ReLife Player

[Windless Day (15)]

Why did I become a Twelfth Seat?

Shin Seoyoung looked away from the divisions desperately defending Uijeongbu Station and down at the troops retreating toward Hoeryong Station.

Because I want to protect.

She answered herself.

The reason she wanted to become a player was deeply rooted in her heart.

She doesn’t believe it.

That she can save everyone.

But still, she hopes.

That she can save as many people as possible.

It’s her pride, her ideal, something she clung to until the end, even if she had to compromise with reality.

And it was because of that that she was able to reclaim the ideal she had once let slip from her grasp.

Changhae Clan Lord Gil Sung-joon.

The only person in this world who understands her.

Someone who held the same ideals as her, someone who was a light in a dark tunnel.

«…Oppa.»

Tears filled her eyes as she watched him lead her clanmates in retreat.

‘Hasn’t it been tough for you?’

When her ideals, wanting to protect people, turned into arrows that pierced her, making it hard to breathe.

The person who reached out to her in despair was him.

‘Don’t cry. Why are you crying?’

‘There’s something I want to do’.

‘There’s quite a lot to do.’

‘Wouldn’t you help me a bit?’

He said.

‘Don’t give up.’

He pointed the way.

The path that we knew was right.

«─Oppa, what are you doing?»

She landed in front of him, sending several gusts of wind behind her back.

The retreating troops halted in their tracks as the gusts blocked their path.

«What the hell! What are you doing!»

«Changhae Clan Sublord, get out of the way! Do you think we’re all going to die!»

«We’re going to live! We’re going to live!»

The players’ hostility exploded.

The energy of killing monsters surged within the division, overwhelming her.

Nevertheless, she didn’t yield to their hostility and stared at Gil Sung-Jun.

«…Seoyoung, why don’t you turn back now?»

Gil Sung-Jun called out in a low voice.

Her face didn’t crumble at the sound of his voice. Her eyes narrowed, and she unleashed a wave of mana that would not be defeated by the players’ animosity.

«You know we can’t hold off an army approaching from three directions with what’s left of our people.

What about the one in human form? Can you handle him?

No, we can’t, and we’ll all die.»

«So, Seoyoung you’re going to go against orders and defeat the army on your own?

Also the ones that are dragging that army down to Hoeryong Station, the ones that could invade Seoul?»

«Are you saying we should all die then?»

«…….»

«You know we’re players, not heroes who save people, but players who have our own interests at heart.»

She was speechless.

Her breathing became labored.

It was hard to catch her breath.

Players, beings who prioritize their interests.

She couldn’t deny that statement.

She couldn’t deny it, but she never thought she would hear it from him.

«How… How can you say that, Oppa?»

«…Seoyoung, it’s time to face reality.»

«What?»

«Who are we now? I’m Clan Lord Changhae, and you’re Twelve Seat <Divine Wind>.

Don’t you understand? We have a lot to lose now, and if we take one wrong step, they’ll bite us from below and take what we have.»

«…But that’s not it.»

She couldn’t maintain her stern expression any longer.

Tears streamed down her face.

No, that wasn’t it.

The reason she joined the Changhae Clan, the reason they had risen to their current positions, was not for that.

«Seoyoung, we need to retreat here. If we retreat to Hoeryong Station now, we might avoid criticism, and there’s hope for the future. We can maintain the status of the Changhae Clan.»

«No, Oppa.»

What I wanted to protect isn’t that.

She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and raised her head.

Gil Seong-Jun grabbed her shoulders with an expression of incomprehension.

«We have to become the best in South Korea, right? How long are you going to be satisfied with second place?

We’re losing a lot of money, but we’re not the only ones. If we keep our forces together, we’ll have a chance to rebound.»

«…No, that’s not it.»

«Why? Didn’t you want to be the best too?»

«…Oppa, I told you, I want to protect people with the power of the Changhae Clan.»

«…To protect them, you need the strength to do so. So, we need to retreat and preserve whatever strength we have, right?»

She lowered her head again.

What she wanted to protect wasn’t a position.

It wasn’t honor.

It wasn’t power.

What she wanted to protect was people.

People who could live on resolutely even in despair.

Children who hoped to grow up and waited for tomorrow.

«I understand your feelings enough.»

No. You don’t understand, Oppa.

«We’ll have a tough time for a while.

But let’s endure it. Okay?

Just like the oath we made that day.»

The oath we made was to protect even more people, even if just a little.

«…Oppa, you’ve changed.»

Gil Sung-Jun’s face contorted suddenly.

He tightened his grip to the extent that it made her furrow her brows.

«I understand that you’re going through a tough time. I know why you’re doing this.»

«No, you don’t, Oppa.»

«Why wouldn’t I? I understand why you’re struggling.»

«…….»

Her eyes widened.

She could tell.

That he genuinely understood her.

But why.

Why would he want to retreat?

She wondered if he really understood her.

But the look in his eyes was genuine.

He really did understand her.

The eyes of someone who had lifted her out of despair.

«We’re not retreating without a plan. We’ll regroup at Hoeryong Station, and with our forces, we can respond to the situation.»

«…….»

«You believe me, right? When have you ever seen me lie?»

«But, if we retreat like this, we’ll lose….»

He wasn’t wrong.

It was too extreme to think that Hoeryong Station might collapse.

They could still hold their ground at the last bastion.

But if they faced the enemy without proper preparation, many would die.

In the process of retreating.

Even after retreating.

«That’s why.»

«…what?»

«That’s why the troops remaining at Uijeongbu Station must buy as much time as possible.»

«That… What are you talking about?»

«If we retreat like this, there won’t be enough time to respond properly at Hoeryong Station, right?

So the people guarding Uijeongbu Station need to buy us as much time as possible, while we reorganize our forces.»

«Why do you…get to decide that?»

«Wouldn’t there be units that want to stay there if I didn’t? «

Shin Seoyoung looked at the men over his shoulder.

All of them were shouting at her to get out of the way with grim faces.

Clan Lord Jang Bong-Jeon, was shouting at them and yelled at her not to resist.

It wasn’t even funny.

Of all the people gathered here, she, a Twelve Seat, was the one with the most command authority.

«So, Seoyoung, why don’t you join us and….»

Gil Sung-joon was trying to calm her down as she was at a loss for words.

[Message from Yang Hee-jung, 1st Navigator of Silla Clan, Uijeongbu Reclamation Division C!

It is currently 11:37, and we have confirmed the disappearance of the third-rank monster Siren Glider!

We’re spreading the word once again. Current time….]

The news flowed in.

And the news came quickly.

[A message from the Uijeongbu Reclamation Division A, Navigator Noh Ho-young of Myungwang Clan!

At 11:43 UTC, a monster with an army of the dead has emerged west of Uijeongbu Station.

As of this time, I am declaring this monster to be a threat of the third rank, and I will temporarily name it Death Cat!!!]

[Message from Cynthia Navigator of Clan Regulus, Uijeongbu Reclamation Division E.

It is currently 11:50 UTC, and a 4th-rank Overrank monster has been confirmed east of Uijeongbu Station.

The fourth-tier overranked monster can be found at….]

[This is Dangun Clan’s Telepathist Myeong Chaehyun, a member of Division E of the Uijeongbu Reclamation Division.

This is a report from Kim Muhak, the Navigator of the Dangun Clan.

Current time: 11:51 AM. The appearance of a 4th rank Overrank monster has been confirmed from the direction in which our division is moving.

The 4th rank Overrank monster is…]

The players fell into contemplation.

Just when they thought the situation was improving after defeating the 3rd rank monster, high-level monsters kept appearing one after another.

What’s more, they were approaching from below.

«Shin Seoyoung!»

Gil Sung-jun shouted at her over the dizzying telepathy in his head.

«From now on, we’re going to break through the military force coming up from below and retreat to Hoeryong Station.

Don’t worry about what’s happening below. We’ll handle it somehow.»

«……»

«So, Seoyoung, I need you to…, take care of the top. While you hold off the forces coming down from Uijeongbu Station, I’ll bring reinforcements as soon as I reach Hoeryong Station……….»

«…….»

«Seoyoung, you have to save the people, don’t you? This could kill not only the people above, but the people below as well.»

She stared at him with a grimace on her face.

She could see the strength in his eyes as he explained his plan step by step.

«I understand. It’s going to be hard to stop the forces coming down. It’ll be tough, but if it’s you, Seoyoung, you can do it.»

«…….»

The man she knew was nowhere to be found.

Still, he was understanding.

Hearing him speak was a comfort to her weary heart.

«You have to come back alive. That’s why I gave you this ring.»

He touched her ring.

She lowered her gaze.

There it was, the ring he’d given her to say he understood her, that he loved her.

«I love you.»

He kissed her forehead. He encouraged her and then led the troops to move southward.

Throughout the time the troops moved farther away, she held onto the ring endlessly.

«……»

She wanted to protect people.

Swallowing back her tears, she summoned the wind.

The wind blew.

As if it was crying.