Chapter 63
Not long ago. A post was uploaded to the community.
▶If We Party with Lee Suhyuk, can’t We Get a Free Ride Through the Thunder Cave?◀
『Seems like a golden opportunity for those starting in Conrad』
It started as a trivial joke. But quite a few people took an interest in the post. Although it didn’t make it to the best posts, it amassed over 5,000 views.
– That’s true?
– The guys on the Odman side are scrambling for a ride with Schneider lol
– Looks like we’ve got a bus driver on our side too.
– Could it be Lee Suhyuk?
And most of the interested parties were players who had chosen the Conrad Kingdom. The Thunder Cave. The hottest dungeon on the third floor.
The anticipated rewards were obvious, and the added fame as a player for completing it was a bonus.
– Should we try it?
– Party recruitment?
– Win or lose, let’s gather in Conrad.
Thus, a hastily gathered party was formed. But when blinded by greed, people often overlook what they should truly see.
For instance. Among the dozens of comments, like this one.
– Lee Suhyuk would be really pissed lol
*
Un Hyang was the one who informed him of this.
-『Whisper』『Manager』 Suhyuk! They’re a hastily gathered party from the community trying to leech off you!
Whether she had already known or quickly realized, she immediately sent Suhyuk a whisper as the group approached. Thanks to her, it wasn’t hard to figure out what was happening.
“We just received the Thunder Cave quest moments ago as well. If you accept the quest, we’ll be grouped together.”
The man extended his hand and introduced himself.
“I’m Jeremy Bale from Earth, just like you.”
He approached with a friendly smile. But that greeting only further twisted Suhyuk’s mood.
‘So that’s what this is about.’
From Earth. He assumed claiming familiarity based on their shared world would build some rapport. The man, who appeared to be the least skilled, represented the group precisely for that reason.
“You’re here to leech off me?”
Suhyuk’s blunt question caught the man off guard.
“Huh?”
– Lolol direct hit
– Refreshing
– Our Suhyuk has grown up!
“You guys formed your party through the community, didn’t you?”
“Ah, well, that’s….”
Bale, having not anticipated such a direct question, hesitated momentarily before responding.
“Y-yes, that’s true. But don’t pay too much attention to the comments! That’s just the way the atmosphere is there, it’s not our actual intention!”
“Then what is your intention?”
“We want to clear the Thunder Cave together! We’re here to contribute! We’re not here to leech or ride a bus, I swear.”
“That’s right. It’s a misunderstanding!”
“I’m already on my third attempt at the Thunder Cave!”
Suhyuk scrutinized the expressions of Bale and the other players. Some genuinely seemed aggrieved, but others clearly did not. Not everyone is an adept actor, after all.
Even the supposedly aggrieved ones didn’t fully conceal their real expressions.
‘These guys have no chance in the Thunder Cave.’
The Thunder Cave’s known difficulty, especially what he learned from Schneider, meant these weaklings had no business there.
However.
“…alone… thing.”
Schneider’s words floated into Suhyuk’s mind, making him smirk beneath his mask.
‘I guess they might come in handy after all.’
This is why he couldn’t give up the mask. Being able to hide his expression had its advantages.
Suhyuk nodded and looked at Bale.
“Well, anyway, let’s do our best.”
“R-really?”
“If you’ve already applied for the quest, there’s no turning back. I can’t just kill you all because I don’t like it.”
“Haha… That’s, uh, quite intense.”
Bale laughed awkwardly, rolling his eyes. He appeared both frightened and relieved.
‘Though I’d prefer to leave them behind if possible…’
Even if they had some utility, organizing a community raid to leech off him was irritating.
‘If I harm or kill fellow mercenaries, I’ll face penalties.’
The situation differed from when he previously subdued mercenaries. If he injured or killed the mercenaries here, he might be disqualified from taking the Thunder Cave quest altogether.
‘Did they act with that in mind?’
If they did, they were fairly clever. Knowing their own weaknesses, they set it up so Suhyuk couldn’t act. Suhyuk smiled under his mask and left them with a final warning.
“And remember just one thing.”
“What is it?”
“This is a journey together, not a partnership. Don’t expect anything more from me.”
Meaning. Whatever happens there, it’s your responsibility.
*
“A recommendation letter, huh…”
Fortunately, the recommendation letter Suhyuk received did its job.
“Well, well. It’s from Raymond, so it can’t be ignored.”
It seemed that mercenary Raymond had quite a bit of clout.
“Just this once, though.”
Thanks to the recommendation letter, Suhyuk could participate in the Thunder Cave quest.
However.
“Pfft, Raymond… Even so, letting an E-ranked…”
He did have to endure some grumbling. Ah, the plight of being E-rank.
– E-Suhyuk lol
– E-Suhyuk hahaha
Suddenly, Suhyuk found himself being humorously referred to as E-Suhyuk by his viewers.
In any case. Thanks to the recommendation letter, Suhyuk successfully completed his registration for the Thunder Cave quest, even if it was a one-time deal.
“Departure is in an hour. Gather at the western exit of the city. See you then.”
The mercenary, clearly still displeased with Suhyuk, spat out the words tersely. Having timed the stream to align with the Thunder Cave schedule, there wasn’t much free time left.
At the western exit of the city.
There, he encountered Bale and his party, along with three mercenaries.
“What’s this? You’re back?”
“Why are there so many people?”
The three mercenaries appeared startled by the unexpected number of participants. Typically, a Thunder Cave raid wouldn’t exceed five people. But this time, the group numbered a hefty fourteen.
For them, this must have been quite baffling.
“Here.”
Suhyuk handed over his mercenary badge and raid permit for identification. The raid leader scrutinized Suhyuk’s badge and permit, then frowned.
“E-rank?”
– Lololol
– Forever E-Suhyuk lol
“How did an E-rank get here?”
The raid leader, an S-rank mercenary named Demun, glared at Suhyuk. It was as if he were looking at a student caught cheating during an trial.
“Isn’t it written there?”
“Raymond’s recommendation letter?”
“Correct.”
“I thought that guy had good judgment, even if his skills were lacking….”
Clearly unimpressed, he looked Suhyuk up and down.
“Oh, an off-worlder? No wonder.”
The mercenary finally nodded, seeming to understand.
“Guys like you don’t know the value of your own lives. Unlike us.”
At his provocative words, Suhyuk turned to his microphone and spoke.
“Should I just ‘Vulture’ this guy too….”
– Lololol
– Vulture lol
– To ‘Vulture’ = To beat someone up first and ask questions later
Vulture was the name of the mercenary who first picked a fight with Suhyuk. By subduing ten mercenaries at that time, Suhyuk earned the recommendation from Raymond.
Since then, “Vulture” had become a popular term among his viewers.
‘Still, this guy seems pretty capable.’
Suhyuk observed the openly hostile mercenary. An S-rank meant he was quite skilled. As the raid leader for the Thunder Cave, he was likely worth the equivalent of four or five A-rank mercenaries.
The same applied to Bale and the other players. Earning the authorization to enter the Thunder Cave indicated they had achieved A-rank mercenary status. It meant they were considered competent on the third floor.
– But this doesn’t look like a solo raid anymore, no matter how you see it
– True, with these guys tagging along the solo idea is out the window
– No way, that’s not fair
– For real, E-Suhyuk didn’t gather this party on purpose
Among the viewers, opinions about whether this still counted as a solo raid began to diverge.
“I’ll leave the judgment to you and those who placed the missions,” Suhyuk addressed his audience.
***
Odman Kingdom camp.
Nearly thirty players were divided into two groups, glaring at each other. And in the center of it all.
Schneider frowned and asked.
“Who ordered this?”
“Half of you need to step back. We’ve been ordered to join the Thunder Cave raid this time.”
The man who spoke scoffed and answered Schneider’s question.
“The Guild Master ordered it. Is that clear enough?”
“Guild Master Kim Ilsoo…?”
“Looks like you’ve lost your edge.”
Whether it was out of loyalty or a desire to challenge his authority, a man with spiky hair—a well-known figure even to Schneider—brazenly spoke up.
‘Paul Rimen.’
He was a notable player who, despite being part of Blue Zone, wasn’t originally from Earth. This was because he had only recently joined the guild. A talented player who had been making a name for himself.
Schneider had known about him since he declared his intent to raid the Thunder Cave about six months ago. He had always been trouble. Of all times, he had to run into him now as they went on this raid together.
“You should’ve done better. Because of you, we lost precious rewards to some random guy, naturally earning the Guild Master’s ire.”
“That sounds strange.”
“Strange?”
“You saying it’s because of me implies it would have been different if it were you.”
At Schneider’s words, Paul Rimen’s eyes widened.
“I wonder. Do you want to know?”
“Not particularly.”
Schneider replied, lightly resting his spear on one shoulder.
“It’s obvious without seeing.”
“Talking like that helps you regain a bit of pride, huh?”
“This guy is really—”
Unable to hold back, Don Zhao stepped forward, but Schneider stopped him with an outstretched hand. Paul Rimen glanced at Don Zhao and shrugged.
“Anyway, our team will be joining this raid. This time, we might succeed in conquering the Thunder Cave.”
With that, Paul Rimen turned and walked back to his group. It was clear: decide among yourselves who the ten stepping out would be.
“That jerk really—”
“Enough. Let it go.”
Preventing Don Zhao from losing his temper again, Schneider watched Paul Rimen’s retreating figure.
“Still, he did say one thing right.”
“He said something right? Like, something you’d want to hit?”
“No. Not that.”
“What in the world was right in that gobbledygook?”
Clearly furious, Don Zhao’s face was bright red. In contrast, Schneider, who would normally be the most enraged, seemed oddly calm.
“There was one thing he said right.”
Among Paul Rimen’s words, there was one truth.
“That this time, we will succeed in conquering the Thunder Cave.”
This time, conquering the Thunder Cave would indeed happen.