Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Night Training (1)
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“She’s a summoner named Kang Hwa-yeon.”
“Kang Hwa-yeon? Does that mean she’s good at enhancing?”
…Ah, um… There he goes again.
He used to freeze the chat with these kinds of terrible dad jokes on his streams, too…
I thought I was immune, but hearing one after so long is making my head spin a little.
Reacting would only encourage him, so I quickly schooled my expression.
“It’s not an enhancement ability, but it’s one I’ve been looking for.”
“What kind of ability? Ah, I can just look it up myself.”
Tae-soo quickly flipped through the survey papers he was holding.
“Found it. Her Trait is… Elsiapung?”
[Name: Kang Hwa-yeon
Age: 15
Occupation: Pyeonghwa Middle School Student (Year 2, Class 3)
Granted Trait: Elsiapung - Access to Elsiapung.
Hobbies: Elsia, Stargram, Shopping
Specialty: Being cute.]
“You don’t know about it, sir? It was a collaboration event with the social commerce platform Kupung.”
Even if he didn’t play Elsia, he must have used Kupung, which guaranteed next-day delivery if you ordered with their missile shipping.
“Never heard of it. What kind of collaboration was it?”
He genuinely seemed clueless.
It wasn’t a huge collaboration or anything. It was a common event where buying items on Kupung gave you various coupons for Elsia.
I gave him a summary, but it seemed Tae-soo had never participated in the event and didn’t know much about it.
“What does that have to do with the ability you’re looking for?”
“It might be an ability to bring items from the modern world, like Seol-hwa’s.”
If my memory served me right, you could buy things directly from Kupung through the Elsiapung channel within the game.
They advertised it with banners every time I went on Kupung.
I even remember asking a friend who used Kupung often to share some coupons with me.
“If what you’re saying is true, then I can’t back down either, can I?”
I wondered if I’d made a mistake by telling him, but his face was full of mischief.
“Haha, are you confident you can offer better terms than me, sir?”
“Well, that was… just a joke.”
“It’s not certain yet, and I doubt it’s a free-for-all ability like Seol-hwa’s, so I’m a bit hesitant. Besides, I don’t even have a guild.”
“Even so, if you’re interested, shouldn’t you at least have a meeting? Should I call her for you?”
“…Um, I haven’t decided yet.”
The reason I mentioned was true, but my biggest concern was that the summoner was a 15-year-old middle school girl.
Of course, I had no ill intentions, but I had no idea what she might think.
A guild like Tae-soo’s, with many other female members, would be fine, but I was on my own.
And the fact that she wrote ‘being cute’ as her specialty was also a bit dizzying.
If I had been a teacher, I would have worried less…
“What if another guild snatches her up while you’re hesitating? Just talk to her. An interview doesn’t mean you have to recruit her.”
“Understood. Please call her for me later, then.”
“Alright. Oh, speaking of which, is that…?”
The officers of the Golden Lion Guild were coming up the stairs, their faces etched with fatigue.
I had expected it to some degree, but it seemed the training hadn't been easy.
“Welcome back, Guild Master.”
“How did the meeting go?”
“Everyone agreed to sign the pledge. But why do you all look like that?”
“Don’t even ask. The 35th batch is the worst.”
“I’ve never seen summoners so disobedient and with such bad attitudes.”
“If I had my way, I’d just ditch the training and tell them to figure it out themselves.”
From Chil-seong to Mi-jeong, who had defended the summoners earlier, everyone shook their heads and voiced their complaints.
They said many of them slept even when told not to, and many others were just goofing off.
The ones who dozed off were told to stand in the back, but they just ended up chatting with others.
The moment they were told about the Summoner Shop, they logged in immediately.
One stood up, saying he had to use the restroom. When told to hold it for a bit, he retorted, “What, you want me to piss here?” and just walked out.
It was a total mess, seemingly worse than I had imagined.
This was a crucial training session about the world they would live in from now on, a world where their lives were on the line…
“Aren’t the summoners who were teachers helping with control? I even spoke to the principal separately.”
“The teachers spoke up, but the kids just ignored them.”
“Isn’t that because you told them at the very beginning that everyone is an equal summoner here?”
“I barely managed to stop myself from punching one of them.”
Everyone was brimming with complaints.
“I don’t think we can conduct this new summoner training the way we usually do. We tried to be nicer because they’re kids, but I think they’re starting to think our goodwill is their right.”
“Exactly. They were acting up since lunchtime. For the next session, we need to create a more intimidating atmosphere.”
“Right. It seems our disciplinary actions aren’t seen as such. If they don’t listen or disrupt the class, we should make an example out of a few of them, even if it’s just a light…”
Is he talking about hitting them?
For such words to come from the good-natured Chil-seong, the situation must have been truly serious.
“Vice-Master! Surely that’s going too far, isn’t it?”
Mi-jeong strongly objected.
“Can you say that after seeing the state they’re in? If words don’t work, you have to beat the lesson into them. That’s how we were all raised.”
It sounded a bit old-fashioned, but he wasn’t wrong.
If words don’t work, you learn through pain.
Besides, we weren’t doing this to harm them; we were trying to help.
Honestly, compared to the basic training I received in the Silver Wolf Guild, the Golden Lion Guild’s training was angelic.
Of course, the fact that they were minors was a special circumstance.
“No, that was for our generation. This might just create more resentment. They must be flustered after being suddenly dragged here…”
I understood Mi-jeong’s kind heart, but honestly, I wanted to side with Chil-seong this time.
Was there anyone here who wasn’t suddenly dragged into this?
“Mi-jeong, monsters and residents don’t care about those circumstances. If they don’t get proper training now, they won’t be able to adapt to this world and will all end up dead.”
“…”
Chil-seong’s factual statement left Mi-jeong speechless.
“You know I have two sons back home, right? One’s in college, the other is still in elementary school. If my youngest acted like those summoners, I’d say the same thing. Mindlessly coddling them isn’t what’s best for them.”
It felt a little cold, but it seemed Chil-seong’s concern for the summoners was not so different from Mi-jeong’s.
“Alright, that’s enough, everyone. It’s my fault for setting the training policy too leniently, so let’s drop it.”
“It’s not your fault, Guild Master.”
“That’s right. How is this your fault? Mi-jeong, I’m sorry. I got a little emotional…”
“I think I was also just feeling too sorry for the kids. I apologize.”
Thankfully, Tae-soo’s intervention quickly mediated the situation.
“No, it is. If we had been a bit rougher like the other guilds, today’s incident wouldn’t have happened. Chil-seong.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not fond of the idea of hitting them, but you have a point. From now on, instead of just making them stand, have them do squats or push-ups.”
The mediation was good, but… would that light of a punishment really make them listen?
A few other officers also wore expressions of slight concern.
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Ah, yes. My apologies for showing you such an unsightly scene.”
“Not at all. It’s because you all care for the new summoners. Listening to you all, I’ve come up with a decent idea. How about this?”
I calmly explained my thoughts.
“Huh?”
“That sounds pretty good.”
The reaction was generally positive.
“It’s a good idea, but isn’t it a little dangerous?”
“I think the teachers will protest vehemently…”
Of course, there were some, including Mi-jeong, who were worried.
“Those people need to fend for themselves too. As for safety, if a few of you officers accompany them, there shouldn’t be much to worry about.”
“Right. It’s better to let them learn for themselves than to use physical violence. We’ll do as you suggest.”
Fortunately, Tae-soo agreed, and my suggestion was accepted.
“Then, everyone, take a short break. Ah, you have an interview to conduct, sir, and I also need to prepare, so shall we plan to depart for the night training around 9:30?”
****
By the time I finished preparing for the night training and returned, it was already 9 PM.
Ah, I also took Geumyong and Nix out of my pocket.
“Kkyuing! Kkyuing!”
“Ppoyo! Ppoyo!”
On my way back, I had stopped by Kabisa to pick up Geumyong and Nix.
They were almost always with me, so I was a little worried being apart, and the empty feeling from having too much time on my hands was getting to me.
There was also the chance that Geumyong might bring me an item a little early.
Both of them, curious about the sudden change in environment, flew around for a bit before settling on the bed.
Tae-soo and the other Golden Lion members might freak out if they saw Geumyong, but since I had this room to myself, it shouldn’t be a problem.
*Knock, knock—*
“Come in.”
The door opened to reveal Mi-jeong and a small girl who looked to be about 160 centimeters tall.
“Mi-jeong? What brings you here…?”
“Didn’t you tell the Guild Master earlier that there was a summoner Hyeon-ung wanted to interview? I brought her.”
Her name tag had her room number and the name Kang Hwa-yeon written on it.
Her face was incredibly pale, and her cheeks were plump. She looked like someone who had never experienced hardship.
“Well, have a nice chat. You know there’s training in 30 minutes, right?”
“Ah, yes. I’ve already prepared everything. Thank you.”
Waving her hand, Mi-jeong closed the door and left.
“Hi. I’m Oh Hyeon-ung. Why don’t you have a seat here?”
I pointed to the chair across the table, and she hesitantly approached and sat down.
I thought she’d be an extrovert since she wrote ‘being cute’ as her specialty on the survey, but it seems I was wrong.
“Uh… hello.”
The girl seemed a little anxious now that Mi-jeong was gone.
I, too, felt a bit uncomfortable being alone in an enclosed space with a much younger female student…
“Kkyuing!”
“Ppoyo! Ppoyo!”
Nix and Geumyong, who had been lounging on the bed, flew over to Hwa-yeon.
“Wow! Are they your pets, mister?”
“Something like that.”
“They’re so cute! Can I touch them?”
“Go ahead.”
She must really be a kid, seeing how much she likes cute things.
When Hwa-yeon gently poked Nix with her fingertip, the affectionate creature rubbed its body against her finger.
Geumyong flew straight into Hwa-yeon’s arms and made himself comfortable.
“Oh my! They’re both so friendly. This one is especially cute!”
She said, stroking Geumyong.
I could admit that Nix had a good personality, but Geumyong was just a dragon who liked all women…
Of course, I only thought it and didn’t say it out loud.
There was no need to make the atmosphere awkward.
Still, thanks to Geumyong and Nix, Hwa-yeon seemed to have relaxed a bit.
I felt a little more at ease myself.
“Your Trait is Elsiapung, right?”
“Ah, yes. Um, is this a scouting offer?”
She’s quick on the uptake.
“Did they explain it during the training earlier?”
“Yes. They said that in three days, guilds from the Guild Alliance, including the Golden Lion Guild that’s training us now, will scout us. And if we’re not chosen, we’ll have to go to a smaller guild…”
Oh, so she was paying attention, unlike many of the other summoners.
“Good. Knowing that makes this easier. Have you checked the ability of your Trait?”
“Ah, when I use the Trait, the Elsiapung shop appears, but I haven’t been able to use it. I have to pay with Jewels or Elsia money, but they told us not to use our Jewels, and I don’t have any money…”
Wow! This is huge!
I had assumed purchases could only be made with Jewels.
Ah, but it was too early to celebrate.
I took out a 1-gold coin from my inventory.
“Hmm, then shall we try it out? Can you buy some food with this money?”
“Food? What kind of…”
“Anything. Just buy as much as you can with this.”
A moment later, a blue light flashed, and a brown cardboard box appeared before us.
Opening it, I found several snacks like crab crackers, shrimp chips, sweet peanut snacks, and chocolate-covered pies.
I was a bit surprised she bought snacks, but snacks are food, I guess.
I opened one and took a bite. It tasted exactly like the ones from my world.
“Um… can I have one too?”
“Ah, sure. By the way, was all of this 1 gold?”
“No. It was 90 silver. The other 10 silver was for delivery.”
So there’s a delivery fee.
There were quite a few snacks, but at a glance, it didn't look like they were worth more than 20,000 won…
Snacks were a bit pricey, but the exchange rate didn’t seem very good.
1 gold wasn’t much to me, but it was a considerable sum for an ordinary summoner.
I wondered if it was cheaper with Jewels and asked for the price. She said it was 10 Jewels, with a 1 Jewel delivery fee.
That actually seemed more expensive. It looked like buying with Jewels was a bad idea.
Still, it was a really good—no, in some ways, a broken ability.
Kupung didn’t sell things like guns, so it wouldn’t be helpful in combat.
But with an ability like this, if used well, one might be able to survive without ever entering a labyrinth…
And combat was something I and my comrades could handle sufficiently.
“I think that’s enough to confirm. Now, are there any conditions you want…”
“Excuse me, just a moment. I can’t just join any guild.”
Had Tae-soo already contacted her and made an offer?
“I have an older sister. I have to be in the same guild as her, no matter what…”
A sister?
“Are you twins?”
“No. The homeroom teacher of Year 2, Class 4 is my sister. I don’t want to be separated from her…”
Ah, so Kang Se-yeon was her sister.
Now that I thought about it, their names were similar.
“I understand. Then I’ll have to talk to your sister first.”
Things just got a little complicated.
I heard the Golden Lion Guild was also interested in her sister…
I was about to suggest talking to Tae-soo when the door opened and he walked in.
Speak of the devil.
“Oh? Were you in the middle of an interview? It’s almost time for training, and everyone’s gathered in the conference room…”
“Ah, yes. For now, you can go back. I’ll call you again later.”
“Okay.”
After sending Hwa-yeon down first, I went to the conference room with Tae-soo, but there weren’t many officers there.
“Um, I know I’m the one who suggested it, but I think we’ll need at least two or three more people to manage the group…”
“Chil-seong, Du-ho, and Gwang-su are downstairs gathering the new summoners on the first floor.”
“Ah, I see.”
After a brief rundown of some simple precautions, we headed down to the first floor.
“Seriously… where are we going at this hour…”
“I’m so sleepy…”
“They didn’t say anything about night training, did they?”
Most of the new summoners seemed displeased with the sudden night training.
That would change soon enough.
“Attention!”
My loud shout instantly drew all the summoners’ gazes to me.
“I’ve heard that the new summoners’ attitude during training and in general has been quite poor. I’ve determined that many of you still haven’t grasped the reality of your situation, which is why I’ve planned this training.”
At the mention of their attitude, even more summoners looked displeased.
“We’re going to show you what kind of situation you’re in, what the reality of Elsia is, and what will happen if you continue to act as you have. This will be a glimpse into your future, so I expect all of you to keep your eyes wide open and pay attention.”
After the briefing, I led the new summoners out of the training facility with the officers.
“What is this place?”
“Why is the road like this?”
The path was getting narrower and more ominous, but we were going the right way.
The destination for tonight’s training was the back alleys of Kramis.