Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 36. Mountain God
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When I was young, I read a novel about a murder at a mountain lodge called Gwigok Lodge.
I wondered back then how scary it must be to walk the dark hallways of that lodge with the lights out.
"How long are you going to keep walking like that?"
"I told you not to talk to me...!"
But with someone with dark purple hair walking ahead of me, I couldn't feel any fear at all—just needless irritation.
The reason she wasn't walking behind me was some nonsense about not wanting to miss seeing my back, and at this point, it felt more like encountering an idol fan than anything surprising.
By the way, if I'd connected Jang Chaeyeon to Method acting, shouldn't she be the quiet type? Why is she so chatty?
If she'd been like I imagined, I'd have expected nothing but lines like "Shut up" or "Die."
"We have to go down here."
"Eek!"
At my words, Yoo Daon nodded and looked below, while Song Arin just flinched and let out another stupid squeak.
But even if she resembled Jang Chaeyeon, Jang Chaeyeon had never reacted to me that dramatically even once.
I gazed at the back of Jang Chaeyeon walking ahead of me.
Her white—or silvery-white—hair, as she consulted with Yoo Daon, seemed to absorb the light even in the darkness and glow faintly.
"I'm going down."
"I'll go first, so the rest of you follow in order."
Their discussion must have ended.
After Jang Chaeyeon addressed the three of us, Yoo Daon slowly began descending the stairs.
A very faint creak echoed.
The stairs had creaked under our feet earlier, so how was she going down so quietly?
"I'll go first."
Song Arin took the lead and started walking.
She too descended the stairs with minimal noise,
"Let's jump down."
"Pardon?"
and Jang Chaeyeon dropped a bombshell while looking at me.
"Are you confident you can go down that quietly?"
"...No."
"Right. So jump down with me. I'll catch you."
Jang Chaeyeon extended her hand with a gentle smile.
It felt like she was doing it on purpose somehow.
"Got it."
There was no reason to refuse.
I placed my hand on hers, and just like that, Jang Chaeyeon vaulted over the stair railing.
Holding her hand, I followed over the railing,
"...Whoa."
and right before hitting the ground, we landed lightly together.
The two others, staring at us with dumbfounded faces as they came down, were just a bonus.
"Let's go."
Jang Chaeyeon straightened her hair and took the lead. Her voice carried a hint of triumphant pride that didn't seem like just my imagination.
Being like this... doesn't it make us invincible?
Clutching that faint hope, I scanned our surroundings.
It was eerily silent, impossible to believe this was the same spot where we'd had our barbecue party earlier.
No telling when they'd finished cleaning up, but the area was spotless, with no signs or presence of people anywhere.
"What time is it now?"
"7:30."
Way too early to head back.
Narrowing my eyes as I looked around, my gaze met a bizarre object on the dining table.
It felt like what you'd get if you sculpted a newborn baby out of mud.
An indescribably creepy sensation washed over me.
Soon, something appeared above the statue.
[Name: Sad Past]
[Age: Created 18 years ago]
[Trait: Clone]
[Talent: -]
[Background: You who failed to understand the words of the Lord—now those words have come true, and here you are.]
[Weakness: Wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more; mourning and crying and pain shall be no more, for the former things have passed away.]
What a headache.
"...!"
While I was wrestling with the weakness, Song Arin spotted the statue and whipped around.
"What's that?"
"...That's it."
Song Arin pointed at it with her back still turned, her voice subdued.
"Show me this, and I've lost my memories."
This?
But my temples weren't hurting at all.
I examined the statue closely, but still felt nothing.
"Don't touch it."
"Who'd touch something this creepy? You think I'm insane?"
"Did you just say it felt creepy?"
A raspy voice came from ahead, and on reflex, I drew my gun and aimed forward.
The unnaturally long neck, bloodshot eyes glimpsed in the shadows, and hunched back.
She was identical to the woman I'd seen earlier.
No. There was one difference.
"...No info."
Nothing appeared above the woman's head.
Not human?
No, that didn't make sense. I'd seen non-humans just fine until now; it didn't add up logically for it to suddenly not show.
"Should I subdue her?"
"Do it."
Before the woman could speak, Jang Chaeyeon reached out, and something invisible should have surged and shoved her back.
It should have.
"...!"
Jang Chaeyeon wore a puzzled expression, and I stared at the woman in confusion too.
The woman hadn't budged an inch.
Jang Chaeyeon swung her hand again.
-Boom!
The floor around her crumpled.
Force enough to squash a normal person like a frog.
But she stood there unmoving, gazing at us.
"...It's not working. We need another way—"
"Bad news: hypnosis doesn't work either."
Song Arin chimed in, as if predicting my next move.
"Have you finished your business, child?"
The woman chuckled wetly.
"A power different from humans, and staying calm in this situation... so the Management Bureau has come again."
Again?
I glanced at Jang Chaeyeon, and she met my eyes.
"...Are you talking about the Mountain God?"
"Did you kill Lord Mountain God and now pretend not to know?!"
The woman bellowed, and the floor trembled.
"I heard outsiders had come after so long, but Management Bureau scum—should've just eaten you."
"Everyone, get back!"
Jang Chaeyeon lunged forward, hand outstretched.
-Kaboom!!!
The floor split, and the lodge practically exploded.
A thick cloud of smoke filled my vision, but no debris hit us.
"Is everyone okay?!"
"I'm alive!"
"I'm fine too!"
Song Arin and Yoo Daon's voices.
"Chaeyeon! You okay?!"
No reply.
"Chaeyeon!"
I called her name into the dust cloud, but she didn't answer.
"What the—"
In my panicked sight, through the haze, a translucent spear rushed toward me.
Too late to shoot.
I quickly crossed my arms to brace for impact,
"Urk!"
and a sharp pain stabbed my arms like kitchen knives plunging in, drawing an involuntary groan.
"Jaeheon!"
Yoo Daon, who'd rushed over, kicked away the attacker.
"You okay!?"
"I'm fine."
Ignoring the searing pain in my arms, I looked at the person Yoo Daon had booted.
It was the lodge owner.
Gripping a kitchen knife, he charged at me again,
"Where do you think you're going!"
and as Yoo Daon blocked his knife with her gloved hand, their hand-to-hand fight began.
I quickly drew my gun again and aimed at him.
Target...
My gun barrel shifted from his head to his leg.
-Bang!
"Argh!"
I fired as he planted his foot, hitting his instep. Seizing the moment as he clutched his foot and fell, Yoo Daon's leg snapped up at a right angle, cleanly striking his jaw.
"Gurgle..."
He collapsed, foaming at the mouth, and Song Arin rushed to me in a panic.
"You're hurt?!"
"Not important right now. Where's Chaeyeon?"
"You should know best!"
"I can't see her!"
I could see Yoo Daon's panel, Song Arin's panel.
But not Jang Chaeyeon's.
As if she'd suddenly vanished from the world.
The dust began to clear.
The spot where I, Yoo Daon, and Song Arin stood was pristine, untouched.
Conversely, everywhere else was devastated.
A cloudless night sky spread above us.
No sign of Jang Chaeyeon. Or Team Leader.
"...It's collapsed. The whole place."
Song Arin muttered in a dazed voice.
"We need to contact HQ—"
"...Look over there."
Yoo Daon cut her off, pointing somewhere.
The dark forest encircling the lodge.
There were people inside.
No. Not people.
Things made of mud.
It reminded me of elementary school, molding human figures out of clay.
Mismatched limb lengths, hands and feet slapped on without thought, faces crudely carved with plastic knives.
The difference from back then? They were all hiding behind trees, beaming bright smiles carved like with a craft knife, staring at the three of us.
"...Let's run."
Song Arin muttered.
"What about Chaeyeon?"
"If you can find her now, go ahead. Can you see her?"
"..."
I scanned the surroundings again.
No "Jang Chaeyeon" anywhere.
"I'm not saying run far. Regroup first. Then we find that woman or whatever. No way we three can stop them here."
Infuriatingly, she was right.
The things hiding behind trees began slowly moving toward us.
"This way!"
At Yoo Daon's voice, Song Arin and I turned.
She was already in the driver's seat of the van we'd come in.
"Get in! Hurry!"
They started walking toward us, then running.
-Thud! Thud!
The ground shook.
Song Arin and I bolted for the van in unison, and Yoo Daon leaned out the window, waving us on.
Luckily, we were faster.
I jumped into the passenger seat quick, and Song Arin slammed into the back, shutting the door hard.
"Here we go!"
Yoo Daon deftly released the handbrake, shifted gears, and floored it.
The van shot forward.
Where the hell did Jang Chaeyeon go, and what just happened?
I glanced in the side mirror at the pursuing mud humans.
Just before they vanished from view, their info finally appeared.
[Name: Human]
[Age: -]
[Trait: -]
[Talent: -]
[Background: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.]
[Weakness: All humans are destined to die and return to dust.]