Chapter 25

"Of course, I'm against it. If you compare the forest and here, the answer is obvious, right? I don't want to risk my life based on your uncertain prediction. I don't see the need to leave this city and face the same dangers as yesterday." 

Although there was a glimmer of hope, it was as expected. Lee Yun-Jung cast her vote against, bringing the count to one vote for and one against. I felt a bit uneasy, but decided to wait and see how things would unfold.

Next in line was Kim Han-Byeol. If Kim Han-Byeol cast a vote in favor, there might still be hope, so my attention naturally turned to her. She stared at me for a moment before speaking in her usual calm voice.

"I don't particularly want to leave either. However, based on my own judgment, I don't think this person has any bad intentions. So far, they've always made good decisions. While there may not be enough evidence to fully prove their claims, I do believe there is some merit to them. I can't choose between supporting or opposing, so I'll abstain."

Kim Han-Byeol chose to abstain. It seemed like the safest choice. Lee Yun-Jung looked confident, as if she was sure we were staying. She was smiling broadly. I decided to prepare for any unexpected outcomes. Worst case, if a boss monster appears, we'll just have to take it down. The tricky part will be doing it without being caught.

The only ones left were An Hyun and An Sol. An Hyun glanced briefly at his younger sister, then patted her head and spoke.

"Sol."

"Yeah?"

"What do you want to do?"

At An Hyun's question, An Sol looked momentarily conflicted. She seemed to be counting the votes so far, folding and unfolding her fingers. Then, when our eyes briefly met, she suddenly looked startled, her face turning red as she quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere. But as she kept sneaking glances at me from the corner of her eye, I wondered if she wasn't feeling well.

"Sol, you're obviously against it, right? Isn't it safe and comfortable here? If we go outside, the scary monsters will come rushing at us again, like "whoosh"!" 

Before I knew it, Lee Yun-Jung was treating An Sol like a child. An Sol seemed to notice, too, puffing out her cheeks and pouting as Yun-Jung exaggeratedly tried to scare her. She shook her head slightly, clearly irritated. After glancing at me again, she opened her mouth carefully.

"I'm... going to agree with Su-Hyeon oppa."

Oh?

"Of course! You're agreeing, right? Wait, what? You agree?"

Yun-Jung, who had been nodding with excitement, suddenly froze as soon as she realized what An Sol had said. Her expression shifted dramatically, and she practically lunged toward An Sol, ready to argue. But An Sol quickly hid behind An Hyun. Even Kim Han-Byeol and An Hyun were wide-eyed, surprised by her decision. An Sol, clearly feeling the weight of their stares, mumbled for a moment before slowly speaking again.

"Yes, I agree."

"Why? Why on earth?!"

"Hmph..."

Before Yun-Jung could press further, An Hyun stepped in, calming the situation and soothing the frightened An Sol. He gently asked her to explain her reasoning.

"Sol, you need to tell everyone why you agree."

"Yeah... well... it's just a feeling I have. Because..."

The moment An Sol mentioned the word 'premonition,' An Hyun's expression changed drastically. It was only for a brief second, but it was noticeable. What was that all about?

"Hey! You can't just go by a feeling…"

"Be quiet!"

Startled by An Hyun's sudden outburst, Lee Yun-Jung quickly shut her mouth. An Hyun's face had turned deadly serious. His brows were furrowed, and he was staring at An Sol with a grave look. An Sol, seemingly unaware of his gaze, nodded absentmindedly and pointed a delicate finger at me.

"Before, it was just a vague feeling... but last night, I had a dream. Su-Hyeon oppa was in it."

"Everyone, please stay quiet for a moment. Sol, keep going. Tell us everything."

"We were all asleep in this room when a huge monster appeared. It looked like... something out of "Alien". The monster came straight to our building and put us all in danger. It looked like we were all going to die for sure... actually, I think I saw everyone die. But then suddenly, the dream changed."

"How did it change?"

"It was like time rewound, as if someone had wound up a clock. Then Su-Hyeon oppa appeared. The monster came again, but this time it was different. Su-Hyeon oppa told us to run while he fought the monster. I was in his arms, running out of the city in a daze. I started to worry about him and tried to look back, but that's when the dream ended."

"Do you remember anything else?"

"At the very end, I think I heard some kind of terrifying scream? Or maybe a roar? I'm not sure..."

We all listened intently to her story, holding our breaths. And for the first time since returning to the past, I looked at her with genuine concern. Despite my lack of knowledge in this area, it was hard for me to fully understand what she was saying.

Her ability stats were 75 points in magic and 100 points in luck. My own magic points of 96 are not just an average number; they signify significant power, enough to be counted among the best even in the Hall Plain. With the power of the Third Eye, I can barely see a second into the past, but she had, albeit vaguely, seen both the past and the future through her dreams.

Of course, there was a clear difference between An Sol and me. I could see events from the past and activate my powers whenever I wished. However, she could only see whether events were due to interference or actually happened and her visions appeared randomly. It seemed that her extreme luck points allowed her predictions to align quite well.

In any case, it felt like one of my initial questions was being answered. It was clear why I hadn't seen them during the first cycle. They must have gathered in this city for some reason and had likely been killed by the boss monster after more than two days. An Sol was probably the only survivor from that time in the city.

"Ha..."

A deep sigh came from An Hyun. After An Sol finished her story, she looked around anxiously, her eyes darting nervously. An Hyun, lost in thought, tapped his fingers on the living room floor before turning to everyone with a troubled expression.

"I agree with Su-Hyeon hyung's opinion."

"Why are you agreeing now? Didn't you say you didn't want to leave either… Are you just siding with your younger sister?"

Lee Yun-Jung immediately challenged this with a look of disbelief. An Hyun, with a regretful expression, glanced at Yun-Jung and then spoke up.

"I'm not siding with her. It might sound a bit strange, but…"

An Hyun, tilting his head slightly, indicated An Sol, who was still nestled in his arms.

"I've lived with Sol for over 19 years. We've been through many things together. Every time, I've noticed that she has a very strong sense of intuition."

Of course. With 100 points in luck, having instincts or clairvoyance could indeed allow for glimpses into the future, though it would require a certain level of rank. While I was processing these thoughts, Lee Yun-Jung frowned and lamented.

"That damned intuition, intuition, intuition. It's so tiresome."

"This isn't a lie; it's certain. Whenever Sol felt uneasy, something bad would happen. It's rare to hear about things through dreams, but… Anyway, with three votes in favor, one against, and one abstention, it's decided that we'll be leaving. I hope everyone follows the conclusion we agreed upon. Everyone, get up. Let's act immediately."

"Are we leaving right now?"

"Given Sol's dream, it's better to leave as soon as possible. Let's all gather only the essentials. Hyung, keep watch just in case."

"Okay. I'll keep an eye out. Call me when it's all done."

Seeing An Hyun's different demeanor from yesterday, I couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. After strapping my crossbow to my left arm, I shook off the dust and stood up.

It was subtle, but An Hyun had clearly changed. His proactive attitude this morning, after doing a patrol alone, was unusually intense. It was unlikely that just a few words from me yesterday could have completely shifted his inner mindset. However, it was clear that he had at least changed his outward behavior, indicating he was willing to follow through on what was possible based on my advice. This positive change had me humming a tune as I surveyed the surroundings.

As An Hyun had suggested, leaving now was the best option. It was essential to avoid any delays or aimless wandering that might lead to departing in the afternoon and getting lost at night. Setting out in the morning and finding a resting place by the afternoon would be far better. The activity downstairs suggested that they were gathering as much as they could.

Breathing in the still-chilly air, I felt my mind clear. If only Park Dong-Gul, Lee Bo-Rim, and Lee Shin-Woo were here, they would probably be making a fuss about staying. Thankfully, things were going smoother than expected. It's always easier when you have high-level users around. I took a moment to reflect on Park Dong-Gul's team.

We had survived some of the highest difficulty levels of physical trials in the forest and overcome psychological trap points. Now, if we were cautious of the random appearance of boss monsters or other survivors, the path to the Central Gate should be relatively easier. Of course, there would be other monsters…

"Excuse me…"

Just as I was thinking about the other monsters that might appear, I heard someone calling me. Turning around, I saw Kim Han-Byeol standing there, her small backpack indicating that she was almost ready.

"Yes, are you all set?"

"I'm done. Others are still preparing."

"I see. Then I'll need to keep watching a bit longer."

"...Could we talk for a moment?"

I was taken aback by her sudden request to talk, but I nodded and replied.

"Anytime."

She approached me slowly, her face seeming to gauge my reaction. I was curious about what she was going to say. Kim Han-Byeol, unlike her usual self, hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a cautious voice.

"By any chance… have you heard anything from Yun-Jung unni or An-hyun oppa?"

"About the fight between you and Yun-Jung?"

"That, and… anything else."

Since I hadn't heard anything specific about Kim Han-Byeol, I shook my head.

"I see. Actually…"

What followed was nothing much. She just mentioned that she had opposed Yun-Jung's suggestion to leave. Honestly, when she said at the end that 'the one who survives should live,' I couldn't help but feel a bit of a wry smile, but knowing that wasn't her true feeling, I could let it slide smoothly. After all, complaining now would only make me look petty, so I thought it was better to accept it calmly. Such things are quite common in Hall Plain, so it's not something to get really upset about.

"I'm sorry. I was just really angry at that time. I can imagine how unpleasant it must have been from your perspective…"

It was the first time I had seen her calm voice falter. Her relationship with Yun-Jung still seemed distant, but that was a sensitive topic for me to touch. I looked at her with a slight smile and spoke.

"No, it's okay. I think you did the right thing."

"...."

"I mean it. You actually made a rational decision. If we had left as Yun-Jung suggested, instead of just searching for me, Yun-Jung or Hyun would have ended up 100% in trouble. I don't think there's anything to apologize for."

"Still…"

"I was worried about Yun-Jung's impulsiveness, so I'm relieved you were there. If it happens again, please handle it the same way. I'd actually prefer that."

"…Thank you."

When she finished speaking, we looked into each other's eyes. And I was able to see her smiling face again. It was a fleeting smile, but her appearance was undeniably beautiful.

Suddenly, the image of 'her' from the Hall Plain flashed through my mind.

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