Ordinary Art Factor [EN]: Chapter 53

What are you going to do? When the party leader tells us to gather, we gather. Ahem.

As I opened the office door and stepped inside, several people rushed toward me, having heard something from Han Deuk.

“Oppa~ Awesome! You did so well.”

“You’re amazing, hyung [older brother or respected male figure].”

“Good job.”

Ji-hye, Mi-hye, and Gil-soo came over, flattering me.

Some party members were clueless, while others seemed to guess what they had heard.

“Everyone, take your seats. We have something to discuss. Formally.”

As they murmured and settled into their seats, Han Deuk came to stand beside me, and I started to speak.

“Yesterday, at the request of the Korea Awakened Association’s Jeju branch, I underwent a re-evaluation of my Awakened abilities.”

“Huh? Yesterday? Ability measurements are usually done at the beginning of the year….”

“You can get re-evaluated?”

“I don’t know. I heard you could if there were special circumstances….”

“Everyone, quiet. Turn off the local broadcasts before the party leader finishes speaking.”

As Han Deuk set the mood, I continued.

“The result of the ability measurement is that I’m now a Level 7.”

“From Level 9, straight to Level 7?”

“Wow! There was a Level 7 in Jeju?”

“What are you talking about? He said he was measured yesterday.”

“Party leader, weren’t you a Level 9 like us?”

“Hey, hey! Quiet, quiet!”

Ah! I really can’t talk.

This is annoying.

I should just announce it roughly and hand it over to Han Deuk.

“In conclusion, our Support Party will likely be designated as the Jeju Regional Defense Party. That’s all.”

With those words, I went into the party leader’s office.

I guess Han Deuk will explain the rest.

A scene reminiscent of a university street after final exams unfolded, followed by several cheers and rounds of applause.

Han Deuk’s booming voice and the shouts of the party members, and Han Deuk’s answers to someone’s questions, were followed by more cheers.

In the end, I had no choice but to leave the party leader’s office again in less than 10 minutes.

“The party leader is coming out. Everyone, give a big round of applause!”

“Wow~ The party leader is amazing.”

“Good job. You’re really amazing!”

“Oppa~ Cool! Really cool.”

“We look forward to your continued support. Good job, party leader!”

“Team Leader 1, good job too. Please take good care of the party leader~.”

With a slightly embarrassed expression, I waved my hand a few times and decided to spend some personal time before meeting again at City Hall at 6 p.m.

It’s all because Ji-hye insists on having a company dinner on a day like today.

City Hall has too many college students. Tsk.

The party members were so enthusiastic that it was difficult to decide on a place as I pleased.

After the official meeting, only the team leaders and assistant team leaders were called back to the party leader’s office.

“No objections or other opinions?”

“How could there be? Everyone was in high spirits.”

I knew it. A defense party isn’t just any dog’s name [meaning it’s a significant title].

“Then we need to gather 15 more new Awakened, right?”

“Yes.”

“Proceed with that, and when the new Awakened are added, group them into teams of seven, just like now. The assistant team leaders of Teams 1 and 2 will become the team leaders of the new Awakened teams. We’ll worry about the one remaining person later.”

“Really? Oppa, I’m going to be a team leader?”

“Yeah. If you have the ability, you should be promoted. But if you can’t manage your team members, you’ll be demoted. Mi-hye, keep that in mind too.”

“Yes, Oppa.”

Officially, I’m the party leader, but privately, I’m ‘oppa.’

I don’t know if this is okay.

“Then, what about the positions of assistant team leaders in the existing Teams 1 and 2?”

“Fill them with capable people from among the existing strong party members. The same goes for the assistant team leaders of the new teams.”

“There will be many changes in team affiliations.”

“When 15 new Awakened come in, we have to balance the teams anyway. Reorganize them from scratch.”

“Understood.”

That’s why Han Deuk is so convenient.

Even if I speak vaguely, he understands right away.

Gil-soo is quite taciturn, so he’s not great.

Since he’s a warrior type, his mind seems rigid too. Hehe.

“What about the equity ratio?”

“They say they’ll terminate the contract with the Aria Guild’s Jeju branch by this week. They’ll give us an answer after that.”

“How much have they talked about? If it’s less than 5%, I’m not doing it.”

“It seems to be around that much, but the exact figure will come out next week or the week after. And, hyung, the media coverage will focus on the party.”

“Only the party name and office location will be disclosed?”

“Yes. The party members want to open everything up, but if that happens, we’ll inevitably….”

“Right. Good job. I don’t want to sell my name either, and it’s embarrassing to appear on TV.”

“Hehe.”

“Heh~.”

Ji-hye and Mi-hye laughed beside me.

We discussed and worried about various things, and negotiated while worrying.

The connection with these people, whom I met during the Aradong Level 10 mech dungeon clear last year, still continues.

‘How long can I be with these people?’

A sudden, absurd thought lingered in my mind and then disappeared.

* * *

Two weeks later.

The recruitment notice for new Awakened posted by the Support Party, coupled with the announcement of the new selection of the Defense Party by the Awakened Association’s Jeju branch, was flooded with inquiries.

But it’s not my job.

I’ve delegated everything to Han Deuk….

Should I help out only during the final interviews later?

No. He’ll pick them well on his own.

They’re picking 15 Level 9 Awakened, and nearly 140 people applied, so roughly a 10-to-1 competition?

Looking through all those resumes and experience records is a waste of time for me. Not bothering him is helping Han Deuk. Hehe.

Although there’s only a one-year age difference, thirty-nine and forty seem really different.

Why is everything starting to feel so bothersome? Ugh.

Last week, Jeju Broadcasting (JIBC) came to the office and filmed for about a day and a half, which also bothered Han Deuk in conjunction with the new Awakened recruitment notice.

I interviewed with a few party members in the party leader’s office, requesting that they blur our faces when the broadcast aired.

In the actual broadcast, affiliations and pseudonyms were written in subtitles at the bottom of the screen, but somehow, even more congratulatory calls came.

Starting with my parents, relatives, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law all called in a row, and the day before yesterday, they barged into my house, bothering me.

We ordered two plates of sashimi at a nearby seafood restaurant and treated them to a jokbal [pig’s trotters] and bossam [boiled pork belly] set for dinner, but in the middle, the topic of the Awakened account came up by chance.

The starting point was when my wife brought up something strange while talking about my sister-in-law’s house problems.

‘I’ll lend you money, so buy a house.’

Why?

That’s money I earned risking my life.

It’s my money that doesn’t feel like my money.

In front of my father-in-law and mother-in-law, I confidently retrieved the card and bankbook from my wife and decided to give her a certain amount of living expenses each month and manage it myself from now on. Along with the lie that I would repay her with a bigger gift later.

Money is only mine when it’s in my hands.

Now it’s not my money that doesn’t feel like my money, it’s my money.

Hmm, something’s strange?

Anyway, after briefly looking at the account transaction history later, there were no major expenditures.

She seems to be concerned since her husband earns money doing dangerous things.

A little bit.

A few days after retrieving my bankbook.

I proceeded with the contract with the Awakened Association’s Jeju branch regarding the equity in the Seongpanak Level 8 mech dungeon.

The most interesting item in the contract was the exemption from taxes on dungeon clear rewards until the contract was terminated, and the receipt of 5% of the dungeon entrance fees each month.

Well, it will go into the Support Party company’s funds, but that money is my money anyway.

This is my money, that is my money.

Both are precious, blood-like my money. Hehe.

Well, even if I receive the dungeon entrance fees every month, it won’t be a large amount, but the tax exemption and dungeon clear entrance are a little different.

Having been selected as the Jeju Regional Defense Party and obtaining the Seongpanak equity, it has now become possible to clear the dungeon more than once a month, regardless of the dungeon entrance order.

Clearing a Level 8 dungeon more than once a month. The reward that comes with it.

That’s the key.

Is it because of the money?

No.

Well, of course, it’s also because of the money, but I like gas [energy/excitement] more.

Of course, I like money too. Hehe.

* * *

A few days later.

I went to the office after a long time and called the team leaders and assistant team leaders.

After three weeks of being busy with recruiting new Awakened, filming a local broadcast program, and reorganizing the party teams, I smiled slightly as I looked at the team leaders and assistant team leaders who had gathered after a long time.

Han Deuk and Gil-soo remained as the team leaders of Teams 1 and 2, Ji-hye took on Team 3, and Mi-hye took on Team 4. Combat mages Kim Eun-hee and Choi Eun-ji, and warrior types Choi Dae-gil and Kim Eun-soo were selected as assistant team leaders. As expected, Kim Eun-hee’s figure… can’t even be compared to Ji-hye… Sorry, Ji-hye. Men can’t help it, I guess. Hehe.

With a satisfied expression, I took a cup of coffee and began to discuss future plans.

“The team reorganization was done well to balance things out, right?”

“Yes. Here’s a report on each team’s composition, levels, and job classes.”

As Han Deuk handed over the documents, I read them roughly and asked again.

“When can we enter Seongpanak?”

“It’s possible in four days. I booked it as soon as possible.”

“Four days from now, that’s Monday?”

“Yes. Monday at 3 p.m.”

“How about clearing it with the existing Teams 1 and 2? They seemed to have good teamwork last time.”

“I thought so too, but since the team members have all changed, it’s like starting from scratch.”

“Ah, that’s right. Then let’s practice maintaining formation for a few days before entering.”

“Understood. And party leader, shouldn’t we expand or move our office? With the current number of people, we can’t even fit all the desks here.”

“Consult with real estate companies and either use the entire floor or rent the upper floor. Proceed as you see fit.”

“Yes.”

I talked with Han Deuk like that, rejected Ji-hye and Mi-hye’s proposal for a lounge for female Awakened, and told Gil-soo to run outside for the physical training room he requested.

These guys are gradually starting to want more and more.

There’s still no income related to the dungeon equity! No matter how much comes in, let’s talk about it once the money is in the account!

* * *

Four days later, in front of the Seongpanak Level 8 mech dungeon.

Han Deuk reminds everyone of the precautions before entering the dungeon.

Originally, it was my job to do it, but… it’s annoying.

“We are now entering the Seongpanak Level 8 mech dungeon. Maintain the movement formation as practiced. Now, let’s go!”

At Han Deuk’s shout, they began to enter the dungeon while maintaining formation.

As soon as the slight dizziness disappeared, something felt strange. Strange noises were heard around me.

‘Kieek… Kieek.’

‘Kuek… Kueeek.’

As the hazy fog disappeared, what appeared was a horde of Zerglings [a type of alien creature] all around!

Seeing some running around, they were upgraded Zerglings.

Gil-soo, one of the warrior-type Awakened at the front, regained his senses first and shouted.

“Emergency situation A1, gather by team!”

“Damn it! There are Zerglings all around!”

“It’s A1, A1 situation!”

“Team 1, gather!”

“Team 2, this way!”

“Party leader in the center, Team 1 on the left, Team 2 on the right, warriors charge out!”

The shouts of each team leader, the screams of the party members, and Gil-soo’s calls to the warriors were mixed together, creating chaos.

I also summoned and wore my Awakened boots, cloak, and gloves and was about to summon Zealot [a type of warrior] and Dracan [a type of dragon], but something felt off from behind.

Just, for no reason, I instinctively rolled forward to the ground as if falling.

‘Keuk.’

What was that?

What just passed by?

After rolling once on the ground, I looked up while lying down, and a sharp, short dagger was approaching my eyes.

‘Damn it!’

Again, just by instinct, I covered my face with my left hand and tried to roll to the side, but my pathetic stamina was not cooperating.

My body wouldn’t move as I wanted it to.

‘Thwack!’

“Kuaaak!”

It hurts like hell.

The short dagger grazed the glove on my hand and bounced off to the side, and blood began to flow from my deeply cut hand.

“You bastard! What are you!”

Without even a moment to catch my breath, the guy takes out a long iron skewer that he had stuck in his calf again.

“Damn it!”

“Oppa!”

“Hyung!”

“What is that bastard!”

“What’s going on?”

“Kyaaa~ It’s a PK [Player Killer]!”

“Zerglings are charging. What do we do?”

“12 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 4 o’clock directions! Zerglings are running!”

“Maintain formation! Daegil, Gilsu! Get them!”

The surrounding shouts and chaos felt distant, as if coming from another world.

I rolled to avoid the iron skewer aimed at my neck and shouted, “Zhulut’s upper body armor… Summon! Zhulut… Damn it!”

[Ding! Zhulut’s upper body armor is summoned.]

White light enveloped my torso, and the warrior—whose name I couldn’t recall—shoved a long iron skewer into my chest.

‘Thwack.’

‘Keuk. Keoeok.’

I couldn’t breathe, whether he’d hit his mark or not.

My consciousness faded, and the shouts around me became muffled.

It hurt.

A lot.

But that iron skewer looked familiar?

The assailant stared at me with bloodshot eyes!

The blue glint in his eyes made him look like a cursed vampire….

* * *

How much time had passed?

What the hell had happened?

Ah… I’d been backstabbed by some bastard.

It was hard to move my body.

I couldn’t breathe well… Huh?

Was I alive?

It was too noisy around me.

“We need to pull it out first!”

“Are you saying that after seeing this! What do you mean, pull it out? If we pull it out here, he’ll die from excessive bleeding!”

“We can heal and bless him as soon as we pull it out!”

“What if it doesn’t work? What if we pull it out and can’t heal him? Are you going to stab him again then!”

“You bastard! You’re trying to kill Hyung [older brother/male friend], aren’t you? What’s your relationship with that guy?”

“Is this guy crazy? What? What did you say just now?”

“Brothers, stop it. This isn’t the time.”

“Eong… Oppa [older brother/male friend]… What do we do? Eoeong….”

You guys!

It’s already hard to breathe; were you trying to anger me to death?

“Hee… I’m still….”

Jihye, who saw me twitching, shouted, “Oppa! He’s, he’s coming to! Brothers! Oppa woke up!”

Was that even a question? Or were you just blurting out anything?

‘Kueok!’

A fountain of blood erupted from my mouth. Shit!

Things I’d only seen in movies were strangely happening to me.

“Hyeongnim [older brother/male friend]! Are you okay?”

“Hyeongnim! What do we do?”

“Oppa! What are you all doing? Pour all the heals on him! Throw in the blessings!”

At Jihye’s shout, heals and blessings began to rain down on me, overlapping from the party members around me.

“By the Goddess Idea’s arrangement! Heal them. Personal Heal!”

“By the Goddess Idea’s trust! Look up and shine. Individual Blessing!”

“By the Goddess Idea’s….”

As white light poured down on me from all directions, my heart clenched, and it hurt even more.

‘Keokeok.’

Blood never stopped flowing from my mouth.

It kept gushing out; I was really going to die like this.

“J-just a moment….”

“Oppa! Everyone stop! Stop!”

“Stop. Stop healing! Stop blessing!”

“Hyeongnim! H-how do we do this?”

If I got out of this shitty dungeon safely today, I was going to cover my whole body with personal defense magic items.

I came into the dungeon to make money, but now I was going to end up as a corpse.

I ignored the guys shouting around me and looked at my chest.

As expected, it was something I recognized.

A pointed iron skewer, half-stuck in my left chest, with a blue light flickering on the handle.

Idea Awl.

‘Idea Awl (Absorbable)

Source: Bio Dungeon (Rank 7), Rank: 7

Production: Magic circuit production possible regardless of job

Magic-type (Artifact) Enchantment stat availability: 2.1% increase’

As I groaned and grabbed the handle of the Idea Awl with my right hand, Jihye, Hanteuk, and Gilsu shouted.

“O-Oppa!”

“Hyeongnim! You can’t pull it out! Excessive bleeding….”

“Healer, priest get ready! Heal and bless as soon as he pulls it out. Recite the spell!”

I was already dying from exhaustion, you guys!

Could you just shut up?

It was so noisy.

‘Hoo… Hheup!’

I took a ragged breath and grabbed the handle of the blue-glowing pointed iron skewer, the Idea Awl.

As expected, a notification popped up that it was in an absorbable state, and the Idea Awl began to fade away.

If that’s the case, it should have just been absorbed from the beginning. Why did I have to touch it with my hand… Huh?

[Ding! Magic-type item ‘Idea Awl’ has been absorbed. Enchantment stats are granted.]

[Ding! Level 1 increases with accumulated availability. Personal stat 10 is granted.]

At the same time as the notification that the Idea Awl stuck in my chest was absorbed, a notification also rang that a level up had been achieved according to the existing accumulated availability.

Somehow, this absurd situation felt like a blessing in disguise… I’d worry about it later, but the surroundings were more of a mess than me.

“Now! Give him heal. Give him blessing!”

“Pour it all in! We have to save Oppa first; don’t think about the consequences!”

As Hanteuk and Jihye shouted, the overlapping heals and blessings from all directions began to permeate my body. The blood seeping from the wound where the Idea Awl was stabbed in my left chest stopped, and I could feel my breathing returning to normal.

Jihye and Hanteuk, who kept looking at me, asked about my condition.

“Hyeongnim. Are you okay?”

“Oppa. How are you? Are you okay?”

Instead of answering, I tried to get up from the floor, and Hanteuk supported me.

“Stop giving heal, blessing….”

“Stop! He’s recovered. Stop.”

Hanteuk waved his hand at the party members while supporting me.

Then, the healers and priests, who had used quite a lot of magic power, sighed and slumped down in their seats.

“First of all, everyone worked hard, but what happened? What the hell is the guy who stabbed me? Let’s sort out the situation.”

“Yes. Hyeongnim. Just a moment….”

There seemed to be other issues. Hanteuk led me to a place where we could talk, away from the party members, and Jihye, Gilsu, and Mihae followed.

They seemed to have judged that they had a duty to report or explain as the leaders of each team.

“First of all, the guy who stabbed Hyeongnim has been caught, but it seems like he’s cursed. I can’t figure out anything at all. He’s just spouting strange words….”

“A curse? What kind of curse?”

“It seems to be hallucination and brainwashing. Maybe it’s a black magician’s mental magic or a vampire familiar skill… I can’t know for sure right now.”

“Someone did that to him too?”

“Yes, but it’s not certain. I think we need to get out of the dungeon to find out something. Right now, I can’t….”

“Then, let’s check that later. What happened to the Zerglings that seemed to surround us as soon as we entered the dungeon?”

“There wasn’t a big dangerous situation. It’s just that Oppa was out of his mind because he got backstabbed. There are 14 Rank 9 Awakeners, so we can’t be defeated by Zerglings. As you saw earlier, the healers and priests used a lot of power today.”

“Jihye is right. There were also injured people in the middle, so we worked hard to treat them, and moreover, Hyeongnim….”

“I know. I’ll take care of today’s work when it’s sorted out.”

“Yes. And this is a cautious word, but….”

Hanteuk hesitated a little.

“Tell me. What can’t you say in this situation?”

“Hyeongnim. Do you have any enemies? It seems like he backstabbed you for revenge.”

“How would I know? I can’t be involved in everything in the world, but I think I’ve tried to live without harming others so far… I don’t know. I don’t know who I made resentful.”

“No. It’s not like Oppa did anything wrong. Maybe the defense party….”

“Useless talk. You’ll get hurt if you guess with something that’s not certain.”

“Tch~ That’s what Oppa said earlier.”

“Still, let’s find out after clearing the dungeon. Refrain from making unnecessary guesses before that. You know. The world of Awakeners.”

“Know what, bullshit~.”

Watching Hanteuk and Jihye’s skit, I thought.

‘What did I do wrong? Is it really because of the defense party selection? Or….’

Hanteuk was right.

Reckless speculation leads to another backstab.

First, I needed to see the face of the guy who stabbed me.

Before that,

“Okay, I understand, but it’s not cleared yet, right? Let’s proceed in 10 minutes. I’ll check my traits.”

“I understand. I’ll organize the situation by team and prepare to move.”

“Okay.”

First, I was going to look at the status according to the level up alone, but Mihae, who had been quiet until now, dropped a huge bomb that we had never thought of.

“Hey, Oppa. But isn’t something strange? Seongpanak Rank 8 Armor Dungeon, here. It’s literally an armor dungeon, but how can there be Zerglings? It’s not a bio dungeon.”

“What do you mean? … Huh?!”

“Huh? What, what is it!”

“No way!”

Yes, something impossible had happened.

But why hadn’t anyone noticed this until now?

Were you all crazy?

After hearing Mihae’s words, Jihye, Gilsu, and Hanteuk ran to where the party members were gathered, their minds blown.

It’s been almost 40 years since the dungeon was created, but this had never happened before.

Zerglings in an armor dungeon!

It didn’t make sense.

Well, in fact, I hadn’t noticed it until I heard Mihae’s words.

Why were Zerglings running around in the armor dungeon?

There can never be Zerglings… Huh? Wait a minute.

Something that can never happen. But it happened.

Something unrelated to the dungeon system.

Clearly, the guy who backstabbed me moved without hesitation, as if it was planned as soon as he entered the dungeon, and aimed for my back.

If he’s an Awakener, especially a warrior type, he should be wary of possible dungeon units when entering the dungeon, but he attacks me? Even at the point of being surrounded by Zerglings?

If so, it means that he knew the situation at the entrance when entering the dungeon in advance, and knowing the situation in advance means that someone told him about this situation.

Then, it means that Zerglings were deliberately released at the entrance to the dungeon, but is this possible?

To plan such a complicated, cumbersome, and annoying thing to backstab me?

Why? Who?

Why were they doing this?

I tried to fully operate my bad head with endless doubts and speculations.

My head was going to explode.

I couldn’t do it. There’s a limit to my head.

Two heads are better than one.

I’d have to ask Hanteuk to think about it later.

Let’s sort that out like that,

“Status window!”

[Artifact: Han Jiwon (Lv-4)

Nationality/Affiliation: South Korea/Support Party,

Age: 40, Height/Weight: 178cm/78kg,

Agility: 3, Stamina: 3, Strength: 4,

Health: 3, Intelligence: 2, Luck: 13,

Enchant: 3, Inventory: 7/9

(Awakener Boots, Gloves, Cloak,

Zhulut (Warp +100%) (120), Drakan (32),

Mineral (5.128kg), Idea Awl (2)),

Buildings: 11

(Force, Battery, Gateway, Drakan Core,

Gas Mine, Warp Core, Land Core, Stargate,

Black Core, Light Core, Land Spore Core),

Crystal: 0/30, Personal Stat: 10,

Summon Target Stat: 251 (Prolbe),

Zhulut’s Upper Body Armor 1,

Possessed Artifacts: Mineral Fragment (Absorption) 210,

Gas Fragment (Absorption): 1, Idea Pouch (Absorption) 1,

Idea Awl (Absorption) 2]

I stopped worrying and started looking at the status according to the level up.

The first thing that caught my eye was that three new buildings could be created among the building traits.

Black Core, which can produce Dark Assassins; Light Core, which can check underground or transparent dungeon units such as lockers and Dark Assassins in bio dungeons and produce colorful balloons; and Land Spore Core, which can upgrade the shuttle’s movement speed and produce Grub Tanks, were newly created.

“Kuh, finally Black Core!”