The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 52

Vroom-

Only after Eun Yeon-woo started the car at Lee Shin's words did Lee Hyun-seok wake up from his sleep and shout at Lee Shin.

"What is this all of a sudden!"

"Shh, it's okay, so don't shout like that. I'm just going to a dungeon."

Lee Shin said, lightly tapping Lee Hyun-seok's shoulder as if to calm the excited Lee Hyun-seok.

However, Lee Shin's small encouragement had no effect in calming Lee Hyun-seok.

No, on the contrary, it only fanned the flames.

"No, even if you're going to a dungeon, it's not right to drag me along like this, as if you're kidnapping me! First, I need to prepare properly...!"

"Huh? What can you prepare?"

"That's..."

But at Lee Shin's one sentence, Lee Hyun-seok was at a loss for words.

Lee Hyun-seok thought for a moment and then said to Lee Shin in a voice that had cooled down a bit.

"Uh... first, a basic shower or..."

"Wow, you're overflowing with confidence, aren't you? You're saying you're confident you can take a clean shower and then go into a dungeon and cleanly dispose of the monsters."

At Lee Shin's words, which seemed to poke at his weakness, Lee Hyun-seok's voice became even smaller.

"...or prepare the things I need to use in the dungeon."

"As for items, I have some that I took from the guys who attacked us with you, so pick one of those and use it. They'll be more usable than the ones on the market."

Lee Hyun-seok looked in the direction Lee Shin's finger was pointing.

There was a pile of items such as weapons and armor, and some of them looked quite luxurious.

"I should have at least said goodbye before going to the dungeon..."

"The head of the household who earns money usually leaves the house before the other family members wake up and buys a chicken or something when he returns home."

"......"

Lee Hyun-seok, who had run out of things to refute Lee Shin's words, quietly turned his back, approached the pile of items, and began to choose items carefully.

At that, Lee Shin smiled in satisfaction.

"It seemed like you were using aura, have you awakened your ability?"

"Yes, I've awakened an ability called [Switch]."

"Is that why the dagger in your right hand moved to your left hand?"

"Yes."

Lee Shin thought for a moment and then nodded once.

"It'll be useful."

***

"Now, I'm not asking for much, so just try to dodge. Got it?"

Lee Shin looked at Lee Hyun-seok with sparkling eyes.

Lee Shin's expression was saying that he was looking forward to what would happen from now on.

"Uh, yes."

Lee Hyun-seok, burdened by Lee Shin's gaze, turned his gaze elsewhere and just fiddled with his dagger.

Lee Hyun-seok was strangely holding a dagger in one hand, a long sword on one side of his waist, a giant sword on the other side, and a spear tied to his waist.

Perhaps because he had lacked nutrients during his growth period as a child, Lee Hyun-seok was a bit small for a high school boy, at 170cm.

With Lee Hyun-seok carrying various weapons, it was a perfect condition to attract people's attention.

But fortunately, they were the only ones in the dungeon right now.

"By the way, what's the circle drawn on the floor?"

Lee Hyun-seok asked Lee Shin, looking at the red circle drawn around them.

"Ah, just dodging would be too simple, so it's a new rule I added."

Lee Shin said, pointing with his finger at the red circle he had drawn with the paint he had bought on the way.

"Dodging is fine, but don't go outside this circle. Got it?"

At Lee Shin's words, Lee Hyun-seok nodded with a stiff face.

"Then let me ask you one thing."

But the other person asked with a crooked face.

"I'm clearly a supporter, so why do I have to do this?"

Eun Yeon-woo, who was not carrying a bag unlike usual, was holding a dagger in his hand.

"Sigh~ I thought it was strange when you told me to wear armor..."

Annoyance was caked on Eun Yeon-woo's grumbling.

Seeing Eun Yeon-woo like that, Lee Shin changed the tone of his voice.

A sweet and ear-catching voice.

It was the voice of a typical swindler.

"Now, Yeon-woo, listen to me."

"Sigh, yes, well. Just say it."

Eun Yeon-woo nodded with a resigned face, thinking that it would be useless to try to stop him.

"I'm going to keep going into dungeons. And you'll be going into dungeons too."

"That's right. I have no intention of giving up my supporter job in the future."

"Right, then the level of the dungeons will gradually rise."

"That's right."

"Then, even if you don't learn how to attack monsters, it would be good to practice how to dodge their attacks in advance. You've felt that while going through dungeons so far, haven't you?"

Lee Shin said, with a plausible reason, to just practice dodging.

"I'm planning a comfortable supporter life of just going around low-level dungeons."

But Eun Yeon-woo snorted and laughed.

"No, you can't."

And Lee Shin also laughed back at Eun Yeon-woo.

"...On what grounds are you so sure?"

"Because you're a money grubber."

At Lee Shin's words, a crack appeared in Eun Yeon-woo's expression.

"A guy who would jump up in his sleep for money like a miser would give up such a good opportunity? Never. And do you think the world will be peaceful enough for you to freely spend the money you've saved?"

"......"

"......"

At Lee Shin's words, not only Eun Yeon-woo but also Lee Hyun-seok stiffened their faces and looked at Lee Shin.

Meeting the gazes of the two, Lee Shin said, smiling playfully as always.

"Isn't it obvious? Dungeons will continue to appear in the future, and their level will get higher and higher. In that situation, do you think you can live the life you want?"

Lee Shin turned his head and looked at Lee Hyun-seok.

"At least you should have the strength to escape safely or the strength to protect your family."

"......"

"Sigh..."

At Lee Shin's words, Lee Hyun-seok nodded, and Eun Yeon-woo couldn't say anything and sighed.

Because they couldn't deny Lee Shin's words.

Seeing the wavering Eun Yeon-woo and Lee Hyun-seok, Lee Shin delivered the final blow.

"I'm not asking you to fight, I'm just asking you to dodge. Can't you do that?"

"......"

"I don't know about the kid, but you, Yeon-woo, know what level of player I am. Can't you do it when I'm offering to help?"

"Hoo, yes. I get it. I get it."

At Eun Yeon-woo's declaration of surrender, Lee Shin smiled and brought the whistle in his pocket to his mouth.

At that, Eun Yeon-woo sighed and covered his ears with both hands, and Lee Hyun-seok also covered his ears, taking the hint.

Peeeeeeeeeeeeek---!!!!!

The sound of the whistle, filled with internal energy.

It was a technique that was too ambiguous to be called the basics of sound art, but it was enough to scratch the monsters' nerves.

Lee Shin smiled at them and said.

-Ah, for reference, if you come out of that circle, I'll kick you back into the circle, so be careful.

Lee Shin put his sincere telepathic message into their heads and then used the Lightning Flash Step to go up a tree.

Dudududududu-

The moment Lee Shin went up the tree, the two felt a certain vibration approaching them through the ground.

East, south, west, north.

The monsters that had heard Lee Shin's whistle from all directions were rushing toward the two.

Seeing that, the two instinctively tried to get away from that spot.

But at that moment, Lee Shin's telepathic message reached each of their ears.

-Why? Are you going to run away? Even if your younger sister is behind you, are you going to abandon everything and run away like that?

-You idiot, I'm not asking you to get stronger, so at least develop the ability to dodge here and there like a mouse.

Hearing Lee Shin's words, the two's movements stopped.

Seeing that, Lee Shin sent another telepathic message.

-Don't worry too much and just strengthen your body with aura for now.

At Lee Shin's telepathic message, the two strengthened themselves using their aura.

Dududududu--!!!

The Red Boars rushed toward the two, kicking up dust.

***

Hoo-

Eun Yeon-woo quickened his movements through [Acceleration] and dodged the Red Boar's attack.

'What is this? This crazy thing is more manageable than I thought.'

At first, he was flustered and flailed his arms and legs, but as time passed, it became somewhat manageable.

But thinking about it, it was a natural thing.

Although Eun Yeon-woo had no experience in directly dealing with monsters, he had stats that he had raised by dismantling monsters or carrying luggage and continuously walking through dungeons.

And most of all...

-Instead of strengthening your body with aura, strengthen your senses.

The instructions Lee Shin was giving through telepathy were more detailed than he had thought.

-Don't just use your eyes, use your other senses to dodge the attacks. Since they're just charging, you can easily dodge them if you're careful of their linear movements.

Lee Shin told him how to use his senses through telepathy, and Eun Yeon-woo began to use his senses little by little according to Lee Shin's words.

Then, even though he hadn't strengthened his body, it was easier to dodge the attacks than before.

'He seems to have gotten the hang of it.'

Lee Shin nodded with a satisfied face.

He didn't seem to know it himself, but in Lee Shin's eyes, Eun Yeon-woo had talent.

-Pick up the dagger.

At Lee Shin's words, Eun Yeon-woo picked up the dagger he had only been holding until now.

Normally, he wouldn't have even tried, thinking it was dangerous.

But as he continued to dodge the Red Boar's attacks, the perception that the Red Boar was dangerous had faded in Eun Yeon-woo's mind.

So his body naturally reacted to Lee Shin's words.

-Stab.

Eun Yeon-woo took a stabbing posture at the Red Boar according to Lee Shin's words.

-You can dodge as much as you want, but attacking is a different story. Even if you attack, it'll probably just be a slight scratch on its skin.

The moment he heard those words, Eun Yeon-woo naturally realized where he should attack.

Dududu-

Eun Yeon-woo timed it and swung his dagger the moment the Red Boar passed him.

Since he hadn't even strengthened it with aura, its power was weak, but.

Cook-

That much power was enough to burst one of the Red Boar's eyes.

Kueeeeeek--!!!

The Red Boar screamed loudly at the pain that was directly transmitted from its eye to its brain.

Grin-

Eun Yeon-woo unknowingly smiled at the sound of the Red Boar's scream.

Lee Shin chuckled, seeing the corners of Eun Yeon-woo's mouth go up.

'Eun Yeon-woo needs to break his cautious personality, so I'll gradually raise the difficulty of the dungeon, and Hyun-seok is the type who gets stronger the more he's pushed, so I'll just have to push him harder.'

Little by little.

Like raising the temperature of the water with a frog in it.

Well, thanks to that, Lee Shin was just watching from the tree, but he wasn't bored.

Seeing the two panting and struggling made him smile.

Kkyugugu-

-Hmm? Alright, when you get a little bigger, I'll let you fight guys like that.

Because Lee Shin now had one more being to take care of besides those two.

(End of Chapter)