Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Mock Dungeon Practice (3)
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After confirming that my team members had finished maintaining their weapons and were ready to move, I took the lead and slowly began heading deeper inside.
"Phew... That really gave me a scare earlier. Those goblins felt completely real."
"That's what makes it more fun, right? It's barely any different from a real dungeon."
Some of the group were in high spirits after our big win in the previous fight, lightening the mood considerably.
But I couldn't let my guard down.
The reason was simple.
We'd only wiped out one team out of a hundred—scavenging the leftovers, at that.
I knew the real fight would begin when we ran into a team with Kim Do-yoon or one of the side characters.
Of course, if I had to nitpick, even against most top-tier students, we had almost no chance of losing.
Team 4 had two S-Rank Awakeners, after all.
'Still, we need to stay cautious. We're bound to run into at least one side character before reaching the goblin main camp...'
I was lost in such thoughts as we followed the forest path.
Suddenly, one of the team members walking beside me raised a hand and whispered lowly.
"Shh! Everyone, quiet. I hear voices up ahead."
At the report of a presence, we instinctively crouched down.
And as we cautiously peered through the thick underbrush...
Sure enough, a group of ten students came into view, reveling in victory amid a mountain of goblin corpses.
"That's... Team 11."
Someone muttered softly.
At the center stood a male student who seemed to be the leader, silently holding a long spear. Flanking him were close-range students with swords and shields, positioned protectively.
In the rear were two mages, one healer, and an archer.
'...This is gonna be a real pain.'
I didn't recognize most of the others, but the guy silently gripping the spear in the middle? I knew him all too well.
'Of all people, we run into Lee Soo-hyuk.'
Lee Soo-hyuk.
One of the few male side characters in this story and Kim Do-yoon's eventual ally.
True to his backstory of picking up the spear at age ten, in raw combat power alone, he far outstripped even the current Kim Do-yoon.
'Tch... No chance in a straight-up fight.'
Frankly, beyond all else, the matchup was terrible.
Sure, we had two S-Rank Awakeners, but neither shone in close combat.
Yoon Seo-rin had some martial arts and basic sword training from childhood, but it was self-defense level at best—nowhere near enough for Lee Soo-hyuk.
And pretending we hadn't noticed and retreating? Team 11 had already spotted us, their eyes fixed our way.
"Hm... The only one I know with mana this sharp and murderous is Sophia Litwell. Looks like Team 4, then?"
Lee Soo-hyuk lightly gripped his spear and stared straight at our hiding spot in the brush, muttering.
His eyes seemed impassive, but the spear in his hand radiated a ferocious aura, ready to impale any foe at a moment's notice.
"..."
'Haa... Busted. But how the hell does this monster pinpoint someone by their faint mana signature? No escape now.'
I quickly ran the calculations in my head.
Figuring out our best response here.
And the answer came fast.
Pure matchup-wise, avoiding a head-on clash made sense, but now that we'd locked eyes, backing down would paint us as losers.
In fights, psychological warfare mattered as much as individual skill.
Making excuses and retreating could tank the morale of our hot-blooded guys.
'Then... first strike wins.'
With that "he who strikes first wins" mindset, I started signaling the team to prepare a preemptive attack.
But Sophia must have read my intent, stepping forward to block me.
"Wait. Fighting like this puts us at too much of a disadvantage."
Yoon Seo-rin pulled out her magic gun again and coolly assessed the situation.
"Lee Soo-hyuk, ranked 6th in entrance exams. Second only to Wol Ha-yeon in pure strength. Too risky to charge in blindly."
The rest of the team looked at me with eyes agreeing with them.
"..."
Lee Soo-hyuk.
A powerhouse already beyond student level in spearmanship.
Even if every close-range fighter on Team 4 ganged up, it'd be a coin toss.
But we had to get past this somehow.
'...Fine. Not blind first strike—find the optimal play.'
I took a deep breath, then shouted at Lee Soo-hyuk, still in battle stance.
"Hey! Didn't expect to run into you here. Judging by your goblin haul, you've racked up a nice score, huh?"
"Same to you guys, no? I heard Team 4's points skyrocketed after wiping Team 6."
His tone was polite, but the implication was the opposite.
"So, you're saying it bugs you that Team 4's ahead?"
"Spot on. And instead of wasting time chatting, why not just fight and get it over with? The professors are watching via drones anyway."
"Yeah!! We're in the middle of an evaluation—why keep talking?!"
"Right!! Skip the mind games and come at us!!"
As soon as Lee Soo-hyuk finished, Team 11 raised their weapons in unison, forming battle lines.
"Ahh~ Okay, okay. Koreans love everything fast, huh? Straight to the point, then."
"The point?"
"Yeah, the point."
I stabbed my sword into the ground, showing I wasn't itching for a fight.
"Let's think calmly! Honestly, us fighting each other right now is a loss for both sides, right? We've still got goblins and the boss ahead... Why waste energy here?"
"Plus, other teams will swarm this area soon. Mess up, and we all wipe."
"Hmm... So, temporary alliance? Take out the dungeon boss and rivals, then fight? Sounds plausible. But you forgot one key fact."
"What?"
"I just said—Team 4's score is high. Beating you lets us cruise to first easier."
With that, Lee Soo-hyuk pointed his blue-glowing spear tip at me, signaling no more talk.
"Professors and guild reps are watching, too. No reason to back off."
"No, but just a bit more..."
As I tried to keep talking, a sword-wielding guy next to Lee Soo-hyuk bellowed.
"Leader!! No need to drag this out! Just steamroll the dead-last and his crew!!"
"Yeah! They're only scary from range—up close, they're done!"
As Team 11 buzzed excitedly, Lee Soo-hyuk amped up the blue aura swirling fiercer.
"Hear that? We're not dodging. Let's end this quick."
"..."
'Tch... Shame. Was gonna ally up and backstab 'em right away.'
I smacked my lips in regret and pulled my sword from the ground.
Then yelled.
"Everyone, battle ready!! First strike wins!! Yoon Seo-rin! Put a hole in that casting mage's forehead from the back!!"
"Got it."
Bang—!
As if she'd anticipated my order...
Yoon Seo-rin fired a mana bullet straight at the head of the chanting male student.
A Team 11 member belatedly heard my shout and raised a shield to block.
"Damn it!! That's cheating!! What kinda mana bullet punches through a C-Rank shield in one shot?!"
"Mage down!! Protect the last one!!"
No way a C-Rank shield could stop an S-Rank Awakener's attack.
"I'll handle Yoon Seo-rin and Sophia! You guys take the rest of Team 4!!"
"Roger!!"
Confirming the mage's fall, Lee Soo-hyuk calmly ordered his panicked team.
Then kicked off the ground, thrusting his spear at Yoon Seo-rin as she prepped another shot.
Boom—!
Of course, his spear never reached her.
"...Kang Hyun-sol, I wanted to clash with you someday, but I didn't think it'd be like this."
"Same here."
I'd barely deflected his strike before it hit Yoon Seo-rin.
But even just that sent numbness racing up my entire arm.
'This is insane. A first-year this strong? Game balance is trash...'
"Whatever. Drop you quick, then clean up the rest."
"You maniac!!"
Allowing no breather, Lee Soo-hyuk's spear assaulted in a relentless barrage.
Not just long thrusts—sweeps, slashes, whirlwinds assaulted from every direction.
"Kuh...!"
I barely blocked, staggering back.
And shouted at Sophia, prepping her attack from behind.
"Sophia!! I'll tie up Lee Soo-hyuk as long as I can—take out the others first!!"
"Got it! Flare Burst!"
At my request, Sophia switched targets and unleashed her spell into the air.
Boom boom boom—!
Red flames erupted in sequence overhead, forcibly disrupting Team 11's formation.
The shield-bearers focused on blocking the blasts, widening gaps from their allies—and Yoon Seo-rin's mana bullets poured in.
Bang! Bang—!
Two shots precisely nailed the healer and archer sheltered behind the tanks.
"Damn!!! Healer and archer out!!"
"Protect the last mage!!"
Team 11 scrambled to reform after losing three in a blink to Yoon Seo-rin's shots.
But the battle's balance had already tilted hard.
I blocked Lee Soo-hyuk's spear again and yelled.
"Now!! Push!!"
And so, the full-on clash with Team 11 began.