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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: A Hell-Difficulty Mission (2)
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#013: A Hell-Difficulty Mission (2)
'Our forces are roughly assembled.'
It was cutting it close, but with me, the members of the Seventeenth Squad, Dan Un, and Yong Ma-san, it seemed doable.
'Now all that's left is the mission lottery…'
Basically, missions are created by the Military Affairs Department under the Fortress Lord's Hall, after they gather intelligence and the scholars make their assessments.
They are divided into seven ranks based on difficulty and importance—Heaven, Earth, Human, First, Second, Third, and Fourth. Heaven and Earth-rank missions often require secrecy, the skills of a supreme master, or the strength of an entire unit, so they aren't publicly posted.
However, from the Human rank downwards, participants can review the mission briefs and choose for themselves, considering their own skills and abilities.
The problem is, you can't trust the mission briefs 100%.
For instance, you might go to assassinate a target listed as a peak master, only to find they're a supreme master.
Or, while escorting a key figure, a special event boss mob like a 'Demonic Lord of a bygone era' might pop out of nowhere.
In such cases, all you can do is curse the Military Affairs Department that provided the information as you die.
'In a world where pigeons are the high-speed communication network, it's hard to expect accurate information.'
Ultimately, in a lottery like this, the most important thing is luck.
Since I was known as the epitome of bad luck in my past life, this was quite nerve-wracking.
But this time, I had a bit of confidence.
'Right, it's about time for my luck to turn.'
That was right. My theory was that since I'd never once been lucky, it was finally time for my luck to turn.
With this confidence, I headed to the Military Affairs Department.
***
"The missions that came in this time are all tough."
I'm screwed.
To think there wasn't a single safe option among the choices.
I hadn't considered it at all.
"Are they that bad?"
"Indeed. Some were so difficult that there was even talk within the Military Affairs Department of raising them to Earth rank."
"Then why…?"
"The Grand Chancellor pushed them through, saying he believed in the ever-improving warriors of Nine Dragons Fortress."
For a man his age, he sure treats the lives of his juniors lightly.
The future of Nine Dragons Fortress looked bleak.
"But you said you're from the Outer Hall?"
Just as I was sighing, a scholar from the Military Affairs Department spoke to me.
His squinting eyes seemed to be looking down on me, as if to say, 'What business does someone from the likes of the Outer Hall have with missions?'
"Yes, I've come to accept a Human-rank mission under the orders of Hall Master 'Ten-Hand Heavenly Conqueror' Bukgung Baek."
"Oh! The great warrior Bukgung!"
As expected, dropping someone else's famous name worked like a charm.
It was a bit sad, really. The Outer Hall was treated like a bunch of nobodies despite having such a renowned supreme master as its Hall Master.
The scholar pulled a bundle of papers from his desk drawer.
"Here are the Human-rank missions. Take your time looking them over and let me know."
"Thank you."
'First, I'll rule out the assassination missions.'
In my past life, I enjoyed games like Assassin's Cr●ed and Hi●man, so I had a knack for assassination, but hiding and launching surprise attacks felt somehow distasteful.
'Strike the Blood Demon Brigade in Xizang? That old man must be crazy.'
Units with 'Blood' in their name are usually elite mobs. Plus, this would mean fighting an entire group.
If I volunteered for that, there's a high chance I wouldn't even leave my bones behind.
'Support the front lines... This one seems a bit better.'
The mission is to support Diancang Mountain, the front line where a local war is currently being fought against the Southern Heaven Palace of Nanman.
I'd been there a few times as a child, so I was familiar with the geography and knew quite a few people.
If it was just reinforcing their strength, there was a chance I could just chill in the rear and come back.
'Details like these are what increase survival rates.'
Just as I was about to make my choice, I overheard some whispering.
"Did you hear? The Lord of the Southern Heaven Palace is apparently dead set on this one. They say he's mobilized three hundred of his sect's masters and is on the march."
"Doesn't that make it practically an all-out war?"
'That was a close one.'
I put the mission brief down as quickly as if I'd spotted a cockroach.
"Will you be taking that one?"
"No. My eyes are a bit blurry, so I was just taking a moment."
"A young man like you shouldn't be having such problems already... You should try some goji berries."
"I suppose I should."
Omega-3 is what's good for eye health, not some measly goji berries.
I lowered my head again to look at the mission briefs and soon reached the last one.
'Rescue a key figure...'
The mission details were simple.
Infiltrate the Gansu branch of the Ten Demon Alliance in Lanzhou and rescue a key figure.
It seemed like a very dangerous mission, as it involved operating in the territory of the hostile Ten Demon Alliance, but I was certain.
'This one is a cakewalk!'
On the surface, Gansu is indeed the territory of the Ten Demon Alliance.
However, it was also a region where Nine Dragons Fortress held some influence, so any pursuit would be relatively lax.
Besides, the geography is also favorable.
Except for Lanzhou, which sits on the Yellow River, there are hardly any rivers in the entire Gansu province.
This meant we wouldn't be held up by riversides, and all we had to do was ride our horses in a straight line.
Most importantly.
'A branch is a symbol of defeat.'
In every martial arts story in the world, aren't the dungeons called 'branches' the easiest to demolish?
If we stormed in, the branch members would surely flee, screaming, 'Oh my goodness!'
"I'll take this one."
"...Very well. I will report to my superiors and inform you of their decision. Please wait at your assigned hall."
As I handed him the mission brief, the scholar stamped it with a loud thud and stored it under his desk.
"Then I wish you good luck."
"Thank you."
A laugh escaped me at this unexpected stroke of luck.
***
After Mujeon left, the scholar let out a disbelieving chuckle.
Seeing this, a junior colleague next to him asked.
"Did something amusing happen?"
"I was just thinking about that warrior from the Outer Hall who just left."
"I see. It was strange. The Outer Hall doesn't usually receive mission assignments, so for someone to suddenly volunteer for a Human-rank mission…"
"That's just a ploy to quell the critical opinions about the Outer Hall circulating within the fortress. The truly amusing part is this."
The scholar held out the stamped mission brief, and his junior's eyes widened.
"Isn't this the controversial mission?"
"That's right. The very one they said should be raised to Earth rank at the military council."
"No way. Did he choose this one?"
"He did. He deliberated for a long time, and I was curious what he'd pick. He ended up choosing the very last one, even though I'd deliberately hidden it to make it hard to find."
"Hah, what a thoughtless fool. It's been ages since Gansu province became a tiger's den."
The scholar asked, as if exasperated.
"Then why would he volunteer for such a mission? And from the Outer Hall, of all places."
"Either he picked it because he didn't know it was a tiger's den, or…"
The scholar took a sip of the tea in front of him and continued.
"He's trying to prove his abilities."
"The likes of the Outer Hall?"
"The likes of the Outer Hall? Watch your mouth. The Ten-Hand Heavenly Conqueror himself is the Hall Master there."
"I misspoke. I apologize."
At the immediate apology, the scholar's anger subsided.
"Just be careful from now on."
"I will keep that in mind."
"That aside, I wonder what decision the Grand Chancellor will make."
Even if you choose a mission, it doesn't mean you'll be assigned to it.
To minimize the risk of failure, the Grand Chancellor, the brain of Nine Dragons Fortress, reviews it one more time before giving his approval.
"It will probably be approved, don't you think?"
"Even with such a high probability of failure?"
"If it isn't approved, the Outer Hall's morale will plummet. And if it were me, I'd put my faith in Hall Master Bukgung. It's not *just* the Outer Hall, after all."
"...Then what is it?"
"It's the Outer Hall led by the Ten-Hand Heavenly Conqueror."
***
"Ahem."
In front of the Seventeenth Squad's quarters, I cleared my throat.
"What are you doing, not going in?"
"Ah, Yang Gang. So, anything unusual happen today?"
"What's with this sudden bullshit?"
This bastard, really.
As I suppressed my murderous intent with superhuman patience, Yang Gang held up what was in his hand.
"I was about to call for you anyway, so this is perfect. I bought some pork from Misan Tavern. I also brought a jug of white liquor, so let's eat together."
"Sh-should we?"
And so, I went inside and shared the liquor and pork with the squad members.
Once everyone was sufficiently merry, they all became more talkative.
The alcohol had clouded their judgment.
'Now's the time.'
That was right. I had decided to tell the squad members about the mission today.
Since they would be risking their lives, I wanted to give them a choice.
"Ahem! Ahem! Hmph! Khm!"
The room was noisy.
I deliberately cleared my throat to get their attention, but the squad members were too busy chatting loudly and downing their liquor.
"Let me speak, you bastards!"
Only after I shouted did the fools finally look at me.
Then, Yu So-pyeong spoke in a calm voice.
"If it's about the mission, we all already know."
"How did you…?"
"The Vice Hall Master came by while you were in the main fortress, Squad Leader. He told us everything."
"And?"
Yang Gang, looking exasperated, answered my question.
"Exasperating, what do you mean, 'and?' We all said we'd follow you and participate."
"Why?"
"Does eating from the same pot mean we'll only ever have good days? Dangerous things are bound to happen. Besides, we're warriors who live on the edge of a blade. We were prepared for this much when we dedicated ourselves to Nine Dragons Fortress."
Everyone nodded at Yang Gang's words.
'These guys...'
I'd heard that if you have just three people willing to die with you, you've lived a successful life in the martial world.
And yet, four of them were willing to follow me.
A wave of emotion washed over me at their resolve.
"But in return, half of the success reward is ours!"
That is, until I heard what Yang Gang said.
***
The departure time was set for three days later.
During that time, I filled our bags with food and equipment for the journey and had Yong Ma-san come over to practice coordinating with the squad members.
And on the morning of the appointed day.
"...He's here."
With our ace, Dan Un, finally joining us, we left Nine Dragons Fortress.
Our journey, which began at dawn that day, continued without rest.
After fifteen days of crossing mountains and rivers, we finally reached Kongtong Mountain.
Though the sect there had long since been wiped out, any sense of sacredness befitting a holy site of Taoism was bullshit.
The peaks that pierced the clouds' assholes and the endlessly sprawling mountain range filled me with despair.
I had a rough idea, but seeing it in person was so overwhelming, I didn't know where to begin.
On top of that.
"From here on, we're in the heart of the Ten Demon Alliance's territory. We must move as stealthily as possible."
We couldn't even use the existing paths and had to leave our horses behind.
Disguised as a group of hunters, we barely managed to cross the Kongtong mountain range, ending up looking like beggars.
"There's a village called Hoyang nearby. How about we go there and restock on supplies first?"
This was the guidance of Yu So-pyeong, who was from Gansu province.
For reference, in an era without Street View, it's difficult to find your way even with a map if you lack local knowledge.
Following Yu So-pyeong's lead, our group entered Hoyang Village.
And.
"...There's no one here."
Only an eerie silence greeted us.
"When it rains, it pours..."
If this is the case, food is going to be a problem.
We still have another twenty days to Lanzhou, and hunting along the way would take too much time.
"Should we have a look around?"
I nodded at Ha Jin-hyeong's words.
At that, the squad members split up to search the former village.
"...I shouldn't have come."
Yong Ma-san grumbled, and I pretended not to hear as I glanced at Dan Un.
"Hardship is the fertilizer for growth."
He really was a madman.
"Let's not just stand around. Let's find a place to rest until the others get back."
A moment later, I led Yong Ma-san and Dan Un to a house that looked relatively intact. As soon as I opened the main gate, we witnessed a gruesome scene.
Shattered white bones were scattered everywhere.
In the middle of the courtyard, words that seemed to be carved with a sword were written.
'Punished for the crime of betraying the Alliance. Dark Sect.'
'We're screwed.'