Mutants? "Gonna Break Us in from the Jump?"
I chuckled softly and dashed toward the back of Park Chan-gyu, the hunter striding far ahead.
Park Chan-gyu, the main tank of the Kirin Guild. After awakening as a C-rank, he'd completed every mission assigned to him without a single failure. Not only that, he boasted such stable tanking skills that he was often mentioned in the same breath as B-rank tanks, despite his rank. On top of that, he had unusually high agility for a tank.
'Not bad—they're keeping up pretty well.'
He glanced back over his shoulder, his natural agility carrying him well ahead. His eyes took in the sight of the team members strung out behind him, gritting their teeth as they ran.
Some people enrolled in the Magic Officer Academy right after awakening, but most had already gained experience independently or through guilds. Maybe that was why they were managing to keep pace with Park Chan-gyu, who was pushing the speed to an almost excessive degree.
Of course, if he kept this up much longer, stragglers would start dropping off.
Maintaining that razor-thin limit, he ran on for a good while before finally stopping atop a low ridge.
"Huff... huff... ugh, I'm dying."
Lee Jae-wook, arriving near the back of the pack, collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
"Yeah?"
"The mana density's too high in here. It's like a dungeon."
"Probably 'cause the rank's high."
I sat down next to Jae-wook and replied. Looking around, the rest of the team was hunched over, breathing raggedly, unable to straighten up properly. I turned my gaze to Park Chan-gyu's back, standing at the ridge's crest.
'Tank with solid agility, huh.'
His breathing didn't seem the least bit disrupted. He was clearly top-tier even among C-ranks. Just like my old self.
Right then, he turned around. He clicked his tongue softly at the team members lined up and gasping for air.
"Tch. If you're huffing and puffing just from running, how the hell you gonna escape later? In dungeons, the ones who know how to run for their lives are the ones who last."
He was spot on. There were way more times getting cornered and fleeing desperately than stylishly duking it out.
Just from that one line, you could tell how experienced he was. He might act casual on the surface, but Park Chan-gyu was the real deal—fundamentally different from those cheap C-rank punks from a few days ago. That was why the other team members' eyes sparkled, hanging on his every word, eager to learn even one more thing.
"You not tired? Not a drop of sweat on ya."
"Of course I'm tired. And I just don't sweat much anyway."
I brushed it off casually toward Jae-wook, then deliberately wiped my forehead with a smirk. No sweat at all, for real.
Thanks to my mana control skill, there was virtually no wasted mana expenditure, so it didn't even feel that strenuous. Not for nothing was it an S-rank skill.
'Plus, my total mana pool's grown quite a bit.'
I'd felt something off ever since using Leap Strike last time. My overall mana capacity had increased dramatically from the start. Probably from constantly using skills ranked higher than my initial personal grade.
"Tch, monster."
Not satisfied with my answer, Jae-wook grumbled and turned away.
"Still, looks like our team's got some luck today. We can squeeze in some real combat practice."
Surprised by his words, the team members scrambled up to the ridge crest.
A vast hilly expanse stretched endlessly. Scattered crudely built settlements dotted the landscape.
'Goblins?'
Goblins had insane breeding rates—even just two survivors could balloon into thousands in no time.
"Whoa~ Never seen a goblin village that big before. Right?"
"Huh? Yeah."
I've seen ones several times bigger, asshole.
Back in the day, my guild had raided a dungeon where a goblin king was the boss monster. Hordes swarming on the king's orders—we fought non-stop for three days and nights. I was so exhausted I was dozing off mid-swing against the ones that ambushed us at midnight. After that, goblins made my skin crawl.
'But seeing 'em after so long... kinda nostalgic.'
Lowest rank: F-rank. Fine when there were one or two, but once ten or more gathered, their effective rank skyrocketed exponentially.
"We'll target that village at the far end, do a light hunt, then head back. Don't overdo it—pair up in twos to watch each other's backs. As long as you don't let three or more surround you, it won't be too tough."
"Yes, sir!"
His words made the other team members' eyes gleam with anticipation. Everyone here had taken down at least one goblin before, but having a C-rank veteran tank lead the process? Plenty to get excited about.
"And who knows? Might even score some mana stones."
"Hahaha."
Getting mana stones from F-rank monsters was damn near impossible. That's why they were all laughing.
"Anyone here got a skill to lure goblins?"
"Me!"
"Me too!"
Two people shot their hands up at his question.
"Hmm, good. You two alternate luring them in. Everyone else waits and takes them out in order. Got it?"
"Yep!"
Goblins, infamous for poor eyesight, usually lived in underground burrows but sometimes built small villages like this. That made luring and picking them off one or two at a time pretty straightforward.
Following Park Chan-gyu cautiously down, we hid in the dense underbrush and waited our turns.
"Here I go!"
A guy burst out with a spirited shout, darting toward the goblin village with surprisingly nimble moves.
Moments later.
"Incoming!"
Three goblins charged after the returning guy, screeching wildly.
"Kieeeek!"
"Kiik!"
"Kikik!"
No idea how he did it, but all three had half-crazed eyes, barreling toward us like maniacs.
"Team 1, ready!"
"Yes!"
At Park Chan-gyu's call, the two guys from Team 1 stepped forward. A burly man gripping a short sword and small round shield for easy swings, and a lean one drawing daggers in both hands—they assumed different stances, prepping for battle.
"Good luck!"
The lure guy brushed past them, shouting as he passed.
"Kieeeek!"
The three goblins hot on his heels lunged straight at the pair.
"Where you think you're going!"
"You little goblin shit!"
The two charged confidently at the goblins. Everyone—fighters and watchers alike—cracked light smiles. No one here would struggle against plain goblins.
But then.
"Urk!"
"Gah! What the—?!"
The two guys collided with the goblins and were flung in opposite directions. As everyone stared in shock.
'Not normal goblins?'
I eyed the limbs of the goblin baring its teeth after knocking them away. Dark red blotches mottling its arms and legs.
'Mutants!'
These weren't ordinary goblins.
"Fall back!"
With a thunderous roar, Park Chan-gyu surged forward in an instant, planting his foot hard and blocking the path to the fallen team members.
"Everyone, battle ready! Stay sharp!"
"..."
The team snapped to at his shout, hurriedly drawing weapons and encircling the goblins.
'Something's off.'
The three goblins scanned their surroundings slowly, eyes fixed on us. Park Chan-gyu remembered he'd left his weapon behind and let out a quiet sigh.
Even mutants, with this many people surrounding and attacking, they couldn't win. Their base rank was too low.
The problem was.
'The ones in that village over there.'
As he pondered the distant goblin settlement.
One goblin leaped backward.
'Dammit!'
Obviously calling for the horde behind it.
As Park Chan-gyu realized his mistake and grimaced.
Two figures shot out from the side, cutting off the fleeing goblin.
'Those guys?'
It was the two I'd been watching—the ones who'd first clocked the goblins as abnormal.
I sidled up to Jae-wook and whispered.
'When I signal, bolt straight that way.'
'Huh? Got it.'
No clue what was up, but Jae-wook nodded anyway. One of the three goblins—the one that hadn't joined the fight and hung back—was inching away rearward.
"Now!"
"Urp!"
At my signal, Jae-wook charged its escape route, barely cutting it off.
"Now what? Min-ho?"
"What do you mean? Block it from escaping."
"Hup. Gotcha!"
Jae-wook sucked in a deep breath, clashed his fists together, and advanced on the goblin.
I approached him, patted his shoulder lightly, and said,
"Just harass it for now. Don't push."
"Yeah, no worries."
With a gentle smile, he sealed off the goblin's front.
That instant, the goblin whipped its eyes side to side and leaped.
'I see you, punk!'
I blew past Jae-wook, hurling myself rightward.
"Where you going!"
"Kyaek!"
The goblin, twisting to flee the opposite way, screeched and swung its hand axe.
Clang!
I whipped out the dagger at my waist, deflecting the axe, then slammed my elbow into its exposed armpit.
"Kyaek!"
The goblin shrieked in agony and staggered back. I closed in fast, thrusting my dagger.
'Powerful Strike!'
Squelch.
In that split second, it raised both arms to block—the dagger sank deep into its forearm.
"Tch!"
Aimed for the throat, but missed. Its movements weren't like any regular goblin I knew.
'First time seeing a goblin mutant?'
At least in my knowledge, goblins never mutated. Back when an A-rank ogre mutated into an S-rank twin-head—I was there, lost half the team, and barely retreated in humiliation.
Monsters changing without reason. We called it mutation.
'At least one rank up minimum.'
Mutants effectively ranked higher. So an F-rank goblin mutant was at least D-rank.
But a D-rank goblin mutant blocking my Powerful Strike that easily? The skill boosted damage by 30%—no way a same-rank mutant shrugged it off like that.
'What if they're not just mutants?'
As if to prove it, the blood from its arm stopped flowing, the wound knitting visibly. Healing that fast, right before my eyes. Totally unnatural.
"Argh!"
As I pinned down my goblin and sorted my thoughts, a scream erupted from the other side.
'What?'
One goblin tied up with Park Chan-gyu, unable to budge. Another eyeing me warily.
The issue: While one team member blocking the last goblin took a heavy hit, it'd broken through and bolted.
"Blocked it!"
If it got away, the horde from the village would swarm. Had to stop that.
'Damn.'