Chapter 33: The Devil's Evaluation Report (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: The Devil's Evaluation Report (3)
"Hello, Yeon-woo."
When I arrived at Square Garden, Lee Yu-na greeted me with a shy smile.
She still carried that aura of a pure, well-bred young lady.
"Hello, Yu-na. It’s been a while."
"Yes, it has."
Even though we’d been captured by Millionface and had seen each other stark naked, we hadn't really been in touch since then.
Yu-na had wanted to meet up to express her gratitude properly, but our schedules hadn't lined up until now.
"I'll show you inside."
Square Garden is located in Gangnam and is absolutely massive.
It’s not right in the middle of the main district, but if a building this size were there, it would be a total public nuisance.
The scale was overwhelming, reminiscent of a sports stadium.
The interior was neatly decorated, and the wide corridors gave it a spacious, refreshing feel.
"I'm actually part of the party you'll be evaluating today."
"Then is this party made up of C-rank heroes?"
"Yes, but don't worry. Square Garden will take full responsibility for your safety, Yeon-woo."
Sweet. If we’re going into a C-rank dungeon, I’ll be raking in the experience points.
If it were up to me, I’d ask to go to a dungeon crawling with monsters, but they’ve probably already picked the spot.
I exchanged greetings with a few people who looked important, but I didn't see the clan leader, Lee Ru-da.
Well, it makes sense. There’s no reason for someone like Lee Ru-da to come out and welcome a scout from a small-to-medium clan like Break Line.
Then why the hell did they call me here?
Seeing as they assigned Lee Yu-na to me because we’re acquainted, they’re treating me well, but it doesn't feel like they're trying to recruit me.
"Hello, Hero Han Jeong-woo."
"Hello, it’s been a while."
Whether by coincidence or design, Han Jeong-woo—the man who had tried to recruit me before—passed by carrying a stack of documents and greeted me.
"I've heard your evaluations are quite ruthless. Our people are very interested."
"Haha... I wouldn't say ruthless..."
"It’s a compliment. To be honest, I scoffed when Break Line released their public data, but once you delivered such an accurate evaluation, I was the one who ended up looking like a fool."
Hmm. He really is a good guy.
If he didn't give off such gay vibes, I’d actually want to be friends with him.
Han Jeong-woo chatted for a bit longer, said goodbye to Yu-na, and left.
"You seem to know a lot of people in our clan."
"I guess so. It just kind of happened."
Yu-na smiled brightly and led me to the area where the heroes were waiting.
She politely opened the door and gestured for me to enter.
Just as I was about to step inside, someone burst out from within and pulled me into a hug.
"Yeon-yu-chan! Did you miss me?!"
It was a movement so fast that my abilities couldn't even react to it.
I wondered if she was at least B-rank, or maybe even pushing A-rank. As I pulled my face away from the breasts pressing against me, I saw a familiar face.
"Boss?"
"Nope. It's 'Nuna'."
"Ha-el Unni? Why are you here? Weren't you going in to rest?"
"Aw, how could I go rest when our Yeon-yu-chan is coming?"
Song Ha-el let go of me and threw an arm around my shoulder.
I knew she was an A-rank hero, but she was part of Square Garden?
Looking inside, I saw Seo Han-na, whom I hadn't seen since the Center.
Still sporting her charming, pitch-black hime-cut, she caught my eye and gave a small wave.
"Unni, did you know Yeon-woo? And more importantly, what's with that 'Yeon-yu-chan' nickname...?"
"It's fine, it's fine. Yeon-yu-chan and I have a very deep relationship. Right, Yeon-yu-chan?"
Song Ha-el turned her head toward me and winked.
"Yes... Ha-el Nuna?"
"Yes, yes. That's my boy."
Seemingly delighted to be called 'Nuna,' Song Ha-el’s expression turned suggestive, as if she were about to lick my cheek.
From the side, I probably looked like a kid being bullied by a delinquent.
Yu-na must have thought the same, as she carefully pulled Song Ha-el away from me, reminding her that I was a guest of Square Garden and shouldn't be treated rudely.
"Did you really wait just to see Yeon-woo?"
"No, I'm also here to play babysitter. I talked to Gumi and swapped spots."
"What? But you just got out of a dungeon yesterday."
"Hey, no matter how tired I am, a C-rank dungeon is a breeze. Plus, I get to see my Yeon-yu-chan's face."
I didn't know who Gumi was, but they were probably the person originally assigned as the supervisor.
I wondered where those two had disappeared to after that time; turns out they were busy clearing dungeons.
Living in dungeons for nearly a month... I guess the bigger the clan, the more grueling the work.
They probably cleared a difficult dungeon that took days at a time.
"Now, don't you worry. You've got two A-rank heroes protecting you."
"Huh? Han-na Unni, you're going too?"
"Yeah. Do you really think this girl can handle being a supervisor? I'm the supervisor; she's just going along to play."
Seo Han-na spoke with an air of annoyance, glancing at me briefly before looking away.
Though I was distracted by Song Ha-el and Seo Han-na, I eventually introduced myself to Yu-na's party members and headed to the dungeon.
Traveling in an expensive-looking black van was incredibly comfortable.
I wonder if our clan can afford something like this.
While I was checking the information for today's dungeon, Song Ha-el, who was sitting next to me, slyly touched my thigh.
Even if we were in the back seat, doing this with so many people around was bold.
"Yeon-yu-chan, didn't you miss my body?"
Song Ha-el whispered to me with a sultry gaze.
However, since I was the only man there, everyone was subtly paying attention to me.
She quickly pulled her hand away and acted innocent the moment Yu-na turned around.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Yes, it's very comfortable. I wish our clan would buy a van like this."
"Want Nuna to buy you one?"
What is she talking about? Back at the Center, when she was mistaken for a pervert, she begged and said she had no money.
After that, Song Ha-el kept pestering me, but because the other heroes kept talking to me, she couldn't do much before we arrived at the dungeon.
"Shall we head in?"
At Yu-na's word after finishing their preparations at the entrance, we entered the dungeon to find a massive open space.
"It's a straight path. I like it; no need to wander around aimlessly."
"If you're going to be the supervisor, at least read the dungeon brief before coming in."
Seo Han-na scolded Song Ha-el, who was stretching and laughing.
The dungeon was stage-based.
Aside from the path, everything else was a sheer drop, so there was no way to get lost. It was a simple structure where you just followed the straight path and killed monsters.
Like the experienced C-rank heroes they were, Yu-na's party finished their equipment checks efficiently and headed forward without delay.
Each stage felt like a floating island in the sky, connected by paths, so there was no risk of an ambush.
Since all the monsters were on the islands, there was no need to be constantly on guard, making it easy to conserve physical and mental energy.
On top of that, once you cleared one island, you could rest safely until moving to the next. Structurally, it was ideal.
However, because the layout was so simple, the monsters were stronger than those in other dungeons of the same rank.
There were six people in Yu-na's party.
Even without specific orders, they took their positions and engaged the monsters.
The operator's voice over the comms mostly just relayed the battlefield situation rather than interfering in the fight.
Wow—this is nice.
Watching them fight was nothing short of impressive.
Even though they were C-rank, every minor action showed their wealth of experience. They knew what to do just by looking at each other, coordinating perfectly.
If Break Line was hell, Square Garden was heaven.
"What do you think? Our girls are pretty good, right?"
Song Ha-el, who was sitting nearby watching, grinned at me.
"It’s quite surprising. I expected a difference since it's a major guild, but this exceeds my expectations. They could probably hold their own against my clan leader's party."
"Hahaha, you're quite the flatterer. If you like it so much, why don't you join our clan, Yeon-yu?"
"Is that a recruitment offer?"
"Nothing so stuffy. It’s just that being together is fun. And we can do lots of... enjoyable things."
Song Ha-el whispered the last part with a smile.
She really is a nympho. Still, the fact that she comes off as cute rather than creepy must be her charm.
"I'll make sure you enjoy yourself at the Center. For now, behave."
"Mmm~ It’s a promise."
Song Ha-el kicked her legs happily.
Turning my attention back to Yu-na's side, they had almost finished off the monsters and were slowly pressing the remaining ones while conserving their strength.
I should really study the tactics of this world, where they fight only with attackers.
As long as experience keeps accumulating, progress follows naturally.
In my common sense, I’d ask, "Can you really clear this with only attackers?" but since this world has developed ways to maximize attacker utility, there are things to be learned.
Though I still don't like the concept of just charging in blindly, relying on Orbs.
I approached the party as they finished off the monsters and took a break, with Song Ha-el following behind.
"How were we?"
One of the heroes asked with a smile.
Her smile was full of confidence, which was good to see.
"You were great. To the point where I wonder if there's even a need for me to evaluate you."
"Yay! That's the best compliment."
"But is not using your skills a tactic? Or are you not showing them because I'm from another clan?"
When I said that, everyone went silent and looked down at the floor.
Wondering if I’d stepped on a landmine, I glanced at Song Ha-el, but even she avoided my gaze.
What the hell? Why am I being left out?
"Yeon-woo... I should have told you this first..."
After a moment, Yu-na began to speak cautiously.
"We all have support-type skills."
What? That's amazing. All the support talent was right here.
But they're using them all as attackers?
According to Yu-na, these heroes were originally in different parties, but they were gathered into this makeshift party consisting only of those with support-type skills.
For a makeshift party to have this much chemistry... just how much training do they put these kids through?
"Hmm... So my role is ultimately that. Figuring out how to utilize support-type skills?"
"Yes... that's right. Unni told us to try an experiment..."
Yu-na answered tentatively, avoiding eye contact.
In a world centered on attackers, they recruited people with support-type skills?
No matter how much talent someone had, most clans would have lost interest immediately, but Square Garden recruited them.
It seems I'm not the only one who thinks supporters are necessary.
The image of Lee Ru-da's cold eyes flashed through my mind, and I let out a small chuckle.
Since this world is still clumsy at utilizing supporters, this temporary party is a project-based one meant to gain my advice.
They’re in the early stages, so they’re trying to gather as much data as possible from various sources.
To be one of the Three Major Clans and still have the humility to learn from others without letting pride get in the way... Square Garden really is heaven.
"Then, so I can do my job, please use your skills as needed from now on. You don't have to use them if you judge they aren't necessary for the situation."
Since Park Sung-jun gave me permission to evaluate them seriously, I intended to help as much as possible.
I plan to start active hero work soon myself, so it’ll be easier for me if the status of supporters is raised to the point where they aren't treated like trash.
At the very least, they need to be seen as useful tools for me to be able to form a party.
I'm not too worried since I have Yoon A-young, but I still need to lay some groundwork for supporters.
The field is so barren right now it’s actually concerning.
As we moved to the next island, the heroes actively used their skills to support their comrades.
The supporters gave each other buffs or weakened the enemies to clear the stage, but surprisingly, the clearing speed actually dropped.
Furthermore, even though the monsters weren't significantly stronger, the party was considerably more exhausted.
Watching them rest, I continued to write down strengths, weaknesses, and methods of utilization in the evaluation report. They kept glancing at me, nervous because I was writing so much.
Curious about what I was writing for so long, Song Ha-el and Seo Han-na came up behind me to peek. Their faces stiffened as they kept staring.
Eventually, the time I spent writing became longer than their break time, so I paused my work to continue the dungeon.
"This isn't an evaluation, but if I were to give one piece of advice... clearing a dungeon with only supporters is harder than clearing it with only attackers, right?"
At my suggestion to define roles, Yu-na understood immediately and assigned new support roles for each island.
Yes, yes. An environment full of talented and brilliant people is truly a happy place.
They were still clumsy at identifying the monsters on the island and choosing the right supporter for the situation, but considering it was their first time, they were doing remarkably well.
One of the downsides of this attacker-centric world is that even those in supporting roles go out and fight.
Or they’re excluded from the party entirely.
Unless you have a skill that allows you to be versatile like Yoon A-young, it’s better to clearly divide roles and have supporters focus solely on supporting.
Trusting your comrades and fulfilling your role is the foundation of a party, after all.
By the way, Yu-na's skill is insane.
Her skill allows her to summon various guardian spirits to buff or assist allies, and she can even hinder enemies.
She’s a specialized single-target buffer and single-target debuffer.
It’s not very efficient in places with lots of weak mobs, but she would truly shine in boss battles.
Since she’s a single-target debuffer, the effects are massive.
The success or failure of a raid can often depend on whether you can squeeze out a few more percentage points of defense reduction, so it’s an incredible skill.
The downside is that using the guardian spirits prevents her from participating in combat, making her combat ability as an attacker non-existent.
But as a supporter, she’s top-tier. She has a wide variety of guardian spirits, giving her great utility.
"Ha."
I was writing down whatever came to mind when I heard a short laugh. I turned around to see Seo Han-na letting out a dry chuckle before meeting my eyes.
"Ah... sorry. I wasn't laughing at you, I was just so surprised."
"Surprised?"
"Yes. Your eyes see things we can't. And the way you plan to utilize those girls... did you come up with all that just now?"
"No, I'm no genius. I've just seen a lot of skills while doing recruitment work, so I'm just writing down things I've thought about regarding how they could be used."
"Still, it's amazing."
Despite my humility, Seo Han-na stared at me with sparkling eyes.
To be honest, these tactics are my bread and butter, so I didn't even write that much. Seeing how shocked she is, just how badly have supporters been treated until now?
"I told you, Yeon-yu-chan is an amazing person."
"The only words that have come out of your mouth were 'cock.' Ah, sorry. I said something strange."
Seo Han-na, who had been cursing at Song Ha-el for hugging me from behind, bowed her head in apology.
"But seriously, she only talked about cocks."
Song Ha-el whispered into my ear while still hugging me.
Ah, she’s making me get a hard-on again.