Chapter 21: The Man Who Prepares for Misfortune （2）
Installing the signal cords didn’t take long.
Once they finished setting them up in a circle surrounding their position, Kang San liberally applied Golden Honey to a nearby rock.
After that, it was a waiting game.
Jeong Chan-woo, who was hiding and waiting, felt stifled by the lack of visibility.
‘This is dangerous.’
Kang San’s strategy was good.
It could be said to be the best judgment in the current situation, but the problem was that they couldn’t predict the enemy’s movements.
Beyond the fog.
If dozens of Black Ants appeared, the party might not be able to detect the danger in front of them and be annihilated on the spot. Like anyone else, Jeong Chan-woo hated variables. Normally, he would have immediately abandoned the raid and looked for another party, but he found himself drawn to Kang San’s preparedness.
‘Let’s trust the leader’s preparedness. If he carries Golden Honey around to prepare for variables, he must have a plan.’
That’s when it happened.
The awaited reaction was detected.
Clang, clang.
The bells attached to the signal cords rang.
The location was west.
The party’s eyes turned in that direction.
Fortunately, it seemed that Black Ants weren’t approaching from other directions, as the sound was only heard from one direction.
Rustle, rustle!
“They’re here!”
Finally, a Black Ant appeared in their field of vision.
At the sight of the Black Ant moving through the hazy fog, Kang San stepped forward and blocked the path they were heading towards. The number he could make out was roughly five. As Guardian’s Will increased his defense, a Black Ant lunged at Kang San.
Kyaak!
Thwack!
Kang San struck the Black Ant’s face with his shield as it flew towards him. With a dull thud, the Black Ant fell back, and the rest of the Black Ants charged simultaneously. In an instant, monsters filled his vision. It was a situation that would frighten anyone with a weak heart, but Kang San’s response was very calm.
‘Right side.’
Whoosh!
He deflected the first attack.
In the instant the Black Ant’s weak point was exposed, Kang San swung his sword like lightning, and without even having time to see the green liquid spurt out, he quickly took his next step.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The Black Ants’ attacks narrowly missed. Their attacks, fiercely biting at the air, were terrifying, but the reaction speed he had increased through training was not something they could catch. And Kang San counterattacked whenever he found an opening. As his sword flashed, the head of the Black Ant that had just been fatally wounded flew off.
Slice!
Thud, roll.
It happened in an instant.
While Jeong Chan-woo and Yeon Woo-bin were still in shock, Jo Han-byeol, who had anticipated Kang San’s skill, reacted quickly.
Fwoosh.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
A volley of arrows struck the bodies of the Black Ants that were about to charge again. It was a clean attack. Jo Han-byeol’s skills were definitely outstanding, and even though the fog hindered his vision, he managed to launch accurate attacks.
But the battle was just beginning.
Just as they had almost finished dealing with the five Black Ants, the signal cords rang loudly from all directions.
Clang, clang!
“Oh no.”
Jeong Chan-woo’s expression hardened.
He finished off the fallen Black Ant and, not knowing what to do, quickly glanced at Kang San.
But Kang San didn’t waver.
The fact that a large number of Black Ants might react to the Golden Honey.
It was a development within the expected range.
Therefore.
‘Let’s trust the abilities I confirmed at the Stat Training Center.’
The calculations were already done.
Kang San stood his ground against the Black Ants without retreating, as planned.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
After dealing with the first Black Ants, Kang San was certain.
‘I can handle this.’
Stat Training Center.
Kang San had undergone reaction speed training there.
Since he had trained in a space where sight was not allowed in the first place, the fog-blocked vision was not a problem at all.
Not being able to see.
Ordinary people would panic and lose their composure, but Kang San didn’t rely on his sight at all and instead heightened his other senses. Thanks to this, he could effortlessly block the Black Ants’ attacks that aimed for his blind spots. His body, which instinctively reacted when the enemy seemed to be charging, clearly showed the results of his past training.
And then.
Rustle, rustle━
Black Ants appeared from all directions.
If there were more than ten, it would be a significant crisis for an E-rank party, but for Kang San, numbers didn’t only mean a disadvantage.
『Guardian’s Will has been activated.』
『The number of enemies you are facing is 18, so your defense and health regeneration will increase by 18% each.』
Increased defense.
This was the reason he chose the Black Ant habitat.
Black Ants are not individually strong monsters. Since they are monsters that hunt their prey in groups by overwhelming them with numbers, Kang San judged that he could fully utilize his strengths in a Black Ant habitat. If you’re dealing with a monster that’s individually strong, you only get an additional 1% buff, but when the number of enemies increases like this, the effect of the buff is different.
Of course, numbers are a very dangerous factor.
If he couldn’t handle that many enemies alone, the party would undoubtedly be in danger.
‘Trial’s Shield.’
Whoosh!
Kyakyakyakyak!
But that wouldn’t happen.
Due to the effect of Trial’s Shield, the Black Ants bypassed the other party members and targeted Kang San. Black Ants charging from all directions! Their swarming appearance was disgusting just to look at, but Kang San calmly countered their attacks. His reaction speed, honed through training, effortlessly blocked attacks aimed at his blind spots, and he even managed to take down opponents one by one with counterattacks.
It wasn’t perfect.
Even Kang San had attacks he couldn’t defend against, but he had experienced such situations countless times in the Stat Training Center.
Crunch!
‘Iron Man.’
A Black Ant bit Kang San’s arm.
Thanks to partially strengthening the defense of his arm, the impact wasn’t that great even though it was a strong bite.
Kang San immediately cut off the Black Ant’s head.
Judgment without a groan of pain or a moment’s hesitation.
The moment the sword, activated by Blood Demon Art, flashed, the Black Ant’s head floated in the air and then fell to the ground.
He had already dealt with ten of them.
The buff effect of Blood Demon Art took effect, and Kang San displayed an even more aggressive stance.
“He’s crazy.”
Right behind him.
Jeong Chan-woo let out an exclamation of admiration.
He had thought Kang San’s skills might be decent, but this was beyond his imagination.
‘He didn’t even let out a groan when his arm was bitten.’
Kang San’s appearance was awe-inspiring.
He didn’t flinch even against dozens of Black Ants, and he had the fortitude to casually brush off pain.
It was hard to believe he was an E-rank Hunter.
Jeong Chan-woo had seen his fair share of high-ranking Hunters, but Kang San had a quality that didn’t match his rank.
‘So this is why he wanted to continue the hunt.’
Golden Honey.
Using that bait solved the problems of time and luring, but it carried the risk of facing many Black Ants at once. Nevertheless, Kang San said he would take that risk. At first, he couldn’t help but doubt that judgment, but now that Kang San had proven his confidence with his actual skills, there was nothing more to argue about.
Trust.
With a Tanker like that, trusting and following him was the answer.
“I’ll deal damage too.”
Tap.
Jeong Chan-woo kicked off the ground.
While Kang San drew their attention, his sword cut down a Black Ant, and from the rear, Jo Han-byeol continuously fired arrows.
The situation was resolved more quickly than expected.
Jeong Chan-woo, despite his grumbling, had excellent fundamentals, and Jo Han-byeol was someone whose skills had already been proven in the promotion test. The Black Ants were reduced one by one by their attacks. And even while dealing with more than ten Black Ants, Kang San occasionally showed his power by taking down opponents with counterattacks.
Finally.
Thwack!
An arrow struck the last Black Ant’s head.
The Black Ant collapsed on the spot.
It was the moment the first battle ended successfully.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
After the battle ended.
Jeong Chan-woo immediately approached Kang San and said,
“Are you really an E-rank Hunter? If you can handle more than ten Black Ants alone, I think you could pass the D-rank promotion test in one go.”
It was a sincere compliment.
Complaints usually stem from a mind that doesn’t acknowledge the other person.
Since Kang San had proven his worth with his skills, there was no reason for Jeong Chan-woo to complain anymore.
In fact, he wasn’t the one who formed this party.
Jeong Chan-woo was quite talented, having received an E-rank rating at the age of 20, and he joined a famous management company through connections. Management companies have an obligation to find suitable hunting grounds for their affiliated Hunters. The reason Kang San’s party was chosen from among numerous recruitment posts was because Kang San’s history was quite unique.
‘He said he cleared hundreds of raids in six years as a Hunter.’
Most of it was spent as an F-rank human shield, but surviving for six years meant that Kang San had something special about him.
The management company believed that.
They believed that if someone like Kang San was leading, his seasoned experience would help him solve problems well.
Their prediction was correct.
No, it exceeded their expectations.
Kang San wasn’t just experienced; he was also incredibly skilled.
“I’m still lacking.”
“Oh, come on, be humble. By the way…”
Jeong Chan-woo’s gaze glanced at one person.
It was Yeon Woo-bin.
In the cheerful atmosphere after successfully completing the battle, he had a remorseful look on his face.
Everyone knew why.
While others were fighting for their lives, Yeon Woo-bin couldn’t use his magic properly.
Jeong Chan-woo said in a sharp voice,
“Mage-nim, why were you just watching?”
“Th-that’s…”
Yeon Woo-bin stammered.
Seeing his flustered expression, Jo Han-byeol stepped forward.
“Would it be okay if I explained?”
Yeon Woo-bin’s weakness.
As the one who brought him along, Jo Han-byeol naturally knew about it.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Jo Han-byeol said,
“Actually, Woo-bin awakened with innate talent. He’s not even 20 years old; he’s 18 this year. He was rated D-rank right away, which shows how talented he is in magic. The problem is, he’s a scaredy-cat, so he can’t use magic properly in real battles.”
“What? Why would you bring someone like that to a raid?”
Jeong Chan-woo’s face contorted.
It was true.
Although he reacted irritably, it wasn’t wrong, so Kang San quietly observed their conversation.
“The reason Woo-bin gets scared is because of trauma. He gets anxious that he might be killed by monsters, so he gets scared and can’t concentrate on casting. That’s why I wanted to introduce him to Kang San-nim. When I took the promotion test with Kang San-nim before, I was really impressed by how he threw himself in to protect his teammates. I thought that if someone like Kang San-nim protected him from the front, Woo-bin would be able to pull himself together and use magic properly, but it seems trauma doesn’t heal overnight. I’m sorry for telling you this now.”
“…I’m really sorry.”
Jo Han-byeol bowed his head.
Seeing Jo Han-byeol taking the blame for him, Yeon Woo-bin apologized with a face that looked like he was about to burst into tears.
The ominous feeling had become reality.
The feeling he had when he first saw Yeon Woo-bin.
He had overlooked it because of his D-rank Hunter status and his connection to Jo Han-byeol, but in the end, he had become a burden to the party.
“Mr. Han-byeol.”
“…Yes.”
“I understand your intentions, but please tell me beforehand next time. I need to know what weaknesses my teammates have to be able to deal with unexpected situations, don’t you think?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sigh.”
He let out a sigh.
To think he had to finish the raid with a Mage like this.
It felt like another misfortune had struck, following the fog.
Still, it was fortunate that Jo Han-byeol and Jeong Chan-woo’s skills were more than enough for this hunting ground.
They could finish the raid with just the two of them.
However, it was necessary to address Yeon Woo-bin’s problem clearly.
“Mr.Woo-bin.”
“Y-yes, speak.”
Yeon Woo-bin still stammered.
He definitely wasn’t someone with a strong will.
“Now that we’ve formed a party and entered the Other World together, I have a duty as a leader to ensure your safe return. To do that, I need to accurately assess your abilities. Would you mind using your magic in front of me? That way, I can see if it’s worth the time to buy you casting time, even if it takes a long time.”
Kang San’s request.
It wasn’t something he could refuse.
If he refused even this, Kang San would expel him without hesitation, as he was a detriment to the party.
Perhaps he understood that intention.
After exchanging glances with Jo Han-byeol, he nodded nervously at Kang San.
“Okay. I’ll try.”
