The fact that the compass reacted meant only one thing.
That Sa Gong-wook had purchased a Servant’s Mark from the hooded figures last night.
Mo Yong-jun asked,
“Still, I’d like to be cautious if possible. Do you mind if I borrow it for a moment?”
“Go ahead.”
When I agreed without hesitation, he started adjusting his position slightly, testing the Dragon Compass.
There was still a chance the arrow wasn’t pointing at Sa Gong-wook but rather at a draconic soldier somewhere beyond him.
However, no matter where Mo Yong-jun moved, the compass pointed only at Sa Gong-wook.
Faced with such clear evidence, Mo Yong-jun could only let out a bitter chuckle.
“…Thinking back, it was strange. With his personality, there’s no way he would’ve acted so friendly toward us. I guess I still have a long way to go when it comes to reading people.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. Just think of it as a lesson learned.”
“I’ll do that.”
Mo Yong-jun cast a brief glance at Sa Gong-wook’s group.
There were three of them in total.
“I’d wager they’ve all purchased Servant Marks.”
“Otherwise, there’s no point.”
“Will you help? I’ll deal with Sa Gong-wook myself.”
“I don’t mind. You planning a surprise attack?”
My question carried a specific implication:
Wouldn’t launching a surprise attack go against the White Faction’s ideals of honorable combat?
But Mo Yong-jun responded without hesitation.
“They’re the ones I chose to accept in the first place. That means the responsibility is mine too. If it means protecting my people, I can set aside my pride any day.”
“Good mindset.”
We exchanged brief smiles and returned to the group.
As Mo Yong-jun approached Sa Gong-wook, he began to speak.
“They say they’d like to move with us. Before making a decision, I wanted to hear your thoughts.”
“So that’s what that secret talk was about. I don’t like it, but given the situation—”
The moment Sa Gong-wook turned his head toward me mid-sentence, pretending to be reluctant, Mo Yong-jun drew his sword in a flash and cut him down.
Slash—!
At the same time, I used Wind Force to blow back Minion 1 standing nearby.
Just as I was about to follow up with another attack, Seo Ye-in suddenly raised a pot and smacked the guy with it.
Clang!
“Traitor.”
Maybe her vision is sharp, or maybe her instincts are just that good. Either way, it seems she had sensed it from the start.
Minion 2 quickly used an item card, and glowing shields enveloped him.
He had cast [Sanctuary].
He then reached for another card, apparently planning to secure his safety and then escape with [Retreat].
He’s got a decent grasp of the situation.
Too bad my grasp is better.
[Activated ‘Piercing Spear (B)’]
Boom!
A thick beam shot out, piercing through both his Sanctuary and his chest.
He crumpled to the ground and vanished, leaving behind a stack of cards.
“……!”
“……!”
The sudden action startled the others for a moment, but they quickly fell into battle stances.
They must’ve assumed we had a good reason for launching the surprise attack.
Sa Gong-wook staggered with a deep slash across his chest.
“Coward…! And you dare claim to follow the White Faction’s ideals?”
“You’re in no position to talk. We know you became a minion.”
Mo Yong-jun replied calmly.
At that, Sa Gong-wook faltered, his expression stiffening. But then he let out a low laugh and said,
“Heh… I was so close, only to ruin it right at the end.”
“You wanted to win that badly? Even if it meant becoming a servant of the Craftsman Dragon?”
“You’re being dramatic. It’s just a midterm exam.”
He implied that he’d choose differently in a real situation, but no one believed that.
Sa Gong-wook then turned his bloodshot eyes toward me.
“You tipped them off, didn’t you?”
“Your face said it all.”
“The Black Faction never forgets a grudge. One day, I’ll make sure you pay—!”
Clang!
Seo Ye-in, clearly annoyed, smacked him again with the pot.
“Enough talking.”
“……”
Sa Gong-wook collapsed flat like a frog and was expelled from the dungeon.
Mo Yong-jun picked up the cards left behind on the ground and handed them to me.
“The White Faction never forgets a favor as well. I’ll make sure to repay you for today, someday.”
If it hadn’t been for the Dragon Compass, I would’ve taken a serious hit from behind.
From my perspective too, being owed a favor by a promising talent wasn’t a bad outcome.
[Draconic Soldiers Eliminated]
▷ Dragonscale Soldier: 25
▷ Dragonfang Soldier: 78
▷ Dragonwing Soldier: 1
▷ Minion: 2
▷ Portal: 1
Now, only one member of Sa Gong-wook’s team remained inside the field. He was sprawled out flat.
I stopped a member of the swordsmanship club who was approaching to finish him off.
“Hold on.”
“……?”
Then I subtly signaled with my eyes, and Hong Yeon-hwa caught on and cast a fire spell.
Whoosh,
Sa Gong-wook’s second man was engulfed in flames.
Soon, his entire body flickered blue, then exploded on the spot.
Boooooom—!
Mo Yong-jun spoke.
“I figured they wouldn’t end well, but to make them self-destruct too?”
“That’s how minions are treated.”
Even the Draconic soldiers get ground up into weapons and armor once they’ve served their purpose. There’s no way mere minions would be treated any better.
Just like with Sa Gong-wook’s lackey. They were used to stab allies in the back and blow up once they’re caught.
“Anyway, let’s all get moving. Nothing good comes from staying here too long.”
“We did cause quite the scene, after all.”
Seemingly agreeing, Mo Yong-jun gathered his group and began walking away.
But they hadn’t gotten far when a sharp sound of something slicing through the air rang out from somewhere.
Swiiiiiish!
One of the swordsmen instinctively raised his blade to block it, but it not only shattered his sword instantly… it also blew apart his upper body.
We quickly scanned the area for the source of the shot, and on a rooftop in the distance, we spotted a Dragonclaw Soldier.
I could tell instinctively.
It was the same one that had taken down Cha Hyeon-joo yesterday.
On top of that, the Dragon Compass was now spinning wildly.
Then, from all directions, more Dragonclaw Soldiers began to appear.
One wielded a hammer, another held twin blades, and one had nothing but his clenched fists.
Including the sniper, there were five in total.
Mo Yong-jun asked with tension clear in his voice,
“Can we win this?”
“A head-on fight would be tough.”
To take down even one Dragonclaw Soldier, the four of us have to attack together.
Mo Yong-jun’s party had a few more members, but their average skill level was comparatively lower.
It’s uncertain whether they can even take down one.
“If there’s absolutely no chance, I’ll use [Retreat].”
“There’s still some chance.”
“You have a plan?”
I pointed at the archer among the Dragonclaw Soldiers and said,
“Whatever it takes, take that one down. We’ll handle the rest.”
“……Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Understood.”
The moment our brief strategy meeting ended, the Dragonclaw Soldiers descended and surrounded us.
Two in front, two in back.
Knew it.
I’d already anticipated this and activated an item card beforehand.
[Displacement (A)]
▷ Launches all targets of rank A or lower in front of you to random locations.
Fwoosh—!
A burst of light engulfed two of the Dragonclaw Soldiers and launched them high into the sky.
Thanks to that, Mo Yong-jun’s group had a clear path forward.
“Best of luck.”
Leaving those parting words, they charged toward the sniper.
Boom!
Another swordsman seemed to have been hit, but I had no time to worry about that.
There were still two Dragonclaw Soldiers right in front of me.
I gave an order to Seo Ye-in.
“Trap them.”
“Imprisonment.”
Seo Ye-in gave a slight nod and held out the Immortal Pot.
Soon, a space as dark as the night sky opened up and swallowed one of the Dragonclaw Soldiers whole.
[Severed Space] had been activated.
Now only one remained.
We could now take them down one by one.
“We need to finish this fast.”
Casting and maintaining Severed Space consumes a huge amount of mana.
Ending it quickly is the best way to conserve energy.
It’s also unclear where the two enemies blown away by [Displacement] ended up.
If we’re lucky, they landed on the other side of the city. But they might surprisingly be nearby.
If it’s the latter, they could rejoin the fight at any moment, so we needed to take care of the Dragonclaw Soldier in front of us first.
The last remaining one appeared to be a martial artist type.
He clenched both fists and his eyes locked on us.
The next moment, Seo Ye-in’s assault rifle spat out blue flames.
Ratatatatata!
His fists moved faster than the eye could follow, swatting away the magic bullets.
Then, he crouched low and shot toward us in an instant.
Boom-boom-boom!
Fire and ice exploded in rapid succession across his body.
Hong Yeon-hwa and I had predicted his movement and landed our attacks at the same time.
Unfazed, the Dragonclaw Soldier pushed in further and threw a punch at Hong Yeon-hwa.
But just in time, a dark cloud flew in between them.
“Soft and Cushy.”
Boom!
[Cooldown Time: 00:59:59]
While his fist bounced off harmlessly, I pulled Hong Yeon-hwa back, and Go Hyeon-woo stepped in to take her place, swinging his sword like a storm.
Slash-Slash-Slash-Slash—!
Even with his stance partially broken, the Dragonclaw Soldier countered by alternating his fists and suddenly surged forward.
But before he could land a blow to the abdomen, Go Hyeon-woo slipped away using Ghost Dance.
Ratatatatata!
Magic bullets struck the enemy’s back.
This time, the Dragonclaw Soldier charged toward Seo Ye-in.
But once again—
“Swish.”
She evaded him with Ghost Dance as well.
Once again, explosions of fire and ice burst around the enemy’s shoulder and waist.
Boom-boom-boom!
After several rapid exchanges, the armor the Dragonclaw Soldier wore began to fall apart, and the energy of the Mysterious Yin Jade Demon Finger seeped in.
His movements gradually slowed.
Seeing that, I pulled out an item card.
He was so fast that using it prematurely risked missing, but at this point, I judged I could land the hit.
[Activated ‘Piercing Spear (A)’.]
Boooooom—!
A thick beam pierced straight through the Dragonclaw Soldier’s face.
One down, but there was no time to hesitate.
I pointed at the ground and gave an order.
“Set a trap here.”
“Got it.”
Seo Ye-in crouched down and cast the Fickle Trap.
Hong Yeon-hwa also drew a Fire Pillar magic circle on the same spot, and Go Hyeon-woo prepared his final attack.
At my signal, Seo Ye-in deactivated Severed Space.
A space like the night sky opened, and the Dragonclaw Soldier burst out….only to immediately step into the trap.
Fzzzzzzzzzt!
Chains of electricity bound the enemy, briefly incapacitating him.
Seizing that moment, all four of us unleashed our attacks.
Booom-boom-boom-boom—!
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