Chapter 22: To Home (2)
by AfuhfuihgsThe barricade opened left and right.
The men crossed over to our side.
Jang Hoseop steps back and asks.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“It’s really dangerous if you keep going. We can’t just stand by and watch.”
“No, we’re not asking you to come with us…”
I’m contemplating.
Would it be better to just kill them and pass through?
“Listen to me. I’m saying this for your own good.”
“No, we’re fine, really. Forcing us like this doesn’t seem right.”
Their forces aren’t limited to just these people.
I need to think carefully about which choice is more efficient.
“So please cooperate.”
“You said you’re a prosecutor, right? You’re not a prosecutor just because you carry a sword.”
The woman remains stubborn despite Jang Hoseop’s words.
Her eyes are serious.
‘How much experience would a Level 15 give?’
Just as my thoughts were increasingly leaning towards killing them.
“Wait! Just a moment. I’ll show you my skill.”
Jang Hoseop makes a decision as if he guessed my thoughts.
“No matter how great a skill you have…”
“Just watch first. We’re not doing this without any thought.”
Jang Hoseop vanishes smoothly.
The time it takes for him to become invisible is shorter than before due to his increased level.
“Did you see?”
A moment later, Jang Hoseop appeared behind the man who was guarding this place.
“Uwaaak? You scared me.”
“You didn’t hear anything, right? There’s no smell either. That’s my ability.”
The other men are startled and point their weapons at Jang Hoseop.
“We all know those guns don’t work.”
At Kang Haeseon’s gesture, everyone lowers their weapons.
There’s no resistance at all.
“We’re not going to our deaths. We’re confident we can evade monsters even if they’re present.”
Kang Haeseon stares straight at Jang Hoseop.
“How long can you maintain that disappeared state?”
“Hey, it’s a bit much to tell you even that… What I want to say is that we made it here safely.”
Kang Haeseon’s gaze softened.
She seems to be contemplating.
“There’s nothing good for either of us if you forcibly hold us back. We know you’re worried about us, so please just let us go.”
This is it.
If the other party insists further, I will also make a decision.
“Alright. You’re saying you don’t need protection, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I won’t insist further. Instead, let’s make a deal.”
“A deal?”
The men step back.
“We’ve cleared all the monsters in this area.”
“Are you… asking for a toll?”
“Let’s call it a service fee rather than a toll. What’s in that cart?”
Kang Haeseon wasn’t just a purely righteous person.
She changes her attitude to secure practical benefits.
Jang Hoseop comes towards me.
He stops when I nod.
“Food. There’s water too…”
“Do you happen to have alcohol? We need strong alcohol.”
Suddenly, it occurs to me that this woman might have had such a deal in mind from the beginning.
“No… We would have passed through just fine even without you guys.”
“We’ll give you information too. Information about this vicinity. Where what monsters are, road conditions, points of caution. Things like that.”
Jang Hoseop looks at me again.
I nodded.
We were guided to Kang Haeseon’s group’s base.
We took out alcohol from the cart and handed it over, and as promised, we received information about the nearby area.
“The deal was clean. No tricks.”
“Indeed.”
We’re currently taking a short break in the front yard.
Mr. Lee Jangsu is modifying the cart again with sturdy and quiet wheels he got from them.
“It’s nice having a lot of people. Resting with an easy mind.”
With the city stopped, the world is incomparably quiet.
The sound of car horns or people chattering.
The sound of subways passing by, etc.
The noises I hadn’t been conscious of have disappeared.
Even birds don’t fly around much.
Perhaps because of the downpour last night.
Today, the sky is also clear.
“I thought the world had ended. But it turns out, it was the humans who were ruined.”
Peace.
It’s been a long time since my mind has been this calm.
“Ah, right. But that prosecutor.”
“Yeah.”
“Is she perhaps someone you know, Hyungnim?”
“No.”
“Then why did she keep looking at you like that?”
I don’t know either.
Even while we were talking in the meeting room, she didn’t take her eyes off me.
“Was it obvious that Hyungnim was the leader? Or maybe… Ah, d*mn.”
“Why?”
“It’s nothing. As expected, all good-looking things are…”
Jang Hoseop trails off.
He sure says a lot of silly things.
“Still, it’s a relief. That there are good people left.”
“Good people?”
“Yes. That prosecutor. She said it was a deal, but… actually, she was worried we might die, right?”
Kang Haeseon’s group has many Fundamental Skill Awakened.
That means their skills are diverse.
Perhaps because of that, they had a surprisingly detailed grasp of the information about this vicinity.
Thanks to that, the map we had was also updated according to the situation.
There are places where roads are cut off, and places occupied by monster groups.
Especially around Yongsan Station, there are many collapsed high-rise buildings in a chain reaction, so much so that if you go thinking of the old days, you won’t be able to find your way.
“Sir. It’s finished.”
“Good work.”
The cart modification work is finished.
We prepare to leave again.
When I said we were leaving, Kang Haeseon came out herself.
“You understand, right? Follow this track and get off at the next staircase.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“I’ll say it again. Yongsan Station is absolutely off-limits.”
Kang Haeseon earnestly requests, wishing us a safe journey to our destination.
“We’ll keep that in mind. Prosecutor and everyone else, please take care of yourselves too.”
“I hope to see you again. Well then.”
We said a brief farewell and departed.
We pass another outpost they had set up on the bridge.
And so, we were left alone again.
“Hyungnim. Which way should we head? Phew… Whichever way, it’s going to be a long detour.”
Jang Hoseop unfolds the map and asks.
“East or west… Still, west is better, right? Since these people have figured out this neighborhood the most…”
If we continue to follow this track, we’ll pass through Yongsan Station.
And Yongsan Station has been occupied by a horde of Orcs.
This is why Kang Haeseon warned us.
Yongsan Station itself is large, and the scale of other facilities is also enormous.
Accordingly, there’s a large floating population and many related personnel.
That massive building has become the lunchbox for a large group of Orcs.
“Hyungnim? Where should we go?”
Kang Haeseon said that Yongsan Station was a no-go even if one was over Level 10.
She mentioned that even they hadn’t dared to attempt it yet.
“Yongsan Station.”
We will pass through there.
Jang Hoseop is watching Lee Hyeon’s back as he heads towards Yongsan Station.
He had offered to help but was refused.
“Will he be okay?”
“If it’s Hyungnim, he’ll be fine.”
He remembers what Prosecutor Kang Haeseon said.
That one needs to be around Level 15 to deal with Orcs.
They are raising the levels of their Awakened by hunting weaker monsters nearby.
‘No way….’
They are biding their time.
Because the Orc horde at Yongsan Station won’t budge for a while thanks to their plentiful food supply.
‘Nah, that can’t be it.’
The thought that Lee Hyeon chose Yongsan Station for experience points crossed his mind.
Before Kang Haeseon’s group could take it.
Because Goblins or Nols mean little to him.
Choosing a safe path would only lead to fights with little experience gain.
“It must be because going back would take longer…”
That thought was brief.
Lee Hyeon is currently focused on going home.
And Lee Hyeon’s guess is that Orcs, while better than Goblins, probably don’t give that much experience either.
“Huh?”
“No, no.”
Jang Hoseop shakes his head at his mother’s question.
“I hope he comes back alive.”
“Mom. Don’t jinx it; we just need to mind our own business.”
Lee Hyeon didn’t head to Yongsan Station without any plan.
They have the Spirit Stone.
“Mister. Are you sure that rope will release if pulled?”
“Of course. I checked it several times.”
The Spirit Stone, generating a safety wave.
Lee Hyeon had set up the Spirit Stone in a secluded spot beforehand.
If things become unmanageable, Lee Hyeon will choose to flee.
He also prepared a few Goblins to lure the enemies.
Goblins with broken hands and all their teeth pulled out.
The remaining group’s task is to observe the situation and release the Goblins if Lee Hyeon flees.
“Um, Sunbaenim.”
(TL Note: Sunbaenim is a Korean honorific used to address a senior colleague or student.)
About 30 minutes had passed since they started watching Yongsan Station in hiding.
“Sunbaenim?”
“Yes? M-me?”
Lee Yuna quietly calls out to Jang Hoseop.
“Yes. You’re my senior, right? In the Saihyeon party.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“But why do you keep using formal speech?”
“Ah, I’m just more comfortable this way…”
Jang Hoseop answers without even looking at Lee Yuna.
He finds Lee Yuna uncomfortable in many ways.
“I have something I’d like to ask.”
“Yes.”
“Is there a reason why Lee Hyeon o—… I mean, Lee Hyeon-nim is keeping his distance from my father and me?”
Lee Hyeon still uses formal speech with Lee Yuna.
How he treats Lee Jangsu is also different from how he treats Kim Sujeong.
“Well, I wonder.”
“Please help me. I’m begging you.”
“Ah… That. Haa.”
Jang Hoseop sighs.
He only starts speaking when his mother nudges him in the side.
“Hyungnim’s skill reads auras and emotions, right?”
“Yes.”
They all know each other’s skills now.
Of course, no one still knows Lee Hyeon’s Fundamental Skill.
“Isn’t it because of that? Because you two haven’t opened your hearts to Hyungnim yet?”
Lee Yuna’s eyes widen.
Though Jang Hoseop didn’t see it, of course.
“That can’t be true. When I first saw Lee Hyeon oppa—… No… It’s nothing.”
Lee Yuna recalls her heart pounding fiercely.
She thinks she fell in love with Lee Hyeon at first sight.
“In my case, I’ve been with Hyungnim since the moment of the cataclysm. It’s only a few days’ difference, but… the beginning always has meaning, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true…”
“And I’ve been constantly trying. To understand Hyungnim and be helpful.”
“Ah, help… I think I’m being helpful too… Or am I not…”
“Not just moderately. I genuinely respect Hyungnim. I’ve also received a great favor from him…”
Lee Jangsu gritted his teeth listening to the conversation between his daughter and Jang Hoseop.
Because he thinks Lee Hyeon is keeping his distance because of him.
Because he fears Lee Hyeon.
“Perhaps Lee Hyeon o—… nim, what does he like?”
“Things he likes?”
“Yes. Wouldn’t knowing something like that be helpful?”
Jang Hoseop fell into thought.
He knows many things Lee Hyeon dislikes, but things he likes don’t readily come to mind.
“Hyungnim dislikes being harmed himself…”
“Isn’t that true for everyone?”
“Yes. But his reaction is a bit peculiar. Shouldn’t understanding Hyungnim’s personality come first?”
BANG!
Just then, a loud noise was heard from the direction of Yongsan Station.
“Kuraaaaaaaak!”
Lee Hyeon burst out from the railway entrance, which looked like a large cave mouth.
“Huh? Over there!”
A dozen Orcs chase after Lee Hyeon.
“Should we get ready?”
“No. It’s okay. Look at Hyungnim’s condition.”
Lee Hyeon wasn’t fleeing.
He was luring the Orcs into a wider battlefield.
“Blood…”
“It’s green, right? Hyungnim is fine.”
Lee Hyeon moves ceaselessly.
Every time he swings his axe, an Orc’s head or one of its limbs flies off.
Lee Hyeon displays movements that ordinary people cannot comprehend.
When he jumps, it’s as if gravity is weaker only for him, and when he throws a punch, Orcs scream in pain.
Also, Lee Hyeon’s fighting style was like a choreographed action scene.
He simply evades attacks coming from behind and even uses them to his advantage.
“So cool…”
Lee Yuna thought his fluid movements were beautiful.
Just like when she first met Lee Hyeon.
Now, even Orcs are no different from Goblins in front of Lee Hyeon.
“Ah! I remembered.”
“Huh?”
“What Hyungnim likes. Look.”
Lee Yuna, who had been spacing out, snaps back to attention at Jang Hoseop’s words.
“What is it?”
“Hyungnim’s expression.”
“Huh? Uh… Ah!”
When Lee Hyeon briefly turned towards the group.
Lee Yuna realized.
“He’s smiling, right?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“I’ve rarely seen Hyungnim smile so brightly.”
Jang Hoseop says in a tone full of conviction.
“Hyungnim likes to fight. Whether it’s people or monsters… beating up anything. Come to think of it, his exercises were also mainly focused on combat sports.”
Lee Yuna’s face falls.
“I don’t think I can be helpful with that…”
Orcs continue to pour out.
Necks are severed. They crawl on the ground.
Then, finally, when the area around Lee Hyeon was packed with Orc corpses.
“Well, is that all there is to it? Even if it’s not something Hyungnim likes, there will be ways to be helpful.”
Jang Hoseop muttered as he got up.
“Hyungnim!”
Then he quickly runs to Lee Hyeon.
Carrying a water-soaked towel and a water bottle.
“Ah, so that’s how it is.”
Lee Yuna envied the bond between Lee Hyeon and Jang Hoseop.
She also wanted to approach Lee Hyeon without any distance, like Jang Hoseop, but Lee Hyeon drew a line every time.
‘Like that, continuously… he created opportunities for himself.’
Lee Yuna had lived a life of diligently following the training and practice given to her.
She was proactive but not self-directed.
Seeing Jang Hoseop, she has a realization.
That she should emulate him.
That she needs to find her own work to do.
“Dad. Let’s go quickly too.”
Seeing Lee Hyeon standing alone in a field of green corpses, one person began to change.
I won.
The pleasant heat of battle doesn’t subside.
The habit of imagining things to relieve stress was both my suppressant and another source of stress.
‘I don’t have to do that anymore.’
Since the cataclysm began, even that small lingering attachment has disappeared.
Because now I can unfold my imagination in reality.
I am free.
The past few days have been more enjoyable than the last ten-odd years.
Just as I was intoxicated by the madly secreting hormones.
“Hyungnim!”
Jang Hoseop runs over.
The kid’s expression is bright.
“Did you make it?”
Just like I asked him this morning.
This time, Jang Hoseop asks if I leveled up.
Before fighting the Orcs, I was Level 29.
“As expected, Orcs don’t give much experience either.”
“Huh? Ah…”
Jang Hoseop stops.
“Still, we can pass through Yongsan Station, right?”
Jang Hoseop continues speaking with a nonchalant expression.
A laugh escaped me.
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