Chapter 51: Yeonseo’s Awakening

Exactly when the Orc Archer fired its arrow, a path appeared through the regular Orcs protecting the Orc Archer for the slightest moment. In soccer terms, it was a very brief moment where a player could dribble straight through the defense for the goal.

'Here I go.'

Hyukjin shot forward. He didn't attempt an instantaneous approach like Flash Step.

Whoosh!

He felt an Orc's iron club swing towards him. It wasn't able to hit him. The Orc swung into the empty air where he had just been.

'From here, to the left.'

The current Kim Hyukjin wasn't using anything like a 'movement skill' or a 'foot technique'. His movements right now were driven purely by his physical ability and reflexes.

He ducked a little.

Whoosh!

Another iron club split the air above his head.

The Orcs didn't stand idly by.

"Chwik! Chwiiiiiik!"

Ever so often, there were intelligent ones who could speak the human language.

"Chwik! Eat! Eat… him! Chwiiiik!"

Orcs of this level could only utter words like 'eat', 'hit', or 'kill', but they were still creatures capable of a slight degree of communication.

"Chwiiiiik! Eat!"

At one Orc's shout, the other Orcs' gazes zoomed in on Hyukjin. They didn't really have a 'top dog', but they were aware that chasing prey while communicating was much more advantageous than playing on their own.

Yeonseo, who was scrambling to follow Hyukjin, thought she was going to die.

'W-What the hell?!'

There wasn't even time for her to scream. She urgently bent at the waist. After bending with a slightly awkward movement, she hurled herself forward.

Whoosh!

A metal club embedded with sharp thorns cut through the air.

'If that'd hit me… I would've died.'

And even if she didn't, it would have given her a fairly big wound. And if she was injured in the midst of this Orc horde? It would be a death sentence.

'Dammit!'

In Yeonseo's eyes, Hyukjin was dodging like a slippery snake. He slipped through the horde with ease, finding the gaps between the Orcs like a phantom.

'The Orcs' reaction speed… is at least half a beat slower than him!'

She couldn't tell whether the Orcs were slow or Hyukjin was fast, but the result was that they couldn't hit him. Their reactions were half a beat too slow, and consequently, the attacks rained down on Yeonseo behind him.

[Using the movement art Heavenly Demonic Flying Step.]

Her current attainment in the Heavenly Demonic Flying Step was 1. She was merely beginning to toddle, but the Heavenly Demonic Flying Step was a movement art granted to her by the True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain himself.

'He's going left.'

Which meant—

'I need to go right here.'

Only then would an organic movement be possible. She was beginning to see paths that she hadn't seen before using the Heavenly Demonic Flying Step.

Hyukjin's Eye of Perception caught Yeonseo's movements.

'She's finally started to move properly,' he thought.

Orcs weren't very fast monsters. He had predicted that if he dove into their ranks, they would undoubtedly attack him half a beat slower. And Yeonseo immediately dodged those attacks, making it so that their paths of movement would collide and tangle.

'Yeonseo… is more than capable of confusing the Orcs.'

While the two of them were charging in, one of the Orc Archers nocked an arrow. Hyukjin could read the arrow's destination.

'Not me.'

It was also not Yeonseo, who was running around in the Orc horde.

'Sunhwa. You're doing well.'

He could only guess that Sunhwa was having a tough time. She was taking on successive attacks from two Orc Archers, after all. Her arms might even break. But that was fine—it was better for her bones to break than to die. When Hyukjin jumped into this pack, he was also resolved to get a few broken bones somewhere.

'But it's… easier than I expected.'

He could see the paths far more easily than expected. He didn't know whether it was because of Eye of Perception or his instincts, but the way the Orcs would move, the way they would swing, how they would try to surround him, all of it was sketched out in precise clarity in his head without having to think.

'Did it.'

He had managed to approach the Orc Archer. Compared to regular Orcs, Orc Archers had much lower defense. An unprotected Archer was the perfect prey.

'I'm killing it.'

[Using the special skill Excellent Strike.]

Hyukjin thrust his sword into the Orc's abdomen.

Squeaaaaaal!

A strangled scream came bursting out. The Orc Archer dropped the bow and bent in agony.

"Back of the head! Pierce it!"

Hyukjin's attack power was insufficient to kill it in one blow. But it was alright, because to his right, Yeonseo was quickly coming in from a different path.

Yeonseo leapt weightlessly into the air.

"Haaaah!"

From top to bottom, her sword went in.

Spluuuurt!

The tip of the sharp sword punched through the Orc Archer's helm.

Thudunk!

The Orc Archer's body crumpled. Yeonseo's sword went through the back of the Orc Archer's head and into the ground.

"Okay! Got it!"

Yeonseo heard a notice.

[Orc Archer has been killed.]

[EXP acquired.]

[31 Coins acquired.]

At exactly the same time, Hyukjin kicked Yeonseo away. Rather than saying he kicked her, he pushed her away with his foot with enough force for her to roll several times on the ground.

"Get it together! You wanna die after killing one?"

At the place where Yeonseo had just been standing, an Orc had swung its club. If Hyukjin hadn't kicked her out of the way, Yeonseo's head would have been crushed.

'One more arrow.'

Sunhwa could only endure one more Orc Archer attack.

'I'll kill him while Sunhwa's got its aggro.'

The reason why he and Yeonseo were able to dive into the Orc horde, the reason why they could dodge and move freely through the monsters, was because the Orc Archers were only aiming for Sunhwa. Hyukjin was aware of that fact.

'We can do it.'

The Orcs were slower and Yeonseo was faster than he anticipated. He thought he would have to sacrifice his left arm or so, but it didn't look like that would be necessary.

'Move…!'

Drawing in a fairly ragged breath, Hyukjin charged towards the other Orc Archer.

Hyukjin and Yeonseo hunted the remaining Orc Archer.

[Orc Archer has been killed.]

[EXP acquired.]

[31 Coins acquired.]

At the same time, a notice came in.

[The clear conditions for the 1st quest have been satisfied.]

[The path to the next gateway will be opened.]

[Destroy the Clear Crystal of the 1st Gateway.]

Ruuuumble!

One side of the wall crumbled down, exposing a cave. The Clear Crystal was definitely within.

Yoohyun had the hunch that the time for him to play his part had come.

'I just have to avoid fatal blows.'

The aggro was currently being pulled by Sunhwa, Hyukjin, and Yeonseo.

'Slowly. Without hurrying.'

If he moved too quickly, the aggro would bounce to him.

'One or two is fine.'

He wouldn't fight them himself. The moment he did so, the others would swarm towards him.

"Chwiiik!"

He felt one of the Orcs approaching him.

'Soon. It'll swing.'

That club, he would take it on, letting it land at the place where it would hurt the least. He had to keep his right arm intact just in case.

'Sacrifice my left arm.'

Yoohyun clenched his teeth hard, then blocked the club with his left shoulder.

'Gugh!'

Incredible pain assaulted him. It felt like his shoulder was breaking. Even so, he forged onwards.

'Did it.'

For a very short period after an Orc attacked, it couldn't move. After taking one attack, Yoohyun was able to enter the cave with a few more steps.

[You have reached the 'Crystal Zone' of the 1st Gateway.]

The Orcs no longer chased him. His decision-making had been good, and so had his luck. He saw a crystal exuding purple light in the depths of the cave.

'My right arm is still perfectly fine!'

He punched the crystal with his right fist. After a few successive attacks, the Clear Crystal began to crack.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His fist slammed into the crystal.

[The Clear Crystal of the 1st Gateway has been destroyed.]

Hyukjin heard that notice as well. Yoohyun had done his part very well, even without instruction.

'I knew he'd be able to do well even without being taught what to do.'

Hyukjin hadn't given a detailed explanation on purpose—there was no need to make it too obvious that he knew this place already. How Yoohyun would act had been a part of Hyukjin's calculations.

'A destroyed shoulder can be quickly healed with potions.'

Yoohyun would be fine.

"Chwik! Chwiiiik–!"

The grunting Orcs stiffened in place.

Krrrgk–krrrgk–!

They began to turn into stone. From the soles of their feet to their heads, they all became stone.

Petrified Orc LVL 27

Yeonseo's heart finally settled again.

"Phew. A little later, I would've gotten hit."

Yeonseo crouched a little and slipped out from under the club that had become stone. As soon as she was out, she apologized to Hyukjin.

"Sorry. For being too excited earlier."

"…"

Hyukjin didn't respond. The thought that even the Sword Empress made mistakes like that in her beginner days was fresh to him. He had never thought the Sword Empress would ever let her guard down for one moment to celebrate killing an Orc Archer and nearly take a fatal blow.

"If you'd been hit back then, I would have been in danger, too. Do you realize that?"

Without Yeonseo's assistance, it wouldn't have just been difficult to weave through the Orc horde, it would have been close to impossible to punch through the throng and kill the remaining Orc Archer.

'But wait, would it have really been impossible?'

Before coming in, he had thought that would be impossible. But after running around in the Orc horde in the flesh…

'It might have been possible.'

The Orcs were slower than he expected. It was true that their attacks were dangerous, but not if you didn't get hit.

Nevertheless, he put on a harsh front. Playing wasn't a joke or a game. It was an incredibly dangerous act with your life on the line.

"If you're going to Play like that, go home."

"…"

"Don't you know that one action of yours can endanger the rest of the party?"

Yeonseo didn't retort back. Her shoulders slumped. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

While they were talking, Yoohyun came over and started destroying the Orcs that had become statues. Blunt weapons or fist attacks were most effective against petrified monsters. Yoohyun was doing his role well. At that sight, Yeonseo clenched her fists hard.

'Only I did poorly here.'

Even the young Sunhwa carried out her task well, and the big Yoohyun did what he was supposed to do. That went without saying for Hyukjin.

'I can't go on like this.'

It wasn't like she had some clear goal. Rather, she was crushed by the pressure she felt when she realized that everyone here could have died because of one mistake from her. She was incredibly scared when she thought of that possibility.

'Get your head on straight, Yeonseo.'

The moment monsters appeared and the world changed, Yeonseo made a vow. A vow to safeguard at least her family and friends from danger. To protect the people who were precious to her without fail. That was what she swore.

'I'll do well.'

A small drop created a big ripple in her heart. If her heart was a lake, then a large wave was beginning to spread out on the surface of the water.

'I have to become stronger.'

She absolutely had to become stronger. She couldn't become a burden. At least right now, at this very moment, the moment when she made a mistake, a burning desire to 'become stronger' took root in her heart. That wish blazed brightly within her. She ended up comparing herself to Hyukjin.

'At least as much as Hyukjin.'

Strong enough that she wouldn't be a burden. Strong enough to repay her debt to him for saving her mom. She had to at least become that strong.

At the same time, she heard a stream of notices.

[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' has perceived your burning desire.]

[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' responds to your burning desire.]

[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' extends a hand to you.]

Yeonseo wasn't the only one hearing the special notices.

"…"

Hyukjin, who was about to scold Yeonseo further, was stunned into speechlessness. On the 2nd underground floor of the Seoul Station Dungeon, yet another new notice rang in Hyukjin's ears, a notice that hadn't existed in previous raids.

'This sort of thing… was possible?'

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