Chapter 67

A New Recruit and a Chilling Truth

After their bath, Jin Se-ah returned to their assigned room with Jung Da-bin. Im Seo-yoon was sitting on a sofa, idly flipping through an unreadable book, and rose when they entered. He asked if they enjoyed their bath, to which Se-ah replied, “Yes, it feels great to finally soak after so long.” Seo-yoon then inquired about Da-bin, who, startled by the sight of a man in the room, instinctively hid behind Se-ah.

Se-ah smiled wryly at Da-bin’s reaction and introduced her to Seo-yoon: “We met in the bathroom. She’s a magic user like me, with the lightning attribute, and she can even summon spirits.” Im Seo-yoon’s eyes lit up. He knew magic-type players were relatively rare, and lightning magic was particularly powerful and versatile, making Da-bin a valuable asset. “I’m Im Seo-yoon. Nice to meet you,” he said. Da-bin, still shaken from the bathroom incident, could only manage, “Jung Da-bin… It’s nice to meet you.”

Noticing Se-ah’s wry smile, Seo-yoon sensed something had happened and quickly changed the subject. “By the way, where did Yu-mi go?” Se-ah replied, “She went off somewhere for a bit… she should be back soon.” As if on cue, Seo Yu-mi quietly opened the door and entered the room. Da-bin gasped at the sight of leaves in Yu-mi’s hair and a slight stain of blood on her clothes, but Se-ah merely gave another wry smile and asked, “What happened?” Yu-mi calmly replied, as if it were nothing, “I… didn’t kill them.” The implication that the three men might have wished for death, rather than endure whatever Yu-mi had inflicted, hung in the air for all three.

“Ahem… Well then, I’ll go wash up too,” Im Seo-yoon said, clearing his throat and standing. Yu-mi followed him. “Me too…” Seo-yoon was momentarily startled, thinking she meant to bathe with him, but Yu-mi calmly clarified, “I couldn’t wash while chasing those guys…” Feeling awkward about his misconception, Seo-yoon hastily exited the room, with Yu-mi trailing him like a shadow.

Se-ah shook her head in amusement, then turned to Da-bin, who was still hiding behind her. “They’re interesting people, aren’t they?” Da-bin could only manage a noncommittal “Yes, well…” inwardly wondering if Yu-mi’s “ghost bride” appearance or Seo-yoon’s unblinking smile in awkward situations truly qualified as merely “interesting” personalities. Se-ah smiled wryly again at Da-bin’s reaction and led her to sit on the sofa.

“They’re a bit unique, but they’re part of the same guild as me,” Se-ah explained. “A guild?” Da-bin asked. “Don’t you know about them?” “No, I just played online games before…” “Yes, it’s that kind of guild,” Se-ah clarified. Da-bin nodded. “Da-bin, if you’re open to it, would you like to join our guild?”

“Me too?”

“Yes. We’re a small group, so you might not find us very reliable, but despite appearances, those two are incredibly skilled.” Se-ah continued, “Im Seo-yoon is actually a bit of a devious sly fox, but he’s wealthy and incredibly skilled. Seo Yu-mi… honestly, I have no idea what she’s thinking, but she’s also immensely powerful.”

Da-bin frowned. “A sly fox?”

“Doesn’t he look deceptively cunning, with that squinty smile of his?”

“Pfft!” Da-bin burst out laughing, and Se-ah laughed with her, continuing, “Well… I’m not asking you to decide right away. This is fate, after all, and if you don’t have anyone else to party with, you can stay with us for a while and observe.”

Da-bin pondered for a moment, then spoke, “Is it… similar to the Union?”

“It’s similar, yes. The difference is just that they’re large-scale, and we’re small-scale.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Honestly, we haven’t been together long, so we haven’t decided how to run the guild yet, but if it’s a financial matter, Seo-yoon will support us for a while. Once we establish a foundation, we’ll start profit distribution based on shares.”

“I see.” Da-bin felt swayed. The Union had offered to recruit her, but after the incident in the bathroom, she felt reluctant to go somewhere crowded with strangers. Moreover, this group had a high proportion of women, and Se-ah, who felt like an older sister, drew her in many ways. After a brief consideration, Da-bin made her decision.

“I’ll join.”

“Really? That’s a relief! I was so worried you’d say no.”

“Just speak casually with me. I’m younger.”

“Shall I? Then you speak casually too, Da-bin.”

“Can I?”

“Of course.”

Thus, Im Seo-yoon, the head of a guild whose name hadn’t even been decided yet, unknowingly accepted his fourth guild member. Returning from his bath, Im Seo-yoon felt a strange sensation, as if he was being reined in, but he couldn’t pass up such a rare magic user, so he accepted Da-bin with a smile.

A Humvee to the Rescue and a Royal Request

With the players gathered, fed, and bathed, the Union announced a meeting to formulate future strategies. Jin Se-ah asked Im Seo-yoon if he would attend. He nodded, “Yes, we should. At least knowing the situation will help us decide how to act.” Jin Se-ah then turned to Seo Yu-mi and Jung Da-bin. “Then let’s all go together. It’s better to hear it all at once than to be told later, isn’t it?” Yu-mi nodded silently, and Da-bin also assented. The four went to the conference room in the Administrator’s residence and stood leaning against the wall. The room was filled with other players who had come for the same reason.

Once everyone was seated, Jester stepped forward and began to explain the revealed enemy positions, as well as Iberia’s resources and troop strength. Im Seo-yoon stroked his chin, listening intently. Se-ah asked him why he was pensive. “Something feels… off,” he replied. “Off? What do you mean?” Se-ah asked. “That Jester fellow… it feels like he’s hiding something, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is,” Seo-yoon mused, shrugging. “Hmm…”

Im Seo-yoon pushed off the wall and spoke again. “Anyway… in this situation, there’s no option but to rely on the city walls for defense. With such a severe numerical disadvantage, it’s hard to employ any clever tactics.” Se-ah agreed. “If we were to accept heavy casualties, we could use guerrilla tactics, but honestly, no player would follow such an order in this situation.” “Indeed, a guild isn’t an army,” Seo-yoon nodded, then looked at Yu-mi and Da-bin, who were dozing against the wall. “Let’s wake them up. There doesn’t seem to be anything more worth hearing anyway.” Se-ah roused Yu-mi and Da-bin, then quietly followed Seo-yoon out of the meeting.

As they exited the residence and headed back to the Administrator’s mansion, they suddenly spotted a well-dressed, brown-haired woman at the entrance struggling with what appeared to be maids. “Let go! Let go!” “My lady! You mustn’t do this!” “I said, let go!” As they approached to see what was happening, the brown-haired woman recognized Seo-yoon’s group, immediately shook off the maids, and rushed over. “You’re from another world, aren’t you?” It was Heness, the youngest daughter of the Brea family.

“How do you know that?” Se-ah asked, wondering if rumors had already spread. Heness’s face lit up. “You are, aren’t you? Perfect timing! Please, help me!” “What do you mean…?” “Please help Jun-sang!”

Jung Da-bin tilted her head, wondering who “Jun-sang” was, but the other three were taken aback to hear the name of someone they knew from a young girl from another world. The surprises didn’t end there. All four of their cell phones simultaneously vibrated. Reflexively, they opened their phones to find a new message:

(Sub) Heness’s Request

Heness is distraught with worry over Park Jun-sang, who has ventured alone into enemy territory. Find Park Jun-sang, inform him of Heness’s concern, and assist him as he confronts the forces of darkness alone.

“Huh…” Im Seo-yoon was speechless, as if struck on the back of the head. “No wonder he wasn’t around…” Jin Se-ah clucked her tongue and shook her head. Yu-mi immediately pulled out her kitchen knife, ready to run. Only Jung Da-bin remained bewildered, unable to grasp the situation.

Jin Se-ah grabbed the back of Yu-mi’s neck, who was already muttering “Jjong-ie!” and ready to dash off, and asked Im Seo-yoon, “What do you want to do?” “Ugh…” Im Seo-yoon rubbed his temples, pondering how to deal with this sudden sub-quest.

Just then, Seo Yu-mi exclaimed, “We have to go quickly! Otherwise, the quest will end in an instant again!”

“What?” Jin Se-ah was momentarily confused, then a thought struck her, leaving her stunned. “H-haha… No way… Even Jun-sang couldn’t possibly face ten thousand enemies alone…”

But Seo-yoon shook his head. “Hmm… It’s not impossible.”

“What?” Se-ah repeated. Im Seo-yoon replied seriously, “Have you forgotten what happened during the village defense? If the enemy’s troop composition is similar to back then, and it’s Jun-sang, it’s absolutely not impossible.”

“…”

“He’s the one who broke through hundreds of enemies and wiped out their stronghold. Facing ten thousand at once might be too much, but if he uses something like wolves to lure the enemies and fight them…”

“H-haha…” Jin Se-ah found it unbelievable, yet at the same time, a part of her wondered if it might actually be possible.

Heness, who had been quietly observing them, asked, “Um… Do you… know Jun-sang?” She seemed to think they must be people with the same powers as Jun-sang, since they knew he had gone off alone without being told. Im Seo-yoon gave a wry smile and replied, “Yes, we’ve… fought together before.”

“Oh! So you do!”

Im Seo-yoon sighed at the brown-haired lady’s excited reaction and then spoke to Jin Se-ah, who was still flustered and holding onto Yu-mi. “I think… it would be best to go take a look.”

“N-no way, you’re joking, right?” Jin Se-ah said again, her face expressing disbelief. “You saw it earlier. It’s about a day’s walk, and at that distance, we might run into enemies in the middle of nowhere. Aren’t you considering that situation?”

Im Seo-yoon replied, “Of course, you’re right, Se-ah. However, that’s only if we walk.”

“What?”

“I didn’t expect to use this so soon.” Im Seo-yoon said this, then went to the residence entrance and summoned a large object from thin air. The onlookers gasped in surprise at the sudden appearance of the massive metal hulk.

“Th-this is…” Jung Da-bin’s bewildered voice trailed off, and Im Seo-yoon smiled as he replied, “Its formal name is a High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, abbreviated as HMMWV, affectionately known as a Humvee.”

“…”

The Humvee Im Seo-yoon brought out was a modified ambulance version, with an expanded cargo area at the back to carry more personnel and supplies. Jin Se-ah stared at Seo-yoon with her mouth agape, then finally managed to say, “I… know this.”

“Oh, you do? Most women aren’t familiar with…” Im Seo-yoon said, lighting up, but Jin Se-ah raised a hand to stop him and continued, “They say its fuel efficiency is murderous…”

“Ahem… it does consume a lot, but…”

“Seo-yoon… you really are rich.”

“Ahem, ahem-ahem.”

“And the vibrations are so intense that you absolutely have to wear a helmet off-road…”

“Ahem!” Im Seo-yoon kept clearing his throat at Jin Se-ah’s remarks, and only after she finished did he say, “You… know a lot.”

“Yes, well… a colleague at my old workplace was really into these things…”

“Ahem…” Im Seo-yoon cleared his throat once more, then, deciding it was futile, spoke again. “Anyway, with this thing, we can get Jun-sang out immediately, even if he’s isolated among ten thousand enemies.”

Jin Se-ah couldn’t deny that. “Certainly… you’re right.”

Im Seo-yoon finally regained his confidence, opened the car door, and said, “Alright, let’s get in. Since we’ve received the quest, it’s only right to resolve it, isn’t it?”

“…”

Jin Se-ah looked at Yu-mi and Da-bin. Yu-mi, who had been struggling to break free from Se-ah’s grip, immediately opened the Humvee’s back door and sat down, while Da-bin, completely bewildered by the situation, stood hesitant.

“Phew… No choice then,” Jin Se-ah sighed and opened the front passenger door. Heness, who had been watching quietly, then told them, “I’m coming too!”

“What?” Im Seo-yoon frowned at the words of the brown-haired girl in a beautiful crimson dress. “My lady, this is very dangerous…”

Heness immediately pulled out a small leather pouch from her bosom and showed its contents to Im Seo-yoon. “Gasp!” It was filled with shining gold coins.

“Anyway, you’ll need a guide to get there, won’t you?”

“Well…”

“If you take me, I’ll give you this much more gold.”

“…”

Im Seo-yoon looked at Jin Se-ah. “Ahem, I’d like to hear the treasurer’s opinion…”

“Ahem, if she insists so much… I guess there’s no helping it.”

At this, the maids listening to their conversation gasped and tried to pull Heness away. “O-oh, my lady! What will your father say if he finds out… Besides, that’s your father’s emergency fund…”

Seeing this, Jin Se-ah turned to Da-bin, who was hesitantly taking a seat next to Yu-mi. “Da-bin.”

“Yes, unnie?”

“I need your help.”

“…”

After a moment of confusion, Jung Da-bin understood what she meant upon seeing Heness and the maids arguing. “Guys, separate them.” With that, the maids were pushed away by something soft, sliding back from Heness, who took the opportunity to quickly climb into the Humvee.

Once everything was ready, Seo-yoon started the engine and said, “Close the doors tight. There are helmets in the back. Take one each and put it on. Give me one too, please.”

“Okay!”

Once they were all prepared, Seo-yoon immediately engaged the gear and began to drive north. As this party headed north, Jun-sang had already engaged in battle with Langdajal, the vanguard leader.