Mission: White Spear
Choi Muhyun was staring right at him.
Fuck, did he get made?
Mae Gyu-pil silently met the gaze of Pink Team's main tanker.
His heart started pounding. If his true identity came out here and now, things would get pretty messy.
Worse, if Yoo Wan-seop got involved and started hunting him down, he'd have to hole up deep in the shadows of the underworld, playing dead for a good long while. He'd spend those days in constant anxiety, never knowing when or where Yoo Wan-seop might pop up.
"Get your head in the game, Do Jin-yong."
Choi Muhyun whispered.
Phew, at least he hadn't been caught.
Mae Gyu-pil slowly nodded.
In that instant, a rush of intense pleasure spread from his chest throughout his body. Maybe that was why he was still hooked on the allure of transformation, despite all its nasty side effects—the thrill of fooling someone.
The sharp joy faded quickly.
Thanks to that dumb tanker's advice.
Get your head in the game?
The nerve!
Anger surged up, but he had to swallow it. Right now, he wasn't Mae Gyu-pil—he was Do Jin-yong. He had to act like Do Jin-yong and think like him.
He felt eyes on him.
Team leader Kim Jun was looking his way. His mouth was set in a firm line, but those eyes carried a clear warning.
Training resumed.
"Forty-six meters ahead, Wyvern-saurus!"
Main buffer Yeom Sang-taek shouted.
Thudding heavily, the Wyvern-saurus broke through the darkness, charging toward them.
Mae Gyu-pil recalled what he knew about the monster.
Fierce charging power.
Low intelligence made its aggro easy to hold, so it was relatively straightforward to take down, but its tough hide meant you had to target weak spots relentlessly.
Old memories bubbled up.
It felt like going back to middle school to study disassembly formulas after finishing his PhD.
Choi Muhyun advanced about two meters, then deployed his Geumgangbyeok. The massive monster slammed into the glowing golden barrier with a boom, but the main tanker only budged about thirty centimeters.
As the Wyvern-saurus raked at the Geumgangbyeok with its razor claws, the hexagon formation broke apart.
Main dealer Bang Yun-a moved to the right flank, second dealer Skyla to the left.
The Wyvern-saurus's weak spots were on both sides.
Mae Gyu-pil stuck close to Choi Muhyun and raised his To Wolbyeok. His innate attribute was fire, but he could manage earth skills to a decent degree.
Do Jin-yong's level... he was just past crawling stage, so mimicking him wasn't hard.
The ground softened and surged upward. The To Wolbyeok instantly pulled aggro. The Wyvern-saurus barreled furiously toward the earthen wall blocking its path.
Now that dimwitted beast wouldn't lose aggro until the dealers pounded it to death.
That's when the two dealers unleashed a barrage of magic.
Boom!
Bang Yun-a's fireball detonated.
Skyla's ice blast outright severed the Wyvern-saurus's left hind leg, sending it shrieking to the ground in a heap.
Fire arrows, icicle bolts, and more spells rained down on it.
The Wyvern-saurus didn't so much as twitch.
Choi Muhyun stepped forward.
Thud, thud—each footfall echoed loudly.
Remembering belatedly that finishing off downed monsters was the tanker's job, Mae Gyu-pil hurried after him.
Damn, he'd catch some side-eye again.
The moment Choi Muhyun planted a tanker's step on the Wyvern-saurus's chest, its limp tail whipped up into the air.
Whoosh—the tail lashed toward him.
Flash.
The Cheonroegeom erupted in light, slicing the tail clean from above.
Kim Jun kicked the wriggling tail on the ground and shot Do Jin-yong a look.
"Your reaction timing's lagging every time. What's up?"
"...Drank late last night. Still shaking it off."
Would this excuse fly?
"You drank? Before a raid?"
"I-I just meant one can to unwind..."
In truth, he hadn't touched a drop.
"That's enough."
Kim Jun cut him off, his gaze turning ice-cold. After some thought, the team leader looked at Do Jin-yong.
"Sim training's pointless for you. Go run laps outside. Sweat it out, and the booze'll clear. Okay?"
"Got it."
Mae Gyu-pil left the simulator without protest.
His body felt like a waterlogged sponge—heavy. Even one lap left him drenched in sweat.
The transformation had gone smoothly, but adaptation time was woefully short. To get comfortable in Do Jin-yong's body, he'd need at least three days—maybe ten or more.
The bigger issue was memory.
Stro Laba had devoured Do Jin-yong's brain, but digestion took time.
Plus, his painstakingly raised Stro Laba wasn't high-level enough, so memory recovery was low. Tests showed it under 30% now.
Honestly, swapping bodies at dawn—just twelve hours ago—and diving into intense training was pure madness.
Yet Mae Gyu-pil felt euphoric.
His whole body buzzed with life, overflowing with pleasure.
As he slowly circled the track, he pondered the team leader's style guiding Pink Team.
Spot-on judgment, ironclad leadership, combat prowess to lead the charge when needed—a team leader like that was rare.
The only regret... he hadn't fully absorbed Yeon Chung-jae's memories.
What if Kim Jun mastered Yeon Ga Shipil Geom perfectly?
Or the latter stages of Yeon Ga's famed Cheonroegeom techniques?
How strong would he get?
Even chickens and pigs are raised a bit before slaughter.
Kim Jun was the same.
The more Kim Jun absorbed Yeon Chung-jae's memories and mastered those supreme arts, the richer the haul when he devoured him.
He kept circling the track, glancing at the entrance.
Hm, the package should be here soon...
Simulator lids popped open here and there as team members emerged.
Break time.
Mae Gyu-pil kept running, sweat pouring, head bowed low to play the remorseful part.
Kim Jun approached.
"How's it feel?"
"...A bit better."
"No booze till Sokcho raid's done."
"Got it."
Then a motorcycle pulled up in front of the raid center.
"Kim Jun! Quick delivery!"
A helmeted man shouted from the entrance.
Kim Jun tilted his head and walked over.
It was a fair reaction. Fan gifts or club presents usually went to the guildhouse or his home. Never to the raid center.
Quick delivery, no less.
Mae Gyu-pil sidled up next to Kim Jun to watch his face.
"Ah!"
The delivery guy's eyes widened huge the moment he recognized Kim Jun. He yanked off his helmet.
Mae Gyu-pil hated that predictable face and gesture. A delivery guy should drop and dash—why beg for autographs and photos?
Irritated, he mentally added the early-thirties man to his kill list. Too busy now, but next time they crossed paths, he'd show him how fleeting life could be.
"Who sent it?"
Kim Jun asked.
"Dunno. Says 'Big Fan.' No address or number. Looks like a gift from one of your fans. I just deliver. Anyway, good luck on the raid."
"Big Fan" was scrawled big on the box.
The delivery guy helmeted up and sped off on his bike.
Kim Jun set the box on a table by the cabinet and headed back to the team. His nonchalance suggested little interest in fan gifts.
Guess I'll have to step in myself.
Mae Gyu-pil glanced around, then stood by the table.
He reached out and tore open the wrapping. Inside was a wooden box; lifting the lid revealed a milky-white orb nestled in soft silk.
"Whoa!"
Mae Gyu-pil let out a deliberate gasp.
Skyla reacted first.
"That's the team leader's. Why'd you open... Wait, that's... a White Spear!"
Skyla snatched the White Spear from the box and bolted toward Kim Jun.
Thanks, reporter Seo!
Mae Gyu-pil grinned wide and followed.
Spears came in sizes like grapes, walnuts, or plums, made from assorted cores—they fetched top dollar.
Unlike gear enhanced by embedding cores, a spear was pure core, toxins stripped from dungeon-harvested ones.
"That size... gotta be at least six billion—no, seven."
Bang Yun-a said, caressing the spear Skyla handed her.
She couldn't tear her eyes off it. Even after years leading a team, spears were pie in the sky. Raiders earned well, but gear and items ate it up fast.
Everyone eyed the White Spear enviously.
Not even Yoo Wan-seop in his prime or hotshot Lee Hwan had gotten gifts this lavish.
"True Big Fan. Gifting something like this."
Choi Muhyun handed the white orb to Kim Jun.
Kim Jun fetched the wooden box, placed the White Spear inside, and shut the lid.
"Personal training, everyone. I'll go see the guild master."
Mae Gyu-pil admired Kim Jun's restraint. A White Spear gifted to him, untouched, straight back in the box.
Probably didn't trust the "Big Fan" sender.
"Jun! Take my car."
Choi Muhyun tossed the smart key.
Kim Jun caught it with a grin and headed out.
The remaining team buzzed with excitement, speculating on the sender.
"Guild master's. Lending it for the dangerous raid."
Bang Yun-a guessed.
"Why quick delivery then? Risk losing a White Spear to an accident."
An Seong-ho pointed out.
"Maybe my master."
Yeom Sang-taek said.
His master was Crazy Buffer Yang Hee-seon. Her eccentricity made a quick-delivery priceless item plausible.
Mae Gyu-pil smirked, just listening.
What faces would they make knowing he sent the White Spear via quick?
All for one goal: memory boost!
One stellar effect of White Spears was mental awakening.
Containing moderium, lyrium, spiridium, clerorayman, enarium, and kalligium, carrying one sharpened focus beyond compare, cleared the mind, and multiplied memory retention.
Its hallmark: near-immunity to all poisons—mantokbulchim. Clutching one, even a sea serpent bite caused mere dizziness.
Boosted recovery noticeably.
Refilled inner power or mana at blazing speed.
Mae Gyu-pil hoped the White Spear would stimulate Kim Jun's brain, hastening Yeon Chung-jae's memory absorption. Only then could he harvest those precious memories through Kim Jun.
No telling when, but he wished it soon.