Chapter 25: The Wizard’s Role (1)

When the dungeon master, Kim Seong-ho mentioned that he’d be recruiting a wizard, the younger brothers of the party complained.

“Do we really need a wizard?”

“I agree with Yun-ho. Magic will be useful in the setting of a D-class dungeon, but 2nd circle magic has consequences. A few uses, and they’ll be ruined! It will decrease our hunting speed.”

Lim Yun-ho and Jung Min-Cheol looked angrily at their leader; the sharing of their frustration intensified the feelings for both.

In the face of the opinions of a pair of 20-year-olds, Kim Sung-ho responded calmly. “Research verifies that the dungeon could be cleared safely with just the three of us. However, the information isn’t always accurate. Unexpected variables could result in death – it is good to have a safety net in these situations. You never know what’s going to happen, and it’s much better to be prepared for the worst.”

“But…”

“Yun-ho!”

Kim Seong-ho’s strict expression left no room for discussion.

He understood the younger brothers’ perspective; just a few years ago, they were ordinary men. Their decision to become hunters had changed their lives dramatically. Together, the three had struggled to overcome the climax of life and death, and they had now ascended to the level in which they could attack D-class dungeons… despite this, they knew their limitations. The leader wished to make up for their shortcomings by purchasing reinforcement liquid immediately. But the division of their earnings with an extra team-mate would delay this process further still.

However, their lives weren’t guaranteed like they were in an RPG game. This was reality, and their mortality was evident to the eldest brother; he had a duty to prepare for any oncoming danger. His status as party leader and as the eldest among them demanded it of him.

“Over the years, we’ve observed countless corpses. Do you think they foresaw their death? They all entered a dungeon in the belief that they’d come out alive. We must be vigilant – the price of negligence could cost our lives. Remember the skeletons scattered throughout the dungeons we’ve seen…do you want to join them?”

“…No.”

“Recruiting a wizard isn’t going to stop that from happening.”

Unlike Lim Yoon-ho, who bowed his head, Jung Min-Cheol showed no sign of acceptance.

Kim Seong-ho’s gaze returned to Jung Min-Cheol.

“You know, what I want from a wizard is not to wipe out monsters with powerful magic…that’s not even possible with 2nd circle magic; however, with circle two, it’s possible to dispel the monster’s aggression. While we fight at the front line, the wizard can look out for danger and eliminate the threat before it gets too serious.”

The elder brother’s judgment was always right. The younger siblings nodded their heads reluctantly. The job offer was posted soon after. Kim Seong-ho chose the candidate carefully, rejecting many proposals before being struck by one application by a man named Klinssman.

The question included in the application was:

[…Do you fully understand your role? Can you offer support to three men fighting on the front-line if one loses balance? If so, we can help with the appropriate mixing of magic, rather than using fire-oriented magic alone.]

It was a simple test. Of all who applied, Klinssman answered it ideally, so Kim Seong-ho contacted him without hesitation.

The next day, the four men met at a predetermined location.

“…You’re Klinssman?”

“Hello.”

The younger brothers politely disguised their disapproval at the idea of the investment.

The eldest sibling began: “I’ll share my research with you. The dungeon we’re set to attack is D-class, and its guardian monster is Hobgoblin. The suspected number of goblins is about 150, but the F-grade goblins have recently been upgraded to E. I can’t imagine this will pose a great problem, but if things go wrong, we’ll require your support.”

“That will be fine.”

In the hierarchy of monsters, goblins fall into the lowest classification. But a D-class Hobgoblin is a different story altogether. They are the head of goblins; their presence raises the levels of their minions as the groups become organized and armed, under orders of the Hobgoblin. Usually, a mission such as this would be straightforward with no significant risk, but problems arise depending on the Hobgoblin intelligence.

Following the introduction and summary of the task, the party finished maintenance. Immediately, a dimensional crack occurred, which formed the entrance to a gray cave.

Immediately upon entering, goblins could be heard from afar, “Chirruk, chirruk. Chirruk, chirruk!”

“Get ready!”

“Yes!”

The man named Klinssman held his breath, awaiting battle. At Kim Seong-ho’s command, Lim Yun-ho and Jung Min-Cheol faced forward, grasping their swords in strong hands. Then, the goblins appeared. There were five of them, baring their sharp teeth at the sight of the humans.

“Kyaaaah, AH!”

The battle began. A goblin dashed forwards, wielding a dagger at Kim Seong-ho, who dodged the attack easily. A blue aura emanated from his sword, expressing the great amounts of mana held in his body. He swung the blade quick as a lightning bolt and cut the goblin’s head clean off its neck.

“Hyah! Splat!” Blood spattered across the dungeon walls. Despite the grotesque scene before him, the elder brother stayed focused.

Now, four were left.

Klinssman watched as Lim Yun-ho and Jung Min-Cheol skilfully took on the monsters. The brothers had excellent technique. At first, Kim Seong-ho covered the blind spots, and thanks to their brilliant teamwork, they annihilated the creatures with very little effort.

“Thump!”

As the final goblin fell, Jung Min-Cheol breathed lightly, “Hua.”

It was impressive. For those who had been hunting for just a few short years, they were certainly skilled in combat. Kang Min-hyuk recalled a practical class he’d once attended. Even the 2nd circle students had shown much confusion in the face of goblins, yet the party dealt with them easily. That was the difference between a reinforced warrior and a wizard. A wizard remains uncertain in his ability to defeat such an enemy, even if they cast for a long time, whereas a warrior can take them down in one fell swoop.

The aura that moved through the brother’s sword rejected the wizard from its stream.

“First, secure by-products,” commanded Kim Seong-ho.

The two younger siblings did as he willed, and maintenance was finished quickly. So, their hunt continued; the original party obliterated all goblins they encountered. In the process, Min-Hyuk did nothing. There was nothing to do. In fact, at this rate, it seemed that the three brothers could have handled the dungeon alone. Of course, the younger siblings acknowledged this.

“As expected, we called the wizard in for nothing.”

“We could take the dungeon by ourselves!”

The words were spoken amongst themselves; they daren’t address the wizard directly.

However, as they traveled further into the depths of the dungeon, Kang Min-hyuk’s intuition was awakened…

“I think the Hobgoblin’s intelligence is above average…the goblins are very well equipped and have a system when they attack. Well-trained minions with an excellent leader often show those tendencies. Until now, the groups were ten or less, and you’ve dealt with them with no major issues. As the number increases, their power will grow. The more goblins there are, the stronger the Hobgoblin must be…”

His senses continued to tingle, warnings ringing through his head. His alertness grew, no matter what the rest of the team thought.

Soon, his suspicions were confirmed.

The number of goblins increased dramatically.

At first, a group of twenty or more attacked.

Jung-Min-Cheol’s confidence dipped, and he looked suddenly uncertain.

“Kyaak!

“Hua!”

Jun Min-Cheol attempted a counterattack, but the goblins were flowing in at great speed, and he had no chance but to step back, swinging his sword quickly as they flooded in from all sides.

“Cha! Kapow!”

Sparks sprayed from the blade.

Jun Min-Cheol stayed calm, and somehow found the space to deliver a great blow, which sent blood spurting into the air; the monsters were spurred on by the death of one of their own, and they responded violently, with the momentum of Dong Gwi-jin.

“Pow!”

“Huh…?!”

He missed his target, who approached greasy with murderous intentions, head bent back, it tried to attack the man who’d killed his ally.

“Kapow!”

“Thud!”

“…swoosh.”

It happened in an instant…

When Jun Min-Cheol turned back, he saw Kang Min-hyuk standing by his side.

“The wizard! Useful, after all!”

He didn’t let the opportunity created by Min-hyuk pass by and immediately struck a gobbling with a rock arrow. It was a fierce battle. Each man had to deal with seven or eight goblins at once. Regardless of the party’s skill, it was a struggle. The initial idea was to take out the goblins little by little but fighting a group of over twenty was never part of the plan!

However, in crisis, Kang Min-hyuk’s magic reached its true potential.

“Thud!”

“Crack!”

The timing of the magic was perfect. Whenever an emergency arose, it burst into the battle, exactly when it was needed. Thanks to this, Jung Min-Cheol could move freely, maintaining composure. The magic gave them the time they needed to think and relax without the threat of death.

Despite the danger, Kang Min-hyuk’s face remained bright. Jung Min-Cheol had no choice but to admit that they needed the wizard.

“Amazing…only second circle.”

He muttered.

In the third circle, it is necessary to show power in battle, but Kang Min-hyuk was perfecting his role. It was enough to change the younger sibling’s mind about the wizard. If he’d have known of the stability the presence of such magic would offer, he never would have opposed the wizard’s presence. He quickly realized the value Min-hyuk brought to the party.

Together, they defeated the goblins one after another and swiftly brought down the last of them.

“Pow! Thud…”

The final goblin collapsed in a heap.

Relief swept through the men; the crisis had been averted. Kim Sung-ho and his party looked at Kang Min-hyuk with respect – their eyes filled with promise.

Jung Min-Cheol wasn’t the only one who saw the value of Klinssman.