Chapter 27: An Encounter with Familiar Faces.
Chapter 27: An Encounter with Familiar Faces.
Four people emerged, pushing through the dense thicket. Three men and one woman. Their hair was disheveled and their clothes were torn, making them look like beggars. Of course, we looked much the same, so I was in no position to laugh.
I quickly examined the four newcomers. The man on the far left had a short crew cut and held a longbow in his right hand. He apparently knew how to use it. The way he kept his mouth firmly shut and watched us with deep-set eyes made him seem taciturn.
Huh…?
For some reason, he looked quite familiar. If I remembered a User, it meant he had been active in the Hall Plain. His face was admittedly rather ordinary, but I decided to move on and shifted my gaze clockwise.
Next was the man at the forefront, whose hair was long enough to reach his waist. His face was slender and his build was slim, so much so that you might mistake him for a woman from behind. However, his strong jawline and sharp eyes made it clear he was a man.
At the center of their group stood a woman who appeared to be under their protection. Her refined features caught my eye. She watched us anxiously while scanning the surroundings, apparently searching for something.
Finally, the man on the far right was twirling a dagger and baring his teeth in a grin. His flippant manner was obvious at a glance, and I did not like him.
After a moment of silence, the man in the lead glanced at us, then spoke in a hoarse voice.
“Looks like they’re survivors, just like us.”
“We’ve met survivors before. It’s nothing new.”
The man with the bow replied in a stiff voice. At that, the man who had been tossing and catching his dagger smirked at us and, just as I expected, started running his mouth.
“Tsk, tsk… What are you, in your early twenties? Just a bunch of kids… You poor bastards.”
Provoked, Ahn Hyun took a step forward, raising his shield. I quickly grabbed his shoulder and quietly shook my head. It was a signal to stay put for now. Thankfully, he understood my signal, ground his teeth, and took a step back. The wise-ass with the dagger let out a disbelieving scoff, his eyes widening.
“Did you see that guy? The one who looks like a punk. He actually got pissed at what I said. Jeez, can’t say anything around here. So scary.”
“You’re the one who started it. Back off and let Jungmin handle this.”
“…Tch.”
When the man with the bow rebuked him, he pouted and shut his mouth. But my friends’ faces had already hardened. Then again, it was understandable that they were upset; the newcomers were talking amongst themselves as if we weren't even there.
As the tension slowly mounted, the long-haired man spoke up.
“First of all, it’s good to meet you. My name is Woo Jungmin. As you know, I’m just another person who happened to get dropped into this god-forsaken place.”
Woo Jungmin. The Clan Lord of the Red Fang Clan?
A memory flashed through my mind, and I froze in shock. The man known as a demon, whose trademark was a pair of daggers. Could the man standing before me really be Woo Jungmin…?
I immediately activated Third Eye.
『 Player Status 』
Name: Woo Jungmin
Sex: Male (26)
Height · Weight: 177.9cm · 65.7kg
Alignment: True · Chaos
『 Abilities 』
[Strength 51] [Durability 43] [Agility 59] [Stamina 48] [Magic Power 55] [Luck 36]
Woo Jungmin’s Player Status easily shattered my assumption that no one in the Rite of Passage could surpass Ahn Hyun in average stats. More shocking still, the man before me was Woo Jungmin, the future Clan Lord of the Red Fang Clan and one of the central figures of the Allied Forces.
“…Ahn Hyun. Same deal.”
Ahn Hyun’s blunt reply caused a stir among Woo Jungmin’s group. Regardless, I naturally sharpened all my senses. If that man really, truly was Woo Jungmin, then even if I didn't know the others, I had a good idea who the archer was. He had to be the one who would later become one of the Ten Strong in the Hall Plain…
For a moment, the thought crossed my mind: Should I kill them? I quickly dismissed it. Had I been alone, I would have killed them without hesitation, but that was impossible with the others beside me. Before I knew it, both parties had drawn their weapons and entered a standoff. The flippant man sneered at Ahn Hyun in an unpleasant voice.
“This is why you can’t be nice to kids. Ahn Hyun, was it? If you don’t want to die, you’d better learn some manners.”
“Oppa, we don’t have time to fight.”
“This isn’t the first time. Killing them will be quick. You just wait quietly.”
The woman in the center spoke for the first time, but the wise-ass shot back immediately. She began to glare at him with a frightening intensity. On the receiving end of her piercing gaze, the wise-ass smacked his lips before nodding agreeably and continuing.
“Aah, fine, I get it. So stop glaring at me before I eat you up. Ah, just kidding, kidding. She can’t take a joke… Anyway, fine. Hey, you brats. This elder here is named Cheon Seunghyeon. I’ve got something to ask you. These five monkeys here… did you guys kill them?”
“What if we did?”
Cheon Seunghyeon. If I ever meet you in the Hall Plain, you’re dead. Just as I thought that, a clear voice rang through the air, bristling with sharp thorns. I had desperately hoped Lee Yoojung would not step forward, but of course she did. She was fiercely proud, and Cheon Seunghyeon looked like an upgraded Park Donggeol; there was no chance she would let it pass. Her words made him blink several times before roaring with laughter.
“Puhahaha! Oh, man… Gotta hold it in, hold it in. Heh heh. You damn bitch. I’ll let it slide just this once. See, we’re not in a very good mood right now. And we’re re~ally, ve~ry, su~per busy. Got it? So just answer our questions properly and let’s say our goodbyes. Oh, and watch your tone. Or, you know, don’t. I won’t be giving you any more warnings.”
Lee Yoojung’s face twisted into her signature sneer.
“You psycho. You goddamn idiot. What are you gonna do if you don’t warn me? Look at you, acting like you’re hot shit. You pathetic little fucker.”
As expected, Lee Yoojung’s verbal attack was refreshingly vicious. Cheon Seunghyeon was, in a sense, exactly the same type of person as Park Donggeol. When she spat her abuse with a venomous expression, he unexpectedly stared at us in silence, sighed deeply, and picked up his dagger. I tensed my left hand.
“Kids and bitches. You always have to beat them before they’ll listen. Anyway, farewell.”
Muttering curses, Cheon Seunghyeon raised his right hand and swung it down with all his strength toward Lee Yoojung. At the same instant, one of the daggers he had been playing with streaked toward the space between her brows. Just as I was about to pull her back, Ahn Hyun moved swiftly behind his shield. He had evidently been wary from the start and planted himself firmly in front of Yoojung. As for me…
CLANG!
Fwing! Thunk.
“Aaaaaargh!”
The dagger struck the shield with a loud metallic clang and fell to the ground. At the same time, Cheon Seunghyeon toppled backward, clutching his right hand, where a crossbow bolt was embedded. It was simple: while Ahn Hyun blocked the dagger, I corrected my aim and fired a bolt at the bastard.
I had never expected the others to stand idle. I sensed the archer draw his bowstring and take aim at me in an instant. I tried to fire first, but only the twang of an empty crossbow string answered. In my urgency, I drew on my true strength, loaded three bolts almost instantly, and swung the crossbow toward his forehead. At the same time, I activated Third Eye.
『 Player Status 』
Name: Seon Yuun
Sex: Male (25)
Height · Weight: 180.9cm · 78.4kg
Alignment: True · Neutral
『 Abilities 』
[Strength 45] [Durability 48] [Agility 62] [Stamina 54] [Magic Power 50] [Luck 50]
Click! Clack!
Seon Yuun. Just as I had thought, it was him—the archer who would later claim a place among the Ten Strong, the most powerful Users in the Hall Plain. I had lost time because I had just fired at someone else and needed to reload. Even so, my stats should have been incomparably higher, yet Seon Yuun aimed at my head at almost the same instant I aimed at his. Strictly speaking, I was only slightly faster. He seemed to realize that as well; his previously impassive eyes wavered.
A chilling tension filled the air between our groups. A heavy silence hung between us, but I could feel Ahn Hyun, Lee Yoojung, and Kim Hanbyul gripping their weapons tightly. Seeing them still burning with the will to fight if necessary, even in this situation, made me feel a little proud. Meanwhile, Cheon Seunghyeon was rolling around on the ground, making a scene.
“Aaargh, aaaaaargh! Kill him! Hey! Kill that fucking bastard right now! Kill him!”
“…You threw the dagger first, Seunghyeon. So please shut your mouth, you embarrassing bastard.”
Woo Jungmin’s icy rebuke reduced the hysterical Cheon Seunghyeon to whimpering as he cradled his right hand. I glanced at Lee Yoojung and saw her trembling faintly; she probably had not expected him to actually throw the dagger. Woo Jungmin, who had silently observed the situation from the start, gave Cheon Seunghyeon a contemptuous look before turning back to us.
“First, I apologize. In any case, shouldn’t we stop here? There doesn’t seem to be any benefit for either of us in continuing this.”
“I’d like to, but your friend over there hasn’t lowered his bow.”
“Seon Yuun, that’s enough. Ease the string and lower your bow.”
At my words, Woo Jungmin raised a hand and forced Seon Yuun’s bow downward. Fortunately, Seon Yuun watched me for a moment before complying. Once I confirmed that they had lowered their weapons, I slowly lowered my left arm. Neither Seon Yuun nor I had unloaded our weapons, however. Woo Jungmin looked over our party, raised both hands, and stepped forward before speaking in a weary voice.
“I’m sorry. They’re not usually like this, but we’ve had a rough time lately, so they’re on edge. Anyway, there’s something I need to ask… We’re short on time. Can we get straight to the point?”
Everyone in my party looked at me, even Ahn Hyun. I gave a small nod.
“That’s what I wanted.”
“We’ve been tracking these monkeys since yesterday. We had to leave for a short while for… certain reasons, and during that time, one of our party members was kidnapped by them. We appreciate you taking care of them for us, but have you seen a woman anywhere around here?”
A female User… Could it be?
The woman we had found at the entrance to the Mangki territory—the one who had been raped by them and then taken her own life—flashed through my mind.
“Oppa. Could he mean that woman with the scrap of yellow clothing? The one with long hair down her back. Huh?”
I sighed and covered my face with both hands. Did this girl ever think? How could anyone be this stupid? I clicked my tongue inwardly at Lee Yoojung for blurting it out without a thought. The other group’s faces immediately brightened, and questions poured toward us. The loudest voice belonged to the woman who had earlier said they were short on time.
“Yes! That’s right! A yellow dress and long, straight hair! Do you know where she is?”
“Ah… well…”
Lee Yoojung trailed off in a flustered voice. The rest of us merely exchanged glances and said nothing. It was almost certainly the woman we had seen at the entrance to the Mangki territory, but telling them that she had been raped by monsters and died felt cruel. As we continued exchanging looks, the men’s expressions hardened; they seemed to have guessed what would follow. The woman nevertheless kept pressing us in a pleading voice.
“Did you happen to pass by her? Or even just catch a glimpse?”
“……”
“Please. I’m begging you. Just tell me where you saw her. She’s my biological younger sister. She’s so kind… so innocent… sob…”
Seeing the woman finally break down in tears, my party turned to look at me again. These guys, who were so eager to fight just moments ago, were now passing this difficult situation onto me. I let out a heavy sigh internally and slowly opened my mouth.