Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 033
Chapter Title: The White Shadow's Wetland (1)
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C-Rank Dungeon, the White Shadow's Wetland.
At its core, it's a forest, but swamps dot the landscape here and there, and there's a massive river running through the central area. If I had to compare it to somewhere on Earth, it'd feel like the Amazon.
A perpetual fog blankets the entire map, making for a terrain with oppressively high humidity. The main monsters that show up are lizardmen.
"This place is tricky to clear without a mage."
Sin Ju-yeon, who was leading the way while brushing aside vines with her spear, spoke up softly.
"You didn't mention that when we were prepping."
"No need to burden you with the risk factors. It's tricky, but not impossible."
"Why a mage, specifically?"
"The fog makes visibility tough. And this fog acts like a debuff—prolonged exposure gradually drains your stamina. Strength and agility take a hit too."
"...Isn't that hiding a bit too much info?"
Sure, Sin Ju-yeon had been a huge help during the prep phase, but it was suspicious that she'd left out the most crucial details. Especially since she'd marked this place as tough based on my official specs.
"Association guidelines. Nothing I could do."
"Association guidelines?"
"There's a mentoring manual. It tells you which raid info to share and which to hold back."
"So some stuff stays hidden all the way through?"
"Exactly. Clearing a dungeon isn't just theory, of course, but there's a difference between cramming an answer sheet for a test and actually studying for it, right?"
Fair enough. Sin Ju-yeon wouldn't deliberately screw me over.
We weren't close or old enough friends for that kind of grudge to build up, and she wouldn't have volunteered as my mentor in the first place if she felt that way.
"The reason I didn't talk you out of this is because I trust your detection skills."
"How so?"
"You don't just spot monster weaknesses—you pick up terrain info too. Normally, mages would whip up fire or wind to clear the fog before pushing forward, but you don't need to do that, do you? We'll just have to eat the debuff."
Mentoring isn't for just anyone. Skill and experience matter, but you need a sharp mind at the foundation.
'I figured the frontline dealer would charge ahead first... but she's ice-cold calculating.'
Sin Ju-yeon took point for about ten minutes, scouting the path, then halted near a massive swamp.
Unlike the entrance, the fog here was thick enough to blur surrounding objects. The air carried a mix of earthy smells, fishy water stench, and plant scents that made my nose tingle faintly.
"From here on, you're on your own. I'll only jump in for fights with three or more lizardmen. Otherwise, try handling things without my advice."
"...This feels brutal."
"I'm going easy because it's C-Rank. Anywhere else, I'd just stand back with my mouth shut from the entrance or turn it into total small talk."
I'd assumed this newbie training session would be some perfunctory formality, but the difficulty was higher than expected.
Partly because I'd picked C-Rank, sure, but I suspected it'd be similar even for D- or E-Rank.
'Clearing the dungeon isn't the goal.'
At first, I thought having a mentor meant adaptation training or motivation boosting. Turns out, it was more like 'go ahead, fuck up once' and tossing me into the wild for a survival test.
If you can't hack this, quit being a hunter—that's the message. No wonder they say one in five returns their license after solo practice.
Maybe I should've played it safe with an E-Rank milk run. But I reframed my thinking.
'...That means eight out of ten pass, right?'
Put simply, it's like a job interview with a 1:1.25 competition ratio. No point worrying about failing—you should be pissed if you don't make it.
"Alright."
I cracked my knuckles, then activated Scan right away. For a weapon, I pulled out the spear shaft without the blade.
'Gotta stick with the spear for now. Haven't copied Sin Ju-yeon's status window yet.'
The fog hampered visibility, so Scan didn't reveal much. The upside: as long as I could make out a rough silhouette, the info came through.
'The swamp's smaller than I thought. Go around it like this... that side's blocked by trees and vines.'
The swamp ahead was roughly one-and-a-half basketball courts in size. The left looked impassable, so I headed right—then sensed movement behind a huge tree.
"Tssseeeet—"
What do you even call that? It wasn't quite a snake's hiss—too much metallic rasp mixed in. The alien sound, one I'd never heard before, sent a slight chill down my spine.
'Lizardman.'
A little under two meters tall, covered head to toe in glistening scales. Like a long-legged lizard walking upright.
It held a short sword and small shield. Blade about 60 centimeters, shield a bit shorter in width.
"Think you can handle one?"
She'd said she'd stay put, but this being the first monster, Sin Ju-yeon spoke up.
"I'll give it a shot."
"Don't push too hard. I can jump in midway, no complaints."
I could sense her watching my mood, wary of offending me.
And for good reason. A C-Rank monster meant combined Strength-Agility over 200 by stat conversion. She'd pegged my stats at low D-Rank, with Intelligence making up 40% of it.
'How high are that thing's stats?'
Scan showed Strength 80, Agility 110. Intelligence a measly 25.
Plenty winnable. With item buffs, my full setup was Strength 86, Agility 130—a slight edge. And I hadn't even allocated my unspent stat points.
Whish—
The lizardman closed the gap in a flash and thrust its sword. I parried with the spear shaft and dove right inside its guard.
Thanks to sparring with Im Yu-ha, this move was second nature now. The lizardman's attack wasn't even as sharp as hers.
Crack!
"Krrk?!"
My elbow smashed true into its solar plexus. From there, I spun half a turn, gripped the shaft two-handed, and—
Thwack!
"Kieek!"
Nice feel. Jaw's shattered clean.
I delivered the finisher to the staggering lizardman. Pulled the spearhead from my inventory and rammed it full force into its exposed throat.
"Kissssh..."
It deflated with a hiss and crumpled. Scan confirmed HP at zero.
"...Easier than I thought?"
Was it? Just luck? Nah, its movements were clear, attacks not that threatening.
I muttered blankly, and Sin Ju-yeon seemed to share the sentiment. Her mouth slightly agape, she just blinked at me.
"...Lee Seong-han."
"Yeah?"
"What the hell did you do after your last dungeon run? You the same guy?"
"Just some training...?"
"You think 'some training' suddenly changes your movement like that? A guy who's never swung a weapon in his life pulling this off in just over three weeks?"
Surprisingly, it checks out. Getting beat to near-death daily in kill-or-be-killed scenarios made it happen.
"Details later. Keep moving?"
"Uh? Oh."
Realizing she'd gotten worked up, Sin Ju-yeon flushed faintly. Being a martial artist herself probably amplified the shock.
The pattern repeated after that.
Scan to find the path, encounter lizardmen, fight. Surprisingly manageable up to two.
-In 2-on-1 or worse, controlling positioning over distance is key.
Im Yu-ha could pop up at my side or back in an instant solo, exploiting gaps relentlessly. She drilled perspective shifts endlessly.
-Moving a honed body comes down to your brain. Never stop thinking. Even against dozens of foes, your body—Seong-han-ssi—is one target. Attacks are finite.
No matter how coordinated, enemies vary in power and speed. Exploit the differences to break their combo.
-Use the terrain. Blind spots aren't just for defense. Full of openings? Hide them.
Pretend to flee, whip around for a strike on the front-runner, back against a big tree or swamp on purpose. Beat them to the punch, disrupt their rhythm.
"Hah, hah..."
The payoff: without Sin Ju-yeon's help, I barely took down three lizardmen.
My lungs burned, but recalling Im Yu-ha's torment made it bearable.
"Whew, exhausting."
I leaned against a tree, forcing a scan of the surroundings. Wanted to collapse, but checking for presences came first.
"You okay?"
Sin Ju-yeon's voice from above mixed worry and fluster as she hopped down from the tree. No way she'd predicted me soloing three.
"Feels like death."
"I'll stand watch. Rest up."
"Can't yet, ugh."
I looted the sprawled lizardmen corpses, grabbed tails, and dragged them off. Blood scent could draw more—quick cleanup essential.
Tossed the bodies into the swamp, buried the bloodstains with dirt, then finally sat my ass down.
'What a mess.'
The coat Yu-ra noona bought me was half-rag now. No tears, thankfully, but caked in mud and blood everywhere.
Pulled a big water jug from inventory and rinsed the coat roughly. Felt Sin Ju-yeon's gaze fixed on me.
"What?"
"Where'd you learn that?"
"Clothes stinking of blood? Walking bait."
"True, but..."
I hadn't expected Im Yu-ha's theory lessons to pay off like this.
She'd glared fiercer than in spars, hammering 'memorize' until I crammed like hell.
Hell, she even made me take pop quizzes—first since high school. Counting wrongs to extend next day's conditioning nearly had me cursing inwardly.
"Want some?"
"What'd I do to earn it?"
"Hiding your presence and watching isn't easy. Wet your throat at least."
"Still..."
"Feels bad drinking alone."
I offered the prepped drink slyly. She uncapped it reluctantly. Same as Party Practice.
"You had this last time too? Same stuff?"
"Yeah. Taste the same?"
"...Refreshing, yeah."
No surprise after hours without a sip.
Sin Ju-yeon had stayed perched to not interfere, but watching must've tensed her up. Ready to dive in at any danger sign.
Offering the drink was partly courtesy, but the real goal was elsewhere.
[Sin Ju-yeon has been marked.]
'This.'