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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 8: Are You a Fool? (3)
Cha Woo-jae, a disciple of Kim Do-jin, the Team Leader of Team 7 from the Cheong-Yeong Guild.
A support-type gunner who uses a magic-powered firearm.
"I heard he can also play the role of a tank."
One of Cha Woo-jae's tanking skills, [Magic Shield], summons a shield using magical power. Additionally, he possesses several skills to draw aggro.
As Awakeners leveled up, it became rare for them to focus solely on a single role. Cha Woo-jae, however, was unusual in this regard.
A gunner typically takes a ranged position, while a tank leads from the front. Moreover, the Magic Shield could be summoned from any distance within line of sight.
"A ranged damage-dealer who can also tank?"
Not only was he hard to kill, but he also dealt significant damage. In gaming terms, he was practically a cheat character.
Envy aside, Cha Woo-jae was now suspicious of me. After all, I was the only one who survived that chaos.
"Is that why he’s been silencing the doctors?"
As I darted my eyes around, Cha Woo-jae sighed, crossing his legs.
“Uh… um… are you talking about the Representative? You mean Mr. Kim?”
No matter how much I denied it, once suspicion sets in, it’s hard to shake. But there was a perfect strategy for this.
“Just act clueless!”
After all, I was just a lucky 2-star survivor.
“Then… who else is there?”
“The Representative… is he dead? I saw on the news he was listed as missing, but is he really dead? I honestly don’t know… After Humojo collapsed, there was an explosion, and I remember nothing after that.”
“….”
“Am I really the only one who survived? Really? What about Team Leader Park? And the others…?”
“Enough.”
I raised my voice, emotions bubbling up, and Cha Woo-jae cut me off, raising his hand.
“My apologies. It’s just that… I thought, at least, that the Representative would be safe.”
“For god’s sake. You really don’t remember anything?”
“…No.”
“Do you even think that’s possible? In that chaos, only you survived—only you!”
“I really don’t know what happened… But did the Representative actually die?”
“Just before Humojo collapsed and you blacked out, do you remember anything?”
Cha Woo-jae didn’t acknowledge my question, as if my curiosity was irrelevant.
“So he’s not dead.”
“Missing” wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Given the circumstances, it seemed “Cha Woo-jae doesn’t know where Mr. Kim is either” carried more weight.
Since he didn’t know, he seemed to be taking his frustration out on the only survivor—me. The old Lee Su-Hyuk might have been rattled, but now…
“I’m not fazed at all.”
Maybe because I was free from the endless resets, Cha Woo-jae didn’t feel all that intimidating. Just a bit curious, maybe.
“I… I really don’t know…! I don’t remember anything, and honestly, I don’t even know how I survived! Why was I the only one left? If anything, I want to ask you what happened!”
I shook as I put on a pained expression. Maybe I overdid it, but there wasn’t much choice.
“This is definitely no ordinary place.”
If this space was designed for interrogation, then it would surely have “that.” I couldn’t afford to give myself away.
Seeing me tremble, Cha Woo-jae’s gaze shifted to the wall, likely communicating with someone beyond it.
“If you’re suspecting me, you’ve got it wrong! What could a mere level 19 possibly do?”
“True enough. Alright, sorry for doubting you.”
When I pressed him a little harder, Cha Woo-jae backed off. He probably still had some suspicions, but this much was acceptable.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit on edge since I woke up, not knowing what happened.”
“I understand… I was pretty shocked too.”
Cha Woo-jae scratched his cheek awkwardly, though he didn’t seem entirely at ease. Well, from his perspective as a disciple, it would be unsettling for his mentor to die in a place where he shouldn’t have.
“Still… I kind of envy him.”
To have Kim Do-jin as a mentor—what would that be like? Even if it weren’t Kim Do-jin, having someone to guide and rely on was a blessing.
Seeing that I had calmed down, Cha Woo-jae casually asked, “So, what will you do now?”
“Just live.”
This wasn’t how I expected my endless regressions to end, but the need to survive was genuine.
“It’s still better than before.”
I had talents, access to the SP shop, and, most importantly, I couldn’t afford to die anymore—not with Min-Ah depending on me.
There was still a glimmer of hope.
“If there’s any information they still want from me…”
If Cha Woo-jae had any sense, he wouldn’t just let me roam free. If I was truly the only survivor, I wasn’t the only one interested in what had happened in the hidden world.
And not everyone would be as favorably inclined toward the Cheong-Yeong Guild and Kim Do-jin. Covering my medical expenses and even taking care of Min-Ah was likely to secure priority access to me during this critical time.
“Your name was Lee Su-Hyuk, right?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but we checked your log records while you were unconscious. Even though you’re a 2-star, you’re close to reaching 3 stars, and your score isn’t bad.”
I chuckled sheepishly. I’d spent the past few years grinding since turning 20, just to cover Min-Ah’s hospital bills and school fees. I took on any job that paid well, even if it meant slower growth compared to other Awakeners at my level. But that was before the regressions.
“Join our guild. Since fate brought us together, I’ll take good care of you.”
So… it’s surveillance?
It was partly surveillance, but honestly, it wasn’t an offer I could refuse outright. Yet, it wasn’t exactly an easy offer to accept, either.
“I’ll have to decline.”
“If we just polish you up a little, I think you’d do well… Wait, what?”
“I said, no thanks.”
“Do you even understand what I’m offering?”
“You’re asking me to join the Cheong-Yeong Guild, right?”
“Then why refuse?”
Cha Woo-jae looked at me in disbelief, unscrewed the bottle beside him, and downed half of it.
The Cheong-Yeong Guild.
With Kim Do-jin, a 9-star and the World’s No. 1 ranker, as guild master, Cheong-Yeong was indisputably the top guild in South Korea.
Every Korean Awakener dreamt of joining Cheong-Yeong at some point. I was once one of them, too.
I locked eyes with Cha Woo-jae. Though he didn’t say it aloud, he looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. I decided to add fuel to the fire.
“I’m aiming for the Elden Clan.”
“Pfft…”
He covered his mouth, stifling a cough. What? Was he nervous at the mention of a rival guild?
The Elden Clan.
If Cheong-Yeong was the equivalent of a major corporation, the Elden Clan wasn’t quite on the same scale, but its reputation rivaled Cheong-Yeong’s.
From the start, Elden is a smaller guild, known for selecting a few talented individuals and providing them with unwavering support.
Unlike the Cheong-Yeong Guild, where rewards come only after proving oneself, Elden Clan is a guild that invests in training “new blood.” Getting in is tough, though.
Not that I really intend to join—I just needed Cha Woo-jae to be unsettled.
“It’s hard to get into Elden Clan.”
“But if I don’t try now, when will I?”
To qualify for Elden Clan, you must be below 3 stars and not yet awakened. I was just one level away from reaching 3 stars, which would mean I couldn’t join as a new recruit.
“It’s not like I have the experience to get in otherwise, so I have to give it my all.”
Cha Woo-jae scratched his head, looking visibly annoyed. He probably thought I was just another rookie with unreasonable ambitions.
It’s not my skills that Cha Woo-jae wants. He wouldn’t give up easily.
“Just to be clear, I’m only offering you a place in the Cheong-Yeong Guild here. Forget about using us as a backup in case you don’t get into Elden Clan.”
It was a pretty strong move. Pride aside, he was probably worried that I might actually get accepted into Elden Clan, which would make things even more troublesome. And even if I didn’t, he’d have to monitor me closely.
So, it was in Cha Woo-jae’s interest to convince me right here. He tossed me a carrot.
“Our guild may not be as flashy as Elden Clan, but it’s still a good place.”
“You know my little sister’s sick, right?”
“Yeah… I heard. It’s rough.”
“If I join Cheong-Yeong, isn’t there a one-year internship period? If I enter at 3 stars or lower, I’ll have to prioritize guild-assigned support tasks during that time, but that won’t cover Min-Ah’s medicine and school fees.”
“It’s just one year—can’t you manage that?”
“If that one year drags my sister through hell, it’s not worth it.”
Maybe it felt like I was using Min-Ah as an excuse… but it wasn’t like I was wrong.
“If I make it into Elden, great. If not, I can still handle things on my own. But Cheong-Yeong Guild? It’s all cost and no benefit for me.”
I needed the money—much more than the average 2-star Awakener earned—and that was my main reason for rejecting the Cheong-Yeong Guild.
“Fine. Hospital bills and tuition for your sister—if you stay in the guild, we’ll cover all of it. Deal?”
Cha Woo-jae clearly intended to keep me in Cheong-Yeong, no matter what.
Unexpectedly, my bluff had locked down Min-Ah’s expenses. A pretty good deal, honestly.
“I still refuse.”
Cha Woo-jae clenched his fists on the table, gritting his teeth.
Ah, and who has the upper hand now?
“Why again? Weren’t you turning it down because of your sister?”
“True, but if I get into Elden Clan, they’ll cover everything. Even if not, I can handle it myself. And with Elden, I’ll probably get more support than the bare minimum…”
In other words, why settle for the basics when I can aim higher?
My stubbornness seemed to push Cha Woo-jae to the edge. Rookies with grand ambitions can be terrifying—they try everything, no matter the warnings from those who’ve been there.
The ignorant have the courage to think they’ll be that one-in-a-million.
“What do you want?”
But Cha Woo-jae wasn’t a fool. If I were truly a clueless rookie, I would have stormed out of this room by now.
Since I hadn’t left, it meant there was something I wanted. Now, we could finally get down to business.
“Keep the initial conditions as promised, and add personal sponsorship from you, Cha Woo-jae. How does that sound?”
The negotiation was a success.
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As Lee Su-Hyuk left the room, he bowed and followed a staff member to the hospital ward. Meanwhile, Oh Yeon-su entered the private room where Cha Woo-jae was seated.
“Team Leader.”
“Don’t say a word.”
“Are you a pushover?”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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