episode_0013

Current location: 1st floor.

As we venture further into the labyrinth, the corpses of monsters become visible.

Even in death, their presence lingers.

Now that we know what kind of monsters they are, there’s no need to be on edge anymore.

It’s the weakest type of monster known as a goblin.

With a danger level so low that it can be easily dealt with as long as you have a weapon, it’s classified as an F-grade monster.

“Hmm… Huh…”

In the dungeon we’ve entered—a maze-themed dungeon—there are goblin monsters.

Considering the number and direction of the corridors we’ve walked through from the entrance, there is one corridor leading left from the entrance.

From the next room onwards, there are two paths—one straight ahead and one to the right.

I remember there were about two training dungeons structured like this…

One with beast-type monsters and one with goblins…

“Got it.”

The three inspectors who went ahead chose to go straight.

“Let’s go right.”

I pointed to the unopened door on the right for Baek Chaerin.

“Yes… Yes!”

Baek Chaerin responded affirmatively without any doubt.

…She agreed without questioning? Is this the personality I knew…?

Let’s take it slow and observe for now.

At the end of the straight path the inspectors took, there was nothing there.

In other words, a dead-end.

The path we’re taking to the right will likely lead us to the 2nd floor shortly.

Nyah nyah!

“Grurk!” “Kik?” “Kieek!!”

“Ha, Han Gyeol, there’s…!”

“Yeah, I see. Just step back for a moment.”

Upon opening the door of the room, three goblins wielding wooden clubs are revealed.

There’s no need for long-range tactics; we’ll finish them quickly.

Swish—

Drawing my sword and tilting it downwards, I approached the goblins.

“Kreeeak!!!”

“Slow.”

The goblins’ patterns are simple.

They charge. They swing. It ends.

As a charging goblin swings its club towards my head, I lightly twist my body to dodge and then swiftly slash its neck.

The goblin whose neck I slashed meets its demise.

…I wanted to say that line!!

Kuh, I impress myself! Kyaah—!!

“Kraaaah!!!” “Kekeak!!”

Next, they attack simultaneously from both sides, but I defend with my scabbard on the left and kick the goblin on the right.

-Thud!! -Thwack!!!

As the kicked goblin flies, I move towards the one attacked from the left, thrusting my sword into its temple while swiftly moving to the other side to slash the goblin before it gets up, ending the situation.

“Combat over. Maintain vigilance around… No anomalies. Situation concluded.”

The most dangerous time is not during combat but after it.

Always stay vigilant after combat; only relax when everything seems normal.

“Han Gyeol, thank you for your hard work. I’m sorry I couldn’t help in the battle…”

Confirming the end of the situation, Baek Chaerin, who had been standing back, approaches and suddenly apologizes.

Perhaps not being able to assist in battle burdens Baek Chaerin.

“Why couldn’t I help? You’re the most important to me.”

“Huh… The most important?”

When feeling burdened during combat, the healer becomes the most crucial presence.

Protecting such healers falls under the responsibilities of both front-line and rear-line combatants.

“Because you’re important, protecting the healer during combat is natural. Don’t say you weren’t helpful.”

“Uh… Uh-uh…”

Once again, Baek Chaerin bows deeply, covering her face.

Why has she been like this since earlier?

“Let’s keep moving forward for now. We’ll do what we can.”

“Uh-uh-uh…”

Ahead of us in the organized room, there was a staircase leading directly to the 2nd floor.

The three inspectors seem less stressed now that they think they’ve hit a dead-end.

…

“Darn it!!!! A dead-end!!!!”

As Han and Baek Chaerin moved through the right door and ascended, they reached the end of a room on the first floor.

Kim Hyunseong and two male students, unable to see the path leading up to the second floor at the end of the room, expressed frustration.

“It seems like the right path we didn’t hear was the correct one earlier…”

“Ugh, let’s turn back. I can’t stand those brats being ahead of us!”

With that statement, they swiftly turned back along the path they had come.

Two male students followed Kim Hyunseong.

“I will definitely… reach the destination faster than that Grade B guy…”

The reason Kim Hyunseong showed great animosity towards Han right now.

The reason was simple.

He had fallen for Lee Hwayoung.

Such Lee Hwayoung only had eyes for Han.

Lee Hwayoung was strong, but Han was weaker than her.

Most people are drawn to strong individuals.

In other words,

Han is weak.

He is stronger than Han.

If he defeats Han, Lee Hwayoung will like him.

He was igniting a competitive spirit in Han by presenting an unreasonable syllogism.

Even though it was a dream that would never come true.

·····

Second floor.

The second floor was nothing special either.

Similar to the goblin jaws on the first floor, there were long-range shooters added this time?

Just push away the close-approaching jaws and block the long-range suppression.

You don’t know where the long-range suppression will come from, but if you induce it to come in a certain direction, problem solved!

“Mr. Han, you are very agile when dealing with the jaws…”

“Um… maybe because I studied hard.”

“I also… studied a lot…”

Don’t give up, I’ve been studying for 10 years.

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“Ahh!!! Another dead-end!!!”

“Maybe among the three paths split before, the direction those guys took wasn’t the right one…”

“Hyunseong came to another door because he didn’t like his pride…”

“Well, their chosen direction isn’t the right one anyway.”

The trio of inspectors said they had come to another dead-end.

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Third floor.

The goblins had gained some intelligence.

The maze walls were slightly mossy, and the floor was covered with moss and leaves, but if you looked closely, crude traps were hidden on the floor.

Well, since I’ve memorized all the trap locations, it’s as good as not having any.

“Wow… you’re really good at finding trap locations…”

“Yeah, goblin traps aren’t perfectly concealed, so if you look closely, you’ll see the floor’s imbalance.”

“You’re amazing…”

“Don’t get carried away. Just looking at the floor won’t do. Traps could also be hidden above or on the walls.”

“Yes, yes!”

Perhaps they were getting a bit friendlier, but suspicions about people still existed even as they spoke like that.

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“Ahh!!! Do you think traps like that can hurt me?!!!”

“Uh… hey, be careful next to you!!”

“Uh… whoa!! That was close…”

The progress of the trio of inspectors slowed down due to the presence of traps appearing from the third floor.

“Well, maybe we should have studied a bit about goblin behavior.”

“Yeah, Hyunseong has a strong body, so even if he gets caught in a trap, it’s negligible, but we get injured.”

“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any poison.”

The male students were acquiring knowledge about the traps set by goblins as they examined them.

“Hey! Why are you standing still!! Let’s move forward immediately!!!”

“Uh… okay!! I’ll go right away!”

If he had anticipated that this training included assessing teamwork, he would never have acted like this.

Kim Hyunseong was choosing only the wrong answers among the choices given by EJISUNDA.

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Fourth floor.

Han and Baek Chaerin were heading straight towards the path leading to the fifth floor after entering the fourth floor.

“We arrived at the fourth floor quickly.”

“Th-that’s right. It seems like the path Han-gyeol is taking is the right one, that’s why, you see.”

“You can speak comfortably, it’s fine, not uncomfortable, right?”

If they talk to me nicely and my level of liking has increased, wouldn’t they treat me comfortably here?

“Uh, um, ah… I-it’s f-fine. This is c-comfortable. You can call me comfortably, Han-gyeol… it’s okay…”

“…Got it.”

Hmm, it seems it’s not the right time yet. There’s so much to do…

“For now, let’s keep moving forward…” “Hey!!!!”

Oh, they’ve already caught up.

“Y-you… you, huff, you’ve come this far… stop!! This is as far as you go!”

As I shift my gaze in the direction of the voices, I see that all three of them look exhausted from running this far.

“The next place is where we’ll go first, you guys can explore other rooms!”

The direction we are heading is towards the path leading to the 5th floor; this is the way to the 5th floor…

“Well, fine. I’ll yield.”

“…Tsk! Pretending to be generous, let’s go.”

They already look tired, and I think we’ve shown enough skill.

Baek Chaerin kept hesitating, so I deliberately let a goblin’s attack graze me to receive healing, which should impress the professors too.

“Let’s rest here before following them.”

“Yes!”

The remaining task is whether those three will conquer the 5th floor or fall, it doesn’t concern us as we will take care of it.

—

5th floor boss room.

-Squelch, squelch.

“Splurt…?”

A location on the 5th floor among dozens of randomly shifting mazes.

In the 5th floor, an entity resembling a boss and a figure cloaked in a robe appeared.

“Grraaahhh!!!!”

“…”.

The boss draws a weapon showing hostility towards the figure in the robe.

The figure in the robe reaches out a clenched fist towards the boss, and a sound of something breaking emanates from the clenched hand.

“Grrk?! Grr…aaaahhhh!!!!!”

The broken object in the robed figure’s hand turns into dark, viscous smoke and begins to cling to the boss.

After screaming due to the smoke clinging to the boss, the smoke eventually starts being absorbed by the boss.

“Grrr…grrrk!!!! Grrraaahhh!!!!”

The boss grows larger and more menacing as a result of the absorbed smoke.

The figure then takes out a scroll from their pocket, tears it apart, and starts becoming transparent due to the spell activated by the scroll.

Seems like they used a teleportation scroll.

“I’m sorry, but I had no choice. No, I had to do it. Because there are people I need to protect.”

“I… I can’t resist them.”

So, please don’t resent me-

-Craaack!!!

“Grrraaaahhhhh!!!!!!!”