Raising A Hero – Chapter 5

Ch 5: Tutorial

Ji-hyuk and Skinny Guy played it safe for two days, avoiding the eyes of the other Participants.

And so, they greeted the evening of the last day.

If they could just hold out until midnight, they would be able to safely pass the tutorial.

Skinny Guy was grateful to God for having made it this far without any major incidents. Of course, it wasn’t completely over yet, but he was confident that if he continued to play it safe as before, nothing would happen.

“Thank you, Ji-hyuk-ssi. For helping me.”

Skinny Guy expressed his gratitude to Ji-hyuk. However, Ji-hyuk’s reaction was lukewarm.

“Well.”

“…Yes?”

“The most important night is still ahead of us, you know.”

Skinny Guy wondered what he meant. Ji-hyuk raised his head to the sky. The setting sun had already disappeared far away. From the opposite side where the sun was setting, Night Crows were swarming in.

Furthermore, the night sky was covered with clouds. It seemed they wouldn’t be able to receive much help from the bright moonlight tonight. …It was an excellent opportunity for the Participants without badges.

“You can’t let your guard down until the very end.”

“…Yes, I will.”

Ji-hyuk was prepared to stay up all night.

Without a single exception, the last night of the tutorial was always a festival of blood. The Participants without badges burned themselves out for the final hunt. Conversely, the Participants with badges desperately ran away to avoid them.

It wasn’t just the Participants who were running wild. The monsters in the forest were also rushing in like crazy.

Moreover, it wasn’t safe even outside the forest. The pursuers already knew that all the guys with badges would run away from the forest. Usually, a chase would begin there.

And for this day, Ji-hyuk had conserved as much stamina as possible. How long he could last in this chase was the key. He wondered how long Skinny Guy could last.

Before the sun completely set, Ji-hyuk started walking towards the place where the tutorial had started on the first day. Skinny Guy quickly followed behind him.

They had gone to the forest in the morning and drank enough water to fill their stomachs. They also dug under the trees and grilled caterpillars… The two of them had made thorough preparations for tonight.

As night came, Participants naturally began to leave the forest one by one. Since they no longer needed water and food, it was natural to run away from the forest if they had a badge. There was no need to risk their lives in the dangerous forest.

Of course, other races had far superior physical abilities than humans. …To be honest, if they were determined to chase after you, it was almost impossible to shake them off. To avoid suffering at the very end, you actually needed some luck.

Skinny Guy periodically looked back. He could see groups of Participants starting to appear in his eyes as well. This is b*llshitㅡ! His heart was pounding like crazy. He felt as if they were all running towards him, aiming for his badge.

Ji-hyuk’s pace gradually quickened, eventually turning into a light jog. Skinny Guy diligently followed behind him. However, he was already panting for breath. His body, which hadn’t been able to eat properly for a week, was quickly exhausted. Eating a few caterpillars wasn’t enough to recover.

Haa, haa.

Heo-eok, heo-eok.

The two moved, only hearing each other’s panting. Skinny Guy ran like that for a while, then looked back.

…Ahㅡ!

What had been dots before were now clearly larger. In that instant, Skinny Guy’s legs went weak. Terrible fear overwhelmed him, relentlessly pounding his chest.

“Hua, hua, hua, haa, haa.”

Ji-hyuk felt Skinny Guy’s breathing suddenly become rough behind him.

This bastard…, he looked back.

It seemed the Participants had gotten quite close.

Ji-hyuk slightly reduced his pace. Then, he looked back and roughly estimated the distance and direction of the group. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like they were chasing them.

He slightly changed the direction of his movement. However, they didn’t change their direction. Only then did Skinny Guy sigh in relief and stroke his chest.

The moon was covered by clouds again. The world became dark. It was a dangerous moment, as it was difficult to prepare when visibility was limited.

After a while, the moon, which had been hidden behind the clouds, reappeared. In the meantime, the surrounding situation had changed completely.

“This shi*…!”

There was a group approaching directly towards them. It seemed like they could tell what they were at a glance.

Those fu**ing Orc bastardsㅡ!

It was a group of Orcs who had a grudge against them. He didn’t know how they had smelled them and chased them all the way here, but anyway, they were chasing after them like crazy.

Ji-hyuk didn’t think the badge was the problem. Given Giranosh’s personality, he would be chasing after them for revenge whether they had a badge or not.

Shi* , of all times….

Of all times, he was destined to suffer like a dog at the very end. However, he couldn’t come this far and start the tutorial all over again. Especially, he didn’t want to die to that fu**ing Orc bastard. It was a matter of pride.

However, with their stamina, it was almost impossible to shake them off. It was a clear fact that they would eventually be caught. And it wasn’t like there was little time left… The night had just begun.

It’s better to fight that bastard when I have some stamina left.

He had even thrown away his wooden spear to reduce his weight as much as possible. Moreover, no matter how much he looked around, there were no stones he could use as weapons. In other words, he had to fight hand-to-hand. Then, it was important to have even a little more stamina.

Ji-hyuk suddenly stopped moving. Skinny Guy couldn’t stop in time and bumped into his back.

“Haa, why, haa, did you stop?”

Skinny Guy reflexively turned around and said they had to run away quickly. However, Ji-hyuk silently cracked his neck and prepared to fight. Anyway, his body was all warmed up from running all the way here.

“A, are you going to fight?”

“Yes.”

This is bullshi*ㅡ.

Skinny Guy’s face turned dark. No matter how naturally gifted he was at fighting, he thought it was impossible to face those monsters without weapons. If Ji-hyuk died, Skinny Guy would surely die too.

“J, just run away, okay? Let’s run away. We don’t have any weaponsㅡ!”

“We can’t shake them off anyway. …And shut your mouth, it’s noisy.”

Ji-hyuk glared fiercely at Skinny Guy, who was of no help, and growled. Heupㅡ. He was so surprised that he shut his mouth tightly.

He felt like he was going crazy with fear. He felt like he would surely die if he stayed here. He was already consumed by terrible fear.

Shi*, I’m going to die. I’m definitely going to dieㅡ! How can I fight those guys without weaponsㅡ!

He couldn’t do anything and stomped his feet. …Then, suddenly, he thought that if this guy became bait and bought him some time, he might be able to shake those guys off. It was a terribly selfish thought.

Ah…, no, no.

However, as the guys approached, the fear of death grew even larger. It felt like he was waiting for death as it was.

Skinny Guy took a step back. He became quite distant from Ji-hyuk.

In the end…, he couldn’t hold out any longer and started to run away.

Shi*, shi*, shi*, shi*…!

Skinny Guy made all sorts of excuses in his mind to shake off his guilt. He had clearly told that person to run away. Besides, he wouldn’t be of any help even if he stayed.

Ji-hyuk slightly turned his head and glanced at Skinny Guy running away. The corner of his mouth twisted upwards.

…Cowardly bastard.

Running away unconditionally wouldn’t solve the problem. Moreover, weren’t humans very inferior in terms of physical strength compared to other races?

Of course, from Skinny Guy’s perspective, that might have been the best choice. Throw him as bait and buy time.

Anyway, Ji-hyuk and Skinny Guy were now going their separate ways. He no longer had any reason to protect that guy. That bastard betrayed him first.

Before long, the Orc group approached right in front of Ji-hyuk. Giranosh was panting roughly, glaring at him as if he would kill him.

“That’s the guyㅡ!”

Fortunately, there were only two Orcs. It seemed the guy whose eyeball had been pierced by the wooden spear had eventually died. Well, even a Troll, the king of regeneration, wouldn’t survive if a spear pierced his brain.

Giranosh was huffing and puffing as he approached Ji-hyuk step by step. His muscular body with bulging veins made him feel intimidated. He was truly a warrior.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your welcome face, but you’re still fu**ed upㅡ.

There are some guys who are always fu**ed up no matter when you see them, and Giranosh was exactly like that. If the damn God had put just a spoonful of reason in that thick head, he would have been a great friend.

━ Woo-woo-woo-wooㅡㅡㅡ!!!

He roared again. Ji-hyuk didn’t like that at all.

He roughly threw the badge he had been holding in his side to the side. Surely, an Orc bastard who talked about the blood of a warrior wouldn’t shamelessly take only the badge and run away.

Ji-hyuk clenched his fists tightly and took a stance. He didn’t know how effective the fist technique he had learned clumsily would be, but he believed it would work since an expert had taught him.

━ The fist, that is, the fist, is always important to have distance with your opponent. Of course, all weapons are like that, but fist techniques are especially so. Distance control is life, that’s what I mean.

In fact, all martial arts were like that. There were many cases where people lived and died within the distance of just a finger joint. Especially in the fights of the strong, lives came and went at even shorter distances.

What made Ji-hyuk reach the pinnacle of the continent with a human body was that he was a master of distance control. His talent for martial arts was also outstanding, but his ability to control distance was unmatched. …Because anyone would be flustered if what was supposed to hit didn’t hit.

Already a week had passed. During that time, he had become somewhat accustomed to this wretched body. Although it wasn’t as good as when he was a Hero, it was now a piece of cake to steam an Orc.

The Orc bastard who talked about the blood of a warrior picked up a wooden club against Ji-hyuk, who didn’t have a weapon, in a cowardly manner. It seemed that wasn’t cowardly from their point of view.

Shi*, then what’s the difference between a warrior bastard and a thief bastardㅡ.

Of course, the victory or defeat wouldn’t change just because he picked up a club. In fact, whether it was a sword or a club, it was just an extension of the arm. That’s why the Heavenly Demon didn’t conquer the continent with only his fists. …That bastard was also a great bastard.

“Woo-woo-wooㅡ!”

He screamed and rushed at Ji-hyuk. The club flew towards his head at a rapid speed. He accurately grasped the trajectory and perfectly avoided it. Then, with minimal movement, he slapped the guy’s abdomen with his fist.

ㅡㅡ!!

The guy’s skin rippledㅡ, around the area where the fist hit. However, Orcs also had considerable durability. Naturally, the guy endured it and immediately launched a follow-up attack.

However, no matter how much he swung his club, Ji-hyuk wasn’t hit. He dodged as if he were going to be hit, but he dodged as well as a mosquito.

“Eek, gae, eek, eekㅡ!”

Giranosh was furious. He was getting hit like crazy, but the opponent wasn’t getting hit at all.

The first one or two hits were bearable, but the impact kept accumulating, and eventually it piled up to the point where he couldn’t ignore it. In the end, Giranosh knelt on one knee from the fist that strongly hit his side.

“Eueok, you damn rat-like bastardㅡ!”

His eyes were bloodshot. He felt like he was going crazy with anger. Of course, the more excited he was, the simpler his attacks became. Naturally, Ji-hyuk dodged his attacks more easily.

However, Ji-hyuk also couldn’t land a decisive attack because he didn’t have a weapon. Since fists weren’t his specialty, his efficiency was very low. And how strong could an untrained fist be?

As they fought like that for a while, rough breaths leaked from Ji-hyuk’s mouth. At this rate, he was about to collapse from exhaustion before he could hit him.

Fortunately, Giranosh also seemed to have reached his limit. He had already knelt for the third time.

“I’m going to kill you. Hoo-euk, hoo-euk. I’m going to kill youㅡ!”

However, unlike what he was shouting, he seemed to have difficulty even standing properly. His insides must have been all tangled up from being hit in the stomach so many times with fists. Maybe they had even burst.

Unable to contain his anger, he forcibly got up and rushed at Ji-hyuk again. However, he fell backwards and couldn’t get up from the fist that was last planted in his belly.

“Kill, haa, you, I’ll kill, you, haa, I’ll killㅡㅡ!!”

Ji-hyuk cast a sharp gaze at the subordinate Orc.

“Are you going to attack too?”

However, the Orc, who had already lost in momentum, couldn’t attack Ji-hyuk. How could he win against the guy who couldn’t even beat the boss?

Ji-hyuk glared at the two of them strongly, then slowly retreated. Then, he picked up the badge he had dropped again and started walking in the direction Skinny Guy had run away in earlier.

“Stop there…. Stop there, you damn human bastardㅡㅡ!!”

The screaming voice soon subsided. Ji-hyuk knew they had given up.

He panted and walked for a long time. His stamina was hitting rock bottom. Still, he kept walking and walking.

Then, he found Skinny Guy in the distance.

Ji-hyuk stopped abruptly in front of Skinny Guy.

…He was collapsed on the floor with an arrow stuck in his head.

The badge was not visible.