Chapter 9: Kim Soohyun Begins the Rite of Passage.
Chapter 9: Kim Soohyun Begins the Rite of Passage.
“Hah… I can’t stand this suffocating bullshit anymore!”
“Eek!”
Park Donggeol, who had been surveying his surroundings, seemed to have been waiting for the right moment. He raised his voice and strode into the center of the clearing. Startled by the sudden outburst, Lee Shinwoo let out a hoarse cry. I didn't miss the flicker of a satisfied smile on Park Donggeol's face as he glanced at Lee Shinwoo. To put it nicely, he was seizing the initiative. To put it crudely, he was just being a loudmouth.
“Hey! Don’t any of you know anything about this shitty fucking situation? Huh?”
Ahn Sol was trembling, buried in Ahn Hyun’s arms. The two women I hadn't yet identified wore different expressions.
One of them looked relatively calm, but the other was clearly annoyed by Park Donggeol’s sudden commotion. She was glaring at him, her eyes narrowed to slits. For a moment, I was curious to see their Player Status, but I decided to watch the man’s actions first.
“Is everyone here a mute? Stop sitting there with your mouths shut and say something!”
He’s just showing off.
Was he trying to prove he had a temper, or was he just trying to flaunt his masculinity? Park Donggeol made a violent gesture, kicking a fist-sized rock on the ground. The stone flew with considerable force, disappearing into the forest. An awkward silence fell over the seated group in response to his outburst. But I heard it clearly. Or rather, I heard what wasn't there. The sound of the stone hitting the ground never came.
Grrrr.
At that moment, a low growl echoed through the quiet forest. Even if they hadn't heard the stone, it seemed everyone heard the growl. A flicker of anxiety crossed their faces. It had been ten years, so I couldn't remember everything, but old memories were faintly bubbling to the surface.
I remembered what happened in this place.
“Sh-Shit! Who was that? If you’ve got a problem, come on out. Let’s talk, huh? Was it you? Or you?”
Park Donggeol despicably pointed at those who looked relatively weak. Lee Borim and Lee Shinwoo, their faces pale, frantically shook their heads. Just then, the woman who had been glaring at Park Donggeol stood up abruptly. She was breathing heavily, as if she’d been holding back for quite a while.
“Mister, could you cut it out? What the hell do you think you’re doing at your age?”
“What? What was that? Cut it out? At my age? Are you talking to me?”
“Yeah, I am. What are you gonna do about it? Aren’t you ashamed? We’re all in the same boat, so why are you yelling and acting like a fucking idiot?”
“Now you’re dropping the formalities? What kind of bitch were you raised to be, talking back to your elders like that? Is that what your parents taught you?”
“A bitch? Ha, look at this guy… Fine. Did your parents teach you to yell at kids when you’re a grown-ass man? You piece of trash!”
Watching the woman fire back without yielding an inch, I chuckled to myself. At first, Park Donggeol just let out a hollow laugh, looking dumbfounded. But soon, his face began to flush with rage. He snorted loudly and then started walking toward her with menacing steps.
Park Donggeol finally stopped in front of her, shoved his menacing face close to hers, and spoke.
“Hey, you bitch. What did you say about my parents? Say it again.”
Normally, a woman would be intimidated when a grown man acted like this. But whether she was just that strong-willed or naturally fearless, she met Park Donggeol’s gaze and scoffed.
“Pathetic. You think that’s going to scare me? I asked if your mommy and daddy taught you to act like this, you son of a bitch!”
“This fucking bitch is asking to die…”
Genuinely enraged, Park Donggeol’s fist slowly rose into the air. Even so, the woman didn’t blink. It was the very moment he was about to swing.
“Hey, mister. That’s enough.”
Ahn Hyun, who had been silent until now, spoke for the first time. Park Donggeol, who was about to strike the woman’s cheek, turned to look at Ahn Hyun with a bewildered expression. I could see Ahn Sol tugging desperately at her brother’s collar. But Ahn Hyun opened his mouth once more.
“She’s not wrong, you know. We’re all in the same situation. Why are you doing this? What did those people do to you?”
“You… You two…”
Park Donggeol bit his lip, his face flooding with shame. But as if sensing the eyes on him, his raised fist slowly lowered. When the woman gave a faint smirk, he let out a roar of frustration and turned away. As he sat back down, he continued to seethe, looking like he was about to explode with anger because things hadn't gone his way.
“The fuck are you looking at! Turn your goddamn eyes away!”
Unable to contain his anger, Park Donggeol took it out on Lee Shinwoo, who was just sitting quietly beside him. Lee Shinwoo moved away with an aggrieved look on his face. It was then.
Grrrr.
The growl we’d heard before sounded again, clear in our ears. And finally, my hazy memories began to take a more concrete shape.
Back then, we must have wasted time just like this before a sudden attack scattered us in every direction. The cause was the stone Park Donggeol had kicked, and the loud argument with the woman.
That was all I remembered about these people. I didn't know what happened to them afterward, but considering I never saw them again in the Hall Plain…
Does that mean they all died during the Rite of Passage? Ah, but maybe not Ahn Sol.
If we continued to waste time like this, we might just repeat the first playthrough. No, it was certain we would.
I decided to offer a little help. But I had no intention of helping them directly. For now, I just planned to give them a reason to move and work together. So, I immediately raised my crossbow.
Click!
“Excuse me. What are you doing…?”
Everyone was so on edge that even the smallest noise made their heads snap in its direction.
The person who spoke to me was the woman with the sharp tongue from before. At least she had enough manners not to speak casually to me from the start. It seemed Park Donggeol had really gotten on her bad side, though.
“It feels dangerous.”
“That crossbow makes me feel even more anxious.”
“I wonder… Where do you think we are right now?”
“What?”
The woman’s eyes widened. Her sharp features made her look feisty, but overall, she had a pretty face.
“On my way here, I experienced several things that I couldn't explain. Isn't that the same for everyone here?”
“Well… yes…”
People nodded in agreement. The Summoning Room, the angel, the transfer. They must have experienced and witnessed it all too. As such, what they needed now—even if it was difficult at the moment—was to accept reality as quickly as possible and actively engage in the Rite of Passage for the sake of survival.
I began to load a bolt into my repeating crossbow. It was a bit small for a crossbow, but it was a detachable model that could be worn on the wrist, which was quite convenient. Perhaps prompted by the growls and my actions, people began to pick up the weapons they had brought, one by one.
Soon, everyone except those who had come empty-handed was armed. The preparations were more or less complete. I looked around and calmly sank into thought.
We were currently in a clearing in the middle of a forest, surrounded by trees on all sides. I started moving in the opposite direction from where Park Donggeol had kicked the stone.
Though I had only taken a few steps from the clearing, it felt distinctly darker. The trees and grass before me had an eerie cast.
They must have felt some anxiety after hearing the growls. I sensed more and more people beginning to follow behind me. Just as I thought their willingness to act was respectable, my plan hit a snag at the very start.
“Hey, Ahn Sol. Get up. We need to hurry and follow that hyung.”
“I don’t wanna… I don’t wanna go in there… It’s scary…”
“So you’re just going to stay here? You were the one saying you felt uneasy. That we shouldn’t stay here. What’s with the sudden change?”
“Ugh…”
Hearing the siblings’ conversation, I felt my eyes instinctively harden. It was possible that with a Luck stat of 100, she could sense things on her own. But that was just a guess. For now, it seemed she couldn't overcome her instinctual fear and had no intention of getting up off the ground.
Grrrr! Grrrr!
While the two were bickering, a few more growls sounded out. The sound was getting louder, which meant they were very close now. At first, people waited patiently for the two, but soon, one by one, they began to show their impatience.
“Uh, excuse me. Can’t we go on ahead? To be honest, I’ve been trembling for a while now…”
“Y-Yeah, let’s do that! Let’s just leave them. What’s this all of a sudden…”
Lee Shinwoo’s voice carried a solemn determination, as though he had mustered every bit of his courage. Park Donggeol immediately agreed.
Whether he had heard them proposing to leave or simply sensed the mood, Ahn Hyun’s expression grew more urgent as he pulled at Ahn Sol.
“Come on, get up. Oppa is right here beside you. Okay? Please, just listen to me.”
“B-But my feet won’t move… Waaah…”
Ahn Sol finally burst into tears. All the while, Lee Shinwoo and Park Donggeol were shooting them impatient glances, clearly wanting to escape this unsettling place as soon as possible. Of course, I had no intention of leaving those two behind. It would be far more beneficial to travel with them, even if it meant abandoning everyone else.
“Just go already! Why are you all just standing there!”
“H-Hey, let’s hurry…”
As the murmuring grew louder, Ahn Hyun’s face hardened. Then, he finally slapped away his sister’s hand, which was clutching his collar. Ahn Sol looked up with a start, her lips trembling.
“O-Oppa?”
“Fine. Then stay here by yourself. I’m going somewhere else.”
What a load of crap. But Ahn Hyun’s acting was pretty good. After speaking, he turned his back on her coldly, sword and shield in hand. Watching Ahn Hyun stride toward us, Ahn Sol looked deeply shocked, her mouth opening and closing silently. Then, perhaps hearing Ahn Hyun say, “Sorry for the wait. Let’s go,” she began to weep openly with sorrow. Paying her no mind, Ahn Hyun deliberately urged us on, pretending to take the lead into the forest.
“Waaah… Oppa… Don’t go…”
“Ahn Sol, get up right now. Get a grip on the situation, please, huh?”
“I’m sorry… Don’t leave me again… Don’t go… Waaah… Waaaaah…”
“You… Are you getting up or not?!”
Finally, Ahn Hyun glared and raised his voice. It seemed to have some effect; Ahn Sol, still sobbing, slowly began to rise. It was then.
Krrrr! Krrrr! Krrrr! Krrrr!
Damn, did we take too long?
A sense of alarm swept through me—not from fear, but from the possibility that the future had changed and Ahn Sol might die here. The source of the growls was now so close that the sound was much clearer. The problem was that Ahn Sol, who had just been getting up, froze completely.
“O… Oppa…”
The distance between them was slowly growing. Despite seeing Ahn Sol reach out her hand in despair, Ahn Hyun’s actions remained firm. No, it seemed like he was pretending to be composed. The sharp-tongued woman looked like she couldn't watch anymore and was about to step in, but Ahn Hyun raised a hand to stop her.
“Just leave her be.”
“Oppa! Don’t leave me behind!”
“Then come over here yourself. It’s not too late. If you can’t even do that, you definitely won’t be able to survive.”
“Waaah…”
For a moment, I saw Ahn Hyun in a new light. He was staring at Ahn Sol with eyes full of conviction. As if his sincerity got through to her, Ahn Sol clenched her teeth. It looked like she might come on her own if we waited a little longer, but unfortunately, it was too late.
Grrrr! Grrrr!
That growl… it’s a Deadman.
A Deadman. The name sounded grand, but in reality, it was nothing special. In fact, Users in the Hall Plain considered Deadmen so pathetically weak they barely counted as monsters. They had some intelligence and an infectious ability, but the infection could be cured easily enough if treated in time. (Of course, treatment would be impossible here.)
And if there was one other characteristic…
Kuaaaah!
They usually shuffled around at a slow pace, but when they spotted prey, they would break into a run.
With a shriek, a Deadman burst out of the forest, its mouth wide open as it charged toward Ahn Sol. Caught off guard, Ahn Hyun screamed and sprinted forward.
“Sol!”
And Ahn Hyun wasn't the only one screaming.
“U-Uwaaah!”
“Kyaaah!”
It was like watching a zombie movie. As the monster, with chunks of torn flesh dangling from its body, charged at them, the group instantly fell into chaos. A single stone was embedded in its chest, which was torn open to reveal its insides. It was undoubtedly the stone Park Donggeol had kicked earlier. That meant it must have been wandering around us after being hit.
Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr! Grrrr!
As if reacting to the screams, the growls of more Deadmen intensified from beyond the forest.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Sol! Snap out of it! Sol!”
Ahn Sol, who had barely managed to get to her feet, seemed to have gone completely blank at the sight of the Deadman. Ahn Hyun ran quickly, but the Deadman was closer. Sensing this, Ahn Hyun drew his sword arm far back. Then, he swung it forcefully toward the Deadman.
Whoosh! Thwack!
Oh? It hit?
The sword flew with great momentum and cleanly sliced off the Deadman’s left arm. But that was all. The creature staggered for a moment, then regained its balance and reached Ahn Sol.
“Noooooo!”
The Deadman, its mouth agape.
Ahn Sol, her eyes wide with terror.
And Ahn Hyun, crying out in despair.
In that instant, I was certain. My actions had altered Ahn Sol’s future as well. Without hesitation, I fired the crossbow I had been preparing.
Thwip!
The bolt flew with a sharp sound, piercing cleanly through the Deadman’s head with a dull thud. The Deadman’s weak point was its head. If a kicked stone could pierce its chest, there was no way it could stop a crossbow bolt. The Deadman collapsed, its mouth still open.
Thump!
“F… Fucking hell…”
“Hah… Hah…”
The reactions of those who had just seen the monster were all pretty much the same. They all reflexively gripped their weapons, as if they had finally realized this situation was no joke. Of course, they had a general idea of what was happening, but the vague unease they had felt before had now become a clear sense of mortal danger.
Even in the midst of it all, Ahn Hyun acted swiftly. He rushed to Ahn Sol, who could only open and close her mouth wordlessly, helped her up, and hurried back to us. He, too, was clearly shocked by what had just happened, as he was panting heavily.
Soon, everyone’s eyes turned to me. I moved to the front. We had dealt with one, but many more would gather soon. The increasing growls meant the Deadmen were definitely converging on this location. It would be a real pain if they managed to surround us.
Without a word, I started walking.