Chapter 269
Chapter 269
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 269
Chapter Title: Episode 88. Those Who Meet Must Part (4)
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Yoo Ji-tae gathered the kids from Team Lair in one place.
In a small office. Five superhumans assembled together.
Upon hearing that Yoo Ji-tae had arrived, Yong Tae-ha showed up in a suit despite being wrapped head to toe in bandages. Even Blanc, who had been avoiding contact with everyone except the Lair Agency manager, tagged along.
After exchanging formal greetings, Yoo Ji-tae got straight to the point.
"Feeling frustrated, right? All of you."
Is that why he came?
Blanc's brow furrowed. For any genius, standing on the battlefield outside school yet relying on someone's help was a blow to their pride.
On the other hand, Yong Tae-ha wagged his tail.
"You knew..."
"How could I not?"
"It's a stifling situation. Getting flak for it is tough. We're doing our absolute best, which makes it even harder."
"I bet."
He had heard it from Gaeul.
How hard these kids were working.
At that moment, Rin-rin, who had been glancing at Yoo Ji-tae, gave an awkward smile.
"But we're okay."
"What's okay about it?"
"We're not lacking in skill or anything. We're not gonna fail to rank. You don't have to help us..."
Last night, Yoo Ji-tae had spoken with Gaeul on the phone separately, conveniently omitting that he was coming here. The Rin-rin who had reportedly bawled her eyes out in Gaeul's story was a far cry from the one now.
Kids raised right were growing into adults. Maybe even more so than some immature grown-ups.
"I'm not thinking of technically assisting you kids who are already doing well."
"Pardon?"
"Just keep doing what you're doing. The way you've been."
"Then...?"
The problem was simple.
Attacks through the media. Conditions that prevented revealing their location.
As simple as the problem was, the solution was equally straightforward.
Block the media attacks. And reveal their location.
Unlike these three, whose personal social interactions were restricted for complex reasons, Gaeul's communications were blocked by Yoo Ji-tae himself. So, saying right now, "Gaeul, let's start SNS today," would solve it.
He looked at Gaeul's face. She hadn't said a word. It was probably always like this. Gaeul still lacked the maturity to have a firm opinion of her own.
Today, he planned to ask Gaeul for her opinion right here.
Of course, there was something to do first.
"Haven't you ever thought something was off?"
"Pardon?"
"The media's pumping out ranking predictions. Team White ranks higher than you guys, who grind raids day and night, or Team Mochi."
"That's true."
He turned his head to look at Oscar Blanc's son.
"Blanc."
"Yes."
"Are you weaker than White, who's at 971st?"
"......I don't think I'd lose, but objectively, we're probably around the same strength."
"What about Gaeul?"
Blanc hesitated briefly before speaking.
"I think she'd hold her own against the top 500."
"Exactly. So overall combat power might even be higher for you guys than White."
"......"
"But looking at White's SNS, they seem to tackle raids pretty leisurely, right? Meeting people. Hosting parties."
"I did think it was a bit weird."
"Yeah. First, let me show you what I've found out."
Yoo Ji-tae fiddled with his watch.
"I've got the raid records for the 67 days since the Sacred Ranking competition started. Take a look."
He transmitted the records he'd pulled from the Federation's database last night to the kids' watches.
"Huh? Wha?"
"...Isn't this illegal?"
A voice of concern rose. Yoo Ji-tae shook his head.
Not illegal.
"Just needs viewing permissions."
Oh, right. But realizing what "Federation viewing permissions" meant, the cadets looked a bit surprised.
Anyway, they checked the data.
Among the over 2,300 Sacred Teams registered with the Federation, the second-highest raid count belonged to Team Mochi. They had been grinding desperately, even cutting sleep.
And that was 59 raids.
"Team White... 85!? What the hell? Are they insane?"
So Yong Tae-ha's scream was justified.
"How hard did they have to work...? No. Wait. Is this even possible no matter how hard you try?"
The gap between 2nd and 3rd wasn't huge.
Nor between 3rd and 4th.
But 1st was 44% ahead of 2nd.
Average raid grade of D-. Very low. They mostly took easy jobs. Even so, 85 raids in 67 days was an absurdly high number, hard to comprehend.
"So the stuff they share on SNS is just part of it, right?"
"Exactly! They've only claimed about 60 so far!"
"They didn't just reveal it—they announced it themselves... to their precious 30 million followers."
At Tier Blanc's words, Yong Tae-ha's eyes twitched.
Downplaying their own achievements?
Something was fishy.
Raids don't pop up every hour. Daily raid quotas are fixed, times random. Yeoreum's team, having faithfully cleared every assigned raid, hit 59. So 85 felt even more abnormal.
"No more detailed records?"
"There are. But that's where it gets illegal."
"Damn it..."
Shadows fell over their faces.
These kids, born high and used to seeing farther than most, immediately grasped what this meant.
Tier Blanc spoke bitterly.
"Looks like they're scooping up failed raids from minor squads."
Yoo Ji-tae nodded silently.
Correct.
Minor Squad: Superhuman raid teams without agency affiliation.
"What? Failed raids aren't common. You're saying they got 20 extra that way?"
No superhuman enters a raid expecting failure.
They always go in fully prepared, making failures rare.
"Or... the Federation assigned failed raids to White...?"
"No way. That's impossible."
Transferring failed raids to a specific group isn't feasible.
So, summing up the situation simply:
1. A minor squad fails a raid.
2. They report the failure to the Federation.
3. The Federation fairly assigns the failed raid to a team.
4. Somehow, Team White always ends up taking them.
5. They rack up numbers without downtime.
6. While underreporting their actual count.
"Does that even make sense? Blanc. You think White has an inside guy at the Federation?"
"No, that doesn't add up either..."
The Federation wasn't clean, but it wouldn't tolerate something this outrageous.
So it wasn't happening inside the Federation.
It was all external.
The kids pondered. What kind of team was White? Backed fully by the 'Tower of Mages' after losing ground to Lair, with 'Team Coin,' a media support group... 30 million followers. Massive media influence.
Finally realizing something, Rin-rin slammed her fist on the table. Bam! Small hand, small sound.
"I-I think I get it."
"What? Spill."
"Why do you think minor squads fail raids? That's why it doesn't make sense!"
"What? Not actual failures?"
"What if they faked the failures?"
Yong Tae-ha and Gaeul's eyes twitched.
Just as hoped. The smart kids found the answer themselves from the simplest clue.
1. Minor squad "fails" a raid. On cue, faked.
2. Reports to Federation.
3. Team White, tipped off, takes the transfer.
Of course, no honor system. Failed squads eat the loss. Their Federation raid cred drops.
Needed a bigger gain.
"White's backed by the Tower of Mages."
The Tower had money to burn.
"So probably 20ish of their 85 are 'empty house' fake raids."
0. Team White bribed minor squads with cash.
All pieces fit.
Yong Tae-ha and Rin-rin raised their voices in outrage.
"Those filthy scum...!"
"We gotta report to the Federation now! This is unfair!"
"Or smash 'em! Hey, Blanc! Can't get help from your dad at a time like this?"
"Nothing stopping me."
"Let's crush 'em! You bastards! I'll call in my family too!"
That's when it happened. Just as things seemed to escalate, Blanc doused them with cold water.
"But how do we make this a problem?"
"Huh?"
"Sacred Ranking's just four months till year-end. Everyone knows minor squads do seasonal gigs. Hard to make an issue of it."
"What's ambiguous?"
"Most failures are boss fight fails. Dangerous situations with tons of judgment calls."
"So?"
"Even if we report, will bribe-taking minor squads admit it? 'Yeah, we took money'? No proof, no witnesses. If they all claim legit failure?"
And Team White "happens" to pick them up?
"Come on! What kinda coincidence is that? Too perfect!"
"Conversely, no proof it's not coincidence?"
Calm down, and Blanc was right.
"I hate it too, but we gotta think cool. All we got is suspicion."
That was the crux.
Minor squads fabricate failure basis. Deals between them and White. Structurally, no evidence or witnesses possible.
Team White played smart.
"We fake some too!?"
"Tae-ha. Don't even joke."
"Yeah... rather quit being superhumans..."
This fake raid market traded in shadows via connections. 30 million followers helped. But they lacked such networks. Couldn't even if they wanted.
Yong Tae-ha grimaced sheepishly.
"I know. Just frustrated. Damn..."
Naturally, the young superhumans' gazes turned to Yoo Ji-tae.
Still, they sensed he had the answer. Same feeling from living at Lair, watching the Yoo family. Their guardian always made the impossible possible.
Often, the absurd too.
"What did I say made them move?"
Yoo Ji-tae, who had watched quietly, spoke.
"Money, right?"
"Yes. Money. Plus one more. Sacred comp's just four months year-end. Can't ruin superhuman careers over pocket change gigs."
The kids nodded.
"Tower of Mages cred too..."
"Yep."
"More hopeless. Money and rep tangled."
"That's why I met them myself yesterday."
"Pardon? Met who?"
Yoo Ji-tae opened his wallet and tossed some papers on the table.
Over ten. Business cards. Kids picked them up, reading names and numbers. Wondering what they were.
"Minor squad team leaders' cards."
Surprise spread in their eyes.
Startled, Rin-rin dropped one, fumbling to pick it up.
"You went in person?"
"Yeah. Met till morning."
"No way those money-and-rep-tied guys admitted shady deals?"
"They resisted hard."
"Damn... Figures. Admitting would wreck their lives and the Tower."
No witnesses after all.
...That thought flipped.
"Took some doing."
"Pardon?" Yong Tae-ha's retort cracked. Rin-rin's red eyes widened. Even Tier Blanc looked rattled now.
They stonewalled despite pressure. He used his methods to loosen tongues. No need to tell the kids that part.
Anyway, proof was on him. He removed his watch from his wrist and offered it.
Like family heirloom. Cautiously, Yong Tae-ha took it, tapped [1. Minor Squad Cobra Wing_Testimony].
The kids' faces turned weird amid it. Yoo Ji-tae pulled a small note from his pocket, placed it on the table.
"This!?""Gasp...!"
Tier Blanc unfolded it; exclamations of shock and awe burst.
[NDA_Cobra Wing]
Witness followed by "evidence.".