Chapter 223
Chapter 223. OT (2)
Yang Ji-cheol’s briefing session wrapped up within an hour.
After finishing his explanation, he glanced at the clock which just passed noon and said, “There’s a buffet set up in the auditorium, so those who want can have their meal.”
The auditorium was prepared so that the heroes attending the hero department today could dine freely. It seemed they had prepared various dishes from different countries, considering the participants’ nationalities and tastes.
At that moment, Watanabe spoke up. “Is there pajeon, soy sauce marinated crab, and makgeolli?”
“Well, I don’t think there will be any makgeolli…”
“Then I refuse!” Watanabe abruptly stood up from his seat. He was adamant that he didn’t want to attend a meal without alcohol.
“Hey, Yoo Ji-han.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to join me for some soy sauce marinated crab?”
“…!”
Watanabe invited Yoo Ji-han to his dining table. Watanabe’s entourage was surprised at the continuous friendliness he showed to the hero he’d just met.
However, Yoo Ji-han, who had other personal plans, shook his head lightly.
“How about we have a meal together next time, if that’s okay?”
“Sure. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future.”
Watanabe left his seat, expressing a brief sense of regret.
As others began to get up one by one to move to the auditorium, Kim Si-hu spoke to Yoo Ji-han.
“Hyung. Was today your first time meeting that guy?”
“Yeah.”
“But he’s being really friendly, huh?”
It’s as if Watanabe was treating Yoo Ji-han like a friendly neighborhood uncle, making even Yoo Ji-han feel puzzled.
Park Jae-kyung, who was nearby, had a knowing expression on her face.
“There’s a rumor that Watanabe likes interesting people.”
“Interesting people?”
“I don’t mean funny like a comedian. There are people in the world that are special just by existing, you know? Like heroes with very unique abilities like Cassandra.”
“Hmm…”
“As a side note, our Guild Master is one of them too.”
Watanabe Yosuke had previously expressed great admiration for exceptional heroes like Cassandra and Yoon Do-ha. Now, Yoo Ji-han found himself receiving similar treatment.
*
Most of the heroes attended the meal laid out in the auditorium.
But it wasn’t just to eat.
The intent was stronger to get to know the heroes who attended today’s OT.
“Julian Weiss.”
“Liam Kelly is here too?”
“Whew! This is no joke!”
“I feel small…”
It was a rare sight to see such famous heroes from around the world gathered in one place.
The heroes who had been fortunate enough to come to this other world were more concerned with exploring their surroundings than eating.
Chilla, however, looked bewildered by this scene.
“Chirp! Why aren’t they eating and just staring around?”
Chilla, unable to enter the conference room due to his size, could happily enter the large auditorium.
Ignoring the stares that flocked to him, he shouted, “Captain! The food looks like trash scattered everywhere!”
“That’s what a buffet is.”
“Chirp! Can I eat all of that?”
“Just take it on your plate.”
“Chirp! Chirp!!”
Chilla dashed toward the abundance of food and filled his plate like a food fighter.
“Don’t pick the cucumbers out!”
“Cucumbers are tasteless! Chirp!”
“That’s too much, let’s scale it down.”
“Chirp! That’s unfair, owner!”
Min Yu-ri followed him around like a servant, forcing him to take less food.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-han was looking around with Kim Si-hu.
“The lineup is really impressive.”
“It’s insane.”
—Yoo Ji-han! Those people gathered over there seem pretty strong!
Heroes whose names even ordinary people would recognize.
Excluding Watanabe, who wasn’t present, quite remarkable heroes were assembled together.
Even the Sylph could sense the power they radiated from afar.
‘To think I’d be standing alongside such people.’
A scene he could never have imagined just a year ago.
Yoo Ji-han, with a face full of amazement as he surveyed the surroundings, finally picked up a plate to start getting food.
And just as he waited to grab some sweet and sour pork, a man who had already taken some turned and looked at him.
“There you are, you too.”
“Lee Dong-ho?”
The person he had sparred with during the Rank 4 advancement interview. Lee Dong-ho, a Rank 2 hero of the Warriors Guild.
“Are you also heading to the other world?”
“…Our Guild Master has gone missing.”
The Warriors’ Guild Master, like many other Rank 1 heroes, had also disappeared.
Dong-ho had joined this plan to retrieve him.
“Be careful.”
“Excuse me?”
“There are crazies abroad, more than rumors suggest. And none of them will be unaware of you.”
In contrast to Korea, where hero management was relatively systematic under the hero department’s command, there had been numerous cases in countries where management was poorly implemented that heroes attacked civilians.
Having traveled on long-distance business trips due to guild circumstances, Dong-ho was well aware of this.
“There are even rumors that the problematic individuals’ records have been greatly inflated before being sent to Korea.”
“That’s a new one to hear.”
“It’s better to be cautious around unfamiliar heroes.”
There were rumors that they were gathering problematic individuals and sending them to the other world.
How much of it was merely rumor remained a question.
It was possible that they were hiding their true natures and infiltrating this gathering.
“But are you seriously worrying about me?”
“What? Worry? Me? You?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Just eat your food.”
With a frown, Lee Dong-ho left his plate resting on the piled-up sweet and sour pork.
Yoo Ji-han chuckled at his reaction, which was slightly different from his first impression.
And as he scooped sweet and sour pork onto his plate and headed off to grab other dishes—
“Are you Yoo Ji-han?”
“…?”
A man with bright red hair and a mischievous expression approached him. He looked young, almost akin to Kim Si-hu in age.
Seeing him with a translation device in his ear, Yoo Ji-han set the plate down for a moment out of slight caution, perhaps due to the warning from Lee Dong-ho.
“Who are you?”
“Don’t you know?”
“Not really.”
“Well, that’s fair. You might not know me.”
The man pouted slightly, showing a hint of disappointment.
“I’m Sian Pierce.”
“…The Rank 1 hero from England?”
“So you’ve heard of my name?”
Sian Pierce, active in England, was a hero who worked in a two-person party with his fiancée in a large guild and was one of the most recently ascended Rank 1 heroes.
He seldom showed his face in public, citing annoyance.
Thus, it was understandable that Yoo Ji-han wouldn’t recognize him.
“I really enjoyed your movie, <Ajesia>! The action and the sense of reality were amazing!”
“Oh… right. Thanks.”
“I wanted to ask you today, do you have a video of that otherworlder’s leader getting killed?”
“The cameras don’t work across dimensional boundaries.”
“Ah, I wanted to see that so badly!”
The climactic end of the leader that couldn’t be recorded due to the camera malfunctioning.
Sian was scratching his foot in disappointment.
“Additionally, I’m very sorry I can’t join this time.”
Though Sian wanted to be with Yoo Ji-han, who had stolen the show in the movie.
He had been assigned to the Kallem Expeditionary Force instead.
Yoo Ji-han found himself curious about Sian’s destination.
“Where are you going?”
“Grudia.”
“…!”
Included in the Grudia Expedition Force was Sian.
That was the hometown of Kim Si-hu’s mother and the world where Baek Kang-cheon, the Guild Master of Red Hole, had been kidnapped.
“Did you know? In Grudia, unlike Earth, the human population is very low. Elves and beastmen are far more prevalent.”
“I’m aware.”
“That means there are a lot of really strong individuals. I’m super excited!”
“Do you enjoy fighting?”
“Absolutely! Only battles with the strong make me feel alive!”
Swoosh!!
Just as Sian finished speaking, his red hair flared up heatedly.
His body, familiar with fire, felt like bubbling magma in a warm hot spring. It was Sian Pierce’s unique skill, [Burning Body].
The skill ignited in response to his eagerness for battle against strong opponents.
“What’s happening?”
“It suddenly got hot.”
People gradually turned to look at Sian as he radiated magic and heat.
Then, his one and only fiancée rushed over and—
Whack!
She kicked Sian right in the shins with a loud sound.
The low kick, charged with magic, sent him tumbling to the ground.
Following that, his fiancée bowed her head to Yoo Ji-han.
“I’m sorry. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
“Yoo Ji-han! You should fight me later too!”
“Keep it down, I’m embarrassed.”
“If you disappoint me, I’ll kill you—!!”
“……”
Sian was dragged away by his fiancée, gripping the back of his neck. Yoo Ji-han watched the scene in slight disbelief.
*
Dimensional travel or otherworldly transference.
The biggest issue in the ongoing dimensional travel research was the travel itself.
Even as the number of intruders and otherworldly beings increased, they couldn’t figure out how they crossed into Earth, leading to little progress in their studies.
However, with the arrival of humans from Ajesia, what had been a mystery regarding dimensional travel became tangible.
Subsequently, several additional issues arose, but the lingering concern remained the passage of time between worlds.
If time flows faster or slower in a specific world compared to Earth, the consequences could be severe.
In short, if one year in the other world equates to ten years on Earth.
Then, those traveling back and forth between the two worlds could face tremendous confusion.
“Ahem! So you’re saying that worry has been lifted thanks to us!”
In the hero department’s research institute.
Jerry, donning a white lab coat, struck a proud pose.
Adem sat next to her, sipping barley tea from a mug.
“Yeah, yeah. Good job.”
“So kiss me!”
“No way.”
“Ugh!”
Jerry lunged at Yoo Ji-han.
Yoo Ji-han firmly pushed her forehead away with his palm.
Frustrated by her failed approach, Jerry pouted with annoyance.
“If you help me, you should at least give me something in return!”
“Just being released from confinement should be enough gratitude.”
Jerry and Adem had been imprisoned at the hero department’s detention facility just months ago.
The two signed a contract to assist Korea for life and gained a certain degree of freedom to operate externally.
Thanks to their contributions, many concerns tied to dimensional travel had been resolved.
Even though they wore tracking devices 24/7 and suppressive wristbands, living as researchers was far better than being stuck in a prison-like facility.
“I’m quite satisfied.”
Adem felt a great sense of fulfillment with his current life.
Compared to his dark past of producing drug-like substances for upper commands, this was immensely rewarding.
Recently, financial compensations due to research results allowed him to enjoy leisure activities.
“That’s an excellent attitude. You should take a page from Adem’s book.”
“I already got money, so I want to meet him often!”
“That’s why you came.”
Yoo Ji-han regularly visited the research institute to manage Jerry and Adem.
Even though he had left their oversight to the somewhat reliable Kazimir, it was his choice to save them, and thus he felt responsible.
“Yoo Ji-han, you must be tired. How unlucky you are to end up with someone like this.”
“Hey, Vampire Uncle! Let’s keep it down if you don’t want to get hit!”
“If you hit me, you’ll never see Yoo Ji-han again.”
“Ugh! That’s low!”
—Uheehee!
“Don’t laugh!”
Jerry, who possessed impressive combat prowess even without magic, was easily subdued by Kazimir just through a few words.
The Sylph watched their interactions and was smiling to herself.
“So, Yoo Ji-han. Is your preparation going well?”
“It’s going smoothly.”
“It’s better to prepare well so you won’t have regrets.”
Traveling to Kallem could turn out to be a longer journey than one might expect.
Much preparation was necessary as the method of returning had not yet been uncovered.
“Make sure to hurry up with the phone development.”
The development of a function that would enable contact with Earth even in the otherworld.
The artifact functioning as a phone had already been crafted to be taken to the other world.
“Now that we’ve received Drimium, it should somehow work out.”
The possibility of communication between worlds was discovered through drimium, the metal of dreams.
The fragments retrieved by Nam Ho-yeol from drimium had acquired the property of reacting over long distances through separate magical processing.
It was confirmed that they could also react across the dimensional boundary with Earth.
The only remaining task was to create a means for exchanging voices.
“Come to think of it, all of you hail from destroyed worlds, huh?”
“…Why are you rubbing salt in old wounds?”
Jerry, Adem, and Kazimir all shared the commonality of having crossed from worlds on the brink of destruction.
“I want to see something before we set off for Kallem.”
“Like what?”
Yoo Ji-han gazed at the three with a slightly somber expression and said, “The memories of your world’s destruction.”
Landscapes of different worlds either being destroyed or on the verge of obliteration.
He wished to confirm their memories through sampling.
