Yoo Ha-eun's pupils trembled at my response.
A reaction like she hadn't even dreamed of being turned down.
"Is... is there something wrong with me?"
Her follow-up question carried an unmistakable edge of anxiety.
The cheerfulness and confidence from moments ago had completely vanished.
Well, in a situation like this, even I'd lose my confidence.
She'd even volunteered to play meat shield, and I'd shot her down without a second thought.
"If there's a problem, please tell me. I'll fix it right away."
"No, there's nothing wrong with you, Ha-eun."
"Pardon?"
Her attitude—not harboring any grudge despite the cold rejection and ready to make changes—was impressive.
Hell, I'd love to recruit her into my party right now if I could.
But this wasn't something one person could just decide.
"It's not you. It's the quest."
"The quest...?"
"You killed that goblin, right? So you picked up the quest to head to a safe zone?"
"W-wait a sec. Let me check."
At my words, Yoo Ha-eun summoned her Status Window right there on the spot.
⚔ STATUS ⚔
(The text appears blurry, like fog, making it impossible to read clearly.)
Its shape matched mine perfectly, but for some reason, the text was hazy, like it was shrouded in mist.
Probably set up so no one could peek at someone else's Status Window.
Yoo Ha-eun scanned the quest tab at the bottom and nodded.
"Yeah, I've got it. There's a quest called 'Find the Sanctuary.'"
"It should show the direction and distance too. Which way?"
"Toward that overpass down below."
"Mine points to the hiking trail up ahead."
Our fingers pointed in completely opposite directions, and Yoo Ha-eun blinked in surprise.
We'd clearly received the same quest, yet our destinations were worlds apart.
"Why...?"
"No way there's only one safe zone in a city this massive. Makes sense when you think about avoiding the chaos of everyone piling into one spot."
I shrugged, as if it was obvious with just a bit of thought.
In truth, it wasn't deduction—it was experience.
'World Rebuild exploration quests never point to anything close by.'
She'd collapsed on that bridge earlier with shaky legs, so her place was probably nearby.
Me? I was pretty far from my old one-room now.
Assign us the same safe zone, and she'd have half the travel I did—easy mode.
The World Rebuild system wouldn't hand out freebies like that.
"Then... it's unavoidable."
"Yeah. No helping it."
Yoo Ha-eun cast her eyes downward with a bitter expression.
She knew it wasn't her fault, but the disappointment lingered anyway.
Can't blame her. In times like these, someone proactive with real firepower was a rare find.
I watched her for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Don't look so down. We can team up later if we run into each other."
"Huh?"
"The quest just says head to the safe zone—not camp there forever. We might meet up sooner than you think."
Paths diverged for now, but she was prime talent. Better to plant a seed for the future.
A spark of hope lit her face, easing her expression.
"You're right. Let's meet again someday."
"Sure thing."
I shook her hand with a smile and hit the road again.
Once we'd put some real distance between us, I remembered something I'd meant to tell her.
"Oh, Ha-eun! As a Warrior, pump Strength and Agility first! Stamina later!"
"Wait!? Why Agility...!?"
"Strength and Agility! Strength and Agility! Don't skimp on Agility!"
"Hey...!"
She yelled something with a baffled look, but no time for explanations.
One point into Agility, and she'd get the hint.
If she dismissed it as nonsense, then our paths ended there.
I left her voice behind and pressed on toward the safe zone.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The trek to the safe zone after parting with Yoo Ha-eun went smoothly.
Too smoothly—unnervingly so.
'Where are the goblins?'
Goblins in the streets weren't zombie-apocalypse hordes.
But every block so far had at least three pop up.
Yet several blocks now? Nothing.
Should've been at least twenty by now. What gives?
I felt the weirdness as I rounded an alley corner.
"...They're all dead?"
Torn goblin corpses littered the area.
Some bisected clean in half.
Up close, it looked like they'd been slashed with something sharp, then ripped apart postmortem.
'Another Beta Tester?'
Probably picked Warrior like Yoo Ha-eun.
Went with the sword out of the starter sword, spear, or mace.
Whoever it was, total psycho.
Kill for EXP and move on—why mutilate the bodies?
"What kind of psycho...?"
-Kim Jong-miiiiin! You fucking biiiitch! Come oooout!
"..."
Oh. Right. Forgot about the one psycho around here.
Park Geon-woong, that moron.
Must've tracked the address from my resume to kill me.
Got here, no me, so he's losing it.
"Ha. What a shit mood-killer."
Someone else deserves my anger, and this guy's hunting me?
Fine. Face-to-face it is. Let's hear his bitching.
I dismissed the quest arrow and headed toward the voice.
His screaming made it easy to track.
-Kim Jong-miiiiin! Come oooout! Kim Jong-miiiiin!
-Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! Why the meltdown, you psycho?!
Oh boy. A survivor's patience finally snapped.
Get the noise, but poking the bear now is risky.
Sure enough, one curse and he bit.
-What? Shut up? You talking to me?
-Yeah! Shut it! Ears clogged? Already stressed, and you—guh!
💥 CRACK! 💥
-Heavy Blow-
-Fuck, even worthless shits look down on me now. You're first.
-Aaaagh! Aaagh! Sorry! Forgive me! Mercy, aaaagh!
Knew it.
I sighed and bolted toward the screams.
A few buildings over, there was Park Geon-woong clinging to a villa's second-floor exterior.
Security bars and screen door already ripped off; he was prying through the last big window to break in.
His sword—obstructing entry—lay discarded on the ground below.
"Come here, bastard, I'll kill you! Quit wasting my tiiime...!"
"Aaaah! Help!"
"Dumbass. Why curse then? Don't know your place."
"The one who doesn't know his place is you, bastard."
My curse made Park Geon-woong whip his head around.
Just before he clocked me, I pointed and said,
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Black Missile
Black Missile.
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥
-Direct Hit to Flank-
"Aaaaaagh!"
A grin crept in as the Black Missile slammed into Park Geon-woong's side.
Fights are won by striking first, after all.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Crash.
"Agh! You fuck!"
Park Geon-woong plummeted from the second floor like a fly sprayed with pesticide.
Once he hit the ground, he clutched his side and rolled, pain too much to bear.
Nearly a full minute of writhing before he staggered up, tears leaking.
"You dog! I'll kill y—!"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Black Missile
Black Missile.
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥
-Patella Shattered-
"Aaaagh!"
This shot targeted the kneecap.
Straight hit sent him sprawling with a scream.
Seeing his body—still mostly intact—drew a hollow laugh.
A Black Missile that pierced goblin skulls, and it only snapped bones?
"You brute, how much Strength did you dump? No hole, not even blood."
"I-I'll kill you!"
"Still clueless. Black Missile."
💥 BONE SHATTERED! 💥
-Fracture-
"Gek...!"
They say pain overrides screams sometimes.
Five straight Black Missiles, and Park Geon-woong was living proof.
Bone-crushing agony per hit—no counter, just rolling.
Eventually, each blast just triggered convulsive jerks.
💥 SPASM! 💥
"Geeeeek!"
"Dumb fuck. Thought real-life fights play like games now?"
Humans aren't game chars shrugging off arrows.
Broken pinky toe? Can't walk.
Hurt thumb? Can't grip weapon.
Leg or rib cracked? Sandbag—no fight, no flight.
Limbs fully pulverized? Spell ceased.
Approaching the twitching mess brought stifled groans.
"Kuhk, kuhuhuk!"
"...Dude, are you crying?"
The rabid dog now bawled pitifully.
"Hueeuk! S-stop... please stop...! Uhuk!"
"Quit crying, trash. Don't wanna hear it from scum like you."
Guy whose hobby was breaking others—now sniveling? Just repulsive.
Warning ignored; tears flowed.
"One more, and you're done."
"Hik! Kuhk, hik!"
Only stopped when my finger aimed at his head.
Tsk. Locked eyes with the heap.
"Geon-woong, why? What's the beef?"
"..."
"Beta Tester, got skills. Why skip quests for this shit?
Got a disease that kills you if you don't bully?"
Wet eyes, lips clamped.
Not speechless—too humiliated to reply.
That fragile ego drew a scoff.
Won't bow even now?
"Pointless talk. You thrive on hierarchies.
Not superior? Inferior. Inferiors speak? 'How dare they'?"
"..."
"You swing fists, resist? 'Dare.' Grope, get mad? 'Dare.' Contradict? 'Dare.'
That's why me, that uncle—'dared' to speak, so kill."
His patience just ran dry; mindset's common.
Dating assaults, boss-on-underling beatings—all from that.
Even retaliation? No reflection, just rage amp.
Humiliation from 'lesser' wounds deep.
Retaliate to reassert rank—or burst.
He'd try too, given half a chance.
"But Geon-woong, one thing you don't get."
"..."
"No cops in this world anymore."
His eyes blinked.
Clueless stare.
Calmly repeated.
"Geon-woong, no police."
"..."
"No police. Get what I'm saying?"
"...?"
"Hahaha. You really don't."
Dry laugh at the absurdity.
Tracked me here, still no clue?
"Geon-woong."
Eyes locked, softest tone.
"No one's left to punish me. Why should I let you live?"
"...!"