Troller #002
“Miss Cho-rin, you've arrived. And this is...?”
The man looked at Cho-rin and posed the question. But Gaon knew it was phrased politely enough not to offend. He introduced himself right away.
“I'm Hyeo Ga-on.”
“Ah, I see. I'm Kim Min-jun. We don't have time for explanations—could you help us out?”
“Of course.”
Kim Min-jun beamed at the ready agreement and assigned positions. Since Gaon held a spear, he ended up in the second row, his gaze drifting to the tire lady diagonally ahead.
How did this turn out again?
He had left immediately in his previous life, so he had no memory of this place. He'd have to dig back to the life before that, but there was no way a memory over a hundred years old would still linger in his mind. He wanted to think deeper, but time didn't wait for him.
30……29……28
They say the unknown plays a huge role in people's fear. Just the uncertainty alone makes humans instinctively uneasy.
So all he had to do was resolve that curiosity. If asked how he knew, he could just say it was his Unique Ability.
Gaon called out to Kim Min-jun in a voice that wasn't loud or soft but somehow stuck firmly in the ears.
“Min-jun, I have something to say.”
“Pardon? Something to say?”
Min-jun was struggling to calm everyone down, wondering what this guy wanted now, his expression saying as much as he turned.
Gaon pointed at the monster in front of them—a goblin.
“Those monsters. I think I know what they are.”
“...Is that true?”
“Yes. They're called goblins. They don't seem that strong.”
Min-jun and most of the others looked skeptical at first but gradually relaxed. Even if you had zero interest in subculture, anyone who'd played a fantasy game once knew goblins were total cannon fodder. People nodded as they compared the goblins' appearance to what they remembered from games. Tension eased from everyone's shoulders bit by bit.
20……19……18
“G-goblins? What's that! Huh? Young man, explain more!”
But the tire lady—the only one clueless about games—grew even more anxious, clinging to Gaon alone.
Gaon grimaced at the unpleasant feel of her arm against his and gently pried her off, explaining calmly.
“No time for a long explanation. Simply put, goblins are monsters that live in packs. Individually, they're weak.”
“M-monsters?”
“Yes. Their physical stats are all poor, so as long as we don't let them close the distance, we can take them down without a scratch.”
Of course, this was all theoretical. Fights could flip completely with the slightest variable, so nothing was certain. Plus, no one here had ever killed before. Even if they were monsters, could they really take a life without hesitation? Any pause would spell the end.
Gaon's voice remained steady. His calm tone and the conviction on his face, as if stating plain fact, carried a strange persuasiveness. The mood lightened considerably.
“Ah, haha! What, they're nothing special? Ladies, don't worry—I'll take care of 'em all!”
The anchovy guy raised his knife confidently, shouting with bravado now that he'd shaken off his earlier blunder. No one called him out on it. Morale was up, and everyone regained some composure.
Everyone except one.
“Th-that can't be right! Goblins or whatever—ain't that stuff from kids' games?!”
“It's info from my Unique Ability. Not from a game...”
“Bullshit! Now I see—you're a game addict! WHO even lists it as a disease!”
The tire lady fired back with surprisingly logical retort. It planted seeds of doubt in the others, their faces turning wary.
10……9……8
Kim Min-jun's morale had soared then crashed in an instant. He hurriedly tried to salvage it.
“Everyone, calm down! This isn't the time to fight among ourselves! I don't know if Hyeo Ga-on's right, but their small size is obvious. They're probably weak! We can do this!”
People gradually regained their cool at his words, but the tire lady still fidgeted, gripping her club tightly.
And then, the moment arrived.
3……2……1……0
The numbers floating in the air hit zero, and the dome vanished.
─Kieeeeeek!!
The goblins charged like starving hyenas. The shield-bearing men in the front line mustered their courage to hold. In an instant, the two formations clashed.
Kyaaak! Kaaack!
Despite the overwhelming size difference, the goblins unleashed their ferocity, swinging weapons relentlessly. Even as allies died beside them, the blood-maddened goblins didn't notice.
Eventually, gaps opened in the front line, and goblins slipped through.
That's when it happened.
“N-no, stay back! Stay baaack!!”
The tire lady, who'd been trembling in fear, panicked and swung her club wildly. She had no regard for friend or foe.
Thwack!
The flailing club smashed into the shoulder of a front-line tanker.
“Gaaah!”
The tanker dropped his shield and collapsed. Even from a middle-aged woman, a full-force swing was enough to shatter an adult man's shoulder bone.
The goblins seized the opening.
Keyeeek!
More goblins poured through the broken formation, turning the scene into chaos. Blood sprayed, screams echoed.
The first to react was the longsword woman.
“Kyaaaah─shut uuuup!!”
She broke from the line and vanished into the bushes beyond the vanished dome.
A well-built structure crumbles without one pillar—its sturdiness incomparable to before. How much more so for this ragtag group barely holding together?
Naturally, once the hole appeared, collapse accelerated.
“I-it's not my fault!”
The tire lady followed the longsword woman. Now two holes.
The breakdown snowballed.
“F-fuck! This ain't my fault!!”
The anchovy guy bolted too, and with that, even the shield guys scattered for their lives.
Only then did Gaon realize this matched his previous life's end.
Damn it!
How had he forgotten such a memorable mess? Things were screwed from the start. In a situation begging for unity, they'd scattered like this. No choice—he'd hold alone. At least buy time for the others to escape fully.
Gaon alone could handle ten goblins no problem. He gripped his spear tight and took stance.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, a man and woman were talking.
“Cho-rin! Let's run!”
“W-wait! But Hyeo Ga-on over there...”
“Leave him! Hurry!”
Kim Min-jun ground his teeth, glaring at the path the tire lady had taken.
Damn! Why'd it go like this...
Unlike the panicking others, Min-jun kept a cool head. He understood fleeing from goblin fear, but it was still foolish. Who knew what fiercer, more numerous monsters lurked in these woods?
At least he'd saved this woman. Min-jun's eyes quickly scanned Cho-rin's breasts and hips. Even clubbing everywhere, he'd never seen one like her. He swallowed hard.
“Hurry! We'll get caught!”
Min-jun grabbed Cho-rin's arm. She hesitated, dragged along, lost in thought.
W-what do I do?
She wanted to flee, but couldn't ignore Ga-on facing the goblins alone. His dazed look earlier, and now this—he was clearly lacking somehow. Just a bit off from normal, yet dying for it? Too pitiful.
Cho-rin bit her lip, then shook off Min-jun's grip.
“Sorry. I'll go get Hyeo Ga-on!”
“Cho-rin! Wait, you...!”
Ignoring Min-jun's call, Cho-rin ran straight to Ga-on.
By now, the goblins were nearly upon them. Ga-on, still holding his stance and staring ahead, suddenly sensed movement behind.
He turned to see Yi Cho-rin approaching in her skirt and heels, awkward steps and all. She grabbed his arm and pulled back.
“Run!”
“It's fine. I can handle them alone─”
“Run, I said! Alone is too much!”
Ga-on faltered mid-thrust at her touch. In that stunned moment, Cho-rin yanked him into the woods.
The game of hide-and-seek with the goblins had begun.