The Normalization of the Abnormal

"Over here! The elite is over here!"

"Finally!"

"At last!"

Eunseo’s shrieks echoed through the air.

"Catch it! If we miss it, we have to run the whole thing again!"

"Please, please! Just let me sleep."

"Eunseo! Hurry up and finish it off!"

"Okay!"

It had been a week since we started the clear. As the change in the guild members' attitudes suggested, the Nakwon Guild was currently busy smashing every single Screen-ter nest they could find. A life of one meal a day, three hours of sleep, and relying on potions to sustain their depleted stamina. Thanks to that, we had run out of low-grade potions, but their growth was overwhelmingly fast.

"Well, at least the speed is there."

I nodded, checking Eunseo’s significantly increased stats. At this rate, the other two must have improved quite a bit as well. Thinking that, I raised my Sword of Light.

"Alright. Shall we finish this?"

I smiled brightly, tracking the energy of the elite Screen-ter. Whoosh— The Sword of Light tore through the air.

"She threw it again!"

"Please! Masterrrr!"

"Block it! I can’t do this anymoooore!"

Boom—

Regardless of everyone’s efforts, the Sword of Light pierced the elite Screen-ter’s head, and the nest clear window popped up.

While I was chuckling, I saw Eunseo and the two men emerging, clutching the Sword of Light. For the first time, I saw killing intent directed at me in their eyes.

"Right, then next..."

Before I could finish, Eunseo dropped to her knees.

"Master, Hyunseo-nim, Owner. Please. Let us rest now."

"No, why stop? I told you I’d let you rest once you clear it, right? Why can’t you do that?"

At my words, Cha Ildo slumped to the ground.

"I-it’s been a week. Please, just give us a break."

"I, I, my, my words, they, they aren't coming out right."

I giggled at Park Hyung-tae’s words.

"But you’re pretty used to using the sword now, aren't you? Don't you think?"

At my words, Hyung-tae also knelt.

"Please, spare me. I was wrong about everything."

"You said you wanted to get stronger."

"Still... sleep... must... fight..."

And with that, Park Hyung-tae collapsed and fell asleep.

"Hmm."

Should I poke him to wake him up? Set an example? As I pondered, a notification window appeared in front of me.

"Ah! The contribution points!"

Eunseo’s name moved to the front. She looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"Tsk, I was late because I was checking the stats."

At my words, Eunseo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and Ildo collapsed flat on the floor.

"Back in my day~ I used to run them for a month..."

When I turned around, the three of them were already fast asleep, exhausted. I let out a dry laugh at the sight.

"Sleeping in front of your master? Wow, you guys are really slacking off."

If it were that crazy woman, she would have laughed and stabbed me in the stomach. "It’s a good era, really."

I clicked my tongue and picked up the Sword of Light from Eunseo’s arms. Not far away was the A-class Queen’s nest.

"Well, since the stats are back, shall we practice for a while?"

I walked lazily toward the Queen’s nest. Just like that, a week had passed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since the Nakwon Guild began their conquest. The 12 Screen-ter nests on the first floor and the 1 Queen’s nest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had all been wiped out.

The Nakwon Guild returned to the safe zone looking like beggars. Their armor was in tatters, and their unwashed bodies reeked. Their hair was matted with bodily fluids and oil, and their eyes were hollow from fatigue. Even the minor wounds hadn't been healed by the low-grade potions. As the four—no, three—hunters entered the safe zone, the other hunters’ attention was drawn to them.

"..."

"Wow, look at that state."

"Looks like they just got beaten up."

"Did they get stranded somewhere?"

"Anyway, the low-rankers are always the most dramatic."

I frowned at the voices I heard. Do they not know I can hear them? When I glared, the two men talking flinched and moved away.

"Anyway, there are so many crazy bastards like that these days. They’ve got it too easy."

"What?"

Eunseo, reeking of rot, approached from behind.

"Hey! I told you to walk behind me!"

Eunseo shouted at my words.

"Is that what you’re saying right now! I’m exhausted too, you know!"

Eunseo pointed at my cleanly sparkling appearance and said, "Master, you’re all shiny!"

"Geez, if you don't like it, get stronger?"

"Ugh..."

"Screen-ter fluids rot quickly. You were covered in them, so of course you smell."

I held my nose and took another step back. "And I went and raided the Queen’s nest while you guys were sleeping. I wasn't just playing around."

When I shook the necklace I’d obtained from the A-class nest, everyone went silent.

"It’s weird that you’re looking like beggars just from clearing a few D-class nests."

I shrugged and looked for the safe zone’s warehouse. Even if there were no NPCs, the warehouse function should still be active. When I opened the warehouse near the entrance gate, a large item window appeared in my vision.

"Let’s see..."

I took out a portable tent from the warehouse.

"Let’s sleep in the tent today, and leave for the 2nd floor tomorrow."

"..."

Eunseo was almost sobbing.

"The 2nd floor? Right away?"

"Are we not going home?"

"So urgently?"

"Yeah, because if you rest too much, you won't want to come back."

Ildo frowned.

"But if we go up a floor, there won't be a safe zone, right?"

"That’s true."

Eunseo asked me with anxious eyes. "Can we really go up to the 2nd floor? The 2nd floor is a conquest floor."

At Eunseo’s words, everyone paused. A tank without a decent skill. A swordsman lacking attack power. An assassin with sloppy finishes. The three members of the Nakwon Guild were nothing more than a ragtag group, so climbing a conquest floor with such a party was absurd.

Besides, in the process of clearing the nests, they must have realized how lacking they were themselves. The conquest process in the nests was a moment to get stronger, but also an opportunity to test their capacity. So, I had to ask now.

"I’m going to start the 2nd-floor conquest in earnest once we finish maintenance today."

I looked at the three of them straight in the eyes and asked, "If you follow me, the training difficulty will be high, and the survival rate will be low. The rewards might even be small. It’s a path close to certain death."

I was sincere. Hardcore battles would continue as we cleared the conquest floors, and since we’d be buying items needed for the high difficulty, the rewards in hand would be small. I could only promise one thing.

"However, if you follow me, I will take responsibility and raise you. To the very limit of your potential."

At my words, without a moment’s hesitation, Eunseo moved to my side. She looked at the other two apologetically.

"I’m going to follow you up."

As for her, that was expected. I wondered what the other two were thinking. While I was staring at them, unexpectedly, Park Hyung-tae stepped forward first.

"I’ll go too. If you decide to cut me off because I’m holding you back, then so be it."

Scratching his matted blonde hair, Hyung-tae stood next to me. "I think I know a little bit about what kind of opportunity this is."

"Hmm..."

It’s something I always feel, but he was surprisingly quick-witted. When I looked at the remaining Cha Ildo, Ildo opened his mouth.

"Whew... that’s tough."

Ildo tilted his head back. "If I were just 10 years younger..."

"Well, you are in your mid-40s..."

"But I said that 10 years ago, too."

Ildo raised his shield. "I’ve grown for 10 years. I shouldn't make the same mistakes again."

"What?!"

"Are you serious, old man?"

Unlike the two who were surprised, I smiled faintly.

‘Yeah, I knew it.’

I felt it during the defense battle and the nest tests. The courage to move forward at any moment. The composure not to waver when death draws near. The patience to return to the battlefield even at the moment of one’s limit. An unwavering will and a noble heart. There ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weren't many people on the conquest floors who possessed such things.

Cha Ildo definitely had the aptitude. That was why Ildo’s hesitation was unexpected, and it made me weigh the gravity of the family he was thinking of. I took a deep breath.

"Haa."

Ah, so it’s all three of them in the end. Honestly, I had planned to discard at least one. I smirked and raised the corners of my mouth. I wanted to look as evil as possible. Otherwise, I felt like my true feelings would be exposed.

"My, my. If you had given up here, I was going to give you all sorts of privileges and enough money to live on for the rest of your lives."

"What?!"

"Huh?!"

"What’s that?"

"But since you all want to suffer like this, I have no choice."

"Oh..."

"T-that wasn't part of the deal!"

"Alright! Now let’s really roll! Everything up until now was just a taste!"

Seeing those bewildered faces, a hearty laugh burst out automatically.

"Take care of me, my disciples. I’ll make sure you roll until you die."

"...Usually, wouldn't you say you’ll make us roll just enough so we don't die?"

Along with Park Hyung-tae’s troubled voice, the Nakwon Guild’s new abnormal life began.

Picture frowned and sat at the table.

"What did you call me for?"

"Ahem, Picture, it is the Supreme One. Speak with decorum."

"Bluffing."

Picture grumbled at the words of the thin-looking man. He was a man named Lee Ju-ho, who used to be called Korea’s greatest villain or the worst awakener, but after being smashed by the man called the Supreme One, he was acting as if he had become a eunuch.

"Oh my, have you forgotten already? Ju-ho-ssi. I said I wouldn't join your games. What are you playing, Maple? Finding the Supreme One and all that bullshit."

Picture, who was picking her ear, looked at the man called the Supreme One sitting in front of her. Well, she heard he was a high-ranking person. Someone who had come to command the villains of Northeast Asia, including Korea, Japan, and China. The man called the Supreme One whispered quietly to Ju-ho.

"The Supreme One intends to give you a task."

"No, like I said, I’m not joining your..."

Boom—

Picture collapsed onto the floor like a frog, as if pressed by something. She almost bit her tongue off as she fell while speaking.

"You... son of a bitch..."

Her whole body ached as if a giant building were crushing her. The Supreme One walked up to Picture, who was pressed flat against the floor, and dropped a scroll.

"You seem to know each other. I want you to handle it."

"What... are you talking about..."

"I shall watch."

The man called the Supreme One disappeared like smoke, and only Picture and Ju-ho remained in the room.

"Cough. Cough."

Feeling the taste of blood in her mouth, Picture stood up irritably and unrolled the scroll. The scroll depicted a familiar face.

"Hmm... cough, you’re making me do something fun, this person. Cough. Hmph, even if you didn't ask, I was going to do it anyway, right?"

At Picture’s words, Ju-ho sneered and said, "You lowly bitch! The Supreme One said he would give you one month...!"

A large Chinese cleaver was embedded in Ju-ho’s head.

"Geez, you’re noisy, yapping away. I didn't like you anyway. You should have been careful."

Picture pulled the cleaver out of his head and struck Ju-ho’s neck. His head fell to the floor and rolled away.

"Haa, this isn't the taste..."

Picture, who had thrown off her blood-soaked outer garment, hummed a tune and picked up the scroll.

"Well, it’s the 2nd floor, is it? Phew... I have to go into the tower again."

After searching Ju-ho’s body for everything she could take, Picture put on the leather jacket Ju-ho had been wearing.

"Let’s go, guys, to that beggar-like tower."

Behind her, the teddy bears followed along, pitter-patter.