Damned System

Chapter 112

Chapter 22: Party Play (3)

Thinking back on it, he wondered why he didn’t know sooner.

“It was famous that K was affiliated with Palao.”

Because of that, there was a time when many hopefuls wished to join Palao.

Well, given the daunting difficulty of the entrance test, very few actually passed.

It was remarkable how such events transpired because of this person named K.

“Seeing it firsthand, I understand.”

K’s combat prowess was beyond comparison to other players.

Every time he wielded his spear, the light that flashed before his eyes was still vivid.

There was a reason everyone talked about K, K.

Yang Taeho swallowed a derisive laugh as he saw his mana increase by over 20,000 in just a day.

In the past, he would have been amazed by such an incredible situation.

Now, even things that should have amazed him were becoming mundane.

Of course, that didn’t mean he took what happened lightly.

Yang Taeho glanced at someone walking half a step ahead of him.

As they strolled through the center of the corrupted area, K’s expression seemed not just calm, but bored.

“To someone who knows nothing, he might look like he’s just out for a walk.”

Although the purification work was nearly complete, hadn’t they just faced a 4-star evolved species?

If it had been Yang Taeho himself, he wouldn’t have been able to let go of the tension even now.

But such nonchalance from K was nothing new.

He had remained similarly unperturbed even when absorbing over 5,000 mana from taking down a 4-star evolved species.

“When you form a party, you share the rewards, which means each creature could exceed 10,000 mana…”

Yang Taeho had been flabbergasted upon realizing this.

He had never seen a monster with over 10,000 mana before.

Yet, K showed no signs of being rattled.

“His way of playing, and the level he operates on, is entirely different.”

Likewise, the amount of information K possessed was incomparable to other players.

“So, that means the higher-level corrupted area will open soon?”

“Yes, the 7 great orders has already reached a consensus on that.”

It had been astonishing when he explained what took place in the kingdom of Kairoth.

Upon conversing further, it seemed like K knew more about the corrupted areas.

And beyond that, he appeared to have a robust relationship with the orders.

Evidence of this was K’s thorough knowledge of internal orders affairs that had yet to be announced.

It was truly astonishing. Yang Taeho had only encountered priests and holy knights of the orders a handful of times.

Mostly just when he took the entrance test.

“Darn…”

K was an individual who defied Yang Taeho’s commonsense.

Such a person had made him a recruitment offer.

“Ahem, ahem.”

He couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.

‘Doesn’t this mean I somehow caught his eye?’

Throughout the walk back to the outpost with K, Yang Taeho’s lips twitched as if dancing with joy.

But as excited as he was, he was also anxious.

The opportunity that had come so unexpectedly might just as suddenly slip away.

There was a tendency to be unconsciously cautious.

He didn’t want to be booted from the party because he acted rashly and thoughtlessly.

‘He doesn’t seem to like being asked too many questions, so I should be careful.’

He swore not to dig for information out of mere curiosity.

‘If I just stick close by…’

Then perhaps, like today, another lucrative day would come.

Yang Taeho was not so shameless as to wish every day could be like today.

He merely hoped for occasional rewards to come like unexpected fortune once or twice a year.

Thanks to K, the spoils he had gained invigorated Yang Taeho.

Additionally, the massive increase in mana adequately spurred on his enthusiasm, enough to sharpen his resolve with the mindset of a new employee.

Just as Yang Taeho clenched his fists and steeled his resolve, a sight caught his eye.

In the distance, the outpost came into view.

Yang Taeho and K soon arrived at the entrance of the outpost.

“Ah.”

As soon as they stepped inside the fence, K stopped abruptly and turned to him.

“Do you have any special plans for after this?”

“I wouldn’t call them plans…”

He hadn’t exactly set any special appointments.

However, he wanted to return to Earth as soon as possible.

Only then could he sell his loot and take his wife to the hospital.

“Even just what I earned today is more than enough for the surgery.”

This time he intended to take his wife to the hospital even if he had to do it by force.

‘Is he planning more hunting right away?’

Should he follow? If he did, what would happen to his wife?

Yang Taeho agonized over his dilemma for a while before reaching a conclusion.

‘After all, we’re going to be together for quite a while, right?’

They weren’t people he would see just once and never again, so it would be better to talk frankly about his situation and seek understanding.

“If you could just wait for a few days. Actually, my wife…”

After explaining his wife’s illness and the impending surgery, K’s expression changed subtly.

Was it because he found it difficult to accommodate the schedule?

Yang Taeho hurriedly prepared to speak again, feeling uneasy.

“Why ask for permission for something like that?”

K chuckled when Yang Taeho blinked in surprise.

“Do I look like an evil employer to you?”

Thinking back, his earlier words seemed to imply K had harshly demanded they hunt harder.

Yang Taeho stammered, floundering as he waved his hands in protest.

“No, no, that’s not it. I thought you hunted more intensely than I did, so I was worried…”

“No matter how much I’m into hunting, I wouldn’t hold you back if your wife needed surgery, would I?”

Fortunately or not, K didn’t seem too offended by Yang Taeho’s words.

“Anyway, from now on it’ll be difficult to work together because of orders business. That’s why I asked.”

“I see.”

“Well, since you have things to do too, you can take care of your personal matters first. We can start character building then.”

K’s words lit up Yang Taeho’s face.

“Then we’ll meet in Habon in two days. Moving the base is okay with you, right?”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll be quick.”

“I’ll leave where I’m staying in the chat window.”

“That’d be great.”

“I wish your wife a speedy recovery.”

Having agreed on a next meeting, Yang Taeho hurried to leave.

“But…”

However, before he could take a step, K pointed with a nod past his shoulder.

“Over there.”

“Huh?”

“Seems like someone has business with you.”

Yang Taeho frowned as soon as he confirmed the direction K gestured toward.

It was a group heading straight toward him with unwavering gazes.

“Those, those!”

It was the party of Phoenix.

Recalling how they left him alone among the monsters just a few hours ago, a rush of anger surged through him.

At that time, what the Phoenix party did was not just about abandoning Yang Taeho.

“They used me as a decoy.”

Leaving one behind meant the monsters wouldn’t follow, being too occupied feasting.

“No matter how precious life is, a person shouldn’t do such a thing.”

Though human, he wanted to confront them about what happened and expose their wrongs to others.

Receiving a genuine apology in the process would be great, but…

“I’ll hold it in.”

He had just joined K’s party.

Starting a dispute was not the best course of action.

It might inadvertently affect K negatively.

These were people he didn’t need to encounter moving forward, so it was best to forget about it as though stepping in something unpleasant.

Yang Taeho snorted as he turned his head away.

Just then, Phoenix’s group reached them.

“Mister, I’m glad you’re okay.”

The gentle voice made his brow furrow automatically.

Pretending to be polite after leaving him to die.

He almost spat out a sharp retort but swallowed it.

Yang Taeho had already decided to ignore them thoroughly.

“Let’s just go, didn’t you say you had plans?”

He aimed to push K forward to leave the place.

However, Phoenix hastily blocked his path.

“Wait, just wait a moment!”

The reason Yang Taeho didn’t push them away may have been due to anticipation.

“I know you’re angry, but you’re okay, right? How about we let today pass and get along again?”

There was a foolish hope that they might have come to apologize.

“If word spreads, won’t it put both our names on the gossip vine? That won’t benefit either of us, will it?”

They say getting too angry makes one calm, and this was indeed accurate.

When he was truly fed up, he found he couldn’t even express his anger.

Phoenix had not come to apologize to Yang Taeho.

“They want to shut me up?”

If what they did was exposed in the community, their party would be labeled notorious among mercenaries.

It would make it tough to fill their current vacant slots.

If their codenames were leaked, it would even make disbanding and joining a different party difficult.

Thus, their absurd request.

“There should be a limit to being shameless.”

Yang Taeho decided once more to ignore them as he turned away again.

Yet, that determination shattered with their next words.

“We didn’t handle it well, but ignoring us like this isn’t right!”

“We lost our heads too.”

“We had no other choice; be understanding, please.”

“Ugh!”

There was no apology to be found.

They even justified their actions by saying they had no choice.

“You’re safe, so let’s just drop it quietly. We’ll distribute the loot fairly. Deal?”

“You!”

Yang Taeho’s face flushed an angry red.

The casual way they spoke, as though granting a favor, brought a wave of humiliation.

Truthfully, he hadn’t even thought of anything they owed him.

What K had earned for him was incomparable.

Whatever Phoenix offered could never match K’s contribution.

He felt no attachment to what they hadn’t given him.

But their insolence felt like they were buying his life with material goods.

Yang Taeho clenched his teeth, trembling with anger.

The audacity of their behavior astounded him, but he chose to endure once again as he pushed K’s shoulder.

“Let’s just go.”

To which K exhaled a laugh and retorted.

“Go now? Leaving those jerks like that?”

As though he couldn’t believe it, he repeated the same sentiment several times.

“Yeah, didn’t you say you’re busy? Staying here is a waste of time…”

“That’s insane.”

Yang Taeho found himself at a loss for words, presenting a dazed expression.

“There are things you endure and things you shouldn’t. Leaving those bastards there is like giving up Vellego’s safe.”

He didn’t get the chance to ask what Vellego’s safe was.

“I see you have an unusual knack for spouting nonsense.”

K brushed off Yang Taeho’s hand while turning to Phoenix with a crack of his neck.

Phoenix’s expression contorted with a frown.

“What’s this? Don’t butt into someone else’s business without knowing anything.”

He looked at K with a fairly aggressive attitude.

“Someone else’s business…”

In contrast, K appeared to be enjoying the situation.

From his constantly rising lips, it seemed so.

“If you insist, he’s not someone else.”

For some reason, K’s voice carried a hint of laughter.

“Thanks to you, I joined a party with him.”

“What are you even…”

“With that said, I should extend a thank you. Thanks for leaving him behind.”

His mockery seemed seasoned, not as if he were doing it for the first time.

It was quite different from K’s meticulous, calm demeanor Yang Taeho had observed so far.

“Well, what’s with this sudden change?”

In the midst of Yang Taeho’s confusion, Phoenix gritted his teeth with a trembling fury.

K’s malice was too blatant for ignorance.

Yang Taeho shifted his gaze repeatedly between the two.

The atmosphere had rapidly become tense.

At that moment, Yang Taeho’s simmering anger cooled down.

Instead, he grew anxious thinking that K might suffer due to him.

Yang Taeho tried to move K out of the spot.

Yet, before he could intervene, an unfamiliar voice rang out.

“Is that K over there?”

“Sure is.”

“What’s he doing there?”

“K!”

In a split second, everyone’s attention was focused in one direction.

Damned System