Taking in a deep breath, Celia threw a glance in Evelin's direction.
"A nest… Between us and the city, there is a full-scale nest of pincers."
Dean shook his head in exasperation.
"A nest? Not a horde, a nest?!"
Jin clasped his hands.
Out of the few things he had studied about being a challenger, a nest was the one subject he couldn't find much information on. A nest was similar to a horde, only that it was made up of several hordes to form one large settlement of beasts.
It was akin to their own little kingdom. They brought their prey there, or perhaps laid their eggs if necessary. All in all, it was their own territory, an area humans couldn't simply walk through. Normally, a large-scale subjugation force is sent to destroy a nest, even if it was just a pincer nest.
That was mostly why it was not a subject of research and observation.
'This is more than just strange. A nest to form so close to the barrier, and no challenger is aware of it? First, the fifth ranker Riaz, now this, it can't be a coincidence.'
Evelin lifted her head.
"And what of it? This isn't the first nest we've seen; it probably won't be the last."
Turning to her, Dean spoke, his voice irreverent.
"Well, 'Miss' Evelin, being the Hope Guild's master's sister and all, I believe you've seen your fair share of monsters. But at the end of the day, we're just first-rankers! The nest you're talking about usually needs a guild to mobilize its best challengers, forming a team of more than a dozen first-rankers. Heck, we're not even the strongest in our own batch, let alone the guild. What do you expect to do with such a team?"
Evelin knitted her brows, her crimson eyes reflecting the flickering flame.
Clearing her throat, Celia spoke firmly.
"Then what other plan do you have, Dean? Do you want to sit here and pray that the nearest outpost sends a battalion to burn down the nest and come save us?"
Dean clicked his tongue.
"Can't we just go around the nest? Or we can move further down the forest, look for a safer path."
Before Celia could retaliate, Conrad spoke wearily.
"That guy back there. Why do you think nobody knows about it yet?"
Gritting his teeth, he continued.
"Do you think we're safe just because that damn monster let us go? It will follow us, I'm sure of it. That must be how he hunts, taking out one challenger at a time, until no one is left to report it back to their guild. Unlike us, who don't even know whether there is another route, that monster knows this forest like the back of his hand. The longer we stay here, the worse it will get."
Frowning deeply, Dean scoffed.
"So what? You plan to run from Godzilla to jump into a swamp full of crocodiles?"
Celia was ready to strike Dean once again, hoping to beat some sense into him. But Evelin grasped her by the arm before she could act. The two stared at each other for a while, their thoughts unknown to the rest of the group. Sighing deeply, Celia returned to her position.
Noticing her disappointed look, Dean retracted his gaze.
"I understand that you all want to go back to the city. I don't want to stay here either. But you know it as well as I do."
His gaze softened as he momentarily turned to Sam.
"Even if we somehow went past nest, there is very little chance that all of us will survive the journey. It could be you, Conrad. Or it could be me. Perhaps all of us would die fighting the pincers. What guarantee do I have that every single one of us can survive till the end?"
Everyone fell silent, the discomfort spreading across the room.
After all, deep down, everyone knew Dean was partly right. They would certainly reach the city, as far as Jin was concerned, but he knew that there would be casualties. If they were lucky, they could get away with several major injuries. But in normal circumstances, a few of them were fated to die.
And it was easy to find out why Dean, who was the type to jump into the pit of fire, was the one to be afraid of such an outcome.
He subtly glanced at Sam, who was still seemingly fast asleep.
'Brothers… I wonder what that is like.'
Jin could still remember vividly the time he had spent with his family. Unfortunately, that time was far less than what it was supposed to be. Even back then, he didn't have any siblings. Meanwhile, his parents did as much as they could for him while they were alive.
It wasn't until long after that, after spending decades alongside Seo and his comrades, that he was able to find the comfort of his family once again. To him, Seo was no different than his own brother, someone even closer than that.
But no matter how much time passed, he couldn't help but think about his family—a sibling who shared the same blood as him, someone who looked after him.
'Hah! I can't believe I'm having such thoughts. I guess becoming a human once again isn't as easy as it looks.'
Leaning against the surface behind him, Jin stretched his legs.
"So, what is the plan?"
His raspy voice attracted everyone's attention. Conrad lifted his head, while Evelin narrowed her eyes.
Raising a brow, she asked.
"What plan?"
Jin scratched the back of his head.
"You want to go past the nest. To do that, you're going to need a plan, right? I hope you know that we can't just confront them in a direct attack, let alone annihilate the entire nest."
Just as Dean was about to retaliate, Jin turned to him.
"I don't know what has you so scared out of your wits, but let's face it. I'm unsure what a Godzilla is, but I know for a fact that a swamp full of crocodiles is at least something I can handle. Sure, there will be casualties. So what? Did you think being a challenger was going to be easy?"
Frowning faintly, he continued.
"If you wish to stay here, then do that. If you want to come with us, that will be your choice to make as well. But in the end, that's the life you've chosen for yourself. If you can't make peace with that, then you should give up. That, too, will be your choice to make."
Everyone stared at him, partly because it was the first time they had seen Jin talk so much, partly because he was the last person they were expecting to speak out. The rumors had painted him as a coward who knew nothing but to run away from his problem.
So, to see someone like that lecture someone else on what it was to be a challenger was surprising.
Raising his head, Jin spoke evenly.
"What will it be? Do you intend to move with us, or do you wish to stay here?"
Dean parted his lips.