Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Recruiting the Divine Archer
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"Wh... who...?"
Kwon Na-ye looked at Hae-jin with bewilderment.
Who the hell was this guy, popping up out of nowhere?
And what kind of person was he to snatch the bow and arrow she'd been about to fire on reflex in one swift motion?
As Na-ye asked who he was, Hae-jin introduced himself.
"I'm Park Hae-jin."
"Park Hae-jin... Wait, you don't mean that..."
"Yes, the 'that' Park Hae-jin you're thinking of, Na-ye-ssi."
She flinched!
Na-ye pretended to be startled at the confirmation that it was indeed the Park Hae-jin she'd had in mind.
She had no choice but to react that way.
The Park Hae-jin she knew was none other than the man who'd massacred more people than anyone in the Trials' Arena.
And now this guy standing before her was claiming to be that very Park Hae-jin.
She couldn't even dismiss it as a lie—his movements just moments ago proved he was no ordinary person.
An elite athlete?
No, that doesn't even begin to explain those movements... Archery was a stationary sport where you stood and shot, so many people assumed archers lacked the strength of athletes in more dynamic sports. But the truth was, archers trained with volumes comparable to any other athlete to build the stamina for intense focus and unshakable muscle control. In other words, even top athletes couldn't have taken the bow and arrow from Na-ye's hands so easily. And that was after she'd returned from the Trials' Arena. She could feel her body had undergone explosive changes. Yet this man had stripped her of her gear in the blink of an eye. Kwon Na-ye began to think the man before her might really be the Park Hae-jin who'd taken first place in the first trial. Even if he's not the real Park Hae-jin... he's definitely stronger than me. She could sense it. Hae-jin's strength. Whether he was the real deal or not, he was someone she couldn't handle. For now, instead of dwelling on it, she asked about the reason for his visit.
"Why have you come to see me?"
"I need you, Na-ye-ssi."
"Wh-what?!"
Na-ye was caught off guard by Hae-jin's blunt words. He needs me?... It made no sense. She'd never laid eyes on Hae-jin in her life. All she knew about him was that he was the one who'd killed the most people in this utterly unreal Survival Game. But Na-ye thought: I have no right to judge him. In the first trial, she'd killed too. She had no choice. It was kill or be killed by those trying to murder her or prey on her in some way. She'd fought back, and to survive, Na-ye had taken lives. Hae-jin might have killed far more, but she was a killer too. The numbers were brutally different, sure. Not dozens, not hundreds, but thousands? An unreal number. But then... This whole situation defies reality anyway. The Survival Game itself was beyond comprehension. And wasn't there that saying? Kill one, you're a murderer; kill ten, you're a monster. But kill a thousand, you're a hero; ten thousand, a conqueror; a million, a god. Killing just a moderate number might make him a simple murderer, but taking down thousands single-handedly felt different. Anyway... At Hae-jin's claim that he needed her, Na-ye made a face like it was beyond her understanding.
"Why do you need me?"
"Because I do."
"Why?"
She pressed him on why he needed her. Hae-jin shrugged, holding up the bow he'd just taken from her.
"You shoot arrows really well, don't you?"
"...That's why you came looking for me?"
Na-ye stared at him with incredulous eyes. Seeing that look in her eyes, Hae-jin suddenly recalled the Na-ye from before his regression. 『Why don't you ever look after yourself? Just leave it to the Leader and stay safe! It's exhausting always having to cover for you!』 Na-ye had nagged him like a mom about stuff like that endlessly. At first, it annoyed him. He could fight just fine without her cover. She'd always gripe that it was a hassle having to watch his back. But... Spending time together, he'd come to realize. It was all because she cared about him. That was why he'd sought her out first. Excluding the Leader, his feelings for Na-ye ran deeper than for any other companion. Of course, the current Na-ye wouldn't know that. No helping it. Only two had regressed to this world. Park Hae-jin himself and Leader Joo-hyuk. And he'd killed Joo-hyuk with his own hands. Now, Hae-jin was the only regressor left in this world. He alone carried the memories of the comrades he'd fought alongside. So Na-ye stared at him quizzically. Why's she looking at me like that? Of course she wouldn't know. From her perspective, he was a total stranger. To her, Hae-jin said: "I'll give you info on the next Trials' Arena. If it pays off for you, join my side."
"Huh?"
Na-ye was flustered. His proposal was utterly bewildering. He shows up out of the blue demanding she join him. What makes him think I'd trust him? He'd given a reason. She was a good shot. But was that enough justification to drag her into a team for the Trials' Arena that had suddenly upended the world? Of course, if he was telling the truth, it wasn't a bad deal for her. Info on the second Trials' Arena starting February 1st—if real, she'd be begging to take it. But the biggest question nagging her now was: How does he know about it? Hae-jin could see it all. Just from her expression, he knew what she was thinking. She's wondering why I'm asking her to team up and how I know about the next trial. But he had no intention of explaining it all in detail. Once the second trial ended, she'd have no choice but to trust him.
"Talking like this now, you probably think some random guy's spouting nonsense. Let's meet again after you survive the second Trials' Arena. To build trust, I'll tell you now what you need to do there."
"You're just going to tell me the contents of the next Trials' Arena?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"There's no reason for you to give me that info."
"Why not? I already explained."
"Because I shoot arrows well?"
That was true enough. Before regression, Na-ye had been the Divine Archer handpicked by Leader Joo-hyuk. But knowing her personality, Hae-jin decided to be straightforward with his true intentions.
"Yeah, or more precisely..."
"More precisely?"
"Because I need you."
"......"
But then Na-ye suddenly blushed at his words. Hae-jin found it odd. Was Na-ye always the shy type? She was quite different from the Na-ye he knew. No surprise there. Before regression, Leader Joo-hyuk had gathered them. Naturally, Hae-jin hadn't met Na-ye until after joining Joo-hyuk's party, so this side of her felt unfamiliar. Anyway, seeing her embarrassed, Hae-jin waved it off.
"Ah, I'm busy right now, so no more chit-chat. Here's what you should do in the next Trials' Arena."
Hae-jin skipped further talk with Na-ye and explained only what she needed to do in the upcoming trial. Once done, he told her to contact him after it ended and exchanged numbers. With everything wrapped up, Hae-jin said: "Then I'll be off. Oh, and here—sorry for snatching it earlier while we talked."
"Ah!"
Hae-jin returned the bow he'd taken from Na-ye. To Na-ye, now holding it again, he said: "Contact me after the second Trials' Arena ends. See you then."
He spoke like someone about to leave right away. Seeing that, Na-ye opened her mouth.
"Wait—!"
Whoosh! She'd wanted to say more, but before she could stop him, Hae-jin's figure vanished. Na-ye panicked at the sight.
"Wh-what?!"
The man who'd been right there was gone. It was a skill only Hae-jin, who had inherited Leader Joo-hyuk's ability, could pull off. Shadow Blink—teleporting to a target's shadow. A skill fresh players from the first Trials' Arena wouldn't even glimpse for several more rounds. With Na-ye handled, next up was recruiting the teammate 'Lee Sang.' *
"Where's Lee Sang?"
"Practicing, I think?"
"Guy's hardcore. The national team match is probably getting canned anyway because of that Survival Game thing."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
Pro gamers selected alongside Lee Sang for the national team chatted in the team lounge, coffees in hand.
The sudden anomaly that had gripped the world: the Trials' Arena.
Commonly called the 'Survival Game' in modern terms.
Everyone had been prepping for nationals, but with this massive issue, gamers figured the whole event would be scrapped.
Hearing that, Park Hae-jin thought:
They know what's up. To meet Lee Sang, Hae-jin had recalled these pro gamer-looking folks and used Shadow Blink. He'd stayed invisible so popping out of their shadows wouldn't startle them. But en route to Lee Sang, overhearing their coffee break talk, Hae-jin paused and nodded. The regressed Hae-jin knew all national team events had indeed been halted. And it wasn't just nationals. Those killed in the Survival Game couldn't continue normal careers, triggering upheavals across professions. But that was beside the point—what mattered to Hae-jin now wasn't whether nationals happened. Where's Lee Sang? Hae-jin checked presences around him. He sensed someone alone in a nearby room. Blink. Whoosh! Hae-jin's invisible form shifted while observing the pro gamers. Blink—a short-range teleport spell. It let him move to any spot within range. Afterward, Hae-jin saw: He's really grinding. The pro gamer Lee Sang, practicing nonstop. Unlike his teammates, who'd mentally checked out since nationals were doomed by the Survival Game, he kept at it. Seeing that, Hae-jin fell silent for a moment. It was heartbreaking, practicing so hard for a match that might never happen.
"......"
No helping it. Lee Sang had once told him something. 『At least I met you guys, hyungnims and noonas. Pro gaming was my whole life. Honestly, if I couldn't do it anymore, I really wanted to die.』 Hae-jin hadn't quite gotten it at the time. Lee Sang had already made bank—why be so devoted? He could've pivoted to something else. Anyway, that's how serious Lee Sang was about pro gaming. But before dying at the end, Lee Sang had said: 『Still, meeting you all made me happy.』 Recalling that, Hae-jin thought to himself: This time, we'll survive together to the end and stay happy, Sang-ah.