Suji also replied dejectedly.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

– I’ll look into it right away and get back to you. About ‘Messiah’ and about Wave.

“Thank you. I’ll ask for your help.”

Suji hung up the phone and bit her lip.

She had forgotten for a moment in her confusion, but Yeonju’s words brought back the scene of Zero burning before her eyes.

It’s true that he was at fault, but he was still someone sponsored by the foundation her mother created.

If he did something wrong, he should have been made to pay for his crimes, but to kill someone like that just for revealing some internal information about a religious group.

What really disgusted her was how the group treated people like insects.

As Yeonju said, her head was throbbing due to the sudden influx of incidents.

When Suji, who had been walking in circles for a long time, suddenly looked up, she saw her team members gathered in the distance.

Elaine, Saint, and Peace were standing in the front yard of the living area.

It seemed Elaine was sharing information about the S-class Wave and Priya, and Peace and Saint could be seen raising their eyebrows and ruffling their hair as they listened.

At a glance, they looked more baffled than fearful or worried about the situation.

Suji, who had been lost in gloomy thoughts, burst out laughing when she saw Peace and Saint’s faces.

Well, that was her impression too.

The whole situation was just absurd.

‘I think I’m being too swayed by Priya.’

There’s nothing I can do right now by worrying and dwelling on thoughts about ‘Messiah’.

While it was true that the group was questionable and irritating, focusing on conquering was the priority for now.

When too much information floods in, sometimes your perspective narrows.

Suji looked around, thinking she needed to refresh her mood.

Of course, her team members were reliable, but as the team leader, she often had to present the objectives. She wanted to see things more broadly and think more flexibly.

Suji suddenly turned towards the beach where the luminous body was setting.

She had always thought about diving in whenever she saw water. Of course, with so much to do already, there was nothing to gain by actually doing it, so she had never put it into action.

‘But then, when will I ever do it?’

Suji removed all the armor and accessories she was wearing and jumped straight into the sea.

Even though she had just leapt from flat ground without a diving board, a small column of water rose due to how high she had jumped.

The sensation of the cold seawater touching her skin was thrillingly pleasant. Her mood wasn’t just changed, her heart was racing.

‘…This feels so good.’

There are monsters resembling deep-sea creatures living in the sea inside the Gate, but she didn’t even care about that.

Opening her eyes while submerged in the sea, she could see a wide expanse of pebbles and coral reefs stretching from the shallow beach to the deep sea.

Coral reefs dotted with red and purple colors, and fingernail-sized fish passing between them.

Suji was lost in admiring them when she suddenly felt a presence approaching and poked her head above water.

She could see Peace, Saint, and Elaine looking at her with bewildered faces from the beach.

Suji giggled and brushed aside her purple hair, heavy with water.

“It feels great. Don’t just stand there, come in.”

Peace and Saint looked at each other’s faces as if trying to figure out what was going on, while Elaine stared intently at Suji.

Maybe it was because of the backlight.

There seemed to be a strange look reminiscent of longing in Elaine’s black eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something strange on my face?”

When Suji unconsciously rubbed her face as she asked, Peace and Saint quickly turned their gaze to Elaine.

“What’s with you? How are you looking at the team leader again? You wolf.”

“Elaine is really quite the fox, I tell you. But that’s what makes it interesting.”

“What’s interesting about that!”

“Ah, well, Elaine’s face is interesting, isn’t it?”

Peace chuckled and cupped his own face.

“How about my face? Is it interesting?”

“Ugh, why are you saying such things? It’s creepy. Peace, try having some conscience first!”

In fact, if one were to judge whether Peace was handsome or not, he was quite a good-looking man with distinct features and an open face.

However, being constantly compared to the sculpture-like Elaine, he always ended up receiving unfavorable evaluations.

Saint, who had been bickering with Peace, suddenly shoved him towards the sea.

Normally, he could have easily dodged or countered it, but Peace, who had been thinking only about throwing Saint into the sea, was unexpectedly flung into the water.

Splash!

Saint was laughing out loud at the sight of Peace entering the water with a loud noise when Peace, who had emerged like a water ghost as soon as he touched the shallow bottom, came charging at him.

“No, don’t do this! Eek! Team leader! Peace is trying to kill me!”

“Who’s trying to kill who?”

“Huh? Let go! Just try touching me, I won’t let you off easy!”

“Look who’s talking! Who threw someone into the sea first!”

“Ah, then I’ll just remove my items! Ah!”

“All my items are wet too, you know? You’re the one who should let go.”

Suji was so amused by the two quarreling that she floated in the water, laughing for a long time.

Only when Peace and Saint fell into the sea together, grabbing each other’s collars, did she finally stop laughing and turn to look at Elaine.

He was still standing on the beach, staring intently at Suji.

“What are you doing, Elaine? It really feels good, come in.”

“It looks that way.”

“Oh, really. Should I push you in myself?”

“…I’ll go in.”

Elaine removed all his armor and items as if he had no choice. Suji unconsciously raised her body, which had been lying on the water, when she saw him stripped down to just a thin pair of shorts.

Elaine’s body was beautiful, covered in taut muscles, but at the same time, it was a mess.

Although potions are said to heal wounds, injuries beyond a certain level leave scars.

Come to think of it, this was the first time she had seen him undressed like this from the front.

Suji stared blankly at Elaine as he slowly swam towards her, and without realizing it, she placed her hand on his upper body.

Between the water tickling her hand, she could feel his firm abs and the large and small scars etched around them.

“…These are all scars you got after becoming part of my team.”

“It’s nothing.”

Come to think of it, there were quite a few major injuries that came to mind right away.

While Peace and Saint weren’t exactly unscathed either, Elaine usually had very few minor injuries, but when he did get hurt, it was severe.

“Elaine, I think you have really bad luck.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. You’re always the first to get hit by unexpected attacks that can’t be read from patterns.”

“If there was a stat for luck, I’d put some points into it.”

Suji had said it out of genuine concern, but Elaine didn’t seem to care much about the scars left on his body. Judging by his nonchalant response.

“From now on, I’ll try to cover for you as much as I can.”

Elaine gently shook his head.

“You’re already drawing enough aggro as it is. How could you do more than this?”

“Well… Wouldn’t it work if I try harder?”

“It looks better when you’re not trying.”

‘Huh?’

For a moment, Suji felt like there was a strange sincerity in Elaine’s words.

She looked at his face in surprise. Under the black hair that had become more subdued than usual from the seawater, Elaine’s serious eyes met hers.

Elaine was the first to avert his gaze.

She felt a tickle inside.

It felt like she should say something.

Perhaps because she was immersed in the cool seawater, her mood was gently stirring.

It was right then that Peace jumped in with an excited face.

“Hey, this couple looks good together, doesn’t it?”

Saint hit Peace’s back in shock and shouted.

“Stop saying things like an old man, Peace! If you’re going to say weird things like that, go get some towels! For the team leader to use when she gets out!”

“Is this how you’re going to be? Saint, chances to tease Elaine don’t come often.”

“Even if you tease him, he won’t even bat an eye. And don’t ruin the mood.”

“Ruin the mood? Was it an important moment?”

“Ugh, really. Clean your ears!”

With Peace and Saint noisily butting in, Suji forgot what she was about to say.

“More importantly, look at this! This gauntlet floats on water? Is it plastic?”

“What do you mean more importantly. Peace!”

“No, it’s really interesting.”

Suji finally tore her gaze away from Elaine’s body. Watching Peace proudly taking out rare items one by one and laying them on the seawater, she quickly joined in.

“We’ve already confirmed that physical laws don’t apply. Look, even doesn’t go out when it goes underwater.”

Suji floated a fireball on the seawater and then pushed it underwater. The glowing fireball sank below the rippling waves.

But as if burning in a place with oxygen, the fire still danced and burned well.

Saint took off his rabbit ear headband and wrung out the seawater, sighing.

” is 9th tier, team leader.”

Suji burst out laughing again, amused by how Saint was acting like he was taking care of mischievous children.