Chapter 10

00010 Kim Su-hyun, beginning the rite of passage.

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Suddenly, I thought of a TV show I had found interesting before. If a person living an ordinary life suddenly found themselves in a life-threatening situation, what would happen? The show mentioned that a person would act rationally for only 15 minutes after the incident. After 15 minutes, rationality would disappear, and they would act on instinct. If that were true, could I consider the group I'm leading now to have skipped that part?

Our current location is a high hill in the forest, where we paused to catch our breath. Despite it being a hill, the climb was steeper than expected, and everyone was clearly exhausted. After catching my breath and looking down, my prediction was right. The clearing we were sitting in just an hour ago was now surrounded by Deadmen.

People let out a sigh as they saw the clearing, which was now so small it could be covered by one hand. It was obvious that if we had been a little slower, we would have become their prey. Even the talkative woman, who usually had a lot to say, was rubbing her arms, clearly shaken.

Everyone's expression was complex. With monsters around and their lives threatened, their faces showed a mix of negative emotions, even without words. But there was little I could do about that. I planned to step back and observe quietly from now on. I had seen the basic information, but it was necessary to observe their actual actions.

“Huff! Huff! Damn… What the hell are those things?”

Park Dong-geol, who had just climbed up, was still catching his breath. I shook my head at him. If he had just stayed put, he might have been fine. After all, the crisis we just faced was because he kicked a rock. He was the cause. I would have stayed quiet out of guilt, but he seemed unusually thick-skinned.

Sighing and turning my head, I saw Ahn Sol, still crying in Ahn Hyun's arms. For a moment, I felt disappointed, but this experience taught me something. If the crying Ahn Sol is indeed the priestess of Guanghui, then her future is somewhat guaranteed. Considering her luck stat of 100 points, I thought she would easily pass the rite of passage. But the result was different. This confirmed that even a slight change in action can alter the future.

Noticing my gaze, Ahn Hyun, who was wiping Ahn Sol's tears, bowed his head to me. He realized that I was the one who shot the arrow to kill the Deadman. I could see gratitude in his eyes. I nodded to show that it was fine and turned my gaze back to the hill below.

Grr! Grr!

“Squeal!”

“Ugh!”

Whether they were already around or had been chasing us from the clearing, two new Deadmen appeared, desperately trying to climb the hill. However, they were not as fast as before.

Deadmen are quite fast when they spot prey and charge straight ahead. However, their speed decreases significantly when they need to change direction or climb a high hill. They could climb the hill, but it would be easier to just stab them in the head before they reached us.

Although the panic was less than the first time we saw Deadmen, people were still screaming. I felt sorry for Eo Rim, but I had no intention of forcing her to survive. Her screams with Ahn Sol were annoying, and her user information showed no useful skills. If she survived, it would be her luck, and if she died, it would be her fate.

‘Now, it’s time for a reaction… Will they cooperate, split, or maintain the status quo?’

To start a conversation, we needed to deal with the Deadmen climbing the hill.

At that moment, Ahn Hyun moved. He had left his sword in the clearing, so he put Ahn Sol down and picked up a fist-sized rock. I paused loading the crossbow to watch his actions.

If you gave a group of adult Korean men a knife and asked them to hit a target at a certain distance, how many would succeed? I wanted to see if his skill in cutting off a Deadman's arm with a knife earlier was due to skill or luck.

After carefully measuring the direction and distance, Ahn Hyun threw the rock with all his might. The result was...

Thud!

“Not bad.”

Ahn Hyun's rock throw was excellent. The rock hit the Deadman's head with a thud, crushing it. Seeing the monster fall, Ahn Hyun's eyes lit up as if he had realized something, and he easily dealt with the other one.

“Yeah, not bad. But don’t get cocky just because you handled two.”

Perhaps annoyed by Ahn Hyun's attitude, Park Dong-geol's taunt came again. Ahn Hyun, who couldn't ignore it, stopped and looked at Park Dong-geol.

Finally, Ahn Hyun's lips slowly opened.

“Thanks to you, Uncle. Thank you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“When I saw the Deadman that attacked our Sol, I noticed something heavy was stuck in its chest. Thanks to that, I realized the rock could penetrate.”

Park Dong-geol's face turned ugly, realizing he was being mocked. Ahn Hyun's words were aimed at the fact that he had kicked a rock, nearly causing an accident in the clearing.

“Now, are you saying we're in this mess because of the rock I kicked? How do you know it was the rock I kicked?”

“I don’t remember saying that. Just thank you.”

Park Dong-geol, who was about to get angry, suddenly changed his tone to a growl.

“Damn, what have you done well? Don’t you know we almost died because of the girl you’re with?”

“Girl?”

“Yeah, damn, she’s crazy, isn’t she? Everyone else can move fine, but she can’t even get up on her own?”

Ahn Hyun's face hardened. He had no response to this, and he tightly closed his mouth. Ahn Sol, feeling guilty for causing trouble, bowed her head and wiped her eyes.

“Yeah, I really can’t stand your act. Who caused the problem, anyway?”

But we had the talkative woman. As expected, she didn't stay quiet. She immediately supported Ahn Hyun, and Park Dong-geol's face twisted again.

“Hey, bitch. If you don’t shut that pretty mouth, I’ll really kill you. Got it?”

“Hey, bastard. I would stay quiet out of guilt. You caused the problem and now you’re acting tough. And pretty? You wish.”

“Damn, are you trying to make me lose it today….”

While all three were at fault, Park Dong-geol was the one who had rubbed everyone the wrong way. Realizing the atmosphere was turning against him, he finally shut up.

Just when we thought the crisis was over, another argument broke out. This was beyond mere incompatibility; it was almost like they were mortal enemies. The frustration in my heart that had just subsided came rushing back. I instinctively reached for a cigarette, but I didn't have one. The thought of cutting Park Dong-geol out of the group seemed to solidify in my mind.

But since I had decided to observe for a while, it was the right thing to do. It would be annoying to go back to square one after all the effort to bring everyone here.

Regardless, the memory of what just happened would be fresh in everyone's minds. How could I bring these people together? I couldn’t think of a clear solution. In the end, I decided to step away for a moment. Strictly speaking, this place wasn't safe either.

Click!

I deliberately made a loud noise while loading the crossbow, and as expected, everyone's attention was on me. I loaded the arrow casually, as if it was nothing, and then said to everyone.

“First, we need to avoid those… hmm. Monsters.”

“Everyone knows that. What do you suggest?”

‘This guy must be crazy to want to die.’

I wanted to shoot an arrow into Park Dong-geol's mouth, but I managed to hold back. If it were just the two of us, I would have already shut him up.

“With the situation as it is, arguing is a waste of time. I’ll step away for a bit, and it would be better if you all discuss and decide on a course of action.”

My words were a reasonable argument that couldn’t be refuted. Of course, I expected questions, but the person who asked was unexpected.

“Why are you stepping away? It’s better to discuss together.”

The person who spoke was the cold-looking woman who hadn’t seen the information earlier. She looked almost my age or a year or two younger. Seeing her, I couldn’t help but think of someone familiar.

‘Just let you guys sort it out.’

“…Because those monsters might charge out like they did in the clearing. I’ll keep watch around here. Call me when you’re done discussing.”

“…Don’t go too far.”

She answered a bit late, but fortunately, I avoided unnecessary suspicion. No one would stop me from taking a risk to keep watch.

With that, I slowly moved to a hidden spot I had noticed on the way up. After putting some distance between us and hiding in the forest, I immediately summoned my mana. Soon, my senses were heightened, and my vision and hearing became more acute. From the distance, they couldn’t see me, but I could hear their breathing and observe them in detail.

After I left, a cold silence fell over the hill. The dead bodies of the Deadmen at the bottom of the hill added to the eerie atmosphere. No one stepped forward, as if they had honey on their tongues. Their expressions were varied, but the most interesting was Park Dong-geol. He had a serious look, deep in thought, and then suddenly smiled. I wondered if he was a psychopath.

Time passed. In other novels or comics, the protagonist would step forward and lead the group, but in this group, there was no clear leader. This wasn’t a good situation. The longer we stayed, the more the anxiety would grow, and someone might lose their mind and act on instinct.

At that moment, two women stood up.

Surprisingly, it was Eo Rim who cautiously stood in the center of the group. The talkative woman, who stood up at the same time, glanced at her and sat back down. She seemed to want to hear what Eo Rim had to say. After looking around with anxious eyes, Eo Rim slowly spoke.

“Everyone must have seen those monsters just now. Honestly… When I heard about the angel Helper, I thought it was a bad dream. But now, I have to accept the reality. Of course, I’m scared. I’m so scared I feel like I’m going crazy. I’m sure everyone else feels the same.”

No one interrupted her. Feeling that everyone was listening, Eo Rim’s voice gained strength.

“Honestly, we survived just now thanks to the person who went on watch. But that person is just like us, and we can’t rely on them. I think the right thing to do now is to cooperate and find a way to survive.”

Her words were cliché, but they hit the core of the rite of passage. Cooperation and action. Her persuasion seemed to have some effect, and the dead atmosphere seemed to change slightly. Then, Yi Shin-woo, who had been quiet, finally spoke.

“So, what do you think we should do…?”

Though he trailed off, it was clear what he meant. Since she had initiated the conversation, she should share her thoughts. But Eo Rim, who hadn’t thought that far, answered hesitantly.

“That… I’m not sure yet… But I hope we can avoid unnecessary arguments and calmly exchange opinions.”

“I agree.”

At that moment, Park Dong-geol, who had been waiting like a hawk, stepped forward.

Park Dong-geol’s face was serious and calm, unlike before. But I immediately frowned. Even if he looked sincere, I could see through his act. He was definitely up to something.

============================ Author's Note ============================

1. Typos and context corrections.