Chapter 433: Re: Life in that World, Starting From Zero (2)
I started moving around after having my body checked.
If I went to the square a little later, there was a possibility that I wasn’t going to be able to find a suitable party.
Lee Jihye’s expression as she watched me checking the luggage seemed a little disconcerted. She didn’t think I would really go through with it at all.
“You’re actually going? What made you decide that? Why don’t you just rest here?”
“No. I was going to look around anyway. I’m just as nervous as you were while you hurried to open it before sending in the testers… I’ll have to figure out what the problems with it are.”
“Since when have you been so pa.s.sionate?”
“That’s how important it is to me.”
That was not the only reason why I suddenly wanted to leave for an expedition, but it wasn’t wrong, either.
‘It’s really important.’
Of course, I thought Lee Jihye and manager Kim Miyoung had done a good job.
However, what they were capable of and the degree of completion the dungeon attained were two completely different stories.
If they were museum managers, I could have entrusted it to them with confidence, but unfortunately, Max and I were the only museum managers on the continent.
He was level 5, and I was level 4.
It meant that I was the general manager of the museum that was going to open that day.
It would be strange for the CEO not to show up even though he was running that big business. It would be like the greedy man felt that he didn’t want to proceed in vain, considering the continent’s fate was at stake.
I had to see if it exploited the people in a balanced way. It shouldn’t exploit too hard, yet not too softly.
It was, after all, still important to keep instilling hope and while acc.u.mulating damage.
The players’ growth was also a market that I had to pay attention to. It had to make them desperate. That was the significance of the Crack Land - to make the foreigners desperate.
Additionally, it had to bring tremendous financial gains to Blue.
It was easy to say, but it was inevitably delicate in many ways. It wasn’t particularly strange for me to want to experience it the way commoners did.
“You’re pretty famous… what are you going to do with that? It would be unreasonable to try to do something with magic…”
“Can’t I just go out in disguise? I have a surprisingly common face.”
“To be honest, your face isn’t common at all. It’s not like there’s no peculiarity. Even so, I think you’re going to look a little different if you just change your hairstyle and the equipment you usually wear. You have a standard image of being the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, so if you deviate from that image, it might be okay…?”
“…”
“No, it won’t work. First, your face stands out too much.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“But you still have to do things right. What about wearing a mask? Although that would look a little suspicious…”
‘Don’t even think about it! Jihye! Are you crazy?’
“That, I refuse to acknowledge.”
“Well. You don’t have to cause useless cautiousness. You’re not going to enter the rare-grade, right? Heroic-grade?”
“Yes.”
“Then magic is also rejected. They’ll notice everything. Oh! Wait. It doesn’t mean there’s no way. Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”
She nodded as if she just had the brightest idea, and then she went away. She had that certain expression wherein she looked like she came running out of the bath and shouted Eureka.
After all, she always had sharp means around problems.
I didn’t expect much, but after a while, I couldn’t help but be shocked because of what Lee Jihye had brought.
“Is this okay?”
“What? Where did these guys come from?”
“When Hyejin brought the unicorn, she hid and brought them. It’s fine, right?”
“I-I think it will be okay, but this is…”
“You said that the effect lasts a few days anyway. I think it will be just right. Go with this.”
“It won’t be bad.”
* * *
“Cheol-woo oppa?”
“…”
“Cheol-woo oppa!”
“Oh, Minji.”
“So? Is there anyone useful?”
“No. I don’t think so… I can’t find anyone. I knew it would be difficult to find a backline at Lindel, but it’s really hard to find one since they’ll feel like they’re starting from scratch. The good ones I found already had a party… In fact, our front line isn’t that strong either. The wizards we want won’t be satisfied with it. If I knew it would be like this, I would have brought more wizards into the clan even if it was unreasonable.”
“That’s easy to say, but hard to commit to. If they don’t grow after you bring them in for no reason, it’ll just be a waste for all parties involved. Having many wizards can also be a problem… Someone like Jung Hayan from the Blue Guild could pop out. I would be really nice to that person…”
“Jung Hayan is a very unusual case. Even a wizard who is active in a medium-sized guild would not be enough. That’s why the wizard pool is small.”
“Instead…”
“Huh?”
“How about applying to the Demon’s Spire since we’re in a stalemate anyway? I heard that it gives many supplies, and if we enter a raid, won’t it be easier to organize a party than now? If you get acquainted with the wizards who entered the same raid, you can sneak a suggestion to join the clan… Isn’t it the Magic Kingdom, after all? They have good wizards…”
“That’s not allowed.”
“Ah…”
“It’s still dangerous. It’s not a place we can just barge into with our level.”
“I don’t know… I heard that the Tree Next Door Clan is also heading to the Demon’s Spire…”
“It’s a dungeon that should be at least heroic-grade or higher in terms of rating. We have many people who have just entered the heroic-grade, so it’s hard for us. Of course, it doesn’t mean that there is no possibility at all, but I don’t think there’s a need to move in a hurry. It won’t be too late, even after gaining experience at the Crack Museum.”
I was arguing against the idea, but in fact, it wasn’t that I didn’t think about going to the Magic Kingdom.
Unlike the Crack Museum, where people had to organize their own parties, the Demon’s Spire, which required a relatively large number of people, was a lot friendlier towards people like us. Considering that I had some connections and that the supply support won’t be small, the rewards could be greater.
Of course, that was only true if I ended with some supplies left, but it was still worth considering in many ways. However…
‘Not yet.’
All the clan’s squads could only do heroic-grade.
There was a high probability that a dangerous accident would occur if we went beyond the intermediate level.
The reason the clan could continue running was because we were careful. Although the world had changed, the act of unreasonably trying to gain an advantage always triggered accidents.
“I thought you would say that.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“No. Even Daegun said that you would definitely oppose it. I just thought I should try to convince you anyway. I wasn’t even expecting anything.”
“Daegun, too?”
“Yes. Who would say you’ve not been friends since childhood? You two really fit each other. Sometimes, I feel really jealous.”
“Hahaha.”
“Don’t laugh. I’m not kidding. There really are clan members who feel alienated because the Clan Master and the Vice Clan Master are too close.”
“I’m sorry to have made them feel that way… should I apologize to the clan members? By the way, where is Daegun now?”
“He was looking for a party at the bar. I don’t know if the wizards, who have been drinking since morning, will be helpful in the expedition, but we’ve been in such a hurry. It’s time to leave soon… Ugh. There really aren’t many people. Why does this happen at such timing? Those demonic officials… I want to catch them and put them all into firewood. And even…”
“It can’t be helped. In fact, it doesn’t look as bad as people might think.”
“What?”
“Even if heroic-grade dungeons are continuously released, there’s no guarantee that we will either bid or find that dungeon. In a little while, the tutorial dungeon will open… This time, the whole continent is united, so they said they would run an education center. Maybe many large guilds will be paying attention to dungeon auctions. They have to raise beginners who will join the guild. In that sense, with the funds our clan has… It means that winning a heroic-grade dungeon is close to impossible. And I can’t rely on luck.”
“Well…”
“Although the pool is a little narrow… Still, it’s great that we can still go to a dungeon. If the dungeon is directly managed by the G.o.ddess, it would surely be friendly to foreigners. Also, it was announced that large guilds would be supporting small and medium-sized clans. We have to see this as an opportunity no matter what.”
“You’re right.”
“If we don’t get nervous, someone will definitely come while we’re waiting. There will be one or two people who would be thinking the same thing as us.”
“After three hours, if no one comes up…”
“Then, it would be better to leave. There will be a wizard who’d fallen behind in front of the museum.”
“I wish there would be.”
It was just a simple wish.
Finding a wizard seeking a party in front of a dungeon was nearly impossible, no matter how I thought about it. However, I didn’t want to just stand still.
As a new opportunity came, I had to move desperately.
It was only natural that I wanted to wait a little stronger.
“We’re looking for a wizard who wants to join our party. We’re a clan with a strong frontline and priests. The destination is the Crack Museum heroic-grade dungeon. We are looking for people who will happily hunt with us in a family-like atmosphere. You only have to share some part of your stats and your cla.s.s. If you are interested, we will do our best to accommodate you. If you come, we will leave right away. We are the Friendship Clan!”
“We’re looking for a wizard to hunt with, and is kindhearted! Our Clan Master oppa really likes people! Please come join us!”
It was just as expected.
I could see Kook Minji speaking right next to me.
However, our voices couldn’t be heard since all the parties that filled the square were shouting as well. I raised the sign I was holding a little higher, but it didn’t seem that easy to find a party member.
It was then…
In the distance, we could see someone with a staff approaching.
‘Uh?’
She had a face that could be said to be overall beautiful.
Her torn eyes, pure white skin, and blood-red lips stood out.
Her entire body was covered with a robe, and her gait looked strangely awkward. I wasn’t sure if her foot was injured, but she certainly had a staggering posture.
What stood out more than her posture was her face.
‘How can someone have that kind of look…?’
s.e.xy was an understatement. Was she a succubus? Her torn eyes were enough to awaken anyone’s l.u.s.t.
It would be more appropriate to say that she looked erotic.
People didn’t usually say that when evaluating a person’s appearance, but that was the most accurate description of her.
I had met many people so far, but that was my first time looking at someone like her. I didn’t even need to mention that just looking at her made me feel like I was blushing.
Staring blankly at her for a moment, I watched the woman with a foreign charm stand in front of me as she parted her dangerous lips.
“I am… a wizard, but a different kind of wizard. If it’s okay, can I join the party? I heard that you were leaving for the Crack Museum.”
Her voice made my lower body tense beyond my control.
“I guess I have to introduce myself first. Nice to meet you, Friendship Clan. I’m Lee Kiyeon, the Summoner Wizard.”