The Player Who Must Kill the Regressor to Survive

Chapter 7

—–CROW—– 

*Rustle*

Hae-jin, who was invisible, revealed himself.

Of course, Lee Sang, engrossed in his practice, didn’t notice.

Hae-jin, also aware of Lee Sang’s concentration, quietly watched.

Until the game he was playing ended.

While watching quietly from behind, Hae-jin inwardly admired Lee Sang’s incredible play.

‘He truly is a god.’

Speller is a god.

This was something users of the game Lee Sang played always said about him.

Lee Sang, the ‘Speller,’ the world’s best professional gamer, so exceptional that a meme suddenly arose praising him.

Of course, he would now be Archmage Lee Sang, not Speller Lee Sang…

Soon after, Lee Sang won the game.

Seeing that, Hae-jin clapped.

*Clap, clap, clap*

“Huh? Coach?”

Lee Sang, who hadn’t noticed Hae-jin behind him because he was focused on the game, reacted.

He had a look of wondering who was suddenly clapping behind him.

Unconsciously, Lee Sang assumed it was the national team coach.

It was inevitable, as the team members had been taking it easy with practice after the survival game.

Of course, Lee Sang didn’t misunderstand them.

He had heard the news of people dying around him.

Especially within the Taereung National Training Center, where many athletes were young, there were many such cases.

It had almost become an established fact that the national matches they had prepared so hard for might be canceled.

Not only did the surviving athletes feel a sense of loss, but they also had to grieve the deaths of their fellow athletes who had been preparing with them.

Still, Lee Sang thought.

‘But this is all I can do.’

So, unlike the other team members who were taking it easy with practice, he thought he should practice harder, even if it was just him.

To cover for the other team members who weren’t practicing.

In this situation, he assumed that the only person who would clap for him after watching his game was the coach.

But when he turned around, there was a man he had never seen before.

Lee Sang tilted his head.

“…Who are you?”

Hae-jin spoke to Lee Sang, who was looking at him quizzically.

“My name is Park Hae-jin.”

“Park Hae-jin…? Could you be…?”

“That’s right, the Park Hae-jin you’re thinking of, Lee Sang-ssi.”

*Flinch!*

Lee Sang was startled by the confirmation that he was the Park Hae-jin he had in mind.

Seeing him, Hae-jin smirked.

‘His reaction is the same as Na-ye’s.’

It was inevitable.

Lee Sang also remembered the name Park Hae-jin in the same way as Na-ye.

The being who had slaughtered the most people in the survival game.

And the man who suddenly appeared before him claimed to be that Park Hae-jin.

He wondered if he should believe it.

Before that, Lee Sang wondered how Hae-jin had even gotten here.

“How did you get in here?”

Even though he had been concentrating on practice, there was no way he could have missed the sound of the tightly closed door opening.

But Hae-jin was inside the room without the door even opening.

Lee Sang wondered what was going on.

To Lee Sang, who expressed his question, Hae-jin responded with action.

*Snap!*

Hae-jin snapped his fingers.

Naturally, from Lee Sang’s perspective, he wondered what Hae-jin was doing.

But he immediately understood what Hae-jin had done.

Because Hae-jin, who was in front of him just a moment ago, instantly disappeared from sight.

“Huh?”

That was when it happened.

*Poke.*

Lee Sang, who was turning his head left and right to check his surroundings, felt something poke his cheek.

It was Hae-jin’s index finger.

Hae-jin, who had moved next to Lee Sang using Blink, was waiting with his index finger extended.

Having poked Lee Sang’s cheek with his index finger, Hae-jin said,

“That’s how I got in.”

“What is this…”

“Think of it as magic or a skill.”

“Magic…?”

“Yes.”

Lee Sang was dumbfounded.

Magic?

Wasn’t that something out of a fantasy novel or comic?

However, he couldn’t simply dismiss it as unrealistic nonsense.

Because Lee Sang had also experienced it.

The ‘Trial Grounds.’

Since he had that incredibly unrealistic experience, the existence of magic wasn’t so strange.

Having calmly grasped the situation, Lee Sang asked Hae-jin,

“So, what’s the reason you came to me?”

Lee Sang, who quickly assessed the situation and asked the reason for his visit.

Seeing that, Hae-jin smirked.

‘He’s certainly rational.’

Na-ye had been busy expressing her emotions every time they talked, after learning of his existence.

On the other hand, Lee Sang had quickly grasped the situation and got straight to the point.

Asking him the reason for his visit.

Hae-jin didn’t think there was any need to beat around the bush here.

“I need your help, Lee Sang-ssi.”

“My help?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of…?”

Lee Sang didn’t understand.

What kind of help could he possibly offer to Hae-jin, a complete stranger?

‘Does he need money?’

From Lee Sang’s perspective, if there was anything Hae-jin needed from him, it couldn’t be anything else.

He often received such requests through messages, whispers, or direct messages on social media during his internet broadcasts.

Asking if he could lend them some money because they were in dire straits.

Because they didn’t have money for hospital bills, medicine, or because they were in debt.

Naturally, Lee Sang ignored all such messages.

If he became a pushover for one person and helped them, he might have to help others as well.

Lee Sang was very frugal, saving all the salary he received as a professional gamer, but he still didn’t want to use his hard-earned money like that.

He would rather make a large donation somewhere.

But the situation was a little different now.

Who was the man standing before him?

Lee Sang still remembered.

The number of people Hae-jin had killed in the first Trial Grounds.

‘It was 4,572, right?’

Lee Sang had a good memory.

He accurately recalled the number of people Hae-jin had killed.

It wouldn’t be difficult for Hae-jin, who had killed so many people, to kill him as well.

As he had just seen, Hae-jin had the ability to kill him at any moment and leave this place as if nothing had happened.

But, at that moment.

Hae-jin smirked at Lee Sang.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t come to ask for money or anything.”

“Huh?!”

Lee Sang was startled.

It couldn’t be helped.

Hae-jin spoke as if he already knew what he was thinking.

To the startled Lee Sang, Hae-jin got straight to the point.

“Would you become a member of my party?”

“Party member?”

“Yes.”

Lee Sang didn’t understand the current situation.

Hae-jin, who already knew this would happen from his meeting with Na-ye, immediately proceeded with the deal.

“I’ll give you information about the next Trial Grounds. If you benefit from it, will you join my side?”

“What?”

Lee Sang was dumbfounded by Hae-jin’s sudden offer.

‘He’ll give me information about the next Trial Grounds?’

Honestly, from Lee Sang’s perspective, if what Hae-jin said was true, it was a deal he couldn’t refuse.

The Trial Grounds.

It was called the ‘survival game’ in reality.

Why?

Because if you died there, you died in reality too.

But now, in a situation where there were no hints about what to do in the next Trial Grounds, he was offering information about the second Trial Grounds.

Asking him to join his side if the information proved helpful.

Lee Sang thought about it.

‘There’s nothing to lose, is there?’

He wasn’t asking for money, and he was offering information that would help him survive the next Trial Grounds.

This alone could significantly increase his survival rate in the next Trial Grounds.

But that wasn’t all.

Park Hae-jin, the only person who had achieved the Hidden Trial in the first Trial Grounds, was asking him to join his team.

Whatever it was, if he could be with him, his survival rate would naturally increase.

So, from Lee Sang’s perspective, it was a no-lose situation.

But that made it even stranger.

‘Why is he making me this offer?’

As if he knew Lee Sang would think that even without asking, Hae-jin said,

“Are you suspicious because the conditions are too favorable for you? Should I not tell you then? You wouldn’t lose anything anyway.”

Hae-jin’s words sounded like this to Lee Sang:

‘You have nothing to lose anyway, so why not just listen? Well, if you really don’t want to, I won’t give you information about the next Trial Grounds.’

From Lee Sang’s perspective, even if he was suspicious, it was an offer worth listening to.

“Okay. If the information you give me helps me survive the next Trial Grounds, as you said, I’ll join your team. Of course, only if what you tell me turns out to be true in the Trial Grounds.”

Lee Sang spoke as if he was confirming the terms of the deal.

Hae-jin found this convenient.

“Good. Then I’ll tell you what you should do in the next Trial Grounds, Lee Sang-ssi.”

Just as he had done with Na-ye, Hae-jin gave Lee Sang information about the second Trial Grounds.

After that, Hae-jin talked with Lee Sang about various things. Lee Sang showed a variety of reactions, sometimes surprised, sometimes seriously contemplative, as the conversation progressed. At the end of the conversation, Lee Sang asked Hae-jin a question.

“Would it be okay if I shared this information with others?”

“Well, that’s up to you, Lee Sang-ssi. But I wouldn’t do that.”

“…Why?”

Lee Sang, who had received information and advice about the second Trial Grounds from Hae-jin.

Lee Sang considered sharing the information so that the people who would move on to the second Trial Grounds with him in February could survive.

But it was better not to.

To Lee Sang, who was curious about the reason, Hae-jin said,

“If you tell others the information I gave you, you might be kicking away your own opportunity and choosing to die.”

“Choosing to die…”

He didn’t misunderstand Hae-jin’s words.

After all, as it was called the ‘survival game’ in reality, the Trial Grounds were a lawless zone where a massive number of people killed and were killed.

There was even a system where those who didn’t meet the survival conditions were forcibly killed upon returning to reality.

As Hae-jin said, if he revealed the information he had obtained, Lee Sang himself could become a target of that system.

In the end, Lee Sang followed Hae-jin’s advice.

“I understand. Then I’ll use the information you gave me to survive on my own.”

“Good thinking. Then shall we exchange numbers? We’ll have to see each other again after the second Trial Grounds on February 1st.”

“Ah, yes!”

So Hae-jin and Lee Sang exchanged numbers.

However, the moment Hae-jin saved Lee Sang’s contact as simply “Lee Sang”…

Lee Sang, having received Hae-jin’s number, was troubled.

‘What should I save it as?’

This was a concern Lee Sang hadn’t even voiced yet, but as if he knew, Hae-jin said,

“Just save it as Hae-jin hyungnim.”

Saying that, Hae-jin thought,

‘That’s how you originally saved my contact.’

—–CROW—– 

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