When did it start? Looking back, it might have been from the time I graduated top of the Player Academy and received offers from various clans. I always taught others with an air of superiority and acted like I was ahead of everyone else, but beneath it all, unbeknownst to me, arrogance had taken root in my heart.
I'm a player who's been active in Hall Plain for over ten years. The one and only player who's seen the end.
As I achieved success in the Alchemist's Dungeon and The Ruined Laboratory, that arrogance only grew. By the time I reached The Cave Of Wailing, it had burst out uncontrollably.
I gained immense power, incomparable to my first life, and wielded it as I pleased. But in truth, I wasn't wielding it—I was being controlled by it. Thinking I could handle it, I accepted the Hwajung, and even though I knew the burden that power carried, I used it to the point of abuse. I completely ignored Seraph's advice pointing that out.
Under the convenient excuse of saving Yu-Hyeon-hyung and Han So-Young, I had been justifying my actions all this time.
Before I knew it, no more smoke was rising from the cigarette. I set my thoughts aside and cleared my mind. In a way, I thought it was fortunate that I'd been caught by the Unconscious Reveal spell.
I needed to return to my original mindset.
"Hmm."
As I dropped the cigarette I'd been holding in my mouth, a faint groan reached my ears. Among the neatly laid-out players, a bob of hair swayed as someone sat up. Clear eyes and refined features. She looked around with a dazed expression, then shook her head in a startled panic. Watching Ha-Yeong, I spoke in a quiet voice.
"It's alright. The magic circle has been destroyed, and there are no undead monsters nearby. You can rest a bit more."
"S-Su, Su-Hyeon. Ha… I was startled."
Surprised by the sudden voice, Ha-Yeong clutched her chest, then approached me with slightly unsteady steps. As she came closer, her eyes caught the sight of our comrades scattered around, and she wore an expression as if she'd lost her words.
Finally, sitting lightly in front of me, Ha-Yeong gently tapped her forehead, still showing signs of the aftereffects from her unconscious being forcibly triggered.
"I'm sorry. I remember following you in here, but after a flash of white light, I can't recall anything. I just feel incredibly sad and heavy. The others seem to be the same… Could you tell me what happened?"
While speaking, I thought I caught Ha-Yeong glancing at Go Yeon-Joo, who was lying with her head on my lap, but I decided to let it pass. Nodding once or twice at her question, I slowly recounted the events we'd gone through.
As she listened, I could tell Ha-Yeong was indeed a mage. She showed great interest in forgotten ancient magic, and when I told her I'd shattered the magic circle and that it was on the ceiling so she wouldn't have seen it anyway, she let out a sigh of regret. Ancient magics are often incredibly powerful, and mastering one would clearly boost her abilities significantly. Improving her skills would increase her chances of survival in Hall Plain, so it wasn't something to criticize.
After finishing the story, Ha-Yeong, her face slightly flushed, cautiously spoke up.
"Could I… hear what my unconscious was like?"
"It's probably better if you don't."
"No, I really want to know. It's okay, please tell me."
Despite my warning, she insisted. I sighed and shared some of what she'd said (deliberately leaving out the part about begging me not to abandon her). But even from that, she seemed to piece together what she'd said and what had happened. I could see a shadow quickly fall over her face. It seemed she hadn't fully moved on from the experiences she'd had during her time with the Golden Lion Clan.
For a moment, an awkward silence hung between us. Noticing that I was looking at her, she quickly wiped the expression from her face and gave a bittersweet smile. "I'm sorry," she said softly. Hearing her, I responded with, "I'm sorry, too." My reply seemed to catch her off guard—her eyes widened, and she slowly studied my expression.
I was about to pull out another cigarette when Ha-Yeong, having regained her calm demeanor, parted her refined lips and spoke in a clear voice.
"Su-Hyeon-ssi. You're feeling guilty right now."
"…"
"You don't need to feel guilty, Su-Hyeon-ssi. Traps are unavoidable when exploring dungeons. And in the end, you saved us all, didn't you? I'm grateful to you."
I didn't respond to her words. She was right that I was feeling guilty, but her point seemed slightly off the mark. Perhaps sensing my silence as stifling, she continued.
"It couldn't be helped. Before we went down, you clearly gave the signal to stop. I saw it. Everyone else stopped as you signaled. But Sol misstepped, bumped into you, and before she could steady herself, she tumbled down. If we're pointing fingers, the moral responsibility lies with her, not you."
I mulled over her words for a moment. Then, I slowly shook my head.
"No. I'm the one leading this caravan. You can't compare me to Sol. If I had been a bit more cautious, a bit more thorough, this could have been prevented."
"Su-Hyeon-ssi, your class isn't an archer. You've done incredibly well so far, but seeing you like this—it breaks my heart."
"Then I suppose it was also a mistake not to bring an archer player."
"Seriously. Are you saying it was a mistake to come to The Cave Of Wailing in the first place?"
Ha-Yeong gave me a slight glare before slowly standing up. I responded with a faint smile but didn't say anything more. Still, I didn't think what I'd said was wrong. Whether it's a caravan or a clan, leading a group means taking responsibility as the representative, no matter when or how a problem arises. It's true that Sol misstepped. I could warn everyone to be careful during an expedition, but blaming her for getting us caught in a trap wasn't something I'd do—it didn't sit right with me.
Ha-Yeong slowly walked over to my side (specifically, to the opposite side of the knee where Go Yeon-Joo was resting her head) and turned to look at the group. She was probably checking if they were asleep. Having already confirmed with my Third Eye that everyone was sleeping, I gazed at her calmly.
Then, she turned back, stretched out her arms, and gently pulled my head into an embrace. I let myself be drawn in, resting my face against her chest. Sometimes, I find women fascinating. We'd gone through the same expedition, fought the same battles, yet her embrace carried a pleasant fragrance.
Ha-Yeong carefully stroked my head and spoke in a soft, low voice.
"Sometimes, Su-Hyeon, you act like you have to do everything on your own. You don't need to carry that burden alone. We're perfectly capable of helping you."
"…"
"And you're still a year 0 player, aren't you? Sure, you're far too skilled to be considered a typical year 0, but no player can be perfect all the time. Think of this as a valuable experience, and just be more careful next time. So, cheer up already."
After finishing her words, she stopped stroking my head and tightly hugged it to her chest. I quietly closed my eyes, feeling the soft sensation against my face. Staying like that for a while, I felt my heart settle a bit. Eventually, she gently pulled me away from her embrace and knelt down. Matching my eye level, she said nothing and pressed her lips to mine.
Chuu.
A warm, soft sensation touched my lips and then parted. As I looked at her silently, Ha-Yeong gave a shy smile.
"It was meant to cheer you up. I hope you're not upset."
"No, it's fine. I'm not upset."
I touched my lips for a moment. In the past, I might have snapped something like, What's it to you? But not now. Instead, I genuinely felt comforted—even grateful. It suddenly struck me that the former reaction would've been that of a lunatic, while the latter was normal.
Seeing Ha-Yeong cautiously gauging my reaction, I couldn't help but feel a laugh bubbling up. Carefully lifting Go Yeon-Joo's head from my lap and setting it down, I calmly stood up. Like she said, there was no need to stay downcast. The others would probably wake up soon, so it'd be best for me to get some things done.
This time, she looked up at me, and I looked down at her.
"Ha-Yeong, when the others wake up, please explain the situation. Try to keep them from getting too shaken. We'll rest here for a bit before resuming the expedition. Since there was a big tremor, I'm going to check if the surrounding terrain has changed and come back."
"Alright. Be safe. Don't go too far, and come back soon."
Her words felt almost like a wife seeing her husband off. Listening to her, I stepped toward the passage ahead.
*
"He probably thinks it's his fault. That calm face he always has…"
"With his personality, that makes sense. In a way, he seems like a perfectionist. That's not necessarily bad in Hall Plain, though. Still, as the leader of the caravan, I can understand how he feels. The one who takes the most also bears the most responsibility. Well, maybe that doesn't apply since he gives more than he takes."
"Ugh. Now I feel bad for Oppa."
"I-I think we've been unconsciously pushing a lot onto the leader, too. We need to reflect on that."
Hearing the murmurs, Sol felt her consciousness returning. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of the clearing they'd first descended into. Noticing a large, sunken hole in the center of the ceiling, she jolted upright in surprise.
"Oh, Sol's awake too."
"Sol, is your head okay?"
Hearing the concerned voices around her, Sol shook her head vigorously. Her mind felt foggy, and an inexplicable mix of shame and embarrassment flooded her chest. She clearly remembered entering the clearing, the flash of white light, and the messages floating in the air, but after another flash, nothing came to mind. It was as if the film had been cut in the middle and the remaining parts spliced together.
"W-What in the world happened…?"
As Sol stammered, Ha-Yeong quietly approached and sat beside her. As Su-Hyeon had requested, she immediately went to those who woke up confused and explained the situation. Ha-Yeong's explanation was clear and logical, and the group nodded in agreement. Of course, the slight embellishment of Su-Hyeon's role—portraying him as a noble leader who saved everyone yet reflected on his failure to prevent the trap—was charming enough to overlook.
Listening to Ha-Yeong, Sol hung her head low. When it came down to it, her mistake was the biggest. The thought that they wouldn't have fallen into the trap if she hadn't misstepped, combined with the knowledge that Su-Hyeon was feeling down, pierced her heart like needles.
Seeing Sol like this, Ha-Yeong spoke in a soothing tone.
"Lift your head. No one here is going to blame you, Sol. If anyone would, it'd only be Su-Hyeon-ssi. If you show him you'll be more careful next time, that'll be more than enough for him."
"Yeah, Sol, it's okay. Lift your head. Just tell Hyung you're sorry later. Like Player Jung Ha-Yeong said, you can be more careful from now on. People make mistakes, you know."
With An-Hyun chiming in, Sol seemed to muster some strength and barely raised her head. Watching the group comfort each other, Go Yeon-Joo crossed her arms and let out a smirk. The deep smile on her face made it clear she was plotting something mischievous.
"Ugh, the unconscious is scary stuff. So, except for the leader, we all had our unconscious exposed? I'm kinda worried I might've said something I shouldn't have…"
At Shin Sang-Yong's grim words, the group's faces stiffened. Only Jung Ha-Yeong and Go Yeon-Joo remained unfazed. An awkward silence settled among them, with uneasy expressions flickering across their faces. Though they couldn't recall their actions due to their unconscious being triggered, they all felt a lingering sense of unease deep down.
That's when it happened. Go Yeon-Joo, who had been quietly enjoying the atmosphere, raised her hand lightly and spoke.
"Oh, I heard some of it."
"""What?"""
An-Hyun, Yun-Jung, and Sol asked in unison, and she nodded with a faint smile. An-Hyun blinked, then spoke again with a slightly uneasy expression.
"W-Wait, you heard everything?"
"Not everything. I wasn't affected by the spell, you see. Though, unlike him, I couldn't move freely, and there were moments when my consciousness nearly faded. I was too exhausted to hear it all, but I do remember bits and pieces of the voices I caught. At the very least, I know about you three… Want me to tell you?"
Go Yeon-Joo was smiling, but her smile carried a dangerously playful edge. Seeing it, the three of them flinched and swallowed hard.
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