The Deceptive Angel's Goblin Trap
A portal shimmering with white light materialized in the center of the group tutorial cave, high in the air. And through that portal emerged another winged angel, just like before.
"Welcome, everyone!" The handsome male angel shouted with a beaming smile. "Congratulations on entering the final tutorial. I am Kru'el, your tutorial guide."
It was the appearance of the tutorial guide, Kru'el. Despite his sudden arrival, the cave remained eerily quiet.
What a bad vibe. Namgung Seojun's Super Sense immediately picked up that this guy was no good. He stayed on guard, and Kru'el continued with a smile.
"The group tutorial is very simple. Survive for 21 days, or find the exit and escape."
Survival for 21 days in this unknown space—its difficulty was hard to gauge at first. But through his Super Sense, Seojun quickly realized that surviving 21 days would be easy, while finding and reaching the exit would be the real challenge.
Seojun grasped the situation swiftly with his Super Sense, but the unfamiliar summoned began firing off questions.
"21 days of survival? So we just have to stay alive?"
"Yes, exactly. Just survive for 21 days however you can."
At the words that mere survival was enough, the faces of summoned without combat traits or skills—especially the women—brightened.
"What about finding the exit and escaping? Don't we have to fight monsters for that?"
"Yes, that's right. There are many monsters outside the cave."
At the mention of fighting monsters outside, many faces hardened further. Even after experiencing combat in the tutorial, fighting monsters was still terrifying.
"How do we find the exit?"
"Catch goblins outside this cave, and you'll get a map from them that leads to the exit."
Even to someone's mutter, the guide responded kindly. As the guide patiently explained, the summoned kept asking questions. Meanwhile, Namgung Seojun observed his surroundings.
People are still being summoned? Even as the tutorial guide's briefing continued, more people kept entering.
About 90 people? How many more will come? Kru'el's overly friendly demeanor also felt off.
Fake kindness... What’s his deal?
The tutorial guide Kru'el answered every question from the summoned with kindness.
This feels off. Seojun grew uneasy, but the questions showed no sign of stopping, and the conversation dragged on.
The questions provided Seojun with a wealth of information.
Summoned from the brink of death? Those entering the tower were either inviters or summoned. The summoned were selected from souls doomed for hell and brought into the Tower World.
But... they're all summoned. Over 90 people were here, with more still arriving, but every single one was a summoned.
The summoned tutorial really skimped on effort. Inviters and summoned had different basic tutorials. Seojun had received polite guidance, but the summoned only got scripted explanations and messages—no combat experience.
Average of 3 to 4 traits and 1 skill. The summoned had various traits and skills, but most were low-grade.
And plenty can't fight right now. Many had non-combat traits and skills.
As Namgung Seojun gathered intel, the 30-minute Q&A session finally wrapped up.
"No more questions?"
The summoned had asked everything on their minds, so silence fell. Then Kru'el smirked—different from his previous expressions.
"Ha... you vermin asked a whopping 117 questions! Most of them pointless!"
His tone shifted, sending chills down spines. His face twisted in contempt.
"Now! Time to pay for those questions!"
He shouted loudly.
"Azxczxczaaasxcnqwks"
After finishing the incantation, goblins spawned at the cave entrance.
"Kekeke, kukuku."
"Goblins..."
The summoned panicked at the sight of goblins filling the entrance, and Kru'el burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Vermin! Exactly one goblin per question you asked! Squirm to survive! Hahaha!"
With that, Kru'el vanished, and a message appeared.
The Group Tutorial has begun.
With the message, the light filling the cave vanished, plunging it into darkness.
At the same moment!
"Quek!!"
The goblins at the entrance charged inside. Over 100 goblins surged in ferociously, throwing everyone into chaos.
"Kyaaak."
"Help!"
"Run, run away!"
Those near the entrance fled deeper into the cave to avoid the goblins, who pressed their assault even harder.
"Grab your weapons and hold them off!"
Someone shouted, and Namgung Seojun quietly walked toward the entrance, drawing the short sword from his waist. He lightly stabbed the throat of a goblin charging at him.
Puk.
"Kek."
A critical hit felled the goblin with a death screech. Seojun pulled his sword from the corpse and scanned the surroundings.
"Kyaaak! Kya!"
"Fuck! Kill it!"
"Waa. Ah!!"
"Snap out of it! Fight if you want to live!"
People fleeing in terror... those barely gripping weapons... those screaming to survive... those fighting alongside comrades amid the frenzy... Amid this chaos, intertwined with goblins charging in madness, it was a spectacle unlikely to be seen again.
"Kyaaak!"
A woman tripped while fleeing a goblin.
"Quekek!"
A goblin swung its dagger at her back. In that instant!
Puk!
Namgung Seojun trusted his Super Sense and struck the goblin with perfect timing and rhythm.
"Th-thank you."
The rescued woman expressed her gratitude, but he ignored it and cautiously moved toward the next goblin.
Melee chaos... As long as I watch for ambushes with Super Sense, this is a chance to kill tons of goblins. All of them are EXP!
Namgung Seojun roamed the battlefield, slicing goblins, viewing it as a leveling opportunity.
The battle raged fiercely. After about 20 minutes, things began to calm.
"Hold! Hold the line!"
"Help me!"
"Here too!"
Voices were desperate, but fortunately, the situation wasn't dire. Over half the attacking goblins were dead, and the remaining ones faced coordinated summoned forming a formation, holding steady.
Still, injuries and deaths. In Seojun's eyes, he saw people collapsed and bleeding... no, corpses from the melee.
Time to head out.
This was a group tutorial, but he planned to move solo for now. Namgung Seojun quietly slipped out of the cave.
The other group tutorial participants were busy with the remaining goblins and didn't notice him leave. Seojun naturally distanced himself from the crowd.
"Kuek... Ek!"
Goblins surrounded by people thrashed with crude daggers, but were blocked by the summoned's shields in formation.
"Hold steady."
At the leader's command, they maintained their shields firmly. The small goblins' attacks could be blocked without issue if they kept their wits.
"Kek! Kekek!"
In the stabilized situation, people began picking off the remaining goblins one by one. In 30 minutes, all were down.
"Haa... haa..."
Everyone panted heavily. All the invading goblins were dead, but adrenaline still surged.
"Stay cautious."
Even with goblins slain, they remained vigilant, unaware of the full situation from the widespread fights.
"Check if the goblins are dead. Stab the throat or heart."
At someone's words, they confirmed kills by stabbing corpses.
Once the situation somewhat settled, they assessed the damage.
"Here, stop the bleeding!"
"Fuck!! Save me!!"
"Doctor! Any doctors?"
"It hurts! Treat me first!"
"Anyone know emergency care?"
"Stop the bleeding calmly! Everyone, stay calm!"
Under the emerging leader's directions, the injured received first aid. But some, like a woman bleeding from her abdomen, lay motionless.
"She's dead."
The leader confirmed the dead woman, and those around nodded with pale faces. The goblin attack claimed 13 dead and 8 injured.
"And our numbers are way down."
Only half remained in the cave. In the chaotic battle, some had instinctively fled outside. Seojun left by choice, but others scattered in terror, desperate to live.
"Those people..."
Someone trailed off. They all assumed death awaited them. Silence fell, broken by the leader clapping to rally.
"Alright! Can't do anything about those who left. Let's figure out how the rest of us survive 21 days. Everyone, gather up."
The leader planned to hunker down in the cave with the others for 21 days—a common choice for group tutorial participants.
Meanwhile, Namgung Seojun had moved about 1 km from the cave. Along the way...
Swish... swish...
His sword was so bloodied he had to wipe it with leaves constantly after killing so many goblins.
"35 in total..."
He felled 31 in the entrance melee, then 4 more en route. Naturally, his status had changed.
Obviously level 3! He'd leveled up to 3—the highest in the tutorial zone. And there was an important message too.
Namgung Seojun reviewed the message he'd glossed over mid-battle.
You have acquired the Tutorial Zone Map.
The map from a goblin killed at the entrance. Opening it brought a bright smile.
Lucky. Found the map right away.
The map even marked an 'X'—the exit.
In the group tutorial battle, Seojun had secured both EXP and the map. He'd gotten everything he needed.