Chapter 38: The Presence or Absence of Just One Person （1）
The preparation time for the test was 30 minutes.
Yeon Woo-bin, despite meeting them for the first time, proactively gathered the team members.
“Since we don’t have much time, let’s keep the introductions brief. I’m D-rank, and I use magic as a Dealer.”
He turned his head.
At the implied prompt to introduce themselves next, a man with a sturdy physique spoke.
“I’m also D-rank, and my position is Tanker.”
“I’m E-rank, and my position is Sub-Tanker.”
“I’m E-rank, and my position is Dealer. I use assassination-type weapons.”
“I’m D-rank, and my position is All-rounder. I’m a Warrior-type, so I can handle any role.”
They revealed themselves one by one.
Three D-ranks, two E-ranks.
As Yeon Gyu-seong had said, it was sufficient power to pass the D-rank test.
Moreover, the balance between Dealers and Tankers was appropriate, so it seemed that there wouldn’t be any major difficulties if they just devised a good strategy.
‘This test is an opportunity to prove myself to my father. If I show signs of panic and fear like I did in the ant nest, he’ll never allow it, regardless of the outcome. That can’t happen. And I promised Kang San-nim. I told him that the next time we meet, I would definitely fix my chronic timidity.’
He steeled his resolve.
He couldn’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
Hadn’t he reviewed his hunting experience with Kang San countless times, analyzing what he did wrong and what he did right?
Yeon Woo-bin spoke.
“Our strength lies more in defense than offense. It wouldn’t be easy to overwhelm them with firepower even if we take an aggressive approach, so how about we build a solid defensive line and sweep away the enemies based on my magic? Although I don’t have much raid experience, I’m confident I can make it up to you if you just buy me some time.”
“If you say so…”
“I agree. If we have three close-range positions, the strategy you just mentioned is the standard approach.”
It was a confident statement, unlike his usual self.
With a standard judgment, none of the mercenaries who participated voiced any particular objection.
The preparations were essentially complete.
Yeon Woo-bin took a deep breath and showed a determined look in his eyes.
“Then, I’ll be in your care.”
✦✦✦✦✦✦
There are many types of monster training grounds.
Most of them are designed to fight against selected captured monsters, but there are also methods that utilize a specific Other World as a training ground, like the promotion test center. The training ground Yeon Woo-bin visited was the latter. They intentionally didn’t completely subjugate the monsters and maintained the connection with the Other World, releasing desired monsters to use as a training ground.
Swish.
As soon as they crossed dimensions.
A musty smell stung their noses.
Without even a moment to look around, the Tanker discovered a strange movement.
“Something’s approaching from the front! Get ready!”
Rustle.
Just as he said.
They could see the bushes rustling.
Quickly, the Tanker stood at the very front, with the Warrior and Sub-Tanker backing him up.
The Sub-Tanker was in a slightly ambiguous position, taking on a secondary role of protecting the Dealers depending on the situation.
A tense situation.
Thump.
Finally, the monster revealed itself.
Seeing the small creatures rushing out of the bushes, a question mark appeared on the Tanker’s face.
“Goblins?”
Kyaa!
Kyaaak!
Goblins are not strong monsters.
They are only F-rank, so for this place to be designated as D-rank, it meant there had to be Hobgoblins. The Hobgoblin is the king of goblins with intellectual abilities. Usually, they are E-rank, but there is information that they can be classified as up to D-rank depending on how high their intelligence is. Then, their king, who pushed the Goblins forward as soon as the intruders appeared, must have been a Hobgoblin with intelligence beyond that of a human.
‘Guardian Shield.’
Whoosh.
The Tanker drew aggro.
The Goblins’ eyes turned red as they simultaneously attacked the Tanker.
Kyaang!
Kek! Kek!
They collided head-on.
As the Tanker raised his shield and blocked the first attack, the Warrior immediately seized the opportunity and cut off the Goblins’ heads. The Assassin Dealer’s reaction was also instantaneous. Daggers flew in, embedding themselves in vital points, and amidst the chaotic entanglement, Yeon Woo-bin had already begun casting.
Kieeek.
Kek! Kek! Kek!
The Goblins shrieked.
As they scattered and tried to target Yeon Woo-bin, the Tanker shouted.
“Protect the Mage!”
“Okay!”
They understood each other perfectly.
The Sub-Tanker stepped back, blocking the scattering Goblins, and even when new Goblins emerged from the bushes, the Tanker didn’t panic and focused on gathering aggro. It was too easy a difficulty for a party mainly composed of D-ranks. Even if there was a Hobgoblin, if they couldn’t withstand the human wave tactic using Goblins, they wouldn’t have dared to be given the title of D-rank.
Certainly, the numbers were overwhelming.
Before they knew it, Goblins were swarming, filling their vision, and among them were Goblins aiming from a distance.
However.
“Lightning Shock.”
Crackle.
Crackle, crackle.
Yeon Woo-bin raised his magical power.
Since they were individually weak monsters, he used a relatively fast-casting 2nd Circle magic, and on top of that, the power of his elemental magic was amplified by Yeon Woo-bin’s special ability, Elemental Bless. The intense electricity wasn’t at the level of 2nd Circle. A lightning bolt seemed to erupt from Yeon Woo-bin, sweeping away the Goblin horde.
Bzzzt! Crackle!
Kreeaaak!
“Wow━.”
The Tanker let out a gasp of admiration.
At first, he thought Yeon Woo-bin’s weak appearance wasn’t trustworthy, but with just one spell, he had completely proven himself. To have such skill with little raid experience… Surely, he would have been scouted by many guilds with his first Awakening alone. It was puzzling that he was a skilled person he had never heard of, even though they were of the same rank. What was certain was that this gave him confidence that they would pass the test.
A solid defense line.
Explosive magic.
There was no more ideal combination than this.
He thought that, as Yeon Woo-bin said, if they defensively blocked variables, they would soon be able to take the Hobgoblin’s head.
And that thought.
Whoosh.
Crack━!
“Kyaaak!”
In less than 10 minutes, it was shattered by a Troll that suddenly appeared.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Meanwhile.
Yeon Gyu-seong was observing the current situation from outside the Other World.
At that time, the situation was progressing smoothly, so Yeon Gyu-seong spoke to the secretary beside him with a cold gaze.
“What’s the probability of Woo-bin passing the test?”
“I can say with certainty, zero.”
“What’s the basis for that?”
Another screen.
Trolls were rapidly approaching.
The secretary glanced at their movements and continued his explanation.
“Young Master’s party may seem well-balanced in general, but in reality, their firepower is severely lacking. The Tanker, Sub-Tanker, and Warrior won’t gain an advantage against a large number of enemies, and that applies to the Assassin Dealer as well. They’re all positions specialized in man-to-man combat, so inevitably, everything has to be focused on Young Master’s firepower. That’s why we intentionally deployed the Trolls. Trolls are apex predators even among D-rank monsters. In particular, their overwhelming regenerative abilities are known to be the natural enemy of magic-type Dealers.”
“From what I see, Woo-bin’s magic seems more powerful than expected.”
“That’s correct. In fact, according to the results of previous tests, Young Master Woo-bin’s magic cannot be judged by the standards of his peers. That’s why the presence of the Trolls is even more significant. Trolls have low intelligence compared to their physical abilities, so they don’t utilize their stats properly. However, if the Hobgoblin acts as their brain and commands the situation, a D-rank party can never handle it. And in any case, the fact that we only deployed D-rank monsters will serve as a legitimate justification.”
“Good work. I’ll reward you separately for this later.”
“Thank you.”
Yeon Gyu-seong smiled.
Double and triple layers.
He had prepared thoroughly for this test.
Yeon Woo-bin would think that it was a sudden proposal, but that too was a trap Yeon Gyu-seong had set.
The moment he stepped forward to prove his abilities.
A trap to completely crush him.
‘Now he won’t be able to say he wants to live as a Hunter anymore.’
Just then.
The Trolls that had burst out of the bushes began to create variables on the battlefield.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
It was as expected.
As soon as the Trolls were deployed, the situation became extremely dire.
“…D*mn it.”
Kwaang━!
The Troll’s front paw slammed against the shield.
While the Tanker struggled against two Trolls, goblins started to swarm through the gaps, attacking relentlessly.
Kieek!
Kekekek!
“Block them!”
“We can’t let them get close!”
The Sub-Tanker desperately tried to hold them back.
He also activated Guardian Shield, drawing the goblins’ attention, but the problem was that it wasn’t just goblins attacking the Sub-Tanker. A Troll appeared from another direction. The Hobgoblin had intentionally tied down the main Tanker’s feet, then separated him from the Sub-Tanker and chose a strategy of attacking them individually.
A strategy impossible with a Troll’s intelligence.
But because the Hobgoblin existed, the Sub-Tanker had to face the giant front paw that plunged down from above.
Crack!
“Ugh.”
It was chaos.
They had intentionally induced a melee.
With their positions crumbling and monsters flooding in from all directions, a stable and perfect defense system was impossible. A fight where they were intertwined, killing and being killed. Still, because they were Hunters with ranks, they didn’t show signs of collapsing easily, but for a party with weak firepower, dealing with Trolls was a significant obstacle.
Thud.
The Warrior’s sword flashed.
The Troll’s chest was split open, but the cells quickly knitted back together, and the Troll’s gaze turned towards the Warrior.
“Oh no.”
Thoom━!
He was sent flying by the front paw.
Hot flames erupted towards the Troll that was approaching the Warrior.
Kwaang!
Whoosh!
2nd Circle magic.
It was Fire Ball.
There was no time to prepare 3rd Circle or higher magic, so he had used the most powerful spell he could for the time being.
But.
Crackle.
Crackle.
Groooowl.
The Troll didn’t fall.
Living up to its reputation as the natural enemy of Mages, even with its skin melting, it turned its head precisely towards Yeon Woo-bin. Then, it charged at him like lightning. Even when the Assassin Dealer noticed and hurriedly threw daggers, the Troll didn’t care, only focusing on Yeon Woo-bin. It was the Hobgoblin’s command. The single order that penetrated the Troll’s mind was the message that if they just took care of the Mage, all their problems would be over.
At that moment.
Yeon Woo-bin’s pupils dilated.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had shown a confident demeanor, but faced with this chaotic situation, fear gripped him.
『Kyaaak━!』
A scream was heard from somewhere.
It wasn’t a real sound.
His mother’s voice.
His body trembled.
The thought that he might d*e here crossed his mind.
His reflection in the Troll’s eyes seemed so fragile and weak that he felt like his limbs would be torn apart in an instant.
‘…Father planned this from the beginning.’
A balanced party.
It was a trap to eliminate any complaints.
He intentionally made him take the test with a composition lacking firepower and set up an enemy that could be considered a natural counter. And there must be a psychological element as well. His father must have warned the mercenaries he had hired that it could be ‘dangerous’, and perhaps because of that, they had lost their fighting spirit too quickly.
It was over.
If he surrendered, the bodyguards his father had sent would rescue him.
But.
‘This isn’t right. I’ve survived even more dangerous situations than this.’
He gritted his teeth.
Kang San’s image came to mind.
When he was under his protection, he had clearly demonstrated what a brilliant talent he possessed.
Yeon Woo-bin’s gaze changed.
He drew up his magical power and shouted.
“Everyone, just hold on somehow. If you just endure…”
Glimmering Magic Eye.
The memorized magic manifested, and Yeon Woo-bin’s presence swelled explosively.
“I’ll definitely sweep them all away.”
Flare.
Whoosh!
