Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 5
>Chapter Title: Overpowering the Goblins
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>“......! Damn it, these mercenaries never listen!”
Charlie’s face turned pale.
They were already short-handed, yet this guy was charging in alone! If he got himself killed first, it’d be a disaster.
He hadn’t even drawn his sword. He looked like he was marching to his death.
Kik? Kick!
The monsters seemed amused by Do-hyun’s reckless charge, snickering as they swung their clubs.
One of their clubs was already swinging right up close.
In moments, that massive bludgeon would smash Do-hyun’s head and spray blood everywhere.
“This is bad...!”
Charlie hurriedly moved to chase after him.
“......?”
Then he saw it.
Swoosh- whoosh!
Kirik?
Do-hyun’s movement halted for a split second mid-stride.
Just like that, the club miraculously grazed right in front of his face. It had been a razor-thin margin—just 1cm off and his skull would’ve been crushed.
Swinging something naturally throws off your balance.
And exposes an opening you can’t avoid.
Crack! Stab!
Do-hyun kicked out, sending the staggering goblin tumbling off-balance.
He grabbed its neck and snapped it, then stabbed the neck of the goblin right beside it. In an instant, two were down.
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
He’d struck vital spots, triggering critical judgments that doubled the damage.
It helped that they were tutorial mobs with pathetic health pools.
Kirik? Kiririk!!
The tables turned in a flash.
The predators, who’d been toying with their prey, panicked as they suddenly became the hunted. The archers scrambled into position.
But they had only one shield left to protect them.
Whoosh-.
Do-hyun dodged the club swinging in from the side—a simple backstep for a supposed ambush—then drove his knee up into it.
Crack- thud.
A precise disarm technique, slapping the weapon from its grasp at the perfect timing.
Weapon Drop.
It was one of the moves that had struck terror into those who’d dueled the Kaiser back in Demlock.
He’d tried it on a whim, wondering if the similar system would allow it. Luckily, it worked.
[Using skill ‘Heavy Strike.’]
He followed up by slamming his foot into its torso with the skill.
‘One-shot with Heavy Strike, huh.’
As expected of a skill—even without a critical on a clean hit, it was an instant kill.
Kikik....
Kirik.....
Now only two archers remained.
Without their guards, they were nothing to fear. Before they could even draw their bows, Do-hyun’s sword cleaved them in half.
Do-hyun, having ended the fight in seconds, casually flicked the blood from his blade.
He’d worried his body might be stiff since it’d been so long since he last played, but fortunately, it moved exactly as he envisioned.
‘......Actually, it feels even lighter than before.’
Unlike VR where sensations were dulled, the five senses here were vividly real.
It felt smoother than ever.
As Do-hyun savored this pleasant discovery,
“My god....”
Charlie approached slowly, still dazed from watching.
He alternated between staring incredulously at the fallen goblins and Do-hyun, then let out a gasp of admiration.
“I can’t believe it.... Taking down five monsters all by yourself.”
A message popped up alongside his words.
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’ is amazed by your exceptional skill, beyond what he expected.]
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]
‘Favorability?’
It was a system from Demlock too.
NPCs varied, but raising favorability could yield rewards, so plenty of players grinded it.
That is, until they learned the rewards were basically a lottery.
Either way, it was a familiar system—nothing surprising.
Still.
‘Is the threshold for increases pretty generous here?’
Favorability shooting up after just one hunt was odd.
Back in Demlock, it was notoriously tough to raise.
But that was it—no big mystery.
‘NPCs have different standards and difficulties.’
In that sense, Charlie’s combat-focused criteria suited Do-hyun perfectly.
He might not be great with words, but fighting? That he could do.
Was it thanks to the favorability boost?
“I’ve never seen swordsmanship or combat like that. Which mercenary band are you from? Are they all like you there?”
“......”
“No.... That can’t be. You must just be exceptional. Incredible for someone so young.”
Unlike before, when he’d only said what the story required, now he was chatty.
Do-hyun didn’t even respond, yet Charlie kept muttering to himself until the distant monster cries snapped him back. He turned.
“Let’s get going for now.”
“Yes.”
* * *
Slash-! Stab!
After that, Do-hyun went through several more fights.
Each one ended swiftly.
Monsters appeared, Do-hyun charged ahead to handle them, and Charlie trailed behind, joining late and gasping in awe. Rinse and repeat.
“Amazing, such skill! You’re even faster than before!”
Charlie always had a comment.
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]
And like clockwork, favorability rose right after.
Stab! Crack-!
“That neck-snapping handiwork—it amazes me every time! How is it so fluid, like flowing water!”
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]
Slash-.
“This.... It’s like you were born to wield a sword.”
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]
At first it was just admiration, but now he wasn’t even thinking of fighting—just praising nonstop.
Every line was pure gold, like he was pondering deeply while watching.
‘......Is this guy a reaction bot?’
He’d heard Charlie was supposed to be stoic and strict....
And that wasn’t even the end of it.
The real reaction bot lines started firing off when the goblin packs nearly doubled in size.
Kirik, kick!
Kiririk-!
Nearly ten of them.
Their numbers made their weapons varied too.
Unlike the usual clubs and bows, this group had spears, clubs, bows, daggers, and more.
“This is.... I’ll join in this time! Even you can’t handle this many!”
Even spectator Charlie felt this was too much and declared he’d fight.
‘Wait, isn’t joining in the obvious thing to do?’
Do-hyun had never told him not to fight, yet somehow he’d taken the lead.
It was weird, but it didn’t change anything.
Clang!
“Wait, you?”
Tutorial trash mobs died to a critical or two anyway.
Five or ten—it was all the same.
Do-hyun plunged in without hesitation, startling even the ever-amazed Charlie, who hastily drew his weapon and followed.
But rescuing Do-hyun, already deep in their midst, looked tough.
Kirik! Kiririk!
Whoosh! Thunk!
“This is bad....!”
While Charlie deflected an archer’s arrow, the goblins swarmed to surround Do-hyun.
The first to charge was a dagger-wielder. Packed so tight, spears and arrows were risky for them too.
Short-range daggers were ideal.
And that was exactly why Do-hyun had pushed in deep.
Thud, kirik?
As it swung its dagger, Do-hyun’s arm blocked its wrist. Then, like a snake, it coiled in close.
Crack! Gack!
Thud.
Do-hyun snapped its elbow, sending the dagger clattering uselessly.
He snatched it mid-fall and stabbed the goblin’s throat.
[Critical Hit!]
Kiryuk!! Keeeak!
In the blink of an eye, its comrade died pathetically. The goblin beside it flipped out and swung its club.
Do-hyun, crouched low, had its jaw in his sights. He palm-struck upward, and with a gruesome crack, its head snapped skyward.
He yanked the dagger from its neck and stabbed again, dropping it limply.
It met the same end as its buddy.
Kyak! Gack!
Two down in seconds—the rest pulled back, shocked, keeping their distance.
Instinct told them a one-on-one was dangerous. But Do-hyun had anticipated this; his movements showed no hesitation.
Swoosh- stab! Crack!
[Critical Hit!]
He hurled the dagger into a retreating goblin’s eye, then grabbed a club and bashed another.
Just like that, they lost another comrade absurdly.
The archers, finally creating distance, frantically drew their bows—but Do-hyun’s movements were too elusive.
Ki...... kirik......?
Whenever they aimed, he’d impossibly slip behind a comrade.
They fired a few shots out of spite anyway, predictably hitting only their allies’ backs.
“My god....”
Charlie watched, his gaze shifting from admiration to outright shock.
Casually disarming, then wielding the enemy’s weapon like it was his own to hunt them down.
Even mastering one weapon took a lifetime—how could he handle so many so well?
Charlie had seen plenty of battles, but nothing like this.
And not just that.
He seized advantageous positions and situations without a hitch.
Fluid as water, as if it were inevitable, claiming superiority and steering the fight to easy victory.
No top-tier mercenary, let alone knight, moved with such artistry.
Yet this unknown mercenary displayed such valor and might?
He defied common sense, forging his own path.
People would later call such figures this.
‘A hero....’
Maybe Charlie was witnessing the start of a hero’s saga—the kind from legends he’d idolized as a boy....
Ki...... kiaak!
A goblin’s shrill scream pierced the air.
One glared at Do-hyun like he was a demon and bolted in panic.
Charlie snapped to, drawing his sword.
‘I’ll handle this one.’
He’d been mesmerized by the overwhelming display, but he was a commander too.
One goblin was child’s play.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance.
Swoosh- thunk!
Gack!
Do-hyun’s leisurely arrow pierced its head clean through.
He loosed another into the fallen body.
Only then did he lower his weapon, confirming the kill.
‘Always finish clean.’
Demlock had countless bosses.
Despite its luck-based trash reputation, the difficulty was brutal, with patterns galore.
Some were trouble even after death.
Parasitic types that jumped hosts, final-attack spammers, or outright revivers.
Maybe because it was his first game, but after enduring that hell a few times, confirming kills became habit.
A mere goblin probably couldn’t do that....
‘Still feels off otherwise.’
This was about peace of mind.
As he scanned for incoming monsters,
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
‘Hm?’
Do-hyun turned at the sound of applause.
There was Charlie—sword discarded, clapping enthusiastically.
“......?”
Do-hyun stared, as if to say, What are you doing?
Charlie didn’t stop.
If anything, he doubled down.
“I apologize.”
“?”
Charlie suddenly looked genuinely sorry.
Do-hyun tilted his head, confused, but Charlie’s eyes hardened with resolve. In the most solemn tone, voice thick with emotion, he declared,
“Saying you were born to wield a sword insulted you. You’re the incarnation of battle! A hero born for war!”
“......”
“It’s an honor to fight alongside a hero like you!”
Charlie placed a hand on Do-hyun’s shoulder, conveying his sincerity.
Do-hyun’s lips twitched a few times before he closed them.
He had plenty to say, but the words wouldn’t come.
‘An NPC skipping his duties to clap....’
Was this the god-tier NPC realism of Galos?
Unthinkable in Demlock, but he decided good was good.
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’ feels profound awe at your overwhelming combat.]
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has greatly increased.]
[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has reached maximum.]
[He now trusts you completely. Even if you commit evil deeds, he’ll believe you if you claim it’s a frame-up.]
[Acquired title ‘Max Favorability from the Start?’]
Favorability skyrocketed to max, complete with a reward.
Do-hyun checked the title.