Chapter 19: Mock Dungeon (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: Mock Dungeon (3)
The dungeon we were transported to was a corridor that split left and right, walled off on all sides.
It was, by all accounts, a typical maze-type dungeon.
As I’d mentioned before, the “Mock Dungeon Strategy Practice” was not simply a class for clearing dungeons, despite its name.
I didn’t know the layout of this dungeon, but it was highly likely that another team had been placed somewhere on the opposite side.
Four dungeons in total, with two teams spawned in each.
We were bound to run into them as we progressed.
“…What was that just now?”
Even after entering the dungeon, Yoon Sang-hyeok was still mulling over the instructor’s words, a puzzled look on his face.
“He’s telling us to fight, right?”
I turned my gaze toward Sion.
“He wants us to fight Kang A-rin and Yohan’s team and win?”
Sion had placed a hand on the ground, her eyes closed as she sat still.
I stood beside her, waiting quietly for her to finish.
“…No way. We have Hae-in, so…”
Just as Yoon Sang-hyeok started to mutter, Kim Dae-hyun put a finger to his lips.
“Shh.”
His muttering was cut short.
Just then, Sion slowly opened her eyes and rose from the ground.
Brushing the dirt from her palms, she looked at me.
I asked her, “How is it? Can you Arrange?”
She shook her head in response to my question.
“No, just a general direction. There’s something installed that’s interfering with my senses.”
Arrange is an archer’s skill that senses a dungeon’s structure to determine the optimal route.
Typically, once the layout of a maze-type dungeon is identified through Arrange, clearing it is simple.
However, the technique requires an advanced level of mana control, making it nearly impossible for students.
I had hoped for an easy run, but Gaon was, as expected, thorough. They seemed to have blocked it completely.
“Let’s go.”
We started walking in the direction Sion pointed.
I paused for a moment and looked back at Yoon Sang-hyeok.
“Sang-hyeok, can you handle the Guard Position?”
The Guard is a position that protects the ranged dealers and supporters in the center of the team. It requires the versatility to block enemy attacks from reaching key assets while also being able to switch to offense depending on the situation.
“Me?”
Yoon Sang-hyeok pointed to himself as he asked.
It was a reasonable question. Since I was the vanguard, it would seem more logical for Kim Dae-hyun, the one with the shield, to take the guard role protecting Sion in the center.
But that logic only applied to fighting monsters.
Most monsters have low intelligence. With the exception of higher-level ones, they rarely target the ranged dealers or supporters in the center of a formation directly.
Therefore, Kim Dae-hyun was suitable for blocking stray attacks with his shield.
Person-to-person combat, however, is different.
Humans always aim for the center of the formation, for the key assets.
In those situations, simply blocking with a shield isn’t enough.
Of course, I had no intention of letting an enemy reach our center in the first place, but it was a matter of efficiency.
“Ah, because it’s person-to-person combat.”
Kim Dae-hyun nodded, having understood.
Nice.
Kim Dae-hyun not only had the basic knowledge but also the ability to quickly grasp the situation.
Even Sion looked slightly surprised.
It seemed my judgment hadn't been wrong.
I briefly explained the role and necessity of the Guard Position to Yoon Sang-hyeok. He had the fundamentals down, so he quickly agreed.
I was the vanguard, Yoon Sang-hyeok and Sion were in the center, and Kim Dae-hyun was in the rear.
With our formation set, we began to move again.
*
Yoon Sang-hyeok walked according to Jung Hae-in’s directions.
He didn’t fully understand Hae-in’s theories, but he had felt something for a while now.
All I have to do is listen to him.
The guy was never wrong. Following his lead was like stumbling into good fortune.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. It was his first time as a guard.
Besides, the more he thought about the instructor’s words from earlier, the more unsettling they became.
‘If you meet the enemy, fight and win’?
He hadn’t said it outright, but it was as good as saying we would definitely run into them.
He was fine against monsters, but he doubted he could do well against exceptional students like Kang A-rin or Yohan.
Just then, Ha Sion, who was walking beside him, spoke up.
“You don’t have to worry too much.”
Her gaze had been fixed on Jung Hae-in’s back since a while ago.
“Hae-in will take care of most of it anyway.”
Yoon Sang-hyeok could only nod at her explanation. Anyone who had been on a team with him would find it hard to disagree.
But then, Jung Hae-in suddenly stopped.
“Hold on.”
He raised a hand, halting us.
In that instant, his gaze locked sharply onto a crack in one of the walls.
Then he shouted.
“Dae-hyun!”
Kim Dae-hyun quickly moved to the center and raised his shield high.
Shwiiiing!
Light spread from his shield, forming a barrier. Crossbows began to fire, and sharp metal fragments slammed into the barrier with a deafening roar.
Th-th-th-th-thunk!
“Grrrgh…”
Kim Dae-hyun groaned.
Through the barrier, he could see Jung Hae-in.
Trolls charged at Hae-in, swinging massive axes, but he was astonishingly calm.
As a troll’s axe came crashing down from the front, Hae-in ducked low to evade, slipping into its flank.
Swish!
His spear slashed diagonally, and a red line appeared on the first troll’s neck as blood gushed out.
But before that troll had even fallen, Hae-in was already moving toward his next target.
Wow…
The transition was so smooth he could only stare, dumbfounded.
Evasion and attack were not separate actions but a single, continuous flow, and the tip of his spear aimed only for fatal points.
Just then, another troll suddenly appeared from the rear and counterattacked, aiming for Hae-in’s blind spot.
Hae-in twisted his body to dodge, but with attacks coming from both sides, the tip of a club grazed his side.
But it was at that very moment.
Creeeak—
“That fucking bastard…”
Beside him, he heard a curse, followed by the sound of a bowstring being drawn taut.
“Wh-what?”
Yoon Sang-hyeok jumped in surprise and turned to look at Ha Sion.
The bow in Ha Sion’s hands was already fully drawn, her eyes still fixed on Jung Hae-in.
“Hey, wait—!”
Before Yoon Sang-hyeok could finish his sentence—
Fwip!
The arrow flew like a bolt of lightning.
It shot in a straight line directly toward Jung Hae-in’s back. For a moment, a breathtaking tension seized Yoon Sang-hyeok’s heart.
But Jung Hae-in’s reaction was swift.
Without even looking back, as if he knew by instinct, he tilted his head slightly to the side.
Thud!
The arrow grazed past Jung Hae-in’s ear and, at the end of its trajectory, pierced the troll precisely between the eyes.
Jung Hae-in glanced back and gave a small thumbs-up.
A smile bloomed on Ha Sion’s face when she saw it.
Yoon Sang-hyeok took a deep breath, replaying the last few moments in his mind.
Trolls were incomparably stronger than goblins. Each one possessed a massive frame and overwhelming physical strength.
Was there any other student who could take on multiple trolls like that single-handedly?
He ran through the names that came to mind, then shook his head.
Besides, that insane shot and the even more insane dodge were enough to make him stop thinking altogether.
“Is this even possible…?” he muttered quietly.
*
That crazy bastard of an instructor.
Traps were the heart and soul of a dungeon, but I never imagined he would place them so aggressively.
On top of that, the slick liquid on the crossbow arrowheads was definitely paralysis poison.
Is he out of his mind?
I closed the distance between myself and the main force a little.
The dungeon seemed more difficult than I’d expected, and I needed to be able to control any unexpected situations.
But as if to mock my concerns, we soon arrived at a safe zone.
A few chairs and a simple table were arranged in the small space, and one wall was stocked with simple supplies, including bottled water.
It was more than enough to rest comfortably.
Yoon Sang-hyeok collapsed onto a chair, catching his breath, then asked me, “Hey, Hae-in.”
“Yeah?”
“You and Sion… do you know each other?”
At his words, I glanced over at Sion.
She was sitting in a corner, checking her bowstring. Her head was bowed, her expression as placid as ever.
“Why?”
“It’s just… your teamwork is so good…”
I shook my head slightly and gave a vague answer.
“Well, we’ve known each other for a long time.”
Even so, a strange feeling crossed my mind.
Come to think of it, why wasn’t Sion chosen as a Seed?
Her rank, 19th, was certainly high enough to be selected. And I could say with certainty that Sion’s skills were far beyond that of a 19th-ranker.
I asked Sion, “Sion.”
She looked up, meeting my eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Did something happen during the Unit Activity Class? It’s strange that you’re not a Seed.”
Sion thought over my question for a long moment, then answered with a light smile, as if it were nothing.
“They were just deciding amongst themselves at the front, so I just went along with it… In the end, I finished with a really low rank.”
So that’s what happened.
“You are a bit passive.”
Considering Sion’s personality, that made perfect sense.
Her tendency to avoid conflict with others often became a factor that prevented her skills from being properly evaluated.
“Passive…?”
Yoon Sang-hyeok, who was listening from the side, muttered in disbelief.
“What? Is something wrong?”
Sion smiled gently and asked him in return.
“Uh, no. Nothing.”
She turned her gaze back to me, a light smile on her face.
“Besides, if I were a Seed, I couldn’t have been on the same team as you, right?”
Sion’s smile held a hint of playfulness, yet also a certain tenderness.
“I like this better.”