A Survival Guide for a Counselor in the Apocalypse Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 

No matter how much theory you pile on, doing it once in practice is better. Especially when the student is, well… a student.

I pointed at the nearest mutant.

“Let’s try it.”

Whether it turns out well or badly.

Approaching slowly from behind the mutant, I gave Lee Hoin a hand signal.

Since we’d often be far apart and speaking might create noise, we had agreed on signals like these.

Palm out meant ‘don’t come, stop’.

Two fingers pointed toward a target or direction meant ‘attack, advance’.

Something like that.

‘We’ll be doing this a lot from now on, better to set these up early.’

Holding my palm out toward Hoin, I gripped my axe and moved behind the mutant. Its grayish eyes rolled as it noticed him.

“Kiiiek!”

The mutant spotted Hoin and rushed at him with a loud screech. Since this wasn’t a dirt path, even if it fell, its claws wouldn’t dig into the ground.

Simple aggro was signal 1.

An attack to disrupt balance was signal 2.

“Hey, it’s 2. Got it.”

So I chose 2 and stepped into position.

‘If we’re doing 2, it’d be better for Hoin to attack first…’

But since this was our first time, I couldn’t predict what might happen… what variables would arise, how Hoin would react.

If someone had to get hurt, it was better for it to be me than the guy whose arm was already torn up yesterday.

And Hoin could carry me if needed.

I couldn’t carry him.

So this distribution made sense.

I motioned him back, then immediately swung my hatchet at the mutant’s neck.

The blade bit into flesh. I didn’t push in deeper; I cut sharply and withdrew, keeping it from getting stuck. Then I stepped forward to slip into its reach…

At that moment, my trait flickered.

 

—

[This is unfortunate… your trait is now manifesting.]

—

 

Blink. Blink. 

The lit-up trait was…

 

—

[Misfortune (-)]

—

 

That damn misfortune.

My forward foot slipped into something I hadn’t seen. A sharp pain shot up as the world tilted sideways.

I didn’t need to look.

It was the same ankle as before.

Twisted again.

Of all times… now.

Damn it.

“Nam Muyeong!!”

I couldn’t dodge. I could only stare as the mutant’s claw came crashing down toward my head.

I knew I had to move.

‘But where?’

Where the hell do you dodge when a claw is coming straight down?

Even if I tried, it would pierce one of my limbs.

At worst…

…I die.

I knew that.

And yet…

 

—

[This is the natural reaction of a human seized by fear.]

[It seems the ‘Shabby Counseling Center’ does not accept its own client.]

[You have acquired a temporary trait.]

 

[At Death’s Door (00:00:59)]

In a life-or-death moment, your brain has lost control.

Did you lose control because you face death, or do you face death because you lost control? The classic chicken-or-egg dilemma.

Unless you possess an extremely strong will, you cannot overcome this trait.

You lose control of your body.

—

 

I’m going to die.

My body wouldn’t move.

Like an animal frozen in headlights.

The only thing I could see was the claw descending.

Whoosh!

Something tore through the air.

Thud!

A heavy impact rang out, and the claw vanished from view.

The massive body staggered, reeling. It flailed blindly, unable to regain balance.

Behind it, the head of a massive hammer swung again, tearing through the air.

A dull, crushing sound echoed…

And something dark red splattered across my vision.

The mutant collapsed, unable to even finish whatever it tried to do.

The hammer rose again…

 

—

[You have slain a standard human-type mutant.]

—

 

…and came down.

 

—

[Rewards will be distributed based on contribution.]

—

 

I heard it.

 

—

[You have obtained 1 ‘Lowest-Grade Core Stone.’ Event bonus grants 1 additional.]

—

 

It came down again.

“…Lee Hoin.”

Again.

Down.

Again.

Down.

Now the sound wasn’t even an impact… it was wet, squelching.

Still, the hammer rose again.

And fell again.

Once more…

“Lee Hoin!”

I grabbed his shoulder hard and shouted.

Only when his empty gaze met mine did his trembling hands finally release the hammer.

Clunk.

It dropped heavily to the ground.

“Lee Hoin.”

His eyes were on me. His body faced me.

But he said nothing.

His gaze looked past me, at something else.

Tears streamed silently down his face.

“It’s okay.”

I gripped his hand tightly… enough to hurt, until both his trembling and mine stopped.

“Get a hold of yourself.”

Everything he couldn’t say spilled out endlessly.

“…Sorry.”

I apologized.

This was my mistake.

I should’ve considered what I had and what he had.

I couldn’t control everything, but I should have accounted for it.

I had to remember…

In this world, I was cursed with misfortune.

Maybe the only one.

And that misfortune could drag Hoin down.

Could kill him.

Because he trusted me.

Even without explanations.

Even without answers.

He followed me.

Not knowing if the path I walked was a rotten plank over a cliff… or solid stone.

“Sorry.”

I should’ve been more careful.

I had to be.

Hoin slowly stepped back.

His shaking gaze dropped toward what he had been smashing.

Before he could fully see it…

“Lee Hoin, let’s go. We need to run.”

I grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, forcing a false goal, escape, even though nothing was chasing us.

He ran.

Without a word.

Because I held his shoulder, he never once looked back.

“I’m right behind you.”

Because I kept talking to him…

He never looked back.

 

—

[How long will you keep wrapping him in your skirts, I wonder?]

[Is this truly the right method? If the one helping him escape reality disappears, it won’t be you who collapses.]

—

 

We’re moving forward together.

That’s what I decided.

If it’s forward, not escape…

Then there’s no reason to turn back.

“Drink.”

I stopped him in a quiet place and handed him a canteen.

After drinking, he sat under a tree, breathing heavily.

After a long silence…

“…I’ll take the first strike.”

“Okay.”

I agreed.

Even if he hadn’t, nothing would change.

‘I’d just do it alone.’

Because we still had things to obtain.

It’s ironic…

You have to fight to the brink of death to barely survive.

Then I realized something.

The rabbit group symbol on my wrist.

Meaning…

I wouldn’t have died back there anyway.

 

***

 

“Kiiiek!”

The mutant tripped over a rope, and Hoin rushed in, crushing its head.

Dodging its flailing claws, he cut its neck cleanly.

A core stone dropped into his hand.

After 7 hours, we had gathered about 28 stones.

With the event bonus granting one extra per kill, alternating finishing blows gave us a decent yield.

Repeating the same actions like machines…

We got used to it.

Faster.

And we even developed safer methods.

Hoin’s idea was simple:

Tie the rope around a tree and trip the mutant.

That made killing them easy.

Because of that…

 

—

[I’m getting bored.]

—

 

Four hours ago, the commentator said that… and hasn’t spoken since.

“…Let’s take a break.”

Hoin kicked the corpse aside and spoke.

I nodded.

We’d hunted nonstop for an hour after the last break.

I retrieved the rope and looked at him.

‘I didn’t stop him, but…’

If he were really my patient…

I wouldn’t have made him do this.

What I’m doing is like force-feeding someone food they’re allergic to.

This isn’t how you treat trauma.

You don’t throw someone into a minefield full of triggers before they can even talk about it.

But this is the only way.

Because unfortunately…

His trauma is tied directly to his growth.

For now, he seems fine.

But that could just be imitation.

And then…

‘…the tourist guide.’

The edge of my axe was already worn out.

And Hoin…

Even if he didn’t say it…

His grip on the hammer kept changing.

Trying to find the right hold.

I stared at the handle.

It looked sturdy…

But it was already worn.

Like waterlogged wood.

If it snapped, we’d be in trouble.

“Keep those core stones safe.”

“What even are these?”

Hoin held one up to the sunlight.

“Why do we only get stuff like this? Don’t those ‘hidden rules’ things drop?”

They do.

Just much rarer than from killing people.

“Don’t know, but if they drop as loot, they’re useful somehow. Keep them. Eat some dried fruit if you’re bored.”

“Am I a kid?”

Ignoring him, I reviewed the original story.

It was about time to think about supply zones.

 

—

[Tracking Episode 1567…]

[Episode 1567 ▼]

Cha Hyeongseo does not appear.

—

 

Episode 1580… nothing.

1610… nothing.

1620… hit, but useless.

What I needed was when Cha Hyeongseo explained this event to Sa Jaeheon.

That moment.

 

—

[Episode 1622 ▼]

Cha Hyeongseo does not appear.

—

 

…Damn this long-running series.