Ch.415415 – Comrade or Burden

<415 – Comrade or Burden>

In the safe zone, Giselle’s group quickly reviewed information they had collected and analyzed.

“How about fried insect shells from the Bug Disaster Zone?”

“Rejected. Oknodie compromises on taste but never on cleanliness. Please exclude all bizarre cooking ingredients.”

“Oh, senior! A senior in the safe zone pointed out a few places. They say the white petals growing in these fields are edible?”

“White cosmos petals grow outside the dropout-exclusive zone as well. We should also exclude ingredients that might be included in the Foundation’s secured supplies.”

All information from Isabelle and Son Ocheon was rejected.

Though they tended to underestimate Oknodie because they always saw her eating, it wasn’t easy to narrow down destinations based on her food encyclopedia collection status.

She had collected and eaten so many things and stored others in her food bag that ordinary ingredients couldn’t attract Oknodie’s attention.

“For someone who looks like she’d eat fried cicadas, you’re surprisingly picky, little one.”

“Shut up. Filter more strictly before I actually make something and force-feed you.”

“Hahaha! You could just not eat it?”

“If you don’t eat, I’ll never cook for you again.”

“…Isabelle’s words don’t sound like jokes, which makes them scary.”

With Isabelle and Son Ocheon helping with information gathering, even anxious members like Hestia and Lotta couldn’t demand to move forward recklessly.

They realized that moving blindly without Giselle’s information network wouldn’t yield good results.

“Take this. Information about rare ingredients that only grow within magical disasters.”

Zigoku was also among those helping while suppressing her impatience.

Giselle hesitated when she noticed bloodstains on the paper Zigoku handed her.

Seeing the look in Zigoku’s eyes warning her not to ask about the source like some proper student, Giselle nodded.

“This is very helpful. I’ll identify ingredients that Oknodie hasn’t yet accessed but would definitely target, considering the difficulty of accessing these rare materials.”

<Pressure Herb> – A rare ingredient with unique properties that improves in quality when compressed under high pressure in enclosed spaces in pushing trap areas.

Though relatively high in rarity due to its unusual properties rarely found in natural environments, it’s located too early in the course, making it easily accessible and likely already collected by Oknodie.

<Flame Flower> – A rare ingredient growing in the Fire Disaster Zone where flames pour from the sky instead of rain.

Though difficult to obtain and access, it can be found outside as well, so the Foundation likely provided it, and it’s probably already in her backpack.

<Bouncy Meat Cube> – A rare ingredient created by an ancient magician who pitied animals sacrificed for meat consumption.

Information indicated that these famous meat cubes, ranked among the top gourmet items, were bouncing around somewhere in the <Ant Nest> area beyond the Consecutive Disaster Zone.

With high acquisition difficulty, unlikely to be provided by the Foundation, and located further along their path, Giselle’s eyes lit up.

“This is it. If we rush to the Ant Nest area and acquire the Bouncy Meat Cube first, we can meet Oknodie.”

“We’re already the most behind among the search parties. And what about the additional time spent on information gathering?”

“We need to catch up with Sing’s group who took a shortcut ahead of us.”

It wouldn’t be easy.

Even Sing and Morb had help from the second-years’ collective barrier when they took that chaotic shortcut, and now they’d have to follow with just first-years.

It was so dangerous that a broken limb would be considered a minor injury.

“The shortcut mainly required aerial maneuvers. It’s impossible for someone heavy like me.”

“Fighters can’t use magic. I can’t either…”

Hestia and Lotta declined.

Giselle and Isabelle couldn’t manage either with all their luggage, unless they planned to rain items from the sky.

“The Thunder God Church’s heavy armor is no lighter than Hestia’s weight.”

“Are you stupid? Who in their right mind would take a path where your feet don’t even touch the ground?”

Niche, the Thunder God Church nun, and Zenya, the beastkin fighter, also firmly declined.

When practically everyone had expressed their refusal, only one person stepped forward.

“I’ll go.”

With Zigoku now revealing her true abilities, she was certainly capable of challenging the shortcut.

As Giselle hesitated about burdening just one person with everything, a hairy hand patted her shoulder.

“I’ll go too.”

“Mr. Son Ocheon?”

“What? Don’t you trust me?”

“This isn’t a challenge to take on as a whim.”

“I’m confident, that’s why I’m volunteering.”

There was no way to stop someone who insisted on going.

Giselle sighed and handed over a ring.

“This is a Ring of Flight. It should save your life in an emergency.”

“Oh, this will be helpful. Hey, nerd, have you been keeping such good stuff all to yourself until now?”

Giselle removed her glove and took off several rings from her fingers, handing them over one after another.

“Next, in order from top to bottom: Ring of Life Maintenance, Ring of Poison Resistance, Ring of Five-Element Resistance, Ring of Strength Enhancement, Ring of Swiftness, Ring of Accuracy Correction…”

“No way, you madman. How am I supposed to remember all these?”

Due to Son Ocheon’s intelligence issues, he ended up taking only the most important rings.

Everyone stared at Giselle with astonished eyes at his incredible wealth, but Giselle’s gaze remained fixed on Son Ocheon’s departing back.

“If you’re that worried, why didn’t you stop him completely?”

“He made his own decision. How could I break his resolve to save a comrade? All I can do is lend him expensive magical tools.”

“Hmm… really?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

“I have one more question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Those rings, were you secretly wearing them under your gloves since the entrance exam?”

Giselle’s slightly opened eyes closed into a straight line like a lock.

“That’s a secret.”

Giselle returned to his usual squinting mode.

Isabelle gave him a suspicious look before turning away.

* * *

“This is too much for you. Don’t be stubborn and give up.”

Though Zigoku might have been expected to say such things with her fierce demeanor, she didn’t actually rebuke Son Ocheon.

“Without me, wouldn’t you move faster?”

“Want to be abandoned? Monkey boy. Move your legs instead of wasting time talking nonsense.”

After running silently through magical disasters for a while, Zigoku suddenly spoke.

“There were often guys like you in pirate crews.”

“Monkey beastkin?”

“As if such rare beastkin would be common. I mean hard workers.”

There was a reason she didn’t abandon Son Ocheon despite her frustration.

“Piracy is dirty, difficult, and hard work. A damn 3D job. The country might spare your life if you pay tribute and become a privateer, but it remains a fundamentally base profession. Only one type of person truly dedicates themselves to this work even when their bellies are full.”

“What kind of people?”

“Those blinded by revenge. People whose eyes are so fixed on vengeance that they can’t see the brilliance of gold coins, no matter how many treasures they possess.”

“But I like gold coins.”

Zigoku cursed him with her eyes.

If this clueless guy provoked her one more time, she’d just hit him and leave him behind.

“The great pirate who guided me to piracy once said that anyone who chases something shinier than gold coins is a fool. He said he made such fools his comrades and never abandoned them.”

“Is that a recruitment pitch?”

“Even if you’re not a pirate, you’re one of the few I acknowledge. Even now, knowing your skills are insufficient, you’re risking your life to follow me.”

“…”

“Don’t fall behind. I don’t want to move forward leaving someone with a broken spirit behind.”

“Hahaha! Who do you think I am? Son Ocheon of the Rocky Mountain never gives up.”

Son Ocheon thought to himself: how could his spirit break when someone as amazing as you is leading the way?

Zigoku stepped onto the shortcut that Sing’s group had broken through, remarkably without barriers or artifacts.

<Great Pirate-Style Mana Training Method>

<Pirate’s Footwork>

Zigoku handled with her bare body what was challenging even for Son Ocheon with artifact assistance.

Like turbulent waves, she absorbed all impacts and always managed to place her foot exactly where she wanted.

She spread her large cape like a sail, never losing her dignified presence.

‘This person suffered serious injuries requiring chest bandages during the lecture with Oknodie, yet she can still perform such footwork.’

Zigoku’s fighting spirit made Son Ocheon’s heart race.

‘This is how a true man should be!’

“Hahaha! You’re a good man!”

“Suddenly?”

“Would you prefer if I called you an excellent man?”

“Gahaha! You talk such nonsense.”

Son Ocheon finally drew laughter from Zigoku.

Without losing their forward momentum despite the friendly atmosphere, they succeeded in catching up with Sing’s group.

“Hey, Sing! Giselle found the place where Oknodie is likely to be.”

“Good. Lead the way.”

“By the way, where did all the second-years go? Scouting ahead?”

“They exhausted all their mana on the barrier and fell behind. They were annoying so I abandoned them all.”

“……”

Oknodie obsessed with rare ingredients vs. second-years who came looking for Oknodie but were abandoned after using all their mana.

No matter how he thought about it, shouldn’t they be more worried about the second-years than Oknodie?

“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t abandon people without reason. I cut off the tail to avoid being tracked.”

“Tracked?”

“One of the Unannounced Challengers spotted us and started following.”

“Unannounced Challengers?! Those are the extremely dangerous guys Giselle mentioned!”

Unlike Son Ocheon who was shocked at the mention of Unannounced Challengers, Zigoku glared at Sing with a fierce expression.

“So you abandoned the second-years to shake off the Unannounced Challenger? You used and discarded seniors who squeezed out their last mana for you. Is that how someone who claims to protect Oknodie should act?”

“One comrade is enough for my revenge – Oknodie alone.”

“Damn pedophile. You don’t deserve to stand by Oknodie’s side. At least Oknodie wouldn’t throw away people who support her.”

“Then why are you here?”

“…”

“You lost your persuasiveness the moment you stood in front of me instead of beside Oknodie. Being a good kid who cares for comrades – isn’t that just what you want to believe about yourself?”

Sing’s statement, with his unnecessarily improved discernment from the appraisal lecture, exposed aspects that Zigoku didn’t want to remember.

However, their emotional confrontation couldn’t continue.

“Everyone, please stop. I understand how you feel, but this isn’t the time for us to fight among ourselves.”

“What right do you have to speak, Morb, when you agreed with Sing’s methods?”

“Ah, my precious juniors. Don’t fight. I’ve caught all the second-years you abandoned.”

Even Zigoku, who had been furiously angry just moments ago, turned her head sharply toward the voice.

Zip, zip, zip.

With a sound like dragging a sack, a senior appeared.

In his hands were not sacks but second-years being dragged along the ground by their hair.

The suffering appearance of the second-years was serious enough to make even Sing and Morb, who had abandoned them, turn pale.

“I spared the first-years because they seemed too soft. If your comradeship is so strong, why not prove it?”

“…What do you want?”

“One artifact per person. Minimum treasure grade. Hand them over. If you refuse, I’ll kill you all and take all the ‘lost items.’ Isn’t that a generous offer?”

The most notorious figure among the three Unannounced Challengers had appeared.

Urgas the murderer.

‘Damn it. What are you doing in a place like this, Ddidda? Are you still alive…?’

Son Ocheon clenched his trembling hands, trying to hide his fear.

* * *

At the entrance barrier to the dropout-exclusive zone.

Professor El Draco, who had been forcibly keeping the barrier from closing, gaped in shock.

“What the hell? I sent people to bring you back, and you come out alone?”

“Huh?”

At that same moment, none of Oknodie’s search party knew that Oknodie had already finished her business and contentedly left the dropout-exclusive zone.