Chapter 2
**CHAPTER_TITLE: The Beginning (Part 2)**
I had left the Colosseum plaza just moments ago, and before we went our separate ways, we each grabbed the gear we figured we’d need.
They’d set up basic equipment inside the arena itself—nothing fancy, just enough to get by.
Basic Equipment Provided
“Does that mean we’re supposed to take it with us when we leave…?”
One of the guys muttered it under his breath.
I picked out a one-handed sword and a shield from the list. It was a simple combo that let me switch fighting styles on the fly.
Basic one-handed sword
Basic shield
It had worked best for survival in the three tutorials I’d already run. The sword-and-shield combo was my go-to.
Yoo Dahui grabbed the exact same thing I did—one-handed sword and shield. Anything else and you’d just be feeding the wolves before you even started walking.
Especially spears. I’d seen way too many guys who picked those up only to die on the spot.
Spears are suicidal in the early floors
‘Guns come a bit later…’
Guns were treated like proper weapons with real power. They didn’t hand them out until you were past the absolute basics.
“So where should we head?”
“There are a ton of paths out here.”
The tutorial start point was the wide plaza in the center of the Colosseum, with straight roads leading to the four gates—east, west, south, and north. The side streets were just a mess, which was perfect for getting lost on your first try.
“Um…”
“Anyone got a direction they like?”
A bunch of Korean players had showed up together, about ten of them, and they were already acting like they knew exactly what they were doing. It was the same old story—familiar but completely pointless. This time around, because I could actually regress, I’d tried leading them myself and got my ass handed to me in the worst way possible.
No more of that. Letting everyone else walk into the fire on their own was way healthier for my mental health.
“When it’s this hard to decide, maybe we should just follow the majority?”
They were all going different directions, but most players just moved the same way anyway. Even the strongest warriors got nervous when they were dropped into an unfamiliar place for the first time.
“Then… that way?”
The guy who’d been acting as leader asked, dumbstruck.
“Looks fine to me,” another one said.
“Not that risky. Let’s just go check it out.”
“Understood. Let’s move.”
The Korean party didn’t look at each other much or take the lead themselves. They’d been just as frustrated with each other back when regression was still a thing. I got it, but this was still a complete clusterfuck.
Yoo Dahui trailed along silently behind us, eyes locked on every single one of us—especially me and the guys.
‘Well, shit.’
It was exactly what I expected. Wearing a mask doesn’t make anyone trust you.
Still, I couldn’t really blame her. She was way too sensitive about revenge after what happened in the last loop. The line between the two of us got blurred because of that.
‘So she’s supposed to hesitate…’
But the way she was looking at me right now wasn’t hesitation at all. If she tripped me up, she’d end up dead right along with everyone else.
The novel had switched genres overnight—from her regressed romance to a straight-up revenge story.
‘But what about me?’
Even if she killed me, I’d still regress because she’d die too. That was the whole point. The thought alone made my balls draw up tight.
I didn’t actually want to die, but still.
“I’ve been thinking while we walk.”
We stood right in the middle of the main road, somewhere between the Colosseum plaza and the gates. A few other players were milling around.
“The System here is pretty much like a game, right?”
Exactly the same flow.
The guy who’d been trying to lead everyone else was the first one to pick it up. He started absorbing System info and guiding the group.
‘Everyone’s going to die in exactly three days.’
His overconfidence from all those dead man’s bags had pushed us straight into hell.
‘I almost did the same thing.’
Reading the novel like that had been eating away at my lifespan. If I hadn’t been regressing with them, I would’ve been a disposable extra getting slaughtered left and right.
Thanks to that, I’d gotten cautious. I’d actually learned a lot.
Everything I’d done to Yoo Dahui had been calculated from the start.
“In a game you level up by hunting, right? Same idea here…”
“So we should hunt too?”
“Yeah.”
They didn’t even ask where. They just knew.
“…Let’s at least prepare a little with one thousand coins.”
I couldn’t just walk around empty-handed.
We headed into the nearest shop for hunting gear.
That was when Yoo Dahui finally spoke up.
“Better to save time. Everyone go do your own thing and meet up at the set time.”
Her eyes were back to normal now—still shooting daggers at us, but at least she was talking.
“Hmm… won’t that be dangerous?”
This wasn’t a foreign country or anything close to an alien world. These were just other players.
“The System says no harming each other inside the area.”
She dropped the info.
Safety Zone Confirmed
Effect:PK is impossible
“Ah!”
The meaning was crystal clear. If the System was a game to her, then “safe zone” meant exactly that.
Some of the paranoia about these alien players eased up right away.
“Then…”
“One hour. We meet back here in one hour. The spot…”
“How about the north gate?”
I pointed it out. She’d been looking around like she was lost.
In the first loop, the second, the third—every single time we’d started from the north gate.
“…Fine.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she hadn’t actually changed her guard. If anything, the disgust was even thicker now.
‘Good…?’
I wanted to see that pretty face twist in pain.
“See you in an hour.”
“Grab food, water, armor if you can. Whatever you need.”
The Korean party scattered in all directions—into the alleys, along the main road, wandering the streets. They’d probably end up sticking together again anyway. Lonely and scary out there even if PK was forbidden.
That was normal.
But Yoo Dahui and I just stood there.
“…You’re not going?”
Normally there’d be some guy trying to hit on her. In the novel she was the kind of woman men chased after, after all.
But she stayed right here with me, like she had nowhere else to be.
“What’s your name?”
“…Kim Jinwoo…”
“I’m Yoo Dahui.”
She reached out her hand. Like she wanted to shake.
I took it. Her palm was soft and warm.
Yoo Dahui started fiddling with my fingers, then straight-up laced them together. I jerked back in surprise and pulled away.
“What are you—?”
“…Hand.”
Her eyes flashed. She looked like a detective who’d finally caught the suspect.
“Wrong guy.”
“What’s your ideal type?”
She leaned in close.
“Short, petite, and a good cook.”
“…”
Yoo Dahui was tall, had zero room to spare, and could barely boil water.
“…Really?”
She wasn’t dropping the suspicion.
“You’re really calm, Jinwoo.”
“What’s the point of crying about it? It won’t change anything.”
“You’re not normal. I’m struggling right now.”
“…”
“If you want to live, you’ll do anything.”
I answered her and started walking faster. I didn’t want to get caught up in any more nonsense.
‘Run.’
At least I could run right now.
I ducked into the nearest shop. Any one would do.
“Why are you here?”
“…Why are you following me…?”
“We’re doing this together. No need to split up.”
That intense stare of hers was making me uneasy.
“Is there something you need, player?”
The shop owner greeted us. One of the residents who’d survived the Tower of Struggle. NPC-like.
I looked around the place. I’d barged in without checking what kind of store it was. Good thing it turned out to be a seasoning shop—pretty understandable.
“Just salt, fifty coins.”
Yoo Dahui bought what she needed. Fifty coins of salt would last us a whole week if we were careful.
“Not buying anything?”
“…I was planning to buy some salt too.”
“Oh, you want some of mine?”
“We’re sharing, right?”
Yoo Dahui let out a fake laugh and clicked her tongue.
“Heh heh, sure. Sharing. Then you need to buy one too, right, Jinwoo?”
Since we were sharing everything.
Her attitude was just being difficult.
“What do you want to buy?”
“Hmm…”
Anything that would loosen up the spikes I’d put up. None of that—rape was one thing I refused to do, even in thought.
But something she might like…
“Let’s get candy.”
“Eh?”
Among the things fifty coins could buy, the one Yoo Dahui would actually enjoy.
On the first floor, there was only Bryn’s candy.
“Let’s go.”
I led the blank-faced Yoo Dahui straight to Bryn’s candy shop.