Kim Soo-hyun Begins the Rite of Passage
Out of the blue, I remembered a TV show I used to enjoy. It posed an intriguing question: What if an ordinary person suddenly found themselves in a life-threatening situation? The show claimed that people only act rationally for the first 15 minutes after a crisis hits. After that, instinct takes over. If that’s true, then maybe the group I’m leading has already skipped that rational phase.
We were currently perched on a high hill in the forest, taking a breather. The climb had been steeper than expected, and everyone was visibly exhausted. Looking back down, my suspicions were confirmed. Just an hour ago, the clearing we had been sitting in was now swarming with Deadmen.
The clearing, now just a small patch in the distance, was a stark reminder of how close we had come to becoming their prey. Even the usually chatty woman was rubbing her arms, clearly unsettled.
Everyone’s expressions were a mix of fear and disbelief. Monsters were real, and their lives were in danger. The reality of it all was written on their faces, but there was nothing I could do to help them accept it. I planned to stay in the background, observing quietly. I had some basic information, but seeing how they acted in real situations was crucial.
“Huff! Huff! Damn it… What are those things?” Park Dong-geol, still catching his breath, muttered. I shook my head at him. If he had just stayed quiet, we might have avoided the earlier crisis. It was his fault for kicking that rock, after all. If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to speak, but he seemed to have no shame.
I sighed and turned my gaze to An Sol, who was still crying in An Hyun’s arms. It was a bit pathetic, but I learned something from this experience. If An Sol was indeed the priestess of light I knew, her future seemed secure. With a luck stat of 100 points, I thought she’d breeze through the rite of passage. But I was wrong. The future could change with even the slightest deviation.
An Hyun, noticing my gaze, nodded in gratitude. He realized I was the one who had shot the arrow that saved them from the Deadmen. I nodded back, then turned my attention back to the hill below.
Growl! Growl!
“Eek!”
“Ahh!”
Two more Deadmen appeared, desperately trying to climb the hill. Whether they had been lurking nearby or had followed us from the clearing, I couldn’t tell. But they weren’t moving as fast as before.
Deadmen are quick when they spot prey, but their speed drops significantly when they have to change direction or climb. They could climb the hill, but a well-placed stab to the head would stop them.
The panic wasn’t as intense as when we first encountered the Deadmen, but screams still echoed. I felt a bit sorry for Lee Bo-rim, but I had no intention of saving her. Her constant screaming with An Sol was grating, and her user information showed no redeeming qualities. If she survived, it would be her own luck; if not, it was her fate.
‘Now, let’s see how they react… Will they cooperate, split, or stay the same?’
Before we could have a proper discussion, we needed to deal with the Deadmen below.
That’s when An Hyun moved. He must have left his sword in the clearing, as he picked up a fist-sized rock instead. I paused my crossbow loading to watch his actions.
If you gave a knife to a group of Korean men and asked them to hit a target at a distance, how many would succeed? I was curious to see if An Hyun’s earlier feat of cutting off a Deadman’s arm was skill or luck.
An Hyun carefully gauged the distance and direction before hurling the rock with all his might. The result…
Thud!
“Not bad.”
An Hyun’s throw was impressive. The rock hit the Deadman’s head with a satisfying thud, and it collapsed. An Hyun, realizing something, quickly dispatched the other one as well.
“Yeah, it’s nothing. But don’t get cocky just because you took down two,” Park Dong-geol sneered, clearly annoyed by An Hyun’s success. An Hyun stopped and looked at him.
Finally, An Hyun spoke.
“Thanks to you, really.”
“What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“When I saw the one that attacked Sol, it had something lodged in its chest. Thanks to that, I knew the rock would penetrate.”
Park Dong-geol’s face twisted in anger, realizing An Hyun was mocking him for causing the earlier incident by kicking the rock.
“So you’re saying it’s my fault we’re in this mess? How do you know it was my rock?”
“I never said that. Just saying thanks.”
An Hyun’s calm response only infuriated Park Dong-geol more. But then, as if remembering something, he growled.
“Well, what about you? You know we almost died because of that girl clinging to you, right?”
“Girl?”
“Yeah, that crazy girl! Everyone else managed just fine, but she couldn’t even stand on her own?”
An Hyun’s face hardened, unable to refute the point. An Sol, feeling guilty for causing trouble, hung her head and wiped her tears.
“Ugh, I can’t stand this tough act. Who caused the problem in the first place?”
But we had our own chatterbox. She wasn’t one to stay silent, and she quickly jumped to An Hyun’s defense, making Park Dong-geol’s face contort again.
“Hey, shut that pretty mouth of yours, or I’ll shut it for you.”
“Hey, if I were you, I’d keep quiet out of shame. You caused this mess, and you know it. And thanks for the compliment.”
“You little… Are you trying to get yourself killed today?”
All three had their faults, but Park Dong-geol was the one everyone disliked. Realizing the atmosphere was against him, he finally shut his mouth.
Just when it seemed like we were out of one crisis, another argument erupted. At this point, it was more than just a clash of personalities; it was almost like they were sworn enemies. The frustration that had started to fade came rushing back. I instinctively reached for a cigarette, but of course, I didn’t have any. The thought of cutting Park Dong-geol loose seemed more appealing by the minute.
Still, I had decided to observe for a while, and I intended to stick to that plan. After all the trouble of getting everyone here, going back to square one was not an option.
The memory of the recent events would linger in everyone’s minds. How could I unite these people? No clear solution came to mind. In the end, I decided it was best to move on. This place wasn’t safe, after all.
Click!
The deliberate sound of loading my crossbow drew everyone’s attention. With a nonchalant expression, I loaded an arrow and exchanged glances with the group.
“For now, avoiding those Dead… I mean, monsters, should be our priority.”
“Everyone knows that. So what?”
‘This idiot must have a death wish.’
I resisted the urge to shoot an arrow into Park Dong-geol’s mouth. If it were just the two of us, I might have done it already.
“We need to work together, not waste time arguing. I’ll step away for a bit, so why don’t you discuss and decide on a course of action?”
My suggestion was reasonable, and I expected questions. But the person who spoke up surprised me.
“Why are you stepping away? Wouldn’t it be better to discuss together?”
The question came from a woman with a cold demeanor, someone I hadn’t had a chance to assess earlier. She seemed around my age or slightly younger, and her presence reminded me of someone familiar.
‘Just let them sort it out among themselves.’
”…Those monsters might pop up like they did in the clearing. I’ll keep watch nearby. Call me when you’ve reached a decision.”
”…Don’t go too far.”
Though my response was a bit delayed, I managed to avoid unnecessary suspicion. No one would object to someone volunteering to keep watch, even if it meant taking on some risk.
After finishing my speech, I slowly made my way to a spot I had noted earlier, perfect for concealment. Once I had put some distance between myself and the group, I hid within the forest and immediately summoned my magic. Soon, I felt my senses heighten, my sight and hearing becoming sharper. Though the others couldn’t see me from this distance, I could observe them in detail, even hearing their breaths.
A cold silence hung over the hill after I moved. The eerie atmosphere was amplified by the dead bodies of the fallen scattered below. No one dared to speak first, as if their mouths were sealed with honey. Their expressions varied, but the most intriguing was Park Dong-geol. He alternated between a serious frown, deep in thought, and a sly grin, making me wonder if he was mentally unstable.
Time passed. In other stories or comics, the protagonist would step up and lead the group to survival, but among us, there was no clear leader. Letting time slip by was not wise. The longer we waited, the more anxiety would fester, and someone might lose their rationality and act on instinct.
At that moment, two women stood up.
Surprisingly, it was Lee Bo-rim who cautiously stepped into the center of the group. The other woman, who had risen with her, glanced at Bo-rim and then sat back down, seemingly willing to hear her out. Bo-rim, her eyes scanning the group nervously, began to speak slowly.
“You all saw those monsters just now. Honestly… when the angel helper told me about this, I thought it was just a bad dream. But now, I have no choice but to accept it as reality. Of course, I’m scared. Terrified, even. I’m sure you all feel the same.”
No one interrupted her. Sensing that everyone was focused on her words, Bo-rim’s voice grew stronger.
“Honestly, we survived just now thanks to the person who went to keep watch. But we can’t rely on them alone, can we? I think the answer is to cooperate and find a way to survive together, rather than fighting among ourselves.”
Though her words were somewhat cliché, Bo-rim touched on the essence of what needed to be done: cooperate and act. Her persuasion seemed to have a slight effect, as the previously dead atmosphere began to shift. Even Lee Shin-woo, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
“So, what do you think we should do next…?”
Though his words trailed off, the meaning was clear. He was asking her to share her thoughts since she had spoken up first. However, Bo-rim, perhaps not having thought that far ahead, replied with a lack of confidence.
“Well… I’m not sure yet… I just hope we can exchange ideas calmly without fighting.”
“I agree.”
At that moment, Park Dong-geol, who had been waiting like a hawk for an opportunity, stepped forward.
His expression was now serious and composed, unlike before. But I frowned immediately. Though he seemed sincere, I wasn’t fooled. I could tell his expression was a facade, masking some sinister scheme he was undoubtedly plotting.