64: Inspection
"Try this. I've been preparing it since yesterday—you wouldn't believe the effort."
"Oh! Is that chicken?!"
"Close enough! Caught something chicken-like."
Cheoldu and Jintae wolfed down the fried poultry.
"Ooh!"
The two aunties smiled fondly at their enthusiastic reactions.
"Honestly, cooking oil's more precious than chicken these days."
"So good!"
"Eat up. We've been waiting since the day before yesterday. Share some with your men too."
"Don't worry, I'll handle it. Could you fry a few more for our Captain?"
"Fine, fine!"
The aunties kept frying without rest. Some mercenaries teared up—they never expected to eat proper fried chicken here.
It might seem excessive, but many were former bandits who hadn't tasted Earth food in years.
"Your hometown was Mungyeong, right?"
"Oh my, Captain remembers? What an honor."
"Hoho, my grandfather's from Mungyeong."
"Eh? What's your grandpa's name?"
"Kang Yong-cheol."
"Kang Yong-cheol... Sister! Ever heard of him?"
"How would I know? Just because we're from Mungyeong doesn't mean we know everyone."
"Still nice meeting someone connected to home. Cheers!"
"Not me—just my grandfather. My hometown's Valhalla."
"Aigoo, close enough. Try this radish kimchi too."
"Ooh!"
They chatted over sliced dongchimi while the mercenary leadership relaxed over chicken. Smaller groups formed, sharing personal stories.
"Kim, what'd you do on Earth?"
"You brat, we've been together six months and you still don't know?"
"Who gets close in the mountains? Never know when you'll die."
Nothing stung worse than losing comrades. Especially under Bandit Chief Jang Ho-cheol, who used underlings as human shields.
"Fair. I ran a tripe restaurant. You?"
"Wow, boss man! I was a lawyer."
"Seriously? A con artist?"
"What's it matter? Here I'm just an archer."
"Hahaha! Me shooting arrows beside a lawyer."
"Heh. So Kim, how'd you end up in Nova?"
"How? My whole shop got swallowed during the Gangneung portal incident."
"Same here. But how'd you become a bandit?"
"Went to Shin Seoul, got captured during a hunt. After a year as a slave, I said 'screw it' and joined the mountains."
Most of Jang's bandits shared this story—kidnapped, enslaved, then turned bandit for limited freedom.
Becoming criminal accomplices.
"Huh. Similar here. Heh, with your face I thought you fled here after crimes."
"What? On Earth, serious criminals got executed."
"Really? Didn't know that."
"That old magistrate was ruthless. Doubt anyone alive here committed capital offenses."
Brigadier Park Jun-pil had executed all bandits with serious Earth crimes. Current mercenaries were mostly accomplices—Novis couldn't return to Earth anyway.
Oh Jun-hwan listened quietly, nodding.
'Not all are true criminals.'
Some probably killed as bandits, but Nova's harsh environment explained much. Even he'd killed more people than he could count.
In lawless Nova, violence was inevitable.
'Their Earth jobs though...'
Jun-hwan cared more about their skills than morals. Earth jobs meant higher skill potential.
"You."
"Y-yes!"
"Cooking skill?"
"Correct."
The ex-restaurateur turned bandit answered.
"You."
"Yes."
"Any unique skills? Besides swordsmanship—anything lawyer-related?"
"Persuasion and Document Organization."
"Document Organization?"
"I organize well."
"Hmm."
Jun-hwan stroked his chin.
'Cook and clerk.'
Not urgent during marches, but...
They lacked instructors for specialization.
'After securing base...'
Diversify roles, promote standouts.
Suddenly, Jun-hwan realized how seriously he was taking mercenary development.
"Haah... is this really my job?"
The Captain was over there eating chicken...
Cheoldu waved him over.
"Where've you been? Eat."
"...Sigh. Yeah."
"Heh, what's wrong?"
"Nothing—I lost the bet, but isn't this too much?"
"What is?"
"Shouldn't the Captain care more about the corps?"
"Aren't you handling it?"
"Only because no one else is!"
"Jintae's trying."
"Haah."
He was trying—just not to Jun-hwan's standards.
"Sigh Let's discuss properly in Cheongju."
"Heh, sure."
"First, pick some officers. I can't do this alone."
"Got it."
"Going to assess their skills."
"Eat while you work."
"We're leaving for Obongsan after this!"
Jun-hwan grabbed chicken and left chewing.
Jintae whispered:
"That guy's ridiculously diligent."
"Heh, lucky find."
Originally recruited for his agility, Jun-hwan proved better at organization than training.
"Moving bases?"
The aunties overheard.
"Ah! We're going to Cheongju."
"Cheongju?"
"Newest active portal."
"Closer to our homes."
"Heh, join us if you want. We're settling there."
Strategic location near waypoints.
"Remember my promise? I'll open a restaurant."
"You're coming?"
"Of course! You saved my life."
Cheoldu smiled.
At least meals were secured.
'Should recruit Yeong-ho's smithy too.'
Blacksmiths were essential for remote bases.
After resting, Ironhead Mercenaries ascended Obongsan.
Simple plan:
Find dungeon entrance
Clear normally
Vanguard hunts, others loot
Crunch!
"Find the entrance."
After killing an orc, Cheoldu smashed suspicious rocks.
Crash!
The hidden entrance appeared.
"Wow, never knew this was here."
Choi Jun-seop, a ten-year Nova veteran, marveled. Most searched for mechanisms—not brute force.
"Vanguard: me, deputies, Jun-seop, Yong-su."
The group entered.
[Abandoned Dragon's Nest] Objective: Defeat Orc Chieftain Reward: Chieftain's Emblem
"Whoa, quest alert!"
"Heh, another emblem."
Jun-seop pondered. Most emblems came from duel points.
"If dungeons drop these regularly..."
"More mercenary groups will form."
"Aren't corporate armies already mercenaries?"
"True, but emblem-binding changes things."
"How?"
"Team arena battles."
"...?"
Cheoldu's eyes lit up. A stage for his tribe's strength.
"Stay close."
Nothing beat real combat for orb absorption.
Whoosh!
Cheoldu's twin axes carved through the dungeon.
