Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: ACT 2. Those Who Were Left Behind, Those Who Will Be Left Behind (1)
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“Hey, wait a minute. If you leave, what are we supposed to do? We followed you because we trusted you. What if more monsters attack...!”
“At least there are other players here.”
“What if more monsters come? Or stronger ones? Can you guarantee our safety? You came to save us, and now you're suddenly abandoning us to go save someone else?”
“There are twenty here...”
Lee Seon-yul started to say something, then shut his mouth.
*There are only about twenty people here, but hundreds are waiting to be rescued at the school.*
That’s what he was about to say.
Thankfully, he cut himself off just in time to avoid any fallout, but if he had said it, the crowd would have instantly erupted.
“...People are so selfish.”
“It’s human nature to become self-centered when disaster strikes. It's unavoidable. When your own survival isn't guaranteed, being asked to help others is bound to be met with resistance.”
“No.”
Jeong Ha-yeon glanced around at the gathered people, then continued in a strong voice.
“The worse the conditions, the more some people look out for those around them, while others are willing to sacrifice themselves to save others. Then there are those who try to hog everything for themselves, and those who betray others easily. It's when a person's true nature is revealed. I think this is the best time to see who you should keep close and who you should stay away from.”
At Jeong Ha-yeon's words, some people blushed and avoided her gaze, while others openly showed their discomfort.
I had a rough idea when I heard she was injured while helping someone in danger, but now her personality was crystal clear.
We did need at least one person with a personality like this.
Her strengths and weaknesses are both clear.
I decided I'd have to observe Jeong Ha-yeon a bit more.
“What a load of bullshit. None of it matters if you're dead.”
“Are you talking to me?”
“Well, who else is spouting that bullshit?”
One of the players spat on the ground, clearly displeased.
Jeong Ha-yeon's eyes narrowed, and just as a fight was about to break out, Lee Seon-yul stepped between them and changed the subject.
“I see. So, Jeong Ha-yeon-ssi, you're in favor of going to rescue the students?”
“Yes. We can manage to hold out on our own here. We can even start moving ahead. What do you think, Se-hyeon-ssi?”
“I...”
Lee Seon-yul was looking this way, surrounded by protesting civilians.
His silent gaze was waiting for my answer.
“I'm in favor of the rescue.”
Just before Jeong Ha-yeon's face could light up.
I quickly added.
“But.”
“But?”
“The one going to the rescue won't be Lee Seon-yul-nim. It'll be me.”
It's not for the sake of strangers I don't even know.
It's for myself.
Because the ‘twins’ are definitely at that school.
Jeong Ha-yeon was speechless, apparently not quite understanding what I had just said.
Instead, Lee Seon-yul's eyes glinted sharply.
“Could you explain?”
“What the others said has a point. If something unexpected happens, we might not be able to handle it on our own, and the worst-case scenario could unfold. That's why it's right for you to stay here, Lee Seon-yul-nim.”
The story of this part flashed through my mind.
Not long after Lee Seon-yul leaves to support the school, a C-rank monster attacks.
A single D-rank monster, just one rank above E-rank, would be enough to force this many people to flee helplessly, but this was a C-rank.
A one-sided slaughter, not even a fight, unfolds, and it's only dealt with after Lee Seon-yul returns to defeat it.
But in the process, the majority of the survivor group dies.
When Lee Seon-yul returns after helping the school and brings new survivors with him, he has already lost the trust of the original group, leading to conflict between the two survivor factions—the worst-case scenario in an apocalypse genre.
“S-so you're saying you're going alone into a place swarming with monsters!?”
Lee Seong-chan was horrified.
“You're saying there are so many monsters that a player as skilled as Lee Seon-yul-nim is struggling, right? Even if you're the strongest among us, Se-hyeon-ssi, taking them all on...”
“I'm not going to fight them all.”
“Huh?”
“The objective is simply to rescue the students. The player there is having a hard time because they have to protect all those students while trying to escape. But if an environment is created where that person can focus solely on combat, it won't be so difficult.”
A gasp of understanding immediately followed.
I only need to deal with the few monsters that the player there can't block, so it's not as difficult as it sounds.
“Still, it's dangerous to go alone.”
Lee Seon-yul looked troubled.
His concern was valid.
As Lee Seong-chan said, I'm only strong among the newly awakened; compared to all players, I'm still just a minnow.
It was the reaction I expected, so I looked around at the crowd as if I'd been waiting for this and asked a question.
“Then I'll take one or two volunteers, if there are any. But I only want those who fully understand that this is an extremely dangerous job, with monsters swarming everywhere. Any volunteers to go rescue the students? Is there anyone?”
It was silent.
They just glanced at each other or avoided eye contact; no one raised a hand.
The fact that I emphasized the danger must have made it even harder for anyone to step forward.
This was my intention, so I shrugged as if to say 'See?' and turned back to Lee Seon-yul.
“Looks like I'll have to go alone after all.”
“Hmm...”
He still looked unconvinced, worried about me, but there was no other good option.
Lee Seon-yul nodded.
“Then, Lee Seon-yul-nim. I'm counting on you.”
“Yes. Please return safely.”
I let go of his hand and quickened my pace.
I have to get out of here quickly, before the monster scheduled to invade Jeungsan Station appears.
If I can't get to the school, my plans will be thrown way off course.
***
Watching Kim Se-hyeon's back as he left for the school, Lee Seong-chan flinched.
A horde of those monsters.
Just the thought of it.
And yet, his hands and feet trembled with fear.
“I'm sorry. If I hadn't been injured, I would have gone with him.”
“Not at all. You were hurt saving someone else's life; there's no need to push yourself.”
Not far away, Jeong Ha-yeon and Lee Seon-yul were talking.
Lee Seong-chan's gaze rested on Jeong Ha-yeon.
‘It was the same earlier.’
What happened while they were evacuating to Jeungsan Station.
Several Death Bites had ambushed them from all sides, and a battle had broken out.
The fighting had been so sporadic that civilians were exposed, and he remembered the scene where Jeong Ha-yeon threw herself in the way to protect one of them.
Having seen it up close, Lee Seong-chan couldn't forget it.
‘But I...’
His chest felt tight.
His head throbbed.
He'd worked so hard at the gym, wanting to change the coward he was, but deep down, he was still the same.
Lee Seong-chan stared blankly in the direction Se-hyeon had disappeared.
***
‘Under what conditions does my unique ability unlock?’
I stroked my chin as I looked at the status window.
My unique ability was still marked with question marks.
At least the rank was displayed as EX; if even that had been question marks, I would have been really frustrated.
No, I'm not exactly thrilled with it now either.
Unique abilities. Traits. Skills.
I know almost all of them, what they are, and what effects they have.
I had planned to build a solid composition of what to acquire, but my unique ability slot was suddenly taken by the clear reward.
Unique abilities, traits, and skills create synergy when they mesh well together.
If they're all mismatched, even a build full of S-ranks can lose to a well-synergized B or A-rank build.
‘Acquire only things that are good on their own, without relying on synergy with my unique ability.’
I clenched my fist.
There aren't many traits and skills that fit that criteria, but it's still early.
I can acquire them one by one.
Though I need to get the ones only one person can obtain, like 'Accustomed to Battle', as soon as possible.
‘There's nothing I can get right now.’
I closed the status window.
With the obstruction gone, the faint outline of the school came into view.
As I approached the main gate, I encountered a few Death Bites that were just about to enter the school.
A total of three gates had opened in the Jeungsan Station area, all of them within a five-minute walk from the school.
Since the school was the most populated place near the gates, all the monsters that appeared were naturally drawn here.
“Grrr...!”
They seem to be wary of me instinctively.
I smirked, drew my sword, and dove in among the Death Bites.
My Strength and Agility stats had broken 10, so I no longer needed to dodge their attack patterns and strike at an opening like before.
*Schlick.*
Purple blood splattered.
I pulled the dagger from the head I'd just pierced, plunged it into the side of another one, and twisted.
The last one, which had jumped to attack, I finished by throwing my knife into its brow.
[You have acquired the skill 'Weapon Throw (E)'.]
You can acquire skills by repeating a specific action or by performing it perfectly.
It's not easy to acquire them, so just getting one is a good thing, but...
‘It's not unconditionally a good thing.’
I opened the status window.
The newly acquired Weapon Throw now occupied the skill slot where only Extreme Eye had been.
There was one thing that could only be done in this state, while it was blinking to indicate it was newly acquired.
“Cancel acquisition.”
[Deleting the skill 'Weapon Throw (E)'. Do you wish to proceed?]
“Proceed.”
[Character Information]
Name: Kim Se-hyeon
Gender: Male (26)
Strength: 8(+3) Stamina: 1(+3) Agility: 10(+3) Mana: 1(+3)
Unique Ability: ???(EX)
Traits: One Who Started from the End (S), Accustomed to Battle (D)
Skills: Extreme Eye (S)
After confirming the skill was successfully deleted, I closed the status window.
That skill isn't part of my plan. It's not a very good skill, either.
It gets drastically better when it reaches S-rank, but still, no.
‘Five slots left.’
You can only have a total of eight traits and skills combined.
How many traits to get. How many skills.
If you acquire them indiscriminately without considering that, you're likely to end up with a so-called 'gimped character'.
‘I thought they said the school was surrounded by a large number of Death Bites.’
I can hear a multitude of cries from some distance away.
It seems someone has lured the Death Bites away.
Now would be the perfect time to enter.
The moment I tried to enter through the half-open main gate, I felt something strange through my fingertips.
There's something here.
Something invisible to the naked eye.
[Activating the skill 'Extreme Eye'.]
I could see an unnatural clump of mana.
It's not just here.
All over the school grounds. This same thing is spread widely in five locations.
It was a barrier.
The effect matched the appearance of a specific barrier I'd seen in the game.
I'd identified it, but my thoughts felt a bit tangled.
...Was this supposed to be here?
I unconsciously licked my lips and felt how dry they were.
*CRASH!!*
The sound of a window shattering drew my gaze.
A woman jumped out of a third-floor hallway window, followed by a stream of over ten Death Bites.
It looked perilous at first glance, but in her case, there was no need to worry.
While fleeing, she suddenly drew a sword from her hip and instantly slaughtered the Death Bites.
‘As expected.’
That woman is the one who requested support from Lee Seon-yul.
And also Lee Seon-yul's superior.
I slowly walked toward her.
Noticing my presence, the woman sighed and spoke.
“You're finally here. Good grief. It's been ages since I called for backup, and you're only just...?”
Her eyes met mine, and she fell silent.
I wasn't the person she was waiting for.
Then, a wary hostility appeared on her face.
“...You're not him. Who are you?”