Chapter 282 – Part 2 – Horn Rabbit

Gwang-jin, who had run twenty laps around the training ground, returned to the dormitory panting heavily.

“Hey, Seong-min. You knew, didn’t you?”

“Knew what?”

“That the instructor was watching, you bastard!”

“I knew. That’s why I wasn’t talking.”

“You son of a bitch, you knew everything but didn’t say a word to me?”

“Do I have to tell you everything? You should have kept quiet and used your head. You’re the one who was blabbering, so why are you blaming others and throwing a fit?”

“This fucking bastard…”

“What did you say?”

Seong-min’s eyes changed.

At the predator’s gaze filled with killing intent, Gwang-jin flinched for a moment.

“Did you just curse at me?”

“…No, I didn’t.”

“I clearly heard it. You called me a fucking bastard.”

“It’s a misunderstanding. I was talking to myself.”

“Is that so?”

Seong-min relaxed his expression.

Looking at Gwang-jin’s cowering appearance, he decided to let it slide just once.

‘There’s nothing good about causing trouble here.’

He could be discharged in just a week, so there was no need to cause unnecessary commotion.

But that didn’t mean he had to hide his strength and stay meek either.

‘I need to look like an elite here.’

That way, when it’s revealed that he’s E-rank in a week, the instructors would be able to accept it.

“Um…”

At that moment, another team member in the room cautiously spoke up.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Ah, we’re colleagues from the same company.”

“I see. I’m Suzuki.”

When he extended his hand for a handshake, Seong-min half-heartedly accepted it.

“I’m Seong-min.”

“And this person?”

“I’m Gwang-jin.”

“I’m Cheol-hwan.”

They exchanged introductions.

“Since we’ve ended up together like this, let’s get along well.”

“Though we don’t know when we’ll become E-rank.”

“Hahaha.”

They tried to get friendly by talking to each other, but Seong-min had no intention of joining in.

‘Others will have to live here for at least a month or more…’

But he would be leaving in a week anyway.

Just then, the instructor’s voice was heard from the corridor.

“Everyone come out of your rooms. Assembly!”

The 320 people who came out of their rooms followed the instructor to the auditorium.

It was for theoretical education.

When all the trainees were seated, the instructor on the platform picked up the microphone.

“We’ll now begin theoretical education. You’ll go into actual combat starting tomorrow morning, so don’t doze off just because it’s night and cram it into your heads. I’ll only explain once.”

“T-tomorrow we’re going into actual combat?”

“Already?”

Whether the trainees were flustered by the mention of actual combat or not, the instructor began the education.

How to use inventory, how to use equipment, system commands, runes and items, how to deal with various monsters, etc.

He rattled off information that was quite overwhelming for novice hunters to memorize.

“I-Instructor. I don’t understand, so could you explain it once more…”

“You can’t even memorize something this simple? Pathetic bastard.”

After scolding the trainee who asked a question, the instructor moved on to the next topic.

There was no second explanation.

Therefore, the trainees had no choice but to focus on the education with wide eyes.

Except for Seong-min.

‘This is completely basic content, isn’t it?’

Seong-min had briefly focused on the education but soon lost interest.

It was all content he already knew, and the level was too low to keep listening.

On the other hand, other trainees were opening their eyes like meerkats, trying their best to remember the content.

‘Are they scared of tomorrow’s actual combat?’

Well, most of the hunters here except Seong-min probably hadn’t faced monsters before.

They probably hadn’t even seen them in person.

It had been a world where monsters hadn’t been seen for nearly 10 years.

“You there! The trainee with his head down!”

At the instructor’s voice, Seong-min raised his head.

Seeing him staring directly at him, it was clear he was being called.

Gwang-jin, who was sitting next to him, smirked at Seong-min.

‘Kek kek, you’re screwed now. Do you know how scary that instructor is?’

Gwang-jin already knew from being scolded before.

How picky and scary Instructor Park Chang-seok, who was giving the theoretical class, was.

That’s why even though he knew Seong-min would get in trouble when he lowered his head, he didn’t wake him up.

It was a small revenge for making him suffer.

“Are you sleepy? Not concentrating?”

Park Chang-seok glared angrily.

“I’m sorry.”

“Is being sorry enough? You’re the only one not concentrating. Did you hear all the education? When facing horn rabbits, where did I say the weak point was?”

“The jaw.”

“Right, the jaw. You don’t even know that and now… Ah!”

The instructor was momentarily flustered.

Because unlike his expectation, Seong-min had given the correct answer.

“You must have heard it while you were dozing off. Then how many people can enter a horn rabbit dungeon?”

“Five people.”

“What’s the name of the horn rabbit dungeon boss?”

“Great King Horn Rabbit.”

“What’s the horn rabbit’s attribute and what kind of rune does it drop?”

“It’s endurance type and drops health runes.”

“…”

Since he gave the correct answer to every question, the instructor was momentarily at a loss for words.

‘Wasn’t he dozing off?’

Instructor Park Chang-seok, who had been staring at Seong-min intently, asked.

“Trainee. What’s your name?”

“Seong-min.”

“Right, Trainee Seong-min. You seem to have listened to the education properly, but don’t let your attention wander.”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

Park Chang-seok resumed the education.

At that sight, Gwang-jin’s mouth fell open.

‘That tiger-like instructor just let it slide…’

While looking at Seong-min next to him.

‘This bastard didn’t seem to be listening to the education properly, so how does he know everything?’

After that, Seong-min didn’t lower his head.

He kept his head up straight and focused on the education.

Because Park Chang-seok was occasionally looking at him.

Gwang-jin was burning inside alone at that sight, but he wouldn’t know.

That Seong-min lowering his head was a calculated action to get the instructor’s attention.

* * *

“Yaaawn.”

Seong-min, who woke up early in the morning, stretched.

‘Finally entering dungeons starting today?’

He felt anticipation like going on a picnic, but it seemed the other team members didn’t feel the same.

Looking at the dark circles under their eyes, they seemed to have lost sleep all night.

“F-finally, today’s the day.”

“Oh no. I can’t even remember the theory I heard yesterday…”

Most team members spoke with unconfident voices, but there was one team member who wasn’t like that.

“What’s there to be scared of some rabbit? We’re hunters, hunters.”

It was Gwang-jin.

He acted confidently even though he’d never encountered a horn rabbit.

‘Those types always die first.’

Seong-min clicked his tongue and shook his head, but Gwang-jin didn’t care and loudly told them to trust only him.

Just then, the instructor’s voice was heard from the corridor.

“Starting from Team 1, come out in order! Breakfast!”

After eating in the dormitory cafeteria, which had decent sanitary conditions, they were resting in their rooms when they started calling teams again.

What was supposed to come had come.

“Next, Team 2! Come out!”

Seong-min and the other 7 people came outside and followed the instructor.

The place the instructor guided them to was none other than the F-rank armory.

“Now, put on the basic armor here and choose weapons.”

There were many weapons, but most were for beginners.

‘In the old days, these would be items below level 10.’

There were many in quantity, but qualitatively different from the armory Seong-min had robbed.

“Oh, this looks good.”

“I’ll choose this one.”

“I’ll take this too…”

The weapons the team members chose were either spears or swords.

Spears were especially popular because they thought the long reach would be good for catching monsters.

‘As expected, F-rank hunters have simple thinking.’

Instructor Park Chang-seok, who was watching, inwardly clicked his tongue.

While spears were certainly good weapons, they couldn’t be considered good for facing horn rabbits.

‘It would be better to choose a sword. To target the weak point, the jaw.’

Park Chang-seok’s gaze moved to Seong-min, who hadn’t chosen a weapon yet.

‘Now, let’s see what this guy who knows all about horn rabbits will choose.’

Under the instructor’s watch, Seong-min chose a weapon.

At the same time, the instructor’s brow furrowed.

“Trainee Seong-min?”

“Yes?”

“Are you really going to choose that?”

“Yes.”

“A dagger isn’t easy for a beginner to handle, you know?”

“I’ll still try it.”

No beginner chose a dagger.

It had the lowest attack power among weapons and short reach too.

That meant having to face monsters at extremely close range.

It was naturally dangerous, so it was natural for beginners to avoid it.

‘But it has many advantages too. It’s lighter than other weapons so attack speed is fast, and it’s perfect for targeting the horn rabbit’s jaw weakness.’

Whether he knew this when choosing or not, Park Chang-seok decided to watch Seong-min more closely.

Because some expectation had arisen.

On the other hand, Gwang-jin looked at Seong-min and sneered.

‘Idiot. Why did he choose a dagger?’

No matter how he looked at it, the one-handed sword he chose seemed better than a dagger.

“If you’ve all gathered your equipment, we’re moving now!”

Seong-min and his team members took a bus to the nearby horn rabbit dungeon.

“N-now it’s really actual combat.”

“What if something happens?”

“We won’t die to mere horn rabbits, right?”

To the team members who got off in front of the dungeon with worries, the instructor shouted.

“We’re now entering horn rabbit hunting practice. Before entering, I’ll divide the 8 team members into two teams of 4 each.”

The instructor arbitrarily divided the 8 team members into two teams.

Seong-min ended up on the same team as Gwang-jin, Suzuki, and Cheol-hwan.

“Now one instructor will supervise each team, so a total of 5 people will enter the dungeon. Runes that come from hunting can be eaten by trainees, but all items belong to the instructor. So think of it as training fees and hand over items to the supervising instructor as soon as you get them. Understand?”

“Yes!!!”

“Then this team will enter first. Everyone equip your gear.”

Seong-min’s team, which got the chance to enter first, equipped their gear.

Being beginners, some didn’t even know how to put on equipment.

“Stupid bastard! How can you not properly equip gear?”

Of course, Seong-min equipped faster than anyone and was ready to enter the portal.

“Your team will be specially supervised by this instructor.”

At Instructor Park Chang-seok’s words, Gwang-jin cursed inwardly.

‘Ah, fuck. Why our team of all teams?’

Gwang-jin, who had been harshly treated by him before, bit his lower lip.

‘No wait. This is an opportunity. A chance to be recognized by that tiger instructor!’

It wasn’t just Gwang-jin who thought it was an opportunity.

‘To get recognition, it’s best to catch the eye of the strongest instructor.’

Seong-min also hoped to catch the instructor’s attention.

“Let’s go in.”

The five hunters including the instructor disappeared into the portal.

* * *

“Wow…”

Hunters who first set foot in the new world called a dungeon all exclaimed in admiration.

The experience of exotic scenery unfolding in the blink of an eye was probably their first in life.

“Stop admiring and look over there.”

Where the instructor pointed, there was a wild boar-sized rabbit.

Kyuuung-?

“Wahaha, it’s cute!”

“That’s a horn rabbit?”

“I didn’t know when I saw photos, but it’s cute seeing it in person.”

The rabbit tilting its head and looking at them was far from being a monster that ate humans.

‘Pathetic guys.’

The instructor sneered at the trainees who seemed to think they were on a picnic, then looked at Seong-min.

‘That guy seems completely uninterested.’

The instructor was inwardly disappointed at Seong-min’s appearance, looking at the surrounding scenery with an indifferent face instead of laughing.

‘I thought he was an unusual guy for choosing a dagger, but was it just empty expectations?’

Park Chang-seok stepped forward according to the manual.

“I’ll show you how to catch it first, so watch and learn well.”

Without even holding a weapon, he ran toward the horn rabbit.

For him, a D-rank hunter, horn rabbits were just mobs he could catch with bare hands.

Thwack-!

After hitting the jaw several times, the horn rabbit instantly collapsed.

“Wow, instructor, you’re amazing.”

“You caught it so easily.”

The team members clapped.

“Did you see? Now I won’t interfere, so try catching it yourselves.”

The instructor didn’t bother to explain that the jaw was the weak point.

He had shown it as a demonstration and had explained everything in theory last night.

But a little later.

“Die!”

“You horn rabbit!”

The instructor couldn’t help but be disappointed seeing them face the horn rabbit.

Because not a single trainee was targeting the jaw.

‘I clearly said yesterday that the jaw was the weak point, did they forget already? Stupid bastards!’

Sometimes when entering actual combat, people panic and forget all the theory they heard.

‘This is why they’re called beginners.’

Three hunters were sweating over just a horn rabbit.

The instructor couldn’t help but sigh.

“Why won’t this thing die?”

“It looked easy when the instructor faced it…”

Even though they were stabbing with spears, the horn rabbit was enduring.

That was natural since except for the jaw, its durability was considerable.

“Dieee!”

Gwang-jin slashed the horn rabbit’s neck with his sword.

The horn rabbit, whose health was depleted, turned to smoke from the finishing blow.

“Haha, did you see? I dealt the proper critical hit, right?”

Gwang-jin, who was boasting that everyone would have been in danger if not for him, also said something to Seong-min.

“Hey, why are you just watching? Are you scared?”

“…”

The instructor was also curious why Seong-min wasn’t moving.

‘What’s he doing? He’s just been watching from behind while his team members caught three?’

While it was the supervisor’s role not to interfere with whatever they did, he couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

“Trainee Seong-min. Why aren’t you participating in combat?”

Then an unexpected answer came back.

“Because it’s too boring.”