“Hmmm… Really? Go ahead and ask. But before that, do you want some of this jerky? It’s a bit shriveled from the cold, but it’s surprisingly edible.”
Eom Hong-Joong handed over the jerky with an innocent expression. His face showed pure goodwill.
“…”
The problem is that this isn’t a situation where he should be showing pure goodwill towards me.
I’m holding a sword in my hand. My expression is tense. My voice is cold.
In a typical scenario, an ordinary person would either be scared or feel pressured and ready themselves for battle. Not offering jerky like this.
“Thank you.”
For now, I took the jerky and shoved it into my mouth. I’ve eaten so much of it over countless regressions that I felt like I might vomit, but I just swallowed it down.
“What? Can you really just swallow it like that? I want to try it too!”
Surprised by what I did, Eom Hong-Joong followed suit and swallowed the jerky whole.“Gak, gak…”
He immediately started choking, hitting the ground with his hands while trying to catch his breath.
Watching him struggle, I finally brought up the main topic.
“Mr. Hong-Joong.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“Where are you planning to go right now? It looks like you’re packing.”
“Me? I’m thinking of going over there.”
Even though we were inside the fortress, unable to see outside, I could immediately grasp where he was pointing.
“…The mountains?”
“Yep!”
Eom Hong-Joong smiled brightly as he tightened the straps on his leather pouch. He carefully checked the condition of his winter gear, then stood up straight away.
“No, no, why are you suddenly planning to go to the mountains?”
I had pegged him as just a suspicious guy, but I never expected him to suddenly decide to trek into the mountains like a madman. Especially now, in the middle of a survival mission! He wants to head into the mountains in such a situation? Why?
“Well… because I want to?”
Eom Hong-Joong looked at me as if I were asking the most obvious question in the world, leaving me feeling like I was the strange one here.
“It’s cold outside.”
“We’ve got winter gear, don’t we?”
“What about at night? You could freeze to death.”
“Well… that could happen.”
Eom Hong-Joong rolled his eyes around once.
“But still, if I want to do something, I just have to do it.”
“…”
“It’s not like I’m causing harm to anyone, and there’s no real problem… So what's the big deal? If I die… Well, that’s just how it is. Anyway, I’m off.”
With a carefree laugh, Eom Hong-Joong headed toward the fortress gate.
Doing something just because you want to…
This man is not normal.
Outside, snow is falling. It’s unbearably cold. On top of that, we’ve just been given a foreboding ‘survival mission.’
And in this situation, he suddenly decides to climb a mountain? Just because he feels like it?
He’s nothing more than a lunatic. A deranged man who’s somehow survived up to the 4th floor by sheer luck.
“…”
Yet, despite all this, I couldn’t say a word.
Before me, Eom Hong-Joong was truly free. Whether this man lives or dies, I don’t know, but there’s a high chance he’ll die. But he doesn’t care. He has no fear in the face of challenge.
Why do most people shy away from reckless challenges? Even when an inexplicable desire stirs within them, they’re too afraid of losing the opportunity cost, so they don’t take the leap.
But this man… he doesn’t care about any of that. Even on the brink of death, he would still climb that mountain.
If a man who only lives once can act this way, what was I so afraid of?
Why did I think the 4th floor was meant for defense? Because it’s cold outside? Because of the sturdy fortress? Because the monsters change forms every time?
Why did I follow the established rules? Was leaving the fortress really, truly impossible? Even after wracking my brain, can I really not do it?
Of course, heading to the mountains is a 100% suicidal act. The terrain is difficult, it’s colder at higher altitudes, and there are variables like altitude sickness. Not to mention, there’s a history of flying monsters appearing, so there’s no guarantee that monsters won’t come.
However…
Leaving the fortress itself seemed like a gamble worth taking.
I quickly took the portal back to reality, gathered all the necessary information, and immediately bit my lip.
You have been injured. Returning to the moment you first entered the 4th floor.***
-117 : 11 : 00
Not even three hours had passed since the 4th floor began.
Having finished all preparations, I stepped in front of the group.
“From now on, we will prepare to leave the fortress.”
“…?”
“…?”
Everyone looked confused, tilting their heads in bewilderment, but I didn’t care.
“What we need to make are sleds, tents using the spare winter gear, and snowshoes. If we prepare quickly, I estimate we can be ready within six hours, and our goal is to depart before the sun sets.”
“…”
“We will survive. Outside this fortress. Any questions?”
“…Is he insane?”
“Can’t you see it’s snowing? It’s freezing out there.”
The players were in shock, their mouths hanging open. They thought I was just a strong player, but they clearly hadn’t expected such a bombshell declaration.
“This is… a bit much…”
Even the formidable Yoon Jung-hyun showed signs of discomfort, finding it difficult to accept this plan as is. However, this level of resistance was within my expectations.
“I understand what you’re all thinking. But I have solid reasoning behind this.”
I pulled out an old book I had prepared in advance and waved it in front of them.
“You all remember discovering the hidden library on the 1st floor, right? Some of you even saw it with your own eyes…”
“Well, yeah…”
“We did see it…”
Seeing them nod, albeit reluctantly, I continued.
“This book contains the following words: ‘An unavoidable death approaches. Flee straight toward the rising sun. Only that will ensure survival.’ We’ve discovered a hidden piece, an easy route to survival. We’ve struck gold here, so what’s there to hesitate about?”
Of course, it was all a complete lie. The book was just a manual on noble dining etiquette. Everything I said just now was fabricated.
“How can we trust that? It’s in a language none of us have seen before—Can’t you just make stuff up?”
“That’s not the case. There’s a witness right here. How long are you going to keep denying it?”
At my signal, a man wearing glasses nervously stepped forward. Clearing his throat, he solemnly declared in a slightly shaky voice.
“T-The statements made by this person are all true. My trait is an A-rank trait called ‘Complete Analysis’... Are there any non-Koreans here?”
To demonstrate, Kyung-nam began analyzing languages on the spot, switching between English, Spanish, French, and even the languages of otherworlders. This finally got people murmuring amongst themselves.
“…Could this be real?”
“So we really were lucky enough to find a hidden piece?”
Watching Kyung-nam tremble with guilt, I knew he was fully aware that I had lied. He just needed a little ‘persuasion’ to go along with it.
***
An hour ago:
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Kyung-nam.”
“Excuse me? Who are you?”
“I saved you during the tutorial, remember? Or have you forgotten when I sliced off the Minotaur’s head…”
“Oh… uh? You mean back then…!”
“And on the 3rd floor, I got to know Kyung-joon…”
“No way, really? Wow, what a small world…!”
“And I heard you’re dating Da-hye, right? Here, take these two intermediate potions. I got them on the 3rd floor, but I have no use for them…”
“…Thank you, thank you so much! I really want to do something for you, but I don’t have anything right now…”
“Oh, don’t say that. There’s definitely something you can do for me.”
***
Through that process, I managed to persuade him. Truly, wasn’t it a gentlemanly approach?
While Kyung-nam was busy proving his abilities, I discreetly approached Yoon Jung-hyun and dropped the line, “I have connections with Michael Jeter!”
At the same time, I casually mentioned the Player Association, and I could see the trust forming in his eyes.
Soon, the players’ perception shifted from “Is this guy crazy?” to “Does he know something we don't?”
Just as the consensus was starting to lean toward “Maybe leaving the fortress is the right choice?”
“Wait, hold on. Sure, let’s say we can somehow survive out there. But what about the otherworlders?”
A woman with a pronounced chin who controlled fire stepped forward, her expression sour.
“Sure, the ground might be visible now… but once the snow piles up and the weather worsens, ordinary people won’t survive. Are you saying we should leave the otherworlders behind in the fortress?”
Wait, this woman… She used to complain, “Why do we even have to take care of the otherworlders?” And now she’s upset for the exact opposite reason.
But she wasn’t wrong. In extreme conditions, the weakest are the first to die. And here, the weakest are the otherworlders. If things go according to my plan, they will indeed be the most vulnerable.
Of course, I had prepared for this too.
“We’ll be bringing a lot of wood. We can just start a fire. And why are you worried about the otherworlders?”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“We’ll be fine.”
Baron Jorge nodded with a warm smile.
“I also think that leaving the fortress and escaping is a sound strategy. The same goes for my people.”
When I first explained the plan to Baron Jorge, he was deeply contemplative.
Escape outside the fortress? The idea itself wasn’t bad. After all, there’s a chance monsters could emerge from within the fortress.
But outside, it’s cold. The environment itself is life-threatening. At least within the fortress, there’s no risk of freezing to death.
Stay safe inside the fortress, or take a gamble and head outside. Both options were compelling, and Baron Jorge wrestled with the decision.
“Do you know what this is?”
“What is that? It’s glowing… Could it be… an Elixir…?”
“That’s right. I’m giving this to you.”
“…”
“This may be the lowest grade, but its effects are undeniable. Just a single drop can instantly heal shallow wounds. With this, the chances of your people surviving will increase significantly, don’t you think?”
“I’ll cooperate.”
A small gift exchanged hands, and Baron Jorge was ‘persuaded’ as well. Clearly, I’m brimming with leadership qualities.
“The otherworlders are fine with it, so is there any reason to oppose?”
“…”
The woman with the pronounced chin clammed up, silent as if someone who had swallowed honey.
With her subdued, I turned back to the rest of the players to finish what I had to say.
“By the way, for those of you who might refuse to join us due to personal beliefs… you’ll need to have a talk with me. We survive by sticking together. I won’t tolerate any lone wolves.”
I punctuated my words by slamming my foot on the ground, just as I had in previous runs, to show my strength. Then, I grabbed the back of Eom Hong-Joong’s collar as he tried to sneak away.
“N-No… I need to go to the mountains alone…”
“Stop your nonsense and come with us.”
“Alright…”
This time, I’ll make sure everyone survives.
– – – End of Chapter – – -
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