The New Technique's Power (1)
Even though the room was overflowing with people, the party was assigned a single room unlike the D-class area dorms.
Since it was in the D-class area, the explanation was that the local prices were too high and there was no choice but to share.
But because the three of us—Do-hyun, Ji Yu-chan, and I—were using the room, I felt a bit embarrassed. My ears turned red.
Still, what could I do? We were the same party, so we had no choice but to adapt.
Anyways, we had come to the room to unpack our luggage, but Do-hyun, along with me and Ji Yu-chan, left only simple clothes and other casual items, keeping everything important in Do-hyun's magic pouch.
No matter how much it was the Korean Hunter Association dorm, you never know what might happen.
The magic lock on the door was there, but relying on that alone for security wasn't very reassuring.
After all, even President Han Mu-yeol had said not to trust even the Association members.
Remembering that was the precaution we took.
The atmosphere was definitely different from other grade hunters.
It made sense; with only a few newbies, how could they hold on?
“Umm, it doesn't seem like they're doing it with ill intentions.”
“Yeah. It really seemed like they meant it.”
“Umm, but the quality didn't look very good either.”
All three of us voiced similar opinions and nodded.
For now, we needed to assess the D-class area atmosphere. After our party finished preparations and went out, we saw Lee Min-woo’s party waiting ahead.
When they appeared, there was no mocking like before, but I kept an eye on the few who had defeated expressions.
Standing at the entrance and waiting, I approached Lee Min-woo’s party.
Seeing us all come out, Min-woo nodded and took the lead.
“Then shall we go?”
Following Min-woo, we quickly left the safe zone.
When we emerged into the hunting area, the horror of the labyrinth was immediately felt.
The mazes with no directions and endless paths that confused eyes and senses were only natural.
This area below the first floor of the underground is called the first underground floor.
As we descended, the monsters and hunters’ levels rose. Min-woo explained that we should memorize the paths while getting used to it.
Do-hyun, with his path-finding skill, naturally knew the way, and I could figure out some paths too.
Ji Yu-chan, on the other hand, couldn’t understand anything.
When we reached the first underground floor, Min-woo began speaking in a tone that said not to take it badly.
“Those people earlier were those who had given up.”
“Hmm.”
“I see.”
“Give up?”
At Min-woo’s words, I recalled the few with defeated eyes from earlier and instantly understood. Ji Yu-chan seemed to get it and nodded, but I asked what he meant.
Min-woo looked at me and answered.
“They gave up because of the harshness of the D-class and just stay in the dorms or safe zones. They also have this tendency when they see newbies to think they’ll end up like them, so they do that.”
“Thinking they themselves are not inferior, and that new people will also be like that, and it makes them seem less inferior.”
“Ah.”
“It’s a shame.”
Min-woo and I added that, and I finally understood and nodded. Ji Yu-chan also spoke quietly, but it didn’t seem like he was feeling pity.
No one there was hesitating because of inability to overcome it.
Anyways, our party and Min-woo’s were scouting the surroundings without much conversation. Do-hyun learned quite a bit from that.
When a fork appeared in the labyrinth, they would figure out the way to choose the right door or path. When Do-hyun’s party was still figuring it out, Yoo Jin-hyun from Min-woo’s party raised his hand and stopped the group.
Upon seeing the signal, everyone stopped. Jin-hyun said,
“There are enemies ahead. Fifteen, and the sound of footsteps suggests labyrinth goblins.”
I couldn’t help but admire Jin-hyun’s words.
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[Analysis activated. Footsteps detected in the twisted alley. Total fifteen labyrinth goblins on standby.]
The information from my senses via ultrasound and analysis perfectly matched. I could tell he was a skilled log.
I thought his skills and stats were average, but they were better than expected.
Anyways, after Jin-hyun’s report, everyone prepared for battle. Min-woo gave a brief briefing to our party and his.
“Unlike the goblins from the F-class area, the labyrinth goblins are quite agile and speedy. Especially their paralysis poison is quite potent, so be careful not to get hit as much as possible.”
Min-woo’s somewhat rigid tone this time pulled a bit of tension.
And then,
“At the front are Hong-gu and Min-woo, Yun-chan, then Jin-hyun, and the ones in front shield the rear with me and Ji-an, and Ye-rin. Finally, support is free and I’ll decide based on Ye-jin’s judgment.”
I was disguised as Min-woo, Ji Yu-chan as Yun-chan, and I as Ye-rin, so everyone nodded remembering their identities.
And when Min-woo gave the signal, the three at the front immediately leaped out—Do-hyun, Hong-gu, and Ji Yu-chan.
Although all three jumped at the same time, Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan were the fastest.
No need to line up; Do-hyun arrived first and spotted a gap in the labyrinth goblin formation. His eyes sparkled as he swung his sword.
A faint golden light left a trajectory in the air, and the end of the trajectory touched the neck of the lead labyrinth goblin.
“Kerk?”
The sudden appearance of Do-hyun made the goblin tilt its head without reacting in time, and its neck was cut, but Do-hyun didn’t stop there. Sliding through the goblins, he went deep inside, and Ji Yu-chan, following, stood in front of the two labyrinth goblins Do-hyun had split.
The moment he stood in front, Ji Yu-chan’s sword qi glowed with denser golden light and a golden line was drawn in the air. Two labyrinth goblin heads were cut by the line.
While Ji Yu-chan was catching the two labyrinth goblins that Do-hyun had split, Do-hyun dove into the goblin formation and entered the center. Holding two swords, he twisted his body and raised the mana manipulation and Golden Sword style.
His feet, waist, and shoulders rotated at high speed. At the same time, sword strikes rose like an upward current as golden flowers bloomed. Four labyrinth goblins in the center were instantly sliced—necks and torsos severed—rising with the upward current and scattered on the ground.
Tuttutuk.
Do-hyun instantly eliminated six, and Ji Yu-chan two more. But Yoo Hong-gu’s two eyes trembled violently from the back.
This was his first time reaching D-class, right?
Watching the two use new techniques to exterminate the labyrinth goblins left Hong-gu unable to stay calm. But it wasn’t only him.
The entire Lee Min-woo party watching from behind also had trembling eyes like Hong-gu’s, but I alone couldn’t let my turn be stolen, so I used magic.
Mana infused with will wrapped in the air and formed an ice spear. With sharp will embedded, the ice spear sharpened even more and shot through the air at high speed.
The remaining five labyrinth goblins were bewildered seeing their comrades being exterminated in an instant. But when they regained their senses and charged at Do-hyun in front, they discovered the ice spear flying fast and twisted their bodies.
The moment they thought the ice spear’s straight trajectory would be evaded, the ice spear spun wildly in the air according to the will and completely changed direction. It pierced exactly into the forehead of the goblin they thought they had evaded.
Puk, puk, puk!
The ice spear struck three labyrinth goblin foreheads in one go. Originally they hadn’t meant to evade, so only two who tried to block could avoid being pierced.
I had caught three labyrinth goblins, but looking at the two that were blocked, I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
“Tsk.”
“……”
“……”
And watching that, Min-woo gulped down his spit, thinking he didn’t know what I had done.
Up to now, he hadn’t known that Do-hyun, Ji Yu-chan, and I used skills or magic before using them.
Seeing the secret arts beyond mastery, Min-woo looked at our party with trembling eyes.
Was this really the first party that entered the D-class?
Something felt off, but suddenly Min-woo’s mind recalled the profile of our party.
It was a completely ordinary profile, but on second thought, it was strange.
No matter how ordinary a party was, profiles always listed some history, but there were no records except the basic ones like when they entered E-class and how quickly they advanced to D-class.
Min-woo gulped down his spit. An ordinary profile that was too ordinary.
And no matter how ordinary a party was, the profile should have at least a few special notes, but there were none at all.
This weird party that perfectly executed the secret arts of stealth that D-class hunters were slowly mastering, even though it was the first to enter the D-class—what on earth were they?
Min-woo had no choice but to misinterpret those clues.
‘Could it be agents… raised by the Association…?’
I had heard about it. There were agents the Hunter Association raised to handle villains. In other companies, maybe the audit team?
Agents who dealt with hunters under the Association’s own who committed dirty acts.
Could our party be such people? And as if to show proof, Do-hyun threw the sword up briefly, took two daggers from his pocket, and hurled them at the remaining two. The daggers left faint golden trajectories and pierced the foreheads of the two labyrinth goblins guarding.
Puk, puk.
Even though they were guarding, they hadn’t felt the daggers at all and hadn’t been able to block them.
And Do-hyun caught the two swords he had thrown up, sheathed them, smiled smugly, and turned to Min-woo, asking,
“How is it? Is our party usable now?”
“……”
Min-woo couldn’t answer, so he nodded with trembling eyes.
Do-hyun saw Min-woo’s reaction, which was a bit fearful and stiff, and tilted his head, unable to understand why. But it wasn’t his business, so he didn’t mind.
On the other hand,
“Hehe, I caught three.”
“……”
I ignored Ji Yu-chan, who was also boiling inside from the provocation of the one who boasted he caught one more.