I felt as though I was on the verge of some revelation.
Father couldn’t outright oppose me after hearing what I had said.
“Huh? Please, help me a little.”
“Hmm….”
Father was also a man who wielded the sword.
He couldn’t not know that enlightenment does not come whenever one desires.
In the end, Father raised the white flag.
“Hoo… all right, I understand. You have to push when it’s time to push; if you cut it off ambiguously, there won’t be any enlightenment either. Instead, if it looks dangerous to me, I’ll step in at any time. Got it?”
“Yes. Thank you, Dad.”
“Good, then let’s get out of the Gate first.”
“Here is the key.”
I handed the key to Father.
Soon, we exited the dimensional gate.
When my consciousness flickered and returned, we were standing back-to-back before the artificial Gate.
“I’m going to return this key and go rent a new one. What about you? Do you want to rest here?”
“No, I’ll go with you too.”
There was indeed a space prepared inside the room where Hunters who had finished raiding Gates could briefly rest.
If I stayed, I felt like I would inadvertently rest while waiting for Father.
Since I needed to drive myself into a corner, I couldn’t allow that.
I turned my back on the sweet temptation and decided to follow Father out.
Before long, we arrived at the warehouse.
“Branch Chief, you’ve already returned? There should still be quite a bit of time left….”
“Haha, things just turned out this way.”
The receptionist who had rented the key to Father a short while ago discovered us and tilted her head as if puzzled.
Then, as if she understood the situation, she spoke in a pitying tone.
“Ah, I see…. It seems actual combat was still too much. But it’s all right. It’s actually quite amazing for the young master to undergo real combat at his age.”
“I think you’re misunderstanding something right now….”
“It’s fine, I understand.”
“….”
“You’ll do better next time. I’ll be cheering for you. Fighting, young master!”
“….”
The receptionist looked at me with a bright smile, striking a fighting pose.
She seemed to be under the mistaken impression that I had failed the Gate raid.
I decided to correct that misunderstanding.
“The actual combat itself went just fine.”
“Huh?”
“I cleared the Gate, you know.”
“Um… Branch Chief?”
“Gyeonu is right. It’s true.”
“…How old is the young master?”
“He turned twelve this year. He’s in elementary fifth grade.”
“Then… you’re saying a fifth grader just cleared a Gate?”
“For people from renowned clans, it’s not that surprising. It happens sometimes. It’s not rare.”
But it’s not common either….
The staff member’s lips, moving silently, seemed to say exactly that.
Father and I decided not to pay any more attention to her reaction.
Father leaned his arm on the reception counter.
“So, anyway.”
“Yes…. Please speak, Branch Chief.”
“Since we still have time left, could I borrow another Gate key too?”
“Normally, you need to inform us a day in advance to rent a key….”
“Oh my, is it not possible?”
“But of course it is for you, Branch Chief. I’ll take care of it.”
“Really? Thank you so much. I should treat the department folks to a company dinner next time for their hard work.”
“Rather than a company dinner, a bonus would be….”
“So, anyway.”
“Yes, Branch Chief.”
“Can I rent one with a slightly higher difficulty than this?”
Father held out the box containing the Gate key to the receptionist.
I seized that moment to cut in.
“Please make it Gray.”
“No, White is enough.”
“….”
I felt like Gray grade would have been possible too.
Father pushed me away with his hand as I approached the receptionist.
The receptionist stared blankly at us, then turned her head to Father.
She had decided to listen to Father.
“Then please wait a moment.”
The receptionist took care of the paperwork on her own and disappeared into the warehouse.
Not long after, she returned with a box.
“This will be a bit more difficult than the one you rented earlier. The grade is White. The raid conditions are enclosed inside the box.”
“Hmm… this should be somewhat manageable. Yes, thank you.”
“Then I wish you the best of luck.”
“Gyeonu, let’s go.”
Father read the paper inside the box and nodded.
Soon, I quietly followed Father, who turned around after taking the box.
Meanwhile, I didn’t forget to voice my opinion.
“Wouldn’t Gray grade have been fine too? It seems like a level where I could face Rank 2 monsters….”
“Son.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Do I have a death wish with your mother? If she finds out about this now too, I’m a dead man to your mother.”
“Then if you’re going to die anyway….”
“Are you really my son?”
“Obviously.”
“Carrots are what Mongsil likes. For your skill level, Rank 2 is still a bit too early. You might be able to fight if you overdo yourself, but it’s too dangerous.”
“Yes… it’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”
“Let’s climb up steadily from White. Not all White Gates are the same just because they’re White. Don’t think it’ll be the same as before.”
Father’s judgment was surely not wrong.
It must be that I didn’t yet have the skill to steadily clear Gray grade Gates.
I decided not to object any further and followed without complaint.
Meanwhile, Father seemed uneasy about me raiding this Gate.
It wasn’t long before…
“Oh, Hongcheol!”
“Branch Chief? And next to you is….”
“Perfect timing. I was just thinking it would be better to have a Supporter with us right now. Do you have time?”
While on our way to the artificial Gate.
Father suddenly called out to a clan member passing through the hallway.
A man holding a staff turned around when his name was called.
“I do have time, but… what is this regarding?”
“My son is trying to raid a Gate to gain real combat experience. But the one we’re raiding this time is a bit difficult, so I thought it would be better to have a Supporter stick right by his side, just in case.”
“Ah, is that so? I should help, since it’s the Branch Chief’s son. Hello?”
“…Hello.”
A Supporter specialized in magic that assisted Hunters, such as healing and buffs.
Father decided to have a Supporter accompany us in case I got hurt.
I exchanged greetings with the man who introduced himself as Bae Hongcheol.
After that, we found the Gate.
“This time, we’ll go straight in. The monsters might rush at us immediately upon entry, so be careful.”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m activating the Gate.”
Father inserted the Gate key.
And we stepped into the Gate.
[You have entered the Gate.]
[White: Pink Crystal Cave III]
Turning my eyes away from that message, I looked around.
‘Is this the same world as the place I fought just earlier?’
A cave made of blue rock walls.
Pink crystals growing there.
And lastly, the monsters were….
“…!”
It was right then.
Electricity suddenly surged through my body.
Sensing the activation of my Evasion Instinct, I immediately moved my body.
Tak!
An arrow was stuck right where I had been standing.
“….”
I raised my head in the direction the arrow had come from.
I spotted Goblins hidden in the shadows of the blue rocks.
There were also ones hiding behind the crystals.
Their numbers were considerable.
Kirik, kirik….
Before I could even finish counting them all.
The ones who had launched the preemptive attack began descending from above all at once.
It was then that a message appeared.
[The raid conditions are as follows.]
[Defeat the monsters.]
[Goblin (Rank. 01) x 4]
[Goblin Swordsman (Rank. 01) x 7]
[Goblin Archer (Rank. 01) x 3]
[Goblin Mage (Rank. 01) x 1]
Fifteen in total.
Not just ordinary Goblins, but Goblins with classes were mixed in as well.
‘I’m going crazy….’
I should probably call it off.
Gray grade was still too early for me.
Watching the Goblins scatter in all directions the moment they landed on the ground, I clicked my tongue.
‘My Evasion Instinct is activating.’
My Gift was crying out.
That if I wanted to live, I needed to run away quickly.
Even though I had orchestrated the situation I wanted, now that I was actually in it, I felt nothing but immense regret.
* * *
Lately, his son had changed.
Do Gyeonu, who used to show vivid reactions and be startled when pranks were played on him, had now become bold enough to regard such pranks as trivial.
He had even joined forces with Do Yeeun to turn the tables and give him a hard time instead.
His son, who used to obediently follow his parents’ words and avoid expressing his opinions as much as possible, was showing such a demeanor, so as a father, he couldn’t help but be surprised.
It wasn’t a bad change.
It was a good change.
‘He’s gotten quite spirited lately.’
He hadn’t said it all this time, but Do Sangjun, Do Gyeonu’s father, had been inwardly worried about Do Gyeonu.
His son had certainly grown up kind and upright. But he had grown so kind and upright that he became a child who put others before himself and hesitated to hurt others.
It did not suit the environment of the Divine Sword Do Clan, which made children compete with their peers from the age they could hold a sword.
So he had continually been pushed out in competitions and mocked by clan members.
At first, when he held the sword in his hand, his son had smiled happily, as if born to wield it, but at some point, he began to put on a tearful face every time he held the sword.
Do Sangjun had wanted to help such a son somehow as a father, but it hadn’t gone well.
He would only show a bright face when swinging the sword with him for a very brief moment, but when going to the swordsmanship hall or the main house, his face would quickly darken.
But when Do Gyeonu entered fifth grade, he began showing a changed appearance.
—He probably changed because he has a girl he likes in his class.
His wife, who looked like a rabbit but was actually a fox, had said so, but.
Do Sangjun thought there was another reason for Do Gyeonu’s change.
He was a child who feared hurting others and showed hesitation on the path of the sword.
For such a child to swing his sword so refreshingly, as if he had found his way, there must be a somewhat different reason.
Do Sangjun was certain of it.
—Hello, Gyeonu’s father. I am the person who teaches Gyeonu the sword at the swordsmanship hall.
—Ah, so you were Gyeonu’s instructor.
The swordsmanship hall that Do Gyeonu attended.
It was around that time that he met the swordsmanship instructor who taught Do Gyeonu and the students at that hall.
Having stopped by the swordsmanship hall by chance, he was able to hear about Do Gyeonu from the instructor.
—The thing is….
—Yes, please speak.
—Not long ago, Gyeonu had a big fight with some children. Do you happen to know?
—Excuse me? Gyeonu?
—Ah, judging by your reaction, it seems Gyeonu didn’t tell you.
Do Gyeonu had picked a fight with the children under the guise of sparring.
The children were unilaterally beaten, and Do Gyeonu threatened the instructor who tried to stop the fight by invoking his clan’s name.
Hearing the instructor’s words, Do Sangjun couldn’t help but doubt his ears.
—My child couldn’t have done such a thing. If he did, there must have been a reason.
—I understand how you feel, sir, but….
Although Do Gyeonu had recently changed, he was still kind, upright, and knew how to care for others.
He was absolutely not a child who would hurt others without reason.
Do Sangjun believed in his son.
Therefore, he didn’t simply accept the instructor’s words and interrogated the facts the instructor hadn’t spoken.
As a result, Do Sangjun learned facts he hadn’t known.
—So Gyeonu… was bullied by those children?
—W-well, sir, it wasn’t bullying… the children were just playing around. At that age, don’t they get carried away with their strength and play pranks?
—Are you calling that playing right now?
The swordsmanship hall had been turning a blind eye to several children harassing Do Gyeonu under the pretext of playing pranks.
Upon learning this fact, Do Sangjun felt a thousand fires raging inside and simply couldn’t understand how the swordsmanship hall could condone it.
However, if he thought calmly, he could understand to some extent.
—I suppose you were bribed by another direct descendant to keep quiet?
—….
—Who was it?
It was because he himself lacked power in the clan that Do Gyeonu had suffered such treatment.
And yet, that child had foolishly endured, afraid that the people around him would get hurt because of him.
When his thoughts reached that point, Do Sangjun could no longer contain his anger.
That day, he notified the clan and had the swordsmanship instructor dismissed.
“Sir! I-I was wrong! This won’t happen again, so please….”
“It’s nothing. Get lost. Go beg my brother instead of me.”
Although his own power wasn’t great, it wasn’t so lacking that he couldn’t even dismiss a mere instructor who wasn’t even his dedicated teacher.
And he called his third older brother and unleashed a torrent of curses.
[The prank was a bit excessive, I suppose. Alright, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize. I’ll tell Seungu not to do that to him anymore.]
The third brother apologized readily.
But Do Sangjun could tell that his brother’s apology was nothing more than a formality.
[It must have been hard on Gyeonu, given his personality.]
“Are you kidding me with that right now?”
[Then what else am I supposed to say?]
A clear mockery was evident in the voice coming through the phone.
Having received an apology from his own older brother, Do Sangjun no longer had any justification to be angry and had to suppress his rage.
Meanwhile.
‘Yes, that’s the way.’
He was overjoyed that Do Gyeonu had resolved to live without taking any more abuse.
Admirable. He was proud.
His son was a source of pride.
Therefore….
“I’d like to gain some real combat experience.”
“Real combat?”
“Yes. I want to try killing monsters.”
When Do Gyeonu said those words.
Do Sangjun wanted to support his son, who had resolved to become strong and resolute.
That was why he had brought him to the Gate, despite knowing it was dangerous.
And Do Gyeonu displayed his skills magnificently.
‘He’s doing better than expected. I thought the kid would get scared and panic, but he’s responding calmly.’
Not long ago, Do Gyeonu had been evaluated as having a promising future, enough to be called a prodigy.
In fact, the Do Gyeonu of that time had been exactly that.
He learned faster than anyone and instinctively knew the correct way to wield a sword.
As if that talent hadn’t gone anywhere, Do Gyeonu demonstrated the skill that had once marked him as a highly anticipated prodigy.
He cleared the Gate alone, without Do Sangjun needing to help at all.
‘Still, this is too reckless.’
Having overcome his long hesitation, he possessed skills that didn’t fall behind those of the direct descendants of the same generation.
Perhaps he might even surpass them.
But that was an assumption about the future, not the present.
Do Gyeonu was twelve years old.
He still had much to lack.
He needed time to grow steadily.
“Huff, huff…!”
He shouldn’t be this impatient.
Do Sangjun gritted his teeth as he watched Do Gyeonu facing the horde of goblins.
Do Gyeonu had barely killed one and was breathing roughly.
‘As expected, it’s still too much for you with your current skill. You can’t handle that horde alone.’
An arrow fired by a goblin archer grazed Do Gyeonu’s elbow in that instant.
If Do Gyeonu hadn’t dodged in time, he would have suffered a serious wound.
Watching him struggle after finally killing just one, belated regret washed over Do Sangjun.
‘I shouldn’t have been swayed by Gyeonu’s words…’
He had said it felt like he would realize something.
That was why Do Sangjun had brought Do Gyeonu to this second Gate, but it seemed his judgment had been wrong.
At some point, Do Gyeonu became desperate only to flee from them, unable to even muster the nerve to attack properly.
Do Sangjun could glimpse the fear crossing his face.
“Branch Chief, shouldn’t we intervene soon? It seems his strength is about spent….”
“…I suppose we should.”
Then Bae Hongcheol, who had entered the Gate with him, spoke up.
He too had realized that Do Gyeonu had lost the will to fight and was running away.
Do Sangjun had no choice but to agree.
‘Is this the limit?’
He was dodging well, but the sight of Do Gyeonu now brought to mind prey being chased by a predator, frozen in terror.
Now that Do Gyeonu had lost his fighting spirit, Do Sangjun could no longer stand by and watch.
Moreover, the goblins were cleverly driving him into a corner so he couldn’t escape as they chased him.
Their hunt was nearing its end.
Reading the flow, Do Sangjun decided to intervene.
‘Gyeonu will be very disappointed. But it’s nothing to be disappointed about. Even if he couldn’t clear the Gate alone, for someone his age, this is truly incredible.’
Besides, hadn’t he moved well, dodging the horde’s attacks?
That alone was sufficient achievement.
Do Sangjun stepped forward to encourage the dispirited Do Gyeonu.
Around that time, Do Gyeonu was cornered.
Having lost all escape routes, he leaned his back against the crystal behind him.
“Hongcheol, prepare the protection magic.”
“It can be activated at any time.”
“Then we charge in the moment the goblins attack. I’ll kill the mage first, and you protect Gyeonu while taking down the archer….”
It was then.
Do Sangjun, in the middle of giving orders, stopped speaking on the spot.
“….”
“…Branch Chief? Why are you like this all of a sudden? Shall I activate the protection magic?”
“Wait a moment.”
Intuitively, Do Sangjun noticed that the atmosphere surrounding Do Gyeonu had changed somehow.
He didn’t know what it was, but it was clear that things were flowing in a direction completely different from what the goblins expected.
Filled with an inexplicable certainty, Do Sangjun looked at Do Gyeonu.
Immediately after.
Saja Hoechim.
As if he knew the direction of the attacks.
Do Gyeonu dodged the onslaught and leaped into the horde of goblins.
Pssuk!
Death was instantaneous.
Having repeatedly failed in his attacks due to the goblins’ interference, Do Gyeonu pierced through a goblin in one breath.
It was a movement incomparable to his previous ones.
* * *
I know it too.
To deal with a horde of goblins, I need to take out the archer and mage sniping from the back first.
But the goblins wielding swords were blocking my approach to them.
“Kuk…!”
I couldn’t approach even though I wanted to.
The swordsman, receiving covering fire from the archer and mage, was quite troublesome.
The coordination of the seven was solid as well.
Whenever I thought I found a gap, the regular goblins filled it.
But the enemy I was facing wasn’t just the goblins.
‘My body is moving on its own again!’
My Gift, Evasion Instinct.
The Gift had been activating nonstop from the moment I perceived them.
Hurry up and run away from this place.
You’ll die if you stay here.
The Evasion Instinct kept warning me like that, trying to move my body.
Each time, I had to fight against my instinct while facing them.
‘Listen to me, will you!’
My body wouldn’t move forward as if something was clinging to it.
On the contrary, if I turned my body toward the goblins, my feet moved readily.
As if that wasn’t enough.
Kieeeek!
At an unbelievable speed.
When I moved to run away from the goblins, the Evasion Instinct responded and forced me to sprint.
But I couldn’t go on like this.
Saja Yeol…
Damn it!
I had caught an opportunity to attack the goblin archer, but I faltered in that instant.
The Evasion Instinct was interfering.
Now wasn’t the time for this.
Hurry up and run away.
That was what the Gift seemed to be saying.
Because of that, as I hesitated in my actions, I ended up giving them an opportunity to attack me instead.
“Huff, huff…!”
I’m going crazy. I’m really going crazy.
It felt like my body was being torn in two between my will and my instinct.
It felt like my mind would collapse.
Even so, I squeezed out my strength and defied the Evasion Instinct.
Shhk!
That was how I barely killed one of them.
I could feel that I was reaching my limit after barely killing a goblin swordsman.
Sweat dripped from my jaw, and my legs trembled.
My head throbbed as well.
Sswaak!
Then, I heard a wind sound.
No, it wasn’t wind.
A goblin archer had shot an arrow, taking advantage of my momentary lapse in focus.
I entrusted my body to the Evasion Instinct and let the attack graze past me.
“Kuk!”
But because my stamina was depleted, I couldn’t dodge it perfectly.
My elbow stung for a moment.
Lowering my head and looking down at my elbow, a red line had formed.
That line gradually thickened, and blood flowed down.
Around that time, I felt fear.
“….”
What if I really die?
I couldn’t erase that thought.
From then on, I couldn’t act boldly against them anymore.
I could only rely on my Evasion Instinct, thinking only of escaping from them.
And then, I was driven into a dead end.
‘…There’s nowhere to run.’
I had been lured without realizing it.
With my back against the crystal, I felt helpless watching the goblins close in from left and right.
Hurry up and run away.
The Evasion Instinct was saying that.
‘But where?’
The surroundings were enclosed by crystals, and they had established a siege.
The only path of escape was the road behind the goblins.
Breaking through their siege to get there seemed impossible.
Krrk, krrk.
“….”
There was no answer.
They made unpleasant sounds as if to say as much.
Meanwhile, the distance kept shrinking.
‘Fuck.’
Damn it. Only curses came out.
Words representing the emotions I felt surged inside me like a tidal wave.
Am I going to die like this? I don’t want to die. Why did I say I would do this? What for? Am I really dying? No, I’m scared. I don’t want to die in a place like this. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die, I said I don’t want to die! What the hell is Dad doing? I’m really going to die like this. Save me. Please. I don’t want to die. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have talked about lowering the story difficulty. I won’t do it, I can’t. I’m quitting! Even if I don’t do it, Kang Hanbyeol will clear the story on her own. I just need to live comfortably, right? Is there any need for me to go this far?
I’m from the Divine Sword Do Clan, aren’t I? I can live comfortably and get by just fine. I don’t need to become Kang Hanbyeol’s comrade. Even if the future changes, it’s none of my business. She’ll resolve everything anyway! I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I feel like I’m going insane. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die. I wouldn’t even taste good if you ate me. So please go that way! Go! I’m telling you to go, please! If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn’t have awakened to my past life at all. Of all people, why was I born as Do Gyeonu….
It was then.
I suddenly felt a gaze.
“….”
Pink crystals filling the surroundings.
I was reflected in those crystals.
‘Is that… me?’
My face reflected in the crystal was unsightly and utterly pathetic.
My shoulders were hunched up, and I was sobbing uncontrollably, terrified.
“….”
Ugly, hideous, worthless.
Countless versions of me reflected in the crystals were staring at me with the appearance I hated.
The longer I faced that gaze….
‘I’m angry.’
I was annoyed.
What? Did I regret awakening to my past life for nothing?
I wanted to punch myself from moments ago, panicking and thinking such foolish thoughts.
Absolutely not.
Because awakening to my past life had let me know just how stupidly I had been living all this time.
If I hadn’t awakened to my past life, I probably would have lived on cowering with this kind of face for a long time.
Grind.
I don’t want such a life.
Isn’t that why I’m here?
To overcome my weakness, hadn’t I driven myself to my limits to grow stronger?
Yet I had forgotten even that and was about to revert to a cowardly wretch consumed by fear; rage welled up from within.
So I took a long, deep breath and reined in my emotions.
“Huu….”
I don’t want to die like this.
Of course, I don’t want to run away either.
Then there was only one answer.
‘Kill them.’
I couldn’t survive unless I killed the enemies before me.
That is what real combat is.
That is what a hunter’s life is.
Either I die, or the monsters die—one of the two must die.
So….
‘Listen to me.’
Do not defy me.
I spat out those words inwardly.
As if the Gift had heard those words.
Crack!
It felt like electricity surged through my body.
That sensation was pushing me forward.
Telling me to move ahead.
Telling me to fight in order to live.
That was what it seemed to be saying.
Feeling what that instinct was telling me, I took a step forward.
[You have obtained a skill.]
[Instinct Control Lv 1]
That was when the message appeared.
At last, I had obtained what I wanted.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss