Chapter 10

I Became A Childhood Friend Of The Middle Boss 9

Chapter 9

It feels like something is dawning on me.

Upon hearing what I had to say, Father didn’t outright oppose it.

“Yes? Please help me a bit.”

“Hmm…”

Father was also a swordsman.

He knew well that enlightenment doesn’t come whenever one desires.

In the end, Father raised the white flag.

“Sigh… Alright, I understand. When pushing forward, one must push all the way; cutting things off vaguely will lead to no gain. Instead, if I see it as risky, I’ll intervene at any time. Got it?”

“Yes. Thank you, Dad.”

“Alright, then let’s start with the gate.”

“Here’s the key.”

I handed the key to Father.

Soon enough, we stepped through the dimensional door.

When I came to my senses after a brief lapse, we were standing in front of the artificial gate, carrying our burdens.

“I’ll return the key and go borrow a new one. What about you? Will you stay here and rest?”

“No, I’ll come along.”

Inside the room, there was a place where hunters who conquered the gate could take a short break.

While waiting for Father, it seemed like I might inadvertently take a break.

Unless I needed to corner myself, that couldn’t happen.

I decided to turn away from the sweet temptation and follow Father.

Eventually, we arrived at the warehouse.

“Chief, you’re back already? There’s still quite some time left….”

“hahahaha, things turned out this way by chance.”

The receptionist who had just rented the key to Father a while ago spotted us and tilted her head in puzzlement.

Then, as if understanding the situation, she spoke with a tone of regret.

“Oh, I see… It seems it was too much for you to handle in practice. But it’s okay. It’s quite surprising to see someone at your age engaging in real battles.”

“I think there might be a misunderstanding right now….”

“It’s okay, I understand.”

“….”

“You’ll do better next time. I’ll be rooting for you. Fighting, sir!”

“….”

The receptionist struck a fighting pose, looking at me with a wide smile on her face.

Perhaps she mistakenly thought I had failed in conquering the gate.

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I decided to correct that misconception.

“If this were a real game, you played well.”

“Huh?”

“I conquered the gate.”

“Hmm… Director?”

“Gyunwoo is right. It’s true.”

“…How old is Ad?”

“He turned 12 this year. He’s in the fifth grade.”

“So… Are you saying a fifth grader has conquered the gate?”

“To the members of the clan, it’s not that surprising. It happens occasionally. It’s not unheard of.”

Even though it was not a common occurrence…

The lips of the employee moving silently seemed to say just that.

My father and I decided not to pay attention to the employee’s reaction anymore.

My father draped his arm over the reception desk.

“So, what I mean is.”

“Yes… Please go ahead, Director.”

“Since there’s still time, can we borrow another gate key?”

“Normally, you need to inform us a day in advance to rent a key…”

“Oh, is that so?”

“But for you, Director, of course it’s possible. I will take care of it.”

“Really? Thank you. I should treat the department staff to a dinner next time for their hard work.”

“Rather than a dinner, perhaps a bonus…”

“So, what I mean is.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Can we rent something a bit more challenging than this?”

My father handed the box containing the gate key to the receptionist.

I seized the moment to intervene.

“Please make it gray.”

“No, white will do.”

“…”

It seems even a gray grade is possible.

My father pushed me away with his hand as I approached the employee.

The employee gazed blankly at us before turning to my father.

She had decided to listen to him.

“Please wait a moment.”

The receptionist processed the paperwork and disappeared into the warehouse.

Before long, she returned with the box in hand.

“It might be a bit more challenging than what you rented earlier. It’s a white grade, and the conquest conditions are enclosed inside the box.”

“Hmm… This should be manageable. Thank you.”

“Good luck then.”

“Gyunwoo, let’s go.”

Father nodded as he read the paper in the box.

I quickly picked up the box and obediently followed my father as he turned around.

Meanwhile, I didn’t forget to voice my opinion.

“Wouldn’t the gray grade have been okay? It seems like it’s at a level where you could face a Rank 2 monster…”

“Son.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Dad, do you have something to make Mom angry? If what we’re doing now gets out, it’s my life that’s at stake with your mom.”

“Well, if we’re going to die anyway…”

“Are you really my son?”

“Of course.”

“Carrots are what Mongshil likes. Rank 2 is still a bit much for your skills. Maybe you could manage to fight, but it’s too risky.”

“Yes… It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do.”

“Let’s start from the white grade and work our way up. Not all whites are the same. Don’t think it’ll be the same as before.”

Father’s judgment wouldn’t be wrong.

I probably didn’t have the ability to reliably tackle the gray grade yet.

I decided to follow without further objection.

On the other hand, my father seemed uneasy about me tackling this gate.

It wasn’t long before.

“Oh, Hong Chul!”

“Team Leader? Who’s next to you?”

“This works out well. I was thinking it would be better to have one more supporter with us even if we didn’t plan on it. Do you have time?”

While heading towards the artificial gate.

Father called out to a clan member passing by in the corridor.

When the man holding a pickaxe was called, he turned around.

“I do have time… But what’s the matter?”

“My son is planning to tackle this gate in real combat this time. But this time it’s a bit challenging, so I thought it would be better to have a supporter right by his side, just in case.”

“Oh, I see. I should help, being the Team Leader’s son. Hello?”

“Hello…”

A supporter specialized in magic assisting hunters with healing and buffs.

Father decided to bring a supporter along in case I got injured.

I introduced myself as Baek Hong Chul to the man.

After that, we found the gate.

“We’re going in right away this time. Be careful as monsters might rush in as soon as we enter.”

“Yes.”

“Then, let’s activate the gate.”

Father inserted the gate key.

We stepped into the gate.

[You have entered the gate.]

[White: Pink Crystal Cave III]

I looked around, avoiding the message.

‘Is this the same world where I fought a while ago?’

A cave made of blue cliffs.

Pink crystals growing there.

And finally, the monsters…

“…!”

It happened right then.

Out of nowhere, a current ran through my body.

Sensing the instinct to dodge, I immediately moved my body.

Thud!

An arrow was stuck right where I was.

“…”

I lifted my head towards the direction the arrow came from.

I could see goblins hiding in the shadows of the blue rocks.

There were also those hiding behind the crystals.

Their numbers were considerable.

Scurry, scurry…

Before I could count them all,

Those who launched a preemptive attack started coming down from above.

That was also when the message appeared.

[The strategy conditions are as follows.]

[Slay the monsters.]

[Goblin (Rank. 01) x 4]

[Goblin Scout (Rank. 01) x 7]

[Goblin Archer (Rank. 01) x 3]

[Goblin Mage (Rank. 01) x 1]

In total, 15 of them.

Not only regular goblins but also goblins with professions were mixed in.

‘I must be crazy….’

I should probably cancel.

Grey-grade enemies are still too much for me.

As soon as I landed on the ground, I licked my lips while watching the goblins scatter around me.

‘The instinct to dodge is kicking in.’

My gift was telling me.

If you want to live, run away quickly.

Even though I orchestrated the situation I desired, once I found myself in that situation, regret overwhelmed me.

* * *

Lately, my son has changed.

Doyeongwoo, who used to react vividly when teased, now became so bold that he no longer cared about his own pranks.

He even teamed up with Doeun to play tricks on himself in return.

Seeing his son, who used to obediently follow his parents’ words and rarely express his own opinions, behave like this, his father couldn’t help but be surprised.

It wasn’t a bad change.

It was a good change.

“Lately, he’s become quite bold.”

Although he hadn’t said it before, Doyeongwoo’s father, Dosangjun, was secretly worried about him.

His son had undoubtedly grown up to be good and righteous. But growing up too kind and righteous, he ended up hesitating to hurt others, putting others before himself, and becoming reluctant to hurt others.

From the age when he could wield a sword, he didn’t fit into the competitive environment of the Shingeom martial arts, where the same generation competed against each other.

As a result, he was constantly pushed out of competitions and mocked by the family members.

When he first held a sword, he used to smile happily as if born to wield it, but eventually, every time he held a sword, he would burst into tears.

Dosangjun wanted to help his son in any way he could as a father, but it didn’t go well.

He would briefly show a bright face only when he wielded a sword with him, but his face would quickly darken when they went to the swordsmanship hall or the main house.

However, it was when Doyeongwoo entered the fifth grade that his father noticed a change.

“A girl he likes in class must be the reason for the change.”

His wife, who looked like a rabbit but was actually a fox, said so.

Dosangjun thought there must be another reason for Doyeongwoo’s change.

He was a child who hesitated to wield a sword for fear of hurting others.

There must be another reason why a child like that began to wield a sword confidently.

Dosangjun was certain.

“Hello, Mr. Gyunwoo. I am the swordsmanship instructor teaching Gyunwoo at the swordsmanship hall.”

“Oh, you’re Gyunwoo’s instructor.”

The swordsmanship hall Doyeongwoo attended.

It was around that time that he met a swordsmanship instructor who taught Doyeongwoo and the students at that swordsmanship hall.

By chance, he visited the swordsmanship hall and was able to hear about Doyeongwoo from the swordsmanship instructor.

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“Yes, please go on.”

Not long ago, Gyung-woo had a major fight with the kids. Do you happen to know about it?

– Gyung-woo?

– Ah, judging by your reaction, it seems Gyung-woo didn’t mention it.

Gyung-woo got into a fight with the kids under the guise of a sparring match.

The kids were unfairly treated, and Gyung-woo, trying to stop the fight, threatened the instructor by invoking his family name.

Do Sang-joon couldn’t help but doubt the words of the swordsmanship instructor.

– Our child wouldn’t do such a thing. If he did, there must have been a reason.

– I understand your feelings, sir, but…

Although recently Gyung-woo was said to have changed, he was still kind, righteous, and considerate of others.

He was never the type to harm others without reason.

Do Sang-joon trusted his son.

Therefore, he did not simply believe the instructor’s words but interrogated him about the undisclosed facts.

As a result, Do Sang-joon could uncover facts he had been unaware of.

– So, Gyung-woo… was being harassed by those kids?

– I… Father, not harassed, but… the kids were just lightly teasing each other. Isn’t it natural for kids their age to play around, absorbed in their own strength?

– Is it still just playing around?

The swordsmanship instructor had been turning a blind eye to some kids who had been bothering Gyung-woo under the guise of playing around.

Upon learning this fact, Do Sang-joon couldn’t fathom how the instructor had allowed it.

But upon calm reflection, he could somewhat understand.

– Did you quietly ask others in the family to intervene?

– …

– Who was it?

It was because Gyung-woo had little power in the family that he ended up in such a situation.

Yet, that child had been foolishly enduring it so that those around him wouldn’t get hurt because of him.

When Do Sang-joon’s thoughts reached that point, he could no longer contain his anger.

That day, he informed the family and dismissed the swordsmanship instructor.

– Father! I, I was wrong! I won’t let this happen again…

– There won’t be. Leave. Go ask for forgiveness from my eldest brother, not me.

Despite not having much power in the family, he wasn’t entirely powerless to the extent that even a regular instructor couldn’t challenge him.

And he called his third brother to vent his frustrations over the phone.

[He went a bit too far with the prank. Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize. I’ll tell Seungwoo not to do that from now on.]

The third brother apologized obediently.

However, Dosangjoon could tell that the third brother’s apology was merely formal.

[Given Gyungwoo’s personality, it must have been quite difficult.]

―Is that what you call it now?

[Then what else should I say?]

In the sound coming through the phone, clear mockery was embedded.

Having received an apology from his brother, Dosangjoon no longer had a reason to be angry, so he had to suppress his anger.

Meanwhile.

‘Yes, that’s right.’

He was extremely pleased that Dogyungwoo had decided to no longer be taken advantage of.

Proud, dignified.

He was proud of his son.

That’s why…

―I want to experience a real battle.

―A real battle?

―Yes. I want to kill monsters.

When Dogyungwoo brought up that idea,

Dosangjoon wanted to support his son, who had firmly resolved to change.

That’s why he had brought him to the gate, knowing it was dangerous.

And Dogyungwoo showed off his skills so brilliantly.

‘He’s doing better than expected. I thought the kid would panic and flounder, but he’s calmly handling it.’

Up until a certain point, Dogyungwoo was expected to have a promising future to the extent of being called a prodigy.

Indeed, at that time, Dogyungwoo was like that.

He learned faster than anyone else, and he knew instinctively how to wield a sword correctly.

As if his talent had not gone anywhere, Dogyungwoo demonstrated the skill that was once admired as that of a prodigy.

He conquered the gate alone without even needing help.

‘But this is still too reckless.’

Having overcome long hesitation, he possessed skills that were not inferior to those of his peers in the same generation.

Perhaps he might even surpass them.

But that’s a speculation about the future, not about the present.

Dogyungwoo is twelve years old.

He still has a long way to go.

“Pant, pant…!”

Do not be hasty like this.

Watching Dogyeonwoo facing a group of goblins, Dosangjun gritted his teeth.

Dogyeonwoo managed to kill one and was breathing heavily.

“Your skills are still not enough to handle them alone.”

An arrow shot by a goblin archer narrowly missed Dogyeonwoo’s elbow.

If Dogyeonwoo hadn’t dodged in time, he would have been in big trouble.

Dosangjun, seeing him struggling to barely kill one, felt a belated regret.

“Just because of what Gyenwoo said…”

He said as if realizing something.

So Dosangjun brought Dogyeonwoo to this second gate, thinking it was the right decision, but he was wrong.

At some point, Dogyeonwoo only seemed eager to run away from them and couldn’t muster the courage to attack properly.

Dosangjun could see the fear in his face.

“Chief, wouldn’t it be better to intervene now? It seems like he’s completely drained…”

“…I suppose so.”

At that moment, Baehongcheol, who had entered the gate with them, spoke up.

He also noticed that Dogyeonwoo had lost his will to fight and was fleeing.

Dosangjun had no choice but to agree.

“Is this the end?”

Although he was avoiding well, the sight of Dogyeonwoo now reminded him of a prey being chased by a predator in fear.

Once Dogyeonwoo had lost his composure, Dosangjun couldn’t just stand by and watch anymore.

Furthermore, the goblins were skillfully cornering him, preventing him from escaping.

Their hunt was nearing its end.

Reading the situation, Dosangjun decided to intervene now.

“Gyunwoo might be quite disappointed. But not to the point of despair. Even though he couldn’t conquer the gate alone, at his age, what he’s done is truly remarkable.”

And he had managed to evade the attacks of the group.

That alone was a significant achievement.

Dosangjun decided to encourage the discouraged Dogyeonwoo and moved closer.

By that time, Dogyeonwoo found himself trapped.

Having nowhere to run, he leaned against a crystal behind him.

“Hongcheol, prepare a protection spell.”

“It can be activated at any time.”

“Then, when the goblins attack, we strike. I’ll take out the wizard first, and you protect Gyunwoo while dealing with the archers…”

Just then.

Dosangjun, who was giving instructions, suddenly stopped talking.

“…”

“Chief? Why the sudden change? Should I activate the protection spell?”

“Wait a moment.”

Intuitively, Dosangjun sensed that something around Dogyeonwoo had changed.

He didn’t know what that something was, but it was clear that the flow was heading in a completely different direction from what the goblins expected.

Dosangjun, with an inexplicable certainty, looked at Dogyeonwoo.

Immediately after.

＜Water Dragon Style Attack Form 4＞

Lion’s Roar

As if knowing the direction of the attack.

Doyeongwoo dodged the charging attack and leaped into the goblin crowd.

Phusuk!

Death was instantaneous.

Struggling due to the goblins’ resistance, Doyeongwoo pierced through the goblin in one breath, a movement incomparable to his previous actions.

* * *

I know it too.

To deal with the goblin horde, I must first take out the archers and wizards sniping me from behind the horde.

But the situation was hindered by the goblins holding swords.

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“Kuk…!”

Even if I wanted to approach, I couldn’t.

It was quite frustrating being blocked by swordsmen protected by archers and wizards.

The coordination of the seven was solid.

Whenever I found a gap, regular goblins filled it.

But the enemies I faced were not just goblins.

“My body is moving on its own again!”

Gift, the instinct to evade, was active.

“Escape from here quickly.”

“You will die if you stay here.”

The instinct to evade warned me and kept trying to move my body.

Every time, I had to fight against my instincts and face the enemies.

“Listen to me, please!”

It felt like something was holding my body back, preventing me from moving forward.

Conversely, when I turned towards the goblins, my feet moved readily.

It didn’t end there.

Kieak!

At an unbelievable speed.

As I tried to escape from the goblins, the instinct to evade responded, forcing me to run.

But this couldn’t go on like this.

＜Water King Style Attack Type 1＞

Lion Formation…

Darn it!

I seized the opportunity to attack the goblin archers, but hesitated for a moment.

It was my instinct to dodge that got in the way.

Is now the time for this?

Should I just run?

Gift seemed to be urging me to do so.

Because of my hesitation, they ended up giving me a chance to attack them instead.

“Pant, pant…!”

This is driving me crazy. Seriously driving me crazy.

It felt like my body was about to split into two, torn between will and instinct.

I felt like my mind was on the verge of collapsing.

Nevertheless, I clenched my teeth, resisting the instinct to dodge.

Swish!

That’s how I managed to kill one goblin by a hair’s breadth.

I barely killed the goblin warrior and felt the strength drain from me.

Sweat trickled down my chin, my legs trembling.

My head was throbbing.

Thwack!

At that moment, I heard the sound of the wind.

No, it wasn’t the wind.

In the midst of my distraction, a goblin archer had shot an arrow at me.

I let myself be guided by the instinct to dodge, narrowly avoiding the attack.

“Ugh!”

But due to exhaustion, I couldn’t avoid it completely.

My elbow stung for a moment.

As I lowered my head to inspect my elbow, I saw a red line forming.

The thickness of the line increased, blood trickling down.

By then, fear started to creep in.

“…”

Could I really die if I make a mistake?

I couldn’t shake off that thought.

From then on, I found myself unable to boldly confront them.

I could only rely on my instinct to dodge and think about fleeing from them.

And then, I found myself cornered.

“…Nowhere to run.”

Unknowingly, I had been led into a trap.

Leaning against a rock, I felt a sense of defeat as goblins closed in from both sides.

Run away quickly.

The instinct to dodge was speaking.

“But where to?”

The son-in-law was surrounded by crystals, and the bastards were setting up an encirclement.

There was no way out except the path where goblins carried bows on their backs.

It seemed impossible to break through the encirclement and go that way.

Krrrk, krrrk.

“….”

There was no answer.

The bastards seemed to be making unpleasant noises as if saying so.

Meanwhile, the distance was closing.

“Damn it.”

Damn it. I only curse.

Words that could express my emotions rushed into my mind like a flood.

Am I going to die like this? I don’t want to die. Why did I do this? For what reason? Am I really going to die? I don’t want to, I’m scared. I don’t want to die here. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die! What is my dad doing? If this continues, I might really die. Save me. Please. I don’t want to die. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have talked about lowering the story difficulty. No, I can’t. Get lost! Even if I don’t do it, Ganghanbyeol will conquer the story on its own. I just need to live comfortably, right? Do I need to do this?

I am a person of Shingyeom Dogga, right? I can live comfortably without getting involved. I don’t need to become Ganghanbyeol’s comrade. Even if the future changes, it’s not my business. Ganghanbyeol will solve everything anyway! I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die. It’s like eating without taste. So please go away! Go! Go, please! I thought it would end up like this, I shouldn’t have realized my past life. Why did I have to be born as Dogyeonwoo….

It was right at that moment.

I suddenly felt gazes.

“….”

Pink crystals filled with crystals.

In those crystals, I was reflected.

“That… is that me?”

My face reflected in the crystal was grotesque and pitiful.

Shoulders were hunched, tears streaming down in fear.

“….”

Sinister, ugly, and unattractive.

Countless reflections in the crystal, showing a version of me that I despise, were staring back at me.

As I continued to meet that gaze….

“I’m getting annoyed.”

Irritation arose.

What? Did I just recall my past life for no reason?

I want to slap the me who was foolishly thinking in panic a while ago.

Absolutely not.

Realizing my past life allowed me to see how stupidly I had been living all this time.

If I hadn’t recalled my past life, I would have lived with such a face and crouched down for a long time.

Silence.

I don’t desire such a life.

That’s why I’m here.

To overcome my weakness, to push myself to the limit to become stronger.

But to forget all that and try to return to being a cowardly weakling consumed by fear, anger surged from within me.

I took a long breath, sorting through my emotions.

“Hoo….”

I didn’t want to die like this.

Of course, I didn’t want to run away either.

So, there was only one answer.

“Killing those guys.”

I couldn’t survive without killing the ones in front of me.

That’s what real combat is.

That’s what a hunter’s life is.

Whether I die or the monster dies, one of us must die for sure.

So….

“Listen to me.”

Don’t resist.

I muttered those words silently.

Did Gift hear those words?

Crack!

It felt like electricity surged through my body.

That sensation was pushing me.

To move forward.

To fight to live.

It seemed to be saying that.

Feeling that urging sensation, I took a step forward.

[You have acquired a skill.]

[Instinct Control Lv 1]

The message popped up then.

Finally, I got what I wanted.