149. The Squinting Mastermind
149. The Squinting Mastermind
It had already been several days since she started living with Jin Yu-ha.
Life was monotonous.
Or rather, it felt like the calm before the storm.
They gathered together to train, ate meals, laughed, and chatted, but for now everyone was still just watching each other, waiting for an opening.
No one had made the first move yet.
Brrrrrrrr─
Crunch crunch─
"Aaaaaaaaah······."
In the midst of it all, Im Ga-eul had showered after joint training,
and was now munching on snacks while melting into a massage chair.
With a hologram video playing right before her eyes that she could skip with a flick of a finger, what could this be if not paradise?
"Feels like my very soul's being wrung out—. So refreshing—!"
The languid, completely melted expression on her face seemed to show just how satisfied she was with the current situation.
Of course, it was equally undeniable that she looked like a total deadbeat mooch to anyone watching.
Tap tap tap─
Im Ga-eul, who had been swiping through videos, furrowed her brow.
"Ugh— there's nothing to watch on shorts these days. It's all just hunters showing off their strength or telling stories. Or else dancing some weird dance."
On top of that, the quality wasn't even high or interesting.
Their looks were all somehow lacking too.
Seeing juniors with outrageously otherworldly appearances wielding terrifying abilities every day, it was only natural that nothing else could stir any excitement in her.
"Hmmmmmm······."
Ding─♬
"Oh, the Utopia Channel uploaded a new video?"
The channel created by Shin Se-hee around the time of this Midterm Evaluation: 『Utopia』.
In just a few days since its creation, it had surpassed 3 million subscribers and was now a mega-channel closing in on 4 million.
Under the banner of being the party of Korea's top rising hunter prospects, its influence was spreading worldwide.
"Hmm, wasn't this proposed by that kid who just came in as an intern? Let's see—."
So far, only three videos had been uploaded to the channel.
Edits of the footage Sofia and Reina had filmed during the Midterm Evaluation.
The first video was Jin Yu-ha's fight with Rebecca.
The second video was Lee Yu-ri in action.
The third video was the conversation scene between Chairwoman Rina and Jin Yu-ha.
The public was always curious about the world of real hunters,
but had given up on it long ago because filming inside dungeons was impossible.
But since a video came along that perfectly scratched that itch, an explosive reaction was only natural!
Praise for Jin Yu-ha and the Utopia Party flooded in.
At first, malicious comments suggesting it was a fabricated video to exaggerate Jin Yu-ha's skills held a fair share.
But soon, an official statement confirmed that the AA-rank Demonized Human Rebecca had been rendered incapacitated and was imprisoned in the Hunter Management Bureau, and those comments were buried under countless downvotes, and their posters deleted them and fled.
"What kind of video went up today?"
A video that had just been uploaded in real time.
Im Ga-eul played the new video.
As always, the video began with Jin Yu-ha.
And there was a black-haired woman who appeared to be an academy instructor.
The two of them harmonized their movements, swinging their swords and instantly subduing over a dozen Demonized Humans.
The two of them swung their swords as if dancing.
The sight was nothing short of breathtaking.
As the video played, comments floated up beside it in real time.
─ Whoa······. Can swinging a sword really be that beautiful? Jin Yu-ha is insane, for real. The person fighting alongside him looks like an instructor, and he isn't falling behind at all.
─ Right! An academy instructor! Who was that bastard spouting conspiracy theories last time? That Demonized Humans infiltrated without Chairwoman Rina knowing? There's an academy instructor right there!
┗ LOL From the start, there was no real danger to the cadets' lives. They just cranked up the tension to the max and then came out once it was all over.
┗ 22222222222222 fr lol. Like the Magic Emperor wouldn't have known. She's just trying to make the kids strong.
─ But Lord Yu-ha's visuals are insane again today. Waaaaah······.
─ No, but why is the instructor so pretty too?
Next, the faces of the cadets watching the scene appeared.
They wore expressions of relief, but none of them were in a normal state.
Their exhausted and wounded appearances from the long fight were vividly captured.
─ I heard the Velvet Academy exam was hell. It really is brutal. Look at all the injured kids.
─ Yeah. Honestly, the Utopia kids are insanely awesome, but those ordinary cadets are working themselves bloody on the front lines like that to keep us safe.
─ Poor things. I want to go heal them······.
That was when.
Step.
Step.
The screen that had been showing the cadets shifted, and along with the sound of footsteps, a pair of long, slender legs walked forward.
The camera slowly tilted upwards.
And what appeared on screen was a woman with flowing blonde hair and a slender figure.
With a calm face, she raised her bow toward the sky.
And even without an arrow, she smoothly drew the bowstring.
Hummm─
The bowstring drawn taut.
A brilliant cluster of golden light took the form of an arrow at her fingertips.
Ping─
A golden arrow shot into the empty air.
Then, a radiant rain began to fall from the dark sky above.
"Huh······?"
"W-What is this!?"
"My body is recovering······!?"
"Recovery...? Is that a heal? Is there a Healer who can use a heal like this······?"
The camera that had been showing the bewildered faces of the cadets returned to fill the screen completely with the face of the blonde girl.
A bright, radiant smile.
Along with piano music that sounded like falling raindrops, a caption appeared below.
《 Utopia's Healer, 【 Saintess 】 Sofia. 》
The moment her identity was revealed like that,
the comments started going up like mad.
So fast that an ordinary person's eyes couldn't keep up!
─ ???
─ ???
─ What?
─ Utopia has a Healer...?
─ Wha-What!? The waiting line was jam-packed because Utopia's Healer spot was open!? I was even getting my resume ready!!!
─ Who is she? I've pretty much memorized all the new student lists, but it's my first time seeing her!
─ ······Sofia unni?
─ Unni, why are you here······?
┗ Someone you know?
┗ Yeah, she's a monster rookie in the modeling world.
┗ If you aren't into the modeling scene you might not know, but among those who do, she's a top prospect called the icon of the next generation······. Sofia is suddenly in Utopia? Whoa, that seriously surprised me.
─ A model······. No wonder her figure is insane.
─ This basically confirms the requirement to join the Utopia Party. It's looks!!!
┗ Damn. Guess there's no choice. I, Gwak Pil-soon, will have to step up and join the Utopia Party.
─ Waaaaah, noona······. What about the modeling world without you······. It'll be ruined without you!! Come back!!!
┗ Hey, model or whatever, her ability is insane. Long-range full-party heal? She has to be let go. Give it up.
It seemed Sofia had already been a promising model even before joining Utopia.
Those who had known Sofia early on were surprised, but the majority reaction was that it couldn't be helped, since the ability she had just shown was so impressive.
─ So, Utopia's full party is complete now?
┗ Right?
Party Leader & Sub Damage Dealer - Jin Yu-ha.
Main Damage Dealer - Kang Do-hee.
Tank - Lee Yu-ri.
Special Wizard - Shin Se-hee.
Healer - Sofia.
Support - Um, who was that······?
┗ Ah, that 2nd year.
┗ Yeah, Squinting Mastermind Im Gyeo-ul? Think the name was something like that. A kid with no presence.
┗ Oh yeah. I'd forgotten lol
┗ It's only natural you don't know. A mastermind never reveals their identity.
Crunch─
In an instant, the snack between Im Ga-eul's lips snapped in two.
Fuming.
She furiously typed away at the keyboard.
─ It's Im Ga-eul, not Im Gyeo-ul ^^? Ahaha······. That kid is working hard too, don't you think she'd be sad if you mess up her name like that?
┗ Squinting Mastermind, welcome.
┗ fr lol. You! Squinting Mastermind! Just how thoroughly did you hide your identity!!
┗ Honestly, isn't it true she has no presence? Now even Gukbap has skyrocketed, but only Im Gyeo-ul is quiet.
┗ Squinting Silence.
┗ But that's just a kid with small eyes who's quiet lmaoooooo
Pfft.
'It's not Im Gyeo-ul! It's Im Ga-eul—!!'
She hadn't been hiding her identity either.
She was working hard every single day, pushing her body to its limits to keep improving her stats for the highest-grade Magic Stone Jin Yu-ha had set as a condition.
Yet people couldn't even properly remember her name.
Suddenly, a sense of crisis swept over Im Ga-eul.
'Yu-ha hoobae, Se-hee hoobae, and Do-hee hoobae... I'll give them a pass, but······.'
Those three lived in a different world to begin with, so it couldn't be helped. But Lee Yu-ri, who had shared the duty of being unknown alongside her...
'Even Yu-ri hoobae's recognition went up this time with the Midterm Evaluation video······.'
And just yesterday, the recognition that had been slowly creeping up had suddenly skyrocketed as if gaining momentum.
「Utopia Stops Hunter Crime.」
An article had come out saying that Kim Hye-ji was finally facing the consequences for the crimes she had committed!
─ Whoa, this bitch is total trash. Over 3,000 criminal records? Crime is basically her lifestyle.
─ Honestly, things like that should just be dealt with as Demonized Humans.
─ Utopia is solving things that both the police and the Hunter Management Bureau had given up on.
The incident, which started with praise for Utopia as usual, shifted focus onto Lee Yu-ri when one comment revealed the behind-the-scenes story.
─ Hello. I'm someone who went to high school with Kim Hye-ji and Lee Yu-ri······.
That comment detailed just how vicious a person Kim Hye-ji had been,
and then made a heartfelt confession: even though the commenter had stood by and watched when Lee Yu-ri was being bullied, Lee Yu-ri later stepped up to protect the commenter when Kim Hye-ji tried to harass them.
Lee Yu-ri had a story that could stir people's hearts.
She had crushed the people who bullied her in high school.
She hadn't backed down in the face of poverty but had worked hard to enter the best academy in the world.
And then she ended up taking the Tank role in the party called Utopia.
A story of overcoming trials and hardship was something that always stirred people's enthusiasm.
Just as everyone was gaining fame one by one and their images were being formed,
Im Ga-eul alone had gotten no attention at all.
Well, she hadn't participated alongside Jin Yu-ha in the Midterm Evaluation.
They were in different grades to begin with; what could she do!
'Even the new junior who just joined is charging upward······. At this rate, I'll be the only one······.'
─ I'm sorry, sunbae, I know it's not my place to say this, but I think you need to leave the Utopia Party now······.
She could vividly imagine Jin Yu-ha's face saying that to her, his eyes half-apologetic and half-pitiful.
"No, no······. No!!"
Im Ga-eul tossed aside the snack she was eating and shot up from the massage chair.
She started heading straight for Jin Yu-ha's room, then stopped abruptly.
It wasn't because she thought she needed to alert the group chat.
The current situation was urgent enough to warrant immediate action, after all.
But the reason she stopped was because she spotted Jin Yu-ha through the large window next to the teleporter.
Jin Yu-ha, together with Sofia hoobae, no less!
"······Hoo, hoobae?"
* * *
"Where are you off to?"
"Ah, you scared me."
Sofia had suddenly popped out of the bushes just as I was about to head outside after receiving a summons from Instructor Baek Seol-hee.
'How did she know? I even used Covert Step to sneak out······.'
I looked at Sofia with a startled face.
She was holding a camera in one hand, looking extremely suspicious.
"······I've got somewhere to be."
I answered with a slightly bemused expression.
"Where?"
"Well, that's······."
That was when.
"Hoo, Hoobae—!"
"······Ga-eul sunbae?"
"Me too! Take me with you toooo!!!"
She shouted in a voice choked with tears.
"You can't leave me behiiiiind!!"