"That was unexpected. I had thought of you—never mind."
Conrad's sarcastic voice pulled Jin's attention.
Evelin and Celia had covered a lot of ground to scout the area. It was only natural that they needed rest before the big fight, even if they couldn't sleep with how their circumstances were. Sam and Dean were resting as well, just with their eyes open. After all, their role in tomorrow's battle was the biggest. They needed to be at their best for that cause.
Coincidentally, both Jin and Conrad were unable to sleep, so they volunteered to stand guard.
And Jin was already regretting it.
'Can't I get some peace for once?'
But deep down, he knew what Conrad was experiencing.
Their plans for the next day were as far from normal as one could get. Being the oldest among them, Conrad must feel responsible, not to mention anxious. Making small talk was just how people dealt with it.
Besides, Elias's loss had hit the others far more than it could affect Jin. Losing the person who was supposed to lead them in their very first mission as a first-ranker was prone to bring their morale down.
Leaning forward, Jin spoke.
"I didn't take you to be the sentimental type."
Conrad chuckled.
"I didn't take you to be a leader as well. But here we are."
The corner of Jin's eyes twitched faintly.
"You're mistaken. I'm no leader. I just couldn't bear their complaining and pathetic expressions anymore."
Conrad forced a smile, his voice wavering.
"That's… understandable. We can't blame them either, can we? Yes, they are challengers, albeit new. But I doubt anyone would choose this life if they had another choice. Don't you think so?"
Jin frowned, partially turning in his direction.
"What do you mean? Why did you choose to become a challenger then? It just… doesn't make sense."
Conrad surveyed the gigantic trees in the distance, his eyes reflecting the darkness around them. For some reason, he felt like something was looking back at him, examining him just like he analyzed the darkness.
"Beyond the barrier, there is nothing but monsters. The only people you'll ever see are the ones inside the city. But just being near the tower doesn't mean we are safe, does it?"
Jin somewhat knew about the various beasts and monsters that came with the Surge. Some thought of them as the creatures of hell, while some referred to them as animals that had mutated and evolved to attune themselves to the Surge.
And just like the Surge, these beasts were also attracted to the mysterious tower. Some attempted to enter it, getting their skulls smashed by the barrier. Meanwhile, others just stared at it, as if worshipping it. Unfortunately, the former type belonged to higher ranks, ones that had enough intelligence to think of the tower as not a deity but just another strong entity.
But that was almost all he knew about it. Lian's memory proved useful at times, but it was inefficient. It only contained what he had studied and what he had heard from the people around him. And even if he could, delving too deep inside his memories was much more dangerous than it seemed.
Right now, Jin didn't have anything that he had nurtured and cultivated in his past life. His qi, his transcendent physique, his titanic will, the martial arts he had cultivated in his vast life—everything had been taken from him.
So, if he lost himself in Lian's memories, there was no saying whether he could return or not.
Conrad continued as he peered into the boundless forest.
"Even with new batches of challengers coming out of the first trial every year, there are not enough challengers to keep everyone safe, let alone pose a threat to that monster we are running from. In such a situation, what do you think will happen if a monster comes that humanity can't handle?"
Jin's sight turned bleak.
"Everyone will die. Humanity will go extinct. But that can't be the sole reason."
Grinning dubiously, Conrad spoke.
"Well, some have grand ambition, like being a shield against humanity as a challenger. But others just want to earn a living. And in a world where drowning in the Surge, core abilities are far more needed than being a clerk or an accountant. The ones who fear the trials…"
Jin narrowed his gaze.
The city wasn't divided into two parts because of the economy. Having been in the inner section, Jin knew clearly that to live in the inner section of the city, one needed to be a challenger. For the people who had been living inside for their whole lives, the outside was no different than a death sentence—people who had been discarded by society.
He knew that it was nothing but a strategy to push people inside the tower, to attempt the trials—even if it meant that there was no saying whether they would return or not. After all, humanity needed as many soldiers as it could get.
Stretching his arms, Jin yawned.
"Is that why you wanted to become a challenger? To become useful to society?"
Conrad laughed, his voice traveling far inside the forest.
"Oh, not at all. I don't do well with grand purposes; they make me nervous. As for fitting in the society, I believe it is too late for that."
Exhaling deeply, he continued.
"I just do what I want to do. And being surrounded by monsters wherever I go, the only thing that suits me is being a challenger. Of course, I would prefer wasting away my life sleeping if that were possible."
Jin couldn't help but smile faintly, the corners of his lips rising ever so slightly. Ever since he had arrived in this world, he had barely talked to someone without having to calculate his every move. Conrad was the first person he had conversed with whom he didn't have to see as a threat.
He was just another challenger stuck in the same situation alongside him.
"What do you think? What are our chances of success?"
Conrad's voice was not cheerful anymore. It was laced with a hint of self-doubt, his fingers interlocked.
Jin had thought of it as well, whether the plan he had put together in the heat of the moment would work or not. If he were strong enough to play his part, or if someone failed to play theirs. There were countless ways their plan could go sideways—some ways that he couldn't even expect beforehand.
But such was the nature of his life. There hadn't been a moment in his life when he got something without having to put his life on the line.
Perhaps he would die before anyone else, or the hollow-eyed monster could show up out of nowhere to reap his soul. No matter what, all he knew was that he needed to keep walking forward.
'Even if what lies ahead is my own death…'
Jin laughed hoarsely.
"Do I look like a prophet?"
Grinning smugly, Conrad replied.
"Fair enough."
Just like that, dawn arrived—they had to set out once again.