Chapter 9: Kim Su-hyeon Begins the Rite of Passage |
“Hah... I can’t stand this suffocating crap anymore!”
“Eek!”
Park Dong-geol, who had been scanning the surroundings, chose his moment and stepped into the center of the clearing, his voice booming. Startled by the sudden outburst, Lee Shin-woo let out a choked cry. I didn't miss the fleeting, satisfied smile Park Dong-geol shot in Lee Shin-woo’s direction. To put it nicely, it was a power play. To put it bluntly, he was just being an ass.
“Hey! You people! Does any of you know anything about this fucked-up situation? Huh?”
An Sol was trembling, buried in An Hyeon’s arms. The two women I hadn't yet identified with An Hyeon wore different expressions.
One seemed relatively calm, but the other was clearly annoyed by Park Dong-geol’s sudden commotion. She was glaring at him, her eyes narrowed. For a moment, I was curious to see their Player Statuses, but I decided to watch the man's actions for now.
“Is everyone here a mute? Stop just sitting there with your mouths shut and say something!”
What a show-off.
Was he trying to prove he had a temper, or was he just trying to flex his masculinity? Park Dong-geol made a violent gesture, kicking a fist-sized stone at his feet with all his might. The stone flew with considerable force and disappeared into the forest. An awkward silence fell over the seated group in response to his sudden action. But I heard it clearly. The stone never made a sound as it hit the ground.
At that moment, a low growl echoed through the quiet forest. While they might not have heard the stone, it seemed everyone heard the growl. A flicker of anxiety crossed their faces. It was ten years ago, so I couldn't remember everything, but old memories were faintly bubbling to the surface.
I remembered what happened in this place back then.
“Sh-shit! Who was that? If you have a problem, come out now. Let’s talk, huh? Is it you? Or you?”
Park Dong-geol despicably pointed at those who seemed relatively weak. Lee Bo-rim and Lee Shin-woo, their faces pale, frantically shook their heads. Just then, the woman who had been glaring at Park Dong-geol stood up abruptly. Her heavy breathing suggested she had been holding back for quite some time.
“Mister, could you knock it off? What the hell are you doing at your age?”
“What? Wh-what? Knock it off? At my age? Are you talking to me right now?”
“Yeah, I am. What are you gonna do about it? Aren’t you ashamed? We’re all in the same boat, so why are you yelling and acting like a jerk?”
“Now you’re dropping the formalities? You bitch, how were you raised that you talk back to an adult like that? Did your parents teach you this?”
“Bitch? Ha, look at this guy... Fine. Did your parents teach you to bully kids half your age? You piece of trash!”
I chuckled to myself as I watched the woman retort fiercely without backing down an inch. At first, Park Dong-geol just let out a dumbfounded laugh, but soon his face turned red and purple with rising anger. He snorted loudly and then stomped toward the woman with a murderous look.
Standing before her, Park Dong-geol thrust his menacing face forward and spoke.
“Hey, you bitch. What did you say about my parents? Say it again.”
Normally, a grown man acting this aggressively would intimidate someone. But whether the woman was naturally strong-willed or just fearless, she met Park Dong-geol’s gaze and scoffed.
“Hilarious. You think that’s going to scare me? I asked if your mommy and daddy taught you to act like this, you motherfucker!”
“You fucking bitch, you must have a death wish...”
Genuinely enraged, Park Dong-geol’s fist slowly rose into the air. Despite this, the woman didn’t even blink. Just as he was about to swing...
“Hey, mister. That’s enough.”
An Hyeon, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. Park Dong-geol, who was about to strike the woman’s cheek, turned to look at An Hyeon with a bewildered expression. I could see An Sol tugging at his collar, but An Hyeon opened his mouth once more.
“She’s not wrong, you know. We’re all in the same situation, so why are you acting like this? What did these people do to you?”
“These... these bastards...”
Park Dong-geol bit his lip, his face flushing with humiliation. But as if feeling the eyes on him, his raised fist slowly lowered. When the woman gave a faint smirk, Park Dong-geol let out a furious roar and spun around. He sat back down, still seething, looking like he was about to explode with frustration because things hadn't gone his way.
“The fuck are you looking at! Turn your damn eyes away!”
Unable to contain his anger, Park Dong-geol took it out on Lee Shin-woo, who was just sitting quietly beside him. With an aggrieved look, Lee Shin-woo moved away. It was then.
Growl.
The growl from before sounded again, this time clearly in our ears. And finally, my faint memories began to take a more concrete shape.
Back then, we had wasted time just like this until a sudden attack scattered us all. The cause was the stone Park Dong-geol had kicked, and the loud argument between him and the woman.
That was all I remembered about these people. I didn't know what happened to them afterward, but considering I never saw them in the Hall Plain again...
Does that mean they all died during the Rite of Passage? Ah, but maybe not An Sol.
If we continued to waste time like this, we might just repeat the first timeline. No, it was certain we would.
I decided to offer a little help. But I had no intention of helping them directly. For now, I just planned to give them a reason to move and cooperate. So, I immediately raised my crossbow.
Click!
“Excuse me. What are you doing...?”
Everyone was on edge, their heads snapping toward even the smallest noise.
The person who spoke to me was the woman with the sharp tongue from before. At least she had the sense not to be rude from the start, though it was clear Park Dong-geol had gotten on her bad side.
“It’s unsettling, isn’t it?”
“That crossbow is what’s unsettling me.”
“I wonder... where do you think this place is?”
“What?”
The woman’s eyes widened. Her sharp gaze made her look feisty, but overall, she had a pretty face.
“On my way here, I experienced several things that I couldn’t comprehend. Isn’t it the same for everyone here?”
“Well... yes...”
People nodded in agreement. The Summoning Room, the angel, the teleportation. They must have experienced and witnessed it all. What they needed now was to accept reality as quickly as possible—even if it was difficult—and adopt an attitude of actively participating in the Rite of Passage for their survival.
I began to load an arrow into my repeating crossbow. It was a bit small for a crossbow, but it was a detachable model that could be worn on the wrist, which made it quite convenient. Whether it was because of the growls they had heard or my actions, one by one, people started picking up the weapons they had brought.
Soon, everyone except those who came empty-handed was armed. The preparations were more or less complete. I looked around and calmly gathered my thoughts.
We were in a clearing in the middle of a forest. Trees and woods surrounded us on all sides. I started moving in the opposite direction from where Park Dong-geol had kicked the stone.
Even though I had only taken a few steps from the clearing, it felt distinctly darker. The trees and grass before me had an ominous hue.
They must have felt some level of anxiety from hearing the growls. I could feel the presence of people following me from behind gradually increasing. Just as I was thinking their decisiveness wasn't so bad, my plan hit a snag right from the start.
“Hey, An Sol. Get up. We need to follow that guy.”
“Nooo... I don’t want to go in there... It’s scary...”
“Are you just going to stay here then? You were the one saying you felt anxious. That we shouldn't stay here. What’s with you all of a sudden?”
“Ughh...”
Hearing the siblings' conversation, I felt my eyes tense up. With a Luck stat of 100 points, she might be sensing something on her own. But that was just a guess. For now, she seemed unable to overcome her instinctual fear, showing no intention of getting off the ground.
Growl! Growl!
While the two were bickering, several more growls were heard. The sound was getting louder, a clear sign that whatever it was, it was very close. At first, people waited patiently for the two, but soon, one by one, they started to show their impatience.
“E-excuse me. Can’t we just go ahead? To be honest, I’ve been trembling for a while now...”
“Y-yeah, let's do that! Let’s just leave them. What is this all of a sudden...”
Having mustered some courage, Lee Shin-woo's voice was filled with a tragic resolve. And Park Dong-geol immediately agreed.
Whether she heard them talking about leaving, or just sensed it, An Hyeon’s expression grew more urgent as he pulled at An Sol.
“Come on, get up. Your brother is right here. Huh? Please, just listen to me.”
“B-but... my feet won’t move... Waaah...”
An Sol finally burst into tears. All the while, Lee Shin-woo and Park Dong-geol were exchanging anxious glances, clearly wanting to escape this unnerving place as soon as possible. Of course, I had no intention of leaving those two behind. It was far more beneficial to stick with them, even if it meant abandoning everyone else.
“Let’s just go! Why are we just standing here!”
“H-hey, let’s hurry...”
As the murmuring grew louder, An Hyeon’s face hardened. Then, he finally slapped away his sister's hand, which was clutching his clothes tightly. An Sol looked up with a start, her lips trembling.
“O-oppa?”
“Fine. Then you can stay here alone. I’m going somewhere else.”
What a liar. But An Hyeon’s acting was pretty good. After speaking, he callously turned his back, sword and shield in hand. As An Hyeon strode toward us, An Sol seemed to be in great shock, her mouth agape. Then, hearing An Hyeon say, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go," she began to cry openly with sorrow. Ignoring her, An Hyeon deliberately urged us on, pretending to take the lead into the forest.
“Waaah... Oppa... Don’t go...”
“An Sol, get up now. Please, get a grip on the situation, huh?”
“I’m sorry... Don’t leave me again... Don’t go... Waaah... Waaaaah...”
“You... Are you not getting up right now?!”
In the end, An Hyeon raised his voice, his eyes wide. It seemed to have some effect, as An Sol, still sobbing, slowly began to rise. It was then.
Grrrrr! Grrrrr! Grrrrr! Grrrrr!
Damn, did we take too long?
I felt a sense of failure. Not a failure born of fear, but the dread that the future might have changed and I could lose An Sol here. The source of the growls was now much clearer, as if it had come right up to us. The problem was, An Sol, who had just started to get up, froze completely.
“O... oppa...”
The distance between them was slowly widening. Despite seeing An Sol reaching out her hand in despair, An Hyeon’s actions remained firm. No, it seemed like he was pretending to be composed. The sharp-tongued woman looked like she couldn't watch anymore and was about to step in, but An Hyeon raised a hand to stop her.
“Just leave her be.”
“Oppa! Don’t leave me behind!”
“Then come over here yourself. It’s not too late. If you can’t even do that, you definitely won’t be able to survive.”
“Waaah...”
For a moment, I saw An Hyeon in a new light. He was staring at An Sol with eyes full of conviction. As if his sincerity got through to her, An Sol clenched her jaw. It seemed like if we waited just a little longer, she would come on her own, but unfortunately, it was too late.
Growl! Growl!
This growl... it’s a Deadman.
A Deadman. The name sounded grand, but in reality, it was nothing special. In fact, users in the Hall Plain considered Deadmen so weak they barely qualified as monsters. They had some intelligence and an infectious ability, but the infection could be cured easily enough if treated in time. (Of course, treatment would be impossible here.)
And if there was one other characteristic...
Kuaaaah!
They usually shambled around slowly, but when they spotted prey, they would break into a run.
Letting out a roar, a Deadman burst out from the woods, charging toward An Sol with its jaw wide open. An Hyeon, not expecting this, screamed and dashed forward.
“Sol!”
And An Hyeon wasn't the only one screaming.
“U-uaaack!”
“Kyaaah!”
It was like watching a zombie movie. As the monster with dangling pieces of torn flesh charged at them, the group instantly fell into chaos. A single stone was embedded in its chest, which was wide open, revealing its insides. It was undoubtedly the stone Park Dong-geol had kicked earlier. This must be the one that had been lurking around us after being hit.
Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl!
As if responding to the screams, the growls of more Deadmen from beyond the forest multiplied.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Sol! Snap out of it! Soool!”
An Sol, who had barely managed to get up, seemed to have completely lost her mind at the sight of the Deadman. An Hyeon was running fast, but the Deadman was closer. Sensing this, An Hyeon swung his sword-wielding arm back dramatically. Then he swung it with all his might toward the Deadman.
Fwing! Thwack!
Oh? It hit?
The sword flew with great force and cleanly severed the Deadman’s left arm. But that was all. The creature staggered for a moment, then regained its balance and reached An Sol.
“Noooooo!”
The Deadman with its jaw agape.
An Sol with her eyes wide open.
And a wailing An Hyeon.
In that moment, I was certain. By taking some action, I had also changed An Sol's future. Without hesitation, I fired the crossbow I had been preparing.
Fwing!
The arrow flew with a sharp whistle and, with a thud, cleanly pierced the Deadman’s head. The Deadman's weak point was its head. If a kicked stone could pierce its chest, an arrow would be unstoppable. The Deadman collapsed, its mouth still open.
Thump!
“H-holy...”
“Hah... Hah...”
The reactions of those who had just seen the monster were nearly identical. They all reflexively gripped their weapons, finally seeming to realize that this situation was no joke. Of course, they had a vague idea of the situation, but what had been a vague notion was now a palpable, serious atmosphere.
Even in the midst of this, An Hyeon acted swiftly. He quickly ran to An Sol, who was just gaping, and helped her up. Then he quickly returned to where we were. He, too, was breathing heavily, clearly shaken by what had just happened.
Soon, everyone’s gaze fell upon me. I moved to the front. We had dealt with one, but soon, many more would gather. The increasing growls meant the Deadmen were converging on this location. If they formed an encirclement, it would be quite troublesome.
Without a word, I started walking.