Chapter 10: Kim Soohyun Begins the Rite of Passage.
Chapter 10: Kim Soohyun Begins the Rite of Passage.
I was suddenly reminded of a TV show I once enjoyed. What if an ordinary person was suddenly thrown into a life-threatening situation? The show claimed that people act rationally for only fifteen minutes after a crisis hits. After that, reason vanishes, and they act purely on instinct, or so they said. If that’s true, could I say the group I’m leading has already skipped past that rational phase?
We had stopped on a high hill in the forest to catch our breath. Even for a hill, the path had been steeper than expected, and everyone was clearly exhausted. After taking a moment to breathe, I looked down and saw that my prediction had been spot on. The clearing where we had been sitting just an hour ago was now packed tight with Deadmen.
The others let out pained groans as they stared at the clearing, which now looked small enough to be covered by a hand. It was obvious that if we had been even a moment slower, we would have become their prey. Even the spirited, sharp-tongued woman was rubbing her arms, a look of horror on her face.
Everyone wore a complicated expression. Monsters were real, and their lives were in danger. As that reality sank in, every sort of negative emotion showed plainly on their faces. But that was a part I couldn’t help them with. From now on, I planned to stay out of it as much as possible and quietly watch from the back. I had seen their basic information, but I still needed to see how they acted in person.
“Pant! Pant! Dammit… What the hell are those things?”
Park Donggeol was still gasping for air, having just made it up the hill. I shook my head as I looked at him. If he had only known when to keep quiet, he might at least have passed for average. When you got down to it, the recent crisis had happened because he kicked a stone. In other words, he was the one who caused it. If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to say a word, but he was apparently shameless.
Sighing, I turned my head and saw Ahn Sol still weeping in Ahn Hyun’s arms. For a second, I thought she was pathetic, but this experience had taught me one thing. If the crying Ahn Sol was indeed the Priestess of Radiance I knew, I had thought her future was more or less guaranteed. Considering her 100 luck points, I’d assumed she would naturally pass the Rite of Passage. But the result was different. I had confirmed that the future could change with even the slightest difference in action.
As if sensing my gaze, Ahn Hyun, who was wiping away Ahn Sol’s tears, gave me a deep bow. He had realized I was the one who had taken care of the Deadman with a bolt. I could see the gratitude in his eyes. I gave a slight nod to show it was nothing and turned my gaze back down the hill.
Grrrr! Grrrr!
“Aah!”
“Waaah!”
Whether they had been nearby all along or had followed us from the clearing, two new Deadmen appeared, desperately trying to climb the hill. However, they couldn’t move with the same speed as before.
Deadmen were quite fast when they spotted prey and charged in a straight line. But if they had to turn or climb high ground, their speed dropped significantly. It wasn’t that they couldn’t climb the hill, but I could just stab a knife through their heads before they reached the top.
The group was in less of a panic than when they first saw the Deadmen, but screams still erupted. I felt bad for Lee Borim, but I had no intention of going out of my way to save her. For one, her duet of screams with Ahn Sol from the very beginning had been getting on my nerves, and after checking her Player Status, I couldn’t find any use for her. If she survived, it would be her good fortune. If she died, it would be her fate.
It’s about time for a reaction… Cooperation, division, or just maintaining the status quo.
To start a proper conversation, dealing with the Deadmen climbing up from below was the first priority.
It was then that Ahn Hyun moved. He must have left his sword in the clearing, because he set Ahn Sol down and picked up a fist-sized stone. I had been loading a bolt into my crossbow, but I paused to see what he would do.
If a group of adult Korean men were each given a sword and told to hit a target at a set distance, how many would succeed? I wanted to see for myself whether his cutting off the Deadman’s left arm earlier had been skill or just luck.
Unlike before, Ahn Hyun carefully measured the direction and distance, then threw the stone with all his might. And the result…
Thwack!
“Not so tough, are they?”
Ahn Hyun’s throw was excellent. The stone struck with a heavy thud and smashed the Deadman’s head. Watching the monster collapse limply, Ahn Hyun’s eyes lit up as if he’d realized something, and he easily took care of the other one.
“Yeah, not so tough. So don’t get all high and mighty after taking out just two of them.”
But Park Donggeol, apparently annoyed by Ahn Hyun’s composure, chimed in again. Unable to just let it go, Ahn Hyun stopped and stared at him.
Finally, Ahn Hyun’s lips slowly parted.
“It’s all thanks to you, mister. Thank you.”
“What kind of bullshit are you spouting now?”
“When I saw the one that attacked Sol earlier, I noticed something heavy stuck in its chest. Thanks to that, I realized a stone could pierce it too.”
Hearing Ahn Hyun’s words, Park Donggeol realized he was being mocked, and his face immediately turned vicious.
Ahn Hyun’s remark was aimed squarely at the fact that Park Donggeol’s kicked stone had caused the incident in the clearing.
“So now you’re saying we ended up like this because of the stone I kicked? How do you know it was the same stone?”
“I don’t remember saying that. I just said thank you.”
Seeing Ahn Hyun’s smooth reply, Park Donggeol postured as if to get angry. But then, as if remembering something, he spoke in a growling voice.
“Fuck, and what did you two do that was so great? Don’t you know we all almost died because of that bitch clinging to you?”
“Bitch?”
“Well, isn’t she a crazy bitch? Everyone else managed just fine, but she can’t even stand up on her own like a little kid?”
Ahn Hyun’s face hardened. He seemed to have nothing to say to that, clamping his mouth shut. Ahn Sol, feeling guilty that her brother was being blamed because of her, hung her head low and began wiping her eyes.
“Ugh, I hate watching you act all tough. When you think about it, who caused this whole mess in the first place?”
But we had the sharp-tongued woman. As expected, she didn’t stay quiet this time either. She immediately backed up Ahn Hyun, providing covering fire, and Park Donggeol’s expression twisted once more.
“Hey, you bitch. If you don’t shut that pretty little mouth of yours, I’ll really kill you. Got it?”
“Hey, you bastard. If I were you, I’d be too ashamed to even open my mouth. Making a mess and then acting like this. And thanks for noticing I’m pretty.”
“Are you two bastards trying to get yourselves killed today…?”
All three of them were at fault, but Park Donggeol was the one who was already on everyone’s bad side. Realizing the mood of the group was turning against him, he finally shut his mouth.
Just when it seemed we had escaped one crisis, another fight broke out. At this point, it was beyond simple incompatibility; you could say they were practically mortal enemies. The frustration in my chest, which had started to fade, came rushing back. I instinctively fumbled for a cigarette, but of course I didn’t have any. I grew increasingly convinced that cutting Park Donggeol loose would help matters progress.
Still, since I had decided to watch for a while, it was right to do so. It had been a pain to bring everyone here, and going back to square one was definitely annoying.
In any case, the memory of what just happened would be vivid in a corner of everyone’s mind. How on earth could I unite these people? No matter how much I thought about it, no clear answer came to mind. I finally concluded that we should leave this place for now. Strictly speaking, this spot wasn’t safe either.
Click!
I deliberately made a loud noise as I loaded the crossbow, and as expected, it drew everyone’s attention. With a nonchalant expression, as if nothing was wrong, I finished loading the bolt, then met everyone’s eyes and spoke.
“For now, I think our priority should be to avoid those Dead… hmm, those monsters.”
“Everyone knows that. So what are you suggesting?”
This crazy bastard must have a death wish.
For a moment, I wanted to plant a bolt in Park Donggeol’s mouth, but I barely managed to hold back. If it had been just the two of us here, I would have smashed his fucking mouth in long ago.
“Arguing when we should be pooling our strength seems like a waste of time. I’m going to step away for a moment, so why don’t you all share your opinions and decide on a course of action in the meantime?”
My words were logical, and no one could really argue. Of course, I knew there would be a question. I was just surprised by who asked it.
“Why are you leaving? If we’re going to share opinions, it’s better to do it together.”
The speaker was the cold-looking woman whose information I had not managed to inspect earlier. She seemed about my age, perhaps a year or two younger, and her familiar air suddenly reminded me of someone.
Go on, squabble amongst yourselves for a bit.
“…Because those monsters could rush out just like they did in the clearing. I’ll stand guard nearby, just in case. So, please call me when you’ve reached a consensus.”
“…Don’t go too far.”
My reply was a little late, but thankfully I managed to avoid any unnecessary suspicion. Besides, no one was going to stop me from taking on the risk of standing watch.
After I finished speaking, I slowly made my way to a spot I had noticed on the way up, one that was suitable for concealment. Once I had put some distance between us and hidden myself in the forest, I immediately stirred my Magic Power. Soon, every sense in my body awakened, and my sight and hearing sharpened further. From this distance, the group couldn’t see me, but I could observe them in such detail that I could even hear their breathing.
After I moved away, a cold silence settled over the hill. The Deadmen’s corpses strewn below only deepened the bleak atmosphere. Everyone kept their lips firmly sealed, with no one willing to speak first. Their expressions varied, but Park Donggeol’s was the most remarkable: one moment he grimaced as if pondering something serious, and the next he smirked. I began to wonder whether he was mentally ill.
Time passed. In other novels or comics, the protagonist would step forward, lead everyone, and somehow keep them alive, but this group had no one capable of serving as a clear leader. Letting time slip away like this was anything but wise. The longer it continued, the more their anxiety would grow, and someone might eventually abandon reason and act on instinct.
At that moment, two women stood up.
The person who cautiously stood in the center of the group was, surprisingly, Lee Borim. The sharp-tongued woman, who had stood up at the same time, glanced at her and then sat back down. It seemed she intended to hear what Lee Borim had to say first. After looking around at everyone with anxious eyes, Lee Borim slowly began to speak.
“E-everyone saw those monsters just now. Honestly… when I heard about it from the angel called a Helper, I thought I was just having a bad dream. But now, I have no choice but to accept reality. Of course I’m scared. I’m so scared I feel like I’m going crazy. I’m sure it’s the same for all of you.”
No one challenged her. Sensing that everyone was focused on her words, Lee Borim’s voice began to gain strength.
“Honestly, we were able to survive just now thanks to the person who went to stand guard. But he’s just the same as us, so we can’t just keep relying on him, right? I think the right answer now is to find a way to survive through cooperation, rather than fighting amongst ourselves.”
Her words were cliché, but they hit the core of the Rite of Passage. Cooperate and act. Her persuasion seemed to have some effect, as the dead atmosphere seemed to shift slightly. And then, Lee Shinwoo, who had been dejected this whole time, finally spoke up.
“Then what do you think we should do from now on, noona…?”
His voice trailed off, but I could roughly understand him. He was saying that since she was the one who brought it up, she should say what was on her mind. However, Lee Borim hadn’t thought that far ahead, and she answered in a voice lacking confidence.
“That… I’m not sure yet either…. I just hope that from now on, we don’t fight recklessly and instead exchange opinions calmly.”
“I agree.”
Just then, Park Donggeol, who had been waiting for an opening like a hawk eyeing its prey, took a step forward.
His face was different from before, showing a serious and calm expression. But I frowned instantly. At a glance, he looked quite sincere, but he couldn’t fool my eyes. I could tell that his expression was a mask for his true intentions. The man was undoubtedly plotting some wicked scheme.