ALL NOVEL Chapter 162
Keeek! Kiiiiiik! Keeek!
The blade pierces through her skull, having burrowed into her forehead. The woman scratched her face furiously and screamed so loudly it couldn’t possibly be described as human.
Kiiiiiik!
Now lying on the ground, she twisted her body unnaturally as if she had no joints. Lee Hyun knew his gamble had paid off. The blow to her head was definitely killing her.
Haah… Haah…!
Lee Hyun stepped closer to the writhing woman. He mounted her, firmly securing her lower body, and gripped the blade with the reverse hold. Then, with one last burst of energy, he stabbed it back in with all his might.
Puh-uck! Puh-uck!
Kiiik!! Kiiik!!
Thud! Puh-uck!
Kkiik…! Keeek!
Thud! Thud! Puh-uck!
Lee Hyun repeatedly slammed the woman’s head down. Suddenly realizing there were no more loud screams, he looked down.
“…”
Before he knew it, the woman lay limp, not moving at all. Her head had become a ragged mess, hardly recognizable.
Haah… Haah…
Lee Hyun finally stopped moving. A heavy, crushing pain began to settle over his whole body.
Extreme fatigue hit him; his limbs felt weak. His stomach churned as if he had swallowed poison.
The price he had to pay for exceeding the limit of seven channels. He instinctively recalled the faces of the captain and the angry sisters. He couldn’t help but wonder how much more lifespan he had devoured this time.
Yet it was an unavoidable choice for him. The enemy in front of him was worthy of such effort.
‘If I rest for a few days… I should be fine for now.’
As he thought this, Lee Hyun stumbled as he tried to get up.
Thud!
Suddenly, something fiercely grabbed his ankle. He fell and rolled on the floor with a loud noise.
Then he felt the weight on his abdomen and the pain in his neck.
A woman, her face horrifically mangled with gory cuts, grasped his throat tightly with both hands.
Hack… Hack…!
He scratched the floor frantically with both hands. His vision blurred, and his limbs wouldn’t respond properly, making it impossible to fight back.
“How… dare you… kiki…”
The woman glared at him with hollow eye sockets, spitting out words.
Hack… cough…!
“How… dare you… kiki, how dare you…!”
Cough, cough!
“Kiki, you lowly creature… how could… Polaris’… powers…!”
Cough… what… Hack…!
“Kiki, I must inform… my sisters…!”
Puh-uck! Boom!
Cough, cough… Huh…
A sudden dull thud sounded. The weight that had been pressing down on him vanished in an instant. The oxygen deprivation that clouded his vision slowly returned.
Lee Hyun rubbed his neck and looked up.
Haah… Haah…!
Jin Yeseo, panting heavily, stood there, clutching debris from the collapsed wall.
Haah… are you okay…?
“For now… cough…”
The two exchanged greetings and instinctively turned their heads away from each other.
The woman who had struck Jin Yeseo from behind was now completely still, showing no sign of life.
*
“…I guess that was her last desperate struggle.”
Catching her breath, Jin Yeseo glanced around nervously.
Chiiing…
From where the corpse had just been, a sound like something melting could be heard. Only torn fragments of clothing remained; there were no traces of the nun’s body. Neither bone nor flesh remained.
“What on earth…”
Jin Yeseo shivered, having witnessed the bizarre demise of that strange entity.
“I guess it’s really over now…”
“…It seems so. Let’s go.”
Even as he staggered, Lee Hyun was rummaging through the pile of monsters, looking for something. And then he found it and tossed it over to Jin Yeseo.
A tattered gas mask splattered with droplets of blood, probably used by one of the monsters when it was still human.
Jin Yeseo scrunched up her face at the sight.
“How am I supposed to use this… cough, cough…!”
But soon, a violent coughing fit followed. The toxic gas that had settled underground was having a bad effect on her.
While experiencing particle exhaustion, a magician was no different from a frail ordinary person.
Finally, she grumbled yet accepted it, putting it on her face.
“…What now? The path is blocked.”
Jin Yeseo stared blankly at the back route where the earlier fat pig of a man had escaped. That route was completely destroyed due to the intense collision that had just occurred.
Lee Hyun briefly surveyed the surroundings before signaling Jin Yeseo.
“Even though it’s weak, there’s definitely airflow. There must be another passage. Go that way… Huh?”
Just as he turned his body.
His weak legs wobbled—he lost his balance.
Just before his face hit the ground, Jin Yeseo had rushed over to catch him.
Haah…
Jin Yeseo, who was almost completely buried under him, let out a shriek. She struggled to lift him back up.
Then she shot him a glare with an annoyed look.
“Why are you so weak? Men are always just all talk…”
“I don’t think someone who was just lying down has the right to say that…”
“What? Hey. If I hadn’t let my guard down… Pfft.”
As Jin Yeseo pretended to retort, she suddenly burst into laughter.
Despite her words, there was no real sharpness to her demeanor.
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“Just… we look ridiculous together.”
With their clothes in tatters, hair soaked in blood and muck, and a gas mask that looked utterly absurd on their faces, they looked like two cockroaches rummaging through a dumpster.
A faint smile crossed Lee Hyun’s lips.
“That’s true.”
*
The two leaned against each other, walking along the underground passage. The faint breeze coming from somewhere was their only guide through the darkness.
Boom! Kwoong!
An intermittent sound shook the ground.
Jin Yeseo glanced up nervously.
“…I hope nothing’s happening outside.”
“That might be the case.”
Lee Hyun replied in a calm voice.
“There are still those monsters left over from earlier.”
“…Ah.”
Jin Yeseo trembled, recalling the monster that had smeared her with that sticky white liquid.
“They really shouldn’t cross paths with us here…”
“Indeed. I can only hope that pig—no, the Security Bureau chief—handled things properly…”
Pfft.
“Why?”
“Nothing, it’s just fascinating to hear you say ‘pig.’”
Jin Yeseo said in a teasing tone.
“I was thinking that myself.”
“Anyone who saw it would probably think the same.”
“That’s true…”
As Jin Yeseo hesitated to speak, she finally opened her mouth.
“By the way… what did she say at the end?”
“The end?”
“Yeah. That woman was shouting something… Did you hear it?”
…
After pondering for a moment, Lee Hyun answered.
“…No. I couldn’t hear it properly either.”
“Really? Well, considering the situation… oh! Over there!”
As Jin Yeseo pointed, her expression suddenly changed.
A metal ladder going up was visible. The airflow was definitely leading there.
Struggling to climb the ladder, they emerged into a dark storage room. The smell of wine and dry bread wafted through.
“Where is this…?”
“Wherever this is doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’ve escaped that filthy place.”
While Lee Hyun felt a sense of déjà vu, Jin Yeseo was bubbling with excitement.
Haah… I feel like I can breathe a little. Let’s go. That pig probably escaped. How dare he ignore a warning issued in the name of Baekgwang. If he gets caught, I’ll skin him alive and roast him over an open fire…
They leaned against each other as they opened the door. The storage led to another space.
The outlines of the windows were barely visible, but the dark fabric covered it, leaving little light in the room.
Boom! Bang!
Outside, sporadic explosions continued.
An odd feeling of dread began to unsettle Lee Hyun’s nerves.
“Why is it so dark? It’s not like we’re in a sewer… huh?”
As Jin Yeseo growled, she found something and looked puzzled.
In the middle of the dark interior stood five or six children, completely unmoving. Lee Hyun recognized them easily.
They were the children he met when he first visited Zone B, smiling and playfully prankish.
“What’s going on? You scared me.”
“I know these kids.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve seen them a few times while scouting. This must be Zone B.”
“If it’s Zone B, then that’s where that woman was hiding. Why are they out of all places…”
Jin Yeseo frowned, clearly displeased.
“But why are they acting like that? Something feels off…”
“Wait…!”
Just as Jin Yeseo was puzzled, approaching the children, Lee Hyun quickly yanked her back.
Bang!
Jin Yeseo fell onto the cold wooden floor.
“What, what’s happening…!”
“Look in front.”
“Huh?”
“Look… in front.”
Following Lee Hyun’s warning, Jin Yeseo turned her head. The children had twisted their necks at unnatural angles, staring at them. Their eyes rolled back, revealing only the whites.
And right where Jin Yeseo had just been standing, a sharp hook extended from a grotesque back, dangling in midair.
“Kiiick…! Kiiik…!”
“Kiiik! Kiiiiiik!”
The children curled their lips upwards, releasing their eerie shrieks.
Woof! Woof!
Their small bodies made the transformation even more dramatic. The flesh pushed upward as pale, fleshy tissue bulged. Their upper bodies sprouted dozens of wriggling tentacles. They were far larger than the monsters from before.
Crrr…
Twisted and grotesque features that could no longer be called human watched them, howling in fury.
The monsters had now completely enclosed them. Jin Yeseo could feel the familiar unpleasantness radiating from them.
According to the woman… they were definitely called angels.
The entities that had smothered her with that sticky white liquid and seemed eager to devour her.
That’s why I like children. They’re nothing but pure innocence, just lovely beings…
“That’s what she meant….”
Haunted by the woman’s earlier words, Lee Hyun muttered in dismay.
“Ugh…”
He strained to lift his trembling arm to prepare for a stance, yet he still couldn’t muster the strength of the first channel.
No matter how hard he trained to the limits, taking on these monsters without magic was nearly impossible.
He glanced sideways at Jin Yeseo, who seemed equally unwell.
Kiiik!
Among them, one monster that had quietly slipped to the side lunged for Jin Yeseo.
Lee Hyun immediately threw himself to block the creature.
“Dodge!”
“Ahhh…!”
Boom!
The monster slammed him against the wall, smashing the very wall apart. Lee Hyun found himself thrust outside, quickly realizing where he was.
The lair of evil. The church in Zone B.
Fwoosh!
“Ack…!”
Suddenly, he felt a heavy pain in his lower abdomen. The monster had plunged its sharp hook deep into him.
Kiiik! Kiiik!
The creature’s four-part maw opened wide. Five sharp tongues, lined with deadly spikes, surged forward to engulf him. Lee Hyun thrust his blade vertically into the gaping mouth.
Kiiiiiik!
The monster screamed in pain, pulling away from him in an instant, leaving the blade lodged in its maw.
At the same time, another monster rushed at him from the side, throwing its tentacles.
Chwaak!
“Ugh…”
Just then, Jin Yeseo managed to leap out, deftly slicing through the tentacles. She shoved the attacking monster back with a side strike.
Clang!
However, the blade couldn’t withstand the cumulative impacts and broke apart completely. They found themselves back among the monsters, now with no weapon.
‘No, it might as well be useless…’
Lee Hyun surveyed his surroundings. The orange mist still loomed heavily, but beyond it, an unprecedented uproar could be heard.
Ahhh!
Monsters! Monsters…!
Help me…!
Grade 1 biological disaster has occurred. Citizens are advised to urgently evacuate to shelters and await military aid. Repeat, Grade 1 biological disaster has occurred.
Sounds of explosions, screams, empty sirens, and announcements echoed.
Lee Hyun had no idea why the city had gone into chaos so suddenly. He recalled the monsters from earlier, moving with such precision under the woman’s command. Perhaps by killing her, the ones still hiding had lost their control and begun rampaging.
“Ugh…”
He could feel something warm and viscous flowing from the wound the hook had made. His vision blurred and his ability to think started to fade.
The monsters moved around him, closing in. No matter how much he wracked his brain, he couldn’t come up with a solution.
He had overcome formidable enemies. There were still many things to understand. Yet in a place like this, to be taken down by mere monsters…
“Ugh…”
It seemed Jin Yeseo was having similar thoughts. She had unknowingly gripped his hand tightly.
Kiiik!
The monster exploring them lunged at last, opening its gaping maw.
Even amidst it all, Lee Hyun embraced Jin Yeseo, attempting to protect her.
The feeling of emptiness washed over him.
He had gained this second chance at life.
No matter how bleak his chances were, he could never voluntarily give up that life.
It was impossible to face the family who had already departed, to face the captain.
Even if he lost his limbs, as long as he was alive, he would fight until the end.
As he steeled his resolve, preparing for one last stand against the monster…
Boom!
Boom! Bang!
A sudden explosive noise filled his ears, reminiscent of air exploding.
Dumbfounded, he gazed forward.
A giant ice block had decapitated one of the monsters, dropping its head to the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The echoes of explosions continued in succession. Each attack struck the monsters surrounding him with pinpoint accuracy. The monsters fell lifelessly without a chance to react.
Stomp… stomp…
He heard something approaching the ground. With it came an unbidden chill wrapping around his skin. A faint breath escaped from his lips.
Struggling against his fading consciousness, Lee Hyun looked around.
They were now situated in the middle of a snowy field.
“This is…”
As his mind began to drift, Lee Hyun murmured. He had experienced this space before—right in the midst of the Jeokhwa territory.
“Ah…!”
Jin Yeseo, nestled in his arms, let out a delighted gasp. The sudden ice field and her pleasant response confirmed everything.
They both knew who had come.
Where are you…!
“Huh? That voice… it’s that pig’s voice from earlier!”
A voice echoed far away, amplified through a megaphone. Jin Yeseo, hearing it, wore an expression of surprise and joy.
I, Deok-gu, have returned with the support of the cradle as promised…!
“What?! He kept his promise? This way! Over here! Hey, we… huh?”
As Jin Yeseo turned to look at Lee Hyun, her eyes widened in shock as she noticed something. Blood dripped heavily from his palm.
“Y-you! What’s with all the blood… so much…?”
Haah… Haah…
“Hey, hey… stay with me… hey!”
Jin Yeseo shouted in alarm, but her words never reached Lee Hyun.
“Hey… what’s happening all of a sudden? Are you playing a joke…? No… no…!”
Everything blurred. His senses dulled. It felt as if he were being consumed by an abyss.
The last thing that came into his view was the tightly glimmering golden eyes of someone.
*
…Look.
His submerged consciousness floated to the surface.
Fool… Daddy is a fool!
In the midst of feeling nothing, a very faint sound tickled his ears—gradually becoming clearer.
You overdid it again… you got hurt again…! I healed you… again…!
Someone was grumbling fiercely, filled with inexplicable anger…
No… not again… this time… I can’t fix this…
A voice full of sadness resonated.
This time is the last… if you overdo it again… that time… then… gobble gobble…
It was a girl—a very young child. He was certain this was a voice he had never heard before.
But why did it feel so familiar? Where had he heard this?
…You’re really going to die.
Hah!
As he inhaled deeply, his eyes shot open. The darkness around him was just quiet.
The pain coursed through his body, the soft embrace of a pillow and blanket enveloped him, and his lips felt damp with a familiar, coarse texture.
And the ceiling above was… unfamiliar.