Chapter 131
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 131 How to Set a Goal (5)
“Why are you here? Weren't you assigned to the Gyeong-in Fortress?”
“I got scouted by the Captain. I'm her direct subordinate now. That's why I came here. Well, anyway… I'm your senior, so I'm counting on you, 'kay?”
I asked in a bewildered voice, but Choi Garam just smiled slyly and answered confidently. Good grief. It was absurd, but at the same time, a relief. Choi Garam being assigned to this barracks must be Shin Barun's consideration.
“You know her?”
“Ah, yeah! We met her during field training before!”
Just then, Na Yuri asked from the side. After hearing Shin Baran answer for me, I belatedly introduced them.
“This is Na Yuri. My friend.”
“Hello.”
“Yep, hi. Name's Choi Garam. Nice to meet you. You guys are going through a lot. Getting caught up in a power struggle and ending up like this.”
Choi Garam, accepting Na Yuri's greeting, sauntered over and sat on a convenient spot.
“We won't be able to stop you from being deployed to the battlefield. So, you'll probably be assigned as escorts for the researchers studying the unusual situation. It's the rear of this front line, so to speak.”
“Researchers?”
“Yep. Since this isn't a normal situation, there are a lot of monsters that aren't in their right minds, you know? The need for research was acknowledged, so they sent a group. Well, the higher-ups aren't coming to the field, of course. It's just unfortunate for the ones who came here.”
Choi Garam cackled and continued.
“Still, don't expect not to fight. This is the front lines... unfortunately. Tsk. Bastards. Don't let your guard down. We'll look for a way to send you home as soon as possible, so don't get hurt or die until then.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“What's to thank? It's my job. This evening, you'll be introduced to the researchers you'll be escorting. Well, I'm done saying what I need to, so I'm off. If there's a problem, contact me on the radio you were issued. You know how to use it, right?”
“Yes. We learned.”
“Alright. I'm off. I'm pretty busy, you see.”
Just like that, Choi Garam threw out what she had to say and left again. Park Siwoo spoke as he watched her disappear like the wind.
“She hasn't changed.”
“You think….”
“Well, I should get going too. I think I need to check on my barracks.”
“Ah, can I come with? I'm curious about the situation over there too! Our barracks is mostly organized!”
“Together? Sure.”
I headed to the men's barracks with Park Siwoo. Looking closely, it seemed the students' barracks were all clustered together so they could stay close.
“This is it.”
“I see! Excuse me!”
“Ooh! It's Junior Kang Nahyun!”
“Nahyun?”
I cautiously entered the men's barracks. The male students also seemed to be mostly done organizing. The rest must have gone out, as only Sion, Na Yuhan, and Park Siwoo were inside.
“I've roughly organized your supplies for you.”
“Thanks.”
Park Siwoo thanked Na Yuhan. As I stood there awkwardly, Sion led me to his cot.
“Sit here!”
“Ah, thank you.”
“What brings you here?”
“I was curious about the situation here. Have you met your senior Hunter?”
“Our assigned senior is coming a bit late.”
Na Yuhan answered my question.
“So we were just resting. We finished organizing our things and all.”
“I see. I heard from the senior Hunter on the girls' side that we'll probably be assigned to escort the researchers here.”
“As expected…”
“You expected it?”
“They wouldn't throw us onto the absolute front lines right away. Not with Shin Barun here.”
“You've already figured it all out. You're always amazing, Yuhan!”
“...It's no big deal.”
I used the 'So-and-so is amazing!' skill for the first time in a while, and it's still as effective as ever. Na Yuhan turned his head slightly, embarrassed. He glanced at the people in the barracks for a moment, then spoke to me quietly.
“I have something to discuss privately, can we meet separately?”
“Okay!”
It must be about the Gate where the Key appears. I sensed it and nodded quickly.
“Thanks. Sunbae, Park Siwoo. I'm stepping out for a bit.”
“Do as you please!”
“...Yeah.”
I followed Na Yuhan as he led me to a deserted place. Na Yuhan seemed to be in a hurry, because as soon as we arrived at a spot with few people, he got straight to the point.
“There's a dungeon nearby that has a Key. The Gate to that dungeon will open soon. I'm going to find the place where that Gate will open. Can you help me?”
Watching Na Yuhan ask for help so openly, I was somehow reminded of the Na Yuhan from the novel. The 'heaven and earth, I alone am supreme' Na Yuhan from the novel, who would rather use others as his limbs than ask for help. And the sincere Na Yuhan standing in front of me now. Just as you've changed, I wish I could approach you sincerely, too. I smiled and nodded.
“Of course! Is there an expected location? Can you give me a clue?”
“Tomorrow, near the place the researchers are going to gather data, there should be a rock that looks like a dragon. We have to find it.”
“Dragon Rock….”
I know. In the original novel, he couldn't find it right away, so Na Yuhan spent several nights searching for that rock alone, in secret. But…
“Are you sure it's there?”
“Yes. The information is certain. I can say this clearly.”
“If so, once we get there, couldn't I find it quickly with my <Omission> skill?”
It's better to reduce the time spent, if possible. I suggested it to Na Yuhan seriously, and as soon as I did, his expression turned contemplative, as if he'd just heard a tempting offer.
“What about your points? Do you have enough?”
“Maybe because I've been with you, I've gathered a decent amount! We have time now, so should we go check just how many points it costs?”
“Hm. Points are a very precious resource, so it's best to save them as much as possible. Let's look for it on foot first, and if we can't find it in time, let's use that Omission technique.”
“Sounds good!”
If I use <Omission>, it'll probably be around tomorrow evening. It would be nice if we could find it quickly with an extra pair of hands, but I had to be prepared for the 'what if'. We couldn't pour all our attention into finding one rock on a battlefield. And so, we set a rough plan and parted ways.
“Thanks as always, Nahyun.”
“What for. I'm always thankful for you.”
“Yeah. I trust you.”
“...Me too.”
Some cheesy words like that were exchanged. It was awkward. And it was a little painful, feeling like an idiot for not being able to repay that trust. By the time I returned to the women's barracks, it was already evening.
“Have a good rest? Let's go eat dinner!”
“Is the food good?”
“Nope. It's shit.”
As evening fell, Choi Garam naturally barged into our barracks and guided us to the place where food was distributed. Like school lunches, you get soup, rice, and side dishes on a tray and sit wherever. …And like most mass-produced food, it seemed they had given up some quality to meet the quantity.
“It tastes bad….”
“Ugh…”
“This is still edible, for what it's worth.”
I shook my head at Na Yuri and the other Academy students, who were horrified by the taste, which was worse than imagined. I could still eat it, but it seemed to really not suit the others' palates. Of course, just because it was edible didn't mean it was good. I just shoveled it in, my mind blank. While I was doing that,
“Hello, Hunter Choi Garam.”
“Oh. Here to eat?”
A woman approached Choi Garam and spoke to her. Judging by her clothes, she seemed to be a researcher. She had a generally gentle and unmemorable impression, but the bracelet on her left arm was quite striking. It was a thick bracelet, engraved with a golden fox emblem. How unusual. Normally, I would have left it at that, but…
“I came to ask you something I'm curious about.”
“Good grief. I told you I'm not a researcher anymore.”
“Even so.”
Somehow, she looked familiar. Strange? Do I know a researcher like that? As I was thinking that, I must have been staring, because she turned to look at me. For a moment, our eyes met.
“Oh. …Huh?”
She really looks familiar. The moment I thought that,
“Nahyun?”
My name came from her mouth. What? While I was flustered, she greeted me as if she was happy to see me.
“Hi, Nahyun!”
“Ah, hello…?”
I returned her greeting, bewildered. My confusion must have been obvious, because she shook my hand and said with an awkward laugh.
“You probably don't remember, do you? I only know because Hunter Choi Garam told me… A long time ago, 8 years ago, when the Gate opened in Yongin… Uh, um. I'm the person you met during the Erentos's Laboratory collapse.”
“...Ah!”
In that instant, her face overlapped with someone from a distant memory. ‘Hello, little one. What's your name?’‘So you're Nahyun. Nahyun's mom is a little busy right now, so Unni is going to look after you.’That Unni!
“Back then, you were…!”
“Ah, you remember?”
“Yes. You were still working as a researcher!”
“Yeah. I was researching directly under Erentos-nim at the lab, and after Erentos-nim passed away… well, things happened. Now I work at the Uiwang Gate Laboratory.”
She said with a gentle smile. Directly under Erentos? My eyes flashed like a hawk spotting its prey. Choi Garam, seeming unimpressed by the Erentos name, idly muttered as she sipped the disgustingly bad juice that came as dessert.
“That old man never paid out the filter royalties to the end.”
“Ahaha… You two fought about that a lot...”
“Of course, the license belongs to the lab according to the contract, but shouldn't he pay an incentive? Huh? Thanks to that, I'm still rolling in the deep even at an age when I should be retiring. Aigo. I bet Erentos's family is living well off of it.”
“You're working hard.”
“Whatever. What happened to the research you were doing after that old man died? Is that going well?”
“Ah, yes! The research I was doing with Erentos-nim was also inherited by one of his grandsons. I have no idea what happened after that. It's a shame, but it seems something came up on his end, too.”
As soon as I heard that, I urgently cut into their conversation. It was a topic I absolutely couldn't miss.
“Um, that… by any chance, could I know that grandson's name?”
“Hm? Why?”
“I'm interested in research related to Erentos-nim! I'm curious!”
At my words, her expression clouded with difficulty. Is it not allowed?
“Well… it'd be hard to meet him now. He's wanted.”
“Wanted? Who is he?”
“His name is Park Yulhan. Do you know him?”
“...Park Yulhan?”
That mosquito bastard?