Ordinary Art Factor [EN]: Chapter 84

“Pretty similar, right?”

“I saw you soloing today. A Rank 3 wouldn’t have been able to do that, would they?”

“It’s just a matter of time. It doesn’t really matter.”

“Is that so? I guess you’re right.”

With those words, the Association President looked at the four hangers-on.

“What did you fellows think?”

“……”

“… We were deceived by Four Stars, LC, and Gale Wind.”

“That’s right. If they had just shown us the Idea Mirror….”

“No. That’s just an excuse… Haa~ I’m getting old. My head doesn’t seem to be working properly. I think I should step down from the President’s position.”

“P-President!”

“You’re still in good health!”

“I’m not talking about my body. It’s my judgment. I thought so at first, but I don’t think that’s the case. Don’t you fellows understand yet? Why Guild Leader Jiwon showed us the dungeon clear progress? Why he didn’t just deal with us as soon as we entered the dungeon, and instead went through all this trouble?”

*Old geezer. You’re finally catching on.*

But still, I can’t end it like this. I feel like I’m losing out.

“What are you going to do?”

At my question, the Association President paused for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I’m going to step down from the Association President’s position. What’s the point of sitting in that seat with these rotten eyes that can’t even recognize talent like you? Don’t you think?”

“The Support Division Head is doing a good job.”

“Taeseok is sharp, indeed. An acquaintance… Huh. I really am getting old. Heh heh heh. Did you plan this from the start?”

“It was a side benefit.”

“I see. I’ll talk to Taeseok. By the way, are you married?”

“My son is nine years old.”

“Do you have a wife?”

“If I have a son, I must have a wife.”

“That’s a shame. I was going to introduce you to my youngest daughter….”

“The situation at the dungeon entrance isn’t over yet, though.”

“What are you going to use an old geezer’s head for? Take it if you need it. Heh heh. Heh heh heh.”

*They say old ginger is spicy?*

*No. Old ginger is just thick-skinned.*

Jeju City Hall Rank 6 Armored Dungeon Resurgence Clear, 2 hours and 50 minutes after entry.

“Haven’t you mined it all yet? Hurry up and mine it, then let’s go out and have a cold beer….”

“Hyung [older brother/male friend]! Even Gilsu isn’t mining. How are the mages and healers supposed to mine all this mineral!”

After leaving the Association President and his hangers-on behind, I moved towards the destroyed Nexus after absorbing the gas, and they were still mining minerals.

Well, I kept Gilsu by my side in case something happened, so the speed of mining the clear reward minerals is terrible.

It seems like it’s taking longer to mine the minerals than to clear the dungeon.

I should have brought warrior-type guild members. No. I don’t want to show them any strange *moseup* [Korean word for appearance/behavior]… Warrior? Oho. Wait a moment.

“Hey~ you hangers-on!”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell us, Guild Leader Jiwon.”

At my call, the four hangers-on rush over.

What’s going on after whispering with the Association President for about an hour?

“Help mine those minerals over there.”

“Understood.”

“Leave it to us.”

“Yes.”

As they each take out their greatswords and rush towards the minerals, the Association President approaches and spouts nonsense.

“Heh heh. They’re good kids. Please take care of them.”

“Dismissed!”

Why is this old geezer still doing this?

1 hour and 30 minutes later.

It was well past 10 PM when we got out of the dungeon. I haven’t even had dinner. Damn it.

“Shall we go to the sauna first?”

“I’m hungry. What sauna?”

“Shall we go straight to the Korean beef restaurant?”

“Did you make a reservation?”

“We can just go at this hour. For us.”

“‘For us,’ my ass. You’re going to see the owner’s daughter there, aren’t you?”

“It’s a side benefit.”

“… Whatever. Let’s move quickly. I’m hungry.”

“Understood. Everyone, move to the parking lot. Hurry.”

As we move to the parking lot, I glance at the Association President, and our eyes meet. The old geezer is smiling broadly, showing his gums, which makes him seem even more suspicious. Moreover, the hangers-on are acting as if they’re our guild members.

Suddenly, I feel annoyed. Is it because I’m hungry?

‘Sizzle… Sizzle.’

We ordered Korean beef sirloin and tenderloin with clear marbling, *soju* [Korean distilled rice liquor], beer, and *bokbunja* wine [Korean raspberry wine]. As we start grilling the meat on three grills, the hangers-on grab the tongs and scissors for each grill.

What did the Association President say in the dungeon? Or did they see my dungeon clear progress?

It’s better to check than to make excessive assumptions.

“Hanger-on One. What are you thinking?”

“Yes?”

The four hangers-on were all younger than me. From mid to late 30s. The difference was from 3 to 7 years, and their Awakened Ranks were all Rank 5.

If they went to another guild, they could receive quite high positions and rewards, but the honor of being the Association President’s attendants must have been greater. No. Maybe the pay is good there too?

Anyway, the four warrior-type Awakened Rank 5 hangers-on. They told me their names, but do I need to know them? We’ll be parting ways soon anyway.

But, looking at their actions, something is very, very, quite suspicious.

“What are you thinking? Why are you doing this? Just so you know, our Jiwon Guild is no longer recruiting guild members.”

As soon as I finish speaking, the four hangers-on look at the Association President.

“Heh heh. Heh heh heh. I didn’t say anything. They’re doing it because they like it. What other reason could there be? The meat is very good. Heh heh. Heh heh heh.”

That mouth. That expression. It’s really suspicious….

The next day.

I asked several times while eating a late dinner yesterday, but the only answer I got was the Association President’s hearty laughter.

I got annoyed and didn’t ask anymore. I left it alone.

No matter how much nonsense they do, it’s over if I don’t accept the four hangers-on. Let’s not worry about it anymore.

After eating a quick lunch, I arrived at the guild office….

Damn it. I shouldn’t have just sent them back yesterday.

The door to the Guild Leader’s office was gone.

“Guild Leader. The interior designers will be here soon to replace it….”

As I stood silently in front of the Guild Leader’s office, Park Jimin, the priest-type guild member in charge of secretarial duties, approached and made excuses.

“It’s okay. Take care of it. Where’s Hongchan hyung?”

“He went to have lunch. He should be back soon….”

Speak of the devil, the office door opened and Hongchan hyung… Huh?

“What? Why are you coming with the hangers-on?”

“You guys wait here, Guild Leader for a moment….”

Hongchan hyung grabbed my arm and led me into the Guild Leader’s office.

As soon as I sat on the sofa, he got straight to the point.

“Let’s accept them.”

“Accept what? No way. Who knows when they’ll stab us in the back.”

“They came to the office early this morning. The Association President went up in the morning, and I took them out for a meal to hear what happened yesterday. They’re not what we think they are. They’re victims too.”

“I’m a victim too. Can’t you see that, hyung?”

I raised my hand and pointed to where the door was missing.

“Don’t joke around. It turns out they all came from orphanages. Two from the same one, and two from different ones. They had a hard time after they accidentally Awakened. They joined the Association because they were treated poorly as orphans while clearing dungeons in random parties. They raised their stats and climbed the ranks, and then they caught the Association President’s eye and became his attendants. They’re not bad kids. That’s just how things were. They seem to think of the Association President as a father figure. So, they got angry because you didn’t respect the Association President. So….”

Hongchan hyung explained in great detail. This is also strange.

“Enough. Give me another reason. No, the real reason.”

“Heh heh. Did you notice?”

“I’ve never seen you explain so elaborately, hyung. Spill it.”

“Um, it seems like the Support Division Head will become the Association President this time, right?”

“I asked him to do that, so he will. If not, I’ll go up there and flip things over.”

“The Support Division Head is like a brother to the current Association President. Moreover, the Association President only has three daughters, so he thinks of them as sons….”

“What does that mean? Just for that reason? Not blood-related, what is that?”

There’s always that wherever you go. Blood ties, school ties, regional ties.

Well, I did accept Gilsu’s cousin as a guild member that way, but what I do is different from what others do. Of course.

“It’s not just that. If you’re an attendant of the Association President, you won’t be looked down upon anywhere. They’ll know a lot of guilds, and they’ll have heard a lot. Moreover, they’re Rank 5. Are there any warrior-types Rank 5 here? Seoul Branch is okay, but not Jeju. Gilsu is late Rank 6. There’s also a problem with the organization of occupations according to Awakened Rank. No matter how I think about it, this is more beneficial.”

“… Um. That seems right.”

“You know. We can’t stick our heads out to them yet. We have to grow while bowing down.”

“I’d rather endure than bow down. I’d rather not do it than bow down. Why would I bow down?”

“Yeah. That’s right. Anyway, we’re accepting them.”

“Do as you please. By the way, did the Association President say anything strange when he went up?”

“He said something weird.”

“What?”

“He said he’s going to hand over the Association President’s position and retire, and he’s coming down to Jeju with his youngest daughter. What’s that about?”

“… H-How would I know.”

“You stuttered just now. Spit it out.”

“Spit what out? I’m leaving. Organize the hangers-on into teams.”

“Hey. Aren’t you going to talk? What does that mean!”

“I don’t know either!”

I knew the old ginger’s eyes were unsettling.

In the end, we decided to accept the four hangers-on as Jiwon Guild members.

But, I still don’t trust them, so we decided to start them as regular guild members. Even if their Awakened Rank is the highest here except for me. I’ll know later. Their treatment is up to them to create.

A week later.

As Hongchan hyung began to take over the management of the Jiwon Guild in earnest, the amount of work I do gradually decreased.

Good. It’s a very good phenomenon.

I just want to clear dungeons and absorb gas to raise my Awakened Rank. The money that comes with it is a bonus.

Unnecessary paperwork and other useless worries are Hongchan hyung’s, the Vice Guild Leader’s, responsibility. Heh heh.

Today, I contacted my seniors after a long time, and we made dinner plans.

We used to meet three or four times a week, but we became estranged after the Jeju City Hall Random Dungeon appeared.

I was busy, and they’re all people with social lives, but still, where did the affection go?

I feel quite pleased to see my seniors’ faces after a long time.

I was taking a taxi to City Hall for my appointment with my seniors, and my newly acquired phone vibrated.

I changed my number because I was getting countless calls from unknown numbers.

When I checked, it was the Support Division Head of the Korea Awakened Association, Han Jiwon.

“Yes. This is Han Jiwon.”

“Hahaha. Guild Leader Jiwon! This is Division Head Gong Jiwon.”

“Yes. Division Head.”

“Haha. Why are we being so formal between us? Just call me hyung~ [older brother/male friend].”

“Should I? Yes, hyung.”

“Puhahaha. Yeah, that’s it. I felt like we clicked from the first time we met, and I’m glad I have a great younger brother! By the way, you’re coming up to clear the Seoul City Hall Rank 3 Bio Dungeon Resurgence next week, right? Let’s catch up then. The official announcement will probably be this weekend. For the inauguration of the new Association President.”

“Congratulations, Association President.”

“There you go again. I told you to call me hyung.”

“Yes. Congratulations, hyung. But you know, I’m not going to clear the Rank 3 Bio Dungeon Resurgence this time.”

“… Huh? What does that mean? You’re not going to clear the Resurgence? *Dongsaeng* [younger brother/male friend], perhaps….”

“I’ll tell you the details later. There are still about two weeks left, right? I’ll tell you after you’re inaugurated, hyung.”

“Why? What for? I need to know something so I can prepare too.”

“Avoid dealing with Gold Spoon, no, Four Stars, LC, and Gale Wind as much as possible. Then, I’ll hang up.”

“H-Hey. *Dongsaeng*~.”

Leaving behind the taxi driver who wouldn’t take the fare and asked for an autograph, I got off at City Hall and entered the agreed-upon Korean BBQ restaurant. Everyone except me was already gathered and grilling meat.

Huh? Am I late? No, I came right on time?

“Yo~ Celebrity!”

“Hey~ Guild Leader Jiwon.”

“It’s been a while.”

“Why are you grilling meat when the main character hasn’t even arrived yet!”

“Crazy bastard. Are you the main character, or a supporting character?”

“Are we only eating one round and breaking up? I was going to pay for the 2nd and 3rd rounds? Should I leave?”

“*Hyungnim* [term of respect for an older male]. We’ve prepared a seat for you here, *hyungnim*.”

“*Kyakya* [onomatopoeia for laughter]. Crazy bastard. No. The rich guy is right, *hyungnim*. *Kyakya*.”

Jokes and jokes disguised as serious jokes come and go after a long time.

Including Kyungwan hyung, Sangjoon hyung, Seungchan hyung, Seoyong hyung, Sangho hyung, and a friend I was meeting for the first time were sitting there.

When I asked with my eyes who he was, Seungchan hyung stepped forward.

“Introduce yourself. This is Han Jiwon, the guild leader of the Jeju area defense guild that you’ve been shouting about so much. Jiwon, this is my cousin, Go Byeongchan. He’s been begging me to let him meet you, so I brought him this time. Understand.”

“Hello? Guild Leader Jiwon! I’m Go Byeongchan, Seungchan hyung’s cousin. It’s a great honor to meet you like this!”

What is it? Is he a psycho? What kind of tone is that?

I was so dumbfounded that I was spacing out, and the psycho said one more thing.

“Would you mind sparing 5 minutes separately? Do you happen to smoke? Would you like to have a cup of coffee before the meal….”

“Hey! What are you doing? On the first meeting.”

“I’m very sorry. Please, would you spare 5 minutes?”

“There’s no reason not to. I’ll go have a smoke. Have a shot of *soju* [Korean distilled rice liquor].”

“Hey! You have to grill the meat! Where are you going?”

“2nd round, 3rd round.”

“Yes. Have a good trip, *hyungnim*. We poor guys will grill the meat deliciously. C-bomb bastard!”

“*Kyakyakya* [onomatopoeia for laughter].”

“Hahaha.”

“Enjoy~.”

I said a word lightly and went outside to the alleyway and took out a cigarette. The psycho spoke to me.

“Thank you. Even if he’s my cousin, it’s hard to say in front of him.”

“4 minutes left.”

“… Yes. Actually, it’s about the Status Window!”

“Huh?”

What? He was an Awakened?

He didn’t say anything earlier! By the way, why is he checking his status in front of me?

The psycho checked his Status Window and then said nonsense again.

“Guild Leader Jiwon. I heard from Seungchan hyung that Guild Leader Jiwon is not a summoner or a spiritualist, but a mage with an Artifact Factor, right?”

“Yes. That’s right. Is that what you wanted to confirm by doing that? And Awakened….”

The psycho is acting up again. Suddenly, he knelt down in front of me.

“*Hyungnim* [term of respect for an older male]! I’m also an Artifact Factor. Please lead me!”

He said one thing and then prostrated himself on the ground.

5 minutes later.

“How long has it been since you Awakened?”

“It’s been 6 months, but I don’t know anything. There are no other symptoms at all.”

“Did you get it measured?”

“Yes. I got a license. It’s Rank 10 with a stat of 8.”

“Wow~. Recite your entire Status Window.”

“Yes. Job is Artifact Factor, Level 1. All physical stats, from agility to luck, are 1. Only Enchant is 4. Inventory….”

“What? Enchant?”

“Yes. What, is something wrong?”

“No. Go on.”

“Yes. Inventory 2, Summon Target Stats 1 is the last….”

“What, what!”

“Yes?”

“You, you. What did you say just now?”

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Before I even realized it, I had grabbed him by the collar.

Well, even if he is Awakened, his physical stats can’t compare to mine, sorry. Psycho, you’re going to suffocate.

As soon as I let go of his collar, he slumped to the ground, coughing.

“Speak clearly. You don’t get a second chance. What was the very last thing?”

As the atmosphere turned serious, he stammered.

“If, if my eyes aren’t mistaken, it clearly says ‘Summon Target Stats 1’ on the Status Window. But, is, is this bad?”

Bad? You son of a…! I’m the one who’s dumbfounded here, you punk!

Ignoring my pounding heart, I started the verification process.

“Mineral Full Summon! Idea Awl Summon!”

“[Ding! Summons 6.014kg of minerals.]”

“[Ding! Summons 1 Idea Awl.]”

Holding the Idea Awl summoned with a white light, I stabbed the mineral chunk on the floor, and when a small mineral fragment fell off, I held it out to him.

“Absorb it.”

“A, absorb it?”

“Quickly!”

“I don’t know how to absorb….”

“Just put your hand on it.”

“… D, do I just do this… Huh! The, the mineral is disappearing… Notification! A notification pops up. It, it says I absorbed 1 mineral fragment, a notification pops up!”

Damn it! Just as I thought. It’s the same phenomenon as me.

Artifact Factor. This definitely isn’t that kind of job!

What’s more, he even has an Enchant trait that I didn’t have when I Awakened. What should I do?

Five minutes turned into ten, and eventually, *Hyung* [older brother/male friend] Kyung-hwan came out of the restaurant looking for me.

“What are you doing? Are you two dating?”

“I’m going in. Go in first.”

“Come in quickly. We haven’t even done a group toast because we’re waiting for you.”

“Okay.”

There’s no answer even if I worry about it right now.

I told the psycho to come to the guild office tomorrow afternoon, and he prostrated himself again, shouting loudly.

“A, are you taking me in? I am deeply moved. I pledge my loyalty from now on….”

“Rejected! You, ha~ never mind. Don’t tell Seungchan *hyung* [older brother/male friend] either, and keep your mouth shut for the time being. Got it?”

“Yes. I will be speechless [idiomatic expression meaning ‘I will not say a word’].”

This son of a…! Why the hell does he talk like this?

Is he a 27-year-old who’s only read martial arts novels? Use vocabulary that’s appropriate for your age!

And that’s not the idiom to use in this situation! If you’re going to do it, do it right!

Before going back into the restaurant, I told the psycho to go to the bathroom because his clothes were a bit dirty, and then I sat down and asked Seungchan *hyung* [older brother/male friend].

“Why is he acting like that?”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s a bit strange, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, a bit. When he was in middle and high school, he was so into martial arts novels that every vacation, he’d take a plane to the mainland and search all the famous mountains like Seorak Mountain and Jiri Mountain, thinking he’d get some kind of lucky encounter. He was looking for hidden hermits to learn martial arts from.”

“Huh, then you should have sent him to a hospital instead of bringing him here.”

“That was a long time ago. I thought he came to his senses after going to the army. Why? What did he do? What were you talking about?”

“No. He asked me to get him a job at the guild office later. I said I’d see. Anyway, let’s have a toast. It’s been a while, everyone.”

“You little punk. You’ve been here for who knows how long and you’re only doing it now. Second and third rounds are a given, and you’re responsible for the fourth and fifth too.”

“Deal! Drink as much as you want. But I’m not responsible for your headaches tomorrow. Alright~ Cheers.”

“Whoa. It’s been a while, Jiwon.”

“Don’t ignore my calls, answer them.”

“Let’s see each other at least once a month, no matter what.”

“Yeah. It’s been a while. I’ll contact you whenever I have time. Stop talking.”

After toasting with my seniors and downing a refreshing *Somaek* [soju and beer mix] in one shot, the psycho finally came out of the bathroom and quietly sat down in his seat.

Then, he picked up the tongs and scissors and started cutting the meat, placing well-cooked marinated ribs on my plate, saying one thing.

“Enjoy your meal, *Hyungnim* [term of respect for an older male]!”

Son of a…! What kind of concept is this now?

The next day.

After shaking off a slight headache and having a rough meal, I went to the guild office, and *Hyung* [older brother/male friend] Hongchan came up to me and said one thing.

“Jiwon. Did you talk to the association headquarters director yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

“What did he say?”

“Why?”

“No, he’s been calling since morning, asking me what’s going on with you. Is it because of that?”

“Probably.”

“Ha, should we just proceed with the clear?”

“Why are you rehashing something that’s already over? You agreed, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but I still feel bad….”

“It’ll all come back double or triple later. You have to look at the long game.”

“Tch. I know, you punk. You seem to be forgetting who I was for a moment….”

“Who else would you be but the vice guild leader of Jiwon Guild? Stop talking nonsense. Is there a Rank 10 dungeon available this afternoon?”

“Rank 10? Why Rank 10?”

“Because of a weird psycho.”

“If he’s weird, he’s weird, and if he’s a psycho, he’s a psycho, what’s a weird psycho?”

“Anyway, is there one, or not?”

“Even if there isn’t, since the Jiwon Guild Leader is asking, a Rank 10 is easy. Wait a minute.”

“Okay.”

In the end, with one phone call from *Hyung* [older brother/male friend] Hongchan—no, Han-deuk—to the Jeju branch, he was able to secure a spot to clear the Yongdam Rank 10 Mech Dungeon.

Secure, more like he conceded and snatched it from the party that was going to clear it.

Anyway, as soon as the psycho arrived at the office, I took only Han-deuk with me and headed to Yongdam-dong.

“*Hyungnim* [term of respect for an older male]. Why Rank 10? Isn’t it a loss even if we clear it?”

“There’s something I want to test.”

“*Hyungnim* [term of respect for an older male] is?”

“No, him.”

To Han-deuk’s question, I pointed with my chin at the psycho in the back seat.

“Who is he?”

“Psycho.”

“My Lord!”

You son of a…! Stick to one concept!

“It’s not allowed. It requires at least four Awakened.”

“Are you saying that because you don’t know who we are?”

“How could I not know? You’re very famous people. But still, it’s not allowed. What power do I have? But still, it’s not allowed. Aren’t regulations there to be followed?”

“Huh….”

I hadn’t thought of it.

The number of people to clear a Rank 10 dungeon: a minimum of four Awakened.

Right now, there’s me, the psycho, and Han-deuk, so there are three of us.

Should I call Gil-soo, Ji-hye, or Mi-hye? Even with a rough calculation, it’ll take 30 minutes. Tch.

When will this useless Awakened Law, Dungeon Clearing Law, ever change? Grace period? What a joke, really.

I can solo a Rank 6, but I can’t enter a Rank 10 because of the number of people allowed to enter the dungeon? Seriously, I’m speechless.

While I was arguing with the management office staff in front of the Yongdam Rank 10 Mech Dungeon management office, a sexy woman in her mid-20s approached Han-deuk and spoke to him.

“Excuse me, but is it because of the number of Awakened required to enter the dungeon?”

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“We were originally going to proceed with the clear, but suddenly it was canceled, so they told us to wait until the next respawn. You’re from the Jiwon Guild, right? Are you Vice Guild Leader Go Han-deuk?”

“Haha. That’s right. I am the Vice. Guild. Leader. Go Han-deuk of the Jiwon Guild. Nice to meet you. Hahaha.”

Hey, aren’t you the head of the general management team? Hongchan *hyung* [older brother/male friend] is the vice guild leader? Hey~ hey.

“And, that person over there is Jiwon Guild Leader Han Jiwon, right? You’re really handsome~. Hehe.”

“Well, my *hyungnim* [term of respect for an older male] is a little lacking compared to me, but he’s still pretty good.”

Hey. You!

Praising yourself right in front of me? Are you crazy?

“But, what brings you here? If you’re here to receive an apology, we’re a bit busy because of urgent business….”

“No. It’s a Jeju regional defense guild special condition, and we’re getting a hefty penalty, so it’s okay. If you can’t enter the dungeon clear because of the number of Awakened, we were wondering if we could join.”

“You guys?”

“I don’t know why the Jiwon Guild is entering a Rank 10 dungeon clear, but if you go in with us, you can be in the dungeon for at least four hours including the respawn time—that is, almost eight hours—so you can do what you want to do comfortably….”

“Han-deuk.”

“Yes, Guild Leader.”

“Let them all in.”

“Understood, Guild Leader.”

“Oh! *Oppa* [term of endearment for an older brother/male friend]~ so cool.”

“Rejected!”

Where did you learn to act like that? But somehow it doesn’t feel bad… Ahem. Tch.

Five minutes after entering the Yongdam Rank 10 Mech Dungeon respawn clear.

The Rank 10 Awakened who came in with us introduce themselves in the safety zone that’s only in Rank 10.

“It’s an honor! My name is Baek Seok, I’m 27. Rank 10, I’m a warrior!”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Han Gyu-tae. Rank 10, I’m a warrior.”

“I’m Kim Su-ji. I’m a healer. Rank 10, I’m… 26. Please take care of me~.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Han Mi-ra. I’m a mage, I’m a blooming 26. I don’t have a boyfriend~.”

The one who spoke to Han-deuk in front of the management office was Han Mi-ra. But, whether you have a boyfriend or not, why are you revealing that here?

“Nice to meet you. I’m Go Han-deuk, the vice guild leader of the Jiwon Guild, a Jeju regional defense guild. I’m 31 this year. I don’t have a girlfriend. Someone gives me so much work that I don’t have time to date. But! As you all know, I’m pretty capable~. I own several fancy buildings. Today’s Yongdam Mech Dungeon respawn clear, well, it’s not dangerous, but I’ll take good care of you….”

That son of a… He’s really enjoying this?

“Han-deuk~.”

“Yes? Yes, Guild Leader.”

“Take them and proceed with the clear.”

“Me too?”

“Go and come back. It looks fun.”

“Hahaha. As expected, the Guild Leader thinks highly of my abilities….”

“Do you want to get hit and go? Or get hit after you come back?”

“I’m going. Of course, I’m going. Alright~ everyone. From now on, we’ll proceed with the Rank 10 Mech Dungeon respawn clear. I’ll take the lead. First, we’ll move to the top of the hill….”

“Just go.”

“Yes.”

Han-deuk takes the Rank 10 Awakened and moves to the top of the hill.

Han Mi-ra and Kim Su-ji, who were walking hesitantly, turn around and glance at me with regretful expressions.

Sorry. I’m originally a popular, taken man.

Anyway, Han-deuk wasn’t originally this kind of character. Strange. Which one does he like?

As they disappear over the hill to proceed with the respawn clear, I speak to the psycho.

“Should we start too?”

“Yes, My Lord!”

Should I summon a Zergling, dig a hole, and bury him? Never mind. Test him first.

“From now on, call me Guild Leader.”

“Yes! Guild Leader. I pledge my loyalty forever….”

“Shut up.”

“Yes, Guild Leader.”

“Ha~ never mind. Anyway, Mineral Full Summon! Idea Awl Summon!”

“[Ding! Summons 6.004kg of minerals.]”

“[Ding! Summons 1 Idea Awl.]”

As the minerals and Idea Awl are summoned with a white light, the psycho’s eyes gleam as if he’s seeing something delicious.

“Break up the minerals and absorb them like last time. To the maximum.”

“Yes, My Lord!”

“Guild. Leader. Nim!”

“Yes. Guild Leader!”

“If you call me that one more time, I’ll cancel your guild membership.”

“I will keep that in mind, and keep that in mind again, Guild Leader.”

“Phew~ never mind. Anyway, is there anything different about the Summon Target Stats?”

“Yes. There is. After Summon Target Stats 11, there’s ‘Dran’ in parentheses….”

“What? Dran!”

“Yes, My Lord!”

Even if the psycho calls me My Lord, that’s not important right now. He definitely said Dran.

After I Awakened, I recognized the Mech Unit Generation Tech Tree through Probes as a medium.

The activity of the units increased according to the stat level and rank, such as Zerglings and Dragoons, Roaches and Infestors, Dark Templars, etc.

Of course, there were also units that required gas, upgrades, and consumption of buildings, but I was able to absorb a large amount of gas fragments while clearing the Jeju City Hall Rank 6 Mech Dungeon and the Seoul City Hall Rank 3 Bio Dungeon, and I also experienced a storm of level-ups.

But this guy, the psycho, has a Bio Unit Generation Tech Tree.

As I confirmed last time, Bio Unit production consumes more gas fragments than Mech Units.

Gas fragments are already scarce. Is it worth investing in him?

No. Let’s think again.

I also have hundreds of Speed Zerglings in my inventory right now.

If I only invest gas in the process of transforming from a Creep Tumor to a Mature Creep Tumor and upgrading the Zerglings to Speed, Speed Zerglings will come out infinitely. Of course, it would be even better to add upgrades to that.

But, is there a reason for me to do that for this guy?

So far, while proceeding with the dungeon clear, the teamwork with the guild members… Guild members? Wait a minute.

Something is tickling my head.

I feel like I know, but what exactly… Ah! That’s right!

I don’t have to do everything myself!

Mineral fragments can be supplied almost infinitely, so I should level him up as much as possible and use him instead of me.

Then, if gas fragments or minerals run out, I can get them from him.

Okay. That’s it. From now on, I’ll call you Vault. My personal vault.

Of course, he’ll also serve as a humanoid pet that clears dungeons instead of me on a regular basis.

I stared intently at the humanoid pet, my personal vault, who was kneeling with eyes of respect towards me.

“Summon it.”

“H, how do I summon it….”

“Ha, repeat after me. Dran Summon!”