Four figures emerged from the dense underbrush, three men and one woman. Their hair was disheveled, and their clothes were tattered, making them look like beggars. Not that we were in any better shape, so I had no room to mock them.
I quickly assessed the group. The man on the far left had a short, sporty haircut and carried a longbow in his right hand. He seemed like someone who knew how to handle a bow. His tightly shut mouth and deep-set eyes suggested a taciturn nature.
“Hmm…?”
Something about him felt oddly familiar. If he was who I thought he was, he had been active in the Hall Plain. His face was somewhat common, but I decided to move on and continued to scan the group clockwise.
The person at the forefront had hair that nearly reached his waist. His slender build and delicate features could easily be mistaken for a woman’s from behind. However, his strong jawline and sharp eyes made it clear he was a man.
In the center was a woman who seemed to be under their protection. Her composed appearance caught my eye, though she was scanning her surroundings with a worried expression, as if searching for something.
On the far right was a man twirling a dagger, grinning widely. His cocky demeanor was immediately off-putting.
After a brief silence, the man at the front glanced at us and spoke in a raspy voice.
“Looks like you’re survivors, just like us.”
“Meeting other survivors isn’t exactly surprising,” the man with the bow replied in a stiff voice. The dagger-wielding man chuckled and started to taunt us, as expected.
“Look at you, barely in your twenties, huh? Poor kids.”
At that, Ahn Hyun bristled, raising his shield and stepping forward. I quickly grabbed his shoulder and shook my head, signaling him to stay put. Thankfully, he understood and stepped back, though he was clearly grinding his teeth. The dagger man laughed mockingly, eyes wide.
“Did you see that? That punk over there got all riled up by my words. Scary, huh?”
“You started it. Let Jeongmin handle this,” the bowman chided, and the dagger man pouted but fell silent. Our group was already tense, and their dismissive chatter only made it worse.
Just as the tension was about to peak, the long-haired man spoke.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Woo Jeongmin. Like you, we ended up in this godforsaken place by chance.”
‘Woo Jeongmin. The Red Fang Clan Lord?’
The name sent a jolt through me. The infamous dual-dagger user known as a demon. Could this really be him?
I quickly activated my third eye.
『 Player Status 』
Name: Woo Jeongmin
Gender: Male (26)
Height/Weight: 177.9cm / 65.7kg
Alignment: True • Chaos
『Abilities』
Woo Jeongmin’s stats shattered my assumption that no one could surpass Ahn Hyun. The realization that this man was the future leader of the Red Fang Clan, a key player in the allied forces, left me stunned.
”…Ahn Hyun. Likewise,” Ahn Hyun replied curtly, causing a stir among Jeongmin’s group. Meanwhile, I heightened my senses, preparing for anything. If this really was Woo Jeongmin, I had a good idea who the bowman was. He was likely one of the top ten in the latter part of Hall Plain.
For a moment, I considered taking him out. But with my group here, it wasn’t feasible. Both our groups had drawn weapons, ready for a standoff. The dagger man sneered at Ahn Hyun.
“Kids these days, no respect. Ahn Hyun, was it? You’d better watch your tone if you don’t want to die.”
“Oppa, we don’t have time for this,” the woman in the center finally spoke, but the dagger man dismissed her.
“This isn’t my first rodeo. Killing them won’t take long. Just wait quietly.”
The woman glared at him with a chilling intensity, and he eventually relented, raising his hands in mock surrender.
“Alright, alright. Don’t look at me like that. I’m just joking. Anyway, listen up, kids. The name’s Cheon Seunghyun. I’ve got a question for you. Did you catch those five monkeys?”
“And if we did?” I thought, already planning to deal with him if we met again in Hall Plain. But before I could respond, Lee Yoojeong’s voice cut through the air, sharp and full of thorns. I had hoped she wouldn’t get involved, but it was inevitable. Her pride wouldn’t let her ignore someone like Cheon Seunghyun, who seemed like an upgraded version of Park Donggeol. Her words made him blink in surprise before he burst into laughter.
“Puhaha! Oh, man… Let’s keep it civil, alright? We’re not in the best mood, and we’re really, really busy. So just answer our questions honestly, and we’ll be on our way. Speak nicely, or don’t. This is your last warning.”
Lee Yoojeong’s face twisted into a mocking smile.
“Crazy bastard. What are you gonna do if you don’t warn us? Acting all high and mighty. Pathetic.”
Her words were refreshingly blunt. Cheon Seunghyun was indeed similar to Park Donggeol. As Yoojeong spat her venom, he looked at us, sighed, and picked up his dagger. I tightened my grip on my weapon.
“Kids and women, they only listen after a beating. Anyway, goodbye.”
Cheon Seunghyun raised his right hand, aiming a dagger at Yoojeong’s forehead. Just as I was about to pull her back, Ahn Hyun moved swiftly, shield raised. He had been wary of the man from the start, and now he stood protectively in front of Yoojeong. As for me…
Clang!
Thwip! Thud.
“Aaaargh!”
The dagger clattered off the shield, and Cheon Seunghyun fell back, clutching his arrow-pierced hand. It was simple: while Ahn Hyun blocked the dagger, I adjusted my aim and shot him.
I didn’t expect the others to stand by. The bowman was already drawing his bow, targeting me. I tried to shoot first, but my bowstring twanged empty. In desperation, I loaded three arrows, aiming at his forehead, and activated my third eye.
『 Player Status 』
Name: Sun Yuwon
Gender: Male (25)
Height/Weight: 180.9cm / 78.4kg
Alignment: True • Neutral
『Abilities』
Click! Clack!
Sun Yuwon. It was him. A top-tier archer in Hall Plain. I fired at another target, reloading quickly. Despite my higher stats, Sun Yuwon matched my speed, aiming at my head. I was slightly faster, but he realized it too, his eyes wavering.
A tense silence hung between our groups. Ahn Hyun, Lee Yoojeong, and Kim Hanbyul gripped their weapons tightly, ready to fight if needed. I felt a sense of pride at their resolve. Meanwhile, Cheon Seunghyun was writhing on the ground, adding to the chaos.
“Kill him! Kill that bastard now!” he screamed, clutching his wounded hand.
”…You were the one who threw the dagger first, Seunghyun. So please, just shut up already, you disgrace.”
Cheon Seunghyun, who had been causing a ruckus, whimpered as he clutched his right hand, cowed by Woo Jungmin’s icy words. Glancing over at Lee Yujeong, I noticed she was trembling slightly, probably not expecting a real dagger to be thrown. Woo Jungmin, who had been quietly observing the situation from the start, gave Seunghyun a look of disdain before turning to us.
“First, let me apologize. Can we all just stop here? This isn’t benefiting anyone.”
“I’d like to, but that guy over there won’t lower his bow.”
“Sun Yuwon, you too. Let it go. Lower your bow.”
Woo Jungmin raised a hand to force Sun Yuwon to lower his bow. Thankfully, Yuwon glanced at me and then complied. Once they had lowered their weapons, I slowly lowered my left arm. However, neither Yuwon nor I had fully disarmed. Jungmin looked at our group, raised both hands in a gesture of peace, and took a step forward, speaking in a weary voice.
“I’m sorry. They’re not usually like this, but we’ve been through some tough times lately, and it’s made us a bit rough around the edges. I have a few questions… Time is short. Can we get straight to the point?”
Everyone turned to look at me, even Ahn Hyun. I gave a small nod.
“That’s what we wanted.”
“These monkeys have been the ones we’ve been tracking since yesterday. We had to step away for a moment, and during that time, one of our group was kidnapped by them. We appreciate you dealing with them, but have you seen a woman around here?”
A woman… Could it be?
I recalled a woman at the entrance who had taken her own life after being assaulted by the creatures.
“Brother, do you think they’re talking about the woman with the yellow clothes? The one with long hair down to her back?”
I sighed, covering my face with both hands. Does she even think before speaking? How can someone be so thoughtless? I clicked my tongue inwardly at Yujeong’s impulsive words. The other group, upon hearing her, brightened and immediately asked us more questions. The woman who had initially said time was short spoke up with urgency.
“Yes! That’s her! Yellow clothes, long hair! Do you know where she is?”
“Uh… well…”
Yujeong stammered, her voice faltering. The rest of us exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to break the news. It seemed likely that the woman we saw at the entrance was the one they were looking for, but telling them she had died after such a horrific ordeal felt wrong. As we hesitated, the men’s expressions hardened, likely guessing the grim truth. Yet the woman continued to plead with us, her voice desperate.
“Did you pass by her? Did you catch a glimpse of her?”
”…”
“Please, I’m begging you. Just tell me where you saw her. She’s my younger sister. She’s so kind… and innocent… Please…”
Watching the woman break down in tears, my companions turned to me once more. They were quick to fight but left the difficult conversations to me. I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of the moment, and slowly began to speak.