Chapter 27 - How to Prepare for the Exam (2)

 

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After the shock and horror of the original story’s destruction interview, the ‘Gate Treasure Exploration Club’ exceeded the number of participants and the club was able to safely open.

 

A few days later, the first club activity day finally arrived.

 

All members gathered safely in the club room on time.

 

“Nyahaha~ Hi!”

 

“…Hello.”

 

As expected, Choi Soojung was clinging to Lee Hana.

 

Considering the relationship between these two, it wasn’t unexpected. First of all, she is Choi Soojung’s only friend and best friend. There were quite a few incidents in the original story that involved the two together.

 

Me and Scammer looked at the faces of all the members at least once, but because it was the first time that each member had gathered together like this, there was a slightly awkward atmosphere.

 

He made a clap sound, attracting the attention of the members.

 

“Now, our club’s goal today is to explore the gate!”

 

“Wait, explore the gate? We don’t have access to the gates around the tower yet!”

 

“Haha, everyone has their own thoughts. Before that, I’d like you all to write this down.”

 

What Na Yuhan handed out to the members was none other than the contract he had handed over to me.

 

However, the content was different from the contract I had previously signed.

 

Scammer took out a previous version of the contract I had written and tore it up.

 

“Nahyun, let’s renew your contract with a new contract. The previous one was sloppy in many ways.”

 

“Ah, alright!”

 

I expected that the contract in the original story would apply to me again.

 

Because this guy tends to distribute resources equally to the people who will be in his party.

 

So the newly updated items were like this.

 

First, if you go to a static gate together as part of the Gate Treasure Exploration Club’s activities, do not reveal that you’re going to that gate to anyone other than members of the Gate Treasure Exploration Club.

 

Second, by-products obtained through the activities of the Gate Treasure Exploration Department must be distributed and settled through the manager.

 

Third, all storage of by-products before distribution by the Gate Treasure Exploration Club

 must be entrusted to the manager.

 

Na Yuri and Scammer argued for a moment along the way, but anyway, all the members signed the golden contract.

 

Only then did he begin to explain.

 

“The place we’re going is a hidden static gate.”

 

“You know that kind of place?”

 

“Well, it’s no surprise now buuuut, don’t you have too many secrets?”

 

“Oho, no chatting. First of all, that gate… alright, first of all, let’s call it an ‘ice cave’. It’s a bit unusual.”

 

Lee Hana, who had remained silent the entire time, was the first to react to those words.

 

“…Ice cave.”

 

“Right. It’s a dungeon made of ice. Anyway, leveling up is impossible there, but a lot of ice attribute items and cores are dropped.”

 

An ‘item dungeon’ that doesn’t give experience points to level up, but instead drops a lot of items.

 

It was a dungeon selection that seemed to be what everyone was aiming for. Knowing the truth, it seemed like it was Scammer’s tearful appeal show to score points with Lee Hana.

 

“Good for you! Right, Hana~”

 

“Yeah.”

 

There is no particular reason for Scammer to hang on to Lee Hana.

 

For Lee Hana is really strong.

 

Due to circumstances, she had to repeat a grade, so the current first-year first and second places were held by someone else, but if you were to rank them in strong order, she could probably be one of the few students in this school.

 

Choi Soojung has the same characteristics as a strong repeater, but the source of Choi Soojung’s strength is her high level. In the past, her uniqueness as a mixed race was exploited, and her level suddenly increased unintentionally.

 

So, if we only consider her potential when she grows to her maximum potential, Lee Hana is overwhelming.

 

“There might be some dangers if we go directly into the dungeon. Is there anything else we can prepare?”

 

“I’ve prepared all the supplies, so don’t worry!”

 

“Yes, Yuhan prepares things well! It wasn’t a joke last time either!”

 

“Then it’s okay, but…”

 

Calmy nodded his head as if he was convinced.

 

The reason Scammer prepared all the equipment is probably to reduce time loss.

 

I don’t dislike his preparedness.

 

It’s the same with the potions he gave me during the last dungeon raid, but since he doesn’t ask for it back once he gives it to me, it’s essentially like extra income.

 

I felt my heart warming as I thought about the mana potions and other status abnormality potions still remaining in my inventory.

 

This is a good point of him, that scammer bastard.

 

 

After listening to Scammer’s brief briefing, we signed up for a club activity permit and headed to a mountain in the middle zone.

 

“Whoa~ It’s reaaaal?”

 

At the end of the rough mountain path after passing the hiking trail, there was a gate in an exquisite corner hidden by rocks that revealed a blue cave like a misaligned puzzle.

 

“Let’s go!”

 

We put on the cold weather gear Scammer had prepared and walked into the gate.

 

As the name ‘ice cave’ suggests, the dungeon inside the gate was filled with cool air.

 

As we watched our exhaled breath turn white, we walked carefully without letting go of our tension.

 

I looked at Lee Hana closely. Although she was nervous, she seemed to be quite comfortable with the environment inside the cave.

 

It must be because of the curse she couldn’t solve for a long time.

 

According to the novel, she was suffering from the ‘Curse of Fire’ in her body due to some circumstances.

 

Because she possesses ice attribute magic, fire attribute curses are especially fatal. Therefore, the ice attribute item that suppressed the effect of the curse was a very necessary item for her.

 

That’s why she took Scammer’s bait. Anyway, there’s quite a lot of trouble over there.

 

I was quite worried about her because it reminded me of my orphanage sibling who was suffering because of mana.

 

We lined up in a pre-determined position.

 

At the front were close range dealers Na Yuri and Park Siwoo, in the center were the commander Scammer and wizard Choi Soojung, and at the back were ranged dealers me and Lee Hana, who decided to play as ranged dealers this time.

 

How much time has passed?

 

There was the sound of stones hitting each other.

 

Scammer immediately shouted.

 

“Ready for battle!”

 

As soon as those words were spoken, stones of various sizes began to move along with a cracking sound. And soon, it took on the shape of a huge stone tower.

 

“The moving rock, especially the ice moving rock. Na Yuri! Park Siwoo!”

 

“I know!”

 

“Got it.”

 

Na Yuri quickly wrapped flames around her fist and struck the moving rock.

 

The ice melted and cracked under her powerful fist, and part of the center of the stone tower collapsed. The core inside the stone tower was revealed.

 

Then Park Siwoo’s old sword cut through the core at once.

 

When the fist-sized blue core inside the stone tower was split in two, the stone tower, which had struggled to maintain its shape, collapsed. Stones bounced around.

 

Scammer shouted, covering his head.

 

“Choi Soojung, protect us using the wind!”

 

“Rogerㅡ”

 

Choi Soojung unleashed a wall of strong wind and bounced the stones flying towards us.

 

Bam! Bam! Bam!

 

How much of that eerie sound was heard? As the sound died down, the wind barrier also disappeared.

 

“First, I will collect the monster‘s body and core before going. Senior Hana, can you help me with the collection?”

 

“Alright.”

 

When Lee Hana reached out to the remains of the monster, the monster’s stones and the monster’s core, which contained mana, gathered one by one as if they were being drawn into a magnet. Oh, as expected of the ice abilities.

 

And among the by-products was a bracelet. Is this an item drop?

 

“Thank you.”

 

Scammer said as he packed up the items and monster by-products.

 

“As I briefed you before, there are no small monsters in this cave, but instead there are many large monsters that give us cores and items, so we must proceed with caution.”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Still, materials from large monsters will be sold at high prices. In the case of extrude gates, didn’t hunters cheer when a large raid monster pops out?

 

We moved steadily forward.

 

Although a few moving rocks like before appeared occasionally, there were no major problems. Thanks to Lee Hana, it didn’t take much time to collect it.

 

Lee Hana must have absorbed the cold while collecting, her complexion looked much better than before entering the cave.

 

That’s a relief. Seeing a sick person is difficult in many ways.

 

Along the way, there were ice attribute magic stones embedded in the ice, and Scammer took out a pickaxe and handed them out one by one, as if he had been waiting. He’s a thorough jerk when it comes to preparing.

 

 

Anyway, after getting rid of everything in the ice cave, we arrived in front of the last cave.

 

“Do you all remember the operation I mentioned before?”

 

“Mmhm!”

 

“Of course~”

 

“Don’t worry.”

 

“You can’t forget, though?”

 

“Sister, I was the one who planned this operation, you know?”

 

Lee Hana shut her mouth and just nodded her head in silence.

 

“Then please, Senior Hana.”

 

“Mmhm.”

 

Soon, Lee Hana’s cold mana enveloped us.

 

We held our breath and moved to our respective positions.

 

Lee Hana, Na Yuri, and Park Siwoo went near the giant furball, or yeti, that was lying down and sleeping. The rest go to the rear.

 

I was looking for a high enough place to sit to find a sniping point.

 

At that time, Scammer tapped my shoulder and said.

 

“I believe in you, Kang Nahyun.”

 

“Alright… I’ll work hard!”

 

Yes. The main character of this operation was none other than me.

 

According to the original story, Lee Hana would have been the main character and a different strategy would have been used.

 

…This means that the current Scammer trusts me that much, doesn’t it.

 

 

Lee Hana

First Year