Chapter 12
Jagen walked up leisurely from behind.
He sighed as he looked at the five goblins. "Block their attacks with your shield. They're just goblins after all. If they manage to scratch your steel armor, that'd be impressive enough."
Big Bo stood up with a shield in each hand.
He blocked the goblins' attacks.
THUD!
A goblin pounded on his shield. The vibration was minimal.
'I blocked it.'
He watched the goblins through his visor. Now that he was calm, they didn't seem so scary.
"Hyah!"
Big Bo pushed the goblins back with his shields.
"Kee-rick! Kee-rick!"
The goblins threw a tantrum, but couldn't overcome the giant Big Bo.
"Huff... huff..."
Big Bo panted as he looked at the fallen goblins, disbelief written on his face.
"I-I did it! Ow! Why'd you hit me?"
Jagen suddenly smacked Big Bo's head with his scabbard.
SWISH!
Jagen cleanly beheaded the fallen goblins. He narrowed his eyes at Big Bo.
"Big Bo, the fight isn't over until the enemy is dead. You know those common scenes where an enemy you thought was dead pulls out a hidden knife and stabs the protagonist? Goblins are cunning—when they face someone stronger, they play dead. Like this..."
Jagen kicked one of the goblins. The "dead" goblin sprang up and swung its sword at him. Jagen leaned back slightly to dodge.
"Dark Bolt."
He cast the spell with one hand, using magic despite his reluctance.
ZAP!
The Dark Bolt exploded the goblin's head, spraying brain matter and blood everywhere.
"Finish off the rest with your shield."
Big Bo executed the remaining goblins. The sensation of taking lives made him sick.
'I need to get used to this. I decided to follow Boss and become stronger.'
Jagen was strong—that much was certain. Following him would make Big Bo stronger too.
"Nothing useful here," Jagen remarked while examining the goblin corpses. This dungeon run was for combat experience.
"Hyaaah!"
Now confident, Big Bo moved vigorously against the next group of monsters, crushing them under his sheer weight.
"See? See? Boss! I can do it when I try!"
"With your gear and level, struggling here is pathetic. Dark Bolt!" Jagen said disinterestedly while smoking, hurling Dark Bolts at charging monsters.
The upper floors were manageable with just two people, but monsters grew stronger deeper down. Even a low-tier boss would be tough for two level 20s.
By the third floor, Big Bo's face stiffened with tension—one mistake could mean death.
Jagen lectured: "If you tense up too much, your body won't move. The basics of combat are looking down on your enemy—'How dare this insect touch me? Ridiculous!'"
When Big Bo protested about nervousness, Jagen clicked his tongue: "That's why people call you an idiot," thinking This piglet is truly useless. He wanted to train Big Bo into something useful, but the man fell short both physically and mentally—no fighting instinct whatsoever, destined for civilian life.
WHACK!
Angry, Jagen smacked Big Bo's head so hard his face hit the floor.
Their bickering continued until Jagen remembered his past—how at twenty-five he'd already founded Ragnaf Guild and cleared Tokyo Dungeon #4, saving the city from Dio Foundation's nuclear strike.
"...Should've kept my mouth shut," Jagen muttered as they descended deeper.
Hot air rushed out when he slowly opened the boss chamber door.
Jagen narrowed his eyes.
Awooooo!
His ears tingled.
The wolf's howl spread through the air.
Jageun drew his sword and said,
"Giant Wolf. Big Bo, no matter what happens, don't drop your shield. Don’t let it flank you. Guard this alone and you’ll survive."
"Y-yes, sir."
Big Bo’s legs trembled. The terror of facing a boss monster seemed to paralyze his entire body.
Every shred of confidence he’d built up until now vanished in an instant.
The Giant Wolf instinctively targeted slower prey.
Big Bo’s sluggishness made him ideal quarry. The beast lunged.
CRASH!
Big Bo raised his shield.
The Giant Wolf recoiled upon impact, thrown back by unexpected defensive strength.
Big Bo’s defense and sheer mass surpassed the wolf’s calculations.
Grrrr.
Jageun launched a Dark Bolt from behind Big Bo.
Inky energy struck the Giant Wolf.
"Come here, mutt," Jageun growled, unsheathing his Demon Slayer blade.
"Uuugh…"
Big Bo stood trapped between Jageun and the wolf.
The creature’s sulfur-yellow eyes paralyzed him. His teeth clattered like dice.
"Raise your shield higher. I’ll attack. Just defend – it’s simple."
"I-it’s not simple!"
Jageun ignored him, maintaining distance while trading glancing blows with the wolf.
CLANG!
Demon Slayer met claw.
"Good! That’s the way! See, Big Bo? You can perform under pressure!"
Jageun used Big Bo as a living barricade to control spacing.
To the wolf, Big Bo was an irritating obstacle – too troublesome to ignore yet not worth the effort to crush.
Grk.
The wolf chose instinct over strategy: eliminate the immediate threat first.
Attacking Jageun directly was impossible while Big Bo stood.
CLANG!
"It’s focusing on me!" Big Bo yelled, white-knuckling his shield.
The wolf’s claws rained down, carving chunks from the steel. The shield groaned, moments from shattering.
‘Drop it and run! I’ll die if this continues!’
Big Bo’s knees buckled as he prepared to retreat–
Jageun’s eyes snapped wide, pupils blazing with lethal intent. His whisper carried glacial finality:
"Hold. One step back, and I kill you myself."
No empty threat. Pure promise.
‘If I retreat, the captain executes me.’
In that moment, Jageun terrified Big Bo more than any beast.
He planted his feet, reforging his crumbling defense into an iron bulwark.
Arooooo!
The wolf howled, accelerating. It cleared ten meters in a single pounce.
"Don’t drop that shield! Survive this, and you live!" Jageun roared.
The wolf overcommitted – Jageun’s awaited moment.
Big Bo crumpled beneath the assault but kept his shield raised. The wolf’s exposed underbelly glowed like a target.
"Gyaaaaah!"
Jageun blinked, emotions locked away. His gaze turned clinical as he raised the Demon Slayer.
‘Neck and heart. Obvious weak points… but penetrating that hide requires–’
GRAAAAAH!
"Forced Enchant: Dark Bolt."
Tssssk!
Corruption spiderwebbed through the blade. Metal decayed as it absorbed unstable magic – a stopgap measure sacrificing weapon integrity for temporary power.
Black aura writhed around the sword like serpents.
Huuuuum…
One strike. Maybe two.
No room for error.
‘I don’t fail. I’m Shin Jageun.’
Fear breeds hesitation. Hesitation invites death.
Big Bo’s screams ceased.
His shield lay discarded nearby.
