56
* * *
The group, who had lightly substituted breakfast with hangover ramen, gathered in the living room to listen to Samin’s briefing. Although they had gathered to promote friendship, this was officially a hunter guild team building event.
Learning about each other’s personalities was important, but checking each other’s skills and combat tendencies was also necessary. Receiving the full attention of the guild members, Samin recited today’s scheduled agenda.
“Now, everyone. We’re going to the tower again today. Today there are penalties for whoever gets last place in the contribution ranking.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Kim Chansol raised his hand high.
“Oh. What kind of penalties are there?”
“Buying snacks for lunch today, doing dinner dish duty, singing until you get 100 points on the karaoke machine, stuff like that.”
“I wanted to use the karaoke machine anyway, perfect! Can I sing even if I don’t get the penalty?”
“You can’t sing. If you want to sing, pay 50,000 won per song.”
“I have to get the penalty and sing for free!”
“Ah, should I just remove the karaoke penalty…?”
Doun’s face became grim as he quietly listened to Samin and Kim Chansol’s conversation. If it was just singing one song, maybe, but having to sing until getting 100 points. For Doun, who only knew a few songs, this was the most disadvantageous and worst penalty.
‘As long as I don’t get the singing one…!’
Samin, who didn’t seem to have any particular penalty in mind, shook his head with a whatever-happens attitude. Questions continued after that.
“Samin hyung-nim. I’m curious about which floor we’ll be making bets on.”
“Around floors 5 to 6? The magical beasts are manageable and it’s bright and open.”
“I see. Thank you for the answer.”
Everyone looked eager with anticipation that it would be fun. The exact algorithm that determines contribution ranking in conquests hasn’t been revealed yet.
There are only speculations that it seems to be calculated based on various actions including the amount of attacks dealt to magical beasts, the number of times or amount of healing done to injured people, the number of potions used, the number of skills used, and whether magic stones were collected.
This meant that auxiliary support specialists who only cast buffs from behind, heal, and collect magic stones could also rank high in contribution depending on how the conquest team was organized.
“If I think I’m going to get last place, I should just beat up the easy target Minhyeok and heal him.”
When Seong Suyeon muttered like a joke, Kim Minhyeok turned pale and made a tearful face.
“Hyung. Please spare me.”
“What else would a healer do but save people? Kill them?”
“I’m saying don’t hit me…!”
Kim Minhyeok eventually declared that he would keep as much distance as possible from Seong Suyeon from the moment they entered the tower.
“It was a joke, but now you’re making me want to hit you more. Our Ppomi.”
Yeoun’s main healer Seong Suyeon. His nickname was Detroit. The nickname he originally wanted to apply was ‘Destroy.’ However, due to mispronunciation, it became Detroit – he was a victim of Veritas’s voice recognition error.
He felt a sense of kinship with Minhyeok for accidentally setting the wrong nickname, so they got along well. Before he was recruited to Yeoun, he was also an aggressive healer who participated in conquests so offensively that there were jokes about replacing healing by killing before getting hurt.
Now he had stepped back because he was busy fixing the reckless guild members who rushed in without thinking and lived with injuries.
“Let’s hurry and go make bets! We can just run around and then eat lunch!”
“We can split up and ride in Hyeonseong hyung’s and Samin hyung’s cars, right?”
“Come on. Pack your clothes and meet at the parking lot. Get up!”
The impatient guild members arrived at the tower in an excited state. They sparkled their eyes looking at the 5th floor scenery, which they rarely set foot on since just after awakening.
To avoid penalties, they just had to avoid last place. But hunters were generally crazy about competition.
“Manage your mana while thinking about future bets too, and if anyone gets hurt from reckless skill spamming or hurts themselves, I’m pulling them out immediately.”
“Ah, we get it. Start quickly. When are we doing this!”
“How much mana could you possibly use on the 5th floor anyway.”
Despite Samin’s concerns for the group’s safety, the guild members were eager to start betting quickly. Since novice hunters who couldn’t even take care of themselves couldn’t enter Yeoun, Samin’s worries were needless. He wasn’t even a school principal, so why were his words so long?
“This time the last place penalty is buying lunch snacks. If you didn’t bring your wallet, I’ll pay instead and bill you.”
After Samin announced the penalty, he declared the start of the conquest. As if they had been waiting, the group scattered in all directions and instantly devastated the 5th floor terrain.
While unnecessarily spamming skills that didn’t need to be used in low-floor conquests, turning hills into flatland and flatland into basins, they were incredibly good at dodging each other’s skills. It was almost like an acrobatic feat.
[Your alliance has successfully conquered the 5th floor.]
[Time taken after entry: 3 minutes 9 seconds.]
[Notification: This record is a new Veritas Tower South Korea 5th floor record.]
[Sorting in order of highest contribution calculated by the Veritas System.]
[Loading information…]
[Calculation complete.]
[1. Magnetic]
[2. Rain Work]
[3. Detroit]
.
.
“Phew, if we hadn’t slowed down worrying about colliding in the middle, we could have shaved off a few more seconds!”
The time taken for the conquest was only 3 minutes. It was the time it would take to make one cup of instant noodles. It was possible because the terrain was narrow and their power itself was excessive.
The nickname carved at the top of the contribution ranking was naturally Magnetic. His technique of casting skills and hitting and running was considerably more efficiently organized compared to other hunters.
On the other hand, Samin, who was expected to easily settle in the upper ranks with his wide range and strong toxicity, was unexpectedly buried at the very bottom.
Dong Jiwon, who confirmed the last place in contribution, whispered quietly to Choi Jiyoon with a face that seemed to have realized something.
“Samin hyung-nim might have been drawing a big picture to deliberately take last place from the moment we entered the tower to buy us snacks.”
Choi Jiyoon, who had been listening quietly, doubted her ears.
‘It’s obvious he barely caught any because he was busy watching Doun-ssi. Should I tell him this or not.’
Dong Jiwon’s face looking at Samin was very serious. It seemed he thought that without such a plausible reason, the 2nd ranked hunter getting last place in contribution didn’t make sense.
“…Jiwon.”
“Yes, noona.”
“Never mind. Good work.”
Choi Jiyoon didn’t bother to correct Dong Jiwon’s misunderstanding. She decided to protect Samin’s tiny bit of honor within the guild. He was a troublemaker guild master she wanted to punch, but it would be hard to find another guy like Samin.
Just the fact that he took good care of his people and didn’t act high and mighty because he was a guild master could be considered rare.
“Man, when will we get tired of emptying the guild master’s wallet?”
“Never until we die. That kind of thing.”
While Kim Chansol and Seong Suyeon were joking around, Doun smiled proudly, seemingly pleased with his 1st place contribution.
“Are you happy to be in 1st place?”
“Partly because I got 1st place, but also because it reminds me of the old days.”
“Ah, this is where hyung became the first in Korea to solo clear, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you still remember the route? Your movement was almost like some hunter YouTuber doing a speedrun.”
“It’s just that the terrain analysis I did back then because I was disappointed about the first unlock is still in my body. I don’t remember everything. I’m not a genius, how could I remember all of that.”
Although he said that, most of it was actually vivid in his memory. It was a historic place where Doun had personally proven that solo conquest was sufficiently possible, ignoring the conquest methods that relied on sheer numbers at the time.
The first successful solo conquest in Korea. It was the first achievement that strongly imprinted the nickname ‘Magnetic’ in the hunter world.
“I think I could get 1st place if I tried one more time.”
“Oh, is Hyeonwoo hyung declaring war that he’ll beat Doun hyung now? What do you think, Doun hyung?”
Kim Minhyeok pretended to hold a microphone and put his fist up to Doun. Intoxicated by the elation of securing 1st place, Doun looked intently at Do Hyeonwoo and answered.
“…Are you confident you can win?”
It was something Doun, who was usually passive in conversations, said with great courage. Do Hyeonwoo swallowed and widened his eyes at the 1st ranked hunter’s provocation.
“My confidence to win is currently about fifty-fifty…?”
“Let’s do it.”
When it came to competitive spirit, Doun was no pushover either. It was the moment an unexpected 1st place defense battle was established.
‘I’m glad I suggested having a team building event! Our hyung is smiling well!’
Seeing that Doun seemed to be getting along better with the guild members than expected, Samin smiled contentedly.
* * *
Since ten top-ranked hunters entered simultaneously for the team building event’s betting activities, the continued conquests ended in an instant.
Do Hyeonwoo, who aimed to reclaim 1st place, ultimately couldn’t steal Doun’s 1st place contribution ranking. Even though it was clearly a crushing defeat, he achieved a moral victory by telling Doun it was ‘an excellent match that was practically neck and neck.’
When doing only the 5th floor was boring and dinner dish duty was the penalty, they had a race on the 8th floor, which had plains terrain. Since there was no need to worry about injuries, Seong Suyeon, the healer, was very active.
‘…Hey, buddy. Isn’t it kind of scary how he’s smiling while dealing damage to undead with heals?’
‘Let’s be more polite to our Suyeon hyung from now on, friend.’
‘…Let’s do that, friend.’
It was a moment when the bond between the gathering specialists, who had no choice but to have many opportunities to talk with healer Seong Suyeon since they stuck together in the rear, became stronger.
After hours of low-floor conquest betting ended, the guild members stopped by a cafe near the tower. Naturally, they avoided the cafe promoted by Libra Guild Master Zodiac.
They ordered four whole cakes of different types because everyone wanted different cakes, and additionally ordered drinks for the evening.
While the staff confirmed the rush of orders, Samin familiarly and silently took out a black card from his pocket. Seeing him add that they were buying a little less today for once, this seemed to be a daily occurrence.
“Will hyung be okay with just one americano?”
Samin, concerned about Doun who had only chosen the cheapest drink, whispered subtly.
“…Yeah.”
“If you think of something you want to eat later, tell me. We can buy it when we get in the car.”
He was grateful for the thoughtfulness of wanting to take care of various things. Doun nodded.
‘I need to work harder catching magical beasts and properly earn my keep from now on…!’
Having made a firm resolution in his heart, he left the cafe holding two cake boxes in both hands. Even with other people’s glances at the group, Doun’s steps were very spirited.
He still became anxious and suddenly scared of people’s gazes. But now he had a reliable guild master and guild members by his side, so it was okay. No, it had to be okay.
While heading to the parking lot pretending to be nonchalant, Doun’s hands holding the cake boxes were damp with cold sweat. As if more time was needed to overcome it.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
