Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: What It Means to Be Human
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“Huff… huff… Big Brother, come on, let’s go together!”
Choi Hyun-sik came panting up from behind.
The three of them, armed with goblin junk loot, finally looked like a proper party.
We soon arrived at a long corridor devoid of monsters.
The floor was covered endlessly with tiles engraved with geometric patterns.
“Phew, no monsters here. Let’s hurry through.”
Choi Hyun-sik sighed in relief and started to take the lead.
“Stop.”
I coldly held him back.
Then I picked up a goblin skull rolling on the floor and tossed it into the middle of the corridor.
Roll—
The moment the skull passed the third tile and hit the fourth—
Bang—!
Rat-tat-tat!
Dozens of arrows rained from slits in the walls, and sharp spear blades shot up from the floor.
The goblin skull turned into a porcupine in an instant.
“Eek!”
Choi Hyun-sik’s face went pale as a ghost.
Lee Seo-ah and Park Yumin stifled screams, hands clamped over their mouths.
“What you see isn’t everything.”
I said flatly.
It had been an annoying obstacle on a 2D screen, but in reality, it was brutally vicious.
Still, the pattern was perfectly etched in my mind.
“From now on, step only where I step. Deviate even an inch, and you’ll end up like that skull.”
I stepped forward slowly.
Counting the rhythm in my head.
One, two, three, turn.
I zigzagged past the trap tiles like I was dancing a waltz.
Looking back, Lee Seo-ah followed my footprints steadily, thanks to her rock-solid core from Pilates.
Her form’s a work of art.
The problem was Park Yumin.
Terror had turned her legs to jelly; she wobbled visibly.
“Kyaa!”
The moment she lost balance and veered toward a trap tile—
I snatched her arm without even turning around.
“Get it together. One slip, and you’re really dead.”
My voice was dry.
“S-sob… S-sorry…”
She clutched my sleeve like a lifeline.
I hauled her up and kept moving.
Throughout the trap section, I could feel the three behind me shifting from blind fear to unwavering trust.
In the middle of the trap-lined corridor.
I halted abruptly.
“I-is there a trap ahead?”
I didn’t answer Choi Hyun-sik’s question. Instead, I lightly tapped one wall with the spear tip.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—
With a heavy groan, part of the wall slid aside, revealing a dazzling sight that hurt the eyes.
The room brimmed with golden treasure chests.
Torchlight reflected off the gold, flashing blindingly.
“Jack… jackpot!”
Choi Hyun-sik’s eyes rolled back.
Forgetting the terror of the traps, he bolted toward the largest, flashiest chest like a man possessed.
“This is all treasure, right? Big Brother, we did it!”
I didn’t stop him.
I just leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching.
“Wait, Hyun-sik! It could be a trap!”
Lee Seo-ah shouted, but greed had deafened him.
With trembling hands, he flung open the lid.
Creeeak—
“Kahaha! All this is… huh?”
The moment the chest opened, sharp teeth sprang out instead of jewels.
A mimic—a monster masquerading as a chest.
Mimic Awakens!
“Eek! H-help!”
The mimic lunged to bite Choi Hyun-sik’s arm.
He screamed and toppled backward.
At the commotion, the other golden chests in the room shuddered and bared teeth in unison.
“Kyaa! The chests are moving!”
Chaos engulfed the room.
Only then did I grip my spear properly and step forward leisurely.
Greed in a life-or-death spot.
Humans are such ridiculous creatures.
Including me, of course.
Gold’s nice, but experience comes first.
I thrust my spear into the glowing red core at the back of the mimic lunging at Choi Hyun-sik.
Squelch—!
Experience +15 EXP acquired.
The thing shrieked and crumbled to dust.
But dozens more mimics remained.
They swarmed toward me.
About time.
I deliberately lured them into one spot.
One, two… I stabbed vitals with my spear, counting.
After leveling up earlier and wiping the remaining goblins with mana waves, my experience bar was over 90% full.
And mimics gave more experience than goblins.
Three, four, five.
Mana waves erupted again with the level up.
A fierce blast centered on me swept outward.
Boom—!
The roomful of mimics got caught in the light wave.
Wooden chests shattered; monsters inside screamed and died, dissolving to dust.
Silence fell over the room.
I rolled my refreshed shoulders and looked down at Choi Hyun-sik, slumped dumbly on the floor.
“If you’re alive, get up. How long you gonna sit there?”
“B-big Brother… that light just now…”
He gazed up at me with awe.
“You got… stronger again?”
The guy who’d seen info on the community boards.
He knew leveling made you stronger.
I just shrugged instead of answering.
“Obviously. If you wanna survive and get out, focus on leveling up. I might not save you next time.”
Choi Hyun-sik and Lee Seo-ah’s eyes changed at my words.
No longer mere fear—now they had a clear goal: Get strong or die.
A very positive sign.
I approached a dusty old wooden barrel in the corner.
The flashy gold chests were all monsters, but this shabby thing was the real deal.
Crack.
I stomped it open, and items spilled out.
Forgotten Marksman's Leather Gloves (Magic)
Forest Keeper's Longbow
Rusty Iron Shield
Blunt Dagger
Minor Health Potion x3
Bingo.
I unhesitatingly grabbed the gloves, bow, and quiver.
Slipping on the gloves, they hugged my hands perfectly, and details popped up.
[Option: ‘Unerring Aim’ skill usable (3x/day, total 10x limit)]
[Equip: +10% bow attack power]
Core item for clearing the tutorial.
With this, boss difficulty plummeted.
I nudged the rest with my foot.
“Choi Hyun-sik, take that shield. You look tanky—block up front.”
“Me? Ugh, this thing’s heavy…”
“Or block swords barehanded?”
“I-I’ll take it!”
He snatched it gratefully.
I tossed the dagger to Lee Seo-ah.
“Seo-ah, you’re agile—this suits you. In a pinch, find an opening and stab without hesitation.”
“…Thanks.”
She caught it with a complex expression.
A mix of appreciation for recognizing her physical strengths and trust in my steady leadership.
Or something like that.
If not, whatever.
I handed Park Yumin the remaining potion.
At the end of the trap corridor.
A reward chest awaited for passing safely—just swap out those stinky rags, and the whole party’s geared up.
I’d ignored it solo in the game, but it wasn’t out of the way, so why not?
Boosted survival odds.
Need everyone alive for max boss drops.
Of course, four people’s worth of boss loot—all mine.
After slaying dozens of goblins, we climbed a slope in a chasm and stood before a massive stone door reaching the ceiling.
Chilly air and murderous intent seeped through the cracks, pricking our skin.
Tutorial boss room.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed behind me.
All three were frozen stiff with tension.
I tightened the new gloves’ straps and spoke flatly.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. Everything so far was child’s play.”
Their faces hardened further.
“Door opens, no time to scream. Miss one command…”
I paused, locking eyes with each one coldly.
“Everyone dies. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Got it…”
I placed my hand on the massive stone door without looking back.
Groooan—!
The heavy door screamed open.
In pitch-black darkness.
Two crimson eyes gleamed, glaring at us.
“Let’s all make it back alive.”
As the heavy door fully opened, a stench assaulted our noses, revealing a vast cavern.
In the center—it waited.
A hulking mass like ten goblins fused together.
Veins writhed like worms over bulging muscles; it gripped an axe the size of a person’s torso.
[Tutorial Ruler, Mutant Hobgoblin]
“Groooar—!”
It roared and charged.
The ground quaked like an earthquake.
First target: naturally, Choi Hyun-sik standing front and center, gaping like an idiot.
“What’re you doing? Raise the shield!”
My shout jolted him into lifting the iron shield.
But it wasn’t enough.
Bam—!
“Gaaah!”
One blow.
The heavy iron crumpled like paper and flew off.
Choi Hyun-sik rolled across the floor screaming.
Overwhelming physical gap. Miracle his wrist didn’t snap.
As it grinned viciously and raised its axe for the killing blow on defenseless Choi Hyun-sik—
Whoosh—!
A sharp whistle cut the air.
Lee Seo-ah’s thrown dagger.
It grazed the beast’s cheek shallowly and clattered away.
Dark red blood trickled down its jaw.
Damage minimal, but enough to snag its attention.
“Grrr…”
Its crimson eyes slowly turned to Lee Seo-ah.
Terror rooted her legs to the spot.
“Raaar!”
It pivoted and charged her.
No escape.
At that range and speed, she’d be paste in a second.
But.
I’d been waiting.
I nocked an arrow, drawing the bowstring taut.
Tension rippled from fingertips through my body.
Glove option activated—a red crosshair overlaid my vision.
Unerring Aim
Perfect accuracy lock-on
The arrow left my hand like a beam, streaking toward the beast’s forehead.