To the Hall Plain!
The teleportation was nothing special. Having experienced it hundreds of times, it was just another routine. After completing the transfer to the “Inn of Beginnings,” I stepped out onto the second-floor corridor and noticed a commotion downstairs. Typically, everyone would wait quietly, anticipating guidance from users who had entered the Hall Plain before them. The noise was unexpected.
Once new users finished their settings and all transfers were complete, the teleportation barrier surrounding the inn would be lifted. Then, existing users would enter to guide the newcomers. I used to dislike those guides quite a bit.
Their attitude was often arrogant, like a seasoned soldier looking down on a fresh recruit. Of course, they too had once been new users and had survived the initiation rituals. I acknowledged their hard work and survival.
Listening to them was often a spectacle. As they adapted to the Hall Plain, they would look at new users and think, “I was like that once,” feeling a sense of superiority. Incidentally, the person who told me that died three months later.
Despite my distaste, there was no other choice. Listening to their explanations and enrolling in the User Academy was the best course of action.
Speaking of which, the User Academy was a brilliant idea. Whoever proposed its establishment was certainly clever. Unlike the old days of trial and error, the academy significantly reduced the number of new users dying in the early stages.
As I pondered what to say when I met the others, I found myself at the end of the corridor. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard familiar voices from the stairs below.
“Shut up, you bastard!”
“Why are you freaking out when I’m just telling you what I saw? I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Your eyes must be broken! Watch your mouth!”
“Crazy woman. Was I the only one who saw it? Borim saw it too! The crossbow was snapped in half!”
Hearing the name Borim, I could guess who was causing the ruckus. Trouble-maker Park Dong-geol. I never expected him to make it to the Hall Plain alive. After parting ways, I had lost interest in them, not caring whether they lived or died. Still, I decided to think positively. Remembering how they acted early on, I figured I’d have a chance to deal with them later.
The other high-pitched voice was unmistakable. Seeing Yoo-jung always clashing with Park Dong-geol made me think they were destined to be adversaries. I clicked my tongue and quietly opened the door.
“Shut…!?”
As the creaking door opened, I saw a crowd of people. Yoo-jung, who was about to tell someone to shut up, stopped mid-sentence and looked up. I gave her an awkward smile.
It seemed I was the last to arrive. As I stepped out, I felt the weight of many eyes on me. There were over forty survivors in the inn, a significant increase from the past. The fact that we had defeated the boss monster on the sixth day must have had an impact. Otherwise, more than half of these people would have died by the last day.
I descended the stairs, greeting everyone lightly.
“Glad to see you’re all alive and well.”
Of course, they were alive. We sent them through the warp gate with care. Despite my casual greeting, there was no response. Just as I was about to feel awkward, Yoo-jung stumbled toward me.
“Oppa…?”
“Yeah.”
She reached out, gently touching my face, her eyes and lips trembling with emotion. It wasn’t just Yoo-jung. The hope they had clung to had become reality. Ahn Hyun and his group, who seemed to grasp the situation, also stared at me in disbelief.
Yoo-jung spoke in a choked voice.
“Oppa… is it really you, Su-hyun oppa? You’re not someone else, right?”
“Do I look like a doppelgänger? Ow, don’t pull so hard. It hurts.”
“Congratulations on surviving. I never thought you’d make it… impressive.”
As I managed to pry Yoo-jung’s hands off my face, a husky voice spoke from the side. Turning, I saw Jung-min Woo and his group, who had also survived. Jung-min seemed to want to say more, but I shook my head slightly. He seemed to understand, closing his mouth again. I briefly met eyes with Won Hye-soo, who quickly turned her head away.
Ahn Hyun looked at me with a face full of joy, Yoo-jung with a mix of happiness and sadness, and Sol with teary eyes. Ahn Hyun’s group and I exchanged glances for a moment. They seemed to want to say something, but words failed them.
Even if they couldn’t speak, it didn’t matter. I just wanted to escape the spotlight. It was already overwhelming, and if Sol started crying, it would be truly embarrassing.
As I comforted Sol, who seemed on the verge of tears, I deliberately moved to a secluded spot. Meanwhile, Park Dong-geol, feeling left out, snorted and took Lee Bo-rim to the opposite side.
After some time, as the attention on us waned, the others seemed to have calmed down. The only one still clinging to me was Ahn Sol, who sat next to me, clutching my sleeve.
I glanced at Ahn Hyun for help, and he gave a sheepish smile before speaking.
“Hyung, I still can’t believe it. It’s like seeing an immortal.”
“Haha, immortal is a bit much. I was just lucky.”
Ahn Hyun shook his head. But seriously, can’t you do something about her? She’s not a child, so why is she clinging to my sleeve like this? Ahn Sol, seemingly unaware of my discomfort, responded in a trembling voice.
“No, it feels like a miracle. I kept hoping while waiting at the stairs… and then you appeared.”
As she spoke, her grip on my sleeve tightened. Watching Sol, who couldn’t finish her sentence and was on the verge of tears, I felt a mix of emotions. But knowing I had to lie soon, I couldn’t help but smile wryly inside.
“Anyway, it’s good to see everyone alive.”
“If you were alive, you should have come sooner! You always make us worry… no, I’m sorry, oppa. I know it’s not your fault…”
Watching Yoo-jung alternate between scolding, apologizing, and tearing up, I tilted my head. I hadn’t realized they cared so much about me, but it was heartwarming. Yoo-jung wiped her eyes and continued.
“Oppa, tell us. That guy said he found your broken crossbow near the warp gate. You were gone, and so was the monster.”
Ah, here it comes. I was glad I had burned the boss monster’s body. But not dealing with the crossbow was my mistake. I wanted to brush it off, but I felt a cold gaze. It was Kim Han-byeol. If I glossed over this, I sensed it might cause issues with her later.
Kim Han-byeol hadn’t said a word since I arrived at the inn. Her expression hadn’t changed much either. I turned to meet her gaze, and as I read the emotions in her eyes, I felt a slight unease.
Overall, she seemed relieved, but there was a hint of distrust and suspicion. Han-byeol wasn’t just any ordinary person. In some ways, she was quite similar to me. She didn’t let emotions or circumstances sway her, always leaving room for rationality. While I might never fully understand her, it was clear she had started to harbor doubts about me.
The inn was neither as chaotic as it had been at the start nor completely silent. The hushed whispers of the surviving group filled the air. I sighed inwardly. Lately, I found myself sighing more often. In the end, I decided it was best to claim I couldn’t remember much rather than concoct a clumsy story.
“Yeah, that’s right. I tried to dodge the monster’s attack… but maybe it was aiming for the crossbow all along. It split right in half. It was pretty bleak at the time. Haha.”
“Is your left arm okay?”
Kim Han-byeol spoke up immediately. Though it sounded like concern, to my ears, it was more like, “Weren’t you holding the crossbow with your left arm?” I smacked my lips before responding.
“It attacked with its tail. I instinctively raised my left arm, but it seems the crossbow just barely got grazed.”
”…So what did you do next?”
“Well, honestly, I don’t really know. I guess I should say I can’t remember. At that moment, I thought I was done for, so I wasn’t thinking at all. The creature was stomping around, and I think I was rolling on the ground like crazy…”
I began to explain, heavily revising my original experience and speaking in circles. The conclusion was that I had rolled with all my might towards the lower part of the forest, taking advantage of the dust cloud. Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Kim Han-byeol. Anyone who had faced a boss monster head-on for more than three minutes would quickly see the holes in my story.
Kim Han-byeol seemed lost in thought and didn’t ask any more questions. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t been there, and the mood was more about celebrating my survival. However, the suspicion in his eyes hadn’t completely faded. I decided to hold my tongue for now. After all, my roundabout storytelling was meant to buy time.
Outside the window, the barrier had noticeably weakened.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Han-byeol’s unpredictable behavior is a hint for an upcoming event. ㅇㅅㅇ
Wow, so many comments and recommendations! Strangely, I had a hard time writing today. I even took two showers in the middle of writing… ㅜ.ㅠ. But I managed to post a chapter today thanks to your comments. Hehe. Maybe I’ll dream of swimming in a sea of comments tonight? Thank you to everyone who commented, gave coupons, added to favorites, and recommended!
『Reader Comments』
사람인생: Congrats on being first! Right? Honestly, I do need to boost my stamina a bit. Su-hyeon’s stamina is really lacking…
罰酒: Haha, I don’t want to quit writing this yet. I really enjoy writing it, and it makes my heart race.
backtheclock: I’m torn. I’m not single-minded, but there are people I want to save. I’m still deciding whether to go for a harem or a sunflower approach~.
카이혼: I serialized 12 chapters in March 2012 and then shelved it. If you remember that… amazing! Haha.
마령검: I’ll give you the next chapter! Bowing!
겜뭰: Such overwhelming praise that it makes me squirm. Thank you. I kept smiling while reading your comment, 겜뭰.
이리잉여: Thank you for the coupon. I’m really sorry about the continuous updates… I really want to, but… sob. ㅜ.ㅠ
노래풀잎: Please calm down;! Here’s the next chapter. So please calm down…
크리아센: Yes, what Su-hyeon experienced is a kind of transformation. Just think of it as an unconventional, simplified version. :)
CrossDie: I’m a lousy writer who accepts coupons but can’t do continuous updates. ㅜ.ㅠ
안빈낙도: Zero Code. Haha… As you’ll see later, Su-hyeon has no intention of using Zero Code or wishes to bring people back to life. It’s not that he doesn’t want to; it’s that he believes he shouldn’t. It’s related to the ending, so I can’t reveal it now. :)
Toranoanal: Haha; I always make sure to include an author’s note. I’ll continue to bring you rich content!
카타무네나이: Park Dong-geol is… hehe. Hehehehe.(?)
내가변해야산다: I thought I had sped up the plot, but from the readers’ perspective, it still seems slow. But if I speed it up any more, I’m worried I won’t be able to convey everything I want to. ㅜ.ㅠ
릭눅스: Aww~ Here’s the next chapter~. Read it and grow big~ Haha, you’re so cute! Haha.
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