F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 125

***

"How long do you plan on sticking around?"

Seo Gangrim said to Dokgo Jun who was beside him as he ran through the course. Even after descending from the boat at the end of the water section, Dokgo Jun persistently chased after Seo Gangrim. Dokgo Jun ran with an energetic smile, showing no signs of fatigue.

"Well, we have to stick together until the end!" Dokgo Jun replied cheerfully.

"I don't think so."

Seo Gangrim had considered breaking Dokgo Jun's spirit, and he continued to keep a vigilant eye on him. Dealing with him this way made it easier to take control, as expected. As predicted, Dokgo Jun put on a disappointed expression.

"Seo Gangrim, are you going to abandon me then?"

Though he acted disappointed, it seemed more like he was putting on an act. Seo Gangrim stared at him for a moment before turning his gaze away.

"We're only going together until the end of this race."

"I knew it. I'm indeed quite useful as a teammate, right?"

Since Dokgo Jun joined, their speed in breaking through the place had significantly increased. Despite the continuous appearance of other participants, monsters, and traps, they were able to pass through them in an instant.

"Well, not just because of that."

While racing through the course, Seo Gangrim suddenly stopped. There was something ahead.

"It seems to be a new section."

[The third course is beginning!]

In front of them, a massive wall stood. In the center of the wall, there was a door, and next to it was a slot machine.

Seo Gangrim quickly read the message that appeared in front of him.

[In the third course, you can use a vehicle for transportation.]

[The vehicle will be provided according to the result of the slot machine.]

Seo Gangrim stared at the instructions in silence. Once again, a gamble relying on luck.

It was the worst situation for Seo Gangrim.

'In my previous life, I got a tricycle.'

However, the situation was different this time. Seo Gangrim stood silently, and Dokgo Jun, full of curiosity, approached the slot machine.

"They're giving us a vehicle? Interesting. Let's see what comes out."

-Chakang!

Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the lever of the slot machine, displaying an attitude that showed no doubt in his luck. The spinning slot machine quickly came to a stop with a ringing sound.

[7!]

[7!!]

[7!!!]

Along with a loud congratulatory sound effect, the lights flashed.

[7.7.7! Congratulations, jackpot!]

"Haha, it's a jackpot, as expected!"

Dokgo Jun smiled as if he had anticipated it, wearing an expression that suggested his luck was a given. Shortly afterward, with another sound effect, something fell from the slot machine.

[Obtained the key! Move on to the next stage!]

Dokgo Jun picked up the key from the outlet and headed toward the door on the wall. The moment the two entered the room, Dokgo Jun whistled softly.

Inside, there was a luxurious sports car adorned with a hood emblem shaped like a bull.

[Acquired 'Red Bull Aldebaran'!]

"Not a bad result, huh?"

"Yeah."

After saying so, Seo Gangrim casually took a seat in the passenger seat, looking at Dokgo Jun as if it were his own car.

"Aren't you going to ride?"

"…Seo Gangrim, I've felt it since earlier, but you've become quite shameless, haven't you?"

"You said we are a team."

Seo Gangrim didn't have confidence in getting a good vehicle in the third course, but Dokgo Jun beside him had different circumstances.

'That's why I went with Dokgo Jun. As expected, the outcome is good.'

With Dokgo Jun, who possessed a divine-level fortune, it was certain he would draw a good vehicle. Seo Gangrim remembered him having obtained a similar sports car in his previous life.

"Okay, fine. I'll take advantage of you. For a while."

Somehow, the word 'for a while' seemed to carry a significant weight. Dokgo Jun grinned and climbed into the driver's seat, immediately stepping on the pedal.

"Vroom!"

In an instant, the needle on the dashboard snapped back.

Ignoring the regulated speed, the car accelerated like a maniac.

"Wow, this is great! At this rate, we'll catch up with those ahead soon."

Seo Gangrim continued to check the nearby monitors. The current leader was still Shin Sooah. Although occasional battles occurred among the competitors, nothing extraordinary seemed to be happening.

'What did the guide of fate try to tell me?'

The message about incidents occurring due to fate. Some events had indeed taken place, but nothing fatal had happened. Seo Gangrim glanced at Dokgo Jun sitting next to him.

'It couldn't have told me that I'd be working with Dokgo Jun.'

Locked in his thoughts, Seo Gangrim suddenly snapped to attention at a distant sound. Amidst the noisy engine and tire friction sounds, an alien sound interfered.

Hearing it, Dokgo Jun spoke with a puzzled expression.

"What's that? A horse?"

Thud, thud!

A gigantic red horse was rushing towards them at a terrifying speed. The people riding on it were familiar faces.

"Master!"

"Master!"

Riding on the horse were Yoon Geoul and Yoon Bom.

"Master, I've seen it on TV, but did you really form an alliance with Jun-oppa?"

"Uh."

"Oh, what should we do? We have to defeat you..."

The command that Yoon Bom and Yoon Geoul received was to win first place. Being born in the Year of the Rat, Seo Gangrim was their obvious enemy.

As Yoon Bom hesitated, Seo Gangrim's voice echoed.

"What are you doing? We're in the middle of a competition."

-Vroom!

As soon as those words were spoken, the 'Radiant Flames' was fired terrifyingly, barely missing Yoon Bom's head.

Despite that, Yoon Bom hesitated to retaliate.

Seo Gangrim silently aimed his sword and said, "This is like a duel. Think of it as testing our skills and come at me."

To make it convincing, Seo Gangrim had to fight at an appropriate level so that Yoon Bom and Yoon Geoul wouldn't feel too discouraged.

In the end, Yoon Bom raised her gun and pointed it at Seo Gangrim. A deafening gunshot echoed.

-Bang!

The bullet split the air violently, with a violent and sharp speed. But Seo Gangrim was faster.

-Swish!

Blocked by the sword, the bullet spun away. At a glance, it seemed to be not a real bullet but a tranquilizer dart.

When Seo Gangrim blocked the bullet, ironically, Yoon Bom seemed relieved.

Yoon Geoul exclaimed, "Unni! You shouldn't feel relieved!"

"Well, but Master is strong. Even if we go all out, we can't beat him."

"That's true..."

Yoon Bom nodded in understanding. Then, with a gaze sharper than before, she reloaded her gun.

Seo Gangrim stood up and took a defensive stance, telling Dokgo Jun, "Drive well. I'll handle the rest."

"Okay. Can I step on it a bit more then?"

Vroom!

Dokgo Jun increased the speed without waiting for an answer. The speed now exceeded 150 km/h.

It wasn't easy to stand due to the shaking and wind, but it wasn't impossible. At that moment, the second attack began.

-Bang, bang!

Amidst the ground-chewing tire sounds and the roaring engine, gunshots echoed. Along with the gunshots, Seo Gangrim's sword deflected the bullets, emitting a sharp whining sound. In the meantime, the numbers on the dashboard began to exceed 180.

"It seems that intense battles are taking place on both sides! Besides the combat, the driving skills on both sides are remarkable!"

The excited voice of the announcer resonated through the speakers.

Seo Gangrim's vehicle was now running side by side with the horse. The horse, galloping forcefully, kicked the ground even harder as it ran. Yoon Bom was visibly pleased that Seo Gangrim hadn't been hit by a single bullet.

"Then I'll give it my all, Master!"

-Bang, clank!

Constantly blocking the incoming bullets, Seo Gangrim's sword moved gracefully, as if dancing. Despite some that looked like near-random shots, each shot was precise and aimed directly at Seo Gangrim.

"Really, she's a monster too."

Yoon Bom, riding on a horse and shooting explosively, seemed unstoppable. However, to her, Seo Gangrim looked like a transcendent being.

Ignoring the incessant gunfire, Seo Gangrim focused on his sword, parrying each shot with precision. Even though dozens of bullets were fired, he allowed none to hit him.

The bisected bullets fell noisily onto the vehicle.

Then, the vehicle seemed to hit something, causing it to wobble, and a notification window popped up.

[Entering the 'Trap Field' event area!]

Seo Gangrim urgently looked ahead. The color of the course floor had changed unexpectedly. The floor now resembled a chessboard, alternating between black and white tiles.

As Seo Gangrim's vehicle rushed forward, stepping on a single tile changed everything.

-Boom!

A loud explosion echoed from behind. Turning around, Seo Gangrim saw massive flames and smoke sweeping through the surroundings.

Dokgo Jun, glancing at it through the rearview mirror, commented casually, "Hmm, looks like we stepped on a mine."

Thanks to their high-speed rush, they narrowly avoided being caught in the explosion.

The path of tiled tiles seemed to extend endlessly.

[The Rat alliance and the Horse alliance! Both sides have entered the trap area!]

[No one knows where or what traps are hidden!]

As the announcer's words ended, a short scream was heard nearby. Yoon Geoul exclaimed in shock, "Whoa, what is this, exactly?"

Next to them, the floor was entirely covered in ice, indicating something had been triggered. The horse, confused by the slippery surface, was stumbling.

Annoyed, Yoon Geoul drew her bow. "Unni, hold the reins! I'll take care of this!"

[Ability 'Song of the Bow' activated!]

Even though the bowstring clearly seemed empty, as soon as the skill activated, an arrow appeared. The magical arrow looked as if it were made of fire.

Yoon Geoul shot the arrow toward the frozen ground, and as if ignited, the ice instantly melted away.

'He has also grown a lot. He obtained a good skill.'

The 'Song of the Bow' was an ability that could create arrows with different attributes. Seo Gangrim wanted to express his joy for their growth, but now was not the time.

-Boom!

A sound of something exploding below was heard, and the vehicle shook heavily. Dokgo Jun laughed in embarrassment.

"Hahaha, big trouble. Seems like one of the rear wheels burst."

As he said, one of the wheels had burst, revealing the metal wheel frame. Although they could force the vehicle to keep moving, if such situations repeated a few more times, it could lead to a serious problem.

At that moment, Seo Gangrim noticed a subtle difference in the floor.

'The tiles are slightly different?'

A few tiles had very small marks engraved on them.

In the heightened sensory state, even while rushing madly, Seo Gangrim noticed it. Dokgo Jun also seemed to have noticed and was doing his best to avoid obstacles, but the marks were too small.

'For now, is avoiding them the only option? Unless...!'

As thoughts raced through Seo Gangrim's mind, an alert window appeared before him.

[The aura of 'death' intensifies. 'Eyes of Vigilance' activated!]