CHAPTER 16

Cowardly Ranged Weapons In Leon's world, ranged weapons are considered cowardly, used only by the lowly and dishonorable. For knights who value honor above all else, such weapons are utterly unacceptable. They are tools fit only for peasant soldiers or free mercenaries who have no need for glory. Of course, Leon himself is a born…

Cowardly Ranged Weapons

In Leon's world, ranged weapons are considered cowardly, used only by the lowly and dishonorable.

For knights who value honor above all else, such weapons are utterly unacceptable. They are tools fit only for peasant soldiers or free mercenaries who have no need for glory.

Of course, Leon himself is a born commander—an undefeated war general.

He has utilized archers, catapults, and cannons whenever necessary.

But ranged weapons have their limits. There is always the constraint of tension, even for firearms.

Gunpowder has its limits. Firepower has its limits. In the end, they are weapons bound by fixed maximum potential.

Swords and spears, however, are different.

The more you swing, the stronger they become. The more you throw, the deadlier they are. It all depends on the wielder's ability.

Can't split a boulder with a sword? Then the knight is simply lacking in skill.

Can't break through an enemy phalanx with a cavalry charge? A truly skilled knight can pierce through even pike formations.

Ultimately, to achieve honor and fame, one must rely solely on their own strength, not cowardly weapons like bows.

Thus, to the Grail Knights—who have completed their quests and been chosen by the Holy Grail—ranged weapons are nothing more than disgraceful tools, a shameful admission of their own weakness.

"Are you seriously out of your mind?!"

Of course, by modern standards, such thinking was incomprehensible.

"Hahaha! What an amusing fellow."

Oh Kang-hyuk laughed it off, but the rest of the party did not. They were about to say something when the hunter guild staff member shouted urgently.

"It's time to depart!"

"Tsk…"

Leon's position in the party hadn't even been decided yet. Koo Dae-seong followed the association staff, thinking that this test might already be doomed.

"So, how does this test work?"

The staff member kindly explained.

"Basically, you need to hunt 50 kobolds. Occasionally, gnolls might appear in the field, but if it gets too dangerous, I will step in."

Though the staff reassured them that just hunting kobolds would suffice, Koo Dae-seong wanted to earn a higher score.

Naturally, hunting gnolls or even a boss monster would yield more points. Their spawn locations were fixed.

"Everyone, I know a good spot. How about we go there for the hunt?"

"You have more experience than us…"

"This old man is fine with that."

"…"

Three people agreed, but Leon remained silent. Dae-seong led the party out of the grasslands toward the forest.

The newbies, Tae-hoon and Na-yeon, tilted their heads at his choice of direction.

"Dae-seong, there's a settlement at the edge of the plains. Wouldn't there be plenty of kobolds there?"

"Attacking a settlement recklessly is a bad idea. Our group is small, and we could be surrounded by a large pack of kobolds or gnolls."

Koo Dae-seong was a veteran who had attempted this Seoul Station Gate test ten times.

Though this dungeon was only meant for testing, he had encountered kobolds and gnolls in many other gates as well.

"We'll be targeting kobolds that live in caves."

Dae-seong explained the advantages of fighting in a cave.

First, the narrow space and single passage prevented them from being surrounded. Then, he plucked a wild herb from the ground and continued.

"We'll set fire to this plant and pump smoke into the cave. That way, we can easily flush out and defeat the kobolds."

"Ah~"

"Experience really makes a difference."

Though he received praise, Dae-seong could only smile bitterly.

Being experienced at failing this test wasn't exactly something to be proud of.

If he had ranked up, he would've been taking different gate tests by now. C-ranks tested at Samjeon Station. B-ranks at the 63 Building.

He had studied and researched strategies for higher-ranked gates, imagining the day he could finally enter them.

But here he was, stuck at the Seoul Station Gate again.

"I need to rank up this time. I can't stay D-rank forever."

He wanted to get stronger. He was sick of being a perpetual D-rank.

"Kobolds ahead!"

Tanker Shin Tae-hoon, who had taken the lead, suddenly halted. His loud exclamation alerted the kobolds, who immediately turned toward them.

"Grrr…!"

Kobolds—humanoid monsters with dog-like heads. About the size of an elementary schooler, they were among the weakest creatures, rivaling goblins.

"Tae-hoon, hold the front with your shield!"

"Yes!"

Kobold charges were simple—straightforward and direct. It was a pure contest of brute force.

Unless the enemy had overwhelming numbers, hunters always had the advantage.

"Kyaaagh!"

A kobold rushing forward collapsed with an arrow through its chest—Na-yeon's shot.

Seeing their ally fall, the remaining kobolds immediately redirected their aggression toward her. But Tae-hoon intercepted them with his shield, sending one flying backward with a bloody nose.

"Idiots."

He promptly stabbed the fallen kobold. But just then, another one lunged at him, knocking him down in surprise.

"Ack…!"

"Tae-hoon!"

The kobold bared its fangs, ready to bite—only to be skewered through the throat by Dae-seong's sword. Warm blood splattered over Tae-hoon's face.

"Don't let your guard down! They're weak, but fast!"

Only five kobolds remained. Na-yeon loosed another arrow, piercing the second one.

"Hmm."

Old man Oh Kang-tae stepped forward, filling the gap. His gauntlet-clad fists struck the kobolds' faces with rapid jabs.

"Keh!"

"Krrk!"

Their faces crumpled like paper. Dae-seong helped Tae-hoon back to his feet, and together, they quickly finished off the remaining kobolds.

"Phew…"

"S-Sorry, I messed up."

Feeling guilty for breaking formation, Tae-hoon apologized. Dae-seong waved it off with a reassuring smile.

"It's fine. Everyone makes mistakes at first."

He himself had made countless errors when he was a newbie. Compared to his past blunders, Tae-hoon's mistake was minor.

"Na-yeon took down two, and thanks to the old man, no one got hurt. You all did well."

This party wasn't bad—except for one person.

"Hey, foreigner. You just stood there and did nothing, didn't you?"

"Yeah! You just stood back with your arms crossed! Staff, is this allowed?"

Leon, who had remained silent, was now the target of their complaints. They were eager to kick him out and replace him.

"Haha… I'll take that into account when scoring, so don't worry too much."

Leon would receive the lowest score. The others would gain bonus points. That was good enough for Dae-seong—he needed every advantage he could get.

"Alright then… let's head deeper. The cave should be close."

Just as he predicted, they soon found a cave.

"There really is a cave."

"Ugh… do we really have to go in? I hate dark places."

Dae-seong resisted the urge to comment on how unsuitable Na-yeon was for this job. Instead, he maintained a friendly tone.

"No, we're going to 'clear' the cave."

"Clear it?"

"A hunter's job is to clear gates. Gather some leaves and dry grass—we'll smoke them out."

"Ah! We'll suffocate them?"

"Wow, genius! That way, we just have to fight the ones that come out."

As they prepared, Dae-seong noticed Leon standing idly, eyes closed.

"Hey, don't just stand there. Help out."

Leon opened his piercing blue eyes, locking onto Dae-seong.

"Do you truly believe this is the best strategy?"

That question sent an unsettling chill down Dae-seong's spine.