Adventurer Ha Jinwoo (1)
“Father, are you all prepared?”
Maribella asked as I picked up Jeokjo, the greatsword once belonging to Korven, still in its sheath. I nodded while shouldering my backpack and double-checking its contents.
“Rope, lamp, canteen, roll mat, cable lights, multi-tool knife. Everything’s here. Want to see?”
“No need. It looks like you packed it all. You remember what I told you, right?”
“Don’t draw the shotgun where people can see it. And refrain from turning into lightning unless it’s a true crisis.”
“Good.”
Maribella worried far too much. At times it felt less like I was her father and more like she was the anxious mother sending her son off to war. Only after repeating every possible warning did she finally let me go.
Today marked exactly one month since I had begun staying at the Church of the Blood Clan—the former missionary building—and the day I was finally fully recovered and ready to step back into the Labyrinth in earnest. I hoisted my pack and headed outside.
“Bishara said not to worry about it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She said if Lyshe promised to take responsibility, there shouldn’t be any major issues. Even if we couldn’t recover it despite our best efforts, President Jin would understand.”
The other party was Lyshe—the legendary Master-class adventurer known as the Beheading Rabbit. Even I, after having spoken with her, couldn’t tell whether that beastkin was truly sane. If President Jin decided it was too much trouble and simply gave up, it would be a net gain. Still, given how rare that shotgun was, I doubted she would let it go so easily.
“But the debt remains, so she asked that you repay it later.”
“Fine. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“If you wish, we could repay it in the name of the Blood Clan instead.”
“It’s ugly for a parent to keep asking his daughter for help. I’ll handle it myself.”
“…Understood.”
My daughter clasped her hands with a faintly disappointed look. She had probably hoped I would rely on her more. For an only child’s education, this much was excellent. Most children avoided supporting their parents and passed the burden to their siblings, yet Maribella seemed desperate to take care of me.
Satisfied, I turned to Vertea, who had already been waiting.
“Bell.”
“Master.”
“Everything ready?”
“Affirmative. This unit has prepared every item necessary for Master’s journey. It goes without saying that the preparations are perfect.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Have a safe trip, Father. I trust you won’t return in some pathetic state.”
Leaving behind Maribella’s curt farewell, Vertea and I exited the Church of the Blood Clan and climbed into the car.
The immediate problem was finding a proper party before heading into the Labyrinth, but I had already solved that. Thanks to the Blood Clan providing forty fairy tongues—far exceeding the request—and with Jenia and Moare testifying that my contribution had been significant, my adventurer rank had risen. I had broken through from Beginner all the way to Junior. The 150 reward points were a nice bonus, though I still had no clear idea what to spend them on.
In any case, the adventurer ranking system consisted of six stages: Beginner, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Expert, and Master. Beginners were novices who could barely fulfill their role. Juniors could reliably perform their role under pressure. Intermediates could perfectly fulfill their role or handle two different roles. Considering that, I had essentially been acknowledged as someone who could pull his own weight.
Vertea had this to say on the matter.
“The rank criteria are actually quite vague.”
“Are they?”
“Yes. As far as this unit knows, Senior rank indicates adventurers capable of perfectly performing two roles or managing three, while Expert rank means those who can perfectly handle three roles.”
Leaving Guro District behind and gazing at the splendid medieval and Renaissance-style mansions of Dongjak District, Vertea continued.
“However, versatility does not necessarily equal strength. As proof, among the Master-class adventurers, only one rose from Expert rank. The rest advanced from Intermediate.”
That was why, according to Vertea, the Guild truly regarded Intermediate and Senior adventurers as the real veterans and top-tier explorers. It was more surprising than I expected. I had assumed the Guild’s structure was purely efficiency-driven.
“In that sense, this party is remarkably stable. Including Master and this unit, we have three Juniors and three Intermediates. A solid composition.”
Once my body had mostly recovered, I had started moving again, visiting the adventurers’ street several more times. I had posted notices looking for one vanguard and one rear guard. Time had passed, and today had finally arrived—the day I would meet my new companions.
Half worry, half anticipation. This would be my first true Labyrinth exploration. Would this party be all right? Unlike when I had traveled with Jenia and Moare, I wondered whether everyone would be decent, or if there might be hidden traitors or unexpected complications. At the same time, I felt genuine excitement. I had always loved new people, journeys, and chance encounters. Naturally, I held expectations for these new companions as well.
With a firm resolve to finally embark on a proper adventure this time, I got out of the car in front of the great bridge. It was the border between Dongjak and Yongsan Districts—the southern end of the adventurers’ street in Yongsan. Nodeul Island served almost like the first gateway of the adventurers’ street, a convenient entrance for southern expeditions and people from other regions.
My new party was already waiting for me there.
“…Ah.”
The faces were unfamiliar. A girl with purple skin, curly hair, and horns. A fox beastkin man with slitted eyes, arms crossed, and pointed ears. A gloomy-looking boy wearing a scarf. And standing among them, the most striking yet somehow classic beauty: a woman with long golden hair and gentle, multicolored eyes. Her appearance was breathtaking enough to make anyone turn their head, and her kind aura only enhanced it. What truly drew the eye, however, were her arms. Or rather, her joints.
They were ball joints, like those of a doll—perfectly spherical and clearly visible. Her face looked entirely human, yet those artificial joints created a peculiar contrast. Prosthetics, perhaps?
When our eyes met, the woman—who had frozen for some reason—quickly hid her startled expression.
“You must be Ha Jinwoo, the one who applied to join our party as the instructor… correct?”
There was something odd in her tone. I blinked, spreading my micro-current around me. This woman…?
I answered her.
“That’s right. I’m Ha Jinwoo, and this is Bell. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No, no. We haven’t been waiting long at all. We only just arrived ourselves.”
She cleared her throat, then placed a hand over her chest.
“I’m Alice. An artistic mystic and mage… My role is support. I also work, rather clumsily, as a singer at one of the taverns here on Nodeul Island.”
A clean, elegant smile rose to her lips. Noticing my gaze, she quickly added,
“Ah, and my race is… doll. Please don’t pay it too much mind.”
Her final words carried a soft, ordinary laugh. I blinked again and spoke.
“Ha Jinwoo. Ogre hybrid, originally from the East. My role is vanguard. This is my servant Bell, a flame mystic and halfling.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you all. This unit is honored to stand before you.”
Vertea gave a neat curtsy, lifting the hem of her skirt in an almost aristocratic display of courtesy. As the group’s expressions softened, the purple-skinned girl stepped forward with a mischievous grin.
“Just as I heard—your speech really is unique. Do you know who I am?”
“No. However, this unit has discerned that you are acquainted with both this unit and Master.”
“Correct. My name is Kiyara. I’m from the same orphanage as Jenia and Moare.”
My eyes widened slightly in surprise. Kiyara lifted the corners of her mouth.
“I heard all about you from them. The vanguard and rear guard positions happened to be open, and they said that based on skill alone you’d reach Intermediate rank in no time, so I gave Alice a heads-up. You can thank me later.”
She planted her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest with an arrogant little smirk. A very unfamiliar type. A prankster, perhaps. Since she was from the same orphanage as Jenia and Moare, they were probably around the same age. That made sense. If she was a blood relative, a little mischief and that attitude were hardly problems.
When our eyes met, Kiyara’s goat-like horizontal pupils sparkled.
“My roles are vanguard and support. I’m a trickery mystic and mage. Nice to meet you.”
Two remained. When my gaze shifted to them, the bow-carrying fox beastkin with slitted eyes spoke briefly.
“Call me Remy. Fox beastkin. My role is rear guard. And this is…”
The remaining boy unwrapped his scarf, revealing a long scar across his neck that looked as if his throat had been sliced open and then reattached. After showing the scar, he performed a series of hand signs I had never seen before. For a moment I was confused—then the meaning suddenly bloomed inside my mind.
So the death of the God of Language even translated sign language. I nodded and looked over my new prospective companions.
Support, vanguard, rear guard, vanguard-and-support, rear guard, vanguard. Two dedicated vanguards, two rear guards, and one vanguard who could double as support. I wasn’t a Labyrinth expert, but just as Vertea had said, the composition felt solid. It was quite different from when I had partied with Jenia and Moare. Everyone looked capable of taking care of themselves, and none gave off the vibe of potential traitors. There were a few things that caught my attention, however.
“Our party usually sets out from Nodeul Island and heads toward the Queen’s Green Forest. Our main requests are discovery and exploration. We aim for stable, standard compositions,” Alice explained while adjusting her clothes. Her bright smile looked perfectly natural. Perhaps a little too natural.
“We were about to leave now… Will that be all right with you?”
“Of course. Let’s go. We can talk about each other on the way.”
“Ah, thank you for your cooperation. I’m relieved you’re as reliable as the rumors suggested.”
There wasn’t a single suspicious point. The party was solid, the composition excellent, and they showed both goodwill and trust toward me. Yet something still nagged at me.
As we moved forward together, I scanned the woman’s body and became certain.
This woman was an android. Moreover, an android who knew exactly who I was.
Without revealing any killing intent, I walked on, slowly clenching and unclenching my fist. It looked like I might have to draw my gun sooner than expected.