Chapter 39:
It was none other than Joo Seon-min, her expression cold.
Park Hyung-woo, who had seemed unyielding, clicked his tongue and backed down, seeing Baek Joo-won standing beside her.
Haeil Guild members did the same.
“Why is Taesan even here? The Center requested support from Haeil, not you.”
“Why do you think, damn it?! Who said you could handle this important task? We have no reason to follow the Center’s arbitrary decision. We’re coming too.”
He was essentially admitting that he was jealous of Baek Joo-won potentially getting closer to Haeil.
To act so recklessly… Didn’t he realize he was only making things worse? Idiots.
Joo Seon-min clicked her tongue, looking at the foolish Park Hyung-woo.
“Do you think I’m crazy enough to bring two rival Guilds into a dungeon together? Go back before you endanger yourselves with your reckless actions.”
“Who are you to decide that?!”
“I’m in charge of this dungeon practice run. If you have complaints, take them up with Kwon Yi-soo.”
Park Hyung-woo instinctively shut his mouth at Joo Seon-min’s icy warning.
He might not be afraid of Haeil or Joo Seon-min, but he was clearly afraid of Kwon Yi-soo, who controlled the Guiding Center.
“Then at least exclude her. Espers at risk of overload are prohibited from entering dungeons!”
His final target was Seo Jae-yi. But there was one thing he didn’t know.
“I’m perfectly normal right now.”
Seo Jae-yi grinned and showed him her receiver.
【Overload Progress — 30%】
【Caution: Do not exceed 30%.】
Thanks to the Guiding she had received during the previous experiment, which doubled as treatment, she had barely managed to lower her level to a safe range.
“And I’m a porter today, not a raid member. Call me Firestarter Porter.”
“I’m Porter 2.”
“Unlike Bean Mountain, which only has one useless S-rank, Haeil has two amazing S-ranks! Buy one, get one free!”
Her tone was clearly mocking, but Park Hyung-woo could only sputter in frustration, having no valid counterarguments.
“The Center didn’t request support from Taesan, so go back. If you continue to defy me and act recklessly, I’ll use my authority as an S-rank Guide to ban your entire Guild from entering the Center.”
Joo Seon-min’s final warning was the decisive blow.
A ban from the Center.
If they couldn’t enter the Center, Espers in the Guild without paired Guides wouldn’t be able to receive Guiding.
It was too great a loss, so Park Hyung-woo had no choice but to retreat.
‘If only that bastard had died!’
He glared at Haeil members, especially Seo Jae-yi, who was supposedly dying, with bloodshot eyes, before turning away.
Damn them. He wouldn’t let them get away with this.
“He’s still as ugly as ever, even after all this time.”
Seo Jae-yi clicked her tongue, watching Park Hyung-woo stomp away.
“Hello, Mr. Baek Joo-won. I’m finally greeting you properly. Sorry for the unpleasant scene.”
She only greeted Baek Joo-won after Taesan left, the atmosphere now more pleasant. He shrugged, having observed the confrontation between Haeil and Taesan.
“It’s fine. It was quite entertaining watching you provoke him.”
“…I’m not always like that. I’m only like that with Bean Mountain.”
“I thought you were the type who couldn’t get angry, seeing you stay silent when those Guides were talking nonsense. I was completely mistaken.”
Haeil Guild members, surprised by Baek Joo-won’s words, whispered among themselves.
“He thought she couldn’t get angry? How could he even think that?”
“Why else? She must have been putting on an act in front of him.”
“She can do that…?”
“I guess even she has the instinct to be liked by a Guide.”
I can hear you, guys! It’s true that I was trying to be likable, but come on!
Seo Jae-yi glared at them, and the Guild members quickly pretended they hadn’t been gossiping.
“Hello, Guide Baek Joo-won.”
But Seo Jae-yi wasn’t the only one trying to be likable.
Seo Won-yeong, who was known for her icy demeanor towards everyone except Seo Jae-yi and her mother, was greeting Baek Joo-won with a bright, surprisingly bright smile.
“We met once at the Center, right? I’m Seo Won-yeong.”
The Guild members, who had been constantly scolded by Seo Won-yeong for the crime of stealing her sister, were stunned.
She could be polite and respectful?
“Ah, it’s nice to see you again.”
“I heard it’s your first dungeon practice run, so I came with Unnie, hoping to be of assistance. And I brought a gift.”
Seo Won-yeong handed him a large box.
“It’s a kind of bribe, so please accept it.”
Baek Joo-won was flustered, but he couldn’t refuse, pressured by Seo Jae-yi’s nudges. He opened the box and gasped.
Inside were black clothes, leather straps, and two guns.
“It’s a combat uniform, a harness, and pistols. They’re all custom-made for you, Mr. Baek Joo-won. I’m a very skilled crafter.”
Even Joo Seon-min, who was watching, nodded in agreement.
“Seo Won-yeong made my combat uniform too. It’s on a completely different level from the standard-issue ones the Center provides. Accept it. Not everyone can have one of these.”
Joo Seon-min gestured towards the Haeil Guild members. They were staring at the box with envy, their eyes glued to the contents, having been denied Seo Won-yeong’s creations for their past transgressions.
It was that good? Baek Joo-won no longer considered refusing.
“I’ll go change.”
He went into the car and returned wearing the new outfit, eliciting gasps of admiration.
The black, long-sleeved turtleneck fit snugly, allowing for ease of movement. The harness he wore over it was tightly secured to prevent slippage, accentuating his well-defined chest and arm muscles.
The trousers were looser than the top but comfortable thanks to their elasticity, and the combat boots were lightweight.
Overall, the quality was far superior to the standard-issue gear.
“It looks great on you!”
He looked incredibly handsome in the combat uniform, perhaps because of his physique and good looks. It wouldn’t be strange for him to model for a combat gear brand.
“It’s made with dungeon byproducts, so it can withstand monster attacks to some extent. The harness and firearms as well.”
“It definitely feels different from the standard-issue gear. I’ll wear it with gratitude. But it fits perfectly. How did you know my size so accurately?”
“Uh, by eyeballing it?”
Baek Joo-won looked at Seo Jae-yi with suspicion at her answer.
“Did you hear my measurements when we got the suit tailored?”
“No! I don’t eavesdrop!”
Seo Jae-yi jumped up in denial. She had overheard some of it, but she hadn’t heard the very personal details that followed.
“I just frequented that shop a few times, so I naturally learned to estimate sizes with my eyes.”
It was certainly possible for an S-rank Esper.
“Alright, enough chit-chat. Let’s start the subjugation. We’ve wasted too much time.”
Joo Seon-min clapped her hands, and everyone gathered around her.
Haeil and Joo Seon-min had experience raiding dungeons together, so their roles were assigned smoothly.
“And as you’ve been informed, Baek Joo-won can’t Guide Espers.”
The results of the experiment a few days ago hadn’t been officially announced yet.
Haeil Guild members weren’t surprised, as they already knew, thanks to Seo Jae-yi’s participation in the experiment and their agreement to participate in this practice run in exchange for information.
“I’ll handle the Guiding, but Baek Joo-won will step in if there’s an emergency. And don’t worry if an Esper loses control after receiving Guiding; Seo Jae-yi has agreed to subdue them.”
“Yeah, trust me.”
Her words were automatically interpreted as “I’ll definitely subdue them, so trust me.”
The Guild members made a silent vow not to push their luck.
“And protecting the Guides and porters…”
Joo Seon-min looked at Seo Jae-yi and Seo Won-yeong. Two S-rank porters. How extravagant.
“Seo Won-yeong, you’re in charge. And rear guard duty as well.”
Protecting the Guides was the top priority in a raid team, so it was only natural for an S-rank Esper to be assigned that role.
“Seo Jae-yi, you’re strictly a porter, unless Baek Joo-won has to Guide.”
“Of course. Call me Porter 1 today, not Firestarter.”
Seo Jae-yi boasted that she would only focus on her porter duties and wouldn’t fight.
“Check your equipment, and let’s go.”
“2:03 p.m. Commencing subjugation.”
The raid team crossed the blue gate vortex at dispatch team leader Kang Ji-heon’s announcement.
They felt a slight wave of energy, and when they opened their eyes, they were standing in a cave-like dungeon.
The raid team slowly advanced, maintaining the formation they had planned beforehand.
“Baek Joo-won, you remember your theoretical training, right?”
Joo Seon-min looked at Baek Joo-won as the Espers moved forward, their eyes scanning their surroundings.
“But you can forget it all if it gives you a headache.”
She continued, her eyes cold.
“Our priority isn’t combat or anything like that. It’s just two things. One, survival. We have to survive, even if it means using an Esper as a shield. That’s how we can save more people.”
It was a cruel statement, essentially treating Espers as expendable.
But no one objected.
A raid team without a Guide would eventually perish, either by monsters or by overloading.
The Guide’s survival determined the success of the raid. Therefore, the Guide had to survive at all costs.
“Two, prioritizing.”
“Prioritizing?”
“A raid team usually has two or three Guides. But there are at least five Espers. It means we can’t Guide everyone.”
Ah.
“You have to decide who to save to maximize the number of survivors, who to prioritize. That’s the Guide’s responsibility.”
Trying to save everyone would only lead to everyone’s death.
So the Guide had to decide. Who to save, and who to sacrifice.
There was a reason why Guides were said to hold the key to a dungeon raid’s success.
“If you have to abandon someone, do it without hesitation.”
She didn’t know how much Baek Joo-won understood, but all the Espers present understood.
Seo Jae-yi, an S-rank Esper at risk of overload.
Whether it was today or any other day, if her condition worsened, they were to abandon her and run. They weren’t to foolishly try to stop her overload.
“…Understood.”
Seo Jae-yi, carrying a backpack at the rear, glanced at Baek Joo-won’s back as he answered, his thoughts unknown.
His back, broad and tall, looked incredibly reliable. Perhaps it was because he was someone who hadn’t yet experienced true despair.
Seo Jae-yi fervently hoped that his back would never be broken.