Chapter 16: Tutorial (16)

“I’m bored.”

A fortnight had passed since the start of the second-floor survival quest. Nothing much had happened.

The spot we chose on the first day was too perfect.

No predators, no natural enemies, not even any passing travelers.

“Oppa, if you’re bored, want to go swimming with me? I want to see your wet hair.”

“Again? Haven’t we done that enough? I’m tired of swimming…”

“I’m not tired! Let’s go get your hair wet! Now! Now! Now!”

Yoo Ha-na whined like a seven-year-old demanding a new toy.

A grown woman throwing a tantrum on the ground…

Her tantrums were getting progressively worse.

“I’d rather swing a sword…”

“A sword? Then how about sparring with me? We can work up a sweat and then go swimming!”

“Wow… How do you always manage to bring it back to swimming? Are you even capable of normal conversation?”

“It can lead to other things too! Like s-… Mmph!”

“Whoa! Keep it PG!”

I was already drained after just a few exchanges. I suddenly had a newfound respect for harem protagonists.

If one woman was this exhausting, how did they handle five or six?

Come to think of it, Lee Han-seong had four heroines. That poor regressor… Hang in there, buddy.

“What? Why are you looking at me with that pitiful expression?”

“It’s nothing.”

Life at our shelter was incredibly dull. Our routine was too simple.

Unlike Lee Han-seong, who was always out searching for hidden pieces, Yoo Ha-na and I mostly spent our time at the shelter with nothing to do.

“I wish I could get some real combat experience.”

Sparring and training were fine, but I craved real combat.

I’d recently discovered that decapitation was much cleaner if your sword was sharp enough. I kind of missed that feeling.

“Oppa, how about a long-range patrol today? We can check the traps, gather fruits and mushrooms, and if we encounter monsters, we can fight!”

“Oh, that’s a good idea.”

“And then we can go swimming!”

“Wow…”

At this point, I suspected she had a wet hair f*tish, or maybe even an obsession.

Regardless, her suggestion wasn’t bad. We’d been stuck in survival mode for too long. We needed an adventure.

“That’s not a bad idea. In fact, it’s great.”

“Right? I’ll get ready!”

“Okay, you take care of the packing. I’ll conceal the shelter and leave a note.”

With our roles assigned, we got to work. Yoo Ha-na prepared for our outing while I secured our shelter and left a message for Lee Han-seong.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Let’s do this!”

We were both excited for our little adventure. The thrill of the unknown, despite its inherent dangers, was always enticing… but after two hours, even that wore off.

“Haa… Oppa, can we go back?”

“I… No! No! We’ll find something! We’ll find some heads to chop and some flesh to stab!”

Trees, trees, and more trees. This d@mn field was nothing but trees.

Of course, forests had trees, but seeing the same scenery over and over again was driving me crazy.

I finally understood why so many sailors went mad.

“Oppa, let’s just go back. We’re not going to find anything. Let’s just spar and go swimming. I was planning on wearing my m0no-kini today!”

The forest felt like a green desert. There was no scorching heat or thirst, but the endless greenery was no different from endless sand.

Yoo Ha-na was also going stir-crazy. She was even resorting to using her feminine charms to persuade me to turn back.

“No… Not yet! First Mate Ha-na, the New World exists! It exists!”

But giving up meant game over. I had set out today with a grand goal in mind.

To relive the thrill of decapitation. I couldn’t give up now. After several more rounds of resisting the urge to quit, I finally found my New World.

“I knew it… I knew it… The New World exists!”

We’d discovered a bandit camp.

Before raiding the camp, we decided to scout from higher ground.

There were only two of us, while the bandits were a sizable group. We needed a plan.

“There are about forty of them.”

“Two platoons, huh. Can you tell what kind of weapons they have?”

“Uh… Ten archers, five shield bearers, five spearmen, and the rest have swords.”

With her sharp eyesight, Yoo Ha-na thoroughly surveyed the camp from afar. She even identified their weapons.

With that kind of vision, she could be a great sniper. I’d suggest she try archery when we got to the third floor.

“So, is there anything useful nearby? Like a pile of dry wood or something…”

“Hmm… No, nothing like that. But they’re having a drinking party in broad daylight, and a few of them are already passed out.”

“Perfect for a sneak attack.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Ah!”

Yoo Ha-na’s eyes lit up. She clapped her hands.

“Oppa, how about a diversionary tactic?”

“A diversion? Explain.”

“These bandits are careless enough to be drinking at this hour. And judging by the lax security of the archers in the watchtower, they’re probably not very bright.”

Yoo Ha-na had a point. Appearances could be deceiving.

While cunning strategists might exploit such appearances, these were just bandits. They wouldn’t be thinking that deeply.

“So, if you create a distraction at the front gate, I can sneak in from the back and take them all out. How about it?”

“Not bad. But if you cause too much commotion, you’ll be a sitting duck.”

“Then I’ll infiltrate first and eliminate the archers. Then I’ll give you a signal, and you can start the diversion.”

“Hmm… A perfect plan.”

With the plan set, we moved swiftly. The first step was eliminating the archers.

“As expected of Yoo Ha-na. She’s already infiltrated.”

I observed her from a distance. The camp’s palisade was tightly constructed, but it posed no problem for her.

She easily slipped through a weak point she’d spotted earlier and activated Hide.

Concealed, she moved through the bandit-infested camp as if she owned the place, quickly locating and assassinating the archers in the watchtower.

“A white handkerchief… Time to make some noise.”

As planned, Yoo Ha-na signaled me after eliminating the archers.

This meant I could cause a ruckus without becoming a pincushion.

“Time to raise some h*ll.”

I took a deep breath and yelled at the top of my lungs. The bandits flung open the camp gates.

“Who’s this crazy b@stard?”

“You looking to die? Why the f*ck are you yelling?!”

The bandits emerged, brandishing their weapons. They swaggered, confident in their numbers.

A normal person would be intimidated.

“Give me booze! Give me booze! Don’t hog it all to yourselves!”

But I wasn’t normal. I embraced my inner a**hole. This was all for Yoo Ha-na.

She was already inside, using Hide, which drained mana quickly. I needed to keep them distracted.

“What the fck! Shut the hll up, you lunatic!”

“We’ll kill you, you b*tch!”

Doing the opposite of what people told you to do was a surefire way to anger them. And true to their simple minds, the bandits continued to yell, oblivious to what was happening around them.

While drawing their attention, I kept track of Yoo Ha-na’s location. She was systematically taking out the bandits one by one, starting from the perimeter.

As she finished off another bandit, our eyes met.

“Waaaaah! I want to drink too!”

“This crazy mtherfcker!”

We communicated without words. The archers were down, and their numbers were dwindling. It was time for some fun.

I lunged forward, drawing my sword as I moved. Iaijutsu, or Battōjutsu.

[TL Note: Both terms refer to techniques of rapid sword draw and strike — like a samurai-style quick-draw slash.]

The sword slid from its scabbard, a flash of steel aimed at a bandit’s throat.

Too fast for him to react, the blade plunged into his neck, tearing through skin and muscle, reaching bone.

This was the crucial part. The legendary butcher, who hadn’t sharpened his knife in nineteen years, claimed to never feel the bone. Could I achieve the same?

The thought barely registered before the sword completed its arc, severing the bandit’s head. Smoothly, like slicing through tofu.

A clean cut. A satisfying feeling. Like a cool drink of water in the desert.

“I’ll get the drinks myself. You just hand over your heads!”

A geyser of blood sprayed from the fallen bandit, splattering my face. The coppery tang was oddly pleasant.