Raccoon

The goblins, appearing with crude weapons, discovered us and charged forward with shouts.

,Kereureuk-!!!”

,Here they come!”

While Rakar blocked the goblins’ advance, I checked if we could cross the bridge. But with more than half of it collapsed during the crossing, it seemed impossible to turn back.

Behind us was a cliff so deep you couldn’t see the bottom, and in front of us, the goblins were swarming. In a situation that felt like we were forced into a last stand, I threw the torch to the side and hurriedly stepped forward to help Rakar.

While Rakar used his sword and shield to block the goblins’ advance, I stabbed and killed the goblins who ignored Rakar and charged at the rear with my spear.

,Magic ready!”

At Aria’s shout, Rakar and I retreated simultaneously. As if waiting for it, flames like a flamethrower erupted from the end of Aria’s staff.

,Kyareureuk-!”

,Kyareuk-!”

The goblins, burning and dying, screamed in agony. Yet, the goblins didn’t stop and continued to charge madly, as if trying to push us off the cliff.

As Rakar and I blocked the goblins in front again, an arrow flew through the air from somewhere.

I couldn’t react to the sudden surprise attack, but Luna quickly created wind with magic to block the incoming arrow.

With the situation urgent, I nodded briefly in thanks and shouted to Aria.

,There’s a goblin archer!”

,There are too many goblins, it’s hard to eliminate them!”

Aria swung her staff, trying to create fireballs, but the goblins rushing in blocked the magic with their bodies, so the goblin archer’s attacks continued.

If Aria couldn’t eliminate the goblin archer, it would be difficult to hold out in front. Rakar was blocking attacks with his shield, but he was gradually struggling against the goblins throwing themselves at him.

I tried to avoid using magic as much as possible, but when I thought that everyone would be finished if things continued like this, I couldn’t hesitate any longer.

,Rakar, buy me some time! I’ll take out the archer!”

,Keueuk! Got it!”

Blocking the arrows flying at me with his shield, Rakar pushed back the charging goblins with his large body.

From behind Rakar, I recognized the space inside the cave and identified the spatial coordinates above the goblin archer’s head.

It was basic space magic that had been imprinted on my brain through repeated training.

In an instant, I created an improved small dimensional entrance and thrust my spear into it, simultaneously creating a dimensional exit above the goblin archer’s head that I had identified.

The goblin archer’s head, which was drawing the bow, was pierced by the spear. After pulling out the spear, I thrust it back into the dimensional entrance and reset the dimensional exit coordinates to pierce the head of another archer.

As I pierced the heads of five goblin archers in that way, I heard Kane’s voice, who had been waiting.

,I’ve been waiting a long time!”

Kane, who had been hiding in the corner mixing potions, had finally completed the mixed potion.

Kane threw the mixed potion into the path where the goblins were rushing in. With a thud, the mixed potion exploded, emitting a thick green smoke and creating a wall of poison.

The goblins who passed through the wall of poison and rushed at us collapsed as if fainting right in front of us, and we, having eliminated the goblin archers, could easily eliminate the goblins who had fallen to the ground.

,Great job, Kane!”

,Nice!”

As everyone shouted excitedly, Kane smiled brightly.

,Haha! This is the power of an alchemist!”

Having successfully blocked the goblins’ attack, we walked a little further and took a short break away from the corpses.

,To think so many goblins would appear from the start, how difficult is this practice going to be?”

As Aria sighed and said that, Luna and Kane nodded in agreement.

,It seems like they’re really trying to make us create proper memories. That crazy headmaster.”

,Well, I’m sure he has his reasons…”

At Kane’s words, I defended Nelson, trailing off at the end. Even though Nelson’s personality was a bit eccentric, his heart for the students was genuine.

,Is anyone hurt?”

Rakar asked, pulling out an arrow stuck in his shield. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this attack.

Seeing the exhausted faces of my team members, I praised them to lighten the mood.

,Still, for our first time working together, everyone did well. Rakar held out well, Kane’s potion was excellent. Aria’s attack was outstanding. Thanks to Luna’s support magic, we were able to block the archers’ attacks.”

At those words, everyone smiled and replied.

,If you hadn’t taken out the archers, it would have been hard to hold out.”

,That’s right, the goblins were blocking the front, so sniping was difficult. Good job, Ross.”

,Ross, just give me time like now. Then I’ll make the best potion.”

,You were amazing…”

Feeling a bit embarrassed by the unexpected reactions, I scratched my cheek. Is this what they mean by giving a 되 [doe] and receiving a 말 [mal]? In the suddenly heartwarming atmosphere, we praised each other and took a break.

In particular, Aria, who was in the magic department like Ellie, stuck close to me and asked me various things.

,That was amazing magic. Is that the magic that Headmaster-nim certified?”

,What happens if you put your hand in? Is it possible?”

,Then if the dimension closes in the middle, your arm could be cut off, right?”

While a strong curiosity is the power of a magician, Aria’s actions of constantly asking questions were not very helpful for resting.

Still, as I kindly answered and resolved her questions, Aria puffed out her cheeks and looked at me with strange eyes.

,I’m curious…”

Feeling burdened by her gaze, I turned my head away, and I heard Aria’s small mutter. I pretended not to hear and inspected my spear.

After the break, we moved again, maintaining our formation. Fortunately, there were torches like those in the cave where the goblins were, so the path was no longer dark.

While Rakar and Kane moved cautiously, watching out for traps, Aria and Luna diligently turned their heads, checking if there were any bracelets.

Seeing Luna’s back as she diligently moved her small head, I felt like I was looking at a cute puppy, and the corners of my mouth twitched without me realizing it, when Rakar stopped walking.

,It seems like we’ve arrived at the entrance to the maze. It’s a fork in the road.”

As he said that, the cave ended in front of us, and tiles were laid on the floor as if it were the entrance to a maze. From here, it seemed like we had to choose one of the left and right paths and move on. We gathered in a circle and offered our opinions.

,What should we do? Neither of them seems to have any particular features, left or right. It seems like we have to choose one of them no matter what.”

At Rakar’s words, Aria replied.

,This is just luck. We have no choice but to choose a random place.”

,Definitely, it seems like the first part is just leaving it to luck.”

Kane agreed with Aria’s opinion, but I knew how to get out of the maze through the settings.

,No, there is a way. Let’s go left.”

At my confident words, Aria looked at me with a questioning expression.

,How do you know?”

,There’s a method to escape the maze called the left-hand rule or the right-hand rule. It’s a method of walking while keeping one hand on the wall, and since the maze is ultimately a single surface, you can definitely escape the maze if you keep touching the wall. We have weapons in our right hands, so we can go by touching the wall with the left-hand rule.”

Aria, as if she understood in an instant at my explanation, clapped her hands in admiration.

,That’s right. If we do that, it might take time, but we can definitely pass. Amazing, Ross.”

Avoiding Aria’s gaze, who was sending me a burdensome gaze with shining eyes, Rakar nodded and said.

,Okay, then let’s go left.”

With the opinions unified, we headed to the left. Except for Rakar, who was holding a shield, everyone walked while touching the left wall. Luna, who was in front of me, didn’t touch the wall from the beginning for some reason.

I wondered if there was something wrong, so I was about to casually talk to her, but Luna turned her head and met my gaze, then turned her head again as if she was embarrassed.

Even if Luna, who was in the middle of the formation, didn’t do the left-hand rule, it didn’t matter much, so I moved on without saying anything.

Even when there were forks in the road to the left and right, we continued to move while touching the left wall. After walking for a while, we finally saw the door to a room that looked like a stage.

As we cautiously opened the door and stepped onto the stage, something screamed as if it had been waiting.

,Kkiiiiiik-!”

At the wailing sound like scratching a chalkboard, Rakar shouted.

,Demon beast rabbits!”

Black rabbits the size of large dogs were rushing in, flashing teeth like blades. As when we blocked the goblins’ attack, Rakar held out in front and stabbed and killed the demon beast rabbits that were flowing out with his spear.

Since there were no rabbits shooting arrows, it was easier for Rakar and me to buy time than with the goblins. It was also easier thanks to Luna’s help in slowing down the monsters from behind, supporting Rakar.

A fireball that erupted like a burst from the end of Aria’s staff directly hit the rushing demon beast rabbit and exploded with a loud noise.

Kwang-!

The demon beast rabbit’s body exploded, and its intestines and blood scattered. The fire didn’t stop and spread to the fur of the demon beast rabbits on both sides, causing damage.

,Potion complete!”

Finally, Kane’s potion was completed, and the stage ended with Rakar and I finishing off the rabbits that had fallen in the wall of poison that was created again.

We were all exhausted after leaving the stage. Our stamina was already depleted from the goblins and the demon beast rabbits’ quantity offensive.

After Rakar and I checked the safety of the surroundings, I said to my team members.

,How about we rest now? Everyone looks tired.”

In fact, I was the most tired. As the one with the lowest stamina among us, I felt so tired from swinging my spear diligently that I could fall asleep just by closing my eyes.

As if waiting for my words, Aria sat down on the floor.

,Yeah, let’s rest a bit. My magic power is depleted, so it’s too hard…”

Seeing Aria, who was sighing and making a tired expression as if she would lie down right away, Rakar said.

,Then how about we rest well while we’re resting, and then eat before we leave?”

Exhausted, we agreed to those words and sat down.

Rakar temporarily put down the survival bag he was carrying and began to sharpen the sword that had been damaged by the blood of the goblins and demon beast rabbits.

Luna and Aria were gathered together taking a break, and Kane was leaning against the cave wall, checking the bag containing the potions and recording something.

I temporarily put down the exploration bag I was carrying next to me and leaned my back against the wall of the maze to rest. I felt like I would fall asleep if I closed my eyes, so I was shaking my head when.

Behind Rakar, who was sharpening his sword. I saw the survival bag that he had taken off to rest moving on its own.

Was I seeing hallucinations because I was too tired? I blankly stared at it. I made eye contact with a raccoon wearing clothes like a thief and carrying the survival bag.

A thief raccoon…?

My brain froze at that strange situation for a moment, and the raccoon looked at me and smirked, a mischievous smile I had seen somewhere before. At that smile, I instinctively shouted.

,Th, thief!!!”

Rakar, who was wiping his sword with a cloth at my shout, looked at me with a puzzled face, then turned his head following my gaze and discovered the thief raccoon.

After 2 seconds of silence that felt like time had stopped, Rakar threw the sword he was sharpening, and at the same time, the thief raccoon ran away with the survival bag at an incredible speed.

Rakar and I quickly chased after the raccoon, but the raccoon, who had already run deep into the maze, was nowhere to be seen.

Aria, who followed belatedly, saw the two of us standing there dumbly and sat down on the spot.

,To, to have our food stolen…”

As everyone made a dumbfounded expression, Kane shouted in a voice filled with resentment.

,You goddamn raccoon!!!”

Everyone lost their words at the sudden variable and sat down on the floor powerlessly.