#006
The next morning.
“Huff… huff… you bastard. Isn’t this a bit too much!”
Cha Suyeon spat out a rough curse as she ran along the main road.
“Kiiiek!”
“Kikikiek!”
“Kikikik!”
Dragging along three goblins excited by the delicious prey.
‘Just you dare fail!’
She hurriedly climbed the stairs and ran down the corridor that stretched out in a straight line.
Her destination was the entrance of the second-floor furniture store where she had been staying with Iun.
‘Now!’
The moment she arrived at the entrance, she spun around and immediately used her skill.
Hummmmmm.
A transparent barrier spread out quietly and rapidly, centered on her body.
“Kiek?”
“Kiiiek!”
Clang! Clang!
It effortlessly deflected the daggers swung by the three goblins.
Shhk!
Iun appeared like a ghost behind the goblin at the very back and plunged his dagger into the creature’s neck.
‘My attack power is high, so it sure stabs in deep.’
“Ki… kii….”
The goblin collapsed, clutching its neck.
The remaining two goblins were startled by the sudden noise and turned around, but it was already too late.
Shhk! Shhk!
Iun naturally plunged his dagger into the necks and chests of the remaining two, as smoothly as flowing water.
“Aiming for the heart in one shot seems better than the neck. My weapon has improved, so it splits the bone and goes right in. Instant death in one blow.”
He then looked over the three fallen goblins and reviewed the recent battle.
Cha Suyeon shouted at him, her eyes blazing with anger.
“Oppa! That’s not what’s important—you should ask if I’m okay first!”
“This is important. I found a way to achieve maximum efficiency with minimum effort.”
“I almost died!”
“Come on! It wasn’t that bad. And I was watching the whole time. Don’t worry.”
From the beginning, Iun had hidden in the first-floor restroom and waited.
For the moment when she and the goblins climbed the stairs.
After that, he used ‘Quiet Footsteps’ to erase his presence, followed them, and ambushed.
In other words, it was a perfect plan to level up using Cha Suyeon as bait.
“It seems to have worked, so go in and rest. We’ll do it again in an hour.”
However, he had to wait one hour—the time it took for her barrier’s cooldown to finish.
“Hup.”
During that waiting time, Iun lifted the goblin corpses to move them outside.
To erase any traces and lure more goblins again.
“If we’re going to do this, we should see it through together. How could I rest alone with no loyalty?”
Then Cha Suyeon also dragged one goblin and followed Iun out.
Even though she could have rested enough.
‘But not yet.’
Nevertheless, he shook his head inwardly.
He wasn’t so foolish as to give his trust over just this much.
‘Because there might still be a connection between her and Jiun.’
Since he was suspecting that Cha Suyeon was playing both sides.
Anyway, after disposing of all the goblins, the two re-entered the second-floor furniture store to rest.
“By the way, there’s no way to know how things are going elsewhere.”
Cha Suyeon immediately grabbed a bottle of water and spoke while looking out the window.
“Tell me about it. With no electricity, I feel completely helpless.”
Phones were dead, the internet didn’t work, and the television was out.
An era where one could only survive by seeing, feeling, and judging for oneself had arrived.
“Still, I’m glad you prepared food in advance, oppa.”
As she said, Iun’s prescience had proven its worth.
Though it was because of the quest.
“Huh? Look over there. They’re going to loot now.”
At that moment, Cha Suyeon moistened her mouth with the water she was holding and pointed outside.
At her words, Iun approached the window.
“Aren’t they being too obvious?”
About a dozen people were running mindlessly toward the convenience store.
They probably thought no goblins were nearby and intended to quickly grab supplies.
“Dangerous.”
The goblins Iun had briefly encountered were cunning hunters.
They never revealed themselves openly, hiding instead to wait for the perfect moment.
That was why he had used Cha Suyeon as bait.
As expected.
“Kiiiek!”
“Kikikik!”
The moment the people arrived at the convenience store, goblins revealed themselves from everywhere.
Their number was six.
“Die!”
At the same time, one person used a skill against the goblins.
A powerful wind burst from his hand and engulfed the goblins.
“Kiiiiiek!”
“Kiiiek!”
Unfortunately, its lethality was insufficient.
The creatures endured the wind and ran straight at him, plunging their daggers into the chest of the skill user.
“Heal! Try using Heal!”
“O-okay!”
‘What idiots.’
Why would they use Heal on someone already dead with goblins right in front of them?
It was foolish.
Now, all that remained was dying at the hands of the goblins.
Honestly, he could help, but he couldn’t afford to take the risk.
Because Iun was neither a hero nor a saint.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah. I see.”
But someone appeared who would take that risk.
None other than Gang Jiun.
His three goblin skeletons were saving the people in danger.
And following behind was Choe Jinsu.
“If I have a gun, scum like you aren’t scary at all!”
He picked up a gun still lying on the street and was firing single shots at the goblins.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With the combination of skeletons and gunfire, the goblins all fell in an instant.
Choe Jinsu immediately shouted.
“Everyone, pick up the guns! You can kill goblins more reliably with guns than with skills!”
At his words, the surviving men from the convenience store picked up guns and began inspecting them skillfully.
‘As expected of Korean reservists.’
But Choe Jinsu’s next action was incomprehensible.
He was firing his gun into the sky.
Ratatatatatata!
“Why is he doing that? Doing that will draw all the goblins here.”
“No kidding.”
Neither of them could understand his actions, but they learned the reason from Choe Jinsu’s following words.
“My name is Choe Jinsu! Those who know, know—I am the eighth cousin by marriage of the Seoul mayor!”
At that level, he might as well be family.
Who would even know such a fact?
“And right up ahead is the principal of Bibong Middle School. You must be wondering why I’m doing something this crazy in this situation.”
He was indeed curious.
The reason the mayor’s eighth cousin by marriage, not Gang Jiun, was stepping up.
“It is because instead of trembling in fear here, we should all gather at Bibong Middle School and fight the goblins together.”
At his words, not only the people at the convenience store but also those hiding revealed their faces outside the windows and murmured.
Gather and fight goblins?
That’s insane.
Just moments ago, nearly twice that many people had almost died helplessly to six goblins.
“And now! I will show you the reason I have stepped forward like this. The power of the Skeleton Master!”
So that was it.
He had used the gunshots to draw both the goblins and the hiding people in.
To show them Gang Jiun’s power.
Right on cue, a horde of goblins appeared.
Their numbers were roughly twenty, and they rushed at the humans without hesitation—humans who weren’t even half their number.
“Jiun-nim.”
Choe Jinsu stepped back as if leaving everything to Gang Jiun.
‘Nim? What are these bastards scheming?’
And him, treating Gang Jiun like a superior.
They were up to something.
‘But he’s going to take them on alone?’
Iun felt puzzled at that sight.
Could three skeletons defeat twenty goblins?
Absolutely impossible.
It seemed Iun wasn’t the only one with such doubts.
The people holding guns began aiming at the goblins with eyes full of anxiety.
Because they had to survive.
“It’s fine. Everyone, watch.”
Then, brimming with confidence, Choe Jinsu stopped them, and as if they had been waiting, the goblins and skeletons clashed.
‘I have no choice but to acknowledge it.’
Watching the battle begin, Iun nodded.
Gang Jiun was no ordinary guy.
‘He understands his own power perfectly.’
His skeletons were beings that felt no pain and knew no fear.
Even as their bones shattered from the daggers, they somehow made sure to kill at least one goblin before them.
And so, whenever a goblin corpse was created, the moment a skeleton shattered, Gang Jiun immediately raised a new skeleton from it.
Endlessly rising skeletons and dwindling goblins.
It was a battle the goblins could not win from the start.
“Oppa. It’s four now.”
As Cha Suyeon said while watching together, the skeletons had already increased to four.
It seemed his skill level had risen from the battle just now.
“Did you all see! Everyone! With our Jiun-nim, anywhere will be safe!”
Amidst the goblin corpses, four skeletons stood in a row.
They approached Gang Jiun’s side and stood beside him like knights guarding a king.
This was almost like.
‘A well-scripted play.’
Whose idea was this?
Gang Jiun? The shill Choe Jinsu? Or perhaps one of those three watching silently?
Whoever it was, they were clever.
‘They’re gathering people to form a group and making Jiun the representative. Definitely.’
To have realized Iun was right the moment they saw the Goblin General and immediately formulated a plan.
They had chosen to survive by creating a large group.
The effect showed immediately.
People hiding here and there began pouring out.
“Is it safe at the school? Will he really protect us?”
“Is there food?”
“Will you absolutely not abandon us?”
They asked questions as if wanting definite confirmation of survival, but the most important question had yet to be asked.
Iun, who knew that question, shouted loudly out the window.
“What are you going to do if you run into the Goblin General on the way to Bibong Middle School!”
Exactly.
Everyone who had been hiding until now had witnessed the Goblin General’s power.
They knew well that Gang Jiun’s skeletons could never defeat it.
‘Alright, who is it? Who’s the smart bastard who wrote this scenario?’
First, it wasn’t Choe Jinsu with his flustered expression.
And.
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Gang Jiun, who had been silent until now, opened his mouth.
‘Don’t tell me he’s smart, too?’
To have political sense as well as combat sense?
‘So the perfect golden boy was living right above me.’
“The Goblin General has moved toward Gyeonggi-do. And before it returns, I just need to level up and become stronger.”
‘It moved to Gyeonggi-do?’
How could he know such a fact?
There must have been others besides Iun who felt doubtful, but he gave them no opening.
“And the school has fire doors. We can fortify it so goblins can’t break through.”
He looked around at the gathered people and continued.
“And the most important thing: food. There should be some food left in the cafeteria, and any shortage, I will go get it all myself.”
His speech was over.
It was truly self-sacrifice.
There was no reason not to follow.
And then came Choe Jinsu’s shout.
“Did you all see! The warm heart of our Jiun-nim! This person will become the hero and leader of this era!”
As expected, they were trying to build a force with Gang Jiun at the head.
“Come on! Everyone come out! How long will you hide! We must protect our land!”
Choe Jinsu continued shouting as if trying to pull in everyone hiding nearby.
After waiting about five minutes like that.
“Is there no one else!”
He asked loudly once more, as if for the last time.
“Oppa. Aren’t we going out?”
“Go if you want.”
Now she had to choose.
Whether she was playing both sides or not, if she didn’t follow Gang Jiun now, it would be hard to meet them again.
“What do you take me for? I have loyalty! Since I chose you, oppa, I have to stay. I was just asking.”
‘Was it my misunderstanding?’
Her, choosing him so easily.
Still, he had to watch a little longer.
“If there are no others, we will be on our way!”
Before anyone knew it, Gang Jiun’s group had grown to about forty people, and they began moving with guns, following Choe Jinsu.
And Gang Jiun, following at the very back.
He turned his head and looked directly at Iun.
“Could it be that he wants to go with you, oppa?”
He left behind only a sly sneer, as if immediately denying Cha Suyeon’s question, and went back on his way.
“Hah? Look at that bastard?”
He was clearly laughing at Iun and Cha Suyeon’s foolishness for not following him and staying here.
“He’s definitely laughing at us right now, right?”
“Yeah. He is.”
“I knew I had an eye for people! He’s a really sinister bastard!”
Cha Suyeon, who had been fuming at Gang Jiun’s attitude, continued as if she had just thought of something.
“Ah! But how does he know the Goblin General went to Gyeonggi-do? Phones and TVs don’t work.”
“It’s a lie.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a lie. It’s just to reassure people.”
From the bastard’s attitude just now, Iun was certain. Despite his clean appearance, he was extremely cunning.
“Was that it?”
“Yeah. That’s what it was. But what are you doing? Where are you going?”
Iun asked, seeing Cha Suyeon trying to go outside while they were talking.
“I’m going to get some guns. You know how to shoot, right?”
“You can’t level up with guns, you know?”
That was right.
To level up, an attack had to include one’s own power.
In other words, unless you killed by swinging the gun itself, the bullet fired by the gun’s power did not grant experience points.
“I’m just going to shoot when it’s dangerous. I gain experience just by using my barrier anyway.”
Additionally, since the system distributed experience points based on contribution in battle, Cha Suyeon’s level had gone up even without killing goblins.
“So just teach me how to shoot.”
“You’re not planning to shoot me, are you?”
“No! You wouldn’t let me have anesthetic before because you thought I’d steal your organs, and now why can’t you trust people!”
“It’s not that I can’t trust people.”
“Then what?”
Iun answered calmly.
“I can’t trust you.”
Words that could be somewhat hurtful.
Yet a gentle smile was on Iun’s face.
“So give me a reason to trust you. You know how, right?”
To be precise, it was a capitalist smile.
Gang Jiun was Gang Jiun.
Iun was thinking only of leveling up and becoming stronger for now.
***
“Huff… huff… I should’ve just followed Jiun!”
Today, too, Cha Suyeon ran.
With goblins trailing behind her.
Their number was a whopping seven.
Unlike the first day, the number had grown considerably.
“I’m here!”
Clack! Clack!
She passed the first-floor entrance and leisurely shouted as she climbed the stairs.
Iun, who had been waiting in the restroom, chased after the goblins pursuing her.
And then.
Shhk!
He covered the mouth of the goblin at the very back with his left hand, then plunged the dagger in his right hand into its heart.
The six running ahead were still unaware of what had happened behind them.
Partly because he had covered its mouth, but also because ‘Quiet Footsteps’ had reached level 2.
At the same time, Cha Suyeon used her barrier and naturally shouted at the goblins.
“You stupid-looking bastards! Stop drooling and come at me!”
It was definitely Korean, but it seemed the meaning got through.
“Kiiiek! Kiki! Kikikik!”
“Kiii! Kikikiiiek!”
The creatures rushed at her, making excited noises as if offended.
‘Now she’s naturally drawing aggro too.’
Hidden by their noises, Iun quietly took them out one by one.
And so, four remained in an instant.
“Kiek?”
Finally, one of the surviving goblins felt a chill behind its back and quickly turned its body.
“Too late.”
Shhk!
Iun’s dagger pierced the creature’s heart first.
“Kirrr…”
At the sound of it collapsing, the remaining three immediately turned.
“Kiiiiiek!”
“Kiiiek!”
At the same time, Iun’s ‘Intimidating Gaze’ activated.
“Kii….”
Then, the goblins’ bodies stiffened with terror.
‘This is the result of hunting every hour without sleeping as much as possible.’
Currently, Iun’s level was 4.
With a two-level difference from the goblin soldiers, the situation where ‘Intimidating Gaze’ activated properly had arrived.
However, the number of consecutive uses was five.
It was the number of times he could use it with his mana.
Thud! Shhk! Shhk!
Anyway, all the goblins were taken care of in an instant.
“Good work, oppa.”
As always, Cha Suyeon tried to drag the goblins down to the first floor.
“Wait.”
Iun stopped her.
And uttered something incomprehensible.
“We need to leave this place.”
“Huh?”
Leaving such a good hideout?
“Why?”
“To experience… a wider… world… *grind*….”
That expression he made while gritting his teeth.
It was definitely the same bizarre expression from when he had suggested going to the convenience store.