The relocated dungeon was split into two paths on either side, walled off.
Anyone could see it was a typical maze-type dungeon.
As mentioned earlier, the ‘Simulated Dungeon Raid Practical Training’ wasn’t just a simple class about raiding dungeons as the name implied.
Though we don’t know the structure of this dungeon, there was a strong possibility that another team was stationed somewhere opposite.
There are a total of four dungeons, and two teams were likely spawned in each dungeon.
We’d encounter them while raiding.
“…What was that just now?”
Yoon Sanghyuk wore a puzzled expression after entering the dungeon, repeating the instructor’s words.
“So, you’re saying we’re supposed to fight?”
I turned my gaze towards Sion.
“Kang Ah-rin and Johan’s team is supposed to fight and win?”
Sion was kneeling on the ground with her eyes closed.
I quietly waited beside her as she finished.
“…No, we also need to…,”
At the moment Yoon Sanghyuk began to mutter, Kim Daehyun quietly shushed him by raising a finger to his lips.
“Shh.”
Yoon Sanghyuk’s muttering was halted by that.
At that moment, Sion slowly opened her eyes and got up from the ground.
She brushed the dirt off her palms, then looked at me.
I asked her,
“How about it? Is it possible to do the Realignment?”
She shook her head in response to my question.
“No, only the rough direction. There’s a device laid out that interferes with perception.”
Realignment is a technique of an archer that detects the structure of the dungeon and identifies the optimal raid route.
Ordinarily, maze dungeons are simple to raid once their structure is detected through Realignment.
However, this technique demands high-level mana control, making it almost impossible for students.
I had hoped it would be easy, but Realm was thorough, it appeared to be perfectly blocked.
“Let’s go.”
We moved in the direction Sion pointed.
I briefly paused and looked back at Yoon Sanghyuk.
“Sanghyuk, can you handle the guard position?”
The role of the guard position is to protect the ranged dealers and supporters from the center of the team. It requires a versatile ability to block attacks from reaching the core resources and to switch to offense based on the situation.
“But me?”
Yoon Sanghyuk pointed at himself, questioning.
That made sense. Since I was taking the vanguard, it would seem more reasonable for Kim Daehyun, who held the shield, to take on the role of protecting Sion from the center.
But this was only limited to battles against monsters.
Most monsters have low intelligence—apart from higher-tier individuals, rarely do they directly target the ranged dealers and supports stationed in the middle of the formation.
Hence, Kim Daehyun is suitable for blocking blind attacks with his shield.
However, human battles are different.
Humans always go after the center of the formation, targeting the core resources.
Even though I wouldn’t allow the enemy to reach the center, the efficiency was still the key concern.
“Oh, it’s because this is a person-to-person battle.”
At that moment, Kim Daehyun nodded in understanding.
“Good.”
Kim Daehyun had both basic knowledge and the ability to swiftly assess the situation.
Sion also seemed slightly surprised.
My observations were correct.
I briefly explained the role and necessity of the guard position to Yoon Sanghyuk. Since he had already done some preliminary studying, he swiftly agreed.
So I took the vanguard, Yoon Sanghyuk and Sion were in the center, while Kim Daehyun was at the rear.
After organizing the formation, we moved again.
Yoon Sanghyuk followed Jung Hae-in’s instructions.
Although he didn’t perfectly grasp his theories, he had realized something from before.
“Just follow what he says.”
He never spoke wrong. It was like getting rice cakes while sleeping.
Still, the tension was unavoidable since this was his first time taking the guard position.
Moreover, the instructor’s words kept coming to his mind.
“Fight and win when you meet the opposition?”
It practically meant we would definitely meet them.
Battling monsters was one thing, but whether or not he could handle excellent students like Kang Ah-rin or Johan was dubious.
Then, at his side, Shion suddenly opened her mouth.
“You don’t need to worry so much.”
She’d been staring at Jung Hae-in’s back since they started.
Yoon Sanghyuk had no choice but to nod at her explanation. It was hard to deny this after teaming up with him.
Suddenly, Jung Hae-in stopped.
“Wait.”
He raised his hand, stopping all of us.
At that moment, his sharp gaze locked onto a gap in one of the walls.
And he shouted.
“Daehyun!”
Kim Daehyun quickly moved to the center and held up his shield.
-ZWIIIIK!
Light spread from his shield, forming a defensive barrier. Metal darts began firing, and sharp fragments of metal struck the barrier, emitting a loud noise.
-PAPOPOPAK!
“Ughh…”
Kim Daehyun groaned.
And through the defensive barrier, Jung Hae-in could be seen.
Trolls with massive axes were rushing towards Jung Hae-in, but he was astonishingly calm.
As the troll’s axe swung down from the front, Jung Hae-in ducked low, avoiding it and slipping through the creature’s side.
-ZSSHH!
As his spear swept in a diagonal line, a red line appeared on the neck of the first troll, blood spurting out.
Before that troll even fell, Jung Hae-in was already moving towards the next target.
“Wow…”
It was a scene that left one in awe.
Avoidance and attack were not separated but interconnected in one continuous flow, and his spear tip targeted only the critical weak points.
Then, another troll suddenly appeared from the back and launched a counterattack, aiming for Jung Hae-in’s gap.
Jung Hae-in twisted his body to evade the attack, but with attacks coming from both sides, the tip of a club barely grazed his ribs.
Right then,
-ZEEEEEEEEK
“Damn bastard…”
From the side, curses mixed with the sound of a bowstring being pulled taut were heard.
“What, what is it?”
Startled, Yoon Sanghyuk turned to look at Shion.
Shion’s bow was already fully drawn, her eyes still fixed on Jung Hae-in.
“Hey, wait—!”
Before Yoon Sanghyuk could finish his sentence,
-PAF!
The arrow flew like lightning.
The arrow headed straight in a straight line towards Jung Hae-in’s back, and Yoon Sanghyuk’s heart was gripped by an intense tension.
But Jung Hae-in’s reaction was quick.
Without even looking back, as though he instinctively knew, he slightly tilted his head to the side.
-PUK!
The arrow grazed past Jung Hae-in’s ear and, at the end of its trajectory, pierced the troll’s forehead exactly.
Jung Hae-in turned around with a thumb-up.
Seeing his thumb, Shion’s face lit up with a smile.
Yoon Sanghyuk took a deep breath, recalling the situation.
Trolls are far superior monstrosities compared to goblins. Each one has a gigantic body and overwhelming strength.
Is there anyone among the other students who can face multiple trolls alone like that?
Recalling names that came to mind, he shook his head side to side.
Furthermore, the reckless shooting just now and the even more reckless dodge were enough to make him stop thinking further.
“This is possible…?”
He quietly muttered.
Damn this guy.
Although the core and flower of the dungeon were traps, I didn’t expect them to be so aggressively arranged.
Moreover, the smooth liquid on the arrows of the darts was clearly a paralyzing poison.
Isn’t that insane?
I slightly narrowed the distance to the main group.
Since the difficulty of the dungeon was higher than expected, it was to manage the unexpected situations.
But as if mocking such concerns, we soon reached the safety zone.
A few chairs in a narrow space and a small table were set up, and by the wall, bottled water and some basic supplies were prepared.
This was sufficient to rest comfortably.
Yoon Sanghyuk plopped into a chair, catching his breath, then asked me.
“So, Hae-in.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you and Sion… acquainted?”
At his words, I glanced at Sion.
She was sitting in a corner checking her bowstring, like usual, calm with her head down.
“Why?”
“Not really… Your synergy is just too good…”
I shook my head slightly and gave a vague answer.
“Well, we’ve known each other for a long time.”
Even so, a peculiar feeling stirred in my mind.
Now that I thought about it, why wasn’t Sion selected for the Seed?
Her rank was 19th, and that was more than enough for selection. Moreover, I could confidently say that Sion was far above that rank.
I asked Sion.
“Sion.”
She looked up, meeting my eyes.
“Hmm?”
“Something happen during the unit classes? It’s strange that you’re not a Seed.”
Sion thought for a while after my question, then lightly chuckled and answered as if it was no big deal.
“Just that they decided among themselves at the front, so I followed without a word… and ended up completely in the lower ranks.”
That’s right.
“You’re a bit passive, aren’t you?”
Given Sion’s personality, it made complete sense.
Her attitude of avoiding conflict with others often became a factor that prevented her abilities from being accurately assessed.
“Passive…?”
Yoon Sanghyuk, who had been listening on the side, muttered in confusion.
“Why? Is there something wrong?”
Sion gently smiled and asked Yoon Sanghyuk in return.
“Oh, no, nothing.”
She turned her gaze back to me and smiled lightly.
“Still, if I had been a Seed, I wouldn’t have been able to be in the same team as you, right?”
Sion’s smile carried a teasing yet kind expression.
“I like this better.”
