Memorize - Episode 9
9 Kim Su-hyun Begins the Trial of Passage
"Ugh... I'm so fed up!"
"Eek!"
Park Dong-geol, who had been observing the surroundings, suddenly raised his voice and stepped into the center of the clearing. His sudden outburst startled Lee Shin-woo, who let out a frightened hiss. For a moment, I noticed Park Dong-geol smiling in satisfaction as he looked at Lee Shin-woo.
This was a typical display of dominance, or in simpler terms, showing off. Ahn Sol was trembling in Ahn Hyun's arms. The two other women were reacting differently; one seemed calm, while the other looked displeased with Park Dong-geol's behavior.
"What do you know about this situation? Anything?" Park Dong-geol shouted, his voice echoing through the clearing. "Speak up!"
Ahn Sol and I hadn't noticed the other two women's user information yet, but I decided to observe Park Dong-geol's actions first.
"Are you all mute? Say something!"
"Shut up."
The woman who had been glaring at Park Dong-geol finally stood up. She had been holding back her anger, and it was evident in her rapid breathing.
"Sir, please stop. What are you doing? You're just making things worse."
"What? What are you talking about? Stop what? You're telling me this?"
"That's right. What's wrong with you? Why are you yelling at everyone? We're all in the same situation."
"Is that so? Well, what can you do about it? You're just a foolish woman."
The woman didn't back down, responding strongly to Park Dong-geol's insults. He became enraged, his face reddening, and took a menacing step towards her. However, Ahn Hyun intervened, speaking up for the first time.
"Hey, sir. That's enough."
Park Dong-geol turned to Ahn Hyun with a surprised expression. Ahn Sol was clinging to Ahn Hyun's clothes, and he gently pulled his hand free.
"Let's just go. We don't need to stay here."
Ahn Sol looked up, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Brother...?"
Ahn Hyun's expression hardened, and he turned away, walking towards me. Ahn Sol began to cry, but Ahn Hyun's words seemed to have some effect, as she slowly got up.
Just then, the growling sounds grew louder.
"Ah, it seems we've delayed too long."
I felt a sense of regret, not from fear, but from the possibility that I might lose Ahn Sol here, altering her future.
The growling sounds were getting closer, and it was clear that whatever was making them was almost upon us.
"Deadman," I thought. Deadmen were creatures that, despite their grandiose name, were relatively weak. They had some intelligence and the ability to infect, but the infection could be cured with treatment (though that was impossible here).
One notable characteristic of Deadmen was their ability to change from a slow, lumbering gait to a sprint when they sensed prey.
A Deadman burst out of the forest, its mouth open wide as it charged towards Ahn Sol. Ahn Hyun rushed forward, screaming.
"Sol!"
The others also cried out in fear.
"Ahh... Ahh!"
The scene was chaotic, like something from a zombie movie. The creature's torn flesh flapped as it moved, and its chest had a rock lodged in it—the same rock Park Dong-geol had kicked earlier.
The growling sounds intensified as more Deadmen responded to the commotion.
"Ahh... Ahh!"
Ahn Sol was frozen in fear, and Ahn Hyun rushed to her side. He swung his sword at the Deadman, striking its left arm and severing it. However, the creature merely stumbled before continuing its charge.
"No... No... No!"
The Deadman's mouth was open wide, and Ahn Sol was paralyzed with fear. Ahn Hyun was shouting, trying to protect her.
In that moment, I was certain that my actions would change Ahn Sol's future. I swiftly fired my crossbow.
The arrow flew with a sharp whistling sound, cleanly piercing the Deadman's head. Its weakness was indeed its head, and the arrow easily found its mark. The Deadman collapsed.
The reactions of the others were similar—shock and disbelief.
"Mi... Mi... insane..."
"Huh... Huh..."
Everyone reflexively gripped their weapons, finally realizing the gravity of the situation.
Ahn Hyun quickly supported Ahn Sol and returned to our group, still catching his breath.
All eyes turned to me. I took the lead, moving forward. We had defeated one Deadman, but more would soon arrive. The growling sounds were increasing, indicating that more creatures were gathering.
I began walking without a word, knowing that we needed to move quickly to avoid being surrounded.
As I walked, I thought about the situation. The clearing where we were summoned was in the middle of a forest, surrounded by trees. I decided to move in the opposite direction from where Park Dong-geol had kicked the rock.
Even after taking just a few steps from the clearing, the atmosphere seemed to darken. The trees and grass ahead appeared ominous.
The growling sounds were unsettling, and I could sense the footsteps of the others following me. Despite their anxiety, they seemed to have some courage to act.
However, my plan was already faltering from the start.
"Hey, Sol. Get up quickly. We need to follow that guy," Ahn Hyun said, trying to motivate his sister.
"I don't want to... I'm scared..."
"Then stay here alone. I'll go somewhere else."
Ahn Hyun's bluff seemed to work somewhat, as Ahn Sol finally stood up, though still crying.
"Wait... Brother..."
Ahn Hyun pretended to leave, but his words had some effect. Ahn Sol began to follow, still sniffling.
"I'm sorry... Don't leave me..."
Ahn Hyun's expression was firm, but he quickly returned to support Ahn Sol, urging her to keep up.
As they argued, the growling sounds grew louder.
"Brother... Brother... Don't leave me..."
Ahn Hyun finally raised his voice.
"Get up now! Understand the situation!"
Ahn Sol was still crying, but she slowly began to move.
Just then, the Deadman appeared.
"Rrr... Rrr... Rrr... Rrr..."
The creature charged towards Ahn Sol, and Ahn Hyun rushed to defend her.
"Sol!"
The others also screamed in fear.
"Ahh... Ahh!"
The scene was chaotic, with the Deadman's torn flesh flapping as it moved. Its chest had the rock lodged in it—the same one Park Dong-geol had kicked earlier.
The growling sounds intensified as more Deadmen responded to the commotion.
"Ahh... Ahh!"
Ahn Sol was frozen in fear, and Ahn Hyun rushed to her side. He swung his sword at the Deadman, striking its left arm and severing it. However, the creature merely stumbled before continuing its charge.
"No... No... No!"
The Deadman's mouth was open wide, and Ahn Sol was paralyzed with fear. Ahn Hyun was shouting, trying to protect her.
In that moment, I was certain that my actions would change Ahn Sol's future. I swiftly fired my crossbow.
The arrow flew with a sharp whistling sound, cleanly piercing the Deadman's head. Its weakness was indeed its head, and the arrow easily found its mark. The Deadman collapsed.
The reactions of the others were similar—shock and disbelief.
"Mi... Mi... insane..."
"Huh... Huh..."
Everyone reflexively gripped their weapons, finally realizing the gravity of the situation.
Ahn Hyun quickly supported Ahn Sol and returned to our group, still catching his breath.
All eyes turned to me. I took the lead, moving forward. We had defeated one Deadman, but more would soon arrive. The growling sounds were increasing, indicating that more creatures were gathering.
I began walking without a word, knowing that we needed to move quickly to avoid being surrounded.