章節 27: The Same As First
Two hours later
A passageway where torches at the walls are placed with holes that stretches into nothingness. Nash and his group who are Kisha, Grey, Jia, Laura has finally finished their hunt half an hour ago. Right now, they're on their way back to the safe zone.
The group couldn't even be happier as they either level up some of their stats by one or two. For the past week, some of their stats upgraded is hard to level up but still, a point is enough for them to have such a good mood.
At the front, Jia and Laura are conversing with Nash, who is in the middle of the two.
On Nash's left, Jia keep talking to him saying this and that while Laura could only watch silently but her inside was not silent at all.
'T-this woman... She's really into it!' Laura shouted inwardly, 'When we came back to the village, I'll really strangle you to death! Get your hands off him. That man is mine!'
All she could do is to watch the two being lovey-dovey. Well, it's what she sees as Nash was just quiet all the time, giving Jia a nod to her questions.
At the back, Kisha and Grey are either watching the three at the front with amused or delighted expressions. They wanted to see the outcome of the two as they focused their eyes on what's going to happen so they let them be.
On their side, they also talk to themselves but only once or twice as they don't have a topic to talk about. For the week, both of them became friends with each other and a companion when they're hunting.
"Hey, Grey. How are you still hanging out with that guy?" Kisha spoke with a doubtful tone.
Since they're still waiting for something to happen on their front, Kisha decided to have a conversation.
"That guy?" Grey questioned, "Ah, you mean Hyung? Yes, I'm indeed hanging out with Gin. What do you mean by that Noona?"
"Ohh... You know, he is out again and barely hunts with us. Hmm, I know he's a good guy really... but, please don't get offended... How do I say this..." Kisha paused, contemplating what she would say next, "Can't you feel that he is weak?"
Hearing Kisha's concern, Grey knitted his eyes eyebrows and moved his gaze at Kisha. "What is this, Noona? Did Hyung do something bad to you? Just say it to me."
"Ah no!" Kisha waved her hands dismissively. "As I said... I know he's a good guy but I can sense something from him…" Kisha continued while holding her chin.
"What sense Noona? Is it bad?" Grey asked.
"Hahh... Ok, I'll tell it." Kisha finally formed the words she would say, "It's not bad, really. It's just that, he hides many secrets but… I don't really know what to say…"
Still, she felt something was off as she can't really say what she wanted to say. She ended her statement with a sigh coming from her mouth.
What she didn't know from all her talking was she was a little loud that the three in front could clearly hear it.
"Hmm... to tell you Noona, I think Hyug really had secrets." Grey thought for a moment, "You when you're looking into his eyes, it felt like he can see what you're thinking, what you're feeling..."
Grey paused, "But I think it's okay. I don't mind if he doesn't tell his secrets to me and I don't plan on having to. Hyung saves my life and not for him, I would be eaten by monsters. If he's in danger, I'll save him no matter what. Of course, my life is important but still... I think I believe him now when he said he could sense a comradeship with me."
Grey let out a cheerful smile on her face and continued, "Yeah sure he has many secrets but we do too, right? Hahaha, you also have a secret to hide right, Noona?"
Kisha was surprised about all the things Grey had said to her. It felt like Gin was someone important to Grey but she was even more surprised as she felt all Grey said was true.
"Yeah... you're right about secret." Kisha paused as she formed a smile, "Thanks, Grey. It's really fun talking with you."
"But Noona..." Grey paused as he formed a teasing smile, "I'm not finished yet."
Hearing it, Kisha became curious and joined Grey by saying, "Oho. Then, what is the thing you didn't finish?"
Girey nodded and continued with a confident voice, "When you said that he is weak, I think I have to disagree with that. Hyung... I think he is really powerful. Hmm, I just felt like it and I know I'm not the only one."
As he said it, he narrowed his eyes at the front and look at the three with a smile. Grey noticed that when they start their conversation, the three started to lower their pace, matching his and Kisha.
Noticing Grey had found them out, the three let out a wry smile and all of them agreed to what had Grey just said.
"Yeah, Gin is really a mysterious guy. You'll feel like he's an average guy but he really is not." Laura spoke with confidence as if she knew Gin already.
"I want to fight him too one day, the same as Nash," Jia said as she punches something in the air, poking Nash's side a second later.
"Hmm… okay. Let's fight sometimes. But don't cry when you lose." Nash spoke as a force faint smile formed in his face.
The group look at each for a moment before laughing happily, except Nash. Even though he is not laughing, he could feel that the group are comfortable on each other and the others felt the same way.
Swoosh!
"Hey, Grey, what does Gin like—"
As Kisha asked a question and moved her head at the same time, she saw Grey's happy expression turned heavy before it turned into shocked.
"Noona!"
Screech!
At the side, a screech was heard which is on Kisha's side, suddenly jumping onto Kisha, who was unguarded for a moment. It was the same wolf-like monster they saw at the tutorial.
Clang!
But before the monster could do that, Grey protected her using the shield he got from Gin.
Scratch!
As he protected Kisha, who stumbled down on the ground, Grey could hear the monster's claws scratching his shield, engraving them into it.
Slice!
Without a second thought, Nash beheaded the monster after the its continuous scratching within a second. A full second later, he and his group narrowed their eyes at every hole they could.
Screech!
Monsters, which isn't supposed to be there, are here.
Screech!
It continued to encirlce the group, covering them on their place.
"What is happening… why the monsters are here?" Laura said and saw a monster appearing at one hole on Grey's back.
Coming back to their senses, the group position themselves in a circle form, with Laura in the middle. Grey helped Kisha to get up, gesturing her to be on his back.
"What now, Nash?" Kisha said while looking at one monster on the side.
Nash then looked at the monsters with a cold gaze, estimating their number. 'Seven? No… Eight. They're all two to three meters in length, but… what is happening? I thought we're almost at the village? Why the hell are they appearing now?'
Questions after questions appeared in Nash's mind but he quickly discard them as he don't have answers to do it. He breathe before he ordered, "Let's kill the monsters at the back first so that we can have space there."
Everyone nodded as they even more compressed themselves, seeing the monsters slowly trapping them. They waited for Nash to speak before he finally shouted out loud.
"Now!"
Whoosh!
With a shout as their shot call, everyone moved back as they swiftly kill the monsters at the back while defending their front. All of them began to move to help each other and started to kill the rest after.
Whoosh!
With heavy breathing, the group felt the exhaustion appearing inside them as they had just hunted a while ago and now killing the monsters that appeared, which surprisingly shocked them. They all did it for only half an hour
Whoosh!
Only Nash could be seen not tired as he charged at the last monster, jumping at it before slashing it in one go.
Slash!
After slashing the monster into bits, Nash narrowed his eyes at the group and said, "I'll be going first,"
The group nodded their head as they watch Nash's back running into a straight line but when Nash said his statement a while ago, the group could feel anxiousness in it even though he produces a cold one.
"How could this be happening..." Nash spoke in a low voice as watched forward with the sword on his hand.
"This isn't how I envisioned when I came back..." Nash continued as the zone was still out of his sight.
Whoosh!
Arriving at the pathway at the zone after a few minutes passed, Nash could finally see the entrance through the zone. He let out ragged breathing as he walk unhurriedly but negative thoughts keep entering his mind.
'Please, not like this…' Nash wished inwardly as the negative things entering his mind weren't a thing he wanted to happen inside the village.
He started to replace his thoughts with positive ones. He thought if he will be entering the village, it will be the same thing as how it used to be when he got out. People with cheerful smiles. That was enough payment for now inside the tutorial.
'I just wanted that...'
He just wanted that.
As he continuously move, the thought he had was instantly crushed and changed when he narrowed his eyes at one side and saw blood plastered at the wall. With the help of the torch to light the way, the color difference was visible. Another thing to add is he was still not near the village.
Nash's eyes began to quiver and gradually increased his pace seeing it. But the more he runs, the screeches which he disregard a while ago started to become hearable on his two ears. He didn't notice the blood scattered on the ground like spilled milk as he continued to move forward.
"Hahh... Hahh..."
He let out pants as he run forward but completely stopped, when he saw a head thing at the entrance, looking at him with dead eyes. Only its head was left as he looked at it with a cold expression. He didn't even know where the body went.
He didn't mind his attention at it as he entered the zone with heavy steps.
Screech!
Upon entering, Nash saw everything inside was a mess. Destroyed huts, debris falling everywhere, and bodies scattered in every part of the gigantic zone.
Although his breathing turned normal, his mind was left in confusion. As he was in a confused state, the wolf-like monsters that are busy eating turns their head at Nash, who just watches the scene silently and seems oblivious that the monsters are here.
Tak!
As he watches the village getting destroyed, his that turned bright in the past week become dead again.
Screech!
The monsters started to leave their current food as they found another one. They felt Nash a walking food as they opened their mouth with drool on their mouth.
Screech!
Instead of focusing on the monsters, Nash stood in his place as he moved his gaze at the ground, eyeing the body with expressionless eyes. The body was grotesque to look at.
'I'm sorry... I said I'll do well this time. I promise to do my best for the same thing that happened first wouldn't happen this time.' Nash said inwardly, 'And... this is only the tutorial yet this is already a failure.'
Screech!
He let out a chuckle on his mouth, putting his available hand on his left eye, 'I see now. Is it because there is nothing like this on first or... Yes... This... this must be a curse put on me. Haha-hahaha, why am I even alive when no one is...'
He clenched the grip of his sword tightly, 'Isn't it just better to die then...?'
Screech!
The monster sped up their movement seeing Nash didn't move an inch. They all thought that it was free food but did not think it was also their death.
Slowly, Nash looked at the monster in his sight. He didn't position himself as he continued to look while the strong grip he had on his sword earlier turned weak.
He lift his face up for a second before sighing weakly, "I'm tired..."
Whoosh!
A full second later, Nash's sword became red as fire before looking at the monster again.
Whoosh!
He moves swiftly and dashes towards the nearest monster. In just a second, he appeared in front of it, raising his sword up before slashing it in half.
Slash!
Blood spurted out but Nash quickly narrowed his eyes at the second nearest one, dashing towards to kill it quickly
Whoosh!
Arriving at the village, the four stood in their place watching the scene in front of them with wide eyes. Either their expression was due to shock or disbelief.
"W-what happen in here..." Grey stuttered as he moved his eyes, seeing Nash fighting the monsters all by himself but his attention was not his swordplay. It was the dead people on the ground who could be seen almost everywhere.
"What is this... I thought we were really far from the monsters. We check when we are being followed, right?!" Laura shouted as she slowly stepped back. "But, why did they suddenly appear in here and this—"
Almost falling on the ground, she is forced to stop but with Jia's help, her balance was maintained.
The two women are left watching the scene quietly, biting their lower lips. They just remained quiet as they knew nothing could be said inside here.
'It's a mess…' Kisha said inwardly, deciding to tell the group to help Nash.
Even though he really didn't need help, the group thought they should before they quickly moved towards him.
Once all of them are close to him, they waited for Nash to give something or even a glance was enough. But Nash continues to slash his sword onto the monster one after another.
Seeing that Nash was in his own world, the group decided to just help him by reducing the monsters he had to take care of.
"I'll instruct you guys about some things to do..." Kisha spoke in a low voice before she saw her group nodding and began to position themselves.
Whoosh!
As the battle progressed with Kisha's instructions to guide them a bit, the monsters couldn't even get close to them.
...
"Oy, Jasmin, we need to move." Gin, who had slept some time ago, woke up from his nap.
He tried to stay away but with how peaceful the inside is, he was defeated by the tiredness.
They should be moving for half an hour but he checked the time and it was already two hours or more since then.
It should be a good time for them to go but...
"Mmm... Uncle? Oh..." Jasmin muffled as she let out a yawn, "S-sure, I'll get ready... for more minutes..."
Saying all those things with eyes closed, Gin believed that Jasmin was really tired and required more sleep. She let out a cute snorting sound before she sleeps again.
Gin sighed helplessly, 'I'll take another nap then...'
Deciding what to do, Gin lays his back again and closed his eyes, napping beside Jasmin.
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