Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Business (3)
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When I called out to him, Seo Ji-ho stopped in his tracks and turned his head.
Confirming it was me, he immediately asked what was up.
“What’s the matter?”
It seemed like his usual self at first glance, but there was an underlying bitterness to it.
Seeing that, I figured it was better to cut straight to the chase rather than offering clumsy comfort.
“I heard your father got injured.”
“...And what exactly do you mean by that?”
Mentioning his father made Seo Ji-ho ask back in a low voice.
“I know a healer who’s exceptional at what they do.”
“A healer?”
“Probably S-rank. If your father gets healed by them, even the aftereffects of the injury might vanish.”
I explained it as kindly as I could, but suspicion clouded Seo Ji-ho’s eyes.
“That sounds way too convenient for me. What’s to say it’s not a trap?”
“If it were a trap, I wouldn’t be spelling it out so sloppily. If you’re still paranoid, just bring your father along.”
Even if his skills had declined, he was still an S-grade hero.
I figured no run-of-the-mill trap would faze him, but Seo Ji-ho couldn’t shake his doubts.
“Or you could pick the meeting spot yourself. Why get hung up on nonsense?”
“The Villain Alliance has targeted my father more than once or twice.”
Seo Ji-ho gave an unexpected reply, then nodded.
“But... if there’s even a chance of restoring Father’s abilities, I should try anything. What’s the healer’s contact info?”
...Contact info?
It went without saying that I didn’t have any, having only been in this world for a week.
I bought a moment by thinking I’d snag a subordinate’s phone from the warehouse body.
“The contact’s in my dorm. I’ll send it over as soon as class ends.”
“And one more thing.”
Seo Ji-ho hesitated for a long while, like there was another issue beyond the contact.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have points to buy outing permission.”
“...”
From the mention of outing permission, it seemed he planned to go himself.
Not a bad idea, I thought, so I decided to sort out his points problem first.
“How much is the outing permission?”
“30 points.”
“I’ll lend it to you. Pay me back.”
I currently had 190 points, so 30 was pocket change.
“You’re lending me points?”
“Wouldn’t do it for just anyone, but you strike me as the type who’d pay up.”
Besides, I could always collect repayment some other way.
“Oh, and that healer’s a money grubber—cheap change won’t cut it.”
“If the skill’s legit, I don’t care.”
I nodded, agreeing with him.
Not long after heading to the group battle arena, Instructor Kang Ju-young arrived and started class.
“You all must’ve felt your shortcomings last week. I trust none of you idiots sat on your asses after that.”
“We didn’t do jack.”
Oh Ye-rin, my teammate from back then, shot me a look as she said it.
I ignored her gaze and replied nonchalantly.
“You could’ve practiced solo.”
“I did. But this is team combat.”
“It’ll be fine.”
Even in a team fight, I could support them properly.
With my backup, everyone would at least pull their weight.
“This battle’s against a single boss-grade monster. Your goal is to take it down through teamwork among the five of you.”
Last week it was 50 goblins; this time, Instructor Kang Ju-young pitted us against a boss-grade monster.
‘Still, just one, so it should be easier.’
Instructor Kang Ju-young seemed to think the same, laying out some conditions.
“The catch is, the monster’s random. You only choose its grade. Higher grades mean more points if you win.”
With that, she signaled the assistant instructor, who unrolled a large sheet for all to see.
F-grade: 5 points.
E-grade: 10 points.
D-grade: 20 points.
C-grade: 40 points.
Looked like reward points.
My eyes were locked solely on C-grade’s 40 points.
“40 points...”
Me muttering about 40 points made Oh Ye-rin freak out and try to stop me.
“Hey, no way. It’s a boss-grade monster. At least 2-3 times stronger than regular ones of the same grade. C-grade? Our blades won’t even dent it.”
“Really? Cheon Seo-yun, what do you think?”
After hearing Oh Ye-rin out, I asked Cheon Seo-yun. She pondered before answering.
“We can do it.”
“Hear that?”
“What bullshit is that?!”
I dangled the points bait at the fuming Oh Ye-rin.
“Don’t you want 40 points?”
“...”
The mention of 40 points shut Oh Ye-rin up.
Having been here a week, she knew their value well enough.
“Still, C-grade’s too risky.”
Even so, Oh Ye-rin shook her head and refused.
-The three goblins Oh Ye-rin fought in the virtual training room before were F-grade. Jumping straight to a C-grade boss monster? Of course she’d refuse.
Hearing Lee Seojun’s words next, I roughly got it.
Come to think of it, last week’s 50 goblins were F-grade too.
Me suddenly pushing for a C-grade boss like it was no big deal naturally spooked her into refusing.
‘I’m picking C-grade anyway.’
Smirking at the thought of Oh Ye-rin’s reaction, I listened to Instructor Kang Ju-young.
“Finally, fail to kill the boss, and no points. It’s about knowing your and your team’s limits.”
With that, she called teams one by one.
“Teams 1 through 4, step up.”
“Let’s go.”
We were Team 4, so we went first.
Oh Ye-rin, unhappy about it, let out a small sigh and muttered.
“Feels like we’ll always be going first like this.”
“Means we get the fourth-highest bonus points.”
Being Team 4 also meant solid bonus points—fourth best.
We were ahead in points already, so leading off was tolerable.
“Team 1, state your grade.”
“F-grade.”
Teams 2 and 3 picked F and E-grade, respectively.
Instructor Kang Ju-young eyed Team 3’s E-grade choice but nodded and moved on.
“Team 4, your grade?”
“C-grade.”
The instant I said C-grade, Oh Ye-rin’s eyes went wide in shock, then she smacked my shoulder.
Instructor Kang Ju-young, reading the situation unlike with the others, double-checked.
“No team discussion, huh? You sure about C-grade?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll see.”
At my unilateral call, everyone but Cheon Seo-yun—Oh Ye-rin, Jeong Yu-mi, and Park So-yul—gave me complicated looks.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get us those 40 points.”
“Whatever, I’m done thinking.”
Oh Ye-rin sounded like she washed her hands of it.
The assistant instructor brought a box anyway and held it out.
“Draw one orb from inside.”
Guessed the orbs named the boss monster.
“Who’s drawing?”
“You do it. You picked C-grade.”
Didn’t matter what we drew, so I casually reached in and pulled one out.
As expected, it had a name. The team crowded around, curious.
[Giant Rock Golem]
“...”
“...”
After a brief silence, Oh Ye-rin spoke.
“Of all the worst matchups for cold weapons.”
We entered the arena, and massive mana gathered ahead, forming a shape.
About three times human size—7 meters tall—with a body of large and small rocks: a golem.
“Cheon Seo-yun, you take the golem. The other three, support her without getting in her way.”
Normally Jeong Yu-mi with her tower shield would tank, but not this time.
I judged her incapable of blocking that golem’s attacks, so I tasked Cheon Seo-yun.
‘Not that I even need to do this.’
I could solo it fine, but this was team combat.
To let everyone shine, we needed to drag it out a bit.
“Begin.”
At Instructor Kang Ju-young’s command, the Giant Rock Golem moved—and so did Cheon Seo-yun.
Tat—
Cheon Seo-yun charged first; the others smartly followed her lead.
“Target the legs first!”
Oh Ye-rin shouted the standard for big monsters.
The Giant Rock Golem raised its right arm toward the incoming Cheon Seo-yun.
‘Hm.’
I flung one of the six swords hovering via Warlord’s Weapon at that arm.
Stab!
My sword pierced the raised arm cleanly.
Stopped its downward swing on Cheon Seo-yun before it started.
One pierced arm wouldn’t stop a 7-meter golem? Sure, but...
My Warlord’s Weapon packed more than that.
Boom!
The sword didn’t just pierce—it shoved with extra force, toppling the golem backward.
“Wha—huh? It fell! Hit it now!”
Oh Ye-rin reverse-gripped her dagger and stomped its knee.
Aiming to shatter it so it couldn’t stand again, but sadly, lacking power.
Thud! Thud!
“Damn it! Too tough!”
Oh Ye-rin stabbed repeatedly, yelling about the hardness.
Indeed, her dagger only scratched; no penetration.
‘Same for the others.’
Jeong Yu-mi and Park So-yul hammered the opposite knee with shield and dagger—scratches only.
(Park So-yul’s main was a shortbow, useless here, so sub-weapon dagger.)
‘Meanwhile, Cheon Seo-yun...’
Cheon Seo-yun placed a hand on the golem, did something, then swiftly climbed aboard and targeted the left shoulder.
-Looks like she found the Giant Rock Golem’s core.
Having pinpointed the weakness, she wrapped her sword in mana and thrust deep into the left shoulder.
Shunk—
Luckily spot-on; the golem went limp and slowly faded.
“Huh? What? We won? That easy?”
Oh Ye-rin couldn’t believe the win, chattering before cheering wildly.
I turned to leave the arena, watching her openly celebrate.
‘Hm?’
Then I spotted Instructor Kang Ju-young staring intently at me.