Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

"Ha, your aim is really good." Irina raised her eyebrows, with a hint of arrogance in her tone. "Can you explain why you didn't tell us that you can see in the dark?"

I met her gaze calmly. Her question was not surprising at all. She always liked to demand answers, especially when the questions involved things that might benefit the group. It was expected, but at the same time, it was annoying.

Both her tone and her demeanor were typical of her ego, and this was a good opportunity for future discussion. We would be forming a team this semester, and it would be beneficial for me to establish my position in the team.

At least this way I'll spend less time on quests like dungeons.

“No one asked.”

I responded coldly, in a flat tone without a trace of emotion. It was a simple and direct response to her question, and it also ensured that she would take responsibility for it.

Irina's eyes narrowed slightly at my response. Clearly, she was not used to people who would not bow to her authority. However, her self-esteem was strong and she did not back down.

"Don't play dumb with me," she snapped back, her displeasure evident in her tone. "In a team like this, information sharing is vital. You've compromised our safety by hiding your abilities."

I weighed her words and responded calmly after a moment, my expression still calm. "You're right. Sharing information is important in a team. But it's a two-way street. If you could accept other people's opinions from the beginning, maybe we wouldn't have triggered those traps at all."

Irina's eyes flashed with anger, angered by my words. She was not used to being challenged, especially by someone who had been relatively silent until now. But I had no intention of backing down, especially when I knew the situation we were in.

"I may not have publicly demonstrated my abilities, but that doesn't mean your responsibility as a leader can be ignored," I continued, my tone firm. "As a team, you have a responsibility to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each member. But you acted on your own without considering the consequences."

I was confident in myself in terms of language. At the same time, it became a habit. Now, I just wanted to hurt the girl's self-esteem.

Nora and George exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the growing tension between Irina and I. It was undoubtedly an awkward situation for them, caught between our clashing personalities.

"Just like the previous dungeon crawler, it was your fragile ego that caused you to lose points, and this time is no different. If you, as a leader, cannot take advantage of the strengths of everyone in your team because of your ego, then you are not fit to be a leader. This dungeon is supervised by an academy mentor, but in real life, no one will supervise, and there are no non-lethal traps. As a leader, you will be responsible for the lives of your subordinates. Can you handle the situation where they lose their lives because of the wrong decisions made by a leader who is blinded by his ego?"

"It seems someone is quite talkative." Irina countered, her tone full of sarcasm. She crossed her arms and stared at me with flaming eyes. "Since you are so confident in your abilities, why don't you lead the way yourself?"

Her challenge was obvious, an attempt to put me in an awkward position to prove her superiority. But I didn't let her provocation upset me. Instead, I looked back at her with a determined look.

"Perhaps I will," I responded calmly, without a trace of anger in my tone. "But you've shown that you're not willing to cooperate. A leader should inspire trust and cooperation, not arrogance."

Irina's eyes flashed with anger, and she clenched her fists. Obviously, my words had touched a nerve in her. Seeing this, I felt a little proud. She was used to being the center of attention, used to dominating everything, and I broke this order.

"You think you're smart, don't you?" She gritted her teeth and retorted, her tone full of anger. "Well, since you are so confident, then take us away. But if you fail, I promise you will taste hell next time."

I could see the challenge in her eyes, a provocation in a situation I hadn’t asked for. But my goal was never to lead, only to point out the flaws in her approach.

First of all, I'm not in a good position to be a leader. As a shooter, it's possible to lead a squad, but it can be complicated considering I also need to act as a scout.

'However, this is a good opportunity to test myself.'

I took up her challenge with a determined look in my eyes, "Okay, I'll be the leader." I answered simply and turned to the other two. "What do you two think?"

"no problem."

"That's fine with me."

Due to Irina's overpowering aura, the other two easily accepted my proposal. In this way, I became the leader of the team.

"Now, I'll be brief," I announced, my tone even. "I'll be walking ahead, focusing on detecting and avoiding traps. The two of you need to follow my steps, forming a single-file formation to reduce the risk of triggering traps. Irina, don't use your fire magic just yet. I suspect the Dark Veil will react to light sources and may draw unwanted attention from monsters. We need to be careful about when to use light sources."

Irina looked a little unhappy, but she reluctantly agreed to my plan. She obviously wanted to regain control of the situation, but it was also necessary to make this girl understand the importance of having a good plan.

"As we move forward," I continued, "we may come to a fork in the road. When that happens, please follow my guidance and wait for my decision. I will be responsible for leading everyone to the right path. You must strictly follow my instructions and listen carefully. Because everyone's vision is limited, I will be your eyes."

"Any questions?"

“…”

"Okay, let's get started."

And so we started moving forward, and from that moment on, everything became easier and easier.

I walked in front, avoiding all the traps, while the other three tried their best to keep up with me. Our speed was not the best, but it was commendable enough. After all, some teams can use tanks to absorb all the damage and rush to the front by brute force.

This is exactly what the protagonists in the game do. But our formation is not suitable for doing that, and George's strength is not enough to support this method.

As we continued forward, however, I could feel the tension in the group slowly ease. Irina's earlier arrogance had turned into a reluctant acknowledgement of my role at this point, while Nora and George seemed more relaxed, knowing that someone was watching out ahead and leading them.

Of course, they tried their best to keep Irina from noticing this, but she eventually noticed it. After all, she wasn't stupid, despite her conceit.

“Stop,” I ordered at a fork in the road.

Activating my [Sharp Eyes], I quickly scanned the path ahead, processing the information quickly. "Go left," I directed, and we continued on our chosen path.

It's not just about avoiding traps, but also about making the most of each member's strengths. Now that confrontation is inevitable, it's time for the squad to return to normal formation.

I instructed George, "George, you go to the front. Your size and strength can help us clear the obstacles ahead." He nodded, understanding what I meant, and walked to the front, leading us forward with his huge body.

Just like that, we faced the second wave of enemies. When a group of monsters emerged from the darkness, I instructed George to fight them. His huge body was like an indestructible wall. Nora stood beside him, her sword skills were smooth and accurate, and she quickly knocked down the enemies.

Irina's fire magic was once again useful, attacking enemies from a distance, engulfing them in powerful flames. Our coordinated efforts ensured that no one was overwhelmed, and we emerged from each encounter unscathed.

"George, stop," I yelled as we approached a suspicious section of road. He paused, and I saw a faint line on the ground. "Watch out, there's a pressure plate here. Nora, can you remove it?"

Nora stepped forward and quickly removed the pressure plate using her skilled hands and the small tools in her equipment. "It's OK," she confirmed, and we continued on our way.

At another point, we came across a narrow passage with many spikes protruding from it. "Irina, your fire magic could come in handy here," I suggested. Irina nodded, and her attitude became more gracious. She summoned a controlled fire that melted the spikes and cleared a safe passage for us.

And so we move on.

......

'What's wrong with this guy?' Irina thought to herself, watching the annoying guy leading the team. 'Why is he so powerful?'

Even though she didn't want to admit it, the way he led the team, his ability to quickly leverage everyone's strengths and make snap judgments, was indeed commendable.

Yet, she felt angry.

Angry at the fact that she was defeated by him. She didn't know why, but she felt annoyed every time she talked to him.

This was his attitude. An attitude of disrespect. As the daughter of one of the most famous families in a small country and the current Grand Master of Fire, she had always been an object of respect.

She has always been the focus of the crowd and is naturally used to this situation.

But now, nothing was as she expected.

She couldn't help but feel a conflicting sense of respect and anger for his calm demeanor. Who was this guy to be so confident in his control of their team?

However, she had to admit that his leadership style was effective. He was methodical in every situation, gave clear instructions, and made decisions without hesitation.

"Stop," he commanded, breaking the silence. She paused, anger welling up in her, and waited for his instructions.

"Something's wrong," he continued, and she saw him frown, and because they were so close, she could see his face clearly.

'He's not bad,' she thought. She couldn't help but compare his appearance to that of Victor, whom she liked. Of course, for her, Victor was the top at the moment, and for most people, too, but this annoying guy in front of her was also quite handsome.

'He's got to get rid of these bangs though, he looks like an emo boy.' She imagined herself burning his hair off, leaving him bald, and felt a surge of satisfaction in her heart.

'I should give it a try.' She continued to indulge in her fantasy, but it was only an illusion.

Immersed in her daydreams, thinking about her bangs and bald head, Irina's senses became dulled for a moment.

roar

Suddenly, a deep roar echoed in the corridor, instantly bringing her back to reality. Before she could react, a monster pounced on her from the shadows, with malicious eyes flashing.

Instinctively her body tensed, ready to summon a wave of fire in defense, but Morse was faster.

Whoosh

His arrow swiftly flew through the air and accurately pierced the monster's flank, successfully attracting the monster's attention.

“Howl!”

The monster screamed in pain, and its originally rapid attack was forced to stop and fell to the side.

"What are you doing?" Morse's voice was filled with frustration and anger. He quickly nocked another arrow and shot at the approaching monster again. "Use your fire magic. There are a lot of them. Three at three o'clock, four at eleven o'clock, and three at eight o'clock."

His instructions were clear, and his cold gaze pierced the battlefield. Irina was stunned for a moment, unable to react immediately. He was very close to her just now, but then he immediately returned behind her and put some more arrows on.

"George, use your skills to cover the left side and force them into the middle. Nora, meet them head-on and pin them down. Under my orders, the two of you retreat."

The situation was urgent, and her previous lapse of attention was unforgivable. She watched George and Nora follow Morse's orders and form an effective defense against the approaching monsters. It was a testament to his leadership and their willingness to trust his instructions.

“Tsk!”

The monsters quickly launched an attack, and Irina watched the three of them engage in a fierce battle.

"Prepare your magic and clean them up at my command."

But after a few seconds, Irina's mind cleared up and she noticed the instructions Morse gave her.

"Now."

At his command, she released all the emotions in her heart and swept away the monsters...