Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Protagonist Concept
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"So, it's a concept?"
"Yep."
Kim Woo-ram, kneeling on the ground, nodded his head vigorously.
'What the...'
Seo Woo-jin let out a hollow laugh.
It wasn't that he couldn't understand.
Summoned to another world, heroes, even a system.
Having gone through all that at once, it made sense that he'd feel like the protagonist of some novel.
There were probably quite a few among the hundred heroes who felt the same way as Kim Woo-ram.
They just wouldn't show it on the outside.
The problem was that Kim Woo-ram was completely immersed in that role.
He truly believed he was different from the others, that the real protagonist wasn't Baek Si-woo or Seo Woo-jin, but "me."
"What about that rude way of speaking?"
"...Because it's cool."
Cool my ass.
It felt like a headache was coming on.
"Let's sum this up. You were enjoying your lone, brooding protagonist role-play by yourself, but when group battle training started, no one would take you, so you came to me?"
"That's right."
"And that hair too?"
"Protagonists always have to have bangs that cover their eyes. Then, when they brush them aside, they reveal their dazzling good looks..."
It was a severe case of eighth-grade syndrome.
Should he be grateful that at least the guy hadn't wrapped bandages around his left hand?
"What's your level?"
"29."
Low.
Considering he was B-rank, it was way too low.
'Setting aside my kids as exceptions, shouldn't he be at least level 33?'
That's what Kim Da-hye, a C-rank, had been before using the 'Summoning Stone.'
"What the hell have you been doing instead of leveling up?"
"W-Well, no one would team up with me."
He mumbled while glancing at Seo Woo-jin's reaction.
"No one would team up with you?"
"During the Demon Realm subjugation, I went solo. So I couldn't catch many monsters and got eliminated..."
While others formed teams to fight monsters, he'd fallen behind.
It fully explained the low level.
'What to do?'
Seo Woo-jin pondered.
In truth, accepting Kim Woo-ram into the team was already a done deal.
He was the very last one remaining, and they only had nine members.
There were no other options.
Still, the reason he hesitated was figuring out where the hell to use this guy.
Low level, no clue how to fight properly.
And on top of that, a total whiner...
A sigh escaped him naturally.
He'd thought that as long as they filled the numbers, skill didn't matter, but even so, Kim Woo-ram was too deficient.
'Not just a plus—he's a straight-up minus.'
The kind of character who'd pull every troll move in the book and give everyone cancer.
He'd fit better as a villain than a protagonist.
'Can't be helped, though.'
Kim Woo-ram was practically already a team member.
He'd just have to keep him close and make sure he didn't cause any incidents.
The silver lining was that their opponents weren't monsters, but fellow heroes.
They didn't have to fight for their lives, so even if he pulled some troll bullshit, there'd be plenty of room to recover.
"Get up."
"Yep."
Kim Woo-ram hopped to his feet briskly.
"Go say hi to the others first and try to blend in."
Not sure if that's even possible.
He'd spent over a year alone since being summoned, after all.
But it had to be done.
If they wanted to train properly as a team.
"...Yep."
The delayed response nagged at him a bit, but he figured the others would handle it.
Not Kim Woo-ram—the others.
"Go on."
As soon as Kim Woo-ram scampered off, Seo Woo-jin sighed and left the training grounds.
The others had all used up their 'Summoning Stones.'
But Seo Woo-jin still had eight and a half left.
No point in hoarding them—they wouldn't get better with age—so he needed to burn through them as fast as possible to level up.
He'd already briefed the team members, so Seo Woo-jin headed straight for the indoor training hall.
'Two levels today, that's the goal.'
No telling how many he'd need to kill.
Might even have to use a whole 'Summoning Stone' at once.
Seo Woo-jin pushed his worries about Kim Woo-ram to the back of his mind and made for the indoor hall.
* * *
"As you've already heard, today's training is group combat."
Rudain, whom they hadn't seen in a while, was the instructor for this session.
The training ground was a vast forest.
It was astonishing that the Academy had facilities this massive inside.
"Each team leader, step forward."
Ten teams, ten leaders walked up to Rudain.
Seo Woo-jin was there, of course, along with Baek Si-woo and others who were reasonably skilled.
'As expected, they picked leaders based on rank and level.'
It made sense.
There was no more objective measure.
Of course, raw power wasn't everything in group battles, but it wasn't something to ignore either.
Especially when superhumans clashed—one powerhouse could overwhelm everything.
"Take these."
Rudain handed out red bands to each leader.
"Wear them on your arm."
Following Rudain's instructions, he tied the band around his left arm.
"Training lasts up to five hours. Protect your band or steal others'."
'Basically like survival cavalry tag.'
No horses, though.
"Any questions?"
When Rudain asked, someone raised a hand.
"Please speak."
It was Baek Si-woo.
Seo Woo-jin narrowed his eyes, studying him.
"What if we steal all the bands within the time limit?"
An outrageous question.
But no one frowned at Baek Si-woo's words or got pissed.
An SSS-rank 'Sword God' had the right to that confidence.
'No demonic energy traces still.'
Of course, Seo Woo-jin couldn't care less about the question itself.
All that mattered was whether Baek Si-woo showed any signs of demonic energy.
"The training ends immediately, and the last remaining team wins."
"Is there a prize for the winners this time too?"
Seo Woo-jin's ears perked up as he observed Baek Si-woo.
'A prize?'
Glancing at Rudain with a flicker of hope.
"Of course. The top three teams get to take one item of their choice from the Imperial Vault."
Seo Woo-jin blinked at the mention of the Imperial Vault.
'Such a thing exists?'
Just the name evoked images of priceless treasures galore.
Seo Woo-jin looked down at his hand.
A silver bracelet and a blue ring gleamed there.
'Might be better stuff than these in the Imperial Vault.'
He felt a twinge of greed.
"If no more questions, training starts in ten minutes."
With that, Seo Woo-jin returned to his team.
"There's a prize."
"A prize? What kind? Hope there are some gauntlets this time!"
Lee Ji-ah asked excitedly.
"If possible, a big hammer or mace would be great."
The weapon users lit up, and so did the rest of the team.
"It's not pre-set prizes—it's like a treasure vault where you pick one thing you want."
At Seo Woo-jin's words, the team's fighting spirit ignited.
"Mister, we have to win this. Got it?"
"Hammer! Mace! Pot lid!"
Especially from Lee Ji-ah and Goo Dong-hwan—it almost felt like heat waves were radiating off them.
"I'll explain the rules, so listen up."
Seo Woo-jin laid out the group battle rules.
They were so simple that the explanation was over quickly.
"Training starts in about five minutes, so final checks."
Everyone inspected their gear at Seo Woo-jin's words.
'Everyone looks good.'
No one seemed overly tense, and conditions were prime.
Except for one guy.
'Kim Woo-ram.'
He still hadn't blended into the team, hovering on the outskirts.
The other members had tried to include him, but Kim Woo-ram was reflexively rejecting them.
'That punk...'
He considered calling him over for a word but let it go.
Standing there all alone with his long spear, looking a bit pitiful from afar.
Also kinda irritating.
It vaguely reminded him of himself when he'd first arrived in this world.
He shook his head with an inward sigh.
Not his problem.
'Focus on the training now.'
Group combat was training Seo Woo-jin needed too.
They had wars to prepare for from here on.
Like always, there wouldn't be many one-on-one monster fights.
In that light, syncing up with the team was invaluable.
'And snag a prize while we're at it.'
The 'Rune Dea' from the sparring training was a fine named sword he quite liked.
Tough and sharp as hell, aside from the fact its previous owner died to a Demon King's minion.
This training might yield something good too if they played it right.
Piiik-!
Lost in thought, a whistle pierced the air.
Training had begun.
The heroes, gauging the situation, slipped away from enemy teams.
Seo Woo-jin's team did the same.
"This way."
Kang Byung-gyu took the lead.
Using his 'Explorer' skills 'Search' and 'Radar,' he'd found the optimal spot.
Seo Woo-jin was the leader, but he didn't insist on his own way.
He wasn't that type, and didn't want to be.
If there was a better idea, he'd follow it gladly; if someone was right for the job, he'd defer to them.
Having shared his thoughts in advance, Kang Byung-gyu confidently led from the front without pressure.
"This spot's higher elevation than surroundings—easier to defend against attacks. Harder for enemies to hit us."
After guiding the team to the high ground, Kang Byung-gyu halted and began the briefing.
"I'll handle lookout. My skills can spot pretty much anything."
As long as it wasn't Baek Si-woo and his elite buddies.
Those guys were too fast.
They could arrive before he even spotted and warned.
"Nearest team is about 300 meters west. Not Baek Si-woo's, luckily, but we'll keep watch just in case."
Thanks to Kang Byung-gyu, no need for scouts.
They could just wait and ambush any approaching team.
"Alright, have a drink, everyone."
Then Park Min-seong set his bag down and started pulling out glass vials.
"Potions?"
The team's eyes widened.
Expensive ones that cost a whopping 3 million won per bottle.
"Not that great—just basic 'Status Ailment Potions.'"
"What's that?"
"You throw the vial at an enemy, and it inflicts a random status ailment. Like 'impaired vision' or 'poison.' Ah, they're cheap, so not super powerful."
Still, chucked by surprise, they'd pack a punch.
Seo Woo-jin picked up a vial, looking pleased.
"When enemies climb up, just toss 'em from above."
"I'll make good use of it, uhahaha!"
Everyone grabbed one and thanked Park Min-seong warmly.
'Non-combat jobs can be huge help depending on how you use 'em.'
Any team that didn't recruit him would regret it.
Especially when those vials came flying from on high.