Chapter 16: Split in Half |
As I might have mentioned before, in Hall Plain, a Deadman doesn't even qualify as a monster. Its only abilities are a bit of intelligence and the power to infect. Since the purpose of this place is to prove one's worth, any able-bodied adult male with a steel pipe could defeat a Deadman over 80% of the time. (Assuming, of course, a one-on-one fight where the man is thinking rationally.)
An Hyeon was equipped with a longsword and a shield, and his base stats were decent. With a strong will and the knowledge of how to handle a weapon, he had the potential to grow far stronger than he was now. Strong enough to look down on Deadmen.
Once I gave him that initial push, his actions became more aggressive, his slashes more relentless. An Hyeon was a clever and natural-born fighter. Still, unable to shake off a sliver of anxiety, he prioritized defense, using a counter-attacking strategy to take down the Deadmen. I figured that with a bit more confidence, he could easily handle three or four with just his longsword.
After choosing to break through, we began to move swiftly out of the forest. While searching for an escape route, Kim Han-byeol discovered the faint trace of a path, giving us hope that we could escape the woods if we followed it. Naturally, the group's pace quickened. However, the further down we went, the more frequently Deadmen appeared—an unavoidable reality. I decided to treat this as an opportunity for An Hyeon to gain combat experience, and indeed, he handled most of the fighting.
Having caught the scent of humans, four Deadmen let out grating cries and opened their jaws wide. Confidence filled An Hyeon's eyes; his aggressive nature seemed to be surfacing. As he raised his sword and shield, An Sol spoke in a voice as small as a mosquito's.
“Oppa... be careful...”
“Okay. Just wait a bit. Hyeong, please protect Sol and the others.”
“Don’t worry about them. I’ll keep them safe.”
He laughed for a moment at Lee Yu-jeong shouting, “Who are you calling ‘the others’?” before charging forward with a fierce and violent momentum.
As the monsters rushed toward him, An Hyeon waited until they were about a meter away before stepping diagonally to his left. A human body is flexible, but a monster's is not. The Deadmen, charging with the intent to tear him apart, could only falter due to their rigid joints. Exploiting their vulnerability to flanking, he thrust his sword into one's head. One down. He immediately withdrew his sword to keep the remaining three at bay.
Watching him, I thought, ‘He’s really something else.’ What I liked most was that he wasn't just mindlessly attacking and defending; he knew how to exploit his opponent's weaknesses. Recognizing that the Deadmen were poor at turning, he had sidestepped diagonally—a move worthy of praise.
With the sound of something being crushed, a monster staggered back a few steps. A Deadman's only means of attack is biting. To strike with a shield, it's far more effective and safer to aim above the upper chest. And An Hyeon had figured this out on his own, without anyone teaching him. As the Deadman with the dangling jaw approached, An Hyeon's sword shot forward like a meteor. *Thrust.* Internally, I called out, ‘Two down.’
With two sent to their graves, only half remained. Perhaps because he had dispatched the first two with relative ease, his shield, held in his left arm, seemed to be held more loosely than before. One of the creatures lunged, trying to get in at least a single bite. An Hyeon watched it calmly and reversed the grip on his longsword. My eyes lit up with interest. Was he attempting a one-handed quick-draw...?
He calculated the distance and timed his swing. Being quite the master of quick-draw techniques myself, I understood the principles. The Deadman, jaws agape, entered his range. I saw An Hyeon's hand tighten on his sword. Now was the moment.
Skak!
The gruesome sound of flesh being sliced echoed through the air. It was clumsy, but with a single, exquisite arc, he succeeded in cleaving the Deadman's head right down the middle. A look of what seemed like exhilaration flickered across his face. But as I watched the battle, my brow furrowed for the first time. There was still one monster left.
The moment the Deadman in front of him collapsed, the one rushing from behind pounced on An Hyeon. It was good that he had the reflexes to raise his shield, but he was holding it loosely and didn't seem likely to withstand the Deadman's momentum. I quickly aimed my loaded crossbow and watched them collide.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
As expected, An Hyeon lost his grip on the shield. Unlike before, when he had absorbed impacts with his entire body, this time he took it with just his left arm. His hand must have been tingling. The force of the collision left his front completely exposed, and the Deadman's teeth, not missing the opportunity, shot toward his chest like a snake. The moment I saw it, I fired the arrow. Sorry, but he's too valuable to become your meal.
With a sharp whoosh, the arrow flew and pierced the Deadman's head precisely. Watching the monster collapse just as it was about to bite his neck, An Hyeon sank to the ground, his face looking as though he had aged ten years in an instant.
“Hoo...”
“Nice shot, boss.”
Whether she understood the danger of the situation or not, Lee Yu-jeong tossed a joke my way. An Hyeon was good at fighting what was right in front of him, but he couldn't yet read one step ahead. Then again, he was doing well enough as it was; perhaps expecting more was just greedy. Rubbing his neck with a dazed expression, Hyeon spoke to me in a relieved voice.
“You saved me. Thanks, Hyeong.”
“Don't mention it. I just helped with one. You did well.”
At my casual remark, Hyeon shook his head and muttered in disbelief.
“I never thought it would attack like that. If it weren't for your arrow, I would've been...”
I glanced at An Sol and saw her lips pouting, on the verge of tears. Seeing her shudder as if she couldn't bear to hear any more, An Hyeon trailed off.
“It couldn't be helped. The timing of its attack was perfect. In situations like that, I’ll do my best to support...”
“Waaah!”
Before I could finish, An Sol couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears, running toward her brother. It was a touching sibling bond. Feeling a bit awkward, I uncocked the crossbow and returned the arrow to its quiver. Lee Yu-jeong, whose aggression was second to none, watched them with a voice tinged with envy.
“Just watching makes me think I could do it too... Tsk. I should've picked a weapon. Han-byeol, do you have a weapon?”
At Lee Yu-jeong’s question, Kim Han-byeol briefly rummaged in her clothes before pulling out a short sword. Unless it was for throwing, it was hardly an effective weapon, as one would have to get extremely close to land a significant blow. A master of the sword like me might be able to use it, but if a normal person were to swing it, they'd be more likely to get bitten than to smash a skull.
“I don't think this will be much help. But why are you carrying that?”
“Just in case. Better to take my own life than suffer a horrible fate.”
“...Are you some kind of virtuous lady from the Joseon Dynasty...?”
Lee Yu-jeong shook her head at Kim Han-byeol's calm voice, her gaze then falling on my left arm. She eyed the crossbow mounted there greedily, but then seemed to recall that she didn't know how to use it and grumbled in disappointment.
“Isn't that steel pipe that guy was holding around here somewhere? Han-byeol, look around and see if there's anything.”
“There's nothing.”
From Kim Han-byeol's uncomfortable expression, it seemed Lee Yu-jeong was speaking to her informally without asking. The thought of Park Dong-geol's group briefly crossed my mind. Compared to my own Rite of Passage, this was a walk in the park. Back then... the first two days had been a relentless escape. I wondered what they were doing now. Still running for their lives? Or perhaps they had already been torn to pieces and ended up in the bellies of Deadmen.
Of course, it was none of my business, so I immediately pushed the thought from my mind. Whether from the aftermath of the battle or from calming An Sol down, An Hyeon approached us with a slightly weary gait.
“Hyeong, the path seems to be getting clearer. I think we're almost there. How about we get moving right away?”
“Yeah. Let's do that.”
Listening to our conversation, Lee Yu-jeong, frustrated at being weaponless, grumbled with unwarranted spite.
“Tch. Look at you, all excited. You could get killed in an instant, you know. Be careful.”
“I'd rather not just sit here and get eaten. It’s better to go down fighting. Anyway, let's hurry down.”
“I know. I'm sick of this forest too. I want to get out of here this very second.”
Having dealt with the four Deadmen, we quickly continued down the path. It was clear now that this route would lead us out of the forest. However, the number of Deadmen I could sense lingering at the outskirts worried me. My detection picked up well over twenty. But I doubted taking another direction would make much of a difference.
Facing four and facing twenty were as different as heaven and earth. In that case, besides a direct assault, there was only one other way to open an escape route. I sighed inwardly, contemplating how best to persuade the group.
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As expected, the outskirts of the forest were swarming with Deadmen. A quick glance confirmed there were more than twenty, and the entire area was filled with the sound of their growling. And that was just counting the ones directly in front of us. If we caused a commotion here, the number of monsters that would emerge from our left and right would be substantial.
In the distance, I could see a stone wall, a sign of human presence. Beyond it, the end of a path—bumpy, but a path nonetheless—was visible. We were just one step away from leaving this forest. The others seemed to know it too, their insides twisting with anxiety. As skilled as An Hyeon was, there was no way he could take on over twenty Deadmen. Yet, turning back now felt like a terrible waste.
“Crazy... How in the world are we supposed to break through that...?”
Lee Yu-jeong's voice, laced with despair, reached everyone's ears. Even if we turned back, there was no guarantee that another route would be any different. An Hyeon and Kim Han-byeol also seemed to have no good ideas, silently staring at the ground. So, it has to be that way. I let out a soft sigh and decided it was time for me to step up.
“I have an idea.”
As soon as I spoke, I could have sworn I saw everyone's ears perk up. I decided to get straight to the point.