Blossoming (4)
I thought he might react differently from others since he’s such a unique person, but I hadn’t expected him to be so interested. What part exactly caught his interest?
“Now, let’s discuss our strategy for tackling the A-grade dungeons in preparation for the S-grade dungeon. First, here’s our proposal,” said Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung.
As she spoke, the PPT slide changed. Soon, the screen displayed a page showing three types of dungeons with names of personnel randomly assigned by the Ability Department. Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung gave us sufficient time to read the information on screen before beginning her explanation.
“As you might have guessed, the assignment criteria are based on dungeon and ability compatibility, as well as matching rates. Of course, team affiliations and personal relationships were also taken into consideration.”
While listening to Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung, I quickly checked for my name and Sa Hae-geon’s on the screen. Fortunately, Sa Hae-geon and I were assigned to the same team tasked with conquering the volcanic terrain, but we were separated from most of our other team members, including Jong-hyeok.
To be honest, I had somewhat anticipated being separated from Jong-hyeok and Esper Hwang Ji-hyun from the moment the three dungeon environments were mentioned. There would naturally be dungeon compatibility issues, as well as ability compatibility between Espers. Despite knowing I would be working with other exceptional Espers, I couldn’t help feeling anxious.
Noticing my worried expression, Jong-hyeok, who was sitting in front of me, turned his head slightly to glance at me and offered a small smile. It was as if he knew I was anxious and wanted to reassure me, so I smiled back.
The good news was that we weren’t completely separated from Field Team 1. I belatedly discovered that Esper Lee Cheol-min had been assigned to our team and looked at him. Esper Lee Cheol-min must have also confirmed our names because he looked at Sa Hae-geon and me with welcoming eyes before silently giggling. Seeing Esper Lee Cheol-min behaving as usual helped ease my anxiety.
However, upon checking the screen more carefully, another wave of dismay hit me. Esper Yoon Seon-hoo’s name was also listed in the volcanic assault team. And even Woo Jae-dam and Myeong Woo-seok, the flagship Espers from the famous guild Higher, were assigned to our team. They were known for being extremely straightforward and difficult personalities, frequently clashing with other Espers and Guides. Even with teammates they’d worked with for a long time, fights would occasionally break out, making them individuals to be cautious around.
There was no guarantee they wouldn’t clash with Sa Hae-geon, which worried me. Whether aware of my concern or not, Sa Hae-geon was completely distracted by the fact that we’d be on the same team and kept smiling whenever our eyes met. Of course, I too was happy and relieved to be on the same team as him, but… I couldn’t help worrying about potential friction with the others.
Especially since the attitude toward a rookie S-grade Esper was unlikely to be warm. Few teams conquered dungeons in the harmonious atmosphere of Field Team 1. Most focused solely on their own achievements and exploits when tackling dungeons, often clashing over trivial matters.
Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung’s voice broke through my deepening thoughts.
“The dungeon conquest will officially begin tomorrow. All three dungeons are expected to manifest tomorrow. Given the exceptional personnel on each team, I believe you can complete the conquest and exit the dungeons within a day at the very least. Would that work?”
At any other time this might seem unreasonable, but with this many S-grade Espers and Guides gathered, it wasn’t an outlandish expectation. Honestly, we could probably emerge in half a day without any major issues. Everyone else seemed to share this opinion, which is why no one objected to what might otherwise have sounded like an unreasonable timeline from Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung.
Sensing agreement with her statement, Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung smiled with satisfaction and said, “Now then, I’ll give you time to gather with your assigned team members to introduce yourselves and formulate strategies. The staff behind me will guide each team to their designated conference rooms and training areas.”
“Deputy Minister, I have a question,” Hae-yoon noona raised her hand as soon as Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung finished speaking. The Deputy Minister nodded and gestured for her to continue.
“Will we be entering and conquering the S-grade dungeon in three separate teams as well?”
“Ah, excellent question,” Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung smiled as she answered.
“We will enter simultaneously. As I mentioned earlier, the S-grade dungeon consists of three different environments. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll encounter all three environments simultaneously upon entering.”
“Then…”
“They exist in phases. For example, you might need to conquer the ocean phase before the volcanic phase appears. This is just an example, of course. Our current technology doesn’t allow us to predict that sequence yet.”
“I see…”
“That’s why we want you to tackle A-grade dungeons that match your ability compatibility as shown on screen, while also conquering dungeons with opposing compatibility that restrict your ability usage. This will give you time to coordinate with each other and refine your strategies.”
At that moment, one Esper spoke up without even raising his hand:
“Wouldn’t it be faster to just put S-grade Espers at the forefront and push through with brute force? We have fifteen S-grade Espers gathered here, after all.”
Some Espers seemed to share his opinion, nodding or murmuring in agreement.
“That’s a fair point, but would an S-grade dungeon really be so easily conquered by brute force? And don’t you think that if that approach worked, some Esper would have tried it already on a dungeon that appears on a 10-year cycle?”
The room fell silent at Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung’s questions. The Espers didn’t seem to fully accept her words, but they appeared to understand to some extent, scratching their heads while thanking her.
“Let’s move on then.”
As the main conference was adjourned, the atmosphere shifted to each team gathering in their respective conference rooms.
“Maknae, see you later. If anyone gives you trouble or bullies you, let me know. Got it?”
“Take care.”
“Yes, see you later.”
After exchanging reluctant goodbyes with our other team members, we followed the staff member along with Esper Lee Cheol-min. Behind us, Esper Yoon Seon-hoo from Field Team 2 followed closely. Initially, Esper Lee Cheol-min paid no attention, but eventually he sensed something odd and turned around to ask:
“Why are you following right behind us? It’s uncomfortably close. And… shouldn’t Esper Yoon Seon-hoo be moving with the people from Field Team 2? I saw several of them on the list earlier. Team 2 members must be looking for you.”
“Ah, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. That wasn’t my intention. Actually, I prefer moving alone. So this time too, I was planning to do the same, but…”
“Even if you prefer being alone, this is clearly a team-based operation, so you should be mindful of how you move. That way, Team 2 people won’t worry about you.”
“Yes. Thank you for your concern.”
Esper Yoon Seon-hoo brushed off Esper Lee Cheol-min’s criticism with a good-natured smile. Esper Lee Cheol-min frowned at this but didn’t add anything further.
And so we headed toward the conference room for the team conquering the volcanic dungeon. The seats at the very front, typically reserved for leaders, were occupied by Woo Jae-dam and Myeong Woo-seok. Esper Lee Cheol-min seemed to have anticipated this just as I had, merely shrugging his shoulders at me. Sa Hae-geon, who didn’t know who was who except for Field Team 1 members, didn’t seem to care at all.
Woo Jae-dam and Myeong Woo-seok, who had been talking with others, briefly glanced in our direction before turning back to focus on their conversation. When the small conference room was finally full, Woo Jae-dam and Myeong Woo-seok stood up and positioned themselves in front of the whiteboard. As Esper Lee Cheol-min and I had expected, they would naturally take on the leadership roles.
It made sense. After all, they were team leader and deputy team leader in their guild, so they would be accustomed to and experienced in directing situations. It was something to be grateful for when such individuals voluntarily took on leadership roles. And it seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought so, as the others applauded loudly for Woo Jae-dam and Myeong Woo-seok as they stood before the whiteboard.
“Alright, shall we put our heads together and figure out how to beautifully crush this volcanic dungeon so word gets around about how well we did it?” Myeong Woo-seok asked with a playful smile, drawing cheers from around the room.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
