The Vanished Licker's Corpse

That was the one.

The Licker we'd first run into at the bank.

"Kyaaaaah!!!!!"

At last, the thing showed itself.

It wasn't a massive difference, but it was clearly bigger than the juvenile Lickers we'd been fighting so far.

And—

Thud-thud-thud!!

It was fast.

"Everyone, fall back!!"

"Kyaaaah!!!!"

The instant I shouted, I swung the mace.

Clang!!!

I'd expected it to be strong, but this much?

Even swinging with both hands, the mace—over ten kilos—was knocked clean away.

The Licker's hand rebounded from the impact too, but instead of trying to control the right arm that had been thrown back, it used the recoil, pulling its right shoulder back and rotating its left shoulder forward.

Then it drove its left hand in at terrifying speed.

Whooosh!!!!!

A chill ran down my spine.

If it hadn't been for that line that shows up now and then in martial-arts webtoons, I might not have dodged it at all.

If you want to dodge a punch, watch the shoulder.

It meant that with human reflexes and dynamic vision alone, dodging a punch after you've already seen it coming is nearly impossible—so you read the preparatory motion, the shoulder or the footwork, and predict the attack before it lands.

Raised stats. A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠skill that made my body even faster. Another skill that sharpened every kind of vision, dynamic vision included.

Even with all of that, the attack just now had taken a fair amount of luck to barely slip past.

But this next one—no amount of luck would save me.

Whoooom!!!!

My face, dropped low from ducking, was completely exposed, and the Licker's whipping tail filled both my eyes in an instant.

Thwack!!!!

Crunch!!!

So all that grinding hadn't been for nothing.

"Gahhk!!!"

"Kh…!!!"

Thanks to Jaeyeol and Suho planting their jungle sword and spear to block the Licker's swinging tail, I barely kept my life.

Sure, we all ended up tangled and rolling across the floor—but as the saying goes, even rolling in a dung heap beats leaving this world. I could roll on the floor all day if it meant staying alive.

"Charge!"

"Gihun hyung!"

"Barrage!!"

I keep telling them they don't need to shout the skill names.

And more importantly—don't do that, just get out of there!!

Grab! Grab!

Seizing the opening after the tail swing, Yeonghun and Mingu lunged in and locked their arms around the Licker's waist, while Gihun charged straight at it head-on and hammered it with gauntleted fists.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!!!!

He pounded from face to gut without mercy, fists flying at blistering speed.

If this had been a juvenile Licker, it would've gone limp under that heavenly massage and already been flopping on the floor.

But this Licker was different.

The finely shredded, dense, condensed muscle laid bare under its sleek black skin, and that neck—oddly thick compared to its spindly limbs—took Gihun's punches like they were nothing.

Of course the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hits still registered. It didn't have insect-class defense.

Even so, the reason it was willing to tank Gihun's assault was the situation that had been set up around it.

Yeonghun and Mingu clinging to its waist from behind played a part—

But more than that, it was Baek Sihyeon and Yu Eunseol's attacks, forcing it to protect its head even if it meant taking cuts to both arms.

Slash!!

Slash!!

But that was as far as it went.

Whip!

The Licker's tail coiled around Gihun's waist mid-barrage and swung him hard.

Thwack!!!!

It first smashed Baek Sihyeon on the left and sent him flying, then hoisted Gihun high and slammed the tail down behind it, crushing Yeonghun and Mingu still locked around its waist.

In that mess, the one who took the worst of it was obviously Gihun.

"Urgh…!"

Unable even to scream properly, Gihun hung limp as the tail lifted him again.

"Kyaaah!!!!!"

"……"

The Licker's jaws yawned wide, ready to crush Gihun's head right in front of it.

Yu Eunseol swung her Japanese sword from the side, but a casual sweep of the Licker's arm caught her and hurled her far away.

Just as Gihun's head was about to vanish into that mess of razor teeth—

Thwip!!!

A 20-point reinforced arrow punched clean through both of the Licker's cheeks and lodged there.

Crunch!!

Instead of Gihun's skull, the Licker bit down on the arrow and shattered it. The moment it yanked the protruding shafts free with both hands, it slammed Gihun down on top of Yeonghun and Mingu, then dropped to all fours and charged straight at Nari.

"Run!!"

"We'll hold it!"

"Damn right!!"

"Kyaaaaah!!!!!"

Jaemin, Choi Junseok, and Lee Jeongcheol planted themselves in the Licker's path as it barreled toward Nari and the other women.

But the Licker reared up and swept both arms, and the three of them went flying like bowling pins. In that same breath, Nari's next arrow was casually snagged out of the air by the Licker's hand.

Snap!!

It crushed the arrow in its fist, roared again, and started to lunge at Nari—only to have to throw itself sideways and scramble clear.

Click!

Ratatatatat!!!

Ratatat!!!

Ratatatat!!!

Jihye, Seonye, Jeongyeon, and Huijin had pulled rifles from Nari's inventory, chambered rounds, and opened fire.

Could they maybe stop shooting now?

The bullets were a waste, sure—but more than that, at this rate they were going to hit us!

"Stop shooting!!! Ow…! You guys okay?!"

"Hyung… I don't think I can… ugh!!"

"Ugh…! I can still move, I think… but my spear…"

Jaeyeol was out of the fight even after blocking the hit, and Suho's spear was broken.

"Ah… no choice, then."

I decided to use the bonus reward I'd gotten from sleeping with Yu Eunseol right now.

I'd been saving it for when a better skill showed up, but—

Light.

My body was far too light.

Tap!!

I launched like a shot, streaking past the women still swinging their muzzles every which way.

Then I vaulted up toward the Licker hanging upside down from the ceiling.

The Licker shoved off hard enough to crack the ceiling and flew at me, and once again mace and claws met in midair.

Clang!!!!

All I'd gained was speed, so the result didn't change much.

Thud!!

I hit the floor, then slammed into the wall. The Licker lost its balance too and dropped shoulder-first.

But the follow-up belonged to me—I'd hit the ground first.

Tap!!

I forced my aching body up and vaulted behind the Licker, lightly hopping the whipping tail and smashing the mace into the back of its skull.

Thwaaack!!!!

The Licker pitched forward and skidded across the floor. I bellowed.

"Shoot it!!!!"

I hadn't planned it this way, but by pure luck the Licker had slid straight toward the women with the guns.

Ratatatatat!!!

Ratatatat!!!

Ratatat!!

Ratatatatat!!!

Gunfire cracked again, and this time bullets that hadn't landed a single hit before punched into the Licker's body in numbers, purple blood spraying up in a sickening spray.

But between the terrible marksmanship and the thing's stubborn vitality, the Licker kicked off the floor on all fours and bolted again.

Nari's arrow, though, it couldn't dodge.

Even in the middle of this chaos, she had a skill that let her keep her cool.

Thwip!!!

The arrow buried itself beside the Licker's knee, and the creature that had been scrambling along the floor like a runner lost its balance and went down.

"Stop!!!"

Any more shooting was pure waste.

This fight was over.

Whoooom!!!

I skidded to a hard stop mid-charge and threw myself back to avoid the whipping tail.

The Licker flipped over, shoved off with its good leg, and launched itself at me.

"Kyaaaaaaah!!!!!!"

This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was its last all-or-nothing strike.

So there was no need to meet it head-on.

Tap!!

Whoosh!!

Whooosh!!!!

I stepped back, and the Licker's hands clawed empty air.

Grinning—

I flashed a victory smile at the Licker vomiting purple blood from every bullet hole, then took a long step forward and swung the mace.

Thwaack!!!!

The mace came up on a diagonal and smashed the Licker's face, and in the same instant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠three weapons drove into the rebounding head.

Thud!!!

Thwip!!

Thud!!!

Baek Sihyeon's sword. Yu Eunseol's Japanese sword. Suho's broken spear.

"Augh…!!!"

"Nngh…!"

"Ugh, damn…!!"

"Hoo…."

Baek Sihyeon, Yu Eunseol, Suho, and me—

We all collapsed around the fallen Licker, groaning and letting out long breaths.

"Hey. You guys still alive?"

"Probably…"

"Yes…"

"More or less…"

Gihun, Mingu, and Yeonghun—the ones I'd been most worried about—were piled on top of each other, barely lifting a hand to report they were still breathing.

And that guy still wasn't lifting a finger.

"Jeongcheol hyung! Junseok!"

"I'm dying here, Gyeongsu…"

"Help me up…"

"Jaemin, you okay??"

"Ugh… still alive, yeah…"

An Gyeongsu ran over to Lee Jeongcheol, Choi Junseok, and Jaemin and helped them up.

Nari had been shooting arrows. The women had been firing guns. All of them had fought the Licker—and that guy had done nothing.

Even if he claimed he wasn't cut out for physical work, wasn't this a bit much?

We killed that disgusting Licker, and everyone cleared the quest.

After a short rest and sorting out the rewards, we left the bank building.

"Oppa, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Thanks. I'll put it to good use."

"Hehe~"

One of Jeongyeon's question-mark rewards had produced a random weapon box, and from it came a spear that looked better than Suho's broken one.

Honestly, Jeongyeon used a spear herself—she could've been greedy about it—but the second it appeared she handed it to Suho without a shred of hesitation.

Jaemin, whose crush on Jeongyeon was painfully obvious, looked a little jealous, but since she'd only given it because Suho's spear was broken, he didn't make a scene of it.

And damn—the original protagonist's party was broken as hell.

Our group got two question-mark rewards: one was +3 stat points, and the other was a Random Box or points.

But Baek Sihyeon's party, who got +3 stat points as a baseline plus two extra question-mark rewards, walked away with a random skill box, a random weapon box, and even several Level 1 Skill Reinforcement Tickets.

"Hey, Seojeong… earlier, that was a real misunderstanding…"

"Haa…! Hey! Drop it already!"

"It really was a misunderstanding…"

"I get it! And… I'm sorry too… for reacting so sensitively… and if it happens again…"

"Again?? You bastard! When else did you grab Seojeong's chest?!"

"N-no!! I didn't!!"

"No! That was a slip of the tongue!"

"You little…!! I'm watching you."

"I really didn't…"

Of course they weren't going to miss it.

I'd practically groped her out in the open.

But I played dumb and didn't even glance toward Kim Seojeong.

I could feel her shooting looks my way, but I clenched my jaw and ignored them.

That was the only way to avoid even the smallest suspicion.

"Gyeongsu oppa."

"Huh??"

"Hm?"

"Why Gyeongsu…?"

"Never mind."

"Ah…"

"Come to think of it…"

"Where'd he go?"

At Yu Eunseol's comment that An Gyeongsu was missing, I finally turned and looked back.

She was right. An Gyeongsu was nowhere in sight.

Of course, he reappeared almost immediately.

"Hey, where the hell did you go??"

"Had to take a leak… haha…"

"Then you should've said something! We were worried!"

"Sorry. Let's hurry, then. Sun's about to go down."

"……"

Sure, you don't need to announce every bathroom break in detail.

But a guy who sits out most fights because he "isn't good with physical stuff" casually wandered off to relieve himself inside a building that could still spawn juvenile Lickers?

And we might've left without him?

No. I needed to check.

Thud!!

About a hundred meters out from the bank building, I stopped on top of a car.

"You guys hear something?"

"Hear what??"

"What sound?"

"I thought I heard a baby crying."

"A baby??"

"Where??"

"Everyone shut up for a second!"

"……"

"……"

"……"

"I don't hear anything?"

"Maybe not?"

No matter how quiet we got or how hard we listened, there was never going to be a baby crying.

I'd just made it up.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll check once and catch up."

"We'll go with you."

"No. Go first. It won't take long."

"Hyung!!"

"Hey!!"

"Oppa!!"

I deliberately headed toward the main road by National Assembly Station.

Then I rounded a building corner, vanished from sight, and sprinted straight back to the bank.

"Hah… hah… hah… hah… nothing."

I returned to the bank building and retraced every place we'd been.

The juvenile Lickers' corpses were still there.

But the corpse of that disgustingly strong one was gone.

Vanished clean, as if it had evaporated.

"……"

If some other monster had eaten it, the juveniles' bodies should have been gone too—or at least there should have been signs of feeding.

Of course, I couldn't completely rule out the possibility that it had only eaten the strongest corpse.

But it was far too suspicious.

The body had still been right here when we finished resting, sorted the rewards, and left.

Taking the elevator down, exiting the building, and walking about a hundred meters—that only took a few minutes.

And in that time, something cleanly devoured a monster that big?

Or had someone carried it off?

"I've looked this much. It's not here…"

Just in case, I searched the whole bank building for the body, but nowhere was there any sign of that powerful Licker's corpse.

Which left only one person to suspect.

"An Gyeongsu…"

The only one who never even appeared in the webtoon.

For a very short stretch of time, he'd split off alone, and he was the last one out of the building.

And more than anything—that unpleasant gaze, the one that felt like it was boring straight through me—hadn't been the Licker's.

It had been An Gyeongsu's.

"What the hell are you?"