Memorize - Episode 17
17 Split in Half
"Lure. We need to lure those things."
"What? You want to draw in those monsters?"
Similar, but slightly off the mark. I shook my head. Most looked at me blankly, but Kim Han-byeol raised her eyebrows, seeming to understand what I meant. Anyway, some explanation seemed necessary.
"No. Not drawing them in, but having one person act as bait to lead those monsters away."
I paused briefly and pointed my finger into the forest. As everyone's gaze followed, turning back to the forest, I continued speaking.
"If we cause a commotion, the monsters will surely rush to catch the bait. While maintaining that aggro, we'll lure them deep into the forest. Meanwhile, the others can cross over that wall. That way, we can escape the forest."
I deliberately emphasized that we could escape the forest in a hopeful tone, but skepticism appeared on everyone's faces. It wasn't a positive reaction. They didn't seem to like it much. But the fact that no one said anything indicated they clearly thought it had some validity. Of course, for this plan to work, there was one essential problem that would inevitably arise.
It's obvious without saying. In short, who will play the role of bait? They might think it's doable if the zombies just walked slowly, but Deadmen switch to running when they spot prey. This means the person luring them could be surrounded and become their prey in an instant if they're not careful.
Everyone looked at each other for a while, but as expected, the quick-witted Kim Han-byeol pinpointed the core issue.
"So in the end, one person has to sacrifice themselves, right?"
"That's right."
"Who's going to do it?"
Silence. With the moment to escape the forest right before their eyes, no one would be eager to volunteer. Understanding such feelings, I let out a light sigh and raised my hand. It seemed mentally easier for me to do it myself rather than sending someone else and worrying.
"The person who brought it up should do it. I'll go."
"Absolutely not. It's too dangerous."
"Oppa, Han-byeol is right. Let's just hide and wait a bit longer, okay?"
Kim Han-byeol's immediate opposition and Lee Yoo-jung's persuasion. Since this level of reaction was within my expectations, I shared the thoughts I had prepared in advance.
"We can't keep waiting forever. We don't know when they'll discover us."
"We could try going in a different direction."
Kim Han-byeol again? I shook my head once more and countered.
"Moving takes time, and it'll be evening soon. If we want to escape, this time frame is our last chance."
"Still..."
Seeing Kim Han-byeol still showing a skeptical reaction, I spoke with more force in my voice than usual. Of course, remembering her uncomfortable face when Lee Yoo-jung spoke casually earlier, I was still speaking formally to Kim Han-byeol.
"If there's no opening, we have to create one. There's no guarantee that another location will be better than here."
Unable to find a rebuttal, Kim Han-byeol closed her mouth with a heavy expression. A moment of silence passed. Inwardly, they seemed to feel relieved that they wouldn't have to play the bait role themselves, while also feeling sorry for me. This was the difference between them and Park Dong-geol.
Park Dong-geol called this hypocrisy. If I were to say it now, Park Dong-geol and I had some similarities in our thinking. The old me might have snapped at them not to be fake, but with these people, I needed to remain the quietly supportive older brother figure. If Park Dong-geol had restrained himself from showing off or had been useful, I might not have just let him go. I chuckled inwardly at this idle thought.
An unexpected person broke the silence that had fallen over the place.
"Then... um... it's too dangerous for Su-hyun oppa, isn't it?"
Turning my head, I saw Ahn Sol mumbling with a flushed face. Is she worried about me? Touched by her concern, I wanted to give her a kiss on the cheek, but with the doting Ahn Hyun present, I settled for just smiling brightly. While pretending to keenly observe the surroundings, I continued speaking.
"We can't kick away the chance to escape the forest when it's right in front of us. I always thought I'd have to take this level of risk at some point anyway. It's just that the time has come a bit earlier."
"But still..."
"It might sound silly coming from a 23-year-old, but I'm the oldest here. If I don't step up now, when will I?"
Speaking with a good-natured tone, Ahn Sol's face seemed to brighten a little. Then, Ahn Hyun, who had been silent until now, spoke for the first time. He looked like he had made some internal decision after thinking deeply.
"Hyung."
"Yes?"
"When I was facing those monsters earlier, I noticed they seem to walk normally but start running when they spot people. There's a chance you could get caught while luring them."
"That's true, but it looked like they were just moving at a fast walk? I'm confident I won't get caught if I run at full speed. I'll just think of it as doing the morning jog we used to do at roll call."
"Even if we manage to escape... what... what will you do... afterwards?"
Kim Han-byeol, who had been listening quietly, raised another objection. What's with her suddenly? And did I just hear her say "oppa"? Did I mishear? I tilted my head and replied.
"I'll think about that when the time comes. Anyway, I think this is our only option. I want everyone, including Han-byeol-ssi, to focus only on getting out of this forest for now."
"Then let me go with you, hyung. We can't just leave this task to you alone. I'll go too."
You'd better just stay put. As soon as Ahn Hyun finished speaking, Ahn Sol's eyes widened, and she tightly gripped his collar. I looked at Ahn Hyun's face with an incredulous expression and let out a deep sigh.
"No. You must go with the others no matter what."
"Why? There's no need for you to take on the risk alone, hyung."
"There might be more of those things even after crossing that wall. We need someone to protect the group in case of unexpected situations. Besides, it's easier to do the luring alone."
"But still..."
"And you have your sister."
At the mention of Ahn Sol, Ahn Hyun immediately closed his mouth. Ahn Sol's gaze towards me was filled with complex emotions. Gratitude. Worry. Guilt. Usually, I dislike people like Ahn Sol, but strangely, I found myself thinking she wasn't so bad.
After some time passed, Ahn Hyun, who had been silent, barely managed to nod.
"...Alright then. I'm counting on you, hyung."
"Good. I want to live too, you know. Trust me on this."
"Okay. I'll trust you."
"You can trust me. Let's strike while the iron is hot. I'll act right away. Everyone, keep low. When I think I've lured them enough, Hyun, you immediately lead the others and run. Don't look back, and don't do anything stupid like coming back. Just keep running forward no matter what. Got it?"
None of the women said anything. They all had complicated expressions. I could see a mix of relief at the possibility of survival and self-reproach for not volunteering when asked about the bait role. As I loaded the crossbow and prepared to move out, I could hear Kim Han-byeol, Lee Yoo-jung, and Ahn Sol each say something.
"...I'm sorry."
"Oppa... thank you. Please don't die."
"Be careful..."
In response to their sincere concern, I replied with a strong voice.
"Good luck."
I immediately sprang into action. Of course, I came out from where the group was hiding, but that doesn't mean I started making a commotion right away. If I shouted here, there was a chance the hidden group might be discovered in the worst case. After quickly surveying the surroundings, my eyes caught sight of some rocks at the end of the uphill path. I thought that if I climbed up there, I could see the outside situation and all the Deadmen would be able to spot me. The trees weren't as large in circumference as before, but they were still sufficient to hide behind while moving alone.
I hunched down as much as possible and moved between the trees. I had to minimize my breathing and footsteps while avoiding detection by those creatures. Maintaining stealth wasn't particularly challenging for me, as I had plenty of experience. Suddenly, memories of my first run through the Trial of Passage flashed through my mind.
In the clearing, Park Dong-geol and Lee Yoo-jung fought, and the Deadmen swarmed in because of the rock he kicked. Back then, I only thought about saving myself and ran away alone. I wandered around the forest for two days, not knowing which direction to go and just trying to avoid danger. Comparing then to now makes me laugh.
I could have responded more calmly. There might have been other options. Such thoughts suddenly occurred to me.
I reduced my breathing and muffled my footsteps. In that state, I steadily moved while hiding my body between the trees. The rock pile I was aiming for wasn't particularly high, but since the rocks were rounded, the Deadmen wouldn't be able to climb it easily. I also wanted to see if there were any villages or buildings visible beyond the stone wall, even if from a distance.
During the movement between about twenty trees, I wasn't detected even once. Before I knew it, I had arrived in front of the rock pile. After briefly surveying the surroundings, I was able to quickly climb to the top. The open view and the situation below came into sight at once. Looking beyond the stone wall, unfortunately, I couldn't see any villages or buildings, but I wasn't too worried as I'd likely find something as I moved towards the center.
I inwardly felt relieved that I had given up on a frontal assault. My judgment based on magic detection hadn't been wrong. As I looked at the Deadmen visible in all directions, I was able to slowly stand on top of the rock pile. Glancing at the spot where my companions were hiding, I could see Ahn Hyun peeking out his head, seemingly waiting for the right timing. From now on, I needed to become definitive bait for everyone's sake. After a brief exchange of glances with Hyun, I took a deep breath.
And then I shouted with all my might.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
My voice echoed loudly through the air. The effect was immediately apparent. It was, as they say, right on target. All the visible Deadmen below turned their heads towards me. Soon, I could see them howling loudly and charging towards me. It was successful so far, but there was a slight sense of insufficiency.
As I waved my arms and shouted provocatively, the number of Deadmen emerging from the forest gradually increased. To draw in even the Deadmen far away on the right, I needed to hold out on top of the rock pile for a while. I opened my mouth again in a loud voice.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaah! Monsters! I'm here! Look over here!"
Growl. Growl. Growl. Growl. Growl. Growl. Growl. Growl.
As soon as I finished speaking, I heard multiple growling sounds. Simultaneously, I felt the monsters moving en masse towards my location. The Deadman closest to me had already reached the rock pile I was on and was trying desperately to climb up. It seemed unnecessary to shout anymore. Watching all the nearby Deadmen rushing towards me with fierce cries, as if starved for prey, I calmly muttered one word.
'Nostalgic.'
I smiled deeply as I watched the monsters gathering. I took out the crossbow attached to my left arm and three arrows. The crossbow I was holding now could nock one arrow and load two more. Once loaded, I could shoot three times.
Before aiming at the forehead of the Deadman struggling right in front of me, I looked back once more at the place where my companions were hiding. For some reason, I kept smiling.