Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Laying the Foundations (5)
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“I…… have no complaints. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, and I’m the one who asked first anyway. I’ll impose on you a bit longer.”
Just as Ahn Ki-jun had mentioned, this was an opportunity.
The party centered around Yang Hye-won would’ve needed two or three missions to gather this much mana, but they’d collected it in just two hours.
Of course, the process had been tough, but not to the point of being unbearable.
They’d all become bodies that could handle it.
K was steadily maintaining a pace that a player’s body could endure.
Ahn Ki-jun had realized that early on, so unlike Kim Yul, he hadn’t uttered a single complaint and had followed along.
‘Damn, embarrassing.’
He should’ve noticed when Ahn Ki-jun, who usually grumbled the moment he opened his mouth, was unusually quiet.
He’d just thought it was because it was their first meeting with K.
‘Get it together.’
He couldn’t let slip an opportunity to build a stronger connection with K.
While Kim Yul was steeling himself, K continued exchanging words with Ahn Ki-jun.
“Then let’s keep this pace going.”
“Yes, sure.”
“By the way, speak comfortably. You’re older than me, hyung.”
For a moment, Kim Yul tilted his head.
‘Did I ever tell him Ahn Ki-jun hyung’s age?’
No, he hadn’t.
He glanced at Ahn Ki-jun, whose face clearly showed his fluster.
It meant he hadn’t said it either.
So how did K know Ahn Ki-jun’s age?
‘Did he do a background check?’
Before Kim Yul could fully mull over the question, Ahn Ki-jun responded in a tense tone.
“Uh…… well, then you speak comfortably too. It’s awkward if only I do.”
“Works for me if you drop the formalities.”
Once they’d sorted out their forms of address, the hunt resumed.
Battles with barely any breaks in between, almost no rest.
It was possible only because K found the next monster right after killing one.
‘He definitely has detection-type magic.’
Even after buying stealth and detection, K had more mana than him.
K’s mana was growing at an incomparable rate to others.
‘Most people are barely deciding whether to buy one skill now.’
Yet K had at least two confirmed ones.
Grinding non-stop like this meant he had no choice but to accumulate mana quickly.
‘Should I buy a detection skill too……?’
No, no. Better to save steadily and buy an attribute stone first.
That way he could use higher-grade magic.
To curb impulse buying, Kim Yul closed the shop entirely.
Then it was kill, kill again, and kill some more.
Dozens of minutes engrossed in this different style of hunting.
Wiping sweat from his face, Kim Yul raised his sword and flinched.
The monsters that had been visible everywhere were all dead and sprawled out.
“What? Why’s it so quiet? Did we clear all the monsters nearby?”
“Yeah, suddenly it feels deserted.”
Ahn Ki-jun massaged his trembling arms as he responded to Kim Yul, glancing at K.
Before Ahn Ki-jun could directly ask K, Kim Yul cut in.
“The ones marked as 1-star are the same as the old level 3, right? Is this place normally like this?”
The old level 1 and 2 missions were grouped as beginner zones.
You needed 1,000 mana there to use the gate to the base.
“About time for the catalyst to show up.”
“Catalyst? What’s that?”
K was staring intently at an empty spot.
“Didn’t the mission window pop up when you entered here?”
“Yeah.”
“The part that says Meseo.”
Kim Yul and Ahn Ki-jun opened their mission windows almost simultaneously.
MISSION
[Contaminated Area Purification ★(03-211)]
Eliminate all enemies within a set range and destroy the Meseo.
• Meseo (0/1)
[Rewards]
Choose one of the following rewards.
• Mana 60, Fame 3
• Attribute Mana 30, Fame 6
No sooner had they checked the details than K spoke flatly.
“That one’s a bit dangerous, so let’s regroup here before going in.”
“How long?”
“20 minutes. Top off your mana in the meantime.”
“Okay.”
Kim Yul answered immediately and moved next to K.
“What exactly is a Meseo?”
K glanced at him and let out a deflating “pfft,” replying.
“Something you wipe out the moment you see it.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s dangerous.”
For some reason, K’s voice seemed a touch heavier.
“Why is it dange…….”
“You gonna drink your potion or not?”
At K’s urging, Kim Yul hurriedly downed his potion.
He glanced around afterward, but it felt awkward to bring up the question again.
No matter how he phrased it, it seemed K would dodge.
In the end, Kim Yul decided to change the subject entirely.
“What should we eat in Habon after this? I saw some restaurants on the way to the gate. I asked locals yesterday where the good spots are.”
K shook his head with an uninterested expression.
“Next time. Gotta be quick to move on.”
“Move on? You mean back to Earth?”
“No.”
Before he could ask where, then, K spoke first.
“Talking food’s making me crave jjambbong.”
Now he was blatantly blocking it.
‘Can’t ask more like this.’
Kim Yul clicked his tongue inwardly but played it off casually.
“Spicy broth hits the spot. I vote for budae jjigae loaded with spam.”
At first, he thought K was just using food talk to deflect questions.
But as the conversation dragged on, he started seeing the intent behind it.
Soon Ahn Ki-jun joined in, chatting about tasty food.
“There’s a branch of that place in Huam-dong too. Have you been, hyung?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah…… sometimes.”
K’s not-so-long question brought a sense of unease.
‘Huam-dong?’
Why mention that branch specifically?
Kim Yul wasn’t the only one who felt it.
“But that place has branches everywhere, right? Why Huam-dong…….”
“You live there.”
“……Who?”
“You do.”
Ahn Ki-jun’s expression stiffened at K’s flat response.
“Ah.”
Right after came a faint chuckle and K’s mutter.
“Didn’t say that, huh. My bad.”
Kim Yul swallowed a scoff and shook his head.
First time seeing such an obvious lie.
No, he’d probably said it obviously on purpose.
‘Like with the age earlier. He did background-check Ahn Ki-jun hyung.’
No wonder he’d shown up so readily for this meetup.
‘So dramatic.’
From what he’d observed, K was pathologically averse to his identity being exposed.
They’d met in person three times, and he’d hidden his face every single one.
Yet he’d immediately accepted Ahn Ki-jun’s request to hunt together and set a time.
That had struck him as odd and nagged at him.
‘So this was the real goal.’
Looks like he’d arranged this to warn Ahn Ki-jun for contacting people around him.
‘Meaning if you push it, he’ll go after Ahn Ki-jun hyung’s family too.’
Kim Yul felt a bitterness in his mouth and swallowed a sigh.
‘He’s extremely protective.’
K seemed to value the idea of family highly.
Unlike him.
‘Better not go anywhere near his family, even by accident.’
Resolving that, Kim Yul took out a purification pill and swallowed it, sneaking a glance at K’s profile.
‘He’s not taking any purification pills.’
They’d been hunting monsters for nearly three hours now.
Kim Yul and Ahn Ki-jun had absorbed nearly 1,000 mana and been popping purification pills regularly.
Not K. Was he a beta like An Hye-won with self-purification?
‘From how he acts, maybe even alpha.’
The only known difference between the two ranks was that purification was non-growth type versus growth type.
‘Not sure exactly how they differ yet.’
Either way, alpha was better, so higher rank probably.
He considered asking, but hesitated.
K had deflected several times already.
But if he backed off after a few rejections, he wouldn’t have chosen the code name Kj.
‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’
If K answered, great. If ignored, no loss.
It’d loosen the stiff atmosphere with Ahn Ki-jun too.
“You don’t take purification pills, hyung? Want some if you’re out?”
He held out the white bead in his hand, and K chuckled.
“I took the promotion exam.”
“Ooh, top ranks?”
He probed lightly, but no denial came.
K just shrugged and pointed at the pill.
“Having to keep taking them would be a hassle.”
“Still, I’ve got some leeway. Can handle up to 50.”
Even at 200,000 Chaos Value, plenty of players were snarling like madmen.
In that regard, Kim Yul rarely caused trouble from Chaos Value.
At worst, he got irritable.
“The whining earlier was from Chaos Value too, huh?”
“Can’t say it wasn’t.”
“What’s it at now?”
“Around 38?”
“Use this chance to drop it a ton. We earned big.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Kim Yul kept the conversation flowing naturally while subtly swallowing.
‘Alphas really are rare.’
Of first-wave players, only about 200 took the promotion exam.
Among second-wave, with tutorial down to two days, 1,839 did.
And only some top ranks became alpha.
‘Combine all betas and waves, maybe around a hundred?’
Just 0.1% of 100,000 players could promote to alpha.
That rarity alone made befriending one worthwhile.
‘Frankly, if just looking at conditions, joining his party beats Bunny noona’s.’
It was like trainee at a major agency versus a small one without a single singer.
Effort was all yours, but affiliation made climbing easier.
Unfortunately, K didn’t form parties.
If he recruited, plenty would flock for his rep alone.
‘Why? Doesn’t seem like a social issue.’
He handled dumb jokes fine in person, didn’t seem shy.
Clear goals, knew how to pull others in.
Not the type struggling with team play.
A bit forceful handling complaints, sure.
‘That’s basically charisma.’
K had solid leadership baseline.
That’s why Kim Yul wanted in if he ever formed a party.
‘Not that I dislike Bunny noona.’
Call it instinct.
Like those people during trainee days who made you think debuting together would smooth the path.
K was that guy, and Kim Yul wanted to join his party if possible.
Sadly, K stuck to solo, marching to his own beat.
‘If not party member, at least secure the acquaintance spot.’
With Ahn Ki-jun getting chummy with K, a subtle rivalry had formed.
‘He set up this meet without going through me, chatting directly.’
Stay passive, and K might bond more with Ahn Ki-jun.
Kim Yul racked his brain on how to get into K’s circle.
Then suddenly.
“Never fails to deliver.”
K muttered with a hollow laugh.
“Huh?”
Kim Yul, who’d been watching him closely, reacted instantly.
“Why all of a sudden?”
Instead of explaining kindly, K tapped his fingers on his knee, lost in thought.
But Kim Yul wouldn’t give up if K didn’t answer.
“What’re you thinking?”
Leaning in and pressing, K turned to him.
Meeting K’s eyes head-on for a split second, Kim Yul flinched, shoulders trembling.
He swore he saw a blue flash in those copper irises again.
‘Definitely earlier too…….’
Kim Yul subtly swallowed dryly and pulled his face back.
Was he mad at him? He couldn’t help glancing nervously.
But thankfully, what irked K was someone else.
- K: Just thinking how to deal with those.
It didn’t take long to grasp the sudden chat message.
In less than a few minutes, unfamiliar silhouettes emerged from the dense trees and bushes.