Chapter 549: The Tutorial Will Begin (3)

“It’s a good name.”

“…”

“…”

“Anyway, we better move west. I heard that there are some survivors over there. I don’t know if they will accept you or not since the atmosphere there is hard to grasp, but it’s probably better than being stuck in there. You’re going to run out of food at that rate.”

“…”

“No, I’m not going to take him. It’s already tough enough to feed the two of us alone. And I can’t afford to care for another person besides you.”

“…”

“He’s useless. Why should we bring in someone who only knows how to run away?”

“…”

“Sigh…”

“…”

“Hyunsung.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to go with us?”

“…”

I could only bite my lips. It was because I didn’t expect such an offer.

‘What should I do?’

The first thought that entered my head was if I could really believe in those voices from beyond my hiding spot. I thought the person in front of me was fundamentally bad, but he didn’t seem pure evil.

‘If I want to get out, this is my only chance.’

If I got the courage, I could get out with just one step. However, I couldn’t believe them. They were the people who took my food.

They could take everything from me after dragging me out of my shelter.

It could’ve been their strategy to make me feel reassured by giving back my bread and giving me a sword. They knew that I still had food. It was definitely possible.

They also said that they fought monsters. They probably didn’t hesitate to wield their sword and kill people, but…

‘What if they’re good people?’

Even though they took away my food, didn’t they give me a sword? They didn’t even take away all of my food. Perhaps the guy was a unique person rather than a bad one. And even his companion seemed friendly with me somehow…

‘I would just ask them a couple of things.’

If I thought that they were safe after asking a couple of questions, I would definitely get out.

“After arriving here… have you killed… any people?”

“Why do you suddenly ask that?”

“J-Just…”

“So, if I already killed someone else, you’re going to remain holed up in there? In the first place, what do you think I would do if I intended to harm you? Do you think I’ll tell you I’ve killed before? Or do you think I’ll tell you that I have never killed anyone before?”

“B-But… it’s still an important matter.”

“It wasn’t intentional, but I think I killed like three… It was my first time… But it seems that will really bother you.”

“…” “You are the same, you bastard, Hyunsung. Have you heard of the law of the good Samaritan? I saw some corpses that looked pretty new on my way here. Their screams, why don’t you tell me that you didn’t hear them? Is there any room for excuses?”

“That…”

“I’m sure you’ve heard them… But you probably covered your ears and eyes and turned away from them. You ignored the screams of dying people and quietly turned a blind eye to their cries for help. That’s how you survived. Do you think you’re different from the people around here? Personally, I think you’re trashier. You’re like one of those self-justifying bastards, the ones who run away and can’t choose to do anything. You’re the meanest and most cowardly of them all… Do you understand me?”

“That’s not what I meant… that… I didn’t mean it like that…”

“I just feel like sh*t now. Damn it. We’re going, motherfucker. Stay there for a million years. But before I go, I’ll give you some advice, brother.”

“…”

“If you really don’t want to die, jump out of there and beat the monsters. We don’t know what will come after the tutorial dungeon. Don’t think there will be a rest area that you can hide in the next dungeon or the next place. You have to swing around your weapon to survive. That’s the law here. You should hunt when a beginner’s hunting ground is open. Well, then… I guess we’ll see you next time if we can. I don’t think that’s going to happen, though. I will eat what you’ve given me, you little sh*t.

“Ah… Ah!… Wait, Hyung! Hyung!”

I called for him too late. I couldn’t do anything but bang my palms uselessly onto the floor.

‘Damn it, damn it…’

That was my only chance of getting out of my own grave. Of course, I didn’t know if those people were really kindhearted or not, but that was my only chance.

No, it still wasn’t too late. If I went out right at that moment, I could maybe follow them.

I tried to get up from the small space hurriedly, but my body strangely didn’t move.

It was scary. Even I couldn’t explain it any other way. How could I trust anyone else when I couldn’t even believe in myself?

Even the useless question I asked… Maybe I just needed a reason not to get out. That was why I raised such a weird question. That person was right.

I was the same as him. I just didn’t kill anyone with my own hands. I was also a monster. I ignored the people in danger. I heard the voices of people dying while hiding and self-justified my actions when I ignored the pleading woman.

Perhaps, the reason why I had only that amount of food left was that it was the consequence of my actions. Because I only thought of myself, god was punishing me.

If I had known my food would disappear like that… I should’ve shared some with other people.

There was the imminent sound of sobbing. “…Mom…”

How did I end up like that? I couldn’t understand how I was stuck in that place. If I had saved the man who had grabbed onto my ankles, would something have changed?

No, perhaps if I had offered the bag to the girl who grabbed onto it at the same time as me, something could’ve been different.

Maybe if I had stayed there and fought till the end, things would’ve been different.

I wouldn’t have felt so guilty if I ran out to those who cried out for help.

“Sorry. Sorry…” The sobbing continued.

‘I’ll throw you a weapon, brother. It’s a little weird to say this, but if it’s really hard, you can kill yourself. There are a lot of people who have already done that.’

I remembered those words again when I saw the dagger next to me. I couldn’t really see properly due to the darkness, but my expression reflected on the dagger probably looked strange.

Like that man had said, perhaps things would be easier if I just died. At least, I wouldn’t have to live with the guilt.

I placed the sharp dagger onto my neck, and with slight pain, a stream of blood trailed down my neck. My hands trembled, and my breathing became more uneven. I thought I could end things if I just put in more strength, but it wasn’t easy to push the dagger in.

The sobbing was still imminent. “Mom…”

It was scary to just die like that. I was afraid to end my own life in such a terrible place. In the end, I dropped my dagger onto the ground and slumped my head down.

‘You stupid bastard. You can’t even kill himself. You still want to live somehow, scumbag. Trash bastard, idiot, maggot, complete human trash.’

“Urgh…”

At that moment, I heard a noise from the other side.

“…”

“Hyung? Hyung? You are Hyung, right?”

“Ack…”

“Hyung! I-I will come out. I will come out and join you. I’m sorry for what I did last time, so please take me with you. I want to go with you.”

“Kiehhhhhhhh!”

“Ahhhhhh! S-Save me. Please, somebody, save me…”

“Kiehh!”

“Save me… please save me. Please, someone…”

I could feel the rocks at the entrance shaking. I didn’t know how the person had found my spot, but I thought I could hear the voice from last time again.

‘Well, then… see you next time if we can. I don’t think that’s going to happen, though.’

That person could’ve put a corpse in front of the entrance. I didn’t know the reason, but he could’ve caused the situation I was in.

I tried to block the entrance to prevent them from getting in as much as possible, but I couldn’t even do that much because I had become so weak.

“Please spare me. Spare me… Hyung, I am sorry. Please let me live. I will give the rest of my food, please… Hyung! Hyung!”

Who was asking who for help? Nobody helped in that place. I, myself, didn’t help anyone. Why would anyone help me in return? Eventually, the barrier in front of the entrance cracked open with a crashing sound, and I saw a monster crawl in from the open hole.

I quickly glanced at the sword I got in exchange for food.

‘I have to kill it.’

“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeh!”

“Die! D-Die!”

In the end, a battle didn’t occur. I simply stabbed the Staving Demons’ heads as they squeezed in through the small hole.

I could feel a sickening sensation as my sword went through its flesh. But I couldn’t stop myself from stabbing into them. I couldn’t even afford to check if it was dead or alive. That was already too much.

“Urgh… Die! Diie! Monster bastard. Monster bastard!!”

“Ehhhh…”

“Huff… huff… haaaa.”

After the head had been completely broken into pieces, I could finally breathe out a sigh of relief. I didn’t have a choice. I had to get out of my hiding spot.

If one had found my hiding spot, another one could do the same.

If the guy who had spoken to me had really shoved in a Starving Demon to such a tight space, then my location was more dangerous than it was safe. Before I could think about how I killed a creature for the first time, I laid my body flat and squeezed out of the narrow space.

The stench of the monsters’ wastes flowed around my noise.

In fear that they might move again, I gripped my sword tightly.

“I have to survive with my own power.”

‘I can’t trust in anyone else.’

“I am not selfish. That is how… everyone lives. That’s how I can survive, and that’s what everyone who had survived this far had done… that’s the only way. Hyung- no, even that person… could’ve only survived like that.”

Even if I had cried out for help, nobody would come. It was the same for me. There was no favor without strings attached.

What would’ve happened if I had followed that guy? Perhaps, I could’ve died on the spot. That would’ve definitely happened.

He was the kind of guy who would’ve pushed a monster into my hiding spot and more.

Of course, I didn’t blame him. I was just stupid to be tricked by him.

“Huff… huff…”

Those words were right. However, after getting out of the tight space, I couldn’t withhold my tears when I saw the red arrows in front of me.

- Let’s try to meet each other alive. Join us if you want to.

Those were words written next to the arrows. Next to those words, there was a half-piece of bread just thrown into a corner.

I couldn’t do anything but just stare at it as I held onto my sword even harder.

“I have to survive.”