Although Seo Ye-in was showing an unexpected amount of interest, it didn’t seem like Ahn Jeong-mi had brought up this question just to change the subject.
It was an issue that needed to be dealt with sooner or later anyway.
There had to be some connection between taking Seo Ye-in into a dungeon and my summer vacation plans.
So, to confirm, I asked again.
“I assume there’s a reason you’re asking this?”
“The Chairman would like to meet you, Kim Ho-nim.”
“And the Chairman is....?”
“He is young miss Seo Ye-in’s grandfather.”
I glanced over at Seo Ye-in.
I had guessed she was connected to someone high up.
So, she’s the Chairman’s granddaughter.
It made perfect sense now why she was under the management of the Future Strategy Office and even had a butler.
Given the flow of the conversation, it seemed the Chairman of a company as big as Hye-seong Group wanted to meet me because,
“He wants to assess my qualifications?”
“That’s correct.”
He wanted to see if my abilities were sufficient to tackle high-level dungeons,
What kind of person I was,
And whether I was someone he could trust to look after his granddaughter.
He wanted to judge that for himself.
There’s no reason for me to refuse.
Taking Seo Ye-in into the underground dungeons was a hurdle I would have to clear eventually.
Since the rewards from luck-related dungeons were quite substantial, the sooner I got permission, the better.
There could be some extra benefits too.
They invited me over, so would it really just end with a simple meeting?
Hye-seong Group had often given me decent rewards whenever I helped Seo Ye-in or did her a favor.
This time would probably be no different.
If I have time, I could even grab a hidden piece or two.
The new city where Hye-seong Group’s headquarters were located came to mind.
I remembered a few hidden pieces around there.
Though I was leaning toward going, you never know what might happen in life.
So I decided to hold off on giving an answer.
“I don’t have any special plans, but I’d like to think it over a bit more before deciding.”
“I understand. Feel free to let me know anytime.”
Ahn Jeong-mi who was inside the crystal ball bowed politely as if to show respect for my decision.
On the other hand, Seo Ye-in who was eager for a quicker response said,
“Come visit my house.”
“We’ll see.”
“Come visit.”
She kept tugging at my sleeve whenever she got the chance and repeatedly urged me to visit her.
***
The “three-in-one” training continued over the weekend.
Normally, I left Seo Ye-in alone on weekends, but this time, she participated with unusual enthusiasm.
I was curious so I asked her why.
“I didn’t get to finish her off.”
That was her brief reply.
In the last match of the duel battle, Kwak Ji-cheol ended up being little more than cannon fodder, but it seemed that wasn’t enough to satisfy her.
So she decided to focus on ranking up more in preparation for the day she would face Hong Yeon-hwa again.
Turns out she really doesn’t like losing either.
For Go Hyeon-woo and me, this was welcome news.
The three-in-one training couldn’t proceed if even one person was missing.
So by Sunday evening, as Seo Ye-in worked on her explosive bullet skill, Go Hyeon-woo trained both his sword technique and movement technique, and I continued my wind magic practice, we saw significant progress.
The talented monster Seo Ye-in naturally advanced her explosive bullet skill to C-rank, while Go Hyeon-woo became skilled enough to use his sword technique and movement technique in real combat.
[‘Wind Barrier’ rank has increased. (D+ -> C+)]
I also managed to push my Wind Barrier to the next level.
***
Monday.
It was time for the strategy battle class.
Seo Cheong-yong began to speak with his usual kind smile.
“This week, just like always, we’ll be trying to survive in a hostile environment.”
“.......”
Shhhhhh...
In addition, thick smoke was rising from various spots here and there.
“That looks like poisonous gas, right?”
“Mhmm.”
Large plants were swaying side to side in the distance, almost as if they were dancing.
“They look like monsters, right?”
“They do.”
Go Hyeon-woo slowly reached for his waist, but I kept walking ahead regardless.
Before long, a building that had once been a greenhouse came into view.
Its glass walls were shattered, leaving only a bare frame behind, while various plants had burst out from the structure.
I trudged inside without hesitation with Go Hyeon-woo and Seo Ye-in following behind me.
In the center of the greenhouse, a small tree was glowing with light.
“It looks like a sanctuary, right?”
“It’s definitely easy to tell.”
“Just find the crystal and charge it.”
The clear condition for this dungeon was to charge two crystals.
“The grading is based on average health.”
[Kim Ho: 100%]
[Go Hyeon-woo: 100%]
[Seo Ye-in: 100%]
The score would depend on how much of the group’s average health remained once both crystals were fully charged.
At the same time, I pulled up this week’s side quest.
[Side Quest: 13th Week Strategy Battle]
▷Objective: Clear the strategy battle dungeon
▷Deadline: ~Sunday midnight
▷Reward: Varies based on performance.
The maximum achievement rate required was an average health of 95% or higher.
In other words, we had to take almost no damage.
And with a three-person team, it wasn’t enough for just me to perform well.
We all had to do well.
The difficulty was definitely high,
But it’s definitely worth it.
The rewards were good enough to justify the effort.
“I’ve got some good news; the location here is pretty good.”
Standing in the sanctuary and surveying the terrain, I noticed a few narrow paths winding through the dense mass of giant plants.
“If the monsters come, that’s the only way they can get through.”
“It looks like a good spot for a fight.”
Among other poison zone dungeons like jungles or swamps, I specifically chose this botanical garden for a reason.
The narrow paths made it impossible for us to get surrounded by monsters, and we could take them down as they came.
However, Go Hyeon-woo seemed to have some concerns.
“But Kim-hyung, doesn’t that restrict our movement too?”
“That’s right.”
Shhhh...
Right then, acrid smoke began rising from the nearby ground.
If poisonous gas or pollen scattered around during an urgent battle, where could we possibly run?
Of course, I had prepared a solution for this problem too.
“The second piece of good news is...”
It would be faster to show than to explain a hundred times.
I glanced nearby and spotted a colorful flower in full bloom.
When I reached out and grabbed it, purple pollen scattered everywhere.
At a glance, it was obviously full of toxins.
[Kim Ho: 100%]
[Kim Ho: 100%]
Not only had my health not dropped, but I hadn’t even been poisoned.
I dusted off my hands and asked,
“What are we?”
“......!”
Go Hyeon-woo seemed to remember something he had forgotten when he saw that.
“...We’re immune to most poisons.”
All three of us were.