Tutorial (5): No True Saviors

They were dead the moment they set foot here anyway. Killing them a little sooner wouldn't cost me a thing. So I decided to grant her request.

I started the usual way, with the dagger, just like always.

Air ripped with a sharp whistle as one man crumpled.

"Wh-what the hell!!"

Spend that time spewing stupid shit on getting into position.

The orc body exploded from the underbrush, closing the distance in an instant.

I uppercut the nearest guy's jaw with my fist, feeling bone shatter under the impact.

Then my iron sword cleaved through the next man's waist, sending him toppling.

Three of the four were down in a flash. All that remained was the woman who'd been spewing venom at Kim Ji-hyun.

She collapsed to the ground, face twisted in disbelief.

"Monster... you were shacking up with a monster! I knew it!"

What the hell did she know? The idiot bitch still hadn't grasped the situation.

I swallowed a sigh at her pathetic display and raised my iron sword.

Kim Ji-hyun murmured, barely audible.

"...I'll do it."

"What?"

"I'll... do it."

A chuckle burst from my lips.

This could get interesting. I handed her the dagger.

Her limping leg, the dagger in her grip, eyes far from normal.

The woman kept hurling insults, seething with rage.

"Fuck, how could you side with a monster... filthy bitch!"

Most would hesitate in this atmosphere, but she was something else.

Kim Ji-hyun stood before her and, without a hint of doubt, plunged the dagger into the woman's side.

"Ah, aaaagh-!!"

The scream erupted, but she didn't pull the blade out—instead, she twisted her wrist, grinding it deeper.

"Those disgusting stares all the time... you're all the same, you trash..."

Then she started stabbing wildly, no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠holds barred.

Arms, legs, gut, shoulders—anywhere and everywhere.

"Die... die!!!"

Kim Ji-hyun had always seemed like someone who'd balk at killing, but that was a huge misjudgment.

The woman's screams faded into whimpers.

Kim Ji-hyun went quiet for a long stretch.

She stared down at the blood coating her hands, then slowly lifted her head.

"...It's weird. A message popped up in my head, telling me to choose a job..."

What?

Her quest must've been to kill ten monsters. If it was complete, that meant the system recognized our teamwork ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in hunting humans as quest progress.

"What jobs do you have?"

"Priest and Archer."

My eyes lit up. Archer wasn't bad, but what really caught me was priest.

There were no instant-heal potions like in games here.

Whether mid-battle or critically wounded, there was only one quick recovery method.

Healing magic.

Priests were always in short supply for that reason.

With a priest, combat endurance and survival odds jumped to another level.

Tempting...

The issue was trusting Kim Ji-hyun. She hadn't shown it outwardly, but deep down, she probably resented me.

"Which one should I pick?"

"Why ask me?"

"You're strong... and you seem to know this place well."

"Choose priest. It's specialized in healing magic. You get how important that is, right?"

Kim Ji-hyun nodded.

Moments later, a staff appeared in her hand.

"Instructions on casting spells popped into my head... I think I can use the lowest-tier healing magic."

Standard for a fresh priest class change.

After some thought, I decided to test her loyalty.

"Kim Ji-hyun, you're not needed anymore. We're parting ways here."

Her eyes went wide at my words.

"Pardon? You're letting me go?"

"Yeah. You can leave."

She pondered for a long time before speaking.

"You're lying... you'd kill me if I left. Your eyes changed the moment I said priest."

Damn... she's sharp. Worlds apart from that idiot bitch earlier.

No way to probe her true feelings right now.

If she'd said she was leaving, I'd have killed her without guilt, but for now, I'd keep her around and figure it out slowly.

"I'll stick with you. That okay?"

"Whatever... do what you want."

Senses or strength.

Rank didn't matter. They'd level up naturally with use.

Lucky folks sometimes got high-rank traits right away, but that was rare.

Both maximized orc advantages nicely.

Strength would boost close combat, but even without it, my mid-rank experience meant I wouldn't lose head-on easily.

Senses let me spot enemies first and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠block ambushes—pure survival boost.

With Kim Ji-hyun untrustworthy, I was essentially solo. No one to rely on.

Better to prep ahead and avoid danger.

Number 1.

I checked and closed the status window. A new quest popped up in my head.

Strong humans meant those who'd finished their first job selection.

A week since the tutorial began. Those who hadn't chosen jobs were either dead or hiding deep in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the woods, praying for it to end.

In other words, now was the time for the quest completers.

Kim Ji-hyun and I walked through the forest together.

After becoming a priest, she'd used her new healing magic to fix her limp.

She was wearing the clothes from the woman she'd just killed—torn and bloodied in places, but better than exposing one breast entirely.

No need to use her as bait anymore, so I didn't object.

The forest had gone pitch black, but we still hadn't found a spot to rest.

I was lost in thought, organizing my next moves.

That's when it happened.

Snap—

A faint sound.

I halted instinctively. Kim Ji-hyun saw and stopped too.

"Why—"

"Quiet."

My senses trait kicked in.

Crickets, wind... and between them, a sharp slice cutting air from straight ahead, right side.

Arrow!

Aimed at Kim Ji-hyun.

They must've pegged her staff as healer or ranged DPS and prioritized. Pro-level marksmanship.

The attack was too sudden; I barely raised my arm in time to block.

Arrowhead buried deep into my forearm.

"Kyaa...!"

"Get behind me."

Archer.

Without the senses trait, I'd have been done.

Hitting her precisely in this darkness? High chance of vision-related trait.

Whoosh—!

Spear this time.

I dodged reflexively, then remembered Ji-hyun behind me.

That split-second hesitation let the spearhead pierce my right chest.

Metal tearing flesh—the vivid sensation made me bite my lip hard, but a groan slipped out anyway.

"Ngh...!"

Then a sword-wielding man burst from the right.

Seamless chain, no gaps allowed.

"You fucking...!"

I spat praise through gritted teeth, yanking my iron sword to parry.

His blade was heavy. Swordsman-type job, for sure.

He flinched, not expecting the block.

I whipped out my dagger with my free hand and jammed it into his neck.

-Shwick!

Two more arrows incoming.

Senses maxed, I read their paths and swatted them away.

Takes care of the annoying archer first.

I shut my eyes to focus senses.

Leaves rustling, crickets... bowstring drawing.

There!

I hurled the dagger; something thudded in the dark. But fixated on the archer, I missed the next spear.

It sank into my gut.

Fuck...

"Haesoo-!!"

One of them yelled.

I roughly yanked the spears from chest and belly.

Blood sprayed, agony exploded, but no time to falter.

If I didn't end them now, we'd be the ones done. I charged toward the voice with everything I had.

The archer lay with my dagger in his gut; beside him, a shield-bearer.

That one's the spear guy...

He raised his shield on reflex, but couldn't withstand an orc charge.

Launched airborne, he smashed into a tree and crumpled.

As I turned to finish the archer, my vision swam, stomach churning.

Legs buckled, knees hitting dirt.

Damn... lost too much blood.

I knew job-holders were getting active, but I got careless.

Strolled through dark woods without caution.

Need to get stronger... for revenge...

Last thing I saw: Kim Ji-hyun rushing toward me.

"You—!"

Her voice cut the world to black.

Name Kim Ji-hyun, age twenty-six.

The first day here, I got ambushed by green monsters but survived by luck.

After that, I broke off with some like-minded comrades, vowing to endure a month as the messages demanded. We plunged deeper into the forest.

Hiding breaths, stifling presence, dead silent... we thought that was the way.

But they found us.

Green monster burst in, slaughtered my comrades. I was dragged off and suffered horrors. Even then, I didn't want to die.

I wanted to live.

When the monster offered a bet, I saw hope.

"Scream and humans will come." I prayed it wasn't a lie.

I screamed with all I had. And people really came.

For that moment... it felt like the world had returned.

So relieved, so happy, I nearly yelled again, forgetting the monster watching. But... they didn't see me as human.

Just leered with blatant, sticky, repulsive gazes.

Soon the green monster appeared and killed them all.

That night, I couldn't sleep a wink.

The fact that people died because of my scream haunted me.

They'd looked at me with disgust, but hadn't committed capital crimes... I felt unbearable guilt.

At the same time, this thought crept in.

If I hadn't, the monster would've killed me.

All night, guilt clashed with the will to survive.

And the next day, I screamed again. And the day after, and after that.

Believing someday a true rescuer would come. But that faith crumbled bit by bit over time.

People kept coming. Not one with genuine kindness in their eyes.

Now I finally understood.

"Being saved" by people didn't mean safety.

Dragged off by those with foul stares—what awaited was obvious.

...I knew it, but kept denying. Admitting it would've broken me. And finally, watching that woman hurl abuse at me, it all clicked.

No such thing as salvation.

I might have to fawn at someone's side like her.

...Honestly, if it meant survival, I wouldn't mind.

This was that kind of place.