What Did You Find? No Way, That's Yeo Min-seo?
"What did you find? No way, is that Yeo Min-seo?"
Gu Jun-hyeok stared at Yeo Min-seo with a look of utter disgust, like she was something repulsive.
Kim Jin-seo stayed silent, but she seemed inwardly terrified of Yeo Min-seo's madness, hunching her shoulders slightly.
I just quietly watched Yeo Min-seo's smiling face.
"……."
I found it, Yeo Min-seo said.
What had she found?
Suddenly, her earlier words echoed in my ears.
'Flash, no. A phone. Got a phone or laser pointer or something?'
A phone or laser pointer.
In a situation where the new magic beasts had taken over Eden Hill, she'd suddenly gone looking for that.
When silver bullets, guns loaded with them, or silver swords—weapons like that—were what we desperately needed.
The magic beasts only attacked when the flash burst.
Anyone with a brain could figure that out.
But who exactly they attacked when the flash went off wasn't clear.
At first, they'd gone for me.
Then later, Gu Jun-hyeok.
It seemed random at a glance.
'Nobody move.'
But when Yeo Min-seo had barked that order for no one to move.
When we'd all frozen in place, silent and still.
That time, even with the flash, they hadn't attacked.
What Yeo Min-seo had been searching for.
What she'd been trying to prove all along.
"Hey, you guys get it, right? It's just like 'Red Light, Green Light.' The magic beasts only attack moving targets when the light flashes."
The rule for who the magic beasts attacked when the flash hit.
"What the hell kinda bullshit is that? Why's the hibiscus blooming all of a sudden?"
Gu Jun-hyeok let out a disbelieving chuckle.
Who else in the world would ask why the hibiscus was blooming?
Yeo Min-seo opened her mouth with a twisted smile, like it was no big deal.
"Everyone except you seems to get it."
She was right.
I nodded faintly, and even Kim Jin-seo seemed to understand, giving a small nod.
Gu Jun-hyeok finally realized he was the only one left out and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Uh, yeah, I think I get what you mean."
He pretended to catch on late.
Yeo Min-seo let out a light scoff.
"And the magic beasts have priorities in their attacks. They go for someone trying to counterattack before just anyone moving."
"How do you know that?"
"Back when Do Seon-woo was about to throw that rock, the magic beast ignored everyone else and hit him first."
"Ah."
Gu Jun-hyeok nodded.
He didn't really seem to get it—just faking understanding.
"And the leader's that one up there."
Yeo Min-seo pointed high into the sky.
In the pitch-black darkness, pale eyes gazed down at us.
Like it was observing us.
"That one's been watching us the whole time. Probably sets the priorities and sends the flash signals too."
"Sends the flashes? A magic beast?"
"I've been watching—it looks like the light comes from its eyes. No idea how, but yeah. Seems pretty smart too."
Gu Jun-hyeok kept tilting his head like he wasn't following.
Kim Jin-seo, who'd been staring at the magic beasts for a while, muttered softly.
"……They're lowering altitude."
I glanced up at the sky.
The magic beasts were gradually descending toward us.
Yeo Min-seo nodded slowly.
"Once they hit ground level, they'll probably slaughter us all... or something like that."
"Why bother? What's the point?"
"Must have some grand plan. Or maybe just playing with us. Looks like a Baphomet Set from the way it acts."
"Baphomet" referred to a magic beast's danger rating.
Higher numbers meant more dangerous, and "Baphomet Set" denoted ones with human-level intelligence.
Beasts that smart sometimes toyed with humans like playthings.
"Can't just sit here waiting for rescue forever."
I said, eyeing the approaching magic beasts.
"Yeah. No telling when backup's coming."
Yeo Min-seo nodded.
I thought for a moment.
Using Bosu's power for a stone throw was out.
They'd hit before I could even wind up.
Granbwa's power wouldn't work either.
The beasts were airborne, and Granbwa wasn't suited for flying foes.
[Weather's perfect for him, though. Too bad it's a mountain—tricky spot.]
Legba's voice murmured softly in my head.
I'd thought of him too.
No one better against flying magic beasts.
Weather was ideal—storm clouds rolling in.
But this was a mountain.
Misuse his power, and we'd be in deeper shit.
Above all, I wasn't sure I could control it.
"So what now? Can't move. Can't fight back. Can't just stand here? Fuckin' hell."
As I pondered alternatives, Gu Jun-hyeok grumbled beside me.
Yeo Min-seo rubbed her chin, staring blankly into space.
Deep in thought.
Finally, she grinned.
Her smiles always had a creepy edge.
"Better one dies than all four, right?"
Bad start.
Yeo Min-seo laid out her plan with that eerie grin.
Our faces hardened as she spoke.
*
"Oh, by the way, I'm not doing it. You three figure it out."
"What? Who the hell—"
"I came up with the plan."
Yeo Min-seo said it without batting an eye.
Like it was obvious.
Gu Jun-hyeok chuckled in disbelief.
But he had no comeback, so he shut up.
Kim Jin-seo looked up at the sky.
The magic beasts were closing in.
Their wingbeats stirred wind against our foreheads.
Maybe five minutes left.
No decision by then, and we'd all die.
"What do we do?"
She glanced around.
Gu Jun-hyeok, pissed at Yeo Min-seo's attitude, muttered with a scrunched face.
I just stared blankly at the sky, not listening.
"……."
Kim Jin-seo bowed her head, recalling Yeo Min-seo's plan.
'Throw rocks, scream and run like a maniac—someone draws their attention. Rest of us bolt. Simple, right?'
Follow it, and three could escape with high odds.
Beasts prioritized counterattacks, so fire would focus on the bait.
But the bait was as good as dead.
'Better than all four dying, like I said.'
Brutal, ice-cold—no shred of humanity.
But rationally, no better option than one sacrifice over four.
The issue: who?
"Still deciding? Someone step up with guts."
No resolution for ages.
In the silent woods, Yeo Min-seo said shamelessly.
Gu Jun-hyeok's lip twisted viciously.
"Then you do it. You've been yapping from the back this whole time, bitch?"
"Nah, can't. Florence takes a huge hit if I die."
"Wha—then I'm disposable?!"
"If you die, it's whatever... Anyway, decide quick."
Gu Jun-hyeok clutched his neck.
"Man, I'm gonna die of rage. Should we all just croak?"
"Not bad. I don't care either way."
Yeo Min-seo said brazenly.
She valued others' lives—and her own—cheaply.
Gu Jun-hyeok choked, speechless, nearly passing out.
More bickering followed, but no one volunteered.
Obviously.
Life wasn't that easy to toss.
"Just gotta draw attention, right?"
Her voice cut through the noise.
Silence fell.
Gu Jun-hyeok blinked at Kim Jin-seo blankly.
Yeo Min-seo smirked and nodded.
"Knew you'd step up. Yeah, just five seconds or so."
Like she'd expected it.
Gu Jun-hyeok twisted his brows grotesquely.
"Wait, what? For real? Why?!"
"She's got the best survival odds as bait. As expected of Kim Jin-seo. Smart girl."
Yeo Min-seo mocked.
Kim Jin-seo had read the beasts' patterns vaguely.
Me, Gu, Yeo—100% dead as bait.
Her? Down to 80%.
At least a chance.
"Shouldn't the one who suggested it do it? That's the rule, right? Yeo Min-seo should."
Gu still didn't get it, but Kim was set.
No shaking her resolve.
"Okay. When bait signals, we all run. Got it?"
"No, this is insane—!"
"Great! Big applause for Kim Jin-seo's courage!"
Gu stopped mid-rant, staring dumbly at Yeo Min-seo.
She grinned like a kid, creepy as hell.
No human dignity or life value in her head.
"It's fine. I won't die."
Kim Jin-seo smiled faintly, resigned to death.
She asked herself: Is life bought with another's truly happy?
Hers was forged on her adoptive mom's death.
Misery stormed through, stealing loved ones.
Ruins left behind.
Five years wandering those wastes—lonely, barren.
She imagined life at the cost of Do Seon-woo or Gu Jun-hyeok.
Not life.
Death in life's clothes, or worse.
"……."
Kim Jin-seo looked up again.
Storm clouds swallowed the sun, blanketing the sky.
In the abyss, wingbeats echoed ominously.
Closer than before.
I was still staring blankly skyward.
Like her choice was none of my business.
Her heart tangled.
But not enough to waver.
In the dark, she felt the bracelet on her left wrist.
Snapped from the fall—not a bracelet anymore.
Just crudely tied string.
Realizing that eased her mind.
Kim Jin-seo stepped forward.
"Don't."
A voice from the dark.
Firm, commanding—like a reprimand.
She stopped instinctively.
Silence.
Nothing visible, nothing audible.
All distant, blurry.
Time frozen.
Flash.
Lightning split the dark.
In that instant, she saw him.
Striding forward boldly—his back.
Darkness returned, swallowing the view.
────!!
Darkness brief.
Lightning cleaved the sky, banishing night.
Thunder roared in her ears.
A magic beast crumbled to ash, plummeting.
────!!
────!!!
Bolts rained endlessly, shattering the gloom into dozens.
Dark and light flashed hundreds of times.
Shattered sky screamed thunder.
Beasts rained down like hail.
A storm unleashed.
At its heart, his silhouette backlit.
"───."
He half-turned, speaking to her.
Voice lost to thunder.
Faint echo only.
……'Please'?
She tried lip-reading, but the shape was ambiguous.
Meanwhile, thunder and lightning raged on.
Beast corpses piled.
Late wind tousled her hair.
Long after.
Storm ceased.
In the wake: ruins, nothing left.
There, he stood.
(To be continued next time)