I looked at her with a face that clearly showed I didn't quite understand what she meant. Perhaps she noticed the confusion written all over my expression, because Go Yeon-Joo widened her eyes and asked again.
"Oh my, you didn't know? They've been trailing us ever since we left Mule. Didn't we march at such a fast pace on purpose to shake them off?"
"Ahh."
It wasn't until Go Yeon-Joo gave me a more detailed explanation that I finally understood. Now that she mentioned it, I had sensed the presence of a few players tailing us when we left Mule. But I had assumed they weren't vagrants or anything—just players who were envious of our rapid progress, trying to follow us. Considering how empty Mule was of players, and how every time we returned from an expedition we were decked out in high-quality gear, it wouldn't have been strange for the more perceptive ones to take notice.
Still, I tilted my head again in confusion. We didn't exactly speed-march just to shake them off, but it could've served that purpose as well. The fact that they were keeping up with this pace meant they weren't total beginners. I paused for a moment, then asked her in a calm voice:
"We must have gained some distance from them well before a full day passed. Are they still following us? And how does player Go Yeon-Joo know this for sure?"
"Rather than 'chasing,' it would be more accurate to say they're maintaining a certain distance while following. It looks like they have a pretty skilled archer who's tracking us through the traces we've left behind. And did you forget who I am? I've had a shadow tailing them since day one."
It wasn't until I heard her softly spoken words that I finally understood what she meant. "Do we carry the tail with us, or cut it off here?" In other words, if we were to set up camp here, they were close enough to catch up.
I still wasn't sure whether they were just regular players following us, or actual vagrants. But one thing was certain—I really disliked being tailed. I let out a quiet sigh, but made up my mind without too much deliberation.
"We'll camp here."
"Cut them off, huh. But they seem pretty cautious—do you think they'll fall for it that easily? We've got eight people on our side, after all."
"We don't all need to move. And if they won't come to us, then we'll just go to them."
"Hm?"
As soon as she heard my words, Go Yeon-Joo let out a thin hum through her nose. She narrowed her eyes slightly and began to carefully study my face. After watching my expression in silence for a while, she finally opened her mouth in a low voice.
"You could get help from the others. Or I could help you myself."
"It's fine. Maybe if it were earlier on, but we'll be reaching The Cave Of Wailing soon. No need to ruin the mood just before that."
"Forget the others—what about me?"
"Player Go Yeon-Joo, please stay at the base camp. We need to prepare for every possibility, even the unlikely ones. Anyway, I'm confident I can take care of them alone."
"…Are you sure it's not that you want to do it alone?"
Her sudden, piercing question shut me up immediately. It felt like she had poked right into the core of me. And from the look on her face, the slow, knowing smile forming at the corner of her lips, she knew exactly how accurate she'd been.
I met her gaze with a calm stare, then quietly turned away. I didn't want to keep talking to her. Because Go Yeon-Joo and I—we were alike. Maybe it was our way of thinking. And that's exactly why she had seen right through me.
"You know," She said, "this is the first time you've smiled since the expedition began."
I smiled? I hadn't even noticed. Absent-mindedly, I brushed the corner of my mouth with a calm hand. And then, from behind me, her voice reached out and tugged at me once more.
"Well, yeah. Honestly, it's probably a relief if the kids don't get in the way. Just… watch out for the bats, okay?"
I lifted my hand in a quiet gesture, acknowledging her words.
Then I walked over to where the rest of the group was huddled together nearby and began to speak.
"We'll be camping here tonight. It's a bit early, but the timing is awkward."
When I announced that we'd be ending today's march here and setting up camp, everyone looked at me with surprise. But judging by the traces of relief on their faces, it didn't seem like any of them minded too much.
And so, we picked a spot and began to set up camp. We agreed on an early dinner, since we'd be getting an early start in the morning. I'd already told them we'd head out at dawn. Watching them eat with lighter, more cheerful expressions than usual, I spoke in a quiet voice.
"For tonight's watch, we'll keep the same order as yesterday—but with a slight change."
At my words, the group perked up their ears, giving me their full attention. I quietly extended my senses, confirming a faint presence nearby, and then raised my voice loud enough for it to be heard—intentionally so.
Normally, we'd had just one person on watch at a time, but this time, I announced that each shift would be longer and would have two people standing watch together. Of course, there was a specific reason for this change. I could only hope that at least one of them—one of those tailing us—had enough brains to catch on. That would make it much easier to figure out their intentions... and deal with them.
"So, the first watch tonight will be me and Player Go Yeon-Joo. The rest of you, pair up the same way you did yesterday, excluding me and Go Yeon-Joo."
"Kim Su-Hyeon. Is there really a need for two people to stand watch?"
Vivienne raised her hand and asked, and I nodded in response.
"Yeah. I just think we need to strengthen our guard a little more. Especially since we're in the mountains, we need to be extra careful. And to be honest, the standard for night watch is two people per shift. Up until now, we only had one person on duty because we were short on numbers, but that's no longer the case. I actually meant to do it this way from the start of the expedition, but I forgot. So, it's better to adjust now."
"Hmm. Yeah, two is definitely better than one for night watch. I've actually been debating whether or not to suggest it… looks like you were already thinking the same thing."
"Right. Also… with the thick undergrowth and trees around here, visibility is really limited. If one person stays at base camp while the other patrols the area, we can operate a lot more efficiently."
"Agreed. I'm in favor."
When Shin Sang-Yong, who always prioritized safety, spoke up in support, a quiet ripple ran through the group. Still, regardless of what I was actually thinking, there hadn't been a single flaw in the explanation I'd given. And so, we were able to finalize the watch shifts with unanimous agreement.
After that, a bit of a commotion broke out. Everyone was trying to figure out who had gone before and after them the previous night to match up the pairs. After a few moments of discussion, one by one, they confirmed their watch partners and resumed their meal. And An-Sol, who seemed relieved that her partner wasn't Go Yeon-Joo, suddenly tilted her head toward the dense underbrush with a puzzled expression.
"Mmm…?"
"Sol, what's wrong all of a sudden?"
"I don't know… It just feels like someone's watching us."
The moment she finished speaking, there was a sudden rustle—and a black bird burst out from the bushes. Everyone turned to look at the fluttering shape of a bat as it flapped away into the air. An-Hyun glanced at it and turned back, sounding dismissive.
"It's just a bird. Nothing to worry about. Let's not overthink it—just eat. Here, try this soup. It's amazing."
"A bird? I don't think so… Hmph. I don't want any. I can eat on my own."
Sol pouted and turned her head away, refusing the spoon An-Hyun had offered. As he quietly set the spoon down again, I exchanged a loaded glance with Go Yeon-Joo.
With that, we finished dinner and began preparing to sleep. Though the group chatted for a short while, everyone looked a bit drowsy—probably from having a warm meal for the first time in a while. One by one, the players crawled into their sleeping bags.
Leaning quietly against a tree, I watched them. There was still a little time left before night truly fell.
*
Being deep in the mountains really did seem to bring on the darkness faster. As the creeping dusk quietly settled around us, I took a slow sip of tea. Enjoying a cup of tea in the middle of an expedition, standing at the crossroads of life and death—it felt out of place, admittedly. But I couldn't just ignore Go Yeon-Joo's thoughtfulness in making it. Besides, the tea she brewed was genuinely good.
As I brought the cup to my lips again, I caught her subtly signaling me with a glance. I took another sip with a calm face, as if I hadn't noticed anything—as if I knew nothing.
Go Yeon-Joo was the one to break the silence.
"Night watch… it's surprisingly boring."
"Boring or not, it's an important part of our duty."
"There's not even a mouse in sight, let alone a monster."
At her comment, I stretched out with a big yawn and replied in a drowsy voice.
"Yawn… Well, yeah, I guess you're right. It's almost time to switch shifts anyway, so just hang in there a little longer. A quick patrol should line up perfectly with the handover."
"Sounds like a hassle. Is it really necessary to go?"
"You never know. I'll just circle around the area real quick. Stay here and wait for me. Once I'm back, we'll swap with the others. Ah, but I'd like to finish this tea before I go."
Our conversation was purely for show—just enough to be heard. I drank the tea as slowly as I could, savoring each sip like it really mattered. In truth, the reason I'd paired myself with Go Yeon-Joo for the first shift was to prepare in case the tailing group decided to make a move once we were all asleep. But from the looks of it, they weren't the type to charge in recklessly. That meant they were waiting for an opening—or had some other scheme in mind.
Once our conversation ended, I deliberately lazed around for another thirty minutes or so before finally getting to my feet. I casually told Go Yeon-Joo I'd be back shortly, then stepped into the dense underbrush.
The moment I did, I felt a presence discreetly trailing me from behind.
I said I was just doing a light patrol, but I steadily widened the distance between myself and base camp. Eventually, I was completely separated from the group. For a moment, I even considered pretending to get lost—but that might have seemed too unnatural. So I kept walking, calmly and steadily.
I also deliberately refrained from activating my Third Eye or any detection skills. If I sensed something too early, my body might react defensively on instinct. And since I intended to let them catch me, I wanted to make sure it looked perfect.
It had probably been around ten minutes since I started patrolling the area. Just as I began to wonder with genuine curiosity how exactly they planned to make their move—
"Kyaaaah!"
From within a patch of brush about knee-high, a shrill screech tore through the air as a jet-black shadow shot up. So, they were finally making a move. The shadow turned out to be a bat—the same one that had been hiding near our camp earlier. I spun around with a startled expression, and the bat brushed past my shoulder.
"Ugh! You little—!"
Grimacing slightly, I quickly drew my sword. The bat fluttered upward, as if mocking me, then began darting around in erratic loops, disturbing the space around me. I swung my blade clumsily, and it nimbly dodged every strike, occasionally swooping in close to graze my arm threateningly.
Whoever was controlling this bat probably knew I was a year 0—someone new to the world. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone with a strategy that had this many holes. Sure, I hadn't had much combat since leaving Mule seven days ago, but still—this was basically treating me like some helpless newbie.
Grinding my teeth, I swung my sword harder. Even though I was letting myself fall into their trap on purpose, even though it was all part of the act… I couldn't help but feel insulted.
And then it happened.
"Kyaaaah!"
The bat let out a shriek of pain, soaring up into the air before it began to wobble and flee off to one side.
Somehow, despite my wild and random swing, my sword had clipped one of its wings. Honestly, I was more shocked than anything—it was pure luck. I couldn't believe it had actually landed. This was way too obvious. Now I was really starting to wonder just what kind of idiot was behind this whole act.
But right now, the important thing was staying in character.
"Stop right there, you bastard!"
I shouted loudly, then bolted off after the fleeing bat.
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