After everything that happened...
My talk with the boy, agreeing to go, then meeting with the employer and confirming my decision...
Here I am now—standing in the middle of the unknown.
At first, I felt proud. Something like, "I'm brave now! I've taken a big step!"
But only minutes later, it hit me—that moment. The moment of realization.
What have I done?
Have I lost my mind? Who wakes up one morning and decides to go hunt monsters for a handful of coins?! Did I think I was the main character of a manhwa? What kind of madness is this?
Regret crept in, from my limbs to my chest.
It wasn't soft regret—it was harsh, sharp, like thorns pressing into my heart.
I considered going back to my employer and saying:
"Umm… sorry, I changed my mind again. I want to stay."
But I imagined it for a second…
The stares. The whispers. Maybe even some laughs.
No. No way. I'd rather die than face that.
I took a deep breath… drank some water… tried to look normal.
I started some simple stretches: I stretched my arms, rolled my neck, bent my knees…
But my mind was somewhere else entirely.
Suddenly, I wondered: "How are we getting there? Does the employer have lots of wagons? Or maybe a caravan of horses?"
But I laughed internally.
What am I doing? My brain is clinging to useless details to avoid thinking about the big thing:
We're going monster hunting.
And while I was drowning in that whirlpool of thoughts, a voice called from behind me:
— "The ten minutes are up. Time to move. Gather around."
It was the employer's voice—firm and confident, as always.
Everyone started moving toward him. Familiar faces, and new ones…
Some looked excited, some anxious…
And me? I don't even know how I looked.
But I felt like a walking corpse.
I approached the group, standing with them, waiting for the grand method of transportation to the next village.
But instead of wagons or horses, one of the men confidently said:
— "The path isn't far… we'll walk."
... Walk?!
Forty people… walking… to a village we know nothing about? Toward monsters?
As if the story needed an extra layer of irony.
I looked at the road ahead.
It stretched out like a thin thread between the trees, flanked by fields, with a gentle fog giving it an indescribable air of solemnity.
Every step from now on would take us deeper… into the unknown.
And for the first time, my feet felt incredibly heavy.
Not from fatigue—but from fear.
But I walked.
---
The road was long…
Or at least, that's what I thought at first.
We walked for nearly an hour, in steady, continuous steps.
No one spoke much. Just the sound of feet on dry dirt, and the wind rustling through the grass.
As time passed, my back began to ache a little.
I started to wonder if this journey was just a physical endurance test before we all die.
I walked behind a group of men. One of them was chewing something, another kept scanning the surroundings as if expecting an ambush.
They all looked composed.
As for me—I was breathing heavily and trying hard to hide my nerves.
Every time I lifted my head to look ahead, I hoped to see some sign we were close—
A gate, a house, smoke, anything…
But nothing. Just a road stretching on mercilessly.
Am I regretting this?
Yes.
Will I run away?
I don't think so…
Not because I'm brave, but because I'm stupid enough to have put myself here.
And now, there's no way out.
---
After about an hour and a half, the ground started to change.
Stone paving appeared beneath our feet, and some trees suddenly stopped appearing.
I noticed several wooden posts in the distance, then rooftops began to show.
Finally...
We arrived.
The next village was farther than I expected, but it looked simple… peaceful.
Yet, there was something strange in the air.
As if the village knew we were coming.
We stopped at its entrance, where two large men stood holding wooden spears.
Their eyes were sharp.
They scanned the group one by one, then stepped aside for the employer, who exchanged a few quiet words with them.
Then, he gestured for us to enter.
We stepped in…
And deep inside, I felt like I had just crossed from one world to another .