RG 93

Before my regression, I had spent my days confined in Zone C-281. When I finally escaped, I was immediately abducted by a research facility. Even after being rescued, I didn’t have anywhere to go. Despite being recognized as a B-class Support, offers from other guilds quickly disappeared after I lashed out at them a few times. The only one who stayed by my side until the end was Ryu Seonghyeon.

That’s why I chose the Circle Guild—I needed a place to stay.

It wasn’t until later that I realized the Circle Guild was much smaller and weaker than I’d expected. Oddly enough, that made me feel relieved rather than disappointed.

‘A guild this weak would struggle to find a Support.’

That meant they wouldn’t easily abandon me. Feeling reassured, I also came to understand why Ryu Seonghyeon stayed while the others had left.

Having no home or family, I started living in the guild building after joining the Circle Guild.

That left me with a sense of debt. I participated in every guild mission and did my best to Support the other members. Over time, my life outside the zone naturally became intertwined with the Circle Guild.

“I’ll give you another buff.”

The skill requiring physical contact to provide support was still inconvenient… but I didn’t mind as much when the recipients were guild members. Unlike my “brothers”, who demanded buffs relentlessly, the Circle Guild members were so considerate that they never even asked until I offered.

“It’s fine. I already got one earlier…”

Even when they had already received a buff, they stubbornly refused to take another until I personally insisted. Among them, Ryu Seonghyeon always seemed the most apologetic.

“It’s been three hours since then, and I only held your hand last time.”

“Um…”

Ignoring his awkward refusal, I stared at him until he smiled uncomfortably. Then, cautiously, he pulled me into his arms. 

Ryu Seonghyeon’s hands slipped under my shirt, holding my back and waist. He leaned forward, pressing his face against the nape of my neck. This was a method I’d devised to give buffs faster in emergencies. By increasing the area of contact, the duration of the buff also extended significantly.

Once he confirmed the buff had been properly applied, Ryu Seonghyeon slowly pulled away, smiling sheepishly. He briefly held my wrist before letting go.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Following guild missions and providing buffs out of a sense of obligation was part of it. But my mindset had shifted significantly since my time in the zone.

In a situation like this, if the person in front of me had been one of my brothers instead of Ryu Seonghyeon, I would have been disgusted beyond words.

Part of the reason was that I’d come to realize how good the Circle Guild members were. The buffs I gave them were always used to save or help others. I admired that.

I quietly observed Ryu Seonghyeon’s back as he rescued someone trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building.

***

“…It has to be me.”

A hand gently stroked my cheek. As the tickling sensation made my eyebrows twitch, the voice came again.

“You need to wake up.”

This time, the person smoothed back my hair and lightly shook my shoulder.

“Brother.”

That single word, spoken so softly, yanked my consciousness to the surface. I gasped sharply and opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was a pair of round green eyes gazing down at me. Realizing the person waking me was Cha Sahyeon eased the frantic beating of my heart.

“What… ugh…”

As I tried to sit up, a throbbing pain flared in my head. Pressing a hand to my forehead, I looked up to see a military truck lying overturned, people collapsed nearby, and monsters prowling the road.

Kyaaahhhh!

“…!”

Just then, a passing monster noticed me and charged. Before it could reach me, its body was impaled by something sharp and dark. Startled, I turned to see shadows coiling around Cha Sahyeon, extending from his body like weapons.

It was then I realized the ground was littered with monster corpses. While I’d been unconscious, Cha Sahyeon must have fended off several attacking monsters on his own.

‘Damn it.’

From his perspective, he was protecting me, and I was genuinely grateful. But I couldn’t feel entirely at ease. Those tied to the research facility might still be watching us from somewhere.

Finally grasping the situation, I hurriedly sat up and asked Cha Sahyeon, “How much time has passed?”

“About five minutes…?”

Was that a relief? I wasn’t sure. I pulled the child into my arms and whispered, “Don’t use your skill.”

I prayed desperately that no one had seen Cha Sahyeon’s skill during those five minutes. Still holding him close, I stood up.

“Help us!”

“Please save us!”

Voices I hadn’t noticed before began calling out from all directions. When I turned toward the sound, I saw a woman trapped beneath the truck, sobbing.

“Pl-please… help me…”

“…”

“Please…”

Her face was pale, tears streaming down as she pleaded weakly. I couldn’t sense any energy from her—definitely an ordinary civilian who had boarded the evacuation vehicle.

For a moment, I almost stopped walking. But I clenched my teeth and forced myself to ignore her desperate gaze.

‘No.’

Behind me, the cries of people and monsters mixed into a chaotic cacophony. My breathing became labored as I struggled not to look back.

It was already nerve-wracking enough that Cha Sahyeon had used his skill to protect me. Leaving him to save others would only put us in even greater danger.

Hunters would notice the situation soon enough and come to help. For now, getting Cha Sahyeon and myself out of here was the smarter choice.

It was ridiculous for me to even be debating this. I’d always been the one protected, so why was I acting as though I could make a difference now?

Mocking myself internally, I steeled my resolve. But then—

“Ahhh!”

A chorus of screams pierced the air. Across the way, a city bus stood motionless, and monsters were clawing at its windows with razor-sharp nails.

The glass looked ready to shatter at any moment, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the passengers inside were torn apart shortly after. Everywhere I turned, there were people trapped—inside buildings, under debris—unable to escape.

The unexpected rift had left too many civilians unable to evacuate. The monsters had spread faster than rescue teams could respond, and the resulting casualties would be catastrophic if this continued.

I spotted a terrified student crying inside the bus. A woman in a building nearby held her child tightly, covering their mouth to stay silent. An elderly man, pinned under rubble, struggled feebly.

‘No…’

I knew rescue teams were on their way.

But what if the bus shattered before they arrived, and everyone inside was slaughtered? What if the monsters discovered the people hiding in the buildings? What if they reached the elderly man trapped under the debris…?

“…”

I couldn’t hold out any longer. I squeezed my eyes shut, haunted by visions of helpless civilians being massacred by monsters.

Cold sweat trickled down my temple. My heart pounded erratically, driven by mounting anxiety and fear.

Even if the rescue teams arrived quickly, it would take at least 10 minutes for them to reach this spot. Could they really save everyone? Some of these people could die in mere seconds.

“…”

At some point, I found myself standing motionless in the middle of the street. I couldn’t move, my breaths coming in harsh gasps. Cha Sahyeon looked at me with confusion, his gaze questioning.

‘Stop thinking.’

I needed to stop overthinking and start moving. I had to get Cha Sahyeon out of here, away from the watchful eyes of the research facility’s agents. What did it matter if strangers died? I wasn’t Kwon Taehyeok or Ryu Seonghyeon. In this life, I’d resolved to prioritize Cha Sahyeon above all else.

But… my feet wouldn’t move.

“Ha…”

A bitter chuckle escaped me, so absurd I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. I’m seriously insane.

Turning away, I slipped into the shadows of a dark alley. The deeper I went, the more the dim light of the streetlamps faded, until I stopped in a corner shrouded in total darkness. Gently, I set Cha Sahyeon down from where he had been quietly clinging to me.

“Kid.”

When I looked at his innocent face staring up at me, a crushing wave of guilt swept over me. It was overwhelming, suffocating. I grabbed the boy’s small shoulders and bowed my head low.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I’m so, so sorry…”

Even as I uttered the words, I knew they were cowardly. They weren’t for him; they were for me, an attempt to ease the unbearable weight pressing on my chest. But I couldn’t stop myself from saying them.

Gripping his shoulders tightly, I murmured under my breath, “Activate.”

Crackle!

The moment the word left my lips, sparks crackled, and the familiar sensation of searing pain coursed through my body. My hands, still holding Cha Sahyeon’s shoulders, trembled violently under the strain.

《Hidden Skill: Silver Protection (Class S) [Activated]》

Exhaling a ragged breath, I met his eyes.

Cha Sahyeon, still looking at me with that same clueless expression, was waiting—innocent and trusting. My heart twisted as I struggled to find the words to explain what I was about to do.

I had to tell him. That I would be gone for just a moment. That I would save the people over there and return as quickly as possible. That he just needed to wait here for a little while.

But I had no idea how he would respond.

[Main Quest: Locate the lab associate hiding somewhere in the event hall (Time remaining: 7 hours 26 minutes]