Chapter 37
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Team Synchronization Complete
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The vacation that hadn't felt much like one for Yeon Sung-hun finally came to an end, and the Golden Guild members gathered once more.
Though it hadn't been long since they'd met, thanks to the connection with Choi Yeon-ah, they mingled as comfortably as if they'd been together for years.
Yeon Sung-hun watched the guild members for a moment before speaking up.
"The rift we're tackling today is C-rank. Since this is just to get our teamwork down, we'll move cautiously without pushing too hard."
Everyone nodded at Yeon Sung-hun's words.
It was information they'd been briefed on beforehand, so there were no further questions.
"For the time being, we'll keep scouting C-rank rifts like this. But once I feel we've synced up enough, we'll move on to the next step."
A small stir rippled through the guild members at his announcement.
Choi Yeon-ah, having discussed it with him a few times already, showed no surprise. The three new recruits were a bit startled but took it in stride—they'd scouted plenty of high-rank rifts back with K.G., so they weren't overly shaken.
The most shocked were Lee Ha-na and Kim Jun-su.
They'd only recently started tackling C-rank rifts after bouncing around low-rank ones, and now B-rank? It felt not just fast, but recklessly so.
A nagging worry crept in about whether it was too rash, but their unwavering trust in Yeon Sung-hun quickly settled them, as always.
Yeon Sung-hun observed their reactions for a bit before nodding firmly.
Seo Jin-su raised his hand quietly toward him.
"Guild... no, Raid Leader. For a B-rank rift, don't we have qualification issues? The rank cutoff alone is a problem."
"I formally protested to the Association about the last rift incident and requested promotions for Yeon-ah and the rest of the existing team. You two are a bit short on achievements, but Yeon-ah should clear it without issue."
"Then what about manpower...? Should we go recruiting again?"
Yeon Sung-hun chuckled and shook his head at Seo Jin-su's quiet question.
"Hunter Han So-yul will be joining us as a mercenary for the time being. She'll sync up starting with the next rift due to her schedule. Of course, we can't rely on that forever, so I'm also thinking about additional recruits."
"I see. Han So-yul... In that case, no more questions."
As Seo Jin-su stepped back quietly, Yeon Sung-hun scanned the other guild members.
His questions had cleared up their doubts—no one else raised a hand.
With a short nod, Yeon Sung-hun signaled Gye Cheong-san, who was waiting off to the side.
Gye Cheong-san approached with his newly hired staff, carrying equipment to the guild members.
Yeon Sung-hun addressed the puzzled guild members at this unusual setup.
"A while back, we got gear support from our factory. It'll be loaned out free of charge going forward, so check it out."
Only then did the guild members examine the items Gye Cheong-san and his staff presented.
Inside the fairly large item bags were all sorts of equipment.
True to the reputation of one of Korea's top three workshops, every piece was top-tier.
Exclamations of awe erupted from everyone.
"Whoa! Whoaaa! Sung-hun hyung! Loyalty! Loyalty!"
"Insane. Better than the stuff I'm using."
"This is executive-level gear from major guilds."
As they gawked in admiration, Yeon Sung-hun recalled his meeting with Oh Young-taek during vacation.
Oh Young-taek, who had dealt a solid blow to his brother Oh Young-gyu through the intel Yeon Sung-hun passed on.
He couldn't oust him immediately, but given time, he might even absorb Our Chemical outright—that's how brightly Oh Young-taek had smiled.
Getting equipment from a guy like that wasn't hard.
Yeon Sung-hun had simply slid over a Health-Boosting Potion.
At that point, negotiations were over—it was game, set, match.
The family's rave reviews for the Beauty variant of the Health-Boosting Potion must've helped; Oh Young-taek didn't just provide gear—he sent only premium pieces.
They might not get this caliber forever, but anything above a certain level would keep coming.
And what he'd gotten from Oh Young-taek—what he'd wrestled out of him, rather—wasn't just the gear.
As if going all-in on generosity, Oh Young-taek had handed over a solid processing firm too.
Gye Cheong-san and his team were handling the paperwork now, but the processing squad was available starting today.
It was great for Yeon Sung-hun, though a bit excessive. Oh Young-taek had just laughed heartily.
A small business like that was nothing compared to a one-of-a-kind potion money couldn't buy.
It reminded him of certain nobles his past-life self, Faust, had liked.
'I can keep a good relationship with President Oh Young-taek.'
Their first meeting hadn't started on the best foot, but the more they interacted, the better the guy seemed.
Yeon Sung-hun quietly smiled, recalling one of his ironclad rules: If you receive something, give back in kind.
"Alright, let's head into the rift for today's scout."
The guild members, still marveling at their new gear, nodded vigorously.
With top-notch equipment on top of everything, their motivation was through the roof.
The first rift scout with the new guild members wasn't as smooth as expected.
The clears themselves went fine, but their teamwork was completely off.
Choi Yeon-ah was flawless as always, and the three newbies had no major flaws either.
Having teamed up with all sorts during their K.G. days, they were solidly competent.
The issue was Lee Ha-na and Kim Jun-su.
They'd never needed much coordination before, but now with three more members, they couldn't keep up with the tempo.
Considering it was their first time syncing, it wasn't a huge deal.
Lee Ha-na's natural talent and Kim Jun-su's tireless work ethic meant Yeon Sung-hun had full confidence they'd catch on.
Plus, Choi Yeon-ah and the three new ones were guiding them well.
They said it reminded them of their early days with Choi Yeon-ah—like having little siblings.
Actually, all three were older than the pair.
Teamwork would sort itself out with time.
The three newbies' shock at using Yeon Sung-hun's potions firsthand wasn't surprising—everyone who'd tried them reacted the same.
It barely made waves.
Except Seo Jin-su swearing lifelong loyalty like Kim Jun-su once had.
That sparked a full-on loyalty contest between Kim Jun-su and Seo Jin-su, which was noteworthy.
And amid it all, Gye Cheong-san smugly declared himself the true loyalist.
Even so, after somehow succeeding on the first scout, the Golden Guild kept pushing rift scouts.
Han So-yul joined starting the second one.
She seemed to have prior ties with the three, greeting them casually.
"Still, oppa! How could you?!"
During a brief prep break before entering the rift, Yeon Sung-hun was reviewing the report when Han So-yul popped in, tilting his head.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Of course! A huge mistake! Jun-su oppa told me! The guild HQ's done, right?!"
Yeon Sung-hun glanced at Kim Jun-su at the sudden name-drop.
He shrugged lightly at the profusely apologetic Kim Jun-su.
"It's not fully complete—just part of the training grounds."
"Exactly! How could you leave me out?! And you even had a welcome party after?!"
"Do we have a spy in the guild...?"
Kim Jun-su frantically shook his head at the second glance, denying it.
Lee Ha-na raised her hand instead, smiling awkwardly.
Yeon Sung-hun let out a short sigh.
He planned to recruit Han So-yul soon, so she wasn't exactly an outsider, but leaking internal info carelessly wasn't good.
Lucky it was her and not sensitive data, but habits like this could bite later.
'...Gotta warn them firmly.'
Feeling his gaze, Lee Ha-na and Kim Jun-su flinched and bowed their heads.
Han So-yul, watching, spoke up hesitantly.
"N-No, it's not unnie and oppa's fault! I just... "
"No. This isn't something to brush off. It's internal info, after all."
"But... "
Han So-yul eyed Yeon Sung-hun carefully.
"...Does that make me an outsider?"
Her sudden gloom contrasted her earlier pushiness.
Yeon Sung-hun nearly blurted Obviously but caught himself.
He belatedly remembered she was pure-hearted but not naive.
With her sharp instincts, had she sensed his recruitment plans?
Was that why she'd pried so casually?
Otherwise, even Han So-yul wouldn't grill them like that without reason.
'No, more like... she wouldn't have, right?'
She always toed the line properly, despite appearances.
'My mistake.'
Yeon Sung-hun had always been work-focused, clumsy with people even before recalling his past life.
Now with Faust's memories—lifetime with just one friend, Mephisto—it was overwhelming.
He was trying, mimicking Mephisto, but it was tough.
With a quiet sigh, he gently patted Han So-yul's head.
He didn't spell out his plans, but infused genuine sincerity.
"Oppa was wrong. No punishment."
"...You'll include me next time, right?"
"I'll call you first, so cheer up. Want a potion?"
"Oppa potions taste bad."
"Working on it."
"You've said that since last time."
"Hunter Seo Jin-su will help a ton from now on."
Seo Jin-su, catching the glance, gave a thumbs-up like Trust me.
Han So-yul finally beamed her usual bright smile.
Yeon Sung-hun sighed in relief.
As she chattered brightly again, he cleared his throat.
"Anyway, we're a bit delayed, but let's start the scout. You know already, but focus on syncing over clearing."
The guild members nodded.
Thus began the rift scout with Han So-yul aboard.
Even after Han So-yul joined, raid team coordination wasn't perfectly smooth.
The third, fourth, and subsequent scouts were the same, but improvement was evident.
They were gradually adapting to each other's styles, making teamwork sleeker.
Now they handled routine situations and even sudden crises decently.
With more people, Yeon Sung-hun's burden lightened too.
Before, he'd juggle commands and combat; now he could focus purely on directing, tossing potions occasionally.
Truth be told, he wasn't a tactical genius.
Just seasoned from Faust's era—continent-spanning wars and skirmishes.
Not formally trained, but he could assess objectively, judge needs, and issue apt orders.
For monster fights, that sufficed.
Monsters didn't strategize.
At best, simple traps or cunning instincts.
Under Yeon Sung-hun's lead, the team honed smoother coordination.
Daily scouts synced them to a satisfying level—for Yeon Sung-hun and the team alike.
The rift wrapped twice as fast as usual, followed by a lavish afterparty.
At that point, Yeon Sung-hun made his call.
He told Gye Cheong-san.
"Secure us a B-rank rift."
It was time to advance.