Chapter 135 – Pangaea (1)

“Unit Leader. It seems you need to make a decision.”

I just can’t get used to this guy Ho-joong’s way of speaking without any context.

When I just stared at him without answering, the guy finally continued with an explanation.

“Ah! I mean, I’m getting dozens of calls a day asking when the Chamryongdan will recruit new members again.”

I had already heard about that.

As the news of our Chamryongdan’s 5-0 Bimu record spread, interest from new Hunters who hadn’t decided their affiliation yet and from prospective Hunters was flooding in.

The record was one thing, but the talk about our matchups was said to be even hotter.

Because the Chamryongdan had defied expectations and won every time.

“So?”

“Shouldn’t we release an official statement? Whether there’s a recruitment plan or not.”

Ho-joong seemed to be subtly hoping for more members.

In fact, I had also been continuously thinking about expanding the Chamryongdan.

I didn’t plan to remain a small elite group forever, so I was just weighing the timing.

If we were to add more members, I was thinking of dividing the Chamryongdan into two teams and entrusting one to Choi Ho-joong and the other to Shin Ah-yeon.

Both of their skills had improved a lot, and it would also serve as leadership training.

“Ho-joong, you draw up a plan by tomorrow and bring it to me.”

“Then, are you going to recruit more members?”

“Yes. The number will be between 10 and 15.”

At my answer, Ho-joong’s face lit up.

“Then the size of our Chamryongdan will double!”

“I don’t know about that. If only riff-raff show up, I plan to send them all home.”

“Aw. Surely that won’t happen. Rumors about our Chamryongdan are spreading by word of mouth, so I’m sure amazing talents will gather!”

“Then your position, Ho-joong, will become ambiguous.”

“Pardon?”

In that moment, the guy’s pupils shook violently.

This guy Ho-joong. He still had no awareness of his own skill level.

With his current skills, he could be a Unit Leader in any decent sword family.

***

After the Bimu, besides expanding the Chamryongdan, there was one more thing to decide.

“Unit Leader. I have something to tell you.”

In the end, Yoon Joo-hee expressed her intention to go with me to Nekarion’s Castle.

“You’ve given it enough thought, right?”

“Yes. To be honest, even after making the decision, I feel a bit dazed. I was thinking at least 15 years from now.”

The trauma of her family’s annihilation must have made the decision difficult, but in the end, she trusted me.

“As I’ve already said, the only ones going there will be you and me. I don’t plan on moving the Chamryongdan.”

“I am aware of that, Unit Leader.”

“I thought you would need more time.”

“I felt that this was the moment in my life when I had to take a gamble. The fear that if I miss this opportunity to be with you now, Unit Leader, I might never be able to go there. I felt that way.”

I nodded.

This journey came to be because our interests aligned.

Nekarion’s Castle was a place connected to my home, Kalia.

And for Yoon Joo-hee, it was a place like a piece of homework where she had to resolve the grudge from 9 years ago, and where traces of the Jeongjin Sword Style might remain, even if they didn’t.

“Thank you. For trusting me.”

“Those are the words I should be saying to you, Unit Leader.”

Yoon Joo-hee bowed her head to me.

“And there’s one more issue we need to discuss.”

I took out a map in front of Yoon Joo-hee.

The Map of Pangaea.

It was the reward I received from clearing a dungeon with her not long ago.

Pangaea was a place where I might be able to get a clue about dragons.

I thought that perhaps the order of raiding might be important.

Which place to go to first would be a good choice for my grand plan in the future.

“This map actually belongs to you as well.”

“Ah!”

The map was already activated.

The condition was to pass through the portal to Pangaea via the Abyss within 30 days.

“Of course, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to go to Pangaea.”

“No, sir. I will go with you, Unit Leader.”

Yoon Joo-hee answered without a second’s hesitation.

“Without even thinking about it?”

“The purpose of my joining the Chamryongdan is solely for my own growth. So, I believe there is no reason to refuse a good opportunity.”

“I see.”

It wouldn’t be bad for me to have a companion either.

I could have her do trivial tasks, if nothing else.

With this, her accompaniment was all decided.

Our destinations were Nekarion’s Castle and the Pangaean Empire.

“Between the two, I’m thinking of going to Pangaea first.”

“I will follow your choice, Unit Leader.”

I could only believe that it would be a good choice in the end.

Because I made the decision while wearing Nike’s Ring, which brings good fortune.

“Then it’s settled.”

First, recruit Chamryongdan members, then go through Pangaea, and finish the journey at Nekarion’s Castle.

It looked like it was going to be a very busy schedule.

***

The recruitment announcement period was only 3 days.

But the number of people who visited the Haewon Sword Family was, at a glance, much larger than during the first recruitment.

“Unit Leader. Here are the applicants’ documents.”

Choi Ho-joong handed me a thick bundle of paper.

Densely written self-introductions and various supporting documents.

Even with a quick glance, I could tell that the specs were more impressive than the first time.

“There are a lot of experienced people this time, huh?”

“That’s right! There must be guys who are trying their luck with us as their contract period is about to expire.”

Besides them, there would be a mix of various types.

From those who were tempted by the Haewon Sword Family’s name rather than the Chamryongdan, to those who applied out of simple curiosity.

But whatever their motive, it didn’t matter.

My selection criterion was solely skill.

“How many applicants are there in total?”

“Approximately 150.”

“Then there must be about 100 riff-raffs.”

“I will screen them out in the first round.”

“No. It’s fine. At that rate, it’ll take forever.”

There were too many people for Choi Ho-joong to test one by one.

Not only would it take a lot of time, but Ho-joong’s mana wouldn’t be able to hold up.

“Send them into my office, one by one.”

“You’re going to interview all 150 of them first?”

“No. I’m going to conduct the first test here myself.”

“In the office?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no, sir.”

“It’ll proceed quickly, so as soon as one person is done, send the next one in right away.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Ho-joong just tilted his head in confusion.

***

Applicant number 4 entered Seo Ji-han’s office.

Kim Jong-soo, a 2nd-year Hunter from the Pegasus Guild.

He had experience, and his mana seemed quite accumulated, so Seo Ji-han decided to have some slight expectations.

“Applicant number 4. Catch.”

“Pardon?”

Of course, that bewildered expression was not much different from the previous three applicants.

Hwiiiiiiing!

A business card flicked by Seo Ji-han flew quickly.

The card, coated with a moderate amount of mana, was aimed precisely at Kim Jong-soo’s solar plexus.

If he catches it, he passes.

His mana began to flicker rapidly as Kim Jong-soo hastily raised his hand.

A fight of an instant had begun.

The business card was flying perfectly parallel to the floor without a single tilt, so from Seo Ji-han’s standard, he thought it wasn’t a difficult task.

First, aim for the height and direction, then extend your hand, and close your thumb and index finger to catch it.

Kim Jong-soo fixed his gaze on the business card and quickly narrowed the gap between his fingers.

But.

Ssk!

His finger was slightly cut, and a red line was drawn.

“And a single business card fell vainly to the floor.”

On the back was the word ‘Pass’ meticulously written by Seo Ji-han.

“That’s a shame. It seems you’re not fated to be with the Chamryongdan.”

“What? This was the test?”

Kim Jong-soo wore an expression of disbelief.

But Seo Ji-han’s stance was firm.

If his reflexes and senses couldn’t even catch an attack of this level, it would be difficult for him to achieve the growth he expected.

By his standards, it was a failure with no room for reconsideration.

“We cannot provide you with ointment and a bandage. Thank you for your trouble.”

And Seo Ji-han decided to change the method a little.

“Ho-joong. From now on, send them in three at a time.”

He thought there was no need to test them one by one.

Next, challengers 5, 6, and 7 entered at the same time.

Challenger number 7, Ahn Ji-soo.

She was so nervous that her mind felt like it was going blank.

The four challengers who had left this place before her. Their dark expressions lingered in her mind.

‘What on earth is the test?’

Even at the longest, it didn’t take even a minute per person. In that short time where they couldn’t even show anything, they were all given a failing verdict.

Among them was an established Hunter.

Even the applicant who had just failed was from the prestigious Pegasus Guild.

Naturally, her confidence had evaporated.

Ahn Ji-soo herself was in a situation where she couldn’t find an affiliation yet, despite having acquired her license, due to her low scores.

Looking at Seo Ji-han’s face, sitting with a lofty expression at his desk, she felt even more intimidated.

A few seconds of silence passed like that.

‘Surely he’s not picking based on facial features, right?’

She couldn’t even guess what kind of test was being conducted here, so even such an absurd thought came to her.

“Applicants 5, 6, and 7.”

Seo Ji-han’s voice was suddenly heard.

At his call, the three answered simultaneously.

“Yes!”

Her voice came out slightly trembling, making her flustered, but since it overlapped with the other applicants’, Ahn Ji-soo decided not to mind it too much.

But after hearing Seo Ji-han’s next line, her thoughts stopped for a moment.

“Catch.”

What did that mean?

At the hard-to-guess words, Ahn Ji-soo’s eyes widened.

And then, goosebumps crawled all over her skin.

Because she could feel mana flickering at an unbelievably fast rate.

Seo Ji-han was in the middle of flicking the three pieces of paper he was holding in his hand.

‘Is that… a business card?’

A paper of about that size.

What was surprising was that he had evenly coated that thin fibrous material with mana.

The paper that left Seo Ji-han’s hand flew in at a high speed.

Now she understood the meaning of ‘Catch.’

Ahn Ji-soo stretched out her hand.

The business card, which flew in the blink of an eye, was about to pass between her fingers.

She did not miss that moment.

Tak!

The paper caught between her closed fingers was, as expected, Seo Ji-han’s business card.

On the back, two characters were written with a black marker.

“Pass… sir?”

Seo Ji-han nodded.

“For now, it’s a first-round pass.”

Ahn Ji-soo was dumbfounded.

Because she was the only one who had passed the test.

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed that numbers 5 and 6 couldn’t even react properly to the business card Seo Ji-han threw.

“This is unfair!”

“That’s right! To be eliminated by such a test. We can’t accept this!”

The two who failed protested.

Seo Ji-han opened his mouth in a low voice.

“Such a test?”

“Please give us one more chance!”

At those words, Seo Ji-han continued speaking.

“If you waste my time like this, you’ll regret it.”

“Leaving after being eliminated like this would be more regrettable.”

“That’s right! This kind of elimination is too cruel.”

At the two’s plea, Seo Ji-han immediately picked up two business cards.

“If you catch it, you pass.”

And then he flicked them in the same way.

But the atmosphere was quite different from before.

In that moment, Ahn Ji-soo could feel it.

‘Incredible.’

It was even dangerous.

To think he could make such a fatal attack with just a thin business card.

She could see that the incredible rumors circulating about Seo Ji-han recently were not exaggerated in the slightest.

Paat!

Paat!

And the two thrown business cards passed by the two people’s earlobes and got stuck in the opposite wall.

‘No way! If the path had been slightly different…’

Even though it wasn’t her business, Ahn Ji-soo felt a chill run down her spine.

Numbers 5 and 6, the two of them stood in the same posture as if they had planned it.

Their pupils had lost focus, and they were frozen in an at-attention stance.

“Is the opportunity still not enough?”

At Seo Ji-han’s words, the two could only shake their heads back and forth.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep