CHAPTER 12

Driven Hunt (2)

Choi Hyung-jun, who had come down to the first floor, was drenched in cold sweat and trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Yoo Hye-rin, watching him with concern, spoke up.

"Sir, are you really okay?"

"I-I-I'm f-fine!"

He didn't look fine at all.

"Sir! Don't worry! You're a man, so you've been to the army, right? Okay?"

Kang Deok-soo patted Choi Hyung-jun on the shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.

"…I was exempt."

"???"

Kang Deok-soo scanned Choi Hyung-jun from head to toe, then asked in genuine disbelief.

"With that body?"

At over 180 cm tall with a solid build, he could easily be mistaken for an athlete.

How could someone like that be exempt?

Seeing Kang Deok-soo's confused expression, Choi Hyung-jun quickly explained.

"T-this is all fat. I used to be even worse. It's not muscle."

"But… it looks like muscle no matter how you see it."

"Focus."

At that moment, Ha Dong-geon, the team leader, gathered everyone's attention.

"The briefing starts now."

They were assembled in the first-floor hallway, conducting a final check before entering the underground parking lot—the goblins' lair.

"The ultimate goal of this driven hunt is to lure as many goblins as possible up to the 30th floor."

They had already encountered the transparent wall on the 30th floor before.

Just before receiving citizenship, Kang Deok-soo had tested the strength of the wall himself by swinging his bat against it.

That experience gave them confidence.

"The goblins don't have the strength to break through the transparent wall. On the other hand, we can attack them from inside the barrier."

The objective of this operation was clear.

"Our role is to lure as many goblins as possible up to the 30th floor."

Ha Dong-geon pointed at the emergency exit stairs leading underground and continued.

"That's why we're targeting both B1 and B2 floors at the same time."

Kim Jae-hyun, the one who devised the strategy, was already planning for multiple driven hunts.

Since goblins were incredibly cunning, he intended to draw in as many as possible, even if it meant pushing hard on the first attempt.

The strategy was simple.

"The team will be split into two. One will provoke the goblins on B1 first, then lure those on B2."

The key to this strategy was that the B1 team had to withstand the goblin wave until the B2 team returned.

Everyone turned to look at Choi Hyung-jun.

It was only natural—his role was to block the goblins using the emergency exit's iron door as a shield.

No one knew the exact reason, but Kim Jae-hyun had specifically ordered that this role be assigned to Choi Hyung-jun.

Given his size, he was indeed the best fit for the job.

At that moment, Kim Geon quietly raised his hand.

"Speak."

"…What if more goblins show up than we expected? Wouldn't we end up trapped on the 30th floor?"

Kim Ga-young swung the bow in her hand playfully and responded.

"That'd be great for us. As long as we're safe, I can wipe them all out by myself."

"Ga-young's right. We have bows, and the goblins stuck behind the transparent wall will be nothing more than easy targets."

Kim Geon scanned his teammates, skeptical of their confidence.

Then he brought up a critical issue.

"…What about the bodies? There'll be a mountain of goblin corpses. How do we deal with that?"

"…."

"We could end up trapped because of the corpse pile."

The room fell silent.

Then, Moon Byung-ho spoke calmly.

"He'll take care of it."

Choi Hyung-jun nodded in agreement.

"That's right. If it's him, he'll find a way. Besides, I doubt it'll even be a problem. This strategy was his idea, after all."

Kim Geon frowned, dissatisfied with their blind trust.

Just then—

"Kikik?"

A familiar sound made them turn their heads.

At the end of the hallway, three goblins were staring at them blankly.

The first to react was Kim Ga-young.

Thwip!

After ten days of relentless goblin encounters, her body now moved instinctively.

"Screee—ACK!"

Thud!

In an instant, two of the goblins collapsed, arrows piercing their foreheads.

And then.

Thud!

The last remaining goblin was already within Kang Deok-su's reach as he charged forward, swinging his bat.

Kim Geon, wearing a dumbfounded expression, asked,

"…Senior, why did you even bring a bow if you were just going to do this?"

"Huh? Oh, you're right."

Kang Deok-su wiped the blood off his bat and continued,

"I guess I just reacted instinctively…"

"Huh?"

At that moment, Kim Ga-young muttered in shock,

"…It's disappearing."

"Huh? What is?"

Kim Ga-young quickly took out her phone and turned on the flashlight.

"!!!"

The goblins' corpses were vanishing right before their eyes.

"…This is…"

Kim Geon, astonished, was at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Moon Byung-hoo gave a calm smile and spoke.

"See? That's how He takes care of things. He's answering your question directly."

Kim Geon opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out.

…..

[Citizen Ha Dong-geon's trust has increased.]

[Citizen Kim Ga-young's trust has increased.]

[Citizen Yoo Hye-rin's trust has increased.]

…

…

The Absolute One was watching over Ha Dong-geon's party, observing everything with their omniscient eyes.

As expected, when they checked, the party's overall trust had risen significantly.

Now, even while using the Absolute One's Eyes, it was possible to see messages.

At first, the overlapping visions were confusing, but they had learned to mentally separate their perspectives, like using a dual-monitor setup.

Watching their astonishment, they thought:

'I got lucky.'

It wasn't intentional, but thanks to the coincidental timing of Kim Geon's question and the goblins appearing, the situation played out perfectly for a misunderstanding.

It looked as if they had been watching the party all along and had erased the goblin corpses in direct response to Kim Geon's question.

'I mean, I was watching, but still.'

Because of that—

[Citizen Moon Byung-hoo's trust has reached 50.]

[Loyalty has been unlocked.]

[Citizen Moon Byung-hoo's loyalty has surpassed 30.]

[Citizen Moon Byung-hoo has met the conditions for retainer registration.]

Moon Byung-hoo's trust had already been rising at an unusual speed, but now it had skyrocketed past 50.

'In just a few hours…?'

He had already met the conditions to become a retainer.

Ha Dong-geon's party was overall gaining trust rapidly, but they were still far from reaching 50.

The only ones who had already qualified as retainers were Choi Hyung-joon's family and Moon Byung-hoo. The common factor? Both were in a psychologically unstable state.

It seemed that personally filling the void in their hearts had contributed to their devotion.

'Either way, this is good. The faster I recruit retainers, the quicker my growth… Huh?'

When they checked Moon Byung-hoo's citizen information panel, they couldn't help but gasp.

[Name: Moon Byung-hoo (Lv. 10)]

Trust: 55Loyalty: 88Awakening Ability: NoneExperience Distribution Rate: 70%Settlement Fund Distribution Rate: 0%★ Assign Quest |  Expel

His loyalty was absurdly high.

'What the…?'

They had expected around 40–50 at most, judging by Moon Byung-hoo's attitude.

But 88?

'…Well, it's not a bad thing.'

On the contrary, it was a great development.

It meant there was now someone who not only trusted them but was completely devoted.

'Looks like the timing for his retainer registration is set.'

Recalling the bright light that had surrounded Choi Hyung-joon when he was registered as a retainer, an idea surfaced—one that could be useful for their next operation.

Over the past ten days, Ha Dong-geon's party had discovered one crucial fact.

Goblins were sensitive to light.

During the day, they were fine—otherwise, they wouldn't be able to move around.

But at night, inside their sanctuaries, they were extremely vulnerable to light.

Flash!

"Kiiik!"

"Kiiieeek!"

"Kwaaak?!"

Inside the pitch-black underground parking lot, the goblins' safe haven was invaded by an unpleasant burst of light.

"Kieeeeek!"

"Kyaaaaah—!"

Angered by the disruption of their rest, the goblins shrieked in fury at the sudden illumination.

But the light was only the beginning.

Whoosh—!

Thud!

Thwack!

Arrows sliced through the darkness, piercing goblins one after another.

Some missed their mark entirely, but others embedded deep into the goblins' torsos.

And a select few struck true—driving directly between their eyes.

Then—

Flash—!

"What… What is that?"

A massive light source, incomparable to a smartphone's flashlight, erupted from one man.

It immediately provoked almost all the goblins on the first basement level.

"Kieeeek—! Kieeeek—! Kieeek—!"

The goblins' cries spread throughout the cave in an instant.

"Kieeek—!"

"Kieeeeh—!"

"Kieeek—!"

The cries of their fallen comrades echoed through the cave, rousing those who had been asleep.

Individually, goblins were incredibly weak.

However, they knew how to overcome their weakness through the power of numbers.

There were two things goblins were especially sensitive about: one was when their home was invaded, and the other was when they were forced to face a blinding light during the night, a time meant for rest.

Both of those situations were now happening at the same time.

"Kieeek—!"

"Kieeeeh—!"

Enraged goblins charged at the intruders, their fury bordering on madness.

"It's done! Run!"

"Team 1, cover us! Team 2, head for the emergency stairs!"

Following Ha Dong-geon's command, Choi Hyung-jun, Kang Deok-su, and Moon Byung-ho, who had been firing arrows to harass the enemy, sprinted toward the emergency stairs on the first basement floor.

Thwack!

As they retreated, Ha Dong-geon, Kim Ga-young, Yoo Hye-rin, and Kim Geon, who were part of Team 1, continued to fire arrows at the goblins.

Thud—!

"Kreeeek!"

Among them, Kim Ga-young's archery skills stood out the most.

Her steadily trained marksmanship allowed her to pierce the goblins' foreheads with pinpoint accuracy every time.

Thud!

The others weren't too far behind.

Perhaps it was thanks to being constantly dragged to archery ranges against his will, but Ha Dong-geon's skill with the bow was also quite formidable.

Thwack—!

Moreover, the goblins, swarming through the narrow passage, were surprisingly easy targets.

They were running straight toward the light.

"Team 1, fall back!"

After stalling for enough time, Team 1 retreated toward the emergency stairs, while Team 2 now provided covering fire.

Thud!

"Kreeeek!"

Compared to Team 1, their archery skills were lacking.

However, that turned out to be an advantage.

Goblins who were shot in the stomach, shoulders, or legs collapsed in an unsightly manner.

Thunk!

"Kreeeek!"

And as they fell, other goblins tripped over them, blocking the path.

Unlike the corpses that disappeared after a single precise headshot, the goblins struck by clumsy arrows became effective obstacles.

"Close the door!"

Thanks to the extra time they bought, Ha Dong-geon's group successfully shut the emergency exit door.

Boom!

As soon as the door closed, the goblins furiously pounded on the metal.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Huff!"

Choi Hyung-jun braced himself against the emergency stair railing, enduring the impact alone.

The gorilla-like strength within him held the metal door firmly shut.

Clang— Clang—

The goblins desperately tried to open the emergency exit, but their strength was no match for his overwhelming power.

Amazingly, Choi Hyung-jun alone managed to hold back the combined force of the goblins.

Even though it was Kim Jae-hyun's order, Kang Deok-su had initially hesitated, ready to step in and help if necessary.

However, it turned out that wasn't needed.

If Choi Hyung-jun could handle it alone, there was no point in wasting manpower.

All six of them descended to the second basement floor.

"Hang in there a little longer!"

"Hurry up—go!"

While Choi Hyung-jun held the emergency stairs by himself, the events that unfolded on the first basement floor repeated themselves on the second.

"Kieeek—!"

The enraged goblins poured into the emergency exit, their cries echoing chaotically.

"Huff, haah. Huff, haah."

Hearing that, Choi Hyung-jun trembled as if stricken by fever.

The nightmare returned.

The sight of people dying before his eyes, the screams that filled the air.

'I have to do it. This is my responsibility!'

If he gave in here, everything would be ruined.

He couldn't allow that.

Boom! Bang! Bang! Boom!

The emergency exit handle twisted occasionally as the door threatened to open.

Each time, Choi Hyung-jun exerted his monstrous strength to keep it shut.

"Hraaah!"

The weight of the responsibility pressing on his shoulders was the only thing keeping his feet firmly planted.

Just then, Ha Dong-geon's group returned from the second basement floor, rushing up the stairs.

"Mister! It's done! Let's go!"

"Everyone, run!"

Firing arrows at the goblins between moments, Ha Dong-geon's group dashed upward.

Choi Hyung-jun felt a wave of relief.

'It worked. We did it!'

Now, he no longer needed to guard this door.

Just as he was about to step away, a terrifying realization struck him.

'—Huh?'

His legs wouldn't move.

The fear that had weighed on his shoulders, the responsibility that had given him strength, had also robbed him of the ability to flee.

"Mister!!!"

"Go ahead without me!!"

"But…!"

"Go! Now!"

Even Kang Deok-su, who was at the very back of the group, had already gained a considerable distance from him.

The goblins were closing in.

To make things worse—

Boom!

The metal door on the first basement floor was finally breached.

"Kieeek—!"

"Kieeeeh—!"

"Kieeek—!"

Kang Deok-su froze at the sight of the goblins, consumed by madness.

But then—

"Damn it!"

In that desperate moment, he chose not survival, but his comrade.

Thwack!

"Get lost, you bastards! Mister, hurry—!"

However, at that moment—

Swish—

"…Huh?"

Choi Hyung-jun was gone.

Only a horde of goblins remained around him.

"…We're screwed, huh?"

"Graaaaah—!"

A goblin lunged at him, but Kang Deok-su swung his weapon in a full arc.

Thwack!

"Kreeeek!"

Thud!

The one relief was that, just as Kang Deok-su had not abandoned his comrade, his comrades had not abandoned him either.

"Deok-su! Move it!"

"O-okay!"

With cover fire from Kim Ga-young and Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su started bounding up the stairs, three steps at a time.

'Faster, faster!'

Pouring every ounce of strength into his legs, he sprinted toward the 30th floor.