How To Use Regressors

18 – Tutorial’s End (Part 2)

“Here they come again! Everyone, get ready!”

As we continued to move, the monsters attacked once more.

“Keeeeek!”

“Be careful, everyone. Take out the ones shooting arrows first!”

“I know, old man!”

Swoosh-

Thud!

“Keaaaak..!”

Kang Isseo skillfully began taking out the archers with his bow. Just like before, Hwon ajusshi blocked with his shield while the melee fighters dealt with the enemies in front.

I prepared myself to switch positions with someone in the front if they got tired, holding my blunt weapon and shield.

“….. Grrr!”

Not long after, An Taeu, who was thrusting his spear through the gaps in the front, got grazed by the enemies’ swinging swords and blood started to trickle from his arm.

“Get behind me, Taeu!”

As soon as I switched positions with Ahn Taeu, I began blocking the attacks with my shield. Unlike Mr. Howon’s large shield, the shield I was holding was small, so I couldn’t just relax without thinking.

“For now, I just need to hold on and buy some time…!”

If I could buy some time, Seo Yooju and Kang Iseo would be able to reduce the number of guys.

“…..!”

Suddenly, I started to feel an intense pain in my foot. I barely endured the pain and checked, it seemed that one of the guys had stabbed my foot with a dagger.

“I can’t retreat here.”

If I stepped back now because of the pain, there was a high probability that the frontline would collapse. I immediately struck the guy who stabbed me on the head with a mace.

“Whack!”

Since the space to move was limited, the strike didn’t land properly and the guy only flew away without dying.

“… Kuh…!”

It was too difficult to endure the pain. I would rather have had a wound on my arm, but it was hard to even stand because my foot was injured.

“… Yoon Sung?!”

Seo Yooju must have noticed something strange about my appearance, as she examined me with her eyes and seemed to have discovered the wound on my foot.

As she bit her lip and swiftly pierced the window twice, the heads of the two monsters rushing towards her exploded.

“Mad… madness!”

“Yoonseong, step back! Let’s focus on healing for now!”

“No… If I retreat here, the front line will…”

It seemed Gang Yi-seo had checked my condition as well. Instead of shooting an arrow, he approached me and took away the shield and mace.

“Hey! Stop showing off, I’ll take the front for a while. Quickly step back and get some treatment!”

Soon, Yurim and Yuhyeon supported me and moved me backward.

“Brother! Just hold on a bit! I can…”

Tap.

I grabbed Yuhyeon’s hand, who was trying to treat me, and spoke up.

“Yuhyeon… How much mana… is left?”

“….. Brother.”

“There isn’t much left, right? In that case… don’t heal me.”

“Oppa! What are you saying?! Your heel is completely crushed…!”

“… I’m a dark mage anyway. If I can’t stand in the front line, I can cast spells from the rear. Don’t waste precious mana on me.”

Right now, even without it, if the team’s saje (shaman) uses precious mana in the courtyard where only Yoo Hyun is, it will make it difficult for me to defeat the boss monster later.

While others are unaware of the existence of the boss monster, I am half certain of its existence due to Seo Yoo-joo’s words.

“At the very least… I need to heal the close combat classes fighting in the vanguard, not me.”

The mage can cast spells from behind. Unluckily, there might be a boss monster that attacks the rear, but then I can just go get healed when the time comes.

“It’s not just healing. If you heal me here right now, Yoo Hyun might not be able to use a shield.”

I’ve thought about getting healed here and spending a day recovering mana inside the dungeon before going to defeat the boss monster, but it’s too risky.

“… The longer we delay, the more they might keep attacking.”

“It’s okay to heal. Just… stop the bleeding… Ugh…”

In the end, it seemed that Yoo Rim and Yoo Hyun respected my decision as they nodded with serious expressions.

After the battle ended, Seo Yoo-joo opened her mouth in surprise at my still untreated condition.

“Yoon Sung, why haven’t you received treatment? Yoo Hyun?!”

“I told Yoo Hyun not to heal me.”

“What?”

Seo Yoo-joo looked puzzled. Kang Yi-seo also started speaking beside me.

“Hey?! What’s going on! Why aren’t you getting treated? I told you not to show off for no reason…!”

“Yoo Hyun is running low on magic power.”

When they heard my words, both of them fell silent.

“I can use magic from the backline. If I use healing magic now and someone on the front line gets injured later, I can use it then.”

Seo Yoo Joo probably knows this fact. But she might not be able to think rationally because I got hurt.

Seo Yoo Joo can lose her composure when it comes to matters related to me.

Yoo Rim spoke the very same thought I had.

“Oppa, then can’t you just rest for a day in the dungeon after receiving treatment to restore your magic power?”

I watched Seo Yoo Joo’s response to confirm if my guess was correct. As expected, she immediately answered.

“…No, that’s too risky. If we delay the clear, we might be continuously attacked.”

‘Just as I thought.’

This dungeon seemed to be some kind of time attack. The faster we clear it, the more advantageous it is, but the difficulty level increases the longer we take to clear it.

‘…No matter how much I think about it, the difficulty level is insane. How on earth did we clear this place on our first try?’

The elderly Hohwon spoke, who had been silent until now.

“…I’m sorry, but I agree with Yoon Sung. It seems like it’s better to save the treatment.”

“…Alright. Everyone, let’s move again. Yoon Sung, please be careful in the backline. Ha Eun, could you support Yoon Sung a little?”

“Yes, yes…”

“I will walk.”

Kang Isuh approached, chuckling by my side as I walked.

“Hey, if you can’t walk anymore, just tell me. I’ll carry you.”

“Heh… What… Forget it. Stop showing off.”

“Oh, now you’re speaking informally? Quite a sudden change of heart, isn’t it?”

“… Well… I’m just saying not to show off, Mr. Isuh. You might hurt your back doing that.”

It seemed that, without realizing it, I had become more familiar in my speech.

“Oh, why are you using honorifics again? Just speak casually.”

“I’m just worried about your back, Mr. Isuh. You might get injured. Your showing off is a bit too much.”

With a slight smirk, I spoke to Kang Isuh, and she whispered to me.

“Oh, is that so? Then, is there another way to make your back hurt?”

It took me about 10 seconds to understand her words, and I was taken aback.

“Hahaha! Look at that red face. Well, that’s why you shouldn’t tease me for no reason. Got it, adorable Yoon Sung?”

Watching from the side, Song Haeun finally spoke to Kang Isuh.

“What are you doing to the injured patient?”

“Oh my… They’re completely out, totally out.”

******

After an insignificant conversation, they slowly moved for about 30 minutes until a massive black iron door appeared before their eyes.

“…. This is…”

Everyone marveled at the fact that there was such a gigantic door underground.

“That’s where the boss monster is.”

“Wow… Damn… It’s huge. Just looking at it, you can tell there’s something behind it.”

Everyone instinctively realized that there was something behind this door. After a moment of silence, Seo Yujoo spoke to everyone.

“… This might be the end of the dungeon. It seems like the final battle. Please be careful, everyone.”

Everyone swallowed nervously. Just as they were tense, thinking they had finally reached the end of the tutorial, Mr. Ho-won spoke up.

“Well then… I’ll open the door.”

ㅡ Creak.

The sound of the door opening echoed throughout the entire cave.

After opening the door, what they saw was a stone throne. And sitting on the throne was a creature slightly larger than a human.

The body was black, and except for its size and color, the overall appearance of the creature was similar to the monsters seen so far.

One noticeable point was that it held a rather large halberd in its hand.

As it opened the eyes it had shut, the being spoke in the language of humans.

“….Humans, it’s been a while, Ke’rak.”

Apart from Sir Yooju, everyone seemed shocked by the fact that the creature was speaking the language of humans.

“What the…?! Damn, this guy is speaking human?”

“Shut up, human woman. Ke’rak.”

Kangisuh seemed to be in shock at the fact that the monster was telling them to shut up and had his mouth agape.

“How dare you interrupt when I am speaking… a creature like you? Insolent one, Ke’rak.”

The creature rose from its seat and slowly began to approach us.

“Tear them all apart, you vermin, Ke’rak. It’s been a while since I tasted fresh human flesh, Ke’rak.”

Sir Yooju gripped the spear with both hands and spoke.

“Everyone, prepare for battle! As it seems to handle the halberd, I suggest evading rather than blocking. Yoon Sung, Haeun, and Yiseo, attack from the rear. Ho Won, please take care of the safety of the rear in case of any unforeseen danger.”

Mr. Ho Won nodded in response.

“I understand.”

As soon as our conversation ended, the monster jumped towards us, propelled by its swift pace.

“It’s fast…!”

The monstrous creature swung its halberd, and Seo Yooju dodged it slightly, then retaliated with her spear.

Splatter ㅡ

“Gah… Human woman…! Kerk!”

The creature seemed unprepared for Seo Yooju’s quick reaction and grazed her waist.

Soon after, the wind elemental summoned by Song Haeun began to send gusts of wind towards the creature. However, it rolled to the side to evade and rushed towards Song Haeun.

“Die, you wretch! Kerk!”

Clang!

“Kugh…!”

Mr. Ho-won timely intervened, blocking the creature’s halberd. The impact was so intense that a small amount of blood oozed from Mr. Ho-won’s mouth.

“Ajae!”

“It’s alright…! Quickly, shoot this fiend ㅡ !”

Kang Iseo shot an arrow at the creature, causing it to release the halberd and step back, then it immediately kicked Mr. Ho-won’s shield with its foot.

“Boom!

“…Guh!”

Mr. Howon couldn’t withstand the shock and fell backward. Just as the scoundrel was about to swing his halberd at Mr. Howon again.

“Rise in flames!”

Swish –

I had prepared a spell, waiting for the perfect moment, and plunged it into the scoundrel’s back.

“Kraaaaah! Ack! This damned wretch…! Ack!”

Unlike the other lackeys who went berserk with flames continuously engulfing their bodies, he began to retreat from us, apparently having suffered some damage.

When the battle momentarily settled down, Hyunjin spoke up.

“This guy… surprisingly agile for his size.”

Everyone agreed. The scoundrel was undeniably powerful, but in proportion to his bulk, he was remarkably fast and flexible.