Chapter 230: Crack Museum (3)
The expedition crew who completed the simulation training were engulfed in a strange sense of floating while gasping for breath. Some were screaming, and some simply nodded.
Everyone thought it might be natural in some way to be filled with unfamiliar excitement. Even Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung were also clenching their fists.
Of course, I could understand how they felt. I, who participated in this training right now, was also feeling an unidentified joy. Most of them probably think this was fun, much like a sport or a game.
Of course, this was a different kind of training, but the feeling of success was similar to when orchestra members succeeded in a perfect ensemble.
When compared to soccer, ten people created a perfect goal together, and when compared to an AOS game, five people managed a perfect hit. The training ended smoothly from start to finish without any creaky parts, and an expedition of close to thirty people was gradually able to move like one body.
The flow wasn’t twisted either, and the swapping and timing were perfect.
Even I, who had made this expedition, felt amazed, so it wouldn’t need another modifier.
Of course, the most passionate reaction among them belonged to the Black Swan’s strategy team and the Guild Master Park Yeon-joo, the designated leader.
I remembered that they didn’t look very happy at first upon the unfamiliar formation. Thus, they had acted coldly the first time around. Most of their first-team party members were removed, after all, so their reactions were understandable.
‘But I think it would be better to try it once.’
The training, which started with encouragement from both Kim Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo, took the temporary expedition to the regular expedition within less than 30 minutes.
As she nodded at the satisfactory result, Park Yeon-jo spoke once more, brushing off the dust on the equipment.
“I’m really… embarrassed. Actually, I didn’t really trust the strategy support team. This… Of course, the actual performance may be different, but it feels so different now.”
What was a little fun was that Kim Hyunsung seemed a little more proud of the praise I had received than me.
‘This bastard…’
This was proof that he believed in me. It felt satisfying to be able to prove my worth once again.
“Kiyoung-ssi has shown outstanding abilities in many fields. In fact, this is the first time I had entrusted to another person the organization and composition of an expedition of thirty people, so I was a little worried, but I am glad that the results came out well.”
“First time?”
“Yes. Oh, of course, in the Siege of Castle Rock, I had commanded a large force, but this is the first time that I have formed a 30-man expedition.”
“Ha…”
“I always think about it, but Kiyoung-ssi really seems to have a lot of talent.”
“No, Hyunsung-ssi. This is not something that can be explained as having talent or not. Would you understand if I said today was the most perfect one among the many hunting expeditions and training days I’ve ever experienced? This is really… this is nonsense. Kiyoung-ssi received the information about our guild members only yesterday. He would not have memorized all the names of the members….”
“Hahahahaha.”
“In the first place, the formation of large troops and expeditions is a completely different matter. This is too weird. Besides, even though there was a limit of 60 or more of the average luck stat, and it is this much…”
Seeing that Kim Hyunsung’s face, which looked originally anxious, had loosened a little, he seemed to be in a better mood.
‘Why are you more proud?’
It wasn’t just Hyunsung. Even Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan looked openly proud.
Seeing that they were being bombarded with questions from other Black Swan members, it certainly looked like they were interested.
“Our Hyung-nim is a genius! A genius!”
‘Don’t praise me that way, you bastard.’
Of course, it wasn’t bad to make me look good, but the problem was that he always exaggerated. Park Yeon-joo was still looking at me as the expedition members were getting acquainted with one another. Her disconcerted expression made me feel anxious.
“How did you do it? This is…”
“It’s simple. It’s just statistics.”
“I know that, too. Creating data by quantifying the report in the expedition journal… That’s what our guild’s dungeon strategy team is also doing.”
“I also received a lot of help from Jihye-ssi.”
“Jihye? Oh, of course, Ji-hye is also competent and smart, but…”
In fact, it couldn’t be said that I had done this on my own.
Although it was almost entirely my responsibility to organize the troops, I was able to derive the results based on the data that Jihye Lee had made in advance.
I actually received a lot of help from her in the part of the expedition’s position line and swapping.
Even the data she had was information that had not been spread to her guild, so it would be correct to say that I definitely received that help.
Besides, because Lee Jihye…
‘Is a Commander.’
The class Lee Jihye chose was a Commander, so she was a little brighter than me in this aspect.
In other words, there was a synergy effect that the system had also recognized.
‘I was lucky.’
Originally, I hit the jackpot at once during a process that I had to revise repeatedly after a test.
The formation that I had been thinking of for about three days had succeeded in one queue. If I tried the same thing again, I knew I wouldn’t get the same results.
“It’s competent, but it doesn’t make sense. Kiyoung-ssi, if you like, maybe you would like to… Black Swan…”
I felt shocked. She shouldn’t have said that in front of Kim Hyunsung. At once, her face reddened.
“Ah. I’m sorry, Hyunsung-ssi. I was a little…”
“It’s okay, Black Swan Guild Master. Being the head of a group, it is unavoidable that you are attracted to talents.”
“Oh! It was not an offer to recruit. It’s just really amazing… If I’m not being rude, can you please tell me if there is a specific method? It’s okay if you don’t tell me today.”
“Hmm…”
I knew I had a personal debt to Park Yeon-joo due to the problem with Deokgu.
Naturally, I thought it was right to give a tip.
Of course, if I explained from start to finish, I’d have to talk about my attribute, so I had to come up with a reasonable reason. I’d feel a little sorry for the Black Swan’s strategy team, but…
‘I have to say something.’
“I was really lucky. Originally, I was planning to do it in three days…”
“Three days are amazing enough.”
“Anyway, some reasons are a little difficult to tell, but the one thing I can tell you is it’s probably because I’m an outsider that I could produce this result with an unfamiliar composition.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The organization and composition created by the internal strategy team are bound to be affected. I heard that the strategy team is made up of retired people…”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“They are also affected by relationships. The reality is that they tend to organize the formation thinking of the people they are more mindful of than people with the same abilities. There must be some who’ve been rotting their talent within the Second Army of the Black Swan. Most of the people I found are of that kind. It’s hard to happen in a guild with a few elite talents like ours… In the case of Black Swan or Red Mercenary, the situation is different.”
“Ohhh… I see.”
“If this problem is solved, things will be better than now.”
“Yes. Thanks for the advice.”
“No. It was a great experience for me, and above all, I think this result came out because they have been well trained. They are definitely Black Swans.”
It was for a brief moment in a pretty warm atmosphere, but her expression got a little cold.
That was when I thought of what Lee Jihye had said before.
“The sociability goes too far here. It’s not because only women are gathered, but… It’s just that there are many times when it’s easy to see people fighting and splitting sides. Gosh.”
I remembered Lee Jihye’s lamentation, saying that this was the weakness of her guild.
Looking at the expression of Park Yeon-joo, it looks like she was also experiencing stress for a similar kind of reason. I didn’t know for sure, but I could tell that this was something they would try and change after this expedition.
‘I feel guilty for some reason…’
Although this had nothing to do with me, I became curious about the dungeon strategy team’s fate, who had tried hard in their own way.
‘It might be good for Lee Jihye.’
Perhaps she had waited for me to say something like this. As I glanced at her, I saw her immediately smiling, so it seemed that I was right.
At this, Hyunsung began to speak.
“You’ve worked hard, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“No. I don’t think it’s enough to say that this was all hard work. This time, I really got a lot of help from Jihye, and I also got lucky. I was also surprised by the result.”
“You don’t have to be so humble.”
‘But it’s real, why don’t you believe it, bastard?’
I felt that no more excuses would work, so I thought it was best to change the topic.
“Is it possible to start?”
“I think the period will get a little longer. I originally tried to take a little more time to prepare. The Black Swans were not expecting how quick the formation had been made. As you might think, there will be a schedule change.”
“That’s good for the Black Swans.”
“Yes. Even though she pretends to be okay, Yeon-joo-ssi is quite nervous. It seems to me that there are many units that she likes among those who have been isolated. It would be natural to want to rescue as soon as possible.”
“I see.”
“Yes.”
As I looked up at Kim Hyunsung, his anxious expression had deepened. He looked more anxious than usual.
It wasn’t an expression that suited Kim Hyunsung, but it felt like seeing a puppy that couldn’t pee. It almost seemed like a lie about him feeling proud of me. He seemed to want to talk about it but found that he couldn’t.
‘This bastard… Does he have worries again?’
I couldn’t always give the right answer, but it was also my job to take care of his mental state.
I had to at least try to make him talk.
“Do you have anything you want to say?”
“Ah… It looks like I’ve been too obvious.”
“No, you didn’t.”
He got embarrassed for a moment.
Soon after, he gathered enough courage and began to speak. I thought it was probably related to the strategy, but what he spoke proved to be completely different.
“Er…”
“Yes?”
“That… What the Black Swan Master had previously said…”
“Oh, what she just said.”
“Yes. I mean, by any chance…”
His lips were wriggling, and his eyes were uneasy. I could immediately notice what he was thinking.
‘I’m not going anywhere, bastard.’