The Top Prospect's Offer
At Han Seong-il's words, his classmate's face twitched with a guilty expression. The guy took a deep breath before answering.
"Because it's worth it!! Sure, you might not meet our expectations right now, but someone with your versatile set of abilities will definitely become a huge asset to the team once you gain some experience...! Plus, once a team is formed, you can't switch teams for the entire semester. So if we help you rack up experience for a month or two and help you grow, we'll secure a stable vanguard with excellent supporting abilities for the whole semester. From a long-term perspective, it's an absolute win for our team. And most importantly..."
"Most importantly?"
"You... knocked Go Yeong-tae out in one hit. Even if Yeong-tae let his guard down, putting him down with a single blow is seriously difficult. His personality is trash, sure, but his abilities were the real deal. I teamed up with him last semester, so I know firsthand how strong he actually is. That means there's no doubt about your combat ability either."
"Ah, I see..."
Just as Seong-il was starting to feel tempted by his classmate's pitch, a voice suddenly cut into their conversation.
"I'd like to make that offer too, if I may?"
A woman's voice suddenly rang out from behind them. Startled, they both turned toward the source of the sound.
'Huh...? Lee Ah-hyun?!'
A stunning beauty with jet-black hair and captivating, ice-cold eyes. Standing before Seong-il was none other than Lee Ah-hyun—one of the top prospects among the first-years.
The flustered male classmate quickly answered her.
"Uh... Ah-hyun, you already have a complete team, don't you? Why would you suddenly want Seong-il..."
"Ah... I left that team as of the day before yesterday."
"What?! Why?! That team had Hyunwoo and Kibum sunbae—the absolute tops of the first and second years!! Why on earth...?!"
Frowning at his outburst, Lee Ah-hyun replied curtly.
"That's my personal business. I don't see why I need to explain it to you when you're not even on my team."
"Ah... s-sorry..."
The classmate gave Seong-il an awkward smile before continuing.
"S-Seong-il. Anyway, those are my terms, so let me know if you're interested. I'll leave you two to it..."
With that, he spun on his heel and practically fled back to his seat.
'What the hell is this situation?'
Seong-il was in a mild panic after suddenly receiving a scouting offer from one of the top first-year prospects. Lee Ah-hyun turned to him and spoke again.
"If you're not busy, could you spare me a moment? I'd like to explain the team I'm trying to build."
'The team she's trying to build...? From the way she phrased it, it doesn't sound like it's complete yet...'
Figuring there wasn't much to lose by hearing her out, Seong-il nodded and followed her out of the lecture hall.
After walking for quite a while and reaching a secluded area with few people around, Lee Ah-hyun turned to face him and began.
"Congratulations on awakening your physical enhancement ability."
"Ah... thanks, I guess. Anyway, what did you mean by wanting to build a new team? You left your old one to form a brand new one...?"
"Yes. I withdrew from my previous team due to personal reasons and am forming a new one."
Her tone was strangely evasive when it came to the reason for leaving her team. Sensing something off, Seong-il pressed her.
"...Why? Choi Hyunwoo and Song Kibum sunbae are both top prospects in the first and second years. They're reliable teammates whose skills match their reputations. Why leave a team like that to start over from scratch?"
"...I can't tell you that. It's truly a private matter."
Seong-il frowned at her response.
"Well... if you can't say, then I guess that's that. Fine."
"...Thank you. Anyway, I'm currently recruiting members for this new team after leaving the old one. I was specifically looking for someone to fill the vanguard position. Since it looks like you don't have a team yet, I wanted to extend the offer."
"Ugh..."
"...?"
When Seong-il let out a troubled groan at her proposal, Lee Ah-hyun looked puzzled.
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"It's just... how should I put this..."
"If you're not interested, just say so. I'll be disappointed, but I'll drop it."
"Ah... it's not that I'm not interested. It's just that the fact you're refusing to explain why you left your team makes me think it's not some trivial issue."
"...It's personal. What does that have to do with you?"
Seong-il shook his head at her words.
"It has everything to do with me. If it's something you can't even tell other people, it probably means you didn't part on good terms with your old teammates. If I join your new team without knowing anything, I could end up caught in the middle between you and them. That would be awkward as hell."
"..."
"If they were normal people, it wouldn't be a big deal. But Choi Hyunwoo and Song Kibum sunbae aren't exactly ordinary. If I end up making enemies of them for no reason, my school life is going to become miserable."
"Hmm..."
"I'd rather know the reason and deal with the hate than get dragged into a grudge match completely in the dark. That would really piss me off. So I'm going to politely decline your offer."
At Seong-il's firm refusal, Lee Ah-hyun fell silent for a moment, her cold expression clouding with thought. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"In that case..."
"...?"
"If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll explain why I left the team. Would that make you consider my offer more positively?"
Seong-il nodded.
"Of course. I promise. However..."
When he trailed off again, Lee Ah-hyun furrowed her brows. Seong-il quickly waved his hands to clarify.
"Ah! Don't misunderstand! I was just curious about one thing..."
"...?"
"There must be plenty of people with more experience and better abilities than me. So why contact me of all people? I have zero dungeon exploration experience. I'd just be dead weight if I went with you..."
Lee Ah-hyun looked almost dumbfounded as she answered.
"Don't you remember what Woojin explained to you earlier?"
"...Woojin?"
"Sigh... The classmate who asked if you wanted to join his team a little while ago."
"Ahhh... Right. I'm basically an outsider who barely interacts with anyone except non-combat types..."
Seong-il's face flushed with embarrassment at her words. She nodded and continued.
"It's exactly what he said. Being able to serve as vanguard while using your Induction ability is an enormous advantage. On top of that, since I also have physical enhancement, I can handle both supporting and vanguard duties using my space distortion ability until you grow stronger. That gives us some flexibility in the vanguard position. So I'm approaching you with an eye on the future rather than immediate combat power."
"I see..."
When Seong-il looked convinced, Lee Ah-hyun continued.
"So... if I tell you why I left my old team, you'll at least consider it?"
"Yeah? Uh... sure..."
She quickly scanned their surroundings to make sure no one was around, then let out a small sigh and answered.
"Haa... The truth is, both Hyunwoo and Kibum sunbae kept pestering me to date them at the same time."
"!!"
Seong-il's eyes widened in utter disbelief.
"...I heard those two have a ton of girls they're seeing. They did that to you too?!"
"...Their personal lives aren't my concern. The problem is that even after I clearly rejected them, they kept bothering me."
"Ugh..."
"So you can think of it as me leaving the team because I didn't want to be involved with them anymore. Honestly, I'm confident in my own abilities."
"That makes sense. Someone like you would think that way."
"I believe I have what it takes to lead a group as its leader. I didn't want to deal with the stress of their personal issues. That's why I left."
"Ahh...! I understand now."
When Seong-il showed that he finally got it, Lee Ah-hyun's expression softened and she continued.
"So... what do you think of the scouting offer I made?"
"Hmm... Honestly, getting scouted by a prospect like you is obviously tempting. That said..."
"That said...?"
"From what you've said in passing, it sounds like your team isn't fully formed yet. How's the recruitment going?"
"Ah, I can tell you all about that."
She then began explaining in detail about the classmates and upperclassmen she had already recruited or was trying to scout.
"Whoa... Just from listening, it sounds like a pretty solid lineup. The fact that they're all known for having good personalities is what I like most."
"Hehe... Thank you for the high praise."
"Alright! If the team comes together like this, I'll join without another word. As long as you don't push me too hard..."
"Of course! I have no intention of pressuring someone who just awakened as a combat type. That would be counterproductive anyway."
"Oh... I like the sound of that even more?"
"Hehe... Then I'll take that as a yes. Could I have your contact info?"
"Huh? Uh, sure..."
It was the first time a beautiful woman had ever asked for his number. Of course, the real reason was entirely different, but Seong-il decided to overlook such trivial details and quietly gave Lee Ah-hyun his contact information.
"Then... I'll contact you separately once I've finished building the team! For now, let's get back to class."
"Got it!"
After returning to class with her, Seong-il sat through the lecture while quietly pondering.
'Still... connecting with an S-tier prospect like Lee Ah-hyun doesn't seem like a loss, so I said I'd join, but I wonder if that was the right move.'
'Choi Hyunwoo and Kibum sunbae won't come bothering me later, right? Fuck, that would seriously ruin my mood...'
But he quickly scolded himself for worrying about something that hadn't even happened yet.
'Enough. Why am I already stressing over something that hasn't happened? I lucked into a good team at the perfect time, so I should just enjoy the benefits. They're all veterans, so they'll probably cover for me even if I prepare half-assed. This is gonna be sweet~'
With that thought, Seong-il spaced out through the rest of his classes before heading home.
'Fuck... The class schedule is such bullshit. Why are the required major courses spaced three hours apart like this...'
As usual, he flopped onto his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
'A dungeon, huh... I thought I'd never have to set foot in one in my entire life, but here we are. You really never know what life has in store. Since things have come to this, I might as well do it properly and earn some recognition.'
With that resolved, Seong-il habitually pulled out his smartphone and opened Game Master.
2) Can view quests from game characters. (Toggle ON/OFF by clicking)
'Hmm... Why did I suddenly gain 10,000 points? I haven't cleared any quests since coming back from the game world, so there shouldn't have been any point increases...?'
'Could it be that beating Go Yeong-tae last time and raising Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Intercourse Divine Art to the 4th star counted as completing a quest and gave me the points...?'
His mood instantly improved at the unexpected windfall.
'Free points, nice. Should I do some draws for the first time in a while? It's been almost six months since I last pulled. Gold draws still cost 10,000 points so that's out of the question, but silver draws are only 1,000 points each. Five pulls seems reasonable...?'
That thought reminded him of the It Hurts Stick he'd used after subduing Luphtesia not long ago.
'That thing had insane grip... It stuck to my hand perfectly!! If I could pull even one or two more items like that, it'd easily be worth the cost.'
His greed stirred, Seong-il decided to try the Game Master gacha for the first time in ages. He opened the draw system and began.
'Let's gooooo!!!!!!'