Chapter : 67
Even though the team had been formed temporarily, that didn’t mean they moved about cheerfully. Perhaps it was only natural—they weren’t in the same unit as Suhyun, nor had they built up camaraderie from working together regularly.
Meeting while lost on the way was a pleasant surprise, but once that moment passed, there was no reason to act familiar. They were the Jindo Dog Team 1, and even if they didn’t want to, being elite was unavoidable given their position.
“Awkward… but whatever.”
Of course, none of the Jindo Dog Team 1 members were rude. Despite the difficult situation, it was clear how Lee Jung-woo managed his team.
Still, no one initiated conversation or made small talk. The only question Lee Jung-woo asked was why Suhyun had come here to be rescued.
When Suhyun answered that it was because he knew the local non-human races and had been hired by the Jindo Dog side, Lee Jung-woo simply nodded, seemingly satisfied. That was enough to convince him.
Once they returned, hearing the details would probably leave him stunned. Thinking of that, Suhyun felt a sudden surge of kindness toward the stiff, upright team.
“By the way, what were you going to say earlier?”
Leading the group now were Suhyun, Mogok, and Shaina. The Jindo Dog Team 1 trailing behind gave off the vibe that they shouldn’t be approached, so Mogok and Shaina couldn’t fall back.
“What did I say?”
“Right before the wall broke. You said something about not knowing the ability, but if it’s a psychic, then…”
“Oh, that.”
Suhyun recalled and nodded. He had started to speak, but the Jindo Dog Team 1 suddenly broke through the wall, interrupting him.
“I don’t know what kind of ability it is, but if someone’s a psychic, wouldn’t working as a mercenary be the most stable and easiest way? Especially if they want money.”
The reason mercenary companies attracted people was simple. On Cameron, mercenaries offered the highest income and most stability for individuals using their own abilities. Hunters or explorers working independently were arguably even more dangerous than mercenaries.
Shaina, however, looked incredulous.
“What are you talking about?”
“?”
“You do know I’m a Dark Elf, right? Your reaction just now…”
“Oh. That was the issue? My apologies.”
Only then did Suhyun realize what he had overlooked. He had assumed Shaina was a non-human psychic familiar with Cameron, but to others, Shaina was a Dark Elf psychic.
Dark Elves. The race itself wasn’t problematic, but among humans, prejudice was inevitable. Dark Elves were notorious non-human terrorists.
Though their activities had calmed recently, human attempts to expand for resources clashed inevitably with non-human resistance. Not all non-humans treated humans friendly.
If elves were the friendly representatives toward humans, Dark Elves were the hostile ones.
With numerous psychics, weapons flowing from humanity, and Cameron’s natural environment, Dark Elves were formidable foes.
Because of this, even mercenary companies hesitant to accept non-humans often avoided Dark Elves. Typically, front-line teams consisted only of trustworthy humans; Dark Elves, unpredictable, were naturally excluded.
“Mercenary companies are a bit paranoid about that, huh.”
It was understandable. Dark Elf attacks weren’t ancient history; even just a few years back, mercenaries had been harmed. Working in already dangerous conditions, including a Dark Elf could jeopardize team cohesion.
“So the mercenary companies rejected you?”
“Yeah. I tried a few, but they all hesitated. That’s fine, I’m confident working alone.”
“Even so, working alone has limits.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Even just this time, working alone, you couldn’t search more and had to climb back. Normally, you could’ve lasted longer.”
“Yeah… true, but…”
Shaina couldn’t find a retort. She had no idea what he was implying.
“That’s unavoidable if you work alone. You have to deal with it.”
“Wouldn’t you consider working together?”
“?!?!”
Shaina was genuinely surprised. Thinking she misheard, she asked again.
“What?”
“I asked if you’d consider working together.”
“With whom? You?”
Shaina pointed to Suhyun and the Jindo Dog Team 1 behind them. The team’s reaction was a mix of disbelief and exasperation at being singled out by the Dark Elf.
“Then who else? And definitely not behind.”
“Weren’t you on the same team?”
“Only until the rescue. After that, separate. That’s basically it. We came on a similar request as you did.”
“Oh…”
Shaina finally understood and nodded.
“So, you work alone too?”
“No. I have my own team. They’re waiting in the city now.”
“Which means…”
“A mercenary company. Yeah.”
“Really planning to include me?”
“Just checking again—you’re a psychic, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then psychics are always welcome.”
Shaina gave Suhyun a peculiar look, trying to discern his thoughts.
“I didn’t fail at this job, but still, I wouldn’t work for small change…”
“You tried raising the Ant Ghost poison, right? If you usually take on requests at that level, you can demand more. Why not just come see the papers? If I lied, it would show then, wouldn’t it?”
“Hmm…”
Shaina pondered. By Suhyun’s logic, the offer was risk-free. She could wait until they reached the city, see it for herself, and decide.
Still, the “no loss” part was troubling. Just as humans were generally hostile toward Dark Elves, Dark Elves didn’t trust humans. She worried there might be traps she didn’t know about.
“If you really don’t trust it, fine. Sorry if I pressured you. You can just forget it.”
Suhyun knew pressing such a person was useless. Push a little, then retreat—they would come on their own after thinking it over.
“If you can secure a psychic with money, it’s always a gain.”
Regardless of race, valuable talent had to be used. Uncle Joe Company couldn’t afford to be picky.
“So it really doesn’t matter that I’m a Dark Elf?”
“Of course not.”
“No grudges against Dark Elves?”
“Why would I? If I held grudges for everything, I’d have a long list of people.”
Shaina had no way of knowing, but by that logic, Suhyun would have to bear prejudice against Chinese and Russians immediately. He had fought foreign special forces more than non-humans.
Shaina’s gaze softened. Humans without prejudice toward non-humans were rare.
“Well… if they act suspiciously, I can just kill them immediately.”
Shaina had no idea what Suhyun was thinking. Now that his powers had grown, his range of action had expanded. Previously, he might have reconsidered letting a Dark Elf join—but now, disguised as a healer, he could ambush and kill anyone instantly. That confidence widened his scope of action.
“Alright, I’ll meet you after returning to the city. Which city?”
“Pyongyang.”
“Ah, the Korean side.”
“Yeah. Wait, I might need a little time…”
“?”
“I have to deal with the friends following us first.”
After ascending, Suhyun shook hands with Mogok. Mogok, still misunderstanding him, showed a more favorable attitude than when they first met.
“Thanks. I want to reward you, but I don’t have anything to give.”
“It’s fine. We don’t expect compensation for things we didn’t agree on.”
“Hmm… also, if you want contact with humans, use this. Leave it here.”
“What?”
Mogok stammered in surprise. He hadn’t expected Suhyun to say this.
“You seemed curious about humans, judging from Shaina’s gun and your expression.”
“Th-that’s not it…”
“Isolation isn’t always the answer. If interacting with unknown humans seems risky, contact this. We can help to some extent.”
“You can be trusted?”
“If we can’t trust ourselves, nothing can be done. Then just manage as best you can.”
“Hmm…”
“By the way, we didn’t bring him here, but our team has an orc.”
“Really?”
Mogok showed his greatest interest so far.
“Orcs working among humans aren’t that rare, are they?”
“We only heard rumors. But… are human cities really good for orcs?”
“Not at all.”
Suhyun answered bluntly. Mogok’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Humans built the city, so it’s best for humans. Others adapt or not, that’s it. Don’t get illusions.”
“Hmm…”
“We’re not telling him to join fully like our orc. That’s too sudden… just interact with humans, gather info. Staying here only isolates you. Even with just weapons, could you fight?”
Pointing to the bow and spear, Suhyun made Mogok flush—these were weapons he prided himself on.
“These weapons…”
“No, never mind. Effort doesn’t matter—performance does. Did you see the Dark Elf come in with just a gun to hunt Ant Ghosts?”
“Hmm…”
Mogok thought for a while, then spoke:
“I have a question.”
“?”
“Nothing’s free. If we want guns or flame abilities, we’d have to pay, right? Do we have anything humans might desire?”
A sharp question. Suhyun thought carefully. He hadn’t considered this.
Helping Mogok was half sincere, half calculated. Building relations with non-humans could always benefit Uncle Joe Company. Even non-monetary help—introducing them to other non-humans—could be useful.
But money-making items? That was a merchant’s specialty. Suhyun knew some, but not that professionally.
“Hmm. Better leave this to a merchant…”
Mogok seemed to overestimate Suhyun. A human roaming these areas must surely know all this, he assumed.
“Weapons? Non-human weapon collectors exist, but not reliable enough… anything else?”
Suhyun hesitated. He hadn’t inspected closely, so answering precisely was tricky. Just as he considered bringing a merchant next time to investigate, something popped into his mind.
