Chapter 20

# 20

User Manual for the Reincarnated 020

Accident

"Ms. Hye-young?"

"Yes, Ms. Ji-hye. I'm listening."

"Go see Mr. Gi-young."

"Excuse me?"

"I think it would be good to provide various conveniences to people like Mr. Gi-young. Not just today, but in the future as well."

"I don't quite understand what you mean…."

"It's up to you, Ms. Hye-young. Do what you think you can do. Even just being a conversation partner is fine… Ah! Being a servant wouldn't be bad either."

"……"

"That last part was a joke. But it might not be bad to seriously consider it… The situation here isn't that good. There's no food, and the number of people who can go hunting is limited. Even if Mr. Hyun-seong periodically clears out the monsters around here, who knows when something unexpected might happen? No one can guarantee anything. We also need to consider the possibility that people who go hunting might die and not return, and we need to be prepared for all kinds of things that might happen in the future."

"……"

"I'm saying it wouldn't be bad to establish a connection with a capable man. People like us should have a backup plan, right? If things go well, who knows? You might receive special treatment like Ms. Jung-hyeon…."

"I understand what you mean."

"Ah! And I heard that Ms. Hyeon will be going on the next hunt. It might not be bad for you to give it a try, Ms. Hye-young?"

"Thank you for the advice, but… is there a specific reason you're being so kind to me?"

"Well, it's just kindness. But if things go well, I'd appreciate it if you could pay attention to me. I'm not the type who enjoys gambling."

* * *

'Bitch.'

That damn Eun-ji-hye.

I kept cursing Eun-ji-hye in my head, but it didn't change anything.

After all, the mistake was on my side. No, everything was my choice from the beginning.

I agreed with Eun-ji-hye, and I followed Gi-young, all while expecting to become a lab rat.

I made a foolish mistake at first and tried to make up for it by getting a grip.

Swinging the spear recklessly to show that I was useful was a big mistake.

The scream that burst out of my mouth without me realizing it was an even bigger mistake.

I could see Gi-young and Park Deok-gu in front of me.

Gi-young was constantly chanting spells, and Park Deok-gu was pushing back the monsters with a large shield.

My legs were trembling from the fear, but I couldn't afford to collapse.

'I'm going to die.'

I knew that if I stopped running, I would die.

Looking to the side, I saw Jung-hyeon mumbling to herself as she followed behind.

'Idiot…'

She must have gotten lucky to catch Gi-young's eye and join this group.

There's no one as lucky as her here.

Even if I survive, I'll have to step down from my position after making such a big mistake.

The thought that I had become a teaching material for Jung-hyeon left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Initially…

I don't understand how she can maintain such composure.

Kim Hyun-seong, Gi-young, and Park Deok-gu, who wield swords and spears silently in front of the monsters, are certainly impressive.

I couldn't overcome the fear of death or the sensation in my hands.

It's embarrassing to think that I thought it might be a bit easier.

But Jung-hyeon is different.

She, like me, was probably here for the first time and had never faced monsters before.

There was no trace of fear in her calm eyes.

I wondered if she was crazy, but she showed no signs of being shaken.

'I can't break down like this.'

In this reality called a tutorial, I need to grow stronger to survive. I used Gi-young and Kim Hyun-seong because I knew I couldn't do it alone.

If I'm branded as someone who can't go outside, I won't have the same power as them, and I'll be treated like a cold leftover.

There's only one way left.

'I have to do something.'

If I survive, I need to find a way to connect with Gi-young.

I need to stick to him no matter what.

Of course, the presence of Jung-hyeon next to me was annoying, but I believed that over time, my value would be recognized.

Anyone can see that I'm better than this stupid woman.

Biting my lip, I continued running when I suddenly realized that Park Deok-gu and Gi-young, who had been heading to the left, were no longer in sight.

'Huh?'

It felt like I was possessed by a ghost. I couldn't understand what had happened.

'When did this start?'

I had been chasing after their backs the whole time.

It's a situation where even a ghost would cry.

I couldn't remember when or why they disappeared from my sight.

Jung-hyeon was quietly staring at the wall blocking our path.

"Do you know where Mr. Gi-young and Mr. Deok-gu went?"

I cautiously asked, but she didn't respond.

I shouldn't have asked in the first place.

'Stupid…'

I had lost them in an instant.

There's no way the dimwit next to me could know where they were.

She was probably just following me.

"Geek!"

The sound of a monster's voice came from a little distance away.

My body shuddered in fear.

I thought we needed to go somewhere, but my feet wouldn't move.

I couldn't figure out which direction to go.

Maybe Mr. Gi-young has already noticed that we're lost.

If we just hold on a little longer or wait, they will definitely come looking for us.

They will definitely come.

Seeing Jung-hyeon muttering something incomprehensible, I felt beyond absurd, almost laughing.

"Take the strength to protect from those who try to take it from me."

It sounded like she was praying to someone, but it was a completely incomprehensible action.

Thinking about it, Gi-young, who pays attention to a woman like her, seems to be out of his mind.

"Wind blade."

Swish-

A sound of slicing through the air.

"Shut up, you idiot. Can't you hear the monster's voice?"

I was about to take a step.

'Huh?'

My body suddenly lost balance and fell to the ground.

At the same time, I felt an unbearable pain in my left leg.

The sound of my body hitting the ground and the sight of my left leg, which had been severed and was now far away, echoed in my ears.

'What… is happening…'

Before I could process it, a scream burst out of my mouth.

"AAAAAAH! Someone, someone… help me! Help me, please! Help me!"

"It's… it's no use, Ms. Hye-young."

"My leg… my leg…"

"I… I used magic to block the sound. They probably can't hear us. The monsters won't come here, so you can relax."

"Please, please help me…"

"You're… you're more stupid than I thought. You… you caused trouble for my brother and ruined our outing."

"Shut up. Damn it! It hurts… it hurts! Can't you see my leg? Bring Mr. Gi-young here, or…"

I clutched my burning leg.

The blood gushing out made it hard to think clearly.

I hastily tied the bleeding area with my outer clothing, but I couldn't tell if it was proper first aid.

My jaw was trembling.

My body was shaking uncontrollably.

I couldn't understand why my leg had been severed.

I didn't want to understand.

The most important thing was to determine whether this was a dream or reality.

The pain felt like a burn, and it continued.

My vision was blurry from the tears.

When I looked up, I saw Jung-hyeon smiling brightly at me.

'Huh?'

She was holding something made of an alien force.

'Wind blade.'

The words suddenly popped into my head.

I thought it was impossible, but I clearly saw a green wind swirling around her hand.

'Why? How can she…'

Before I could finish the thought, I felt an instinctive fear.

"A… Ah, Hyeon…"

"Yes, Ms. Hye-young."

"Why… why are you doing this?"

"I… I didn't want to do this. But… I had no choice. You kept trying to take my brother away. I had no choice. I'm not doing this because I want to."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't like it when you pretend not to know… You were the one who… tried to take my brother away. You said you would take him away."

'She… is crazy.'

She's not in her right mind.

I was surprised that I hadn't noticed it before.

The woman in front of me was definitely crazy. Her slightly upturned lips were filled with madness.

"That was… just a joke."

"Lie."

"Really…"

"It's a lie. How much pain did I feel? When you talked to my brother, when you held his hand, when you leaned on him, it felt like my heart was being torn apart. You can't even imagine."

"I… I understand. Yes… I understand. So, please, help me. I won't… I won't go near your brother again."

"I'm… I'm sorry. No matter how I think about it, I can't… I can't. You need to feel the same pain I do. Taking my brother away is unforgivable. And… I feel too insecure if you're alive…"

"AAAAAAH!"

Something made a slicing sound, and my other arm was severed.

The pain was unbearable.

I struggled, but it didn't change anything. I just wanted to get out of here.

I tried to crawl away, but the fear and pain made it impossible.

"Help… me. Please… I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Ah… Ah…"

"No… I can't. I'll get weak if I do…"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Ah… Ah…"

"Magic can do this too. It's noisy, so I'll block your mouth."

I couldn't make a sound.

Something alien was choking my throat. Tears streamed from my eyes. I kept struggling from the pain, but it didn't change anything.

"Ah… Ah… Ah…"

"I… I'm sorry."

Just as I was struggling, a voice came from somewhere.

"Hyeon?"

"Brother."

The man responsible for all this, Gi-young, appeared.