BCGWR Chapter 4 Part 1

The Cataclysm 3

Though there were many arguments back and forth in the HR department, the Esper’s fault was greater since they had threatened a Guide, who was practically a non-Awakened individual, by unleashing their power. Fortunately, no significant disciplinary action was taken. So, naturally, the Guides and Healers, including himself, who were not directly involved in the fight, assumed they would not be included in this training. However, the head of the Awakened management team mercilessly imposed the punishment of a tedious training session on all members of the dungeon raiding team. He was always like that, but he was an excessively fair person.

‘…The person who should actually be here is probably resting in the hospital ward… This is unfair.’

The Esper, who couldn’t control their temper and, in their excitement, had intimidated Han Ji-su, was now hospitalized in the guild’s medical facility after being beaten by a companion monster smaller than a palm, so they weren’t even attending this penalty training. As Han Ji-su suppressed his surging sense of injustice, the training manager marked each ‘lecture participation’ item on the attendance list with a pen and said:

“We’ll take a 10-minute break, then Part 2, ‘Awakened Discrimination Prevention Training,’ will begin with the instructor. Please return on time.”

Those who responded with a casual “Okay, okay~” stood up and stretched. Some went out for cigarettes or to use the restroom, while others lay down at their desks or went to the pantry attached to the lecture hall to grab coffee mixes or brown rice green tea bags. Han Ji-su took a sip of the iced americano he’d brought in his tumbler from the first-floor cafe, then subtly opened the cross-body bag on his desk. Inside, on a fluffy towel he’d laid out, he saw his companion monster, a golden hamster, sleeping sprawled out. He carefully poked the hamster’s plump belly with his finger, but it didn’t budge.

Poke-

“Kkyuuuu… Pyuuu…”

Poke-poke-

“Ppyuuuu…”

Seeing it sleep so soundly, he figured it wouldn’t wake up for at least three or four hours. Feeling much more at ease thanks to his filial companion monster sleeping quietly through the boring training, Ji-su silently closed his bag and looked at Kang Jae-yoon’s smart watch, asking:

“Hyung, can I see your gauge?”

“Why ask now? Look whenever you want.”

Since they weren’t alone in the Guiding Room but in a space with many people, he thought there might be concerns about displaying the numbers or other things Espers cared about. However, Kang Jae-yoon didn’t care at all and extended his wrist to Ji-su. The number that popped up on the screen was 27%. Ji-su, after checking the Esper’s Berserk Gauge, frowned and took Kang Jae-yoon’s hand. Then, as if he had been waiting, he clasped his fingers with Ji-su’s and asked in a gentle voice:

“You just cleared a dungeon yesterday, aren’t you tired?”

“This much is fine. It’s my day off anyway. But, Hyung, they said your raid was confirmed? What’s the area?”

“Near Taejongdae, Busan. Judging by the Unmeasurable / Measurement Impossible status, it looks like it’ll take a few days to clear.”

“…Unmeasurable / Measurement Impossible…”

Ji-su’s frown deepened at the mention of the Unmeasurable / Measurement Impossible Rank. Indeed, a dungeon with an Unmeasurable / Measurement Impossible status was one where the raiding team could not predict what variables might arise once they entered. Although it had been over two and a half years since the system to identify the terrain and characteristics of newly generated dungeons was developed, a small number of dungeons still existed that couldn’t be measured by current technology. For typical dungeons, a Rank was displayed upon measurement, and the accuracy of that Rank was generally stable, over 95%. The problem was the Unmeasurable / Measurement Impossible dungeons. These dungeons either returned a different Rank each time they were measured or displayed no Rank at all. The most dangerous aspect of these Unmeasurable / Measurement Impossible dungeons was that their initial Rank would randomly fluctuate between C and E, only to suddenly transform into an A-rank dungeon as soon as the raiding team entered. Furthermore, there were rare instances where the boss monster couldn’t be found, leading to a failed raid. As various accidents became more frequent, starting two years ago, the Awakened Association established a new regulation requiring at least one S-rank Awakened individual to be included in any Unmeasurable / Measurement Impossible dungeon raiding team. It was as if safety regulations had emerged only after the sacrifice of countless lower-ranked raiding teams.

“…Fill your Inventory with emergency rations. Don’t forget to get Return Stones.”

“Haha, I already have a lot… Okay, I get it. Don’t worry. I’ll pack more.”

When Ji-su glared at him for saying he already had a lot, Kang Jae-yoon, pretending to cower despite having nothing to fear, quickly changed his words with a pleasant expression.

“And make sure the gauge is at 0% before you enter.”

“For the sake of our Ji-su, I’ll definitely get it to 0%.”

To his usual kind and playful tone, Ji-su reiterated with emphasis:

“No joke, seriously. Bring it down to 0% before you go in. I’ll try my best too, so…”

“Yeah, I will. I’m also looking forward to Ji-su’s efforts.”

Ji-su subtly pretended not to hear the last remark. Instead of blushing and retorting, only to be teased, he pressed his lips together and began to concentrate on Guiding. The compatibility between B-rank Guide Han Ji-su and S-rank Esper Kang Jae-yoon was 38%, which, strictly speaking, wasn’t a good Matching Rate, but Guiding was an act greatly influenced by mental factors. This meant that the efficiency varied depending on the level of trust between the Esper and the Guide, or the extent of their physical contact. The two, who had known each other since before The Cataclysm, often achieved the best results relative to their Matching Rate. It was the same now. During the short break, Ji-su succeeded in reducing Kang Jae-yoon’s Berserk gauge by 1.5%. Those unfamiliar with Guiding might question how a mere 1.5% could be considered optimal performance. However, considering the distracting surroundings, the Guiding session lasting less than 10 minutes, and their Matching Rate, it was an impressive result. Han Ji-su, too, judged it to be a not-bad result when considering these environmental factors in combination, rather than just the number, and said with a smile:

“Still, for less than 10 minutes, it’s pretty good, right?”

“More than just good, actually. Thank you, Ji-su.”

Ji-su’s smile deepened upon hearing the gentle and affectionate reply. Then, feeling a little puffed up by the honest compliment, he slightly raised his chin and said:

“If Hyung has time today, I could do it all day.”