Chapter 131: Assembly and Mission (2)
"I hope you all had a pleasant vacation."
Im Seong-cheol opened the meeting with his usual stiff voice.
Perhaps it was because I had not heard it in a while, but even that rigidity felt welcoming.
"I am sure you all want to catch up with one another. However, since time is limited, I will get straight to the point."
Confusion appeared on the cadets' faces at Im Seong-cheol's words.
What on earth were they doing that made time so tight?
That curiosity was soon resolved by Im Seong-cheol's next statement.
Though, it was accompanied by a great deal of surprise.
"In this assembly, we are scheduled to carry out a mission. The mission is villain elimination."
Villain elimination.
An immediate wave of agitation broke out at those words.
It was not an incomprehensible reaction.
'It is a fairly provocative mission for something we are hearing about so suddenly.'
Even if they were villains who deserved to be dealt with, they were still human in appearance.
For those with a soft heart, it would be a quite grueling task.
However, there was always a reason for giving such a mission.
"During the midterm exams, there was a large-scale villain attack. While it is true that you all did well back then, there were also those who were lacking."
"……."
"There is no need to be discouraged, however. Dealing with villains is not something people of your age are accustomed to. But."
Im Seong-cheol took a brief breath before continuing his speech.
"It will be problematic if that remains the case in the future. While the basic duty of a player is gate exploration, villains are something you are bound to cross paths with at least once in your life."
He was right.
The targets villains sought out most often were players.
Thus, most experienced players could say they had dealt with a villain at least once.
"Therefore, in this assembly, I intend to have you all carry out a villain elimination mission."
'To be honest, it is a bit questionable.'
Just because his words were right did not mean this was the right choice.
Why?
'Because villain elimination is never easy.'
I might think villain elimination is easy because I have been involved with villains a lot lately.
However, the reality was never like that.
'A villain elimination mission means we have to go find them.'
What did that mean?
It meant we had to fight in an environment and location that the villains were familiar with.
And if that happened, what would the result be?
'At the cadet level, it is obvious that significant casualties will occur.'
It was nonsensical to think that no damage would occur in a villain elimination mission.
Even professional villain hunters suffered casualties, so there was no way we could prevent them entirely.
However, there was a clear difference between general casualties and significant casualties.
'Instructors will participate, of course, but there is still a high probability that there will be fatalities.'
That would lead to the weakening of Glory.
Not everyone could exert power like top-tier cadets such as Kim Su-hyeok or Ryu Jin-oh.
Fortunately, Im Seong-cheol seemed to share these concerns, as he immediately followed up.
"You are likely thinking to yourselves right now. You are wondering if villain elimination makes sense at your current level, or if this is just a reckless move."
The cadets flinched, perhaps because Im Seong-cheol's words hit home.
"I, as your instructor, am also aware of that. It is certainly a strain to protect every cadet in this academy with only Glory's current forces."
"……."
"Therefore, we will carry out the elimination mission with the help of external guilds."
External guilds.
The eyes of every cadet in the classroom sparkled at that term.
The same was true for me.
'If that is the case, it might actually be possible.'
Not all villains were the same.
Unless the officials at Glory had lost their minds, they would not proceed with a high-rank villain elimination mission.
Therefore, with the help of the external guilds Im Seong-cheol mentioned, it was feasible.
The problem was which external guilds he was talking about and how much power they would provide…….
"A total of eleven external guilds will be assisting us this time. They are all medium-sized or larger, so you must have heard of them at least once."
Fortunately, that part did not seem to be an issue.
Then, only one question remained.
Ju Ha-yeon directed a question toward Im Seong-cheol, as if she were thinking the same thing I was.
"I have a question."
"Speak."
"What is the scale of the villain elimination? I am curious if it will be small-scale or large-scale."
The scale.
Yes, the scale was important.
'Small-scale requires the individual skills of each person to be exceptionally superior, while large-scale requires the members to be in perfect sync.'
For the cadets, either side was a difficult story.
It was hard to expect teamwork at a point where they had known each other for less than a year, and it was equally hard to expect much from their individual skills.
"The mission will be conducted on a large scale. You will move by class, and each class will be accompanied by ten external players and three instructors."
"Then……."
"I know what Cadet Ju Ha-yeon is worried about. You are wondering if that number of people can handle every situation."
"……."
Ju Ha-yeon fell silent, her thoughts apparently read perfectly.
Im Seong-cheol immediately provided the answer to Ju Ha-yeon's concern.
"The people coming this time are all individuals who serve in the specialized villain teams of their respective guilds. Is that enough of an answer?"
"Ah… Yes. Thank you."
Ju Ha-yeon quickly accepted Im Seong-cheol's explanation.
It was a natural reaction.
'Specialized villain teams are on a completely different level.'
Unlike general players, specialized villain teams focused solely on dealing with villains.
It was only natural, but they were in a different league compared to players who focused on gates when it came to fighting villains.
'The difference in their Player-versus-Player experience is insane.'
Fighting a monster and fighting a person are two entirely different stories.
Unlike fighting monsters, which focuses on large-scale techniques, Player-versus-Player combat ranges from minor control to psychological warfare.
'By the way, they really managed to get that much manpower.'
Specialized villain teams are significantly fewer in number than players who clear gates.
It was unavoidable because the mortality rate was several times higher.
And yet, they had secured such a large number of specialized villain personnel.
'Considering there are twenty classes in the first year, that is two hundred people in total.'
It was an incredible feat of management.
Well, what mattered more than the number was the power each individual possessed…….
'I am sure they handled that part well.'
This was a mission being carried out under the name of Glory; there was no way they would do it half-heartedly.
Therefore, rather than worrying about that, it was right to think about what lay ahead.
The preparations were already finished, so there was no turning back anyway.
"Then, I will end the announcements here. You will meet and speak with the members of the external guilds for the rest. Are there any questions?"
"No, sir!!"
"Good. Then everyone, move to the plaza."
With those final words, Im Seong-cheol left the classroom, and the cadets followed behind him.
Watching the cadets, I made a silent vow to myself.
'Let's stay sharp and do a good job.'
I did not harbor the naive thought that things would end smoothly.
Looking at the flow of events so far, there was a high possibility that something unexpected would happen this time as well.
Thus, it was only natural to move with a firm resolve.
Having finished my vow, I immediately followed the departing cadets.
I moved to prepare for the start of the villain elimination mission, where no one knew what incidents or accidents might be waiting.
***
"The weather suddenly turned cloudy."
"You're right. It's making me feel uneasy for no reason."
We moved to the plaza following Im Seong-cheol.
There, the cadets chatted about various things while looking at the sky.
The conversation mostly centered on how the sudden overcast weather felt ominous.
'It is a bit like that.'
In novels, isn't there an expression that the sky acts up when something bad is about to happen?
I did not particularly believe in superstitions, but it was not a great feeling.
It was a fact that gloomy weather created a more sinister atmosphere than a sunny day.
It was at that moment, while I was looking up at the sky just like the other cadets.
"Do you believe that kind of nonsense too? Such talk is ultimately nothing but bullshit."
A voice with a cynical tone suddenly reached my ears.
I could guess who it was by the voice, but it was surprising that it was such an unexpected person.
"Ryu Jin-oh?"
Ryu Jin-oh was sending a fierce gaze toward me.
He was not usually the type to initiate a conversation with someone, so I wondered what was going on.
"What's up?"
"Does someone like me need permission to move around?"
"No, it's not that……."
Isn't it basic to ask what is going on when someone approaches you?
Then again, Ryu Jin-oh was not exactly someone who acted based on common sense.
As I was thinking that, Ryu Jin-oh narrowed his eyes while looking at my expression.
"You look like you were just thinking about something useless."
"What useless thought? I didn't do that."
He certainly was quick on the uptake.
Anyway, why did he really come to see me?
My curiosity did not last long.
Ryu Jin-oh immediately revealed his purpose for visiting.
"I heard you went through separate training during the vacation."
"Huh? Well, that is true. To be precise, two of us did it together."
Yu-hyeon was with me, not just myself.
However, hearing Ryu Jin-oh's next words, it seemed he already knew that fact.
"I heard that person is quite a powerhouse."
"That is true, but… how do you know he is a powerhouse?"
"I heard it from Guildmaster Cha Yu-na."
"You heard it?"
He might have known that I was training.
I had mentioned that to Kim Su-hyeok as well.
But how on earth did he know who I was receiving instruction from?
'Besides, that guy is a villain.'
A cold sweat seemed to break out for a moment.
What if Cha Yu-na knew about the relationship between Yu-hyeon and me? If she knew that fact, what was I supposed to do?
However, Ryu Jin-oh's following words told me that my worries were unfounded.
"Weren't you taught by that acquaintance you met at the party?"
"…That is true."
"Cha Yu-na mentioned it. She said that person is likely a powerhouse on the level of an S-Rank player."
"Ah."
So that was where the conversation had come from.
'What a relief.'
My heart, which had been racing, finally settled down.
What would I have done if our actual relationship had been discovered?
Just thinking about it was dizzying.
'But…….'
As my pounding heart calmed, my brain began to function again.
Thanks to that, a single question came to mind.
Specifically, why was he suddenly saying this?
'Setting aside how Cha Yu-na grasped Yu-hyeon's skill level.'
After the battle with Baek Ha-seong, I did not have any particular doubts about that part.
It was only natural for a high-level player to assess the capability of an opponent.
So, what I was curious about was why Ryu Jin-oh was going out of his way to say this when he had no reason to do so.
"You have that expression again. You are definitely thinking about something useless."
"I told you I'm not. So, what is it you want to say?"
"It is nothing much. I just came to tell you not to get cocky for no reason."
What did that mean?
He suddenly showed up, talked about my training, and then told me not to get cocky.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Tsk. I am telling you not to think you have become something great just because you were taught by an expert."
"…Huh?"
"No matter the situation, the one who always stands at the very front is me. So, do not think you have become strong and act out only to collapse like last time."
Whether that was all he had to say, Ryu Jin-oh turned around abruptly after those final words.
I could not help but be dumbfounded by Ryu Jin-oh's reaction.
But that was only for a moment.
'I think he was actually worried about me.'
As I continued to think calmly, the thought that Ryu Jin-oh might have been showing concern crossed my mind.
Even if his way of speaking was a bit rough, that much was practically a display of affection for someone like Ryu Jin-oh.
'Well, I might be mistaken.'
If I had to be precise, it was more likely that I was wrong.
There was no need to think deeply about it.
In the first place, who was I that Ryu Jin-oh would offer words of concern?
It was just self-importance.
"Still, it's not bad."
Whether it was self-importance or not, just the possibility of it being true was good enough.
Besides, even if his tone was cynical and fierce, hadn't Ryu Jin-oh initiated the conversation first?
This much was a small joy for me.
It was at that moment, as I felt a satisfied smile forming inside.
"Attention, everyone! I have just been informed that the guild members who are assisting us with this mission have arrived."
Im Seong-cheol, who had been quietly watching us, announced the news in a voice louder than usual.
At that, the cadets immediately fell silent and looked toward Im Seong-cheol as if they had never been chatting.
"I received word that they will arrive here shortly."
"……."
"So, show them proper respect and greet them in a manner befitting the name of Glory. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!!"
The cadets' eyes sparkled with determination as they answered in a thunderous voice.
The curtain was finally about to rise on the villain elimination mission.
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