Chapter 12: Split in Half |
No one said a word. Park Dong-geol’s words had struck deep, like a dagger to everyone’s heart. After moistening his parched lips with a bit of saliva, Park Dong-geol continued speaking.
“When it comes to prioritizing your own life, I don’t think trust is necessary. The team I want is one where we can help each other without holding anyone back. In other words, I only want to travel with people who are prepared for that.”
“That’s so...”
Lee Bo-rim’s voice was choked with tears. But she didn’t seem ready to back down. However, An Hyeon and the outspoken woman, who had been confronting Park Dong-geol, remained silent. A look of despair crossed her face, but she soon opened her mouth, her expression desperate.
“Call me selfish. I don’t care. It’s all or nothing anyway. Let me be clear: if things don’t work out, I’ll leave on my own. It seems I’ve already gotten on everyone’s bad side anyway... Honestly, I’m probably not the only one sick of your half-assed attitudes. The young man with the crossbow probably got frustrated too, which is why he left to keep watch. You all need to think about this.”
“Are you kidding me? How can you know if someone is useless or unhelpful without even trying?”
The outspoken woman immediately retorted. But her voice lacked conviction. At that, Park Dong-geol opened his mouth, a look on his face as if he’d caught her in a trap.
“‘How can you know without trying?’... Are you the one kidding me right now?”
“What did you say?”
Park Dong-geol paused, then drew his thumb across his throat to finish his sentence.
“We all die.”
His final words sent a shockwave through the group; agitation was clear on everyone’s face. Lee Bo-rim stared blankly at the ground, while the outspoken woman bit her lip. Only the woman with the cold expression maintained her initial composure.
“And let’s not misunderstand each other. I know you don’t like me, and I admit my part in that, so I’ll apologize again. But let’s not stir things up with needless words. I never said I was going to abandon anyone.”
Seeing their reactions, Park Dong-geol let out a cynical smile, then thumped his chest and shouted.
“Since we’re on the subject, let’s decide right now. If anyone agrees with me, come to my side. As long as you’re determined, I’ll welcome anyone.”
As he finished speaking, a tense atmosphere settled over the hill. Shaken by Park Dong-geol’s words, they all glanced at one another, trying to read each other’s intentions. Though they hated to admit it, his words had effectively swayed their emotions. He had cleverly woven his argument into the primal instinct for survival.
The ripple effect spread rapidly. An Hyeon and An Sol were contemplating, and even the outspoken woman, who had constantly clashed with Park Dong-geol, showed hesitation. In contrast, the thug casually tapped a clean steel rod he had brought along, looking relaxed.
Frankly, I didn’t care as long as An Hyeon and An Sol didn’t join him. But just in case, I activated The Third Eye and focused on the outspoken woman and the other woman I hadn’t yet assessed. I needed to check their stats, at the very least. My first target was the outspoken woman, from whom I expected quite a bit.
⚔ PLAYER STATUS ⚔
Name:
Lee Yu-jeong (0th Year)
Sex:
Female (22)
Height · Weight:
166.3cm · 51.7kg
Disposition:
Good · Neutral
⚡ Strength: 32
💨 Agility: 50
✨ Magic Power: 48
💪 Stamina: 30
🍀 Luck: 46
🛡️ Endurance: 38
(Remaining ability points: 0)
‘Hmm.’
I’d wondered what gave her the confidence to stand up to Park Dong-geol, and it turned out she had good reason. An Hyeon and An Sol were just so exceptional that she seemed less impressive, but her initial stats were by no means lacking. Her high Agility and Magic Power opened up paths for both close-quarters combat and magic, which was a tremendous blessing. I decided to keep an eye on Lee Yu-jeong as well. Then, I immediately turned The Third Eye to the next person. This woman also piqued my curiosity.
⚔ PLAYER STATUS ⚔
Name:
Kim Han-byeol (0th Year)
Sex:
Female (21)
Height · Weight:
170.2cm · 48.5kg
Disposition:
Lawful · Chaos
⚡ Strength: 28
💨 Agility: 46
✨ Magic Power: 68
💪 Stamina: 24
🍀 Luck: 40
🛡️ Endurance: 32
(Remaining ability points: 0)
🌟 UNIQUE ABILITY (1/1) 🌟
Charisma
(Rank: F Plus)
“Hah.”
The moment I saw her unique ability, I let out an involuntary gasp.
‘No way. Charisma?’
I was struck speechless, a shock similar to when I had checked An Sol’s information. And I finally understood why seeing Kim Han-byeol for the first time had reminded me of ‘her.’ Because ‘she’ also had a talent for Charisma.
The thought that I shouldn’t have looked crossed my mind, but I immediately shook my head. My thoughts suddenly felt tangled. Considering my initial plan, both Lee Yu-jeong and Kim Han-byeol were talents I couldn’t afford to lose.
Lost in my troubled thoughts, I habitually gathered and scattered the dirt on the ground. At the same time, a doubt arose. An Hyeon and An Sol. Lee Yu-jeong and Kim Han-byeol. The four of them had initial stats far exceeding the average in Hall Plain. Even if they were scattered, with talent like this, more than half of them should have survived.
‘Is there something I don’t know?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t reach a conclusion. I could make a few guesses, but I couldn’t be certain. For now, I decided to put those thoughts aside. I activated The Third Eye again to observe the situation. Since I had already decided to bring all four of them with me, there would be plenty of opportunities to watch them later.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The first to move was Lee Shin-woo. A disposition of Lawful and Good meant he was kind, but it also came with drawbacks. He likely lacked a strong will of his own and was easily swayed. His Luck stat was a shame to lose, but his other stats were unremarkable, so I offered a silent prayer for his soul.
“I-I really want to join the team, too!”
“Hmm...”
After sizing up Lee Shin-woo for a moment, Park Dong-geol asked in a low voice.
“You have to protect yourself. If you become a hindrance, I won’t hesitate to leave you behind.”
“I know! I’ll do my best!”
“...Alright! If you do your part, I’ll do my best to help you too. Let’s try to get out of this hellhole alive together. And... I’m sorry about before. I was too on edge. I sincerely apologize.”
The moment Dong-geol gave his permission, Lee Shin-woo’s face lit up, and he ran to his side. The way they embraced each other so tightly wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight. Having recruited Lee Shin-woo, Park Dong-geol next turned his attention to An Hyeon and spoke.
“You there. Think carefully. We’d welcome you anytime.”
As the thug deliberately emphasized the word ‘we’ in a subtle tone, An Hyeon’s expression grew troubled. He stood at a crossroads. The choice of which path to take was entirely his. Watching him, it wasn’t just An Sol; most of the group held their breath, waiting for his decision. Finally, An Hyeon slowly began to speak.
“My answer is the same. I will never abandon my sister.”
His tone was calm, without any rise or fall in inflection. For a moment, An Sol’s face brightened, and the female banker’s face flooded with relief. And in that same moment, An Hyeon continued.
“However... if you’re willing to include Sol in this team you’re talking about, I’ll consider it positively.”
‘Oh, dear.’
With those words, the situation tilted back in Park Dong-geol’s favor. In other words, the choice was now his. And this was exactly the situation Park Dong-geol had been hoping for. He feigned a thoughtful expression before replying with a displeased look.
“That’s a bit difficult. To be honest, we might be able to handle you, but we can’t protect that sister of yours, Sol. Nor do we intend to.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll pull the weight of two people.”
“No, it’s not that simple. Unexpected things can happen... If she holds us back like what happened in the clearing, it’ll be a problem.”
“Then I have no choice...”
“I’ll put it on hold for now. If you had spoken up earlier, maybe, but anyway, once the team members are all decided, we can discuss it again.”
Dong-geol intentionally cut An Hyeon off, leaving the possibility open. Behind this was a meticulous calculation. In reality, only An Hyeon and I had taken decisive action against the Deadmen. But I wasn’t there, so it was natural that the balance would tip toward whichever side An Hyeon chose. Of course, the trick was that Park Dong-geol had no intention of accepting An Hyeon, but by leaving the door open, he succeeded in unsettling the others once more.
“As for you... do whatever you want. Arguing back and forth will only tire me out.”
Park Dong-geol looked at Lee Yu-jeong, mumbling his words dismissively. Lee Yu-jeong frowned but didn’t say anything in response. Without a second thought, Park Dong-geol turned his head and addressed Lee Bo-rim and Kim Han-byeol, who were still standing motionless.
“Now... I’d like to hear what you two think.”
“...”
“Look, don’t get me wrong. If I really intended to abandon people, would I have accepted this guy? He clearly told me. He said he wouldn’t hold us back. He said he’d protect himself. He said he would make himself useful. It’s not like I wanted to take on this role. I said all this fully prepared to leave on my own. But if you want to live, you have to do what’s necessary, right? So, if you want to join this team, make the same promise. In front of everyone.”
“What do I have to do...”
In the end, it was Lee Bo-rim who answered first. Park Dong-geol glanced at Kim Han-byeol for a moment before continuing.
“You just have to promise that you’ll contribute to the team in any way you can, not just expect blind protection. If I decide you’re not useful to the team, I’ll kick you out without mercy. Of course, on the other hand, if you are helpful, we’ll do our best to help you too. If you have the nerve to steel your heart, then come to this team.”
Contribute to the team in any way. The phrase had a strange and dangerous undertone. Lee Bo-rim seemed to have vaguely realized this, as she continued to hesitate, while a look of contempt appeared on Kim Han-byeol’s face. Park Dong-geol licked his lips and turned to Kim Han-byeol.
“The same goes for you.”
“...Just a moment.”
Kim Han-byeol’s face remained cold, but she closed her eyes as if wanting to think. I was a little worried, but if my hunch was correct, she was likely to postpone her decision. As if allowing her that much, Park Dong-geol took a step back and put his arm around Lee Shin-woo’s shoulder.
Thinking that someone would obviously refuse to join the team is something that only happens in novels or comics. In reality, humans were emotionally fragile creatures. Especially when their own ‘lives’ were on the line, it was common for them to cast aside their pride.
How much time had passed?
In the end, the first to move was the banker, Lee Bo-rim. Lee Bo-rim gave a slight nod, then rose weakly and took a step toward Park Dong-geol. She seemed to be in the throes of a severe internal conflict, but she eventually lowered her head and joined Park Dong-geol and Lee Shin-woo.
And in that moment, Park Dong-geol flashed a triumphant smile.