There were certain restrictions placed on Do Gyeon-woo when he joined the party of the main character, Kang Han-byeol, in the game.
Because of these restrictions, players rarely included Do Gyeon-woo in their party unless absolutely necessary.
The reason was simple: these restrictions severely hampered his performance.
‘The gift was both an advantage and a disadvantage.’
Do Gyeon-woo’s gift, Evasion Instinct, allowed him to instinctively move his body to avoid life-threatening crises.
This made it incredibly useful for someone like Gyeon-woo, an agile swordsman.
However, the gift also reflected his timid and weak-willed personality, introducing significant drawbacks.
[Do Gyeon-woo refuses orders.]
[Do Gyeon-woo evades attacks.]
Instincts, by their nature, are difficult to control.
The Evasion Instinct was no exception.
It would often override the player’s commands, making Gyeon-woo evade attacks instead of following attack orders.
For players, this behavior was infuriating.
「Do Gyeon-woo」
―I’m sorry. I just caused trouble for everyone because of me…
If you know that, then fix it!
However, everything changed after Gyeon-woo’s awakening event in the latter half of the story.
「Do Gyeon-woo」
―I don’t want to die like this. I don’t want to be protected by the others anymore. I… I’m going to fight.
From that moment onward, Do Gyeon-woo gained control over his gift and shed his fear.
The player could finally utilize his abilities to their full extent.
Do Gyeon-woo, after awakening, became a force to be reckoned with.
‘The later a character awakens, the stronger they are.’
This principle was evident in Gyeon-woo’s case.
Though performance varied based on how players raised him, Gyeon-woo consistently excelled at dodging attacks and defeating enemies after awakening.
This gave rise to a popular saying:
“If you raise Do Gyeon-woo properly, you can breeze through the latter half of the game.”
It might sound exaggerated, but there was truth to it.
That’s why…
‘It’s too late to wait until the latter half of the story. How can I wait for that?’
I had no intention of waiting for the scripted awakening event.
While it was impossible in the game, this wasn’t the game anymore.
In this world, there was no rule stating I could only control my Evasion Instinct in the latter half of the story.
If I pushed myself to the limit, I could force an earlier awakening.
<Suwangryu Attack Style 3: Lion Iron Fist>
I swung my sword at the two goblins rushing toward me.
When I first faced the goblins, my initial impression was: ‘This is doable.’
Their movements were clear and predictable, and I didn’t feel particularly threatened.
As a result, I was able to defeat them without much difficulty.
‘I can handle two at once.’
Fighting two goblins wasn’t much different from fighting one.
I just had to stay focused and keep both in my line of sight.
One goblin per eye.
Tracking them carefully, I measured the distance and swung my sword.
With one strike, I cleaved through them, separating their bodies into upper and lower halves.
Blue blood sprayed as their corpses hit the ground.
“Whew…” I exhaled, turning to my father.
“Next time, I’ll take three,” I said.
“… Take a break,” he replied.
“I’m still fine.”
“Stubborn kid… Fine. Three it is.”
My father sighed but released three goblins this time.
He kicked them forward without sympathy, forcing them to advance.
Kkeeeeek!
The goblins quickly assessed the situation.
Exchanging glances, they picked up their fallen weapons and spread out to surround me.
‘A distraction tactic?’
While one goblin kept my attention, the other two moved to flank me.
It was difficult to focus on the one in front while keeping track of the others.
“…!”
Suddenly, a sensation like an electric current surged through my neck.
My body moved instinctively, reacting before I could consciously decide.
‘The Gift has activated!’
My Evasion Instinct sensed the crisis and took over.
Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, I surrendered to it without resistance.
Whoosh!
A goblin attacked from behind, its weapon slicing through the air where I had been moments before.
It had moved while I was distracted by the one in front.
I turned to face it, catching the panicked expression on its face.
‘I’ll take you down first.’
I dashed toward the goblin that had lost its weapon and was visibly shaken.
Kkieeeek!
A shriek erupted from behind me.
The other two goblins were giving chase, but I wasn’t concerned.
‘I won’t get hit.’
I spread my mana outward, forming a detection net that pinpointed the goblins’ locations.
Their presence was clear within the radius of my mana.
Whirl!
The goblins hurled their weapons.
But my Evasion Instinct flared, guiding my movements.
Following the signals from my instinct, I dodged the projectiles with precision.
<Suwangryu Basics, Type 2: Blind Advance Stance>
I closed the distance to the first goblin and swung my sword, slashing its neck horizontally.
Its body collapsed as I shifted my weight, pivoting to face the other two.
Keeeek!
The remaining goblins tried to slow down, but they were too late.
I compressed the mana within my body, channeling it into my joints and the circuits connected to my sword.
Blue energy enveloped the blade as I prepared my attack.
<Suwangryu Attack Style 1: Lion’s Slash>
A jagged slash designed to tear through its target.
The mana-infused sword emitted a harsh glow as I swung it.
Swish!
The attack wasn’t smooth—it tore through the goblins with a brutal, uneven edge, leaving wounds that hindered recovery.
Kyaaaak!
The goblins were shredded by the force of the strike, their bodies falling apart as blue blood splattered.
“Next, I’ll take four,” I said, steadying myself.
“… Got it,” my father replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
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