chapter 21
Episode 21
The students who entered the training ground opened their mouths wide.
“woah···.”
“It is very wide.”
The Spiral Guild’s group training ground was different in size compared to the existing training grounds. As a rule of thumb, it’s about the size of three or four playgrounds.
It was literally a space for ‘group’ training, and the group here meant at least 15 hunters.
“by the way···.”
“Didn’t we say that the dungeon we’re going to enter is a maze?”
The students whispered lowly. Kang Tae-min had heard that the place they would enter was a ‘gear maze’.
Of course, I expected a training ground in the form of a winding, multi-pronged shape.
But all they had in front of them was a very straight passage.
“One, two, three… thirteen in total?”
“Is that so?”
“what?”
A total of 13 straight aisles. A question mark appeared on the faces of the students at the appearance of the training ground that did not match the maze.
“fist.”
At Kang Tae-min’s low voice, the students all shut their mouths and looked away.
“The worst thing you will face in a dungeon is to be left alone, separated from your colleagues.”
Hunters entering the dungeon basically form a team of at least three people. This is because it is usually difficult to attack alone, and if there are too many people, the share of rewards will be reduced.
“If it’s a dungeon with only monsters, it’s fortunate, but if there are traps, the chance of survival is extremely low.”
At Kang Tae-min’s words, the students swallowed dry saliva. If the monstrous homeroom teacher said that, the situation must have been really serious.
“To live, you have to be prepared for the worst. You will learn to break through the traps alone from now on.”
If it had been the other teachers, they would have taught each other how to break the trap.
Taemin Kang did not.
‘I don’t think I need to tell you yet that I can’t trust my colleagues who went in with me.’
A situation where everyone comes back alive by cooperating with each other. That’s just an ideal case, one that can only be found in textbooks.
Kang Tae-min was well aware of how different the reality was from the ideal.
“Each aisle enters in turn. However, Min So-yul is not in the non-combat world, so he does not enter alone.”
When his name was called, Min So-yul was taken aback.
“Min So-yul will form a team with the student who came in first place in the first challenge. 1st place should learn how to protect Soyul in the second round of training.”
Min So-yul looked around.
It was as if he was considered a burden. Of course, there were no students who looked at me that way, but anyway.
“But you can use Min So-yul’s potion instead. You guys should know the effect better.”
Some students nodded their heads at the explanation that followed.
‘exactly···.’
‘It’ll be easier if I get some medicine.’
After that explanation, Kang Tae-min immediately put the students in the aisle.
“Go away.”
The students blinked their eyes at that brief command.
“ok?”
“You want to just go?”
“Sir, you have to tell me what traps are coming!”
At the last question, Kang Tae-min took out the etiquette injector and frowned.
When the students saw the etiquette injector, they flinched and closed their mouths.
“Do you think you’ll even hand out trap instructions in the dungeon?”
Kang Tae-min’s training is based on ‘actual combat’. Hunters who entered the dungeon for the first time had little information about traps.
“eww···.”
“You’re right, so I can’t argue with you.”
The students began to advance down the aisle, tense. Kang Tae-min returned to the control panel and looked at the 13 students through the screen.
“Everyone is proceeding cautiously.”
Seol Ga-eun said with a proud face. Taemin Kang also smiled.
But his smile had a slightly different meaning.
“Being prudent is worthwhile only when there is an income.”
“Yes?”
Seol Ga-eun’s eyes turned round. Taemin Kang did not explain further.
“You will know when you see it.”
* * *
The students who reached the end of the aisle grimaced.
“what?”
“It’s written… I got hit.”
“I can’t believe there aren’t any traps…”
I tensed up and checked the aisle. His entire body was tensed to react in case the trap was triggered.
But there were no real pitfalls.
“Master Taemin, is this…?”
Seol Ga-eun asked in surprise. I’m sure you didn’t come here for training to deal with traps.
“Didn’t I tell you? You have to prepare for the ‘worst’.”
Kang Tae-min answered without hesitation. Seol Ga-eun soon realized the meaning.
“ah···! It must have caused mental fatigue on purpose.”
“you’re right. Being isolated in a dungeon puts the mind at greater risk than the body.”
It was deliberately induced to leave students mentally exhausted. It was to create a situation that was as similar to the actual game as possible.
“The real training starts now.”
Kang Tae-min manipulated the panel right away. With a bang, the lights in the training ground were turned off, and pinpoint lights illuminated each student as if on a stage for a play.
“What, what?”
“What?”
Surprised students looked around. Taemin Kang turned on the microphone and said a few words.
“It’s not always bright inside the dungeon. Get out of the passage through the darkness.”
Of course, traps are hidden out of sight of intruders. The students had to break through the trap somehow by securing their sight.
“If you get caught in a trap and become immobilized or give up, I will let you go.”
A little bit of color returned to the faces of the anxious students. However, Kang Tae-min’s words did not end.
“But those who voluntarily give up will have to pay for the facilities themselves.”
“…use fee?”
“Pay me?!”
Some students raised their voices in surprise. However, I just didn’t make a sound, and the other students felt the same way.
I’ve never heard anything about having to pay.
“Why are you surprised? This is a place borrowed for free from the Spiral Guild for ‘training’. Giving up training is no different from using it without permission.”
The students looked in the direction of the sound with unfair eyes. Of course, I didn’t answer directly. What comes back anyway is just the acupressure function of the etiquette injector.
“For reference, this is a place used only by those who have been recognized for their skills among current hunters. I won’t tell you the cost, but you’d better think about it.”
At Kang Tae-min’s words, the blood drained from the students’ faces.
‘Usage fee… it must be over a few hundred?’
‘I’d rather fall into a trap.’
‘Isn’t it the same as telling me not to give up?’
‘Isn’t this actually a trap?’
Among the complex students, Ju Da-hyun was the only one with a calm face.
‘Master motivates in an unusual way.’
It was because he did not think that Kang Tae-min would really receive fees from students.
Still, she didn’t know Kang Tae-min well.
* * *
Flashes of light exploded with a bang. Song Dae-beom checked the arrows flying through his brightened vision.
“Ooh!”
He hurriedly raised his round shield to block the flying arrows. The shock was delivered with a loud bang.
“Phew, it almost got into trouble.”
The shield he held was the equipment he received as a gift from Dahyun Ju. Excellent heat resistance and durability, yet lightweight and easy to throw.
Kang Tae-min inscribed an explosion magic circle on the outside of the shield and taught him how to attack the opponent.
“There are now two daggers left…”
Not only that, but I also learned how to throw a dagger. The arrow he threw earlier was also the result of checking the nearby traps as the dagger he threw exploded.
‘I’m going to win first place this time?’
The corners of Song Dae-beom’s mouth twitched.
Contrary to my worries, I broke through the passage faster than expected. It was because he used his ability, explosion, to trigger the set traps in advance.
“Uhhhhh.”
Song Dae-beom smiled at the thought of Seol Ga-eun’s praise and the envy of his friends.
He carved a magic circle on the dagger again and threw it into the darkness. Explosions and flashes followed.
“uh?”
With his shield covering his front, he slightly poked his eyes out, and an unusual change was detected in his field of vision. Aren’t fireballs pouring from the ceiling of the aisle all of a sudden?
“What, what?”
The hot heat surged up and the passage was completely blocked by flames.
‘this···! Was it a trap with flammable substances coming out!?’
Song Dae-beom stepped back with a face of embarrassment. I was in the middle of thinking about how to get rid of that fire.
“yes?”
A strange groaning sound came from behind. As Song Dae-beom turned around, red eyes flashed in the dark passageway.
“What, what?!”
He reacted immediately. He carved a magic circle on the remaining dagger and threw it. Flashes of light filled the passageway, illuminating the surroundings.
“What…!”
The one caught in the explosion was a mechanical doll the size of a man. It was an automaton, a soldier of one of the monsters, the machine race, ‘Machina’.
Song Dae-beom was horrified when the monster suddenly appeared.
‘What the hell…!’
Because they did not consider combat, mana was not so abundant. The body of the automaton was damaged by the explosion, but the movement was intact.
Song Dae-beom quickly poured the remaining mana onto the shield and set up an explosion magic circle.
“Cheak!”
But the automaton wasn’t just watching it. The automaton, which approached in an instant, kicked Song Dae-beom’s ankle and knocked him to the side.
Perhaps it was aimed at, but the shield hit the floor. Song Dae-beom’s body came to mind with a loud bang.
“Ouch!”
The automaton grabbed his well-raised neck with one hand and gave him a merciless beating with the other hand.
After that, it was just pain. There was no spirit and no mana. Song Dae-beom was beaten to such an extent that his soul went out.
“Song Dae-beom, eliminated.”
It is not known when he was freed from his grasp. Song Dae-beom, who was crouching on the floor, barely raised his swollen eyes.
Kang Tae-min was crossing the roaring fire casually.
“This time, the mana distribution failed. You should have thought about encountering monsters.”
Expected, but nothing to worry about. Song Dae-beom’s whole body ached and he didn’t even have the energy to reply.
Kang Tae-min carried Song Dae-beom like a piece of luggage and left the aisle.
“Ugh…”
“Uh…”
“Write…”
As I exited the aisle, the sounds of pain could be heard from everywhere. Song Dae-beom was relieved to know that he was not the only one who suffered from the automaton.
Of course, there were students like Go Min-soo who were not beaten. But the damp hem of his pants made it clear that he had been caught in a trap.
“Out of 13 people, only Joo Da-hyun succeeded.”
Kang Tae-min handed Song Dae-beom over to Seol Ga-eun and said. At those words, everyone’s eyes turned to Joo Da-hyun.
“Oh, I’ve already been trained to deal with traps.”
Joo Da-hyun answered that gaze with a shy smile. Of course, it was not this kind of education, but kind and meticulous education.
“As I said, Soyul is a team with Dahyun. Dahyun should learn how to protect her friends.”
“Yes, Master!”
“Dahyeon-ah, take care of me!”
Min So-yul, who was treating the students next to Seol Ga-eun, responded. Thanks to the two, the treatment was quick.
My body was fine, but everyone looked exhausted.
“I’ll start the second round right away.”
The eyes of the students shook at Kang Tae-min’s command. But soon, a little confidence appeared in those eyes.
‘But I’ve been hurt once.’
‘I remembered the approximate location.’
‘It’s an idiot if I get the same.’
Having personally experienced it, I judged that I would be able to pass it more easily than the first round. Kang Tae-min also expected that much.
And that wasn’t the way to stay ‘worst’.
“uh?”
“What, what?”
When Kang Tae-min lightly manipulated the panel, the aisle began to change rapidly.
“Traps are set randomly. What you guys have to memorize is the type of each trap and how to deal with it, not the order.”
“Oh My God···.”
“no···.”
At Kang Tae-min’s words, the students sighed. He realized that Kang Tae-min’s training was not easy.
* * *
“Another failure…”
“Ahhh… I’m going to die.”
The screams of the students continued. After several challenges, he became accustomed to some traps, but it was because he was suffering from constantly changing traps.
“Sweep… I think I’ll just have to follow that automaton.”
“A monster chasing a random trap…”
“Are real dungeons like this?”
Repeated failures undermined students’ confidence. I wondered if they would be able to enter the dungeon and do well.
“No, can this really succeed?”
“Don’t you think the training is more intense?”
“That’s right. It was much easier to fight against goblins last time.”
The students turned the frustration to the other side. Kang Tae-min gave them an impossible task, so it wasn’t that they were lacking, that no one would be able to succeed.
‘It’s time to step out.’
Kang Tae-min was anticipating the flow. In this case, the solution was simple.
“Sir Gaeun, please be on the panel.”
“Yes? Oh, are you going to do it now?”
“Yes.”
Kang Tae-min answered and stood in front of the aisle. The eyes of the students naturally focused on him.
“From now on, just once, I will show you a demonstration. Take a good look at it and keep it in mind.”
“Sam himself?”
“Are you going to succeed in this?”
At Kang Tae-min’s words, the students widened their eyes. He went right into the aisle without saying more.
When Seol Ga-eun manipulated the panel, Kang Tae-min’s image was projected on the large screen.
“No, but isn’t it natural for you, teacher?”
“He also handles the core by himself…”
“I don’t know if it’s a trap or something and destroys everything.”
“If it’s enough for you, you won’t be able to run out of mana.”
The students had a conversation with a slightly bumpy face. In the first place, isn’t the difference between Kang Tae-min and their abilities huge?
Rather, it would be strange if Kang Tae-min did not succeed. Because of this, the students looked at the screen without much inspiration.
“···uh?”
“what?”
However, Kang Tae-min’s appearance was quite different from what they expected. Kang Tae-min, who arrived at the end of the aisle, walked down the aisle relying on pinpoint lighting like students.
“Projectile traps are better to activate if you can predict their direction.”
He sat down and pressed his hand on the slightly protruding floor as he explained. An arrow flew over his head with a popping sound.
This would have neutralized a trap without losing mana.
“Check the seams of the collapsing trap. The seams are thin compared to other places so that it breaks easily, so it gets burnt.”
Kang Tae-min lightly tapped the floor and knocked it down. Under the collapsed floor, blunt poles were erected.
“OMG···.”
“Is it that easy to find?”
Thus, Kang Tae-min destroyed the trap purely through experience without using his abilities.
The students watched the process with dazzled faces.
‘Oh my gosh···.’
It wasn’t just the students who were so surprised. Seol Ga-eun was also surprised and watched with her mouth slightly open.
However, she was looking at Kang Tae-min from the teacher’s point of view.
‘How much did you study?’
The Kang Tae-min he knew had never entered a dungeon. Therefore, Kang Tae-min’s explanation was judged to be the result of countless efforts.
‘I only played on holidays…’
I was ashamed of myself for only watching Q-Tube and Netflix at home. Her envy for Kang Tae-min grew as much as her shame.
-It is true that teacher Ga-eun is needed.
Kang Tae-min’s words came to mind again. How could such a wonderful person need you?
“Ehehehe…”
She smiled involuntarily. Fortunately, all the other students were concentrating on the screen, so no one noticed.
In the meantime, Kang Tae-min also destroyed the pile of automatons that appeared along the way.
“As you can see, even if you don’t have the ability, you can do it.”
Kang Tae-min leisurely came out of the aisle and said. The students blinked their eyes in disbelief.
“Then let’s resume training.”
“Shit, sir! The explosive trap earlier was…”
“No questions asked.”
Kang Tae-min cut off his words by stamping the etiquette injector on the floor. he already said
“If you can’t memorize it with your head, you have to learn it with your body.”
There is only one demonstration.
* * *
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Late at night, the Society headquarters was still light.
“Chief. This is the report you ordered.”
“Well.”
Bae Seung-ju checked the report handed to him by his secretary. Among the information entering the association, Kang Tae-min was ordered to be delivered directly to him.
“Ah, it’s the first strategy practice.”
“Yes. Taemin Kang chose the ‘cog wheel maze’.”
It was an application for strategy practice delivered by Noblesse Academy. The secretary took a look at the contents.
“…but, isn’t it around here?”
“Yes, that’s right. This is the ‘Mosquito’ investigation area.”
At the secretary’s words, Bae Seung-joo frowned. ‘Mosquito’ was an Awakener who was pointed out as the culprit of a recent serial murder case.
It was an incident that was found like a mummy because there was no blood left in the victim’s body. In response, the association gave the culprit the nickname “Mosquito”.
“I want this matter to be dealt with as soon as possible, but I will attach more personnel.”
Catching the villain was of course an important task, and I had to take care of the association’s image.
I couldn’t show my weak side to Kang Tae-min, the recruiting target.
“Yes, I will take action right away.”
The secretary answered obediently and came out. But soon a worry came over his face.
‘I don’t know if adding more people will solve the problem.’
It was because the investigation was going through difficulties after the last traces of Mosquito.
‘I said it seemed as if it had disappeared.’
Where the hell is Mosquito hiding?