#053
When I checked my phone after waking up in the morning, there was no message from Shin Haejun.
Instead, there was a message from Nine in the phone’s notification window.
: Hello, Yeonsoo! Here’s today’s quest notification! (NEW!)
Pet Shatang has filled the farm!
Pet Dubu has filled the mine!
Pet Dobi has sold all the items!
It was a sign that the pets had completely replenished the gold I had used last time. There was also a new quest notification, which I wanted to check right away, but there was something else I needed to confirm first.
“Nine, are you okay now?”
: What do you mean, Yeonsoo?
“You definitely… disappeared last time after acting strangely.”
: Please forget about that embarrassing behavior! I’ve done some mental training! Completely happy now!
Is he really okay? He seemed too exuberant, which didn’t reassure me at all.
But I decided not to probe further, fearing that if I asked Nine more questions, he might become sad again or disappear for a long time.
: *I’ll decide my own place!*
Quest Rank: B
You’re no different from a lone wolf! Neither this nor that suits you!
I have to pave my own way! Let’s form my own team!
Reward: ???
Instead, when I checked the quest, there was a quest that made me wonder what it meant.
Does Nine dislike both Shin Haejun and Hyun Dowoon? I thought he would ask me to choose between the two teams, but instead, he gave me a quest to create my own team.
“I’m F-class, how can I form my own team?”
As I muttered in confusion, Nine immediately sent a message.
: That’s why it’s B-rank!
It means it’s a more challenging quest. I sighed deeply and racked my brain.
As always, there’s no deadline for this quest. But since I heard during the last call that I need to be affiliated with a team within two weeks, it was essentially a quest with a two-week deadline.
‘Let’s make a plan first.’
Shin Haejun doesn’t like the idea of me leaving Team 1, but he might be pleased that I’m not going to Hyun Dowoon’s team.
And if Hyun Dowoon really intended to create a team for me, there’s no reason for him to establish a new team if I don’t join.
Hyun Dowoon won’t create more troublesome work because of me, and Shin Haejun might be satisfied with this plan.
‘The problem is my rank and… the fact that I’m a guide.’
Realistically, if an F-class guide enters a dungeon alone, everyone would say I’m crazy.
Even the awakened world has its own system, and they wouldn’t allow the random creation of teams.
In the end, I would need permission from both the General Manager and Hyun Dowoon.
Maybe all existing teams might oppose it.
‘My value isn’t in guiding anyway.’
If we were to compare it to a fantasy genre… Aren’t I closer to a hunter-type character? I’m not an esper, but I can attack dungeons with my ability.
Even as a life player, I couldn’t avoid battles if I wanted to collect materials to become number one. Thinking about the battles I’ve fought in Limitless Nine, I had numerous items that could exert power almost equivalent to a one-man army.
‘Whether I can compare to S-class… I’m not sure exactly. But I’m better than most espers.’
Especially since I don’t need guiding.
Hyun Dowoon would know my strength, so it didn’t seem impossible to convince him.
Above all, I just like this idea.
I had been swayed back and forth, but I liked the simple idea of deciding my own path as Nine suggested.
‘I should have an interview with Hyun Dowoon first.’
As I set a goal, my mind cleared. I immediately sent a message to Hyun Dowoon requesting an interview.
***
As I entered the Center Director’s office, Hyun Dowoon welcomed me with a very bright face. He clearly thought I was going to join his team.
“The coffee machine has been useless since you stopped coming, Jaeha. Can I find some use for it after a long time?”
Perhaps because I had repeatedly refused coffee before, Hyun Dowoon offered coffee with the lightest joke possible.
“I’ll have an iced Americano, please.”
“Hm? Wasn’t it a latte last time?”
He seemed to remember my taste from a long time ago. I answered, slightly surprised.
“Today is a day I want to drink an iced Americano.”
“Hmm, I see. Just a moment.”
Soon, the sound of the coffee machine working filled the room along with the fragrant aroma of coffee.
Originally, it’s not good to drink coffee while taking psychiatric medication, but I thought it would be good to drink some caffeine to convince Hyun Dowoon.
As I waited quietly, Hyun Dowoon soon came from behind the partition with coffee. Seeing that there was no juice for himself, it seemed I was the only one drinking today.
“Can I hear… the reason for your interview request?”
Hyun Dowoon asked with expectant eyes. I took a sip of coffee, then took a deep breath and exhaled.
“I have something to tell you. It’s about the team I should join.”
“Since you came to see me, can I consider it a positive answer?”
“No.”
As I shook my head, disappointment flashed in Hyun Dowoon’s eyes. He quickly managed his expression, probably for my sake, but he seemed a bit hurt that I didn’t choose him.
“Then… do you still plan to stay in Team 1? It will be difficult for you to fully utilize your abilities in Team 1. They already have many team members, and it’s a team that Esper Shin Haejun has been with since he was young, so their bond is quite strong.”
“You said I can’t fully utilize my abilities there, right?”
I asked, my eyes shining. Hyun Dowoon nodded with an ambiguous expression, seemingly not expecting this reaction from me.
“That’s why I want to make a suggestion. So that I can fully utilize my abilities.”
This is no different from a presentation. I need to do well. I can do it!
‘Though I’ve always failed at company presentations.’
But there’s no one here to interfere or intimidate me, so I can do well this time.
I slightly clenched my fist and rattled off the words I had prepared to Hyun Dowoon.
“As you know, I’m a guide, but my constellation ability is better than my guiding.”
“That’s right. It’s a truly unique case, but I’m well aware of your abilities.”
“Not only the items I’ve shown you so far that play a supporting role, but there are also many that can be used in combat situations. In fact, I didn’t need to step forward because the espers were active first.”
“That’s amazing. Even the items you’ve shown so far would have been worth hundreds of millions to billions if they had entered the black market.”
Hyun Dowoon seemed genuinely surprised. If I could sell items, it would have been the most peaceful way to make money. I don’t dislike making money by selling items like a life player, I just don’t like riding the bus in dungeons.
“Actually, when using these items, the more people around, the more interference there is. The items don’t distinguish between enemies and allies.”
This was mixed with a bit of a lie. In fact, when entering a dungeon, an automatic party system is applied, so unless it’s a special item, it basically distinguishes between friend and foe.
But it was true that having fewer people around would be more helpful if I wanted to use my strategy of changing the terrain on a large scale and making long-range attacks.
“Hmm, I see.”
Hyun Dowoon still didn’t seem to grasp what I wanted to propose.
Not because he’s stupid, but because the basic formula of this world – that only espers go to dungeons or espers and guides must enter together – is too firmly ingrained.
But stereotypes are meant to be broken. I was planning to be the first guide in this world to enter a dungeon alone.
“So, I was wondering, is it difficult to establish a one-person team?”
“You mean, you want to create a one-person team by yourself?”
Hyun Dowoon asked with a puzzled face.
I nodded. Then Hyun Dowoon tilted his head and asked.
“I don’t like to ask this, but… Does Esper Shin Haejun know about this idea too?”
“No. It’s my career, I don’t necessarily have to discuss it with Haejun, do I?”
Anyway, since I didn’t know if this would become a reality or not, I was planning to tell Shin Haejun depending on the result of today’s interview.
Hearing my answer, Hyun Dowoon tapped the sofa with his finger as if thinking about something. Then he suddenly burst into laughter.
“You always exceed my expectations, Jaeha.”
He looked at me with gentle eyes.
“There will probably be a lot of opposition. It’s unprecedented.”
“I’m an F-class guide, so it’ll be even more so, right?”
“Hmm… There might even be people who try to dig into your abilities.”
Hyun Dowoon looked at me with worried eyes.
Already, the public was talking about my every move in the news and digging into Lee Jaeha’s past. If my inventory ability was revealed here, it was uncertain how public opinion would react.
If it’s revealed that I have abilities different from what’s known to the public, I might receive positive attention, but in a way, I might also face negative views for trying to destroy the current system.
“I’m prepared for that much.”
But it seemed like a much better choice to go through this like a rite of passage and cultivate my own life, rather than being swept along by Shin Haejun and Hyun Dowoon.
To be honest… it seemed like a better choice not to be entangled with both of them in official matters anymore.
“Then what do you plan to do?”
“What do I need to do to establish a new team?”
“First, we verify the ability of the team leader who will become the leader. Team leaders are usually possible from B-class and above, and team members are usually affiliated from D-class and above. Typically, teams start with at least 10 initial members and begin with dungeons matching their rank, gradually aiming for higher-ranked dungeons.”
The team leader’s ability needs to be verified first…
After thinking for a moment, I proposed to Hyun Dowoon.
“I’ll undergo the verification.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
In terms of visible metrics, I was completely below the standard.
“Would it be possible to publicly demonstrate soloing a dungeon?”
If I could show my ability to attack while entering with relevant departments and people from other teams, it would serve as proof.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
