A Survival Guide for a Counselor in the Apocalypse Chapter 25.0

Chapter 25

 

After telling Lee Hoin the destination first, we left the Parktel.

We didn’t have much time.

In the ruined world, survival was harder at night. Even in the game, consuming stamina at night was absolutely taboo.

At a glance, the setting, where vision excels during the day, and hearing excels at night, might seem disadvantageous both day and night. But during the day, everything is bright. And the brighter it is, the harder it is to hide. Good eyesight is, in a way, natural. Human forms are easier to see in daylight than at night.

‘As long as you don’t get covered in blood, you’ll be fine.’

Then what about night?

It’s so quiet that even the sound of a drunk person’s footsteps at dawn feels like it’s right above your head. In a place like that…

If there are creatures everywhere that react sensitively even to the sound of a rat crawling…

‘You’d basically be asking to die.’

Before the night deepened and everything fell deathly silent, we had to reach a “Home.” If we couldn’t reach the best option, we had to settle for the next best.

But that “next best” was closer to being a ‘lesser evil’ than a real alternative…

I glanced at Lee Hoin following behind me from the corner of my eye and swallowed.

No matter how many times I told him not to lose me, I couldn’t shake the unease.

‘The surroundings…’

From the rooftop of the Parktel, everything had been visible enough to distinguish what was where. But once we came down under the trees, the impression was completely different.

It was pitch black.

Without the compass in my hand, I wouldn’t even be able to tell front from back.

 

—

[Shh. It seems someone is moving nearby….]

[Or perhaps… It’s just your imagination. A night, and a mountain. Everything here seems perfect for summoning “the uncanny.”]

[For example… something that appears before you, taking the form of someone you know, or someone who might save you.]

—

 

Those kinds of things are just products of darkness, location, and fear.

That would be true if this were reality.

 

—

[Unfortunately, this is not “reality.” The world you “knew” has already been destroyed. Monsters roam the streets, and you too may someday become one….]

—

 

And this place is not reality.

Which is why we had to be even more careful.

Just as I was about to turn back again to check on Lee Hoin…

A sound came from ahead.

“Ah, aaah!”

Very far away.

But that single scream seemed to pull a trigger, as screams began erupting one after another from all directions.

“Kyaaaak!”

“Ack! Aaaack!”

“Uaaahhh!”

“Help me! A–ugh!!”

These were probably the screams of people wandering the forest like us, encountering “something.”

That was the most reasonable conclusion for now.

But the screams were too loud, and they weren’t coming from just one place.

It was strange.

If one scream had triggered others everywhere, that wouldn’t make sense. It had been silent as a grave, and then suddenly all kinds of voices erupted.

It would make more sense if a group had been attacked.

But…

‘It’s echoing through the forest.’

The screams were coming from everywhere.

From all directions, impossible to pinpoint.

They filled the forest.

Rustle!

Shff…

“Uaaah, uaaack!!”

Something was approaching rapidly.

It didn’t sound like someone running aimlessly; there were no footsteps.

Just the sound of something brushing past.

Shhh…

Rustle!

And then…

With precision.

It was coming toward us.

All signs pointed to one thing.

 

—

[Ah.]

—

 

Something saw us.

And…

It began hunting.

“Ahh, hhk, aaack!”

We’ve already been discovered.

And if the sound keeps approaching, staying silent is pointless now.

We need to hide or run.

If we can’t tell where it’s coming from…

There’s only one answer.

‘That thing isn’t flying or crawling, right?’

There were no such monsters here. At least, not in this area.

“Lee Hoin! The tree–”

As I turned to say get up the tree…

“…Lee Hoin.”

There was nothing behind me.

Nothing at all.

“……Lee Hoin?”

As if he had never been there.

 

—

[Ah, it seems your child has run away from your arms.]

—

 

***

 

A pitch-black night.

From the rooftop, everything had been visible… but down here, you couldn’t even see an inch ahead.

At least there was one saving grace:

The flashlight.

‘…Was this all anticipated, too?’

Lee Hoin found himself thinking that.

Honestly, there wasn’t a single downside to listening to Nam Muyeong.

If anything, whenever he tried to act on his own, things fell apart.

Like at the mart.

Nam Muyeong always presented the “correct answer.”

At some point, that felt strange… and yet…

It also felt ideal.

Because following someone who gives the “right answer” must itself be the “right answer.”

How did he know everything? What was he seeing? What was he thinking?

He didn’t know.

Lee Hoin didn’t even really know who Nam Muyeong was.

To the point it was hard to believe they went to the same school, same grade, same graduation.

That’s how unfamiliar he felt.

And yet…

He trusted him.

There were suspicious parts, sure.

But Nam Muyeong wasn’t someone who would harm him.

Everything he had seen so far proved that.

More righteous than expected.

More warm-hearted than expected.

A face that looked like it would say something harsh…

Yet he showed kindness instead.

‘Like with that cop.’

His expressionless face looked like it would draw a line and pressure the officer…

But instead, he persuaded him.

Sure, there might have been pressure in those words…

But it was still goodwill.

‘If he really meant harm…’

He would’ve abandoned me at the mart.

He wouldn’t have chosen to take me along from the convenience store.

And Lee Hoin realized something quietly.

No matter what he asked…

Nam Muyeong wouldn’t answer.

How do you know all this?

Why do you act like you can see the future?

Why are you saving me?

Why are you taking me along?

‘There’s no need to ask so much.’

If one day this uneasiness becomes unbearable…

Then he could think about parting ways.

But not now.

Right now…

There was something he was grateful for.

And Lee Hoin wasn’t the kind of person to ignore what was right.

Following Nam Muyeong and repaying the debt…

That was the right thing to do.

Just as he tried to shake off his long train of thoughts…

“Ah, aaah!”

A scream.

His fingers tensed.

The grip on his hammer slipped slightly.

He quickly turned the flashlight toward the source of the scream…

But no matter how much he swept the air,

All he saw were trees.

‘We need to get out.’

Realizing this instinctively, Lee Hoin frowned and looked forward…

Expecting Nam Muyeong to be standing there.

But instead…

Nam Muyeong had already gone far ahead.

As if he didn’t even notice Lee Hoin had stopped.

Still…

Lee Hoin knew.

Nam Muyeong must be thinking the same thing.

Because he was moving in the opposite direction from the screams.

Lee Hoin hurried after him.

Nam Muyeong walked ahead silently.

He didn’t look back once.

And he was walking fast.

Which made a thought naturally arise…

‘Why is he walking so fast?’

Because the screams died down?

Because they were too loud?

‘He’s not looking back.’

Back at the Parktel, Nam Muyeong had turned around 10 times in 20 minutes.

At least once every 2 minutes.

He always checked frequently.

So that wasn’t strange.

What was strange…

Was he wasn’t checking now?

That was what felt wrong.

Lee Hoin’s steps gradually slowed.

No matter how much he slowed down…

The distance between them remained the same.

Even though Nam Muyeong wasn’t looking at him.

“……”

He stopped completely.

Then he realized something… Too late.

There had been no footsteps from Nam Muyeong all this time.

“……”

“……”

The figure ahead stopped.

Then slowly…

It turned around.

At the very edge of the flashlight’s reach…

What turned back…

 

***

 

—

[All children wish to leave the arms that hold them. This is simply one of those moments.]

[You cannot always keep them by your side.]

—

 

Shut up.

‘Ha.’

Damn it, this situation just got complicated.

I need to find Lee Hoin before it’s too late…

And we have to reach a “Home” together.

To do that, first….

I need to get out of this situation—

How?

Ah, the tree.

To climb the tree…

Where the hell did Lee Hoin disappear to?

In that short time?

What the hell…

 

—

[Panic State 00:04:59]

You are in panic. Everything feels chaotic….

The chance of Mental Strength decreasing increases by 5%.

—

 

All thoughts stopped instantly.

‘…Panic state.’

I slowly steadied my breathing.

Acting like this won’t help.

The only one benefiting from this…

Is the narrator.

‘Finding Lee Hoin comes second.’

Between him and me,

Anyone could tell…

He’s the one more likely to survive longer.

Right now,

I need to worry about myself first.

‘…Because I’ve become the target.’