Chapter 13 : Companions (3)

Chapter 13: Companions (3)

The moment Dohyeong’s group set foot on the ruins site, a system sound rang out.

Ding!

「The player has entered the ‘Strange Ruins Site.’ The barrier spread across this space prevents human scent from leaking out, blocking zombie attacks.」

It did not seem to be a system visible only to Dohyeong.

There was no trace of tension on the faces of the people here.

However, their vague belief was destined to be shattered soon enough.

‘Starting from Day 4 of the tutorial, the ruins’ barrier disappears.’

In the game’s story, this place would soon turn into a living hell.

That was an absolute, unchanging fact.

Of course, Dohyeong had neither the reason nor the leeway to tell them such a thing, so he turned his head away.

‘That aside…….’

Two people in the same school uniform, forming a stark contrast.

One was a hulking build that looked like he had thrown his weight around at school.

The other was Suho, with a skinny body and even wearing glasses.

He did not know exactly what their relationship had been like in the past.

But thinking back to what had happened in front of the Seogyo-dong Community Center, he could guess to some extent.

The bulky one glared fiercely.

“What did you just say?”

After what had happened at the Seogyo-dong Community Center.

Just how much did he have to look down on someone to be that brazen?

Fortunately, Suho was not cowering like he used to.

“Kim Jaeseok, it’s amazing that you’re even alive.”

Suho’s attitude showed not the slightest retreat.

‘Well, I swept through zombies with him like that. There’s no way he’d lose to a hulking guy who only played rough at school.’

Skills—Mental Armament—must have played a part as well.

Leaving behind Dohyeong, who felt proud of Suho’s change.

“Ha……, are you seriously out of your mind?”

The laughter drained from Kim Jaeseok’s face as he scoffed in disbelief.

And then.

Step, step

He strode forward until their noses were almost touching, looming over Suho and casting a shadow.

“Wanna die? Didn’t see you for a few days and now nothing scares you? What are you suddenly trusting to get cocky like this?”

He shifted his body as if he might throw a pot-lid-sized fist at any moment.

At that savage threat, Suho flinched.

He did not avert his eyes, but his tightly bitten lower lip trembled faintly.

‘……Is this as far as he can go for now?’

No matter how much his mindset had changed, the memories of violence etched into his body did not seem to fade easily.

In the end, Dohyeong stepped in and separated the two.

“Huh? And who’s this old guy?”

Kim Jaeseok glanced sideways at Dohyeong blocking his path, then snarled at Suho.

“What, are you acting like this because you trust this geezer? Huh?”

When Suho remained silent, Kim Jaeseok frowned and shot Dohyeong an unpleasant look.

“Don’t put on airs, old man, and step aside. Don’t get involved in pointless crap and get yourself beaten.”

He raised his hand and glared threateningly, just like he had done to Suho.

“Ha, would you look at this old guy?”

Although he had lived the life of a hardcore gamer, Dohyeong had thoroughly given his parents grief during his school days.

‘No need to be scared of trash like this.’

When Dohyeong did not even blink, Kim Jaeseok let out a deep sigh.

“Guess you’re doing this because you don’t know me, old man. I’m a real bad guy, you know? These fists don’t mind hitting old people.”

As he said that, he shoved Dohyeong’s shoulder hard with his fist.

Judging purely by appearances, it was only natural that Dohyeong would be pushed back by Kim Jaeseok’s strength.

But.

“Huh? Why isn’t this…….”

No matter how much force Kim Jaeseok put in, Dohyeong did not budge.

Before Colossus had become reality, strong bones and muscles had determined strength.

Now, the source of power lay in status window attributes and skills.

And thanks to the equipment he was wearing, Dohyeong’s overall stats far surpassed those of others.

That meant a contest of strength with Kim Jaeseok was not particularly difficult.

On the other hand, Kim Jaeseok’s face flushed red as if he had been humiliated, and he looked around.

Before he knew it, many people were watching and whispering among themselves.

Their gazes were anything but friendly.

‘Damn it.’

Though he was acting as the temporary leader.

They probably did not like the fact that someone as young as him had taken on that role.

‘And yet those idiots can’t even step forward…….’

The only thing they could do was.

Just like now, stare blatantly like that.

Of course, being under so many people’s gaze was indeed intimidating.

‘But I can’t chicken out.’

Because he had learned at school that the moment he showed weakness, he would be torn apart.

What? Did Kim Jaeseok get beaten by Lee Jincheong?

I told you that bastard Kim Jaeseok was all bluff. Still, being a born gangster’s son really does make a difference.

He could not endure that kind of humiliation ever again.

So Kim Jaeseok opened his eyes wide and yanked his shoulder forcefully back.

“You fucking bastard!”

Fwaaat!

An orange aura gathered around his pulled-back fist.

It was a power he had gained after the world changed like this—a skill, [Fist Gun].

This one-hit-kill punch carried enough power to smash a zombie’s head in a single blow.

A tough-acting old man like the one in front of him would be finished with just this one strike.

……At least, that was what he believed without a doubt.

Whoosh!

“H-huh?”

Kim Jaeseok’s unexpected strike cut through empty air.

Before he could even properly grasp the situation, what filled his vision was.

Crack!

Dohyeong’s solid fist.

“Ghk!”

A dizzying pain struck as Kim Jaeseok clutched the bridge of his nose and bowed his head.

Dohyeong’s beating was only just beginning.

Grabbing Kim Jaeseok’s head with both hands, Dohyeong drove multiple knee strikes into him.

Thud, thud!

Kneecaps larger and harder than fists slammed into Kim Jaeseok’s face in rapid succession.

“Cough! S-stop!”

Flailing his hands to avoid getting hit any further, Kim Jaeseok rolled backward.

Chasing after him and stepping down on him with his foot, Dohyeong thought,

‘Fist Gun? I could read the wind-up and predicted path of a low-tier skill like that with my eyes closed.’

A veteran like Dohyeong read the preparatory motion of [Fist Gun]

and simply threw a counterpunch along its trajectory.

That alone was enough to end things, but.

‘For guys like this, a beating is the cure.’

Thud! Thump!

The world right now was chaos itself. A world where it was hard to educate people with words.

That was why Dohyeong thoroughly beat the crap out of him.

“Agh, aagh!”

Then suddenly Suho approached and grabbed Dohyeong’s arm.

“H-hyung! Please, wait a second.”

Ah, this kid was too kind.

Could he really survive in this world that had turned into Colossus…….

“Use this instead.”

“?”

Suho handed over his spear shaft.

Under Dohyeong’s obvious stare, Suho smiled awkwardly.

“……Your foot might get hurt.”

.

.

.

After that, Dohyeong’s harsh lesson continued for a while longer.

‘People are afraid because of you—what are you going to do now? If you want to stay here, shouldn’t you show us some goodwill!’

With Jihwan’s scowling face as the last thing they saw, Dohyeong’s group left the ruins on their own feet.

It was Dohyeong’s judgment that there was no need to get entangled there when Suho’s sister was not even around.

Even so, Suho kept apologizing, saying it seemed like Dohyeong had been forced to leave a safe place because of him.

“I’m really sorry. Hyung, you even got dragged into this because of me…….”

“No. It’s fine.”

‘It’s going to turn into a graveyard in a few hours anyway.’

Swallowing the rest of his words, Dohyeong took the lead and walked ahead.

Starting at 00:00 on Day 4 of the tutorial, the barrier protecting the ruins would disappear.

Which meant there was no need to stubbornly insist on that place as a resting spot.

And to repeat, Dohyeong had come out to find a safe place to rest.

‘About here.’

Tracing in his mind the location he had checked from atop a giant tree on the first day, Dohyeong passed through a patch of bushes.

Then, seeing the massive cliff that finally came into view, his eyes gleamed.

‘Found it.’

Not some barrier that would suddenly vanish and cause chaos, but a place that would keep their nights safe until the tutorial ended.

“There was a cliff here?”

Leaving Suho’s muttering behind, Dohyeong walked toward one corner of the sheer cliff face.

And there, he found a cave cleverly hidden by vines.

This was no different from the game at all.

Ding!

「For the first time among tutorial players, you have discovered a ‘Natural Tunnel.’」

Reward Achievement Point : 300P

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.

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The sun had completely set.

Inside the tunnel, Dohyeong lit a campfire and took out a Yellow Fruit, tossing it in.

Plop, roll…….

Sparks flew as the Yellow Fruit landed squarely in the fire pit, and it began to catch fire in an instant.

Tick, tzzk! Fwoosh!

At the sight he had grown sick of over the past three days, Suho muttered softly.

“I thought it was completely useless, but it burns well and even works as firewood.”

This Yellow Fruit, which Suho had once put in his mouth without knowing any better and suffered for it, was actually meant to be used as fuel.

Not only that—burning the fruit produced smoke that masked human scent, making it useful for avoiding zombie attacks.

So if they burned Yellow Fruit in this cave with openings at both ends, they could rest comfortably without being harassed by zombies.

‘A natural barrier just as good as the ruins barrier, that’s what this is.’

It was then, as Dohyeong warmed himself by the fire in a relaxed posture for the first time in a while.

“My sister… will she be okay?”

“…….”

“If she hasn’t shown up until now, then maybe she already…….”

At the boy muttering pessimistic words with his head hanging low, Dohyeong cut him off sharply.

“She’s not dead.”

“……How do you know?”

His expression was clearly anguished.

Looking at that expression, Dohyeong answered inwardly.

‘Because your sister is a chosen one.’

Born with talent and possessing ‘Mana Womb - Blessing of Mana,’ she had hit the jackpot once again during skill selection.

Even Dohyeong had not expected that she would choose that skill.

If what Suho said was accurate, then with the synergy between her skill and her massive mana pool, tutorial zombies were, in practice, never a threat unless twenty attacked at once.

But there was no way he could explain something like that to Suho in detail.

“It’s just my gut feeling. Your sister will be safe. For now, focus on taking care of yourself.”

After hesitating for a moment at Dohyeong’s firm assurance, Suho nodded.

“……Yes. Thank you, hyung.”

Suho seemed to think Dohyeong had said it just to comfort him.

It was the truth, though. He could at least try believing it.

Still, seeing that Suho’s expression had relaxed a bit compared to before, Dohyeong lay down on the ground.

Perhaps because it was cut off from the outside, he felt a strong sense of stability.

“You should lie down too. It’s cozier than you think.”

After confirming that Suho lay down on the ground beside him, Dohyeong slowly closed his eyes.

Crackle, crackle…….

Warmth and the sound of the campfire burning.

The distinctive scent of the Yellow Fruit made it feel as if air freshener had been sprayed.

It was a truly long-awaited, peaceful rest.

.

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.A few hours later, a system notification rang out across the ruins that Dohyeong’s group had left behind.

Ding!

「It is now Day 4 of the tutorial」

「For difficulty adjustment, all barriers of the ‘Strange Ruins Site’ will now be removed」

At the same time, the gray barrier that had enveloped the area flickered, then lost its light and slowly dissipated into the air.

Pashssss……!

Since it was midnight, most of the people there were asleep.

However, there were a few who were not.

“……What was that sound?”

“The barrier’s being lifted? Th-then what about the zombies?”

As if answering that question.

……Grrrr!

……Gwoooaar!

The zombies had already begun howling.

A few quick-witted ones immediately fled the area.

Others, eyes wide with shock, shook awake those still half-asleep.

“Wake up right now. This isn’t the time to be sleeping peacefully!”

“Uuugh……? Wha—, kyaah! Wh-what is this? Save me!”

“My arm! Aaaagh!”

Red blood gushed like a fountain from the sleeping man’s neck.

Flesh and bone torn off by zombies scattered through the air.

“U-ugh! Fire Ball!”

“Smash!”

There were people who resisted here and there.

But the large amount of human scent that had been trapped for days continued to draw in more and more zombies.

“Huff, huff! Wh-what the hell is going on?”

“Fuck……! Wasn’t this supposed to be a safe place?”

Kim Jaeseok, his face swollen from being beaten black and blue by Dohyeong, barely managed to crush the head of a zombie charging at him as he desperately searched for a way out.

“Kiiik, kkk!”

“Guuuuu……!”

To make matters worse, Variant Zombies began to appear as well.

“This has to be a lie……! It must be some weird quest! S-some kind of survive-the-time quest or something……?”

For people who already struggled just to deal with ordinary zombies, this was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

The place they had believed without a doubt to be safe was turning into a living hell, exactly as Dohyeong had predicted.

Unlike the people at the ruins who had endured a hellish night.

Dohyeong’s group, who had spent a peaceful night, resumed zombie hunting as soon as dawn broke.

Grrraah……!

“Hyung! Four zombies slipped through over there!”

Zombie hunting, gathering fruits, Essence Absorption, and farming achievement points. And even short breaks…….

They moved about so busily that time slipped away before they knew it.

After who knew how long had passed in that hectic rhythm.

“Suho, let’s take a short break.”

“Hoo……, what? Didn’t we just rest a bit ago?”

Suho blinked as he finished driving his spear into the neck of the zombie he had been fighting.

Then he noticed Dohyeong casting his gaze into the distance and looked that way as well.

“That is…….”

A group of about six or seven people.

They looked like defeated soldiers who had barely escaped a battlefield.

“Kim Jaeseok.”

It was Kim Jaeseok and the people from the ruins who had been beaten senseless by Dohyeong.

Dohyeong counted their numbers precisely.

‘Seven, huh. More survived than I expected.’

Only a third remained after just half a day.

But Dohyeong gave them a generous evaluation.

When he had briefly seen them at the ruins, there had been no trace of fighting spirit on their faces.

That was why he had thought only a handful would survive once they were thrown outside the barrier.

‘And that guy survived too.’

Kim Jaeseok stared this way with eyes burning as if he were looking at an enemy.

Given that Dohyeong had personally beaten him, there should not have been a spot on his body left uninjured, yet he had somehow made it into the group of survivors.

At the malice in his gaze, Dohyeong tossed out a single remark.

“What are you looking at.”

As if that one sentence were a magic spell, Kim Jaeseok lowered his eyes.

Jihwan, who was at the front of the group, stepped forward and spoke to Suho in a friendly tone.

“Haha, it’s really nice to see you two again. Guess we’re tied by fate after all.”

“…….”

“Seriously……, it hasn’t even been a few hours since we parted. Right, right, you two didn’t have too hard a time on your own, did you?”

He approached with forced familiarity, as if he were some kind of doting father.

It was a completely different face from when he had warned them earlier that people were afraid.

At his shameless demeanor, Suho made a sickened expression.

Then.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, his heart tightened.

His pupils dilated, and his mouth went dry.

‘What is this feeling?’

His entire body tensed as if he had encountered a natural predator.

Jihwan’s voice, still going on while spitting saliva as he defended himself, grew distant.

Thump, thump!

His heartbeat was so loud it felt as though it were hanging from his ears.

Normally, thanks to the skill ‘Mental Armament,’ he should have remained calm in any situation…….

Swallowing hard, Suho scanned the surroundings and felt something off.

“!?”

Since when had he been there?

Beyond Jihwan’s shoulder, the group of survivors was visible.

And slightly apart from that group stood a single man.

“…….”

A long-haired man crouched down, resting his chin on one hand, staring straight at them.

Only then did the survivor group notice his presence.

“Wh-what is that?”

“That scared me! Wh-who are you?”

Regardless.

The long-haired man, Jegal Geon, simply kept staring at someone.

Then he suddenly smiled.

“Have we met before?”

The ‘we’ he spoke of referred to Dohyeong, who was calmly meeting his gaze.