City of Traps
“Of course, I’m against it. When you compare the forest to here, the answer is obvious, isn’t it? I don’t want to risk my life on your uncertain predictions, brother. I don’t see the point in leaving this city and facing the same dangers as yesterday.”
I had a sliver of hope, but it was as expected. Lee Yoo-jung cast her vote against, leaving us with one vote for and one against. My mouth felt a bit dry, but I decided to wait and see how things unfolded.
Next up was Kim Han-byeol. If she voted in favor, there might be hope, so naturally, all eyes were on her. She gazed at me for a moment before speaking in her usual calm voice.
“I don’t particularly want to leave either. But from what I’ve seen, I don’t think he has any bad intentions. He’s made good decisions so far. While there aren’t enough examples to fully prove his point, I think there’s some basis for it. I can’t choose between for or against, so I’ll abstain.”
Kim Han-byeol chose to abstain. It was perhaps the safest choice. Lee Yoo-jung seemed confident that we would stay, smiling broadly. I prepared myself for unexpected outcomes. Even if a boss monster appeared, we could just take it down. The challenge would be doing it without being noticed.
The remaining votes were from Ahn Hyun and Ahn Sol. Ahn Hyun glanced at his sister, gently ruffling her hair before speaking.
“Sol, what do you want to do?”
Ahn Sol hesitated, counting the votes on her fingers. She briefly met my eyes, blushed, and quickly looked away, sneaking glances at me as if she were unwell.
“Sol, you’re against it, right? It’s safe and comfortable here. If we go outside, scary monsters will come rushing at us!”
Lee Yoo-jung was treating Ahn Sol like a child. Ahn Sol puffed her cheeks and shook her head, clearly annoyed. She glanced at me again and spoke in a cautious voice.
“I… I agree with Su-hyeon oppa.”
“Oh, really?”
“What? You agree?”
Lee Yoo-jung’s face lit up, but her expression quickly changed when she heard Ahn Sol’s words. Ahn Sol darted into Ahn Hyun’s arms for protection. Both Ahn Hyun and Kim Han-byeol looked surprised, their eyes wide. Ahn Sol, feeling the weight of their stares, hesitated before speaking again.
“Yes, I agree.”
“Why? Why on earth?”
“Ugh…”
Ahn Hyun calmed the agitated Lee Yoo-jung and gently asked Ahn Sol for her reasoning.
“Sol, you should tell everyone why you agree.”
“Well… it’s just a feeling. I had a dream about it.”
At the mention of a dream, Ahn Hyun’s expression changed dramatically. It was brief, but I noticed it. What was going on?
“Hey! You can’t just go on a feeling…”
“Quiet!”
Ahn Hyun’s sudden outburst silenced Lee Yoo-jung. His face was unusually serious, his brow furrowed as he looked at Ahn Sol. She seemed oblivious to his intense gaze, nodding slowly and pointing at me with a delicate finger.
“It was just a vague feeling before, but last night, I dreamed about Su-hyeon oppa.”
“Everyone, please be quiet. Sol, go on.”
“We were all sleeping in this room when a huge monster appeared. It was like an alien. It came right to our building and put us all in danger. I thought we were all going to die, and I think I saw us die. But then the dream changed.”
“How did it change?”
“It was like winding back a clock. The dream started over, and Su-hyeon oppa appeared. The monster came again, but this time it was different. Su-hyeon oppa said he’d hold off the monster and told us to run. I was in his arms, escaping the city, and just as I was about to look back, the dream ended.”
“Do you remember anything else?”
“I think I heard a terrible scream or cry at the end, but I’m not sure.”
We all listened intently, holding our breath. For the first time since returning to the past, I looked at her with genuine interest. Even though it was beyond my understanding, I couldn’t dismiss it.
Her ability stats were 75 points in magic and 100 in luck. My 96 points in magic were nothing to scoff at, even among top-tier mages. Yet, even with the power of the third eye, I could only glimpse the past for a second. But she could see the past and future, albeit vaguely, through dreams.
There was a clear difference between us. I could see past events and activate my power at will. She couldn’t be sure if her visions were real or influenced by something else, and they seemed to occur randomly. Her extreme luck likely played a role in their accuracy.
One of my initial questions was starting to be answered. I hadn’t seen them in the first timeline because they must have gathered in this city for some reason and fallen to the boss monster after two days. Ahn Sol was likely the sole survivor.
“Sigh…”
Ahn Hyun let out a deep sigh. Ahn Sol, having finished her story, looked around nervously. Ahn Hyun tapped his fingers on the floor, lost in thought, before speaking to everyone with a troubled expression.
“I also agree with Su-hyeon hyung.”
“Why? You said you didn’t want to leave! Are you just siding with your sister?”
Lee Yoo-jung protested, incredulous. Ahn Hyun gave her an apologetic look before continuing.
“It’s not about taking sides. It might sound strange, but…”
He gestured to Ahn Sol, who was nestled in his arms.
“I’ve lived with Sol for over 19 years. We’ve been through a lot. Every time, I’ve noticed she has an incredible sense of intuition.”
Of course. With 100 points in luck, she could gain foresight or clairvoyance. The rank would need to support it, though. As I pondered, Lee Yoo-jung frowned and muttered in frustration.
“That intuition, intuition, intuition. I’m sick of it.”
“It’s not a lie. It’s true. Whenever Sol felt uneasy, something bad always happened. It’s rare for her to talk about dreams, but… Anyway, with three votes for, one against, and one abstention, we’re leaving. Let’s stick to our agreement and get moving. Everyone, gather your essentials. Let’s go.”
“Are we leaving right now?”
“Since Sol had that dream, it’s best to leave as soon as possible. Pack only what you need. Hyung, keep watch just in case.”
“Okay. I’ll be on the lookout. Let me know when you’re ready.”
I smiled, satisfied with Ahn Hyun’s newfound decisiveness. I strapped the crossbow to my left arm and stood up.
Ahn Hyun had changed, albeit subtly. He’d patrolled alone this morning and seemed unusually proactive. It was unrealistic to expect a complete internal transformation from a few words exchanged yesterday. But at least he was showing a different attitude outwardly, willing to do what he could. It was a positive change, and I hummed a tune as I surveyed the area.
Leaving now, as Ahn Hyun suggested, was the best course of action. Delaying and setting out in the afternoon, only to wander at night, was something to avoid. Departing in the morning and finding a place to rest by afternoon was much wiser. The commotion downstairs suggested they were planning to take as much as possible.
Breathing in the still-chilly air, I felt my mind clear. If it had been just Park Dong-geol, Lee Bo-rim, and Lee Shin-woo, they would have insisted on staying. But things were going surprisingly well. This is why it’s easier with high-level users. A moment of silence for Park Dong-geol’s group.
We’d survived the forest’s treacherous interior and exterior, and overcome the psychological traps. Now, as long as we were cautious of the boss monster and other survivors, the path to the central gate should be relatively straightforward. Other creatures might appear…
“Excuse me…”
Just as I was considering the creatures that might appear as we approached the center, someone called out to me. I turned to see Kim Han-byeol standing there, a small backpack slung over her shoulder, indicating she was ready.
“Yes. Are you all set?”
“I’m ready. The others are still packing.”
“Ah, I see. I guess I’ll have to keep watch a bit longer.”
“Could we talk for a moment?”
Her sudden request caught me off guard, but I nodded in agreement.
“Of course.”
She approached me slowly, her eyes gauging my reaction. I was curious about what she wanted to say. Kim Hanbyul, uncharacteristically hesitant, finally spoke in a cautious voice.
“Have you heard anything from Yujeong or Hyun?”
“About you and Yujeong fighting?”
“That, and… anything else.”
I shook my head, having heard nothing specific about Kim Hanbyul.
“I see. Well, actually…”
Her story turned out to be nothing significant. She had simply opposed Yujeong’s suggestion to leave. When she mentioned that the last person standing should survive, I couldn’t help but chuckle, knowing it wasn’t her true intention. It was better to let it go than to dwell on it and seem petty. After all, such things were common in the whole plane, and it wasn’t worth getting upset over.
“I’m sorry. I was just so angry at the time. I can only imagine how unpleasant it must have been for you.”
It was the first time I’d seen her usually calm voice sound so defeated. Her relationship with Yujeong seemed strained, but that was something I couldn’t meddle in. I smiled gently at her and spoke.
“No, it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, I think you did the right thing.”
”…”
“Really. You made a rational decision. If we had left then, as you said, not only would I have been lost, but Yujeong and Hyun would have been in trouble too. There’s no need to apologize.”
“Still…”
“I was a bit worried about Yujeong’s hot temper, but I’m glad you were there. If it happens again, please do the same. I actually prefer it that way.”
“Thank you.”
As we finished talking, our eyes met. For the first time, I saw her smile. It was brief, just a fleeting moment, but her smile was undeniably beautiful.
Suddenly, the image of ‘her’ from the whole plane crossed my mind.