Chapter 66

Episode 66: S-Class Dungeon Dark City (1)

Kim Seong-ho was nervous about meeting Kang Min-hyuk again, afraid that he would think negatively of himself and his brothers. They had been shocked a few weeks earlier when they watched Kang Min-hyuk’s academic conference, only to find Klinssman’s face on-screen. He knew that Klinss’ talent was extraordinary but didn’t for a moment, assume that he could have been Kang Min-hyuk from Suhomun. What shocked them further was the content included in the conference.

Although he was a reinforced warrior, Seong-ho had an interest in magical affairs, so he was aware of the gravity of Min-hyuk’s announcement.

“He’s a genius,” He uttered as he heard him speak. It was clear for all to see. Within the time it would take for a new wizard, fresh to the art, to lay the bare foundations of their practice, Kang Min-hyuk had made great discoveries that would mark milestones in the science of magic. Seong-ho fell into a state of confusion. Should he contact Min-hyuk? He felt it was essential to maintain a relationship with him somehow, not because he was from Suhomun, but because he was an individual who would succeed regardless of background or what was to come. It was an important characteristic that set him apart from other wizards, and indeed, other people generally.

Kim Seong-ho, Lim Yun-ho, and Jung Min-chul were three ordinary men who had chosen to become hunters. They trained hard and risked their lives, but there were limits to what could be achieved by regular people. Their progress wasn’t poor – each of them was a talented warrior, but they felt as though they had reached a plateau over time. They had no driving force, no connections to push them forwards. Kang Min-hyuk appealed to them for that reason. Connecting with him provided contact with somebody special and renowned, something none had experienced before.

“Continuation of our relationship with Kang Min-hyuk will almost definitely result in a positive influence for us. We must make the most of our contact with Kang Min-hyuk. We have to make him see that we are worth forming a concrete relationship with, not just a passing bond.”

Kim Seong-ho was desperate for strength.

Lim Yun-ho and Jung Min-cheol were anxious. In the end, Kim Seong-ho breathed deeply and regained his composure for the the proposal, sake of his brothers. groundwork for

“Let’s do it.”

The brothers needed to make a good impression. Kang Min-hyuk approached them from a distance, and all three of them gulped.

* * *

Kim Seong-ho doubted his ears for a moment. He was prepared for the meeting with Kang Min-hyuk, but his proposal took him by surprise.

“I will tell you straight. I’m here to do business with you.”

“A deal?”

“Yes. As I said in the text, the Guardian Gate will soon begin subjugation of Dark City, an S-class dungeon. At that time, I’ll need a ‘new form’ of reinforced warriors who will match the rhythm of my breath. It will completely break down the system you’ve been training within, and it’s a plan that can’t proceed without consent. What I can promise is that if you accept I will lay the your growth in the future.”

Kim Seong-ho’s party had become power-hungry. It wasn’t a bad trait, Kang Min-hyuk understood. It’s humanity’s purest desire. If the last hunt’s memories weren’t good, he wouldn’t have responded to Kim Seong-ho’s text. Kang Min-hyuk decided that Seong-ho and his party could be fully utilized, and just as Kim Seong-ho and his party had a purpose of achieving through him, Kang Min-hyuk also came out with a purpose. There was no reason to hide it. It was a deal.

There is no reason for suspicion or to question others’ motives because everything was on the table. If they accepted, the deal would be concluded; if not, they could all get on with their lives. “Can you give me some time to think about it?”

“How much?”

Kim Seong-ho looked embarrassed. The brothers moved to one side for a moment to exchange opinions on the offer.

“Shall we do it?”

“What is this new type of warrior? Is it possible to break down our training-system? We’ve put in so much time and energy to reach our current position; it’s been a tremendous struggle…would changing the formula mean that we’ve wasted our time? If we take the new path, won’t we have to train just as hard and just as long just to reach the level we’re at now?”

“…Still, we’d be working with Kang Min-hyuk. Now he’s the Guardian Gate’s underdog, but in the days when he was the successor, he was exceptional.”

The conversation took some time. Kang Min-hyuk could understand their misgivings. Unlike himself, they grew from nothing, and from nothing, they became hunters capable of defeating B-class monsters. They were forming their futures.

“It’s hard to accept a new approach.”

They were not easily persuaded. That wasn’t such a bad thing; if they were to succeed, it had to be based on their own decision, not coercion.

There was a reason Kang Min-hyuk chose Kim Seong-ho’s party. They had a burning desire to become strong, refine their skills, and had an indomitable will to defy monsters’ wrath. Under the strong support of Kim Seong-ho, Lim Yun-ho and Jeong Min-cheol were still young, but they showed great potential. If they had begun their careers in the privileged position of gatekeeper of the guardian gate, they would have grown to an outstanding level. The most important point was their potential loyalty. Their lack of notable lineage suggested that they would immerse themselves in Min-hyuk’s method on a deeper level and cling to it as their primary (and only) source of teaching.

Even talent was not enough if they couldn’t adhere to Kang Min-hyuk’s Way. They had to submit to his requirements.

Kim Seong-ho’s party returned to their seats. Their expressions were willful and serious.

“We will follow you. We are willing to do anything to be strong.”

“Okay. Great,” Kang Min-hyuk laughed.

“As promised, I will not spare full support for you to become stronger in the future. And, in return for that support, you will act as the wizard’s defender.”

‘Defender’ was an unfamiliar word to a warrior. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

* * *

In Klinssman’s world, during the Green Dragon Battle, Kang Min-hyuk witnessed guards holding shields and blocking the opponent. Just as in the fortified civilization, shield soldiers were also a profession.

A book he found explained about the shield soldier:

[The defender’s beginning goes back to the days when the ‘system of response’ was not yet established. At that time, there was no barrier to protect the wizards, so their bodies were vulnerable to attack. Various magics, such as moving to cast, were born. In the process, ordinary people who were not talented in magic began to walk the defenders’ path holding shields and protecting wizards. Nowadays, it has become a common practice for ordinary people to protect wizards with shields, and among them, those with outstanding abilities have been given the title of a defender. Unlike normal shield soldiers who borrow the power of magic artifacts, Defenders show more protective ability. However, there are not many Defenders, and they have been replaced since the Golem was developed.]

A new job was born. It was a natural order, but it happened to be the reverse, and the wizard protected the warrior in the fortified civilization. A defender was not a normal shield soldier. It was a position that only a few born with special physical abilities could take.

“Let’s get started,” said Kang Min-hyuk.

Kim Seong-ho and his party looked warily at each other. Upon accepting the offer, they arranged a 3-on-1 battle in a secluded place. The only thing Kang Min-hyuk held was a shield. He hesitated to begin with, but after a little thought, Kim Seong-ho rushed in.

Crack.

He pushed mana into his legs to amplify his speed, and he swung his sword at Kang Min-hyuk.

Claang!

“I’m strengthening the shield. When mana is injected with a high mana conduction rate, it boasts more defense than expected. Even if the reinforced warrior uses an aura, the shield won’t break.”

Kim Seong-ho’s expression was distorted. As he rebounded off the shield, Lim Yoon-ho and Jung Min-cheol caught up and attempted a joint attack.

Hwarruk.

A blazing aura burnt out of their swords. The use of aura was discussed in advance, and they aimed at Kang Min-hyuk’s blind spot.

Caen!

Klang, Klang!

“Huh?!”

All attacks were blocked. First, Min-hyuk pushed his body weight against the shield, increasing its stability with the guardian method, and the attack against the hard shield did not achieve the desired result. As both a wizard and a warrior, Kang Min-hyuk could sufficiently reinforce the shield with mana and his physical strength. He used his fighting experience to predict and defend against the party’s moves.

Puck!

“This is charging. It’s the technique of hitting the opponent with the shield by concentrating the force.”

Quadang!

Lim Yoon-hyo fell back. The demonstration of Kang Min-hyuk’s technology continued.

As time passed, the expressions of Kim Seong-ho and his party were stained with surprise. Their opponent was a wizard. However, Kang Min-hyuk’s physical ability was not that of a wizard. If he had to fight with his sword rather than the shield, it seemed that Kang Min-hyuk could slaughter all three.

Finally, Kang Min-hyuk said. “I named this technology the Guardian Shield. It is a technique that draws the attention of a specific opponent with a special wave of mana.”

Kang Min-hyuk used knowledge from both worlds – his own and Klinssman’s – to inform the technique he had generated. The guardian shield wasn’t something he found in Klinssman’s world, but he used the guardian sword technique and grafted it onto a defensive model. Kang Min-hyuk pioneered his path without anyone’s help.

Puck!

Quadang!

Kim Seong-ho fell over. Looking down at him, Kang Min-hyuk took the shield.

“That’s it. The skills I have just shown you are what you need to learn as a ‘defender’ in the future, and to play a role in an S-class dungeon, you will have to risk your life and train hard.”

The session was over.

Kim Seong-ho and his party felt it was disastrous, but their expressions did not show any despair about the situation.

“We made the right choice.”

With Kang Min-hyuk, it seemed that meaningful results could be obtained through their new position as defenders rather than warriors.

The next week, Kim Seong-ho and his party were ready to burn their souls.