Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Nayeo-ju Saves the World
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No one answered right away.
Everyone had their own reasons for their complicated thoughts.
Especially Jang Su-ho.
"Jang Su-ho, you were originally with the Taesan Guild, right?"
"Huh? ...Yeah."
"Then you must know that guy Gwak Ho-young pretty well. What do you think?"
"His personality sucks, but he gets the job done."
"A seasoned veteran, huh?"
Jang Su-ho nodded.
Perhaps reminded of their old guilds by our conversation, no one looked pleased.
Except for Kang Han, who'd been with Justice Guild from the start.
This felt more like resignation.
In the latter half of the novel, he soared around like a demigod, but seeing him now, all deflated like a lost mouse, made my chest tighten.
He was kind of pitiful, too.
I tossed a topic onto the now-quiet table.
"What was the problem with that strategy just now? I'm really asking because I don't know."
Kang Han answered without hesitation.
"A lack of experience and strategy."
"Experience is self-explanatory. So, lack of strategy means there was no proper plan, right?"
"Exactly. It was a cave-type B-rank dungeon, so it was obvious there'd be flying types—especially wingbats that grab prey and take it back to their nests. They had no countermeasures for that."
"Then what would you have done if you were the leader, Kang Han-ssi?"
"First."
Kang Han looked at the few guild members and said,
"I'd buy extra perfect defense items like the camera crew used and focus on protecting Nayeo-ju-ssi and the vice guild master. Then use Yu-chan to draw the monsters' attention as much as possible..."
After that, Kang Han rattled off reasonable strategies like he was reading from a prepared script.
The guild members listened intently, nodding at times or tilting their heads at others.
Then, Jang Su-ho quietly raised his hand.
"Um."
"Speak."
Kang Han gave him the floor.
"If our guild starts seriously tackling dungeons... I think I'd have to leave the guild..."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Huh? No, you wouldn't get it, Nayeo-ju, but when I go into dungeons, my head gets all messed up..."
Jang Su-ho's head drooped lower and lower.
Seeing his ears flop down like that made my heart ache.
How much belittling had he endured to end up like this?
"You think I threw money at Justice Guild without even knowing that much?"
"I've improved a lot lately, but if you knew what happened the last time I went into a dungeon, you wouldn't say that."
I know all about it, you pup.
He went full berserker mode, tore off the arms of two Taesan Guild dealers trying to stop him with his bare hands, and got kicked out.
The key point? He didn't cut them off.
He ripped them off barehanded.
Thankfully, a healer reattached the arms, but it was no minor incident.
"I've mentioned it before, but let me say it properly again. I'm going to bring Justice Guild back to the top. And I'll get back a hundred, a thousand times what I invested."
"And by top, you mean on par with the four major guilds?"
"Joking? That wouldn't satisfy me."
"Then..."
"Like the old days. Justice Guild above the four major guilds."
Not even satisfied with being one of the five great guilds.
To stop the apocalypse, we'd need at least that much power.
My words rippled out like a stone thrown into a pond.
Kang Han's green eyes especially burned into me.
Golden lightning flickering within them.
But it wasn't threatening.
Kang Han's power was never used to harm others.
I met his piercing gaze for a moment before turning to Jang Su-ho and saying firmly,
"And that plan absolutely requires you, Jang Su-ho."
"M-Me?"
I knew a few words wouldn't uproot his deep-seated self-doubt.
But knowing someone believes in you when you can't believe in yourself makes a huge difference.
Sometimes an unimaginably huge one.
'And you'll be so useful from now on. No way I'd let you go to another guild.'
Exactly.
If you raise a puppy, you stick with it to the end. Why send it to another house?
"Alright, let's make Justice Guild the top guild again. Hard to imagine, right? That's how far we have to go. I said earlier we need money for the guild, but we're not so broke we're just spinning our wheels mining."
We still had money left from the mana stone auction.
The coffers were plenty full, anyway.
"But that's why I don't get why we're tackling a guerrilla dungeon right now!"
Lee Yu-eul shot her hand up again and shouted.
"Excellent question, student Lee Yu-eul. I'll buy you some tteokbokki later."
"Yesss!"
"The answer is what Guild Master Kang Han said earlier. Our guild needs experience."
"That might not be a bad idea."
Han Ji-seong, who'd been silent, spoke up.
"Beyond combat experience, guerrilla gates have a few more advantages."
He explained, folding his pale fingers one by one.
"First, monsters here have a slightly higher chance of dropping items when they oxidize compared to fixed dungeons. And handling guerrilla dungeons that others avoid naturally boosts our reputation."
Wow, he's smart.
"Plus, if we successfully close a guerrilla gate, the Association pays a fee."
I didn't even have to explain everything.
With Han Ji-seong's logical, one-shot-teacher breakdown, everyone seemed convinced by my proposal.
"Then tomorrow morning at sunrise, Guild Master and Vice Guild Master, head to the Association."
To get on the guerrilla gate assignment list, a guild rep had to go in person and fill out paperwork. Tedious, but necessary.
What era is this?
Bureaucracy is beyond comprehension.
But Han Ji-seong raised his hand sheepishly with a troubled look.
"Um, sorry, but could Nayeo-ju-ssi go instead?"
"Huh? Why?"
"I just found a lead on the research I'm working on..."
Ugh, annoying.
I'll probably get into some argument if I go.
But no helping it.
Our precious talent was on the verge of a breakthrough.
"Fine. It's nearby anyway."
"Thank you for understanding."
Han Ji-seong wasn't just making excuses about being busy—he immediately holed up in his lab.
"Let's go, little bro! You need exercise to grow taller!"
"Shut up. You're only 2cm taller than me."
"But I'm still bigger! That's a fact! Haha!"
Man, even I'd get mad at that.
Lee Yu-eul's boisterous laughter, teasing Lee Yu-chan as always, faded into the distance.
"Nayeo-ju, I have something to say."
"Yeah, what?"
"No matter how I think about it, going into a dungeon right now feels wrong."
"I get why you're worried."
The fear of losing himself to madness again.
And the terror of possibly attacking his comrades.
Jang Su-ho's trauma was that heavy.
But we couldn't leave things like this forever.
Besides, I might have a way to alleviate his chronic issue to some extent.
Though I'd need a chance to test that hypothesis.
"But couldn't we at least try once?"
"Try..."
Jang Su-ho gritted his teeth.
Then he suddenly stuck out his pinky toward me.
"Promise."
"What?"
"If I go full berserker and try to attack you or the others."
"Then?"
"Kill me."
What the hell is this guy saying?
"Han-i hyung promises too."
I whipped around—Kang Han had been listening right nearby.
Perched on the sofa armrest, he looked at Jang Su-ho and nodded gravely.
"Yeah, I promise..."
"What the hell are you guys saying?!"
These people are trouble waiting to happen!
I swatted away Jang Su-ho's pathetic pinky and snapped,
"One guy's begging to be killed, and another's actually agreeing to do it—what's wrong with you two!"
Why are they so extreme!
"If you feel yourself going weird, just get out of the gate, you idiot!"
"...Ah."
"Argh, seriously. You're giving me a heart attack."
I felt like a dumpling abandoned in mandu soup.
I glared as menacingly as I could at the two big lugs and warned them.
"Say anything about dying in front of me again, and I'll kill you myself. Got it?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Got it?"
"Yes, I'll be careful."
"Not careful—don't even think it! Absolutely not!"
"...Yes."
They answer well enough.
"And Guild Master Kang Han, your lightning control seems much better lately."
"I'm improving."
"Then there's a way. If Jang Su-ho really goes berserk, zap him."
"Yes, I'll zap—huh?"
Kang Han and Jang Su-ho blinked.
"You said your control's good. Just use current to disable him without killing. As long as he's alive, I'll handle the rest."
Like a taser gun strategy.
It was gruesome, but a last resort.
"Whoa! That could work! I didn't think of that!"
At least saying it would ease the pup's mind.
"Han-i hyung! Zap him good! Make sure he can't move!"
...Too eased?
"That hurts. A lot."
I warned him it hurts?
"Pain doesn't matter. Waking up to find I'd ripped someone's arms off hurts more."
Sigh, the kid's too good-hearted.
"Fine, whatever. I give up."
I need to sleep early to head to the Association tomorrow morning.
I left Kang Han and Jang Su-ho still debating how much current to use and returned to my room.
"Pain doesn't matter. Waking up to find I'd ripped someone's arms off hurts more."
Saying stuff like that despite being such a good boy.
I wasn't really anxious anyway.
We could just pull Jang Su-ho out before things got bad, like I said.
And somehow...
'My hunch feels right.'
Ultimately, we'd only know for sure once we went into the dungeon.
Just like everything in Sejongmak.
But then an unexpected snag appeared.
"No, why not?!"
"New Association policy."
Ugh.
Bald Association President bastard—I'm burning his wig.