Chapter 100
The day the final results for the Winners Company tour were announced, normally I would have had to check the results on the website, but fortunately, that wasn’t necessary.
Hidden Quest
– Winners Company Tour
※ Uncover the hidden truths of Winners Company.
Unlike other quests, there was no mention of achievement conditions. From now on, the outcome would depend on the actions I took.
‘The next step is probably…’
I looked over the messages I had just received on my phone while heading toward the schoolyard.
“There it is.”
One of the messages that had just come in:
[You have been selected as a final candidate for the Winners Company tour. Please gather the other applicants before the ceremony and head to the faculty room.]
It was a message from Choi Tae-min.
It was likely that Shin Seo-ha and Ise-ah received the same message.
‘So I don’t need to go looking for them, then.’
I immediately headed to the faculty room, and it seemed like that was the right choice.
“Why are you so late? What took you so long?”
“I’m here 30 minutes early.”
Ise-ah, who had arrived first, stood in front of the faculty room, staring straight ahead. A newspaper floated in front of her, flipping pages one by one.
“By the way, are you sure that Winners or Losers Company is any good?”
Ise-ah spoke the name with a mixture of mockery and disdain.
‘She wouldn’t know about Winners Company yet.’
Winners Company was an up-and-coming private mercenary company. They were known for their overwhelming presence in dungeons and battlefields, often turning the tide in their favor.
‘Now that I think about it, it never really made sense from the start.’
Even in a fantasy world, the corporate structure isn’t all that different from reality. When a large company is formed, skilled individuals flock to it, while startups or smaller companies are avoided.
Yet, even from this point, something feels off. Winners Company is a relatively new startup, but somehow, they’ve managed to recruit top-tier hunters, known as seasoned veterans, which doesn’t add up from a societal perspective.
Of course, knowing the actual reason behind their success, I can only scoff at the Winners Company.
“What’s with the complaining now?”
“Well, from the moment I was selected, it felt like a bust. I didn’t even meet the criteria in the first place.”
“Maybe they just appreciated your courage?”
“Yeah, typical of a crappy little company. They ignore all the criteria and just make decisions.”
She was right in a way, and I couldn’t argue with her.
“Ugh, I’m so annoyed. What’s there to gain from a trashy company like this anyway?”
Ise-ah seemed very displeased with the whole tour. She looked like she wanted to leave right away, but was staying because of the promise she had made with me.
“Does whining like that before it even starts make any difference?”
“At least I won’t die from stress. My blood pressure won’t rise.
She never misses a chance to retort.
Unlike Jin So-yul, Ise-ah has a different way of getting on people’s nerves.
“Still, you should calm down a bit.”
“Why are you being so annoying?”
While Ise-ah and I were having a heated debate…
“What are you two doing?”
Shin Seo-ha appeared late, looking somewhat irritated.
* * *
“Anyway, congratulations. I heard the competition was fierce, but somehow you managed to get through it.”
All thanks to Ise-ah.
I struggled to swallow the words that almost came out of my mouth.
“Here’s the information from Winners Company. Take a look. It has the schedule and important things like the no-recording and confidentiality clauses.”
Choi Tae-min handed us each the information. It contained the date and time of the tour, along with the usual rules and disclaimers.
There wasn’t much to focus on here…
‘But why does she look like that?’
Shin Seo-ha’s expression had been strange since earlier. She wasn’t exactly someone with a friendly demeanor, to begin with, but today, her face was filled with visible dissatisfaction. The problem was, I had no idea why.
“Alright, you can go now.”
After Choi Tae-min’s brief instructions, we filed out of the faculty room.
‘Come to think of it, this is their first time meeting.’
Even in the story, today is the first time Shin Seo-ha and Ise-ah meet. I had forgotten that introducing them would’ve been a good idea before submitting the application.
With plenty of time left before class and me standing between them, I decided to speak up first.
“Wait a second.”
As I called out to them, both of them stopped in their tracks.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever introduced you two. Let me introduce you first—”
Just as I was about to point to Ise-ah while looking at Shin Seo-ha, she cut me off.
“I know. She’s the eldest daughter of that famous Seonjins Networks, right? The one who’s always walking around looking down on people.”
“Oh my, you know me well.”
A smile spread across Ise-ah’s face.
She immediately retorted without letting herself be intimidated by Shin Seo-ha.
“On the other hand, I have no idea who you are. Just some random nobody, huh?”
“What did you say?”
In that instant, Shin Seo-ha’s face twisted with anger.
“Say that again.”
“I said you’re a nobody. What, you wanna fight in front of the faculty room?”
The two pressed their foreheads together, growling at each other. If this were a cartoon, sparks would be flying between their glaring eyes.
‘Oh crap.’
I had completely forgotten.
Shin Seo-ha and Ise-ah. These two, among all the characters, were the ones with the strongest personalities. It was like putting fire and oil together.
“Do you want to die?”
“You started it.”
You two weren’t like this in the game.
‘This is going to be a long road.’
Right from the start, the wagon was already wobbling.
* * *
The day the tour began was three days after the announcement of the successful applicants, on a Thursday.
As expected, after we parted ways in the faculty room, the three of us didn’t end up coming together again.
As expected of a hidden quest, the difficulty kept rising like this. Still, thankfully, morning arrived.
“You’re early.”
“You came earlier than me, though.”
When I stepped out of the school and arrived at the bus stop, Shin Seo-ha was already waiting. She was sitting on the bench, staring down at her smartphone.
“Can I sit next to you?”
“Do whatever you want.”
I sat down next to Shin Seo-ha. It wouldn’t be long now before the shuttle from Winners Company would arrive.
“…….”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Though I would say “we,” it was closer to me watching Shin Seo-ha in silence.
‘I’m surprised she didn’t cancel.’
Honestly, I thought Shin Seo-ha would cancel the tour right after her clash with Ise-ah. She had applied for the tour out of goodwill, unlike Ise-ah.
“Hey.”
It was then that Shin Seo-ha finally spoke. Her eyes never left her phone, her lips moving as she spoke.
“……What’s your relationship with Ise-ah?”
“What do you mean by that?”
It was an unclear question. When I asked back, I heard the ‘crack’ sound from the smartphone in Shin Seo-ha’s hand.
“I just wondered if you were tailing her around.”
“No, we just ended up in the same class after she transferred, and we’re seated next to each other, so I’ve talked to her a few times.”
I didn’t go into full detail about my relationship with Ise-ah, so I added a bit of a lie to keep it simple.
“Do I seem like someone who would be swayed by that sort of thing?”
“……”
Still, I could confidently say that Ise-ah’s connections had no influence on me.
After all, a few people who approached me hoping for some crumbs from her ended up backing off once they couldn’t handle her personality.
“If that’s all, then it’s fine. So, you’re saying it’s just a simple classmate relationship?”
“That’s right. Can’t you tell?”
Shin Seo-ha nodded silently. Maybe I was imagining things, but her expression seemed a little less tense now.
As our conversation came to a close, Ise-ah slowly walked out from the school. Despite the lack of strong sunlight, an umbrella floated above her head.
“Am I last?”
“Tch.”
Shin Seo-ha turned her attention back to her smartphone, apparently deciding not to respond.
“Perfect timing, huh?”
Ise-ah pointed toward the road, and in the distance, a luxurious foreign car was approaching.
It was the vehicle to take us to Winners Company. Since we had been informed of the car’s number in advance, I recognized it immediately.
Screech.
The car stopped by the side of the road, and a well-dressed driver wearing a suit got out from the driver’s side.
“Are you the ones who are here for the company tour today?”
“Yes, that’s us.”
“Then may I please confirm your identities?”
After a quick identity check, the back door of the car opened automatically. Before stepping in, Ise-ah looked back at us and gave a sly smile.
“Make sure to take a good look around today. This is a rare opportunity for you guys.”
“Bullshit.”
Shin Seo-ha, who got in after her, didn’t hold back with her curse. Finally, before getting in the car, I muttered to myself.
“Yeah… I’ll definitely take a good look.”
After all, it really was a rare opportunity.
* * *
“We have arrived.”
After stepping out of the car, we all lifted our heads.
‘It’s even bigger than I saw in the game.’
The building was so tall you had to crane your neck to see the top. Many new companies typically rent a floor or a section of such a building.
[Winners Company]
However, this entire building was owned by and served as the headquarters of Winners Company. The main entrance featured a large rock engraved with the rather absurd slogan, ‘The one who doesn’t give up is the true winner.’
“Not too bad.”
Ise-ah didn’t make any negative comments, implying the exterior had met her approval. Building such an impressive structure suggested that Winners Company’s influence was surging.
“My apologies.”
Just then, someone came rushing towards us from the main entrance.
“I should’ve been out here earlier considering your early arrival. That was my oversight.”
The man was dressed in an expensive checkered suit, with his hair slicked back in a neat style. But what stood out more than his attire was his sharp, prominent nose, which resembled that of a goblin.
‘He’s here.’
I briefly stared at his face. Had it not been for Ise-ah, another person might have greeted us instead.
“Please, let me hand you my business card.”
The man bowed slightly and distributed his cards.
“Hmm?”
Shin Seo-ha frowned as she looked at the card.
“Excuse me, but…”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Are you the CEO of this company?”
The business card read:
[Winners’ Company CEO Yoon Byeong-cheol]
Seo-ha hesitantly asked, and Yoon Byeong-cheol rubbed the back of his neck.
“Ah, yes. I’m quite embarrassed, but…”
He adjusted his suit and straightened his back. His broad shoulders and tall frame exuded an overwhelming presence.
“I am Yoon Byeong-cheol, the CEO of Winners’ Company, and I will be guiding you through your tour today. Please take care of me.”
With a gentlemanly gesture, he bowed his head. Thanks to that, I was able to hide my expression from him.
‘No matter what…’
He was the one who manipulated Ise-ah into spreading the C-virus within the school.
‘I will make sure you pay.’
My face was filled only with disgust.