Chapter 99: Experience (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Experience (5)
“Heeeey~ Let's go~”
“No, why would I go there?”
The cafe was divided into three distinct atmospheres, as if separated by clear, invisible lines.
The second-year section.
First, they were just happy to be at the in-house cafe, a famous spot in the guild. They were busy taking pictures of their desserts and commemorative shots to post on social media. As second-years, they had a sense of ease just from having been chosen. Even if they didn't get noticed this time, they could just try again in their third year.
In contrast, the third-year section.
The atmosphere here was a level heavier. They either spoke quietly over their coffee cups or watched the other students with heavy gazes.
And those gazes were directed at Kang A-rin and Jung Hae-in.
“Hey… is that for real?” one student muttered in disbelief.
It was understandable.
Kang A-rin.
Her public image was the very definition of cold.
But the Kang A-rin they were seeing now was completely different.
She was clinging to the side of a student named Jung Hae-in, persistently acting cute. She was like a puppy rushing to its owner, just without the tail. It seemed like if Jung Hae-in so much as patted her on the head, she would light up with joy.
“…Hah.”
Jang Hyunsu, a third-year, let out a heavy sigh.
For third-years, this was effectively the last chance to get noticed by Maengju. Most of the outstanding students had already been selected in their second year. The remaining third-years were standing before their final opportunity.
Kang A-rin.
That was why he'd seen it as an opportunity when she was selected as a first-year. If he could just get on her good side… joining the guild was practically a sure thing.
So he had resolved to get on her good side, no matter what.
That's what he'd thought.
But Kang A-rin's attention was focused somewhere else entirely.
Wholly on Jung Hae-in.
On top of that, Jung Hae-in had just distinguished himself in the research lab. The genius researcher, famous for her terrible personality, Kang Su-jin, had even personally stepped forward to offer him her business card. It was safe to say they were all enjoying this cafe trip thanks to him.
He'd dismissed the guy for wearing just a shirt, with no gear, let alone an artifact….
“……”
Jang Hyunsu narrowed his eyes.
A strange sense of urgency bloomed in his chest.
I have to make up for it.
The final part of this experience. As long as there were no dispatch calls, he'd heard the last event was a simulation. There—he had to make his presence known, somehow.
Fortunately, he still had one connection he could count on.
*
Kim Ha-eun returned.
Her expression was clearly darker than before.
“You're back early,” Kang A-rin asked nonchalantly.
“…Yes.”
Kim Ha-eun avoided my gaze and puffed out her cheeks. The way she poked the air with her fork, her lips pouted, was somehow…
Pitiful.
And so we continued the tour, moving through the various parts of the guild. The observatory, the break area, the equipment storage, and so on….
In the end, disappointingly, there were no dispatch calls. Kim Ha-eun kept checking her Watch… but it remained silent. It seemed no monsters had invaded, and no emergencies had occurred. Peace was a good thing, but from the perspective of the student experience, it was a bit of an anticlimax.
Ultimately, the final activity was decided: a training simulation.
We headed to the training area at the end of the hall.
"It's a shame, but this is much safer, after all!" Kim Ha-eun announced, her cheerful voice returning.
The Training Simulator installed in the guild headquarters. It was a hyper-precision system used for training by even the guild's top-ranking heroes. It employed precise illusion technology and a physics engine to create an environment nearly identical to actual combat. Virtual monsters, virtual battlefields, even virtual opponents.
We quietly entered the simulation area.
Inside, a simulation was already in full swing.
-Swoooosh.
The battlefield inside the simulator was visible through transparent reinforced glass. Two teams were engaged in a fierce battle across a vast expanse of ruins.
“That's the guild's proud 2nd Team, Maengho, and the 6th Team, Serpent~” Kim Ha-eun continued her explanation, her eyes sparkling. “Maengho was one of the teams that contributed greatly to repelling the Apostle! They've continued to distinguish themselves since then, and now they're recognized as the undisputed vanguard of the guild.”
A hint of pride colored her expression as she spoke.
“It looks like they're almost finished, so let's wait just a moment!”
I stared beyond the glass wall.
I saw some familiar faces. People I'd crossed the line between life and death with during the decisive battle against the Apostle. The brief memory sent a shiver down my spine. Even thinking back on it now, it was a brutal memory.
“Hey, my tutor's over there. 6th Team, Serpent.”
“Whoa, really?”
Just then, I heard someone whisper proudly from behind me.
I didn't turn my head. I had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
Excellent heroes sometimes gathered the children of the elite for unofficial instruction. Under the name of 'tutoring.'
It wasn't officially forbidden, but it was considered a bit shameful. Especially since it meant a guild hero was earning money in a cushy setting, rather than by taking risks on expeditions or requests. Furthermore, since it could lead directly to leaks of tactics or confidential information, heroes tended to keep it quiet.
I let out a small laugh, looked at the battlefield beyond the window, and asked Kang A-rin, who was next to me.
“Should we pretend we didn't hear that?”
“As if.”
Kim Ha-eun, who had also been listening, let out a long "Hmmmm" sigh beside us.
Just then, the battle seemed to have been decided.
The members of the 2nd Team, Maengho, were mostly unscathed. But the members of the 6th Team, Serpent, looked like they'd been hit by a meteorite.
A few meteorites had, in fact, fallen on Serpent's side.
-Pshhhhhh
The door opened, and they came out.
The first to emerge was the 6th Team, Serpent.
Their defeat was written all over them. Their clothes were torn, and their bodies were covered in wounds.
“Good work!” Kim Ha-eun greeted them brightly, but the Serpent team members walked past with blank faces.
It was then that a student suddenly rushed forward.
It was Jang Hyunsu.
“You worked hard! We should grab a meal sometime!” he said, directing this at a hero who looked to be the youngest member of Team Serpent. It was a clear attempt to show off his connection, however forced.
The hero looked around, embarrassed.
And the leader of Team Serpent, walking up from behind, shot him a frosty glare.
“What is this?”
A single, low, cold word.
“It's not like that… He's a kid I know….” the youngest member offered a quiet excuse, but the team leader walked past without so much as a scoff.
“Tsk.”
He even clicked his tongue.
The hero lowered his head as if swallowing a sigh. Then he turned back to Jang Hyunsu with a resentful look.
“Hey… Are you… a fucking idiot?”
A short remark.
Jang Hyunsu's face froze.
If they had met under more relaxed circumstances, the reaction probably would have been different. But now, the timing seemed bad. Very bad.
Leaving the stunned Jang Hyunsu behind, the 2nd Team, Maengho, came out next.
The first to catch the eye was a man with a massive build, radiating a solid presence.
The leader of Maengho, Jung Tae-gon.
He walked slowly toward us.
“Who are these kids?”
When Jung Tae-gon asked, Kim Ha-eun quickly nodded.
“Ah! Hero Jung Tae-gon! The students are here for an experience tour today….”
The students held their breath, staring at him with wide eyes. Seeing a key hero from Maengho in person was a different experience altogether. Just his standing there created a suffocating pressure.
Jung Tae-gon scanned the group of students, his gaze stopping on me.
“…Huh?”
Jung Tae-gon's eyes flew open.
And the next moment.
"Hahahaha! Look who it is!"
-Thump. Thump. Thump.
He came over and clapped my shoulder three times with a hand the size of a pot lid. A heavy vibration rattled my body.
Ugh, damn.
Jung Tae-gon stood before me, his face emotional, as if he'd found a long-lost comrade on the battlefield.
"Hey, Ms. Ha-eun!" he called out gallantly, turning to Kim Ha-eun. “Do you know who this kid is? You can just stick him right in, no questions asked. I was wondering where he'd gone, and here he is!”
Then he patted my shoulder again and asked Kim Ha-eun, “Is there anything I can help with? Just say the word!”
His massive voice echoed through the room.
The students' eyes all turned our way. I could hear them murmuring.
After a moment of surprise, Kim Ha-eun's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, “In that case… could you help with the simulation?”
She looked slightly excited.
Jung Tae-gon laughed and nodded.
“Of course! I'll handle it myself!”
He walked straight over to the administrator in charge. He roughly tapped commands into the floating touch panel.
“Don't go easy on the settings. I need to see what these kids are made of.”
The administrator answered, sweating bullets.
The faces of the students watching this scene gradually hardened.
“What…? He's going to fight us himself?”
“There's no way he means us, right?”
They whispered quietly amongst themselves.
Just then, the other members of Maengho walked past, patting our shoulders.
“Good luck, kids~”
A few who passed close by gave me a slight nod and a look of acknowledgment.
“Everyone! This is a great opportunity!” Kim Ha-eun exclaimed cheerfully. “A sparring match with a first-rate hero, an opportunity like this will never…!”
But the students themselves couldn't manage a smile.