Try Running Away

Two daggers and a pair of shoes.

Even without appraising them separately, he could tell these items were no less valuable than the ones they’d found earlier.

“This still seems really strange though.”

“I’m actually relieved. Earlier we found warrior equipment and now thief equipment. Though I don’t know the motive, if a thief ambushed a warrior first inflicting mortal wounds, and the warrior counterattacked also inflicting mortal wounds on the thief leading to mutual destruction, that would perfectly explain this situation.”

“How do you explain the distance between where the two items were found?”

“They both didn’t die immediately and lived for a bit. They died while trying to get away from each other, which is why there’s distance between the items. What do you think?”

“……”

The girl said nothing.

Not because she was convinced by Han Sang-jin’s speculation.

No, Han Sang-jin’s claims weren’t even speculation to begin with.

It was merely delusion fabricated to convince himself that there were no issues with these items and that it was fine to take them.

Despite this obviously apparent fact, the reason the girl didn’t refute Han Sang-jin’s claims was for one reason.

‘In this state, brother won’t listen no matter what anyone says.’

Han Sang-jin believes he is right.

It’s not that other people don’t have such tendencies.

But there was a decisive difference between them – unlike people who compromise with reality, Han Sang-jin absolutely believes he is right anytime, in any situation.

As if he had seen the future, he is certain that others’ thoughts are always wrong and only his thoughts are right, and as a result, Han Sang-jin’s decisions always prove to be correct.

Initially they would discuss and refute his claims, but as Han Sang-jin kept making only correct judgments, the girl and others grew accustomed to following his orders rather than thinking for themselves.

“If brother says so, then that must be it. So we’re taking these too?”

“Of course. These daggers look better than yours – want to switch?”

The weapon she currently held was a hidden piece Han Sang-jin had found.

Though she felt unsettled again at the fact that a stronger weapon than that one was lying around in a place like this, she decided to trust Han Sang-jin’s judgment as she had done until now.

“Well, I’m grateful then.”

The small sense of unease melted away like snow the moment she took the dagger Han Sang-jin threw.

Their movement resumed.

Shortly after, a third item appeared, now almost familiar.

“Seems like more than two people fought.”

Han Sang-jin offered a new speculation and everyone agreed.

This time’s items were a staff, priest robes, and a veil – equipment perfect for Yu Jia the priest, so she put on the veil which had better stats than what she was currently wearing.

After that was a repeat of the same pattern.

They discover items, speculations change, equipment gets replaced.

When their bags were full and they had to carry items directly, people besides the girl started feeling something was off, but no one voiced these thoughts.

As always, they thought Han Sang-jin must have some idea in mind.

‘Good. With this I can achieve the [Wealthy] achievement! No, not just the achievement. With the money from selling these items, I can advance my plans by at least a year!’

Han Sang-jin had only two thoughts.

There’s no way he could make a wrong choice.

All his choices are correct, and even if problems arise, he can overcome them sufficiently.

In normal cases, this wouldn’t be wrong.

After all, he was a regressor who knew about the future.

But Han Sang-jin was overlooking two facts.

One was that the future changes.

Unless a regressor follows exactly the same path as before regression, the future will change due to the changes caused by the regressor.

And the other was the presence of an unexpected intruder.

Tap!

Faint footsteps in the distance.

Even with his mind elsewhere, his body moves reflexively.

The moment Han Sang-jin’s hand flashed, a crescent-shaped blade of energy flew toward where the sound came from.

“Ugh!”

A faint groan was heard among the sounds of falling tree branches being cut.

Though it seemed like an excessive response, in this world, excess was better than deficiency.

‘If they show themselves I’ll heal them, if they run I’ll let them go.’

The intruder’s choice was neither of these.

Flash!

A faint light shot up from the other side, then began slowly falling while emitting brilliant light like a flare.

“Be on guard!”

A flare has only two uses.

Illuminating darkness and sending signals.

Neither was particularly positive for their situation, and soon as expected, signs of people began to be felt from afar.

At first they thought it was monsters attacking people under cover of night.

But Han Sang-jin soon realized his thoughts were wrong.

Thud thud.

Many people revealed themselves along with footsteps.

Some were faces that existed in Han Sang-jin’s memories.

‘The man on the left is Spear Master Ha Seo-jun and next to him is Ice Mage Yoo Seok-won. Could that be the Special Assassin Kang Cheol-hyeon? I see other familiar faces too, but what’s going on? I don’t think anything like this happened in the past?’

Though not as good as those he had chosen, these were people who would grow strong enough to make names for themselves in a region or city. He couldn’t understand why they were here in the middle of the forest with so many people.

“Do you have business with us?”

“Of course we have business. Where did you get the equipment you’re wearing?”

“We picked it up from the ground. Is there a problem?”

“Picked it up? Ha!”

Han Sang-jin answered confidently without being intimidated by Ha Seo-jun’s growling interrogation.

He had confidence in his own power, but more than that, he thought he hadn’t done anything wrong.

‘There must have been a large-scale battle. The items we found on the way here were dropped by those who lost, and these people won but suffered heavy casualties so they retreated temporarily and just now came back to collect the spoils? They’re angry because we took items they considered theirs? This is absurd.’

Having finished his deductions after seeing people staring intently at the equipment he and his companions were wearing, Han Sang-jin gave a bitter laugh.

“You’re laughing? Has this bastard really gone mad.”

Ha Seo-jun spun the spear on his back and thrust toward Han Sang-jin’s vital point.

But before Ha Seo-jun’s spear could touch Han Sang-jin’s body, Han Sang-jin had already skillfully slipped inside Ha Seo-jun’s guard and struck his chest with the sword handle.

Boom!

With a sound like a bomb exploding, Ha Seo-jun’s body flew back dozens of meters.

The principle of striking second but hitting first – where an attack made later lands before an attack made first.

Plus the killing intent released at the last moment.

Those gathered here would surely recognize the technique he had just demonstrated.

Even if they coveted the items, after seeing such a clear difference in skill they surely wouldn’t dare to challenge him anymore.

“That bastard… no, kill all those bastards!”

“You thieving sons of bitches!”

However, people’s choices were the opposite of Han Sang-jin’s expectations.

While cursing, they drew their weapons and emanated murderous intent as if ready to attack at any moment.

‘What’s this. Why is everyone acting like this? Did they take some strange drug?’

Something was strange.

After falling to the continent and going wild for a few months, this might be understandable.

But ten days was far too short for people who had lived in a peaceful world to be reborn as warriors willing to fight to the death.

And not just one person, but this many people made it even more so.

“……”

“……”

They point weapons and emanate killing intent at each other, but that was the limit.

If they stopped here, everything until now could be treated as if it never happened, but once blood is spilled and lives are taken, both sides would cross a river they could never return from.

Is fighting beneficial, or is not fighting beneficial.

“Seems like there’s some misunderstanding…”

Swish!

At that moment, an arrow suddenly flew toward Yu Jia’s forehead.

A surprise attack made without warning.

Han Sang-jin easily deflected the arrow, but it wasn’t an ordinary arrow – upon impact the special arrow created a brilliant explosion that momentarily distracted both sides, and in that moment a strange voice rang out among the people.

“Give me back my items, you sons of bitches!”

Those words became the spark.

The hesitating people immediately ground their teeth at the word “items” and began charging at Han Sang-jin’s party.

Clang clang clang!

Han Sang-jin easily blocked the high rankers’ attacks.

This was partly due to the basic skill difference between Han Sang-jin and the rankers, but the difference in item performance played a decisive role.

Han Sang-jin wrapped in all sorts of rare items and wearing better performing equipment just picked up among the recently found items, his combat power surging.

And the rankers who had lost 3 of their main equipment pieces due to some circumstances, their combat power plummeting.

Han Sang-jin was having an overwhelming fight against multiple high rankers.

However, the situation wasn’t so good on the other side.

Clang! Clang!

“Kuk!”

“Just wait a moment! I’ll heal you now… Kyaak!”

“Sister Jia!”

While Han Sang-jin’s party members were indeed superior to ordinary rankers in individual combat power, that was all they had.

They hadn’t spent decades honing their swordsmanship like Han Sang-jin, weren’t used to fighting people, and didn’t have much combat experience.

They knew nothing about how to deal with such overwhelming numerical inferiority.

The only reason they were still holding on was the clear difference in specs.

‘We need to get out of here first.’

Han Sang-jin ground his teeth.

Fighting alone wasn’t a problem, but if the companions he had gathered were to die in the meantime, the loss would be immeasurable.

These were people who would grow into heroes who would shake the continent in the future.

He couldn’t lose a single one.

Clang clang clang clang clang!

Han Sang-jin instantly created blade energy to deflect all incoming attacks and began indiscriminately cutting down the rankers threatening his party from behind.

Ordinary rankers had no way of blocking a regressor that even high rankers couldn’t stop.

Blood and screams instantly filled the air as a section of the encirclement collapsed.

“Brother!”

A gap created when tension loosened for a moment.

The gap lasted only for an instant so it should have been impossible to notice and target it, but if one had been waiting for that gap beforehand, that was a different story.

Twang!

With a heavy sound of a bowstring releasing, a specially crafted assassination arrow flew toward one of the companions.

When the arrow was fired, Han Sang-jin and the middle-aged man instinctively sensed danger and leaped, but their response was too late.

Thunk!

One arrow deeply embedded in the throat.

Yu Jia moved her mouth as if trying to say something with a dazed expression, then immediately coughed up bloody foam and collapsed to the ground.

“Nooooo!”

“Brother! This isn’t the time! We need to run!”

“Now’s our chance! Surround them!”

Han Sang-jin and his companions were shocked.

And only the girl maintaining her sanity urged escape before the encirclement could be completed.

However, interference came just before the encirclement was completed.

“V-vines?!”

“What is this? Someone try dispelling this!”

While vines grabbed the rankers’ ankles and bought time, Han Sang-jin regained his senses at the girl’s urging, looked once at Yu Jia who was turning into light, then bit his lip until it bled and disappeared into the forest with his companions.

And on the opposite side, Yuseong holding a bow watched them fleeing and smiled.

“That’s right, try running away.”