Chapter 9

00009 Kim Su-hyun, Starting the Rite of Passage.

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“Damn... I can't stand this anymore!”

“Eek!”

Park Dong-geol, who had been observing the surroundings, seemed to have been waiting for the right moment. He stepped into the center of the clearing, raising his voice forcefully. Lee Shin-woo, startled by the sudden outburst, let out a shrill cry. In that instant, Park Dong-geol didn't miss the satisfied smile he gave Lee Shin-woo. It was a move to intimidate, or in simpler terms, to show off.

“Hey! You guys, don't you know anything about this damn situation? Huh?”

An Sol was trembling, buried in Ahn Hyun's arms. The two women we hadn't confirmed yet wore different expressions. One had a relatively calm look, but the other seemed displeased with Park Dong-geol's sudden disturbance, glaring at him with narrowed eyes. I felt a sudden curiosity to see the user information of the two women, but decided to watch the man's actions for now.

“Are you all just a bunch of mutes? Stop keeping your mouths shut and say something!”

‘He’s really pushing it.’

Was he trying to show off his toughness, or was he just trying to assert his dominance? Park Dong-geol kicked a rock the size of a fist with a violent gesture. The rock flew with considerable force and disappeared into the forest. An awkward silence fell over the group, but I could clearly hear that the rock didn't hit the ground.

Grumble.

At that moment, a low growl echoed through the quiet forest. Everyone seemed to have heard the growl, even though they didn't hear the rock. A fleeting sense of unease swept across their faces. I couldn't remember everything from ten years ago, but the vague memories from back then were starting to resurface.

What had happened here back then?

“Shit! Who’s there? If you have a problem, come out and say it! You? Or you?”

Park Dong-geol, in a rather despicable move, pointed at the relatively weaker-looking individuals. Lee Bo-rim and Lee Shin-woo, pale-faced, shook their heads frantically. At that moment, one of the women who had been glaring at Park Dong-geol stood up defiantly. She seemed to have been holding her breath for quite some time.

“Uncle, stop it. What are you doing at your age?”

“What? What? Stop it? At my age? Are you talking to me like that now?”

“Yeah, I said it. What are you going to do about it? Aren't you embarrassed? We're all in the same situation, so why are you yelling and causing trouble?”

“Now you’re talking back? How did your parents raise you to talk back to adults like that? Did they teach you to be so disrespectful?”

“Disrespectful? Ha, I see... So, did your parents teach you to yell at kids at your age? You piece of trash!”

I chuckled inwardly at the woman's strong and unyielding response. Park Dong-geol initially seemed taken aback, letting out a hollow laugh. But soon, his face turned red with anger. He exhaled forcefully and took a step toward the woman, as if ready to pounce.

Finally standing in front of the woman, Park Dong-geol leaned in with a menacing look and spoke.

“Hey, you. What did you say about your parents? Say it again.”

Normally, an adult male would have intimidated her, but the woman, either because of her strong will or lack of fear, met his gaze head-on and sneered.

“Funny. Do you think I'll be scared just because you do that? Did your parents teach you to act like that? You damn bastard!”

“This damn bitch is really asking for it...”

Park Dong-geol's fist slowly rose into the air, seemingly filled with genuine rage. The woman didn't flinch, not even blinking. Just as Park Dong-geol was about to throw a punch,

“Hey, uncle, stop it.”

Ahn Hyun, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. Park Dong-geol, about to slap the woman, turned to Ahn Hyun with a bewildered look. I could see An Sol tugging at Ahn Hyun's collar from the side. But Ahn Hyun spoke again, determined.

“What she said isn't wrong. We're all in the same situation, so why are you doing this? What did they do wrong?”

“Y-You... You brats...”

Park Dong-geol bit his lip, seemingly filled with shame. But feeling the gazes on him, his raised fist slowly lowered. The woman gave a faint smirk, and Park Dong-geol, letting out a roar, turned away. Even as he sat back down, he grumbled, clearly frustrated that things didn't go his way.

“Shit, what are you looking at? Can't you turn your eyes away?”

Unable to contain his anger, Park Dong-geol took it out on Lee Shin-woo, who had been sitting quietly. Lee Shin-woo moved to a different spot, looking wronged.

Grumble.

The growl we heard earlier echoed clearly in our ears again. And finally, I could piece together the vague memories.

Back then, we must have just wasted time here until a sudden attack scattered us. The cause was the rock Park Dong-geol kicked and the loud argument with the woman.

This was all I remembered about these people. I didn't know what happened after that, but considering they weren't seen in the Hall Plain...

‘Did they all die in the rite of passage? Ah, maybe not An Sol.’

If we continue like this, we might repeat the first cycle. No, we definitely will.

I decided to give a little help. But I didn't plan to give direct assistance. I just wanted to give them a reason to move and work together. So, I picked up the crossbow.

Click!

“Excuse me, what are you doing...?”

Everyone was on edge, and even a small noise drew their attention. The woman who had been talking just now spoke to me. She didn't use informal language, showing some respect. Park Dong-geol seemed to have a deep-seated dislike for her.

“I'm feeling uneasy.”

“I’m more uneasy about that crossbow.”

“Hmm... What do you think this place is?”

“Huh?”

The woman's eyes widened. She had a sharp look, but overall, she was quite pretty.

“I’ve experienced several inexplicable situations on my way here. Isn’t that the same for everyone here?”

“That’s... true...”

People nodded in agreement. The summoning room, the angel, the teleportation—everyone must have experienced and witnessed these things. What they needed now was to accept the reality as quickly as possible and actively face the rite of passage for survival.

I started loading arrows into the repeating crossbow. It was a bit smaller than a typical crossbow but had a detachable wrist strap, making it quite convenient. Seeing the growl and my actions, everyone started to pick up their weapons.

Finally, everyone who had brought weapons had them in hand. The preparations were roughly complete. I looked around and fell into a calm contemplation.

We were in a clearing in the middle of a forest, surrounded by trees. I started moving in the opposite direction from where Park Dong-geol had kicked the rock. Even after just a few steps, it felt noticeably darker. The trees and grass in front of me had a sinister glow.

We must have been feeling some level of unease from the growls. I could feel the footsteps of the people following me gradually increasing. Just as I thought their initiative was good, my plan started to falter.

“Hey, An Sol, get up. We need to follow that guy quickly.”

“No... I don’t want to go in... I’m scared...”

“Are you going to stay here? You said you were feeling uneasy and that it wasn’t safe here. Why are you acting like this now?”

“Umm...”

The moment I heard the siblings' conversation, I felt a surge of determination in my eyes. Given her 100-point luck stat, she might have some intuition. But it was just a guess. She still couldn't overcome the instinctive fear, and she didn't seem ready to get up.

Grumble! Grumble!

While they were arguing, a few more growls were heard. The sounds were getting louder, indicating they were almost here. Initially, people waited calmly for them, but now, one or two started to show signs of impatience.

“Um, can we go first? I’ve been shaking uncontrollably since just now...”

“L-Let’s go! Just leave them. What’s this sudden noise...”

Lee Shin-woo, seemingly mustering courage, spoke with a determined tone. Park Dong-geol immediately agreed.

Hearing the suggestion to leave, Ahn Hyun, with a more urgent expression, pulled An Sol.

“Come on, get up. I’m right here. Please, listen to me.”

“B-But my legs won’t move... Ugh...”

An Sol finally burst into tears. Despite this, Lee Shin-woo and Park Dong-geol had been giving hints. They clearly wanted to leave this unsettling place as soon as possible. Of course, I had no intention of leaving these two behind. It would be more beneficial to stay with them rather than abandon them.

“Just go! Why are you standing there!”

“Um, quickly...”

As the murmurs grew louder, Ahn Hyun's face hardened. He finally shook off his sister's grip on his collar. An Sol, startled, looked up and pouted.

“B-Brother?”

“Yeah. If you stay here, I’ll go somewhere else.”

He was bluffing, but Ahn Hyun’s acting was decent. He finished speaking, grabbed his sword and shield, and turned away coldly. Seeing Ahn Hyun approaching us, An Sol seemed shocked and started to cry openly. Hearing Ahn Hyun say, “I’m sorry for making you wait. Let’s go,” she began to cry even more. Ahn Hyun, pretending to urge us, started to move into the forest.

“Ugh... Brother... Don’t go...”

“Ahn Sol, get up now. Please, understand the situation.”

“I’m sorry... Don’t leave me again... Don’t go... Ugh... Ugh...”

“You... If you don’t get up right now?!”

Finally, Ahn Hyun raised his voice, eyes wide. It seemed to have some effect, as An Sol, still crying, slowly got up. Just then,

Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! Grumble!

‘Damn, did we take too long?’

I felt a sense of failure, not from fear but from the possibility that the future might change, and I might lose An Sol here. The growls were now much clearer, indicating they were almost here. The problem was that An Sol, who had just gotten up, froze.

“B-Brother...”

The distance between them was widening. Despite An Sol reaching out helplessly, Ahn Hyun’s actions were resolute. Or rather, he was pretending to be calm. The woman, unable to stand it, tried to step in, but Ahn Hyun raised his hand to stop her.

“Just leave her.”

“Brother! Don’t leave me alone!”

“Then come over here yourself. It’s not too late. If you can’t do that, you won’t survive for sure.”

“Ugh...”

At that moment, I felt a renewed sense of Ahn Hyun. He was looking at An Sol with a determined gaze. His sincerity seemed to have reached An Sol, who showed a determined expression. She might have been able to come over on her own if we had waited a bit longer, but unfortunately, it was too late.

Grumble! Grumble!

‘This growl, it’s a Deadman.’

Deadman. Despite the grand name, it’s actually a weak creature. In fact, users in the Hall Plain don’t even consider Deadmen as monsters because they are so weak. They have some intelligence and infection ability, but the infection can be treated if treated in time. (Of course, treatment is impossible here.)

And another characteristic...

Roar!

They usually shuffle around slowly, but when they spot prey, they start running. The Deadman, roaring, suddenly lunged out of the forest, mouth wide open, heading straight for An Sol. Ahn Hyun, seemingly caught off guard, let out a scream and ran over.

“Sol!”

And the scream wasn’t just from Ahn Hyun.

“Ah!”

“Squeal!”

It was like a scene from a zombie movie. The group fell into chaos as the monster, with torn flesh dangling, lunged at An Sol. A rock was embedded in its chest, clearly the one Park Dong-geol had kicked. So, it must have been circling around us after being hit.

Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! Grumble!

Responding to the screams, the growls from the forest grew louder.

“Aaaaah!”

“Sol! Snap out of it! Sol!”

An Sol, who had just managed to get up, seemed to lose her mind at the sight of the Deadman. Ahn Hyun ran quickly, but the Deadman was closer. Sensing this, Ahn Hyun, holding his sword, took a large step back and swung it forcefully at the Deadman.

Swish! Thud!

‘Oh? It hit?’

The sword flew with good momentum, cleanly severing the Deadman’s left arm. But that was all. The creature staggered for a moment, then regained its balance and reached An Sol.

“No!”

The Deadman, mouth wide open.

An Sol, eyes wide open.

And Ahn Hyun, screaming.

At that moment, I was certain. My actions had changed An Sol’s future. Without hesitation, I fired the crossbow I had been preparing.

Swish!

The arrow, whistling sharply, pierced the Deadman’s head with a thud. The Deadman’s weak point was its head. Even a kicked rock could penetrate its chest, so it had no chance against an arrow. The Deadman, mouth still open, fell to the ground.

Thud!

“C-Crazy...”

“Huff... Huff...”

The reactions of those who had just seen the monster were almost the same. They all reflexively gripped their weapons, finally realizing that this situation was no joke. They might have had a general idea of the situation, but now the atmosphere was clearly serious.

Despite this, Ahn Hyun’s actions were swift. He quickly ran over to An Sol, who was just standing there, and helped her up. He then quickly returned to our group. He was clearly shaken by the recent events, breathing heavily.

Soon, everyone’s gaze turned to me. I moved to the front. We had killed one, but many more would soon gather. The growls were getting louder, indicating that more Deadmen were heading this way. If they formed a包围圈, it would be quite troublesome.

I started moving without a word.

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

1. Typos and context corrections.