Chapter 55
Rain fell throughout the Capital. Five days had passed since the Edu attack, and a funeral for the casualties was held. They were all buried in an open field in the northern region of Edu, which contained so many tombstones that the area had become a cemetery. Many people were walking around Edu, and now that education was over, scouts from various clans were permitted to enter.
“The Semi Ranker, Gavin Mackins, leads our clan, Bulldog. We have the best know-how for raising transformation humans...”
“Clan Watercolor raises conjuration humans and dispatches them to clans that lack support...”
The scouts gave recruitment offers to newbies based on the transcripts sent to each clan from Edu. However, every scout smacked their lips as they stared at a certain area.
“This season is pretty unique. Were newbies always so united?”
“They must’ve developed a sense of camaraderie. They learned together for a month and entrusted their backs to one another as they fought off the goblin attackers.”
“Haaa, this isn’t good. We’re only gonna get scraps at this rate.”
“I’ll say. I guess I have an earful from my clan leader waiting for me. Jeez, it looks like another clan got rejected.”
The scouts were staring at a group of people gathered around a grave. It was Shin Jun, his team from the Dark Forest, and almost a hundred comrades they had recruited in the past month. They were initially reluctant about making a new clan together, but changed their minds after seeing Jun’s accomplishments during the Edu attack.
“I’m sorry. We’d like to try things on our own first,” Jun said to a scout.
“Hah, Shin Jun, was it? Do you understand how huge of an opportunity you just declined? Our clan, Seven Swords, is one of the Union’s ten great clans!”
“That does not change my answer. I will grow alongside my comrades.”
The Seven Swords scout frowned once Jun declined his recruitment offer. He had never seen a newbie not enticed by the Seven Swords name.
“You’re naive, newbie! Do you think flowers can grow in the Mirror World without windbreaks? You’ll all break!”
“I am not trying to be a flower. I want to become a tree. The more branches that support us, the greater a tree we can become.”
“Do the other newbies feel the same way?” The scout asked Min-Jae, Seong-Tae, Ho-Geun, and the other newbies behind Jun with high scores in Edu.
“Yes,” they answered simultaneously.
The scout’s face reddened, and he quickly left.
“What a joke. He thinks he can recruit anyone by telling them which clan he’s from,” Ho-Geun said as he snorted.
Min-Jae added, “Only the strong survive in this world, so I can understand his behavior.”
“People like that tend to be petty... Do you think he’d cause any trouble for us, Jun?” Seong-Tae asked.
Jun shook his head and replied, “A reputable clan like Seven Swords would only ruin their image if they laid their hands on a newly formed clan. That scout might hold a personal grudge against us, but... I’m not too worried about that.”
He then turned to the grave and saw the prostrating Hee-Gyeong with Hwa-Yeon and Ha Rin supporting her. His expression was so complex that one wouldn’t know whether he was sad or angry. They were before the grave of Do-Hyun, their comrade since the Dark Forest.
Do-Hyun... Nam Do-Hyun, Jun repeated Do-Hyun’s name in his head, echoing in the void.
He had become accustomed enough to calling Do-Hyun’s name that it felt as easy as calling him by his D Weapon, but he could no longer answer Jun’s call.
“Why aren’t you telling me your name, though?”
“The reason is probably a little different from why you guys call one another by your D Weapons. If you need something to address me, just call me Card.”
Jun finally understood what Seong-Hwi meant. Jun’s team called one another by their D Weapons because it was more intuitive during combat, but Seong-Hwi had another reason.
He was wary... of forming close bonds. He’s always prepared to bid farewell... Dammit!
Jun gritted his teeth. He felt it in his soul what kind of world this was. There was no such thing as a happy ending for everyone. If one survived, another was bound to die.
Would something have changed... If I went to the manipulator dorm instead of the emitter dorm?
Jun began to doubt his decision. Based on the distance from the enhancer dorm, he could have gone to either the emitter or manipulator dorm when the attack commenced. He had chosen the emitter dorm because emission was more synergistic with enhancement. The decision had been purely out of practicality, but it could have led to Do-Hyun’s death.
“Coward! Coward! I didn’t know you were this kind of person, hyung!”
Do-Hyun’s screams when Jun was about to let Carlos and his team leave during the mandatory quest echoed in Jun’s head. Back then, he acted out of emotion rather than logic, almost leading to Hwa-Yeon’s death.
Whichever choice I make... There are bound to be sacrifices!
Life was a series of choices, and the result was a consequence of those choices. On top of that, there was no such thing as a happy ending in the Mirror World.
Is the world telling me... that a tree needs fertilizer to grow? Hah!
A portion of Jun’s mind was cut away. He wondered how many more dangers he would face on his path and how many comrades he would lose on that journey.
I finally understand your logic, Cheon Seong-Hwi.
Seong-Hwi chose the absolute power of one over the combined power of the many. If Jun had as much power as Lee Kang-San, he could have saved both the emitters and manipulators.
Gathering in groups is... the last resort of those too weak to stand alone!
Negative thoughts piled in Jun’s head; self-remorse and regret were added like the cherry on top. Jun was glad it was raining because the rain hid his expression, which was on the verge of collapsing, from his comrades.
“I... I won’t ever forgive those fucking goblins! And the humans who helped those goblins! I’ll tear them apart!” Hee-Gyeong, who could only watch as Do-Hyun died, screamed.
The living had to move on—tomorrow did not wait for them.
First... I’ll create a clan, Jun thought.
***
But the sun rises, and morrow comes
I greet the sea and sky with a smile.
George Gordon Byron, Farewell[1]
***
Remy Martin and Kang-San arrived at Edu because Remy, the principal in charge of this season’s newbies, had something to say to the newbies.
“I’m sorry. Many died... because I was lacking.”
Condolences were pointless before the dead. One’s actions forward were all that mattered.
“We have given Humilitas, the goblin society, our intentions. We demanded Tutobure, the goblin High Ranker who was the mastermind of the Edu attack, be handed over to us.”
The eyes of the newbies filled with rage, and the eyes of the other humans in Edu shone. Everyone here could tell Remy’s words were not mere claims. His words were also the will of the World Ranker Lee Kang-San behind him and the will of the Union’s pioneering faction.
War is about to begin! one of the humans thought.
The other factions are keeping quiet, but they’ll have to choose once Lee Kang-San takes action!
We’ll have to choose which side is more beneficial to take.
As the humans in Edu continued to think, Remy continued, “We will demand the goblins take responsibility for this, no matter what, so all I ask from you all is to become stronger. Strong enough to make a difference in the Mirror World and to add power to the voice of humanity.”
Remy turned back once he finished his speech and walked to where Kang-San was.
Kang-San remarked, “They’ll never hand Tutobure over.”
“I know. I took advantage of this funeral, but I will not ask for forgiveness before the graves.”
Kang-San smirked. “People are overly curious about things like where I go and what I eat these days.”
“The life of a celebrity.”
“Do you think I should make an official statement?”
“No, that would make this a battle of pride between you and the World Ranker, Abyete. We have to avoid that. It’s not bloodshed we’re trying to achieve.”
Kang-San nodded and said, “Why can’t a clever guy like you ever take his daughter’s feelings into account?”
Remy remained silent.
“I keep telling you this, but you have to tell her the truth if you don’t want the well of misunderstandings to get deeper.”
“It’s too late. Whatever I say now... Jurie will think I’m lying.”
“It only matters whether you’re brave enough to tell her the truth. It’s up to her whether she’s willing to accept it.”
“It must be nice to have a strong mind like you,” Remy mumbled as he thought.
He escaped death during the Edu attack. He had prepared for the attack after receiving the information, but it had been lacking due to his skepticism. He would have undoubtedly died if not for Kang-San.
And the Network ID of the person who gave Kang-San the information was... Vivienne.
There was only one person who would use his deceased youngest daughter’s name as their ID.
Jurie. Are you... Willing to forgive me?
His eldest daughter, Jurie, whom he had thought had cut all ties with him, had saved his life. He thought this might be his last chance to beg his daughter for forgiveness.
Remy remained silent for a while and remarked, “You’re right. I just couldn’t find the courage. I will... go to her.”
***
“Dammit! Why the fuck do we have to do this shit?! We’re not janitors!”
“What else can we do? We’re just pebbles they happened to find along the way.”
Seong-Hwi was chatting with Miguel, a man from Venezuela who he happened to get close to. Miguel was in his forties, with brown hair and eyes and a similar body composition to Seong-Hwi.
They were cleaning a place the goblins called the stables with a bucket and a mop. The stables referred to the entire underground area of the rectangular building. Everything from the first floor up was for the Trophy clansmen, and everything below was used as a prison for the prey they had kidnapped.
“I’d rather do the Rescue quest instead,” Miguel complained.
Seong-Hwi chuckled and asked, “You’re joking, right?”
“Of course, I am. It’s impossible. Seriously. I’m joking, so don’t tattle on me to the goblins.”
“Yeah, we couldn’t do this quest even if we wanted to,” Seong-Hwi replied as he examined the quest description.
[Rescue (Common Quest)
Rank: —
Description: Rescue as many individuals captured by the goblins as possible and grant them freedom. Karma is rewarded differentially based on achievement level.]
All humans were given this quest simultaneously after entering the stables.
Rescue, huh? Since it has no rank, it’s flexible.
The rewards likely depended on how many they managed to free from the prison and the method. It looked like it would give a lot of Karma, but its risks were just as high.
I’d have no issue escaping alone, but I don’t think I could escape with a crowd.
Seong-Hwi had also tacitly given up on the quest. He was only here to obtain the Ancient Fairy Queen’s Wings from the dungeon and take them to Lina Ahn. He was planning on taking other actions based on the situation.
Miguel irritatingly splashed the water in his bucket into a cell.
A grey lump in the cell turned around and shouted, “Chwik! Cowardly humans are passing through!”
“Shut up, damn pig!” Miguel shouted as he kicked the steel bar of the cell.
The grey lump in the cell was an old orc mocking Miguel and Seong-Hwi. Although orcs were slightly shorter than humans, they were covered in muscles, and two tusks protruded from their mandibles. Many other races were imprisoned—all were inferior races waiting for their deaths.
“Dammit! I thought I’d live in luxury if I entered Trophy, but I’m left doing filthy shit like this. They could have at least let us manage their hunting grounds.”
“I saw a few humans already doing that.”
“That’s because they captured a lot of newbies at Edu. I would’ve captured more if I knew this would happen!” Miguel continued in rage, “On top of that, I have to head deeper down starting tomorrow for a month! I’m worried I might never get back up to the surface.”
“Deeper underground? I heard intermediate races were imprisoned down there.”
“That’s the problem! They’re more valuable because so many clients want to hunt intermediate races. They have to be fed, given water, and cleaned on time... I’m not a goddamn servant!” Miguel splashed water into another cell and continued, “Not only that, but one of my friends died down there.”
“They died?”
“He went near a cell, and a tiger beastfolk strangled him with their tail. Fucking hell! And now, I have to go down there in his place!” Miguel shouted in rage.
The stress from receiving poor treatment in Trophy and being forced to go deeper underground for a dangerous job filled Miguel with fury.
“Want me to take your place?” Seong-Hwi asked as if doing Miguel a favor.
“What? Are you for real?” Miguel asked wide-eyed.
Seong-Hwi nodded. “Yeah. I might as well see those high and mighty intermediate races’ faces. One month, right?”
“Oh! Yeah, exactly one month. You’re a good man, Miroslav!”
“What are friends for? In exchange, I’ll have you help me in the future.”
“Of course! Hahaha! I’ll make sure to help you out once I make it big!”
Miguel slapped Seong-Hwi’s back happily. Seong-Hwi smiled back at Miguel but was thinking about other things.
I couldn’t find any traces of the dungeon on the sub-first floor. I wanted to head deeper underground, so I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.
Seong-Hwi was sure the sub-second floor would have tighter security.
I suppose I’ll have to borrow a new destiny.
It just so happened that Seong-Hwi knew the perfect three-card destiny to use in this place.
1. Another one I couldn’t find the original of... This is just my translation. ☜