Opportunity to Come
In an instant, the Executioner Princess’s eyes sharpened, and the intangible aura surrounding her took on a fierce quality. It was as if the room was suddenly filled with the prickling sensation of countless needles.
”…”
But as soon as the Executioner Princess locked eyes with Han So-young, the atmosphere reverted to its initial silence, as if nothing had happened. Han So-young, too, held the secret class of
An uncomfortable silence lingered between them for a while, until the Executioner Princess finally spoke in a grumbling tone.
“I don’t really know.”
Her voice was laced with wounded pride, but Han So-young, unfazed, pressed her with the same question.
“Still, tell me. I’m curious. That man isn’t one of the top ten, is he? Are you not confident?”
“I said I don’t know. He might not be officially in the top ten, but judging by his skills and the rumors, he might as well be. He just hasn’t been recognized because others got there first. Honestly, I can’t say I’m 100% sure I’d win.”
“Interesting. It’s rare for you to rate someone so highly. Now I’m even more intrigued.”
Han So-young let out a light breath, her eyes widening with interest. The Executioner Princess bit her lip and turned her head away, avoiding Han So-young’s gaze as she spoke with a hint of irritation.
“I have to admit it. Anyway, I know you’re always on the lookout for talent, but if you’re thinking of recruiting that man, you should forget it. It’s not just Kim Yoo-hyun. There are plenty of users around him who are just as skilled as us. Why would they want to join us?”
“Fair point. What about Kim Soo-hyun?”
Seeing Han So-young nod in agreement, the Executioner Princess sighed in relief, only for her face to twist again at Han So-young’s next words. Despite her usual rational and cold demeanor, Han So-young was relentless when it came to talent. The Executioner Princess knew this all too well and shook her head vigorously, her eyes flashing.
“Not him. No way.”
“Why not?”
“Do you really need to ask? Haven’t you read the reports? They say she’s under him! You expect me to work with Go Yeon-ju?”
“I’ve read them. I’m aware of your issues with her.”
Han So-young replied calmly. At the mention of
“So, you’re telling me not to meet this man because of your personal grudge?”
”…Tch.”
The Executioner Princess clamped her mouth shut. She and Han So-young had been through thick and thin since their initiation. To an outsider, Han So-young might seem as composed as ever, but the Executioner Princess could sense her anger.
Though she remained silent, her expression was still displeased. Han So-young, however, made her stance clear.
“If you ever meet him, don’t make any mistakes in front of
”…Okay.”
“Yeon-hye-rim.”
“Fine, I get it!”
When Han So-young pressed again, the Executioner Princess—Yeon-hye-rim—relented, raising the white flag. She shouted in a sharp tone and let out a deep sigh. Only then did Han So-young look satisfied.
“Ugh, I can’t deal with this. So, that user is in Barbara now, and there’s a summons from the Golden Lion. What are you going to do about it?”
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it.”
“Are you going?”
“I wasn’t planning to, but…”
Han So-young paused, pulling out a neatly folded envelope from her pocket. The golden lion emblem on it gleamed. She rolled the envelope between her fingers a few times before continuing in a soft voice.
“Since the portal’s open, it might be good to go. It’s the first time I’ve received a summons for the User Academy. Plus, I can check out that man.”
“Hmph. As if that’s not your main reason.”
“Quiet. Anyway, we need to leave before sunset, so start preparing. Just you coming along is enough; no need to bring anyone else. Delegate everything to Da-yeon while I’m gone.”
With that, Han So-young uncrossed her legs and stood up, her voluptuous figure coming into full view.
”…Hmph.”
Yeon-hye-rim, with her comparatively slender frame, couldn’t help but glance at her, a hint of envy in her eyes.
“Block Field. SuperPosition.”
With Ha-yeon’s clear voice, an invisible barrier formed around us. Finally, the others relaxed, sprawling in their seats. The journey from
We were now settled in the upscale tavern
“It was like witnessing the miracle of Moses. As soon as Yeon-ju stood next to you, the crowd just parted…”
“Hehe, I thought I was going to die from the pressure.”
“Me too. Wow, the third floor is completely different from the first. I thought the first floor was nice, but the third floor gives us a whole room.”
I watched Yu-jeong mutter to herself. Her sudden habit of calling Go Yeon-ju “sister” since this morning was bothering me. I didn’t know what had transpired between them yet, and with more pressing matters at hand, I decided to address it later.
After organizing my thoughts, I answered Ahn Hyun’s question.
“The third floor isn’t for just anyone. Think of it as a VIP area, reserved for distinguished guests.”
“But I’m still a newbie… Oh, is it because of my rare class? Haha.”
“No, it’s probably because of User Go Yeon-ju. As I mentioned before, you should be more aware of the significance of being in the top ten.”
“I’m not really concerned about that~.”
Go Yeon-ju shrugged and picked up two sandwiches, offering one to me. Although we ordered the same as last time, the variety of food was impressive. Previously, it was one per person, but now there was enough for two each.
I wanted to savor the sweet taste filling my mouth, but it was time to get to the main topic.
“So, User Go Yeon-ju, you mentioned you had more to report about the Golden Lion Clan’s summons?”
“Yes. While you were deeply asleep, quite a few things happened. Since you seem to know about the portal and the promotion, I’ll skip those.”
“Just the details about the summons, please.”
Even while chewing her sandwich, Go Yeon-ju’s pronunciation was flawless. After swallowing, she began to elaborate on the details I requested.
“Early this morning, the Golden Lion Clan issued a large-scale summons. They called all the representative clans from each city. Interestingly, they also summoned some non-representative clans.”
“Non-representative clans? That’s a bit ambiguous.”
“Yes. They seem to have called some well-known clans, even if they’re not the main ones. In the past, the User Academy’s authority was divided with the Golden Lion holding 70%, allied clans 20%, and other clans 10%. The User Academy’s pie is fixed in size. With the number of new users dwindling, it’s arguably shrinking. So, they usually try to keep the summons minimal, which makes this quite unexpected.”
“It’s one of two things. Either they’re accurately reading the situation and adapting, or they have another agenda.”
I paused, reaching out for another taste of the sandwich I had just enjoyed. But my hand found nothing. Glancing to the side, I saw Vivian happily sucking her fingers. The others were watching her with exasperated expressions. I grabbed her ear and pulled.
“Ow! What, what is it?”
“Hey. You can’t just eat everything yourself.”
“I didn’t! Ow! Sorry! It hurts! I said I’m sorry! Stop… Ow, let go… Ah! Ahhh…”
Vivian’s cries turned into a strange tone as I let go of her ear, startled. She rubbed her ear, looking at me with a mix of annoyance and something else. Was she upset because it hurt, or because I stopped?
“Sorry about that. Please, continue.”
Go Yeon-ju gave Vivian a curious look before continuing, seemingly having picked up on something subtle.
“Well, you know how proud they are. I doubt they’d resort to scheming; they’re more likely to stand their ground. Of course, they’re not foolish, so they’ll probably make some concessions, but it’ll likely just be for show. Anyway, the situation in the Hall Plane has been changing rapidly. We can break it down into three major events: the inn at the start, the founding of our clan, and the summons from the Golden Lion. And then…”
Listening to her effortlessly recount the current state of affairs in the Hall Plane, I felt a sense of ease. Having Go Yeon-ju around was truly comforting. Without lifting a finger, I had access to almost all the information I needed. Without her, I would have been quite troubled, if not completely lost.
“Oh, and this.”
Go Yeon-ju gave me a playful wink and reached into her coat. She pulled out a thin envelope from her chest and slid it across the table to me. Glancing down, I saw the envelope was embossed with a golden lion emblem.
“This is…”
“I haven’t read it yet, but I have a pretty good idea. It’s probably a summons request from the Golden Lion Clan.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her words. The amusing part was that I had the exact same thought the moment I saw the envelope. The Golden Lion Clan sending a summons to a clan that was only a week old? Unthinkable in the past.
Go Yeon-ju seemed to understand the reason for my laughter and continued with a soft smile.
“The first summons was likely sent right after the portal opened. That gave them at least a minimal justification. Our clan’s promotion happened at dawn, and this envelope was delivered about an hour before Su-hyeon came down. So, you could say it’s a hastily arranged second summons. With two secret classes and three rare classes, it shows just how valuable the Mercenary Clan is right now.”
“Isn’t it more because of the presence of a top ten ranker?”
“Oh, you’re making me blush~.”
Go Yeon-ju responded with a playful wink, while Jeong Ha-yeon, quietly munching on a cookie, made a face as if she’d had enough of the sweetness.
Regardless, as she said, the Golden Lion had plenty of reasons to call on us. Even setting aside the potential of the Mercenary Clan, two of the remaining top ten rankers were in non-participating clans. Naturally, the question of which side Go Yeon-ju would choose became a hot topic. Just as attention was about to focus on her whereabouts, the Mercenary Clan swooped in and snatched her up. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. From the moment we were rescued from the expedition, we worked hard to maintain relationships with allied clans, and they must have reached out to the Beech Clan as well. They would have learned what happened to them. So, this envelope held much more significance than a simple summons request.
I stared at the envelope for a moment before looking up and speaking.
“What do you think the other clans will do?”
“Nothing’s certain yet. But it’s likely they’ll come. The current situation is already chaotic, and the User Academy is a tempting opportunity. Perhaps…”
The likelihood was high. What seemed improbable was becoming reality. Normally, rejecting a summons would be the norm, but with the portal open, the chances of accepting it increased. I closed my eyes, lost in thought, but nothing came to mind, so I opened them again.
Go Yeon-ju watched my reaction, her eyes darting around, before whispering in a suggestive tone.
“Who knows, something very interesting might happen with this summons. What do you think, Su-hyeon? Shall we respond to it?”
“Hmm. Let’s read it first and then decide.”
I replied simply and tore open the top of the envelope.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Ah, I’m really sorry about this. My exams are over, and I’ve taken care of most of my assignments. So, I was reading a Noblesse novel after a long time, and it was so captivating that I got completely absorbed. ㅜ.ㅠ I really love zombie survival stories. Oh, and someone asked for survival story recommendations last time, so I’d like to recommend it to them too. Hahaha. :)
Anyway, I’ll do my best to ensure there’s no delay in the midnight release. The next chapter is the 200th! And the character many of you have been waiting for will make an appearance. Hehehe.
『 Reader Comments 』
2.破天魔痕: Ah, yesterday was really tough for me. I got home so late, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could make the midnight deadline. ㅜ.ㅠ I’ll try my best to meet it tonight.
Let’s Nap: I find “Inborn Idiots” on Naver Webtoon really entertaining. Hahaha. Of course, I also read “Misaeng” regularly.
Brikio: Su-hyeon was one of the male clan members under Istantel Low. He had a certain position in that clan, and there’s a reason why he thinks so fondly of So-young. Hahaha. Please look forward to how things unfold in the second round.
Broken Fan: Of course! Just like I told Ahn Hyun last time, she’s only smiling because we’re allies; she’s actually a scary woman. Hahaha. Hanbyeol will appear soon. Just wait a little longer. :)
Kkoya: Hahaha. If you come to my garden, you can see the fan art posted by Broken Fan. Su-hyeon is there too! (One person stabbed by the soldier’s words.)
Lati Doll: That part is… Oops, almost a spoiler. Ahem. The appearance before coming here will naturally be revealed when Kim Yoo-hyun is met. Hahaha.
Miwolya: Hahaha. You noticed correctly. Han So-young’s appearance is world-class~! (Whack, whack! Ouch!) Just kidding. I wanted to portray her as beautifully as possible. :D
Harujion S: Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon.
pslgh: Oh. Which part is unclear to you? If you have any questions, please send a message or comment! I’ll do my best to answer in detail. :)
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