Chapter 11: Tutorial (9)

The moment Yeonwoo met the fierce gaze of the other, Kaen's companions stiffened.

Seeing the eyes devoid of any emotion, their legs trembled uncontrollably.

"Why, why are you doing this! You have nothing to do with this guy! Why are you getting involved!"

One of them finally mustered the courage to shout.

In the tutorial, it was an unwritten rule that players did not interfere in each other's affairs.

There were differences in their positions and various reasons for conflicts.

Moreover, disliking interference from others was a common trait among players with strong individual tendencies.

So, logically, Yeonwoo had no reason to get involved in this matter.

But Yeonwoo said bluntly, "Because I don't like it."

"What, what?"

"I don't like it. Is there a problem with that?"

"……!"

"……!"

Yeonwoo sneered.

"You can do as you please, and so can I."

They wanted to shout.

This was an outrageous act of violence.

But the piercing gaze that penetrated their masks left them speechless.

If they continued to charge, it would surely end in a major disaster.

Yeonwoo said, "Drop your weapons."

"……."

"……."

Crack.

"Ugh!"

"Drop them."

"Drop them! Drop them! Zeval!"

In the end, Kaen couldn't hold back any longer and screamed.

The three of them exchanged glances and began to drop their weapons one by one.

Clang. Clang.

"Now, let Kaen go."

One of them, watching Yeonwoo's expression, said in a trembling voice.

At that moment, Yeonwoo sneered.

"Idiots."

Yeonwoo sneered and, with a powerful kick, completely broke Kaen's cervical vertebrae.

Thud!

Kaen's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the ground.

He was still breathing, but it was clear he could no longer move his limbs.

"Hey, this is different from what we agreed…… Gack!"

One of them turned pale and gasped, as Yeonwoo had suddenly thrown a greatsword at him.

He instinctively deflected the greatsword upward.

But in that moment, Yeonwoo had already flown forward and struck his throat with the flat of the blade.

Following that, he pressed his body close and, in quick succession, hit his chest with his elbow, his sternum with his knee, and his abdomen with his fist.

Bang! Bang!

Crack. Crack.

With the sound of air bursting, muscles tore and bones shattered. His jaw broke, and a few broken teeth flew out.

Drip.

In an instant, the guy was sprawled on the ground, covered in blood.

He was gasping for breath, and it wouldn't be surprising if he died at any moment.

"Die!"

"Die!"

At that moment, the remaining two guys suddenly appeared behind Yeonwoo and swung their knives at his neck and waist.

They had nothing left but to lash out in desperation.

Their two companions had collapsed without even putting up a proper fight. Fleeing was out of the question, so they were trying to resist in any way they could.

Yeonwoo crouched low to the ground to avoid the attack and simultaneously drew his greatsword from his waist, swinging it widely.

Swish! Swish!

"Ugh, ugh!"

"Ah! My leg!"

The two guys, whose Achilles tendons and arteries were severed simultaneously, collapsed.

Then.

Thud! Thud!

Their heads were completely knocked backward by the flying fists.

Gurgle.

Their mouths were filled with blood and foam.

Yul, who had been watching the situation, opened his mouth wide in shock.

The situation had unfolded in the blink of an eye.

They were players who had managed to pass through Area A on their own, no matter how annoying they were. To think that Yeonwoo had taken out four of them at once.

Yeonwoo was known to be strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this overwhelmingly powerful.

The four of them seemed to be beyond recovery.

They would either die immediately or become cripples who couldn't move their limbs for the rest of their lives.

The latter was more likely.

Yul felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest.

It was more satisfying to know that they would have to live like that for the rest of their lives than to see them dead.

He wanted to thank Yeonwoo, but Yeonwoo looked as if he had just taken a casual walk, with a calm expression.

He shook the blood off the blade and casually sheathed it, then turned around.

"You're drooling."

Yul hurriedly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Pfft.

For a moment, it sounded like Yeonwoo was laughing.

Yul opened his eyes wide and looked up.

He had thought Yeonwoo was emotionless, always wearing a mask and having a stern gaze.

He had heard Yeonwoo sneer a few times, but this was the first time he heard him laugh.

But Yeonwoo turned around as if nothing had happened.

"Take care. Be careful of people from now on."

"Uh, uh, you……!"

Yul grabbed Yeonwoo impulsively.

But Yeonwoo continued on his way without looking back.

So Yul shouted desperately.

"Thank you! Big brother! I'll be just like you someday! I promise!"

Yul thought.

He wanted to get rid of his weakness and become someone like Yeonwoo.

At that moment.

Yeonwoo stopped walking and turned his head slightly backward.

Yul flinched, wondering if he had made a mistake.

"Go to Freesia's Garden."

"Huh?"

"It will be quite helpful to you."

Yeonwoo left that message and disappeared without another word, waving his hand.

Yul stood there for a moment, then realized what it meant and clenched his fist.

'Freesia's Garden, right?'

He seemed to have made a resolution and turned his gaze elsewhere.

* * *

"Hey! Look at that?"

In the area where the stragglers were gathered.

A man who had been sitting in a corner, yawning widely, suddenly let out a light exclamation.

With his messy hair, rustic clothing, and dazed eyes, he didn't give off a strong impression.

But his eyes had changed since he noticed something at the entrance.

They were like those of a mischievous child who had found an interesting toy.

"Hey, wake up."

"Ugh! What now? Can't even get some sleep."

The young man with messy hair kicked the boy lying next to him with his foot.

The boy, with a youthful appearance, rubbed his eyes and got up, slightly frowning.

His messy hair and sleepy eyes.

But his face was so beautiful that anyone would exclaim in admiration.

If it weren't for his slightly protruding Adam's apple, he could have been mistaken for a girl.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Those guys who were boasting about joining the Arangdan. They got beaten, didn't they?"

Ugh. The boy yawned widely.

"So what?"

He had predicted it from the moment they were puffing out their chests. He knew they would meet their match and get beaten up. They were just ordinary guys.

But the boy's eyes widened when the young man with messy hair added.

"By one person?"

"Huh?"

His sleepy eyes suddenly sparkled.

"By one person?"

"Yeah. And it seems he passed through Area A solo."

The boy let out a light exclamation and smiled, looking towards the door leading to Area A.

It was a smile that could make even a man's heart flutter.

"Really? At this time? Impressive. I thought there would be no one left. But that Kaen guy was pretty good, right?"

Then the boy tilted his head cutely.

"But they were part of the Arangdan. So the Blue Flower guys will go crazy, right?"

The young man with messy hair laughed slyly.

"Actually, he was a hopeful. Hehehe. Anyway, I didn't expect to see something so interesting from the start. So, what do you think?"

"About what?"

"About making him a team member. Doesn't he seem like a good fit? He passed through Area A solo, so he doesn't belong to any group yet. I can't think of a better person."

"Hmm. I'm not sure yet. We might have to deal with the Blue Flower guys, which could be troublesome."

"Ha! When have you ever cared about that?"

"Hehe. That's true, but."

"Anyway, how about we follow him to check him out?"

"Big brother, that's a bad idea."

"So? You don't want to go?"

The young man with messy hair asked, and the boy puffed out his cheeks.

"Of course not."

Then he smiled.

"Actually, I like this kind of thing way more than you do. Hehe."

* * *

'Thank you.'

Yeonwoo smiled, recalling Yul's words.

Although the journey was long, such a small connection wasn't bad for a change.

Especially the bloodline ability he had seen through the Dragon Eye, Yul's Enchanter ability.

'The ability to imbue magic into people or equipment. I didn't expect to see something like this here.'

Pfft.

It was a rare ability, even in the tower, which was quite appealing.

'If I can have someone like that by my side.'

It would be a great help in the future.

'Of course, that's assuming he can pass through safely.'

Thinking of Yul's earnest face, Yeonwoo's smile didn't fade.

'Anyway.'

Yeonwoo paused and looked around.

'Where is the passage to Area B?'

Perhaps due to the conflict with Kaen and his group, he could feel the players' gazes on him, but he ignored them and crossed the waiting room.

At the end of the right wall, four doors were lined up in order.

As he stepped out of the yellow line marking the start zone, a message automatically appeared on his retina.

[You are about to begin the trials of Area B.]

[There are four passages in Area B. Choose one to proceed.]

At the end of the large chamber, four doors were lined up in order.

They were the same size and shape but different colors.

'The one I should choose here is.'

White, blue, red, black.

'Black.'

Yeonwoo scanned the doors and headed towards the one on the far right without hesitation.

The waiting room for Area B was clearly filled with stragglers. But I couldn't give up. I had already made a promise with my friends to get out of here safely, so I couldn't back out just because it was difficult for me.

Instead, when given the choice of four doors in Area B, I... but I would later regret that decision.

'Jungwoo had chosen blue.'

The doors were designed to lead to rooms of increasing difficulty as you moved to the right.

My brother had chosen the second level of difficulty.

After finding Area A too challenging, he had chosen a relatively easier path with his companions to take a break.

But after some time, my brother, who had secured a position in the tower and learned the secrets of the tutorial, regretted his choice.

The rewards for choosing different colored doors in Area B varied greatly.

'The black door, the Black Route, leads to white moss and carnivorous insects.'

Area A simply tested the players' skills.

But Area B was different.

It required more than just skill.

Judgment, thinking, attention, focus, decisiveness, and more.

It tested how players judged, thought, and decided in the same environment, and how well they observed their surroundings.

And.

Based on these, it also tested whether players could find the hidden pieces that the administrators had hidden like a treasure hunt.

'I must get Batori's vampire sword here.'

Yeonwoo, recalling the location of the hidden piece in Area B, slowly placed his hand on the black door.