Since I first opened the status window, a message log that only the player could see had appeared in my vision.
That’s why…
[Acquired skill.]
[Instinct Control Lv 1]
I wasn’t surprised when the message suddenly appeared. I had been waiting for this.
I finally got Instinct Control.
A skill that lets you manage your instincts—just as the name suggests. The evaluation of Dog-woo in the game could be divided into two distinct eras: before and after gaining Instinct Control.
If Dog-woo before gaining the skill was a rabbit that only ate grass, then after gaining the skill, he was a carnivorous rabbit that had tasted blood.
…No, a lion.
I couldn’t think of a better metaphor, but Instinct Control was a skill essential to Dog-woo’s performance.
The hard work paid off, I thought, feeling a surge of pride.
Reincarnated as Dog-woo, I experienced it firsthand. My body felt light—as if I were a feather caught in the wind. Even a single step forward felt like someone was pushing me from behind, propelling me farther than I intended.
My evasion instincts, which had decided that the only way to survive was to eliminate the threats before me, were now drawing out all my strength. It was like those tales of people unlocking incredible, otherworldly strength when faced with life-threatening danger.
The same principle applied here.
Furthermore…
I can sense it, I realized instinctively. Not just the obvious dangers, but the hidden ones too.
Whoosh!
I could feel it without looking back. Instinctively, I twisted my body and dodged the arrows whizzing toward me.
And then—
Kieeek!
A horde of goblins charged at me. They had been waiting for the moment I changed direction.
Four goblins were rushing me: three Goblin Inspectors, one regular goblin, a magic goblin casting a spell from the rear, and two goblin archers lying in wait on my left and right.
I quickly assessed their formation and swung my sword horizontally.
Lion Iron Fist.
Like an iron whip cutting through the air, the mana-coated blade glowed silver as it curved mid-swing.
Kiek!
The goblin inspector on the far right was struck. His side crumpled under the force of the attack. In an instant, his torso burst open, scattering armor and flesh in a grotesque display.
The strike didn’t stop there. The silver arc of the blade slammed into the goblins beside him. One by one, they fell.
The regular goblin barely survived. The goblin inspector’s body had acted as a buffer, sparing it from the full brunt of the attack.
But just then—
Hwa-reuk!
Fire rained down from above. My instincts screamed danger, and without hesitation, I grabbed the nearest goblin and used its body as a shield. Flames engulfed it with a horrific screech, but I flung the smoldering corpse away without a second thought.
Kieeeeeek!
The burning goblin writhed on the ground. I ended its misery with a swift strike, then turned my glare toward the source of the flames.
The goblin wizard. In the distance, it was already reciting another incantation.
The wizard is the priority, I decided. That thing is the biggest threat.
I sprinted toward it.
Kiek! Kiek!
The remaining goblins scrambled to block my path, forming a protective barrier around their spellcaster.
Swish!
Arrows flew from the goblin archers, aiming to pin me down. But with Instinct Control sharpening my reflexes, such distractions were futile. I deflected the arrows with a swift motion of my blade and barreled forward.
The goblins closed in, trying to overwhelm me.
If I stay defensive, they’ll have the advantage, I thought. I need to keep pushing.
I lowered my stance, gathering mana into my body as if drawing a sword from its scabbard.
Mana surged through my legs and arms, preparing me for the next move.
.
This technique utilized explosive bursts of power, combining kicks and sword swings into a devastating combo. Its form was flexible, adapting to the caster’s skills and creativity.
For me, it meant…
Four consecutive attacks.
My sword lashed out, striking the first goblin. With a quick pivot, I changed direction and attacked again. Each strike built upon the momentum of the last, amplifying its power.
Kkieii! Eeeeek!
Kwakjik! Crackle! Push!
In the blink of an eye, I had cut down four goblins. Their bodies crumpled to the ground in rapid succession.
Blood and mana swirled around me as I advanced toward the goblin wizard. Its long ear had been sliced by one of my earlier strikes, and it was clutching the wound in pain.
With its guards down, there’s no need to hold back anymore.
I raised my sword, ready to finish the job.
“What on earth is going on?
Do Sang-jun felt as if what was happening before his eyes was not real.
‘What am I… seeing right now?’
It felt as if he was dreaming.
It was that sudden and out of the blue.
Just a moment ago, Do Gyeon-woo, who had been running away from the goblins in fear, was now fighting them without showing any sign of hesitation.
He was also leading more than ten of them by himself.
“…”
I’m not seeing things wrong.
Do Gyeon-woo was now entering the group, disrupting their coordination, and using their numerical superiority to confuse their attacks.
From a distance, Do Sang-jun could only see that he was teasing them.
‘Did you laugh?’
It probably wasn’t an illusion.
Do Gyeon-woo’s mouth slightly curved upward as he dodged the goblins’ attacks as if he were dancing while practicing his magic amidst the goblins.
He was enjoying the situation.
His face was clearly different from the one he had shown just moments ago.
At that moment, Bae Hong-chul spoke to Do Sang-jun as if he had lost his mind.
“Chief, what on earth is he?”
“What the… he’s my son.”
“I’m not asking that right now. No, what kind of kid fights so well? Are all the people of the noble family like that?”
“… That can’t be true.”
He must be shocked right now.
Bae Hong-chul, who had met Do Gyeon-woo for the first time today, must have been even more astounded.
Do Sang-jun thought for a moment about the question, then shook his head.
There was no need to think.
How could that be common?
Even for someone from a noble family, it would be extremely rare for someone of his age to show such skills.
What’s more…
‘He’s dodging all the attacks. He intuitively knows where the attacks will come from.’
The tactics Do Gyeon-woo was using were reckless and dangerous.
If he made a single mistake, he could be surrounded by goblins and attacked from all sides.
On top of that, the goblin archers and magicians attacking from a distance were constantly looking for an opening.
But Do Gyeon-woo avoided all those dangers with ease.
It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
‘Even if he detected it with a sensor net, he couldn’t avoid it reflexively like that. What on earth did he realize?’
Unable to take his eyes off the sight, Do Sang-jun tried to figure out the change that had occurred in him.
A plausible guess came to mind.
‘Is it a Gift?’
A Gift, a characteristic of the soul.
Perhaps he had acquired a Gift that he hadn’t been aware of before in a desperate situation.
There was no other way to explain the change he had shown.
‘You’re saying that you pushed yourself like this to awaken the Gift?’
This was truly absurd.
Do Sang-jun wondered if his son had ever been this fearless.
The more he thought about it, the more his amazement grew.
On the other hand…
‘That’s how much he wanted to change.’
Do Sang-jun could feel how serious Do Gyeon-woo’s determination was.
It was at that moment.
“W-Chief, that’s…!”
“…”
Bae Hong-chul didn’t even need to point it out. Do Sang-jun could see the phenomenon Do Gyeon-woo had caused.
Do Sang-jun’s eyes widened.
<Water King Style Attack Form 5>
The goblins came forward to protect the goblin wizard and solidified their defense.
Do Gyeon-woo prepared to kick off the ground and rush at them.
Immediately afterward, the mana flowing out of his body made a sound as if it was rubbing against the air, sparking with electricity.
Crackle!
He hadn’t seen it wrong.
A faint blue current sparkled around Do Gyeon-woo.
And then…
Lion’s Fierce Attack.
When Do Gyeon-woo unleashed his Water King Style, the faint electric current exploded and emitted light.
The light followed Do Gyeon-woo, creating a blue flash.
“…”
Four times in a row, a path of blue light flashed.
Do Sang-jun doubted his eyes as he opened his tightly shut lips.
“Byeol-Rae (碧雷)…”
It was definitely Byeol-Rae.
The phenomenon where mana sublimates into a blue electric current through friction with the atmosphere and mana circuits during the execution of Suwangryu.
It was a phenomenon born from a precise combination of factors: posture, speed, the strength applied to the sword, and the activation of mana circuits.
“Wow… The swordsmanship of the Shin-Geom Taoist is really cool. Oh my god, can even a child that young create Byeol-Rae?”
“… No.”
Do Sang-jun, who denied Bae Hong-chul’s question, couldn’t maintain his composure.
As far as he knew, there wasn’t a single person who had unleashed Byeol-Rae at Do Gyeon-woo’s age.
Even those hailed as geniuses couldn’t achieve this feat so young.
The youngest person to unleash Byeol-Rae was the second-generation head of the family, who did so at 14 years old.
‘Gyeon-woo is now two years ahead of that record?’
Do Sang-jun couldn’t believe it.
But even now, the blue current was still surging before his eyes.
<Suwangryu Attack Form 1>
Lion’s Fierce Slash.
Although imperfect compared to moments ago, Do Gyeon-woo’s blue current swirled as he swung his sword.
In the end, Do Sang-jun had no choice but to admit it.
“What on earth did you realize…?”
Do Sang-jun couldn’t continue speaking, awestruck by his son’s growth.
“Chief, did you need us?”
“That’s right.”
In the end, Do Sang-jun forgot about reality and simply watched Do Gyeon-woo fight.
The goblin wizard’s head was blown off, and the tide of the battle turned completely.
And then…
All the goblins fell silent.
[The gate was attacked.]
Leave a Reply