Ch.56Even If I Receive All the World’s Curses

# 56. Even If I Receive Every Insult in the World

The third theme of Nava Forest Mountain was the forest. Speaking unromantically about the beautiful forest with its clean air, the forest theme wasn’t much different from the tree theme. After all, isn’t a forest just a collection of many trees?

Despite all the contemplation and small insights gained from the wind theme, we passed through the forest theme without much trouble. The level of gimmick changes was about the same as the tree theme, and since the raid members had completely adapted to the dungeon, it went by in the blink of an eye.

What remained was the final theme: the mountain.

In reality, a mountain is a place where trees, wind, and forest coexist, and it was the same here. Majestic trees, fresh breezes, and a dense yet beautiful forest all existed together.

Looking back, the previous themes had excellent scenery, but they couldn’t compare to this. We were so mesmerized by the mountain that we momentarily forgot we were in a dungeon.

Perhaps because considerable time had passed, the twilight draped over the mountain’s waist added a dreamlike quality to its beauty, intensifying the experience.

“Wow… I’m not usually a fan of mountains, but seeing this in person is no joke.”

“If all mountains were like this… I’d approve of weekend hiking. Twice, maybe.”

“Rather than a real mountain, it’s like one from a fantasy movie. With added CGI.”

It’s not a fantasy movie, but it is a fantasy-style game.

If someone had recorded our journey so far, with proper editing, it could make a decent short film, couldn’t it?

What? The female leads are all amazing but the male lead is so lackluster that it ruins everything?

*Sigh* I admit it.

“Veritas comrades.”

“What is it?”

“When we talk about mountains, what comes to mind? Treasure hunting, of course!”

“You don’t need to say it like that, I already briefed everyone—”

“Ahem! Our esteemed raid leader is speaking!”

Yebeop Nojeong made an expression of disbelief. Keutjukyeora chuckled, and Saeaeks burst out with a “Pfft!”

“Well, just kidding. As our genius deputy raid leader Subin already mentioned, the mountain theme involves finding buried treasure and dealing with the guardian protecting it. But the timing isn’t right for treasure hunting. It looks fantastic, but it’s already twilight.”

“Let’s stay here for the night.”

“Yeah. Fortunately, the sun is setting while we’re looking for treasure. If we had cleared it a bit faster, we might have had to face the night in these mountains where anything could jump out at us.”

We don’t know what might jump out, but there are definitely monsters.

“Raise your hand if you have owl-like night vision, an iron constitution that can move without rest for 24 hours, and a strong desire to clear the dungeon as quickly as possible rather than resting now.”

“When you put it that way, of course not.”

“The raid leader does not suppress the opinions of raid members! Raid members, please freely express your opinions!!”

“None here!”

“None!”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Not me either.”

“This beautiful unanimity. Very good.”

*Oppa, why is he suddenly acting like this?*

*I don’t know, maybe he’s drunk on the atmosphere?*

*After gaming together for a year, you still don’t know him? He gets like this sometimes.*

I ignored the raid members’ quiet murmurs. Beautiful mountain, beautiful night sky, beautiful raid members.

Though the raid leader is the only one who isn’t beautiful, I gladly pick up the ladle today for the sake of my beautiful raid members.

“Raid members can look forward to a beautiful menu befitting this beautiful evening!”

“Wow, woah.”

“You can look forward to it!!”

“Woaaah!!”

“YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IT!!!”

“WOAAAAAAHHH!!!”

“KYAAAAH!”

“Wow, w-woah.”

*Oppa, has he gone crazy from exhaustion?*

*Maybe he’s finally cracking after bottling everything up for our sake…?*

*Leave him be. Just play along like usual.*

**

*Crackle- Crackle-*

“It’s like he was drunk or something.”

“Right. It seemed a bit over the top.”

“Well, I think that’s just part of who he really is. He would say weird or nonsensical things in the game sometimes too. Seongae and I are pretty much the same in chat and in person, but you guys have a huge gap.”

“If I acted the way I did in the game, people would call me crazy every day, right?”

“I can’t argue with that. But Yuri, even your nickname…”

“Pfft.”

It was early in the night, and the raid leader had already gone to sleep. Around the campfire, where only Saeaeks should have been for the first watch, all three women were gathered, chatting.

“This is the last one.”

“You mean…”

“The reward.”

The floor reward.

Except for floors 1-2, which were simply passage floors, we received rewards each time we cleared a floor.

Clearing the mountain theme means clearing the entire Nava Forest Mountain dungeon, which would earn us the 2-2 floor reward.

If we get an S-rank again this time…

“Subin unnie. You said you’d bring Mulchi-nim.”

“Yes. I get to choose this time anyway.”

“Among R, I, and T, who is Mulchi-nim?”

“Curious?”

“Yes.”

“Well, there’s no reason to hide it.”

When the raid leader went missing and we couldn’t wait anymore, I investigated him and, just in case, the other raid members too. I never thought it would come to this.

Yebeop Nojeong searched through her memories and said:

“Come to think of it, all our raid members have unusual surnames.”

“Right. I thought I was the only one, but being here makes me feel normal. I like not standing out.”

“Since I was young, people kept asking if my name was misspelled or missing letters. It’s A-Yuri! Not An-Yuri or Ha-Yuri, but A-Yu-Ri! Hehe. So who is Mulchi?”

“I. I’ll leave the rest as a surprise for when the time comes.”

“I thought you were going to tell me!”

“I did tell you. Which one of R, I, and T is Mulchi.”

Keutjukyeora’s mouth hung open in surprise. Yebeop Nojeong chuckled at her genuine shock.

“No matter how worried you were, investigating people is basically snooping, so I can’t be too proud of it. That’s why.”

“Who cares! We’re going to bring—not kidnap—them here anyway.”

“Fine. Then up or down in age compared to Subin unnie! You can tell us that, right?”

“Oh, that’s a good one. I just thought of something to ask too!”

Suddenly it felt like twenty questions.

Perhaps this was their way of processing things. Gradually releasing all the negative emotions they had experienced throughout the day.

Yebeop Nojeong played along with her juniors.

“Up.”

“Ohhh! Older than Subin unnie! I didn’t see Mulchi that way. A real big sister!”

“I know, right? I thought she was at most twenty-six or so.”

Mulchi, or rather, Mulchi unnie when we meet in person. Anyway, congratulations. You’ve been treated as having a young face (though we’ve never seen each other).

Yebeop Nojeong continued to either deflect or appropriately answer her juniors’ questions as time passed.

As the heat from the campfire diminished, burning away the dregs of emotion, their chatter naturally died down.

“I wanted to reach a conclusion before Mulchi arrives. But oppa seems fine.”

“Still, Yuri. The leader hugged you once. Compared to me, who he just started calling by name, that’s huge, isn’t it?”

“T-that was different! He was just trying to comfort me. You know!”

“Yuri, you can be quite deceptive sometimes, you know? The youngest trying to tease her unnies. Hmm? Hmm?”

“Ack! Ack! I’m sorry~”

For a moment, I thought Keutjukyeora was jealous, but it didn’t go further than that.

Keutjukyeora tickled Saeaeks’s side to avoid eye contact, and Saeaeks, despite being strong enough to escape easily, allowed herself to be tickled without resistance.

Yebeop Nojeong briefly imagined herself inserted between them.

In her imagination, her juniors were wary of her, while she crossed her arms and smiled with one corner of her mouth raised, looking down on them.

*…Let’s drop this.*

As if the great Eun Subin would act so childishly with these inexperienced college kids who’ve never even received a paycheck?

That wasn’t imagination just now. Right. It wasn’t even worthy of being called imagination—just a delusion. It must have been some evil spirit possessing her momentarily.

No, this is all because of that sinful raid leader. That must be it.

“Subin unnie.”

“Yes?”

“What if when we summon Mulchi… they genuinely resent us?”

Yebeop Nojeong’s self-justification was interrupted by Keutjukyeora’s question. Before answering, she observed their faces—both looked serious.

“Didn’t you comfort Seongae about this very topic before?”

“I did. But back then, I was the only raid member, and the leader was in a really serious state, suffering from post-combat trauma. I felt I had to say everything would be fine. Both the leader and I were desperate.”

“Hmm.”

“But now there are four of us, and although we need a healer…”

“I understand what you’re trying to say.”

Yebeop Nojeong held up her palm to stop Keutjukyeora from continuing. She didn’t want to see her struggle to express painful thoughts.

“While my investigation only revealed fragments of their lives, the three of us either have little attachment to our real lives or dislike them, so being brought here was, as they say, ‘actually better for us.’ Mulchi, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be in that category. They seem rather devoted to their real life.”

“Then all the more—”

“I’m sorry to say this about Mulchi—and this applies to Muldabal or Dwitmun whom we might summon someday too—but I’m going to bring them here no matter what. Even if Seongae changes his mind and decides to choose other rewards instead of bringing more raid members.”

Yebeop Nojeong was resolute. She cut off her juniors again and continued:

“I don’t care if I’m called a terrible woman, a bitch, a fucking bitch, a selfish bitch, a dog-like bitch, a villainess, or receive every insult in the world. Since I’ve come here, Veritas must become the best, and to be the best, we must be perfect, and to be perfect, we must first be complete.”

*There are no exceptions to this.*