abcnovels
Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Chapter 48 – Forest of Benandi (2)
-Pooo!
The sound of horns blaring from all directions assaulted their ears chaotically.
“It’s a trap! Get ready!”
At Choi Dong-woo’s shout, the union members quickly formed ranks.
-Phhh.
“Arrows! Deploy defense wall!”
As soon as the order was given, blue magic shields rose into the air.
-Kaaang!
Arrows and magic kept flying in.
The union members silently endured the attack that was like a bombardment.
“How long is this going to continue?!”
With someone’s cry, the rain of arrows that seemed to last forever ceased.
“Keurk!”
And the identity of the appearing creatures.
[Goblin Light Infantry]
Goblins wearing full body armor camouflaged to suit the forest poured out from all directions.
“Kurururu…!”
“These aren’t ordinary goblins. Everyone be careful!”
The goblins were different from any monsters they had faced so far.
Realizing that the surprise attack hadn’t worked, they immediately formed ranks.
With movements like well-trained soldiers, they slowly pressured the union members.
“Damn it! These no bodies!”
While the strength of each individual wasn’t that great, when grouped together they showed power beyond their original capabilities.
‘What are you doing, getting pushed around by mere goblins?’
Kang Hyeon, who had been watching silently, activated all his buff skills.
‘I’ll break through to the center in one go.’
After all, these creatures wouldn’t be worth a fist if fought individually.
“I’m going in first.”
Kang Hyeon, who leapt from his position, jumped right into the middle of the goblins.
“Are you crazy? What are you doing?!”
“Leave him be! Focus on defense.”
The union members were shocked at Kang Hyeon’s suicidal act of jumping into enemy lines alone.
“All goblins must die!”
Kang Hyeon shouted, filled with emotion.
[Roar of the Enraged Lion has been activated]
[The morale and stats of all enemies have decreased]
“Keurk?!”
The goblins were bewildered by the thunderous sound that was like lightning striking.
“Magic Explosion, Magic Explosion!”
-Kwaboom! Boom! Boom!
Kang Hyeon, who had entered among the goblins, fired Magic Explosions in all directions.
The impact caused dust to scatter, obscuring visibility for a moment.
-Screech!
Even in the dusty environment where nothing could be seen, Kang Hyeon moved without hesitation.
Kang Hyeon, rampaging in all directions and slaughtering goblins. Everything caught by his sword was sliced, torn, and smashed.
“Kieeek!”
At that moment, a goblin behind Kang Hyeon swung a long sword.
Kang Hyeon noticed it but paid no attention.
-Thuk!
The goblin’s sword struck precisely between Kang Hyeon’s armor.
However, instead of cutting the skin, it made a dull sound like hitting a drum.
“Keurk..?”
“That hurts, you bastard!”
Kang Hyeon grabbed the goblin’s head and slammed it into the ground.
-Crunch!
The creature’s head that hit the ground was instantly shattered.
Attack. Attack. Attack.
That was all that filled Kang Hyeon’s mind.
‘I can just take most attacks with my body.’
Kang Hyeon’s health, using ‘Wayne’s Secret Technique’, reaches a whopping 47.
On top of that, he further protected his skin with ‘Entria’s Outer Shell’.
‘Instead of dodging and blocking, it’s more beneficial to swing the sword one more time.’
In less than a minute after Kang Hyeon jumped in, dozens of goblins fell to the ground.
“I’m going in too!”
Seeing a gap form in the goblin formation, An Yu-seong also flew in.
“Hahaha! Goblins are surprisingly satisfying to hit!”
The goblin’s body that was hit by the swinging mace burst open.
The crude armor the creature wore was no match for An Yu-seong’s mace studded with huge nails.
“Keurk, keurk!”
“Keeeek…”
Seeing their comrades die without being able to do anything, the goblins began to waver.
“Keek! Keek, kururuk!”
At that moment, a goblin with a head larger than the others let out a strange cry.
The creature, with a height of nearly 2m despite being a goblin, urged on its subordinates.
-Phhh!
“Ke, keek…”
However, pierced in the neck by an arrow that flew from somewhere, it fell to the ground helplessly.
“Nice!”
Shin Seong-a’s sniping continued after that.
She quickly moved around the battlefield, taking out high-priority targets.
“Now’s the time! Push forward!”
Finally, as the goblin formation completely collapsed, Choi Dong-woo ordered a charge.
Unable to even think of resisting against that momentum, the creatures turned their backs and fled.
“We won!”
“Waaaah!”
The union members cheered at their unexpectedly easy first victory.
“What’s with those Badass guys or whatever? They’re amazing!”
“Well, they’re pretty good…”
“The rumors weren’t exaggerated.”
The union members changed their attitude as if they had never badmouthed them before, and were busy praising them.
‘I already knew Kang Hyeon was extraordinary, but the rest aren’t to be underestimated either.’
Choi Dong-woo fell into thought while cleaning up the battlefield.
‘Even if they were goblins, they weren’t opponents to be defeated this easily.’
They were strategic opponents with a certain system. Even though they were goblins, they couldn’t help but be threatening.
“Huh huh…”
After pondering for a moment, Choi Dong-woo could only laugh helplessly.
***
Ippotranslation
***
After that, the Badass Guild continued to slaughter their enemies mercilessly.
Whether it was Orcs or Ogres, the opponent didn’t matter.
Like people living only for today with a terminal illness, they just jumped into the midst of enemies.
“Those Badass guys were incredible today.”
“Incredible? They were completely insane.”
“So, can we do like them?”
The Union members now fully acknowledged Badass.
It was natural since there was no one who hadn’t received their help in the continuous battles.
“Good work everyone. Now let’s start preparing for the camp!”
As time passed, an unfamiliar red moon was rising in the sky.
Before it got darker, Choi Dong-woo ordered to set up camp.
“Let’s conquer this in one go!”
The union members gathered and lit a campfire. As they chatted and ate, their expressions showed more comfort than fatigue.
“Let’s eat.”
“Yes.”
Kang Hyeon was also sitting with his group, having a meal.
“May I join you for dinner?”
Choi Dong-woo approached with a bowl of soup.
“Yes. As you like.”
At Kang Hyeon’s words, Choi Dong-woo sat nearby. Kang Hyeon cleared his throat awkwardly in the uncomfortable atmosphere.
‘Come to think of it, we’ve never talked like this, just the two of us.’
He hadn’t realized the strange sense of familiarity until now. This moment could be considered their first real conversation.
“Um, Mr. Choi Dong-woo…”
“Yes.”
“Ah, should I call you union Leader?”
“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Kang Hyeon nodded at Choi Dong-woo’s words.
“Then I’ll just call you Dong-woo.”
Choi Dong-woo laughed heartily, pleased at Kang Hyeon’s direct words.
“Or since we’ve met like this, how about we speak comfortably as older brother and younger?”
“That’s fine with me.”
As they started speaking more comfortably, the atmosphere quickly loosened up.
After a moment of watching the campfire and eating soup, Choi Dong-woo spoke.
“I was really surprised watching you guys fight today.”
A straightforward and plain statement.
Choi Dong-woo finally brought up the reason he came to Kang Hyeon.
“It was a fight that destroyed my common sense.”
“…”
“You’ve been through the tutorial too, so you know? The part about leadership.”
Tutorial stage 4. Leadership.
It wasn’t particularly a good memory for Kang Hyeon.
It was clearly a stage of great growth, but it was also a difficult one.
“Yes. It’s where we learn about cooperation and leadership.”
“Right. It’s the stage where I learned the most.”
“I thought you were involved in combat-related work even before the dungeon,older brother .”
Even at the ability user education school, they imitate Choi Dong-woo’s tactics. That’s how excellent his command and mercenary skills were.
“Actually, I was a soldier before.”
“I see.”
A man whose individual combat ability was top-class, but whose ability to lead people was even more outstanding.
That’s what brought him to the position of union Leader.
“The moment I first saw your combat, I felt like I’d been hit on the head.”
“Pardon?”
“You guys completely denied everything I had learned and practiced until now.”
“…”
“That boldness! That freedom! That purity! Honestly, I was envious. If I could, I’d like to join you, Kang Hyeon, and learn your secrets.”
“That’s a bit much… haha…”
Choi Dong-woo seemed a bit excited.
Kang Hyeon laughed, embarrassed by his sincere words.
‘What secrets? We just don’t care…’
Kang Hyeon revives even if he dies, and An Yu-seong is a madman.
‘And a talented madman at that.’
That’s all there is to it.
That was the reality of their secret.
“I’m grateful you say that.”
“But of course, that wouldn’t work.”
“Yes. A bit…”
Kang Hyeon, rolling his eyes around, hurriedly changed the subject.
“Actually, I’ve been really impressed watching you too, older brother.”
“You don’t need to flatter me like that.”
“No, it’s the truth. Really.”
Although it was sudden, it was an honest impression.
Kang Hyeon was truly impressed by Choi Dong-woo’s combat.
‘One-on-one might be different… but his mercenary skills are really incomparable.’
From the start, Kang Hyeon thought himself to be far from leadership.
That was evident just from the violence and oppression-filled Tutorial Stage 4.
“Placing ability users in the right positions, and calmly responding to any situation.”
“…”
“It might look easy, but not everyone can do it.”
Choi Dong-woo’s command focused on just two simple things.
Efficiency. And safety.
“If I had commanded the union members, a third of them would already be lying on the ground.”
“Haha! Don’t exaggerate too much. Anyway, I came to say I look forward to working with you in the future.”
“I’m always welcome.”
“Good. You’re really a great man!”
“Pardon?”
“I like you more and more! Haha!”
“I prefer women.”
“…”
The conversation between the two, who quickly became close, continued until late into the night.
***
Ippotranslation
***
“Aaagh! Help me!”
Kang Hyeon quickly swung his sword towards the direction of the scream.
At that momentum, the Orc who was swinging its sword growled and retreated.
“Thank you!”
The next day.
The raiding party advanced towards an even deeper area. As they did, the jungle became denser and the enemies grew stronger.
Even Kang Hyeon, who had been rampaging freely on the first day, now couldn’t help but become serious.
“Shin Seong-a!”
As Kang Hyeon shouted, he rushed forward. Then, from a distance came the sound of a bowstring being released,
-Swish!
An arrow that barely grazed Kang Hyeon’s side pierced through the Orc’s arm.
“Kuek!”
A moment of hesitation due to pain.
It was less than a second, a fleeting moment, but it was enough.
-Slash
The Orc’s head was cleanly cut off by Bilgein’s longsword.
Kang Hyeon was already running towards another Orc before its head even hit the ground.
“Is there really no end to this?!”
The number of those creatures was increasing as time passed.
‘I need to conserve my magic.’
Magic is the first thing to run out when Kang Hyeon engages in long battles.
That’s why Kang Hyeon didn’t use ‘Wayne’s Secret Technique’ or ‘Giant’s Strength’, and moved only with his pure innate abilities.
“Not much left. Hang in there!”
“Yes!”
The union members who were forming a formation responded vigorously to Choi Dong-woo’s shout.
“Quieek!”
The Orcs pushed against the union members while making horrible noises.
However, the firmly established formation didn’t waver under any attack.
Eventually, the creatures gradually tired out and one by one knelt before the thick defensive wall.
“Quiee…”
“It’s over.”
Finally, Kang Hyeon cut off the last Orc’s neck.
“Woohoo! We won again!”
“It’s a complete victory this time too!”
The union members cheered at the victory in battle and the joy of having survived.
“Brother Dong-woo.”
When everyone was cleaning up after the battle, Kang Hyeon approached Choi Dong-woo.
“Don’t you think this dungeon is a bit strange no matter how you look at it?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s too easy, isn’t it?”
Choi Dong-woo’s brow furrowed at Kang Hyeon’s sudden words.
“The dungeon is easy…”
“No one has died so far, right?”
“That’s right.”
Thinking about it carefully, there was definitely something strange.
“You’re right. Even for the entrance of a dungeon, the difficulty level seems low.”
“Right?”
“At this level, it’s more like an upper D-rank dungeon.”
“Hmm…”
After pondering for a moment, Choi Dong-woo continued.
“Anyway, we can’t let our guard down.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe this dungeon itself is ranked low among C-rank dungeons, or there might be a really strong boss.”
“That’s true.”
The difficulty of a dungeon is determined comprehensively.
Various geographical factors.
The number and power of monsters.
The power of the boss.
If one aspect is lacking, the others must be correspondingly higher to match the grade.
“So, I was thinking… maybe it’s okay for us to move separately now.”
“Huh? Why so suddenly?”
Choi Dong-woo’s expression quickly darkened at Kang Hyeon’s words about leaving.
“It’s because of ‘that’, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I need to teach Park Ho-yeon a lesson.”
“Do you really have to make a bet?”
“He scratched my pride like that, I can’t just leave it be. I’ve already set things in motion.”
The sudden mention of Park Ho-yeon, the guild master of Fire Dragon, from Kang Hyeon’s mouth.
The reason for this goes back to the day before.
It traces back to right after they entered the dungeon.