Bitter Truth
—Shwaaa—
As I emerged from the emergency room I'd smashed through, rain was pouring down. The sky was dark. Everything felt off, sticky in multiple ways. The rain played a part, but what I'd just gone through was far more repulsive. Monsters that devoured people, and their leader, the fetus. And the fact that it was a Ruin Remnant.
I need to head back.
But for now, I decided to return. The rain had started, and my entire body was soaked in the monsters' flesh and blood—it was utterly disgusting. Plus.
You can view the Second Ruin Oracle.
View it? [Y/N]
Viewed the Second Ruin Oracle from the Second Ruin Fragment.
I, the immortal ash-gray one.
8 Ruin Fragments remaining.
The oracle was just spouting more useless nonsense, which doubled my irritation. It seemed tied to my skills somehow. But with just these two oracles, I couldn't grasp the context or meaning.
Hoo...
I let out a sigh and turned to leave.
...?
But as I took a step, I noticed something odd. My body was drenched and numb from fatigue, but my shoes weren't sinking into the squelch they should have. And soon enough, I realized what had felt off.
This is...
All the flesh around the hospital was vanishing bit by bit. Before long, the dark red flesh that had blanketed the old downtown in my line of sight was gone, washed away by the rain without a trace.
Another anomaly.
But I wasn't surprised by this anymore. There had to be some reason for it.
The cause.
It couldn't be the rain. Destroying the second fragment made more sense. They'd seen the fetus as their mother, and if it had created them, it wasn't impossible for the blood clump zombies—its creations—to disappear too.
If that was the case, I'd have to scour the entire old downtown...
I decided to test my new skill: Frost Blink, the mobility one. From a high vantage point, I could survey most of the old downtown.
A bit scary, though.
I hesitated slightly. Maybe because I'd consumed so many novels and movies, I knew how nonsensical teleportation was.
Why, there was that story: the you who teleports is a completely identical other you. The original vanishes, and a new one appears. Pretty creepy.
But if that were true, I wouldn't have gotten this skill.
Only one choice. I took a short breath and used Frost Blink nearby.
"Frost Blink."
It felt like grasping water balloons in both hands. Then, as that sensation burst like popped balloons—
—Shwaaa—
Rain pelted my head. My body had moved two meters forward.
This is...
Frost Blink wasn't the teleportation I'd imagined. No, it was awkward to even call it that. I remembered the entire movement. More like someone—something—had whisked my body away at extreme speed. Mana ignored gravity and physics, sure.
Funny.
The odd sensation almost made me forget the flesh masses and Northhyang General Hospital.
It's good, but...
Reality snapped back quick. I focused fully on the skill, pushing other thoughts aside.
"Frost Blink."
The new skill, Frost Blink. As expected, it couldn't pass through fully blocked areas like inside buildings. I tried blinking into the opposite storefront—nothing. Same penalty as Ice Spear or ice shield: no obstacles allowed. A real shame.
No.
I shook my head. Spoiled thinking. With this alone, I could go anywhere. Usable mana: 108. Recovered 24 per hour. That meant up to 21 consecutive blinks. Blinking a kilometer in this ruined world? Huge advantage.
Plus, from Northdong Station to Our Love Church is two kilometers.
Probably less, since that's walking distance.
"Frost Blink."
I blinked atop a small storefront. Now on a three-meter-high roof.
Dizzy, though.
I clutched my head, pondering Frost Blink. Downsides: mild headache. And it left afterimages. Below, at my first cast spot, ice had formed.
Whatever.
I shook it off. Headache might be from the wind and rain.
"Frost Blink."
Straight to Northhyang Hospital's rooftop. Something to check.
"Hoo."
—Shwaaa—
Six stories up, wide-open view. I scanned as planned. And sighed right away.
"...As expected."
The flesh was gone. But only around Northhyang General Hospital, a few hundred meters radius. The old downtown wasn't fully cleared. Horrific flesh still infested buildings. The affluent area I'd entered and near Northdong Station looked just like before: a world of dark red flesh.
Bitter...
So what set the hospital area—preserved like pre-ruin—and elsewhere apart?
What else.
I had to face an uncomfortable truth: fragments and remnants weren't singular.
The distant dark red flesh proved it. Killing Northhyang's remnant cleared its surroundings. But the flesh toward the affluent area and Northdong Station remained. Obvious conclusion, even for an idiot.
Multiple second remnants. Multiple fetuses birthing blood clump zombies.
Territorial monsters, the second remnant and its clumps. Flesh vanished after killing the fetus. Meaning the unidentified seventh remnant at Rocket Mart could number in hundreds, thousands.
If there was only one second-remnant fetus, all distant flesh would have vanished too.
Bitter truth.
I sighed. Survival odds just plummeted. Not just COVID-23 zombies—Ruin Remnants could be the real culprits. Realistically, probably were. Without inhuman monsters, zombies had limits.
Explained no military too. Missiles or tanks could sweep zombies easy. But.
That seventh remnant silhouette at Rocket Mart. Or this fetus and clumps...
Could guns kill it? Endless clumps from the fetus? The ones I saw, maybe with modern weapons. But eight more like that fetus? Or stronger ones...
"Hoo..."
Sigh. Info gained, but only unease remained. Still, I couldn't abandon hope. Had to move. Goals: family. Now others followed me.
Yuseong University nearby, or my hometown goal—high chance of remnants. But quitting without checking? No.
First.
—Shwaaa—
Rain soaking me, I sorted my thoughts. Next moves? Northhyang Hospital's circular cleared zone in old downtown center. Options:
One: Clear nearby threats. From affluent entry to elementary school. Likely fetus there—clustered shops, only school for horde. Apartments sparse, low people. Near Our Love Church—clearing eases travel.
Two: Opposite, Northdong Station area. High school example. Not certain fetus there. Tall villas, buildings besides station; nursing home, appliance store, mid-size spots. Scout multiple. But clearing aids Station cooperation, south travel.
Three: Ignore, head south. Bypass to Northdong Station, check Yuseong University/Benefit Mart, secure base, migrate to Our Love Church as planned.
Head back, check affluent side first.
Hostile to second fragment and its leader fetus—I killed. Other fetuses definitely enemies. Prioritize Ice Spear, ice shield to eliminate.
If hostile to me, soon to survivors around me...
"Frost Blink."
Northdong Station defended by Lee Euna's barriers. Our Love Church above lacks defense without me—handle quick.
......
...Why?
Until old downtown entrance, blood clump zombies still ignored me. Didn't even show. Same as before.
This changes things...
Enabled plan three: south immediately. Use as transit to Northdong Station, secure Southdong Office/Benefit Mart. Fast, safe—no zombies or raiders in this dark red flesh world.
Already?
Thinking it, affluent area arrived. With/without Frost Blink, time difference massive.
Haa...
From three-story house roof, overlooked ruined affluent homes. Rain made it gloomier.
Black marketers might be there. Don't want to share info.
Found blind spot from below, Frost Blinked there.
"Ice Spear."
Summoned two as entry signal, walked up the hill.
Phone on: not yet noon.
"Groan."
Body felt heavy, inexplicably.
So much to do.
But my stamina sucked. Heavy load, body screaming.
Wash up, sleep first.
Rain-mixed stench of blood, filth, sweat wafting off me. Plans be damned—head and body ached; I'd die first.