Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Chapter 36.
Meanwhile, the search for the intruder had run into unexpected difficulties.
“Nothing unusual in the feeding hall!”
“Nothing unusual in the armory!”
“Nothing unusual in the quarters either!”
Fortunately, the mother was safe.
However, the intruder could not be found.
They had scoured the feeding hall, of course, but also the armory, the vault, and even the Boss’s room and the prison—all in vain.
“You bastards, are you going to keep crawling around like grubs?! Find him immediately and bring him before me!”
The Boss raged, shouting at the top of his lungs.
But the steps of the one urging them on grew slower and slower.
No, furthermore, when the Scarred Man moved to join the search, the Boss subtly grabbed his hand.
“You stay here, by my side.”
“…Why, Boss?”
“You need to escort the VIPs, right? Me.”
The reason he had survived so long in the grim back alleys of the lower levels was due to his extraordinary intuition.
But now, that intuition was constantly sounding an alarm.
The Boss shot a sidelong glance at the Paladin and the Priest who were whispering to each other.
“It looks like an assassin class. What do you think, Rumarr?”
“You must be cautious, Sir Patrick. While he is likely a trivial worm who cannot match the tip of your boot in a direct confrontation, should the unthinkable happen and you sustain an injury…”
As soon as they confirmed the mother was unharmed, they immediately took up positions at the main entrance passage to the feeding hall and did not move.
They were extremely vigilant, as if determined to protect the mother at all costs.
The Boss’s eyes narrowed.
‘These bastards seem to have a rough idea of who the intruder is… Just what kind of person broke in that these arrogant ones are this tense?’
An unknown threat lurked somewhere in this bunker.
So, his plan was to stick close to the core fighting strength for now.
He looked at the Scarred Man with a look of reliance.
‘…This guy is no pushover of a beast either.’
But his petty trick didn’t last even three seconds.
Rumarr barked an order at the Boss.
“What are you doing here? Surely you aren’t planning to stand by idly as the facility manager? We are in a situation where every person counts!”
“Ah? No, sir. I was planning to safely attend to the VIPs here in case of any unforeseen threats…”
At that, Rumarr erupted in annoyance and pointed at Patrick.
“We have this gentleman here! Do you think we need your escort? Shut up and hurry up to find that intruder!”
“Ugh.”
The Boss’s dejected eyes turned toward the dark interior of the bunker.
Thud—
Just as he reluctantly turned his body toward the far end of the corridor,
Rumarr’s expression, which had been looking at the Boss with displeasure, froze.
“…Huh?”
Patrick adjusted his stance at almost the same moment.
His face was hidden by the helmet, but the feeling transmitted through the visor was instantly recognizable.
His habitually relaxed demeanor vanished as if it were a lie, and his entire body stiffened.
A murmur, almost a scream, burst from Rumarr.
“N-no. There must be some mistake… some mistake.”
His lips trembled.
Patrick also gasped, muttering lowly from behind his helmet.
“It can’t be… We are guarding the passage. How could it, it can’t be.”
Only the Boss and the Scarred Man stared at them, not understanding what was happening.
The Boss, feeling unnecessarily anxious, asked cautiously.
“W-what is it?”
Crack—!
The Boss’s head snapped to the opposite side with a sharp friction sound.
It coincided with the Scarred Man’s brow furrowing sharply.
Rumarr let out a piercing scream.
“The signal!”
“……”
“The signal! The signal from the mother is gone, you son of a bitch! What are we going to do about this!”
His voice was almost half-mixed with weeping.
There were only two possibilities when the connection to the parasitic core was severed.
Either the mother was dead, or the parasitic core was destroyed.
But distinguishing between the two was meaningless.
From the moment the mutation was complete, the parasitic core fused entirely with the mother, making it impossible to destroy the core separately.
Therefore, Rumarr could only conclude that the mother was dead.
‘Damn it, how!’
How could that powerful beast be dealt with so silently, and so quickly at that?
Moreover, the passage leading to the feeding hall was sealed tight.
Sir Patrick and he were guarding it personally, ensuring no one could enter or leave.
How could such a thing happen?
Could it be that the leadership of the Night Crow, beings close to demons, had descended upon them directly?
Rumarr was so confused that he couldn't make a proper judgment.
But, regardless of the situation, he had to grasp the full extent of the incident.
The vessel intended to house the Divine had been broken.
He could not report to the Diocesan Head without knowing anything about this matter.
That would be a blasphemy against the Divine, going beyond mere incompetence.
Clatter-clatter—
Patrick and Rumarr shouted, forgetting all composure.
“Open the door!”
Rumble—
The sound of locks disengaging in sequence filled the corridor, and the massive iron door began to open.
* * *
Rumble—
Eddie flinched slightly as he heard the sound of the door opening.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Gunter had predicted.
“…You really are something else.”
Gunter, catching his breath, let out a faint laugh in response.
“You realize that now?”
Looking at that confident smile, Eddie recalled the moments from a few minutes prior.
When Gunter first suggested taking down the beast in the feeding hall, Eddie had thought Gunter had lost his mind.
“No, but how are you going to breach the security around the feeding hall?”
“Security?”
“Do you know what I saw when I escaped earlier?”
The most heavily guarded area in this bunker was the passage leading to the feeding hall.
Numerous sentries with wide-open eyes.
Mechanical defenses and layers of locks.
Anyone who rashly attempted a breakthrough would not even have their bones left behind.
But Gunter’s expression remained calm.
“There is a way.”
And then he led Eddie somewhere.
“W-what? Where are we going?”
“The drop chute.”
“What?”
“The hole where they toss in the food.”
The main door to the feeding hall was a heavy iron door with multiple locks; structurally, opening and closing it for every meal was practically impossible.
The drop chute was separately designed to compensate for that inconvenience.
However, the drop chute was located where only an insider could find it.
The very top of the dome-shaped ceiling of the feeding hall, a position usually out of sight.
A structure whose existence a simple intruder could never know.
That was why the gangs, even while searching, failed to find the drop chute.
“But how could you know there was a passage like this…”
“Who knows.”
It was a Regressor’s special privilege.
Gunter himself would never have known the entry method unless he had been brought in as a sacrifice.
Thus, they stood before the drop chute.
It was then that Eddie confirmed the identity of the ‘beast.’
“Good heavens, I don’t want to touch that…”
Beyond the iron grate beneath their feet.
A beast that even a hardened veteran like him had never seen before was glaring at them, its teeth clicking.
He had seen monsters many times before, but that thing was different.
It went beyond being threatening; it sent a chill down his spine.
“How about we reconsider? Honestly, there were times I wished you would die before, but not these days.”
“Are you scared?”
“Is that even a question!”
“I’ll be sure to tell Yor later that you wet your pants seeing a big Spider.”
“Damn it, you just stay put. I’ll take that thing’s head and come back.”
The two burst into laughter over the brief joke.
Gunter shook his head as if to say not to worry.
“You won’t have to face it directly anyway. You just need to do what I tell you.”
“I know, but…”
As Gunter leaned precariously close to the edge of the drop chute, Eddie’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Be careful!”
In truth, Gunter was also suppressing his tension.
He had no choice.
This was the beast that had torn him to shreds just a few minutes ago.
But if he was to survive inside this ‘poison,’ this was the only way.
“Eddie, I’m counting on you.”
Gunter leaned over dangerously and muttered lowly.
The moment Eddie, horrified, tightened his grip on the rope—
“Hey, you madman!”
[Active Skill, ‘Deicide,’ is activated]
The first Myth-rank skill Gunter had acquired revealed itself.
Eddie stopped shouting and froze blankly at the sight before him.
Whoosh—
A scarlet aura erupted explosively from Gunter’s wrist.
It looked like flames at first glance, but it was not fire.
It writhed and flowed like living blood, swallowed the edge of Rhadenbach's Steadfastness, and at the tip of the blade, it solidified into an energy as sharp as frost and spread out.
A power that crushed existence itself burst forth, cleaving the air and the darkness.
Tsssss—
Gunter inhaled sharply.
An unfamiliar power surged through his veins.
His gaze fixed on the red frost shimmering on the blade.
‘It’s working properly.’
The ultimate move he couldn't unleash in his past life.
Deicide was a growth-type skill.
In its current state, even if the mother was a ‘being derived from divinity,’ it wouldn't be enough to defeat her.
But it didn't matter.
His goal was never to kill the mother in the first place.
Zzzzzzz—!
Gunter began to pour all the power flowing within him toward the tip of his sword.
Eddie stared blankly at the scene, forgetting even to breathe.
Eddie knew Gunter was no ordinary guy.
But what in the world was this?
[The One Who Sends a Love Letter That Will Never Return is enveloped in awe]
A form imbued simultaneously with holiness and profanity.
Gunter radiated a precarious light in the red radiance, whether he was a being to be worshipped or one to be condemned.
[A challenge against the Divine has been detected]
[The next strike violates the precepts of Divinity]
Familiar effects and messages.
Gunter checked the rope around his waist and smiled faintly.
“Pull hard.”
Before Eddie could even answer.
Gunter’s body tilted further.
As the tip of the sword pointing downward spewed out a crimson light—
KWAANG—!
The giant Spider sprang up like a coiled spring, coming to greet him as he fell.
A fierce wind whistled past his ears.
Blood rushed backward, and his vision swayed hazily.
But there was one thing that remained perfectly clear.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH—!”
Gunter roared and collided head-on with the black shape in front of him.
Jointed legs densely covered with dagger-like protrusions rushed toward him, trying to ensnare him.
In that instant, Gunter’s pupils dilated.
This was different from last time when he was battered and couldn't even resist.
Now he knew.
He had witnessed it clearly with the eyes of his previous life.
Pulsating red inside the Spider’s abdomen.
Not a heart.
The parasitic core.
Crack—!
The blade pierced through the beast’s heavy outer shell.
Soon, a brilliant scarlet flash exploded outward.
.
.
.
Ting—!
[Divine Power Nullification successful]
[‘Intimidation’ status is applied to nearby Divine beings]
[The spell of the parasitic core is neutralized, severing the connection between the mother and the Divine Rank]
[The divinity residing in the mother scatters]
[‘Weaver of Despair’ gazes at you with extreme fury]
Gunter rolled his stiff shoulders and looked toward the entrance of the feeding hall.
Pitter-patter-patter-patter-patter—
Footsteps ringing out simultaneously.
He could feel the anger, bewilderment, and despair they were experiencing in those hurried sounds.
Gunter’s eyes returned to the message updated before him.
[‘Intimidation’ duration: 33 seconds]
[After the duration ends, the mother will fall into an uncontrollable state due to the severance from the Divine]
With this, all preparations were complete.
Gunter gestured upward.
“Pull!”
The remaining fight was not his.
“Intruder, catch the intruder!!”
It was theirs.
Whoosh—
Along with Eddie’s straining sound.
Gunter’s shadow disappeared from the feeding hall, quickly and cleanly.