14: Split in two

"Instead of worrying about the people who left, how about we focus on ourselves first? We should head down the hill and get out of this forest."

It wasn't a comment meant for the group—it was directed at An Hyun. As my gaze shifted toward him, so did those of Lee Yoo-jung and Kim Han-byul. Maybe it was his past experience playing the neighborhood tough guy, but he didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable with everyone's attention. He nodded in agreement and stood up, glancing down the hill.

"Heading down is fine, but… the question is which direction we should go. We don't even know where we are right now…"

Lifting his head, he alternated looking between the clearing, still crawling with Deadmen, and the path Park Dong-gul's group had taken. That path led in the complete opposite direction of the clearing. It seemed like a calculated move on Dong-gul's part, but from my perspective, it was far from a good idea.

"I think this direction makes the most sense."

That's when Kim Han-byul, quiet as always, pointed to one side. Following the line of her finger, I realized it pointed about 90 degrees off from the clearing. Lee Yoo-jung squinted in that direction, gauging the distance, then asked anxiously,

"Wouldn't it be better to go in the opposite direction from the clearing? That path looks too close…"

Another one thinking like Dong-gul.

An Hyun pondered for a moment, then let out an "ah" of realization. He didn't look the academic type, but his brain worked fast enough. As Lee Yoo-jung continued to frown in confusion, Kim Han-byul calmly explained.

"It's simple. Most of those things are swarming around the clearing. If we assume they're evenly distributed throughout the forest, then the more of them gathered in one area, the more likely other areas are emptier. So the spot with the highest chance of being clear… is probably this one."

"But if we go in the opposite direction, they might not have heard the commotion and just stayed where they were. That could be even more dangerous."

An Hyun added a valid point, and Kim Han-byul nodded in agreement. It wasn't exactly the same escape route I had in mind, but it was close enough. Either way, it felt good to see things moving smoothly for once. I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile.

"Now that you say it… doesn't that mean the route that bastard picked might be the most dangerous one?"

"Exactly. Anyway, let's head down this way and try to get out of the forest. Sol, time to go."

"Y-yeah! Okay!"

An Sol, who had been silently watching the conversation like a lost puppy, quickly stood up at her brother's call. No one seemed to object to An Hyun and me taking charge. In fact, everyone looked more at ease than when Dong-gul was around—especially Lee Yoo-jung, who even wore a visible smirk, probably imagining Dong-gul struggling somewhere in the woods.

And with that, our little group descended the hill quickly and quietly.

Roughly two hours had passed since we chose our escape route and descended the hill. The forest was denser than it looked from above, with tall trees blotting out the sky and casting heavy shadows all around us. For those two hours, we walked nonstop through the dim woods. Each step was met with the crunch of soil and leaves, our breathing steady, forming a rhythm as An Hyun and I led the way, the others following behind.

The woods were eerily quiet—and much larger than I remembered. Still, at our current pace, I estimated we could make it out by evening. It made me wonder if the angels had dropped us into the forest's central zone on purpose, figuring our group had above-average stats.

Regardless, we needed to get out before nightfall. The Preparation Room only gave us clothes and weapons—no food, no water. Supplies were located elsewhere: in rest areas where we could recover for half a day, in save points that allowed a full night's sleep, or by looting towns and other users. Or, you know… stealing.

"…Oppa."

"Yeah?"

An Sol, walking right behind us, tugged on her brother's sleeve. Blushing bright red, she mumbled,

"I need to go pee…"

"…."

Awkward silence washed over the group like a cold wave.

'Seriously?'

I'd thought she was just a bit slow, but this… I started wondering how she even survived in modern society.

An Hyun hesitated, then turned to us, clearly gauging our reactions.

"Is it okay if we take a short break? My sister needs to… take care of something."

Thankfully, both Lee Yoo-jung and Kim Han-byul nodded without complaint. Maybe it was some kind of silent agreement among women. There was a short scene where An Sol begged her brother to come with her out of fear, but he flatly refused and sent her off alone.

She trudged off like a scolded puppy. Watching her, Lee Yoo-jung let out a snicker and plopped herself onto the forest floor.

"Is that safe? What if one of those things charges her?"

"I'll keep an eye out. And she's nineteen—if she can't even pee by herself, that's just sad. Wait… why are you talking to me informally?"

"Me? I'm twenty-two. And you're speaking informally too. Judging by your face, you're what—twenty or twenty-one tops?"

"I'm twenty-two too."

"No way~ Same age, then! Since we're stuck here together, how about we all introduce ourselves?"

She sounded much more cheerful than before. Even Kim Han-byul, probably worn down from all the tension, quietly took a seat beside her. An Hyun and I exchanged a look and followed suit, settling down onto the cold forest floor.

"Sol will be back soon, so let's keep it brief. I'm An Hyun, twenty-two years old."

"What did you do before all this?"

Yoo-jung asked. An Hyun scratched his cheek awkwardly before answering honestly.

"I was just a small-time punk. Worked some part-time jobs. Nothing much. You?"

"Me? Name's Lee Yoo-jung, also twenty-two. I took a break from college to study for the police officer exam."

A future cop, huh? I imagined her in uniform and thought it might suit her surprisingly well. The two of them chatted about cops and delinquents for a bit, then turned their attention to me and Han-byul. The curious glint in their eyes was hard to ignore. Kim Han-byul spoke up first.

"Kim Han-byul. I'm twenty-one. A college student."

"You're the youngest here! Which school?"

"Yonsei University."

"Whoa~ You must be really smart. I'm jealous."

They both looked impressed, then turned their attention to me. Even Han-byul seemed expectant. I sighed inwardly but kept my tone calm as I responded.

"My name is Kim Soo-hyun. I'm twenty-three. I was a soldier."

"Oppa, then! Let's speak comfortably, oppa. Were you army, air force, or navy?"

"Guess you're the hyung here. I'll drop formal speech too. What rank were you?"

Turns out Yoo-jung wasn't just bold—she was downright bubbly. And An Hyun, interested now that military stuff had come up, leaned in to ask.

"Army sergeant."

"Too bad. Just a little longer and you would've been discharged."

Yoo-jung giggled, and I gave a wry smile as I added,

"I was discharged. On the day I submitted my paperwork, I ended up here."

"..."

"..."

"..."

What's with those looks? Why are they all staring at me like I'm some stray dog?

"Guys. I'm fine. Seriously. Don't look at me like that."

Even though I said I was fine, the awkward silence returned. An Hyun cleared his throat and looked away. Yoo-jung stared at me with open pity. Even Han-byul looked sympathetic. And honestly—I was fine.

Trying to lighten the mood, Yoo-jung changed the subject in a bright voice.

"It still feels like a dream. Normally, I'd be in the library studying, closing my book, calling a friend, gossiping in the lounge, grabbing something tasty to eat, then heading home thinking 'I'll study harder tomorrow'…"

Everyone's expression softened, distant looks in their eyes. An Hyun smiled wistfully and chimed in.

"I'd be working a PC café shift. Arguing with deadbeats, chasing dine-and-dashers, getting chewed out by the boss… then munching on a chicken the owner's wife gave me, waiting to go pick up Sol. Hey, hyung—what would you have done if you made it home?"

"Me?"

I tilted my head. It had been over ten years, after all. Still, I answered honestly.

"I guess I would've taken a deep breath, really felt the freedom in the air. Then I'd go home, bow to my mom, call my dad, eat a home-cooked meal, soak in a hot bath and—seriously, stop looking at me like that. I'm telling you, I'm fine."

When An Sol returned, the brief chaos of earlier came to a quiet end. She bowed politely and said, "I'm back," and honestly, it was kind of cute. But her return was also a signal—a reminder of our reality. That little break, where we introduced ourselves and escaped the madness just for a moment, had come to an end.

An Hyun sighed and slowly stood up.

Refreshed, we continued forward through the dark woods. Though An Hyun and I took the lead, I subtly directed our route to avoid Deadmen. So far, that had kept us safe.

But we wouldn't avoid them forever. The closer we got to the forest's edge, the more evenly spread they were. All I could do was steer us toward the path with the fewest enemies.

The biggest concern, as always, was An Sol. Even now, we could run into dozens of Deadmen at once. I wasn't sure she could keep calm if that happened. That's when An Hyun suddenly stopped and hissed,

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"Shh."

I followed his gaze and spotted three Deadmen wandering nearby. They sniffed the air, licking their lips—they'd caught our scent.

I glanced at Sol, who had her hands clamped over her mouth, eyes squeezed shut. One crisis averted, for now.

"They can smell us?"

"Seems like it. Get down."

An Hyun ducked behind a thick tree, pulling Sol into his arms. The rest of us followed, hiding quietly. He raised his shield cautiously, but I shook my head. Better to avoid a fight if possible. I couldn't remember exactly why, but I'd heard again and again: "Don't enter the forest during the Rite of Passage."

We were only halfway from the forest's edge. If we fought now and drew attention, more would come. If even one signaled the others, we'd be done.

And honestly, with just a rock or a shield? Taking out three at once was a pipe dream. I felt my longsword clink faintly at my waist and regretted not giving it to An Hyun earlier.

The Deadmen inched closer, sniffing. One step at a time, toward our hiding spot.

And we held our breath, waiting.