Chapter 76
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Sudden Gate (5)
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‘Come to think of it, wasn't that guy Lee Seojun a grand magician too?’
He must have been one with the EX-rank innate ability Infinite Power.
Unfortunately, he failed to save the world and now lingered as a ghost attached to me.
"Repairing the walls was fun, wasn't it, Lee Seongmin?"
As I was lost in thought, Joo Ha-yeon approached with a grin, acting like it had been the most amusing thing ever.
To me, it looked like she'd done nothing and the spirits had handled everything, but apparently that alone was entertaining enough for her.
"I'm not sure about fun, but aren't you worried? There's going to be an attack tonight."
"It's fine. With the instructors and cadets together, we'll manage somehow. If we still die, then that's just how it goes."
Joo Ha-yeon flicked her twin tails tied neatly under her ears and flashed a bright smile.
Anyone would call her pretty with that face and smile, but to me, she seemed strangely resigned somehow.
"What are you saying? We have to make it back alive, no matter what."
"Then you protect me, Lee Seongmin."
I looked at Joo Ha-yeon again as she boldly demanded protection.
Her eyes met mine, and she kept smiling sweetly, waiting for my answer.
"...Protecting you won't be hard. But for free?"
"Is there something you want?"
Joo Ha-yeon asked innocently, oblivious to the world's dangers.
The condition I'd set for Cheon Seo-yun came to mind, but I had an even better idea and went with that.
"I'm planning to start a club later. Just join it."
"A club? What kind?"
"Hm."
A club that eats my summoned food to save points?
But with Joo Ha-yeon not yet joined and Hong Ju-a right there, I couldn't say it outright.
"Gourmet Research Club."
So I improvised on the spot.
"Gourmet Research Club?"
"The world has all sorts of cuisines. It's a club to expand your horizons by trying them."
"Wow, that sounds amazing. But won't it cost a ton of points for ingredients?"
"Don't worry about points."
Joo Ha-yeon tilted her head at my reassurance.
"Why not?"
"I'll cover them. But there are special rules... Just follow those."
"Now I'm even more curious. Anyway, I just need to join, right?"
"Yeah, but you have to follow the rules. No quitting either."
"Of course."
Joo Ha-yeon agreed readily, but I wondered if she'd still say that after hearing the rules.
On the other hand, Lee Seojun had watched the whole exchange from start to finish and gave me a speechless look.
-You're roping in Joo Ha-yeon too, huh? Why not get Hong Ju-a to join while you're at it?
Not a bad idea, but Hong Ju-a would probably need to get closer first.
Still, inviting her seemed fine, so as I was about to speak up, Joo Ha-yeon hummed first.
"Anyway, if I want to join the club, you'll have to protect me well, Lee Seongmin."
"Why? Planning to charge out if monsters attack?"
"Of course not. But this is a historical reenactment gate, right? The deadliest kind."
Joo Ha-yeon explained, emphasizing the gate type.
"Do you think even one of us can make it out without dying? I doubt it. And I might be one of them."
"... ."
Her words made perfect logical sense.
This was probably an S-rank gate, so most of us dying wouldn't be surprising.
‘But I don't need to voice that.’
I downplayed the gate's rank in my response.
"Maybe no one dies and we all get out. It could be F-rank, you know?"
"... ."
"... ."
That left Joo Ha-yeon—and even Hong Ju-a—speechless, staring at me.
-Historical reenactment gates start at B-rank minimum.
Ah... right, B-rank start.
I hadn't noticed because the other students seemed relatively calm, probably thanks to S-rank instructor Kang Ju-young and their lack of gate experience.
"Historical reenactment gates start at B-rank."
Hong Ju-a corrected me, so I nodded.
"Then it's B-rank."
"You're so optimistic. Must be nice."
Hong Ju-a called it optimism, but my mind was plenty complicated too.
‘Should I create a new persona now?’
The healer and destroyer faces were too known; showing up here wouldn't make sense.
So, a new identity to conquer the gate would let everyone escape safely.
‘The question is how to introduce it.’
I pondered, but no good answer came.
Just as I thought to ask Lee Seojun privately, someone nearby called me.
"Lee Seongmin!"
"...?"
I turned at the familiar voice and saw Oh Ye-rin with the rest of the team gathered.
Cheon Seo-yun and Park So-yul, there with them, approached with puzzled looks, asking what happened.
"Weren't you with the instructor?"
"I was, but she called for magic users right after. I joined that."
Cheon Seo-yun and Park So-yul nodded; they'd heard about the magic users too.
"Why'd she call them?"
"To fix the east wall."
No need to mention its poor state, though—that would just spread anxiety.
I pointed toward the moving students.
"Let's go eat first anyway. Better to have something in us before tonight's fight."
Cheon Seo-yun nodded at that, then glanced at Joo Ha-yeon and Hong Ju-a beside me.
She got why the mages went to the wall, but not why they were with me.
"When did you get chummy?"
"Joo Ha-yeon and I helped each other with spirits. Hong Ju-a just fixed the wall with us."
Joo Ha-yeon and Hong Ju-a looked slightly puzzled in turn.
Even though I'd answered honestly, Cheon Seo-yun asking seemed odd to them.
"Anyway, hurry. We're the last ones."
I headed to the cafeteria, leading everyone as the students moved off.
The cadets arrived at the cafeteria and let out small gasps at the tables packed with food.
There was enough for 500-600 servings, plenty to fill 300 cadets.
‘Instructor Kang Ju-young is talking with Hero Association folks from afar.’
Petra was nowhere in sight.
After we all sat and finished eating, I excused myself and stepped outside.
-Cheon Seo-yun seems to be watching Joo Ha-yeon whether she means to or not. You okay with that?
"Who knows. Let's solve the gate issue before worrying about Cheon Seo-yun."
Monsters would attack in a few hours, so I asked about that.
"Can we hold them off with our current forces without casualties?"
-Casualties? In a presumed S-rank gate, yeah, but... maybe not the first night.
"Not the first night?"
-Yeah. Just my guess, but beyond repelling monsters, there are tons of other issues making it S-rank.
I had a rough idea of Lee Seojun's "other issues."
‘Food, walls, armament...’
Food was handled, walls were underway.
But the soldiers' worn weapons and tattered armor were problematic too.
-Plus, we haven't figured out the specific clear condition.
"What if I wipe out the monsters on the east now?"
-If you did? Two possibilities come to mind.
Lee Seojun laid out his two ideas.
-One: we fail a specific condition and stay stuck. Two: new monsters spawn and attack again.
"Better to wipe them out then?"
-Not great. Petra's the key here. Figure out her desired ending first.
Ending?
"Maybe Petra wants the monsters wiped out?"
-What good is that? Once we leave, no one handles meals like you, and they starve first.
True, per Lee Seojun—without me, food runs out immediately.
"Tricky."
-Not for nothing is it the deadliest gate. But the rewards are insane too.
"Rewards later... I need to talk to Petra first."
But it might not go smoothly, so I planned a new persona as backup.
"Before that, let's make a new one. Gotta figure how to bring it here."
Popping up out of nowhere would link it to locals, narrowing suspects to cadets—which I wanted to avoid.
I racked my brain for a better way.
-Why a new one?
"If things get dicey, use it to wipe the monsters."
-So, how to introduce without suspicion? Simple: contact Kang Ju-young.
"Kang Ju-young? As the healer?"
-Yeah. She'll ask for one-time help. Offer to send the new persona then.
Appear on her request, basically.
"But healer's already high-profile. Adding another... "
It'd stir up noise.
Thankfully, Lee Seojun had anticipated and had a counter.
-No problem. Say they're from the same organization.
"Same organization?"
-Yeah. You'll make more personas later. Bundle them as organization members.
Lee Seojun looked smug, like it was genius.
-Time to build your world-class organization, Lee Seongmin.