Memorize

It seems I might have mentioned it before, but Deadmen isn't even considered a major threat in the Hall Plain. His abilities are limited to some intelligence and infection powers. Given that the Rite Of Passage's main purpose is qualification, a strong adult man wielding a metal pipe can defeat Deadmen with over 80% certainty (assuming a one-on-one scenario with a perfectly normal mindset).

An Hyun is equipped with a longsword and shield, and his basic stats are quite good. With a strong mindset and skillful weapon handling, he could grow significantly beyond his current level. Deadmen is something he can handle with ease.

Once he got started, An Hyun became more proactive, and his strikes became more fluid. He was clever and a natural fighter. Still, perhaps due to lingering insecurity, he prioritized defense and counter attacks against Deadmen. If his confidence grows, he could easily handle several Deadmen with just his longsword.

After choosing to fight head-on, we quickly began to exit the forest. While searching for an escape route, Kim Han-Byeol discovered a trace of a path and hoped that following it would lead us out of the forest. Consequently, our group's pace naturally increased. However, as we descended, the frequency of Deadmen appearances inevitably increased. Given this, we decided to use it as an opportunity for An Hyun to gain combat experience, and indeed, he handled most of the battles.

Four Deadmen, having caught the scent of humans, let out unpleasant howls and bared their mouths. An Hyun's eyes, filled with confidence, showed his increasingly aggressive nature. Watching him ready his sword and shield, An Sol said in a tiny voice:

"Oppa… be careful…"

"Yeah, just wait a bit. Hyung, please protect Sol and the kids."

"Don't worry about the kids. I'll keep them safe."

He briefly smiled at Lee Yun-Jung's shout, "Who are the kids?" before charging forward with fierce intensity.

Handling two at once was manageable, but four was a first. I readied my crossbow, preparing for any potential mishaps.

As the monsters charged, An Hyun stepped diagonally to the left, leaving about a meter between them. While human bodies are flexible, monsters are not. The Deadmen, barreling forward to bite, unable due to their stiff joints. An Hyun took advantage of their vulnerability, stabbing one in the head. One down. He quickly withdrew his sword to keep the remaining three at bay.

Watching An Hyun, I realized he was quite a find. What impressed me most was his ability to exploit weaknesses rather than just focusing on attack and defense. He understood that Deadmen are vulnerable to rotations and used that to his advantage, which was truly commendable.

A squelching sound signaled one monster retreating a few steps. Deadmen rely solely on biting, so lifting the shield high for striking is more effective and safer. An Hyun, who hadn't been taught this, figured it out on his own. As he saw a Deadmen's jaws flapping, his sword struck like a meteor. With a satisfying thud, I silently cheered, "Two down."

With two eliminated, only half remained. Perhaps due to the easier defeat of the previous monsters, An Hyun's shield seemed less tightly gripped than before. One monster, desperately trying to bite, lunged at An Hyun, who watched calmly and reversed his grip on the longsword. My eyes widened. Was he planning a one-handed sword technique?

Calculating the distance and timing for his swing, An Hyun's expertise in swordsmanship became evident. As the gaping Deadmen entered his range, I saw An Hyun's hand tighten on the sword. Now was the moment.

"Swish!"

The eerie sound of flesh being sliced filled the air. Though somewhat clumsy, An Hyun succeeded in decapitating the Deadmen with a single, precise diagonal cut. A look of exhilaration appeared on his face. However, for the first time, my gaze turned troubled. There was still one monster left.

As the first Deadmen crumpled, the remaining Deadmen charged from behind and tackled An Hyun. Although An Hyun's quick reaction to raise his shield was commendable, the loose grip on the shield wasn't strong enough to withstand the charging Deadmen's force. I quickly readied my crossbow and watched the clash unfold.

"Thud!"

"Ugh!"

As expected, An Hyun lost his grip on the shield. Unlike earlier, when he had absorbed the shock with his entire body, this time the impact was absorbed by just his left arm. His hand was likely numb by now. The force of the collision left his front unprotected, and the Deadmen's fangs lung at his chest like a snake. The moment I saw it, I shot an arrow. I'm sorry, but he's not worthy of being your meal.

With a sharp whistling sound, the arrow struck the Deadmen's head precisely. As the creature, which had been about to bite An Hyun, crumpled to the ground, An Hyun sat down on the floor with a face that showed he'd aged ten years.

"Phew…"

"Nice shot, oppa."

Lee Yun-Jung, seemingly unaware of the danger we'd just faced, joked as she looked at me. While An Hyun was proficient in visible combat, he hadn't yet mastered anticipating future moves. Maybe it's asking too much at this point. Still, An Hyun, rubbing his neck with a dazed expression, spoke with a relieved tone.

"Thanks to you, I'm alive. Hyung, thank you."

"Don't mention it. Just helped with one monster. You did well."

An Hyun shook his head at my casual response and muttered with disbelief.

"I didn't expect the attack to come like that. If it weren't for your arrow, I'd have been finished already…"

Noticing An Sol's face, which was pouting and on the verge of tears, I saw that she was shivering as if she couldn't bear to hear more. Seeing this, An Hyun decided to hold his words.

"There's nothing to be done. The timing was perfect. In such cases, I'll support as much as I can…"

"Waaaah!"

Before he could finish his sentence, An Sol could no longer hold back and burst into tears, running straight to her brother. It was truly heart-wrenching to see siblings like this. Feeling a bit awkward, I unloaded my crossbow and put the arrow back in its case. Lee Yun-Jung, who was usually fiercely competitive, looked at the siblings with a tinge of envy and said with a hint of wistfulness,

"Maybe just watching makes it seem like I could do it too… tsk. I should have picked up a weapon. Han-Byeol, don't you have any weapons?"

At Lee Yun-Jung's words, Kim Han-Byeol rummaged through her belongings and pulled out a short sword. While it might be useful for throwing, using a short sword effectively requires close combat, making it a rather inefficient weapon. For someone like me, who is skilled with a sword, it might be manageable, but for an average person, it's more likely to be a liability, as they might end up being bitten while trying to strike.

"That doesn't seem very helpful. But why are you carrying that around?"

"Just in case. It's better to end it myself than to suffer."

"…Are you some sort of Joseon-era virtuous woman?"

Kim Han-Byeol's matter-of-fact tone made Lee Yun-Jung shake her head in disbelief before turning her gaze to my left arm. Her eyes, coveting the crossbow strapped to my arm, soon turned to disappointment as she seemed to remember her lack of skill with it.

"Isn't there a metal pipe or something that guy was carrying? Han-Byeol, see if there's anything around here."

"There's nothing."

It seemed Kim Han-Byeol was uncomfortable with Lee Yun-Jung's casual attitude. Suddenly, I thought of Park Dong-Gul and his group. Compared to my past experiences during the qualification trials, things were much easier now. Back then… the first two days were a constant escape. I wondered what they were doing now. Were they still fleeing desperately? Or perhaps they had already been torn apart and swallowed by the Deadmen.

Of course, it wasn't my concern, so I quickly pushed it from my mind. Whether it was due to the aftermath of the battle or trying to comfort An Sol, An Hyun approached us with slightly fatigued steps.

"Hyung, the traces of the path are becoming clearer. We're almost there. How about we move out right away?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

Lee Yun-Jung, overhearing our conversation and clearly frustrated by her lack of a weapon, sulked a bit.

"Ugh, you're so worked up. You might end up getting yourself killed if you keep this up. Be careful."

"I'd rather not just sit around and get eaten. It's better to be active like this. Anyway, let's hurry down."

"I know. I'm sick of this forest too. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible."

With that, we continued swiftly down the path, having dealt with the four Deadmen. It was clear that following this path would lead us out of the forest. However, the increasing number of Deadmen on the outskirts was troubling. The number detected had already exceeded twenty. But taking a different route didn't seem likely to make much of a difference.

Dealing with four Deadmen was worlds apart from handling twenty. In that case, aside from a direct assault, there was only one method left to escape. I sighed internally and considered how best to persuade the group.

As expected, the outskirts of the forest were swarming with Deadmen. The area was filled with growls, and the number of Deadmen was well over twenty. The figures visible ahead were just the beginning; any commotion here would likely draw more monsters from both sides.

In the distance, I spotted a stone wall with traces of human presence. Beyond it, though rugged, there seemed to be an end to the path, suggesting a way out of the forest. If we took one more step, we could escape the forest. The group seemed to sense this too, as they were visibly tense. No matter how skilled An Hyun was, facing over twenty Deadmen was beyond our capacity. Yet, the thought of retreating felt like a defeat.

"Damn it… how are we supposed to get through that?"

Lee Yun-Jung's voice carried a note of frustration. There was no guarantee that taking another route would be any better. An Hyun and Kim Han-Byeol, looking at the ground in silence, didn't seem to have any bright ideas either. Realizing that this was our only option, I sighed lightly and decided to take the lead.

"I have a good idea."

At my words, it felt like everyone's ears perked up in anticipation. I decided to get straight to the point.

.

.

.

.

You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.

pat reon.com/GreenBlue17

200 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.

10 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.

Goal refresh every week.