Chapter 7: I’m Taking Over the Comms Now (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: I’m Taking Over the Comms Now (3)
"Ah... damn it..."
Yoon A-young watched as her teammate scowled and kicked a piece of trash on the street.
Thinking they had improved their skills, they had challenged a higher-rank dungeon, but all three attempts had ended in failure.
The Jewels of Life provided by the clan every month had run out, making any further attempts impossible.
As the leader, she needed to do something to boost the party's morale, but for the still-inexperienced Yoon A-young, it was a daunting task.
It was especially difficult to perform her role when her mind was in such disarray.
Lately, she hadn't been able to focus properly because of Jeong Yeon-woo, who had been frequenting the training grounds.
Why did he suddenly come back...?
He had left her so coldly when she tried to hold onto him, and now he was back, acting like he was training.
Actually, the training itself was strange.
Marksmanship? Yoon A-young had never heard of a Hero who used guns.
Perhaps, even if he couldn't become a Hero, he was planning to join a Tactical Support Team to assist them.
When they were young, they used to talk about how they would both become Awakened, reach S-rank together, and save people from monsters.
By a stroke of luck, both of them did become Awakened. Yoon A-young, who had awakened first, was truly happy and congratulated him when his own powers manifested.
She remembered them smiling at each other, promising to fulfill their childhood dream, but that memory was immediately followed by the sight of Jeong Yeon-woo’s back as he threw down his weapon and fled the dungeon.
One past event led to another, leading all the way to the memory of her crying and begging him to stay with her.
Yoon A-young could never forget the expression Jeong Yeon-woo had made then.
Shocked by his eyes, which looked at her with the same terror one might show a monster, she hadn't been able to stop him as he fled.
No... now isn't the time to dwell on bad memories...
Covering her face with both hands, Yoon A-young let out a deep sigh and turned her gaze toward her teammates.
"We couldn't help failing. Let's head back to the clan for now and review the battle."
"...Can't we just run one D-1 dungeon before we go?"
"You know we're out of Jewels of Life."
"But our performance this month is terrible. We haven't even met the party quota."
This month, they had focused entirely on training to challenge a higher-grade dungeon.
They had challenged it under the assumption that they could clear it without using all three of the monthly-allotted Jewels, but they had failed.
"The clan knows we were challenging a higher grade this month. It's fine if we don't meet the quota."
"But we failed, didn't we?"
Yoon A-young had no response to her teammate's point.
A Jewel of Life can be recovered as long as no one in the party that entered the dungeon actually dies.
However, in the course of their work, there were times when they used up all the Jewels provided by the clan. In such cases, they would often enter dungeons of a much lower grade than their usual challenge level to fill their quota.
The dungeon Yoon A-young's party had been challenging was a D-6.
The number after the rank indicates the level; the higher the number, the more dangerous it is.
D-4 or D-5 were borderline, but from D-3 downwards, it wasn't considered life-threatening.
After a moment of deliberation, she looked at her other teammates and asked, "What do you all think?"
"I'm for it."
"...Without Jewels? I'm against it."
"If you value your life that much, why are you even a Hero?"
"What? You think dungeons are child's play? Do you have any idea why the clan provides Jewels worth hundreds of millions?"
"There's no need to fight. Since we're split exactly down the middle, I'll call it in."
As her teammates began to bicker, Yoon A-young stopped them and contacted the clan.
After hearing her explanation, the officer in charge replied with a regretful tone.
"It's unfortunate that you failed the dungeon conquest. However, since you didn't meet the target, it will inevitably be reflected in this month's evaluation."
Yoon A-young let her teammates hear the officer's words over the speakerphone and looked at them.
The teammate who had been against it nodded with a grimace, clearly reluctant, while the others stood up happily.
Up to this point, the atmosphere was good.
There was no reason for them to struggle in a D-1 dungeon where only Goblins appeared.
It was a dungeon that could be handled even if one entered alone, so they advanced rapidly, cutting down Goblins with ease.
However, that momentum lasted only until the Manderus appeared.
It didn't matter why it appeared.
When a monster that should have appeared in a D-10, not a D-1, showed up, the once-confident Heroes could do nothing but flee.
"It's presumed to be a Manderus! Give us orders!"
"... ..."
However, there was no response from the Operator.
The inexperienced Operator, who was only in charge of low-grade dungeons, had gone blank at the sight of the first Manderus they had ever seen. They did nothing while the situation room searched for information on the monster.
"Operator! Operator!"
The teammate who hadn't wanted to come was kicked by the Manderus's massive foot, and the others were also attacked one by one, left reeling.
While calling for the unresponsive Operator, Yoon A-young supported the teammate the Manderus was targeting and fled.
"The back of the neck! Aim for the back of the neck! The Manderus's weakness is the back of its neck!"
Yoon A-young already knew that.
Though she had never faced one, she was an Attacker on the front lines, so she had memorized all the information on monsters discovered to date.
"Hero Yoon A-young, listen carefully. The Manderus's weakness is the back of its neck, so..."
Infuriated by the Operator who kept repeating the same thing, Yoon A-young shouted.
"I know that! Don't just tell me to aim for the neck—!"
"I've switched out the Operator. Follow my instructions from now on."
"...Jeong Yeon-woo...?"
Why was Jeong Yeon-woo on the comms?
Yoon A-young was dazed, unable to process the situation, as his calm voice continued through the communicator.
"Yes, it's me. I'll be your Operator. Ah, Ms. Han Ju-hee, sorry, but could I get a coffee? I can't leave my seat."
While she was running blankly, forgetting that a Manderus was chasing her, the sounds from inside the situation room crackled through.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Since it seems you have no intention of operating, I'll do it myself."
"No, how dare a man butt in?!"
"This is the Strategy Department! What do you think you're doing, barging in here?!"
The sounds of a scuffle and loud voices came through the communicator, conveying the chaos in the situation room.
Just as Yoon A-young was thinking that things were urgent on her end too, there was a rustling sound, and Jeong Yeon-woo's voice returned.
"Ah, there was a bit of a commotion, but ignore that. Turn right at the tree ahead and sprint at full speed."
Though she didn't trust him, Yoon A-young grit her teeth and began to run.
Oh, she's actually listening to me.
To be honest, I was worried she'd start by cursing me out, but it seems she's decided to follow my lead.
By the way, "how dare a man"... this place really has the social standards of the 80s.
I almost got my hair grabbed.
There was a physical struggle with the staff trying to snatch the headset away, but I eventually secured it.
I'd never even heard the phrase "How dare a woman!" in my daily life—only in soap operas when I was a kid—but now I see exactly how men are treated in this world.
They might be doted on, but the moment it seems like their authority is being challenged, the deep-rooted notion to ignore them and suppress them with force kicks in.
Even now, the Parrot is muttering something about "men this" and "men that" beside me.
"Do I keep running?"
"Yes, keep running. Hero Jeong I-dam, Hero Park Hae-in, are you conscious?"
I answered Yoon A-young's suspicious question and called out to the other Heroes, but there was silence.
I'll have to count them out of the fight and take down the Manderus with just the two of them.
I requested the staff to put up the information for Yoon A-young and Park Se-eun, who was being supported as they fled, and opened the comms again.
"Yoon A-young, Park Se-eun. Congratulations. You two are going to have to take down the Manderus."
"Ahaha... this is why I didn't want to come..."
Park Se-eun muttered in a sad voice, devoid of any fighting spirit.
"Don't worry. If you follow my orders, a Manderus is nothing. The loot today will be good, so have a hearty team dinner and then head back to the clan."
"Stop talking nonsense and just give the orders."
Her patience seemingly exhausted, Yoon A-young cut in, dropping the formalities.
"See that high rock ahead? Turn in there. Put as much distance as possible between you and the Manderus. Also, bring up Cam 3 and Cam 5, and have Cam 1 and Cam 5 follow the Manderus from behind."
After speaking to the Heroes and the staff in the situation room, I looked at the screens.
On the high-altitude footage, Yoon A-young and Park Se-eun looked like tiny dots running frantically.
Following them, the Manderus gave chase with massive strides.
The Manderus is almost identical to a Cyclops, except for the weakness on the back of its neck and the fact that it has two eyes.
It has strength proportional to its size and swings a massive club recklessly. Its skin is also tough, so it can't be pierced without significant offensive power.
However, unlike a Cyclops, it has low intelligence and a clear weakness in its vulnerable neck, which is why it's classified as a D-rank monster.
While its strength and size require caution, its movements are slow, making it easy to target its weakness and finish it off quickly.
"There's a thicket right after you turn the corner. Hide Hero Park Se-eun there. You need to finish the process within two seconds, so just toss her in and immediately climb the rock."
"Am... am I being abandoned...?"
"No, don't worry. Hero Park Se-eun is the main Attacker. For now, we need to avoid its gaze, so once Hero Yoon A-young tosses you into the thicket, hide yourself. You can do that much, right?"
"Ye-yes..."
Despite her lack of confidence, I ignored it and focused on the screen.
Following my orders, Yoon A-young tossed Park Se-eun into the thicket as soon as they turned the corner and began to scramble up the rock.
"The timing is off. The Manderus is moving faster."
"Damn it! She's going to get caught! Manager Jeong Yeon-woo! Tell her to jump down and run away right now!"
Man, they're incredibly noisy.
I ignored the staff members making a fuss beside me and spoke to the employee controlling the drones.
"Keep Cam 5 as it is, go between the Manderus's legs, and overtake it."
"...Understood."
The employee gave me a skeptical look but moved Drone 5 to pass between the legs of the Manderus as it turned the corner.
Yoon A-young, who was climbing the pillar-like rock, tensed up as she saw the Manderus pass right behind her, but its gaze was directed downward, and it didn't notice her.
CRASH!
With a loud noise, Drone 5 was crushed by the club, and the screen went black.
"It's better than a Hero dying."
I answered the glares directed at me and issued the next order.
"Hero Yoon A-young, don't even think about lunging just because the back of the neck is visible. Cam 1. Draw aggro from the Manderus just like Cam 5 did."
Yoon A-young, who had been gripping the large greatsword at her waist with glowing eyes, scowled but took her hand off the hilt.
"We're going to utilize your skills to the fullest, so both of you gather mana while the drone draws aggro. We'll finish it immediately. Hero Park Se-eun, your skill is a physical enhancement type, right? The Manderus has terrible mana detection, so don't worry and gather as much mana as possible."
"Wouldn't it be better if I handled it now?"
"A Manderus's neck isn't something you strike from the air. Attacking an opponent larger than yourself from mid-air without a foothold... save that for when you've improved your skills more. Jump down from the rock. Hero Yoon A-young will neutralize the Manderus."
Though her face was full of dissatisfaction, Yoon A-young followed my words and climbed down from the rock.
The Manderus, which had been looking around for its lost prey, turned at the sound and began to stride toward Yoon A-young.
"We're going to freeze the ground with Hero Yoon A-young's freezing skill. When the Manderus falls, its head will land near the thicket, so Hero Park Se-eun, get ready to attack. I know it's hard with your injuries, but please give it your best just this once."
"Yes, I understand."
She was whispering because she was hiding, but Park Se-eun's voice was filled with trust.
As Yoon A-young channeled her mana, the ground began to freeze, centering around her feet.
"Not yet. What's the point of showing your skill first? Just be glad the Manderus is stupider than you are, Hero Yoon A-young."
"...Then when should I use it?"
Yoon A-young grumbled, sounding like she was pouting.
Cute.
"Deactivate the skill and back away slowly. When I give the signal, run and pass between the Manderus's legs while freezing the ground. If possible, try to induce the Manderus to turn to its left."
"You're telling me to dive under that thing right now?"
"Yes, because I believe in you. You can do it, Hero Yoon A-young."
When I spoke with a voice full of the 'trust' I used to use when dumping work on my subordinates, Yoon A-young silently followed my order.
"It's almost here. Be careful not to get crushed when the Manderus falls. Almost... just a bit more... slurp."
"...What are you drinking right now?"
"Yes, I'm drinking coffee."
"No, in this situation, what kind of—"
"Now!"
Yoon A-young, who was about to get angry, lunged toward the Manderus the moment I spoke.
The Manderus, which had a habit of grabbing prey with its hands to eat it in one bite, bent its waist to try and catch her, but it could never catch her with such slow movements.
As Yoon A-young scraped the ground as if performing a tackle, an ice floor formed beneath her, and she slid away gracefully.
The Manderus, turning to catch her, also slid gracefully and fell. I gave the instruction to Park Se-eun.
"It's falling your way. Step back one meter."
Park Se-eun, who had been hiding in the thicket, safely moved out of the way, and the Manderus's head crashed down right where she had been.
After this, no further instructions were needed.
The Manderus's neck, served up by Yoon A-young, landed right in front of Park Se-eun, and she didn't wait, swinging her massive sword.
"I got it!"
"Waaaaah!!"
The situation room, which had been busy cursing me just moments ago, erupted in cheers the moment the Manderus was taken down.
While everyone except the Parrot was happy, I heard the voice of Park Se-eun, who had slumped down, exhausted from attacking repeatedly in her tension.
"Haah... haah... thank you... Manager Jeong Yeon-woo? Is that your name?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Thank you. Manager Jeong Yeon-woo, you're my lifesaver."
"I only provided the operation suited to your roles."
Honestly, I wanted to be praised more, but I learned during my fifteen years of command that it's cooler to step back nonchalantly in moments like this.
"Secure the loot, take care of your unconscious teammates, and return safely."
"Yes, sir!"
Listening to Park Se-eun's energetic response, I looked at Yoon A-young on the screen.
Though she had narrowly escaped death, her expression was full of discontent.
"Good job, Yoon A-young."
Seeing the look in Yoon A-young's eyes change as she heard my transmission, I took off the headset, placed it on the console, and turned around.
I wonder if this was enough to dissolve some of the resentment in her heart.