Memorize

I started loading the crossbow with arrows. Though it was a bit smaller than usual for a crossbow, its detachable design made it quite convenient. Seeing my actions and hearing the earlier growl, the others began to ready their weapons.

Soon, everyone except those who had arrived empty-handed had armed themselves. Preparations were nearly complete. I took a moment to calmly survey our surroundings.

We were in a clearing in the middle of the forest. The area was surrounded by dense trees and underbrush. I began moving in the opposite direction from where Park Dong-Gul had kicked the stone.

Even though we had only moved a few steps from the clearing, it already felt distinctly darker. The trees and bushes ahead seemed to cast an eerie, gloomy light.

Hearing the growl, a certain level of anxiety was inevitable. I could sense that the number of people following me was slowly increasing. Just when I thought they were becoming proactive, my plan hit a problem right from the start.

"Hey, An Sol. Get up. We need to follow him quickly."

"Nooo... I don't want to go inside... I'm scared…"

"So you're just going to stay here? You've been saying since earlier that you're uneasy and that it feels wrong to stay here. So why the sudden change?"

"Uuuh…"

The moment I heard the siblings' conversation, I felt a pressure in my eyes. With a luck stat of 100 points, it's possible that she could sense something. But that's purely speculative. It seemed that An Sol was still struggling with the primal fear and had no intention of moving from where she was.

"Growl! Growl!"

While the siblings were arguing, additional growls echoed in the distance. The volume was increasing, clearly indicating that the source was getting closer. At first, everyone waited calmly for them to resolve their issues, but soon, one by one, people started to show signs of impatience.

"Excuse me, but should we leave without them? Honestly, I've been trembling ever since earlier…"

"Y-yeah, let's do that! Just leave them behind. What is this sudden noise…"

Lee Shin-Woo's voice, tinged with determination, seemed to rally the others. Park Dong-Gul quickly agreed, adding his support.

Whether it was because they heard the call to leave or just felt the urgency, An Hyun's expression grew more frantic as he tried to pull An Sol along.

"Come on, get up. I'm right here next to you. Please, just listen to me."

"But… I can't move my legs… Uuuh…"

An Sol finally broke down in tears. Meanwhile, Lee Shin-Woo and Park Dong-Gul had been casting anxious glances, clearly eager to escape the unsettling situation as quickly as possible. Of course, I had no intention of abandoning the two siblings. It was far more advantageous for me to stay with them rather than leave them behind, even if I had to endure a bit of delay.

"Just go already! Why are you standing still?"

"Hey, hurry up…."

As the murmurs grew louder, An Hyun's face hardened. He finally yanked his sister's hand away from his sleeve, which she had been clinging to tightly. An Sol looked up in shock, her lips trembling.

"O-oppa?"

"Yeah. You stay here by yourself. I'm going somewhere else."

He's just bluffing. But An Hyun's act was convincing enough. After speaking, he coldly turned away, gripping his sword and shield tightly. As he strode purposefully towards us, An Sol appeared deeply shocked, her lips quivering. Then, hearing An Hyun's voice say, "Sorry for making you wait. Let's go," she started to openly shed tears. Regardless, An Hyun continued to deliberately urge us on, pretending to lead us through the forest. 

"Uuuh... Oppa, don't go…"

"An Sol, get up right now. Please, understand the situation, okay?"

"I'm sorry… don't leave me… don't go… Uuuh… uuuh…"

"Are you not getting up immediately?"

In the end, An Hyun glared and raised his voice. It seemed to have some effect, as An Sol, still crying, slowly began to rise. Just then, the growls grew louder.

"Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr!"

"Oh no, have I delayed too long?"

I felt a pang of frustration. It wasn't just the fear of the situation, but the fear of potentially losing An Sol here, which caused my frustration. The source of the growling was now unmistakably close. The problem was, as An Sol was finally getting up, she froze in place.

"O… Oppa…"

The distance between them was gradually increasing. Despite seeing An Sol reach out helplessly, An Hyun's actions remained resolute. In fact, he seemed to be maintaining a calm demeanor. The woman with the sharp tongue seemed frustrated and tried to intervene, but An Hyun raised a hand to stop her.

"Just leave her."

"Oppa! Don't leave me behind!"

"Then come over here on your own. It's not too late yet. If you can't even do that, you won't survive."

"Uuuh…"

At that moment, An Hyun's determination was strikingly evident. He looked at An Sol with unwavering certainty. Whether it was An Hyun's genuine intention or not, An Sol's face tightened as she tried to hold back her tears. It seemed like she might have been able to make it if given a little more time, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

"Grrr! Grrr!"

'That growl... it's a Deadman.'

Deadmen. Despite the grand name, they are actually quite insignificant. In reality, users of the Hall Plane don't even consider Deadmen to be real monsters, as they are extremely weak creatures. While they possess some level of intelligence and infection ability, the infection can be easily treated if addressed within a certain timeframe (although treatment isn't an option here).

Another notable feature of Deadmen is...

"Kraaaah!"

While Deadmen typically move at a slow, shuffling pace, they switch to a sprint when they detect prey.

The Deadman, letting out a hideous scream, suddenly lunged out of the forest with its mouth agape, charging directly at An Sol. Clearly caught off guard by this sudden attack, An Hyun screamed and ran towards the creature.

"Sol!"

And the screams weren't just from An Hyun.

"Ugh, ugh!"

"Eek!"

It felt like a scene from a zombie movie. As the monster, with its flesh hanging in tatters, charged at them, the group was thrown into instant chaos. A rock lodged in its exposed chest, which was clearly the same rock Park Dong-Gul had kicked earlier. This meant the Deadman must have been wandering around us after being hit.

"Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr!"

Responding to the cries of the people, the growls of the Deadmen from beyond the forest grew louder.

"Aaaaah!"

"Sol! Pull yourself together! Sol!"

An Sol, barely managing to get to her feet, seemed to lose all composure upon seeing the Deadman. Though An Hyun rushed forward quickly, the Deadman was closer. Sensing this, An Hyun swung his sword back with all his might and then threw it at the Deadman.

"Swish! Thud!"

'Oh? Did it hit?'

The sword flew with great force, slicing off the Deadman's left arm with precision. However, that was all. The Deadman staggered briefly but quickly regained its footing and continued its charge towards An Sol.

"Noooo!"

The Deadman's mouth gaped wide.

An Sol, her eyes wide open in terror, could only watch in horror.

And then An Hyun's desperate cry.

At that moment, I knew for sure that my actions had changed An Sol's fate. Without hesitation, I fired the crossbow I had been preparing.

"Twang!"

The arrow flew with a sharp, piercing sound and struck cleanly through the Deadman's head. The Deadman's weakness was its head. If a rock could penetrate its chest, there was no way it could block an arrow. The Deadman fell, its mouth still agape.

"Thud!"

"Y-... crazy…"

"Gasp… gasp…"

The reactions of those who had seen the monster were nearly identical. They all instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, as if finally realizing that this situation was no joke. While they might have understood the severity of the situation before, it was now clear that things were gravely serious.

Meanwhile, An Hyun's actions were swift. He quickly went to An Sol, who was still gasping and supported her back to where we were. Clearly shaken by the recent events, he was panting heavily.

All eyes turned to me. I stepped to the forefront. Though I had dealt with one Deadman, many more would likely be arriving soon. The growls increasing in number indicated that more Deadmen were converging on our location. If they formed a perimeter around us, it would be a serious problem.

Without saying a word, I began to move forward.