Chapter 99
In fact, the tour itself is not classified as a Hidden Quest. If you think about it, the flyer stuck firmly on the corridor bulletin board has some issues if it were to be considered the trigger for activating a Hidden Quest.
Hidden Quests are as tricky to trigger as they are to complete. The flyer itself is merely one of the many conditions required to activate it.
[Winners Company Tour Application Guide]
1. Number of Participants
※ One team of three, composed of students with excellent academic performance from the previous semester.
2. Application Date and Method
※ Submit the application by [month and day] of 202X through the website address below.
3. Results of the Evaluation:
……
…
And so on.
Given that it’s a rapidly rising mercenary company, the application conditions are quite stringent.
“Students with excellent academic performance” refers to those who ranked within the top 30 overall in the previous semester. In other words, before forming a group, I must first be one of these top-ranked students.
‘This part is resolved.’
This much is no problem.
The real challenge is finding two more top-performing students to form a team with.
‘The characters best suited for this event are…’
I swung open the classroom door with all my might.
“Is Shin Seo-ha here?”
Several students sitting in the classroom turned to look at me. Though there wasn’t much of a commotion, their heads naturally turned towards a specific spot in the room.
“Hmm?”
Noticing everyone’s gazes, Shin Seo-ha turned her head towards the door a beat late.
“Seol-ha-br-uhk…!”
She bit her tongue harshly.
Covering her mouth, Shin Seo-ha swallowed back the tears that welled up.
“Hey, you crazy bastard!”
Starting with a curse right off the bat. It’s been a while since I’ve heard such a lovely greeting.
“How many times have I told you not to barge into our class?”
Shin Seo-ha stomped over, leaning out of the doorway. I frowned at her sudden outburst.
“Why? Even Han Yu-seong comes and goes from our class like it’s his own.”
“You idiot, if you come looking for me like this, other people might think you and I are da…”
“Da?”
“Da, da…”
Why is she acting so frustratingly?
When I frowned in protest,
“Get lost, you moron!”
“Oof…!”
At an unexpected moment, Shin Seo-ha’s fist landed squarely in my gut. A sharp pain shot through my abs, and I involuntarily dropped to my knees.
“Stop loitering in front of our class and disappear quickly.”
“Wait.”
I called out to Shin Seo-ha, who was about to return to her seat. She had unintentionally revealed her own vulnerability by trying to speak up.
“I’m looking for someone to join me on a tour to a mercenary company. Would you like to come with me?”
“With you?”
Shin Seo-ha fidgeted with her fingers.
“Yeah, and until you sign here, I’m not getting up from this spot.”
“As if that’s going to make me blink—”
At that moment, murmurs broke out from inside the classroom. Shin Seo-ha stopped mid-sentence and turned her head toward the source of the noise.
“What’s going on? Isn’t that the guy from the other class?”
“Could it be that those two are… you know?”
“Ugh.”
Whatever they said, it made Shin Seo-ha flinch.
“Fine, just give me that!”
She snatched the application form and pen from my hand. Without even bothering to read the details, she quickly scribbled her name in the signature section.
“There, happy? Now get lost already!”
“Thank you, valued customer.”
I swiftly folded the application form and tucked it into my pocket, just in case she changed her mind.
“You’re pretty harsh, though. Telling a friend to leave so rudely from the start.”
With the main matter settled, I couldn’t resist throwing a jab. Shin Seo-ha whipped her head around.
“Oh, shut up!!”
* * *
With that, I had recruited one person. Up to this point, it’s simply about meeting the conditions for the side quest; the key to converting this event into a Hidden Quest lay elsewhere.
“Hey.”
Returning to my seat, I approached Ise-ah, who was reading a book alone.
“What?”
She answered without lifting her eyes from the book.
“How about going on the tour with me—”
“No.”
The response came back as sharp as a knife.
Yes, the key to turning this side quest into a Hidden Quest was Ise-ah herself. Specifically, getting her to join the tour group.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
This was another high hurdle to clear.
‘To begin with, even having a conversation like this is a challenge.’
From the moment Ise-ah transferred here, the player can build ‘Attention Points.’ Attention Points are accumulated by drawing her interest, and there’s no need to earn her favor specifically.
If I hadn’t consistently built up my Attention Points, she would have likely ignored me completely or given even shorter answers.
“So, why exactly don’t you want to?”
“….”
Ise-ah set her book down and glared up at me intensely.
“Isn’t ‘not wanting to’ reason enough?”
I nodded. Her argument was considerably convincing.
‘As expected, she’s being like this.’
I recalled a scene from the game.
When recruiting members for the tour, if you approach Ise-ah, she gives curt responses repeatedly. The key here is to persist and engage in conversation over ten times without giving up.
“Please join.”
“No.”
“You owe me, remember?”
I persistently continued to speak.
Despite showing clear signs of irritation, Ise-ah couldn’t outright reject my words.
“This is so annoying. Why are you even trying to do this?”
Ise-ah crossed her legs and shrugged her shoulders. For a wealthy girl with no worries about employment, a tour probably seemed utterly pointless.
“You never know. It could be the turning point that changes my life.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it really that ridiculous?”
“It is.”
I nodded.
Pushing any further seemed meaningless, so I decided it was best to change tactics.
“If you come with me, I promise the outcome will be something you’re satisfied with.”
“You?”
Ise-ah scoffed as if she found the notion absurd.
“Have I ever disappointed you before? Or are you going to ignore it and regret it later, like with the exhibition?”
“….”
Like magic, Ise-ah fell silent. The incident at the exhibition was a trump card for me. I didn’t put in all that effort and sneaked into the exhibition for nothing.
“What if it turns out to be boring from start to finish, just as I anticipated?”
“In that case, I’ll grant you one wish, whatever it is.”
Ise-ah thought for a moment before nodding. It seemed she found the deal to be reasonably balanced.
“In addition, you have to stop mentioning the exhibition incident.”
“Deal.”
I handed her the application form and a pen. She skimmed through the contents but frowned at a certain point.
“What’s this? It says it’s limited to top-performing students. Didn’t you know I transferred this semester and don’t meet those criteria? Are you an idiot?”
Of course, I knew.
In the game, as soon as you receive the flyer, each character’s status as a top-performing student would be marked above their heads.
So, players never considered talking to Ise-ah, who wasn’t marked as a top performer.
Even if they did out of curiosity, they would be ignored if their Attention Points were low, and even if they met the Attention Points condition, they would be repeatedly rejected. Thus, she was never considered an option.
‘But that was just a bluff.’
It was nothing more than an elaborate bluff.
In reality, it was a clever ruse by the developers to tightly conceal the core condition for triggering the Hidden Quest.
“You never know.”
I brushed my hair back, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.
“Out of everyone I’m close enough to talk to, you’re the only one who’s good at studying.”
I’m sorry, Han Yu-seong. I’ll buy you a protein bar later.
“That’s ridiculous. We’ll get rejected during the screening process anyway.”
“Then we’ll just get rejected. It’s better than not trying at all.”
“I thought you were someone who had some brains. Otherwise, I really can’t figure out what’s going on in that head of yours…”
Despite her grumbling, Ise-ah scribbled her signature on the application form.
“Happy now? Can you disappear so I can read my book in peace before class starts?”
“Your wish is my command, milady.”
“Just die already.”
With that, all the conditions were met. All that was left was to submit the application. Holding the form, I headed toward the faculty room.
“I’m here to submit the tour application form.”
“Alright, leave it here.”
I placed the application on the first-year student advisor’s desk and left the room.
Now, all I had to do was wait for the announcement of the successful applicants.
[Do you have some compelling reason for taking that girl along?]
Yomi, who had been quietly observing the situation so far, poked its head out to ask.
“Good question.”
It might seem odd why Ise-ah is the critical key to triggering this hidden quest.
But there’s no need to overthink it.
It’s because Ise-ah has a certain connection to Winners Company—or, to be precise, she will, in the near future, form an inseparable bond with them.
“She’s essential if you want to bring down a corrupt company.”
Winners Company.
A trash organization that approached Ise-ah, who was about to lose her succession rights, and coerced her into illegally distributing the C-virus.
[What kind of nonsense is that?]
I flashed a grin at the bewildered Yomi.
“You’ll soon find out.”
Bringing down Winners Company.
The thought of that resonant phrase made my lips curl into a grim smile.
* * *
“Hmm.”
The office was far too large for personal use. A middle-aged man in a suit with a prominent nose was staring into empty space.
In the air, dozens of holographic windows floated, and on the lacquered desk sat a large nameplate.
[CEO of Winners Company, Yoon Byeong-cheol]
The man—Yoon Byeong-cheol—settled back into his chair, resting his chin on his hand. While he appeared deep in thought,
beep
A sharp sound came from the speaker sitting in the corner of the desk. Yoon Byeong-cheol placed his index finger on the button in front of him.
“Speak.”
The voice of his secretary came through the speaker.
-Yes, Chairman. About the tour program…
“Was there such a thing?”
Yoon Byeong-cheol furrowed his brow.
“Handle that on your end. Do I really need to know if some kids are coming for a tour?”
-Apologies, sir. We intended to manage it on our end, but we thought it would be better to show you this directly.
“What is it?”
A new holographic window appeared in the air.
-Here is the list of applicants for the tour.
“Is that so?”
The names of students filled the screen, grouped in teams of three. With the tour accepting applications from students nationwide, the list had become crowded.
“Is there something special about this?”
-Please refer to line 194.
The scroll moved automatically, and the screen centered on the 194th row. Yoon Byeong-cheol’s expression gradually stiffened as he read the name.
“Ise-ah? Could it be… the Ise-ah I know?”
-Yes, that’s correct. The registration records and date of birth match perfectly.
“Hmm…”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yoon Byeong-cheol propped his chin and sighed.
-What should we do? She doesn’t meet the criteria for being a top student. Should we just reject her application?
After a long pause, Yoon Byeong-cheol finally spoke.
“No, there’s no need for that. Attach her to the others.”
-Huh? But…
“Don’t you get it? This is an opportunity.”
Yoon Byeong-cheol stood up and looked out the window. As he straightened his hunched shoulders and let his gaze fall, a panoramic view spread out before him.
-An opportunity?
“This is the chance to completely ruin Ise-ah.”
Yoon Byeong-cheol pulled a thick cigar from his jacket pocket and lit it.
“Connect me to the ‘young lady.’”
A sinister smile spread across his wrinkled lips.