Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Preparation (4)
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“Do I really have to do this?”
“You do.”
As they walked outside, Kim Chang-sik whispered desperately during a moment when no one else could hear. His expression, facing a humiliating situation, was a mix of various emotions.
“Listen carefully. Don’t use your full power—just enough to make it flashy, control it properly. Aim in the complete opposite direction from where people are. Don’t shoot at the ground; fire into the air. And after you’re done, don’t forget to stagger like you’re exhausted.”
“…?”
Only then did Kim Chang-sik realize Suhyun had some ulterior motive. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to give such detailed instructions.
“Is this necessary…?”
“You think I’d be screwing around here if it wasn’t?”
‘I thought that’s exactly what you were doing.’
“What’s with that look?”
“Nothing, sir.”
Two black cases. Considering what was inside, their plain appearance felt overly modest. As Suhyun walked out, he glanced at Kang In-gyu. His expression looked just as gloomy as Kim Chang-sik’s.
‘Choi Jae-ho must have really pressured him.’
It was Suhyun who had maneuvered Choi Jae-ho into it. He had anticipated that a little prodding would make Choi Jae-ho send Kang In-gyu over on his own. Choi Jae-ho was a man who adjusted his approach based on the situation, and when he needed to quickly convince a rookie like Kang In-gyu, he undoubtedly resorted to quite coercive tactics.
‘Can I really make good use of this guy?’
Suhyun was still half-doubting. Giving up one artifact to bring Kang In-gyu along was a decision made with the resolve to take a loss.
Restoring relations with the Jindo Dog team was the surface objective, but in truth, it wasn’t that urgent. Even if the Jindo Dog team ground their teeth in frustration, Suhyun was confident he could thrive without a care.
He had chosen Kang In-gyu out of a strong desire for greater gains. There was no direct loss even if it failed.
‘You’ve got to take gambles like this.’
He had a hunch on how to awaken him, so he planned to try things step by step. Before bringing Kang In-gyu, this had been Suhyun’s biggest preoccupation.
How could he make him virtually experience a profound tragedy?
First, there was the Ring of Confusion. He had brought it to use against large monsters, but its capabilities allowed for versatile applications.
‘But… I still can’t be certain.’
Suhyun knew exactly how the Confusion superpower worked, which made it hard to be confident. Confusion was a superpower that severely impaired the target’s judgment and cognition. On its own, it couldn’t create tragedy. The tragedy had to be separately induced or suggested.
There was plenty of time anyway. Even if it didn’t work on the first try, Suhyun planned to steadily experiment with various methods. It was a plan feasible only because he was certain Kang In-gyu would eventually become a superpower user. Suhyun looked at Kang In-gyu with the fond gaze of a farmer eyeing his livestock.
“?!”
Kang In-gyu felt an inexplicable chill and glanced around suspiciously.
“Let’s do it here.”
“Thank you. Alright, let me show you.”
Once Kim Chang-sik took position in the wide open space, Suhyun led the others back to give him room. It was wise to secure ample space just in case. Even the sharp ones wouldn’t catch on at this distance.
“How wide is the range?”
“It’s not that broad, but it’s always best to be cautious, right?”
“Of course.”
Perhaps in a good mood, Choi Jae-ho didn’t feel the need to argue with Suhyun. Thinking about how much his standing would rise thanks to today’s success, even Suhyun’s previously irritating face now seemed agreeable.
‘He awakened recently, and there are no rumors… must not be anything special.’
Choi Jae-ho sat in his chair and yawned lightly. As a superpower user himself and someone who recruited talent, he was always interested in exceptional ones.
However, truly outstanding superpower users spread rumors on their own without needing demonstrations. If an exceptional one had emerged from a place like Uncle Jo Company, they’d have promoted it like Suhyun’s healing ability. The fact that it hadn’t reached his ears yet suggested it wasn’t that impressive…
‘?!?!?!?!?!’
Choi Jae-ho’s yawning mouth hung wide open. An unbelievable sight was unfolding before him. Powerful streams of flame were erupting from Kim Chang-sik’s outstretched hands.
As a fellow flame-manipulating superpower user, Choi Jae-ho could tell just how potent Kim Chang-sik’s ability was. It wasn’t precise ignition from a distance, but that drawback was easily offset by its sheer power.
Unbeknownst to himself, Choi Jae-ho had stood up. The moment he stepped closer for a better look, the flames cut off.
‘Stop.’
Catching Suhyun’s signal, Kim Chang-sik immediately ceased his ability. He had to stop right when the people, expecting something mediocre, were shocked. Going further risked exposure.
‘Right now.’
‘Ugh. Do I really have to go this far?’
As Suhyun had instructed beforehand, Kim Chang-sik staggered. To anyone watching, it looked like the backlash from overusing his superpower.
“Are you okay?!”
Suhyun rushed over and supported Kim Chang-sik, who ducked his head, feeling his face burn.
“Hey, I told you not to use your superpower so recklessly!”
“Don’t be too hard on him. It’s only natural since he awakened recently…”
Choi Hyun-min, unaware of the act, panicked and tried to restrain Suhyun.
“I’m sorry, Team Leader Choi Jae-ho. I meant to ask how to properly use the ability… but exhausting myself like this all at once makes that impossible now.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine.”
Choi Jae-ho unconsciously swallowed hard. The flames he had just witnessed were that impressive. For a recent awakener to unleash something like that, exhaustion was inevitable.
“I was hoping to get some tips. After all, when it comes to flame-based superpowers in Korea, no one tops Team Leader Choi Jae-ho.”
‘You’re asking for tips after seeing that?’
It was like a tiger asking a wolf how to fight. Choi Jae-ho was dumbfounded. For such an oblivious guy to have a talent like that.
“I… I get it. He’ll do fine once he adjusts… It’s always tough controlling it right after awakening, right?”
“That’s a relief then.”
It was all the more regrettable that he hadn’t brought Kim Chang-sik along. With that level of superpower, he could have slotted him straight into a single-digit team and used him as a key asset.
‘That guy’s lucky too…’
Suhyun had a reason for staging this performance. It was all about rumors.
If word got out that Kim Chang-sik’s superpower was fake, its uses would plummet. To maximize its utility, false rumors needed to spread far and wide—that Kim Chang-sik from Uncle Jo Company was a powerhouse.
Bluffing aside, possessing a powerful superpower user had numerous benefits on its own. It aided recruitment and convinced people of successful hunts that seemed impossible.
And Suhyun had chosen Choi Jae-ho as the perfect person to spread those rumors. He was highly interested in other teams’ superpower users, proactive, and above all, persuasive—if shown, he’d spread the word naturally.
‘Thanks for the help.’
Choi Jae-ho was useful in many ways. Suhyun silently expressed his gratitude.
* * *
“From now on, everyone begins individual training.”
Uncle Jo Company’s members stood before Suhyun with stern expressions. They aimed to solidify the company’s position with the next mission, but they couldn’t dive in without preparation. Such missions didn’t come easily either.
After telling Choi Hyun-min and Jo Seung-hyun to inform him if suitable missions arose, Suhyun focused on the members’ training. He couldn’t keep operating as a one-man team forever.
“For superpower users like Kim Chang-sik and Shaina, focus on artifact usage. You need to be able to switch and use them instantly in emergencies.”
“……”
“The same goes for non-superpower users. You might not control them as precisely as Kim Chang-sik, but practice a few times to get the feel. Superpowers aren’t something you pick up on the spot.”
Even ordinary people could use artifacts—they just consumed more stamina.
“And you…”
Kang In-gyu was still downcast. When Suhyun looked at him, he flinched.
“Yes?”
“Let’s start with running.”
“Huh?”
“Run! Now!”
At Suhyun’s shout, Kang In-gyu started running clumsily. The other members watched him with bewildered looks.
“Don’t you have time to gawk at the newbie? You’ll change your mind after trying the artifacts a few times. Kim Chang-sik. Have you mastered the Lightning Axe perfectly?”
“Yes!”
“Oh. For real? I didn’t think you actually could.”
‘This damn…’
Fearing Suhyun’s scolding upon his return, Kim Chang-sik had swung the Lightning Axe diligently even during breaks while others rested. Hearing Suhyun speak as if he hadn’t expected him to learn it made his blood pressure rise.
“I plan to use the Ring of Confusion and Stone Spear myself and switch as needed, but not the Lightning Axe. Get what I mean?”
Kim Chang-sik’s superpower was hard to wield casually. But a superpower user was a superpower user. That was a clear advantage.
“Uh… You’re entrusting it to me?”
“That’s right. The Lightning Axe will be your main weapon. You need to control it at a basic level at least.”
No one could fail to be moved when handed an item worth enough to buy a building on trust. Kim Chang-sik felt the anger that had boiled up moments ago melt away like a lie.
“Shall we begin then? Member Park Su-yong. Step forward and grab the spear.”
* * *
“Ughhh—”
The training ground was littered with sprawled-out members. Even the usually composed Lee So-hee and Park Su-yong were sitting there drenched in cold sweat, a testament to the training’s intensity.
‘A few more repetitions like this, and they’ll get the hang of it.’
The unscathed ones were Kim Chang-sik and Shaina. As superpower users, their stamina drain from artifacts was comparatively less.
“Do you know how to use Confusion?”
“Yes!”
“Want me to do it again?”
“I’m good!”
Suhyun planned to keep the Ring of Confusion for himself, but Kim Chang-sik needed to use it in emergencies too. When asked how it worked, Suhyun promptly inflicted Confusion on him.
It felt like fog shrouded his brain—everything grew hazy, coherent thought impossible. Not a pleasant experience.
“Confusion depends on the target’s resistance, but intelligence plays a role too, so don’t bother overdoing it on people. Monsters fall for it without that much effort.”
“Hey, how long are you going to leave that guy like that?”
“In-gyu? He needs to build his body first.”
Uncle Jo Company’s members were all trained ex-soldiers. They had solid baseline stamina and combat ability. But Kang In-gyu had none of that. So he had to start from scratch.
‘Honestly, it’s a miracle he even got into Jindo Team 10.’
“Huff… huff huff…”
“How are we supposed to torment that guy…”
“What?!”
Shaina paled upon overhearing Suhyun’s mutter.
“No, I don’t mean torment him for real. It’s shock therapy. I want to give him a intense experience.”
“Why do something like that?”
“There’s a reason.”
Shaina stared at Suhyun as if she couldn’t comprehend. Still, he was the one who hired her. If he was troubled, it was only right to help.
“Hiring actors… No, that won’t work. Hmm, isolate him or…”
“How about hallucinations?”
“Hallucinations? Virtual reality? No matter how dumb he is, he won’t fall for that.”
“No, not that kind. Real hallucinations.”
“?”
“Humans do drugs, right? Something like that…”
“…You’re the one who just asked why I was tormenting him like that.”
“It’s not drugs!”
Shaina shouted indignantly.
“Not drugs…? Sounds interesting. What do you mean?”
Information from other races was always intriguing. Tempted by Shaina’s words, Suhyun turned to look at her.
“We handle quite a variety of plants, don’t we?”
“That’s true.”
Elves and dark elves alike were knowledgeable about plants.
“Among them, there are grasses that produce unique effects when burned and inhaled. We call it keshika… Oh, wait. This won’t work.”
“?”
“Sorry. My mistake. Keshika doesn’t induce intense experiences when you inhale the smoke—it forces horrific hallucinations. No reason for humans to buy it on purpose.”
“…!”