Chapter 39:

Chapter 39:

Chapter 39

Seo Gangrim quickly concealed that emotion.Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com

"Because there's no god offering me."

Yoon Bom found herself speechless as she heard the voice once more. It was so so calm that Yoon Bom began to wonder if she had been mistaken for a moment.

"Looks like someone's coming out."

Seo Gangrim shifted his gaze toward the door with a hint of curiosity. The door to the First stage opened, and someone stumbled out of it. This person's appearance was eye-catching in various ways. Dressed in the attire of a foreign priest from the cathedral, he drew attention from anyone with his distinct appearance. Since fate was applicable to everyone, foreigners were also subjects of awakening.

"Ugh, cough...!"

The foreign priest collapsed to the floor with a painful groan, he was covered in wounds all over. Seeing this, Yoon Bom was surprised in more ways than one.

"Huh? That's the First stage, right...?"

Yoon Bom was astonished at the fact that someone who came out of the First stage was so heavily wounded. Her reaction, however, was reasonable because most people had already progressed to at least the Third stage by now. Still, the man who came out of the first stage now seemed to have wounds as if he had fought a high-ranked demon.

Seo Gangrim approached the man quickly.

"Are you okay, Father?"

"I-I'm fine. Thank you."

Although he said he was fine, his body was covered in injuries, making him not appear well. Yoon Bom, who came closer, spoke with a concerned expression.

"Father Yohan, you still haven't cleared it...?"

"Haha, I've been trying, but it's not going well."

Yohan, the priest, spoke while rubbing the back of his head, feeling awkward. Yoon Bom's expression remained concerned.

"You still can't defeat the demons?"

"Yes, I'm still not doing well... I still get scared when facing demon beasts."

In their past lives, Seo Gangrim and Yohan were the ones who lagged behind. Even while others were progressing through the Fourth or Fifth stages, they remained in the First or Second stages.

"It's close to impossible to clear the stage without killing demon beasts."

Lack of skill was the reason for Seo Gangrim's stagnation while Yohan couldn't advance further because he couldn't defeat demon beasts. Later on, Dokgo Jun took notice of them and helped them strategize, allowing them to eventually leave the place.

"I can't leave it like this."

Unlike his usual self, Seo Gangrim spoke with a faint smile and addressed Yohan.

"Father, shall I assist you in clearing these stages?"

"What? You, Brother Seo Gangrim?"

He was surprised and looked at Seo Gangrim. Meanwhile, Yoon Bom quickly chimed in.

"In that case, Father, I'll help too!"

"We're fine. Go and hunt."

"But..."

"I'm your master, aren't I?"

"Huh? So you're now my master?"

"I'll consider it based on what you do. You should focus on your training."

When Seo Gangrim half-threatened, Yoon Bom eventually left her seat. Still, her expression was quite bright. Meanwhile, Yohan continued to look at Seo Gangrim with a bewildered expression.

"I-I've thought about it, but I'm not useful in battles..."

"It's okay. I was planning to train anyway and go to a different stage."

"Are you sure? I feel like I'm causing you trouble..."

"At times like this, we should help each other."

"Brother..."

Yohan looked at Seo Gangrim with a greatly moved expression. Of course, Seo Gangrim's assistance wasn't solely out of kindness.

'That Dokgo Jun won't let anyone just join on his side.'

[Name] Yohan Lichther

[Rank] Dragon Third-class

[Element] Earth

At the mention of Seo Gangrim, Ju Seongtae's brow twitched. Due to Seo Gangrim's use of unconventional tactics to conquer the First stage, Ju Seongtae still held a negative opinion of him.

"I don't think much of that guy. He's just good at tricks, and even if he joins our team, he won't do the job properly."

"Still, he trains diligently and takes good care of people. He even rescued a stranded person in the Ice Valley, and..."

Some of the agents gave Annaby odd looks upon hearing her appraisal of Seo Gangrim. Some were slightly grinning.

"Annaby, you don't mean..."

"You're already taken with Seo Gangrim?"

Despite the seniors' jesting, Annaby blinked her eyes in response, her expression unchanged. She nodded her head solemnly, as if not fully understanding the implications.

"Yes. I like Seo Gangrim-ssi. I believe he will be an important asset to our team."

"No, that's not what I meant..."

Before someone could explain, the lounge door swung open, and someone walked in. The agents all stood up.

"Oh, Team Leader Gong Joo. Welcome."

The cheerful atmosphere from a moment ago disappeared. Everyone adopted attentive postures as they looked at Gong Joo. His sharp and irritable personality contributed to this tense reception.

'Is he here to scold us again, instead of working?'

'This person can't even see that we're on a break...'

While the agents were tensed, to their surprise, Gong Joo appeared calm. He approached the agents and lightly patted someone's shoulder.

"Take a rest. I heard you just came back from a mission. Thank you for your hard work."

Hus words left the agents wide-eyed in astonishment. Gong Joo seemed to be in a good mood, but no one expected it to continue for days. Gong Joo walked over to the coffee machine, poured himself a cup, and took a seat beside the agents. Annaby discreetly observed Gong Joo and ventured, "Team Leader, you seem to be in a good mood today."

The other agents were taken aback by Annaby's question.

"So, I usually don't seem to be in a good mood?" Despite Gong Joo's tendency to be argumentative, he simply nodded his head.

"Yeah. I was worried that the first to clear Stage Four would come from Zone Four, but since the first one came from our zone..."

"The time it took for someone in our zone to conquer Stage Four was much shorter than the Zone One."

"That's right. Very fortunate."

Gong Joo sipped his coffee, his face visibly relaxed. The agents were relieved but also conscious of having their superior present. Amidst the conversations between Annaby and Gong Joo, someone else entered the lounge. The moment Gong Joo saw this person, his previously relaxed expression twisted again.

"Oh my, it's Team Leader Gong Joo."

The newcomer was an attractive woman. She greeted everyone with a warm smile, but Gong Joo's expression remained sour.

"...What brings you here, Team Leader Seomun?"

The person in question was Seomun Yongneo, the leader of Zone One and Gong Joo's superior. Among the four team leaders, Seomun Yongneo held a position more like an executive.

Despite Princess Gong Joo's evident animosity, Seomun Yongneo maintained a gentle smile, seemingly unaffected.

"Oh, I heard the news and wanted to offer my congratulations. They say the first conqueror has emerged from Zone Two. Congratulations, Team Leader Gong Joo."

"Thank you."

"So, will Zone One and Two meet now?"

At the mention of the two zones meeting, Gong Joo's lips twitched. He forced a smile and responded, "Yes, I suppose."

"I'm looking forward to it. Which zone's trainee will be the first to conquer the next one?"

"Our trainees are quite exceptional."

"Oh dear, Zone One's participants are no pushovers either."

While the two were engaged in their playful verbal exchange, the agents on the sidelines observed anxiously.

Seomun Yongneo grinned mischievously and proposed, "Shall we make a wager?"

"A wager?"

"Yes. Let's bet on which zone, yours or mine, will produce the first conqueror at the higher difficulty level."

"Sure, what's the wager?"

"The winner gets one wish from the loser, anything they want."

Gong Joo hesitated for a moment at this offer, then Seomun Yongneo smiled provocatively.

"Feeling intimidated?"

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