episode_0023

*Day 30, 6:56 AM. Episode 22, revised dialogue part of Yoo Seol-hyeon.

***

024.

Inductive reasoning.

Simply put, it means thinking, ‘It was right in the past, so it will be right in the future.’

During my time at the academy, I dropped many clues to Yoo Seol-hyeon.

The weaknesses and flaws of the opposing team.

Strategies and tactics with a high success rate.

The hero team secretly operated by Yoo Seol-hyeon.

The strategy for the dungeon currently being explored, and so on.

When I consider these numerous clues, it is highly likely that Yoo Seol-hyeon will come to one conclusion.

Precognition.

Given that there are individuals with precognitive abilities in the world setting, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for Yoo Seol-hyeon to make this error in inductive reasoning.

Of course, there are many counterarguments.

If I truly had precognitive abilities, there would have been many actions I wouldn’t have taken or actions I would have questioned why I did them.

But Yoo Seol-hyeon is a person with high self-esteem.

Individuals like this tend to select information that supports their own logic to maintain their self-esteem and are likely to exclude information that doesn’t.

It can be likened to a psychological defense mechanism where, when their logic is countered on the internet, they only remember and acknowledge comments that support their logic, leading to confirmation bias.

This can lead to falling into confirmation bias.

In other words, it’s easy to believe only what you want to believe.

“…Well, I’m not in a position to judge others.”

Most people tend to make judgments based on experience, and I, too, couldn’t escape the error of inductive reasoning.

Didn’t I believe in past life memories and refrain from doing various things?

Mission evaluation strategies, tactics against the long-armed monkeys, Yoo Seol-hyeon’s persuasion methods, and so on…

If my past life memories were wrong, I would have been in a difficult situation in many ways.

What if the weakness of the long-armed monkeys in reality was different from the game?

Even if I compiled various information, compared and analyzed past and present life information before acting, the danger remained unchanged.

Furthermore, even if my past life memories were all correct so far, there was no guarantee that they would continue to be accurate in the future.

Given that my life was at stake, I needed to be more cautious.

“…Of course, that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t believe in my past life memories at all.”

Because all the information so far has aligned perfectly.

As I thought before, there was a need to be cautious of the error of inductive reasoning, but that didn’t mean I should unilaterally distrust my past life memories.

After all, without utilizing my past life memories, it would be very difficult to deal with future events.

These past life memories were my greatest advantage and strongest weapon.

In order to survive, I had to put my life on the line paradoxically, endure risks, and prove my argument.

Therefore, what I needed most at the moment was not to debate the accuracy of my past life memories, but to find a ‘way’ to protect my life from threats while utilizing my past life memories as much as possible.

And in finding this way, the exploration of the Yeongdeung Mountain dungeon was essential.

Based on past and present life information, it was highly probable that the item I desired would be hidden in that dungeon.

An item that could create numerous variables.

Oh, or maybe…

“…Lee Jin-hyuk.”

“…”

At Yoo Seol-hyeon’s hesitant voice, I snapped out of my reverie and turned to look at her.

Yoo Seol-hyeon, looking somewhat drained, confused, strange, gazed into the void for a moment before starting to speak.

“I pushed through the Yeongdeung Mountain dungeon exploration a bit recklessly.”

Her voice echoed in my ears like a drop of water falling into a quiet lake.

“The scale of the dungeon, the concentration of magic, the environment inside the dungeon, and the appearance of monsters at the entrance all led me to believe that it could be easily conquered.”

According to Yoo Seol-hyun, the Yeongdeung Mountain dungeon is not that difficult in terms of difficulty.

Except for a few traps and the presence of boss monsters.

“I was confident myself. I was receiving periodic updates that the conquest was progressing smoothly.”

Eventually, Yoo Seol-hyun let out a deep sigh and pursed her lips.

“But just now, I received a message. Not only did the dungeon conquest fail, but several heroes have gone missing.”

The so-called rescue quest.

Based on memories from a past life, there are only 4 days left.

“We are urgently assembling a rescue team… After gathering more accurate information and preparing various equipment, the rescue team will depart tomorrow.”

If the protagonist does not intervene and the story continues as planned, the next rescue mission will likely end in failure.

“Unofficial as it may be, I am the one who operates and approves the dungeon conquest… I cannot avoid internal responsibility. I will probably be questioned from all sides.”

Unfortunately, the first to be attacked by family members were her own siblings, who could be considered competitors.

“And simply rescuing the missing individuals will not resolve the current situation. Unless we conquer the dungeon entirely.”

The idea of turning a mistake into an achievement was a dangerously risky thought, but it was a sign of how desperate she was.

“That’s why the data you showed me earlier has become crucial… It’s truly ridiculous.”

Yoo Seol-hyun spoke to me with a calm gaze.

“But here’s the thing. Doesn’t the situation seem a bit strange? Why did you call me today, and why did you show me that data?”

“…”

“Isn’t this sequence of events too obvious?”

“…”

Yoo Seol-hyun looked at me with suspicious eyes.

Her thoughts must be quite complicated.

She might wonder if I really have the ability to foresee the future.

But to explain the current situation, foreseeing the future seemed to be the most likely option.

“Did you really know in advance that this would happen?”

“Mm.”

I hesitated for a moment.

Even though I had dropped many clues, I didn’t immediately say, ‘Yes, I actually have the ability to foresee the future!’ because stating it from the beginning would not only decrease the credibility but also might make Yoo Seol-hyun more suspicious, considering her personality.

Furthermore, I could have done unnecessary things to prove that I have the ability to foresee the future.

It seemed better to subtly guide her to understand and accept it on her own.

But at this point, it seemed okay to admit falsely that I have the ability to foresee the future.

Yoo Seol-hyun seemed already convinced that I have the ability.

It was better to reveal it now.

And considering the direction of the story, it would be more effective to base it on the assumption that I have the ability to foresee the future.

“…I’ve built up to this point, so it should be okay to reveal it now, right?”

I finally made a decision.

Even though it was a lie, revealing the ability to foresee the future would add some credibility to my words.

If she believed me without any doubt.

“Well, I can’t keep beating around the bush. You’re right, Yoo Seol-hyun.”

“!”

“I knew to some extent.”

“If that’s the case…”

“I can’t use it whenever I want. There are conditions. Oh, of course, the conditions are a secret.”

“…”

Actually, future precognition ability holders could not fully control their future predictions themselves, and the activation conditions were also different for each person.

“And right now, there’s no need to overcomplicate things. You need this information right now, and I just want something in return from you. Let’s make a deal.”

I quickly changed the subject. There was a lot I wanted to gain from trading with her, and there were also many things I needed to gain.

“You might have doubts about my abilities. Just because a few things seem to fit doesn’t mean you should believe everything. But isn’t it better to try and see?”

Yoo Seol-hyun just listened quietly.

“As long as you understand the contents of this information, there shouldn’t be any harm.”

Of course, I had written down weaknesses, but if they weren’t actually weaknesses, it could be a big problem. However, she would be able to discern between information that could be trusted and information that could be dangerous.

“Of course, the choice is yours.”

“Sigh.”

Yoo Seol-hyun seemed to be in conflict for a moment before finally letting out a bitter sigh.

Since there wasn’t much information inside the dungeon for the rescue operation, she would want more information.

Even if the source of the information was a bit unreliable.

“I can’t just share this information with my team members… I’ll have to go into the dungeon myself.”

Since she was planning to go in anyway.

Your supernatural ability is quite useful for dungeon exploration.

She would also feel a sense of guilt and responsibility for the missing heroes.

“Are you sure about this? The Academy might not approve. And if it’s known that a student participated, there might be some public outcry.”

“It’s not illegal, is it? In the first place, with temporary hero licenses in place, there’s no need to worry about public opinion, right?”

Although it would be easy for rumors to spread if Academy trainee Yoo Seol-hyun were to directly participate in the rescue team, as long as she didn’t reveal that she was running the team, it would be fine.

“By the way, Lee Jin-hyuk, why did you reveal your ability to me?”

A hint of suspicion appeared in her eyes.

“Have you ever thought that I could force you to reveal information?”

“….”

You were starting to realize that you were a bit of a bad girl.

“If you can really predict the future, do you know how dangerous your actions are? That’s why you haven’t revealed it until now, right?”

Her words were correct.

Since everyone would want the ability to predict the future.

That also meant that there were many people who would want to force you.

“Or…”

She glanced at me for a moment.

“…Did you know that I wouldn’t do that?”

“….”

Well, I was almost certain.

I wasn’t just memorizing your character settings for nothing.

I had heard about you from various sources, observed you for months… and when I considered everything, I thought you wouldn’t force me.

As long as I cooperated.

“That’s a scary thing to say. I’ll just say I believed you. We’re classmates after all.”

“That’s a foolish answer for someone who’s supposed to be top of the class.”

Yoo Seol-hyun responded as if she couldn’t believe it.

She said it was a foolish answer, but there wasn’t a mocking tone.

“So, what… tell me. What do you want in exchange?”

“Well.”

What would be a good exchange for giving Yoo Seol-hyun the strategy guide?

In fact, it had been decided from the beginning.

It might have been something she wouldn’t have accepted if she hadn’t been in a desperate situation after a failed strategy.

“As long as it’s not too much.”

“Okay, then… first, I’ll give you the right to choose one of the items you’ll obtain in the Yeongdeung Mountain dungeon as a priority.”

“Huh?”

Demanding the priority distribution rights of farming items, Yoo Seol-hyun subtly tilts her head and soon breaks into a smile.

It seems like she has caught on to why I suggested making a deal with her.

“…I may not have the authority to distribute the loot obtained from the dungeon as I please, but with a little coercion, it’s not impossible. Or I could even steal some on the side.”

“Is that so?”

“But Jin-hyuk, do you happen to know what items are in that place?”

It was a bit of a sly question, but I took it in stride.

“So, what’s your plan?”

“Well, okay. Rescuing and conquering are the top priorities.”

She nodded approvingly.

Rescue and conquest were indeed the primary goals.

“Considering Yoo Seol-hyun’s personality, even if a tempting item comes out, she probably won’t change her mind later.”

If I successfully clear the dungeon with the information I provided, it wouldn’t be pleasant if my relationship with her, who has precognitive abilities, soured over a measly item.

Oh, of course, it was a pretty good item.

“And the second is not to bother So-yeon.”

“Huh?”

Yoo Seol-hyun blinked her eyes as if it was out of the blue.

“Is that the second condition?”

“I know you don’t like So-yeon, but just stop now.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, she suddenly scratched her cheek.

“You’ve been thinking about it quite a bit for someone who said we parted ways amicably?”

“I’ve said it wasn’t a bad breakup multiple times. And she’s a childhood friend.”

“A childhood friend…”

Yoo Seol-hyun, who seemed to be pondering for a moment, nodded her head.

“Alright, I’ll do that.”

“Don’t you deny that you bothered her?”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“Anyway, well, okay. I’ll give you the information for now.”

“Okay.”

After receiving the strategy guide for Yeongdeung Mountain that I carefully prepared, Yoo Seol-hyun skimmed through the data for a short time.

Then suddenly.

“Jin-hyuk. You asked me to make a deal, right?”

Yoo Seol-hyun, who had taken her eyes off the data, spoke to me.

“From what I can gather, you want some item in the dungeon, but you don’t have the confidence to conquer it alone, so you gave me the information to use my team to obtain it.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I’m not suddenly going to change or do anything like that. I just…”

Yoo Seol-hyun immediately denied my words, slowly extending the tail of her sentence before moving her lips.

“…I just want to add one more thing to our deal.”

“Our deal?”

“Yeah.”

Just as I was wondering what she meant, she opened her mouth.

“Let’s go to the dungeon together.”

Out of the blue, Yoo Seol-hyun’s words left me momentarily speechless.

Wait, go to the dungeon together?

With me?

“I skimmed through the data you gave me, and it wasn’t bad. But wouldn’t it be easier for you if we went together?”

“…”

“I’ll hire you as a tactical advisor. Oh, and of course, I’ll generously reward you. How about 50% of the individual reward I’ll receive?”

“…The reward itself is quite substantial.”

Splitting the individual reward 50:50?

It would amount to a considerable sum when converted into money.

There are plenty of valuable things in places like dungeons. Of course, not all dungeons are like that, just the Yeongdeung Mountain dungeon.

“Of course, you can refuse. As I said, it’s an additional deal. You should be fine with just the information you provided for the dungeon conquest.”

You can refuse?

A strange statement.

Yoo Seol-hyun subtly posed a question.

Can I trust the information you provided?

Can I trust your abilities?

Are you confident?

To give Yoo Seol-hyun a little more trust and confidence, it might be better to participate together. Refusing here could be a bit unfavorable in the long run.

“Is it because she thinks having me by her side is better in case of a contingency?”

She thinks of me as someone with future foresight abilities.

The side effects of falsely revealing my abilities are already starting to show.

“I can’t use it in the dungeon.”

“Oh, really? Does the activation condition require sleep like a prophetic dream? I feel like there was someone with that kind of foresight ability in the past.”

“I don’t know.”

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Whether you can use foresight abilities or not, I highly value your tactical aspects.”

“Don’t the rescue team have veteran heroes? Putting a student like me in the team might cause some internal chatter, right?”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

Yoo Seolhyun asks again.

“So, are you going to participate or not?”

“……Hmm.”

To be honest, I didn’t really want to participate.

Of course, the dungeon wasn’t a place to enter lightly. It was a dungeon with a high level of danger, enough for active heroes to go missing. The difficulty of the game might be low, but reality could be different.

Also, the boss monsters in the dungeon were quite troublesome opponents.

Their appearance was quite intimidating, and even in the game, I slightly furrowed my brows when I saw them. If I were to see them in real life…

“But it’s also an opportunity to see how active heroes team up and act.”

I already know the strategy, and I can gain some dungeon raid experience somewhat safely, so…

Thinking ahead, it wouldn’t be bad to try it out in advance, right?

“But still…”

“Lee Jinhyuk?”

“No, wait, if I just watch out for the boss monsters and traps, it should be fine…”

“Are you listening to me?”

“Oh, I’m just… thinking.”

Suddenly.

“Lee Jinhyuk.”

“Oh.”

“Why are you thinking so hard? It’s not something to ponder so deeply about.”

“…I can’t easily decide to participate in the dungeon.”

I let out a sigh.

Alright, fine.

Let’s consider it as gaining some experience.

There are many mountains to conquer in the future, such as monsters, villains, dungeons, etc., so the experience of working with veteran heroes will surely be helpful.

“Okay, I’ll participate.”

“Hehe. Good choice.”

“They said the rescue team will start tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah. And there are some things you need to know, I’ll send them to you via text.”

I nodded once and thought,

“…It probably won’t be anything major, right?”

Since it was my first time entering the dungeon myself, I couldn’t help but worry a little.