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- Thread starter moonrise
- Start date
moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Seong Hyunwoo considered himself a pragmatist. He chose to enlist in the military immediately upon graduating from high school. As a person blessed with a strong and healthy body, possessing an acceptable level of patriotism, and having an overall sense of motivation that could be summed up with 'let's just get this over with', it only made sense.
Choi Eunji disagreed, however. She feared that he'd spend the next twenty months of their lives fighting on active duty, while she worried about him returning to her in a casket, or worse yet, that his mother would only receive a letter notifying them that he had died in the line of duty. Despite her worriesβ which he at the time described as excessive, she hadn't been wrong about all of it.
Following the first five weeks of rigorous training and conditioning, Hyunwoo did go on to dedicate the next eighteen and a half months of his life on the front lines in his active military service. Those months changed him. Some of the things he was forced to do, he knew he could never forget. But that was just the life of a soldier, wasn't it? He knew what to expect, even if it wasn't quite like what he anticipated. Did Eunji know too?
Regulations were strict about outside contact, and despite the country pushing for more leniency, he was only allowed a few calls home during his service. Each time their phone reunions became regretfully briefer, increasingly strained and awkward as they easily ran out of things to talk about and good news to share. During their last conversation, they had made plans to meet up once his service ended. Whether the meeting was going to be a hopeful or a bitter one, Hyunwoo never got to know.
Because when he returned to Daegu, Eunji wasn't there waiting for him. No one was. The home he returned to...wasn't quite the home he remembered. That was putting it very mildly.
It was hell on earth.
Buildings were completely wrecked and on fire if they hadn't already burned to the ground. Screams filled the streets lined with smashed cars, bent poles, ripped electrical lines, and more fire. Most notable of all were...the monsters. They looked like something out of a video game, movie, book, or an anime. They weren't supposed to be real, but there was nothing fake about the way they killed. Masses of dead were left in their wake and all that remained of the populace were forced to evacuate, though many weren't fortunate enough to succeed.
The evacuation forced him north. To Seoul, where the capital city had more fortifications in place to ward off the monster attacks, even if it lacked the capability to actually kill the monsters.
Eight months. It had been about eight months since the end of his military enlistment and Hyunwoo was still fighting a war. A war for survival.
"I'm afraid this is as far out as I can take you," the driver said as the truck rolled to a slow stop before the street of what had once been a shopping district in a small town southeast of Seoul. "You know they're out there, right? The monsters. I don't see too many people leaving this town these days."
"I'm counting on it," Hyunwoo replied coolly as he jumped out of the bed of the truck. There weren't too many drivers around these days, but he had happened to be around to save this man who had been delivering food to a nearby shelter when he was suddenly attacked by a monster that may or may not have been one of Hyunwoo's own. A fake debt of gratitude was being repaid but when the world was what it was now, morality was a luxury.
It was too dangerous to trust people these days so he couldn't tell the man why he was really here. Two days ago, Hyunwoo had managed to intercept a radio signal. There was a group of people hiding out here and they hadn't joined up with any of the factions yet. Perhaps that was precisely why they sounded so desperate for help, from what little of their voices he could make out from the static. These days, it was practically impossible to survive by yourself, so it was necessary to join up with a group but most of the factions were known to be rather...selective.
Large gates made themselves at home in the parts of cities that used to be densely populated and smaller gates would appear at random. Monsters from the smaller gates weren't necessarily always stronger or weaker than those from the larger ones, but while some of the bigger monsters would often retreat back into the large gates, those from the smaller gates would linger indefinitely.
The group hiding out in this town had come under a monster attack. Hyunwoo wasn't optimistic enough to think that he'd be in time to save them all. If they were unprepared, if there wasn't at least one Chosen among them, then they were as good as dead. Still, he recalled being informed that there were Chosens among their group, though he had no way of confirming that over an unstable radio communicator. But he didn't have very many other options left. He needed to put a group together for himself because his motives disagreed with those of the major factions. So, all he could hope was that this wouldn't be a wasted trip.
'Open menu.'
A semi-transparent screen resembling an RPG game's user interface appeared before his eyes. There was still much about this whole system that was a mystery, but over the months Hyunwoo was able to gather a few pieces of intel. For one, only he could see the details currently in front of him. Two, either a verbal or a mental command can open the menu. He found that out by accident a few months back. Lastly, navigating and understanding the contents of the menu was the key to surviving this apocalypse. But why did it even exist in the first place? Whose sick idea was it to make a game out of this?
'Iron Sword' was listed under his equipment and had an attack stat of 23 and a durability score of 5. Well...it's not like Hyunwoo expected very much from it, given that it clearly hadn't been very useful to its previous owner. His particular class wasn't focused on swords anyway, but it made for a good cover.
Once the truck had rounded the corner out of his sight, Hyunwoo turned to face the desolate, rundown shopping center. He had been here once before. It felt like an eternity ago. A distant howling snagged his attention as his gaze shot towards a series of warehouses tucked away in a corner that was currently fenced off by rundown cars and the rubble from the buildings that used to sit in front of it. There weren't any windows on the building. Limited entrances made it an ideal safe house.
Or at least, that's what he would've thought had he not seen the large gaping hole on the right side of the building. That slab of concrete wall looked like it was broken in. 'Am I too late?,' he exhaled sharply before dashing towards the opening.
'Activate Skill: Dark Conjuring. Summon: Goblin Warriors and Red Blood Hound.'
The Red Blood Hound was aptly named as well. Yet despite being technically dead, it still slobbered like a real dog. Only it was about three times larger than a normal canine and had spiked red fur that was not very soft to the touch. The hound, too, possessed eyes that glowed with blue flames. It snarled as it ran ahead of him and the goblins, having picked up on the scent of the monster.
Several minutes later they found themselves at the entrance to an open room full of disheveled crates covered in blood and uneven gashes. If the bodies they'd found lying around on the way were any indication at all...the situation was very bleak. "Quiet," he whispered sharply at the Red Blood Hound that insisted on growling. Meanwhile, the goblins were trying to steal a look at the monster but couldn't manage to see much while Hyunwoo blocked their view and prevented them from sticking their heads out too far.
From what he could tell, there seemed to be a large purple wolf-like monster with three eyes closing in on a young woman and...shit. It never got easier. Seeing a dead body beyond recognition. He couldn't make out any other survivors. "Red, get in there and distract it. You two fan out and spread its attention. Make sure it can't keep an eye on the girl." The three creatures sprang into action immediately. The red blood hound charged into the room and lunged at the larger creature, fangs sinking into its neck briefly before it slid off and roared.
Soon the goblins had joined the fray, but Hyunwoo was surprised to see that there were a few other purple wolf creatures. It was a pack. 'Damn it,' he cursed, knowing now that they were outnumbered. Still, he hadn't intended on making this a fight.
"Miss!," he called out to the young woman, waving his arm as he peered out from behind the crate that had been partially blocking the entrance he came from, "come with me. We need to get out of here." She had no reason to trust him, but better a human stranger than these monsters that clearly didn't intend to let her live, right?
Height aside, Hyunwoo hardly looked too threatening in comparison. He wore a black baseball cap under the hood of his jacket and his jeans made him look like a normal young man. Of course, he also had a reinforced vest on under his jacket and a few utility items hidden along his belt and in his pockets. Had this been a normal society, he probably could've passed for a package delivery boy. Minus the sword on his back.
"Hurry!"
Choi Eunji disagreed, however. She feared that he'd spend the next twenty months of their lives fighting on active duty, while she worried about him returning to her in a casket, or worse yet, that his mother would only receive a letter notifying them that he had died in the line of duty. Despite her worriesβ which he at the time described as excessive, she hadn't been wrong about all of it.
Following the first five weeks of rigorous training and conditioning, Hyunwoo did go on to dedicate the next eighteen and a half months of his life on the front lines in his active military service. Those months changed him. Some of the things he was forced to do, he knew he could never forget. But that was just the life of a soldier, wasn't it? He knew what to expect, even if it wasn't quite like what he anticipated. Did Eunji know too?
Regulations were strict about outside contact, and despite the country pushing for more leniency, he was only allowed a few calls home during his service. Each time their phone reunions became regretfully briefer, increasingly strained and awkward as they easily ran out of things to talk about and good news to share. During their last conversation, they had made plans to meet up once his service ended. Whether the meeting was going to be a hopeful or a bitter one, Hyunwoo never got to know.
Because when he returned to Daegu, Eunji wasn't there waiting for him. No one was. The home he returned to...wasn't quite the home he remembered. That was putting it very mildly.
It was hell on earth.
Buildings were completely wrecked and on fire if they hadn't already burned to the ground. Screams filled the streets lined with smashed cars, bent poles, ripped electrical lines, and more fire. Most notable of all were...the monsters. They looked like something out of a video game, movie, book, or an anime. They weren't supposed to be real, but there was nothing fake about the way they killed. Masses of dead were left in their wake and all that remained of the populace were forced to evacuate, though many weren't fortunate enough to succeed.
The evacuation forced him north. To Seoul, where the capital city had more fortifications in place to ward off the monster attacks, even if it lacked the capability to actually kill the monsters.
Eight months. It had been about eight months since the end of his military enlistment and Hyunwoo was still fighting a war. A war for survival.
"I'm afraid this is as far out as I can take you," the driver said as the truck rolled to a slow stop before the street of what had once been a shopping district in a small town southeast of Seoul. "You know they're out there, right? The monsters. I don't see too many people leaving this town these days."
"I'm counting on it," Hyunwoo replied coolly as he jumped out of the bed of the truck. There weren't too many drivers around these days, but he had happened to be around to save this man who had been delivering food to a nearby shelter when he was suddenly attacked by a monster that may or may not have been one of Hyunwoo's own. A fake debt of gratitude was being repaid but when the world was what it was now, morality was a luxury.
It was too dangerous to trust people these days so he couldn't tell the man why he was really here. Two days ago, Hyunwoo had managed to intercept a radio signal. There was a group of people hiding out here and they hadn't joined up with any of the factions yet. Perhaps that was precisely why they sounded so desperate for help, from what little of their voices he could make out from the static. These days, it was practically impossible to survive by yourself, so it was necessary to join up with a group but most of the factions were known to be rather...selective.
Large gates made themselves at home in the parts of cities that used to be densely populated and smaller gates would appear at random. Monsters from the smaller gates weren't necessarily always stronger or weaker than those from the larger ones, but while some of the bigger monsters would often retreat back into the large gates, those from the smaller gates would linger indefinitely.
The group hiding out in this town had come under a monster attack. Hyunwoo wasn't optimistic enough to think that he'd be in time to save them all. If they were unprepared, if there wasn't at least one Chosen among them, then they were as good as dead. Still, he recalled being informed that there were Chosens among their group, though he had no way of confirming that over an unstable radio communicator. But he didn't have very many other options left. He needed to put a group together for himself because his motives disagreed with those of the major factions. So, all he could hope was that this wouldn't be a wasted trip.
'Open menu.'
A semi-transparent screen resembling an RPG game's user interface appeared before his eyes. There was still much about this whole system that was a mystery, but over the months Hyunwoo was able to gather a few pieces of intel. For one, only he could see the details currently in front of him. Two, either a verbal or a mental command can open the menu. He found that out by accident a few months back. Lastly, navigating and understanding the contents of the menu was the key to surviving this apocalypse. But why did it even exist in the first place? Whose sick idea was it to make a game out of this?
Lvl. 18 Hyunwoo Seong
HP: 100
MP: 100
Fatigue: 3
Class: Necromancer
Party: N/A
In the top left corner, he saw an indicator listing 'Passive Skill: N/A' and 'Active Skill: N/A'. In addition, the remaining menus consisted of: Stats, Skills, Equipment, Items, Quests, Party, and something that was currently locked. Sadly, Hyunwoo was never really much of a gamer so it was a tad bit overwhelming to have to scroll through all of these various menus but after eight months he could at least say he got the gist of it.HP: 100
MP: 100
Fatigue: 3
Class: Necromancer
Party: N/A
'Iron Sword' was listed under his equipment and had an attack stat of 23 and a durability score of 5. Well...it's not like Hyunwoo expected very much from it, given that it clearly hadn't been very useful to its previous owner. His particular class wasn't focused on swords anyway, but it made for a good cover.
Once the truck had rounded the corner out of his sight, Hyunwoo turned to face the desolate, rundown shopping center. He had been here once before. It felt like an eternity ago. A distant howling snagged his attention as his gaze shot towards a series of warehouses tucked away in a corner that was currently fenced off by rundown cars and the rubble from the buildings that used to sit in front of it. There weren't any windows on the building. Limited entrances made it an ideal safe house.
Or at least, that's what he would've thought had he not seen the large gaping hole on the right side of the building. That slab of concrete wall looked like it was broken in. 'Am I too late?,' he exhaled sharply before dashing towards the opening.
'Activate Skill: Dark Conjuring. Summon: Goblin Warriors and Red Blood Hound.'
MP: 74
Party:
Lvl 9 Goblin Warrior
Lvl 12 Goblin Warrior
Lvl 15 Red Blood Hound
The goblins were very typical looking, with their green skin, menacing expressions, scraps of clothes, and standing at about three-quarters of Hyunwoo's height of six foot two. Height and build distinguished them based on their level, and the bigger one wielded a spear whereas the smaller one carried a crossbow. What set them apart from normal goblin monsters were their hollowed eye sockets, a few exposed bones, and the fact that they no longer bled. Within them burned bright, intense blue flames that could be seen in place of their eyes and were implied to be their new life force, tethering them to this plane through Hyunwoo's mana and skill.Party:
Lvl 9 Goblin Warrior
Lvl 12 Goblin Warrior
Lvl 15 Red Blood Hound
The Red Blood Hound was aptly named as well. Yet despite being technically dead, it still slobbered like a real dog. Only it was about three times larger than a normal canine and had spiked red fur that was not very soft to the touch. The hound, too, possessed eyes that glowed with blue flames. It snarled as it ran ahead of him and the goblins, having picked up on the scent of the monster.
Several minutes later they found themselves at the entrance to an open room full of disheveled crates covered in blood and uneven gashes. If the bodies they'd found lying around on the way were any indication at all...the situation was very bleak. "Quiet," he whispered sharply at the Red Blood Hound that insisted on growling. Meanwhile, the goblins were trying to steal a look at the monster but couldn't manage to see much while Hyunwoo blocked their view and prevented them from sticking their heads out too far.
From what he could tell, there seemed to be a large purple wolf-like monster with three eyes closing in on a young woman and...shit. It never got easier. Seeing a dead body beyond recognition. He couldn't make out any other survivors. "Red, get in there and distract it. You two fan out and spread its attention. Make sure it can't keep an eye on the girl." The three creatures sprang into action immediately. The red blood hound charged into the room and lunged at the larger creature, fangs sinking into its neck briefly before it slid off and roared.
<Red Blood Hound Skill Activate: Intimidate>
Soon the goblins had joined the fray, but Hyunwoo was surprised to see that there were a few other purple wolf creatures. It was a pack. 'Damn it,' he cursed, knowing now that they were outnumbered. Still, he hadn't intended on making this a fight.
"Miss!," he called out to the young woman, waving his arm as he peered out from behind the crate that had been partially blocking the entrance he came from, "come with me. We need to get out of here." She had no reason to trust him, but better a human stranger than these monsters that clearly didn't intend to let her live, right?
Height aside, Hyunwoo hardly looked too threatening in comparison. He wore a black baseball cap under the hood of his jacket and his jeans made him look like a normal young man. Of course, he also had a reinforced vest on under his jacket and a few utility items hidden along his belt and in his pockets. Had this been a normal society, he probably could've passed for a package delivery boy. Minus the sword on his back.
"Hurry!"
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
Kim Haeun was supposed to live an ordinary life.
An ordinary family. An ordinary childhood. A clumsy but loving father. A nagging but warm mother. Friends. School. Attending college, living at the dorm, experiencing the wholesome youth while preparing to join Hell Joseon in the near future. It was an uneventful life, but it was precious. She was confident that the rest of her life would be as mundane as the past, and she welcomed it so.
Until hell came crashing down in full force.
She remembered that she had been lounging in her dorm room on the day of reckoning, chatting aimlessly with her roommate. It was getting noisy outside. A classmate had barged in, her face as white as a sheet, telling them that something really, really bad was happening. To them. To their city. To their country. To the world.
National news broadcast was blaring all day long. Residents were encouraged, nay, ordered to stay inside and barricade themselves until the armed forces was able to contain the situation. If it wasn't bad enough for her, tragedies arrived one after another. Her hometown was one of the ground zeroes. The local residents didn't even have a chance. By the time that help had arrived, the entire place had been razed to the ground. And the monsters. Oh God, the monsters.
She didn't even have the luxury of time to get her bearings before she was pulled into an emergency evacuation by her friends.
The next few months were a blur. People died. People that she knew. People that she didn't know. Her classmates were gone, either separated by emerging danger, or by death. Gruesome, painful death. She doggedly trudged along, tossed from one group to another as people never stopped dying, trying desperately to find a place of respite. Totally cut off from communication, the only hope they had were the rumors of a safe haven in the capital.
She had witnessed the rise of those people with powers, the ones they called "The Chosen". It was only thanks to the sacrifice of those people, good, kind people who had offered their hands to her, that she, the ordinary, mundane Haeun, had managed to survive thus far. Sometimes, she wondered why she had survived. The waves that had followed since that day were more terrible than the last. Sometimes, she wondered if death was preferable.
She opened her eyes at the onset of the fourth wave. The group she was in had taken refugee within the ruins of a city. So close to their destination. The eighth wave was far from their concern, as the Chosen within their group wasn't at the level to be concerned with such a world-changing event. Their immediate concern was to reach the safety of the capital. Fighting for humanity could wait.
It was then that she had realized her power.
Without telling the rest of the group, she brought three more friends with her, out into the city under the cover of the night. She tightened her grip on the worn-out knife, the plain silver ring on her middle finger making a rattling noise as it scraped the handle. It was the only weapon that she had managed to keep with her, and to be honest, it didn't amount to much, if at all. Still, it was better than nothing. As long as they didn't encounter any monsters on their way, everything should be fine.
Of course, things were not fine.
They had been traveling for quite a while until a pack of purple-furred canines, strange wolf-like beasts with a horrifying extra eye on their forehead, had given pursuit. The four of them had managed to find refuge inside an abandoned warehouse, only to find out that the refuge was a lie. The purple wolves had set up a trap within, and the group was quickly taken out one by one.
She was watching the woman she had just talked to be ripped to shreds by a pack of hungry, merciless monsters. No matter how many times she had seen it happened in the past, she could never get used to it. Tears were streaming down her cheeks when suddenly a crimson blur lunged toward the purple wolves, shredding its neck with a decisive bite.
What was going on?
The wolves were distracted; their attention was directed toward the entrance of this creature, another canine shaded in red. Another group of smaller creatures, which she recognized as commonly-seen goblins, also joined the fight, and it seemed that the situation would soon devolve into an all-out brawl. She was perplexed. She had seen monsters fighting other monsters for territories, but she didn't know that there were goblins, or even the red hounds, around this area.
"Miss!"
For a second, she suspected that her ears had deceived her. It was a human's voice, and it came from entrance. A tall figure was waving, beckoning to her. She couldn't see who it was clearly, but it was indeed better to be with humans rather than monsters. At least she could talk it out with a human.
She was about to run when the wolf from before, the one which had killed her friend, was thrown out of the fight and landed right on her feet. Its neck was thoroughly crushed by the red hound's bite, and its legs were twitching. It was in pain.
So monsters can feel pain as well.
She could see that it was dying. It was so weakened that even an ordinary human would be able to kill it. She raised her knife, and then plunged it into the open wound. The wolf died with barely a whimper. A stream of faint, bluish light enveloped the hand that tightly gripped the knife before fading away.
She didn't dare to dawdle any longer. Leaving the scene of carnage behind her, she dashed toward the entrance with all her might, back into the warmth of the rising sun.
Hae-un's legs collapsed right after she passed the entrance. She crouched on the ground, panting, her head bowed down as she struggled to catch her breath. "We... we need to... leave..." she croaked, remembering that the other person was still here. She wanted to get up, but her legs were still trembling, and she was a bit embarrassed to ask for help so suddenly to a stranger.
An ordinary family. An ordinary childhood. A clumsy but loving father. A nagging but warm mother. Friends. School. Attending college, living at the dorm, experiencing the wholesome youth while preparing to join Hell Joseon in the near future. It was an uneventful life, but it was precious. She was confident that the rest of her life would be as mundane as the past, and she welcomed it so.
Until hell came crashing down in full force.
She remembered that she had been lounging in her dorm room on the day of reckoning, chatting aimlessly with her roommate. It was getting noisy outside. A classmate had barged in, her face as white as a sheet, telling them that something really, really bad was happening. To them. To their city. To their country. To the world.
National news broadcast was blaring all day long. Residents were encouraged, nay, ordered to stay inside and barricade themselves until the armed forces was able to contain the situation. If it wasn't bad enough for her, tragedies arrived one after another. Her hometown was one of the ground zeroes. The local residents didn't even have a chance. By the time that help had arrived, the entire place had been razed to the ground. And the monsters. Oh God, the monsters.
She didn't even have the luxury of time to get her bearings before she was pulled into an emergency evacuation by her friends.
The next few months were a blur. People died. People that she knew. People that she didn't know. Her classmates were gone, either separated by emerging danger, or by death. Gruesome, painful death. She doggedly trudged along, tossed from one group to another as people never stopped dying, trying desperately to find a place of respite. Totally cut off from communication, the only hope they had were the rumors of a safe haven in the capital.
She had witnessed the rise of those people with powers, the ones they called "The Chosen". It was only thanks to the sacrifice of those people, good, kind people who had offered their hands to her, that she, the ordinary, mundane Haeun, had managed to survive thus far. Sometimes, she wondered why she had survived. The waves that had followed since that day were more terrible than the last. Sometimes, she wondered if death was preferable.
She opened her eyes at the onset of the fourth wave. The group she was in had taken refugee within the ruins of a city. So close to their destination. The eighth wave was far from their concern, as the Chosen within their group wasn't at the level to be concerned with such a world-changing event. Their immediate concern was to reach the safety of the capital. Fighting for humanity could wait.
It was then that she had realized her power.
Without telling the rest of the group, she brought three more friends with her, out into the city under the cover of the night. She tightened her grip on the worn-out knife, the plain silver ring on her middle finger making a rattling noise as it scraped the handle. It was the only weapon that she had managed to keep with her, and to be honest, it didn't amount to much, if at all. Still, it was better than nothing. As long as they didn't encounter any monsters on their way, everything should be fine.
Of course, things were not fine.
They had been traveling for quite a while until a pack of purple-furred canines, strange wolf-like beasts with a horrifying extra eye on their forehead, had given pursuit. The four of them had managed to find refuge inside an abandoned warehouse, only to find out that the refuge was a lie. The purple wolves had set up a trap within, and the group was quickly taken out one by one.
She was watching the woman she had just talked to be ripped to shreds by a pack of hungry, merciless monsters. No matter how many times she had seen it happened in the past, she could never get used to it. Tears were streaming down her cheeks when suddenly a crimson blur lunged toward the purple wolves, shredding its neck with a decisive bite.
What was going on?
The wolves were distracted; their attention was directed toward the entrance of this creature, another canine shaded in red. Another group of smaller creatures, which she recognized as commonly-seen goblins, also joined the fight, and it seemed that the situation would soon devolve into an all-out brawl. She was perplexed. She had seen monsters fighting other monsters for territories, but she didn't know that there were goblins, or even the red hounds, around this area.
"Miss!"
For a second, she suspected that her ears had deceived her. It was a human's voice, and it came from entrance. A tall figure was waving, beckoning to her. She couldn't see who it was clearly, but it was indeed better to be with humans rather than monsters. At least she could talk it out with a human.
She was about to run when the wolf from before, the one which had killed her friend, was thrown out of the fight and landed right on her feet. Its neck was thoroughly crushed by the red hound's bite, and its legs were twitching. It was in pain.
So monsters can feel pain as well.
She could see that it was dying. It was so weakened that even an ordinary human would be able to kill it. She raised her knife, and then plunged it into the open wound. The wolf died with barely a whimper. A stream of faint, bluish light enveloped the hand that tightly gripped the knife before fading away.
She didn't dare to dawdle any longer. Leaving the scene of carnage behind her, she dashed toward the entrance with all her might, back into the warmth of the rising sun.
Hae-un's legs collapsed right after she passed the entrance. She crouched on the ground, panting, her head bowed down as she struggled to catch her breath. "We... we need to... leave..." she croaked, remembering that the other person was still here. She wanted to get up, but her legs were still trembling, and she was a bit embarrassed to ask for help so suddenly to a stranger.
Last edited:
moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Why wasn't she getting up? Was she in shock? Hyunwoo couldn't blame her if that was the case, but it wasn't safe for her to stay there like that. He didn't have to look at the party summary display in the top right corner to see that the goblins were starting to take damage. They needed to leave now, and Hyunwoo had been about to run over there and grab her when one of the purple wolves slid towards her. It was the one that the Red Blood Hound had attacked earlier.
'Is it stillβ no, I doubt it can even get up right now,' he watched calmly, assessing what he could of what had to be a fatal wound from a distance before he stole a glance at the remaining purple wolves. A few of them were chasing the Red Blood Hound to another corner of the room but the larger one was focused on the spear goblin. If he wanted to run out there, then now was his only chance.
Then the unexpected happened.
Hyunwoo's eyes widened as the girl raised a hand gripping what looked to be a kitchen knife in the air. In the next moment the kitchen knife came plummeting down, ending the life of the wolf instantly and causing the former soldier to blink in surprise. The glow around her hand was implicative enough. This girl had to be a Chosen. At least now he knew that this hadn't been a wasted trip. But what was the motive behind her actions just now? Was it an act of revenge or a mercy kill? Regardless, there was no time to deliberate on that now, but it would be important for him to gauge what kind of person she was later.
He started to back away as the girl drew nearer and was prepared to break into a sprint, only to hesitate as she crumbled to the floor in front of him. His hand remained partiallyβ and a bit awkwardly, outstretched. Somehow, it just didn't feel right to touch a young woman he didn't know, but this really wasn't the time for etiquette. A slight yelp from the Red Blood Hound reminded him of the situation's urgency. He removed the leather baldric across his chest along with the iron sword and set both on the ground. Crouching down with his back to the young girlβ who seemed to be around his age, Hyunwoo didn't bother to mince words. "Get on my back, I'll carry you."
It was their only option. He couldn't tell if she was injured, but there was no time to check.
'Is it stillβ no, I doubt it can even get up right now,' he watched calmly, assessing what he could of what had to be a fatal wound from a distance before he stole a glance at the remaining purple wolves. A few of them were chasing the Red Blood Hound to another corner of the room but the larger one was focused on the spear goblin. If he wanted to run out there, then now was his only chance.
Then the unexpected happened.
Hyunwoo's eyes widened as the girl raised a hand gripping what looked to be a kitchen knife in the air. In the next moment the kitchen knife came plummeting down, ending the life of the wolf instantly and causing the former soldier to blink in surprise. The glow around her hand was implicative enough. This girl had to be a Chosen. At least now he knew that this hadn't been a wasted trip. But what was the motive behind her actions just now? Was it an act of revenge or a mercy kill? Regardless, there was no time to deliberate on that now, but it would be important for him to gauge what kind of person she was later.
He started to back away as the girl drew nearer and was prepared to break into a sprint, only to hesitate as she crumbled to the floor in front of him. His hand remained partiallyβ and a bit awkwardly, outstretched. Somehow, it just didn't feel right to touch a young woman he didn't know, but this really wasn't the time for etiquette. A slight yelp from the Red Blood Hound reminded him of the situation's urgency. He removed the leather baldric across his chest along with the iron sword and set both on the ground. Crouching down with his back to the young girlβ who seemed to be around his age, Hyunwoo didn't bother to mince words. "Get on my back, I'll carry you."
It was their only option. He couldn't tell if she was injured, but there was no time to check.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
Haeun hesitated for a moment. She wasn't expecting this. The world was hell, what was the chance that a random passerby would happen to come to her rescue, in the middle of a ruined city amidst the numerous maneating beasts roaming about? It hadn't happened before. Would it change so easily?
Also, dude looked suspicious af.
He was tall. Very tall. Taller than the oppa next door from her hometown. From a glance, it seemed that her head could barely pass his shoulders if she were to stand completely straight. His clothes were also too casual for a guy walking alone in the middle of an apocalypse. Then again, those cops wore heavy-duty armor and they were still ripped to shreds by those monsters, so maybe it didn't matter in the end.
"Okay!" She finally replied after making up her mind. Anyway, anything was better than perishing at this godforsaken place. She still had things to do!
Staggering back to her feet, she then climbed on his back, her arms flung around his neck. Hmm? She sneakily gave his body a little squeeze. It was firm. The kind that came from disciplined training, like bodybuilders, or... the military.
"Are you with the army?" She blurted out. Maybe he was part of a rescue squad? That had also never happened before, but who knew if the government finally realized the plight of its citizens and decided to launch an operation?
Also, dude looked suspicious af.
He was tall. Very tall. Taller than the oppa next door from her hometown. From a glance, it seemed that her head could barely pass his shoulders if she were to stand completely straight. His clothes were also too casual for a guy walking alone in the middle of an apocalypse. Then again, those cops wore heavy-duty armor and they were still ripped to shreds by those monsters, so maybe it didn't matter in the end.
"Okay!" She finally replied after making up her mind. Anyway, anything was better than perishing at this godforsaken place. She still had things to do!
Staggering back to her feet, she then climbed on his back, her arms flung around his neck. Hmm? She sneakily gave his body a little squeeze. It was firm. The kind that came from disciplined training, like bodybuilders, or... the military.
"Are you with the army?" She blurted out. Maybe he was part of a rescue squad? That had also never happened before, but who knew if the government finally realized the plight of its citizens and decided to launch an operation?
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
As the girl got settled on his back, Hyunwoo grabbed the sword that was still attached to the baldric. He was going to use it to keep her steady against him, tucking the sheath behind her knees rather than touching her directly because he really wasn't raised like that. It went without saying, but he was glad for her cooperation. There wasn't a single back-up plan in place for the event that she refused his help and even an apocalypse didn't make harassment excusable.
He didn't think much of the little squeeze and figured it was just her getting comfortable, but the next few words out of her mind did surprise him. How did she come to that conclusion so suddenly? The purpose of these casual clothes was to cover up his prior military involvement, since...well, even if he had completed his mandatory service, it was expected of most soldiers to remain back in Seoul to protect the people hiding out there. For Hyunwoo, that simply wasn't an option. "How did you know?," he asked as he got back up on his feet rather easily. It had been an indirect answer to her question. Technically he wasn't anymore, but he worried that she might panic if she thought he was a stranger without a civil obligation to help her.
Hyunwoo didn't feel good about deceiving her, but he wasn't about to completely open up to a girl he had just come across. Trust was so rare these days. Maybe it was a little rude of him to suddenly take off running without warning her, but they did still have a disaster to evade. It wasn't long before he posed yet another query, even if he felt bad about bringing it up so soon after the trauma the girl had just experienced. "Are there any other survivors?"
He didn't know what he wanted her answer to be. On one hand, it was going to be difficult enough for the two of them to get away from these monsters. This girl was a Chosen, which meant that she could potentially be useful to him but...if the others weren't, then they'd just be a liability. A cruel thought, but the world wasn't exactly encouraging them to be very compassionate these days.
He didn't think much of the little squeeze and figured it was just her getting comfortable, but the next few words out of her mind did surprise him. How did she come to that conclusion so suddenly? The purpose of these casual clothes was to cover up his prior military involvement, since...well, even if he had completed his mandatory service, it was expected of most soldiers to remain back in Seoul to protect the people hiding out there. For Hyunwoo, that simply wasn't an option. "How did you know?," he asked as he got back up on his feet rather easily. It had been an indirect answer to her question. Technically he wasn't anymore, but he worried that she might panic if she thought he was a stranger without a civil obligation to help her.
Hyunwoo didn't feel good about deceiving her, but he wasn't about to completely open up to a girl he had just come across. Trust was so rare these days. Maybe it was a little rude of him to suddenly take off running without warning her, but they did still have a disaster to evade. It wasn't long before he posed yet another query, even if he felt bad about bringing it up so soon after the trauma the girl had just experienced. "Are there any other survivors?"
He didn't know what he wanted her answer to be. On one hand, it was going to be difficult enough for the two of them to get away from these monsters. This girl was a Chosen, which meant that she could potentially be useful to him but...if the others weren't, then they'd just be a liability. A cruel thought, but the world wasn't exactly encouraging them to be very compassionate these days.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
Oh, so he was indeed a soldier.
"Eh, just an educated guess," she replied. Though being a soldier alone wasn't a guarantee of moral conduct. She had seen too many cases that proved otherwise. However, she was indeed only a little weakling right now. Even if this person was the devil himself, he was the only card that she had in hand. If she can use him to her advantage...
His next question was the key. A person always wanted something, and the apocalypse only amplified that fact. If he wanted information, that means she could bargain with him. This would be the approach that she should take.
"There are survivors. I was part of that group until just recently, before... you know," she softened her voice, trying to imitate fear. Next, let's throw him some bait. "We have four Chosen in the group, and twenty more survivors. Well, seventeen now, since... you know."
Whether the army wanted more people to work for them, or he wanted them for his own gains, having more Chosen would always be a tempting offer. Now, she just had to make sure of his identity.
"I can bring you there. You're a Chosen, right? You're bringing a sword," she moved her leg slightly to nudge on the sheath "Normal people won't bring swords with them, soldier-nim~ they would've brought guns instead," she continued, answering his question before he even asked with a rather smug tone.
"My name is Kim Haeun. Thank you for your help, soldier-nim. May I ask for your name? Or is it a top secret information?"
"Eh, just an educated guess," she replied. Though being a soldier alone wasn't a guarantee of moral conduct. She had seen too many cases that proved otherwise. However, she was indeed only a little weakling right now. Even if this person was the devil himself, he was the only card that she had in hand. If she can use him to her advantage...
His next question was the key. A person always wanted something, and the apocalypse only amplified that fact. If he wanted information, that means she could bargain with him. This would be the approach that she should take.
"There are survivors. I was part of that group until just recently, before... you know," she softened her voice, trying to imitate fear. Next, let's throw him some bait. "We have four Chosen in the group, and twenty more survivors. Well, seventeen now, since... you know."
Whether the army wanted more people to work for them, or he wanted them for his own gains, having more Chosen would always be a tempting offer. Now, she just had to make sure of his identity.
"I can bring you there. You're a Chosen, right? You're bringing a sword," she moved her leg slightly to nudge on the sheath "Normal people won't bring swords with them, soldier-nim~ they would've brought guns instead," she continued, answering his question before he even asked with a rather smug tone.
"My name is Kim Haeun. Thank you for your help, soldier-nim. May I ask for your name? Or is it a top secret information?"
moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
An educated guess, she claimed. Well, he had no reason to doubt her right now, and that knowledge wasn't something she could use to compromise him at the moment. The nearest military blockade was over four towns over, but Hyunwoo knew it was only going to be a temporary operation. All the military could do these days was poke around and hope to find survivors, though the monsters were never far behind them. For now, he'd keep that knowledge to himself, unwilling to risk giving her the opportunity to flee to safety if she could be useful to him.
Hyunwoo didn't think to doubt her sincerity, given that he had just witnessed her crying in fear earlier. Honestly, he wasn't good at reading women even when they weren't lying to him. "Yeah," was all he could say in response, noting her softer tone of voice and reluctance to elaborate on any of the details. Right now, he didn't need her to. Having seen the purple wolves himself, it wasn't difficult to imagine what happened. Still, that didn't make it any less tragic and a part of him did worry about whether or not she would be mentally sound enough to join his endeavor. After all, he'd seen his fellow soldiers go through fairly similar experiences before the monsters had come around and...well, it wasn't a pretty sight, watching them devolve and lose themselves to the trauma.
He perked at the mention of other Chosen, but wasn't quite sure what to make of the remaining seventeen non-Chosen survivors. That was way too many to safely evacuate without drawing attention from the monsters that seemed to lurk in every corner. A part of him was relieved to hear that this girl seemed to be at least somewhat informed about the state of things, since she knew about the Chosen. "Guns don't work against the monsters," he stated, slightly raising a brow at the strange little nickname she had just given him. There was no point in denying his identity as a Chosen, even if he could've just claimed to have found the sword, which would have been the truth.
Similarly, he didn't see any harm in giving her his name. That little nickname of hers might complicate things later. "Seong Hyunwoo," the man spoke, apparently giving in to this little game where they took turns exchanging information and asking questions, "the survivors. Are they nearby?"
Despite running for several minutes now, Hyunwoo didn't show any signs of being out of breath nor had he slowed his pace. His body was well-conditioned, after all. This was nothing compared to the drills he used to run.
There wasn't time for a proper answer. He barely managed to catch sight of a strange figure from the corner of his eye. Quickly, he ducked behind a corner. It was too risky to try to get a better look right now, but the large ominous shadow that fell over the broken cars and rubble was not reassuring in the slightest. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't human.
Hyunwoo had originally planned on letting his skill cancel on its own once he'd gotten out of range, but he couldn't risk being armed with only the sword should this situation go south.
'Cancel skill.'
Thankfully, all three names had still been displayed in the upper right corner before vanishing in unison. It would've been terribly inconvenient to have lost one of his undead soldiers back there. Because the only way he could raise them again was through physical contact. Plus, his skill also had its drawbacks in that it didn't work every time and also consumed a significant portion of his mana. Keeping his soldiers out also drained mana, and he didn't feel too confident about how much of it was left right now.
Hyunwoo didn't think to doubt her sincerity, given that he had just witnessed her crying in fear earlier. Honestly, he wasn't good at reading women even when they weren't lying to him. "Yeah," was all he could say in response, noting her softer tone of voice and reluctance to elaborate on any of the details. Right now, he didn't need her to. Having seen the purple wolves himself, it wasn't difficult to imagine what happened. Still, that didn't make it any less tragic and a part of him did worry about whether or not she would be mentally sound enough to join his endeavor. After all, he'd seen his fellow soldiers go through fairly similar experiences before the monsters had come around and...well, it wasn't a pretty sight, watching them devolve and lose themselves to the trauma.
He perked at the mention of other Chosen, but wasn't quite sure what to make of the remaining seventeen non-Chosen survivors. That was way too many to safely evacuate without drawing attention from the monsters that seemed to lurk in every corner. A part of him was relieved to hear that this girl seemed to be at least somewhat informed about the state of things, since she knew about the Chosen. "Guns don't work against the monsters," he stated, slightly raising a brow at the strange little nickname she had just given him. There was no point in denying his identity as a Chosen, even if he could've just claimed to have found the sword, which would have been the truth.
Similarly, he didn't see any harm in giving her his name. That little nickname of hers might complicate things later. "Seong Hyunwoo," the man spoke, apparently giving in to this little game where they took turns exchanging information and asking questions, "the survivors. Are they nearby?"
Despite running for several minutes now, Hyunwoo didn't show any signs of being out of breath nor had he slowed his pace. His body was well-conditioned, after all. This was nothing compared to the drills he used to run.
There wasn't time for a proper answer. He barely managed to catch sight of a strange figure from the corner of his eye. Quickly, he ducked behind a corner. It was too risky to try to get a better look right now, but the large ominous shadow that fell over the broken cars and rubble was not reassuring in the slightest. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't human.
Hyunwoo had originally planned on letting his skill cancel on its own once he'd gotten out of range, but he couldn't risk being armed with only the sword should this situation go south.
'Cancel skill.'
Thankfully, all three names had still been displayed in the upper right corner before vanishing in unison. It would've been terribly inconvenient to have lost one of his undead soldiers back there. Because the only way he could raise them again was through physical contact. Plus, his skill also had its drawbacks in that it didn't work every time and also consumed a significant portion of his mana. Keeping his soldiers out also drained mana, and he didn't feel too confident about how much of it was left right now.
MP: 32
Hyunwoo held his breath as he watched the shadow move away in the other direction, hoping that Kim Haeun could control her fear and stay quiet until they were clear.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
This soldier-nim didn't seem to like to talk. His words so far were peddled in gold.
She actually preferred it this way. Deceitful people talked. A lot. They tried to gain advantages with lies and half-truths. The more a person talk, the more would Haeun retract her reach. This good Samaritan was getting better and better in her eyes. Being a Chosen, and a trained soldier to boot, was a decisive factor. Whatever his plan was, at least she would be safe around him. For now.
Until he said his name.
Haeun's body immediately tensed up, her arms slightly tightening around his neck. A moment of blunder. Her eyes grew wider as they seemed to be transfixed into something that only she could see. She peered her head forward, sneaking whatever little glance at his face that she could get from her position. The soldier-nim was distracted by something. Danger, most apparently. However, Haeun wasn't in the right mind to keep track of the situation. Hyunwoo had brought them into a hiding spot, dealing with the present. She on the other hand was engulfed in a storm of assorted emotions, her focus trapped in the past.
The unexpected appearance of those goblins. That red hound...
"Seong Hyunwoo... Seong Hyunwoo, the Necromancer?"
She muttered out loud before she could stop herself, her voice barely a trembling whisper.
She actually preferred it this way. Deceitful people talked. A lot. They tried to gain advantages with lies and half-truths. The more a person talk, the more would Haeun retract her reach. This good Samaritan was getting better and better in her eyes. Being a Chosen, and a trained soldier to boot, was a decisive factor. Whatever his plan was, at least she would be safe around him. For now.
Until he said his name.
Haeun's body immediately tensed up, her arms slightly tightening around his neck. A moment of blunder. Her eyes grew wider as they seemed to be transfixed into something that only she could see. She peered her head forward, sneaking whatever little glance at his face that she could get from her position. The soldier-nim was distracted by something. Danger, most apparently. However, Haeun wasn't in the right mind to keep track of the situation. Hyunwoo had brought them into a hiding spot, dealing with the present. She on the other hand was engulfed in a storm of assorted emotions, her focus trapped in the past.
The unexpected appearance of those goblins. That red hound...
"Seong Hyunwoo... Seong Hyunwoo, the Necromancer?"
She muttered out loud before she could stop herself, her voice barely a trembling whisper.
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Hyunwoo also tensed, tightening his grip over the sword under her knees. As if this moment hadn't been tense enough already. How? He didn't think she'd be able to draw any sort of conclusion from his name alone. Social media had never been his thing, but even more noteworthy was how careful he'd been about hiding his Chosen abilities ever since he discovered them. And then there was the matter of his identity as a Chosen and his name. Up till now, he'd been very selective about who he shared both pieces of knowledge with. There was no way this Kim Haeun, whom he'd never even met before today, could know his identity. And yet she did.
Was being honest with her a mistake? What did she intend to do with this knowledge about him now? The suspense and suspicions coiled around his chest, leaving him with a slight sense of dread. It was hard to predict what people might do these days. Would Kim Haeun be a threat or an asset?
For now, he couldn't allow his attention to be divided so carelessly. Addressing the immediate threat to both of their lives came first, regardless of how tempting it was to abandon her before she could think to sell him out to the military or whoever else. And since she already knew, Hyunwoo saw no point in keeping it a secret any longer.
'Activate Skill: Dark Conjuring. Summon: Red Blood Hound.'
This time, Kim Haeun would see the red canine beast materialize from Hyunwoo's extended shadow, clawing its way out with a fierce look in its blue, glowing ember eyes. "Whatever that big monster is, lead it away from here," Hyunwoo ordered, his voice low and urgent, "you aren't strong enough to fight it, so don't engage." He narrowed his eyes at the slightly defiant snort that came out of the Red Blood Hound, and the creature's ears folded back a bit sheepishly before it lowered its gaze and ran out to draw away the monster.
He waited to see the large shadow begin to move away from the area, though the loud, retreating footsteps were also reassuring. Once the monster was out of earshot, he sighed. Hyunwoo didn't expect to be asking this question again so soon. "How did you know?"
Was being honest with her a mistake? What did she intend to do with this knowledge about him now? The suspense and suspicions coiled around his chest, leaving him with a slight sense of dread. It was hard to predict what people might do these days. Would Kim Haeun be a threat or an asset?
For now, he couldn't allow his attention to be divided so carelessly. Addressing the immediate threat to both of their lives came first, regardless of how tempting it was to abandon her before she could think to sell him out to the military or whoever else. And since she already knew, Hyunwoo saw no point in keeping it a secret any longer.
'Activate Skill: Dark Conjuring. Summon: Red Blood Hound.'
MP: 20
This time, Kim Haeun would see the red canine beast materialize from Hyunwoo's extended shadow, clawing its way out with a fierce look in its blue, glowing ember eyes. "Whatever that big monster is, lead it away from here," Hyunwoo ordered, his voice low and urgent, "you aren't strong enough to fight it, so don't engage." He narrowed his eyes at the slightly defiant snort that came out of the Red Blood Hound, and the creature's ears folded back a bit sheepishly before it lowered its gaze and ran out to draw away the monster.
He waited to see the large shadow begin to move away from the area, though the loud, retreating footsteps were also reassuring. Once the monster was out of earshot, he sighed. Hyunwoo didn't expect to be asking this question again so soon. "How did you know?"
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
It was so hard to breath.
She messed up. Royally messed up. She knew how dangerous it was to reveal her knowledge, and yet she had to blurted it out right in his ear. Hyunwoo wasn't trying to deny it either. He was using Dark Conjuring so openly, as if he didn't care anymore. Maybe because he didn't need to care. After all, she would be a part of his army soon. Dead. His secret safely brought to the grave, into his shadow.
Haeun wanted to flee. She wanted to let go of him, kick him on the back, and then flee as far as she could, but the tyrannical presence of the Red Blood Hound, not to mention the looming shadow closing on them, froze her in place. Unable to move. Unable to even think to move. It was a crisis. She buried her face in his back, shutting her eyes tight. At least he could make it quick.
The ground shook as the giant monster was lured away by the Red Blood Hound. The sound grew fainter until they were no longer audible. The strike that she was waiting didn't happen. Instead, she heard him ask the billion dollar question instead.
How did you know?
Hope rekindled in her heart. He was willing to talk it out! But what should she say? Should she come clean? But what if he thought that she was too dangerous to leave alive? Tell him the truth, or lie?
"..."
She finally made up her mind.
"I... It's my class. It's called 'Appraiser'," she explained, slowly, as clear as possible. "It's a class specialized in information gathering. My skills allow me to look at other people's system's data, although there are various limitations applied. The stronger that person is, the less I could see from them. For example, I can see part of your information. Seong Hyunwoo. Male. Around my age. Class is called Necromancer, a 2nd-rank specialization of Commander class. Your skills... I couldn't see them, but I can figure it out based from your class's description. As for your stats, I could only tell that you're stronger than me. Far stronger..."
Haeun finished her explanation, her voice tapering off at the end. She had laid down her cards, now she could only hope that Hyunwoo wasn't a cold-hearted person.
She messed up. Royally messed up. She knew how dangerous it was to reveal her knowledge, and yet she had to blurted it out right in his ear. Hyunwoo wasn't trying to deny it either. He was using Dark Conjuring so openly, as if he didn't care anymore. Maybe because he didn't need to care. After all, she would be a part of his army soon. Dead. His secret safely brought to the grave, into his shadow.
Haeun wanted to flee. She wanted to let go of him, kick him on the back, and then flee as far as she could, but the tyrannical presence of the Red Blood Hound, not to mention the looming shadow closing on them, froze her in place. Unable to move. Unable to even think to move. It was a crisis. She buried her face in his back, shutting her eyes tight. At least he could make it quick.
The ground shook as the giant monster was lured away by the Red Blood Hound. The sound grew fainter until they were no longer audible. The strike that she was waiting didn't happen. Instead, she heard him ask the billion dollar question instead.
How did you know?
Hope rekindled in her heart. He was willing to talk it out! But what should she say? Should she come clean? But what if he thought that she was too dangerous to leave alive? Tell him the truth, or lie?
"..."
She finally made up her mind.
"I... It's my class. It's called 'Appraiser'," she explained, slowly, as clear as possible. "It's a class specialized in information gathering. My skills allow me to look at other people's system's data, although there are various limitations applied. The stronger that person is, the less I could see from them. For example, I can see part of your information. Seong Hyunwoo. Male. Around my age. Class is called Necromancer, a 2nd-rank specialization of Commander class. Your skills... I couldn't see them, but I can figure it out based from your class's description. As for your stats, I could only tell that you're stronger than me. Far stronger..."
Haeun finished her explanation, her voice tapering off at the end. She had laid down her cards, now she could only hope that Hyunwoo wasn't a cold-hearted person.
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Hyunwoo blinked as the girl pressed her face against his back. He couldn't see much of it from over his shoulder but it was easy to assume that she must have been afraid. How could he blame her? Whatever monster that was out there was probably something they couldn't hope to defeat, not even with four other Chosen. Needless to say, he was none the wiser about what it was that was truly startling the girl.
Yet her silence was a bit unsettling and Hyunwoo found himself holding his breath in anticipation. What if she decided to stop cooperating with him? His only option would be to find a way to force her to talk, but that was wrong. Kim Haeun had been through enough already. Haven't they all? This apocalypse wasn't going anywhere and Hyunwoo knew the only way to survive required being able to make difficult decisions. Morality was a luxury he couldn't afford these days.
Thankfully, that dark line of thinking didn't need to progress further, as the girl finally began to speak. Silently, Hyunwoo listened to her explanation. Kim Haeun was very good at explaining. With an ability like that, one that enables her to gather information on other Chosen, she would undoubtedly be a very valuable asset to him. Assuming he could get her to agree to work with him, anyway. "I see," he finally spoke as she finished, "that's quite a useful ability." And that was an understatement.
Kim Haeun's appraisal abilities held incredible potential and Hyunwoo had little reason to doubt that many factions would hope to seek her out for it. Still, every class had its drawbacks and it seemed that the girl herself had shed some light on her own. An Appraiser likely wasn't a class specializing in combat.
"I know you've been through a lot, Kim Haeun," Hyunwoo kept his eyes trained forward, staring into the distance where the Red Blood Hound had taken off in and stealing a quick glance at the creature's name in the top right corner of his menu, "so I won't hold it against you, if you wish to leave this life behind." Just because he was willing to make sacrifices didn't mean he was also willing to demand others to do the same. What good would it do to force her into helping him? Some people just weren't meant to be soldiers, and if the world wasn't the twisted mess that it was, then that would have been acceptable.
Yet still he wished to give her a choice.
"But I need you."
Yet her silence was a bit unsettling and Hyunwoo found himself holding his breath in anticipation. What if she decided to stop cooperating with him? His only option would be to find a way to force her to talk, but that was wrong. Kim Haeun had been through enough already. Haven't they all? This apocalypse wasn't going anywhere and Hyunwoo knew the only way to survive required being able to make difficult decisions. Morality was a luxury he couldn't afford these days.
Thankfully, that dark line of thinking didn't need to progress further, as the girl finally began to speak. Silently, Hyunwoo listened to her explanation. Kim Haeun was very good at explaining. With an ability like that, one that enables her to gather information on other Chosen, she would undoubtedly be a very valuable asset to him. Assuming he could get her to agree to work with him, anyway. "I see," he finally spoke as she finished, "that's quite a useful ability." And that was an understatement.
Kim Haeun's appraisal abilities held incredible potential and Hyunwoo had little reason to doubt that many factions would hope to seek her out for it. Still, every class had its drawbacks and it seemed that the girl herself had shed some light on her own. An Appraiser likely wasn't a class specializing in combat.
"I know you've been through a lot, Kim Haeun," Hyunwoo kept his eyes trained forward, staring into the distance where the Red Blood Hound had taken off in and stealing a quick glance at the creature's name in the top right corner of his menu, "so I won't hold it against you, if you wish to leave this life behind." Just because he was willing to make sacrifices didn't mean he was also willing to demand others to do the same. What good would it do to force her into helping him? Some people just weren't meant to be soldiers, and if the world wasn't the twisted mess that it was, then that would have been acceptable.
Yet still he wished to give her a choice.
"But I need you."
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
Need her? He needed her? Seong Hyunwoo did?
Necromancer was a rare class, and just the name alone would tell people how strong its potential was. Hyunwoo didn't need Haeun. He can thrive all on his own. Saying that he needed her was most likely a form of pity. And yet, she couldn't help but to get excited. She had viewed her life as worthless this entire time, now that someone had said that they needed her, she couldn't hold it all in.
"I'll help you," Haeun buried her face on his back once again, mumbling her reply out. Regardless of his reason, at least that means he wouldn't kill her. Sticking around with someone like Hyunwoo wouldn't give her any loss. It would be highly beneficial instead.
"My group..." She lifted her head up. Right, they were on the way to get back to her group of survivor. "I should tell you more in detail. There are four Chosen in our group. Two of them are Warriors, one is a Mage, but the one leading us is Go Daeseong-nim. He's a Paladin."
Paladin, a specialization of Defender that sacrificed some defensive potential for a broader access of team buffs. It was a balanced class that was well-suited as the center of a formation. Even though many other Chosens had fallen during their long escapade, it was thanks to him awakening as a Paladin that Daeseong had managed to take over the crumbling leadership and bring the group this far.
"They're not far from here. Just keep going that way, to that crumbling skyscrapper. We were taking refugee in the abandoned parking lot at the third floor. It was far from any monster nests or stray gates."
She pointed at the building in question. And then, her voice mellowed out.
"I... haven't told the others that I've awakened," Haeun confessed. "You should know why. This class... I don't think it'll do me good if anyone know what this class can do. You said that you need me, are you... sure about that? Are you prepared for the consequences?"
Necromancer was a rare class, and just the name alone would tell people how strong its potential was. Hyunwoo didn't need Haeun. He can thrive all on his own. Saying that he needed her was most likely a form of pity. And yet, she couldn't help but to get excited. She had viewed her life as worthless this entire time, now that someone had said that they needed her, she couldn't hold it all in.
"I'll help you," Haeun buried her face on his back once again, mumbling her reply out. Regardless of his reason, at least that means he wouldn't kill her. Sticking around with someone like Hyunwoo wouldn't give her any loss. It would be highly beneficial instead.
"My group..." She lifted her head up. Right, they were on the way to get back to her group of survivor. "I should tell you more in detail. There are four Chosen in our group. Two of them are Warriors, one is a Mage, but the one leading us is Go Daeseong-nim. He's a Paladin."
Paladin, a specialization of Defender that sacrificed some defensive potential for a broader access of team buffs. It was a balanced class that was well-suited as the center of a formation. Even though many other Chosens had fallen during their long escapade, it was thanks to him awakening as a Paladin that Daeseong had managed to take over the crumbling leadership and bring the group this far.
"They're not far from here. Just keep going that way, to that crumbling skyscrapper. We were taking refugee in the abandoned parking lot at the third floor. It was far from any monster nests or stray gates."
She pointed at the building in question. And then, her voice mellowed out.
"I... haven't told the others that I've awakened," Haeun confessed. "You should know why. This class... I don't think it'll do me good if anyone know what this class can do. You said that you need me, are you... sure about that? Are you prepared for the consequences?"
moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
With just that one phrase, Kim Haeun had managed to ease Hyunwoo's mind somewhat. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't feeling hopeless these days. By now, he'd met a handful of Chosen and factions, but none of them were willing to cooperate with him in the way he needed them to. But he couldn't blame them for that either. Recapturing Daegu was a suicide mission and Hyunwoo lost track of how many times people had laughed at the mere idea. Right now, people were more concerned with preserving their territory and maintaining the safety of those with them. To try and 'save the rest of the country' was a dreamer's delusion at this point.
These days, it was hard for people to just keep themselves alive, and Hyunwoo was no exception to that. In the beginning, he'd gone several days without food, without allies. The only thing that kept him going was knowing that Eunji had to be out there somewhere, waiting for him. Two years ago, he made a promise, to return to her alive no matter what. So he was going to keep that promise or die trying.
Hyunwoo watched Haeun from the corner of his eye, the words of thanks eluding him in the moment because he didn't want to hold her to a hasty decision. As the girl spoke of the Chosen she had been with, he couldn't help but wonder if they'd been aware of who she was, to have allowed her to be out here where it was clearly dangerous. Kim Haeun soon answered that unspoken question for him. She hadn't told them.
He couldn't find any fault in her reasoning, but it did make him wonder why she had chosen to share all this information with him. After all, they only met today. Granted, he did save her life earlier, but he still remained a bit skeptical anyway. "I think you're right to keep this to yourself," he told her simply, looking off in the direction of the crumbling skyscraper. Evacuation might be something those people would want to strongly consider with that large monster lurking around here.
"I am," he told her without any hesitation. It would be his responsibility to keep her safe from the monsters as well as the other Chosen who would seek to use her. What was more worrying to Hyunwoo right now was whether or not Kim Haeun knew what she was actually agreeing to by helping him. "I don't know what it is that Go Daeseong and the others plan to do, but I won't lie to you, Kim Haeun." A moment of silence sank between them as he started making his way towards the building, slipping into the fast pace from before because he very much needed to get them out of range of danger with how quickly his mana was dropping.
'Cancel Skill.' Hopefully, the Red Blood Hound had managed to lead the monster away far enough.
"You would be a lot safer staying with them." Hyunwoo didn't have to know what the Paladin was after to at least be certain of the fact that the guy likely wouldn't be seeking to march into Daegu with a bunch of Non-Chosen. Honestly, knowing that made him hesitant to bring Kim Haeun back to them, but it was still a chance to potentially recruit more allies, even if he suspected it would be a very slim chance.
These days, it was hard for people to just keep themselves alive, and Hyunwoo was no exception to that. In the beginning, he'd gone several days without food, without allies. The only thing that kept him going was knowing that Eunji had to be out there somewhere, waiting for him. Two years ago, he made a promise, to return to her alive no matter what. So he was going to keep that promise or die trying.
Hyunwoo watched Haeun from the corner of his eye, the words of thanks eluding him in the moment because he didn't want to hold her to a hasty decision. As the girl spoke of the Chosen she had been with, he couldn't help but wonder if they'd been aware of who she was, to have allowed her to be out here where it was clearly dangerous. Kim Haeun soon answered that unspoken question for him. She hadn't told them.
He couldn't find any fault in her reasoning, but it did make him wonder why she had chosen to share all this information with him. After all, they only met today. Granted, he did save her life earlier, but he still remained a bit skeptical anyway. "I think you're right to keep this to yourself," he told her simply, looking off in the direction of the crumbling skyscraper. Evacuation might be something those people would want to strongly consider with that large monster lurking around here.
"I am," he told her without any hesitation. It would be his responsibility to keep her safe from the monsters as well as the other Chosen who would seek to use her. What was more worrying to Hyunwoo right now was whether or not Kim Haeun knew what she was actually agreeing to by helping him. "I don't know what it is that Go Daeseong and the others plan to do, but I won't lie to you, Kim Haeun." A moment of silence sank between them as he started making his way towards the building, slipping into the fast pace from before because he very much needed to get them out of range of danger with how quickly his mana was dropping.
'Cancel Skill.' Hopefully, the Red Blood Hound had managed to lead the monster away far enough.
MP: 14
"You would be a lot safer staying with them." Hyunwoo didn't have to know what the Paladin was after to at least be certain of the fact that the guy likely wouldn't be seeking to march into Daegu with a bunch of Non-Chosen. Honestly, knowing that made him hesitant to bring Kim Haeun back to them, but it was still a chance to potentially recruit more allies, even if he suspected it would be a very slim chance.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
"Hmmhm," she mumbled at his last sentence. Safer? Perhaps. There was a strength in number after all, and a group of survivors statistically will always offer a higher chance of survival compared to traveling solo. At the very least, sacrifices could be made, ensuring that a part lived to fight another day. Four Chosens who had succeeded in bringing them this far, or a stranger she barely had the time to know. The answer was clear.
And yet, she still chose Hyunwoo.
"I won't accept regret," Haeun retorted. "You're the one who said that you needed me. So, you're stuck with me from now on. I promise that I'll never bring you harm, at least willingly," she added just for assurance. Nobody can know what will happen in the future, especially in a world too far removed from common sense like this hell. "On the other hand... can you promise me that you'll believe in me?"
She gripped his shoulders as she whispered, "No matter what happen next."
The skyscraper was dark from the outside, but there were some shadows crowding at the third floor. Just like Haeun had told him, the survivors were taking refuge there. One of them was staring at their direction before dashing off to tell the rest. Soon the group got busy, most likely to prepare against Hyunwoo. Better safe than sorry after all.
"Do you still have enough mana to keep a summon ready nearby?" Haeun whispered in his ear. "It would be best to keep the identity of your class under wrap."
A Chosen's class was a trump card of its own. Even the ones in her group never told other survivors what their actual class were. It would be especially important for Hyunwoo, who had a rare class.
Back at the refugee group, the normal civilians were huddled over behind a makeshift barricades, while the four Chosen, all of them strong-looking young men, stood at the entrance. Go Daeseong was the biggest of them all, his daunting physique fits well with the image of a shield that led and protected his people. The survivors looked thin and disheveled, most likely from a long journey filled with despair. Their clothes had holes on them, showing a pitiful sight. Among the survivors, three were still underage, while the rest were between twenty and thirty, five men and twelve women.
Reality was harsh; the old, the children, and the weak among them couldn't be saved from the harsh element, the severe lack of supplies, and the relentless attack of monsters. Sacrifices had been made with tears and blood, and this was all that was left after the treacherous eight months journey.
Haeun patted Hyunwoo's shoulder, wanting to get back to her feet now that they were close to the refuge.
"Daeseong-nim," she called out. The bulky Chosen at the foremost of the group stepped out of the barricade to face them.
"So you know how to get back?" He glared at her before moving his sight to Hyunwoo. "And you are?"
And yet, she still chose Hyunwoo.
"I won't accept regret," Haeun retorted. "You're the one who said that you needed me. So, you're stuck with me from now on. I promise that I'll never bring you harm, at least willingly," she added just for assurance. Nobody can know what will happen in the future, especially in a world too far removed from common sense like this hell. "On the other hand... can you promise me that you'll believe in me?"
She gripped his shoulders as she whispered, "No matter what happen next."
The skyscraper was dark from the outside, but there were some shadows crowding at the third floor. Just like Haeun had told him, the survivors were taking refuge there. One of them was staring at their direction before dashing off to tell the rest. Soon the group got busy, most likely to prepare against Hyunwoo. Better safe than sorry after all.
"Do you still have enough mana to keep a summon ready nearby?" Haeun whispered in his ear. "It would be best to keep the identity of your class under wrap."
A Chosen's class was a trump card of its own. Even the ones in her group never told other survivors what their actual class were. It would be especially important for Hyunwoo, who had a rare class.
Back at the refugee group, the normal civilians were huddled over behind a makeshift barricades, while the four Chosen, all of them strong-looking young men, stood at the entrance. Go Daeseong was the biggest of them all, his daunting physique fits well with the image of a shield that led and protected his people. The survivors looked thin and disheveled, most likely from a long journey filled with despair. Their clothes had holes on them, showing a pitiful sight. Among the survivors, three were still underage, while the rest were between twenty and thirty, five men and twelve women.
Reality was harsh; the old, the children, and the weak among them couldn't be saved from the harsh element, the severe lack of supplies, and the relentless attack of monsters. Sacrifices had been made with tears and blood, and this was all that was left after the treacherous eight months journey.
Haeun patted Hyunwoo's shoulder, wanting to get back to her feet now that they were close to the refuge.
"Daeseong-nim," she called out. The bulky Chosen at the foremost of the group stepped out of the barricade to face them.
"So you know how to get back?" He glared at her before moving his sight to Hyunwoo. "And you are?"
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
It was a bit startling to Hyunwoo, the fact that Kim Haeun didn't think to ask him what it was he actually needed her help with. How could she be so insistent in her decision without knowing that? He couldn't deny that she was right about nobody being able to know what the future holds, but there were some things about the present that he did know. Did the uncertainty not scare her?
Her next words left him momentarily speechless. Kim Haeun wanted him to believe in her, she wanted him to promise to do so. Was it even possible to believe in anything these days? Well...Hyunwoo believed that one day he'd liberate Daegu from the monster infestation and that had been chalked up as a fool's errand. By that logic, believing the blind and stubborn optimism of a girl who was still currently little more than a stranger to him couldn't be too farfetched, right? "Alright, Kim Haeun, I promise." And he meant it, as much as common sense would try to counsel him otherwise. Nothing made sense these days anyway.
Hyunwoo raised a brow at her question about his mana reserves but nodded at her suggestion. He had been planning to ask her to keep his class a secret, but it seems the girl had been one step ahead of him. "Yeah," he told her, hesitating for a moment before adding, "but I can't pull off what I did to save you earlier. The most I'll be able to manage is a bluff." It was important for him to be transparent now since he had no idea what he would be walking into, and it would be disastrous for her to overestimate his current capabilities.
Soon they were standing before the shelter where Hyunwoo easily managed to notice people hiding on the third floor, as Kim Haeun had informed him. Silently, he studied the barricade and had to at least admit that Go Daeseong did seem to have some idea of how to man defenses. Still, it wouldn't be nearly enough to stop the monster from before. These people weren't going to be safe here anymore.
Per Kim Haeun's request, Hyunwoo crouched to set her down gently, wanting to be considerate of any injuries she may or may not still have. His gaze easily found the man that had been addressed as Daeseong, though Hyunwoo wasn't sure if he was particularly fond of the way the man had spoken to his new companion. "Seong Hyunwoo," he said calmly as he got back to his feet, now standing at a level where he could easily match gazes with the Paladin before him. He wasn't sure of what story Kim Haeun hoped to tell, but he knew it'd be suspicious for him to seem like he was withholding information.
"We were attacked by the monsters. I'm sorry to say that the others won't be returning." It wasn't something he wanted the girl to have to spell out, even if he still didn't know why it was that she and the others had been out there in the first place. Although Hyunwoo hadn't verbally revealed it, his posture was definitely that of a soldier's: stiff, strong, and impersonal. And now the sheath of the sword was being held in his hand, at his side, where he could quickly draw it if he needed to.
What kind of world was this, for that to be his first instinct when meeting a stranger. There was a lot people would do to get their hands on a sword these days.
Her next words left him momentarily speechless. Kim Haeun wanted him to believe in her, she wanted him to promise to do so. Was it even possible to believe in anything these days? Well...Hyunwoo believed that one day he'd liberate Daegu from the monster infestation and that had been chalked up as a fool's errand. By that logic, believing the blind and stubborn optimism of a girl who was still currently little more than a stranger to him couldn't be too farfetched, right? "Alright, Kim Haeun, I promise." And he meant it, as much as common sense would try to counsel him otherwise. Nothing made sense these days anyway.
Hyunwoo raised a brow at her question about his mana reserves but nodded at her suggestion. He had been planning to ask her to keep his class a secret, but it seems the girl had been one step ahead of him. "Yeah," he told her, hesitating for a moment before adding, "but I can't pull off what I did to save you earlier. The most I'll be able to manage is a bluff." It was important for him to be transparent now since he had no idea what he would be walking into, and it would be disastrous for her to overestimate his current capabilities.
Soon they were standing before the shelter where Hyunwoo easily managed to notice people hiding on the third floor, as Kim Haeun had informed him. Silently, he studied the barricade and had to at least admit that Go Daeseong did seem to have some idea of how to man defenses. Still, it wouldn't be nearly enough to stop the monster from before. These people weren't going to be safe here anymore.
Per Kim Haeun's request, Hyunwoo crouched to set her down gently, wanting to be considerate of any injuries she may or may not still have. His gaze easily found the man that had been addressed as Daeseong, though Hyunwoo wasn't sure if he was particularly fond of the way the man had spoken to his new companion. "Seong Hyunwoo," he said calmly as he got back to his feet, now standing at a level where he could easily match gazes with the Paladin before him. He wasn't sure of what story Kim Haeun hoped to tell, but he knew it'd be suspicious for him to seem like he was withholding information.
"We were attacked by the monsters. I'm sorry to say that the others won't be returning." It wasn't something he wanted the girl to have to spell out, even if he still didn't know why it was that she and the others had been out there in the first place. Although Hyunwoo hadn't verbally revealed it, his posture was definitely that of a soldier's: stiff, strong, and impersonal. And now the sheath of the sword was being held in his hand, at his side, where he could quickly draw it if he needed to.
What kind of world was this, for that to be his first instinct when meeting a stranger. There was a lot people would do to get their hands on a sword these days.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
Go Daeseong was originally a civilian. Whatever skills he had learned during the escapade, it was all self-taught, hastily gained out of necessity. The other Chosen were the same. No matter how strong they would be compared to him, Hyunwoo's stance, derived from professional training, was more than enough to suppress them. Their survival instinct, honed from the harsh journey, screamed at them that this wasn't someone they wanted to mess with. At least not in the open.
"Hyunwo-ssi, it's been hard on you," Daeseong mellowed out, showing him an awkward smile. "Thanks for helping our Haeun. She must've been troubling you, right? Come here."
He grabbed Haeun's arm rather roughly before pulling her to his side. She was letting him do it, perhaps out of shock.
"Hyunwo-ssi, you see, she was a troublemaker. She ran away in the middle of the night, stealing our belongings with three other girls. Don't worry about it, they're just little thieves. You don't have to-"
His words hung in the air when he noticed that Haeun had pulled out her knife, and the blade was swung directly at his neck. Daeseong didn't even try to avoid it. A Chosen's body was impervious to conventional weapons thanks to their mana, especially for a Paladin like him. If it was another Chosen, perhaps it would had some effect, but Haeun was a normal human-
He only realized the dim bluish light shrouding the blade when it had pierced deep into his flesh. Haeun gripped the knife harder, her ring scrapping the handle as she twisted it off to cut a nasty gash, almost ripping his neck off entirely.
The rest of the group couldn't even process what had happened before Haeun proceeded to kick Daeseong's limp body toward the other Chosens. She then dashed back to Hyunwoo's side. Her hands, covered in blood, was still trembling from the sudden exertion.
"You b**ch!!! You're an Awakened!!" The other Chosens were holding Daeseong, but it was too late. The burly man choked for a moment before his eyes rolled back in. Dead, just like that.
"Thief? Me?" Haeun chuckled. Her voice carried a seething grudge, as if she wanted to do the same thing to each of their necks as well. "I admit that I had taken those jewelries. Jewelries that you bastards had stolen from us! From the rest of us who had fallen! From my friends!" She almost roared at that point, before her voice returned to an eerie calm. "Did you think I don't know what you guys were planning when you called for us last night?"
Four Chosen. Four young women. It wasn't hard to draw a conclusion.
"Hyunwo-ssi, it's been hard on you," Daeseong mellowed out, showing him an awkward smile. "Thanks for helping our Haeun. She must've been troubling you, right? Come here."
He grabbed Haeun's arm rather roughly before pulling her to his side. She was letting him do it, perhaps out of shock.
"Hyunwo-ssi, you see, she was a troublemaker. She ran away in the middle of the night, stealing our belongings with three other girls. Don't worry about it, they're just little thieves. You don't have to-"
His words hung in the air when he noticed that Haeun had pulled out her knife, and the blade was swung directly at his neck. Daeseong didn't even try to avoid it. A Chosen's body was impervious to conventional weapons thanks to their mana, especially for a Paladin like him. If it was another Chosen, perhaps it would had some effect, but Haeun was a normal human-
He only realized the dim bluish light shrouding the blade when it had pierced deep into his flesh. Haeun gripped the knife harder, her ring scrapping the handle as she twisted it off to cut a nasty gash, almost ripping his neck off entirely.
The rest of the group couldn't even process what had happened before Haeun proceeded to kick Daeseong's limp body toward the other Chosens. She then dashed back to Hyunwoo's side. Her hands, covered in blood, was still trembling from the sudden exertion.
"You b**ch!!! You're an Awakened!!" The other Chosens were holding Daeseong, but it was too late. The burly man choked for a moment before his eyes rolled back in. Dead, just like that.
"Thief? Me?" Haeun chuckled. Her voice carried a seething grudge, as if she wanted to do the same thing to each of their necks as well. "I admit that I had taken those jewelries. Jewelries that you bastards had stolen from us! From the rest of us who had fallen! From my friends!" She almost roared at that point, before her voice returned to an eerie calm. "Did you think I don't know what you guys were planning when you called for us last night?"
Four Chosen. Four young women. It wasn't hard to draw a conclusion.
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Hyunwoo couldn't help but feel guarded at the way the other man's demeanor suddenly shifted. Still, he listened skeptically as Daeseong went on to describe how Kim Haeun had betrayed these people. She had stolen from them, apparently. Yet, the only noteworthy object he could see on the girl was the kitchen knife she carried. He didn't think to search her for anything else earlier, which might have been the smart thing to do, but it would have been a bit inappropriate, too.
Didn't this guy realize that those other three girls he was bad-mouthing were already dead? Hyunwoo's grip on the sword tightened alongside his expression but his eyes soon shot open in surprise as Kim Haeun's blade sliced through the man's throat without warning.
This had been her plan? For the second time today, Kim Haeun startled him with her bold executions of murder. But the time before it was a dying monster, one that had killed her friends. Did she realize it? That the one she killed now was human? Chosen or not, it wasn't easy to carry the burden of stealing someone's life. There were too many uncertainties racing through his mind now, but Hyunwoo forced himself to recall his promise to the girl. He promised to trust her, and so he wouldn't rush to act.
Hyunwoo stepped in front of Haeun protectively as she rushed back to his side, but the way he was currently staring down at these menβ no, not men, monstersβ was as far away from reassuring as possible. Pure hatred and anger filled his eyes as he glowered down at the three who remained alive, all of them seeming even smaller to him now. What they had planned to do was unforgivable. "Three years in prison," he spoke coldly, unsheathing the blade and allowing its sharp tip to scrape at the concrete as he drew in closer, "that would have been your punishment. If you ask me, it's too lenient. And this world we live in now...has no place for leniency."
'Activate Skill: Dark Conjuring.'
Without a specific summon command, the skill lingered in an idle state, waiting for Hyunwoo to finish. But he wouldn't. Instead, he allowed his shadow to expand across all four men. None of his undead allies could come out completely without his permission, but they were still there. Hyunwoo watched without a trace of sympathy as clawed green hands zealously began to grab and tear at what parts of the men they could reach from within the deep shadows. Just as the summons could not come out, the men also could not fall in. But obviously, they still weren't safe, nor could they conclusively identify his class.
"Kim Haeun, what do you want to do about these three?" It wasn't his place to decide. The edge of his blade gleamed with a hunger to draw blood, and the creatures within his shadow snarled viciously for the same reason.
Didn't this guy realize that those other three girls he was bad-mouthing were already dead? Hyunwoo's grip on the sword tightened alongside his expression but his eyes soon shot open in surprise as Kim Haeun's blade sliced through the man's throat without warning.
"No matter what happens next."
This had been her plan? For the second time today, Kim Haeun startled him with her bold executions of murder. But the time before it was a dying monster, one that had killed her friends. Did she realize it? That the one she killed now was human? Chosen or not, it wasn't easy to carry the burden of stealing someone's life. There were too many uncertainties racing through his mind now, but Hyunwoo forced himself to recall his promise to the girl. He promised to trust her, and so he wouldn't rush to act.
Hyunwoo stepped in front of Haeun protectively as she rushed back to his side, but the way he was currently staring down at these menβ no, not men, monstersβ was as far away from reassuring as possible. Pure hatred and anger filled his eyes as he glowered down at the three who remained alive, all of them seeming even smaller to him now. What they had planned to do was unforgivable. "Three years in prison," he spoke coldly, unsheathing the blade and allowing its sharp tip to scrape at the concrete as he drew in closer, "that would have been your punishment. If you ask me, it's too lenient. And this world we live in now...has no place for leniency."
'Activate Skill: Dark Conjuring.'
Without a specific summon command, the skill lingered in an idle state, waiting for Hyunwoo to finish. But he wouldn't. Instead, he allowed his shadow to expand across all four men. None of his undead allies could come out completely without his permission, but they were still there. Hyunwoo watched without a trace of sympathy as clawed green hands zealously began to grab and tear at what parts of the men they could reach from within the deep shadows. Just as the summons could not come out, the men also could not fall in. But obviously, they still weren't safe, nor could they conclusively identify his class.
<< Please designate a creature to summon. >>
"Kim Haeun, what do you want to do about these three?" It wasn't his place to decide. The edge of his blade gleamed with a hunger to draw blood, and the creatures within his shadow snarled viciously for the same reason.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
"Wh-what the hell?!?"
The men were brewing with rage just a few seconds ago, but their anger was immediately doused the moment as Hyunwoo's shadow engulfed them. If they were still doubting whether he was a Chosen or not before, this one act was enough to serve as a definite proof. This man was one of them, an awakened, and in a totally different league than their common-level classes. The sickening green hands clawing and grabbing at them sent dreadful chill down their spines, as if their lives would be forfeit anytime that man felt like it.
"N-no! Please, sir, you have to believe us! T-that b**ch is lying! She's making things up!" One of the Warrior screamed. "You can ask the others! We called them to give punishment for their stealing! We're just trying to keep order among the group! Right, guys?!"
The refugees trembled. They were watching with bated breath, not daring to speak. The Chosens' superhuman strengths were intimidating enough for normal humans, but this? This was the stuff of nightmare. They slowly scooted away from the three, as far from the shadow as possible. Even if they wanted to help, they weren't able to. However, they didn't deny what the Warrior had said either.
"See? We've been risking our lives for this group this entire time! Why would we do something horrible like that to our brothers and sisters!? Awakened-nim, please don't get fooled by her, we beg you..."
The Warrior slowly lowered himself, as if wanting to kneel to Hyunwoo. The other Warrior beside him also started to kneel down, while the Mage at the back-
"Lee Hoseok! Stop him!"
Haeun's yell boomed in the old parking lot. The Warrior had fell on their knees in order to clear the sight for the Mage, whose hand was stretched at Hyunwoo's direction. A searing ball of flame was forming on his palm as he chanted a spell in obscure language. The spell was about to be fired when a young man had darted out of the crowd, catapulting himself at breakneck speed toward the Mage. His fist smashed at the Mage's shoulder, barely in the nick of time before the spell was launched. His punch had managed to push the Mage off balance, causing the ball of fire to fly to the side. The refugees screamed as the resulting explosion shook the parking lot.
"...Soldier-nim, this is how they really are. There's no cure," Haeun muttered, hatred dripping in her voice. "Please put an end to this farce. Oh, but don't hurt Hoseok," She pointed at the young man from before, who was thrown by the explosion to the side.
The men were brewing with rage just a few seconds ago, but their anger was immediately doused the moment as Hyunwoo's shadow engulfed them. If they were still doubting whether he was a Chosen or not before, this one act was enough to serve as a definite proof. This man was one of them, an awakened, and in a totally different league than their common-level classes. The sickening green hands clawing and grabbing at them sent dreadful chill down their spines, as if their lives would be forfeit anytime that man felt like it.
"N-no! Please, sir, you have to believe us! T-that b**ch is lying! She's making things up!" One of the Warrior screamed. "You can ask the others! We called them to give punishment for their stealing! We're just trying to keep order among the group! Right, guys?!"
The refugees trembled. They were watching with bated breath, not daring to speak. The Chosens' superhuman strengths were intimidating enough for normal humans, but this? This was the stuff of nightmare. They slowly scooted away from the three, as far from the shadow as possible. Even if they wanted to help, they weren't able to. However, they didn't deny what the Warrior had said either.
"See? We've been risking our lives for this group this entire time! Why would we do something horrible like that to our brothers and sisters!? Awakened-nim, please don't get fooled by her, we beg you..."
The Warrior slowly lowered himself, as if wanting to kneel to Hyunwoo. The other Warrior beside him also started to kneel down, while the Mage at the back-
"Lee Hoseok! Stop him!"
Haeun's yell boomed in the old parking lot. The Warrior had fell on their knees in order to clear the sight for the Mage, whose hand was stretched at Hyunwoo's direction. A searing ball of flame was forming on his palm as he chanted a spell in obscure language. The spell was about to be fired when a young man had darted out of the crowd, catapulting himself at breakneck speed toward the Mage. His fist smashed at the Mage's shoulder, barely in the nick of time before the spell was launched. His punch had managed to push the Mage off balance, causing the ball of fire to fly to the side. The refugees screamed as the resulting explosion shook the parking lot.
"...Soldier-nim, this is how they really are. There's no cure," Haeun muttered, hatred dripping in her voice. "Please put an end to this farce. Oh, but don't hurt Hoseok," She pointed at the young man from before, who was thrown by the explosion to the side.
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Hyunwoo didn't have the patience for their lies, nor their begging. It was clear to him that while Kim Haeun's actions had been rather drastic, she was not completely in the wrong. Daeseong had revealed earlier that they were aware that Kim Haeun and the others ran off. And yet not a single one of them went out searching for a group of what they knew to be four non-Chosen girls, in a city that they knew was rampant with monsters? That said much more about their character than anything they could have told him.
But even in the midst of this chaotic situation, in which there was no happy ending in sight, Hyunwoo could not bring himself to ignore the rest of the refugees. Even if these men were despicable scum, it wasn't unthinkable that they also did indeed have a role in keeping those people safe- or rather, alive. However, the fact that they would also seek to utilize these people, who had no way of fighting back against them, for their own sick pleasure? Unforgivable.
He wasn't given time to decide on what to do, barely managing to catch sight of a blazing glow from yards back. His eyes widened and for a moment he hesitated. Should he have one of the goblins take the blow? What if the two in front of him chose to attack afterwards? He didn't have enough mana to fight them all, nor did he have the natural buffs of the swordsman class. Haeun's voice interrupted him from a very hasty judgment and Hyunwoo watched in surprise as a young manβ whom Haeun had addressed as Lee Hoseok, charged the mage, narrowly saving him from an attack he had been unprepared for.
Well, he wasn't about to let these men pull another one over on him. "Kim Haeun, catch." The sword had barely been sheathed before Hyunwoo had tossed it over to the girl. Eight months ago he stopped being a soldier, but even now he had his training. And he didn't need mana for what he was about to do.
He grabbed the man who had knelt in front of him by the collar, and pulled the guy's face straight into his bent knee. The severe blow to the nose and forehead instantly knocked the guy out. Without missing a beat, Hyunwoo tossed the guy aside. The other man received a harsh kick to the side of his face that sent him into the ground, but it wasn't quite hard enough to render him unconscious. "If you move even a centimeter, I'll let the monsters have their way with you," Hyunwoo threatened, his voice cold and even as he didn't even bother to specify which monsters he had been referring to. Briefly, he exchanged a look with Haeun before holding his hand out for his sword. Hopefully she would understand they still had the refugees to consider.
At this point, he knew for certain that he didn't want any help from these men, but...that didn't give him the right to tear the hope straight out of the refugees' hands. It was one thing to murder but leaving people for dead while knowing they most certainly were going to die? Hyunwoo wasn't sure if he could sleep with that kind of burden weighing on his mind, not that he slept well or much these days.
But right now, he needed to deal with that mage.
But even in the midst of this chaotic situation, in which there was no happy ending in sight, Hyunwoo could not bring himself to ignore the rest of the refugees. Even if these men were despicable scum, it wasn't unthinkable that they also did indeed have a role in keeping those people safe- or rather, alive. However, the fact that they would also seek to utilize these people, who had no way of fighting back against them, for their own sick pleasure? Unforgivable.
He wasn't given time to decide on what to do, barely managing to catch sight of a blazing glow from yards back. His eyes widened and for a moment he hesitated. Should he have one of the goblins take the blow? What if the two in front of him chose to attack afterwards? He didn't have enough mana to fight them all, nor did he have the natural buffs of the swordsman class. Haeun's voice interrupted him from a very hasty judgment and Hyunwoo watched in surprise as a young manβ whom Haeun had addressed as Lee Hoseok, charged the mage, narrowly saving him from an attack he had been unprepared for.
Well, he wasn't about to let these men pull another one over on him. "Kim Haeun, catch." The sword had barely been sheathed before Hyunwoo had tossed it over to the girl. Eight months ago he stopped being a soldier, but even now he had his training. And he didn't need mana for what he was about to do.
He grabbed the man who had knelt in front of him by the collar, and pulled the guy's face straight into his bent knee. The severe blow to the nose and forehead instantly knocked the guy out. Without missing a beat, Hyunwoo tossed the guy aside. The other man received a harsh kick to the side of his face that sent him into the ground, but it wasn't quite hard enough to render him unconscious. "If you move even a centimeter, I'll let the monsters have their way with you," Hyunwoo threatened, his voice cold and even as he didn't even bother to specify which monsters he had been referring to. Briefly, he exchanged a look with Haeun before holding his hand out for his sword. Hopefully she would understand they still had the refugees to consider.
At this point, he knew for certain that he didn't want any help from these men, but...that didn't give him the right to tear the hope straight out of the refugees' hands. It was one thing to murder but leaving people for dead while knowing they most certainly were going to die? Hyunwoo wasn't sure if he could sleep with that kind of burden weighing on his mind, not that he slept well or much these days.
But right now, he needed to deal with that mage.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
"Whoa, whoa!" Haeun barely managed to stop herself from getting dragged down by the sword when Hyunwoo had delivered percussive justice to the Warriors. She was actually expecting Hyunwoo to end their lives right then and there. Her eyes narrowed at the bruised men. A fleeting thought surfaced at the moment, compelling her to strike them down herself with this the sword, but...
She glanced over at her... former companions. They were huddled at the corner, trembling, a sorry sight to behold. It was a foregone conclusion. It wasn't just the weak who had been sacrificed. The strong, the brave, people with justice in their hearts, they were already gone. If not by the monsters, then by the filthy infighting among themselves. After a grueling eight months, they were all that was left.
Haeun shook her head. It wasn't worth it. In the end, she put the sword back to Hyunwoo's hand.
"Noona!" A lively voice called out. Lee Hoseok was back on his feet. Although his right arm was a bit sore after crashing on the hard concrete, he was as lively as ever.
He was still in high school. If it was the world eight months ago, he should've been with his friends, having a mundane but peaceful school life. Instead, he was stuck in this hell, forcing himself to grow up too quickly. Haeun had a complicated expression as she looked him up and down. He had purplish spots around his body, but aside from that, he seemed well enough. That's good. That's good. She tip-toed to gave him a pat on the head. Damn, what did high-schooler eat these days? He wouldn't lose to Hyunwoo at this rate, given a few years-
"Noona, why did you leave without telling me?! I thought they really did something to you!" He said while swatting Haeun's hand away, his cheeks starting to glow red.
"Sorry, sorry," Haeun laughed. She did tell him about her plan. Well, sort of... she just told him to lay low for a while. Maybe that was too vague. "Soldier-nim, this is Lee Hoseok, a good friend of mine."
"Hello, hyung-nim! Thank you for taking care of noona!" the boy gave him a polite bow. When he looked at the Chosens sprawled on the ground, however, his gaze turned cold. "These guys, what are you gonna do with them?"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... my lord, please let me live, I'll do anything...!" the Mage had long lost his arrogance. With their boss dead, and his friends knocked out, he knew that his life was already forfeit. All he could do was to beg at this grim reaper in front of him. He pleaded desperately with Hyunwoo, asking for leniency. The fear of dying was so overwhelming that his pants was beginning to get wet as he crumbled to the ground.
She glanced over at her... former companions. They were huddled at the corner, trembling, a sorry sight to behold. It was a foregone conclusion. It wasn't just the weak who had been sacrificed. The strong, the brave, people with justice in their hearts, they were already gone. If not by the monsters, then by the filthy infighting among themselves. After a grueling eight months, they were all that was left.
Haeun shook her head. It wasn't worth it. In the end, she put the sword back to Hyunwoo's hand.
"Noona!" A lively voice called out. Lee Hoseok was back on his feet. Although his right arm was a bit sore after crashing on the hard concrete, he was as lively as ever.
He was still in high school. If it was the world eight months ago, he should've been with his friends, having a mundane but peaceful school life. Instead, he was stuck in this hell, forcing himself to grow up too quickly. Haeun had a complicated expression as she looked him up and down. He had purplish spots around his body, but aside from that, he seemed well enough. That's good. That's good. She tip-toed to gave him a pat on the head. Damn, what did high-schooler eat these days? He wouldn't lose to Hyunwoo at this rate, given a few years-
"Noona, why did you leave without telling me?! I thought they really did something to you!" He said while swatting Haeun's hand away, his cheeks starting to glow red.
"Sorry, sorry," Haeun laughed. She did tell him about her plan. Well, sort of... she just told him to lay low for a while. Maybe that was too vague. "Soldier-nim, this is Lee Hoseok, a good friend of mine."
"Hello, hyung-nim! Thank you for taking care of noona!" the boy gave him a polite bow. When he looked at the Chosens sprawled on the ground, however, his gaze turned cold. "These guys, what are you gonna do with them?"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... my lord, please let me live, I'll do anything...!" the Mage had long lost his arrogance. With their boss dead, and his friends knocked out, he knew that his life was already forfeit. All he could do was to beg at this grim reaper in front of him. He pleaded desperately with Hyunwoo, asking for leniency. The fear of dying was so overwhelming that his pants was beginning to get wet as he crumbled to the ground.
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Hyunwoo didn't miss the little glance Kim Haeun had shot towards the refugees, nor had the look in her eyes moments before that gone unnoticed by him. Words didn't need to be shared between them right now. It was enough for the moment that she seemed to understand the situation. But there was much about all of this that he'd need to discuss with her later.
The sheath of the sword felt cooler in his hand now than it did when he'd been squeezing earlier. Anger still swelled within him at the thought of what these despicable Chosen had tried to do, but he couldn't let that blind him right now. And yet he couldn't stop the dark, whispering thoughts that lingered in his mind. What if Eunji had been among these people? Would those men have tried to hurt her too? Had she been among them in the first place? A quick glance over at the survivors easily answered the question but then there was a follow-up question: what if she was one of the unlucky survivors?
With a sharp exhale, Hyunwoo shook the thoughts away. He could ask about Eunji later. As he glanced between Kim Haeun and this Lee Hoseok, who still appeared to be in schoolβ or rather, at the age when he still should have been in school, he couldn't help but find it odd to see them behaving so freely. Such open displays weren't so common these days, not since the first gates opened eight months ago. "You helped me so consider us even," he responded plainly, his own dark gaze briefly glimpsing at the supine forms of the other Chosen before settling on the mage who was now pleading with him. These men had no honor whatsoever, it seemed.
"I haven't yet decided what your fate will be," Hyunwoo coldly admitted to the man, pausing to consider his next words. Only three Chosen remained in this group, minus Kim Haeun. Would that be enough to help the refugees make it to the barricade four towns over? There was no guarantee that the barricade remained standing, or that people were even still being evacuated and rescued from the area.
He turned to Kim Haeun and Lee Hoseok. "Kim Haeun, I need you to get the device that was used to send out that transmission the other day." That same transmission that had brought him out here in the first place. Earlier today he had been hoping to find more allies. Who'd have thought things would play out like this? "Lee Hoseok, I want you to take any weapons and valuables off of the three over there."
The air around him seemed to turn frigid when he returned his attention to the mage. After allowing a very tense moment of silence to pass, Hyunwoo made sure that his next demand would be very clear. "You are going to gather up the refugees and your two friends over there and you're going to lead them all to the outskirts on the south and wait for further instructions," he pressed his thumb up against the hand guard of the blade, teasing it slightly out of its sheath so the mage could see the glimmer of cold, sharp steel, "if you or any of them try to run, my friends and I will make sure none of you ever stop running for as long as you draw breath. Am I clear?"
It was important that Hyunwoo got the rest of them to leave the area, as he had something very important that he needed to think about alone. Needless to say, he wasn't going to allow anyone to move Daeseong's fresh corpse.
The sheath of the sword felt cooler in his hand now than it did when he'd been squeezing earlier. Anger still swelled within him at the thought of what these despicable Chosen had tried to do, but he couldn't let that blind him right now. And yet he couldn't stop the dark, whispering thoughts that lingered in his mind. What if Eunji had been among these people? Would those men have tried to hurt her too? Had she been among them in the first place? A quick glance over at the survivors easily answered the question but then there was a follow-up question: what if she was one of the unlucky survivors?
With a sharp exhale, Hyunwoo shook the thoughts away. He could ask about Eunji later. As he glanced between Kim Haeun and this Lee Hoseok, who still appeared to be in schoolβ or rather, at the age when he still should have been in school, he couldn't help but find it odd to see them behaving so freely. Such open displays weren't so common these days, not since the first gates opened eight months ago. "You helped me so consider us even," he responded plainly, his own dark gaze briefly glimpsing at the supine forms of the other Chosen before settling on the mage who was now pleading with him. These men had no honor whatsoever, it seemed.
"I haven't yet decided what your fate will be," Hyunwoo coldly admitted to the man, pausing to consider his next words. Only three Chosen remained in this group, minus Kim Haeun. Would that be enough to help the refugees make it to the barricade four towns over? There was no guarantee that the barricade remained standing, or that people were even still being evacuated and rescued from the area.
He turned to Kim Haeun and Lee Hoseok. "Kim Haeun, I need you to get the device that was used to send out that transmission the other day." That same transmission that had brought him out here in the first place. Earlier today he had been hoping to find more allies. Who'd have thought things would play out like this? "Lee Hoseok, I want you to take any weapons and valuables off of the three over there."
The air around him seemed to turn frigid when he returned his attention to the mage. After allowing a very tense moment of silence to pass, Hyunwoo made sure that his next demand would be very clear. "You are going to gather up the refugees and your two friends over there and you're going to lead them all to the outskirts on the south and wait for further instructions," he pressed his thumb up against the hand guard of the blade, teasing it slightly out of its sheath so the mage could see the glimmer of cold, sharp steel, "if you or any of them try to run, my friends and I will make sure none of you ever stop running for as long as you draw breath. Am I clear?"
It was important that Hyunwoo got the rest of them to leave the area, as he had something very important that he needed to think about alone. Needless to say, he wasn't going to allow anyone to move Daeseong's fresh corpse.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
The Mage shuddered when Hyunwoo mentioned about his "friends". They had no idea whether it was true or not, but he wasn't going to question it. Not mentioning the ominous shadow, this person's combat prowess was enough to subdue their two Warriors in a flash. There was a high chance that he really had comrades waiting for him. Or maybe... maybe he was part of the rescue operations?
"Yes, yes! We'll do as you said! We'll definitely do as you said!" The Mage quickly scrambled over to his friends. One Warrior was still knocked out cold, so the other one had to carry him on his back. They were unexpectedly obedient when Hoseok came over and stripped them off their gears. From the Warriors he had taken a knife and a makeshift club, while the Mage had no weapon of his own, but he had a crude mana crystal with him. Aside from that, they also had four bottles of lowest-grade healing potions.
"This is all, Hyung!" Hoseok placed it on the ground right beside Hyunwoo. He was quite ecstatic. The grudge in his heart from being beaten up by these adults before were being appeased at the moment.
The refugees gathered near the three Chosens, their gazes still wary at Hyunwoo. No matter how much they had been mistreated by Daeseong and his men, he had indeed genuinely protected these people whenever the monsters attacked. They still trusted them more than this stranger who had suddenly came and brought chaos to their already broken lives. The youngest among them, a little girl, was taking a peek at Hyunwoo before her mother pulled her away to block her sight.
Haeun returned after a while with a battered-looking radio transmitter in her hands. It was run on batteries, a precious resource that they could only use sparingly. The refugees were about to depart south as per Hyunwoo's instructions.
"Hoseok, you go out and keep watch over those guys until they leave the area," she said.
"Okay, noona!"
Silence finally returned after their footsteps disappeared into the distance. In the parking lot, Haeun glanced at Daeseong's bloodied remains. Her handiwork.
"I still want to kill those guys," she suddenly said. "They're... actually not like that from the start. Once they've awakened, something seem to have changed. Maybe it's also their way to cope with everything that had happened. When our previous leader died, Daeseong was the only one strong enough to keep us afloat. He had also suffered a lot. It's... complicated. Oh well, I don't really care about that, though."
She looked at Hyunwoo in the eyes with a faint smile on her face.
"...Do you think I'm a selfish person? Are you disappointed?"
"Yes, yes! We'll do as you said! We'll definitely do as you said!" The Mage quickly scrambled over to his friends. One Warrior was still knocked out cold, so the other one had to carry him on his back. They were unexpectedly obedient when Hoseok came over and stripped them off their gears. From the Warriors he had taken a knife and a makeshift club, while the Mage had no weapon of his own, but he had a crude mana crystal with him. Aside from that, they also had four bottles of lowest-grade healing potions.
"This is all, Hyung!" Hoseok placed it on the ground right beside Hyunwoo. He was quite ecstatic. The grudge in his heart from being beaten up by these adults before were being appeased at the moment.
The refugees gathered near the three Chosens, their gazes still wary at Hyunwoo. No matter how much they had been mistreated by Daeseong and his men, he had indeed genuinely protected these people whenever the monsters attacked. They still trusted them more than this stranger who had suddenly came and brought chaos to their already broken lives. The youngest among them, a little girl, was taking a peek at Hyunwoo before her mother pulled her away to block her sight.
Haeun returned after a while with a battered-looking radio transmitter in her hands. It was run on batteries, a precious resource that they could only use sparingly. The refugees were about to depart south as per Hyunwoo's instructions.
"Hoseok, you go out and keep watch over those guys until they leave the area," she said.
"Okay, noona!"
Silence finally returned after their footsteps disappeared into the distance. In the parking lot, Haeun glanced at Daeseong's bloodied remains. Her handiwork.
"I still want to kill those guys," she suddenly said. "They're... actually not like that from the start. Once they've awakened, something seem to have changed. Maybe it's also their way to cope with everything that had happened. When our previous leader died, Daeseong was the only one strong enough to keep us afloat. He had also suffered a lot. It's... complicated. Oh well, I don't really care about that, though."
She looked at Hyunwoo in the eyes with a faint smile on her face.
"...Do you think I'm a selfish person? Are you disappointed?"
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moonrise
βοΈ status: Low Activity ;-;
Hyunwoo stood still and silent as he stared down at Go Daeseong's lifeless body. A large pool of blood stained the concrete beneath the corpse, and even now it kept growing wider. The blood threatened to brush up against Hyunwoo's boots, yet he didn't move. His expression was unreadable, deathly calm on the outside while a storm of emotions raged within him. It sickened him to even be considering what he was thinking, and yet he couldn't deny that it was a good opportunity. One he didn't exactly want to count on returning again.
After all, with more monsters and gates appearing every couple of weeks, the limited number of Chosen was exactly that. Limited. He had to admit that killing fellow Chosen wasn't ideal when the goal was saving the world and yet...Hyunwoo still wasn't sorry for Go Daeseong's murder, and he didn't regret that he had watched it. Did that make him a horrible person? But with that line of thinking...perhaps this was for the best. Go Daeseong was a scumbag in the end, regardless of who he used to be. At least now the man couldn't abuse his power, but maybe said abilities could still be used for humanity's sake.
He hadn't missed the way the woman from before sheltered her child from him. Of course he looked like the bad guy in this situation, intruding upon these people and beating up those who had been protecting them. It would be unreasonable to expect them to trust or accept him, so he wouldn't. They honestly weren't all that useful to him, anyway. It was definitely terrible to think of fellow people that way but this apocalypse had changed too much. There were normal people and there were the Chosen and they were not the same.
"It's not an excuse," Hyunwoo breathed out slowly, shaking his head and closing his eyes. Even without looking he could still see Go Daeseong lying dead before him. Honestly, he probably wouldn't be forgetting that image any time soon. "The world's always been better off without people like him."
There was a beat of silence as he glanced at his mana gauge in the corner of his menu before he proceeded to answer Kim Haeun's question. "All people are selfish," he finally said, clenching his fists at his side, the sword gripped tightly in one, "it's what's kept us alive, isn't it?" Survival of the fittest, of the craftiest. That was the world they lived in now.
With that in mind Hyunwoo once more forced himself to stare at Go Daeseong's body. He knew what it was he wanted to do, what needed to be done. Yet there was still a part of him that was hesitating. Raising dead monsters was one thing but...a person that his companion had just murdered? Would the skill even work on another Chosen? Well, there was one way to find out. "What do you think, Kim Haeun? Should...should I do it?," he asked in a quiet tone, figuring that he didn't need to elaborate since she'd found him out at the very start.
After all, with more monsters and gates appearing every couple of weeks, the limited number of Chosen was exactly that. Limited. He had to admit that killing fellow Chosen wasn't ideal when the goal was saving the world and yet...Hyunwoo still wasn't sorry for Go Daeseong's murder, and he didn't regret that he had watched it. Did that make him a horrible person? But with that line of thinking...perhaps this was for the best. Go Daeseong was a scumbag in the end, regardless of who he used to be. At least now the man couldn't abuse his power, but maybe said abilities could still be used for humanity's sake.
He hadn't missed the way the woman from before sheltered her child from him. Of course he looked like the bad guy in this situation, intruding upon these people and beating up those who had been protecting them. It would be unreasonable to expect them to trust or accept him, so he wouldn't. They honestly weren't all that useful to him, anyway. It was definitely terrible to think of fellow people that way but this apocalypse had changed too much. There were normal people and there were the Chosen and they were not the same.
"It's not an excuse," Hyunwoo breathed out slowly, shaking his head and closing his eyes. Even without looking he could still see Go Daeseong lying dead before him. Honestly, he probably wouldn't be forgetting that image any time soon. "The world's always been better off without people like him."
There was a beat of silence as he glanced at his mana gauge in the corner of his menu before he proceeded to answer Kim Haeun's question. "All people are selfish," he finally said, clenching his fists at his side, the sword gripped tightly in one, "it's what's kept us alive, isn't it?" Survival of the fittest, of the craftiest. That was the world they lived in now.
With that in mind Hyunwoo once more forced himself to stare at Go Daeseong's body. He knew what it was he wanted to do, what needed to be done. Yet there was still a part of him that was hesitating. Raising dead monsters was one thing but...a person that his companion had just murdered? Would the skill even work on another Chosen? Well, there was one way to find out. "What do you think, Kim Haeun? Should...should I do it?," he asked in a quiet tone, figuring that he didn't need to elaborate since she'd found him out at the very start.
Ranix Aurus
Languishing in Progress
It was typical of Seong Hyunwoo. Haeun wasn't expecting him to comfort her with kind words and a hug, telling her that everything would be okay. His response was quite on the cold side, not taking the blame off of her. She indeed had killed a fellow human with her own hands, something that even Go Daeseong and his goons wouldn't dare to think of so lightly. And yet, she had found comfort from them.
Yes. We are all selfish, but so what?
A heavy stone seemed to be lifted from her shoulders. Her lips unconsciously curved up as she stepped closer to Hyunwoo in order to take a better look at Go Daeseong's corpse. Her handiwork. A reminder that even a Defender-class Chosen, the most proficient in terms of defensive power, was vulnerable when they threw down their guard.
"Do it," she replied. Straight, with a tinge of mockery aimed at the dead man. "He's already gone. I'm sure he would've preferred it rather than becoming those Nightwatchs' meal."
Yes. We are all selfish, but so what?
A heavy stone seemed to be lifted from her shoulders. Her lips unconsciously curved up as she stepped closer to Hyunwoo in order to take a better look at Go Daeseong's corpse. Her handiwork. A reminder that even a Defender-class Chosen, the most proficient in terms of defensive power, was vulnerable when they threw down their guard.
"Do it," she replied. Straight, with a tinge of mockery aimed at the dead man. "He's already gone. I'm sure he would've preferred it rather than becoming those Nightwatchs' meal."
