#21 Tail Catching in the Dungeon (3)
<chapter>
#21 Tail Catching in the Dungeon (3)
[Gu Ma-jun (Human)] → [Gu Ma-jun (Chimera)]
This wasn't like the Rat Man's alchemy. The Rat Man had created chimeras by fusing humans with monsters of his own creation. This case was different.
'A chimera.'
In genetics, a chimera refers to a single organism containing multiple distinct sets of DNA. And this wasn't alchemy — something was turning him into a chimera.
'He's being devoured.'
There wasn't even a shape left now. He was gradually becoming something incomprehensible. Soon, nothing of the being that had been Gu Ma-jun would remain — it would all be consumed.
"What..."
Park Yo-han stared up at the thing, eyes wide, refusing to believe it. At some point, he'd clasped his hands in prayer... while stumbling backward.
'Running is the right call.'
Park Yo-han's judgment was correct. This wasn't a question of winning or losing — fighting something like that was irrational to begin with. It defied all reason.
'There's no coming back from that state.'
The point of no return had been crossed long ago.
The mass of flesh surged upward without end, then oozed and dripped back down. Even if the Heretical Prodigals themselves showed up, there was no reversing this. Which meant my reason for killing Gu Ma-jun had also vanished.
'...Since there's no chance of the Prodigal Sons learning about my existence now.'
In that brief span, the flesh monster began to engulf everything around it like lava, devouring and craving. Every living thing in the vicinity screamed and fled.
[— (Chimera)]
[Length ...] [Height ...] [Weight ...]
[STR ...] [AGI ...] [VIT ...] [MP 0]
I let out a hollow laugh. I'd never once found Spying inadequate before, but Gu Ma-jun — or rather, that thing right now — was impossible to read.
'This is insane.'
The effect of the [Unfinished Product of Incidental Results] wasn't supposed to be this extreme. More precisely, its rate of growth was abnormal.
'Under normal circumstances, I should have been able to take it out.'
The status window Spying showed me flickered like a spinning roulette wheel, changing rapidly in real time. The VIT in particular was grotesque.
'Unless I'm seeing things.'
VIT over 500. And it was still climbing with no end in sight.
'...This is not an opponent I can beat right now.'
E-rank Spying can barely even read it. I could wonder if drinking one damn potion could really result in a state like this—but knowing what that thing truly is, I understand.
'The Elixir.'
The endpoint of alchemy. A legendary wonder-drug called by countless names: the Potion of Immortality, the Philosopher's Stone, the Blood of God. For reasons of their own, the Heretical Prodigals were trying to create exactly that Elixir.
'The [Incidental Results] that appeared during that process.'
[The Heretical Prodigals] made an enormous number of attempts to create the all-purpose miracle drug known as the Elixir. They tried hundreds of known methods and failed at thousands of unknown ones.
But that didn't mean there were no results at all. That obsession eventually produced something infinitely close to the Elixir, yet not the Elixir itself — the [Incidental Results].
'Imitation Elixir.'
Despite the name "imitation," its efficacy deserved to be called a miracle. It possessed the power to heal any wound, any condition.
And that's when they started thinking.
'If we made a superior Imitation Elixir, couldn't it become the real Elixir?'
No.
The Imitation Elixir had a fundamental flaw.
They couldn't even make the Imitation Elixir itself. For some reason, only something similar — an "unfinished product" — kept being produced. That was the true nature of the [Unfinished Product of Incidental Results] that Gu Ma-jun had drunk.
"Gaaaaaargh!"
Park Yo-han, mid-flight, was seized and dragged into the flesh-swamp. Under normal circumstances he might have escaped, but in his exhausted state he'd been unable to evade it.
"S-save meeeeeegkh!"
Watching him get swallowed, I debated.
'Do I save him? Or not?'
He was an enemy I'd been fighting moments ago. A reason to rescue him... a reason...
While I was mulling that over, the flesh surged and swelled again like a wave and swallowed Park Yo-han completely.
'.......'
Cancer is a condition where cells divide endlessly.
The [Unfinished Product of Incidental Results] works the same way — it endlessly divides cells to treat and regenerate wounds. The difference, if there is one, is that unlike cancer, it has no limit.
Infinite cell division means infinite growth.
'If that were all, it wouldn't be a problem.'
The real problem was the "Malice" contained within it.
Malice that greedily seeks to consume everything. The instant I stepped on it while avoiding its tentacles, a message appeared.
[You have consumed ——. Experience Points and Satiety increase.]
If it were just cell division, you wouldn't call it a chimera.
'The things mixed into it.'
Centipedes. Carp. Sparrows. Cats. Goblins. Trolls. And even humans.
'If you were to blend the traits of every species that exists in this world... wouldn't you be able to call that a god?'
That concept was the starting point. They gathered the life essences of every species that exists and every species that doesn't. That was the true nature of the Imitation Elixir.
Naturally, those imparted essences, having met unjust deaths born of desire, harbored Malice. And the crystallization of that Malice mixing into the Imitation Elixir — that was the [Unfinished Product of Incidental Results].
"Urrrghk!"
In that instant, Park Yo-han's arm momentarily burst free from whatever had pulled him in. I hadn't even figured out why, but I didn't hesitate. I kicked up a Gale. The tentacles of flesh blocked my path with repulsive, grotesque motions. The tentacles became whips, and I extended my own tentacles in response.
[Tentacle Bundle (E) Lv.5 proficiency at maximum. Tentacle Bundle (E) Lv.5 → Tentacle Bundle (E) Lv.6]
"Grrrr—"
Tentacle tangled with tentacle. I used Elasticity to launch myself toward Park Yo-han.
'......!'
The flesh immediately formed a wall. The moment I collided with the wall and sank, the flesh surged to swallow me.
'Ngh!'
It was like a swamp. Before I could be dragged in, I burned it with Ember. Running across the flesh, I decided to use a skill I'd resolved not to use here.
'At this height, it doesn't matter anyway!'
My wind-clad legs began to turn black. The Ember consumed the Gale and blazed into black flame. With each stride, like brands being seared, black burns cooked through the flesh.
"―――!"
The flesh heap twisted its body in silent agony. Mass alone was violence. When a mound of flesh spanning dozens of meters writhed in pain, it felt like an earthquake.
'I almost fell.'
I kept my balance on the thrashing flesh and clawed through the spot where Park Yo-han had been. Chunks of flesh caught between my claws, but even that was consumed by Devouring. In moments I'd dug a deep pit and sank my teeth into Park Yo-han's sleeve.
"Kwuuuaaagh!"
It was only because Park Yo-han had a VIT nearing 300 that he'd barely held out. It would've been perfectly normal for him to have been devoured long ago.
Griiik— rrrrip! The sleeve tore away far too easily.
"Uhhh, uwaaaaaagh!"
Park Yo-han's face, drenched in terror and bewilderment, was smeared with tears. His desperate eyes pleaded, save me, please.
'Shit...'
I bit down on his wrist. My fangs sank deep enough to expose bone, and Park Yo-han's eyes flew wide open.
"Auuaaaarrrggh!"
Scream or don't. I hurled Park Yo-han downward.
"Lo-ho-ho-hoord!"
The mounds of flesh he slammed into on the way down cushioned his fall.
'...I can't save you twice, so for fuck's sake, don't get caught again.'
The flesh heap, robbed of its swallowed prey, expressed instinctive rage. Every tentacle originating from the creature focused on me.
'Ugh. You idiot...'
Saving Park Yo-han because he's a figure from the Temple and it'd serve me later — I tried rationalizing it after the fact, but of course it was bullshit. I was just being stupid. Feeling thoroughly pathetic, I racked my brain for an escape route.
'All I have to do now is run away myself.'
Would that be easy? The flesh heap's AGI was rising in real time and had already hit 300. Its STR was exceeding 400.
'...Fucking hell.'
I'm no tragic heroine, and I sure as hell wasn't about to save some buzz-cut middle-aged man just to die in his place. I opened the [Acquirable Skills List].
[Remaining Skill Points: 7]
What I needed was speed. And power.
[Breakthrough (D) Lv.1 skill acquired.]
The superior version of Charge. The Acceleration skill Gu Ma-jun had possessed was a good skill too, but more than momentary speed, I needed the thrusting force to punch through walls.
[Charge (E) Lv.5 has been integrated into Breakthrough (D) Lv.1.]
[Breakthrough (D) Lv.1 proficiency at maximum. Breakthrough (D) Lv.1 → Breakthrough (D) Lv.3]
'Level 3 Breakthrough.'
Maybe this could work — the thought soon became certainty.
[Gale (D) Lv.3 and Breakthrough (D) Lv.3 exist simultaneously.]
[Gale (D) and Breakthrough (D) merge into Gust (C) Lv.3!]
[Remaining Skill Points: 3]
'......!'
Strength flooded into my eyes.
The moment I obtained my first ever C-rank skill — Gust — wind coiled around my entire body. Then the Ember, whipped up by the Gust, seared through the flesh.
'So Ember can't consume Gust.'
C and D. Only one rank apart, yet it was the opposite of before — the Gust was pushing Ember aside.
Walls were no longer walls. Every barrier in my way was shredded, unable to withstand the wind pressure of the Gust. I tore through effortlessly and landed on the floor.
'Running away isn't the hard part.'
I couldn't kill this thing. —I needed someone who could kill the flesh heap.
'The Temple? Can the Temple stop this thing?'
Maybe if the Pontiff himself showed up. But the hammer of the paladin who had struck the ground earlier would amount to nothing more than a massage against this mound of flesh. The wounds my Ember had seared into it earlier — there wasn't even a trace of them left.
'What I need to kill this bastard.'
Not countless attacks. A single, overwhelmingly powerful strike. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of firepower.
'Let's pull back.'
Park Yo-han was saved, and my reason for fighting this flesh heap was gone now — the flesh heap pursued the Wolf, but it couldn't catch a Wolf clad in Gust.
"――!"
The flesh heap exuded Malice, brimming with fury. And the ones who had been chasing the Wolf's tail.
***
"What the hell is this now? I've seen some shit..."
Hong Yuri didn't bother to hide her irritation. Just when she thought she'd closed the distance, the Wolf she was supposed to find was nowhere in sight, and some mass of flesh was undulating in its place. It was an assault on the eyes.
"Is that even a monster?"
"I've never seen it before either."
"...What should we do?"
"Hell if I know. Aren't we supposed to avoid tangling with monsters anyway? Fighting something like that..."
She'd been about to say she didn't want to, but after swatting away an approaching tentacle, Hong Yuri's expression hardened.
"...The fuck?"
"Vice Team Leader? Our mission is first and foremost—"
Swatting it away was fine, except blood and chunks of flesh splattered everywhere. Hong Yuri wiped herself off with a blank face and flicked her hand clean.
"Yeah. I know."
Even though her hands and legs were trembling, Hong Yuri hadn't forgotten the mission. It was a testament to her sense of responsibility.
Right up to that point, anyway.
"Vice Team Leader!"
And then the flesh mass attacked Hong Yuri once more.
"......."
Her scarlet eyes deepened in color. Realizing it was already too late, Woo-taek pressed his fingers to his forehead.
'Hoo boy.'
Had that snapping sound been his imagination? Or was it the sound of someone's patience finally breaking?
"—You're fucking dead."
She'd already been building up stress from the insects and monsters, and now this thing had gone and blown the lid off Hong Yuri's temper.
"...Please keep it under control. I'm begging you."
"I'll kill it quick and be right back. Wait here."
As he watched Hong Yuri's retreating figure, Woo-taek's eyes caught the Wolf darting across the top of the flesh mass. It was as if the Wolf had wrapped itself in wind; the air around it shimmered. Scattering black flames, the Wolf was toying with the flesh mass.
'It fights well.'
That was probably Alpha (Jirisan Warg). Hard to believe it was a Skull Wolf. Judging by how it was smaller than a typical Skull Wolf, it didn't seem to be a superior variant.
'Just how many skills does it have?'
The black flames, the shimmering wind—both had to be the Wolf's skills. If it also had Predation on top of that, that made three already. It was extremely rare for a monster to possess this many skills.
"S-Save me! Help, please!"
A shaven-headed Monk came running up in a panic, clutching his wrist. Woo-taek steadied him.
"Are you with the Temple? Calm down. What happened? And what in the world is that thing?"
As Woo-taek applied pressure to the man's bleeding wrist and asked for an explanation, the Monk shook his head frantically.
"I-I don't know. The faithful one, the faithful one suddenly—I—Aaaah. Forget that, we have to run! If we don't get out of here—!"
The man was in a complete state of panic. The flesh mass would be handled by Hong Yuri anyway. For now, Woo-taek decided to evacuate the man first.
'He looks like someone who got caught up in this...'
One of the conditions for entering the dungeon was rescuing civilians who'd been swept up in it. It didn't take long for Woo-taek to locate the rest of the Temple's people.
"Oh, and you are...?"
"Daybreak's Dawn, Search Team 3. Jeon Woo-taek. We entered late, so you may not have been informed, but Dawn has also entered the dungeon."
A Paladin in a white helm looked Woo-taek up and down, then nodded as if satisfied.
"I see. A well-trained body even at a glance. Truly worthy of being called a member of Dawn. I am Seong Dae-woon."
With Temple people stationed outside, Woo-taek hadn't even considered the possibility that this man had been the one to do that to Park Yo-han. The two men clasped hands in a handshake and turned to look at the flesh mass, which was still swelling in size.
"So what in the world is that thing? Is it connected to what happened to our brother?"
"It seems so. Though I only just discovered it myself."
"Hm... Understood."
Before they knew it, the flesh mass had reached a staggering size. Like a towering stack. Its bulk had swollen until even the surrounding trees couldn't approach it. Where was the Vice Team Leader?
'Surely she didn't get taken down?'
And then the flesh mass began to burn.
'No, there's no way.'
The moment he saw that pillar of fire, Woo-taek felt relieved. Then again, for her to fall in a dungeon like this—her magical power was simply too far outside the norm.
***
"......!"
A horrific magical power, one I'd felt once before. My vision tinting red was no illusion. An immense magical power was radiating out from the flesh mass as its center. If I'd been even a moment slower escaping from the flesh mass, I would've been caught up in it too. I located the origin point of the magical power. Standing there was a Girl with red hair and red eyes.
'Hong Yuri? Why the hell is she here?'
Hong Yuri must have noticed me too; she met my gaze and mouthed silently.
'......!'
Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, she'd just clearly said, "You're dead too."
Goosebumps prickled all over me. The desire for revenge against Hong Yuri burned fiercely, but fighting her was still a long way off. She'd handle the flesh heap monster, so I needed to get the hell out of here.
'She's been tailing me this whole time.'
Crazy bitch. Crazy bitch. Crazy bitch!
The crimson magical power manifested into a phenomenon, then erupted into a colossal pillar of fire. Reduced to ashes in an instant, the flesh heap monster collapsed as if crumbling.
'Monstrous bitch!'
A thunderous roar shook the ground, and amidst it all, Hong Yuri wore a chilling smile.
"Now it's your turn."
Her hand moved. In sync with that motion, the crimson magical power surged toward me. I swallowed hard and tried to wrap myself in a Gust—
"——!"
The crimson magical power abruptly veered away. The thing's HP had already blasted past 500 and was now surging beyond 600. In that split second, it had regenerated its incinerated body and pounced on Hong Yuri. A recovery power truly befitting an imitation Elixir.
'...Can Hong Yuri beat that thing?'
Right now, she had the advantage, but magical power wasn't infinite. No matter how mighty her power, it would eventually run dry.
'Either way, this is my chance.'
Let the monsters fight each other. If they happened to kill each other in the process, all the better.
"Hoo. You just stay right there."
'Would you wait if you were me?'
As the Wolf fled, the two monsters began tearing into each other in earnest.
***
Tearing into a slab of spotted meat, Geohan furrowed his brow.
"I was trying to get some rest."
Even from dozens of kilometers away, everything was clearly visible to Geohan's eyes.
"Hm."
Crimson magical power and tentacles of flesh clashed wildly. Hong Yuri's magical power held the advantage the entire time, but it wouldn't be infinite. Whether she could kill the flesh mass before her magic ran dry—or not. That was what would decide the fight.
'Hmm. Fifty-fifty?'
Even Geohan found it difficult to guarantee the outcome. Under normal circumstances, he might have rushed over to help, but...
"She'll figure it out. Whatever."
The spotted meat was simply too delicious for that.
***
"Ah, fuck."
The situation had been entirely in Hong Yuri's favor. The flesh tentacles couldn't reach her and were all burning up before they could. But the look on Hong Yuri's face was not a good one.
'It just regenerates everything.'
Did it have some kind of regeneration-type skill? What in the hell even was this lump of flesh? She'd practically had the Wolf caught too, and the thought that she'd lost it because of this motherfucker made fury boil up inside her.
"Seriously... so damn annoying."
Dungeons had forms. For instance, the Cobalt Mine was a composite of cave and labyrinth. This dungeon in Ihyeon Park was a single-type forest dungeon. Monsters typically manifested according to the dungeon's theme. But this flesh mass—she'd never seen anything even remotely similar in any dungeon.
An aberrant existence beyond even monsters. A monster like this actually existed?
It felt alien, as if it had been created.
'Created?'
And then it hit her. What she'd been doing in Busan. What she had seen there.
'Ah, that's it. So those shithead bastards made this thing?'
It was only a conjecture, a possibility at best, but it was far too coincidental. Anyone could see this didn't look like a naturally occurring monster. Failed experiments... the research records she'd seen in the sewers. Could all of this be a coincidence? If it was connected to human transmutation?
"Fine."
Powerful magical energy lifted her body. Hong Yuri levitated into the air, not through the casting of magic, but through the physical force exerted by her magical power. It was a miracle produced by absurd magical power, but the mindless flesh mass couldn't comprehend the phenomenon. It merely surged forward to violate Hong Yuri.
"—I'll kill you properly."
Floating gently upward, her eyes deepened past scarlet, staining themselves a deep Crimson.
***
"Uh... Team Leader 3? What about tracking down Alpha (Jirisan Warg)?"
"Is that what's important right now? The situation has changed. We need to deal with that thing first."
The pile of flesh was endlessly expanding its size. At first it had been hidden by the trees, but now it had grown to fill the gaps between them. It looked like a ten-story apartment building covered in flesh, writhing and moving.
"And Alpha (Jirisan Warg) is... damn it."
For just an instant, a presence brushed past her Mana Detection. Nine times out of ten, that was Alpha (Jirisan Warg). The Team Leader ground her teeth.
'That thing's going to be hell to catch even if we chase it.'
Its speed rivaled a train. They could catch it if they really pushed themselves, but the urgent problem right now wasn't the Wolf—it was the flesh mass.
"The Wolf can't leave anyway. Even if it did, the Temple forces are stationed outside. But that thing..."
Just imagining what would happen if it got out of the dungeon was horrifying.
"Do you want to watch Daegu become a ghost town?"
"No, that's not it. Instead, why don't we call our Team Leader over?"
"...Do you know where that man is?"
"Do you really think he's actually searching just because he went off alone? He's probably goofing off somewhere nearby. I'll go get him."
"Do that. I'll go ahead and engage."
As the Team Leader's figure vanished into the distance, Seong-hun let out a long sigh.
"Ah... I didn't sign up for this."
He'd just come to see a special-species Wolf, and now he'd suddenly been swept up in something utterly insane.
"This is no time to be standing around."
He had to find Team Leader 2 as quickly as possible.
There was probably no way it would happen, but for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease.