Day 15

Shibata chased me all the way out of the hospital.

What a goddamn persistent bastard.

I ran for the mountains.

Against a tank like Shibata charging around without a care in the world, the obstacle-filled forest was the better battlefield.

Luring him was easy. The idiot was barreling after me without a shred of suspicion.

If I hadn't taken the Hyeoldan, he would've caught me already.

Thanks to the drug boosting my physical abilities, I kept a steady distance without getting grabbed. I glanced back over my shoulder.

Thud! Thud-thud-thud-thud!

His running form was a mess. That scrawny lower body under the oversized upper half looked ready to topple over any second. At least on the surface.

Clumsy as the posture was, his legs pumped with terrifying speed. If he hadn't been that fast, I'd have shaken ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him off long ago.

"Out of the way!!"

Whenever a villager appeared, Shibata simply smashed them with his fist. The poor bastards couldn't take the impact; their bodies burst apart and died on the spot.

That fucker's doing it on purpose.

Shibata's intelligence was low, but he wasn't pure animal. He could tell friend from foe. There ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was no need to attack random villagers he passed. He was killing them for fun—or to show off his strength.

Not that I was one to talk. I did the same thing sometimes.

The only one who can control that bastard… is the shrine maiden, huh?

I scanned the surroundings. Villagers who might have chased me took one look at Shibata and fled in terror instead. Seemed the guy was famous even among the locals.

I plunged into the mountain forest.

Boom! Crash! Thud!

I weaved between the trees, dodging left and right. Shibata was just as brainless in the woods. Whether trunks slammed into him or not, he kept charging after me.

His speed dropped. The gap widened, and he lost sight of me.

"Where are you?! Where the hell are you!!"

Shibata bellowed. Trees cracked and toppled—he was taking his rage out on the innocent forest.

I climbed a tree, held my breath, and waited in ambush. The bloody tears still streaming from both eyes I wiped away with my clothes.

Running away completely isn't my style. The second he passes under me, I drop and strike. Cut off his head and even he dies.

I felt him drawing closer. Footsteps, ragged breathing—the bastard was ridiculously loud.

Here he comes.

I held my breath and waited for him to get just a little nearer.

Now!

I reversed my grip on the Japanese sword and leapt down from the tree.

Instinct, maybe. Shibata flicked his eyes upward, spotted me, and raised his left arm. The blade slammed into his left forearm instead.

Fine—then the left arm at least…!

Shibata went berserk. He thrashed his body violently and flung me off. I tumbled across the ground, dizziness washing over me as I forced myself upright. Before I knew it he was right in front of me, crowing in triumph.

"I win. You're finished now."

His left hand clamped around my leg. I tried for his head, but his right arm guarded it completely.

…Did I fixate on his head too hard?

I switched targets to his heart, then changed my mind again. His chest was swollen and rock-hard.

Too fucking big. Is this even a human body? I can't even tell where the heart is.

In a rush I went for his right arm instead.

Both hands on the sword, I swung. The blade carved halfway through his right arm.

He crushed my leg.

I swung again. This time the arm came clean off.

"Aaaargh! You—!"

Shibata hurled me away. My body rolled like a soccer ball. Lucky or unlucky—I never hit a tree. Straight off the cliff I went.

Thud.

I hit the ground. The Hyeoldan dulled the pain, but my body wouldn't move and my vision was gone.

Fuck.

It felt like I'd floated for about five seconds. At least twenty meters, no question. At that height, walking away intact was impossible.

The absurd part was that I still wasn't dead. Body wrecked, mind crystal clear.

Must be the Hyeoldan.

I deliberately held off on Full Recovery. I was waiting for Shibata to come check the corpse. The moment he let his guard down, I'd heal and counter.

Perfect plan. Hurry the fuck up and show yourself.

Tens of seconds passed. No sign of him. He'd decided I was dead after that drop.

I couldn't afford to die and fail the quest, so I used Full Recovery.

My body lightened as I stood. The Hyeoldan's effects seemed to have worn off as well.

I looked up the cliff face. Too dark to measure the exact height, but my senses said twenty meters easy. Could my current body climb that without gear?

Can't risk it. Better take the long way around.

I lowered my gaze. Finding another path wouldn't be simple either.

Sudden irritation boiled up.

I hadn't killed Shibata. If I'd just stayed a little calmer, maybe I could have finished him.

"Fuuuuuck!! Shibata!! I'm gonna fucking kill you! You piece-of-shit Shibata!!"

I roared with everything I had.

It felt a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠little better, at least.

Shibata peered down the cliff Seong Yujin had tumbled off.

Deep.

So deep the bottom was completely invisible.

"He's dead."

Even dull-witted Shibata knew that much. Fall from this height and no animal survives. Especially not one already torn up that badly.

"Too dark. Don't wanna go down."

He turned away. His own condition wasn't great either. Right arm gone. He might have to live without it from now on. He picked up the severed arm.

"The shrine maiden… she'll put the arm back on."

Muttering to himself, he headed for the shrine with the arm in hand.

He was just about to leave the mountain and enter the village when the voice hit him.

"Fuuuuuck!! Shibata!! I'm gonna fucking kill you! You piece-of-shit Shibata!!"

Seong Yujin's voice. Shibata tilted his head. Hearing a dead man's voice was strange.

He didn't think much of it and kept walking toward the shrine. Sometimes he heard his dead parents or the shrine maiden for no reason. His parents fretted over him; the shrine maiden told him that if he just believed her words he would reach heaven. Hallucinations, people called them.

Inside the shrine he met the shrine maiden.

As always she wore a faint smile and welcomed him.

"Shibata. Good work. I received the report that the hospital director is dead, but it's a minor matter. Don't concern yourself. As for that Korean…"

She trailed off, finally noticing the severed right arm he held in his left hand. Her eyes widened in surprise before she smoothed her expression.

"Shrine maiden. My arm got cut off. That guy… was strong."

"…I suspected he wasn't an ordinary Korean. But in the end he died to you. I'll reattach the arm. How did you kill him?"

"I grabbed him with my hand and was gonna crush him, but…"

"But?"

"He fell down."

"I see. That's why you didn't bring the body."

"…Should I go get it?"

"No need. Rest well, Shibata. Here—a gift from the mountain god for you."

"Oooh… the mountain god's gift…"

Shibata took the candy she offered and popped it into his mouth. His face immediately went slack. The giant swayed, then toppled backward. Eyes rolled up, drool spilling from his lips. The special narcotic the shrine maiden had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠prepared carried him into a paradise of hallucinations.

She waved a hand.

"Reattach Shibata's arm. He's a rare compatible subject—use Hyeoldan and it should go on easily."

"Yes, shrine maiden."

Plenty of her followers surrounded her. They carried Shibata off to the hidden laboratory beneath the shrine.

The shrine maiden issued orders to those remaining.

"Bring me that Korean's corpse. He is no ordinary human. He may be a specially modified human like Shibata."

"Yes, shrine maiden."

Her underlings moved out.

"Aaaaargh!"

Figures draped head to toe in black cloth screamed and died. I tossed the rock I'd been holding onto the ground. Ignoring the corpses, I kept walking.

Same getup as Shibata. Thought they might be dangerous at first… but none of them are monsters like him.

Decent physical stats, lousy combat skill.

I'd run into four so far and killed all four without much trouble. Two had pistols, but the mountain was dark and full of perfect cover trees.

Picked up two handguns thanks to that…

No marksmanship trait, so my accuracy was garbage. Right now I could barely hit a target ten meters away.

Need to finish this before dawn. Before their reinforcements show up from outside.

Crunch. Crunch.

Walking through the woods, I spotted light and grinned. At least I'd avoided the worst-case scenario of being completely lost.

Heading toward the glow, I found felled trees. A big pile of lumber sat stacked in one corner.

A lumber mill.

Small one, but it had everything. One of the village's main sources of income.

Well, the real cash cow is Hyeoldan, but still.

I slipped inside, killing my presence as much as possible. Lights on meant someone was awake.

Kill whoever's in there and grab anything that can serve as a weapon. A long blade like a Japanese sword would be perfect.

I'd lost the one I had fighting Shibata.

I crept toward the mill building. Light spilled through a window. I peered in quietly.

Oh, fuck.

Naked men. I almost swore out loud. Biting it back, I took in the scene inside.

More than ten naked men, ages ranging from young adults to old geezers. Every pair of eyes was locked on the women in the center. Two women. Two familiar women, being gang-raped by the men.

Women I knew.

Aizawa Nachiko and Minewaki Jurie.

The ones who'd surrendered to the villagers. They lay there with expressions no different from corpses. Bruises from beatings covered their bodies and faces; male semen coated their hair, mouths, breasts, and thighs. Between their legs, naked old men were slamming their hips hard.

Dragged straight here and gang-raped, huh.

I felt nothing. Those women weren't my type. Objectively ugly. Even being generous, plain at best.

I checked the front entrance. Clothes and weapons lay piled together. Among the weapons was exactly what I wanted—a long Japanese sword.

I headed for the front door.