Episode 18. The Day Before the MT
In the final mock dungeon, Sindae spotted O Gayeon, who had arrived as an instructor.
“What, you’re taking the test first?”
“Of course, Gayeon! Our I Seonho sunbae was here!”
At Byeon Beomsu’s words, O Gayeon looked at him with open disdain.
Whether he felt her gaze or not, Byeon Beomsu immediately went quiet, and Sindae let out a snicker at the sight.
“If oppa’s here, you don’t need me, right?”
O Gayeon spoke, finding it amusing that she was serving as an instructor under I Seonho, who was stronger than her. I Seonho smirked.
“Yeah, rest a bit, Gayeon.”
“A.. aren’t you coming with us?”
Sindae, who hadn’t expected him to actually rest, asked in confusion. I Seonho tilted his head.
“Why? You want to go with Gayeon?”
“Ah... no, th.. that’s not it..”
Sindae’s face flushed instantly.
I Seonho smirked at him.
“Anyway, rest a bit, Gayeon. I’ll finish quickly and come back.”
“Geez, no one would know you’re a reservist. I’m jealous you get to leave after just this. I have to stay until the final training ends.”
Passing by the grumbling O Gayeon, Sindae entered the dungeon temporarily created by the Association.
I Seonho smirked and spoke to Sindae.
“If you join Baekho, you can hunt with Gayeon, Sindae.”
“Huh?”
Sindae looked at I Seonho as if asking what he was talking about.
He merely grinned.
‘Wait, is he telling me to join Baekho?’
Sindae pondered whether he was being told to join Baekho.
Beside him, Byeon Beomsu also looked at I Seonho with an expression of disbelief.
“S... Sunbae, he’s F-rank.”
“Even an F-rank is an F-rank in its own way...”
With those cryptic words, I Seonho entered the dungeon.
At this behavior, Sindae could only tilt his head.
‘What, are you telling me to come or not?’
Sindae had been ready to bow in front of the Baekho Guild headquarters immediately if he was told to join.
But seeing I Seonho start cutting down monsters after leaving such puzzling words, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
‘Don’t tell me this guy is playing hard to get with me?’
***
Thanks to I Seonho’s performance, Sindae and his group were discharged early, faster than the others.
While driving them home, I Seonho held out his phone to Sindae, who was the last one remaining.
“Sindae, let me get your number. How is it that yours is the only number I don’t have in our department?”
Sindae had been about to mention inviting him to the group chat, but feeling it would be somewhat pathetic, he just gave him his number.
“Anyway, good work today. I should at least buy you dinner, but I have something to do...”
“It’s okay.”
Sindae expressed his gratitude for the ride and got out of the car.
I Seonho watched Sindae with an intrigued gaze.
‘I have something to tell the Guild Leader.’
Though they said he was F-rank, he was an Awakened who transcended F-rank.
His guild leader, Baek Hojin, would definitely be interested.
***
“Phew... it’s tough, so tough...”
Sindae entered his house.
He took off his military uniform and stroked the griffin egg.
[Griffin Egg]
[Hatching Rate 15%]
[Absorbed the characteristics of Griffin Leather.]
[Absorbed the characteristics of Ogre Leather.]
[Absorbed the characteristics of Hippogriff Leather.]
[Absorbed the characteristics of Troll Leather.]
.
.
.
.
Total of 13.
These were the hides Sindae had fed to Kkokko, who was hatching.
He smirked as he watched the hatching rate increase with each absorption.
“Kkokko, I’m going on the MT starting tomorrow... Just wait, stay here alone!”
While putting a few clothes into his bag for the upcoming MT, Sindae let out a sigh.
‘Sigh... is this all the clothes I have...’
Having never cared about his attire, he was in a situation where he had no clothes suitable to wear to the MT.
Looking at the clock, Sindae realized the department store was still open.
‘Yeah, let’s buy some clothes with this opportunity.’
Feeling good about spending some of the 50 million won he’d earned, Sindae left his house, only to find a familiar face grinning broadly and welcoming him in front of his studio.
“Did you have a good reservist training?”
“Ch... Cha Yerin?”
It was because S-rank Awakened Cha Yerin was standing in front of his house, smiling brightly at him.
“Goodness... how did you get here?”
Sindae worried about whether he had given her his address.
But Cha Yerin looked at him as if it was no big deal.
“I followed your scent.”
“My... scent?”
“Well, I have that kind of ability. More importantly, I’d like you to come out and do some work for me tomorrow?”
“Ah... work?”
Sindae trailed off at the word “work.”
He recalled what he had talked about with Cha Yerin in the griffin dungeon.
‘It’s a good opportunity, but tomorrow is a bit...’
“Why not?”
The moment Sindae showed signs of refusal, Cha Yerin’s expression hardened. Sindae sighed as he looked at her.
“I’m going on the MT tomorrow...”
“MT? Ah! You said you were a college student, right?”
As Sindae nodded, Cha Yerin looked at him as if amused.
“Then do you have time now?”
Since she was someone who could clear a dungeon quickly anyway, she asked Sindae.
“I... I’m going to buy clothes right now...”
“Clothes?”
Cha Yerin tilted her head at Sindae’s words.
Soon, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Don’t tell me you’re going clothes shopping because of the MT?”
“Is that strange?”
Sindae didn’t know why she was laughing like that.
After laughing for a while, Cha Yerin smirked and nodded.
“You’re cuter than I thought. Alright, then I’ll go with you.”
“Huh? You’ll go with me?”
“Yeah, it seems like it’d be fun.”
Regardless of Sindae’s opinion, Cha Yerin grabbed his hand and headed somewhere.
The place they arrived at following her was Osung Department Store, where only chaebols shopped!
“W... wait, this place?”
Though she had said department store, Sindae’s pupils quaked with an earthquake—since he had been planning to shop within his means—for a moment.
As Cha Yerin entered the department store as if she owned the place, a middle-aged man came running.
“Cha Yerin, you’ve arrived? If you had informed us you were coming, we would have prepared in advance.”
Cha Yerin merely grinned at the man.
Sindae’s eyes widened when he saw the name engraved on the man’s name tag.
[Store Manager I Taeho.]
“G... goodness, the store manager came running out!?”
Watching him spew endless flattery beside Cha Yerin, Sindae once again realized the power of an S-rank.
“Today it’s not for me, it’s for him!”
“Then we shall move to the menswear section.”
They arrived at the menswear section, escorted personally by the store manager.
Sindae looked at the price of a single shirt costing 1.5 million won and began to feel dizzy.
‘Is this shirt made of diamonds or what?!’
“Hmm... this, this, and this! Your face is dark, so cobalt blue would suit you too.”
Leaving Sindae standing there, Cha Yerin picked out several pieces of clothing.
Sindae sighed as he watched her.
“Umm... Cha Yerin, I don’t have the money to pay for this...”
“Ah! This would be good too. Hurry and try it on, try it on!”
Cha Yerin handed him a denim jacket and cotton pants.
Sindae could only sigh inwardly.
‘Right... at least I can try them on.’
Thinking when else he’d ever wear luxury clothes, Sindae tried them on in the fitting room.
He admired his reflection in the mirror a bit.
‘With this, I’m at least above average, right?’
Sindae was thinking that clothes truly made the man.
Cha Yerin smirked as if she found him amusing.
“You look like an orc wearing designer clothes.”
“...........”
Sindae hadn’t expected her to say it so directly.
As he shook his head and tried to go back into the fitting room, Cha Yerin grinned.
“Just wear that. It suits your current style well.”
“Huh? But I don’t have the money to pay...”
A denim jacket for 2 million won, cotton pants for 1 million won.
It wasn’t that he lacked the money, but it was a luxury for Sindae.
“Sir, Cha Yerin has already paid for everything.”
As the store manager subtly spoke from the side, Sindae’s eyes began to widen.
‘A... all of this?’
“And try this on too, and that... Ah! Those shoes would suit you too!”
In the end, the clothes Cha Yerin bought for Sindae totaled five sets.
Even paying in cash, it was over 20 million won.
‘I... is this what it means to be S-rank?’
Watching Cha Yerin smiling brightly as she casually swiped 20 million won, Sindae couldn’t close his mouth.
He once again witnessed the vast spending power of an S-rank.
“I... is it okay for me to accept all of this...”
“Shouldn’t you say that before paying?”
“Ahem... that’s true but...”
Finding Sindae’s reaction amusing, Cha Yerin smiled brightly again.
She looked at her wristwatch and grinned.
“Then shall we go to work now?”
“Huh? Work?”
Current time: 10 PM.
Sindae, who had been planning to go home and pack, tilted his head at Cha Yerin’s words about going to work.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. It’s a 7-star dungeon, but the clear will only take three hours.”
“...... Huh?”
A sudden sense of unease.
Cha Yerin grinned at Sindae.
“You just need to get home by tomorrow morning, right?”
“..........”
‘Wait, don’t tell me this woman... is trying to make me work all night!?’
Although the dungeon clear would take three hours, a 7-star dungeon was the size of a decent city.
Even a day wouldn’t be enough to collect all the monsters there.
Sindae was about to open his mouth to refuse.
But Cha Yerin looked at him with hardened eyes again.
“Don’t tell me you’re refusing? After receiving all those gifts?”
“........ Can we enter the dungeon right now?”
Sighing, Sindae followed her as she smiled brightly, heading toward the 7-star dungeon.
***
History Department, Korea University.
Students busy loading luggage onto the bus saw a man approaching from afar and stiffened in surprise.
“OMG... isn’t that coat Hermès?”
“Goodness, that’s a 4 million won coat.”
“Huh?! Are those Gucci shoes?”
Sindae appeared covered head to toe in luxury brands.
I Seonho, the club president, also stood with his mouth open, seemingly quite flustered by Sindae’s appearance.
“But who is that sunbae?”
“You know... the ogre...”
“Goodness... that ogre sunbae is wearing designer clothes right now!?”
While the students were bewildered by the outfit so contrasting with Sindae’s usual appearance, Sindae awkwardly approached the bus.
“Umm... is there anything I can help with?”