Solo Clear Chapter 12

Using the Return Amulet, I returned to the training ground.
As soon as I returned, I felt others giving me hostile looks while I walked towards the store.

"a.n.a.lyzing."

There was quartz that the Cobalts mined and I tried to put as many as I could in my inventory.
The amount of quartz that I carried was 30 times more than what I carried during the first day exploration.

"It will be 240,000 Geny."

240,000 Geny.
I hunted for three hours straight on the first day and managed to get 10,000 Geny. This was 24 times more.
With this amount, I'll be able to spend my time comfortably at the training ground.

"Hey, you. Isn't there something you want to say us?"

The clan leader of Survive, Kim Tae Min, approached me while flexing his shoulders.

"No, there's nothing I need to say to you."

Kim Tae Min became angry at my insincere reply that he extended his hand out, but it didn't touch me.

There was an invisible wall to prevent survivors from fighting amongst themselves.

"Instead of sharing the experience points amongst other survivors, you took it all. Majority of the survivors haven't hunted yet!! If they were to move on to the next stage, what do you think will happen? They'll all die. All because of you!!"

Not being able to contain his anger, Kim Tae Min let it all out on me.

"Even with 30 people, you weren't able to block the plot that one person thought of. I feel sorry for you guys."
"Yo-You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!!"
"Isn't a leader someone that doesn't give up and thinks of a plan when everyone else has given up just because the entrances have been blocked? In this case, you're disqualified as a leader."

If I were put in the same situation, I would've probably died because of him.
Knowing that I could hurt my hands, I probably would've removed the rocks.
There was a chance that I could fail.
But there was a big difference between actually trying it and giving up without trying.
Within the training ground, Survive had the most members, but.
They were the group that gave up quickly.

"Do your best during the next stage. There's always a way."

My words were filled with bitterness that it probably made him even angrier.
While there were some that resented me.
There were others that had a bitter smile and understood the true meaning behind my comment.
No matter how you look at it, the first stage has been cleared.

The ones that acknowledged the fact that they couldn't go back, started worrying about how they were going to survive the next stage.
There were so many different ways one could survive.
The problem was which method was the most efficient.

Among the survivors, there were some that stood by the strongest survivor.
Han Ji Suk, the second in command of the guild, hurriedly came up to me.

"You were…really amazing. How were you able to think of something like that?"

I had the same impression when we first talked, but.
This guy's att.i.tude was unpredictable, so I wasn't sure how to treat him.
It seemed like he didn't remember the trouble that I caused when I decided to leave the group.

Moments later, Lee Seul Ki, Choi Min Ki, Goo Tae Myung all stood behind Han Ji Suk.

Great.

"So you guys want me to help you out."

There wouldn't be any other reason as to why they would approach me.
Han Ji Suk seemed to have forgotten his role as the second in command of Survive because he had a bright smile on his face.
"Right, you're not the type to beat around the bush."

As if he was talking to a close friend, his tone became friendlier.

"I'm sorry about what happened when you left the group. If I, no, if all of us did something wrong, then I ask that you forget about them. Starting now, we'll obey your every word."

I didn't expect Han Ji Suk's wall of pride to break down so easily like this.
There was nothing more valuable than one's life, but I was pretty disappointed.

"I don't see Oh Hana anywhere. Where is she?"

Acting like I didn't know anything about it, I asked regarding her whereabouts.
All four of them had a shocked expression on their face.
Maybe it was because they still felt guilty about it.
No, maybe they were regretting it.
Knowing that they couldn't cover up for what they did, they started looking at each other.

"…Unfortunately, Hana died. She didn't catch on…to the Cobalt's attack."

As the silence got longer, Choi Min Ki knew something was off and started mumbling to himself.
I knew he made it up on the spot.
Cobalts don't use poison.
Their main weapon is a pickaxe and after seeing her injury, the depth and the shape didn't match.

"I see. But I did see Oh Hana."

As soon as I said that, their devastated expression turned into a surprised one.
Their faces told me that they were the culprits.
When I looked at them with a curious expression, I noticed Lee Seul Ki's face shaking.
I wonder why.

"Ji Suk made me do it!!"

Goo Tae Myung's eyes were glued to the floor all this time, but he suddenly started talking as if he had made up his mind about it.

"Hey…Goo Tae Myung."
"Hana said that she would continue exploring by herself. She said that she couldn't trust Ji Suk or us, but once she left, she started talking to you and Kim Byung Chul's group!!"
Moments later, Ji Suk turned back to Goo Tae Myung and held him by his collar.
He tried to get him to stop talking by covering his mouth, but the system wouldn't allow it.

"We approached Hana and kept on asking her about. In the end, she told us the whole story. She sold the map to you and used that money to purchase the Grimoire."
"Shut up Goo Tae Myung."
"In order to get revenge on her, Ji Suk went to the store, purchased a vile of poison and gave it to Seul Ki…"
"I said shut up!!"

Han Ji Suk tried to stop him by punching him, but the wall prevented him from hitting Goo Tae Myung.
With a bitter smile, I continued listening to what he had to say.

"It was all part of Ji Suk's plan. We didn't do any wrong."
"Hey, you guys all said that you couldn't forgive Hana for what she did."
"We didn't feel that way at all!! We were just going along with what you said."

Through Goo Tae Myung's confession, I knew he wasn't the only one that went along with what Ji Suk said. The other members were following him as well.
There was no hope for this group.

I'm the one that broke them apart, but I decided not to say anything and just stood there.

"He's right…Ji Suk told me to do it…Why did you want to do it with my dagger? You have the same one as I do. You were trying to put all the blame on me, weren't you?!"
"Wh-what? It was your idea to use the dagger!!!"
"Stop lying!! Hana was a close friend of mine. Sniff, sniff."

Being pa.s.sionate about her feelings, Lee Seul Ki started crying.
But I knew it.
She was just crying so that she wouldn't get blamed for Hana's death. It was despicable.

I couldn't understand it.

I could no longer hear what they were arguing about.
It felt like I was watching a black and white movie that didn't have any sounds.
When I came back to my senses, they were attacking one another as if they were enemies.
The word, teamwork, didn't exist in their dictionary.
To think that the four of them were in a group.
It was interesting how they got along before this happened.

"Stop it."

I just wanted to know why Oh Hana had to die.
Now…right.
I knew they were going to eventually fall, but I suddenly wanted to tease them even more.

"From the Geny that I have, I'll bet 5,000 of them. Would any of you like to brawl with me?"

staff :
Jen (TL)
Uptime (PR)