The Reason for the Safe Zone
‘So he really was alive.’
What I had only suspected had become reality. The second-time regressor, Choi Kang-min, hadn’t died. Instead, he was playing the hero, setting the board all over again. My mind turned ice-cold.
‘Now is not the time to worry about that bastard.’
Part of me wanted to see his face, but I had no idea how things would unfold. There was no need to be impatient. As much as he grew stronger, I had to grow stronger, too.
‘We’re bound to cross paths anyway.’
It was a structure where, if you kept climbing, you were destined to collide. I swiped the community window away into the void.
— *Thud.*
As I pushed off the ground, my body sprang up lightly. I could vividly feel the changes in my stats. My body was completely different from what it had been two days ago. It was then that I reached the entrance of the villa complex.
— *Grrr.*
In the darkness, amidst a pile of trash, a sickening sound echoed. Three familiar silhouettes were prowling about.
‘Blood Orcs.’
Had they been tearing into a corpse? The Orcs, their mouths smeared with red blood, looked at me simultaneously.
— *Kreeeee!*
Monsters that had caught the scent of a human. They charged at me immediately.
“You guys really...”
Monsters that had been so terrifying only a short while ago. But now.
“Why was I so scared of you?”
I didn’t even need to look at the spoilers; their movements were clear as day. The first Orc to rush me raised its axe wildly. I didn’t dodge. Instead, I kicked off the ground and dove into its guard.
— *Crunch!*
The Shadow Fang in my right hand traced a trajectory through the air.
— *Slash.*
The sensation was disturbingly smooth. The neck of the lead Orc was severed in vain. I twisted my body toward the next target.
“K-Kuaak!?”
As its head flew off, the second Orc faltered in confusion. In that brief gap, I dove under its chin and drove my short sword vertically upward.
— *Thwack!*
The blade pierced its brain precisely. The Orc went limp without even a scream. I pulled the blade out and kicked the corpse toward the final Orc.
— *Crash!*
“Kreeee!”
The third Orc was pinned down by the body of its flying comrade. It struggled, its limbs flailing.
“It’s over.”
I ran forward and plunged the short sword into its heart.
— *Squelch.*
Easy. Those guys who had been so terrifying were no longer a threat at all.
[5 Copper Coins have been automatically absorbed into your assets.]
[5 Copper Coins have been automatically absorbed into your assets.]
[You have acquired a negligible amount of experience.]
Naturally, my level didn’t go up. The notification window had also changed slightly. “Whew...” I lightly flicked the blood off my dagger. A thrilling sense of achievement at having grown stronger washed over me.
‘Almost there.’
I stepped over the Orc corpses and headed toward the back of the villa. Then, I gripped the drainpipe and vaulted upward.
— *Ta-at!*
“Crazy.”
It really was a different dimension. In just three leaps, I cleared the balcony railing like a beast and landed.
— *Landing.*
I tapped on the window lightly. — *Tap, tap-tap.* The rhythm we had agreed upon last night. I felt a flinch from behind the curtain.
“Yu-ah. Open the door.”
At my words, a rattling sound echoed. The curtain was whipped aside.
— *Slide!*
The lock clicked, and the window opened. Yu-ah, her face pale, poked her head out. “Oppa!”
My sister’s eyes reddened instantly. She must have been agonizing over this alone. “You’re okay, right?”
“Yeah. Nothing happened. But Oppa, there’s blood...”
Yu-ah examined me with worried eyes. I gently stroked her hair with a hand that wasn’t stained with blood. “It’s not my blood. I’m not hurt at all.”
“Are you sure? Thank goodness, really...”
“Yeah. Yu-ah, let’s pack. We’re leaving this place.”
At my words, Yu-ah’s eyes went wide. “Huh? Leaving? Suddenly?”
“It’s dangerous if we stay here. Just a moment ago, the first floor was crawling with monsters. I’ve found a much safer place, so we’re moving there.”
At my explanation, Yu-ah nodded and asked cautiously, “W-where are we going?”
“Konkuk University Entrance Station.”
“...Huh? Konkuk University Entrance Station?”
Yu-ah’s confused reaction was natural. It was one of the places where people gathered the most. “Yeah. I’ll explain why it’s there while we go. For now, let’s pack.”
“O-okay. But... what about the luggage? Do we just go as we are?”
I shook my head and entered the house. The remaining food was organized on the dining table. Three bottles of water, canned goods, and five packs of ramen. I pulled the leather pouch from my waist and showed it to Yu-ah. “Everything will fit in here, so don’t worry.”
“...In that tiny pouch?”
Instead of answering, I pushed the items from the table into the pouch. The objects were sucked in without resistance. Yu-ah’s mouth hung wide open at the unrealistic sight. “W-what is this? How did the water bottle just...”
“Think of it like an inventory in a game.” I smiled faintly at the stunned girl. “You won’t feel any weight, so pack whatever clothes or necessities you need. There’s no rush.”
At my words, Yu-ah nodded with a dazed expression. While my sister went into her room to pack, I cleared out all the necessities. No matter how much I put in, I felt no weight.
“It’s certainly good.”
It was a moment where Lee Seol-ah’s evaluation in my mind went up a notch.
About 30 minutes later, Yu-ah’s packing was finished. “You can put that in too, you know.”
My sister, wearing a small backpack, shook her head. “If I put this in too, it might get heavy...”
“No, that’s not what I mean...”
“It’s really okay. And this is important to me, so I want to carry it myself.”
Given Yu-ah’s stubborn attitude, I had no choice but to nod. I cleared the items blocking the door and opened the front door that had been shut tight. The stale air of the hallway rushed in. Yu-ah’s shoulders trembled for a moment. I hid her behind my back.
“Just look at my back and follow me. Oppa will protect you, so don’t worry.”
“Okay...!”
My sister gripped my clothes tightly. I led Yu-ah out into the dark hallway of Hwayang-dong. The direction was Konkuk University Entrance Station, Exit 3. It was time to head to our new home.
“Huk...”
As soon as we stepped outside the building, Yu-ah’s footsteps came to a dead stop. It was her first step since the world had changed. The thick stench of blood pierced her nose. Crumpled cars and bloodstains stuck to the asphalt everywhere. At the end of the alley, the cries of beasts echoed from time to time.
“This is...”
My sister covered her mouth with her small hands. Her gaze turned toward the villa entrance. The scattered Orc corpses. They were the ones I had encountered on my way back home.
“O-Oppa... those...”
“They’re the ones I took care of. They’re already dead.”
Even at my answer, Yu-ah’s body was trembling. Her breathing became shallow and fast. Facing it directly was a different problem.
“Yu-ah.”
“Y-yeah...”
“Just look at the ground. Don’t look around.” I gripped Yu-ah’s trembling wrist firmly. “It’s true the world has collapsed, but nothing will happen to you. Oppa is here, strong and steady. Don’t worry, let’s go.”
Her wavering pupils gradually regained focus. She parted her tightly closed lips. “Okay... I understand. I was just surprised. Really... the world has changed, hasn’t it.”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
We started walking through the dark alley again. Had it been three minutes? The world didn’t yield the path quietly.
— *Grrr.*
As we passed the alley intersection, two Steel-Maned Wolves blocked our path. Bloodshot eyes and dripping saliva. “Eek...!” Yu-ah reflexively gripped my collar tight. I didn’t stop walking and grasped the Shadow Fang.
“Close your eyes.”
Before I could even finish, the beasts bared their teeth and leaped. Yu-ah squeezed her eyes shut.
— *Ta-at!*
My body sprang out, diving under the beast’s chin.
— *Slash!* — *Yelp!!*
Dark red blood scattered into the air. My short sword tore the throat of the first one, then twisted to drive deep into the brow of the second one.
— *Crash!*
The two monsters collapsed onto the floor. The battle ended in an instant. After flicking the blood off, I returned to Yu-ah’s side. “You can open your eyes.”
Yu-ah carefully lifted her eyelids. The sight of the monsters sprawled out. My sister’s pupils dilated. “...What just happened?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go. I told you, didn’t I? You just have to trust me.”
I took Yu-ah’s wrist and led her again. I could feel her gait becoming lighter than before. We hurried our steps.
****
The underground stairs leading to Konkuk University Entrance Station, Exit 3.
“...We’re going to live here?”
“Yeah, you’ll see once we go down.”
The further down we went, the fainter the stench became. In the center of the dark, spacious waiting room, a soft blue light marked our destination.
“We’re here.”
At my voice, Yu-ah’s footsteps stopped. The boundary of the magic circle. As I stepped inside the magic circle first, a familiar holographic window appeared in the air.
[Do you wish to authorize Player ‘Park Yu-ah’ as a Safe Zone entrant?]
[Current authorized personnel: (3/5)]
‘Accept.’
“Come in.”
At my gesture, Yu-ah cautiously crossed the blue line. That moment.
“Ah...”
A small gasp escaped my sister’s lips. It must have been because she felt the effect of the Safe Zone. 100% stamina recovery effect. Yu-ah’s breathing began to ease. It was then.
“Mr. Si-woo!”
Urgent footsteps came from the ticket booth. It was Lee Seol-ah. She spotted Yu-ah next to me and her eyes went wide. “Oh, you really brought someone? Who is that...”
“My sister.”
As I answered briefly, Lee Seol-ah’s gaze shifted between Yu-ah and me. Then, she blurted out as if she were dumbfounded. “What? Your biological sister? Wow, you don’t look alike at all... Ah.”
At my cold glare, Lee Seol-ah hurriedly covered her mouth. It wasn’t a wrong statement. We didn’t have many similarities in personality or appearance. My sister was cute by anyone’s standards, and I was... ‘Why am I getting annoyed?’
“A-ah, hello. I’m Park Yu-ah.” Yu-ah bowed awkwardly and greeted her.
“Ah! Y-yes! I’m Lee Seol-ah. Nice to meet you!” Lee Seol-ah also hurriedly returned the greeting.
It was a strangely peaceful and incongruous situation. Amidst the awkward atmosphere, I opened the leather pouch. “Eat something for now.”
— *Thud, thud-thud.*
I pulled water, chocolate bars, and bread from the subspace pouch. “Eat something for now.”
“Wow! Thank you!” Lee Seol-ah reached out as if she had been waiting. However, just before her fingers could touch them.
“I didn’t give them to you to eat.”
At my words, Lee Seol-ah’s hand stopped in mid-air. Her pupils shook as if she were having a seizure. “What...? A-ah... I, I shouldn’t eat...? I’m hungry too...”
She looked at me with a cowed face, gauging my reaction. In truth, these items didn’t have much value to me now. I could buy them at the shop. But, that didn’t mean I was just going to hand them over... Just then.
“Oppa.”
I felt a tug on my clothes. It was Yu-ah. “Can’t you give some to that unni too? We can share, right?”
My sister’s cautious question. Those gentle eyes looking up at me. Soon, the thoughts that had been settled in my head were scattered. “Haa.”
I sighed briefly and stopped my hand. Then, I pushed one piece of bread toward Lee Seol-ah. “Know that you’re eating this thanks to Yu-ah. This is the only time.”
“Huk! T-thank you! Yu-ah, thank you so much!” She accepted it eagerly and bowed repeatedly. Yu-ah also picked up a chocolate bar and unwrapped it. As the sweetness entered her system, color began to return to her face little by little.
The two of them sat roughly on the waiting room floor, wolfing down their food. The roars of beasts could be heard faintly overhead. ‘Certainly... it is good. The very fact that such a space exists.’
Being able to catch one’s breath in a ruined world. That itself was a small happiness.
“Now, you’ve caught your breath, right?” I turned my gaze toward Lee Seol-ah, who was munching on bread.
“Yes.”
“So, did you find anything in the station while I was gone?”
At my question, her eyes wavered slightly. She swallowed the bread hastily and scratched the back of her head as if embarrassed. “Ah... that, I really searched every nook and cranny, but there wasn’t anything particularly special? It’s really just a normal subway station waiting room. I don’t see anything hidden either.”
Her voice was thoroughly intimidated. I nodded briefly in agreement. “I see... okay. Got it.”
“Oh, what? You’re not angry?”
“No, what do you take me for? There’s no reason to be angry.”
It was exactly as I said. This was a Safe Zone guaranteed by the system. That alone was enough value. Wishing for more might be greed.
‘Let’s buy what we need first.’
I floated the shop window in the air. Since I had enough coins, I needed to spend them, even if just for Yu-ah.
I quickly purchased the items immediately necessary for survival and additional convenience foods. Yu-ah and Lee Seol-ah’s eyes widened at the items appearing out of thin air. “A-are you buying these from the shop? No, how much money do you have...”
Leaving Lee Seol-ah’s voice behind, I carefully examined the daily necessities section. Was there anything else I needed? Was there anything Yu-ah could use? But just then.
— *Ding!*
Suddenly, a crimson text notification was overlaid on the shop window.
[System Notification: Tutorial Day 3 Rule Update Preview]
[Notice: New rules will be added to prevent survivors from complacent hiding.]
[- From Day 3, you cannot stay in one location other than a ‘Safe Zone’ for more than 12 hours.]
[- If the time limit is exceeded, a Monster Wave will occur at that location.]
“...What?”
The reason for the Safe Zone was revealed.