"I believe she's being a bit excessive," I remarked.
"Do you really think so?" Young-ki inquired.
"Well, it is Jung Yura after all," I responded.
"Ah..." Young-ki mumbled.
"Tsk. Perhaps she's overly fixated on achievements... Those under her command will undoubtedly suffer as a result," I continued.
"If you say so..." Young-ki sighed.
"Don't fret too much. Nobody has a negative opinion of you, Kee Miyoung. There have been plenty of rumors about Jung Yura's personality within the Magic Guild," Choi Young-ki reassured.
"I'm relieved. I was worried I might be causing problems for everyone..." I confessed.
"No, no. Wherever you go, there will always be individuals looking to stir up trouble. The most important thing during an expedition is to maintain your humanity. I thought she'd at least have some basic manners... It appears that any collaboration with the Black Swan is out of the question, especially with Jung Yura," Young-ki continued.
"The same goes for our Red Mercenaries," Young-ki added.
"I don't understand it at all..." I admitted.
"People like you because you're real. But interfering unnecessarily in other people's affairs is wrong. Even if it irritates you, show the expedition leader some fundamental respect and bring it up. Please excuse me, but the Black Swans wouldn't dare to act in this manner if the Blue Guild's reputation were still as it was before," Young-ki said.
"Hahaha," I chuckled.
"By the way, what exactly did she say?" Young-ki inquired.
"This... I'm not sure if I can share..." I hesitated.
"I would appreciate it if you could speak openly," Young-ki encouraged.
Naturally, I saw no reason to hide the truth. After all, it worked to my advantage.
"Well... She told me not to socialize with the rest of you," I revealed.
"Wow, really? What else did she say?" Young-ki asked.
"S-She said she didn't know whether I came here to explore the dungeon or to make friends. She said I was too relaxed and that I wasn't vigilant enough," I continued.
"Friendship, huh..." Young-ki mused.
"I'm not sure if I can tell you what she said next," I hesitated.
"Go ahead. Feel free to share," Young-ki insisted.
"Well... she said she doubted whether the Mercenary Queen could protect me here too," I admitted.
"What an audacious woman," Young-ki remarked.
I expected Choi Young-ki to react strongly, but he seemed more uncomfortable than anything.
"I apologize, I apologize," Young-ki said.
"Listen, she's just being unreasonable. Does she really think we'd let anyone harm you? How arrogant of her! Don't worry, Kee Miyoung. If someone like her ever tries to cause trouble with you or the expedition... Well, I won't allow it," Young-ki reassured.
"Do you still feel threatened? Do you want to file a formal complaint?" Young-ki inquired.
"No, I'm fine. I don't want to escalate things further," I replied.
"Tsk. It feels like she has a prejudice against you. Many people are like that, especially among the veterans. People like her disgust me," Young-ki expressed his frustration.
"Haha," I laughed.
Throughout this ordeal, I made sure to maintain the appearance of being shaken.
However, things were already working in my favor. The atmosphere had shifted.
This was the kind of situation Jung Yura had brought upon herself by provoking me. With one misstep, her influence within the guild had crumbled.
Even a seasoned professional like her must realize that such obvious tampering would have consequences. She had declared making friends to be a negative thing, therefore no one had any good feelings for her anymore. Even if she made an effort to patch things up now, she wouldn't be able to return to her previous position of power.
"That's why it's essential to always act your best," I pondered.
No matter how hard she struggled, I doubted anyone would extend their sympathy. Especially not from the Red Mercenary Guild! After she questioned Cha Hee-ra's power, her reputation had permanently plummeted.
However, I knew this would affect Choi Young-ki's leadership. It would be challenging to maintain cohesion if the atmosphere remained unfriendly.
"Now, let's begin again," Young-ki suggested.
"Yes, of course," I agreed.
In summary, Jung Yura's influence had vanished. I knew Kim Hyunsung wouldn't allow her to assert authority again. His stern demeanor indicated that he had no intention of letting her doubt his leadership again.
"Okay, I'll take my position now," I said.
"Sure," Young-ki replied.
Due to the sudden turn of events, an odd pressure hung in the air. Everyone had shifted their full focus to the expedition. Kim Hyunsung's leadership qualities were evident, and I knew he would be a competent leader wherever he goes.
"You don't need to be nervous, Deokgu. Concentrate as much as you can," Hyunsung reassured Park Deokgu.
"Oh, I see," Park Deokgu responded.
"Ye-ri, don't aim anywhere else. Focus on the area where our melee is lacking. It's better to charge up your magic in advance," Hyunsung instructed Kim Ye-ri.
"Yes, understood," Kim Ye-ri acknowledged.
"Miss Hayan and Mr. Kee are doing well," Hyunsung praised us.
"Thank you," Jung Hayan and I replied.
"Even if Sun Hee-young won't look at me..." Hyunsung sighed.
"Don't worry, Mr. Hyunsung. I know my role," Sun Hee-young assured him.
"Good," Hyunsung said.
The party members were brimming with enthusiasm. At this point, I wanted the monsters to appear as soon as possible. I just wanted to reach the next safe point.
Despite being called a Garden, it resembled a vast, jungle-like environment. Distinguishing between plants and monsters was difficult, which made caution necessary.
While I assessed our situation, Kim Hyunsung spoke from behind me.
"Kee Miyoung?" Hyunsung called.
"I'm ready," I replied.
I didn't question why I should cast a spell immediately. I trusted Hyunsung. Jung Hayan nodded and synchronized her magic with mine.
"Lord..." Jung Hayan began.
"Grant us the unwavering power..." I continued.
"To endure..." Jung Hayan added.
"Magic..."
I said.
"As powerful as the wind..." Jung Hayan concluded.
Our voices resonated within the area, intensifying the already tense atmosphere.
A glance at Jung Hayan revealed her enjoyment of collaborating on spells to create more powerful ones. I had to admit, it was enjoyable for me too. Together, we were constructing a tower of magic.
"Prepare for battle!" Choi Young-ki announced.
I understood why they had ordered us to prepare spells so early. The monster we faced now was larger and seemed more dangerous than the ones before. It was rapidly approaching our group.
However, I had faith in our leaders. We would prevail.
Kim Hyunsung charged forward.
"W-What are you doing?!" Jung Yura's startled voice rang out as he rushed forward without warning.
That meant the monster had singled out Park Deokgu as its target.
Following Hyunsung's instructions, Sun Hee-young poured her divine magic entirely into Park Deokgu. Before one of the monster's tentacle-like arms could reach him, it had already been severed.
It was clear who had delivered the first blow.
Kim Ye-ri, following Kim Hyunsung's orders, prepared her next arrow.
Meanwhile, the monster had recovered from its initial shock and howled in anger and pain. Park Deokgu looked embarrassed to have all the attention, but he positioned himself to block the next attack, moving to the right instinctively. It seemed Hyunsung had already warned him.
Kim Hyunsung cut through the monster's neck in the following instant. Jung Hayan tensed up, and so did I. Everyone else had contributed; it was now up to us.
"Cast it!" I shouted.
"Flame!" Jung Hayan called out.
"Storm!" I added.
Jung Hayan and I released our incantations simultaneously.
The spell we had created was a fusion of magic and alchemy, emphasizing Jung Hayan's magical capacity more than mine, making it stronger.
The flames and storm converged on the monster, trapping it in a fiery spiral, eventually consuming it and reducing it to ashes. Thanks to Sun Hee-young's mark, Park Deokgu remained unharmed, even though he was within the spell's range.
"Who's next?!" Hyunsung called out.
'Huh...'
I was quite taken aback. I noticed our lack of teamwork not too long ago. It must have been right for Kim Hyunsung to take leadership of us even during offensive operations in light of the preceding occurrence. He gave strict instructions, and everyone complied, taking down the beast with one powerful move.
This wasn't just following orders; it felt like we knew precisely when one's role would start and end, and when the next role would begin.
But we didn't have time to ponder these changes. The next monster arrived, but we were all in the perfect mindset and stance to confront it once more.
This was the first time I felt like we were truly excelling in hunting.
It was simple for us in the back. When the creatures were vulnerable or preoccupied, Jung Hayan and I memorized, chanted, and directed our spells against them. Although it was simple to recall their assault patterns, something seemed odd.
I found it hard to imagine that a single well-executed combination could defeat creatures of this size and strength with such ease. While the other parties were also paying attention to their charges, it was obvious that they were taken aback by our abrupt change.
Particularly Jung Yura appeared surprised.
She had been keeping a tight eye on us and waiting to correct any errors, but none occurred as we kept up our steady stream of attacking combos.
'This is actually enjoyable...'
During this portion of the journey, I had the impression that my fellow party members were doing all the work and I didn't need to put in any extra effort. I only had to relax while following the team's moves from a secure distance.
"Again! Who's following? Hyunsung shouted.
Ah, I wonder how much longer I'll have to endure this journey before I get bored.
It felt that this excursion was making me stronger little by little.