Chapter 40
“To put it clearly, hunting and raiding are fundamentally distinct.”
Hunting simply means killing monsters within the Gate for magic stones and byproducts—a straightforward act of survival or hunting, nothing more.
Then what of raiding? Isn’t it also about eliminating monsters within the Gate?
True, but the purpose is entirely different.
Raiding is the act of clearing the Gate.
To find and kill the Gate’s boss, close the Gate, and shut it down completely.
Once cleared, the Gate loses its color and its connection to our world fades.
Here, the distinction splits into two categories.
A Purple Gate with a risk of backflow, or a Red Gate, a ticking time bomb before it erupts—once cleared, both gradually vanish, erasing all trace of their existence.
Conversely, the unrestricted Blue Gate, commonly known as our “hunting grounds,” will, after some time post-clearance, regain its color and reactivate once more.
Thus, the inevitable disadvantage arises—when a Blue Gate is cleared, it shuts down temporarily, causing a clear economic loss.
As a result, it became an unspoken rule not to clear a Blue Gate unless absolutely necessary, to the point that even the state took measures to manage them.
And now, in my hand, I held the key to clearing this very Blue Gate—an official certificate bearing the name “Academy Dean Chun Soo-man” stamped in bold letters.
“…Seventeen members in the assault team. Three supervising professors. Eight safety personnel. A total of twenty-eight people. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
The Gate administrator looked back and forth between the documents and me, letting out a low groan.
“I don’t understand it. What kind of upper management approved this? What if something goes wrong… Ah, damn it!”
His muttered lament was thick with the frustrations of a middle manager.
From experience, I knew to keep quiet at times like this. Saying anything now would only make things worse.
“…Alright, student, just to confirm—you’re aware this is a Level 5 Gate, correct?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then you’re also aware that a Level 5 Gate requires a minimum of twenty raiders to be cleared. You’re an academy student, after all. But as far as I can tell…”
The Gate administrator glanced at the group behind me.
“Fifteen… sixteen… seventeen people. Including you, that’s only seventeen. Are you seriously intending to raid with this number? Are you absolutely certain?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Alright, just hold on a moment. I’m going to speak with the professors.”
Although it’s customary during exams to treat professors and safety personnel as non-participants, our anxious administrator couldn’t resist breaching protocol to consult with them.
I didn’t bother to stop him. It was his peace of mind, after all.
Meanwhile, I waved Jin Yuri over to get an update on the team.
“How’s everyone holding up?”
“Who? You mean me, or them?”
“The team, obviously.”
“Oh, I’m great! Excited, couldn’t even sleep last night. But strangely, it feels nice—a sort of pleasant drowsiness, like it’s sharpening my focus.”
“…Were you listening to a word I said? I’m asking about the team.”
“Hmph, still as cold as ever… They’re as expected, that’s all.”
Jin Yuri shrugged with a pout, exuding an irritating smugness that made me want to smack her.
In short, the atmosphere within Team One was a complete disaster.
And why wouldn’t it be?
Historically, Team One had always been regarded as the flagship team, representing the year’s cohort. It was only natural they were seen as icons of aspiration and admiration.
They must have dreamed of a bright future.
A dream now poised to shatter, all thanks to Jin Yuri’s sudden decision.
“Just to be clear…”
“Don’t bother asking—I’m disbanding the team, no matter what. If anyone tries to stop me, I’ll just drop out.”
“…This is a nightmare.”
Jin Yuri had made up her mind to step down as team leader after this semester, a decision I’d half-expected. After all, she was never meant to lead. Like Han Jun-woo, Jin Yuri was a brilliant individual, her light too blinding for anyone to stand alongside her.
Knowing this, I wasn’t particularly surprised by her intent to dissolve the team.
But still—why now?
Of all times, why announce it right before the final exam?
I had repeatedly told her to wait until after the finals to share her decision. Yet, as soon as she’d made up her mind, she couldn’t keep it to herself.
“I know it seems irresponsible, but let’s disband after this semester. It’s not about whether you’ve done well or not. It’s my fault. This team was flawed from the start. A dynamic that only hinders each other’s growth does no good. It’s better for everyone to part ways cleanly.”
Cold.
Colder than winter ice.
How do I know this so vividly?
Because she said it right next to me, in plain sight for all to hear!
Somehow, I felt guilty. After all, this was indirectly my fault.
“I wish I could turn back time…”
“Oh my, you wanted to see me sooner? Just to spend an extra day together?”
“Don’t push it.”
“Pfft, you’re just too cute. You really are.”
Jin Yuri smirked and licked her lips as she looked at me. I was honestly exhausted by her antics.
When I turned my head, I saw that the atmosphere among the others was even worse.
Sigh… What are we going to do about this situation?
“Hopeless, absolutely hopeless. And I’m expected to lead these people into a raid? Hah…”
“What’s the problem? You’ve got Mary and Jun-woo, too. Worst-case scenario, we can handle it like last time—with just you and me.”
“Get your hands off, unless you want me to break your wrist.”
“Oh? You just said ‘break’—that’s thrilling! So manly! It’s one of your charms.”
Jin Yuri sidled up to me, clinging as usual.
Pushing her away, I turned back, only to feel the burning stares of the rest of the team.
It was as if every single one of them was glaring at me with envy, like a lover scorned.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
I sighed.
Someone had asked me what the problem was earlier.
This was the problem.
The team. The members. The situation!
Even Jin Yuri clinging to my side without a care for the tension, and the jealous stares it elicited from the others.
All of it! Every part was a problem!
“…I wish you’d all just disappear.”
Despite the minor commotion, Park Ki-hyuk and his team entered the Gate, and the final exam began.
But fate often proves our worst fears right, and this time was no exception.
As Park Ki-hyuk had anticipated, the shattered morale of Team One quickly became a serious hindrance.
The experienced professors didn’t miss a thing.
“Disappointing. They’re all completely out of sync.”
“It’s likely due to a lack of motivation.”
“What do you mean by that? Why aren’t they motivated?”
“Haven’t you heard? Apparently, Team One’s leader, Jin Yuri, announced she’ll be stepping down after this semester.”
“Wait, she’s quitting as team leader? What about Team One?”
“Who knows. According to the rules, if a team leader resigns, the team typically disbands… but with Team One, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Being Team One’s leader meant being the face of the year’s cohort.
And she wanted to abandon that? Seriously?
The questioning professor found himself at a loss, facing a situation beyond his reasoning.
Another professor inquired of Professor Roh Hae-choon, who taught “Principles of Raids,” hoping for insights.
Roh Hae-choon, one of the academy’s most senior members with a reputation rivaling the dean’s, was known for his calm clarity. If Roh had had even a hint of ambition, he would likely be seated as dean instead of Chun Soo-man, so there was no doubt he could offer a definitive answer.
“What would I know, having barely spoken to her? This is the first I’m hearing of it. But… I’m not surprised. Jin Yuri… is a Jin Dragon, after all.”
“A Jin Dragon? What does that have to do with it?”
“Throughout history, Jin Dragons have never made effective leaders. It’s not only a historical fact; even among the students I’ve taught, this has always proven true.”
The Jin Dragon bloodline inherits “Dragon’s Blood,” awakening various family abilities.
The most renowned ability is the “Dragon’s Eye.”
This allows Jin Dragons to analyze any magic if it truly is magic.
It’s the pinnacle of perfection for a magician.
And that is precisely the issue.
Being flawless leaves no room for improvement. With no need for support, they become indifferent to those around them.
“They’re like solitary dragons. Believing themselves to be complete, they hold little regard for others. Can such a leader maintain a cohesive team? The answer is clear. We see it before us.”
“It was the same with the last Sword Saint, although things have changed now.”
Though times have shifted, in the previous generation, the current Jin Dragon Patriarch Jin Do-ha and the current Sword Saint Patriarch Park Geon were both utter outcasts during their academy days.
Or, rather, “outcast” is an inaccurate term.
The phrase “supremely unique” would be more fitting.
They projected their unmatched presence so strongly that others couldn’t even approach.
“However, Sword Saints are different, aren’t they? I mean, they have effective leaders.”
“Yes, the Mountain Lord. He marks the beginning of that change. His mother, Kim Yeon-hee, initiated that shift.”
“Kim Yeon-hee? Why bring up Optimum’s CEO?”
“Because Kim Yeon-hee was the brightest student I ever taught.”
People often misunderstand.
They think Kim Yeon-hee was merely lucky, or that she succeeded by marrying well.
Roh Hae-choon disagreed completely.
It was the opposite.
“She was the one who brought the Sword Saints into the world. Now look at them. People no longer fear them; they revere them.”
“You’re referring to the Mountain Lord, Park Soo-hyuk. He’s Kim Yeon-hee’s masterpiece, even if she denies it. I see her in him.”
“Sharp intellect and a gentle nature—traits no Sword Saint had before. Park Soo-hyuk inherited all of it. All qualities of his mother.”
The Sword Saints have changed.
They are no longer arrogant. Though perfect, they’re now willing to listen to others and acknowledge their shortcomings.
Awakened predators with a touch of humanity.
Under Kim Yeon-hee’s influence, the Sword Saints learned to engage with the world.
“I have high expectations for Park Ki-hyuk. I’m curious to see how he’ll tackle this crisis—how he’ll lead a team with crumbling morale.”
Professor Roh Hae-choon’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, and Park Ki-hyuk, as if in response to that expectation, stepped forward.
But he took an approach no one could have anticipated.
“This isn’t working. All of you, heads down.”
One fact:
Both objectively and subjectively, I had a terrible personality.
No, terrible is an understatement. At that time, I was so twisted I could barely function in daily life.
The old man had tried hard to reform my temperament, but if that had worked, would I have ever earned the title of Dark Lord?
Wondering why the sudden reflection?
Because I remembered something the old man once said.
“Ever thought about marriage? Your crooked nature is bound to cause trouble sooner or later. But at least with a family, you’d feel a sense of responsibility. Might do you some good.”
Once again, he was right.
After awakening as Park Ki-hyuk, I now had a family. A real family, something I’d never experienced in the struggles of my past life.
I was no longer alone.
This one thought held back the darker edges of my personality.
And yet…
“I’m trying to be decent, but you’re all making it difficult. Get up. Get your act together while I’m asking nicely.”
The students knelt before me in a row, heads bowed.
“My legs are aching…”
“Don’t even think about whining, Jin Yuri. I know you’re using mana to support yourself.”
“Ugh, fine…”
Jun-woo was down, Mary was down.
“Damn it.”
“Why us? What did we do wrong?”
“Silence. You’re all the same. How can you call yourselves a team if you can’t even speak to each other?”
No one’s getting a free pass. They’re all hopeless.
“Guys, remember what I said? I asked you to keep it together, despite the complications. Didn’t I?”
“Yes…” they mumbled, voices dragging.
Low volume, huh? I see discontent.
The stone I’d been toying with left my hand and crashed into a nearby tree.
BOOM!
The tree exploded.
“…!!”
Gulp.
“I won’t say it again. Answer me properly.”
“Yes, sir!!”
Their loud voices rang out.
Finally, a response I liked. They just needed a little tough love to understand.
“Let me make one thing clear. I couldn’t care less about your feelings, nor do I intend to. ”
Consideration? Apologies? I don’t do those.
But a challenge? That’s another story.
“We’re bound together as a team, and I’m leading you. This may not be graded, but I still want to do well—without shame to my mother.”
So—
“Cooperate.”
That’s the end of my talking.
“Step out of line again, and I’ll break a leg before we continue. Stand up.”
The students sprang to their feet.
If only they’d been like this from the start.
“Let’s get it done.”
Our raid had officially begun.
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