Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Divided Pioneers
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Honestly, there's not much worth talking about. It was basically the same spiel as Choi Seung-hyuk, just with a different nuance."
"The same spiel? You mean banding the Pioneers together?"
"Yeah. Though the vibe of the organization he pitched was totally different."
From what I heard, while Choi Seung-hyuk had pitched a profit-driven group centered on Pioneers, Seo Chang-woo seemed to want something like a vigilante militia.
Not just Pioneers lording over everything, but people with power maintaining order stably.
"He said if tensions keep building, we don't know how it'll explode, so we should take the initiative and lay the groundwork. First, let them taste the system's benefits through Magic Stones, then encourage everyone to level up like us."
"I see. So what did you tell him?"
"I turned him down flat, obviously."
Min Jae-yoon gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"His intentions seemed good, and he appeared genuine, but honestly, for such a grand plan, I couldn't see it actually working out. Doubtful people would even act the way he expects."
Seo Chang-woo's plan was straightforward.
Distribute Magic Stones for free early on so people get hooked on the joy of spending.
Once they experience that convenience, they'll crave more Magic Stones, and when they start leveling up to get them, we'd help out.
If it worked perfectly, it could turn every Commoner into a Pioneer, erase class tensions, and rebirth everyone as equal members.
"But no matter how I thought about it, it didn't seem feasible. Sure, some might fight for rights, but most people just give up on conflict altogether."
I nodded unconsciously at that.
The flaw in this plan was expecting too much from people.
Would they really start leveling up just from tasting the fun of spending money?
Would they throw themselves into dangerous combat, risking injury alongside some helper?
I was skeptical.
'It'd be a miracle if they didn't just mooch Magic Stones from a safe spot.'
Humans are strict with others and lenient with themselves by nature.
Add risk to the mix, and they become shockingly brazen.
He must not have seen the ugly side of humanity yet to come up with this; if he actually tried it, it wouldn't end well.
'But why didn't he approach me? Listening to this, shouldn't I be one of the people he'd recruit?'
At first, I thought he was just trying to poach Min Jae-yoon.
But hearing the details, it seemed less about Jae-yoon being special and more about gathering the numbers needed for his plan.
In that case, shouldn't that include me?
That's when Park Sang-gu twisted his face and spat out from the side.
"But why didn't that bastard come to me? Does he think I'm a joke? Pisses me off."
"...."
"W-Why are you looking at me like that? I was cursing Seo Chang-woo!"
"It's nothing."
I turned to Park Sang-gu and let out a sigh.
I could instantly see why he hadn't been approached.
'He didn't even bother with people he figured wouldn't buy in.'
Knowing his plan relied on one-sided generosity, he skipped anyone who seemed selfish.
Park Sang-gu went without saying, and in my case, my attitude during the rescue quest probably didn't help.
Not a wrong call—I would've rejected him outright anyway.
"Still, getting lumped in with this guy stings a bit..."
"Y-Yes?"
"Nothing. Alright, time to hunt!"
"Wait! What did you just mean!?"
I shook off the clinging Park Sang-gu and headed into the forest.
First things first, let's knock out this quest.
The hunt proceeded smoothly without a hitch.
Having synced up yesterday, everyone's movements were efficient, no wasted effort.
Thanks to that, our hunting speed skyrocketed, and we gathered 50 Magic Stones in less than half a day.
And right in the next fight, Yoon Ho-chan leveled up as if he'd been waiting for it.
"Guys! I'm level 3! It says I can job change to an advanced class!"
"Oh, nice? Got any class in mind?"
"Nope. Anything as long as I can join hunts."
"Go Ranger then. Perfect for what we need right now."
The Warrior line, like the magic classes, had three advanced routes: Barbarian, Holy Knight, and Ranger.
Anyone reading the advanced class descriptions would mostly pick Barbarian.
It gave massive bonuses to stamina, strength, and agility, offering overwhelming combat advantages.
Even the Holy Knight, the only one with a healing skill, seemed a bit flawed by comparison.
If anything, the optimal Warrior setup was picking Barbarian yourself and having a teammate go Holy Knight for heals.
'In that sense, Park Sang-gu hit the jackpot. He's a Barbarian with a dedicated healer Holy Knight and firepower from me.'
By contrast, Min Jae-yoon's Holy Knight got modest stat boosts compared to Barbarian.
But it was the only early-game class with recovery skills.
Everyone covets heals, so you'd be snapped up anywhere.
No solo carrying like a Barbarian, but it cemented you as an indispensable team member.
Min Jae-yoon must've chosen it with that in mind.
And the final class, Ranger.
"Ranger? What's a Ranger do?"
"Roughly, archer crossed with rogue."
"Archer and rogue?"
"Shooting arrows, scouting, lockpicking treasure chests, spotting traps—that's the gig."
The Ranger stood out from the other two.
A Warrior who wasn't frontline but mid-to-rear guard archer.
And its arrow damage wasn't superior to magic either.
Useful only for suppression, luring, ambushes.
Early game, you'd wonder why this class even existed.
'But its utility is insanely good in return.'
A Ranger shines mid-game onward, once you can build armies.
They might lose hero-vs-hero head-on, but no class matches them at dismantling enemy forces.
Constant ambushes to rack up stress, tank morale, or trap-induced chaos.
Even escaping a botched ambush that'd get others swarmed and killed was effortless.
There's a famous video of a Ranger player shredding a superior army with guerrilla tactics before encircling with their own forces.
Plus, they could breeze through dungeons other classes couldn't due to matchups, raking in cash.
Essentially a jack-of-all-trades outside direct fights.
'Of course, weak head-on, so if caught early/mid or position exposed, you're toast—but with allies covering, it's different.'
Especially vital in games with dungeons like World Rebuild.
We'd claim massive rewards while others licked their chops enviously.
Yoon Ho-chan picked Ranger on the spot, and a Ranger-exclusive bow with thirty arrows materialized.
"It appeared!"
Yoon Ho-chan grinned ear-to-ear as he drew the bow experimentally.
But right before nocking an arrow, his face fell in realization.
"Come to think of it, I've never shot a bow before. How does this work?"
"Check your skill window. Probably got Snipe. It'll auto-aim."
"Snipe? Oh, yeah, there it is!"
One of the rare unlimited-use skills, like my Energy Drain.
Without Snipe, ranged weapons were useless in-game.
Yoon Ho-chan checked his skills and immediately nocked an arrow, firing.
Target: dead center of a tree twenty paces away.
Thunk!
"...!"
Not perfect bullseye, but the arrow embedded in the aimed tree.
Seemed reliable against stationary targets at least.
I patted the wide-eyed Yoon Ho-chan's shoulder as he stared at the lodged arrow.
"Congrats. Needs practice, but you're a full-fledged fighter now."
"Th-Thank you!"
"No need. You earned it."
Even so, Yoon Ho-chan bowed repeatedly.
The others crowded in, congratulating him too.
Now all four could fight, making our battles even more stable.
"Alright, let's call it for today."
"Huh? Already?"
"Ho-chan just jobbed. Feels bad pushing a proper fighter too hard."
We'd helped, sure, but talent deserved respect.
Besides, quests done meant no more heart-ripping.
"Fair point."
Convinced, the team headed back to the village.
Upon reaching the safe zone, I dumped all our Magic Stones at the shop.
They tallied with yesterday's, completing the quest instantly.
A satisfied smile tugged at my lips reading the system message.
Now no one on the team had to bother slicing hearts.
As I grabbed armfuls of the team's ordered food to head back...
"...."
"...."
My eyes met those of a few folks eating steamed potatoes and water from afar.
They averted their gazes in a fluster, but not before I caught the flash of envy.
For now, just stares—but how long would that last?
While they choked down potatoes daily, we'd be picking our meals.
Seeds of conflict were quietly sprouting in the safe zone.
Contrary to my initial expectations, even after Yoon Ho-chan's job change, we stuck to hunting Hobgoblins for a while.
His Snipe skill wasn't the miracle worker I'd hoped.
-It auto-aims fine, but hitting moving targets is harder than expected. Hands shake when I'm flustered too.
It pointed you true, but holding steady was all on you.
Panic or wild target movement, and you'd miss.
-Looks like no dice. Stick to Hobgoblins for practice a bit longer.
-First shot lands solid, isn't that enough?
-One shot's not cutting it. You need to consistently hit sprinting foes with at least two.
Ideal was sniping monsters mid-fight, but brand-new to bows? Unrealistic.
Luckily, Yoon Ho-chan's archery improved rapidly.
He was motivated, practicing diligently.
Three days in, stationary targets got bullseyes.
Five days, moving monsters were hittable.
By week's end, he could headshot movers.
Eventually, brimming with confidence, he declared:
-Quadrupeds aside, anything bipedal, I can hit now.
Of course, this "practice" was hunting, so EXP flowed naturally.
Slower pace for setups, but time and volume ironed it out.
By end, Park Sang-gu had hit level 10 ages ago; Yoon Ho-chan reached 8.
Park unlocked new skill [Rage] at 10, boosting his swagger.
-Kahaha! Bring any foe—I'll smash their skulls!
Short-burst physical amp had him power-drunk.
Fine for a frontline brawler gaining confidence.
Arrogant beats cowardly any day.
While our team transformed over the week, the surroundings shifted too.
Village mood soured, fights echoed more, stares prickled everywhere.
But one change overshadowed all:
'Didn't expect actual factions to form.'
The Pioneers had split into two distinct groups.