Chapter 9: Suhyun Kim Begins the Rite of Passage
“Ugh… I can’t stand this anymore!”
“Eek!”
Park Dong-geol, who had been eyeing his surroundings for a while, seized the moment to raise his voice and step into the center of the clearing. Startled by the sudden outburst, Lee Shin-woo let out a strangled yelp. In that fleeting moment, he caught the satisfied smirk on Park Dong-geol’s face. It was a classic case of trying to assert dominance, or as some might say, just showing off.
“Hey! Do any of you know anything about this godforsaken situation? Huh?”
Ahn Sol was trembling, buried in Ahn Hyun’s arms. The two women we hadn’t yet identified wore different expressions. One seemed relatively calm, while the other glared at Park Dong-geol with clear disapproval, her eyes narrowed. I felt a sudden curiosity to check their user information but decided to watch the man’s antics for now.
“Is everyone here mute? Stop just sitting there with your mouths shut and say something!”
‘He’s really pushing it.’
Was he trying to show off his temper, or was he just trying to impress? Park Dong-geol kicked a fist-sized stone with a violent gesture. The stone flew with considerable force, disappearing into the forest. An awkward silence settled among the seated people, but I noticed one thing clearly: there was no sound of the stone hitting the ground.
A low growl echoed through the quiet forest. Everyone seemed to have heard it, as a flicker of unease passed over their faces. Though it was a decade ago, memories of what happened here began to resurface.
What had happened in this place back then?
“Shit, shit! Who’s out there? If you’ve got a problem, come out and say it. Is it you? Or you?”
Park Dong-geol pointed at those who seemed weaker. Lee Bo-rim and Lee Shin-woo shook their heads frantically, their faces pale. Just then, the woman who had been glaring at Park Dong-geol stood up defiantly, breathing heavily as if she’d been holding back.
“Mister, can you stop? What are you doing at your age?”
“What? What~? Stop it? At my age? Are you saying that to me?”
“Yeah, I am. What are you gonna do about it? Aren’t you embarrassed? We’re all in the same boat, so why are you yelling and making a scene?”
“Now you’re talking down to me? What kind of upbringing did you have to talk back to an adult like that? Did your parents teach you that?”
“Bitch? Ha, I’ve had enough… So, did your parents teach you to bully kids at your age? You piece of trash!”
Watching the woman stand her ground without backing down, I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. At first, Park Dong-geol seemed taken aback, letting out a hollow laugh. But soon, his face flushed with anger. He snorted loudly and stomped toward the woman.
Standing in front of her, he put on a menacing expression and spoke.
“Hey, bitch. What did you say about my parents? Say it again.”
Normally, a grown man acting like this would intimidate most people. But whether it was her strong spirit or sheer fearlessness, the woman met his gaze and scoffed.
“Funny. Do you think I’ll be scared? Did your parents teach you that, you bastard?”
“You fucking bitch, you’re asking for it…”
His fist slowly rose into the air, filled with genuine rage. Yet the woman didn’t flinch. Just as Park Dong-geol was about to throw a punch, a voice interrupted.
“Hey, mister. That’s enough.”
Ahn Hyun, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. Park Dong-geol, about to slap the woman, turned to Ahn Hyun with a bewildered expression. Next to him, Ahn Sol tugged at his sleeve, but Ahn Hyun spoke again.
“She’s not wrong. We’re all in the same situation, so why act like this? What did they do wrong?”
“You… you brats…”
Park Dong-geol bit his lip, overwhelmed by shame. But feeling the eyes on him, his raised fist slowly lowered. As the woman smirked faintly, Park Dong-geol let out a frustrated yell and turned away. Even as he sat back down, he kept grumbling, clearly upset that things hadn’t gone his way.
“Fuck, what are you staring at? Turn your eyes away!”
Unable to contain his anger, Park Dong-geol lashed out at Lee Shin-woo, who was sitting quietly beside him. Lee Shin-woo moved away with a resentful look. It was then.
A low growl echoed again, clearly audible to all of us. And finally, I could piece together my hazy memories.
Back then, we had wasted time like this until a sudden attack scattered us. The cause was the stone Park Dong-geol had kicked and the shouting match with the woman.
That’s all I remembered about these people. I didn’t know what happened afterward, but considering I hadn’t seen them in the Hall Plain since…
‘Does that mean they all died during the rite of passage? Well, maybe not Ahn Sol.’
If we continued like this, we might repeat the first round. No, we definitely would.
I decided to offer a bit of help. But I didn’t plan on giving direct assistance. I intended to provide just enough of a push to get them moving and working together. So, I picked up my crossbow.
Click!
“What are you doing…?”
Everyone was so on edge that even the slightest noise drew their attention.
The person who spoke to me was the woman who had just shown off her impressive verbal skills. At least she had the decency not to start with informal speech. It seemed Park Dong-geol had really gotten on her bad side.
“It’s unsettling, isn’t it?”
“I’m more unsettled by that crossbow.”
“Well… what do you think this place is?”
“What?”
The woman widened her eyes. Her sharp gaze gave her a fierce look, but overall, she had a pretty face.
“I’ve experienced several inexplicable things since coming here. Isn’t it the same for everyone here?”
“That’s… true…”
People nodded in agreement. The summoning room, the angel, the transmission. They must have experienced and witnessed it all. What they needed now was to quickly accept reality and actively engage in the rite of passage for survival.
I began loading arrows into the repeating crossbow. It was slightly smaller than a typical crossbow, but its detachable design made it quite convenient. Perhaps realizing something from the growl and my actions, one by one, people began picking up the weapons they had brought.
Soon, everyone except those who came empty-handed was armed. We were more or less ready. I looked around, deep in thought.
We were in a clearing in the center of the forest, surrounded by trees and woods. I started moving in the opposite direction from where Park Dong-geol had kicked the stone.
Even after just a few steps from the clearing, the atmosphere felt noticeably darker. The trees and plants before me seemed to emit an ominous glow.
They must have felt some unease from the growl. I could sense more people following me, their presence growing stronger. Just as I thought they were showing decent initiative, my plan hit a snag right from the start.
“Hey, Ahn Sol. Get up. We need to follow that guy.”
“Nooo… I don’t want to go in there… I’m scared…”
“Are you going to stay here then? You said earlier you felt uneasy, like we shouldn’t stay here. So why are you acting like this now?”
“Ugh…”
Hearing the siblings’ conversation, I felt my eyes narrow. With a luck stat of 100 points, maybe she sensed something. But it was just a guess. She still seemed unable to overcome her instinctive fear, unwilling to lift herself off the ground.
Growl! Growl!
As the two bickered, more growls echoed around us. The sound was getting louder, indicating whatever it was had almost reached us. People initially waited patiently for the siblings, but soon, one by one, they began to show signs of anxiety.
“Um, excuse me. Can we start moving? I’ve been feeling jittery too…”
“Yeah, let’s just leave them. What is that sound anyway…”
Perhaps mustering some courage, Lee Shin-woo’s voice carried a sense of determination. Park Dong-geol immediately agreed.
Whether they heard the suggestion to leave or sensed it, Ahn Hyun looked increasingly urgent as he tried to pull Ahn Sol along.
“Come on, get up. I’m right here with you. Please, just listen.”
“But… my feet won’t move… Ugh…”
Ansol finally broke down in tears. Meanwhile, Lee Shinwoo and Park Donggeol had been giving me anxious looks, clearly eager to escape this tense situation. I had no intention of leaving them behind, though. It was far more beneficial to stick with those two, even if it meant abandoning others.
“Let’s just go already! Why are we standing around?”
“Uh, let’s hurry…”
As the murmuring grew louder, Anhyun’s face hardened. He forcefully shook off the hand of his younger sister, who was clinging to his sleeve. Ansol looked up, startled, her lips trembling.
“O-oppa?”
“Fine. Stay here by yourself, then. I’m going somewhere else.”
Yeah, right. But Anhyun’s act was convincing enough. He turned away abruptly, sword and shield in hand, and started striding towards us. Ansol, shocked, gaped at him, tears welling up as she heard him say, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go.” Despite her sobs, Anhyun pretended to lead us into the forest, urging us to follow.
“O-oppa, don’t leave me!”
“Ansol, get up right now. Understand the situation, please.”
“I’m sorry… Don’t leave me again… Please…”
“Are you not getting up?!”
Anhyun’s voice rose sharply, and it seemed to have some effect. Ansol, still crying, slowly got to her feet. But then it happened.
Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl!
‘Damn, did we take too long?’
A sense of dread washed over me—not from fear, but from the possibility that Ansol might be lost to us here. The source of the growling was now unmistakably close. The problem was, Ansol froze in place just as she was getting up.
“O-oppa…”
The distance between them was growing. Ansol reached out helplessly, but Anhyun remained resolute, or at least pretended to be. The woman next to me seemed ready to intervene, but Anhyun raised a hand to stop her.
“Just leave her.”
“Oppa! Don’t leave me alone!”
“Then come over here yourself. It’s not too late. If you can’t do that, you won’t survive.”
“Ugh…”
In that moment, Anhyun seemed different. His eyes were filled with certainty as he looked at Ansol. Perhaps his sincerity reached her, as she gritted her teeth, determined. But it was too late.
Growl! Growl!
‘That growl… it’s a Deadman.’
Deadmen. The name sounds intimidating, but they’re not much to worry about. Users of the whole plane don’t even consider them real monsters. They have some intelligence and can infect others, but the infection is treatable if addressed in time. (Though treatment here is impossible.)
And another characteristic…
Roar!
They usually wander slowly, but once they spot prey, they charge.
A Deadman burst from the forest, mouth agape, heading straight for Ansol. Anhyun screamed and rushed forward.
“Sola!”
But he wasn’t the only one screaming.
“Ahhh!”
“Eek!”
It was like a scene from a zombie movie. The creature, with its flesh hanging in tatters, charged, throwing the group into chaos. A stone was lodged in its chest, likely the one Park Donggeol had kicked earlier. It must have been lurking nearby because of that.
Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl! Growl!
The Deadmen’s cries intensified, responding to the screams.
“Ahhh!”
“Sola! Get a grip! Sola!”
Ansol, who had barely stood up, seemed to lose her mind at the sight of the Deadman. Anhyun dashed forward, but the Deadman was closer. Realizing this, Anhyun swung his sword back and hurled it at the creature.
Whizz! Thud!
‘Oh? A hit?’
The sword flew true, severing the Deadman’s left arm. But that was all. It staggered briefly, then regained its balance and lunged at Ansol.
“Nooo!”
The Deadman, mouth wide open.
Ansol, eyes wide with fear.
And Anhyun, screaming.
In that moment, I knew. My actions had changed Ansol’s fate. Without hesitation, I fired the crossbow I had prepared.
Ping!
The arrow flew with a sharp whistle, piercing the Deadman’s head with a satisfying thud. The head was their weak point. If a stone could penetrate its chest, an arrow would be unstoppable. The Deadman collapsed, mouth still open.
Thud!
“Holy…!”
“Gasp… Gasp…”
The reactions of those who had just witnessed the creature were almost identical. They instinctively gripped their weapons, finally realizing the gravity of the situation. They might have had an inkling before, but now the seriousness was undeniable.
Even amidst the chaos, Anhyun acted swiftly. He rushed to support the stunned Ansol and quickly returned to our group. He was clearly shaken, breathing heavily.
All eyes turned to me. I moved to the front. We had taken down one, but more would soon follow. The increasing cries meant the Deadmen were converging on us. If they formed a perimeter, we’d be in serious trouble.
Without a word, I started walking.