Chapter 85 : Chapter 85
Chapter 85: Ignis Guild Field Trip (2)
Early morning.
Outskirts of Ilsan, Ignis Guild Headquarters.
“Wooooow!”
As the bus door opened with a ‘hiss’, the Year 2 Class A students poured out.
The moment they saw the massive building nestled between mountains and the site where the end wasn't visible, exclamations burst out like firecrackers from the kids' mouths.
“Isn't this a movie set?”
“To think I'd come to the Ignis Guild Headquarters in my life…….”
“I only saw it on Nutube…….”
“What the, did I already take a hundred pictures?”
South Korea’s 3 Great Guilds.
Naturally, since it wasn't a place anyone could enter, even euphoria could be felt from the kids' faces.
From the strictly controlled main gate to the barrier protecting the entire massive site.
Although they hadn't become affiliated and it was just a field trip, the Year 2 Class A students’ eyes were sparkling like kids who achieved their dreams.
Even more so than the athletic meet and school trip which were school events.
“Kuh! To cross the threshold of Ignis, which is said to be hard to cross even for Tier 1 among Tier 1s!”
“Mom! I came to the Ignis Guild!”
The twins squeezed the chest area of their school uniforms firmly with their hands.
Although their eyes were expressing sadness, the corners of their mouths were lifted.
They weren't the only ones.
“Ju-hee! Are you watching! I... I... finally became a protagonist! One of South Korea’s 3 Great Guilds even chartered a bus and invited me…….”
The trio of representative fuss-pots of Year 2 Class A exploded their emotions as if decorating the climax of a play.
“…….”
“…….”
Other kids who were watching that subtle expression and over-the-top acting from the side shook their heads.
Even though they had watched their fuss from the closest distance for quite a long time, really…… they couldn't get used to it.
“Sounds like a boat coming into Gimpo Airport.”
In the center where students were gathered like that, the expressions of the twins and Jo Seong-hyeon, who were expressing emotions several times more than other kids, sank in an instant.
As if the fourth wall was broken, the actors who were performing their own acting simultaneously turned their heads toward the screen.
There, the Ice Prince with a deeply furrowed brow.
Kang Tae-wook was standing.
“What did you say?”
“Who are you! Why are you insulting our joy!”
“You T-bastard!”
The twins and Seong-hyeon shouted toward Kang Tae-wook, who seemed like cold blood would flow through him.
However.
“Don't make a fuss just because you came on a field trip for barely one day. You aren't kids, tsk.”
Whish.
Leaving only those words, Kang Tae-wook moved to the very front of the students to align them.
“Stand in 3 lines.”
Not caring about the twins and Seong-hyeon’s hurt feelings, Kang Tae-wook was fulfilling the duty of the class president.
“Unlucky bastard…….”
“We can be happy.”
“Other kids were all excited too, why does he do that only to us.”
Pupils that changed sharper than arrowheads.
The twins and Seong-hyeon were revealing anger in their expressions as if they would start a blow of state any moment.
At that moment.
Thud.
Hands placed on the kids' shoulders.
“You guys understand.”
“Yeah, since he’s the class president. He probably spoke a little strongly to align you guys quickly so as not to cause trouble for the Ignis Guild who invited us.”
Jin-ho and Ye-na were laughing.
“No, then he can say it nicely, nicely!”
“Right. Why does that guy always speak as if picking a fight.”
“Hear hear! We aren't kids either, we are 18-year-olds who can understand everything if told with words! That son of a b…….”
Patting the twins and Jo Seong-hyeon whose anger wasn't subsiding, Jin-ho and Ye-na moved to the very back of where the kids were aligned.
Then a voice was heard.
“Welcome to the visit to the Ignis Guild. Students of Taewoon High.”
Cho Sang-geun and Lee Si-wang, who were already waiting, approached toward the students.
Next to them, even Secretary Kim, who was famous for being expressionless, was wearing a thin smile.
Outsider entry to Ignis Headquarters?
Field trip?
There was not even a single time.
Interview requests, field studies, etc.
Ignis Guild was the one that rejected requests flatly even if they came from various places.
The head of such Ignis.
Including Cho Sang-geun, Vice Guild Master Lee Si-wang, and even Secretary Kim there.
As if serving VIPs among VIPs, they were sincerely welcoming the students.
Well.
Since there was an inevitable reason for that.
“It’s hot as soon as I get off the bus. Was Korea this hot?”
Yoo jin, who unbuttoned three buttons of his shirt in the melting heat, was grumbling.
However, despite his grumbling, the smiles didn't disappear from Cho Sang-geun and Lee Si-wang’s faces.
Because thanks to this person, they could feel this heat.
The person who pulled them, who had half-crossed the River Styx, back up just as they were.
Because they saved their lives thanks to the Returnee, Yoo jin’s annoyance didn't look like annoyance to them.
Well, naturally, it was also because they let students visit the Ignis Guild for the first time since its founding because of this Returnee.
Cho Sang-geun, who was wearing a gentle expression, spoke toward Yoo jin.
“I am sorry we couldn't invite all the students of Taewoon High.”
“Ah, that? It’s okay. I heard everything from Secretary Kim. She said today we see Class A first, and allow other classes to tour in turn.”
Secretary Kim, who was standing quietly, added in a low voice.
“Yes, we are coordinating the schedule so that all grades, all students of Taewoon High can visit.”
Cho Sang-geun and Yoo jin nodded satisfactorily.
“Anyway, let’s go inside first and talk. I'm going to steam to death at this rate.”
Yoo jin moved his steps abruptly.
Secretary Kim, who was in charge of guiding, quickly moved ahead of Yoo jin.
Cho Sang-geun and Lee Si-wang, who captured his back view in their eyes, let out a chuckle.
“He really is a consistent person.”
“Indeed.”
At their voices, the Class A students aligned in the back also lifted the corners of their mouths as if agreeing.
Trudge.
Trudge.
Yoo jin’s steps that were advancing without hesitation suddenly stopped.
And then, he turned only his head slightly back.
“Ah right. Don't forget the second reward too.”
“Second reward……?”
Cho Sang-geun and Lee Si-wang’s heads tilted to one side simultaneously.
“I mean hamburgers, hamburgers! Absolutely don't forget. Since today’s lunch has to be the delicious meal coming from here.”
Ending with those words, Yoo jin gestured and led the kids.
“Wooooow!!!”
Like the Pied Piper.
The Year 2 Class A students moved their steps toward the Ignis Guild building following behind Yoo jin.
“…….”
“……Hmph.”
Cho Sang-geun and Lee Si-wang, who were staring blankly at the back view, touched their foreheads along with a chuckle.
[Returnee of Korea. Rejects China’s 3 Trillion Proposal]
Articles that popped up in real-time.
“A teacher who kicks away 3 trillion without hesitation. But obsesses over hamburgers to feed the kids like that.”
Really…….
“He is a fascinating person.”
***
A massive glass castle standing embracing the foot of the mountain.
A site where the end wasn't visible.
Mana stone panels sparkling in the wind.
Uncountably many ventilation openings and emergency exits leading underground.
Bridges connecting huge structures and numerous means of transportation inside those bridges.
That’s right.
If Taewoon High is called Academy City.
This place, Ignis Guild Headquarters.
Fortress of Fire.
It was called that.
.
.
.
The Class A students who were invited to that Fortress of Fire, where not just anyone can enter, because of the Returnee Yoo jin.
The place they arrived first was under the dome north of the main building,
[Gravity Control Training Center].
“Ooooooh!”
As the door opened, the air rang differently.
Chewy elasticity transmitted to the soles of the feet.
Transparent spheres were floating along invisible rails from above.
On the inner wall, signs like ‘Gravity: 0.4g / 3.0g / 10g’ were floating, and floors of different colors for each zone divided the world like dividing lines.
“Flo! Floated!”
“Wow! He turned in the air!”
“That looks totally fun!”
When a guild member wearing training clothes performed an aerial rotation in the low-gravity zone, the exclamations of students outside the glass wall burst out.
“Wow, just walking here would be some training?”
“Exactly.”
On one side, a training group standing in the high-gravity zone was enduring while struggling even to take a step the span of a hand.
Forearm muscles trembled, and sweat drops falling onto the floor entered the kids' eyes in real-time.
“This is a place where training using gravity can be done. From low gravity to high gravity where even walking is difficult. One can do training of the body and even preparation training for gravity anomaly dungeons.”
As Secretary Kim’s explanation continued lightly, excited voices of students continued from here and there.
“Can we try it out?”
“Me too! Me too!”
Sparkling gazes pouring toward Secretary Kim.
Even Secretary Kim, who always wore a similar expression, had a small smile on her face at the chick-like appearance of the students.
“Well, it is possible if you follow the control of guild members well.”
“Yes!!!!!”
“This is a real class!”
Students stomped their feet and expressed joy.
“Since 1g is normal gravity, shall we try going into about 5g?”
“What 5g for a B-Rank. You have to go into 10g for it to be training!”
“Is that so? But the Hunters inside 10g look extremely tired?”
At that moment.
“What 10g!”
Seong-hyeon’s voice rang from the back.
“If you are a man, you have to go in there.”
Seong-hyeon’s appearance pointing somewhere with a confident expression.
At that appearance, not only the kids, but even Cho Sang-geun and Lee Si-wang showed intrigued expressions.
[30g]
Facility with a high-intensity gravity device.
Seong-hyeon captured that place in his eyes and slowly walked forward.
And the twins followed behind him.
“Wanna try a combination jump there?”
“Let’s see if aerial rotation works first.”
The fuss-pot trio of Year 2 Class A.
However, kids who possessed stronger power than anyone else, contrary to their fuss and nonsense.
A-Rank talents revealed confidence and stood in front of Yoo jin.
“Teach. Want to make a bet?”
At Seong-hyeon’s voice, the corners of Yoo jin’s mouth went up.
“Bet?”
“Yep. If I do a back tumbling there without using mana, buy me stir fried rice cakes.”
“Oh! Me too, me too.”
“If we do back tumbling too, buy us rice cakes!”
The twins also raised their hands in front of Yoo jin.
30 times gravity.
Enduring only with physical strength without using mana.
Bet.
The limit of an A-Rank.
Well, among them, what attracted Yoo jin’s interest the most was.
Dwelling within the disciples’ sparkling eyes.
‘Challenge.’
Grin!
“Call!”
Behind Yoo jin’s voice, students who got an interesting spectacle shouted as if excited.
Well, there were exceptions too.
“No, Teacher Yoo jin. So simply…….”
“30g is a place even active Hunters find quite difficult.”
“Going in there without even using mana on top of that is dangerous.”
Owners of the facility.
Ignis Guild’s Guild Master and Vice Guild Master.
Even Secretary Kim raised their voices toward Yoo jin.
However.
“It’s fine. They won't die.”
“…….”
At the carefree voice, the Ignis Guild personnel made blank expressions.
Yoo jin’s gaze turned.
“Right?”
Turning his head toward somewhere, Yoo jin’s appearance as if throwing a question.
At that appearance, the gazes that were there focused on one place.
The very back of the group where the kids were gathered.
Toward two people showing an atmosphere and appearance that couldn't be seen usually.
Shiver―
Eyes with lost focus.
Flushed expressions.
There, Jin-ho and Kang Tae-wook were being eaten by trauma.
“Dog-like…….”
“Gourd…….”
Although no one understood.
Jin-ho and Kang Tae-wook, who recalled somewhere while looking at that gravity device.