An Awkward Encounter (2)
Groups entered the Shadow Forest one by one, starting from Group 1. Before long, it was finally time for Group 7—Yu Hae-rin and me.
The forest was thick with damp moss and irregular patches of shade. Our mission was simple: find the dummy and get out. Just as I was about to step inside, Yu Hae-rin muttered quietly.
“Ha Yeonjun. Just stay quiet and follow behind me.”
“Huh?”
“You want good grades too, right? Then the best thing you can do is not get in my way. I already know what you’re capable of.”
I nodded. Well, if the team leader says she’ll handle everything, I might as well listen.
There was a reason Yu Hae-rin had to say that. Less than five minutes after entering the Shadow Forest, a Scarecrow Goblin appeared.
Kiiiit!
The small, grotesque green creature was actually a magitech robot made from real goblin hide. Its main weapons were sharp teeth and a crude club. Even though it was a training model, if you didn’t handle it properly you’d end up covered in bruises.
Yu Hae-rin stepped forward.
“Stay back.”
Her main weapon was a bow. With graceful movements, she drew the string. Mana condensed at her slender fingertips and began forming the shape of an arrow.
Whoosh!
One shot. The arrow struck the Scarecrow Goblin right between the eyes. With a soft pssh, the robot shut down.
Yu Hae-rin flicked her golden bob and let out a small breath. This was the skill of the young lady from Korea’s top archer guild, Storm’s Rapid Fire.
“Done. Let’s go.”
She started walking again like nothing had happened. That was probably why she’d told me to stay behind. In her head, I was just some random student A from Citizen Hall. Meanwhile, she moved like a real-life elf archer. Anyone who saw her would have to admire her.
Of course, I was no exception…
As I followed behind her, a question suddenly popped into my mind. Just how strong was Yu Hae-rin, really?
And I happened to have a skill that could check someone’s level.
Being a streamer had its perks at times like this.
Insight used on target.
Name: Yu Hae-rin (♀)
Age: 17
Unique Skills: [Archery lv.5], [???] …
Traits: [Beauty] [Genius] [Tsundere] [Archer] [Idol] [Directionally Challenged] [???] …
Potential: ●●●●○
Thanks to my low Perception, I couldn’t see everything, but it was enough to gauge her ability. Archery at level 5 already, and four whole bars of potential. This was the baseline for people called geniuses. Her stats were on a completely different level from mine.
But one trait in her list stood out.
…Directionally Challenged?
Twenty minutes passed as I followed behind her. The suspicion I’d felt earlier quickly turned into certainty. I finally spoke up.
“Hey, Yu Hae-rin.”
“What?”
“You’re lost, aren’t you?”
Her shoulders twitched. Don’t even try to deny it. We’d been walking in circles for twenty whole minutes and she hadn’t noticed at all.
Yu Hae-rin turned her head with a pout.
“N-no I’m not?”
“You totally are. We’ve been looping around the same spot. The groups that started after us have probably already finished.”
She flinched again.
“I told you I’m not! If we just get past here, the dummy should be right—”
“Forget it. I’ll take the lead from now on.”
“What are you talking about! I’m not lost!”
“You are, though.”
“Am not!”
We were still bickering when I spotted a familiar pair through the tall trees.
That was…?
A couple sitting side by side on a fallen log, kissing. But when did those two become a couple? It was Seo Geon-woo and Park Seung-hye, who had only met today.
Seo Geon-woo noticed us and called out in a low, deep voice.
“Is that you, Yu Hae-rin?”
Park Seung-hye jumped in surprise, quickly pulling away from him and trying to fix her hair. Not that it helped much—her hair was a total mess.
“Hae-rin! T-this is…!”
“……”
Yu Hae-rin didn’t say a word. It was obvious what was going on without even asking.
Seo Geon-woo, the young master of the Bloodless Assassin guild. He had every bad-boy trait you could imagine. The typical decadent, dark, handsome type.
Seo Geon-woo narrowed his eyes in a glare. His target was Yu Hae-rin. He was infamous for his terrible womanizing, yet he didn’t even flinch in front of the girl he was supposed to marry for political reasons.
Yu Hae-rin shot back, “We may not be married yet, but that doesn’t mean you can act however you want. Shouldn’t you at least care about your public image?”
“And if I don’t?”
“……?”
“What exactly can you do if I don’t?”
Seo Geon-woo continued, “This engagement was arranged because your father begged for it. If you hate it so much, go tell him yourself. Stop nagging me. Like some nagging wife.”
At those words, Yu Hae-rin spun on her heel and started walking away. As if there was nothing left to hear or say.
Damn, that was brutal…
I hurried to follow her, but then Seo Geon-woo’s low voice rang out again.
“Hey, you! Ha Yeonjun, was it?”
I turned around. Seo Geon-woo wore a confident smirk.
“I said all that, but don’t think it means you can lay a hand on Yu Hae-rin. She’s mine.”
I stood still and stared at him. I had no interest in getting involved in their relationship, and I didn’t have any special feelings for Yu Hae-rin either. But for some reason, I felt like I had to say this.
“You… are pathetic.”
If this were the old me, I would’ve been too scared of his aura to say anything. But I wasn’t the same anymore.
“What? What did you just say? Seung-hye, did you hear that?”
“Huh? N-no…”
Either way, their elite love triangle wasn’t my problem right now. I turned away, leaving them behind to chase after Yu Hae-rin.
Come to think of it, she was directionally challenged… Where the hell did she go?
I scanned the area around the Shadow Forest, looking for any sign of her. I thought her flashy blonde hair would make her easy to spot, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Then I remembered what Emergency Treatment Professor Seong Ji-eun had said before we entered.
The most important thing to watch out for is never crossing the fence in the middle of the Shadow Forest.
The Shadow Forest was divided into two zones. Zone 1 was for first-years who lacked real combat experience. It was filled with practice dummies. In other words, the goblin scarecrows we’d met so far had zero killing power.
The problem started in Zone 2. That area was for advanced students and used real combat dummies. Those robots were designed for actual monster battles, which meant they were permanently set to kill mode. Anything human that entered Zone 2 would be attacked without mercy.
Students were no exception.
So as long as Yu Hae-rin hadn’t crossed into Zone 2…
I activated Insight.
Insight activated.
Insight was perfect for moments like this. It didn’t discriminate between people, objects, or terrain. Yu Hae-rin’s small footprints on the ground became clearly visible.
And sure enough, they led straight toward Zone 2 of the Shadow Forest.
Shit. This is bad…
I looked up at Lens, who was floating in the air.
“Lens, can’t you fly up and find out where Yu Hae-rin is?”
Of course I know where she is. But I can’t tell you. When filming a documentary, the cameraman must never interfere with the ecosystem.
Always running that mouth. Anyway, if I just followed the footprints visible through Insight, I should be able to find her.
Besides, there was no need to worry too much. Yu Hae-rin was incredibly skilled, after all.
*
Yu Hae-rin leaned against a tree and clenched her fists tightly.
No matter how hard she tried not to care, seeing her fiancé embracing another woman was enough to break any girl. Yu Hae-rin was only seventeen. She didn’t know much about love yet, but she understood all too well the kind of love adults arranged before a person even developed their own sense of self.
It was something her father had always told her.
Thud. Thud.
That was when a dull vibration echoed from somewhere.
Yu Hae-rin slowly turned her head. A massive brown shape emerged from between the trees.
“……!”
Yu Hae-rin couldn’t believe her eyes.