"Just asking, but are you guys also heading for the warp gate in the center?"
"You won't make it."
"I'm not just saying that. Don't go. We got as close as 300 meters to the warp gate just two days ago. But we failed."
"Why? Because we hesitated too long and ended up deciding to retreat. If we had made that call just a little sooner… Jin-tae..."
"You know the conditions for survival, right? It's probably better to just last the seven days. Especially that thing—you can't handle it. If it weren't for Jintae back then, we'd all have been slaughtered by that monster. Even from a distance, it knew exactly where we were."
"That monster is…"
The condition for the boss monster to appear is to not stay at designated point locations. There's also a random spawn element, but that's impossible to predict. Honestly, I was more surprised that Woo Jungmin's group managed to reach the warp gate in just three days than the fact that a boss monster appeared near the gate.
Well, considering Woo Jung-min and Sun Yu-un later gained fame in the Hole Plane, I suppose it's not entirely impossible. Suddenly, the face of Won Hyesoo crying in despair came to mind. She cursed at me, but it didn't really bother me.
Because I knew all too well the feeling of losing someone precious. I was like that too. After losing my brother and her, I went completely insane for a while. I could probably fill a few puddles just with the blood on my hands from that time.
"Ahnhyun."
While we were walking, Lee Yoo-jung called out to Ahn-hyun. When he looked up, she spoke in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"…For saving me earlier."
Ahn-hyun tilted his head, then nodded as he remembered. "Ah, right."
"Anyway, your temper is the real problem. Try to control that temper of yours. Luckily, I was already wary of that guy. Otherwise, you'd have had a dagger in your forehead."
"But he really pissed me off!"
"Still, try treating others at least half as decently as you treat Soo-hyun. Or try being half as calm as Han-byeol. Having a pretty face means nothing if your personality's trash."
"P-pretty? Really…? Ah… hmph! Soo-hyun oppa's been through so much because of us. Anyway, I hate what I hate."
Yoo-jung blushed at being called pretty and turned her head with a sharp snap. Seeing such an unexpectedly girlish act, Ahn-hyun's eyes widened. It was quite the improvement. I'd worried they'd start arguing again, but thankfully, it passed smoothly.
At that moment, An-sol, who had been listening quietly, tugged at Ahn-hyun's sleeve, and he instinctively reached out to pat her head. Seeing her happy smile, Lee Yoo-jung's eyes turned sharp. Only the clueless Ahn-hyun remained unaware of the subtle rivalries unfolding around him, diligently surveying the surroundings. Seriously, why are all the popular guys always so dense? Tsk.
We kept walking for a while, and just as the sun began to set, we spotted a save point. We hadn't encountered a single monster on the way. Everyone was happy, saying luck was on our side, but I couldn't be entirely pleased.
Ever since leaving the forest—excluding a brief stay in the city—we'd constantly been under monster attacks. An-soll didn't even scream when she saw the bodies of the Mankis anymore. True, I had intentionally led the group into monster encounters, but still, they were finally getting some payoff for their suffering.
Monsters with a degree of intelligence gather around the area near the warp gate. That was clear just from the fact that we had dealt with five Mankis, among the top tier of trial monsters. They probably knew how many monsters we'd already killed. Their sensitive noses would definitely catch the bloody scent on us.
That was what I thought, at least—until I talked to Woo Jung-min. That conversation changed my mind. If a boss monster had appeared and was lurking around the warp gate, then lesser monsters wouldn't dare linger near it. Nothing else would risk roaming around with the apex predator nearby.
In short, if we don't encounter any monsters tomorrow, just like Woo Jung-min's group, it's likely we'll face the boss monster at the warp gate. A cruel twist of fate. We left the city to avoid the boss, but we might run into it again anyway.
Of course, there's a difference between the two scenarios. In the city, we would've met it for sure. Now, it's unpredictable.
After some thought, a question came to mind. There must be conditions for the boss monster's appearance. And we aren't the only survivors of the trial. Then, it's possible that multiple groups might trigger the spawn condition at the same time. What happens then? And if the boss spawns near the warp gate frequently, the situation becomes even more complicated.
I suddenly realized how little I actually knew about the trial. I had studied almost everything about the Hole Plane in my ten years there, but not the trial. All I had were some vague stories I'd overheard now and then. I wasn't suffocating with anxiety, but I couldn't shake off this uncomfortable feeling.
Eventually, after more walking, we found the next point.
"A yellow roof… it looks like a hut."
"Good, we found one today too. It's a bit early, but let's rest here. Hyung, sound good?"
"Don't stay more than a day. There's a warning here too. Still, it seems better than last time. Right, oppa?"
"I'm going in first. I want to wash up and change clothes. Hehe."
"..."
"Hyung?"
"Oppa?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Let's do that."
As I quickly nodded, everyone looked at me strangely. I shook my head to signal it was nothing.
Watching the others chatting happily again, I sighed inwardly. These carefree kids… this is why I hate moving as a group. If I were on my own, I'd have made it into the Hole Plane already. But since no brilliant solution was coming to mind, I pushed my thoughts aside. That, in itself, showed how much I had changed.
Before, if a survival-related problem came up, I would've been restless, scrambling to find a solution. But not now. Somewhere in my heart, I had come to accept the idea that I could just cut down anything that got in my way.
"Oppa! What are you doing? We're going in first!"
"…Coming."
I calmly started walking, watching Yoo-jung wave cheerfully at me. I decided to deal with tomorrow's problems tomorrow.
Night fell. I was sitting on the steps leading to the hut, standing watch. Now it wasn't just Ahn-hyun and me taking shifts—Ahn-hyun, Han-byeol, Yoo-jung, and I rotated. We didn't have set times, just changed over when it felt right.
Yoo-jung had the first shift, and I was next. Han-byeol was third, Ahn-hyun last. Yoo-jung insisted on switching way too early—probably not even an hour had passed. Judging by how she kept glancing away, even she knew she was acting shamelessly.
I reached into my pocket and found a chocolate bar. Figuring I might as well let it go, I was about to head out when she shoved it into my hands, clearly feeling guilty. She must've saved it in secret. Since we weren't short on food or drinks, I didn't make a fuss. I figured I'd chew on the bar and head in, since it was almost time to switch with Han-byeol anyway.
Just as I was about to open the wrapper, a canned coffee appeared beside my cheek. I turned and saw Kim Han-byeol leaning down, staring at me.
"Hiding treats to enjoy alone, huh?"
"…Yoojung gave it to me."
"That unnie never shares sweets—especially chocolate."
"She didn't stick to her watch time. I think she felt guilty."
Han-byeol chuckled bitterly and sat beside me. When I broke the bar in half and offered her some, she took it without hesitation.
"Thanks."
"And thanks for the coffee."
Han-byeol was much more comfortable around me now. Not as bubbly as Yoo-jung, and there was still some distance, but it was clearly narrowing. Still, we were the only two in the group still using honorifics. I guess it became an unspoken rule between us.
"You looked deep in thought. Your expression hasn't been great. I don't think you even noticed I came."
I knew. I just pretended not to. I didn't say that out loud. I sipped the coffee and replied.
"Haha, maybe I zoned out a bit. Was my face that bad?"
"Yes. You seemed tense ever since talking to that guy this afternoon. Am I wrong?"
Was I? I thought I kept a calm expression. I subconsciously touched my face, and Han-byeol added quietly,
"What did he say to you?"
"…Nothing much."
"I wasn't the only one who noticed. Ahn-hyun, Yoo-jung unnie, even Soll—they're all on edge. You've barely said a word since then."
"I've just been thinking. It'll all work out. I'm sure of it. Even if something happens, we'll handle it. Don't worry too much."
With that, I popped the rest of the chocolate and coffee into my mouth. The more I talked to her, the more I was reminded of her. I wanted to get away quickly, so I said I'd leave the watch to her and turned to go up the stairs.
"Wait. I still have something to ask."
In novels and dramas, this is where they usually let the male lead walk away. Why won't she do that? Sensing another one of Han-byeol's signature interventions, I screamed inwardly. When she volunteered to take my shift, I'd already had a bad feeling. I forced a gentle smile.
"I'm a bit tired. Could we talk tomorrow? I really want to sleep."
"I want to hear it now."
"I'm not going anywhere."
I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but it didn't work. Her face had returned to that cold expression as she stared straight at me. And once again, her face overlapped with hers. I instinctively looked away.
"I feel like if I don't ask now, I'll never get the chance again."
"Oh, that thing earlier? It's really nothing. What I meant was—"
"Oppa."
I shut my mouth immediately. Was it just because she called me oppa? No. I'm not a pervert who gets excited over that.
"Soo-hyun oppa. That's not what I want to ask."
Her expression remained calm and cold, but there was a subtle difference. She was angry. She was asking me not to run away, silently begging me to stay here with her. I realized she was completely serious. My expression also turned solemn, and I looked her straight in the eyes. Only then did she finally start to speak.