Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

Chapter 78: Reward (2) (2)

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The 10th floor… Where was that again? Because I had refrained from accepting an introduction from Kang Juyeon on the day I joined, I still didn’t have a clear understanding of the clan tower’s layout. I had briefly toured the building the next day, but I hadn’t checked everything thoroughly because there was so much work to be done, especially in preparing for the mission.

I didn’t even know the clan’s inner workings yet, and I had already gone on a dungeon expedition. It would be a huge surprise for the new recruits.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Shin Yuna, who was sitting next to me, whispered, “It’s an office hotel inside the clan tower, where you can stay.”

“Ah, I see…”

I remembered hearing about it from Kang Juyeon once. It was accommodation provided for clan members who were either guests or were performing special missions. An office hotel inside the clan tower. It seemed to be on the 10th floor.

I turned my head to Shin Yuna, who was still beside me.

“Weren’t you at home yesterday? Why are you staying in the office?”

“Uhh…”

“Ah, sorry.”

Shin Yuna’s face turned slightly red. I had leaned in a bit too close when I asked her, apparently. She fanned herself with her hand for a moment and then replied.

“Uhm… I stayed late last night working on that incident related to the assignment. The Master had given instructions, so he came to the clan tower as soon as the mission ended to take care of it.”

“Oh… that incident…”

I was referring to the Min Chae-hwan incident. More precisely, it was the case where Min Chae-hwan had acted as a spy, gathering all the members of the <Villain> clan’s Gangnam branch, attacking the 5th Hunting Team, and attempting to seize the rewards for conquering the Forest Covered by Snakes. Thanks to the <Judgment of Fire> clan detecting this in advance and counterattacking, we were saved. Otherwise, we would have been helpless, losing our rewards and even our lives, given how skillful Min Chae-hwan was in acting and planning.

I asked her with a sly grin, “Is that incident resolved then?”

“I’m not sure. It was handled by senior members and the clan leadership… It’s too advanced information for us new clan members to know.”

The <Villain> clan was officially declared a criminal organization by the government, so most of its members were wanted, and they faced punishment if caught. Perhaps <Judgment of Fire> had discussed it with the government to deal with the situation properly. However, the media and other sources were heavily controlled, making it difficult to obtain information about it.

In any case, the fact that a spy had infiltrated the clan was…

So it wasn’t good news to be disclosed to the public.

“So, you might not be able to work today. If you stayed up all night, you must be getting some sleep now.”

In truth, my plan upon arriving at work was to meet with Kwon Oh-jun. The reason was the recent dungeon conquest of the Forest Covered by Snakes. I intended to request the Boss’s Magic Stone as a reward.

‘The more I look at it, the more it seems like that guy is Sub-dragon.’

Sub-dragon from the Wild Mountain Clan. Although this individual wasn’t identical to the Sub-dragons I had encountered before, they had a striking resemblance. The name Mountain Serpent itself referred to a Sub-dragon, and its rune ability was in the natural magic category. So, I believed that the magic stone would likely fit into [Forgotten Stone of a Dragon].

‘That’s why I planned to request it today…’

Generally, rewards from team dispatches were automatically distributed according to clan instructions. They could be settled in cash based on contribution or given in various items or magic stones. However, in cases like mine and Shin Yuna’s where we contributed significantly to the clan, we could directly request the desired reward. Compiling these requests was the responsibility of senior personnel, usually at the team leader level. So, I intended to meet with Kwon Oh-jun to request the magic stone reward today.

But now that he’s taking a rest after working late last night, it seems like I’ll have to postpone it.

However, Shin Yuna shook her head in response to my words.

“No, I don’t think so. He’ll probably wake up before lunchtime. Everyone from the mission yesterday has a meeting with the Master, and the preparations are already underway.”

“What? Everyone from the mission?”

I was surprised by this new piece of information. Suddenly, a meeting with the Master? Furthermore, if it involved everyone from the mission, didn’t that mean I would have to attend the meeting as well?

“Yes. This time, the dungeon’s difficulty level exceeded our team’s capacity, and there were external variables like spies and the intrusion of the <Villain> clan. So, the Master decided to hold a meeting personally and provide additional rewards.”

After a meeting with the Master, additional rewards were given. In other words, I could directly request the magic stone reward from the Master. I asked Shin Yuna again, puzzled.

“When is that happening? In the afternoon?”josei

“No, it’s happening right now. It’s Kim Holder Seong-cheol’s turn at the moment. I think it will be your turn soon.”

“Right now?”

Wait, what? They’re doing it right now? No, this can’t be.

My expression must have conveyed my disbelief because Shin Yuna’s words seemed to make it a reality.

Rrrrrring—

Rrrrrring—

The internal phone at my desk rang suddenly. As an intern who had joined the clan recently, I had never received a phone call before.

I was momentarily taken aback but cautiously picked up the phone.

“Yes, this is Do Jae-hyun, a member of the 5th Hunting Team.”

-This is the Clan Master’s office. Holder Do Jae-hyun, please come to the 37th floor of the clan tower in 10 minutes for a meeting with the Clan Master.

The phone message was concise. The secretary delivered that one sentence and promptly hung up.

Just as Shin Yuna had said, it was happening right now. Kim Seong-cheol was next, and soon it would be my turn.

This wasn’t happening, was it?

I swallowed nervously with a slightly tense expression.

Yesterday, I saw the Clan Master’s face for the first time during the field mission at Inwangsan. This would be my first individual meeting with Kang Woo-hyun.