The crowd surrounded her, pushing and screaming, bringing tears to Cho Jae-Hwa's eyes as her body felt like it was slowly being crushed, both physically and mentally.
When will this end? I don't even remember so many people being here. Or so her mind wandered so as to not become overwhelmed with emotions and unnecessary headaches.
Truth be told, there were more than the settlement was able to accommodate, perhaps that was one of the reasons for this riot. Even then, it was possible to hear some giggles and snarky words— there were those who just joined because they enjoyed the chaos and violence.
"Alright, I'll do it! I will do it!"
She shouts amidst the confusion, most of the voices coming to a halt. Those in the commotion take a couple of steps back, allowing the girl to rest her weight on the weapon pierced into the floor, gasping heavily for oxygen.
A few moments and the frightened elderly take a chance with their words.
"Will you, really? That is such a relief."
"Of course." As much as Jae-Hwa wishes to just enjoy her life peacefully, be away from the confusing and stressing choices that people cause to happen, she cannot escape from it. In this situation, where she could just simply run away from there and be alone from all the headaches and responsibility they are creating, it would not be a solution.
Whether she could run today or tomorrow, they would find her in the future, or someone else would take advantage of her. That may not happen, but she also doesn't want the tiniest possibility to become true.
"However, I also have my demands." There are two possibilities to end this immediately — Become the one to take advantage of them... or kill them.
Her fingers trembled just thinking about the possibility of it happening... taking the life of another human. The current her would not be able to do it, the one outside of battle, but what if this question of morality rises again in the future?
I can't always rely on it... Sooner or later, it will be me who will have to do it.
"Demands? You can't possibly be thinking about that now!" One of the younger ones who joined the riot for the impending chaos shouts, making everybody flinch, flooding their head with the same thought process.
Some attempt to throw a punch to her head, although before they could even take a step near her, Jae-Hwa hesitantly lifts the spear from the ground, pointing it to their necks.
The people stop. They know what makes a safe zone 'safe', but even then no one would risk to look at the lady's fervent eyes and push themselves further into the blade. Even without knowing her, their inner instincts warned them that, no matter what, she would not retreat her weapon.
As such that was her determination, although being prepared for something as vile as that was impossible even for her. For now, she simply took on the matter at hand, forgetting the little details and letting the consequences be forgotten. All that she needed to trust was in herself and hope they wouldn't figure out her bravado.
Her upper lip trembles, flinching at her words while the grip on the shaft of her weapon tightened.
"I think you misunderstood something. The one armed here is me, not you. So if you want my help, you better conform to my demands."
"Do you not care about us, fellow koreans!? Fellow humans!?"
"I could care less— As of now, you bunch are just a headache to me."
In her lies, some truth remained, but still, the weight of their lives would persist in her heart if she did nothing.
"If you want to get away from here..." She continued, circling her weapon around, pointing at the ones vulnerable. "...You need to grow yourself. I will lead the way, but those at level zero will defeat the regular slimes and those at level one or higher will defeat the armored ones."
It seemed unreasonable to them, considering most only had their fists, broken weapons that they found on the ground or remains from certain walls that were broken. Although they were few, the younger ones also had some experience — It was unreasonable to explain but she could feel something emanating from them, as if to tell her they were stronger than the rest.
"That is impossible! We could die from it!"
"Form groups, battle alone, I don't care. You want me to gamble my life so you can escape, so you should expect to do the same."
Jae-Hwa looked down at Marni, lifeless and barely moving with nearly no one caring about her. Thankfully she wasn't dead yet, just sleeping, but even then she could not avoid being worried about her. There were those who tried to leech from others and those who were forced to fight, but both just want to live. This is the same case. This is what they need to understand.
"I know you just want an easy passage to the next domain, but then what? Do you have any guarantee that you will have a good and comfortable bed waiting for you or that after this it will be the end? Look at her."
She points to the red haired wolf-girl, who is clearly hurt from all the commotion.
"She lives in this world, lost all the ones that she cared about and is even losing her memories. Everyone also forgot about her! Do you think she gave up!? One way or another she is still fighting to avenge them, but what are you doing!?"
Everyone looked with awe at each other, wondering about themselves and what the rest would do. They didn't want to be the ones to start, but that didn't need to happen. Even with a tiny lie here and there, the stage was set.
"I'm not asking you to throw your lives away, I'm asking you to fight so you can survive another day. Stock on medicine, keep everyone alive. If you do it in groups it's much easier."
A moment of silence surges. Even with her words, the crowd is waiting for something to happen. Even with her efforts, there wasn't any movement between them, only stray looks between them telling to act or say something.
Only after a little of consideration, a couple stepped forward. Holding hands with love while having some amount of pain holding their expressions.
"We will do it."
It was clear that there were some ulterior motives and that it was a forced weight on their shoulders. Even then, all the better. The more they sympathize with each other, the easier it becomes for them to follow.
"I am sure it must be frightening to go forward with this, but even then, thank you for your courage."
"It is no longer courage, we just want to find some peace and mourn our son. If there is a chance that we will be away from these monsters after killing the Ruler or whatever it is called, then we will do it."
The tightness on their hands was enough to shake Jae-Hwa for a moment and make her remember her loved ones.
Family... I have been trying to not even consider the idea that they are somewhere in this hell. On the off chance that they are somewhere suffering or worse... and I can't help them— No, I can't think about that, not right now.
It took a few moments for her to calm down, her fingers trembling at the imagination of what could go wrong, in multiple ways.
A couple of deep breaths, the rumbling of the people that were slowly deciding to fight, to her luck she had many things that would distract her and at the same time give her something to focus on.
"Miss, are you alright?" The couple asked upon seeing her tired cold eyes, looking at the ground as she recovered her trembling fingertips.
"Yes, don't worry about me. Is everyone on board now?"
"Yes, everyone seems to be accepting your conditions now, although they are still scared. We will just prepare as you said and then we will go with you."
For a moment Jae-Hwa considers her next words with great care. After this trip she was considering keeping herself alone since she doesn't want to be bothered anymore, but at least until then she needed someone to leader the group.
No matter if she had good social skills, being a leader was on a whole other scale. There needed to be someone who had the courage and charisma to do it.
"Please tell me, what is your name?"
"Hyeong Hae."
"Do you by any chance have any skills?"
Hyeong proceeds to look around, most likely looking at her Skills Panel.
"I do have one, I didn't even notice. It's called
A bitter smile escapes Jae-Hwa's lips, some being relief and content while some was also jealousy of having such a powerful-sounding skill.
"Then all the better, please lead the group. I alone cannot do it, but I am sure that they will easily listen to you."
"I can't do it either! It's too much pressure and I also have no experience being a leader! I was simply a restaurant chef, not a leader."
"Please, they need you just as much as I need some sleep... If you really don't want to do it, then tell me when I wake up... until then, please consider it miss Hyeong."
Holding on to her spear like one does with a walking stick, Cho Jae-Hwa shamefully directed herself to the nearest blanket, almost like a dying soul dragging it's own corpse around.
She was that tired, there was simply no way around but reaching the comfort of the floor, no matter how hard it may be.
As she stored her weapon in the inventory and slowly closed her eyes, she could hear something. This was not Castelia's lullabies, it seemed more familiar, something that didn't even seem real.
One blink of an eye, then the other, until she managed to close both for a moment and let darkness fill her vision. All of a sudden the sound of metal clanks on the floor, very loud and irritating to the ears.
Jae-Hwa opened her eyes, being blinded by a different light, brighter, more natural. Her surroundings were just a calming beige as well, a color that accompained well with the dark brown hardwood floor.
========Cho Jae-Hwa's POV========
Isn't this—
No, it can't be possible. There is no way that this is possible... That's right, I heard a strange sound before falling asleep, it's got to be a monster of some sort—
I can't take my spear out of the inventory. Is it broken somehow? But there isn't a single panel showing, not even if I try to bring it out.
"Cho? Sorry, did I startle you?"
I know this voice too well, there is no one in the world that would recognize it better than me. This sweet and caring voice, how could I ever forget it? This house too, the way the chairs are arranged, how there is a stool just for me in the kitchen so I could help with cooking when I was a child...
"Mom?" My voice is too frail, I can barely say it. Am I even in that game-like world? Everything looks so real, how could I ever think otherwise?
"Huh? Why are you crying? Is everything okay? Did another kid bully you at school again?"
When did I start crying? But it's true, tears won't stop flowing from my eyes, for some reason they just won't listen to me.
"It's okay mom, I'm just happy to see you." She still stays the same beauty from all these years, with dark hair as the night and amber eyes... but that belly wasn't always as big, the only time I remember is when...
"Are you sure the kids aren't bullying you again? You know you can't listen to what they say, sweetie."
...I see now. My hands are smaller, my voice even become younger. But it's not like I came back in time, no— this is just a memory, from when she was still pregnant of my little sister. This is just a dream.
I thought I would never have them again after coming to that place, seems like I was wrong.
"No mom, I'm just happy to see you. And a little mad at me for always being mean to you."
This day was when the physical bullying started for a whole month. She only caught up to it after it was nearly over, but at least she managed to protect me as soon as she knew... If only I told her sooner... No, if only I didn't throw my anger to her side.
Even if it was because I didn't have any outlet for it, the way treated her, just because it was my rebellious phase, was too much.
If only I could tell her how I regret my behaviour... if only I could have been the same as others and not different... Just because of this white hair and green eyes, I was—
"It's okay honeybun, I am here for you, you know that. Never mind that, come eat, the food is getting cold."
She is just so kind, how could I even hate her, stupid little me?
"Okay!"
This is something that I longed for a long time after I left the house and started to live alone. I wonder just how well a dream is able to recreate flavors. I wonder if I even remember any of them?
"Wake up."
This is something that I don't remember happening. The television is turned off and at this time of the night there wasn't anyone walking around, so who is talking?
"Jae-Hwa, come eat, the food is getting cold."
Mother? Her voice just now was strange, somehow robotic as if there were more than one here.
The sky outside is becoming darker, but that shouldn't be so much, this memory is in the middle of summer, after all.
The darkness keeps slowly eating my house, as if it was some kind of virus spreading... Everything is falling along with it, into an endless pit of obscurity.The windows are already gone, now is the counter. Little by little, everything is... then next is—
"Mom!"
She is moving her mouth without a sound leaving, her shoes are desintegrating, turning dust just like the monsters. If this continues, she will leave me!
I know that last time I was the one to leave, but I don't want to. I regret everything, so please, don't go away! Please, don't leave me! Don't get so far away from me...
My voice will not come out, just like her I am next. Everything is crumbling, so that means I will also disappear into dust?
I thought I could find some peace, be away from that wild place that is kill or be killed, but apparently I was wrong. The dungeon will keep on tormeting me for a long time, I am sure of it.
==========General POV===========
Cho Jae-Hwa cried in place, not even noticing until after her tears had dried that she was now surrounded in total darkness. There was no ground or ceiling, not even a tiny bit of decoration.
Only a spotlight large enough to cover her body with a gentle light that appeared out of thin air.
"We are finally alone. It was quite difficult to create a connection."
A mysterious voice echoed around her ears, with no form or appearance to be seen.
"What did you do to my mother!?" Her shout made even the unknown being noticeably flinch and apologize for something out of control.
"I apologize, even though it was just a vision of your mind, it must have been precious right? Then, would this suffice, at least?"
Upon finishing its words, ghostly dark purple flame appeared in front of Jae-Hwa's eyes and started to rotate around. As the smoke from this other-wordly being was spread on a zone, a figure of a tall-ish woman in her thirties with a pregnant belly, silky black-as-the-night hair in a ponytail and gentle eyes started taking shape.
It was Jae-Hwa's mother, brought back to the conversation after becoming dust for the empty. Oddly enough, her eyes had become a deep dark red that looked straight out of a demon lord's.
"Do not mock my mother! You take her away and now you bring her back as you!? Don't make me laugh..." She sighs just before calming down, still with an angry expresion. "What do you want?"
"I need your help. You do not like the System, correct?"
Jae-Hwa immediately understood her question, but supposedly she was the only player to know such a thing was conscious. No matter who it is talking to her now makes her instinct scream to be cautious.
"Oh I do quite like it, it can be very convenient since I don't need to be carrying heavy things anymore."
"You know that is not what I am talking about."
"...Just who are you?"
"One of the few allies you might have in this new life of yours. You may call me Phantom for now."
Phantom remained motionless as her mother, only the bare movements needed to speak. Meanwhile, Jae-Hwa looked with concern at the situation, unable to decide what to do next.
"Alright... Phantom, why do you need my help, especially to appear in my dreams?"
"That was no dream, just a vision fabricated by me of your mind. Think of it as a door for me to enter and communicate with you.
Unfortunately I cannot take much time as the connection is not as stable, but please understand this: Even if our reasons are different, we both dislike the system and those behind it, but I cannot do much by myself."
"So you need my help for it... Why? Um... if you don't mind."
Phantom chuckles to her demonstration of politeness and worrying, becoming filled with sorrow as her next words are sounded.
"They killed my husband, my reason of love and living. Then they continued their atrocities by directing their attentions to my children. I lost everything, because of them— because of those puny humans."
It certainly cleared her suspicions about Phantom being a different being from humans, but at the same time left her with way too many questions that just flooded her mind.
"Humans...?"
"Yes, you may not know, but the ones behind the system, everything even, are humans. Just because they hold some kind of strange power that has control over everything that happens, they think they are some kind of all-powerfull gods."
That... makes more sense than I give it credit for. Jae-Hwa thought. The fact there was a system with levels, skills and an inventory just like a game always affected a little corner in the back of her mind, but the fact you could bleed and die would mean they were able to combine both, that being the reason as to why they felt like gods.
Those behind the system created their own game with the real world and those who played would be the beta testers, realistically speaking.
"We are just experiments."
"Exactly." Phantom answers, her gentle voice grown cold over the disgusting things she must be feeling.
"How can I help? How can I go back to my family?"
"Find a way out, destroy their power source and optimally kill the humans, but... that is too much for you, that exit must be very far from here.
For now, slay the Ruler of this domain and then meet me in the upcoming city. I will be waiting for you in the temple—"
She suddenly stops, her eyes aimlessly looking around in distress. The being raises her mother's fingers, ready to snap them.
"They seem to have caught to me, I have to sever the connection. I apologize, but now, truly, it is time to wake up."
Before Cho Jae-Hwa even had a chance to say something, her fingers snapped and her opened abruptly to the battle-filled dungeon's lights. Out of breath, with cold sweat dripping from her forehead, she held it in preparation for an incoming headache, but somehow it was quite peaceful.
Castelia stood beside her looking worried, while Marni slept on top of Jae-Hwa's body. Even she did not notice that her battle-crazed pale eyes had returned for a moment when she let her messy hair fall in front of her, covering her expression and emotions to mutter her fate.
"I have to go."
—CURRENT STATS——————————
PLAYER NAME: CHO JAE-HWA // LEVEL: 2 <10/60 EXP>
BLESSING: none
TITLE: none
HEALTH: 120/120
DAMAGE: 16 (+7) // DEFENSE: 20 (+6) // ENERGY: 30/30
WEAPON: Ceremonial Metal Spear
ARMOR: Hunter's Garb
SKILLS:
CREDITS: 13