Chapter 26

“Have you arrived, Ms. Ha Yu-ri?”

“Yes… well.”

Kang Seong-jun clapped his hands and addressed everyone in the meeting room.

“Since everyone’s here, shall we discuss which newcomers are outstanding?”

About ten people were gathered in the meeting room, all of them instructors.

A man spoke up.

“…There’s a newcomer with a regular archer job, but quite talented.”

A woman sitting across from him asked.

“Oh… who is it?”

“Kang I-seo, one of the dungeon raiders. For a rookie, she’s quite good with a bow and adapts quickly.”

“Hmm… I think I know who you’re talking about. The girl who was fidgeting in front during the speech?”

“Correct.”

“Hmm… Our clan is a bit short on ranged roles. Should we consider making her an offer?”

“…Eternity Clan Master, aren’t you being a bit too greedy?”

“Ha… What greed? Everyone wants talent, right?”

Everyone nodded. This was a place to exchange information about talented newcomers and compete fairly to recruit them.

At least, on the surface.

The man flared up and spoke.

“Didn’t you snatch the newcomer we were trying to recruit last time?!”

“Hey, have you grown up? You’re just a substitute for your master, and you’re talking like this? It feels like just yesterday you were trembling in fear in front of me… You were so cute back then.”

“Ahem…! What does that have to do with this discussion?”

The woman smirked as she saw the man’s reddened face.

From a seat further away, a man with a serious expression spoke.

“…As everyone knows, there’s a real monster among the newcomers.”

Everyone fell silent. They had all heard roughly what happened during this tutorial.

“There’s a newcomer I taught this time named Seo Yoo-ju. Honestly, I didn’t believe the stories from the tutorial. It was just… too unbelievable.”

Everyone here had thought the same at first. Until they cross-verified with the newcomers, they all dismissed it as nonsense.

Another man raised a question.

“Veritas Clan Master, so the rumors about that newcomer are true?”

“They are. Seo Yoo-ju’s talent… frankly, it’s above ours.”

Everyone was shocked. Who were the people here? They were at the top of this world.

“What… are you mistaken?”

“…Then let me ask you this. Who among us achieved such feats at the same stage as Seo Yoo-ju? We weren’t that strong when we were rookies.”

“……”

“Of course, we’re much stronger now. But will that still be the case in three years?”

“……Then perhaps it’s better to eliminate her early…”

Bang!

The man who suggested eliminating Seo Yoo-ju early was startled by the sound of someone slamming the table with a fist.

“….What kind of insane talk is this?! Kang-san Clan Master, are you out of your mind?!”

“Ah, no, I misspoke. Please calm down, Hwashin Clan Master.”

“….Let’s maintain some basic decency. We’re not like those lunatics from the Eastern Alliance. Don’t ever bring that up again.”

“….I’m sorry.”

After calming down, Kang Seong-jun spoke up.

“Were there any other noticeable individuals?”

The Veritas Clan Master answered.

“…Honestly, all the raiders among the newcomers seem exceptionally talented. Regardless of their potential, they adapt quickly. Of course, Seo Yoo-ju is at the center of it all.”

“Well… Seo Yoo-ju is someone everyone will try to recruit anyway, so let’s set her aside. Everyone knows her value, right?”

As the woman finished speaking, a large man spoke up.

“…I don’t know if you’re aware of a middle-aged man named Kim Ho-won, but this newcomer is also impressive. His resistance stats look good, and he’s quite experienced in combat. He doesn’t seem like someone who was ordinary back on Earth.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Kang Seong-jun turned his gaze to Ha Yu-ri and asked.

“Ice Witch, did you notice any outstanding newcomers?”

After a moment of silence, Ha Yu-ri answered.

“…Lee Yoo-hyun and Song Ha-eun. These two are… exceptional. One is a priest, and the other is a spirit master.”

Everyone listening to Ha Yu-ri was amazed. Priests are rare resources on this continent, but spirit masters are even rarer.

“Amazing… a priest and a spirit master? Are they also part of the raiders?”

“Yes. And while everyone seems focused on the spirit master, the real deal is the priest. Her job is Hero-grade.”

“…What?”

Everyone fell silent as if they had heard something unbelievable.

The Veritas Clan Master asked with a bewildered expression.

“…Do you realize what you’re saying right now?”

“Can’t believe it? I understand. I doubted my own eyes at first too. I even confirmed it while teaching, watching that kid use her abilities.”

“…Unbelievable. An Awakened One…”

Everyone sighed. The existence of an Awakened One was hard to believe. In this place called Eras, there are fewer than five Awakened Ones.

Kang Seong-jun spoke with a disbelieving expression.

“This batch is… truly exceptional. How… Seo Yoo-ju, an Awakened One, and a spirit master? What kind of absurd lineup is this…”

“…And there’s one more.”

“…Who is it? There’s more?”

“I meant it in a bad way. You might know him as Lee Yun-seong.”

Kang Seong-jun quickly recalled. He was the man who had asked him various questions when he guided him to the dormitory.

‘…He seemed to adapt quickly and was decent, though…’

“What about him?”

“His mana pool is small for someone who got a job in the tutorial. His sense for using magic wasn’t great either. He’s probably the weakest in the raiders. Not worth recruiting into a clan.”

“…Is that so?”

Just as everyone was about to agree with Ha Yu-ri, someone burst out laughing.

“Ahahahahahaha!”

Everyone was stunned by the sudden laughter. Ha Yu-ri frowned and asked the person who laughed.

“…What’s so funny, Myth Clan Master?”

“Ahaha… wait a second… I laughed so hard my stomach hurts… hoo…”

“…..Have you gone crazy? What’s…”

“Ahaha… it’s nothing, I just happen to know that guy too.”

It hadn’t even been a week, so how did this woman know Lee Yun-seong? Ha Yu-ri couldn’t understand.

‘…Did she pay close attention because he’s a raider?’

“Hmm… Ice Witch. No, Madan Clan Master. Don’t you dislike dark sorcerers?”

“……”





Everyone present knew that Ha Yu-ri had a strong aversion to demons and dark sorcerers.

“That guy, his job is a dark sorcerer, right? Is that why you dislike him?”

“…What does that have to do with anything? It’s not just that he’s a dark sorcerer, but his talent itself…”

“Come on, he’s got willpower and seems pretty sharp. For someone who’s only been trained for a short time, isn’t it too harsh to judge him so poorly?”

“Then what should I say about someone who has no talent? That they have no talent?”

“Hmm… I can’t argue that he lacks talent in magic. But to outright say he has no value to the clan… I can’t help but think it’s because of your hatred for dark sorcerers.”

“Sigh… Then what is a mage without talent in magic if not trash?”

“Haha… See? You just called him trash.”

Yoon Yeon kept interrupting, and Ha Yu-ri’s expression grew darker.

“…Ha. You must really like that guy, huh? Then why don’t you try to seduce him or recruit him yourself?”

Yoon Yeon chuckled at Ha Yu-ri’s words.

“I already did. I even called him to my room on the first day.”

‘What the hell…? Did they…? Both of them…?’

“Wha… What, what?”

“I already did it.”

“So, you two… did that…?”

Not just Ha Yu-ri, but everyone else was also extremely flustered. Yoon Yeon had answered in a way that made it sound like something else.

Yoon Yeon opened her mouth with a sly expression.

“Haha! No, what are you all thinking? I made him a recruitment offer.”

Only then did Ha Yu-ri realize that Yoon Yeon had been teasing her, and her face turned red. But then, a sentence Yoon Yeon had said earlier popped into her head.

“…Wait. You made him a recruitment offer? Already?”

The others also looked confused. It’s not common to make an offer so quickly unless the recruit is truly talented or well-liked.

If it were Seo Yoo-ju, maybe, but Lee Yun-seong?

Ha Yu-ri asked with genuine confusion.

“…Why? What value did you see in him to make an offer so soon? Clan Master of Myth, are you feeling okay?”

“Hmm… He asked me the same thing. Why I made him an offer.”

Kang Seong-jun, genuinely curious, asked Yoon Yeon.

“Clan Master of Myth. Just out of curiosity… may I ask why you made an offer to Lee Yun-seong, the new recruit?”

“…It’s just a feeling. He seemed… really desperate. I’m drawn to people who are lacking or desperate. Usually, they achieve something… whether it’s good or bad.”

“…I see.”

“Honestly, I didn’t want to say it because it feels like I’m increasing the competition. But… the thing is, in that party, Seo Yoo-ju is the leader, but Lee Yun-seong is also the center. That’s all.”

Everyone understood Yoon Yeon’s meaning. She was saying not to ostracize Lee Yun-seong just because he lacks talent, as it could turn the whole party against them.

“Well… it seems one person already got it wrong.”

“…Huh?”

Kang Seong-jun lightened the mood and spoke up.

“Let’s end the meeting here for today. Everyone, please prepare for tomorrow’s lecture.”

******

A month had already passed since life at the training facility began. The others seemed to have adapted to the place to some extent.

“Ugh… I’m so tired. Damn, isn’t the training too intense?”

“…You think you’re the only one tired? I’m tired too.”

I thought being a dark sorcerer would exempt me from physical training, but that was wishful thinking. Whether you’re a mage or a priest, physical training is mandatory for all jobs.

The instructors said that physical strength is an essential factor in any job.

For example, when a party or clan goes on an expedition, it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, or even over a month. You have to carry your gear, march, and camp.

Of course, in large clans, they hire porters to reduce physical fatigue. I’ve also heard that sometimes they travel by carriage.

But for someone like me, who has barely exercised in my life, it’s pure torture.

“Hey, why are you so weak? What are you going to do when you have to work at night? Pfft.”

“Shut up… you b*tch.”

I could endure the physical training if I gritted my teeth. The real problem was Ha Yu-ri.

‘That crazy woman… really… sigh…’

Her harassment was getting worse. There was no physical abuse, but she wouldn’t explain the lectures properly, or she’d ignore my questions. It felt like I was being punished for something I did to her in the first round.

Every time I attended a lecture, Yoo Hyun and Ha Eun were busy watching my reactions. Ha Yu-ri was deliberately putting me down while praising them.

‘Damn… more than that… Seo Yoo-ju is the bigger problem.’

Even though I tried not to show how hard it was, Seo Yoo-ju’s expression lately suggested she had heard something from Yoo Hyun or Ha Eun.

Sometimes, from a distance, the way Seo Yoo-ju looked at Ha Yu-ri made me feel like she wanted to tear her apart.

While I was thinking about Seo Yoo-ju, Kang I-seo approached me.

“Hey, are you really okay? You’ve been looking really pale lately… Want me to give you a massage? I heard you’re getting harassed by your instructor.”

“Sigh… Who told you that? It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. I just have to endure for two more months.”

“Well… if it’s really hard, why don’t you talk to the head instructor? He seems like a decent guy. Maybe he’ll do something about it.”

“Never mind. Even if it gets resolved, it’ll just make the higher-ups think I’m weak.”

“…You’re just being stubborn because you’re suffering, you idiot.”

“Damn, I’m tired because of the physical training. The instructor just talks nonsense, so I don’t even care anymore, you b*tch.”

“Ooh… I liked that swear. Can you swear more?”

“Crazy woman… Get lost. I’m going to eat.”

I hurriedly left Kang I-seo behind and headed to eat.

“Ugh…! Hey! Wait for me!”