The Player Who Must Kill the Regressor to Survive.

Chapter 6

—–CROW—– 

“Who…?”

Kwon Na-ye looked at Hae-jin quizzically.

Just who was this person who suddenly appeared?

And what kind of person could snatch the bow and arrow she was about to reflexively shoot so quickly?

To Na-ye, who asked him who he was, Hae-jin introduced himself.

“My name is Park Hae-jin.”

“Park Hae-jin… Could you be…?”

“That’s right, the ‘Park Hae-jin’ you’re thinking of.”

Flinch!

Na-ye was startled at the confirmation that he was indeed the Park Hae-jin she was thinking of.

It was inevitable.

The Park Hae-jin she knew was none other than the person who had slaughtered the most people in the Trial Grounds.

And this man who suddenly appeared before her claimed to be that very Park Hae-jin.

Moreover, she couldn’t disbelieve him, because just from his movements a moment ago, it was clear he wasn’t an ordinary person.

An exceptional athlete?

‘No, even that… couldn’t explain those movements.’

Since archery is a sport where one stands still and shoots, many people think that archers have relatively less strength and other physical attributes compared to athletes in sports with more movement.

However, the amount of training archers undergo for stamina to maintain high concentration and unwavering strength is no less than that of athletes in other sports.

In other words, it meant that even ordinary athletes couldn’t easily snatch the bow and arrow from her hand.

Furthermore, after experiencing the Trial Grounds, Na-ye had felt a dramatic change in her own physical abilities.

But for him to snatch her equipment in the blink of an eye…

Kwon Na-ye considered the possibility that the man before her was truly Park Hae-jin, who had placed first in the first trial.

‘Even if this person isn’t really Park Hae-jin… he’s definitely stronger than me.’

Na-ye could feel it.

Hae-jin’s strength.

Even if he wasn’t the real Hae-jin, he was a man she couldn’t handle.

Instead of saying anything else, she first asked him why he had come to find her.

“Why did you come looking for me?”

“I need you, Na-ye-ssi.”

“Y…You?!”

Na-ye was taken aback by Hae-jin’s blunt words.

‘He needs me…?’

She didn’t understand.

She had never seen Hae-jin before in her life.

All Na-ye knew about Hae-jin was that he was the person who had killed the most people in the unbelievably unrealistic survival game.

But Na-ye thought this about him.

‘I’m not in a position to criticize him.’

In the first trial, Na-ye had also committed murder.

It couldn’t be helped.

There were only two kinds of people there: those who tried to kill her and those who tried to take advantage of her.

So she fought back, and Na-ye too had to kill in order to survive.

Even though Hae-jin had killed many people, she herself was also a murderer.

Although the number of people they had killed differed drastically.

Not tens, not hundreds, but thousands.

Wasn’t that an unrealistic number?

But then again…

‘This whole situation itself is unrealistic.’

The survival game itself was an unrealistic event, making it pointless to consider reality.

Besides, wasn’t there a saying?

If you kill one person, you’re a murderer; if you kill ten, you’re a serial killer.

Kill a thousand, and you’re a general; kill ten thousand, and you’re a hero; kill a million, and you’re a conqueror; kill more than that, and you’re a god.

This was different from a simple murderer, having killed thousands alone.

Anyway… at Hae-jin’s words that he needed her, Na-ye wore an expression of incomprehension.

“Why do you need me?”

“Because I need you.”

“So why?”

Na-ye asked why he needed her.

To her, Hae-jin shrugged, holding the bow he had just taken.

“You’re good at archery, aren’t you?”

“…You came looking for me because of that?”

Na-ye looked at him with a bewildered expression.

Looking into her eyes, Park Hae-jin suddenly remembered Na-ye, whom he had been with before regressing.

“[Why don’t you take care of yourself? Just leave it to the leader and stay safe! It’s hard having to cover for you all the time!]”

Na-ye had often nagged him like a mother.

At first, he found it annoying.

He could fight well even without Na-ye’s cover.

Still, she always scolded him, saying it was bothersome to have to cover for him.

But…

As they spent time together, he realized.

That she was saying all this because she was worried about him.

That was why he had come to Na-ye first.

Excluding the leader, he cared for Na-ye more than any other member.

‘Of course, Na-ye now wouldn’t know.’

It couldn’t be helped.

Only two people had regressed in this world.

Park Hae-jin himself and Joo-hyuk hyung, the leader.

And Hae-jin had killed Joo-hyuk hyung with his own hands.

Now, Hae-jin was the only Regressor in this world.

Only he held the memories of the comrades he had been with.

So Na-ye looked at Hae-jin quizzically.

‘Why is she looking at me like that?’

Of course she wouldn’t know.

From Na-ye’s perspective, Hae-jin was a stranger.

To her, Hae-jin said,

“I’ll give you information about the next Trial Grounds. If you benefit from it, will you join my side?”

“What?”

Na-ye was taken aback.

Hae-jin’s offer was too bewildering.

He suddenly appeared and asked her to join his side.

‘What does he expect me to believe?’

He did give a reason.

That she was good at archery.

But she wondered if that was enough reason to bring her into his team in the Trial Grounds that had suddenly begun.

Of course, if what Hae-jin said was true, it wouldn’t be bad for Na-ye.

Since he was offering information about the second Trial Grounds, which would start on February 1st, if it was true, she should accept it even if she had to beg.

However, what Na-ye was most curious about was,

‘How does this person know that information?’

Hae-jin could see everything.

Just by looking at Na-ye’s expression, he could tell what she was thinking.

‘She must be wondering why I’m asking her to team up and how I know about the next Trial Grounds.’

But he had no intention of explaining everything in detail.

After the second trial, she would inevitably come to trust him.

“I know this might sound strange, suddenly appearing and saying these things. Let’s meet again after surviving the second Trial Grounds. I’ll tell you what you need to do in the next Trial Grounds, as a show of good faith.”

“You’re just going to tell me what the next Trial Grounds is about?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“You have no reason to offer me such information.”

“Why wouldn’t I have a reason? I think I explained it just now.”

“Because I’m good at archery?”

That was also true.

After all, Na-ye was the Divine Archer chosen by Joo-hyuk hyung, the leader before regressing.

But since Hae-jin roughly knew her personality, he just told her his true feelings.

“Yes, to be more precise…”

“To be more precise?”

“Because I need you.”

“…”

Suddenly, Na-ye blushed at Hae-jin’s words.

Seeing this, Hae-jin was puzzled.

‘Was Na-ye originally like this?’

She was quite different from the Na-ye he knew.

It couldn’t be helped.

Before regressing, Joo-hyuk hyung, the leader, had gathered them.

Naturally, Hae-jin in the past had gotten to know Na-ye only after joining the party at Joo-hyuk’s suggestion, so this side of her was unfamiliar.

Anyway, seeing Na-ye seemingly embarrassed, Hae-jin waved his hands dismissively.

“Ah, I’m busy, so let’s end the small talk here. I’ll tell you what you should do in the next Trial Grounds.”

Hae-jin didn’t engage in any further conversation with Na-ye, only explaining what she should do in the next Trial Grounds.

After finishing the explanation, he exchanged numbers with her, telling her to contact him after the next Trial Grounds.

After all this was done, Hae-jin said,

“Then I’ll be going. Ah! And here. Sorry for taking it while we were talking.”

“Ah!”

Hae-jin returned the bow he had taken from Na-ye.

Having received her bow back, Hae-jin said to Na-ye,

“Then I’ll contact you after the second Trial Grounds. See you then.”

Hae-jin spoke as if he was about to leave immediately.

Seeing this, Na-ye spoke.

“Wait…!”

Whoosh!

Before she could say anything more, Hae-jin’s figure vanished.

Seeing this, Na-ye was startled.

“Wh… What?!”

It was natural to be surprised when the person in front of her suddenly disappeared.

This was a skill only Hae-jin, who had inherited Leader Joo-hyuk’s abilities, could use.

‘Shadow Blink,’ which allowed him to move to the shadow of a target of his choosing.

It was a skill that players who had just finished the first Trial Grounds wouldn’t even get a glimpse of for several trials to come.

Since his conversation with Na-ye was over, he needed to meet ‘Lee Sang,’ the next team member to recruit.

*

“Where’s Lee Sang?”

“He’s practicing.”

“He’s persistent. That survival game or whatever is probably going to cancel the tournament anyway.”

“You’re telling me.”

The professional gamers chosen as national representatives along with Lee Sang chatted in the pro gamer team lounge, holding their coffees.

The sudden upheaval in the world, the Trial Grounds.

In modern times, it was commonly called the ‘survival game.’

They were all preparing for the national team matches, but since this incident was such a big issue, the gamers thought the matches would be canceled.

Hearing this, Park Hae-jin thought.

‘They know.’

Hae-jin had used Shadow Blink, thinking of these professional gamers, to meet Lee Sang.

He was in his invisible state in case they were surprised by him suddenly appearing from the shadows.

But while on his way to meet Lee Sang, Hae-jin stopped and nodded upon hearing their conversation over coffee.

Hae-jin, who had regressed, knew that all the national matches being prepared for had indeed been suspended.

It wasn’t just the national matches that were the problem.

Since those who had died in the survival game could no longer pursue their careers normally, there was a major upheaval in those occupational fields.

But that was beside the point. What was important to Hae-jin now wasn’t whether the national matches would be held or not.

‘Where’s Lee Sang?’

Hae-jin checked the presences around him.

He sensed the presence of one person alone in a room.

‘Blink.’

Whoosh!

Hae-jin’s figure, who had been watching the professional gamers while invisible, moved.

Blink, a short-range teleportation magic.

It allowed him to move to a desired location within a certain range.

After moving, Hae-jin could see.

‘He’s working hard.’

The figure of Lee Sang, the professional gamer, diligently practicing.

Unlike his other teammates, who had already given up, saying the national matches would be canceled because of the survival game, he continued to practice without stopping.

Seeing this, Hae-jin was silent for a moment.

It was heartbreaking to see him practicing so hard for a match that wouldn’t even be held.

“…”

It couldn’t be helped.

Because Lee Sang had said this to him.

“[I’m glad I met you hyungs and noonas. I thought being a pro gamer was my whole life. Honestly, I wanted to die when I couldn’t do it anymore.]”

Hae-jin hadn’t really understood this.

Lee Sang had already earned enough money, so why was he so dedicated to his profession?

He could have found something else to do if he couldn’t continue.

Anyway, that was how dedicated Lee Sang was to his profession as a professional gamer.

But before he died last time, Lee Sang had said this.

“[Still, I was happy to meet you hyungs and noonas.]”

Remembering that, Hae-jin said inwardly,

‘This time, let’s survive together and be happy until the end, Sang-ah.’

—–CROW—– 

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