Episode 68: In-depth (2)
The iron doll extended its fist.
Go Hyun-woo ran towards him and swung the magic sword in his hand.
In an instant, a golden trail is drawn in the air,
– Bam!
The fist and sword clashed and the iron doll took a half step back.
Go Hyun-woo took advantage of the momentum and quickly advanced forward, hitting the iron doll’s head.
– Bam!
The new version of the iron doll swayed sideways and fell over.
Another doll came swinging a long iron bar.
Go Hyun-woo focused his power on his sword and stabbed the bastard hard in the neck.
– Bam!
An iron doll that falls backwards and rolls on the floor.
Go Hyun-woo lightly swung his magic sword into the air a few times.
‘I’m getting pretty good at it.’
It was a bit awkward at first because the length and weight were very different from an iron sword, but I got the feel for it after practicing with the iron dolls for a few days.
Now, it will be possible to use it in real life without any problems.
I checked the time and it was already morning.
Today, as usual, I stayed up all night at the training center.
Since there was still quite a bit of time left until class, I thought I could do some Mana practice in the special practice room and then go to school.
But before that, it would be good to do something simple like this.
The menu for breakfast today will be the same as usual: calorie bars or cereals.
however…….
Go Hyun-woo, who was searching through the subspace, furrowed his brows.
‘What an oversight.’
The wall clock and calorie bars are both gone.
I’ve been so busy with various things lately that I forgot to fill it out.
No matter how important training is, you must not skip meals.
If your body’s balance is lost, your skills will also be lost.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve had breakfast.’
A proper breakfast, not something like a calorie bar.
Since he entered Yongsal Academy after moving down the mountain, interest in food has always occupied a corner of Go Hyun-woo’s heart.
However, since the goal of cultivating skills and achieving the monk’s long-cherished wish was the priority, it was a situation where I had to endure a lot of regret and give up.
But if the subspace is empty like it is now, it would be okay to eat a meal at the student cafeteria while replenishing calorie bars.
Go Hyun-woo left the training center with a slightly excited heart.
As I came out, I saw the back of Kim Ho walking in front of me.
He also seems to have been training all night.
Go Hyun-woo approached first and greeted me.
“Good morning, Kim Hyung.”
“You came out early. Don’t you usually come out later?”
“I’m going to have breakfast.”
“What brings you here? Anyway, let’s go together.”
While they were walking together, Go Hyun-woo suddenly asked a question that occurred to him.
“Isn’t Miss Seo coming?”
Kim Ho and Seo Ye-in were almost always together, so it was only natural that they would have breakfast together this morning.
So I asked,
“You already ate?”
Kim Ho tilted his head as if he too was surprised and answered.
It then shows the messages exchanged with the calligrapher.
[Kim Ho: Food?]
[Calligrapher: (Doridori rabbit emoticon)]
[Kim Ho: Did you eat?]
[Calligrapher: (Nodding rabbit emoticon)]
“Miss Seo, this early? What a surprise.”
Go Hyun-woo also tilted his head.
It was rare for the calligrapher to wake up early, as was his trip to the student cafeteria for breakfast.
But Kim Ho soon shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal.
“I’ll be there when I get to class. Let’s eat.”
The breakfast menu usually features a giant triangle kimbap, which is several times larger than the regular triangle kimbap.
Inside, it was filled with a handful of meat bombs.
It was truly a blessing for Go Hyun-woo.
‘You’re lucky… … .’
Since both men valued efficiency, they ate giant triangle kimbap on their way to class.
By the time they arrived, everyone was completely empty-handed.
When they arrived at Class 3, the calligrapher was there waiting for them.
I see a familiar paper bag in my hand.
At the same time, a delicious smell brushed the tip of Go Hyun-woo’s nose.
‘It’s candy.’
Was this why I had a separate breakfast this morning?
It was like waking up at dawn and baking cookies.
It wasn’t hard to guess why the cookies were baked.
Kim Ho gave a pillow or cushion from a random box to Seo Ye-in as a gift the day before yesterday, and it seemed like he wanted to express his gratitude to her in his own way.
‘It is a good thing, it is a good thing.’
A pleased smile appeared on Go Hyun-woo’s lips as he looked at the two people.
But the joy was short-lived… … .
The moment Kim Ho was about to put the cookie in his mouth, Seo Ye-in quietly grabbed his hand.
Then she looked up at him and asked.
“What does this look like?”
“… … !”
‘That question!’
Go Hyun-woo was inwardly thrilled.
If you think back to a time when that question was asked to you,
– What does this look like?
– It’s like the lizard is alive and breathing.
– … … .
At the time, I answered without thinking much about it, but looking back, it was a very serious mistake.
I got to see the expressionless calligrapher’s eyebrows twitching.
As a result, now not even a crumb of candy can fall on him, let alone candy.
What’s done can’t be undone.
The problem is that a second round has occurred.
And depending on how the second game goes, Kim Ho may also meet the same fate.
‘That must be stopped.’
Go Hyun-woo observed the cookies with great concentration, even to the point of aerodynamics.
Chocolate chip cookies.
Since the chocolate chips are evenly placed, it can be said that the taste has improved compared to before.
However, in terms of aesthetics, it felt like it had regressed compared to before.
‘It is a truly mysterious form… … .’
If I had to pick the closest thing, it would be a fish? Or a crouching rabbit? It was one of the two.
But which one?
It was difficult to be sure.
“… … .”
Kim Ho also seemed to be thinking the same thing and couldn’t open his mouth easily.
But it is not something that can be delayed forever.
In this situation, remaining silent is like saying you don’t understand at all, and that is no different from being the wrong answer.
It seems there is a time limit.
“… … .”
As the answer was delayed, the calligrapher’s face began to darken little by little.
It also seems that the eyes have narrowed slightly to the point where it is difficult to recognize them.
‘We must act now.’
The moment Kim Ho reluctantly opened his mouth.
Go Hyun-woo got between the two people ‘without notice’.
“Khuh-huh… … The fish look quite lively. It looks like it was just caught from the lake.”
Then, I glanced at the calligrapher’s face to see his reaction, and saw his eyebrows twitch slightly.
Wrong answer.
So, there is only one correct answer left.
“Rabbit, right?”
“… … !”
The calligrapher’s face brightened again.
Kim Ho-ga put the cookie in his mouth and savored it very naturally, as if he had no worries at all.
“It’s delicious. My skills have improved.”
“Eat more.”
As soon as Kim Ho finished one cookie, the calligrapher put the next cookie in his mouth.
Even though not a single crumb has fallen to Go Hyun-woo and will not fall in the future, he has no regrets.
‘It was a sacrifice worth making.’
* * *
The cookie shape matching challenge was successfully completed thanks to Go Hyun-woo’s timely intervention.
I often feel this, but Go Hyun-woo is also not ordinary in terms of observation.
However, this time, we got lucky, and as long as the calligrapher’s distorted aesthetic sense is on display, there is a possibility that a third or fourth round will occur at any time.
You should prepare yourself mentally.
Other than that, Friday passed by without any special events.
I wrote the 2 vs. 2 battle report in one stroke of my hand and submitted it, and I also drew the dungeon map, which was the assignment for the strategy battle, in a flash and submitted it.
I plan to continue to get almost full marks in the written portion.
And the rest of the time, I was stuck in the training center,
[‘Core’ rank has increased. (D->C)]
I was able to level up my core by Friday.
With this, you will have enough mana to survive in the deep dungeons.
All possible preparations have been completed.
As long as I get the reward I want from [Black Death Room],
‘Finally, a weapon worthy of being called a weapon will come out.’
I took out the [Floating Iron Bar] that I made in Workshop 1 the other day.
The quality of the metal used to make the bar was so low compared to the level of the parts that it only received an E rank.
Because of that, I haven’t been able to do much until now.
As I gently blew mana into it, a faint rising current lifted my bangs and disappeared.
It was as if he was protesting to me to quickly get him a proper body.
‘Just wait a moment.’
I will make it for you using the best metal.
* * *
Friday night.
I met Go Hyun-woo and members of the Thieves’ Club near Dungeon-dong.
Dang Gyu-yeong glanced at us and said,
“Are we all here? Let’s go.”
And he calmly took the lead.
Go Hyun-woo’s expression changed strangely and he tilted his head.
The way he looks at me seems to be asking me this.
‘Don’t you think you’ve forgotten something?’
On Monday, I changed my tie pin and put on a badge, but today I have nothing, so I feel unprepared.
Even today, we are heading to an extremely dangerous place called the Deep Dungeon.
Instead of explaining at length, I nodded to the thieves in front.
‘Keep watching.’
I don’t know about anything else, but they are always thorough when it comes to requests.
Only when trust is built up like that can the next request come in.
Besides, it was a request from the leader of the thieves’ club, so there was no way he could handle it carelessly.
As the client, we just need to follow along without worrying about anything.
But to answer Koh Hyun-woo’s question briefly,
‘Clumsy tricks won’t work.’
Would a badge like that work for those with power residing in the deep?
Additionally, most of these gimmicks are intended to prepare for situations where you might encounter someone ‘on the way down’.
What if you were confident that you wouldn’t run into anyone on your way down?
There is no need to fool people.
As if to confirm that confidence, Dang Gyu-yeong displayed his skills as soon as he entered the basement.
The shadows beneath my feet rippled and several small, black butterflies flew up.
[Shadow Butterfly Flight]
Butterflies fluttered their tiny wings furiously as they disappeared beneath the circular staircase or across the passage.
Dang Gyu-yeong led the group along the path of the shadow butterfly he had sent out, occasionally stopping or changing direction.
Then, he creates a welcome message and spreads it everywhere.
scout.
First, send out a shadow butterfly, and if someone gets caught, lead the group far away and escape.
Because it is a scout created with extreme concentration in magic, it can grasp situations from much further away than normal exploration magic.
Moreover, since butterflies move very stealthily, the chances of them being discovered by patrol leaders or the like are very low.
It would probably be impossible to catch him unless he was as skilled as Dang Gyu-yeong.
Chae Da-bin also fully demonstrated her skills.
Her hands had been tapping away at her tablet without rest since she stepped onto the circular staircase, and perhaps because of that, none of the crystal balls or security devices installed everywhere we passed by worked.
Thanks to the two seniors who guided us, we didn’t have to walk long.
When Dang Gyu-yeong stopped the group in front of the elevator,
Shin Byeong-cheol quickly approached and touched a few devices while Chae Da-bin operated the tablet.
Then, the elevator started moving on its own without me even scanning my student ID.
After taking the elevator down for a while, I followed Dang Gyu-yeong’s instructions to the next elevator.
Doing this a few times allowed me to travel a tremendous distance in a short period of time.
It was something I could never have imagined when I was following Shin Byeong-cheol.
‘We’re almost there.’
The last elevator dropped us off near the entrance to the deep, where the C-class dungeons were gathered.
Since the elevator leading directly to the deep section had a very high chance of being discovered, it was decided to enter on foot from Class C.
“… … .”
As we got closer to the boundary between the lower and deeper levels of the dungeon, everyone started to get a little nervous.
Dang Gyu-yeong, who had been relaxed throughout, also took on a rather serious expression.
Recover all the shadow butterflies that were spread out.
No matter how secretive the shadow butterfly is, there is still a chance of it being discovered.
And because of that small margin, an emergency may be declared throughout the entire depths, so it is better not to bring it out from now on.
We walked up the stairs with a noticeably more cautious gait than before.
And finally, we entered the deep end.
