chapter 130

There was the glow of the sunset.

Mulan’s Night wasn’t over yet as the twilight deepened.

Now there was only the third tradition left. It was the highlight of the Mulan training camp, the main event.

“From now on, the last tradition ‘Destroy the Ruins’ will start!”

Kunta’s shout exploded and the trainees roared.

He raised his hand to stop the cheers and then continued with a brief explanation, “Mulan has been haunted by wolves from generation to generation! The reason is that after crossing Mount Smir in the south, the Wolves’ Ruins will appear. Also…”

A long story followed.

Park Muyeol nodded as he listened to the explanation.

‘…It is boring. The bottom line is that we are going to invade the ruins.’

It was a very simple conclusion but it was a fact. He yawned at the lengthy explanation.

He was tired from the work beforehand.

Haeba whispered from next to him, “You can sleep a bit, I’ll listen.”

“Cough. You will?”

Park Muyeol’s head nodded and he started to doze off.

It was 30 minutes later that the explanation ended.

He was in dreamland when he felt someone shaking him.

The trainees around him were slowly moving.

“Cough, is it over?”

“Yes, Chairman-nim.”

A light shimmered in front of him.

Park Muyeol shook his head with a slight dizziness and followed the group.

The place where we were heading was just south of Mount Smir. It was where he went to see the village chief the other day and was kicked out.

Mount Smir was dyed by the setting sun and boasted a very nice view.

Park Muyeol couldn’t help frowning when a familiar smithy was spotted.

“That son of a bitch.”

“Huh? What did you say just now?”

“Nothing. I was just reminded of something.”

Park Muyeol’s words were ambiguous to the questioning Haeba. In any case, it was in the past so it was funny.

Then a voice was heard from behind him.

It was a young man in his 30s, who gave off a pretty tough impression.

Well, not as much as Park Muyeol.

He asked, “Instructor, are you really planning to quit?”

“Yes.”

“It seems to fit you pretty well.”

“I never intended to stay here from the beginning. I have to go see a friend.”

“Friend? Are you talking about a peer?”

“Yes, he is strong.”

“As strong as you?”

“Um, he was when I was young. However, I don’t know about now.”

“Oh my god, I got goosebumps.”

Another group member was attracted by the words.

He gave off a soft appearance but his fierce eyes were rather sharp.

“However, are we going to stay like this, where we don’t even know each other’s names?”

From the moment they entered the training camp, all their user IDs became ‘Trainee.’

It was Trainee XX. It was like this.

“Yes, it is funny. We know the instructor’s name but isn’t it funny that we don’t know each other’s names? Well, I know the name of that person. I heard the instructor call him Haeba.”

“……”

The three trainees’ eyes focused on one person and Haeba scratched his cheek in an awkward manner.

“Haha… Yes, I am Haeba. It is nice to meet everyone.”

The moment he finished his greetings, everyone revealed their names.

“My name is Muksabal. If you ask me why I’m called Muksabal, it is a nickname the people who tried to beat me up came up with. (TL: Generally acorn jelly in a chilled broth. But it can also be slang for badly damaging or disfiguring a face i.e. beating to a pulp). Huhu.”

“I am Jekyll. It doesn’t mean anything. I got that nickname because I’m a Ji-ssi. (Ji is his surname) It was from an early age.”

Muksabal was surprised by Jekyll’s words. “Oh? You’re a Ji as well? Ahh. Let’s get along. Which Ji-ssi are you from?”

“It is just an unknown family. My father said this when he checked the genealogy.”

“Ahh. You too? I’m the same. Kuhahaha!”

Park Muyeol saw the two men who had found something common in a strange place and smiled. “Crazy guys.”

“Kuhaha. We’re all crazy guys.”

“It is a testament to our craziness that we endured your training.”

Park Muyeol shook his head as they spoke.

The last trainee was a foreigner who just watched quietly. He was a huge man with a seemingly simple personality.

“What is your name?”

“…Baroque.”

It was a short answer but Park Muyeol didn’t feel bad.

This person never once expressed hardship during the special training. According to Park Muyeol’s long experience, this was a real honest person.

They smiled and chatted as they crossed the mountain.

The sun had completely set and a dreary night came.

Kunta handed out torches to the instructors one by one and they kept walking.

Finally, everyone reached the Wolves’ Ruins.

“Take a break here. Get ready to set up camp!”

The trainees moved busily and a small bonfire was lit.

All of them sat around it with Kunta in the middle.

“After around 10 minutes, Groups 1 and 2 will enter the ruins together. Today is a full moon night and the wolves will be ferocious. The instructors can come in and fight together with their trainees for safety. The goal is to break through the wild wolves living in the ruins and bring out the silver wolf’s mane. The team that brings out the most silver wolf’s manes in 15 minutes will be the winner.”

Everyone nodded to show they understood the explanation.

10 minutes passed and Groups 1 and 2 moved to the entrance of the ruins.

The trainees who saw it cried out.

“Have strength~! You don’t know who will win!”

“Hahaha! The champion is naturally our Group 4.”

“What are you talking about? It hasn’t even started yet! Stupid!”

“It would be disappointing to exclude our Group 5!”

“Don’t leave out Group 8!”

Park Muyeol smiled as the trainees stimulated each other and raised their enthusiasm.

Muksabal also shouted loudly.

It was a voice that everyone could hear.

“No, Instructor, won’t we win?!”

“You have to. Tonight, the pot will completely explode.”

“Hey, you guys! Did you hear? The old man said he was going to blow up every one of you!”

“Puhahaha!”

Everyone laughed and grabbed their bellies.

They all knew this was the last time.

Thus, they didn’t express their displeasure with each other.

In any case, a new adventure would begin from the moment they leave the training camp.

Just then, Park Muyeol’s grandson, who was sitting with Group 4, walked over to this place.

The trainees of Group 7 went to another place to talk and laugh.

Park Muyeol invited Seongchan to sit and Park Seongchan sat right next to him.

Seongchan muttered, “It’s nice to be doing this after a long time.”

“It is as you say. I’m thinking of the old days.”

They stared into the burning bonfire with soft eyes.

Both of them were silent but they were smiling.

The memories they shared were the same.

‘It has been a year since then.’

It was only a short period of three months but the two of them went to the mountain together to train in swordsmanship.

There were only the two of them but there were many nice memories.

They caught hares and also struck wild boars, even though it was dangerous. How good was their vacation?

“Grandfather, it is my parent’s death anniversary tomorrow.”

“…Yes, I already know. Let’s go early tomorrow morning.”

Park Muyeol was moved by his grandfather’s words.

In that unfortunate accident, Seongchan lost his parents and Park Muyeol lost his son and daughter-in-law.

It had been a windy winter.

A rough snowy night.

The two of them had been killed by a truck driver under the influence of alcohol on the way back from buying Seongchan’s birthday present.

They kept their promise to die together but ironically, they failed to keep their promise to give Seongchan a gift.

“It will be your birthday soon. Is there anything you want?”

“Um…”

Seongchan paused for a moment before continuing, “I’d like a capsule.”

“What about the one Gitae is using?”

“Give that to Uncle.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Park Muyeol nodded. Time passed and Groups 1 and 2 came out together. Once he saw that Dutch, the instructor of Group 1, was screaming, it would seem that Group 1 had won.

Then it was time for Groups 3 and 4.

“Grandfather, I’ll be going.”

“Yes, be sure to win.”

“Haha. Of course!”

Seongchan smiled and jumped forward.

Thus, time passed.

Once again, Group 4 won. Compared to Group 1, Group 4 had more manes. Currently, Group 4 was in first place.

As expected of his grandson.

“Next is Groups 5 and 6!”

Momori placed a long wooden stick on his shoulder and took the lead. The back of his head that reflected the moonlight was very conspicuous.

The trainees burst out laughing and Tarmo shouted furiously, “Don’t laugh!”

Even so, the trainees couldn’t resist laughing.

After all, they would no longer be trainees after today.

They laughed to their heart’s content.

“Hahahahat!”

“I have to confess, isn’t it really funny?”

“Ah, it is really unbearable.”

“Kukuk! No one would look good with that bald head.”

“It was hardest during training. His head was dazzling.”

Tarmo’s face reddened at the sarcastic mockery. Park Muyeol saw it and had a thought.

‘Hrmm. It is a bit too much.’

There was a line that everyone should abide by.

Who would be happy when a younger brother spoke informally?

He might be shaved but his position shouldn’t be forgotten.

Park Muyeol pulled the Magic Power Hair-Clipper out of his inventory.

“Shut up, you guys. Or do you all want to be shaved?”

Then the mockery died down like a dead rat.

Kunta saw this and smiled.

Groups 5 and 6 finished and then it was Park Muyeol’s turn.

They walked straight to the entrance of the ruins. Tarmo moved next to Park Muyeol and spoke to him, “Thank you for the help.”

“It’s nothing. It didn’t look good to me either.”

“Additionally, I’m sorry for ignoring you all this time”

‘Hrmm.’

Park Muyeol suddenly wondered why this person was acting like this but he wasn’t rude enough to hit someone bowing.

“Why are you so polite? Do your best.”

“Yes, I will.”

They shook hands and shortly thereafter, a pack of wild wolves appeared.

They were level 3.

“Haaayaahh! The winner is Group 7!”

“What are you talking about? The winner is our Group 8!”

“Gazua!”

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Muksabal, Jekyll, and Haeba jumped out in front while Baroque silently followed them.

They screamed together, seemingly unwilling to lose to Group 8.

“Yiiip! Yiippp!”

The screams of the wild wolves as they were hit by the wooden swords and wooden sticks filled the ruins.

They hurried to find the silver wolves and then there was a shout from the right.

“A silver wolf, over there!”

“Go!”

“Uraaaaat!”

The silver wolf was a monster that was level 5.

It might be their first time beating a monster but the trainees had no hesitation.

They had already completed all the basics of combat.

“Die!”

Muksabal struck the silver wolf.

[Your trainee has earned the ‘Silver Wolf’s Mane.’]

“Huhaha! Those in my hands are bound to be beaten to a pulp!”

Jekyll approached him with a smile.

“Then I’ll go catch another wolf.”

“Hey, dude. Aren’t we doing this with each other?”

“This is the case.”

Jekyll ran into the pack of wolves that Haeba was fighting and Baroque followed silently.

Muksabal was left alone and was wary of Park Muyeol’s eyes.

Park Muyeol told him, “Jump, you rotten guy.”

He only turned on the Magic Power Hair-Clipper but Muksabal still hurried away.

Park Muyeol burst out laughing.

It was at this moment…

“W-What?”

“Fuck! What is this?”

“Crazy! Everyone, back off!”

Park Muyeol hurried to the place where the disturbance occurred.

There was a silver-maned wolf standing on two feet.

A perplexed Tarmo stuttered, “W-Why is a werewolf here?”

“No, don’t you know what to do?”

“Crazy! It is level 20? A named monster?”

“How can we beat this?”

Grruruk. The roaring silver werewolf swung its claws.

They starving werewof made movements that seemed steeped in insanity. The trainees feel back as all the wooden weapons in their hands were terribly broken.

“Kuaaack!”

The silver werewolf’s sharp teeth bit Tarmo’s shoulder.

Screams rang through the ruins and the silver werewolf stared at its prey with bloody eyes.

It was at this moment that Park Muyeol threw a stone.

The flying stone hit the silver werewolf precisely in the eye.

At the sudden pain, the werewolf threw Tarmo away and shifted his gaze toward Park Muyeol’s direction.

[Lv. 20 Silver-furred Werewolf, Silverfang (Cub)]

‘Hrmm. It is a cub but it is funny because it is so big.’

“Hey! Fight against me!”

Park Muyeol came running and swung his sharp wooden sword.

Of course, it was difficult to break through the skin.

Park Muyeol was forced to attack with the Magic Power Hair-Clipper in his hand.

[You have mistakenly shaved off a part of the target’s hair.]

[However, the mental state of the target is extremely low.]

[The ‘eyes shaking’ state isn’t triggered.]

[You have shaved too much.]

[The Magic Power Hair-Clipper will stop working for a moment.]

“Tsk. It’s useless.”

Although there was a hairless path on the arm, the werewolf in front of him didn’t budge.

Park Muyeol threw his Magic Power Hair-Clipper into his inventory and focused on the wolf in front of him.

“Kuaaaack!”

“This is crazy… You have bad breath. This guy!”

Park Muyeol attacked once again.

However, the werewolf was formidable. The werewolf instinctively wielded its claws and threatened Park Muyeol, knowing that the wooden sword wouldn’t hit hard.

There were even attempts to break the sword.

“Dammit…”

There was no way to win.

The best option was to run away.

The problem was that the damn wolf would chase.

‘I have to sacrifice myself.’

He would quit in a day but he was still an instructor. It was better to take care of the trainees first.

“Everyone, leave. I’ll block it.”

“Old man!”

“Instructor!”

“Chairman-nim!”

‘Damn guys. They should call me with a unified name.’

Park Muyeol lured the silver werewolf deeper inside the ruins.

Fortunately, the werewolf followed well and Park Muyeol once again shouted with worried eyes, “Go! Hurry and bring reinforcements!”

“Understood! Please wait!”

“If you must die then you will die in our hands!”

The group ran away, with the Group 8 trainees supporting the bleeding Tarmo as they ran. All that was left was Park Muyeol and the werewolf. In the midst of the silent tension, Park Muyeol briefly exhaled. “Sigh. This is my fate.”

This had happened often when he was young. He was always ending up in the position of sacrificing himself to save his men, yet he still survived. Well, he was going to do so now.

“It is a really tough fate.”

It was at this moment.

Ttiring~

[A passing constellation is offering you a task.]

“Huh? This guy…?”