Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Tutorial (4)
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"Oh dear... they're just kids. Byung-ok. It's good that new people have arrived... but aren't they too young?"
Mun Kyung-sil seemed dissatisfied that the newcomers were children.
I could say with certainty that no matter how young those siblings were, they'd be far more useful than that woman.
The information shown in the Status Window wasn't fake. Compared to the two siblings, that woman's stats were garbage.
No, forget the stats. Her mindset was already rotten, so I was sure that when a dangerous situation arose later, she'd shove the risk onto someone else.
If Jo Chan-ho had to pick a murder target here, I'd bet he'd go for that woman first. She was completely useless, after all.
"Hmm... Kyung-sil, even if the two of them are young, they'll be plenty helpful. I told you before. More people are better than fewer."
"Ahem... I'm not opposed or anything... I'm just worried, that's all."
"Trust me. Let's eat first. We should get moving soon, right? Now that the new folks are here, let's have a meal and talk about what to do next."
Everyone sat down and pulled food from their bags to start eating.
The conversation I'd had with Lee Yu-rim before Jo Chan-ho arrived was nagging at me, so I spoke up while chewing on some bread.
"Um... Mind if I call you Yu-rim?"
"Sure. Feel free to speak casually. Should I call you Yun-seong oppa, then?"
"Yeah, call me whatever's comfortable. Anyway, you said earlier that the monsters haven't reached here yet? But they might after some time. What did that mean?"
"... I escaped from that building pretty late. People who got out later than me were chased by monsters."
... Which means this clearing we're in isn't safe forever, either.
The clearing was hidden in a remote spot, but we couldn't stay here indefinitely.
The guide said we have to conquer the Tutorial. That means we'll have to fight monsters no matter what. Do we have to kill them to get stronger?
My head was getting complicated. If this was like a game, Jo Chan-ho had probably gotten his job by killing monsters.
I need to hunt. Good thing I'm not alone—there are others here. Jo Chan-ho's dangerous, but with so many people, he won't be able to just stab us in the back openly. Even with a job and good stats, he can't handle all of us.
"Ah... And it's not just monsters we have to watch out for. We grabbed food and water when we left, but some people were too panicked to take any."
"Yeah... Since we all have food and water, we might become targets for others. You never know what starving people will do."
"Right, Byung-ok oppa. Of course, we have enough people that it should be fine... but still."
"Better safe than sorry. Alright, then. Let's talk about where we're heading. Yu-rim, got any more info?"
"That's everything I know. But it's called a Tutorial, and it said we have to conquer it, so maybe there's a dungeon or something? Our situation feels a lot like a game, doesn't it?"
"... A dungeon. That makes sense. Yeah, in games, you usually kill monsters, gain EXP, and clear dungeons."
"Byung-ok oppa, I think Yu-rim's right about there being a dungeon or something. Even if there isn't, wouldn't killing monsters make us stronger?"
"You and So-young make good points. Let's scout in a different direction, fight any monsters we run into, and dodge if there are too many."
"Yeah... We can do that, hyung. Thinking back, those monsters seemed slower than a running person."
Right. We'd all been too frantic yesterday to notice, but we'd escaped because the monsters were distracted eating corpses—and because they were slower than us.
"Do we... really have to kill monsters? Can't we just avoid them...? I don't get dungeons or whatever, but if there is one, someone else can conquer it. Wouldn't it be safer to all hide together...?"
Ha... This woman's useless. Gotta ditch her. Stupid bitch.
Sure, hiding might be safer right now than hunting monsters or conquering the Tutorial.
But we had to remember this was a Tutorial.
It felt like hell now, but things might feel even more hellish after. Hiding might be safe short-term, but long-term, it was suicide.
Even on Earth, failing to self-improve meant getting weeded out. In a place where power ruled, not building strength meant death—or worse.
The guide said to choose carefully between fighting or fleeing. That means we have to fight eventually. I don't know who that guide bastard is, but he straight-up told us to conquer the Tutorial. No guarantee he'll leave hiders alone.
"Haha... Ma'am, staying put won't solve everything. If you're scared of fighting and don't want to, you can stay behind. No one's forcing you. We've decided to move out."
"No... Byung-ok, I wasn't saying I'm scared or anything. I'm just worried about you all getting hurt!"
"Then we'll take that as you coming along."
"Oh, alright then~!"
The woman reluctantly agreed. Her face said she really didn't want to move. Probably too scared to stay alone, so she gave in.
Jo Chan-ho brushed off his clothes and stood.
"Alright, let's move. Straight ahead for now."
How long had we walked? About an hour, I guessed. This was a forest, but the slope wasn't too steep, so it hadn't drained our stamina much.
"Shh, hold up. Monsters about 30 meters ahead."
Everyone froze in tension, sucking in sharp breaths. This was our first time facing monsters since fleeing the building.
"... Three of them."
Three is manageable... We've got seven people. As long as no one screws up big-time, we can take them.
These monsters were small and scrawny—an average adult man could handle one alone if he stayed calm.
The problem was this was our first real fight against them.
Jo Chan-ho had killed some already, but I doubted he'd help if things got dicey for us.
"Let's do it, Byung-ok. With seven of us, we can split into teams of 2, 2, and 3."
"Hmm... Everyone else okay with that?"
"Yeah, hyung."
"I'm good, Byung-ok oppa."
"Me too... But could my little brother be in the group of three...?"
"Sis... I'm fine. You should be in the three..."
"We'll go with Yu-rim's call. Yu-hyeon's young, after all. So, me and So-young one team; Yun-seong, Kyung-sil, and Yu-hyeon another; Hyun-jin and Yu-rim the last. Sound good?"
"Yeah, let's do that, Byung-ok."
"Alright. Head to your assigned monsters, then..."
"Kieeeek—!"
Everyone froze at the sudden monster screech from behind.
Fuck, there were more behind the bushes we were in!
Because they were so small, we hadn't spotted the ones behind the foliage, and now we'd wandered right into them. Everyone locked up in shock.
"Kyaaaaah—!"
Fuck, we're screwed!
One that burst out latched onto Kim So-young's arm and bit down. She screamed in agony.
The others would swarm soon. Jo Chan-ho's face said he knew we were fucked too—he hadn't known about the ones in the bushes either.
He yelled in a panic.
"Everyone, run for it!"
"Aaaah—! Help! Don't leave me! Kyaaaah! Stop! Stop it!"
"Kyaaak!"
— Thwack!
I desperately swung my club at a monster charging me, knocking it away.
But the five behind the bushes weren't all of them. Distant ones were rushing over at the noise.
We might win if we stayed calm and fought together, but with one bitten and everyone panicking, some of us were dead for sure. I grabbed the siblings' arms and bolted.
"Fuck, snap out of it! Back the way we came! Run!"
"O-Okay..!"
Yu-rim barely answered; Yu-hyeon looked utterly terrified. At 15, it was hard for him to pull himself together. At least Yu-rim was running and responding.
I didn't see the others amid our frantic sprint. They'd probably scattered in panic.
Kieeeek—!
Thud!
"Ngh...!"
A monster from another direction tackled me, sending me sprawling. It climbed on top.
Fuck! Fuck!
It opened its jaws to bite; I jammed my club into its mouth, holding it off with both hands.
Terror shook me— I could die here. Its claws gripped my arm, sending searing pain as it squeezed.
"Grrrr... Fuuuuck..."
"Yun-seong oppa!"
Stab!
"Keeek! Kyaaaak!"
Thump!
Yu-rim stabbed its back with her dagger. Its grip loosened; I kicked it off.
"Huff... huff... Thanks."
"N-No problem. Oppa, your arm... it's hurt..!"
Finish it quick and run... More could come.
My wounded arm throbbed, but I gripped my club, bashed the writhing monster's head.
Crunch!
You have obtained a Job. Please check your Status Window.
Its skull burst, brains splattering everywhere. The stench made me gag.
My hands and feet shook from taking a life for the first time, but I couldn't stay. Despite the trembling, we had to get out fast.
The job alert popped up, but that wasn't the priority now.
"Yu-rim, you saved my life... Let's go quick. More might come."
"No, oppa. If not for you, me and Yu-hyeon would've been in danger back there. Thank you."
"Yeah... Let's move. Yu-hyeon, you good to run?"
"Y-Yeah, hyung."
Ignoring the pain in my arm, we retraced our steps.