure. I thought you were at least an S-Rank, the way you were acting all high and mighty.”

So it was about 100,000 won?

Even so, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong couldn’t seem to give up and glanced at me suggestively.

Given everything I’d done so far, he was testing the waters. Asking if I was really an S-Rank.

I shook my head slightly. And said.

“The debt you owe me, I’ll use it now.”

Kim Yoon-joong’s face brightened up instantly.

“Right, you punk. You’re maintaining your mysterious image well right now, so the initiation ceremony is a bit much, right? It’d be embarrassing to have your skills revealed too. Good. I’ll call it off…”

“No. I mean I’ll use it to bring in the Ilseong kids.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s face soured again. This time, much more than before.

Then, with a rather serious expression, he gestured at me with his chin.

“What’s the reason? Not stuff like feelings or potential. The real reason.”

“Because they’re people I can trust.”

I said it without a hint of hesitation.

It was unexpected. I didn’t think this answer would work. Head of department Kim Yoon-joong, with a breathless expression, fell into thought.

After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and said.

“There are quite a few people in the Association who dislike you right now.”

“For running my mouth and getting involved.”

“In terms of ratio, about three out of ten people.”

“……”

“You’re not a ‘true-bone’ elite like Seong Yo-han or Jung Hye-in. Nor are you a ‘true-bone’ who got in by taking the exam. But still, since you resolved the Ilseong incident, the atmosphere is to look upon you favorably. For now.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong emphasized the words ‘for now.’

Then he brought the profiles he had pushed far away back to the front and tapped them.

“But if you bring these kids in, the story changes. Those three people will increase to seven. Are you still okay with that?”

“I’m prepared for that much.”

“It won’t be as pleasant as you think.”

“I’m used to being an outcast. Me, and them too.”

“Is that something to be proud of?”

I didn’t say I was proud. I said I was used to it.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong massaged his temples.

“Damn it. An F-Rank Team leader and D-Rank team members. This is driving me crazy. Since when did the Association become like this?”

“In the end, you’ll be pleased with them, Head of department.”

“Like hell I will.”

I casually tested the waters with him as he muttered something.

“If I make them to your liking, Head of department.”

“If you do, what, you punk.”

“The debt you took on, can I put it back on my tab?”

“What?”

“It’s a bit of a waste to use up a debt on kids who are good enough to please you, Head of department. I’m bringing in valuable talent, after all.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s face contorted.

He stared at me with a thoughtful expression, then suddenly opened the kids’ profiles again. Then he began to examine them carefully from the beginning.

A short while later, he slowly shook his head with a confused look.

“No matter how I look, I can’t see it. I can’t see anything.”

“I can see it.”

“I told you to take those eyes out and wash them.”

He let out a deep sigh.

“You probably don’t know this. But I have high standards. Do you know how strict my criteria are when picking agents?”

“I’m confident.”

“I just hope your confidence works out this time, too.”

“I’ll take that as your permission.”

“They have to be to my liking. The standard is me. Not you.”

“Yes.”

“Tsk. Stop tormenting your poor Head of department and get out, you punk.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong waved his hand with a fed-up expression.

But I still had more to say.

It’s a bit awkward to say this at this timing, but.

“I have something to tell you.”

“What now!”

Kim Yoon-joong freaked out and covered his ears.

“I’m not listening, so get out!”

I ignored him and spoke.

“About the initiation ceremony. Please postpone it just a little.”

“What did you say, you bastard? You want to get out of the initiation ceremony in this situation?”

“I’m not saying I won’t do it. It’s just, I think I need a little time.”

He let out a groaning sound.

“She’s going to Jeju Island in a week. Even if I postpone it, it’s only for two days.”

“That’s enough.”

“Tell me what kind of trouble you’re going to cause in advance this time!”

“No. It’s nothing special.”

Whoever comes looking.

I plan to settle things with Chairman Lee Jeong-hwan within that time.

The point when I had absorbed all the Elixir Wi Jeong-rak gave me, used Rewind to look through Ian’s memories, and completely cured Yujah’s Mana Disease.

Around then, I got a message.

-Chairman Lee Jeong-hwan, he came to the Association looking for you. Right now.

I’m on my way.

I sent a reply and stood up.

It was time to collect my due.