Memorize Chapter 14

"Instead of worrying about those who have left, let's focus on our own situation right now. Wouldn't it be better to go down the hill and get out of this forest first?"

This was said not to everyone, but specifically to An Hyun. As my gaze shifted to An Hyun, Lee Yun-Jung and Kim Han-Byeol's eyes naturally followed him as well. It seemed that An Hyun, who might have some experience being a leader in alleys, wasn’t the type to be uncomfortable with the attention. He agreed readily and got up, bowing his head as he started down the hill.

"Going down is fine, but I'm unsure which direction we should take. We don’t even know our current location…”

An Hyun raised his head again and glanced back and forth between the open space still swarming with dead men and the path followed by Park Dong-Gul and his group. The path Park Dong-Gul took was heading in the exact opposite direction of the open space. Although he seemed to have thought it through, from my perspective, it couldn’t be considered a good choice.

“Perhaps this direction is better.”

At that moment, Kim Han-Byeol, who had been quiet as before, pointed in one direction. Following her finger, it indicated a direction about 90 degrees relative to the open space. Lee Yun-Jung seemed to be estimating the distance to the open space and then asked with a slightly anxious expression.

"Isn't it better to go in the exact opposite direction of the open area? It seems like the distance from the open area isn't that much."

Here’s a person who thought the same as Park Dong-Gul.

An Hyun pondered and then exclaimed, "Ah!" It looked like studying wasn't their strong suit, but they seemed to be quite quick-witted. Kim Han-Byeol began to calmly explain, observing the still puzzled Lee Yun-Jung.

"It's simple. Right now, those things are clustered in the open area. If we assume they're evenly distributed in the forest, then the places they’re not in are empty. Therefore, the most likely place would be around here."

"If we go in the opposite direction of the open area, those things might still be there, and we didn't hear the commotion. It might be even more dangerous."

An Hyun continued the explanation, and Kim Han-Byeol nodded slightly as if in agreement. It wasn’t exactly the same as the escape route I had in mind, but it was almost identical. Anyway, I felt a bit more reassured now and smiled inwardly.

"Now that you mention it, that means the direction that guy went earlier might be the most dangerous."

"Exactly. Anyway, let’s head down and get out of the forest. Sol, get up."

"Okay! Okay!"

An Sol, who had been silently watching us, quickly stood up at An Hyun's command. It seemed like everyone was content with me and An Hyun taking charge. The atmosphere felt much more stable compared to when Park Dong-Gul was around, and especially Lee Yun-Jung even had a smile on her face, possibly enjoying Park Dong-Gul's difficulties.

The remaining group, including myself, swiftly descended the hill.

About two hours had passed since we decided on the escape route and descended the hill. The dense trees stretched so high they obscured the sky, making the forest much darker than it had seemed from the hill. During those two hours, we walked steadily through the dark forest, with only the sounds of earth and grass rustling and our steady breathing marking our progress as An Hyun and I led the way.

The gloomy forest was quiet and seemed larger than I had anticipated. However, based on my memory and our current pace, it seemed likely we could exit the forest before evening. It crossed my mind that perhaps the angels had intentionally dropped us in the more challenging central part of the forest, given that we were a group with decent abilities.

It was important to exit the forest before evening because the preparation room had only provided clothing and weapons, but no food or water. There were separate places for such necessities: rest rooms for half-day breaks or save points for staying overnight. Alternatively, one could resort to scavenging from other users or searching the shops in nearby villages.

“…Oppa.”

“Yeah?”

At the front were An Hyun and I, with An Sol and Kim Han-Byeol closely following. Lee Yun-Jung was taking up the rear. We were all moving cautiously, keeping an eye on our surroundings. During this, An Sol tugged at An Hyun's sleeve and, with a flushed face, began to mumble.

“I need to take a break…”

“……”

An Sol’s shy request brought an awkward silence to everyone’s faces.

‘Is she for real?’

She seemed somewhat clueless, but this was unexpected. I was curious how she had managed in modern times.

An Hyun paused for a moment and, checking the group's reactions, asked, “Can we stop here for a moment? My sister needs to take care of something.”

Fortunately, Lee Yun-Jung and Kim Han-Byeol agreed without hesitation. It seemed like there was some unspoken understanding among the women. An Sol, scared to go alone, tried to persuade her brother to accompany her, but An Hyun coldly sent her off alone.

Seeing An Sol trudging away, disheartened after being scolded by her brother, Lee Yun-Jung let out a small chuckle. Soon enough, An Sol was sitting on the ground.

“Are you sure it's okay? Those things might come after us again.”

“She’s keeping a good lookout, so it should be fine. Besides, at nineteen, she should be able to handle this on her own. But how come you’re speaking so informally with me?”

“Me? I’m twenty-two. You’re the one using informal speech first. Aren’t you younger than me? You look like you’re just twenty or twenty-one.”

“I’m also twenty-two.”

“Eh? We’re the same age. Since we’re at it, how about we introduce ourselves properly?”

Lee Yun-Jung, with a much cheerier tone, looked around and addressed everyone, causing Kim Han-Byeol to cautiously sit down, seemingly worn out from the tension. An Hyun and I also nodded and took a seat on the cold ground.

“Since we’ll be leaving as soon as my sister returns, let’s keep it brief. My name is An Hyun, and I’m twenty-two.”

“What did you do before coming here?”

An Hyun scratched his face awkwardly but soon answered.

“I was just messing around in the neighborhood and working part-time. And you?”

“Me? I’m Lee Yun-Jung, also twenty-two. I took a break from university to prepare for the police civil service exam.”

So, a dream of becoming a police officer? Somehow, I felt that a police uniform would suit Lee Yun-Jung very well. After chatting about police work and delinquency, both turned their curious gazes towards Kim Han-Byeol and me. Unable to resist their inquisitive stares, Kim Han-Byeol spoke up first.

“Kim Han-Byeol. I’m twenty-one years old. I’m a university student.”

“You are my younger sibling. Which university did you go to?”

“I went to Yonsei University.”

“Wow~! You must be really good at studying. I’m jealous.”

After a moment of admiration, the two of them quickly turned their attention back to me, and Kim Han-Byeol also looked at me with an expectant expression. I felt awkward under the weight of their gaze, but I tried to respond to their expectations with as calm a face as I could manage.

“My name is Kim Su-Hyeon. I’m twenty-three years old. I was a soldier.”

“Oppa found~! Then let’s speak casually, oppa. By the way, were you in the Army, Air Force, or Navy?”

“So you’re an older brother. Feel free to speak casually. What was your rank?”

I had thought Lee Yun-Jung was just fierce before, but she seemed naturally lively. At the same time, An Hyun, curious about the military, asked me.

“I was an Army sergeant.”

“That’s a shame. You would have been discharged soon if you had waited a little longer.”

Seeing Lee Yun-Jung laugh lightly, I gave a wry smile and added,

“I had been discharged. I came here the day after I completed my discharge report.”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

What’s with those sympathetic looks? What’s with this pitying atmosphere?

“Why is everyone looking at me like that? I’m fine. I don’t feel anything. So stop looking at me like that.”

Even though I said I was okay, an awkward silence settled over us again. An Hyun cleared his throat and turned his head elsewhere, while Lee Yun-Jung looked at me with an overly sympathetic expression. Even Kim Han-Byeol looked at me with concern. I really felt nothing.

To break the awkward atmosphere, Lee Yun-Jung intentionally changed the subject with a bright tone.

“I still feel like I’m dreaming of being here. Normally, I’d be studying in the library, then close my book and run outside to call my friends. We’d chat in the lounge, go out for something delicious, and head home thinking I need to study hard from tomorrow. That’s what I’d be doing.”

Everyone’s expression turned dreamy upon hearing that. An Hyun joined in with a faint smile.

“Probably, I’d be arguing with a customer trying to stiff me at the PC cafe. Catching those who run away without paying. Getting scolded by the boss for not cleaning properly. Then eating a chicken given by the boss’s wife while at the counter, and finally leaving work to pick up Sol. Ugh. Oh, hyung, what were you planning to do first when you got home?”

“Me?”

I tilted my head in response to An Hyun suddenly turning the focus onto me. Hmm. Since it’s been over a decade, I don't remember the details very well. After a brief moment of thought, I decided to speak plainly.

“Well, I guess I would have enjoyed the fresh air of freedom on my way home, realizing that I’m now a free person. Then, I’d visit home, bow deeply to my mother, and give my father a call. After that, I’d enjoy a delicious meal made by my mother and take a nice hot bath... Wait, why is everyone looking at me like that? Don’t look at me with pity like I’m some kind of poor animal. I really am fine.”

The commotion died down once An Sol came back after finishing her errands. I found her polite “I’m back” greeting endearing. However, that sound was like a signal that brought us back to reality. We all likely wanted to escape, even if just for a moment, from this hellish situation. An Hyun let out a heavy sigh and slowly got up from his seat.

After a brief, sweet rest, we started moving through the dark forest again. Though An Hyun and I were leading, I was the one subtly guiding the path. By detecting the surroundings and deliberately avoiding areas with fewer Deadmen, we had yet to encounter any.

But avoidance couldn’t last forever. As we neared the forest’s edge, Deadmen became more evenly distributed. All I could do was guide us in the direction with the fewest Deadmen.

The biggest concern was An Sol. Although we were heading in a relatively safe direction, we might still encounter dozens of Deadmen. I was anxious about whether Sol could stay calm in such a situation. At that moment, An Hyun suddenly signaled urgently and came to a halt.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shh.”

As An Hyun pointed, Lee Yun-Jung and I turned our heads to see three Deadmen wandering nearby. Their flaring nostrils and licking lips clearly indicated they had caught our scent. I glanced at An Sol, who was tightly covering her mouth with both hands and squeezing her eyes shut. We had narrowly avoided detection for now.

“Can they sense us through smell as well, not just sight and sound?”

“It seems like it. For now, stay low.”

An Hyun quickly hid behind a large tree, pulling Sol into his embrace. Lee Yun-Jung, Kim Han-Byeol, and I followed suit, concealing ourselves and waiting for the Deadmen to pass. I saw An Hyun holding up his shield tightly, but I shook my head. It was better to deal with the Deadmen later. Although I couldn’t remember the exact reason, I recalled that during our training, we were advised never to engage with Deadmen in the forest. It was a unanimous piece of advice given by those who had been through it.

Given the range of their detection, we should be able to exit the forest if we travel just half the distance we’ve already covered. We’ve managed to avoid detection so far, but if we engage these Deadmen, there’s a high chance of being surrounded again. If the Deadmen signal for reinforcements, we’d be in serious trouble.

Even if we decide to deal with them, we’d have to do so quickly and without giving them a chance to signal others. Handling all three with just a rock or shield at once would be nearly impossible. At that moment, I felt a faint rattle from the longsword at my waist. I regretted not giving it to An Hyun earlier. Meanwhile, the Deadmen continued to sniff the air, inching closer to the tree where we were hiding.