Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: A Dumb and Cute Girl Is More Valuable Than a Tough and Competent Woman
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"As expected of God Taeyang!!"
"How can his heart be that magnanimous?!"
"He's the true hero of this era!!"
The crowd cheered wildly for Kim Taeyang.
Meanwhile, the rankers were showered with abuse.
"Assassination attempt? Cowards!"
"Trolls!"
"Boo~ You trash bastards."
"Kim Taeyang's the coward! He's framing me for something I didn't do!!"
"Pathetic to the end."
"Reflect on yourselves!!"
"Jeong Isol without a mama!"
No one believed Jeong Isol's words.
"These pathetic punks...!"
Fuming with rage, Jeong Isol and some rankers threatened the crowd.
But the crowd didn't back down.
"What? Wanna fight?"
"Bring it!"
"A ranker hitting civilians!"
"Tch..."
Killing one Kim Taeyang was something they could steel themselves for.
But taking the lives of 400 people? That was a different story.
She was just a ranker drunk on self-delusion.
Not some born killer.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The wave will begin soon.] [Move to your desired team's area.] [You cannot change teams after the wave starts.] [Heroes can only operate within their team's area.]
The wave announcement diffused the tension.
Soon, the two teams would be completely separated.
The rankers returned to their team area and gathered together.
"Who scouted the infiltration routes?"
"I didn't."
"Not me."
"Guild master? What have you been doing without assigning tasks?"
"You guys said you couldn't do it..."
"Huh? I didn't hear that."
"First time I'm hearing it."
"What? Team leader negligence?"
Bubble bubble bubble...
She had to swallow even the thought that it was unfair.
Fighting with teammates here would be the end.
For unity, she'd chew and swallow any humiliation or injustice!
That was the path Park Hee-yeon had chosen.
"Hoo... I did a rough check myself, so let's go with this."
Park Hee-yeon handed over a hastily sketched battle plan.
"This kinda sucks."
"Isn't it too rigid? Let's make the deployment more flexible."
"I think we should shift all forces to this sector..."
"No, that won't work. I'll head to the center."
"...You're just trying to hog the sweet spots, aren't you?"
"No? It's just the most effective position?"
They'd pretended not to hear when needed, but now that it was time to fight, the backseat driving exploded.
Park Hee-yeon's lid was about to blow too.
'Can't they unite for even a moment...?'
The rankers' suggestions were laced with ulterior motives.
It was a bullshit festival to claim the safest spots.
Park Hee-yeon's face flushed red like a heated iron lump.
She turned her head toward the blue team.
Kim Taeyang was shouting through a megaphone.
"Urrgh! Get to your positions, you sow bitches!!"
"Let's go!"
"We got this!!"
"May the sow bitch's blessing be with everyone!"
"Sow bitch! Sow bitch!!"
"Oink! Oink!"
At Kim Taeyang's single shout, the blue team united as one.
The chant was a bit weird, but their disciplined movements were like watching an army.
It was tremendous organization.
And tremendous leadership.
'Kinda jealous...'
To the point where she unconsciously envied Kim Taeyang.
Then, her eyes met his.
As if he'd been waiting, his tongue lolled out.
Lick lick...!
'Jealous my ass! That cult dictator wannabe...!'
Park Hee-yeon shook her head to clear her thoughts.
*
"Injured? Raise your hands!!"
"Here!"
"Here too...!"
The wave had passed.
Kuma and Cloé, in charge of medical support, quickly assessed the injured.
From the looks of things, no major injuries.
Above all, the biggest win was zero casualties on our side.
We'd held out through the wave.
Park Hee-yeon's team had too, of course.
But the teams' atmospheres were night and day.
"We really did it...!"
"Did you see me blow that goblin's head off?!"
"The handfeel was insane, right?"
Our team— the survivors, many fighting monsters for the first time— shared their joy,
"You didn't hold the sector properly?! I almost got my head smashed because of you!"
"Why blame me for your incompetence?"
while Park Hee-yeon's team was fighting again...
Too many cooks spoil the broth, as they say.
The ranker team was noisy in every way.
It was almost inevitable.
Each of them had the skills to lead a team.
Like main ingredients in cooking.
The problem? No side ingredients.
Just beef, pork, and chicken—no proper dish would come out.
"Hey, sow bitch, piss sow bitch. Time for operation review."
I decided to inspect our area with Seol Harin and Lena.
Nothing fancy.
Just standard follow-up measures.
Checking for flaws in the current plan, things to reinforce.
Plans are best made by brainiacs like Seol Harin and Lena.
But I have my own expertise here.
Not for nothing did I sit front row, nosebleeding from studying.
Model student Kim Taeyang...!
Time to unleash 200% of that school-honed skill...!
"Hey. Reinforce firepower in the hallway—"
"We should bolster firepower in the hallway. There were injuries, and the traces show intense fighting."
"......"
Seol Harin cut in abruptly, stealing my words.
She rattled them off like a machine gun.
"We need to secure a safety barrier beforehand with tower and wall-building skills. Have rear support troops on standby too. Can't give the enemy any openings. You there, staff member. Listening?"
"Ah, yes."
"Good. We're done here—let's move."
"......"
Seol Harin's brain spun fast.
Too fast, maybe?
Let me show off a bit!
I studied hard!
"What're you doing? Hurry up."
"I'm coming, sow bitch... Don't boss me around."
"We're on a tight schedule. You don't need to overthink—just approve what I say."
Th... thanks, but... I wanna shine sometimes too...?
No.
Fine, whatever.
Easy is good.
Leave strategy to Seol Harin.
As we were leaving, Lena grabbed my arm.
"Taeyang. All the windows are broken—is that okay? Monsters could climb over."
"Nah, don't worry. Window frames are intact, right?"
"Window frames?"
"For a monster to enter from the third-floor windows, it'd have to step on the frame. It's clean? Means this isn't a path."
"Whoa, you're right... Taeyang, you're smart..."
Advanced tip, but basic first-year tactics class stuff.
Weird, though.
Lena's smart—should know this basics?
Good head, skips class maybe?
"Hey, dummy. You're the idiot. Sleeping in class?"
"Haha. Maybe dozed a bit... You can teach me lots!"
"What a hassle sow bitch..."
"Eek. Taeyang... Something weird on my hand..."
"Huh?"
Lena frowned while checking the frame.
Her fingers were sticky.
"This is... slime-type bodily fluid."
Seol Harin muttered.
Right. Almost missed it.
Slimes could climb without damaging the frame.
Not a big one from the amount, but better handle thoroughly to prevent accidents.
"Hey, sow bitch. Add window reinforcement to the feedback."
"Already did."
Fast too...
As we moved, Seol Ha-jeong appeared with a bright smile.
"Taeyang. Bishop Abigail is looking for you."
Oh right, worship time already?
Cult leader skipping service? Sacrilege.
"Hey. You two handle the rest and report."
"Hmph... Fine."
"Hey hey! No fighting—get along! Make a fuss and I'll free you both as true best friends...! Huh...?!!"
"Got it!"
"Don't worry, Taeyang!"
As if I wouldn't worry.
Put 'em together, trouble brews.
Still, reasons for pairing them.
Seol Harin and Lena.
Terrible as friends,
perfect as work partners...!
Especially their business skills in hell—impressive.
Anyway.
Go curse me together and bond!
*
"Senior Lena. Lucky break? Touching stuff recklessly and striking gold."
Sharp tone.
Seol Harin threw the first punch.
Lena's actions irked her.
Touching things carelessly after monsters passed was foolish.
If it were hydra acid instead of slime fluid, it wouldn't end at sticky.
"Struck gold?"
"The fluid."
"Pfft."
"?"
Lena stifled a laugh like it was hilarious.
Incomprehensible.
"You're such a moron."
"You... no way...?"
"I've raided dungeons with the chairman dozens of times. Think I'd make a basic mistake scouting this? You and Taeyang might ace theory, but lack field experience. To me, you're both rookies."
"...!"
Lena had tons of dungeon experience.
Seol Ha-jeong, Kuma, and Lena.
Top-performing third-years in Academia.
"So you knew and pretended not to?! Don't be sneaky—compete fair and square!!"
"Sneaky? It's skill. What're you on about?"
"Acting ignorant and dumb to trigger master's pity—what skill is that?!"
Hiding your abilities isn't fair play.
Who helps Kim Taeyang more,
who knows more, who's more useful—
prove it openly and get chosen.
That was Seol Harin's [First Wife Contest].
"Moron after all."
But Lena thought differently.
"A female exists to fill a man's ego. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Wha...?!"
Lena was a hardcore male supremacist.
With her own strategy.
"Highlighting his superiority is a female's true value... Making him feel good is priority one. Usefulness is two. That's true support."
"Just a cowardly excuse!"
"That's your problem."
Lena stepped right up to Seol Harin.
The sudden closeness startled her.
"How dare a mere female try to take charge...?"
"Wh-what did I...?"
"Late to meetings, acting cocky like 'no need to know'... Cutting off superior male's words and showing off...!"
Lena was pissed too.
From a male supremacist view, Seol Harin needed learning.
Respect for the superior male!
"B-but it worked thanks to me! I'm still master's—"
"A tough and competent woman is less valuable than a dumb and cute one."
Thud-!
The words hit like a rock on her chest.
Seol Harin froze in place.
Lena whispered in her ear.
"So if you don't know, study up. Don't piss people off."
"......"
Lena snatched the papers from Seol Harin's hand.
"I'll handle the rest. Go rest or apologize to Taeyang. You'll just hinder if you stay."
That was it.
Furious, but she swallowed it.
Put humiliation on hold.
'A dumb and cute girl over a tough and competent one...?'
Lena's words held surprising persuasion...!
Lips pursed tight, Seol Harin headed to base camp.