Chapter 9
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: First Tournament (2)
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The 'tournament' had officially begun.
Camera shutters clicked in unison as cheers engulfed the stadium.
Spectators from all over the world filled the stands to capacity.
"C-Team, equipment check. Five signal flares."
"All clear."
"Mana dagger."
"All clear."
"Identification device."
"All clear."
"Good to go."
Low-rank hunters scurried about, inspecting the cadets' gear.
"C-Team will enter third, after A-Team and B-Team. Once you're inside the dungeon, you can't come back out unless you forfeit. If you're going to quit, now's the time. Raise your hands."
"…."
No one raised a hand.
"Alright. You can follow the standard raid teams, form your own groups, or go solo—whatever works. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!!"
"Yes, sir!!"
As A-Team's turn to enter approached, a familiar face caught my eye.
Lee Jung-tae was waiting amid the group.
Lee Jung-tae... the 18-year-old Lee Jung-tae.
His hands were wrapped in bandages.
Seeing his youthful face brought back memories of his death in Siberia.
A chill crept around my neck.
If my memories were right, Lee Jung-tae wouldn't place well in this tournament.
The written exam had probably held him back.
A-Team entered the dungeon one by one amid the crowd's roaring cheers.
"B-Team, enter!!!"
Once A-Team was in, B-Team began filing inside.
A murmur rippled through the area as B-Team entered.
All eyes were fixed on one girl.
"That's her? The youngest daughter of the Hong Family."
"Whoa... she's insanely pretty."
Hong Ga-yeon of B-Team.
Her strides were proud and confident.
Black bobbed hair.
A cold demeanor.
A slim, sleek red sword at her waist.
She was undeniably one of the top contenders for the win.
Ha Dong-hwan approached while we waited to deploy.
He handed out consent forms.
I pulled out a pen and slowly read through mine.
'The school bears no responsibility for any incidents inside the dungeon...'
What a shameless disclaimer.
No helping it.
I checked 'I agree' and signed.
"C-Team, attention."
"Attention!!"
Ha Dong-hwan, acting as safety officer, gathered C-Team.
The cadets, donning combat gear for the first time since orientation, looked a bit awkward.
Ha Dong-hwan scanned C-Team and smiled warmly.
"Nervous?"
"No, sir!!"
"No, sir!!"
Ha Dong-hwan lit a cigarette.
Thick smoke billowed up.
"...That consent form says no liability, but don't worry too much. Safety team's on standby for emergencies. That said, going combat-ineffective or forfeiting midway means expulsion. Clear?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
Ha Dong-hwan glanced at the timer.
Our entry time was closing in.
"Anyway, do your best."
He stubbed out his cigarette and headed to the safety station.
Whispers grew louder among the cadets.
Only five minutes until launch.
-3 minutes to launch.
Three minutes.
A blue portal shimmered into view before us.
Cold dungeon air wafted through it.
I took a deep breath.
Let's go. I can do this.
-5 seconds to launch.
-5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
-Gate open.
I stepped into the blue portal.
My entire body felt weightless, senses vanishing in an instant, like floating in midair.
Summons are a gamble.
Textbooks classify dungeons into three types.
Cave or ruin layouts.
Dimensional shift types.
Unknown varieties.
That's the textbook definition, but dungeons defy categorization.
Some are vast oceans where you drown immediately upon arrival.
Others drop you into a future Earth's ruined cityscape.
Newly discovered dungeons hold endless unknowns.
Plus, you can't exit midway without meeting special conditions.
Abandoning them invites third and fourth gates, monsters spilling into cities via portals.
That's why humans hold tournaments like this.
To forge stronger human weapons.
Only the mightiest hunters claim glory.
This dungeon, this tournament—it proves strength is everything.
The crowd's cheers faded away.
The portal's end came into view.
Drip.
A water droplet fell on my cheek.
Level 1 Goblin Dungeon, cave type.
I wiped it away with my finger.
Even though I'd been here before, it was still a grotesque, nauseating place.
The stench was enough to wrinkle my nose.
Goblin feces smeared the cave walls.
Discarded goblin corpses had rotted beyond recognition.
I pinched my nostrils shut.
"...Alright, kids. Time to form expedition teams by role."
The glasses-wearing guy spoke up.
Lee Jae-yeol, the de facto leader of C-Team.
In his past life, his command skills earned him a spot as Hunter Army Chief of Staff.
"Tanks up front, spearmen and swordsmen on the flanks, archers in the rear, healers behind the tanks."
Lee Jae-yeol laid out the plan based on his strengths.
"Tanks are too short-staffed. Only two?"
The archers grumbled as they took positions.
Swordsmen cadets shot back.
"We can't tank even if we wanted to. We don't know how... How about reallocating roles?"
"...You serious? So who fronts?"
"What? Don't talk shit."
C-Team snarled at each other, rooted in place despite the match starting.
Team cohesion was nonexistent.
Most cadets facing combat for the first time were tense too.
Flawed teams need wise leaders.
Lee Jae-yeol wedged between the bickering groups.
"Don't worry. We'll go 'one-tank' tactic. We've got Mitsuda, top-tier tank in the school."
One-tank.
One high-defense tank draws all aggro.
The rest unleash raid-level DPS several times over.
It hinges on the tank's skill.
Even as students, these elites knew basic tactics.
No one contested it in their situation.
In his past life, Mitsuda's tanking carried C-Team through safely.
But.
Something went wrong.
"Nah, pass."
Mitsuda said, arms crossed.
All eyes turned to him.
Including mine.
He stared off arrogantly.
Lee Jae-yeol stammered in shock.
"W-Why...? I-I think it's the best play right now..."
"Don't wanna. Why should I listen to you? You class president or something?"
Since my regression,
The future was shifting, bit by bit.
Mitsuda uncrossed his arms, shoved hands in pockets.
And things worsened.
"Plus, I'm going solo."
"What???"
Mitsuda declared he'd split off.
His followers trailed after him.
Ten people peeled away from C-Team at once.
"Wait. Is this really necessary?"
Ah-young stepped forward.
Mitsuda ignored her.
"Tournament's individual scoring, not team. Me leaving breaks no rules... right?"
He was technically correct.
Splitting from C-Team violated nothing.
It was individual evaluation.
Points for how you handle your challenges.
Mitsuda turned and walked away.
"You guys have fun without me~ Not my problem."
"Heh heh heh."
"Glasses. Don't get cocky."
They vanished into the cave.
Silence hung over the remnants.
But it didn't last.
Without safeguards, panic spreads.
"...W-What do we do? No Mitsuda means no one-tank..."
"...We're screwed... Tanks were already thin."
"I-I'm joining another team. Anyone with me?"
One by one, they defected to other teams for scraps.
C-Team shattered in moments.
No one tried to stop them.
Personal choices—no one could block the path.
Lee Jae-yeol clenched his fists, trembling.
"...Jae-yeol. It's okay. Let's stick together."
Yoon Ah-young consoled him.
But Jae-yeol's shoulders slumped.
"...It's over. You should team up with others too..."
"...J-Jae-yeol..."
The remnants comforted the teary-eyed Lee Jae-yeol.
After Mitsuda's crew and others left,
Only eight remained in C-Team.
For average cadets, eight was near impossible to clear.
Assuming they were all average.
Thud, thud.
I heard a sound and looked that way.
"Monsters."
I said quietly.
The cadets followed my gaze.
"Kieeeek!!"
"Kiek! Kiek!"
"Humans! Kill!!!"
Ten goblins ahead.
Armed with crude stone knives and rickety bows.
Trash weapons, but they were warriors.
Monsters with strength to kill us.
"Eek—! Goblins!!!"
"D-Don't push!!"
"Jae-yeol! What now?!"
"...F-First, tanks up front...!"
No tanks left to place.
Just one swordsman, two mages, three archers, two healers.
The front-line goblins charged a cadet.
Overpowered cadets couldn't fight back, just fell.
Screams echoed everywhere.
Disarrayed lines crumble helplessly.
C-Team collapsed disastrously.
"I-I'll handle it!"
Ah-young gripped her staff and dashed forward.
I blocked her with my hand.
She whipped around, startled.
Of course, Yoon Ah-young's magic could wipe ten goblins.
But afterward?
Our sole mage burning all mana would doom the rest.
Shing—!
I drew my sword.
Goblins charged me furiously.
"Die!!!!!"
"K-Kiek!!"
I advanced slowly.
No need for magic against goblins.
Swords are honest.
Swing hard, spend stamina accordingly.
Strike true, hit vitals.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
I cleaved three charging ones in one go.
No big movements needed.
Just their necks.
They clutched throats and dropped.
Cadet Number 2341 Current Kills: 3
"Kiek?!"
Goblins beating cadets turned and rushed me.
"Good."
Next.
Minimize sword motion.
Showy swordplay's just dance—not true technique.
True swordsmanship is quiet and sharp.
Against goblins, crouch low.
Lure them into my range.
Stab! Stab!
Thrust blades into goblin chests, heart-deep.
Once pierced, no extra force—withdraw via wrist flick.
Stab the next heart behind.
My sword danced like a conductor's baton—free, light.
Clumsy goblin swings? I could dodge blindfolded.
Stab! Stab!
No need for limbs.
Only heart, throat, brain.
Slash! Slash!
One swing severed two remaining necks.
Splurt!
Blood fountained from goblin necks, splattering me.
I finished the last one mercilessly.
"...K-Kik!!!! Kiiieee!!"
The final goblin fled without looking back.
"…."
I wiped goblin blood from my forehead with my sleeve.
Goblin corpses littered around me in seconds.
Swish—!
I shook blood from my blade onto the ground.
Twenty years wielding nothing but swords—goblins were child's play.
To match me, bring ten ogres.
Cadet Number 2341 Current Kills: 9
It had been ages since I last killed goblins.
A body familiar yet not.
Twice as strong as my past life.
My physical prowess was palpably enhanced, body light as a feather.
I clenched and unclenched my fist.
Power surged, ready to burst.
Pity the early deserters.
I'll carry this tournament, but they couldn't wait.
I sheathed my sword and turned.
Cadets stared, dumbfounded.
"...What...?"
"I-Incredible..."
"What's his name...? Not from any famous family..."
"Breaking that mana stone... wasn't bluffing..."
They couldn't close their mouths.
They'd seen countless battle vids and seniors' styles.
To them, my combat was beyond novel—miraculous.
"...Tae-hyun... ah..."
Ah-young gazed at me with admiring eyes.
I headed straight to fallen Lee Jae-yeol.
Placed a hand on his shoulder.
He flinched, looking up.
"I've got a plan. Listen up."
(To be continued...)