This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 451

“Is it because this place is primarily made up of people from the military?”

The overall black-colored building had a peculiar sense of intimidation.

It felt as if it was intentionally making me feel small.

And the entrance, which I faced as soon as I stepped inside, gave off the same vibes.

Did they really need to build the ceiling so high? The ceiling was so tall that it made anyone entering feel like they were being looked down upon.

Was that the reason?

After debuting as a Hero, Yoonseo, who had consistently focused solely on hero activities without getting distracted by anything else, quickly shrank back at that moment.

It was like seeing dried squid on a rock.

I wondered if she was thinking about getting into a battle of wills with the RK Guard personnel, as her back, which was usually straight, instantly curled up in a flash.

Being too aggressive isn’t good, but it’s also not good to be too meek, so I lightly tapped Yoonseo’s back to help her regain her composure.

Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be completely ineffective.

Startled by the sudden touch, Yoonseo twitched her shoulder and began blinking rapidly. After that, she straightened her curved back again.

“Um, are you… from the Association?”

A well-dressed woman, walking straight towards us from afar, cautiously spoke up just after that.

“…Yes, we are.”

To be honest?

It was a bit unexpected.

Given the circumstances, I thought someone more familiar with the field would come out rather than someone engaged in paperwork.

Of course, just because she was on the field didn’t mean she couldn’t wear a suit, but… I couldn’t find the specific ‘vibe’ of someone from the field in this woman in front of me.

It felt more like a management type rather than an on-site worker.

I was slightly tilting my head inwardly, pondering this unexpected situation.

“Ah! Nice to meet you. I’m Oh Yuna. Here, this is my business card.”

As she spoke, she held out a white business card bordered with gold.

“Oh, okay.”

After quickly finishing the card exchange and checking the card I received, it clearly had the RK Guard logo along with the title ‘Head of Management’.

So, she’s the head of management.

Isn’t that akin to a manager in the Association? I don’t know how it is in reality, but that was the impression given by her title.

A manager…

It made me curious about how they care for the Awakened here.

The heroes affiliated with the Association are essentially self-employed, as they are tied together under the name of the Association but mainly take responsibility for their own work.

This place likely wouldn’t operate that way, so there must be something different about how they manage the Awakened…

I didn’t know how they actually managed them, but I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check it out and see if it could be applied and modified according to the Association’s situation.

So far, it’s undeniable that things had been running smoothly under the current method, but… the recent attack proved it was time for the Association to change.

If they stubbornly continue with the current structure?

Though it shouldn’t be so, if we happen to encounter a similar situation again later, it could shake people’s trust in the Association.

‘The existing Association was just too big from the start…’

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to trim it down a bit.

With those thoughts in mind, I followed Yuna, who took the initiative as our guide, and walked along with the others.

“First, I will guide you through the facilities we use for training.”

Training facilities.

I was curious, but would they really be any different from the Association’s?

Rather, it would probably be compared to the Association’s facilities…

As I thought this, both Yoonseo and Seolhwa beside me nodded in agreement, but to cut to the chase?

There were indeed clear differences in various aspects when compared to the Association’s facilities.

If the facilities operated by the Association focus on enhancing individual abilities, meaning talent, then the training ground within the RK Guard building seemed to focus on developing the ability to respond to specific situations.

“This device is also in use over at the Association, but once you try it, you’ll notice it functions a bit differently than what’s provided there.”

“How specifically is it different?”

“Hmm… It’s a bit hard to explain in words… how about you try using it directly if that’s alright?”

She suggests trying it out directly as she knew it would genuinely pique my curiosity.

To be honest, I was indeed curious, but aside from that, I wasn’t too eager about it.

“Is there anyone who wants to give it a try?”

“Well… then, would it be okay if I give it a try?”

So, when I turned toward Yoonseo and Seolhwa, naturally, the training enthusiast Seolhwa couldn’t hold back and immediately stepped out.

“Of course. Have you used this device before?”

“Yes, a few times…”

“Oh, I see. But still, the settings might be a bit different from what’s in the Association, so would you mind if I give you a simple rundown?”

“Yes, yes.”

Was she just waiting for those words?

Immediately, Yuna stepped up beside Seolhwa and began to explain various things.

Among those explanations, the one that caught the most attention was the various situations for which the device is ‘set’.

“First, if you press this button, you can select the ‘settings’ that will become the base for the simulation.”

“There seem to be a lot of options?”

As she mentioned, there were indeed quite a few options to choose from.

“Yes, since anything can happen during a security operation. Therefore, our company operates with the mindset of preparing for as many scenarios as possible during training.”

“Can I just choose any of these?”

“You can, but… since you’re here for simulation purposes, we have set some unexpected situations that could occur during our recent exploration, so why not go with that?”

“Then, I’ll go with that.”

“Okay, understood.”

Somehow…

I wondered why they were so openly sharing what could be considered a corporate secret.

But now I realized they were preparing for this situation.

I guess they weren’t just doing this to showcase how meticulously they prepare for explorations.

‘Well, that might be part of it, but…’

In reality, their main purpose was likely to push us to participate in training that could not be easily managed by us to show that their skills are on par with the heroes affiliated with the Association.

‘This is quite…’

Should I say it’s impressive or rather shrewd?

In that sense, when I asked earlier if anyone was interested in trying it out, it seemed like they were putting on a calm facade, but inside, they were probably sweating bullets.

Because once we directly engaged in it, no matter how tough the training was set, it would all become meaningless.

‘No wonder it seemed like she was oddly tense since earlier…’

At that moment, what sort of scenario is this Yuna imagining?

It’s likely one where Seolhwa, who confidently calls out a challenge, fails, losing that confident look of hers, and Yuna feigns surprise while subtly reaping her benefits.

‘Well…’

If an average ‘Second-Class’ Hero was standing there, it would’ve surely unfolded just as Yuna envisioned.

But that’s only if Seolhwa over there was a truly average ‘Second-Class’. What Yuna overlooked was?

Even among ‘Second-Class’, they’re not all the same.

Especially Seolhwa…

“Then, let’s begin.”

“Yes.”

The moment Yuna pressed the ‘START’ button on the device, the scenery around Seolhwa began to change.

They said they were thoroughly prepared, so they definitely didn’t neglect gathering information either.

As the surrounding scenery started to overlay a landscape similar to what we saw in the Heogye, virtual Another Ones began to spring up around Seolhwa in droves.

In a situation that would cause even a regular person, or even a Hero, to flinch due to their overwhelming numbers.

Despite being surrounded by those foes, Seolhwa’s demeanor remained calm.

As if this level of quantity posed no problem for her.

Perhaps Yuna didn’t like Seolhwa’s reaction?

Her expression twisted slightly, and then—

“Even if it looks like only lower-level creatures are present, be cautious since there are upper-level entities mixed in!”

With a snap, she quickly regained her composure and followed it up with a warning disguised as advice.

“…I know.”

“Yes?”

But Seolhwa didn’t budge from her spot.

“I was quite looking forward to what you called special training…”

Her voice quietly lowered.

As her whispering echoed along with an odd sound, “Kiing—”, it spread throughout the training ground.

“To be honest, I’m a little disappointed.”

The polygon pieces that made up the virtual Another Ones scattered like flower petals.