IGXOS 13

Along with the instructor’s voice signaling the start, Park Dong-wook stepped forward and shouted.

“Let’s go!”

Following Park Dong-wook, who had implicitly become the leader, all the members of Team 2 followed behind him.

Ji Yu-chan looked at Park Dong-wook with a concerned gaze but followed him without much comment. Based on his experience, Ji Yu-chan knew that such an overheated atmosphere usually led to bad situations, but you never know.

Not every overheated atmosphere necessarily resulted in bad outcomes, and he also thought that with an aggressive leader now in place, things might perhaps be different.

Until now, although Ji Yu-chan had been the de facto leader, he hadn’t been able to fulfill the role of a leader.

He was always part of the group’s core, but since he had never been a leader before, there was also a part of him that held back.

So he thought that with Park Dong-wook taking the lead and the rest of Team 2 following behind, maybe the situation wouldn’t be the worst possible.

But little did Ji Yu-chan dream that if Do-hyeon had seen Park Dong-wook charging ahead like that, he might have slapped his own forehead in disbelief. Ji Yu-chan had no idea.

Because Park Dong-wook’s trait rating was lower than Ji Yu-chan’s?

No, that’s not the reason. It was because in Do-hyeon’s eyes, Park Dong-wook’s trait was clearly visible.

『Park Dong-wook』
『Trait: Buffer [F]』
『Skills』
▶ 「×」
『Stats』
▶ 「Strength: 5」
▶ 「Agility: 3」
▶ 「Stamina: 3」
▶ 「Magic Power: 2」

How could you not try to stop a Buffer from charging ahead claiming to be the leader? But completely unaware of this, Ji Yu-chan ran forward thinking it might somehow be okay.

If even Ji Yu-chan thought this way, the other Team 2 members had similar thoughts.

‘How reassuring!’
‘Dong-wook oppa should have stepped up sooner.’
‘But he is a bit slow.’

Whether it was due to his low agility or not, although Park Dong-wook was running with all his might, it was true he was slower than the other members, so such thoughts were inevitable.

And so, Team 2, with Park Dong-wook at the forefront.

They entered the maze. Park Dong-wook charged ahead recklessly, with Ji Yu-chan following behind him, and Kim Yun-jeong, Kwon Eun-chae, and Han Jun-seo trailing behind Ji Yu-chan.

Tadadada.

The sound of their running echoed through the maze, and with other sounds slightly muffled, Park Dong-wook was running aimlessly without regard for what lay ahead or behind. Watching this, Ji Yu-chan couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.

‘Is he just running?’

Didn’t the instructor trio brief them that there were traps and goblins? But Park Dong-wook was just running aimlessly, not even thinking about those things.

He thought Park Dong-wook might have some plan, but it turned out he had none at all. Then, Ji Yu-chan spotted in his peripheral vision a faintly glinting wire installed on the floor, and Park Dong-wook’s ankle about to step right in front of it.

“Huh?”

In the next moment, Park Dong-wook’s foot touched the wire, and feeling the odd sensation, Park Dong-wook let out a stupid sound. Instantly, Ji Yu-chan quickly shifted his gaze to the walls and ceiling, saw holes in the wall, and shoved Park Dong-wook hard.

Thump!
Pssshuuut.

As Park Dong-wook was shoved and tumbled clumsily across the floor, arrows whizzed through the space where he had just been.

If Ji Yu-chan hadn’t pushed him in time, Park Dong-wook would have been hit by the arrows.

Of course, the arrowheads weren’t sharp but blunt, but being hit would still have had enough force to cause serious bruises at least.

“What the f*ck?! What’s going on!?”

“…Hyung-nim, the briefing said there were traps. Please be careful.”

“Ah, r-right.”

What kind of leader forgets even the basics and blindly charges ahead without looking?

Was this indeed the worst-case scenario after all?

That’s why Ji Yu-chan stepped forward, as if he had no choice.

“I’ll take the lead.”

As Ji Yu-chan said this, Park Dong-wook’s expression momentarily hardened as he looked at Ji Yu-chan and snapped irritably.

“Yu-chan, that was just a mistake earlier. I’ll handle it, so don’t interfere. We need to win, right?”

“…?”

Wondering if he was serious, Ji Yu-chan looked at Park Dong-wook, whose eyes were indeed serious.

He couldn’t believe Park Dong-wook was talking as if he were someone important, but apparently, it was real.

Ji Yu-chan couldn’t understand it, but Park Dong-wook was actually feeling like he had become someone important because the other members agreed and went along with his opinions.

He was even starting to think that maybe things would have been different if he had faced Do-hyeon in the sparring match, so there was no way he would listen even if Ji Yu-chan said something.

Ji Yu-chan, knowing well the look in the eyes of a stubborn person, had no choice but to step back.

“Alright.”

Ji Yu-chan raised both hands and stepped back. As Park Dong-wook dusted off his knees and stood up with an expression saying ‘it should have been like that from the start,’ looking at Ji Yu-chan, the other members couldn’t help but sense something odd.

It was only natural.

There was Park Dong-wook, who couldn’t even see traps and charged ahead recklessly, and there was Ji Yu-chan, who unlike him, spotted the trap and saved Park Dong-wook.

Anyone could see that the latter was the one who should be leading the team.

‘At this rate, aren’t we going to fail?’
‘Forget losing, isn’t something serious going to happen?’
‘Uh, what should we do?’

They should have backed Ji Yu-chan, but since Ji Yu-chan had yielded so readily, they couldn’t really say anything, and while they hesitated, the situation changed.

Goblins suddenly popped out from a corner at the end of the corridor where Team 2 was.

“Kekek!”
“Keruk!”
“Kehek!”

Just like with Team 1, three goblins appeared.

It was a manageable number they could easily defeat if they maintained formation and fought with moderate tension. However, Park Dong-wook let out a loud yell, grabbed his weapon, a steel blunt instrument, and charged at them.

“Uwaaaah!”

Park Dong-wook charged screaming wildly. At first glance, it might seem like he charged without thinking, but in reality, Park Dong-wook did think before moving.

He had read the wavering looks in his teammates’ eyes and, feeling anxious to prove his qualifications as a leader, he charged, resulting in a very shaky and reckless attack.

Was it because he was running carrying a heavy weapon?

His movement seemed even slower than usual, but it was still about on par with the goblins’ speed.

Tudadada.

His heavy footsteps charged towards the goblins. The goblins, seeing him coming, tried to attack with their crude daggers, but Park Dong-wook was slightly faster.

The steel blunt instrument swung with fierce speed was powerful in itself, and as it struck a goblin’s fragile head, the creature crumbled helplessly.

Peoseok!

With a sound like something bursting, one goblin fell, but the others, as if they understood the situation, lunged at Park Dong-wook.

The goblins, worthy of the epithet ‘vicious,’ were trying to take down Park Dong-wook by sacrificing their comrade.

This was unexpected for Park Dong-wook, who thought they would retreat after one of them died.

“Wha-what!?”
“Keruk!”

Just as the two goblins charging at Park Dong-wook were about to stab him with their crude but sharp daggers…

Once again, Ji Yu-chan appeared, grabbed Park Dong-wook’s protective gear, and yanked him backward.

Whoosh!

Pulled back like a radish, Park Dong-wook tumbled backward. With Park Dong-wook gone, Ji Yu-chan glared fiercely at the goblins now left hanging in the air and swung his sword.

Although he had practiced kendo for a long time, this felt different.

‘Here.’

A-rank Sword Technique and the Sword King’s Instinct activated, mana infused the sword, and the Sword King’s Instinct told Ji Yu-chan exactly how to swing it.

And the sword strike Ji Yu-chan swung accordingly traced a perfect arc, simultaneously severing the goblins’ necks.

Chwaaaaak!

The arc drawn by the sword instantly stained red as the goblins’ necks flew off in mid-air, and their heads fell limply to the floor.

Thud, thu-thud.
Pishuuuuu.

Blood spurted from the neatly severed necks of the goblins, soaking the floor. Behind that spot, Park Dong-wook was staring at Ji Yu-chan with trembling eyes.

If Ji Yu-chan hadn’t been standing where he was, would it have been goblins lying there bleeding like that?

The moment Park Dong-wook thought that, his pupils trembled slightly.

Wasn’t he supposed to be better?

That delusion began to crack, little by little.

Because what Ji Yu-chan just did was something Park Dong-wook could never imitate.

And if it hadn’t been for Ji Yu-chan just now, it could have been a fatal, possibly deadly situation.

‘F*ck.’

As Park Dong-wook, cursing inwardly, moved to get up, his legs were visibly trembling slightly.

Anyone could see it.

The fact that Park Dong-wook was now scared.

Ji Yu-chan, on the other hand, tried to hold onto the strange sensation he felt while swinging his sword.

Because that feeling just now was somewhat similar to what he had seen in Do-hyeon.

Having been vaguely sensing mana, Ji Yu-chan could tell for sure. He realized that just now, he had unconsciously channeled some energy flowing through his body into his sword to attack. And he also realized that Do-hyeon had attacked him in a similar way during their sparring match.

‘I think I kind of get the feeling now.’

Having vaguely understood that the Sword King’s Instinct had naturally activated his swordsmanship, he gripped his sword tightly, determined to do even better next time.

“…Hoo.”

While Ji Yu-chan was thus reviewing the moment, Park Dong-wook, who had been lying on the ground, got up. The other members were subtly watching the two of them, trying to gauge the situation.

With the situation so unpredictable that they couldn’t even guess how things would unfold, to make matters worse, an announcement suddenly blared.

-Emergency! The mana circuits installed in the maze have become unstable, causing a mana flow blockage. Instructors are currently unable to enter. Consequently, goblin mutations are expected. Each team, find the exit and escape as quickly as possible!

At that announcement, Park Dong-wook’s eyes shook violently.