Chapter 47

Chapter 47

“RUN!”

The moment our feet left the ground and we turned...

“ROOOOOOAR!”

A deafening roar like a dinosaur exploded behind us.

If it caught us, we died.

If we fell, we died.

If we were too slow, we died!

We ran as hard as we possibly could.

Even so...

The distance kept shrinking.

Apparently, two legs really couldn't beat four.

How close is it?

I made the mistake of looking back.

I immediately regretted it.

Now I understood a little better why the Wolves had trembled so badly.

Anyone would be terrified by this sight.

Its enormous open jaws were rushing toward us as if they could tear us apart at any second.

I timed my skill with the Black Wolf's stride.

[Skill 'Lag Lv.8' activated.]

Its foot froze for an instant.

The Black Wolf's own momentum sent its huge body crashing forward.

CRASH!

For a moment, I thought we had gained some distance.

Then...

“ROOOOAR!”

...I think I just made it angrier.

If anything, it seemed even faster than before.

I promised myself I wouldn't use Lag again unless absolutely necessary.

Then the people running ahead of me started slowing down.

“What? Why are you stop...”

I looked forward.

And slowed too.

“Grrrrr.”

A large group of Wolves stood directly ahead.

They weren't as terrifying as the Black Wolf.

But having so many of them radiating murderous intent still sent a chill down my spine.

We instinctively began backing away.

But after only a few steps...

“ROOOOOAR!”

The Black Wolf reached us from behind.

Its hot breath mixed with the roar.

I swallowed.

My brother muttered in a trembling voice,

“Haha... we're fucked.”

“No. Actually, this might be better.”

From what I had seen earlier, the Wolves and Black Wolves didn't exactly get along.

If we used that...

Maybe we could survive this.

“Grrrr...”

“Grrrrrr.”

Thankfully, just as I expected, the moment the Wolves and Black Wolf saw each other, they immediately focused on one another.

It was as if we didn't exist.

In an instant, we became tiny shrimp trapped between fighting whales.

I clasped my trembling hands together.

Hopefully, we wouldn't end up crushed like shrimp.

Hopefully, we'd become the fisherman who benefited from two beasts fighting.

I glanced sideways at everyone.

They remembered what I had said earlier.

They nodded.

I raised my hand where they could see it and counted.

One.

Two.

Three!

The instant I finished...

We threw ourselves sideways.

CRASH!

A loud impact rang out.

Then an even louder sound followed.

“ROOOOAR!”

“BARK! GRAAAH!”

This was literally a dogfight.

I managed to move away from the monsters trying to tear each other apart.

After exchanging signals, we split up and started searching for the White Hole.

But we didn't have much time.

The balance of the fight was already shifting.

As more Wolves collapsed, my anxiety grew.

Please...

I hadn't expected to find the White Hole immediately.

Still, when your life depended on finding something, it was impossible not to feel desperate.

But desperation couldn't make something appear if it wasn't there.

I glanced at the others.

They shook their heads too.

Still, this is only the first place we've searched.

I could become discouraged later.

After every last bit of strength was gone.

I turned toward the next area.

Then something caught my eye.

It wasn't close.

But I could definitely see it.

Something glowing alone in the darkness.

Ah.

My heart violently jumped.

At that exact moment, everyone returned.

“What are you looking...”

My brother followed my gaze and stopped speaking.

“...That's it, right?”

At Han Siwoo's question, I nodded.

The light in the distance was unmistakably coming from a White Hole.

We had found it this easily.

I almost couldn't believe it.

“Let's go.”

I pressed down on my pounding chest and hurried forward.

As we approached the light...

I realized something.

If escaping had really been this easy...

The version of me in the novel would never have needed to give up her life.

[Black Wolf]

Countless Black Wolves had gathered around the White Hole.

There were so many that I couldn't even count them at a glance.

My feet froze.

We needed to get there.

If we could just reach that place...

But how?

My heart pounded so violently it felt ready to burst out of my chest.

My body trembled.

Even swallowing became difficult.

And in the middle of that fear...

I instinctively understood.

This was the moment.

The moment I had to use that skill.

The excitement and relief in my chest suddenly turned cold.

My thoughts became strangely clear.

If I used 'Sacrifice'...

We could reach the White Hole.

But the moment I tried to activate the skill...

My thoughts stopped like a car slamming on the brakes.

What if I'm wrong?

What if my idea doesn't work?

...What if I die?

I was terrified.

I thought I had already prepared myself.

But when death truly stood in front of me...

All that resolve became weak.

There's no guarantee Sacrifice is the only answer.

Maybe there was another way.

The thought repeated itself.

Slowly, it became something that felt like certainty.

“Hurry!”

Someone suddenly grabbed me and pulled me away.

When I blinked...

I was inside a crack between rocks.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Han Siwoo's sharp voice snapped me awake.

I looked around.

“Grrrr...”

A Black Wolf was sniffing the ground right beside us.

I instinctively stopped breathing.

It seemed to search the nearby area.

Then it passed us and walked toward the larger pack.

Only then did I release a breath.

“...How are we supposed to get past all of those?”

“Let's wait for them to move somewhere else first. We've found the exit. If we wait for the right opportunity, we can get through.”

Han Siwoo calmly answered my brother.

It sounded hopeful.

But while I listened...

My hands slowly grew cold.

Maybe some part of me already knew that wasn't the answer.

Then...

BOOOOM!

The Black Wolf that had seemed to be walking away suddenly smashed straight into the rock where we were hiding.

The several-meter-wide rock shattered instantly.

The impact threw my body into the air before slamming me into the ground.

Pain spread through my entire body.

My vision spun.

It found us...!

I hurriedly looked around for everyone.

Han Siwoo was beside me.

Lee Junhyuk was safe too.

It looked like he had used the Red Orb I gave him to reduce the impact.

And my brother...

I sucked in a sharp breath.

He had been thrown far away from us.

Countless Black Wolves surrounded him.

So many Black Wolves had gathered around my brother that I couldn't even see the ground near him.

Ah...

My head spun.

A cold feeling spread through my chest.

My expression started falling apart.

“Guh...!”

A Black Wolf pressed one paw into my brother's stomach.

Blood poured from his mouth.

My throat felt like it was closing.

I immediately tried to stand.

Then someone grabbed me.

“Don't go.”

I turned toward Han Siwoo.

His expression looked just as furious and desperate as mine.

Even so...

He shook his head.

What did that mean?

Was he telling me to leave my brother there to die?

I wanted to ask.

I couldn't.

Because if I hadn't hesitated...

If I had used the skill immediately...

My brother wouldn't be lying there now.

I looked at him again in confusion.

Our eyes met.

My brother's lips moved.

Go.

Hurry.

That was what he was saying.

Every drop of blood in my body turned cold.

Go?

Was he telling us to escape without him?

That was insane.

It was impossible.

It should have been easy to say that.

But...

I couldn't.

I'm scared...

I don't want to die.

I want to live.

I hated the world for putting me through this.

All I wanted was a normal, peaceful life with the people I cared about.

Why was that so difficult?

Why wouldn't the world leave me alone?

“Let's run.”

Han Siwoo tried to pull me toward the side where there were fewer Black Wolves.

Sometimes, people suddenly realize something about themselves.

I've always survived because someone else helped me.

The first time the Dome phenomenon happened.

The day the Bat Goblin killed everyone.

Every time...

Someone or something saved me.

Sometimes another person.

Sometimes a quest.

But I had never really done anything myself.

Every time, I told myself the same thing.

Just this once.

Only this time.

I'll accept help now.

Next time will be different.

I kept thinking that.

But looking back...

I hadn't changed at all.

I was still standing in the same place.

I hated getting hurt.

I hated pain.

I was afraid of everything.

So I kept telling myself that letting someone else step forward was more useful than stepping forward myself.

I grew comfortable with that excuse.

And eventually...

It became who I was.

There were countless stories in the world.

Stories so incredible they made people cheer.

Stories where the protagonist worked so hard that you couldn't help rooting for them.

Stories with amazing heroes who made you stare in awe.

Among all those stories...

Mine didn't exist.

My story was only...

The story of one foolish woman desperately struggling to stay alive.

That was all my story had been until now.

But today...

I wanted to change it, even if only a little.

To protect my teammates.

And to make sure I survived too.

If that was the story people remembered about me...

That would be enough.