Chapter 57

Chapter 57

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Chapter 57

Despite the doctor’s vehement objections, it was ultimately Lee Jaehun who prevailed.

Since the small lake was familiar and not particularly dangerous, only three rookies were sent there. However, this time the mission didn’t have a specific goal. They needed someone capable of defending the foraging team while also being knowledgeable enough to find wild food, and Lee Jaehun was the only one who fit the bill.

He couldn’t suppress a sneer as he twisted his lips.

“Does anyone here know more about survival than I do?”

“It’s not that crucial, but don’t you think you’re being a bit stubborn, director? Really?”

“I’m indispensable.”

“...If you say so...”

The doctor’s brows furrowed slightly, and Park Dahoon glanced around nervously, but since the doctor forced a smile and Park Dahoon was just being cautious, they decided to let it go. It was the luxury of the victor.

What was surprising, however, was that the protagonist, who usually avoided Lee Jaehun’s field activities, welcomed him with a smile, despite the clear risk given his condition as a patient.

“I’ll handle most of the protection. Director, you just need to guide us.”

“...You creepy little bastard.”

“Sorry, what?”

“I said you’re creepy, Deputy Jung.”

Pretending not to hear and asking again was creepy in itself.

‘He probably intends to extract every bit of knowledge from me...’

The cold, black eyes visible through his narrowed eyelids were unnerving. It seemed the role of the protagonist wasn’t just for anyone.

Figuring out what Deputy Jung Inho wanted wasn’t difficult. Though he acted indifferent, his cold personality meant he wouldn’t ignore the knowledge of an experienced survivor like Lee Jaehun. Especially when it concerned something as critical as food, he’d pay close attention.

‘But just paying attention isn’t enough to distinguish edible wild mushrooms.’

This required foundational knowledge of the ecosystem, meaning an expert’s opinion was essential. They couldn’t afford to leave the issue of securing food, which was crucial for survival, to chance just because Lee Jaehun was a patient.

Of course, Lee Jaehun had no intention of giving up his knowledge so easily.

‘Who knows when they might ditch me?’

In any environment, a person’s value was paramount, especially in extreme situations like this.

Lee Jaehun, whose role in this world was to eventually be an expendable antagonist, stayed vigilant. If he let his guard down, he feared the trauma of betrayal would resurface. He had no intention of being discarded after being used.

He turned to the doctor and continued.

“Anyway, please take good care of the waiting team.”

“And please take good care of your life.”

“You’re really persistent, aren’t you...?”

“Since you’re so keen on moving around, how about reconsidering the trip to the pharmacy? I can’t understand why you’re against it. Of course, if you do go, you’ll have to stay behind.”

“Are you saying you’d go to the pharmacy without me? No, more importantly, everyone will die if we go with this group. Trust me on this.”

“I always trust you.”

“Hah.”

For the record, the doctor stayed with the waiting team by the campfire.

If Lee Jaehun had to go, Jung Inho would need to leave to protect him. This would leave no one to provide psychological support to the remaining group except the doctor. Given that treating anyone on the march would be difficult, it was better for him to stay with the waiting team.

Feeling humiliated by the rookie’s concern, Lee Jaehun frowned and responded.

“If it gets dangerous, we’ll be back soon enough.”

“Your sense of danger is far from normal. Even if you cut your finger, come back immediately. Understood?”

“I guess I didn’t mention I’m well past forty, huh?”

“Are you tired? Should we take a break?”

“Why are you talking about resting already?”

His head was just a little fuzzy.

“Oh, are you tired?”

“Should we take a break?”

“Do you need support?”

“...Ah, shut up and just keep moving, you annoying pests!”

His outburst was 100% sincere.

Lee Jaehun was baffled by the chicks’ concerns gnawing at his nerves. He wasn’t angry because it was more absurd than infuriating. Who were they to worry about him?

Seeing Lee Jaehun’s ashen face, the protagonist spoke up.

“Resting isn’t the issue, director. Honestly, you should have stayed back, but you insisted on coming.”

“...Insisted... No, the issue is that if it gets dark, it will be difficult... No, I’m not actually tired!”

“Oh, okay. Understood.”

Jung Inho nodded, though he didn’t seem convinced. His ambiguous response, with those dark eyes that seemed to know exactly how to irritate Lee Jaehun, made he realize for the 79th time how a person could be left speechless.

Lee Jaehun briefly considered doing something he never did at work—striking back—but he soon realized he was unusually sensitive and took a deep breath to calm down.

It seemed he had been quite affected by the hidden world.

“.......”

“Once we cross this wooden bridge, we’ll be there.”

“...The small lake is closer than I thought.”

Consciously speaking, Lee Jaehun lightly crossed the wooden bridge.

The bridge was a common sight in large parks, but time had turned it into an artifact, with moss growing all over. It creaked loudly as soon as he stepped on it, more eerie than charming.

The musty smell of rotting wood faintly hit his nose, and small leaves sprouted from the branches as if the dead

“...This is intense.”

The lake seemed like it could poison someone at any moment.

“It’s impressive, but... isn’t this a bit too much?”

“In what sense?”

“Well... doesn’t it feel like fish wouldn’t survive in such clean water?”

And at the same time, he thought to himself.

‘This place seems safe.’

While he couldn’t be 100% sure, there was likely a high probability of that.

If Lee Jaehun, who had tried everything in his past life, felt an instinctual unease, then it was even more understandable for Team Leader Kang or Yoon Garam, who were still just chicks.

If the protagonist hadn’t been in his right mind in that R-rated survival horror, then there would be nothing to say. But objectively speaking, apart from a slight dent in his mental state, the small lake had always been safe.

‘Of course, there’s that one monster...’

It rarely showed any aggression towards people, and apart from supplying fish and drinking water, it had never caused any harm to anyone.

Of course, if his judgment now was wrong, it would be quite embarrassing. However, since there hadn’t been any descriptions of any huge monsters living nearby or any incidents of danger, it seemed unlikely that anything troublesome would happen.

It seemed like that would be the case, but...

“...Haaa.”

Even in what seemed like a fairly safe area, things were quite messed up, and he couldn’t help but sigh.

Survival was tough.

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