Chapter 38: The Obscure Reality (3)

The last team wasn’t necessarily made up of poor students. As swordsmen, their level was equivalent to Lee Jang-hoo’s party, and Eom Hyo-seop (their wizard) wasn’t especially remarkable but was accomplished enough to get by. If they were able to work well together, they would have cleared the dungeon within the allocated hour. However, their problems were apparent from the beginning of the video, taken by the camera installed in the dungeon.

“Oh, it’s HOT!”

[“Stop with the magic, it’s getting in the way – we can easily clear the dungeon without your help.”]

Eom Hyo-seop used flame magic against the lizard-men, which was an appropriate response, but the swordsmen recoiled at the slightest burst of heat. From then on, Eom Hyo-seop shrank back – he wanted to perform his duty, but anything he did prompt outrage from the rest of the team.

However, the party didn’t struggle so much with hunting. There was another issue that plagued their mission.

“Where are we?!”

“Are we lost?”

The dungeon was essentially a labyrinth. Blind movement often resulted in a dead-end, so it was important to carefully examine the surroundings to follow the traces and stay on the right path. The last team didn’t have an understanding of basic tracking. They walked blind, attacking whichever enemies they encountered, which put them at a grave disadvantage compared to the other teams.

Their rejection of Eom Hyo-seop became problematic later when a group of twenty lizard-men confronted them.

“Hyah!”

“Krriieek!”

None of them expected so many opponents, and the ensuing battles proved to be embarrassing. They struggled against the lizard-men’s strength, and any physical damage they managed to inflict was reduced significantly by the slime which oozed out of their skin. Nevertheless, the swordsmanship students were too proud to request the wizard’s assistance. Whenever a mass of lizard-men attacked, the team caught their ankles. It took a long time, but eventually, they cleared the dungeon without Eom Hyo-seop’s help.

In a way, it was great – they proved they could clear the dungeon with their own strength…but in doing this, they sacrificed speed and took more than double the time of Jang-hoo’s party.

At the end of the video, Kim Moo-jin’s expression was stern as he spoke,

“The judgment of the team we just saw was terrible. They didn’t understand the monsters’ traits, and the rejection of their wizard was foolish at best: at worst, it could have been lethal. No matter what your differences are, you are on the same team. Lizard-men aren’t difficult opponents but trying to attack the dungeon in the way you did could result in unexpected variables. Don’t you think that your best chance of survival is to utilize all of your powers? Regardless of what you achieve in the next class, the grades of the losing team will be an F.”

The team was distraught and jumped out of their seats, “Agh!!”

“Professor!”

When Kim Moo-jin looked up sharply, they averted their gaze and sat down without another word. Some students cared more about maintaining a negative relationship with the magic students than achieving good grades.

“Yes, you showed that it’s possible to clear a dungeon without magic, but that was never the point of this class. I don’t care if it’s possible – what I WANT to see its efficiency. The last video shows you all what to avoid doing. Now, let’s watch the winners.”

Kim Moo-jin was as curious as everybody else to see how they achieved such good timing, especially with Jang-hoo and his party’s mediocre talents.

* * *

The teams began similarly. Kang Min-hyuk was disrespected in the same way as Hyo-seop, but the confrontation was overcome due to Kang Min-hyuk’s reaction. From then on, the hunt moved quickly. Using magic to burn through the thick slime meant that the lizard-men were easy to defeat. That wasn’t all – whenever a problem arose, Kang Min-hyuk came forward with helpful advice. He used his tracking skills to locate safe passage versus dead ends. His judgment never faltered. One particular crossroads cost most other parties a lot of time – the majority chose the left path, but Kang Min-hyuk sensed that the right would be more beneficial. The decision saved them valuable minutes.

“Burning mucus is the fundamental beginning to any successful attack against the lizard-men. Even if they attack first, magic is an immediate defense and acts as a counterattack. Hunting in dungeons is always a series of dangers, and you never know what’s hiding around the corner. Useless stamina consumption should be avoided at all costs.”

Kang Min-hyuk’s advice was spot-on.

Lee Jang-hoo and his party’s skills weren’t exceptional, but they dealt with the monsters swiftly due to Kang Min-hyuk’s magical support. At first, Lee Jang-hoo was the leader, but as their mission progressed, this gradually changed. The warriors began to listen to Kang Min-hyuk more and more until he became the definitive leader.

Finally, the scene of the final boss played out, signaling the end of the video. Kim Moo-jin exclaimed, “Perfect!”

Kim Moo-jin had earned the name of Iron Blood Sword, so for him to express emotions in such a way was very rare.

“The shared breath of the team who came first was vastly different from the losing team. The winners showed the ideal form of dungeon hunting. The idea to burn the slime before attacking was excellent, and through developing harmony between warrior and wizard, the dungeon was cleared quickly and effectively. Kang Min-hyuk’s role was integral to this process – he discovered the quickest route. He suggested the strategy to defeat the lizard-men, and because of the accurate information he provided, the team made no errors. This is the ideal result I could hope for from a joint class.”

The atmosphere settled, then…

In the presence of hundreds of swordsmanship students, Kim Moo-jin was praising a magic student…it was unheard of. The swordsmanship students couldn’t deny that his activity in the dungeon was impressive. However, their professor praising a magic student over them was more than a little frustrating. Since magical students never received compliments in joint classes, the response of the swordsmanship students was poor.

“I admit that Kang Min-hyuk’s performance was outstanding, but in the end, it was Lee Jang-hoo’s party that took care of the group of lizard-men. Without their skills, it would have been a futile mission – I don’t care how accurate the wizard’s information was, the sword will always be more valuable.”

Kim Moo-jin observed the students as he continued, “I will use the video of the winning team as a textbook. You have three days to compile a report on why the winning team’s hunting method is the ideal result. Remember: as a team, each hunter shares a common goal – there shouldn’t be divisions; the only way to achieve the desired outcome is by working together.”

The dissatisfaction was rising among the students.

“That’s the end of our first joint-class.”

Kim Moo-jin did not attempt to resolve the complaints of his students.

The disparity between warriors and wizards wasn’t a problem for a professor to solve; it was a reality created by the current era.

* * *

After class, the atmosphere surrounding the magical students was one of futility. Kang Min-hyuk had been praised above everybody, but the rest of his classmates had been made to feel inferior.

“Magic is the only thing I can do…it’s not enough.”

“Nobody really needs a mage.”

A class C dungeon was a high wall for magic students to scale. Experiencing this alongside students of the same age, who were capable of playing an active role, must have been disheartening. They were part of a more obscure reality. The news wasn’t exactly new to them, but first-hand was a different matter entirely to have to acknowledge it. The swordsmanship students were strong. A wizard was an auxiliary tool to make the hunt more comfortable; the warriors led; the wizards followed. It left a bitter taste in their mouths.

On their way back to the department, none of the students could find a smile. Jeong Sang-hoon was not exempt from this. Even he, who shone above his peers as head of the department, couldn’t accomplish much in the joint class. He was angered.

Kang Min-hyuk read his emotions and told him: “It’s a perfectly natural outcome, Sang-hoon. You’re a second-circle wizard; there isn’t much for you to do in dungeon exploration.”

The words of his teacher brought no comfort whatsoever.

It was different for Kang Min-hyuk – he’d experienced both worlds and could speak more objectively.

“A wizard’s strength isn’t catalyzed in an unpredictable environment like a dungeon. It’s normal for wizards to take a back seat and let the warrior’s lead. That’s just how it is – instead of trying to deny reality; it would be more useful for you to distinguish what we can do well and what we’re not so good at.”

“But you saw the way those swordsmen looked at us. They don’t respect us.”

“What? Is that so important to you?”

“Erm…yes?”

Jeong Sang-hoon’s eyes were shaking in their sockets with suppressed rage. Kang Min-hyuk continued in a calm voice, “It’s no wonder they don’t acknowledge us. That’s the current trend; warriors are favored by most, so sorcerers aren’t in a position that commands recognition. The only way we’ll ever be respected by mainstream society is to reach the level of arch-mage.”

It was an unfortunate truth. Wizards often lost their way under the cold gaze of reinforced warriors.

“We can’t just fall apart because of the thoughts of others. Let’s prove ourselves. We knew they’d play an active part in dungeon hunting, but next time, in Suseong, it will be different. The challenge here will be to keep our seats and prevent enemy attacks. You and I will defend the same area, and together, we’ll show them the value of sorcery.”

Kang Min-hyuk was fit to lead. Just as he had earned followers at Suhomun, Sang-hoon’s eyes changed as he looked at Kang Min-hyuk. Even Jeong Sang-hoon, with his innate genius, found stability and support in Kang Min-hyuk’s unwavering certainty.

“Follow your master, and you’ll be on the right path.”

Jeong Sang-hoon was becoming attracted to Kang Min-hyuk.