Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Nightly Fishing Trips
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"Where do you go every night like that?"
On the way back to the dormitory.
Today, too, sweat-soaked Da-hee and Jae-hyeok happened to run into each other at the midpoint.
"Fishing."
Lately, Jae-hyeok had been wrapping up his daily routine along the coast.
On the surface, it was to hunt black rock tuna, but the real purpose was something else.
'They must have figured out my route by now.'
Luring in the assassins.
He wanted to wipe out at least the threats within the academy as quickly as possible.
'Above all, the key is identifying the families and organizations behind them.'
Killing the assassin Yun Sang-ho and uncovering that Iron Guild was backing him had been a huge help to Jae-hyeok.
It allowed him to flag any faculty or staff even remotely connected to Iron Guild as suspects.
'Once I've built up enough strength, I'll strike them first—or turn the tables and use them.'
To his classmates, Jae-hyeok appeared as a swan.
He handled every class and training session with effortless grace, overcoming crises with elegant poise.
But a swan paddles relentlessly beneath the surface.
His life was fiercely intense and desperate, far from the calm exterior.
'I wish the assassins would get more aggressive....'
Jae-hyeok's growth rate was already astonishing.
But the gains from hunting high-level players were so massive that he hoped the assassins would stay active.
'Taking Fairy's Tears could be a way to grow even faster, though.'
Fairy's Tears had no known recipe. It was a top-tier elixir that dropped at abysmal rates from S-Rank quests or boss monsters and above.
Its value was too immense to consume recklessly.
'I'm not ready yet.'
Fairy's Tears granted at least 4 stat points.
The more of the elixir's energy one absorbed, the greater the stat boost.
The tale of China's National Treasure, the Four Dragons, consuming one and gaining 8 stats was world-famous.
'To fully absorb an elixir, you need to master as many mana operation methods as possible.'
He needed to major in mana studies.
But eligibility for professors' lectures started in the second year.
First-years lacked the stats to keep up.
Even if a low-mana student learned multiple mana operation methods, they'd just risk qi deviation.
In the end, Jae-hyeok had one task.
Rack up as many credits as possible.
Aim for top scores in evaluations to earn special privileges.
"Team."
"Yes?"
"I want to finalize the team quick and join the interclass matches. Have you thought about who to put in the last spot?"
"You're looking for a supporter, right? We probably need an upperclassman. It seems tough for a first-year to protect themselves while supporting the team."
The most crucial stat for a supporter was Insight.
The broader their grasp of the battlefield, the better they could aid allies.
That was why demanding performance from low-level supporters was cruel.
Their skills were optimized for helping allies, and their main stat was Insight?
Supporters naturally lagged in combat ability, with growth rates far behind peers at the same level.
Only after reaching a certain level did organizations scramble to recruit them, easing their path—but in the early low-level phase, they fell into a vicious cycle of lagging behind.
"Yeah, Insight."
Jae-hyeok recalled Park Hae-rin's usual demeanor.
Her small but resolute back was always at the forefront, shielding allies in peril.
Whenever monsters rampaged, she lightened Jae-hyeok's burden immensely by aiding the kids.
'A sense for overseeing the entire battlefield.'
Tanks usually held the front line, focusing on immediate foes or specific targets—not the whole field.
Park Hae-rin's Insight was exceptional for a tank.
Jae-hyeok had even thought, 'If she weren't a tank, I'd want her on my team.'
"You have that blond guy in your class, right? About 178 cm tall, folds his arms when he smiles."
"Uh, e...? With blond hair and 178 cm, that's too many. I haven't looked at the boys that closely, so no idea about habits...."
"Your Insight must be pretty low."
"You're suddenly criticizing me for this!?"
"His speech is so rude. He talks all sweet and smooth, but the phrasing grates."
"Ah! Jeong Ru-han."
Once Jae-hyeok added details, Da-hee got it right away.
"He's the son of Guardian Guild's sub-master. Doesn't seem like a bad personality, but his speech rubs a lot of people the wrong way."
"That's a bad personality."
"His speech..."
"Anyway. Has Guardian Guild's master ever been anything but a tank?"
"Nope. The name says it all—Guardian. Their masters have always been legendary tanks."
"What if a non-tank became master? Disaster?"
"Hmm... Probably not, but there'd be massive internal backlash. Guardian Guild made the top five guilds in Korea thanks to the master's exceptional tanking lineage. That tanking prowess secured them a spot in every S-Rank Gate raid. Installing a non-tank as master could weaken their position...."
'It's not just a simple concept.'
A-Rank and below Gates were often solo-cleared by powerhouses like National Treasures.
But from S-Rank up, parties were the norm.
Too many gimmicks—like monsters immune to specific attacks—for even National Treasures to solo.
Higher-grade Gates had more established 'worldviews' as a factor too.
Anyway.
'Guardian Guild sticking to the tank position makes sense.'
S-Rank Gate raid parties required a tank.
With their master as Korea's top tank, Guardian Guild had a guaranteed seat.
Enormous economic and political advantages.
Naturally, they'd want the next master to be a tank too.
'But the first skill Park Hae-rin awakened is probably supporter-type....'
What was the story there?
Jae-hyeok felt a strong pull of curiosity.
A girl who could have awakened a bloodline skill, become a tank, and amassed wealth and fame for life—why choose the hard path?
'It can't be some cliché like hating her fated role.'
Nobles bore responsibility because they had the power to protect the people.
The heir to Guardian Guild, which guaranteed jobs for thousands, carried noble-level duty.
And the Hae-rin Jae-hyeok saw didn't seem the type to shirk responsibility.
She was the epitome of diligent perseverance.
Of course, judging people hastily was unwise.
'Except Chae Da-hee and Baek Do-jin.'
These pure souls could be taken at face value.
"...Why are you suddenly smiling?"
"It's funny, so I smile."
"Uh, did something stick to my face?"
Da-hee, wiping her sweat-streaked face with a handkerchief, suddenly recalled an old memory and smiled.
"I think handkerchiefs are one of a player's essentials."
The memory was of a city collapsed from a direct Dungeon Break hit.
A crying child like her, handed a handkerchief by Yaksha—embroidered with a yellow chick.
"The people we help are usually covered in blood or tears."
Yaksha must have carried several handkerchiefs too.
Having to comfort so many.
"You're right. Sounds good."
Nodding, Jae-hyeok took the lead in walking.
"But I'll never hand a handkerchief to anyone."
Ninety-nine percent of civilian disasters were Dungeon Breaks.
And Dungeon Breaks stemmed from human error.
Failing to meet Gate clearance conditions in time—a result of incompetence.
'In my era, there'll be no tears.'
"Ugh, such bad manners."
"......"
***
-This shield protects tens of thousands of employees and their families.
Guilds representing a nation grow to conglomerate scale.
To support hundreds or thousands of guild members, they needed management, production, manufacturing, distribution, transport—diverse businesses.
Guardian Guild ran various ventures to provide the best for its members.
In other words, a huge extended family.
The responsibility on Park Hae-rin's shoulders.
From before she could even understand, she'd learned to wield a shield bigger than herself, never daring to complain of its weight.
Even if it weighed as much as a mountain, it was featherlight compared to the weight of people's lives—that's what she'd been taught.
Yes.
The girl had learned too much from too young.
Not self-centered ways, but ideologies prioritizing the guild and its supporting people.
Time passed, and when she awakened her first first skill.
Her soaring joy came from it being specialized in 'helping others.'
The smart girl understood 'Guardian' not as limited to a physical shield, but a broader concept—and the person she trusted most affirmed her.
-Wonderful. Your father will surely be proud. Let's master this splendid skill quickly.
The whisper from her most trusted person was sweet.
-To show your skilled form when Father returns from his expedition, we'd best hurry, right?
And the girl was too young.
She fully embraced the kind smile from her most trusted person and gathered courage.
A memory from that irreversible day.
Faint.
***
"......"
It was always the same.
A horrific nightmare, yet the details slipped away.
Curled like a sleeping cat, Hae-rin slowly opened her eyes, stared blankly at the framed photos on her desk, then headed to the bathroom.
'It hurts.'
Even soaking in warm water, her heart wouldn't calm.
It pounded painfully fast.
She needed time.
Emerging from the bathroom, Hae-rin dressed with agonizing slowness.
Brushing her bangs was almost languidly slow.
Thanks to that.
"Whew."
Finally settled, Hae-rin gave a nod to the person in the frame before leaving the room.
Wondering if smiling might help, she awkwardly tugged her lips upward.
"You're always so late."
But the moment she stepped out of the dorm building.
Her hard-won smile dropped effortlessly.
"If it weren't for me, you'd have skipped breakfast again."
A boy handing her a sandwich from the vending machine, as if he'd expected it.
Jeong Ru-han's gentle smile squeezed the barely calmed heart of Park Hae-rin.
Why did he have to do this?
Confused yet trying not to show discomfort, Hae-rin reached out.
"Thanks..."
Her stomach twisted, but as she forced herself to accept the sandwich and express gratitude—
"How many convenience stores are on campus? You think I'd starve without you?"
A teasing voice came from behind.
Phrasing like he was itching for a fight.
Hae-rin recognized him instantly.
"And he got just bread, no drink. Broke or brainless? How'd an idiot who can't prep a proper meal get into Lion's Castle? End times?"
"...Kang Jae-hyeok?"