Free Team - (2)

[Chapter 20]

I had no intention of winning. 

This wasn't a matter of will—it was a question of possibility and probability. 

I knew that what Shin Taeri had mentioned wasn't about a battle where blood would be spilled, but a test to gauge offense and defense transitions. 

It wasn't easy. 

No, it was extremely difficult. 

The level gap alone, which was more than fifteen times higher, was already a problem, but the professional matchup wasn't in my favor either. 

An assassin, who relied on swift and elusive movements like the wind, was the hardest opponent for a swordsman wielding a heavy greatsword to chase down. 

"Let's try it." 

I responded. 

Kim Miso's face showed hesitation. 

She seemed startled by how a simple introduction had suddenly turned into a test. 

"Unnie, isn't this too sudden?" 

"Shanghyun said he's okay with it." 

"Still, this is our first meeting..." 

"Shanghyun, do you feel pressured?" 

"No. I think I might learn something valuable, so I'm actually looking forward to it." 

Despite Kim Miso's attempt to stop it, sparks were already flying between me and Shin Taeri. 

For me, it was a risk-free opportunity. Whether I got caught off guard or responded correctly, there was something to learn either way. 

Opportunities for such pinpoint lessons from a skilled mentor didn't come often. 

"Really... unbelievable..." 

Kim Miso backed off, clutching her throbbing forehead, while Shin Taeri and I stood facing each other. 

There was a chilling sound from Shin Taeri's dagger, laced with her deadly aura—it sounded like the wail of the dead. 

"Whoo..." 

I took a deep breath and immediately activated the Psychedelic skill. I needed to be at my peak combat power. 

Fwsh! 

Suddenly, Shin Taeri vanished from sight. 

Wondering where she had gone would be too late—my body had to move the moment she disappeared. 

'Got it.' 

I made my judgment instantly and thrust my greatsword toward my right side, aiming just behind my waist. 

Clang! 

The satisfying metallic clash echoed in my ears. That sound could mean only one thing—I was right. 

I turned my head and saw Shin Taeri's dagger blocking the trajectory of my greatsword. 

"You knew." 

"Got lucky." 

Although I had anticipated it, I answered humbly, without any intention of boasting. 

From my perspective, Shin Taeri hadn't gone all out on her first move. She was much slower than I had expected. 

"You've still got four moves left." 

"I know." 

Swish! 

Shin Taeri vanished again. 

It wasn't stealth—this was more like ultra-fast movement that couldn't be traced visually. 

That's why, when facing an assassin player, you had to minimize reliance on visual cues. 

If possible, bring it down to zero. Reacting based on sight alone was too slow. 

When facing a high-level assassin in a real fight, by the time your eyes caught their trace, your head would likely already be gone. 

'This time, from the front.' 

Instead of guessing she would attack from behind, I read the flow of the air. 

The killing intent Shin Taeri had left behind to lure me into focusing on the rear had already shifted to the front. 

So instead of turning around, I thrust my sword straight forward. 

Clang! 

Once again, sparks flew from the clash between my greatsword and Shin Taeri's dagger. 

"..." 

Shin Taeri's gaze wavered as she stared at me. My reaction was much faster than she had anticipated. 

It wasn't just blind luck or a random guess. Sure, I could have picked a direction out of the four possibilities and gotten lucky. 

But this was different—I had predicted not just her position, but her exact stance and form. 

Only Shin Taeri, who had directly received my blow, could truly feel it—it wasn't a random guess. 

'He's reading me by instinct.' 

Shin Taeri was convinced. 

The realm of instinct was a level above mere visual perception—a domain not easily mastered. 

Even Shin Taeri had reached this stage through harsh training, living alongside death under the mentorship of one of the best of her time. 

Yet, Shanghyun, who until recently had no notable achievements, was reacting with an instinctive sharpness that was completely unexpected. 

Whoosh! 

This time, Shin Taeri's form split into several afterimages, scattering in different directions. 

"..." 

I narrowed my eyes, tracking Shin Taeri's movements. 

Even the most subtle afterimages lag slightly behind the original body. 

If I focused hard enough, I could find the real one—its expression always carried a slight difference. 

That discrepancy, even if it was just 0.1 or 0.2 seconds, was enough for my eyes to catch. 

Sensing her true position, I immediately ducked—her dagger was coming from behind. 

"Ah." 

A short gasp escaped Shin Taeri's lips. 

She hadn't intended to attack me seriously. 

She had only wanted to signal that my rear was exposed—but by ducking and avoiding it, I had read her movements once again. 

"Not bad, right?" 

"Very impressive." 

My humble reaction was met with Shin Taeri's genuine praise. 

'If picky Taeri Unnie is saying "very impressive," it must've been a flawless move.' 

Kim Miso looked shocked. 

From what she had seen, Shin Taeri had incredibly high standards when it came to giving praise. 

Simple satisfaction or mild surprise wasn't enough to draw out such words—not even a simple "good." 

At that moment, a chill ran down Kim Miso's spine. 

It was the same feeling she had experienced when witnessing the early days of the current Named players who now stood at the center of the Player world. 

Just like the saying, "A promising tree shows from its sprouts," Shanghyun gave off that same aura. 

After that, Shin Taeri launched even more advanced techniques at me—but they were all nullified. 

I had proven on the spot that I could block at least five moves against Shin Taeri herself. 

Considering Kim Miso, who prided herself on her agility and evasiveness, had only managed a record of four, the result was nothing short of astonishing. 

I wasn't like Kim Miso, a player who had long surpassed level 100—I was still just a beginner hovering in the 30s. 

Looking at me, who had only broken a slight sweat, Shin Taeri spoke. 

"I hope we can have a proper conversation another time." 

"I'd welcome that anytime. It was a valuable lesson—you've shown me what I still lack." 

This time, it wasn't out of humility—Shanghyun spoke with genuine sincerity. 

During the process of defending against Shin Taeri's five moves, he realized something: his body lacked flexibility. 

He had only been able to respond thanks to the effects of Psychedelic; without it, the fight would've ended with the very first move. 

The gap created by level differences and solid, refined skills was not something easily overcome. 

Shanghyun decided to be satisfied with simply confirming the possibility that he could survive against a stronger opponent. 

In fact, that alone was already an incredible achievement. 

"I'll make sure Miso keeps quiet about today's events." 

"Whatever works for you. Haha." 

"Unnie!" 

"Let's just bury everything that happened today right here." 

Shin Taeri patted Kim Miso's shoulder and then gave Shanghyun a polite nod before leaving the area. 

At that moment, two people began walking over from the direction of Chunui Station. 

They were the teammates who would join Shanghyun and Kim Miso in exploring the Chunui Station Gate. 

'Miso brought someone interesting.' 

As she walked away, Shin Taeri turned back and glanced at Shanghyun again. 

Though it had been a brief encounter, it had left a strong impression—she was already looking forward to their next meeting. 

* * * 

While waiting for the two new teammates to arrive, Shanghyun inspected the gate once more. 

▶ 120

▶ 4

Next to the entrance of the gate, two numbers were displayed like a signplate. 

Maximum level 120, 4-person limit. 

These were the gate's basic characteristics. 

Once four people entered, the entrance would automatically seal, preventing any additional players from joining. 

Moreover, if a player exceeded the level limit, a forceful repulsion effect would occur at the entrance, pushing them away. 

If someone forcibly tried to enter despite the restriction, they would be treated as a "foreign substance" and forcibly disassembled by the system—instant death, no exceptions. 

"Hello?" 

"Nice to meet you!" 

A man and a woman arrived together, greeting Shanghyun and Kim Miso. 

Shanghyun didn't recognize either of them. 

They likely weren't particularly famous in the past or simply had limited public activity as players. 

However, since they were here with Kim Miso, they were probably not ordinary—she had very selective standards. 

"I'm Shin Sanghyun. It's an honor to join such capable individuals." 

"No need to be so formal! I was just reading an article about you before coming here. A swordsman who can generate status effects on his own! I'm really envious." 

"Anyone who cleared a level 100 solo quest is already proven in my eyes. I trust our team leader's judgment." 

As both players turned their attention to Kim Miso, she smiled and continued the introductions. 

"This is Park Taeseok. He's a fire user. Classified as a mage-type player, and his specialty is..." 

"Ignite." 

"That's right, ignition ability." 

Thanks to the documents Kim Miso had handed him earlier, Shanghyun had memorized every detail. 

He had already analyzed the team members' specialties, strengths, and weaknesses. 

A good team dynamic didn't start with studying the dungeon—it started with understanding your teammates. 

Fully grasping the abilities of those you'd be working with was something Shanghyun considered essential. 

"I'm not much, but I look forward to working with you." 

"The pleasure's mine." 

They shook hands—contrary to any initial worries, Park Taeseok seemed to be a very polite man. 

Kim Miso quickly introduced the next team member. 

"This is Kang Juhee. She's a spatial ability user. Classified as a mage-type player, and her specialty is spatial connection." 

"By using spatial manipulation, she can snipe distant enemies as if they were right in front of her, correct?" 

"Exactly. She's great at creating variables. But if you don't understand how to work with Kang Juhee's abilities, you could struggle!" 

Kang Juhee's power allowed her to create spatial pathways that brought distant spaces closer together. 

Imagine a 1 km straight line— 

Her ability would allow her to create an entrance at the 100-meter mark and an exit at the 900-meter mark. 

With that, a player could cover 1 km by moving just 200 meters. 

It conserved energy and saved mana that would otherwise be spent on skills and firepower. 

Shanghyun had previously worked with a spatial ability user, so he had some experience syncing up with those powers. 

Although their combat styles and spatial manipulation might differ, the basic concept seemed similar. 

"Nice to meet you. I'll do my best to quickly adapt to your pace and strategy, Kang Juhee." 

"No, I should be the one adapting. I'll do my best to keep enemy attacks at a distance and bring your strikes as close as possible." 

"Thank you." 

With the introductions done, the team was complete. 

The composition was solid. 

Shanghyun handled close combat with his sword, while Kim Miso could snipe threats from afar before they became an issue. 

On top of that, Kang Juhee could create spatial variables to add flexibility, and Park Taeseok had mastery over firepower. 

Aside from the lack of a healer, this four-person team seemed to be the most stable and well-balanced lineup possible. 

It was a highly satisfying combination.