Giving Up on Being Human (3)
We descended the stairs of a corridor so dim even faint light barely penetrated. We'd gone down about three floors underground.
A small door appeared before us.
Unlike the upper floor, where only drugged, sleeping children lay, this place teemed with presences.
This was definitely their base.
Without hesitation, I opened the door. Blinding white light stabbed at my eyes. Unlike the secret passage above, pitch-black and lightless, this area was overwhelmed by harsh illumination.
Under the relentless glare, Kim Jaeho breathed raggedly. His shoulders trembled faintly.
As if reliving old memories.
Or rather, nightmares suited the word better than memories. Kim Jaeho strode forward boldly after the door swung open.
"It's fine. He's not the type to harm the innocent, so if Kim Jaeho hurts anyone... "
It'd be someone who deserves it.
"Yeah, exactly."
Less than five seconds after I spoke—
"Arghhh!"
A scream echoed from afar.
"Can't blame him. Who knows what horrors he endured here."
As I stepped forward—
"?!"
My body lurched.
"Hmph."
I squinted. One more step forward. No illusion. Even that single pace felt like something crushing down on me.
I channeled mana into my eyes, activating one-stroke x-ray vision.
This was a bizarre space. Now I understood why even a monster like Kim Jaeho hadn't escaped "on his own."
Visually, it appeared flat, but through mana, the space curved inward toward the center.
Artificial mana spewing from mana stones embedded in the walls created immense pressure that warped the space itself.
"Hah. Not entirely unfamiliar. I heard prisons for imprisoning Awakeners in the future were designed this way."
Why create such a space? Obvious: to control children with "abilities."
It made even standing properly impossible. Just traversing the less-pressurized edges had me staggering.
"To go deeper, I need to destroy the control device first."
Kim Jaeho the monster might roam freely, but my body couldn't endure it.
"Why?"
"Ugh."
But I couldn't send Kim Jaeho alone. Without destroying the gravity device, even he couldn't reach the center.
Decision made, I stepped forward.
"Didn't you hear that scream? A manager's probably dead nearby. I'll use the artifact he had."
I silently drew mana from the bracelet. Sizzle—the scent of burning flesh rose, but I ignored it. No pain.
I enveloped my body in mana, hardening it.
Ray cursed me, but no surer method existed. I inched forward slowly.
"Hngh."
Not easy. Mana reinforcement didn't erase the pressure—it just let me endure. Boosted durability to withstand, but the lung-crushing agony? That I bore fully.
Step by agonizing step. Soon, sweat soaked my back.
A blood-soaked office came into view.
A headless corpse caught my eye.
I crawled on all fours. Pressure intensified; bipedal walking impossible. Like a turtle, I reached the corpse and snatched the artifact from its waist.
Tied it to my waist and activated—the crushing weight vanished.
"Hah."
Finally, a proper breath.
Amazing. Defying gravity, I sprang up.
Now I could follow Kim Jaeho's path properly. I stepped over the corpse.
A few steps later, my jaw dropped.
Everything was red.
This once-white space now drowned in crimson—nothing else remained.
The outermost man was alone, but offices held pairs or groups—all dead.
This was Kim Jaeho. The weapon I knew.
Passing two headless bodies, the next corridor greeted me with a corpse whose ribs caved in. Still seated—never had time to react.
I headed where Ray indicated. Priority: disable device over chasing Kim Jaeho.
The control room door was locked—child's play.
Electricity on my hand unlocked it easily. The intricate machine crumbled under mana-infused punches.
Machines hate blunt force.
With the device neutralized, I followed Kim Jaeho's trail.
A gruesome Hansel and Gretel—breadcrumbs of flesh and blood leading to corpses, then more trails.
Then, a grating sound.
"Urgh."
Someone groaning.
I followed the noise.
Clack, clack.
My footsteps silenced the groan momentarily, but it persisted. Unlucky for him—in this quiet space, nothing escaped Ray and me.
I flung open the office cabinet.
"Having a nice day?"
"Arghhh!"
The hiding man screamed, shoving past me to flee.
Go ahead, run.
He tripped over a corpse. No laughter at the sight.
Seeing the body, he screamed again, rolling on the floor.
"Hweeeek."
I narrowed my eyes, examining him.
Unscathed. Lucky—escaped Kim Jaeho's notice.
Hm, caught by me now. Luck's run out.
Why groan, then?
Well, your fate.
"P-Please, spare me."
He begged. I eyed him coolly.
Didn't care what he did or if he killed here.
Being here justified death.
"Why should I spare you?"
My question to all worldly scum.
Reason to spare villains?
Trembling, he spoke.
"J-Just spare me! I-I'll never do this again. I'll live regretting, atoning forever."
I smirked.
Atoning if alive?
Why trust and wait?
"Ever saved even one with your own hands?"
I approached slowly.
"Of the kids begging to live, did you save even one? Ever tried rescuing a child you tore apart and stitched into a monster?"
He gaped. His face answered.
I scowled at the surroundings.
"You're unforgivable filth. Ruining, polluting the world. Existing only to rot it from within."
Why give perpetrators reflection time?
Victims get none.
"So die."
As he sputtered, I severed his neck. His head rolled.
Hypocrisy, really.
By my standards, I deserved oblivion too.
But what can you do? I'm a sinner granted a second chance; you're not.
I flicked blood from the dagger, shrugging.
"Spare them, they'd just harm elsewhere. Leaky bucket here stays leaky."
"Right. Time to find Kim Jaeho."
Dealing with his "crumbs" delayed us. I walked the blood-and-flesh path slowly.
Soon, I found him.
Kim Jaeho, groaning in a corner.
"Hahk, hahk..."
His shoulders trembled.
Expected this. Corpses grew messier inward.
Even Kim Jaeho couldn't fully defy the pressure.
Without the Vampire King's Ring I gave him, he'd be gravely hurt.
Ray tsked in my head. Agreed this time.
Deeper in, hundreds of kilos pressed him.
Center: tons. Cracks under his feet proved it.
Yet he pushed here.
Reason unknown—someone he burned to kill in memories? Rage driving him?
Anyway, he reached, smashed one's head. No knowing her name or face.
Torso only left.
But reason existed for this.
Costly for him—corpse gripped shotgun tightly.
I knelt, checking him.
Cough—he spat blood seeing me. I placed a hand on him. Point-blank shotgun blasts...
Not fatal, as Ray said.
Tanking two close-range shots. I fed him a prepared potion. Ring helps, but potion fine.
Regeneration would expel bullets. Probably.
I laid him down. Eyes closed, he seemed to smile—odd feeling.
"Happy now?"
Dozens killed to get here? Whatever.
If you're happy, that's enough.