The moment the others and Shin Sang-Yong entered the room, the soft atmosphere between Jung Ha-Yeong and me instantly vanished.
As if nothing had happened in the first place.
I appreciated her ability to separate business from personal matters—
But right now, there were more pressing issues to deal with.
As soon as they saw me awake, the others initially showed relief.
They asked about my condition, and I responded with a reassuring smile, telling them I was fine.
But that only lasted a moment.
Before I knew it, they had formed a loose circle around me—
And every single one of them looked… uncomfortable.
They weren't stupid.
The abilities I had displayed while fighting the demon had clearly surpassed the standards they had set for me.
Abilities that no zero-year player should possess.
A long, heavy silence stretched between us.
But as expected, the first to speak was Jung Ha-Yeong.
I quietly prepared myself, deciding how much I was willing to reveal.
"Do you have anything to say to the group?"
Her voice was calm yet firm.
I closed my eyes for a moment, deep in thought. I didn't want to give a vague or evasive answer.
And it wasn't like I was afraid to share anything—
I had already planned to reveal most of my strength after this dungeon. But there were limits.
The truth about me reaching the end of Hall Plain—
About obtaining the Zero Code—
And about the reason I had returned.
Those were things I could not disclose.
When I finally opened my eyes, the others were watching me with uneasy expressions. After a brief pause, I spoke in a low, steady voice.
"I do."
"Then please, speak."
I tilted my head slightly from side to side. She was being frustratingly vague. What exactly did she want me to say? With a faint smirk, I shook my head.
"There are things that can't just be answered so vaguely."
At my response, Jung Ha-Yeong furrowed her brows slightly.
She seemed to be mulling over my words, remaining silent for a moment before continuing in a cold tone.
"Vaguely, you say. So, what you're implying… is that you're hiding more than just one or two things?"
"That's correct."
I admitted it without hesitation.
At that moment, I saw the others exchanging uneasy glances, clearly taken aback.
But I remained composed.
Showing weakness in a situation like this—
That would be the same as admitting guilt. Instead, standing firm was the best way to convey my stance. Jung Ha-Yeong closed her eyes briefly, as if deep in thought. Then, without opening them, she spoke again.
"I don't know what your intentions are. I don't know your reasons either. But I can't say I feel particularly good about this."
"...."
"Let me start by being honest about my feelings. At first, I felt a strong sense of admiration for the player Kim Su-Hyeon. But now… I'm not so sure. Still, I want to hold on to this admiration. That's how I truly feel."
"I feel the same way."
At my response, Jung Ha-Yeong's expression softened slightly before she spoke again, her voice as clear as ever.
"If you really mean that, then answer me. No—I'll ask you a question. And I want you to answer every single one of them, without a single lie."
"Every player has at least one or two secrets."
At my indirect refusal, her eyes sharpened instantly.
"This is different. Right now, I'm honestly not even sure if you're actually a zeroth-year player—hell, I'm not even sure if you're human."
"…Alright. But if I do answer, will you believe my words as absolute truth?"
"I have my own ways of confirming that. In any case, you just said alright, didn't you? Then I'll take that as a yes to my request."
Jung Ha-Yeong finished speaking and reached into her robes. The conversation was slowly reaching its climax, and the others could sense it too, as they swallowed nervously. Soon, she pulled out a small, round crystal ball from her robes and placed it in front of me. The moment I recognized what it was, I almost lost control of my expression.
"I didn't expect to use this here. I'm sorry. But if I'm being honest now… it's because I still have hope for you, and I don't want to give up just yet. So, I hope you can forgive me for using this ."
Seeing the Crystal of Truth, I let out a small sigh. It was a fairly rare item. Even after spending ten years in Hall Plain, I hadn't seen it used more than a hundred times. As everyone's gazes fixated on the crystal, she pushed it toward me and began explaining.
"I happened to acquire this item a year ago. When you place your hand on the and inject magic into it, it synchronizes with your inner self. That synchronization then translates into a sort of frequency, which the crystal can interpret. And through this link, it determines whether your words are true or false."
"Did you really have to use this method…?"
Even though I trailed off with a displeased expression, her face remained unwavering. But I could understand her feelings to some extent.
This was an item that fetched an incredibly high price—something that could be considered part of her foundation as a player. When I had saved her before, I hadn't seen any sign of it, meaning she had been keeping it carefully hidden.
For her to give up such a valuable asset and bring it out now meant she had made a significant decision. In other words, she had expectations of me.
I had always known that I would have to deal with this at some point, but I hadn't expected to face it in such a drastic way. Still, there was no avoiding it now.
Letting out a long sigh, I reached for the
Just as I was about to place my hand on the crystal, a slender hand reached out from my right and grabbed mine, stopping me. The owner of that hand was none other than Lee Yun-Jung.
"Unni, stop it."
"Yun-Jung, stay out of this."
"You should be the one staying out of it, unni."
Even though Ha-Yeong tried to calmly reason with her, Yun-Jung stood her ground without backing down. The two women locked eyes in midair, their gazes sharp and unwavering. Considering how well they usually got along, Yun-Jung's sudden resistance was quite unexpected.
"This is something necessary for both me and all of you."
"And what gives you the right to decide that, unni?"
"...."
At that moment, the room fell into an uneasy silence.
At Yun-Jung's sharp words, Ha-Yeong visibly frowned. However, Yun-Jung was not one to back down easily. Her eyes, which usually held warmth, now blazed fiercely as she locked eyes with the older girl she had always been close to. Ha-Yeong openly showed her displeasure, but Yun-Jung paid no mind and pressed on even harder.
"To put it bluntly, you and Shin Sang-Yong haven't even been with oppa for that long. Me, and the rest of us? We're different. We are different. We ate together, slept together, and moved as one from the very beginning. You are pushing oppa like this… I don't know how he feels about it, but to me, it's really frustrating."
I had felt an odd sense of unease from Yun-Jung for a while now, and suddenly, I realized why. Normally, she spoke casually, addressing others with familiar terms like hyung and unni. But now, she was using formal speech from the start.
Ha-Yeong seemed to notice the shift as well. Her voice lowered, growing heavier as she responded.
"You're still young. Or maybe… you just haven't grasped what kind of place Hall Plain really is. This world is built on lies and deception. If something seems even slightly off, you need to make sure you get to the bottom of it. That belief is the only reason I'm still alive today. Should I be completely honest? Strictly speaking, the person you all trust so blindly—Player Kim Su-Hyeon—has been deceiving you this whole time…"
"Watch your mouth!"
Yun-Jung's sudden shout cut through the air like a whip. Ha-Yeong immediately fell silent. Yun-Jung's entire body trembled with anger, her shoulders shaking slightly. Then, with a sharp, biting tone, she shot back at Ha-Yeong.
"Yeah, maybe I don't know everything. But at the very least, I can say with confidence that I know oppa better than you do."
"You…"
"I'm not done talking yet."
"You're saying oppa deceived us? What exactly did he lie about? If anything, he sacrificed for us—he never betrayed us. And even if he did keep things from us, it wouldn't be deception. He must have had his reasons."
Ha-Yeong wasn't about to back down, either. Her usual composed expression had completely vanished, replaced by tightly clenched lips that betrayed her rising frustration.
"Fine. Maybe you can convince yourself to believe that. But have you ever considered that it might just be your own delusion? Do you really think the others feel the same way?"
"...What?"
Yun-Jung's eyes widened as she turned her head toward An-Hyun and An-Sol.
"Hey. An-Hyun, An-Sol. Say something. Do you guys think oppa lied to us?"
Caught off guard, the two hesitated, exchanging nervous glances instead of responding immediately. Seeing their uncertainty, Yun-Jung let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Ha."
Her disbelief was evident.
Watching this unfold, Ha-Yeong finally spoke again, her voice now quiet but firm.
"The word deception doesn't always have to carry a negative meaning. Fine. Maybe you're right—I might not have the right to question Su-Hyeon. But even if I don't have the right to hear his reasons, you all do.
You've been with him from the very beginning, and that's exactly why you trust and rely on him so much. That's why I'm speaking up on your behalf. And besides… I trust him, too… Sigh. Never mind."
Ha-Yeong started to say something more but closed her mouth again, shaking her head slightly.
An-Hyun and An-Sol still looked confused, while Shin Sang-Yong sat with his eyes shut, silent as ever. Vivienne, on the other hand, was glaring at Ha-Yeong with sharp, narrowed eyes.
Normally, that much would have been enough to make someone back down—but Yun-Jung was Yun-Jung. Instead of retreating, she rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Her jaw clenched, and the faint sound of grinding teeth filled the tense silence. Then, her burning gaze shifted to An-Hyun and An-Sol.
"And you two? You're just gonna sit there and listen? You're not angry? You're not frustrated?"
"I—Lee Yun-Jung, calm down for a second. It's not that I don't trust hyung. But let's at least hear him out first. Listening isn't a problem, is it?"
"T-That's right… I believe in oppa, too…"
An-Hyun and An-Sol barely managed to stammer out a response, but that only fueled Yun-Jung's anger even more.
"Calm down? Calm down? Wow, unbelievable."
"...."
Frustration was written all over her face as she took a deep breath, her throat tightening as if she was choking on unspoken words.
Sol, worried, hesitantly reached out to try and soothe her—but Yun-Jung violently shook her off.
Then, with a loud voice, she finally let loose all the pent-up frustration she had been holding back, her words firing out like a machine gun.
"And what? You two seriously don't remember all the times Oppa helped us? You really don't?"
An-Sol lowered her head, clearly stung by the sharp truth in Yun-Jung's words. An-Hyun, keeping his composure as best he could, tried to respond in a measured tone.
"That's not what I meant… I just think we should at least listen—"
"Listen? Listen to what?" Yun-Jung cut him off furiously.
"Who was it that lured those zombie bastards away so we could escape the forest? Who saved us when we were about to be crushed by that boss monster? Who fought alone just so we'd have time to run? And tell me, who turned down an offer from the almighty Golden Lion Clan just to stay with us?!"
Her voice rang through the air, leaving the room in complete silence, as if someone had sucked all the oxygen out of it.
Even then, Yun-Jung didn't seem finished. Still breathing heavily, she clenched her fists and pressed on.
"Who was always at the front, fighting monsters to protect us? Who kept buying us new equipment while he himself wore nothing but worn-out armor and carried an old sword? Who ran around endlessly, making sure we had everything we needed while we got to train in comfort and rest when we wanted?"
"It was Oppa. Su-Hyeon Oppa."
An-Hyun and An-Sol could only stare at Yun-Jung in a daze. At some point, her voice had started to tremble, a faint shimmer of tears forming in her eyes.
Watching her, I couldn't help but be a little impressed.
I never realized just how much she thought about me.
I had always known Yun-Jung was straightforward, but to see her this emotional, this fiercely protective—it was almost overwhelming. Though I was a bit embarrassed, I couldn't deny that her words warmed something inside me.
As for An-Hyun and An-Sol, they weren't against me. If anything, they just wanted to hear my side of the story before deciding anything. Yun-Jung, on the other hand, was reacting more emotionally, as she always did. But knowing her personality, I could understand why.
After her outburst, silence fell over the group, heavy and unshakable.
Then, slowly, Yun-Jung turned back to Jung Ha-Yeong.
"And you're the same, aren't you?"
She glared at Ha-Yeong, her voice thick with frustration.
"If it weren't for Oppa, you and Shin Sang-Yong wouldn't have made it out alive that day. And yet, this is how you repay him? What exactly did Oppa do wrong? What? He was just trying to protect us! Isn't that a good thing? How can you twist it into something bad…?"
Her voice cracked slightly at the end, her emotions spilling over.
As Yun-Jung spoke, her gaze flickered toward the Crystal of Truth.
"That..."
For a brief moment, Jung Ha-Yeong's expression wavered, showing a hint of hesitation. Yun-Jung's storm-like momentum had momentarily pushed her back.
I silently nodded to myself, impressed by Yun-Jung's unexpected performance. She probably hadn't planned it this way, but either way, the atmosphere was shifting in my favor.
Now that she had laid the groundwork, it was my turn to step in.
Since I had already decided to reveal some of the truth, I might as well control the narrative myself. Carefully considering my words, I fixed my gaze on the Crystal of Truth.
At the same time, I activated my Third Eye.
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