Crushing the Hopes of the Thunder Wolf

The fight began, and I just watched with a blank expression. Some of them were fairly competent, but most looked like chickens learning to fight for the first time. One of them was sent flying backward after getting hit by an orc.

"Ah, this is like a reality show. 'Survivor: Dungeon Edition,'" I muttered, tilting an imaginary hat on my head.

Hye Rin, fighting up front, glanced back at me with a look that clearly showed her frustration. "You could help them, Taemin-ssi."

I waved my hand nonchalantly. "Relax. I'm sure they'll survive… maybe. Besides, if I step in, it wouldn't be fair for them, right? I could clear out all these monsters in minutes. Do you want to see them learn or watch me?"

While the Crimson Lotus candidates continued fighting tooth and nail against the orcs, I remained in the corner. Watching them struggle for their lives was better entertainment than any TV show.

One by one, the candidates started to fall or get injured. The others struggled to maintain formation, but it was clear they were too green for this fight. "Ah, this is how orcs throw a meat party," I muttered as I dug into my pockets, looking for something to snack on. Unfortunately, I had nothing but my new apartment keys.

One of the more eager candidates from earlier was now cornered by two larger orcs. I let out a long sigh. "This is like watching a thriller... but with a bad script." Without waiting any longer, I moved closer.

"Okay, kids, time for a quick lesson." I appeared behind one of the orcs attacking the poor candidate, tapping it on the shoulder. "You know, there's a basic rule in this world. Never pick on someone weaker than you… unless you want me to intervene."

The orc grunted, clearly not understanding what I just said. Ah, yes… monsters. They rarely have a sense of humor. Without waiting for a response, I kicked the orc's head hard enough to send it flying several meters away.

"And just like that, problem solved." I turned to the trembling candidate. "Hey, don't think too much about it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you... well, die. Luckily, today you haven't. Now, get up and try not to faint, alright?"

The kid nodded quickly, though his face was still pale. I went back to my corner, sitting down casually to watch the rest of the battle.

Hye Rin, still fighting on the front lines, glanced back at me again. "Taemin, you can't just watch the whole time. This isn't training for them if you don't help."

I shrugged with a wide grin. "Eh, but like I said, I prefer being a spectator. I'll help if they really need it… like just now. Besides, you're the strategist here, not me."

Hye Rin sighed and refocused on the battle. At the same time, more orcs began emerging from the forest surrounding the gate. There were quite a few of them, and the candidates were looking more and more overwhelmed.

One of them, a girl with a large sword, tried to step up, but her swing missed. "Ah, bad move, miss," I said, watching from afar. "Keep that up, and you'll get yourself bitten."

Sure enough, within seconds, the orc managed to claw at her. I let out another long sigh. "Well, guess it's time for me to step in again."

With a relaxed gait, I approached the orc that was about to finish the girl off. "Okay, buddy. Let me tell you something… You're not touching anyone else today." Before the orc could react, I leaped and swiftly cut it down with a long sword I had hidden earlier, a weapon I used only when I actually wanted to fight.

The orc collapsed to the ground, and the girl looked at me with a mix of shock and relief.

"Thank you..." her voice was faint, but I just raised a hand, motioning for her to get back up.

"Don't thank me too much. There are still plenty of orcs for you to kill if you don't want your friends to laugh at you later."

With a small chuckle, I returned to my original spot. Playing hero for a moment was fun, but I didn't want to get too involved. "Well, that's enough for today. I can sit back down."

After a while, the battle finally started to wind down. The candidates, though exhausted, managed to clear out most of the orcs. A few of them were injured, but at least no one died.

"Hmm, not bad. Though... they still have a lot of work to do," I said, stretching my body.

Hye Rin approached again, her expression slightly more relaxed now that it was over. "You could've helped more earlier."

I chuckled lightly. "If I helped too much, they wouldn't learn anything. Besides, who wants to put in effort when there's already a good show to watch?"

Hye Rin shook her head, but I could tell she wasn't really mad. Deep down, she probably agreed with my methods. After all, these candidates needed real experience and couldn't always rely on others.

Once all the orcs were cleared out, the atmosphere around the gate began to change. The once calm wind now blew stronger, carrying a strange energy that sent chills down my spine. A faint rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance, and the ground beneath our feet started to tremble slightly.

"It looks like the boss is about to show up," Hye Rin muttered, her eyes scanning the surroundings sharply.

"Yeah, time for the main event," I replied, crossing my arms. I positioned myself behind the candidates, who were now gathered, waiting anxiously. This was their moment to shine.

Suddenly, from deep within the forest, a long howl echoed, followed by the appearance of a massive creature. A giant wolf, nearly two meters tall, emerged from the shadows of the trees, its fur jet black, with streaks of blue lightning crackling across its body. Its eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, and its long fangs protruded from its open jaws, presenting a real threat.

"Whoa, look at that! A Thor wolf… or something like that." I chuckled softly. "Compared to the orcs, this is a whole different level."

The wolf slammed its paw into the ground, causing small cracks to form. Thunder boomed in the sky as lightning sparked from its body. The Crimson Lotus candidates took a few steps back, fear clearly etched on their faces.

"Okay, everyone," Hye Rin said firmly. "This is the final boss. Focus, hold your formation, and do what we've trained for!"

Though trembling, the candidates tried to rally and move toward the thunder wolf. With coordinated attacks, they attempted to strike it, but the creature was far quicker than they expected. Every time one of them got close, the wolf would disappear in a flash of lightning, only to reappear elsewhere and strike from a different angle.

"Look at that," I muttered, chewing on gum I found somewhere. "A gate boss with teleportation. That's a bit unfair, isn't it?"

One by one, the candidates started to tire. Their attacks missed, while the wolf became more aggressive. Lightning bolts continued to strike around it, and at one point, a candidate got hit directly, convulsing before collapsing to the ground.

"They're going to lose at this rate," Hye Rin said, worry creeping into her voice.

I just sighed, watching calmly. "Well, you could say this is part of the life lesson. If you rush in too eager and mentally unprepared, this is the result."

As the wolf charged toward a nearly helpless candidate, I could feel Hye Rin beginning to lose patience. Her hand moved toward her weapon, ready to step in.

"Hold on, let them try a bit longer," I said, touching her shoulder.

"Taemin! They're going to die if we don't—" Before she could finish, one of the candidates was sent flying, slamming into a tree and knocked unconscious. The others tried to protect their comrade, but it was clear they were overwhelmed.

Hye Rin started to move, but I stopped her. "Alright, it looks like it's time for me to step in." I stood up and casually walked towards the battlefield.

The lightning wolf noticed me, its eyes glowing even brighter as if it were challenging me. I raised my hand, trying to stifle a laugh. "A wolf with a tough-guy act, huh? Okay, let's wrap this up."

The lightning wolf shot toward me at lightning speed. But just before it could reach me, I swung my fist at its head with full force. But before that, I let out a long sigh and said loudly:

"Serious Punch... Very Serious."

The wolf lunged closer, its jaws wide open, ready to tear into me, but my fist had already moved faster than the lightning coursing through its body.

"This is gonna hurt," I muttered, rotating my wrist slightly.

In an instant, the wolf froze. Its yellow eyes were wide open, as if in disbelief at what had just happened. Then, in a split second, its entire body exploded. Not just any explosion—this was a massive blast, shaking the ground around us and scattering pieces of the wolf everywhere.

Everyone watching was stunned. Bits of flesh and fur flew through the air, with some hitting the candidates who immediately fell silent. I simply brushed off my hands from the remains of the explosion with a faint smile.

"So, that's how you deal with it," I said nonchalantly, turning towards Hye Rin. "Sometimes, you just need one well-placed punch."

She looked at me with a mix of disbelief and frustration. "Taemin… you really... ah, forget it."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I just wanted to have a bit of fun."

After making sure it was all over, I walked over to where the wolf had exploded. Several glowing items were scattered there loot dropped by the gate boss. I smirked and picked them up, ignoring the drops from the orcs and other monsters littered around the battlefield.

"These are the only things that interest me." I stashed the lightning wolf's items into my inventory. "The rest… well, you guys can help yourselves."

The candidates still stared at me as if I'd just pulled the moon down from the sky. But I didn't care. "Hey, who wants to grab the other drops? I don't really need anything from the orcs or the other monsters."

One of the candidates finally approached, trembling, and started gathering the items dropped by the remaining monsters. I just stood there, watching them with a satisfied smile on my face.