Chapter : 69
Preparation (2)
Shaina was confident. As if she could show it at any moment, she clenched her hand and opened it again.
“Judging by your readiness to show your abilities, I take it you liked the offer?”
“I only showed it because you asked me to.”
“Exactly.”
Shaina and Suhyun smiled at each other. Suhyun didn’t dislike people with clear desires. Having clear desires made them easy to read. It was those whose desires weren’t clear that were confusing.
“If you’re okay with it, I’ll go in.”
Instinctively, she felt it—this was the opportunity. Shaina thought so. Just like when she left the tribe, like when she contacted humans and began a second life, this was clearly a similar chance.
“All right. Then let’s head outside.”
Suhyun summoned the agents of Uncle Joe Company. When Suhyun returned from the mission to rescue Jindo Dog Team 1, the agents ran toward him happily but froze in confusion at the sight of the newly arrived dark elf.
“Congratulations on your return… Who is this?”
“She’s a new recruit.”
As he spoke, Suhyun carefully observed the agents’ expressions. He spoke confidently to Jo Seunghyun, but he did not ignore teamwork. If a team like Uncle Joe Company collapsed from the inside, there would be no solution.
Instead of just forcing them to accept her, it was better to find someone who disliked dark elves and persuade them. So Suhyun paid close attention to the agents’ reactions. Was there anyone here who would be wary of a dark elf?
“Oh, I see.”
“?”
The agents merely nodded without any strong reaction. Even Park Sooyong, who would normally complain the most in such matters, accepted it.
‘What? Why isn’t anyone reacting?’
Suhyun realized two things he had overlooked. The first was that the agents of Uncle Joe Company, though mercenaries now, were mostly former soldiers who had served on Earth. None of them had a direct grudge against dark elves.
The second was that the agents’ trust in Suhyun was far stronger than he had thought.
Everything Suhyun had decided regarding the planet Cameron had never failed. He had led things almost omnisciently. Naturally, the agents assumed that anyone he brought along was someone he trusted.
‘The team leader made the decision, so they’ll handle it.’
‘Dark elf? Wasn’t there a lot of fuss before? Well, if the team leader brought her, it should be fine.’
“??”
Though something felt odd, no hostile reaction arose, so Suhyun let it go.
“Gorgan, what do you think?”
“The dark elf? I don’t really have any thoughts.”
Gorgan had had no contact with the dark elf. He was even more indifferent than the other agents, if anything.
“See? They’re all good people.”
“…Let’s see your abilities then.”
It felt a little deflating. Suhyun collected himself and spoke. Shaina, looking increasingly pleased, raised her hand.
“Can I tell you now? What kind of superpower it is?”
Most superpowers were fine to display publicly, though there were exceptions depending on the type.
“You’ll know right away when you see it.”
She pointed to her feet. Her shadow was visible in the sunlight. In an instant, the shadow writhed and shot upward.
“Shadow manipulation… not just controlling it, but summoning it?”
“Oh? Have you seen this before?”
“Even if not, superpowers usually follow some rules. Can you only manipulate your own shadow?”
“Yes.”
Shaina’s shadow had disappeared, replaced by a black four-legged beast circling her. A superpower that used shadows to summon a phantom beast. It was better than expected.
It might not have powerful firepower, but it could sustain combat steadily, with good versatility. For Shaina, who often operated alone, this superpower was well suited.
“How is it?”
“It’s a good ability. This is promising.”
Shaina exhaled in relief at Suhyun’s answer. Nothing would have been more absurd than being kicked out because her superpower didn’t meet expectations. Suhyun shook her hand.
“Welcome to Uncle Joe Company.”
“Are you okay going alone?”
“It’d be odd for the boss to personally go fetch the artifact. Even if there’s a size difference, there’s no need to appear weak. And it’s not like going alone would make it impossible to get the artifact. Besides, I’m not going alone. I’ll bring someone with me.”
“Who?”
“I originally planned to ask Sohee Lee, but I’ll bring Changshik Kim instead.”
“Changshik?”
“Sohee has family ties, and Changshik is a superpowered individual.”
“Ah…”
“Since we’re going to select artifacts, it’s better to bring a superpowered person. Let’s go then.”
Bringing Shaina was an option, but taking a dark elf into a mercenary company already under scrutiny while fetching artifacts wasn’t wise.
“We won’t get shot inside, right…?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
As Changshik Kim mumbled behind the wheel, Suhyun scolded him. Changshik’s face was tense.
“No, we’re just fetching an artifact.”
“There’s no need to worry. We even called a government official just in case. Do you think this is some unexplored wilderness?”
Suhyun’s scolding was justified, but Changshik’s concern wasn’t baseless. No company would be happy to hand over an artifact, especially if the reason was a ridiculous mistake.
Suhyun wasn’t afraid of making enemies, but indiscriminately creating them wasn’t beneficial either.
This led Suhyun to one thought: could he gain profit while saving face?
‘Maybe forfeit one artifact… and bring Kang Inkyu?’
The cursed sorcerer Kang Inkyu.
Given the team’s current composition, many artifacts would be difficult to use. For ordinary people, using an artifact quickly drained stamina. A superpowered individual was more useful than an artifact.
In that sense, sacrificing one artifact to bring a superpowered person would preserve the benefits while giving Jindo Dog Team some leeway.
The question was whether Kang Inkyu could even awaken as a superpowered individual. Awakening was completely irregular and beyond Suhyun’s control. If he brought him and he didn’t awaken, it would be troublesome.
‘If only I knew how Kang Inkyu awakened…’
Knowing the conditions would allow Suhyun to replicate them. But he didn’t know how Kang Inkyu awakened.
Suhyun closed his eyes and pondered, tracing Kang Inkyu’s past actions. One fact became clear.
‘Wait a minute.’
The battle in Redwood Forest lingered in his mind. He had handled it easily, but what if circumstances were different?
‘Even without Uncle Joe Company, the Jindo Dog team would have eventually entered Redwood Forest, and then they would have faced the Chinese special forces alone?’
Without Suhyun, Team 1 would have been annihilated or suffered catastrophic losses. Kang Inkyu would have been there too.
‘Could this be it?!’
The deaths of companions. While awakening conditions were random, many cases showed individuals awakening after a strong mental shock or crisis. Considering Kang Inkyu’s later personality and name, it’s likely he was shocked by this incident.
‘If Uncle Joe Company had failed, Redwood Forest would have been discovered later, and he could have awakened there… time-wise, it fits.’
“We’ve arrived.”
“Ah, right, let’s get out.”
Suhyun stopped thinking and exited the car. Ahead loomed the towering building of Jindo Dog.
Though he had a plausible theory for Kang Inkyu’s awakening, betting on it was a different matter.
‘And if he awakened after seeing a companion die, how would I replicate that condition?’
His mind was tangled. Suhyun shook his head to clear it and focused on the most important artifact. Kang Inkyu could decide after seeing the artifact list.
“How is it?”
“It’s good. This should be…”
Choi Hyunmin, present as the responsible officer and witness for the artifact transfer, whispered. Hearing Suhyun’s words, he sighed in relief. It was fortunate nothing went wrong.
Contrary to worries beforehand, the artifact list published by Jindo Dog was far from chaotic. Guided to the top floor, Suhyun and Changshik saw each artifact under strict security.
‘Of course, the most important ones were probably taken, but this is unexpected. Are they being careful not to cause problems? Well…’
Even if they tried to resist, Uncle Joe Company would be at a disadvantage if Jindo Dog escalated things based on public info.
“It’s been a while since we last met.”
“Ah, yes…”
“You’ve been well lately?”
“Yes, thank you…”
Jindo Dog Team 2’s leader, Choi Jaeho, wore the world’s most awkward expression toward Suhyun. Team 1’s leader, Lee Jungwoo, refused to guide them due to the shock Suhyun caused. With Team 1’s leader absent, it fell to Team 2’s leader to step in.
However, this wasn’t their first meeting. Not long ago, during the Calcutta Gorilla Hunt operation, Choi Jaeho had approached Suhyun, seeing him as a naive rookie.
‘This is impossible…!’
He had considered scouting Suhyun for his healing ability but gave up after speaking to him, criticizing him as narrow-minded and delusional.
Yet Suhyun rose terrifyingly fast. While some doubted Uncle Joe Company’s abilities, none denied them outright.
Moreover, the company now suffered directly because of Suhyun. So Choi Jaeho’s awkwardness was natural.
“This was originally a spear, right? Did you cut it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Certainly wouldn’t be used as a spear…”
Most artifacts took the form of objects, but not all parts were necessary. Only the core had superpowers; the rest was decorative. Cutting part of a spear caused no problem.
‘Rock Sphere. Good ability.’
A superpower that creates rocks as projectiles. One choice was settled. A reliable superpower was a good superpower.
“?”
“Why the look?”
“Oh, nothing… I didn’t expect interest in that.”
Suhyun had been looking at a ring—one that caused confusion. Though a confusion ability that disturbs an opponent’s mind is strong, he hadn’t expected Uncle Joe Company to care.
Choi Jaeho, though repeatedly outsmarted by Suhyun, was perceptive. He could easily anticipate which artifacts a team lacking superpowered members would want.
Artifacts that enhance firepower. Confusion was usable, but limited in combat.
“Ah. You know how to pick one with firepower. Good. We’ve been steadily recruiting superpowered individuals too.”
“Is that so?”
‘Do they think superpowered individuals are like stones?’
“Even Changshik Kim recently awakened as a superpowered individual.”
“?!”
Both men were surprised. Choi Jaeho was shocked by Changshik’s awakening, but…
‘Why show such a ridiculous superpower?!’
Changshik knew his ability would embarrass him if shown to a superpowered person like Choi Jaeho. He looked at Suhyun with desperate, tear-filled eyes.
