In a way, it would've been enough to pull each person aside and tell them privately. But Go Yeon-Joo threw up a smokescreen, saying that both she and Kim Su-Hyeon already knew, so there was no point in hiding it now. (She also added that letting the others know would help them address their weaknesses faster and get support, which played a part in her reasoning.)
Tempted by Go Yeon-Joo's words, An-Hyun, Yun-Jung, and Sol showed hesitant expressions. Meanwhile, she sold them on the idea that these were manifestations of their weak hearts, and overcoming that weakness would make them stronger. Caught up in the reflective mood and with Kim Su-Hyeon absent, the three reluctantly nodded, though their agreement was clearly half-hearted.
Go Yeon-Joo chose Yun-Jung as her first target. Since Yun-Jung wasn't her main focus, she spoke honestly without embellishment. Hearing her words, Yun-Jung gave a wry smile, realizing that what Go Yeon-Joo said wasn't a lie.
She had indeed harbored such feelings in the past, and they'd caused tension, even distancing her from the group at times. "I thought I'd sorted it out in my heart, but I guess not," She admitted candidly, then tilted her head toward An-Hyun. She'd gone first, so it was his turn next. Receiving Yun-Jung's signal, An-Hyun tilted his head and looked at Go Yeon-Joo.
Go Yeon-Joo put on a thoughtful expression, then slightly furrowed her brow as she spoke.
"Let's see… What was it? Something like, 'I'm sorry for leaving Sol behind'? Or 'I have to save my sister no matter what'? It was something along those lines, but I'm not sure what it means. Did something happen between you two?"
The moment An-Hyun heard this, his face stiffened. Reflexively, he turned to Sol.
"Oppa…"
"Sol, don't say a word."
Sol looked at An-Hyun with sad eyes. Unable to bear her gaze, An-Hyun quickly dropped his head. The group sensed something between the two and shook their heads at Go Yeon-Joo. She widened her eyes and shrugged, stepping back. She hadn't intended to push, and An-Hyun wasn't her target anyway.
At that moment, Sol took a step forward, matching Go Yeon-Joo's retreat, and spoke.
"I want to know, too."
Her voice wasn't the usual slow, dragging tone. No, it was clear and resolute, with a firm edge. An-Hyun, startled, tried to stop her, but Sol sharply turned her head, forcing him to freeze.
There was even a sense of determination on her face. Her delicate eyes brimmed with resolve, her lips were tightly pursed, and her clenched fists showed she'd steeled herself to speak. At least, that's how it looked on the surface. An-Hyun called out to her in a pained voice, but Sol shook her head firmly and responded.
"Unnie and Oppa both spoke, so I can't be the only one who doesn't. And Su-Hyeon orabeoni always said that facing your own weaknesses is the foundation for growth. I don't want to be treated like a child anymore. I want to be stronger, too."
Her words made the group collectively gasp. Normally, they viewed Sol with indulgent, almost coddling eyes, largely because Kim Su-Hyeon was known to dote on her. But now, their gazes were filled with admiration and pride, as if thinking, 'She has this side to her?'
Go Yeon-Joo looked at Sol with a steady gaze before slowly speaking. For the first time, she raised her tone slightly and addressed Sol by name.
"Your resolve is admirable. I'm impressed. But I think it's better if you don't hear it. For your information, I remember what you said quite clearly. Want to know why? Because you spoke the longest, for the most time. And some of what you said was deeply shocking."
"It's okay. Hearing what you said about Oppa, I'm convinced you really heard it. And I have my own guesses, too. I want to know. I need to know if that's still lingering in my heart…"
"I don't want to say it. How about asking Player Kim Su-Hyeon privately later?"
"I'm ready. I want to hear it now, just like Unnie and Oppa. I don't want to be treated differently anymore."
Sol stubbornly persisted. Placing a hand on her chest and pleading once more, Go Yeon-Joo let out a small sigh. The atmosphere was starting to feel strange. She'd offered a compromise, but the person in question wasn't accepting it.
Licking her lips, she spoke up.
"I'm not one for lying. If I start talking, I'll tell the truth without holding back. Even though it's your unconscious, there might be people who'd be disappointed to know the real you, Sol. Are you sure about this? You won't regret it?"
At Go Yeon-Joo's stern warning, Sol didn't answer immediately. She couldn't. The group was curious about what could be so serious, but they held their breath. This was Sol's personal matter, and her reasoning had some merit. As a player in Hall Plain, her choice deserved respect.
Sol hesitated but ultimately nodded, shaking off An-Hyun's pleading gaze.
"I won't regret it. Please tell me… But keep it a secret from Su-Hyeon orabeoni. I'll tell him myself when the time comes."
Her words left some wiggle room, and Go Yeon-Joo wavered. What had started as a half-joking conversation had grown heavy. She glanced at the others' expressions.
An-Hyun opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, while worry filled the others' eyes. Sol had spoken bravely, but her gaze was starting to tremble. It likely touched on something deeply sensitive—her "reverse scale." Go Yeon-Joo calmly sorted her thoughts.
'It wouldn't hurt to tell her… but I don't have the duty or the right to touch that yet. If I clumsily bring it up, it could spiral out of control. Maybe leave it to that rookie… or at least to him. Plus, I don't like this mood. Shall I mess with them a bit?'
For a brief moment, she considered telling the truth, but Go Yeon-Joo quickly dismissed the idea. As she'd said, if Sol were truly ready, it might be different, but her sharp instincts told her Sol was swept up in the moment. Given Sol's soft nature and the fact that they were in the middle of a dungeon expedition, Go Yeon-Joo didn't want to deal with an emotional fallout. So, she decided to stick to her original plan.
Taking a deep breath, Go Yeon-Joo nodded calmly. From An-Hyun and Yun-Jung's reactions, the group already found her credible. As her lips slowly parted, the players' tense gazes fixed on her mouth.
Finally, with a dead-serious voice and an equally serious expression, Go Yeon-Joo spoke her first words.
"Kim Su-Hyeon, that bastard! I can't stand him!"
Sometimes, humans can't react immediately to shocking things. It happens when they hear, experience, or encounter something beyond comprehension. Their brains refuse to process it. That was exactly the case for Sol and the group now.
Sol's resolute expression gradually softened, reverting to her usual innocent, dazed look. Her tightly pursed lips slowly parted, and a deflated sound slipped out.
"…Huh?"
"Damn it, I can't stand Kim Su-Hyeon! What's with him acting all high and mighty just because he's strong? It's so annoying… His smug attitude is just unbearable. That's why I can't quit smoking. Ugh, it pisses me off!"
"…W-What?!"
Sol, flustered, looked around wildly. The group stared at her and Go Yeon-Joo with blank faces and wide eyes. Overwhelmed with panic, Sol shook her head frantically, but Go Yeon-Joo's words didn't stop.
"And what's with that prude Jung Ha-Yeong? She's so full of herself just because she's got some skills. Ugh, so annoying. Tsk. Just wait until I get stronger. I'll pay her back."
"An-Sol…? P-Pay back?"
Hearing Go Yeon-Joo's words, Jung Ha-Yeong's face turned incredulous, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Seeing Ha-Yeong's hurt expression, Sol, in a frantic rush, waved her hands and vehemently denied it.
"N-Nooo! W-Wait a second! No way! I-I didn't say that! That's not true!"
"And that pasty Shin Sang-Yong—what's his deal? Why's he always sticking his nose in everything? Does he think he's some kind of saint? What's he even after, hanging around here? Oh, wait, maybe he's got a thing for that Vivienne chick?."
"Ugh, cough cough!"
"Chick?!"
"Nooo! It's a lie! I didn't say that! 'Sob' It's not true!"
"Chiiick?!"
Shin Sang-Yong let out a violent cough, and Vivienne shrieked. Sol's mind had gone beyond panic, sinking into a chaotic abyss. She denied it fiercely, but somewhere, a voice muttered, "A strong denial is a strong affirmation." Before she could even react, Go Yeon-Joo's voice chimed in, as if adding a flourish.
"Ugh, Vivienne's such an eyesore every time I see her. She really gets under my skin. Why does her character have to overlap with mine? It's like my spotlight's getting stolen! Some random nobody rolling in from nowhere. Tsk!"
"What?! A random nobody?! You sneaky—! I knew it! All your nice acts were just a mask!"
"N-N-No, I-I—"
As Vivienne stood up with an enraged face, Sol stumbled back, tripped, and fell on her butt. Seeing the hurt and angry faces of the group, her mind went blank, and no thoughts came. Then, Go Yeon-Joo delivered the final blow.
"Phew. That's it. I told you you'd regret it. Don't blame me."
Go Yeon-Joo sighed and shook her head, not revealing it was a lie but indirectly confirming it as truth. With that finishing shot, Sol had only one thing left to do.
"Waaaaaah!!!!"
*
"What are you, a grown adult, doing messing with a kid like that? Aren't you ashamed, one of Hall Plain's
"Whistle whistle~♪"
Go Yeon-Joo whistled and avoided my gaze. I could only let out heavy sighs at her reaction. I'd been scouting the area for any changes in the terrain when a loud wail reached my ears. Rushing back to the clearing, I found the group surrounding Sol, who was sitting on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Sob… Waaah… I-I, hic, didn't, hic, I didn't do that, hic, waaaaah…."
After getting a rough explanation from Jung Ha-Yeong, I shot a sharp glare at Go Yeon-Joo and lifted Sol into my arms. As I looked down, Sol's face was filled with genuine sorrow, tears streaming down her cheeks. She'd cried so hard that her voice was hoarse.
"There, there. Oppa knows you didn't do it. Player Go Yeon-Joo was just teasing you with lies. You're a good girl, our Sol. Come on, no more tears."
"Sob… Orabeoni… hic Orabeoni…"
Sol buried her face deeper into my chest, rubbing against me. As I patted her back to soothe her, her sobs seemed to quiet down a bit.
I was already frustrated about the time we'd lost, and now wasting more time meaninglessly irked me, but I decided to let it slide for now. Go Yeon-Joo simply admitted it was a lie with a faint smile, offering no real apology. Knowing her personality, that felt a bit off, so I figured she must have had her reasons. I'd deal with her later—my priority was calming Sol.
With the others joining in to comfort her, Sol finally stopped crying, though her face was still streaked with tears, her eyes puffy. Her lips trembled, and her body shook intermittently—she was clearly shaken. In this state, continuing the expedition was impossible, so I decided to take a proper break.
"…"
After another 30 minutes of rest, the group's agitation had mostly subsided. I gently set Sol, still clinging to me, aside and announced to the meditating players that we'd resume the expedition. At my words, the mage players' eyes sparkled, and the melee players stretched their arms and waists, loosening up.
"Then, the formation…"
Just as I was about to organize the formation, I closed my mouth. The group was already arranging themselves without my instruction, led by the others. Their eyes were sharp and alert, and something felt different. The heavy atmosphere that had settled since entering the Blue Mountains had lifted considerably, replaced by the lively, keen energy from the start. At that moment, Go Yeon-Joo subtly turned her head, met my eyes, and winked with a smile full of confidence and ease.
I wondered if she'd stirred things up on purpose, but I brushed it off and stepped to the front. There were priorities to handle. Feeling Sol trailing closely behind, clutching my clothes, I activated my Third Eye and mana detection simultaneously.
Vrrrm! Vrrrrm!
I poured in more mana than ever before, casting a wide detection range. I decided to treat The Cave Of Wailing as an unknown dungeon from now on. The wraith statues at the entrance and the magic circle we'd broken in the clearing weren't in my memories. No more carelessness—I'd approach this as if conquering a completely unfamiliar dungeon.
Perhaps because I'd raised my mana stat, I could faintly sense Sol flinching behind me. Steadying myself once more, I took the lead.
And slowly, I guided the group into the passage.
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