Chapter 22 - Bait (2)
Han Ye-ji, who was next in line, succeeded in hunting the Kobold with ease.
After spectacularly butchering the charging Kobold, she drove her sword into the monster's head at the last mont.
Covered in blood, she pulled out her sword and smiled with satisfaction.
[Remaining Kobolds: 2]
“How was I? I was pretty calm for a first hunt, right?”
Choi Ho-joong nodded his head with an expression of agreent.
“I’d like to hear Ji-han oppa’s evaluation.”
“My evaluation? I wouldn’t really recomnd it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a bit strict when it cos to swordsmanship.”
“That just makes more curious. How was I? Hurry up and tell .”
In fact, by general standards, it wasn't bad.
Her horizontal slash was so elegant it almost felt graceful.
However, she was the successor to a prestigious family that easily ranked among the top 10 great sword families of this country. As soone who would have been taught all of her family’s secret techniques since childhood, she should have been much more perfect than what she just showed.
“Is that swordsmanship you just displayed the Muwon Sword Style?”
“Yes. Though I’m still lacking in many ways.”
“It certainly did seem very lacking.”
“What did you say?”
“Why? Didn't you just admit it yourself?”
“Still. It’s not right to rebuke so openly like that.”
“I told you. You won’t hear anything good from .”
“Then tell in detail. What part was so lacking?”
“It’s a total ss, but the worst part was your breathing.”
“My breathing?”
“The brief gap between your forms is too unnatural. I noticed it when you had a Bimu with Shin Ah-yeon, but the disharmony you create is all because of your breathing. It becos unstable whenever your sword movents get bigger.”
Judging by her expression, her eyes showed no sign of acceptance.
“Aren’t you just nitpicking for no reason? Neither my dad nor my grandpa ever told anything like that.”
“How you take my words is up to you.”
“Hmph.”
To kick away the precious advice I was giving her like this was sothing I could never have imagined in my Johan Raven days.
Everyone used to be desperate to hear even a single trivial word from .
“What did you think, brother? Han Ye-ji’s Muwon Sword Style.”
This guy was just as sharp-tongued as I was.
He was soone who could be sufficiently harsh even if it was their first eting.
But my expectation was completely off.
“It was excellent.”
For a mont, I doubted my ears.
It was just so absurd.
“My swordsmanship was ‘not bad’, but Han Ye-ji’s was ‘excellent’?”
“Yes. Considering it’s her first dungeon clear, it’s quite excellent. And what you just said was an extrely forced criticism. At least in my eyes, her breathing wasn't unstable.”
“You didn't look properly. Try to watch with your eyes wide open next ti.”
“What?”
“Han Ye-ji. You take the next Kobold too.”
“Alright. But you should be the one to look properly, oppa. And don't make up nonsense.”
Nonsense, she says.
It was pointless to watch anyway.
The only one with the talent to fix a flaw imdiately upon realizing it was , Johan Raven.
“So you’re saying you won’t admit it.”
“Ji-won oppa said it was excellent. Wouldn't it be right to listen to soone who is much more skilled?”
In truth, even Seo Ji-won would have no choice but to understand the aning of my words next ti.
He was a talent who was close to a Sword Expert before the age of thirty. He might not have noticed if he wasn't consciously looking, but Seo Ji-won was definitely not that unobservant.
“The next Kobold is in that direction.”
My role as a guide continued.
Since I had already correctly pinpointed the Kobold’s location three tis, the other three followed without a word.
And this ti, too, my words hit the mark without fail.
“Wow, how does Ji-han oppa know all this?”
“Focus and hold your sword properly. The Kobold will charge soon.”
Kraaaang!
The Kobold charged imdiately, and the three n stepped back, leaving Han Ye-ji in front.
Her back as she readjusted her grip on the sword looked quite determined.
It was also true that, in terms of absolute skill, she was certainly a decent talent.
Well, she was still full of flaws in my eyes, though.
Shwaaaak!
Shwaaaaaaak!
Once again, her Muwon Sword Style unfolded, and a mont later, the Kobold’s life ended with its neck severed.
Perhaps because I had criticized her harshly, her attacks seed even more ferocious.
“Did you see properly this ti? How was it, Ji-han oppa?”
“How was it? The sa as before.”
“Hmph! Are you just nitpicking again? This won’t do. Ji-won oppa, please clear this up neatly.”
In that instant, six pairs of eyes turned towards Seo Ji-won.
This ti, he hesitated, unable to answer right away.
“Hoo...”
“It was excellent? That’s it, right?”
“Brother, just say what you saw.”
Seo Ji-won bit his lip firmly.
His expression as he looked at was incredibly stiff.
Well, of course it would be.
Because what I said was true.
And because he hadn't noticed it himself until I pointed it out.
Seo Ji-won remained silent for a mont before finally opening his mouth again.
“It is against etiquette to comnt on the swordsmanship of another family. I shall also retract what I said earlier.”
“What? So you’re not going to say anything?”
“Because it’s not polite.”
“It’s not polite.”
“You could just say it was excellent again.”
“No. I will not say anything.”
“Hmph. What’s with you brothers?”
“Still, you kept your conscience at the end, brother.”
I was almost disappointed.
I could overlook other things, but I detested lying about swordsmanship.
***
[Remaining Kobolds: 1]
“As planned, I’ll take care of the last one.”
“I’m going to watch properly this ti, too. To see how well Ji-han oppa does.”
“Alright, watch carefully. How I decorate the finale.”
Of course, there would be a separate, true finale.
I was starting to feel it.
The presence of the assassin approaching from our rear.
“Young Master!”
Choi Ho-joong called in a low voice.
“Be ready. We don’t know when he’ll aim for our backs.”
“Yes. I will always protect your back, Young Master.”
It seed the assassin was aiming for the timing between the dungeon clear and the dungeon's disappearance.
In that case, I should play along.
“Everyone, follow . The last one is over there.”
“But is the dungeon clear really ending this soon? It feels a bit bland.”
Han Ye-ji was making such idle remarks, but as if her words were a jinx, sothing happened that made this dungeon not bland at all.
It wasn't the expected attack from the assassin. An unexpected event of the dungeon itself had occurred.
[The dungeon is going on a rampage.]
[The monster's evolution will now begin.]
“Dungeon rampage?”
“Oppa! What is this?”
It was sothing I had read about in the theory books.
A phenonon where the dungeon's difficulty suddenly went crazy, with an extrely low probability.
Seo Ji-won spoke up imdiately.
“No one needs to panic. Even if an E-rank dungeon goes on a rampage, it’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s obviously the first ti for you two rookies, and Choi Ho-joong, is this your first ti too?”
“Yes. I’ve only heard about it, but this is my first ti experiencing it.”
“For now, let’s move towards the Kobold’s location and wait for a ssage. To see what kind of evolution the Kobold undergoes.”
“It’s a relief that Ji-won oppa is with us at a ti like this! Are you sure nothing bad will happen?”
She said she had to retake the license exam because of theory, and it seed she really didn't know anything.
No matter how much the dungeon rampaged, our current strength was clearly overkill.
Depending on the extent of the rampage, I might even be able to handle it on my own.
The ssage ca just as we were about to reach the last Kobold.
[The Kobold has evolved into a Kobold Shaman.]
[The type of shamanism is undisclosed.]
Although it had evolved, the type of monster had not changed.
It was still a Kobold, just like before.
The key depended on what kind of shamanism it would use.
“Seo Ji-han, what’s your plan?”
Seo Ji-won looked at with a relaxed smile.
I was the one who had decided to hunt this monster. He was asking if I still felt the sa way.
His inner wish for to be scared was all too obvious.
“What do you an, what’s my plan. Of course I have to hunt it.”
“Really?”
“Why? Were you expecting to back down?”
“There’s no need to overdo it. The dungeon rampage was not in our calculations.”
“Even so, it’s just a Kobold.”
In fact, this point was important.
If it had evolved into a monster I couldn't handle at this point, I might have seriously considered it.
But the new ability the Kobold gained was shamanism.
I didn't know what kind of ntal attack it would use, but there weren't many reasons to feel burdened.
Although my body was that of the wretched Seo Ji-han, my mind was that of Johan Raven.
“Think again. You could end up in a worse situation by being stubborn.”
“Isn’t that the picture you were hoping for, brother?”
When I hit the nail on the head, Seo Ji-won just smirked.
“I’ll promise one thing for sure. If you’re in danger, I’ll step in imdiately.”
“I’m touched.”
“Alright. Then, as planned, you shall decorate the finale of this dungeon.”
After reconfirming the original plan, we started walking towards the last Kobold again.
Choi Ho-joong kept looking at , giving signs not to overdo it. I was grateful, but he was a worrier.
If I said I was fine, then I was truly fine.
Grrrrrrr!
And a mont later, the grotesque cry of the Kobold began to be heard.
The closer we got to it, the more I felt a sense of unease.
Grrrrrrr!
That sound was distinctly different from the cries of the other Kobolds.
Seo Ji-won shouted as if he had realized sothing.
“It’s a Roar-type shamanism.”
“Uh, I think so too.”
Roar. A destructive cry that higher-level monsters use to threaten their prey.
In so cases, it was said that just hearing it could induce extre fear that paralyzed the limbs.
Grrrrrrr!
That sound could never be produced by a Kobold.
Han Ye-ji’s face had already turned slightly pale from the mysterious power contained in the shamanism.
“Han Ye-ji. Get a grip.”
“Huh? Yes!”
No matter how much of a rookie she was, her abilities already surpassed those of most experienced hunters.
The fact that she was this scared ant the intensity of that shamanism was considerable.
She probably wouldn't be able to exert even half of her power right now.
“Y-Young Master! Are you alright?”
“Ho-joong.”
“Yes!”
“You still have a long way to go. Seeing how nervous you are.”
Although not as much as Han Ye-ji, Choi Ho-joong was also being affected by the Roar.
“I am not nervous!”
“Getting so defensive makes you seem more suspicious, don't you think?”
“What about you, Seo Ji-han?”
Seo Ji-won asked with a relaxed expression.
“?”
Pfft.
A laugh escaped on its own.
To be honest, it was just too pathetic.
Not long ago, I was the one who had taken a Dragon's Roar head-on.
There was no way I would be affected by such a baseless Roar.
“Watch carefully from now on. Whether I’m alright or not.”
I raised the Reapersword.
To plunge my sword into the mouth of that ridiculously pathetic Kobold Shaman.
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