Chapter 16 : New Member

"Ow, ow, stop it, my body's already sore," I groaned, breathing heavily as I felt the two of them hugging me a little too tightly.

But they seemed far too lost in relief to notice. Both of them still held me tightly, making it impossible to move. With some effort, I raised my hands and lightly knocked on their heads.

Tap Tap

""Ow!""

"Alright, move away… I really can't move if you stay like this."

Olivia and Hyunsuk flinched and quickly crouched beside me, holding their heads where I had just tapped them. I could only sigh quietly as I slowly sat up and stretched my body. Every muscle felt like it had been crushed and slammed into a wall. The pain was intense. Damn... it felt like I'd been hit by a speeding truck.

Thankfully, after checking more carefully, there were no serious injuries or open wounds. Just some bruises and maybe a few jolted bones. The backpack on my back probably played a big part in cushioning the impact. But now I started to worry—what about the contents of my bag?

"I'm sorry, Lan," Olivia said with sincere regret.

"Yeah, sorry, hyung," Hyunsuk added quietly, his head bowed.

Seeing them both feeling so guilty, I could only sigh and shake my head. It wasn't entirely their fault anyway. This world… it's what made everything a mess. That monster was completely beyond expectations. No one could have predicted its movements or power—not even Olivia, who was a skilled shooter, could take it down quickly.

And let's not forget—we're all just ordinary people here. None of us were ever trained to survive in a world like this. None of us were ever taught how to fight eyeless monsters crawling on ceilings. It hasn't even been three full days since we were thrown into this place. The fact that we're still alive is a miracle in itself.

"This wasn't your fault," I said in a calm, reassuring tone. "That monster was just too abnormal for us. But we can learn from this. Use it as experience—because chances are, we'll run into something like it again."

Both of them nodded quietly, and I gave the next order. "You two, go watch those two and question them. Stay alert. I'll catch up after checking my bag."

Without saying much, they stood and walked toward the two strangers we had rescued earlier—a father and son who had screamed for help. I slowly opened my backpack, assessing the damage. Some cup ramen were crushed. A few food packets were torn. One water bottle leaked. But overall, things were still salvageable. This thick backpack really did its job.

After sorting the contents and closing it up, I stood up slowly and walked after them. My steps were a bit unsteady, but my body could still move.

When I arrived, Olivia stood up from her guarding position and walked up to me.

"They said their names are Robert and Joshua. Father and son," Olivia quickly explained. "Just like us, they were brought into this world through a black room. They went through a lot to make it this far… you can tell from their clothes and injuries."

I glanced at the two of them—a middle-aged man with a thin beard and a tired face, and a young boy still panting with a pale face. Their clothes were torn, stained with dried blood and dust. Scrapes on their arms and legs, with makeshift bandages from ripped fabric. No need for further questioning to know they had really struggled.

"Well, their story seems believable," I muttered softly. "And honestly, kind of sad too."

But behind all that, something else bothered me. If two people could be pulled into this world together, could there be other groups brought in as teams? What if an entire military unit was dragged into this place? If that happened… they might've already cleared large areas and set up a base.

I shook my head slightly, pushing away the unfounded speculation. Focus on what's in front of you.

I stepped toward Robert and gave him a sharp look. It was enough to make the man tense up. He looked back at me with a mix of fear and respect. From their body language alone, it was clear they saw me as the leader of this team.

"I don't have much to say," I said firmly, staring straight into his eyes. "We were brought here through a black room as well. We formed a team with one goal—to find a way out. And in the process, we'll eliminate anything that stands in our way."

Robert swallowed hard.

"You have two options," I continued. "Go your own way… or stay here and join us. But remember, we work based on trust. The moment you betray that, we won't hesitate to leave you behind."

As I said that, I held out my hand to him.

Robert and Joshua exchanged glances. Hesitation was clear on their faces. But who could blame them? In a world without laws, anyone could be an enemy. But maybe they sensed something in my words. Or maybe… they were just people trying to survive, just like us.

Finally, Robert reached out and shook my hand firmly.

"Yes. We'll join you," he said.

A small smile formed on my lips. The intensity in my gaze began to soften.

"Welcome to the team," I said.

"And… thank you for saving us," Joshua added quietly, but sincerely.

From a distance, Olivia and Hyunsuk also gave faint smiles. For now, our team had grown. And hopefully… so had our strength.