Chapter 28

It’s already been three months since we started training. Seven days from now, there will be a graduation ceremony in the auditorium where we first heard the speech.

Since it’s seven days before the graduation ceremony, we’ve been discussing with our party members about what to do after the ceremony, but today is the day to finalize our future plans through discussion.

After Ha Yu-ri’s disastrous last lecture, we returned to the dormitory, and everyone except Seo Yoo-ju was gathered.

Kang I-seo opened the conversation.

“So, what are we going to do now? We need to decide which clan to join soon.”

“…I don’t know. We’ve all received different offers from clans. We should talk about it today.”

“…Are you okay?”

“With what?”

Probably about the offers. I’ve only received an offer from the Myth Clan so far.

Once, I suggested to Seo Yoo-ju that we all join the Myth Clan together, but she didn’t seem interested in joining the Myth Clan.

‘…From the vibe of that conversation, it seemed like there would be problems with the Myth Clan later…’

It wasn’t just that she disliked Yoon Yeon; Seo Yoo-ju’s reaction made it seem like the Myth Clan would fall.

‘…No matter how I think about it, Yoon Yeon’s abilities and personality don’t seem like she’d let a clan fall into ruin… What exactly happened in the first round?’

“Hey.”

“…….”

“Hey! Are you okay? Why aren’t you answering?”

“Huh?”

I guess I was too deep in thought to properly focus on Kang I-seo’s words.

“…Are you okay? You’ve only received an offer from the Myth Clan. Should we just join the Myth Clan?”

Kang I-seo seemed to think I was worried about being separated from them.

“…Yoon Seong oppa. Maybe we should join the Myth Clan…”

Maybe because I was lost in thought, Yoo Rim seemed to have the same misconception as Kang I-seo.

“No. I get why you’re worried about me, but it’s not what you think, so don’t worry.”

No one seemed to believe me.

‘Damn… Why don’t they believe me? I’m really not worried about that…’

What I’m worried about is the conversation I had with Seo Yoo-ju about the Myth Clan. According to her reaction, Yoon Yeon would either die or fall for some reason.

I’m not actually worried about joining a clan. Seo Yoo-ju said she’d handle the clan issue.

That’s why we’re waiting for Seo Yoo-ju now.

******

I was going to find Kang Seong-jun about our party members joining a clan. The graduation ceremony is approaching, and I wanted to go with Yoon Seong and the rest of the party members.

When I talked to Yoon Seong recently, he asked what I thought about all of us joining the Myth Clan, and I was shocked.

‘Well, the Myth Clan is a good enough clan.’

The current Myth Clan isn’t far behind the three major clans. I don’t like Yoon Yeon much, but I have to admit her abilities and military power.

In fact, after the three major clans fall for some reason, the Myth Clan is destined to become one of the new three major clans.

…But the problem is what happens after.

In the first round, I heard that Yoon Seong joined the Myth Clan early on.

The problem is, I don’t know the details, but about a year later, the Myth Clan master died for some reason, and the clan split.

In the first round, I became close to Yoon Seong very late.

Of course, we worked together during the tutorial, but we weren’t close then, and I was too busy trying to survive to get close to anyone.

Moreover, the tutorial in the first round had an atmosphere where it was hard to get close to anyone.

In the second round, we became much closer and became like comrades, but in the first round, it was a hellish situation where no one could trust each other.

‘…Jo Chan-ho, I didn’t know he was like that back then. Maybe… was it Jo Byeong-ok then?’

Killing Jo Chan-ho early in this round was a huge achievement.

Anyway, skipping over the story about Jo Chan-ho, when I met Yoon Seong in the first round, he was already broken.

‘…I heard Yoo Rim and Yoo Hyun died before that.’

When I met him again, Yoon Seong had lost the clan master, Yoo Rim, and Yoo Hyun.

We shared love, but I always felt uneasy around him. It felt like something was always missing in his heart.

‘…He was like a walking corpse.’

Honestly, I was really surprised when I met Yoon Seong in this round. He was much brighter than I remembered.

‘…I didn’t know he could be so bright.’

That’s why I wanted to protect that smile. That’s why I came back.

When I met Yoon Seong again in the first round, I had already become the clan master of the fallen Hwashin Clan, and Yoon Seong was a member of our clan.

‘…I don’t know how we became close. In many ways… Yoon Seong helped me a lot.’

The help I received from him.

Yes, help.

Sacrifice.

When he died protecting me, it felt like the world was collapsing.

“….”

Whenever I think about that time, I break out in a cold sweat and feel a headache. It’s a memory I really don’t want to recall.

‘Calm down. This round is different from the first… I won’t let that happen.’

Actually, this second round is going perfectly. I eliminated Jo Chan-ho, met Yoon Seong early, and found good party members.

Looking at the current party members, most of them are people I didn’t see in the first round.

Except for Yoo Rim and Yoo Hyun, I think everyone else died during the tutorial in the first round.

‘…Or maybe they died after the training facility.’

Anyway, after negotiating well with Kang Seong-jun and joining the Hwashin Clan, we’ll take over the clan after a large expedition where everyone except us dies.

‘…They won’t listen even if I try to stop the expedition.’

There’s no way to save them. No one would listen to a rookie.

As I walked and thought, I arrived in front of Kang Seong-jun’s office. I made some noise and knocked on the door.



Knock knock.

“Thud. Thud.”

“…This is trainee Yoo Ju. I’d like to discuss a clan offer, is that okay, instructor?”

“Clunk.”

Before even 10 seconds passed, Seong-jun Kang opened the door and welcomed her.

“Haha… Welcome, trainee Yoo Ju. Please, have a seat here.”

“Thank you.”

Hwashin Clan Master Seong-jun Kang. Or rather… Uncle Seong-jun.

This man will die in less than six months. Not just him, but most of the Hwashin Clan members.

Due to an unspoken rule that prevents taking rookies on large expeditions before their 1-2 year mark, only my party members and I will survive.

‘…He’s a good person, but sadly, there’s nothing we can do.’

Despite being one of the top powerhouses on the continent, he’s not arrogant and is very honest. Honestly, people like him are rare. A genuinely good person.

…But in this continent, being good doesn’t mean you’ll survive long.

“Since you’ve come to my office… Can I assume you’re positively considering my offer?”

“Yes. That’s why I came.”

“A wise choice. I promise you won’t be disappointed with the treatment. After about a year, given your talent, you’ll likely be appointed to a key position.”

“…..”

“We’ll also provide full support. As soon as you join, you’ll receive hero-grade weapons and armor, and we’ll arrange small expeditions with other clans following the new member curriculum. It’s to help you gain experience.”

“….The benefits are more than enough. Honestly… it feels excessive.”

“Haha! Not at all. Considering your talent, this investment is far from wasteful. By the way, what about the others…?”

“Are you referring to Lee Seo, Uncle Ho-won, Yoo Hyun, Yoo Rim, and Ha-eun?”

“…Yes. Honestly, I thought if Yoo Ju came, they’d come too, and if not, they wouldn’t.”

“Did you make offers to them as well?”

“Yes, that’s right. They all have talent, so I made offers. I figured Yoo Ju would feel more comfortable joining with people she knows.”

“Actually, I have a request related to that.”

“……”

Uncle Seong-jun seemed to sense I was about to make a big request and asked with a serious expression.

“…May I hear what the request is?”

“Regarding my benefits… honestly, you can reduce them. Instead… I’d like you to accept all 9 members of my party.”

“……..”

Uncle Seong-jun started tapping the table with his finger, looking very troubled.

“Tap.”

“Tap.”

“……Honestly, that’s a tough request.”

I expected as much. For a large clan, recruiting 6 new members is already a significant burden. The cost and time to properly train even one clan member are enormous.

That’s why some clans only want seasoned players.

“Recruiting 6 members is only possible because it’s our clan. Of course, we want them because they’re talented… but 6 and 9 are different numbers.”

“…Hyeon-jin is average. He’s not exceptionally talented but works hard. As for Tae-woo and Yoon Seong…”

Seong-jun nodded and spoke up.

“I know. Actually, if Yoo Ju had requested to include trainee Hyeon-jin, we would have accepted. He’s not exceptionally talented, but he’s above average.”

“Ah…”

“But trainees Tae-woo and Yun-seong are different. I’m sorry, but if we accept them, there will definitely be talk within our clan.”

“…..Please don’t just look at Yoon Seong’s talent. He’s a very capable person. In our party, I’m just strong, but Yoon Seong always made the right decisions. Tae-woo also always did his best.”

“…….”

“Yoon Seong is… in a way, the core of our party. Without him… I’m sorry, but the rest of us, including me, won’t join the Hwashin Clan. This isn’t a threat or anything. I’m just stating the facts.”

“Hmm…”

Suddenly, Seong-jun remembered what Yoon Yeon had said during the meeting.

‘….Did she say Yun-seong is the core of that party?’

Come to think of it, I heard Yoon Yeon made an offer to Yun-seong within two days.

‘….Is there something about Yun-seong that I don’t know?’

While Seong-jun was deep in thought, Yoo Ju made a bold proposal.

“The unspoken maximum contract period for new members is 2 years, right? If you accept all our party members… I will sign an indefinite contract with the Hwashin Clan.”

Seong-jun was shocked by Yoo Ju’s words. The unspoken rule of a maximum 2-year contract for new members exists to prevent clans from exploiting rookies indefinitely.

It was surprising that she knew about this unspoken rule, but her offer of an indefinite contract made him pause.

In essence, Yoo Ju was offering to serve the clan for life.

Seong-jun’s heart leaned towards Yoo Ju’s bold proposal.

“….Alright. I’ll accept all 9 members. However… I won’t reduce your benefits, but the benefits for trainees Tae-woo and Yun-seong will definitely be less compared to you and the others.”

“…..Thank you, Clan Master.”

“Welcome, clan member Yoo Ju.”