Su-ho returned home first and quickly took a shower.
Though he had healed his wounds, the scabs were still there.
He had already pre-ordered the dinner for the Union employees, and told his housemates to stay at the academy tonight because there would be a company dinner at home.
It didn’t take long for him to wash up, and with plenty of time before his team arrived, Su-ho really began working on the report.
In fact, there wasn’t much to write about in the report.
Sealed Gates like Dark Gorge were already so well-known that no extra explanation was needed. As for the rest, all he had to do was record what damages were suffered and what benefits were gained inside.
So, writing the report was quick, and Su-ho finally collapsed on the couch, exhausted.
Just then, he received a call from Seo Gi-won, who had just caught wind of the news.
– Hyung!!
Seo Gi-won’s voice was full of excitement.
It seemed like he had just seen the article.
"Did you just see the article?"
– Yeah, I just saw it!! What happened to you?! Are you okay?!
"I'm fine. Just had some things to do, so I put on a little show."
– Things to do? Everyone's worried about you! What are you preparing now?!
"You’ll find out naturally if you keep monitoring the news. I’m busy, so I’ll hang up now."
– Ah... okay! Got it!
Seo Gi-won hung up without another word.
Su-ho didn’t mind; he knew Gi-won would understand.
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Finishing the call, Su-ho grabbed his tablet and started monitoring the public’s reaction.
The response was even hotter than before he got home.
Everyone was going wild wondering what kind of Gate he had cleared for the Sword Saint to end up in such a state.
After monitoring the articles for a while, Su-ho picked up his phone and called Jo Jin-hwi.
– Yes, An Pro-nim.
"Looks like the public is starting to heat up. Let’s start pushing out the photos taken at the Dark Gorge portal entrance. Once the reactions go up, I’ll give you the cue for the special feature."
– Understood.
Everything had its timing.
While the special feature was important, to maximize its effect, it was necessary to pace it slowly.
That way, the timing would be perfect when everything came together.
With the release of Jo Jin-hwi’s photos, the public began to heat up once again. After watching people’s reactions for a bit, Su-ho waited until the Union staff’s dinner was delivered before putting down his tablet.
"Should I set this up here?"
"Yes, just set it up on the living room table."
Food and drinks were being set up.
It was a grand feast, a lavish spread.
As expected, it was the Union’s doing—they had pulled out all the stops.
Not long after, Su-ho received a call from Jeong Cheol-min, but his voice lacked confidence.
– Hey, Su-ho... I’m at the address you gave, but is this really the place...?
"Yeah, it’s right. Come on in."
Soon, the front gate opened, and team members started walking in.
They were holding tissues or paper towels, looking rather embarrassed when they saw Su-ho.
Su-ho figured out why, but he didn’t let it bother him. He smiled and greeted them.
"You didn’t have to bring all this, you could’ve come empty-handed."
"Ah, well, it’s my first time visiting your place... damn it, I should’ve just brought a fruit basket."
"See, I told you to bring high-quality tissue."
"I didn’t think it would be like this..."
Jeong Cheol-min and Lee Won-an kept joking around as Su-ho led them inside, and as soon as they saw the house and the set table, they couldn’t help but be amazed.
"Wow..."
"Crazy..."
"Vice Team Leader, you're loaded..."
"Now I get why you didn’t go to a guild and came to Daheon-hyeop."
Each had their own reactions.
But in the end, they all expressed awe.
Su-ho smiled and gave them a brief tour of the house before they all sat down to start the company dinner.
Then, Su-ho turned to Jeong Cheol-min and asked,
"By the way, didn’t you invite anyone from the management team?"
"I purposely didn’t. The management team members aren’t really part of our team."
The management team wasn’t exclusive to the Special Management Team 2.
Even in Team 1, where Oh Bong-ju was the team leader, there was a management team, and those in the management team could essentially be considered part of Team 1, as they were responsible for managing special Gates.
Why was Team 1 responsible for this? It was simple.
Gate management was one of the safest tasks within the special management team duties.
‘So, exploration and raids are mostly given to Team 2.’
Though Team 1 also had exploration and raid teams, they were essentially non-functional for a long time.
So, when it came to the people in Team 2, it was basically everyone here.
Su-ho, understanding the situation, lifted a bottle of alcohol and spoke.
"Then we'll just drink among ourselves. Should we fill up the glasses first?"
"Sounds good. And finally, we get to drink together."
"Indeed."
For a while, the atmosphere was warm and lively as the drinking continued.
When the mood had settled, Lee Won-an, who had started to feel the effects of the alcohol, spoke up.
"Ahem, um... Vice Team Leader?"
"Yes?"
"I’ve been curious for a while, so may I ask now?"
"Yes, feel free to ask anything."
"Then, without hesitation, I’ll ask. This is a question I asked before... Are you planning to take over as the leader of the Exploration Team now?"
Lee Won-an was a straightforward person.
At his question, Jeong Cheol-min, who had been drinking his highball, spit it out in surprise.
"Hey, hey! Why ask something like that? We agreed to talk about it later."
"I couldn’t help it, I’ve been curious. We didn’t get a chance to talk properly before because we were busy, but today’s the company dinner, right? You can refuse if you want, but I’ve prepared myself for the answer."
Lee Won-an was blunt, but he wasn’t a fool.
He knew very well the kind of nickname Su-ho had within the association, and why he had been assigned to the Gate Department instead of the Special Operations Department.
But despite knowing this, he still asked because he truly hoped for it.
He didn’t know when Su-ho would be transferred to the Special Operations Department, but he hoped Su-ho would lead the Exploration Team, even if it was for a short time.
Su-ho wasn’t just any player; he was a real expert who soloed sealed Gates.
At that moment, Jeong Cheol-min hurried to smooth things over.
"Won-an, we’ll talk about that slowly from now on, okay?"
"Yes, I plan to take it on."
"...Huh?"
"...What?"
Before Jeong Cheol-min could answer, Su-ho interrupted him, stepping in to respond instead.
At Su-ho’s answer, both Jeong Cheol-min, who was about to speak, and Lee Won-an, who asked the question, along with the other team members who had been listening, all widened their eyes in surprise.
Seeing their shocked expressions, Su-ho smiled and continued.
"I was actually planning to bring this up. The Special Operations 2 Team essentially handles all exploration and raid duties. That’s why the Vice Team Leader position has been vacant for so long."
The Vice Team Leader position in Special Operations 2 had been vacant for a long time.
Normally, the team leader would also take on the role of team leader for the Exploration Team, but Team Leader Jeong Cheol-min’s credentials were, to put it bluntly, lacking.
As a result, Lee Won-an, who was third in line in the team, had been taking on the role of leader for the Exploration Team.
This was why the Special Operations 2 Team had long requested a skilled hunter to be assigned as Vice Team Leader. But finding such a hunter was as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.
‘Even if they do come, they would have to enter as a special hire, but if someone is capable enough for that, there’s no reason they would join Daheon-hyeop.’
Then, as if by miracle, Su-ho appeared.
That’s why no one wanted to let him slip away, and even though it was for a short time, they hoped to work with him.
Lee Won-an was truly passionate about the work of exploration and raids.
Su-ho smiled and added, "I’ve heard a lot about you, Won-an. You’re always working tirelessly on exploration tasks, and you’re more dedicated than anyone else to your responsibilities."
"Hmph, I try my best. Though the reality is that there are more Gates we can’t access than the ones we can..."
"That’s only natural. The growth environment isn’t ideal, and compared to ordinary hunters, the money you earn isn’t much either. Plus, the government takes all the loot, so it’s even harder for hunters to grow."
It was the truth.
The people here were the real patriots working for the country and its citizens.
If they didn’t have professional pride, the Special Operations 2 Team wouldn’t have lasted.
Of course, on the outside, they were mocked as "patriot-paid soldiers."
And the sadder part wasn’t the ridicule itself, but that they couldn’t refute it.
Su-ho’s blunt words made the team members look down in a bit of a melancholic mood.
At that moment, Su-ho lifted a bottle of alcohol and said,
"But that won’t be the case anymore. As long as I’m the Vice Team Leader and lead the Exploration and Raid Teams, there will be no more abandonment of Gate exploration or any other unreasonable issues."
"Really?"
"Yes, of course. So, let’s all have a drink."
Su-ho poured drinks for everyone and filled his own glass as well, raising it.
"I’ll change everything. So, just trust me and follow me. I’ll make sure you never regret joining Daheon-hyeop."
"Vice Team Leader..."
"Su-ho..."
"Ugh..."
Su-ho’s strong words moved everyone.
Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps the years of frustration, but one of the team members had a red nose and couldn’t hold back tears.
"Let’s toast. To the bright future of Special Operations 2."
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Glasses clinked together.
***
"Everyone’s sleeping soundly."
After Su-ho’s declaration about the team leadership, the dinner atmosphere reached its peak.
Though the team members were usually resilient and hard to get drunk, tonight they drank until they couldn’t anymore.
They were genuinely happy.
Su-ho smiled at the sight of his team members passed out.
‘A lot of things will change from now on.’
The treatment of public servant hunters.
The perception of Special Operations 2.
In fact, the entire Daheon-hyeop would change.
Su-ho stepped out to the terrace and, once again, checked the public’s response on his tablet.
The reactions were even hotter than before.
With photos of Su-ho coming out of the Dark Gorge portal, the broken swords numbering over forty, and the 1-star boss monster magic stone to be returned to the association...
After monitoring the reactions, Su-ho sent a message to Jo Jin-hwi.
He instructed him to release the special feature as soon as the sun rose.
As expected, the response came almost immediately.
‘Now all that’s left...’
Su-ho made a call to Vice President Park Gyu-min.
– Hey, it’s me.
"You picked up quickly?"
– ...Would you expect me to sleep with all this going on?
Since the moment the article about Su-ho started circulating, Park Gyu-min had been wide awake.
He had a feeling Su-ho would call soon.
But he couldn’t bring himself to call first, with Su-ho’s warning about not acting too curious still echoing in his mind.
With urgency in his voice, Park Gyu-min asked,
– What’s going on with all this?
"I have something I’m preparing. That’s why, as soon as you come to work, there’s something I need you to do."
Su-ho began explaining the special feature he was about to release, as well as the task Park Gyu-min needed to handle.
When Park Gyu-min heard what Su-ho wanted him to do, his mouth fell open in surprise.
– Me?
"Who else would do it?"
– Ah, I see...
"Make sure you do it well. No failures allowed. This is a very important matter."
– ...
"Answer me."
– ...Understood.
"Then get some sleep. You should at least rest for your health."
After hanging up, Su-ho went back inside the house.