Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Mama-less Jeong Isol! We'll Teach Her! To Jeong Isol's Constellation! Sex!
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"What the hell are those weapons?"
"Where'd you even find them?"
The sudden appearance of artifacts left the rankers flustered.
Jeong Isol even stormed right up to me, yelling her head off.
"How the hell did you know there were artifacts hidden here and go grab them...?"
Before she could finish, Seol Harin and Lena stepped forward.
They took turns pressuring Jeong Isol.
"While your guild leader was negotiating with ours, we searched the dungeon and found the artifacts. Got a problem with that?"
"Don't look so down. Your only mistake was having too much pride for a mere female."
"Ha...!"
Jeong Isol turned away like she was done with it all.
Probably overwhelmed by their madness.
But she had no real comeback anyway.
My actions were straight out of the textbook.
By-the-book principles!
Especially crucial in a dungeon.
That's when the system window popped up again.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Dividing zones by team.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Blue Team – Leader: Kim Taeyang, etc. (467 members) Red Team – Leader: Park Hee-yeon, etc. (38 members) "What the...?"
The lobby had been split in half.
One side painted blue, the other red, divided by the entrance.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Once the wave starts, teams cannot cross into each other's zones.] [Monsters will not cross zones to attack.] [Teams can be switched freely until the wave begins.] A few more rules had been added.
Nothing complicated.
It had just shifted from co-op to versus mode.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Team leaders cannot switch teams.] [Waves end when objectives are met, regardless of team.] [Survive to the end and clear the boss wave.] "......"
"......"
Silence fell over the room.
The elite Red Team of rankers.
The peasant-revolt-style Blue Team armed with artifacts.
Team members could betray and switch at any time.
But leaders like me and Park Hee-yeon couldn't.
Park Hee-yeon stepped up to me.
"Haa. You just had to ruin everything."
"Ahh- It's your fault, but I'll forgive you. This body's got stamina to spare!"
"...It's not my fault, it's yours!!! If you'd just quietly joined us, none of this would've happened...!"
"Guild leader! Hold it in!"
Why's it my fault?
It's yours for not joining me.
Whatever. I'll save everyone anyway.
Doesn't matter.
In the end, I'll rescue Park Hee-yeon too... and the whole Justice guild will convert to the Church of the Sun. It's only a matter of time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ -Those ranker bastards start off with their heads up their asses, but once you give 'em an inch, they turn into total pricks.
-Keep being nice, and they think it's their right, demanding more and more.
-Try to boost the guild's rep by indulging that bullshit, and you're fucked. Got it, you thick-headed moron?
A few days before he passed.
Park Chung-hyun lay in his hospital bed, dispensing that advice.
'Not at all.'
But Park Hee-yeon saw things differently from her brother.
'A guild's value comes from its star heroes in the end. Big fish matter, not the small fry underneath.'
Park Hee-yeon carved her own path.
Sacrificing the small fry to hook the big fish.
The strategy worked pretty well.
Big fish flocked in, and the small fry followed naturally.
Her Justice grew bigger than her brother's.
But public opinion didn't reflect that.
-Justice ain't what it used to be... Blame the guild leader?
Park Chung-hyun's name carried too much weight.
Even as it expanded, Justice couldn't live up to its old glory.
'Brother was a frontline legend while leading the guild... Can't be helped.'
Name value.
The power it holds is immense.
Didn't some famous guy say it?
First, become famous. Then shit your pants. People will applaud.
-Toegye Yi Hwang, 1502~1571
Toegye's words were timeless wisdom.
Park Hee-yeon lived by them.
'If only I'd been as famous as brother... If my hero talent was stronger... If I'd contracted a mightier constellation...!'
Why she couldn't escape her brother's shadow.
Name value.
To put it bluntly, Park Chung-hyun was a crane.
Park Hee-yeon was a sparrow.
A sparrow mimicking a crane's stately strut just tears its legs.
'I've got my own way. I'll prove it's the right one...!'
Park Hee-yeon's eyes blazed with resolve.
Why was that?
Just looking at Kim Taeyang made her blood boil uncontrollably.
Lick lick!
Because of that vulgar tongue flick?
"Urgh! Train up!! Inject yourselves with top-tier combat skills!!!"
Or that crude speech?
His unserious attitude about everything.
The troll who popped up out of nowhere to wreck her guild.
That evil-looking face...!
Reasons to hate him? Plenty.
But what really sparked her rage was one thing.
'He reminded me of brother.'
Seeing Park Chung-hyun in Kim Taeyang.
For a fleeting moment, he looked like a 'true leader'.
That fact pissed her off beyond endurance.
'The real leader is me. I'll become one.'
Lead the guild my way.
Save everyone here in the end.
And be reborn as a guild leader everyone respects.
Even remembered as better than Park Chung-hyun.
'I can do it. Convince the rankers, unify opinions, make the whole guild one...'
As she steeled herself with those thoughts.
"Guild leader. Come here a sec."
"Huh...?"
It was ranker Jeong Isol.
She'd apparently rallied some opinion in the team.
"That Kim Taeyang guy's a total troll, right?"
"Well... Yeah, he's not cooperating."
"Then just kill him?"
"?"
Jeong Isol's face showed no gravity.
Made it all the creepier.
"Isn't that a bit hasty...?"
"Better to nip potential threats in the bud. What's the difference from watching cancer grow?"
Not wrong.
But not right either.
How could we know Kim Taeyang would definitely be a problem?
Preemptively killing a suspected troll? This wasn't some sci-fi flick.
"We've talked it over among ourselves. We'll handle him while you sleep, so when you exit the dungeon, clean it up nice. Keep your side's mouths shut tight."
"......"
Such a calm murder plot.
Left her too stunned to speak.
Park Hee-yeon glanced at Kim Taeyang's side.
They were all fired up, training together.
"We can do this!"
"Let's protect our own bodies!"
"Bet on who kills more!!"
"Hey hey! You worthless livestock, don't get cocky!! Your goal ain't killing—it's protecting yourselves!!! Got it?!!"
"Yes sir!!!"
The Blue Team, already united and prepping for the wave.
Meanwhile, Red Team was scheming to assassinate an ally.
'Why am I the bad guy here...?!'
Something was seriously off.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Sister Sow Pigs. Scout monster paths and set up defense plans."
"Got it."
"Same mission as Harin♡"
"Loiter Sow Pig. Assist training, then oversee base construction once the sisters plan it out."
"Finally, some real grind work...!"
"Piss Sow Pig. Can you set up comms inside the building?"
"Hmm... With phones and radios around, yeah, we can make it work...!"
"Good. Next, Mini Sow Pig. Train the civilian sows as drill instructor."
"Me training again?! Give me some manual labor for once!"
"Hey! What manual labor with that tiny body?! Shut up and train 'em!!"
"Tch... "
I assigned tasks to the heroines.
And me?
Obviously, oversight...!
-I'd love to say that, but I've got work too.
"Archbishop Sow Pig. Hand over the docs."
"Here you go, Leader."
Abigail handed over files.
Rankers' personal info and constellation details.
Top-secret guild intel... but easy to snag since the clerk managing it joined the Church of the Sun.
"Leader. If I may ask boldly... why'd you need this info? My lowly mind can't fathom your depths, and stealing it pricked my conscience..."
Why?
To steal their constellations, duh...!
But saying that would disappoint Abigail.
"Hey. Guess my thinking."
"How could I presume to know your thoughts?"
"Wrack that lowly brain of yours! Got it?!!"
"...You've taught us to give our all to any task. You're focused solely on minimizing losses and clearing the dungeon."
That's partly right.
I care more about clear rewards and constellation theft, but hey, about 13% overlap counts as a win.
"And what's needed for that?"
"Unity... I suppose."
"Think those arrogant sow pigs will unite with us?"
"Absolutely not."
"Exactly."
"......?"
Abigail looked lost.
Naturally.
I don't even know what I'm saying...!
'Crossed my daily bullshit quota...!'
No more words coming...
Brain overload—!!!
No need to panic, though.
Abigail's a fanatic.
I'm her god.
"As expected of the Leader... Such profound intent...!"
"?"
"You're preparing to give them everything! You need this info to properly distribute your artifacts and loyal constellations to the surviving rankers after your sacrifice...!!"
Abigail's obsessed with 'sacrifice'.
Her creepy grin at the thought of mine sends shivers.
Eh, no malice, so whatever.
"Spot on, Archbishop Sow Pig. You're finally getting it."
"Thank you! I won't forget my sow pig spirit! Oink!"
As I was about to send Abigail off.
Two rankers stepped into the blue zone.
Free movement before the wave, sure—but no reason unless provoking.
"Hey. What're you two doing? Can't you see this is blue turf? Huh?!"
"......"
A woman in a flat cap.
Chewing a pipe like some wannabe detective, she muttered.
"Male. About 190cm. Muscular build. Yellow shaggy hair. Slit eyes. Hawaiian shirt. Shorts. Flip-flops... Classic thug look... High crime probability... Person of interest..."
"Hey!! What's with the rudeness to a stranger?!!"
Rumor has it rankers are full of psychos.
Guess it's true.
The woman next to her was just as weird.
"HelloYo? Caroline from Califorrrnia! Nice to meeech you!"
"Haa...?"
Looked pure Korean, but rolling her accent hard.
Style leaned a bit American?
"Ain't you a homegrown sow pig?"
"Oh nooo! Korean-AmericanDa! Half Korean! I love Kimchi! And K-pop too!"
Her crazy character aside, why were they here?
No way they're targeting me already?
Rankers?
"What's the deal?"
"Can White Rose here and Caroline join your teamKa?"
"Haa? For real?"
"YesDa! Jeong Isol? Total psychoYo! Don't wanna stay with herDa!"
Not thrilled to have them, but Blue Team gains ain't bad.
Plan was to poach all the rankers anyway.
"Brought thisDa! Gift for you!"
Caroline was a cheeky one.
Her 'gift'? A tiny flowerpot.
"Hawawa......"
A cactus.
"Mama-less Jeong Isol's constellation! Loser who doesn't even know her own star's gone! We'll teach her! To Jeong Isol's constellation! Sex!"
"Hawawa...? Cactus doesn't know about that stuffya..."
Stealing a constellation.
Just a prank, really—but a chance for me to boost affinity.
◆ SOLUTION ◆ + The cactus is shy but happy about your flirting!
+ This brief time is a chance to raise affinity!
+ Make the cactus happy and create an unforgettable memory!
An unforgettable memory, huh...
Wonder what to do with a cactus, but I'll do it my way.
"Hey, Cactus Sow Pig. That pot's too plain, ain't it? Urgh! This body'll doodle it up good!!"
"Hawawa.... Decorating cactus's pot would make it happyya..."
The cactus likes me anyway.
Innocent weak plant'll love whatever I do...!