Chapter 115
Chapter 115
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Ghost House - 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Awakener—that transcendent existence beyond human limits—wouldn't just drop dead no matter how dangerous the Anomalous Phenomenon they faced.
The Anomalous Phenomenon that appeared in Yeosu, the 'Ghost House,' was still not fully understood in terms of its danger.
But the ones who had entered it were none other than Yoo Euisul and Ahn Soohee.
Solving it was now just a matter of time.
There were roughly 200 people registered as Awakeners in South Korea.
Yoo Euisul and Ahn Soohee were among the absolute top ranks of those 200.
Of course, even among those 200 Awakeners, there was a clear hierarchy of strength.
The Awakeners were treated as quasi-civil servant heroes contributing to humanity's peace, so the Association didn't officially rank them.
But if one had to rank them, it wasn't impossible.
By comprehensively evaluating their Anomalous Phenomenon resolution records and injury rates, a hierarchy could be established.
Someone like Lee Jia, who had just registered as an Awakener, ranked at the bottom despite her valuable abilities due to her lack of achievements.
Ahn Sangjun, entering his fifth year as an Awakener this year, was around 160th.
His nails had been torn off by a vector created by the 'Fervent Devotee of the Distorted Constellation,' dropping him about five spots.
Still, it was a minor injury, so no big deal.
Oh Hyunjong, entering his third year this year, was 190th.
Having his entire left arm ripped off by a vector, he was essentially in the process of retiring.
On the other hand.
The strongest Awakener, Yoo Euisul, could be called rank 1.
Immune to all mental attacks.
Wielding Iron Sword No. 3 with divinely inspired swordsmanship, she was the one and only Awakener theoretically capable of resolving any Anomalous Phenomenon.
Ahn Soohee, a first-generation Awakener active in the same era as Yoo Euisul.
If ranked, she was easily top 10 in prowess.
Yoo Euisul was an extreme individualist.
She didn't even want to speak with any other Awakeners except Lee Jia.
The mere fact that Ahn Soohee had entered the Ghost House alongside such a Yoo Euisul hinted at her stature.
...Of course, Yoo Euisul had bluntly told Ahn Soohee to get lost.
But she hadn't forcibly stopped Ahn Soohee from tagging along anyway.
If Ahn Soohee had been some mediocre Awakener, Yoo Euisul would have knocked her out cold and prevented her from entering.
"It's cleaner inside than I thought?"
"..."
Yoo Euisul neither affirmed nor denied Ahn Soohee's words upon entering the Ghost House.
The interior resembled the entrails of a colossal giant.
Ceiling, floor, walls.
Everything visible was twitching flesh.
If an ordinary person had entered, it would have been a sight to make them faint on the spot.
But Yoo Euisul and Ahn Soohee were veterans of resolving Anomalous Phenomena.
Having seen far worse, they called it 'cleaner than expected.'
Once inside the Anomalous Phenomenon, Ahn Soohee—who had been so talkative—grew noticeably quieter.
She knew how to separate work from play.
The first thing to do inside was...
Test if it could be destroyed from within.
Ahn Soohee pulled out a plain-looking wooden staff from her bosom and said,
"Shall I go first?"
"Do what you want."
"Alright, then this big sis has to show off to Euisul after so long."
Yoo Euisul stepped back about ten paces.
To avoid getting caught in Ahn Soohee's impending attack.
Whoosh.
As Ahn Soohee lightly swung her wooden staff,
Dozens of ice spears materialized in the air and began stabbing at the reddish entrails.
But no sound of piercing flesh came.
"Hmm... As expected, no good. In that case..."
Next, Ahn Soohee unleashed an explosion that shook the entire space,
Flames that burned everything,
And high-pressure water jets that could pierce steel,
But still, the attacks had no effect.
Yoo Euisul's Iron Sword No. 3, the 'sword that severs the target's nature,' fared no better.
Well.
If attacks worked, Lee Jia and Yoo Euisul wouldn't have needed to come all the way to Yeosu.
"Seems like a gimmick-type Anomalous Phenomenon... Shall we head deeper?"
"I'll take point, so watch yourself, lady. I don't want to show that kid your corpse."
"Oh my, so reliable. Reminds me of the old days, with you and Brother Jeonghwan up front..."
"Moving."
Ignoring Ahn Soohee as she started prattling again, Yoo Euisul strode deep into the Ghost House without hesitation.
It seemed endless.
The interior space repeated the same scene endlessly, as if expanding infinitely.
Sense of direction was already lost.
No particular threats were felt even after entering the Ghost House.
...Or so they thought.
About ten minutes in,
Ahn Soohee spoke up.
"Euisul, you hear that sound right now?"
"What sound."
"Kikikik, kikikik. Nails on a chalkboard."
"I don't hear anything."
"Ugh, mental attack. No wonder it felt too quiet."
Ahn Soohee was grimacing fiercely.
And for good reason.
Nails on a chalkboard was the sound she hated most.
Regardless of Ahn Soohee's agony,
Yoo Euisul pressed deeper inside, and Ahn Soohee followed without complaint.
It wasn't cold-blooded; it was simply logical.
They hadn't come to the Ghost House for fun—they were here to resolve the Anomalous Phenomenon.
Another ten minutes passed.
Suddenly,
Ahn Soohee swung her staff, unleashing ice spears in all directions.
It was abrupt, but Yoo Euisul didn't flinch.
Mental attacks intensified the deeper one went into an Anomalous Phenomenon—it was common knowledge, so expected.
The issue was
Ahn Soohee's pallid face.
She clearly wasn't normal, so Yoo Euisul halted.
Even while firing ice spears, Ahn Soohee relayed info to Yoo Euisul.
"Zombies! Dozens of them! FYI, zombies are my most hated and scariest monsters...! I can't even watch zombie comedy movies!"
Yoo Euisul thought quickly.
Mental attacks grew stronger deeper in.
First: Ahn Soohee's most hated chalkboard screech.
Second: Zombies, her scariest monsters.
This Ghost House seemed to manifest the target's greatest fears at set intervals.
Of course, still just a hypothesis.
The third would confirm it.
Yoo Euisul said impassively,
"Take a hit. Lightly."
"Ugh, okay. Got it. Wait a sec... Kyaaak!"
The key to resolving unknown Anomalous Phenomena was gathering maximum info.
With Lee Jia—who could collect all info in one snap—absent as surplus,
They had to resort to brute methods.
Ahn Soohee, a first-gen veteran like Yoo Euisul, understood this was sound advice.
But with her hated screech and zombie horde swarming this flesh-covered Ghost House,
She hesitated to take a hit.
Yet Ahn Soohee was a pro.
She overcame her fear and let a zombie visible only to her strike once.
Slash!
Zombie claws tore her forearm.
Deep enough to expose bone.
She hadn't intended such severity; mounting terror had slowed her.
Still,
Ahn Soohee didn't blink, reporting her findings.
"Just got scratched on the forearm. Deep. Blood dripping, but I didn't turn into a zombie..."
"Got it. I see it too."
"...You see it?"
Mental attacks usually ended there, so immune Yoo Euisul shouldn't see the wound.
But she did.
Proof the mental attack affected the physical world.
A nasty one.
Many Anomalous Phenomena had appeared, countless with mental attacks.
But affecting reality? Extremely rare.
Fortunately, mental attacks weren't infinite.
Ten steps back, zombies vanished completely.
The ear-splitting screech persisted, though.
Looking at Ahn Soohee staunching her wound, Yoo Euisul said,
"What now. Your call, lady. Wait here till I solve it, or."
"Crazy? If I was gonna quit, I wouldn't have come in. Gotta see the third mental attack. Now I'm curious what scares me most."
"...Wound?"
"No issue."
"Good. Speeding up now."
Wasting time gained nothing.
Yoo Euisul and Ahn Soohee dashed deeper.
Ahn Soohee kept attacking all around even while running.
Yoo Euisul had no way to assist.
Thus, they reached
the third mental attack zone.
Before stepping forward,
Ahn Soohee wiped cold sweat from her brow and muttered,
"Really hits home how broken your abilities are, Euisul."
"..."
"Going."
The moment Ahn Soohee advanced,
Her face twisted violently,
"Ugh... Ah, aaaaaah..."
Emitting strange groans.
Bad sign.
Yoo Euisul grabbed Ahn Soohee's collar to yank her back,
But oddly, the squishy floor flesh had engulfed her legs, fused as one.
Yoo Euisul slashed the flesh,
But as expected,
No effect.
"Aaaah, aaaaaaaaaaah!"
Ahn Soohee's mind was crumbling fast.
Damn.
Yoo Euisul struck her nape to knock her out,
But the flesh was one with her now.
Still no effect.
No answers for Yoo Euisul.
Fortunately,
Ahn Soohee wasn't that fragile.
"Aaaah, this, this, this..."
"E-Euisul..."
"This won't do."
Just before sinking into the flesh, Ahn Soohee judged swiftly.
Even as her mind collapsed in real-time, she used her ability on herself to pass out.
Veteran of veterans, first-gen instincts.
Once unconscious, the flesh vanished.
If it had been some random Awakener,
They couldn't self-KO,
Nor even think of it.
Yoo Euisul dragged the fainted Ahn Soohee back to the first mental attack zone swiftly.
Here, even awake, she'd only hear the screech—no zombie assaults.
Yoo Euisul couldn't know what Ahn Soohee saw or felt.
Only relief that Lee Jia wasn't here.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Guaaaah!"
The moment I entered, I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Grotesque.
Horrifying.
Even smells rotten.
Ah, I should have listened to Reflecting Myriad Stars obediently.
I came in for no reason!