Chapter 13
Backseat Coaching? (5)
With the instructor’s voice announcing the start, Park Dong-wook stepped forward and shouted,
“Let’s go!”
As if by unspoken agreement he had become the leader, the members of Team 2 all followed behind him.
Ji Yuchan watched Dong-wook with a worried gaze, but said nothing and followed him as well.
From Yuchan’s experience, an overheated atmosphere like this usually led to bad situations.
But you never knew.
Sometimes that kind of energy didn’t always lead to bad results. Now that someone had stepped up as an active leader, maybe things would turn out differently.
Until now, Ji Yuchan had essentially been the real leader, but he had never actually taken the role.
He had always been near the center of the group, but since he had never led before, he hesitated to step forward.
Because of that, he thought maybe this atmosphere—Team 2 following Dong-wook at the front—might not be the worst situation.
However, if Do-hyeon had seen Dong-wook charging ahead like that, he might have slapped his forehead in frustration.
Was it because Dong-wook’s trait rank was lower than Ji Yuchan’s?
No.
The reason was that Do-hyeon could clearly see Dong-wook’s status.
Park Dong-wook
Trait: Buffer [F]
Skills
▶ None
Stats
▶ Strength: 5
▶ Agility: 3
▶ Stamina: 3
▶ Mana: 2
A buffer running ahead as the leader—how could anyone not stop that?
But Ji Yuchan had no idea.
Thinking things might still be fine, he ran forward behind Dong-wook.
The other members of Team 2 thought similarly.
‘He’s reliable!’
‘Dong-wook oppa should’ve stepped up earlier.’
‘Though… he’s kind of slow.’
Because Dong-wook’s agility was low, even though he was sprinting with all his strength, he was still slower than the others.
So that thought naturally arose.
Thus Team 2 entered the maze with Dong-wook in the lead.
Dong-wook charged ahead recklessly, with Ji Yuchan following behind him.
Behind Yuchan were Kim Yoon-jung, Kwon Eun-chae, and Han Jun-seo.
Tap tap tap—
The sound of their running echoed through the maze.
Other sounds were drowned out as Dong-wook continued running forward without paying attention to anything else.
Watching this, Ji Yuchan couldn’t help but panic slightly.
‘He’s just… running?’
The instructor trio had clearly mentioned traps and goblins during the briefing.
But Dong-wook seemed to be ignoring all of that and simply charging ahead.
Yuchan had expected some kind of plan.
There was none.
Then something entered Yuchan’s field of vision—
A thin wire on the floor reflecting faint light.
And right in front of it—
Dong-wook’s ankle stepping forward.
“Uh?”
Dong-wook’s foot hit the wire.
Feeling the strange resistance, Dong-wook made a confused sound.
In that instant, Ji Yuchan quickly scanned the walls and ceiling.
He spotted holes in the wall.
Then he shoved Dong-wook hard.
Thud!
Pshhhht!
Dong-wook rolled awkwardly across the floor.
Arrows flew through the exact spot where he had been standing.
If Yuchan hadn’t pushed him in time, Dong-wook would have been hit.
The arrowheads were blunt rather than sharp, but they were powerful enough to cause serious bruising.
“W-What the hell was that!?”
“…Hyung. The briefing said there were traps. Please be careful.”
“Oh—r-right.”
What kind of leader forgets even basic information and charges forward blindly?
So it really was the worst-case scenario.
Ji Yuchan had no choice but to step forward.
“I’ll take the front.”
As soon as he said that, Dong-wook’s expression hardened.
He glared at Yuchan irritably.
“Yuchan, that was just a mistake. I’ll handle it myself. Don’t step in. We have to win, right?”
“…?”
Yuchan looked at him carefully.
Dong-wook was serious.
He looked like someone who truly believed he was important now.
Yuchan couldn’t understand it.
But Dong-wook, seeing the other teammates agree with him earlier, had begun to feel like he was someone special.
He even started thinking that if he had fought Do-hyeon during the sparring match, things might have been different.
There was no point arguing with someone like that.
Yuchan knew the stubborn look in someone’s eyes when they wouldn’t listen.
So he stepped back.
“Understood.”
He raised both hands and retreated.
Dong-wook brushed off his knees and stood up with a smug expression.
But the other teammates noticed something strange.
It was obvious.
Dong-wook had failed to see the trap and ran recklessly.
Meanwhile, Yuchan had seen the trap and saved him.
Between the two, it was obvious who should be leading the team.
‘At this rate… aren’t we going to fail?’
‘Forget losing… this could get dangerous.’
‘W-what do we do?’
They wanted to support Ji Yuchan.
But since Yuchan had already stepped back peacefully, they couldn’t say anything.
As they hesitated awkwardly—
The situation suddenly changed.
At the end of the corridor where Team 2 stood, goblins suddenly jumped out.
“Kehek!”
“Keruk!”
“Kehek!”
Just like Team 1, three goblins appeared.
If they maintained formation and fought calmly, it would have been an easy victory.
But Dong-wook suddenly shouted and charged forward with his weapon—a steel mace.
“AAAAH!”
Screaming wildly, he rushed toward them.
At first glance, it looked like a reckless charge.
But Dong-wook actually had a reason.
He saw the doubt in his teammates’ eyes and became desperate to prove himself as a leader.
Because of that anxiety, his actions were extremely unstable.
Was it because he was carrying a heavy weapon?
His movements looked slower than usual.
Still, his speed was roughly similar to the goblins.
Thud thud thud
His heavy footsteps charged forward.
The goblins raised crude daggers and tried to attack him.
But Dong-wook was slightly faster.
The steel mace swung with tremendous force.
When it struck a goblin’s fragile head—
the creature collapsed instantly.
Crack!
With a sound like a bursting melon, one goblin dropped.
But the other goblins immediately rushed him.
These creatures were so vicious they would sacrifice a comrade just to kill Dong-wook.
Dong-wook had assumed they would retreat after one died.
He was wrong.
“W-What!?”
“Keruk!”
Two goblins lunged at him with their crude daggers.
Just as they were about to stab him—
Ji Yuchan appeared again.
He grabbed Dong-wook’s armor and yanked him backward.
Whoosh!
Dong-wook was pulled back as if uprooted like a radish.
The goblins were left suspended in midair where he had stood.
Ji Yuchan glared sharply at them and swung his sword.
He had practiced kendo for a long time.
But this felt different.
‘Here.’
His A-rank swordsmanship and Sword King’s Instinct activated.
Mana flowed into his blade.
The instinct told him exactly how to swing.
His strike cut through the air in a perfect semicircle.
And both goblins’ necks were severed at once.
Slash—!
The arc drawn by the sword turned red instantly.
The goblins’ heads separated from their bodies midair.
Their heads fell helplessly to the floor.
Thud. Thud.
Psssshh—
Blood sprayed from their cleanly cut necks and soaked the ground.
Behind that scene stood Dong-wook.
His eyes trembled as he stared at Ji Yuchan.
If Yuchan hadn’t been standing there—
would the one bleeding on the ground have been the goblins?
Or him?
The thought made Dong-wook’s eyes shake.
Wasn’t I supposed to be better?
The illusion began to crack.
What Yuchan had just done was something Dong-wook could never replicate.
And if Yuchan hadn’t intervened—
he might have been mortally wounded.
‘Damn it.’
Dong-wook cursed internally and tried to stand.
His legs trembled slightly.
Anyone could see it.
He was scared.
Meanwhile, Ji Yuchan tried not to forget the strange sensation he felt while swinging his sword.
That feeling was vaguely similar to what Do-hyeon had shown earlier.
Since Yuchan had already begun faintly sensing mana, he realized something clearly.
Just now—
some kind of energy flowing through his body had moved into his sword.
And he understood something else.
That was exactly how Do-hyeon had attacked him during their sparring match.
‘I think… I’m starting to understand the feeling.’
Realizing that Sword King’s Instinct had naturally activated his swordsmanship, Yuchan gripped his sword tightly.
Next time, he could do even better.
“…Phew.”
While Yuchan was reviewing the moment, Dong-wook finally stood up.
The other teammates watched the two of them carefully.
No one knew how the situation would unfold.
Then suddenly—
A broadcast rang out.
—Emergency! The mana circuits inside the maze have become unstable, causing interruptions in mana circulation. Instructors are currently unable to enter. As a result, goblin mutations are expected. Each team must locate the exit and evacuate immediately!
When Dong-wook heard the announcement—
his eyes shook violently.
