Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: The Reason I Became a Monster - 7
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In terms of combat power, I'm a bit stronger than Seok-hyun.
Probably because I have the dimension wall and dimension prison.
But my strength was prepared strength.
To unleash my maximum, I needed all sorts of preparations.
Buffs from Su-yeon, eating crops, activating skills...
In contrast, Seok-hyun had zero preparations.
He could bring out 100% of his combat power even if he got up right after taking a shit.
Just like right now.
Seok-hyun grabbed An Geun-seok's hand and said innocently,
"Gotcha~"
But the fist wrapped in the ogre glove was anything but friendly.
Before An Geun-seok could even react, the fist slammed into his face.
Puck.
In my opinion, the saying that palms clapping make the sound is wrong.
That side had zero intention to fight, yet it made a huge noise.
An Geun-seok's face, struck by the brutish fist, was completely flattened like dough.
That was him holding back so it wouldn't kill.
"Guhhh..."
An Geun-seok couldn't even think of running and only let out faint groans.
Looked like a few teeth were knocked out.
"One more."
Before his voice faded, An Geun-seok's waist bent.
I didn't want to see a man's waist bend like a bow.
Anyway, just two punches and An Geun-seok was completely out cold.
That was the human An Geun-seok.
Now the monster An Geun-seok would emerge.
I exchanged glances with Da-jeong and fell back.
"Get away! Tentacles are coming out now!"
For some reason, she covered her cheeks with her hands.
"I like tentacle play!"
"Not that kind!"
The moment I finished speaking, thick tentacles writhed from An Geun-seok's mouth.
Tentacles wriggling inside the mouth was way more disgusting than I'd imagined.
But Seok-hyun didn't care and yanked the tentacle out.
Squelch!
With a grotesque sound, bodily fluids and the tentacle were pulled out together.
Now An Geun-seok threw his head back and started retching.
"One squid leg extra, please."
Seok-hyun squeezed the tentacle dry and asked me,
"What do we do with this guy? More tentacles will keep coming."
"He can't answer anymore, so kill him."
I had something I wanted to try this time.
Impossible alone, but cooperating with Seok-hyun might make it different.
"Then time for serious mode."
Seok-hyun took off his panties.
I wanted to nag, but I'd just done a nude show myself, so it felt awkward.
Da-jeong rushed over, clung to me, and cheered.
"Bunny, go full power today!"
"Yes!"
Seok-hyun raised his fist and charged at the fallen An Geun-seok.
The guy's body was already covered in writhing tentacles that had crawled out.
A short moment passed, and finally, countless tentacles poured from An Geun-seok's mouth.
They were so fast they instantly wrapped around Seok-hyun's limbs.
"Hmph!"
But the power of Seok-hyun with ogre gloves was no joke.
As if just a bit of strength after grabbing the tentacles, An Geun-seok's body floated into the air.
"Hyaah!"
He smashed the body straight into the ceiling, walls, and floor.
But the tentacles' momentum didn't weaken at all.
Where the hell were these tentacles even coming from in that body?
I checked An Geun-seok's status window.
In the effects section, it listed Judecca's Blessing.
As expected, that wasn't An Geun-seok's power—it was Judecca's.
Then I needed to sever the connection pathway for that power.
I opened my dimensional warehouse and tossed a mithril blade to Seok-hyun.
"Cut off the head, kill him, and throw him to me right away!"
He caught the blade without even looking.
"Leave it to me!"
The tentacles were strong, sure, but not enough to withstand Seok-hyun's mithril blade swings.
In an instant, several tentacles flew into the air, and finally, An Geun-seok's head popped off.
Seok-hyun grabbed the legs and hurled the body at me.
The usual phenomenon happened again.
Muscle tissue formed around An Geun-seok's corpse, and a massive tentacle burst out.
I grabbed the ankle without hesitation and tossed it into the dimensional warehouse.
The tentacle searched for An Geun-seok's body, wrapped only the head, and slithered back in.
All that remained were traces of wriggling tentacles and bodily fluids.
Da-jeong asked hesitantly,
"...You put the body in the dimensional warehouse?"
"Didn't really want to. But it came out so messy."
I prefer killing cleanly when I kill.
But An Geun-seok was different.
For some reason, he craved my body and was ready for any filthy deed.
So it was fine for me to get filthy too.
With the corpse in the dimensional warehouse, resurrection was impossible.
"Kinda surprised he didn't bring a resurrection scroll."
"Maybe they didn't expect us to be here?"
That's what I'm curious about too.
How the hell did they get here?
Skipping just Geom-in, too.
I held back my curiosity and opened a dimensional gate.
"Mi-kyung, go inside for now."
As Mi-kyung, standing like a scarecrow, moved to enter, Da-jeong grabbed her wrist.
"Did our little whitey behave? Did you help Sung-ho a lot?"
"Yes. I worked really hard."
"Then you guys must've had sex?"
"D-don't say that..."
"I cleared out on purpose for you to have sex, and this is how it goes? With that face and body? What a waste. You like Sung-ho too."
"Sis..."
"Looks like Su-yeon sis did nothing either. Bunny, what should I do with these girls?"
"Just eat 'em."
"Should I?"
Mi-kyung was flustered by the two who hit the ground running the moment they arrived.
Things had been peaceful and quiet until now, but they were about to get noisy.
I shook my head and entered the dimensional warehouse.
The tentacles had stopped midway from the severed cross-section.
Here, time stopped for everything but me.
Even the tentacles bestowed by Judecca couldn't do anything about it.
"Even the Demon King can't beat the system."
It also meant there was hope to eventually take that guy down.
I stuffed An Geun-seok's corpse into a sack.
No smell, so it was no different from regular luggage.
"Can't keep it forever... gotta compromise somehow."
They'd have to pay a huge price to retrieve An Geun-seok.
If not, I'd just keep it like this.
"Wait a bit."
I went back out and draped my arms over Seok-hyun and Da-jeong's shoulders.
"Now spill. How'd you get here?"
Da-jeong showed a torn scroll.
"What's this?"
"A scroll. But first time seeing this text."
Intact scroll items show options, but torn ones only show text.
She waved the scroll dramatically.
"It's a teleport scroll! Found it rummaging the lab."
"Teleport? Makes sense, blink exists so no reason not to... but why just you two? What about Geom-in?"
Seok-hyun smacked his forehead.
"He was fiddling with some doll. We said let's test it ourselves and tore it. Turned out like this."
"Doll? Mi-kyung, let's go inside."
"Okay..."
We entered the dimensional gate and talked details.
Everyone was amazed hearing about Lotus.
Even I was shocked by flames engulfing the entire elven palace.
"Rummaging the lab, this came up. Teleport scroll, but Geom-in was off playing with the doll."
"Wh-what about Mr. An Geun-seok?"
Su-yeon asked, and I opened the dimensional warehouse.
"He's in there. Neither dead nor alive."
"Ah..."
Guessing the state, she covered her mouth like she felt nauseous.
Pretty apocalypse-hardened, but no immunity to this filth.
But I was different.
To fight monsters, become one.
Da-jeong continued,
"Geom-in's alone now. Big trouble. Surrounded by my monsters."
"Geom-in's always alone."
"Poor guy..."
Spending time with Da-jeong's monsters in an empty place... not a great feeling.
Anyway, time to decide.
I gathered my thoughts and said,
"I want your opinions here... I think we should move the shelter. Not this remote corner, but inland."
Yeo-ul asked, startled,
"To Lotus? The whole shelter?"
"This is Lotus too... anyway, it's too remote and inconvenient. These guys have stuff to do, but can't from here."
Seok-hyun and Da-jeong still had tasks.
Find Elderwood's main body and check status.
More ahead, hard to respond stuck in a corner.
Yu-hyun and Ji-man fully agreed.
"Sea's nice, but too cornered."
"How about near the wood elf forest?"
Hmm, they won't welcome it.
Temporary guests vs. immigrants rubbing shoulders—worlds apart.
Sang-shin scratched his cheek.
"They won't like us. No one likes outsiders."
"Heard nomads like guests..."
Mi-kyung spoke up, but Seok-hyun shook his head.
"That's for short stays. Guests bring outside news, precious. But living together? Different story."
Right. Seok-hyun's correct.
Immigrants unwelcome anywhere.
Best to stick together.
I spread the Lotus continent map.
Scanning Belond Forest where elves live and near Luat Kingdom, spotted a lake.
Size that could pass for sea.
"This looks good."
Da-jeong got excited.
"We actually rested by this lake heading north. Tons of fish, killer view. But one problem..."
"Lots of monsters?"
"How'd you know?"
"Lakes have lots of animals. Means monsters too."
"True."
Good for us, good for monsters.
Per Seok-hyun, devilish lands just beyond lakeside.
No power to change devil lands, but pioneering plenty doable.
Map viewers chimed in.
"Mountain behind is good. Perfect back-to-mountain, face-to-water."
"Lake this big means solid ecosystem. I'm for it."
"Anywhere's fine."
All in favor.
I scanned the shelter and said,
"Moving's tough and burdensome, but what choice? No movers, so we do it. First..."
Dismantle prefab huts, live in tents.
Most stuff into dimensional warehouse best.
Yu-hyun tore her hair over dismantling valley waterwheel, pump, pipes.
"Steel yourself. Gotta reinstall there."
"Ahaha..."
"Together. I'll help."
Su-yeon patted the slumping girl's shoulder.
"Wanna say move now, but they just arrived, so rest bit. Gotta talk to Geom-in too."
I chatted with Geom-in via auction house.
—Pretty hot, but manageable.
Like being in a fire site—how could it not be.
I sent fire-resistant bulletproof vest and Seok-hyun's mantle.
Those two items, sleep smiling in flames.
Geom-in thanked and mentioned something odd.
—The doll I found is super pretty. Seems like an experiment thing, but don't know details yet.
—Duck Down and stag beetle read letters, right? Communicate somewhat?
—Yeah. Translating palace stuff now. Research logs, people's diaries.
—Not boring. Coming soon, wait.
—Take your time. I'll hunt palace valuables.
Straggler life made him unfazed.
Closing auction house, Da-jeong sat on bench, beaming at me.
Crossed legs swaying slowly.
"Got nothing to say to me?"
"Tons of work. Dismantle huts... move supplies."
"Before that, you promised me something?"
"Later okay?"
Tried slipping by, but she was hawk eyeing prey.
"Know how many days I've starved? Can't hold longer. Come here."
I was dragged like a mouse and pounced on.
.
.
.
Go Ho-kyung opened her eyes and rose from the tub.
Habitually touched her neck, fingertips met the severed stump.
She recalled her final moments.
When the mithril blade that brutally pierced her gut reached her neck, she really thought it was over.
Crunch—
She ground her teeth at Sung-ho.
Fought breaking limits, but lost.
But from now on, story changes.
'Once that one returns...'
Soon as An Geun-seok returned, planned to launch capture op.
But he didn't return.
Figured still fighting, dressed, but no news.
'Weird.'
Judecca's shadows shared one mind.
Telepathy basic.
Just concentrate, but why no follow-up mention?
Go Ho-kyung kept calling An Geun-seok, startled seeing tentacle from corridor wall.
Daily sight, but today different.
Judecca summoning.
"Coming soon, my master."
Tentacle vanished into wall, Go Ho-kyung undressed.
Demigod Labyrinth's 15th floor.
There sat Judecca's main body.
Everything on 15th arranged for the wounded king of beasts.
Writhing muscular tube swallowed Go Ho-kyung whole.
'Hate it...'
Still human, hated sealed tight spaces.
Muscles writhed, sending her somewhere.
Long after, Go Ho-kyung splatted onto membrane.
Barely raised upper body, humid gust blew.
Something lurked amid countless tentacles and muscle tissue.
Judecca.
King of all beasts, herald of apocalypse, bastard child of failed experiments.
Wounded and sealed in Demigod Labyrinth, still immense power.
His consciousness probed Go Ho-kyung's brain.
Go Ho-kyung shuddered, illusion of countless bugs crawling her body.
—My right arm vanished from surveillance.
Right arm meant An Geun-seok.
Judecca favored the human siding with him above self-made monsters.
"H-he's not hiding..."
—If alive, he'd send intent; dead, he'd enter me.
"No intent to me either..."
—Then one answer. Someone hid his corpse.
"That..."
Go Ho-kyung recalled Sung-ho's ability.
Space unfold block attacks, twist enter Lotus.
Space creation blocking external influence—no surprise.
—Even among Lotus fools, one had such ability. Truly vexing.
"Tell me my task."
—Find that ability user, negotiate. Bring my right arm.
Go Ho-kyung gulped dryly, prostrated.
Go to Korean shelter herself?
Impossible without 13th floor monsters.
Tentacle extended before her fearful face.
—No rough means. Use all else to bring him.
Go Ho-kyung hesitated,
"Must give... much."
—Doesn't matter. You are precious to me.
Deep in chest, something welled up.
This.
Reason she bowed to Judecca even becoming monster.
"Will bring him for sure."
The Reason I Became a Monster - 7 End