Chapter 4 Part 33

The murmuring voices of the men from the Europe Branch walking nearby could be heard. Jeong Tae-ui let out a small laugh. He had already heard the exact same words, just with “Asia” replaced by “Europe.” It seemed everyone lacked creativity in their cursing, sounding quite similar.

“But I’m more worried about Simon than those Asia guys… Is that guy really okay?” one of them blurted out. It was a voice vaguely tinged with unease and concern.

“Right. Huh, but I don’t see him. Where did he go?”

“He went ahead earlier. Behind Rick. Is it okay to just leave him like that? I’m really uneasy.”

“Hmm… Still, surely not. He knows his place; what would he do?”

“You never know. When a person completely snaps, there’s no telling what they might do. If he loses his mind at some point and just stabs him in the back, it’s game over.”

“Come on. Even if it’s a surprise attack, Rick isn’t easily stabbed. It would be amazing just to graze him.”

“Even if he were stabbed, would the blade even penetrate? Not a single drop of blood might come out. Has anyone ever seen Rick bleed?”

“You’d have to see blood flowing to see it, but I’m pretty sure blood doesn’t even flow in that guy’s body.”

Although they spoke as if joking, they didn’t laugh. At most, they twisted the corners of their mouths in a bitter smile. They were cautious and anxious, as if merely speaking such things would bring misfortune upon them.

Walking a few steps behind and listening to their words, Jeong Tae-ui’s chest also filled with the same unease and subtle anxiety they felt.

He soon understood who they were talking about. It was that man who inspired both awe and anxiety not only in people from other branches but also within his own branch. Ilay League-row, otherwise known as Rick.

“Ah, damn it. I don’t care if Simon slices Rick up or not, but I just hope it doesn’t happen in front of the Asia guys. Why would we want to show them our internal troubles?”

“That’s true. But if I were Simon, I’d want to kill Rick too.”

“Even if I’m not like Simon, I still don’t like that bastard much. Why should I be on the same team as a guy like that? All I see are awful things every day. Ah, damn it, can’t the teams be split up?”

“Ever since I got on the same team as him, I can’t look at chunks of meat normally. I’m practically becoming a vegetarian against my will.”

“Honestly, it’s a good thing we’re on the same team within the same branch. Imagine if you unluckily faced him as an opponent in sparring or joint training.”

Jeong Tae-ui felt a subtle bitterness at their murmuring words. It was as if he had starkly realized what kind of person Ilay League-row was. He was someone who couldn’t blend in, someone who floated alone, sticking out even within his own team. Everyone felt both relief and anxious fear at the fact that he was on their team. He was someone they never wanted to be close to, but couldn’t afford to make an enemy of.

He couldn’t understand why he felt bitter. It was probably something Ilay League-row himself wouldn’t care about in the slightest, yet it left a needlessly sour taste in his mouth.

Well, it would be stranger not to fear such a madman.

Jeong Tae-ui didn’t want to hear the men’s conversations any longer, so he quickened his pace slightly. After putting some distance between himself and the rear, Ilay League-row’s figure reappeared some distance ahead. People were sparse around him, as if a barrier had been erected.

Seeing that sight, a bitter smile escaped him. Indeed, he was a man who had accumulated so much animosity that enemies seeking his life were scattered even within his own branch; it would be funnier if people gathered around him casually.

In fact, Jeong Tae-ui himself probably wouldn’t help if someone tried to kill that man right now. Especially considering the cold yet overflowing desire in his gaze when he looked at Shinru.

Dangerous. Threatening. Overpowering. He was a man one could never be comfortable next to. Even more so if he coveted what was precious to you, or treated it as trivial.

Just then. Ilay League-row seemed to slow his pace. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been watching his back, unconsciously hesitated and slowed his steps too. Ilay turned around. Jeong Tae-ui instinctively lowered his head slightly, looking away. Perhaps it was nothing, as Ilay said a few words to the person behind him, then turned his head back.

Jeong Tae-ui sighed, pressing down and bending the brim of his hat, pulling it even further down.

They stopped after walking for another three or four hours. Faint sounds of the sea suggested it wasn’t far away. Hearing the sound of the ocean naturally brought Shinru to mind, and Jeong Tae-ui unconsciously relaxed his expression.

“The fog is absolutely killer, and with the sound of the water, it’s just amazing.”

“Do you mean amazing in a good way, or amazing in a creepy way?”

Following the instructors’ words, the men stopped and, knowing that this was where they would spend the night, began to prepare the ground. There was a clearing in the middle of the forest, not very wide. Even though it was a clearing, with no trees growing, there were bushes and rocks scattered everywhere, so preparing the ground took quite some time.

The instructors, perhaps not wanting to cross dangerous bridges unnecessarily, had the men from other teams move to a slightly separate clearing, with a few trees between them. Even so, they would be immediately visible to each other with just a turn of the head, but location-wise, they were separated.

“I’ll take the furthest corner… Yes, under that rock would be good.”

Jeong Tae-ui quickly went to the spot furthest from the Europe Branch side, where a large rock cast a shadow, and settled down. The rock shielded him from view.

“Snakes and bugs tend to burrow into such secluded spots.”

Tou, who was pushing aside bushes, offered Jeong Tae-ui that advice, but Jeong Tae-ui shook his head. There was someone beyond the snakes and bugs that he wished to distance himself from even more. Perhaps understanding his feelings, Tou didn’t say anything further.

Chasing away a lizard crawling in the rock’s shade, Jeong Tae-ui settled down and listened to the distant sound of the sea. In the dim surroundings, blurred by fog, the faint sound of water carried a strange feeling.