Chapter 14: Split in Half |
“Instead of worrying about those who left, let’s worry about ourselves. Shouldn’t we get down this hill and out of this forest first?”
I wasn’t addressing everyone, but An Hyeon specifically. As my gaze fell on him, Lee Yu-jeong and Kim Han-byeol’s eyes naturally followed. Having some experience as the leader of the pack, An Hyeon didn’t seem like the type to be burdened by the attention. He readily agreed and stood up, peering down the hill.
“Going down is fine, but I’m not sure which direction we should take. We don’t even know where we are…”
Lifting his head again, An Hyeon glanced back and forth between the clearing still swarming with Deadmen and the path Park Dong-geol’s group had taken. The path they chose led in the opposite direction of the clearing. It seemed they’d put some thought into it, but from my perspective, it was by no means a good choice.
“Wouldn’t this way be better?”
Just then, Kim Han-byeol, who had been quiet until now, pointed in a certain direction. Following her finger, I saw she was indicating a path roughly 90 degrees from the clearing. Lee Yu-jeong seemed to be gauging the distance from the clearing and asked with a slightly anxious expression.
“Wouldn’t it be better to go in the complete opposite direction of the clearing? That way doesn’t seem very far from it.”
Add one more person who thinks like Park Dong-geol.
An Hyeon pondered for a moment before exclaiming, “Ah!” He looked like he was far from the studious type, but his mind seemed to work quite fast. Seeing Lee Yu-jeong still tilting her head in confusion, Kim Han-byeol began to explain calmly.
“But in the direction opposite the clearing, there might be some that didn’t hear the commotion and are still there. It could be even more dangerous.”
An Hyeon added his own explanation, and Kim Han-byeol nodded slightly as if to say he was right. It wasn’t exactly the same escape route I had in mind, but it was very similar. In any case, I felt a pleased smile form inwardly, feeling like things were finally starting to go right.
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense. Does that mean the direction that asshole went is the most dangerous?”
“That’s right. Anyway, let’s just head straight down here and get out of the forest. Sol-ah. Get up.”
“Huh? Okay!”
An Sol, who had been watching our conversation like a bystander just sucking her thumb, hastily stood up at An Hyeon’s words. Seeing me and An Hyeon take the lead in making decisions, no one else seemed to have any major complaints. In fact, the atmosphere felt much more stable, and their faces looked more at ease than when Park Dong-geol was around. Lee Yu-jeong, in particular, even had a smile on her face, seemingly enjoying the thought of Park Dong-geol’s impending hardship.
And so, the remaining people—our group—swiftly descended the hill.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About two hours had passed since we decided on our escape route and came down the hill. The dense trees stretched so high they obscured the sky, making the inside of the forest much darker than it had appeared from the hill. For two hours, we walked without rest through the dark woods. With every step, only the sound of rustling soil and grass and our rhythmic breathing followed a steady rhythm behind me and An Hyeon at the front.
The gloomy forest was quiet and surprisingly vast. However, if my memory served me right, and if we maintained our current pace, we should be able to get out before evening. It occurred to me that perhaps the angels had deliberately dropped a group of people with decent stats into the more difficult center of the forest.
It was best to get out of this forest before tonight. The Preparation Room had provided clothing and weapons, but no food or water. Those necessities were in separate places: the Rest Room, where one could rest for half a day, or the Save Point, where one could sleep for a full day. Other methods included plundering other users or rummaging through shops in a town.
“…Oppa.”
“Hmm?”
Currently, An Hyeon and I were at the front, with An Sol and Kim Han-byeol following closely behind. Lee Yu-jeong was bringing up the rear, and we were all staying as vigilant as possible. In the middle of this, An Sol tugged firmly on An Hyeon’s collar, her face flushed as she mumbled.
“I need to pee…”
“……”
An Sol’s shy words brought a wave of awkwardness over everyone’s faces.
‘Is she an idiot?’
She seemed a bit slow, but to this extent? I was genuinely curious how she had managed to survive in the modern world.
An Hyeon stopped for a moment, glanced at us, and asked.
“Can we stop here for a moment? My sister needs to relieve herself.”
Fortunately, Lee Yu-jeong and Kim Han-byeol readily agreed. It seemed there was some kind of understanding among women. There was a small scene where An Sol, afraid to go alone, begged her brother to come with her, but An Hyeon heartlessly sent her off by herself.
Seeing An Sol trudge away dejectedly after being scolded by her brother, Lee Yu-jeong chuckled. She had already plopped down on the ground.
“Will she be okay? What if those things attack her?”
“She’ll be fine if she’s careful. Besides, she’s nineteen. It’s ridiculous if she can’t even handle the bathroom by herself. By the way, how old are you to be talking to me so casually?”
“Me? Twenty-two. You’re doing the same, so what’s the big deal? But aren’t you younger than me? You look like you just turned twenty or twenty-one.”
“I’m twenty-two, too.”
“Eh? We’re the same age. Since we’re at it, why don’t we introduce ourselves?”
With a much more cheerful voice than before, Lee Yu-jeong looked around at everyone. Kim Han-byeol, perhaps exhausted from the unspoken mental strain, cautiously sat down beside her. An Hyeon and I nodded to each other and also sat on the cold ground.
“We’ll be leaving as soon as my sister gets back, so let’s make it quick. My name is An Hyeon. I’m twenty-two.”
“What did you do before coming here?”
At Lee Yu-jeong’s question, An Hyeon scratched his face, looking a bit troubled, but he answered honestly.
“I was just messing around as a neighborhood punk, working part-time jobs. What about you?”
“Me? My name is Lee Yu-jeong. Same age, twenty-two. I was on a break from university, preparing for the police officer exam.”
The police officer exam. So she dreamed of being a cop? For some reason, I felt like a police uniform would suit Lee Yu-jeong quite well. The two of them chatted for a bit, one a cop-in-training and the other a punk, before turning their heads to me and Kim Han-byeol. Unable to withstand their curious gazes, Kim Han-byeol was the first to speak up.
“Kim Han-byeol. I’m twenty-one. A university student.”
“So you’re younger. What university did you attend?”
“I went to Yonsei University.”
“Wow! You must be smart. I’m jealous.”
After a moment of admiration, the two turned their gazes to me, the only one left. Kim Han-byeol also looked at me with an expectant face. Feeling awkward under their intense scrutiny, I did my best to respond to their expectations with a calm expression.
“The name’s Kim Su-hyeon. I’m twenty-three. I was a soldier.”
“Found an Oppa! Let’s speak comfortably then, Oppa. Were you in the Army, Air Force, or Navy?”
“So you’re a Hyeong. You can speak comfortably with me too. What was your rank, Hyeong?”
I had initially thought Lee Yu-jeong was just strong-willed, but she seemed to have a naturally cheerful personality. At the same time, An Hyeon’s curiosity was piqued by the mention of the military, and he asked me about it.
“Army Sergeant.”
“That’s a shame. You would have been discharged if you’d waited just a little longer.”
Seeing Lee Yu-jeong giggle, I gave a bitter smile and added.
“I was discharged. I came here on the way back from filing my discharge papers.”
“……”
“……”
“……”
What is this? These looks of pity? This sorrowful atmosphere?
“Why are you all looking at me like that? I’m fine. I don’t feel anything. So stop it.”
Despite my assurances, an awkward silence descended upon us again. An Hyeon coughed and looked away, while Lee Yu-jeong stared at me with an expression of outright pity. Even Kim Han-byeol was looking at me with sympathy. I really was fine, though.
To break the awkward mood, Lee Yu-jeong deliberately changed the subject with a cheerful voice.
“I still feel like this is all a dream. Normally, I’d be studying at the library, then I’d close my book, run outside, and call a friend. We’d sit in the lounge, chat our hearts out, go get something delicious to eat, and on the way home, I’d be thinking, ‘I have to study hard starting tomorrow.’ That’s what I’d be doing.”
Hearing her words, everyone’s expression turned dreamy. An Hyeon let out a small laugh and joined in.
“I’d probably be at my part-time job at the PC bang, bickering with a customer trying to get another game on credit. Catching someone trying to dine and dash. Getting chewed out by the boss for not cleaning well enough. Then I’d be eating a piece of chicken the owner’s wife gave me at the counter until my shift ended, then I’d go pick up Sol. Heh. Ah, Hyeong, what were you planning to do first when you got home?”
“Me?”
I tilted my head as An Hyeon abruptly turned the question to me. Hmm. It was over ten years ago, so I couldn’t remember well. After a moment of thought, I decided to give a simple answer.
“Let’s see. I probably would have taken a deep breath of society’s air on the way home, realizing that I was finally a free man. Then I’d stop by the house, give my mother a deep bow, and call my father. Then I’d eat a delicious meal my mother made, soak myself in a hot bath, and… No, I mean, why are you all looking at me like that? Don’t look at me like I’m some pathetic animal. I’m really okay.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The commotion ended safely with An Sol’s return from her business. Seeing her bow politely and say, “I’m back,” I found her rather cute. However, her voice was like a signal that forced us to face reality again. We had all wanted to escape this hellish place, even for a brief moment, by introducing ourselves and chatting. An Hyeon let out a deep sigh and trudged to his feet.
After a sweet, short break, we began to advance through the dark forest once more. Although An Hyeon and I were at the front, I was the one subtly guiding the way. By sensing our surroundings and deliberately avoiding areas with many Deadmen, we had managed not to encounter a single one yet.
But we wouldn’t be able to avoid them forever. The closer we got to the edge of the forest, the more evenly distributed the Deadmen became. All I could do was lead them in the direction with the fewest enemies.
My biggest concern was An Sol. Even though we were heading in the direction with the fewest, we might still run into dozens of Deadmen further ahead. I was worried about whether Sol could handle that situation calmly. Just then, An Hyeon let out a sharp cry and froze in place.
“What’s wrong?”
“Shh.”
As Lee Yu-jeong and I turned our heads in the direction An Hyeon was pointing, we saw three Deadmen roaming nearby. They were sniffing the air and licking their lips; they had undoubtedly caught our scent. I instinctively glanced at An Sol. She had her hands clamped over her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut. We had cleared one hurdle, at least.
“They can find us by smell, not just sight and hearing?”
“Seems like it. Get down, for now.”
An Hyeon quickly hid behind a large tree, pulling Sol into his arms. Lee Yu-jeong, Kim Han-byeol, and I followed his lead, hiding and waiting for the creatures to pass. I saw An Hyeon raise his shield defensively, but I shook my head. Training to kill Deadmen was better done after we got out of here. I couldn’t remember the exact reason, but among the things I’d heard, users unanimously agreed to never enter the forest during the Rite of Passage.
Based on the distance my senses could cover, we only had to go about half the distance we’d already traveled to get out of the forest. We had avoided them well so far, but if we killed these ones now, there was a high chance we’d be surrounded again. If the Deadmen gathered after receiving a signal, we’d be truly helpless.
Even if we were to deal with them, we’d have to do it in a single blow, without giving them a chance to send a signal. But with just a shield and some rocks, taking out three at once was a distant dream. The longsword at my waist rattled faintly. I should have given it to An Hyeon earlier, I thought. Meanwhile, the Deadmen continued to sniff the air, taking one step at a time toward our tree.