Chapter 58 The First Junction (1)
“I wanted to make our lips match up in advance.”
“Huh?! Huh!”
At JaeHyun’s sudden words, Ina leaned back while stuttering in surprise.
She covered her mouth with both hands and looked up at JaeHyun dejectedly.
Then JaeHyun waved his hand in Ina’s direction, chuckling.
“Hey. Not what you’re thinking. I mean we should make our stories match up.”
“… Huh?”
She wore a distrusting expression on her face.
JaeHyun smirked.
‘As expected of someone with zero interpersonal skills.’
“Haven’t you checked your condition yet? I healed you up really well.”
“… Huh? You mean, you’re the one who healed me?”
“Yeah.”
She’d expected it, but still couldn’t understand how it was possible. Wasn’t JaeHyun a Magician that fought on the frontlines, not a healer?
Additionally, Mana Rebound was an illness that couldn’t be healed unless one had a healing spell that was above A-rank.
He managed to heal something like that by himself?
“I know what you’re thinking, but… It’s a bit difficult to explain everything. But one thing that’s certain is that I healed you, and… I want to keep hiding this skill.”
“… Hide it?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to let others know that I have a healing spell. Especially the rude bastard at the top of Millaes Academy.”
“… Ah.”
Ina exclaimed softly.
She immediately realized who the rude bastard JaeHyun was talking about was.
Gu Ja-In.
The chairman of Millaes Academy, and someone JaeHyun obviously disliked.
“It’s because of that bastard that a Kobold Lord appeared in the dungeon, and cadets’ lives were put in danger.”
“… What?”
Ina blinked in surprise as she stared at JaeHyun.
JaeHyun continued calmly.
“Chairman Gu Ja-In is a trashy bastard who thinks of cadets as mere tools. He’s totally different from the image he presents to the media. He only wants to use us to earn more money.”
“But even so, there’s no reason to release a boss monster in a dungeon…”
“He thinks it’s alright for cadets he considers useless to die. He’s someone who thinks the talented 1% are the ones who keep his pockets full.”
“… How can he…?”
It seemed like Ina was very shocked by JaeHyun’s words.
But JaeHyun couldn’t keep pushing for more time.
That he had manipulated the event to give JaeHyun an impossible task meant that the chances of Gu Ja-In continuing to hold such events for JaeHyun in the future was high.
That Ina and YooJung would get sucked into those plans was an unfortunate fact.
He thought it would be safer to warn them ahead of time.
JaeHyun explained more clearly since Ina seemed confused.
Gu Ja-In’s past activities, his feelings towards cadets, and his actions during the Freshmen Hunt. He shared all the information he could with her.
Ina nodded to show she understood after a while, but only stared at JaeHyun and didn’t say much.
A chill suddenly filled the dungeon.
“What? Is there something on my face?”
JaeHyun tried to joke to clear the air, but Ina still gave him a glare.
After a while, she spoke.
“… That day, after the Freshman Hunt, when you led us to the dormitory. You said that Chairman Gu Ja-In is a dangerous person, and that we shouldn’t trust anyone in the academy.”
“Yeah.”
“… JaeHyun, how much do you actually know about Chairman Gu Ja-In?”
“… Huh?”
At that moment, JaeHyun became flustered.
He didn’t expect Ina to ask something like that.
‘I didn’t expect that. I can’t believe Ina asked about that first.’
Ina already had trouble interacting with others. Considering her personality, asking such a sensitive question couldn’t have been easy for her.
Was she just curious about the information he knew?
‘If that were all it was, that’d be great, but…’
“Hmmm…”
When JaeHyun didn’t reply immediately, Ina tried to urge him on.
“… You knew from the start that Chairman Gu ja-In was a bad person. Also, this dungeon. You responded quickly, as if you knew something like this would happen. How could you know such things?”
“……”
“Answer me.”
Ina’s hazel eyes persistently demanded answers.
But JaeHyun couldn’t answer Ina immediately. He wasn’t sure if it was alright for him to tell her everything.
JaeHyun agonized over telling her for a moment, then shook his head and looked at Ina.
‘Still, it won’t be good for Ina if she learns about my secret here. It might be alright for the moment, but… I don’t want Ina to get caught up in the other events.’
With that incident, JaeHyun realized for certain.
Ina was an immense help, but not one to be handled carelessly.
An irregularity that changed the future he knew.
If she was around him, she might not grow as strong as she had.
‘Of course, if I don’t take care of HoYeon and YooJung, they will die or break down without reaching their full potential. That can’t be helped… But Ina is different.’
Ina would become the best Magician in Korea in a few years, even without his help.
If he intervened in her life now, her path might get twisted.
And in the worst-case scenario…
‘Ina might die.’
That was something that must never happen.
‘Should I use 《Mind Control》?’
《Mind Control》, the skill he had copied from Gu Ja-In, was a spell that controlled other people’s thoughts.
If necessary, the person under the spell could be bound through the second form, 《Subordination》. It was a dangerous skill that could be used to make someone follow him like a slave.
If he used it effectively here, he could make Ina keep his secrets.
But JaeHyun shook his head.
‘That’s not an actual solution. That’s not how you should treat your friends.’
To begin with, it was questionable whether Ina—who had an aptitude of 92%—would be affected by 《Mind Control》.
‘And this is totally different from what happened to HoYeon.’
Spells that manipulated the mind required the user to have greater mana than the designated target, and it was easier to use on someone who had a weak mind.
In other words, it was easy to control HoYeon because his mind was weak, but it wouldn’t work on Ina, who had a strong mentality.
JaeHyun shook his head as he slowly started to answer.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you any more than this.”
“… Why?”
Ina responded in an angry tone, but JaeHyun shook his head.
“If you get in too deep, it won’t be good for you, either. Please let it go for now.”
“… I still want to know.”
Ina unexpectedly repeated herself, but JaeHyun still just shook his head.
“… Sorry.”
It was quiet for a moment.
The darkness in the dungeon made the silence feel much longer.
The two leaned against the wall without speaking for a while.
Ina still looked disappointed. But the anger in her face had already disappeared. That was because she currently trusted JaeHyun as much as she trusted herself.
The experience of fighting with one’s life on the line might be surprisingly common for raiders, but such an experience had strengthened their relationship.
There was now a camaraderie between JaeHyun and Ina that came from facing death and making it out alive together. In such a relationship, there was no place for doubts.
Ina was well aware of that.
“Then, should we start finding our way out?”
“… Yeah.”
JaeHyun acted first. When he led the way, Ina followed behind him.
In the darkness of the dungeon, only two spheres created with 《Flash》 emitted light, illuminating their way inside the dungeon.
***
Translator – Rainypup
Proofreader – Harley
***
Bzzzzz……!
When JaeHyun and Ina came out of the dungeon, the hall was already in chaos.
“S-stop it! Kim YooJung!”
“Tell me! Why are you the only ones alive?!”
“Cadet Kim YooJung, stop! I understand that you are upset over losing your friends, but…”
Instructor Kim JiYeon tried to stop her, but YooJung was already out of her mind in anger.
HoYeon was bewildered and thinking pessimistically about what was happening around him.
‘Damn… What should I do? The only solution would be if JaeHyun and Ina came back… Huh?!’
HoYeon’s pupils contracted and his eyes widened.
He stared as he grabbed YooJung’s shoulder and spoke with a trembling voice.
“W-wait! YooJung, stop for a sec!”
“Don’t stop me!”
YeonJu and Instructor Kim JiYeon tried to stop her, but YooJung pretended not to hear them and gathered her mana.
In front of her, SungWoo and Jina had their heads bowed in guilt.
But HoYeon quickly grabbed her shoulders and shouted.
“Not that! The two of them came back alive…!”
“… What?”
YooJung immediately turned around.
Soon after, JaeHyun and Ina’s faces came into her sight.
“… Are you guys fighting because of us?”
It was JaeHyun’s sly voice.
The two appeared in the middle of a really chaotic situation.
Instructor Kim JiYeon’s face hardened as she observed them.
With a shocked expression, she tried to figure out what was going on.
‘… What the hell is happening? The investigation unit was certain the two had died. Based on the mana flowing out of the dungeon, the boss monster was a B-rank. Are you telling me they killed a boss of that level?’
She simply couldn’t believe it.
Even she couldn’t take care of a B-rank boss by herself. But such a monster was defeated by two cadets?
If so…
If that really were the truth…
‘… Min JaeHyun. That cadet probably took the lead and killed the boss.’
Instructor Kim JiYeon bit her lip as she stared at JaeHyun, almost certain of her guess.
‘He’s a frightening cadet.’
Meanwhile, YooJung ran to the entrance of the dungeon and hugged the two with tears streaming down her face.
“Uwaaa… Thank god… you came back alive… the instructor and the people from the investigation unit said you were dead, so…”
“Okay, I got it. Let go.”
JaeHyun spoke sourly. He didn’t want his clothes to be covered in snot if he responded emotionally.
Ina only stroked YooJung’s head without saying a word.
JaeHyun waited until YooJung’s tears stopped before learning about what happened.
SungWoo and Jina came out first and, hearing that they had abandoned their teammates, YooJung had angrily tried to attack them.
JaeHyun grabbed YooJung’s shoulders and made her raise her head.
He really couldn’t leave things as it was.
“Hey. Kim YooJung. I’m thankful you were worried, but don’t do something like that again.”
“… What?”
Even as she was sobbing, YooJung didn’t look away. She merely looked up at JaeHyun with a face full of anger.
“Those two. I told them to leave, to ask the instructor for help. So, if something like this happens again, don’t start a fight.”
“Hey. Do you think that’s easy to do?”
“I know it’s not easy, but… I would also have done the same.”
“Huh?”
“I would have run. So, don’t do something like this anymore. Don’t get angry because of me.”
He wasn’t being pretentious.
In the past, he actually had abandoned his teammates and ran away by himself. There was a time he had tried to hide at the back like a coward so that he could live a little longer.
But he didn’t want to keep pretending anymore.
When JaeHyun smiled slightly, YooJung quickly let go of him and frowned.
“… What? I was angry because of Ina, okay? It has nothing to do with you!”
YooJung spoke and stuck closer to Ina.
Millaes’ first event, The Dungeon Practicum, was over.
However…
‘Instructor Kim JiYeon. She’s staring straight at me… There’s something strange about her.’
JaeHyun debated over asking her a question, but decided not to. He merely met her unwavering gaze without flinching.
It was a clear warning.
A strong warning that she shouldn’t touch the people around him.
Just then…
Main Quest 《First Junction》 has been completed.
Your reward will be calculated based on the route you have chosen.
The user has chosen Route B, a different path from the past.
You have received 《Idunn’s Golden Apple》.
* * *
“Is what you just said… Really the truth?”
“Yes, absolutely. A moment ago, I was contacted by Instructor Kim JiYeon. Min JaeHyun and Seo Ina… Both cadets came back alive.”
“Hmm…”
{ Academy’s chairman’s office. }
After hearing Kim Seok-Gi’s report, Gu Ja-In was deep thought.
‘If things got really dangerous, I was going to step in and save them… But this changes things. Interesting.’
Gu Ja-In looked back at the situation and smiled.
Min JaeHyun had far exceeded his expectations once more.
In fact, Gu Ja-In had pushed them quite far, but he hadn’t planned to kill them. It was true that he wanted to tame them, but with their potential to become S-rank raiders, he had no intention of letting them die.
Originally, he was going to save them after scaring them a bit.
But this changed things.
The Kobold Lord that JaeHyun and Ina had killed a moment ago was a special entity ‘his’ power had created.
Min JaeHyun and Seo Ina had defeated it as mere cadets.
He couldn’t help but grow interested.
‘If they just kept growing like this… They might become the most powerful raiders in Korea. More powerful than Lee JaeShin.’
Gu Ja-In smiled crookedly. Instructor Kim Seok-Gi flinched and trembled slightly, but Gu Ja-In didn’t pay him any mind.
There was only one thing on his mind.
Min JaeHyun.
‘I should make him stronger as soon as possible and dedicate the brat to ‘him’. This will be interesting.’
Gu Ja-In licked his lower lip covetously. He turned to Kim Seok-Gi and spoke in a cold voice.
“Instructor Kim, you’ve disappointed me this time.”
“Th-that is… I apologize, sir.”
“I will let things slide this one time.”
Gu Ja-In’s words were truly frightening.
He was now reprimanding Kim Seok-Gi because he couldn’t properly control Min JaeHyun with the Dungeon Practicum.
Of course, it was unfair to blame Kim Seok-Gi.
But talking back was not permitted.
It was impossible for an instructor to dare disagree with Gu Ja-In’s words.
“I won’t let you down next time.”
“Alright. In the next event, make sure to tame Min JaeHyun. As you already know… I’m not a patient person.”
____
