The Rookie’s Perfect Tanking

As Junhyuk drew the aggro, Kang Jicheol, the trapper, called out again.

[The bind will soon be released!]

Simultaneously, Sangjin’s voice rang out. “Choi Junhyuk! What are you doing? Get out of there, quickly!”

Sangjin was convinced that Junhyuk’s actions were nothing more than reckless bravado.

Otherwise, a complete novice who hadn’t even participated in a single virtual battle, let alone real combat, wouldn’t dare step forward to tank.

However, even if it was indeed bravado, it was already too late.

“It’s too late. The aggro is already on me.”

Sangjin’s expression turned to one of shock at the mention of the aggro already being drawn.

Of course, aggro levels didn’t accumulate steadily like stacking stones just by hunting for a long time. Yet, this was the aggro he, a self-proclaimed veteran in this beginner hunting ground, had maintained for hours while tanking.

And now, a rookie, facing their first battle, had snatched it away in less than five minutes?

It was a situation utterly incomprehensible by any logical standard.

“What? The aggro’s already on you? What in the—”

As Sangjin spoke, dumbfounded, Junhyuk swiftly retorted.

“This isn’t the time for such talk. For now, I’ll hold it somehow, so if you’re really worried, take down the Mantis as quickly as possible and reclaim the aggro.”

“Hmph! You crazy bastard! Are you itching for death? You’ll really die if you keep this up!”

“I’m itching to live. And from now on, I need to focus on tanking, so don’t talk to me.”

Finishing his words, Junhyuk thrust his shield forward, assuming a defensive stance.

Immediately, the Trudeker, freed from its bind as the duration ended, surged forward with a menacing aura, charging at Junhyuk.

Kwooooooh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Thud! Boom! Thud!

Even if the Trudeker’s attacks were slow and weak, that was only in comparison to other monsters. They were by no means negligible.

Because of this, the party members viewed Junhyuk’s actions as nothing more than a rookie’s recklessness.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t actively stop him, because if Junhyuk gave up tanking and retreated, all that awaited them was total annihilation.

All they could do was hope Junhyuk would hold out well while they hunted the Mantis.

Of course, Junhyuk himself wasn’t thinking that way at all.

“Alright. Shall we begin in earnest?”

Junhyuk flashed a wry smile at the Trudeker, then awakened his dormant extrasensory perception.

Zing!

At the same time, a faint throbbing and a ringing sensation echoed in his head, like tinnitus.

‘Heheheh, yes. This feeling. Hahaha.’

It felt as if every cell in his body was awakening.

It was a sensation he had experienced countless times before his regression, but this was the first time he’d felt it since returning.

As his extrasensory perception awakened, Junhyuk’s eyes sharpened with intensity.

Meanwhile, as Junhyuk drew the Trudeker’s aggro, Sangjin quickly assessed the situation.

‘That crazy bastard… Hmph, I suppose there’s no choice. As Junhyuk said, for now, I’ll just focus on resolving this situation.’

It was questionable how long Junhyuk would last against the Trudeker, but the milk was already spilled. Instead of worrying needlessly, he needed to focus on breaking through the current situation as quickly as possible.

“Cheolmin! Wonjin! While I’m tanking this one, somehow move behind it!”

Cheolmin and Wonjin, who had finally caught a breath thanks to Sangjin drawing the Mantis’s aggro, prepared to move swiftly as Sangjin’s order came down.

“Yes!”

“Damn it! Junhyuk! Just hold on a little longer! I’ll take down this damned mantis as fast as I can and come help you! You know I trust you, right? Don’t die! You absolutely have to hold out!”

At Cheolmin’s worried words, Junhyuk frowned and replied.

“Don’t you know me? I’m the legendary Choi Junhyuk, you idiot. Who’s worrying about whom? Stop chattering and just deal proper damage!”

Cheolmin, thinking Junhyuk was deliberately bluffing, replied in kind.

“Alright. I’ll finish it off as fast as my ‘Lightning Flash’ and be there.”

As Cheolmin and Wonjin prepared to get behind the Mantis, Sangjin immediately issued the next order.

“Ranged damage dealers! Can you attack the Mantis from your current positions?”

[The Trudeker is blocking the way, so attacking from our current position will be difficult! It seems we’d have to go up to the rooftop to make it possible?]

“Then hurry up and get up there! What are you waiting for? Park Seungnam’s party already shaved off a good amount of its shield, so there isn’t much left! I’ll maintain aggro somehow, so unleash your skills as soon as you’re in position! Don’t worry about force management; just focus on taking it down quickly!”

Normally, they would have to manage their force until the shield was completely stripped away, but this was no time for leisurely force management.

Since they didn’t know how long Junhyuk could hold out, they had to defeat the Mantis as quickly as possible.

[Yes!]

[Roger!]

“And Hyesu!”

At the sound of her name, Hyesu, who had been in a state of panic, hastily responded.

[Yes? Oh, yes!]

“From now on, only focus on Junhyuk! Don’t spare any force; pour heals into him so he can hold out as long as possible. Understood?”

[But then, what about you, Oppa?]

“Hmph! I’m Yoo Sangjin! I’m not so pathetic that I need heals while fighting a dying Mantis! So don’t worry about me; focus on Junhyuk! Our lives depend on how long he can hold out.”

[Ah, I understand.]

Having quickly regained his composure and rapidly issued orders, Sangjin once again focused on tanking the Mantis.

Its sharp, powerful foreleg attacks were not only formidable in their might but also extremely threatening due to their rapid attack speed.

Screeeech!

A shrill, metallic screech that sent shivers down one’s spine assaulted Sangjin’s ears.

Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh!

Thud! Crash!

Even for Yoo Sangjin, who was quite seasoned in beginner hunting grounds, the Mantis’s attacks were so swift that he couldn’t easily avoid them without intense concentration.

‘Damn, it’s quite tricky going from fighting a Trudeker to suddenly fighting a Mantis.’

Hunting the Trudeker, an F-grade monster with the slowest attack speed, only to immediately face the Mantis, an F-grade monster with the fastest, without a moment to adapt, was truly overwhelming.

But what could he do?

Given the situation, he had no choice but to adapt somehow.

Sangjin evaded or blocked the Mantis’s fierce attacks, slowly shifting his body to the right.

‘Just a little… just a little more.’

The Mantis moved accordingly, creating space to its left.

“Now! Move quickly!”

Simultaneously with Sangjin’s shout, Cheolmin and Wonjin swiftly moved behind the Mantis.

“Brother! We’re behind it!”

At Wonjin’s words, Sangjin immediately yelled.

“Then attack right away! What are you blabbering about?!”

“Hmph! Yes!”

Cheolmin and Wonjin, having gotten behind the Mantis, immediately began their assault.

Thwack! Thump!

When they attacked with basic attacks, wary of drawing aggro, Sangjin, who was tanking, bellowed indignantly.

“Don’t use basic attacks, use skills! There’s not much shield left on this thing anyway! Just spam your skills! Forty minutes! We’ll end it within that time!”

At the command to spam skills, Cheolmin asked with a shocked expression.

“What? What if the aggro shifts then?”

Typically, for safe hunting, the tank alone draws aggro for at least 30 to 40 minutes.

Even after damage dealers join, they usually focus on basic attacks to manage aggro.

But now, Sangjin had issued an order to spam skills after only about ten minutes of fighting the Mantis.

If excessive attacks were made without properly drawing aggro, it was inevitable for the aggro to shift.

Of course, Sangjin was well aware of this, but this was not the time to dwell on such concerns.

“I’ll hold aggro by any means necessary, so just do as I say! Or do you want to let Junhyuk die like this? How long do you think someone who has never fought a monster before can hold out?”

Whoosh!

Thwack!

While he was speaking, his concentration wavered for a moment, and the Mantis’s swift attack followed. Sangjin hastily raised his shield and blocked it.

“Ugh!”

The force was so immense that even blocking with his shield, a significant shock reverberated through him.

Moreover, his health had already dropped below half, causing Sangjin to frown and bite his lower lip.

‘Damn it! Damage is accumulating. Can I really hold out?’

Going directly from fighting a Trudeker to a Mantis, he hadn’t adapted to the sudden change in attack speed and couldn’t properly evade.

Of course, he hadn’t taken any direct hits; he had blocked everything with his shield. But even that was enough for damage to accumulate, a testament to the Mantis’s powerful attacks.

Now, the question wasn’t whether Junhyuk could hold out, but whether he himself could withstand the Mantis.

Even with little shield remaining, the Mantis possessed terrifying attack power and speed.

It was uncertain if he could last the remaining time without a healer’s support.

But then.

Shwaaaa!

A white light enveloped Sangjin’s entire body, and his health surged.

‘Huh! This is a heal?’

Despite his explicit instructions to focus on Junhyuk, Hyesu had healed him.

Angered, Sangjin exclaimed.

“Moon Hyesu! I told you to focus on Junhyuk! If you have time to heal me, heal Junhyuk!”

However, what followed was a statement that completely overturned Sangjin’s expectations.

[Oppa. There’s no need to rush, I think. Take your time and tackle it steadily. And don’t worry about Junhyuk. I have nothing to do with him, to begin with. How can I heal him if his health isn’t even dropping?]

No need to rush? Had she finally lost her mind? Had she snapped after experiencing a situation like this for the first time?

And no need to heal him? What kind of insane talk was that?

“What kind of nonsense is that?!”

The answer came not from Hyesu, but from Donghyuk.

[Brother. That guy is incredible! His tanking is perfect. It’s like watching you, Brother. No, in some ways, he’s even more amazing than you. He’s evading most of the attacks. How should I put this… he’s practically toying with the Trudeker!]

What was this all about? A rookie tank who had never even hunted a monster before was executing perfect tanking?

No, beyond perfect—he was toying with the Trudeker?

No matter how weak its attack power and how sluggish its movements, that was only in comparison to other monsters; it was by no means an opponent to be taken lightly.

Among the tanks who stepped into beginner hunting grounds, it took at least six months to be considered to have shed their rookie status, and a year to be called experienced.

And to be called a veteran like Sangjin, one had to have toiled in this field for at least two years.

But ‘perfect’ for a rookie undergoing their first real combat? Sangjin momentarily wondered if his party members were deliberately fabricating things to reassure him, thinking he was too anxious.

“Are you saying that now…? I’ll say it again: if Junhyuk falls, we all face annihilation. If you’re making things up because of me…”

[Brother. We’re not idiots; why would we lie like that? Frankly, if either Junhyuk or you fall, we’re all looking at annihilation. I’m telling you again, that Junhyuk… he’s like a veteran. He’s overflowing with composure in his tanking. He looks like he could hold out for hours without issue, so don’t overdo it needlessly. Let’s stick to the textbook. The textbook way.]

If that was true, there was no need to insist on quick hunting at the risk of danger.

Although he had said he was fine, Sangjin himself couldn’t guarantee he could maintain aggro if he spammed skills in this situation.

“I’ll ask again. You’re not just saying that, are you?”

[No, I stake my neck on it.]

[Me too. Junhyuk’s tanking… it’s just perfect.]

[Brother, I guarantee it too. It seems fine to go by the book.]

It wasn’t just one person; all the party members watching from inside the building were saying the same thing, so what could he do?

‘No choice, I guess. At this rate, maintaining aggro will be difficult anyway. For now, I can only hope my teammates are telling the truth…’

Having organized his thoughts, Sangjin immediately gave the order.

“Alright. Then I’ll trust those words and go by the book. Melee damage dealers! Stop attacking and pull back. Ranged damage dealers, don’t attack; just get into position and wait! First, we’ll secure the aggro properly before starting!”

It was hard to confirm whether their words were true right away, but if both Hyesu and Donghyuk were saying so, he figured it wasn’t an empty boast.

Therefore, Sangjin trusted their words and chose to proceed by the book, even if it took a little longer.