Chapter 46: The Mutant
"Aaaargh!!!!"
One bite from the monster shattered bones and burst flesh. I'd avoided the vitals, but I was already gravely wounded.
"Hey? Hey!"
My brother yelled at me from above, but the monster clamped down on me and smashed through the window, leaping outside.
Going all in, I bit into the monster's body with everything I had. It flung me far away in response. Thanks to that, I tumbled across the ground for what felt like forever before finally coming to a stop.
The bleeding wouldn't stop. This is dangerous. Consciousness threatened to fade from the pain at any moment, but to survive, I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright.
But when I saw the monsters encircling me, my legs gave out, and I collapsed right there.
"Ah. We're screwed."
We were really screwed. No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't see any way out of this.
It was the second crisis since nearly dying at Princess's hands a few days ago, but my powers still showed no sign of awakening. It was time to accept it. I had no talent for awakening abilities.
Not that it mattered much when death was knocking.
The monsters closed in. My brother shouted from the rooftop for me to run, but that was impossible. My wounds were severe, my stamina depleted—and even in perfect shape, breaking through that encirclement seemed hopeless.
As death loomed, I suddenly wondered what happened if I died here. Would I return to my original world? Reincarnate or possess in another? Or was this just the end?
I'd know soon enough. Strangely, with death this close, it wasn't as despairing as I'd imagined. Almost peaceful, even. At least it wasn't a dog's death. People I'd saved lived because of my sacrifice. I hadn't just watched helplessly like before. That was enough. No regrets left.
Comforting myself that my end had some value, I nodded to myself—
"Pervert!"
Marie appeared.
-Thung.
Marie burst through the encirclement, erecting a transparent barrier around us both. The monsters approaching me slammed into it, unable to get closer.
"Pervert, are you okay?"
"Thanks to you, I'm hanging in there."
My side was mangled from the monster's jaws, blood pouring out. A normal person would be foaming at the mouth and unconscious from wounds like these, but as a werewolf, I could grit my teeth and endure.
Marie didn't know that, though. Seeing my injury, her face darkened gravely, probably thinking I was just putting on a brave front.
"I'm sorry. I was with you, but I couldn't protect you…"
She seemed wracked with guilt for failing to shield me. She'd rushed to where the monsters appeared, leaving me behind to end up like this—she felt responsible.
But this was my own doing. No reason for her guilt. Her quick action had likely minimized damage there too.
"I'm really fine. It looks bad, but it's more bearable than it seems."
Trying to ease her worry, I insisted I was okay. But her expression darkened further.
No, really, I am. I couldn't reveal I was a werewolf. For real.
"Just hold on a little longer. I'll get you to the hospital soon."
With a resolute look, Marie stepped forward.
Marie was a defense-specialized hero. Superhumanly fit like any ability user, but with no real offensive powers. I worried inwardly, but she effortlessly dismantled the monsters, breaking the siege.
Lately, fighting heavy hitters like villains, I'd started thinking Marie and Spica were weak. Objectively, though, she was plenty strong. Strong enough to farm these pathetic monsters, at least.
Five minutes or so later, she'd cleared them all and returned to me. To end it fast, she'd fought recklessly without regard for her own body, ending up with minor cuts and bruises everywhere.
She could've taken it easier. Now I felt bad.
"Marie, what about the other side?"
"Heroes arrived. Casualties... weren't light, but it's safe now."
"I see."
Monsters surging into a bustling district like this? Casualties would be heavy. Corpses littered the area already—people I couldn't save, no matter how hard I tried.
"Let's get to the hospital. I'll carry you."
"There's someone inside that building who helped evacuate civilians with me. He's unhurt, but could we take him too…"
"Damn it! Fooled again! Thought I'd found it, but some weirdo's swarming around."
"...Huh?"
As Marie helped me up, an intruder bellowed from somewhere.
Even in this mess, the voice brimmed with obvious glee. But that wasn't what startled me.
It wasn't human. A monster. One that spoke human language.
Unlike regular monsters, it had stark white skin and stared at us.
"Why the stare? First talking monster you've seen?"
"A mutant from the Pollution Zone... how are you here…"
"Mutant? Call it evolution, human."
Pollution Zone? Mutant? Evolution? No clue what it meant. But Marie seemed to know something about it.
I wanted to ask, but that seemed impossible now. This thing was insanely strong. Unless I transformed into my werewolf form, even current Marie couldn't handle it.
"What to do. Head back? Or watch a bit more?"
The mutant turned away, muttering to itself. Marie glanced at it warily, slung my arm over her shoulder, and backed away slowly. Planning to slip out with me.
Ignoring us, the mutant kept monologuing—then abruptly thrust its hand at Marie.
...A burst echoed, and a hole punched through her stomach.
"Cough!"
I hadn't seen what happened. It was far off. Yet a mere gesture had struck her dead-on.
Marie crumpled, vomiting blood, hole in her gut.
What the hell is this?
"I'm just scouting, but since I ran into a hero, can't just leave empty-handed."
Blood poured from Marie at a terrifying rate. Even I'd die from blood loss like that.
The mutant approached slowly, hand rising toward my head. I pictured a hole blasting through my skull.
-Thung.
Marie's transparent barrier blocked the mutant's invisible attack. A massive boom and vibration hit, but it held.
"It blocked that? Tougher than you look?"
The mutant seemed genuinely surprised its attack failed—but that was it.
-Thung. Thung. Thung.
It unleashed a barrage of invisible strikes. Each deflected harmlessly by the barrier.
"Persistent. Why not die pretty? You're all doomed anyway."
"Cough!"
Marie was pale from blood loss, yet desperately held the barrier to protect me.
The mutant hammered a few more times, then grew annoyed and closed in. Circling around the barrier, it placed a hand on Marie's face.
Exhausted, she lay defenseless, not twitching a finger.
"Don't cross my path in your next life."
As it readied another strike—
A flying sword pierced its arm from afar.
"Huh?"
"Midnight here. Engaging mutant on-site. Commencing extermination."
The senior hero, Midnight, arrived.
"A bunch of identical freaks. Gross."
"Bet. Grosser than you?"
Over ten Midnights charged the mutant. Each time it lashed out, a clone died and vanished—but new ones filled the gap, swords flashing, surrounding it.
Midnight maneuvered to draw it away from us, herding it farther off.
Finally, clutching my bleeding side, I crawled to Marie and checked her.
The wound was dire. Blood gushed from the stomach hole, soaking the ground. Life ebbed away.
"Marie! Hang on! Hey! You can live! Open your eyes!"
No response, eyes half-lidded, despite my screams.
Stop the bleeding? With this much loss? But I had to do something, or she'd die. Breathing faltered.
Was there really a way? No. I could save her. I had to.
How the fuck?!
The ground reddened with her blood, but my mind went white. No ideas. Hands shook, cold sweat beaded, panic rising. Stay like this, and she'd die for real.
Even atheists pray in crisis, right? Meaninglessly, I placed my hand on her wound and pleaded.
Not to anyone specific. Not thinking it'd work. Just... all I could do.
I didn't want to watch another precious person die before my eyes.
Death was tragic but common. People died endlessly every moment. Today alone, countless souls passed. We adapt to thresholds, yet death never got easier.
The agony of a chest torn open, air whistling out the hole even as you breathed... impossible to adapt.
Werewolf powers made heroes and monsters a non-issue, but I couldn't save one dying person.
What was the point if I couldn't save them?
"Please... open your eyes…"
No response. Was she gone?
Suddenly, Hwang Yerang's words echoed: abilities awaken in extreme desperation, from earnest desire.
If true, let it be now. It had to be.
No more idle prayer. I'd make it happen.
I brainwashed myself: I could stop her bleeding. Not "want to"—could.
Today, we'd both survive to see tomorrow. So stop. Now. I could do it.
How didn't matter. If I could, that was enough.
A hot surge rose within me. The flow of her blood visualized sharply in my mind, like breathing—innate, always possible.
And as believed, the blood gushing from her gut slowed. Stopped.
See? I can do it.