This forest becomes increasingly dangerous the deeper we venture, as we’re attacked by various monsters.
In particular, goblins—though it’s not as if real living creatures have been unleashed, of course. They’re more like robots or puppets driven by magic.
Ironically, this very fact allows our instructors to easily adjust their power output, making them even stronger than in real combat.
On the surface, this may seem like a relatively simple task, but it’s far from easy.
‘The key is in setting up a base.’
That’s why all five members are necessary.
Surprise attacks can come from exactly six directions at once.
Even if all five members try to defend, one spot will inevitably be left open.
Especially with goblins, if we let them get close, the situation gets complicated. Even if we’re from a top academy, once caught, a messy fight could ensue.
From then on, strength and time drain rapidly.
And this is only assuming all five members are present. If the number decreases, the situation deteriorates sharply. The number of attack routes remains unchanged, so the difficulty rises exponentially.
“Here they come.”
Just 5 minutes into penetrating the forest, and the reputation of the highest academy was not unfounded.
Each team member knew exactly what they had to do. Yoon Sanghyuk and Lee Sangbong did their part in the battle.
However, with five members, and six attack routes, one person inevitably had to cover two spots.
That role fell to me.
This part went somewhat easier thanks to Yoo Hana’s assistance. She coordinated perfectly with me, as if she were an extension of my own limbs.
‘What’s going on?’
Even when we moved together, it felt like she was occasionally overstepping her boundaries with a flirtatious touch, something that didn’t particularly bother me, so I let it slide.
The goblin attacks were repeated multiple times.
Just when we thought we could take a break, another wave would come. If we stayed vigilant, they’d quiet down – the instructor’s strategy was clearly to drain our energy needlessly.
We had just dealt with another group.
With the last goblin defeated, this exercise was starting to get tedious. I leaned lightly on my spear and caught my breath. That’s when I heard Yoon Sanghyuk’s heavy breathing.
“Haa, Haa…When will this end? I can’t concentrate anymore.”
I glanced sideways and saw that Lee Sangbong had also collapsed, rubbing the back of his neck.
I steadied my breathing and looked around. The faint mechanical sounds of fallen goblin bodies could still be heard.
On the exposed skeletal frame of a broken robot, the small inscription “Mark. 8” was carved.
‘Total attacks are 9.’
Mark 8, meaning this was the eighth wave.
“It seems almost over.”
I half-turned my head and replied to Yoon Sanghyuk.
Then he asked breathlessly.
“Really?”
“Mmhmm.”
He nodded happily and let out a deep sigh.
Now it seemed we could take a short break.
The members started to rest, sitting down or leaning against the wall.
I stood there, propping my spear against the side, and inconspicuously glanced around.
‘Injuries?’
I checked Yoon Sanghyuk, Lee Sangbong, and Kim Daehyun to see if they had any serious wounds.
That’s when it happened.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine, making the back of my neck feel cold.
Before I even turned my head, the team members urgently gestured to me except for Yoo Hana, who remained casually smiling.
—”Shriek!”—
Without even turning my head, I tilted my spear diagonally behind me.
A “clang!” sounded as an arrow was deflected and hit a tree before falling.
In one swift motion, I spun my body, using my waist and legs in a fluid movement while throwing my spear.
It was a perfect throw, smooth as water.
-“Crack!”—
The hidden goblin archer (robot) was taken down instantly.
“Phew.”
The quick transition left my back sore. Sudden and aggressive movements are not ideal. This is why I don’t prefer throwing spears.
I looked over and realized the group was staring at me with their mouths open.
“Wow, how did you do that?”
It was Kim Daehyun.
“Kind of like…this way and that…dodge it, then throw it.”
He mimicked the motion, fascinated.
Yoon Sanghyuk and Lee Sangbong were also curious.
“… Isn’t that intuition…?”
Yoon Sanghyuk seemed to understand roughly what it was. However, it wasn’t like he was among the top-tier.
“Intuition” is exactly that—a heightened sense that lets you perceive your surroundings, whether behind you, blind spots, or in some cases, even dangers that haven’t yet occurred. Of course, the latter is rare.
It’s essentially a form of heightened perception.
“More or less, something like that.”
My mind shifted. I just wanted to get out of this forest as soon as possible.
“Should we take our break outside?”
With those words, Yoon Sanghyuk, Lee Sangbong, and Kim Daehyun exchanged glances and immediately nodded. Yoo Hana remained calm, her serene smile unchanged as if tacitly agreeing with the proposal.
I pulled my spear from the goblin’s remains.
“Let’s go.”
*
“Let’s finish this guy and we’re done!”
Kim Daehyun shouted loudly.
As I prepared to throw my spear at the last goblin, suddenly Yoo Hana charged forward like a gale wind. Her sharp slash cleanly cut the goblin in two.
“… She’s fast?”
Yoo Hana being strong is consistent with her character. After all, she’s top 10.
Anyway, it’s good that she’s strong.
As soon as the last goblin was killed, the forest began to clear, revealing the safe zone.
In an instant, we broke through the edge of the forest.
“Rough.”
It wasn’t an easy challenge. Given it’s the Realm Gaon, that made sense.
The instructor standing in the center of the safe zone waved to us as we arrived.
He loudly announced our ranking.
“Second place!”
The other team members – Yoon Sanghyuk, Lee Sangbong, Kim Daehyun – were already sprawled on the ground.
“Nice….”
Yoon Sanghyuk and Lee Sangbong, lying on the ground, gave me a thumbs up.
Had they been uncooperative throughout the battle, I might have separated the unit or simply ignored them. However, since they fulfilled their duties during the fight, no bad impression remained.
Kim Daehyun also performed well. His straightforward nature and competent handling of the tank role were commendable.
Yoo Hana stood unscathed.
She didn’t seem to have broken a sweat, and her breath was calm.
“Good job.”
I approached her and offered a light greeting.
“Thanks to your help, it went smoothly.”
She smiled faintly in response.
“Honestly, did I really need to help?”
“Huh… Of course.”
She hit a nerve.
It’s true; whether it was two directions, three, or six, it wouldn’t have mattered. But the additional support made it much easier.
“You can’t tell a white lie?”
Yoo Hana covered her mouth slightly and let out an adorable laugh.
“Sorry, it’s just my personality.”
She absently flicked back a strand of hair, tossing out an unexpected comment.
“Still, I kind of like it.”
Her straight gaze seemed serious somewhere.
As a result, the surrounding air felt oddly warm. The atmosphere was strange.
“Ah, I see.”
I briefly responded.
Yoo Hana seemed uninterested in my answer, maintaining her calm smile and shrugging her shoulders.
In that moment, I began looking for the other teams.
The instructor had said we were second; it implied one team had finished ahead of us.
I caught sight of a group standing not too far away.
One of the five was quite tall, while another emanated a soft but sacred aura.
“They deserve to be first.”
It wasn’t the lead character, Seong Si-woo’s team. He wasn’t that strong yet.
The first place team was Johan the Hero and Cheon Yeoul’s group.
Seong Si-woo isn’t the hero of this game; that’s a separate thing.
“Wow, with a hero and a Saint candidate, they deserve first place.”
Yoon Sanghyuk had somehow appeared beside me, exclaiming in admiration.
I casually asked him.
“Do you know the hero?”
Yoon Sanghyuk made a wry face.
“I know him. But…”
He hesitated, scratching his head.
“No, it’s not my place to say.”
What’s his deal?
There are two ways to irritate someone: one is to start talking and stop halfway…
I stared at him, feeling exasperated, and he recoiled slightly before answering.
“…Well, there’s talk that things aren’t great between the hero and the Saint.”
Ah…
This conflict is depicted in the game’s story. Originally, it emerged around the time feelings began to grow between Seong Si-woo and Cheon Yeoul, but the timing felt faster this time.
I stopped thinking and turned my gaze back to the first place team standing far away.
My eyes met Cheon Yeoul’s.
She smiled brightly and slowly waved her hand in a graceful, composed motion. The movement was clear even from a distance.
“What…”
Yoon Sanghyuk traced the path of her gaze with his finger and seemed to realize it was directed at me.
“Eh…?”
I quickly gestured to acknowledge Cheon Yeoul’s greeting. I could feel the eyes of others on us; soon, everyone might be watching.
At that moment, I felt a strong gaze aimed directly at me.
When I glanced sideways, I saw Johan glaring at me like he was shooting lasers from where he stood next to Cheon Yeoul.
His expression was rigid, but his eyes were intensely fixed on me.
In the story, Johan is a character who shows intense obsession towards Cheon Yeoul, and as time goes on, this obsession progressively shifts into something unpleasant towards others.
So in a way, it makes sense…
‘Then…’
Why me?
