abcnovels
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Chapter 10 – Fearful Leadership (2)
Kang Hyeon gazed at the slowly burning incense.
‘Since we can’t use electronic devices, this is how they check the time.’
-Crackle-
The area was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the wall torches burning audibly.
-Rattle… Rattle…-
A faint sound of bones clashing could be heard in the distance. The movements of the creatures echoed through the corridors.
‘It’s not as difficult as I thought, thankfully. I’ve leveled up well.’
Kang Hyeon opened his status window.
?Name: Kang Hyeon
?Title: One Who Does Not Hold Back
?Level: 6
?Detailed Stats:
Strength 13 (+1)
Agility 13 (+1)
Vitality 13 (+1)
Magic 14 (+1)
Additional Stats: –
?Unique Ability: Resurrection
?Abilities: Lowest-grade Swordsmanship(F), Lowest-grade Shield Mastery(F), Lowest-grade Crossbow Technique(F)
?Skills: Roar of the Enraged Lion(D), Intermediate Bodily Regeneration(B)
He had leveled up even without clearing the tutorial, just by hunting. And moving as a party made it much more stable than solo hunting.
‘This is too good to be true?’
It’s true that he had given all the food supplies to Kim Yeon-ji, leaving him hungry. But compared to the difficulty of the tutorial so far, this hunger was nothing.
Everything was progressing smoothly.
‘Kim Yeon-ji has been quietly following along too.’
To be honest, Kang Hyeon had noticed Kim Yeon-ji’s expression growing increasingly grim as they ventured deeper into the dungeon without finding the core. But she continued to carry out her role without a single complaint.
‘Maybe she’s not as bad as I thought. I was a bit worried that the core wouldn’t show up, but…’
Suddenly, a dark thought struck Kang Hyeon’s mind.
‘No way! It can’t be…’
Kang Hyeon shook his head to dismiss the ominous idea, but the thought refused to leave his mind.
‘Is this girl planning to run away?’
He kept telling himself that was impossible, but the feeling that she might do so was steadily growing stronger.
‘No, she wouldn’t do that on her own.’
As he indulged in these speculations, time passed quickly. Kang Hyeon realized the two incenses he had been holding had completely burned out. He got up from his spot.
‘I need to wake up the next sentry.’
Coincidentally, the next sentry was Kim Yeon-ji. Kang Hyeon approached her cautiously and shook her body.
“Ugh…”
After a brief moment of stirring, Kim Yeon-ji opened her eyes and slowly got up.
“It’s your turn now.”
“Huh…”
“Well, good luck.”
Once Kang Hyeon confirmed Kim Yeon-ji was fully awake, he crawled into his sleeping bag.
‘I can’t sleep…’
Exhausted as he was, Kang Hyeon felt like collapsing at any moment. But the unsettling thoughts kept him from falling asleep.
‘Maybe I should check something…’
After tossing and turning for a while, Kang Hyeon carefully opened his eyes. He met Kim Yeon-ji’s gaze as she was watching him.
“Can’t sleep?”
Kim Yeon-ji asked in a gentle tone.
‘This is definite.’
Kang Hyeon was 200% certain that Kim Yeon-ji was planning to escape.
“Yeah, I’m tired but I can’t seem to fall asleep.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep watch.”
“Thank you.”
Kang Hyeon responded with a smile and closed his eyes again.
‘Damn it… Just get caught already.’
Kang Hyeon was on the verge of falling asleep due to exhaustion, but he desperately fought to stay awake. He pinched his thigh repeatedly to keep himself alert.
Finally, he heard the sound of Kim Yeon-ji moving.
‘I knew it.’
Squinting his eyes slightly, he saw Kim Yeon-ji waking up Han Tae-rim.
Excited, Kang Hyeon quickly got up from his spot.
“Isn’t Kim Yeon-ji supposed to be the next sentry?”
“Huh!? Was it? I must have gotten confused.”
As Kang Hyeon approached her, the flustered Kim Yeon-ji backed away.
“So it was a mistake, huh? I think you two were trying to escape.”
“Hey, what are you saying? In a situation like this, trust is the most important thing, you know?”
“Yeah, trust is important. So just drop the bag and let’s talk-“
Kang Hyeon’s consciousness was cut off by a sudden impact to the back of his head.
***
Ippotranslation
***
“Oh no… What do I do?!”
The sharp cry made her skull ring. When Kang Hyeon opened his eyes with a frown, he saw Yoon Ae-sun crying.
“What are we going to do without Kim Yeon-ji and Han Tae-rim?”
As expected, the couple had fled in the middle of the night.
‘Those jerks..!’
“Are you awake?”
The weak voice of Lee Jin-mo was heard next to her.
“Kim Yeon-ji and Han Tae-rim ran away. They even took all the food while fleeing.”
“Ugh… Damn it…”
Kang Hyeon muttered curses as he rubbed his face in frustration.
“This is all your fault, Kang Hyeon! If we had just gone back like Kim Yeon-ji and Han Tae-rim said from the beginning, this wouldn’t have happened!”
Kang Hyeon was too tired, hungry, and annoyed to even respond to Yoon Ae-sun’s ridiculous words.
“Forget it. I don’t even know anymore.”
Kang Hyeon shook his head and got up from his spot.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
And he suddenly started swinging his sword in the air.
“What are you doing?”
Lee Jin-mo looked at Kang Hyeon as if he was a madman.
“Don’t worry about it. I can’t waste today like this. I need to practice more.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Just leave me alone. You two can go die for all I care.”
“What the fuck?!”
Lee Jin-mo got up angrily, but Kang Hyeon ignored him and kept swinging his sword.
“Leave him be. He’s gone crazy.”
“Sigh… Do you want to try going a little further, just the two of us?”
Yoon Ae-sun hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She knew they couldn’t go back without any food.
The two of them, with a determined look in their eyes, started packing their things.
“Kang Hyeon, are you really not coming?”
Swoosh, swoosh!
Lee Jin-mo called out to Kang Hyeon one last time, but he ignored her.
‘I’ll keep swinging until I level up my stats, then I’ll move just before I die.’
Since clearing today was already a lost cause, he planned to gather as much information as possible while maximizing his gains.
“Ugh… This is impossible, I can’t do it anymore.”
A few hours later, the exhausted Kang Hyeon plopped down. he was too hungry to keep swinging the sword.
“It must be because my stamina has increased. Leveling up one stat is also a struggle now.”
He gritted his teeth and tried to continue, but at this rate, he felt like he would faint from hunger.
“I have no choice.”
Kang Hyeon got up from hid spot and followed the path Yoon Ae-sun and Lee Jin-mo had taken.
After about 10 minutes, Yoon Ae-sun’s body, hit by a poisoned arrow, came into view.
“Poisoned arrow, huh…”
The swollen wound suggested it was more than a simple arrow.
Kang Hyeon carefully examined the spot where Yoon Ae-sun fell before continuing on.
Thirty minutes later, a group of skeletal soldiers and knights came into view. And Lee Jin-mo was lying there, bloodied.
“Foolish bastards… They should’ve just turned back.”
Feeling uneasy after seeing the bodies, Kang Hyeon stretched his limbs.
“That’s enough for today.”
Having organized his thoughts, Kang Hyeon took a deep breath.
“Yaaaaaa!”
As Kang Hyeon’s cry rang out, ten pairs of hollow eyes gathered.
“Come at me, you bone freaks!”
[Roar of the Enraged Lion has been activated]
[The undead do not feel fear]
[The enemies’ stats have been partially reduced]
***
Ippotranslation
***
The next day, Kang Hyeon went through the tutorial in the same way as the previous day.
Until the moment the watch was finally changed, Kang Hyeon displayed an incredible amount of patience.
“Kim Yeon-ji.”
“Huh..?”
Kang Hyeon suddenly called Kim Yeon-ji in a kind tone, surprising her.
“We’re almost at the core of the dungeon. We’re really close now.”
“I see…”
“So please, just bear with it one more time today, okay?”
Kang Hyeon pleaded in an overly saccharine voice, more fake than even Kim Yeon-ji.
“What are you talking about?”
“I can tell you’re planning to run away. I can see it in your eyes.”
“How did you know that?!”
Kim Yeon-ji’s eyes widened in shock.
“I can just tell from your eyes. Kim Yeon-ji, let’s endure a little longer, please. I beg you.”
Kang Hyeon begged in a voice dripping with false affection. If Kang A-hyun had seen this, she would have immediately vomited.
“Sigh… Okay, I won’t run away. Go get some rest, you must be tired.”
“Thank you, thank you Kim Yeon-ji!”
Though she said that, Kang Hyeon had no intention of actually sleeping.
‘Just try to run away…’
After pinching his thigh for a while, pretending to sleep, he finally heard some rustling sounds.
‘She’s not trying to wake up Han Tae-rim to run away again, is she?’
Kang Hyeon slightly opened his eyes, and in his field of vision, he saw the tip of a dagger quickly approaching.
***
Ippotranslation
***
“Aaaargh! You bitch!!!”
“Why is this crazy bastard cursing like crazy in the morning?!”
Kang Hyeon let out a scream as soon as he opened his eyes. Hearing the sound, Kang A-hyun burst through the door and kicked Kang Hyeon with all her might.
“Phew, I should never have trusted her again!”
After that, Kang Hyeon kept dying.
First, because of Kim Yeon-ji’s betrayal.
Even though he said he would never trust again, he ended up trying to persuade her one more time, only to get stabbed in the back and faint.
‘Let’s try a different approach.’
Later, Kang Hyeon changed his mind and sent Kim Yeon-ji and Han Tae-rim away from the beginning. And he started clearing the dungeon with only Lee Jin-mo and Yoon Ae-sun.
‘I already know the locations of all the traps anyway.’
Kang Hyeon, whose skills had improved quite a bit, struggled hard, but it didn’t last long.
In the end, the exhausted Yoon Ae-sun declared that she was giving up, and seeing that, Lee Jin-mo’s mentality also got shaken, and he died two more times.
Even if the two of them hadn’t given up, it would have been impossible to make it to the end.
“Aaaargh!”
Kang Hyeon entered the tutorial again.
This time, he decided to go with a unique concept – the ‘I know everything’ strategy.
“There will be a poisoned arrow here.”
“Next, there will be four skeleton soldiers and one skeleton knight.”
At first, it wasn’t bad.
The party members trusted Kang Hyeon, who was able to see through all the traps and accurately predict what enemies would appear.
But as they cleared the areas Kang Hyeon had experienced and entered unfamiliar territory, it ultimately collapsed.
And on the 8th day of the challenge…
“You fucking bastards! Please, just listen to me!”
There were four men and women standing in front of Kang Hyeon.
“Please, I’m begging you. Aren’t you supposed to survive too?”
“Have you finally gone crazy?”
At Kim Yeon-ji’s words, Kang Hyeon’s eyes rolled back completely.
“Yes, I’ve gone crazy. Why did I go crazy, huh? Why?!”
Kang Hyeon grabbed Kim Yeon-ji by the collar and shook her violently.
“Hey! Stop them!”
Lee Jin-mo and Han Tae-rim rushed in and tried to pull the two apart.
“You’re the same kind of bastard, you know?! Following Kim Yeon-ji’s coattails, hoping to get something good out of it?!”
Suddenly, Kang Hyeon switched his target from Kim Yeon-ji to Han Tae-rim, spitting as he unleashed his tirade.
“What’s wrong with this bastard?”
“Aaaargh! Get out of here! I’ll clear this alone, so don’t follow me, you bastards!”
In the end, the exploding Kang Hyeon stormed out of the room.
A moment later…
“This idiot got caught in a trap.”
“Why did he run off alone…”
Somehow, the four-person party found Kang Hyeon, who had run off alone and been shot by an arrow.
***
Ippotranslation
***
The next day…
‘Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm!’
Kang Hyeon, who had become too agitated, had forgotten the locations of the traps. Entering the tutorial again, he silently gathered his sword and left.
“Kang Hyeon! Where are you going?”
He heard Lee Jin-mo’s voice from behind but didn’t look back.
“I’m going to kill them all…”
***
Ippotranslation
***
Again, the next day.
Kang Hyeon encountered four skeleton soldiers and one skeleton knight.
After a grueling struggle, he managed to defeat the four soldiers, but was ultimately cut in half by the knight’s sword.
At least leveling up was a consolation.
The next day. The day after that. The day after that. The day after that…
***
Ippotranslation
***
“Hey.”
“What.”
During a meal, Kang A-hyun called out to Kang Hyeon.
“Ease up on the intensity in your eyes. It’s creeping me out. Who are you going to kill?”
At Kang A-hyun’s words, Kang Hyeon looked directly at her.
“No… I’m just worried, that’s all.”
Kang Hyeon watched Kang A-hyun, who was pouting and staring into the distance, for a moment, then shoved more food into her mouth.
‘This guy isn’t really going to do something crazy, is he?’
Kang A-hyun swallowed the words that had risen to her throat.
***
Ippotranslation
***
[Welcome to Kang Hyeon’s tutorial entry]
[An error has occurred during the progress of the fourth stage. Proceeding immediately]
[May your courage save the earth]
Kang Hyeon blankly stared at the familiar message that appeared.
“How many days has it been already…?”
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t tell.
Kang Hyeon, entering the tutorial, first checked the status window.
?Name: Kang Hyeon
?Title: One Who Does Not Hold Back
?Level: 14
?Detailed Stats:
Strength 17 (+1)
Agility 16 (+1)
Vitality 16 (+1)
Magic 14 (+1)
Additional Stats: –
?Unique Ability: Resurrection
?Abilities: Lower-grade Swordsmanship (E), Lowest-grade Shield (F), Lowest-grade Crossbow (F)
?Skills: Roar of the Enraged Lion(D), Intermediate Bodily Regeneration (B)
Kang Hyeon had already reached level 14, and his swordsmanship had also increased by one level.
During this time, Kang Hyeon had realized that simply killing a lot of enemies wouldn’t necessarily raise his level and skill ranks.
He had a feeling that level was just an indicator of one’s strength, and was separate from the actual increase in abilities.
Of course, the increase in stats from leveling up was still helping to make him stronger.
“I’m sure I identified the dungeon’s core the last time. Today, I’ll finish this with these guys.”
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