LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 29 - Sword Path (1)
Park Seong-gu of combat class 1 slammed down his long shield.
Boom!
The cave shook.
Under the shield was the neck of a lizardman.
“Damn it.”
Park Seong-gu, after killing one lizardman, muttered while looking around.
All the group members assigned to the same team were dead. Necks were broken. Bodies were slashed by lizardmen’s spears.
The one from the same class 1 had died together with one lizardman, and the two from class 10 had died while floundering.
Park Seong-gu lifted his shield and pressed it against his upper body.
While all 3 group members were dead, 7 lizardmen were still alive with their limbs intact.
“…I might be able to handle one.”
Seven was impossible.
Park Seong-gu charged in, expecting death.
Kiraak!
He crushed the body of the first lizardman that rushed in with his shield, and quickly took out a short spear to stab it into the lizardman’s neck.
He got one.
But the spear of the lizardman right in front was already shooting towards Park Seong-gu’s head.
At that moment, a streak of light flashed from behind.
Swish-!
An arrow that tore through the air was lodged in the lizardman’s head.
It didn’t penetrate the bone so it didn’t kill instantly, but it was enough time for Park Seong-gu to create distance.
And through that gap in distance, a colorless flash extended.
Red blood scattered everywhere. The limbs of the lizardmen embroidered the air.
Lee Dojin killed two lizardmen.
Another streak of white light settled coldly.
Ryu Jia’s sword dance unfolded.
Choi Bit-na, who rushed in following, swung her spear upwards. The head that looked like an alligator’s was crushed, spewing brain matter.
Originally, she used her instincts without hesitation when facing monsters, but now that she could control and use that instinct, Choi Bit-na’s spear path was like that of a skilled beast.
In an instant, the breath of all 7 lizardmen was cut off.
“Uh… I’m alive.”
Park Seong-gu looked around at the lizardmen corpses with a bewildered face. Then he turned his head towards Lee Dojin.
“As expected of the freshman representative! Even your group members are perfect.”
Lee Dojin chuckled.
“Yeah, nice to meet you.”
Park Seong-gu.
They had met and become acquainted at the mock raid on the first day of admission.
He was one of the few friends Lee Dojin would exchange words with when they met.
“You’re the only one who survived.”
Kim Ji-hoon sat down on the ground and looked over the three corpses. It was as horrible as the first corpses he had seen, but this time he didn’t vomit.
It was thanks to getting used to the nature of this dungeon in the two previous battles.
Lee Dojin took out the black pouch.
“We’ll take the beads. Any objections?”
Park Seong-gu laughed heartily.
“How could I object! I can’t do anything alone anyway. Take them all and get first place.”
Lee Dojin stared at Park Seong-gu, who was laughing boisterously.
A tank.
A very useful position, and exactly the role that was lacking right now.
“Come with us. We’ll give you as many beads as can be transferred just before the exam ends, when our group has almost certainly secured first place.”
Lee Dojin offered, holding out one bead.
Park Seong-gu accepted the bead with shining eyes.
“Deal!”
And so, one bead went into the bead pouch of group 7, belonging to Park Seong-gu who became the only survivor of group 7.
In the end, their party grew by one member.
When Lee Dojin was putting the scattered black beads into the pouch, Park Seong-gu’s gaze was directed at the exam progress notification window in the lower right corner.
-Current 1st place score: Group 12
-Number of beads held: 18
-Time remaining until exam end: 05:11:32
Park Seong-gu confirmed that the number of beads held increased by exactly 7.
Park Seong-gu raised the corners of his mouth.
“My friend’s group really was in first place, as expected is as expected.”
After Park Seong-gu joined, the raid became much smoother.
They could understand why tanks were called the flower of raids.
With a reliable shield at the front, the dealers could move more efficiently.
They killed two more groups of monsters.
Group 12 continued to hurry their steps.
Kim Ji-hoon and Choi Bit-na completely overcame their inferiority complex of being in class 10, the lowest in the combat division.
“…I sense a presence on the right.”
Ryu Jia put her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Only darkness could be seen on the right. However, none of the group members, including Park Seong-gu, doubted Ryu Jia’s words.
Because Ryu Jia had read all the previous monster presences first.
Piiiiiiii!
A bizarre noise burst out from the right.
Park Seong-gu frowned sharply at the terrible ringing in his head, but didn’t lower his shield.
Click!
The blue core in the center of the long shield lit up, and blue barriers spread out on the left and right of the shield.
It was a magic shield that could change shape and be strengthened when mana was applied.
However, the enemy didn’t come out on the ground.
Flap!
The sound of something gliding echoed in the cave.
And it flew in like an arrow. The black wings suddenly bent, rapidly changing direction. It lightly passed Park Seong-gu’s barrier.
“Giant bat!”
Kim Ji-hoon announced information about the opponent while nocking an arrow on his bowstring.
Piiiiiiii!
The unpleasant sound wave burst out once more.
Kim Ji-hoon’s arrow shot towards the giant bat that had flown in first. But the arrow didn’t pierce the giant bat’s body.
Ting!
The bat’s wing, swung like a sword, lightly deflected the arrow.
A giant bat is not just a large bat.
It’s a bipedal monster with thighs like those of a well-trained adult male.
A flying monster that glides through the sky while also being capable of close combat like lizardmen.
That was a giant bat.
Every time it swung its wings, blade winds sliced the air.
“Kim Ji-hoon, fall back. Find a gap where they can’t counterattack.”
At Lee Dojin’s words, Kim Ji-hoon nodded greatly and threw his body backwards.
And Choi Bit-na aggressively scattered her spear.
Five quick thrusts tore up the giant bat’s right wing.
Puhwaaak!
The wing was riddled with holes like a tattered cloth. Blood splattered on the cave walls.
Lee Dojin rushed towards the remaining one.
Kiiiik!
The giant bat quickly twisted its body in mid-air.
Its wings and claws sliced the air like blades.
A movement intended to prevent Lee Dojin’s approach.
But Lee Dojin charged in instead.
Pueeok!
He planted his knee into the giant bat’s abdomen.
Its mouth opened wide and dark red blood spurted out. Lee Dojin swung his wooden sword diagonally downwards.
The bat’s wing was cut off like a piece of paper. Along with its black body.
-Current 1st place score: Group 12
-Number of beads held: 34
-Time remaining until exam end: 04:08:59
Of course, there were instructors monitoring like during the entrance exam.
It was an exam where scores had to be given.
Since pain was felt, albeit at a low level, and blood was everywhere, they had to supervise thoroughly.
To prevent mental issues from occurring in the students.
“As expected, Student Lee Dojin’s group is overwhelming.”
“Student Lee Dojin’s leadership and command skills seem excellent too. He’s perfectly controlling the movements of the tank Student Park Seong-gu who joined and the archer Student Kim Ji-hoon.”
Male and female instructors alike were amazed by Lee Dojin.
“It seems like he could have done it sufficiently well fighting alone.”
All the instructors agreed with those words.
“He must have realized that he couldn’t receive a good evaluation score that way. It’s clear that assigning groups was meant for them to make use of the advantage of having teammates.”
“He’s a friend with not just strength but excellent insight as well.”
While most were talking about Lee Dojin, there were also a few people talking about Choi Bit-na who was struggling hard beside him.
“Why is a student who can use such attacks in class 10?”
Ten-Existence Spear King Lee Ji-gwang, who was in charge of the spear users in combat class 1, furrowed his brow.
Bold movements and unhesitating thrusts. Just looking at her movements, she was far superior to the spear-using students in class 1.
Kim Han-sol, Lee Ji-gwang’s secretary and housekeeper of the
“It seems she couldn’t harm a single student during the entrance exam. She only subdued one person, but that subdual was clean enough for her to barely get in.”
At the words of the beautiful female secretary, Lee Ji-gwang let out a deep sigh filled with sincerity.
“…Is person-to-person combat impossible for her? What a shame. Such a shame.”
“We’ll find out before the exam ends whether she’s still in the same state or has overcome it after a month since admission. Because the final hour is person-to-person combat.”
Lee Ji-gwang nodded at Kim Han-sol’s words, but his expression didn’t show much expectation.
“That level of phobia, trauma doesn’t easily disappear. If she overcame it in just a month, she’d literally be a genius, a martial arts prodigy.”
-Time remaining until exam end: 03:18:12
Time passed quickly.
Lee Dojin’s group, Group 12, was maintaining an overwhelming first place with 63 beads held.
Four men and women were standing firmly in front of Group 12.
It was in front of the entrance to an area where a named monster was likely waiting.
“…Lee Dojin.”
Lee Dojin looked directly at the woman standing on the opposite side at the familiar voice.
“Cha Da-hye.”
She was a woman with short hair and a sharp impression.
The eldest daughter of
A person who had deep ties with Lee Dojin at
The two didn’t seem particularly glad to see each other.
“Ah, so he’s the freshman representative. That friend. And you’re Group 12, currently in first place?”
At Cha Da-hye’s muttering, Kim Jin-tae, who was beside her and a swordsman from combat class 2, fiddled with his sword.
“This is interesting.”
Kim Jin-tae, his eyes gleaming coldly, continued speaking.
“It seems you’re already in overwhelming first place. Are you trying to monopolize even the named monster?”
Lee Dojin nodded casually.
“That’s the plan. I don’t want to leave any risk factors that could take away first place.”
Since it was a named monster, it wouldn’t drop just one bead. Even if it dropped 20, it was questionable whether Group 12’s rank would fall, but eliminating the possibility of the opponent getting beads was the most perfect plan.
Kim Jin-tae took a step forward and said,
“What if we, Group 21, want to face that monster?”
Lee Dojin answered expressionlessly to those words.
“Come at me. Killing is disqualification, not subduing. Who between you and me subdues the other first? That should settle it. Which group gets the right to enter this room.”
He recited in a loose posture with his wooden sword hanging down.
While staring at Kim Jin-tae.
“What, are you scared?”
Kim Jin-tae continued to fiddle with his sword without saying anything in response to Lee Dojin’s words.
Like a beast starting its engine to move.
Cha Da-hye clicked her tongue and put her hand on Kim Jin-tae’s shoulder.
“Hey, Kim Jin-tae. It’s obvious provocation. Let’s just give them the named monster. Isn’t it better to stop wasting time and secure second place at least…”
Slap!
“Stay out of this.”
Kim Jin-tae cut off Cha Da-hye’s words and brushed off her hand.
“I’m going to gauge the level of our noble freshman representative.”
And he rushed towards Lee Dojin.