Before long, we climbed the hill and returned to the base.
In the meantime, a lot had changed.
When we first set out, it had been nothing but an empty clearing, but now dozens of small tents were lined up in neat rows.
[Lodging (F)].
Off to one side stood a small cabin, with team members constantly going in and out, each carrying light snacks in their hands.
[Dining Hall (D)]
“They put up the most important things first.”
Food, clothing, and shelter are major priorities.
Together with Park Na-ri and Seo Ye-in, I stepped inside the cabin.
Various lunch boxes and sandwiches were displayed on the counter, as if anyone could just take one.
We each picked one out, chewing as we continued walking.
Our next stop was the vending machine.
As we approached, Song Cheon-hye who had been lost in thought sensed our presence and turned toward us.
“You’re back. How did it go?”
“We turned the place upside down.”
I grinned and handed over the charged crystals.
There were six of them.
As expected, Song Cheon-hye’s eyes widened in shock.
“You gathered that many?”
“Our Na-ri and her friends worked pretty hard.”
When I casually placed a hand on Park Na-ri’s shoulder, Seo Ye-in tugged lightly at my sleeve.
“…Me.”
“Of course, we can’t leave out young miss’s contribution.”
“Our Ye-in.”
As always, if I do something for someone, I have to do the same for her too. That’s her mindset.
Even Song Cheon-hye ended up mumbling blankly,
“Our… since when did you all get so close?”
“No idea. When you fight together, you just end up getting close before you know it. Right?”
“M-Mhmm… That’s true…”
Park Na-ri answered timidly, but the way she stroked Bum’s head seemed somehow more cheerful.
Song Cheon-hye looked away and muttered,
“I’ve fought alongside you more than they have.”
“So you’re saying you still feel some distance from me?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
When I shot back at her as if challenging her, Song Cheon-hye’s voice trailed off.
I let out a deep sigh, pretending to be disappointed.
“I thought we’d gotten pretty close. Guess I was mistaken.”
“We did get closer…! That’s true!”
“So don’t you dare cross the line? Keep your distance? Got it.”
“That’s not what I meant. When you keep twisting it like that…”
Flustered, Song Cheon-hye scrambled to find the right words.
I relaxed my expression and broke into a grin.
“Kidding.”
“…Seriously. Don’t joke about stuff like that.”
“You’re the one who keeps falling for it. Anyway, six should boost things up quite a bit, right?”
“It should.”
As if to show me, she pulled out the crystals she’d been holding and tapped on the vending machine screen.
Then she inserted the crystals one by one into the slot.
[Lodging (F → E → D)]
Before long, the rows of small tents disappeared, replaced by large canvas tents.
Then those tents vanished as well, and wooden cabins were erected in their place.
Song Cheon-hye added,
“I’m planning to keep the living facilities around this level.”
“Not bad.”
I nodded easily.
Right now, it feels less like a final exam and more like we’re on some kind of trip, but there’s no need to minimize food and sleep to the bare minimum.
More often than not, it’s better to eat well, rest properly, and go in at peak condition.
Song Cheon-hye continued tapping at the vending machine screen.
This time, she installed something we’d felt the need for from the very beginning—
[Barrier (F)]
Soon, a tall antenna-like structure rose beside the vending machine and began emitting waves of mana.
Woooong—
Within seconds, the base was enveloped in a blue barrier.
Without hesitation, Song Cheon-hye fed in the remaining crystals as well.
[Barrier (F → E)]
Woooong—
There was no dramatic visible change, but the barrier did seem slightly thicker.
With this, we were at least somewhat safer from the danger of volcanic eruptions.
There were still plenty of dangers left, so it wasn’t time to relax just yet.
Looking at the vending machine, I asked,
“You’re putting off the Crystal Tower for now, right?”
“Yes. We’ll start building it from Day 3.”
How high you stack it is part of the final exam evaluation criteria, but beyond that, it doesn’t provide any special effects.
If the tower is tall for no reason, it just makes you more exposed to danger.
It’s better to invest after securing a solid foundation.
I nodded and then said,
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“What is it?”
“There’s something called the <Card Shop>.”
“Yes, I saw it.”
It’s a facility where you can draw random cards at set intervals.
The higher its rank, the greater the quantity and quality of cards.
“Can you upgrade that first?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on other things?”
Song Cheon-hye looked hesitant.
Rather than relying on probability this early, wouldn’t it make more sense to prioritize facilities that guarantee clear benefits?
And this wasn’t just about a few of us. It affected dozens of team members.
In a normal situation, I would’ve made the same call.
But we’ve got a lucky charm on our side.
At the very least, I’m confident we’d get decent returns.
So it’s more profitable to install the Card Shop as soon as possible and start drawing.
Still, explaining all that and convincing her would take too long, so I chose a simpler, faster approach.
I looked straight at Song Cheon-hye and said,
“Trust me and upgrade it. I won’t let us take a loss.”
“…All right. You did bring in a lot, after all.”
“Yeah. And I’ll keep bringing in more.”
“How far should I upgrade it?”
“To Rank C.”
“That’ll probably cost quite a few crystals… but okay, I’ll do it.”
“Thanks.”
As I turned away after leaving my thanks, Song Cheon-hye asked,
“Are you heading out already?”
“I need to keep moving before the sun sets.”
“Travel safe. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
I waved back and started down the hill when I spotted Shin Byeong-cheol and called out to him.
“Hey, Mr. Shin, let’s talk for a moment.”
“What is it, hyung-nim?”
“I’ve got a mission for you. It’s very important.”
“An important mission, huh… Then there’s no one better suited for it than me.”
Shin Byeong-cheol put on a meaningful expression.
I handed over all the empty crystals I had picked up along the way.
“Charge these for me.”
Since I’d have to locate a sanctuary and remain nearby for a set period of time, doing it myself would be a waste of time.
It was best to assign the task to someone else on the team.
Shin Byeong-cheol readily accepted the empty crystals.
“Just leave it to me! I’ll charge them up nice and clean and bring them back.”
“If they get stolen or go missing… you know what that means, right?”
“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll make sure nothing like that happens. You can relax.”
He immediately returned to his party members to explain the situation.
After giving him one last glance, I looked at Park Na-ri and Seo Ye-in.
“Let’s go.”
***
The atmosphere at Team C’s base camp hung heavy.
A significant number of the members assigned to crystal retrieval and charging had yet to return.
Even after the volcano erupted a second time and eventually settled down.
It wasn’t until much later, when those who had been rendered incapacitated reentered, that they were able to grasp at least part of what had happened.
Six parties had been hit, a total of seventeen people.
Jeong Jin-myeong pressed a hand to his forehead as a headache began to throb.
“…We got played.”
Six crystals had been taken, but if the parties had been able to operate normally, they could have charged even more than that.
The losses were staggering.
Especially now, when they were just beginning to build their foundation and every single crystal was precious.
Jeong Jin-myeong let out a sigh as he gathered his thoughts.
What’s done is done. What matters is what happens next.
At the very least, they had to prevent the same thing from happening again.
So he listened to the accounts of the victims.
“They were charging it, and suddenly everything in front of me turned blue.”
“Someone had set a trap at the sanctuary, and I stepped right into it. Sorry.”
“Something like a bomb came flying down from the sky. I barely dodged it, but then I got sniped.”
It definitely wasn’t a monster.
From his brief observations, there were no monsters in this volcanic region capable of long-range explosions or sniping.
There was a slight chance it could have been a draconic soldier descending from above, but—
They said the effect was blue.
That suggested something close to non-elemental. And the Giant Mountain Dragon’s forces using anything other than fire?
That made no sense.
Which led him to a single conclusion.
It has to be another team.
Most likely Team B.
The chances of Team A breaking the non-aggression pact and making a move this early were extremely slim.
Especially considering Mo Yong-jun’s defensive nature.
But what about Team B?
Given the bad blood between them, it wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest if things had already escalated.
And there was one particular face that immediately came to mind.
Kim Ho.
If it were him, pulling off something this bold would be entirely in character.
And Seo Ye-in is in Team B too.
Jeong Jin-myeong repeated the keywords he had just heard.
“Trap”, “explosion”, and “sniping”.
All techniques Seo Ye-in had demonstrated before.
There’s no way she came alone.
The two of them were always together.
More precisely, Seo Ye-in trailed after Kim Ho wherever he went.
So that’s at least two of them.
He assumed they had likely added a few more members to their party in case things went south.
Jeong Jin-myeong frowned.
…I’m not sure we can catch them.
A three- to four-person party centered around Kim Ho and Seo Ye-in.
Considering that they had taken down Mok Jong-hwa in a joint attack duel battle despite having comparable strength, it was only fair to regard them as being on par with most third-year club presidents.
After finishing his calculations, Jeong Jin-myeong looked around at the team members waiting nearby and gave his orders.
“From now on, we move together. In groups of at least two parties.”
“Wouldn’t that hurt our crystal supply?”
At someone’s concern, Jeong Jin-myeong replied in a calm tone.
“It’s better than getting hit again. We can pull a few people from base defense to fill the gaps.”
“……”
“Before you start charging, thoroughly check the area around the sanctuary. And if you happen to spot any other team members……”
Jeong Jin-myeong paused for a moment, finished running the numbers in his head, and then continued.
“……Only engage if we outnumber them by at least three to one. Otherwise, just pull back.”
“We need a three-to-one advantage?”
“If it were up to me, I’d make it four.”
“So you’re saying we just avoid them.”
“For now. Let’s focus on gathering information and crystals.”
“……”
The team members reluctantly agreed and dispersed to carry out their respective roles.
Left alone, Jeong Jin-myeong’s eyes gleamed.
We won’t just keep taking hits.
Once he had a clearer grasp of their movements, he planned to concentrate their full force and take them down.
No matter how capable they were, they wouldn’t stand a chance against dozens charging at once.
Losing now was merely a setup for victory later.
***
—That’s probably what he’s thinking.
I moved quickly with my party members, the thought crossing my mind.
Since we’d left the clues out in the open, Jeong Jin-myeong would’ve figured out that we were behind it.
For now, he’ll probably hunker down and watch how things play out.
On top of the pressure he already felt toward me, several of his members had been taken out as well, so he couldn’t help but feel restrained.
Of course, he wasn’t the type to just sit back forever. Once he gathered enough information, he’d likely try to mount a counterattack.
So in that case, what’s the best move I can make here?
Simple. Just don’t go.
If we don’t give him any information at all, what can Jeong Jin-myeong possibly do?
All he can do is crouch there and wait indefinitely.
So I spoke in a light tone.
“Let’s head over to Team A this time~”
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