Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: End of the Battle
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“Ghhk…”
An inverted pentagram was carved into both my palms.
A crooked, uneven inverted pentagram, as if it had been forcibly gouged in with a blade.
Now I wouldn’t have to bother drawing a pentagram with my fingers every time I wanted to use Tentacle Summon.
“Hoo…”
Compared to the pain I felt when the Human Sacrifice brand was placed on me, this was much more bearable.
Thanks to that, I regained my senses quickly.
“Oppa… that just now… you’re really okay, right?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry for making you worry again. By the way, Eun-ji, there isn’t anything like a scar on my forehead, right?”
I asked just in case a mark had appeared on my forehead. Anyone would feel uncomfortable around someone with a strange brand etched on them. If I wanted to deceive others or present myself as benevolent, a branded forehead wouldn’t help at all. Ideally, there wouldn’t be any visible trace.
“Uh… there’s nothing there…”
Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be a visible, physical mark.
Maybe it was engraved on my soul instead. A brand etched into the soul… that was terrifying.
More importantly, Eun-ji’s gaze was far too intense. It was overflowing with affection.
“Master, you’re really okay, right?”
Ha-rin stepped closer, clearly worried. My scream must have made her think something terrible had happened. But her gaze had also changed—intense. Strong desire? Lust? Something like that… Why are they both like this? Did I really change somehow?
“I’m fine. You don’t need to worry so much.”
I really was fine. No problem at all.
Sure, right after the human sacrifice, I felt that strange, unpleasant sensation of a god entering my mind—but I didn’t lose control of my body, nor did my sanity collapse.
That evil god—Kashnax or whatever—simply paid me compensation equal to the offering it received. I didn’t sense any intent to directly harm me or torment me for sadistic pleasure.
If anything… it felt gentle.
Why was that? It was painful, yet the god’s touch on my soul felt oddly kind.
…Damn. Is this some kind of Stockholm syndrome? Maybe my mind is forcibly beautifying the experience because my body and soul are mortgaged to Kashnax.
‘Surely I’m not going to be connected to a god like this every time I perform a human sacrifice… right?’
I don’t know. I guess I’d only find out by killing more and offering them to the god.
‘I’d rather it not pay attention to me at all.’
Honestly, receiving excessive interest from a god that greedily devours human souls probably won’t lead to anything good.
“But still, oppa…”
“Yeah?”
“You look… a lot more handsome somehow? Hmm… the more I look, the more certain I am.”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
Eun-ji reached out and fiddled with my face as if checking something.
More handsome? What was she talking about?
She’s a horror movie fanatic—don’t tell me she finds blood-soaked men sexy… That’s a dangerously twisted taste.
Covering myself in blood just to excite Eun-ji sounds exhausting…
“Um… Ha-rin.”
“Yes, unnie.”
“Don’t you think so too?”
“…Definitely. Your face shape is the same, but your features feel sharper… and your overall aura changed. Totally different from your first impression… attractive…”
Now even Ha-rin joined in, touching my face.
What’s wrong with them? Is this because of the Human Sacrifice brand? …No, that doesn’t feel right.
Could it be because my Mana increased? Passing 200 mana might have effects like this—raising charm or charisma. Not bad. I’ll just pretend I don’t know and enjoy the situation.
“Hmmm… oppa.”
“Huh? What’s wrong with you two?”
“It’s nothing, oppa. I like you.”
“I like you too.”
“Haha. Same here.”
After those sudden confessions, both of them hugged me.
They were covered in blood, so it should’ve felt unpleasant, but they didn’t seem to care at all.
Well, all of us were a mess anyway. I really wanted to shower—after clearing out whatever zombies were still left inside the mart.
“More importantly, is this everyone who survived?”
Fortunately, all nine awakened players survived. But the non-awakened… almost all died.
Out of thirty-three non-awakened people, only three survived. You could practically call it a total wipeout.
‘Two nameless thugs and one woman trembling in fear…’
In a way, isn’t it impressive that three survived at all?
They weren’t former special forces or anything, yet they somehow made it through that chaos.
From the looks of it, the two guys probably fought back-to-back against zombies, while the woman ran around like crazy until she clung to the awakened Hwang Soo-min and survived that way.
“What are your names?”
They’d clawed their way through hell to stay alive—at least I could ask their names.
“I’m Gu Ji-hwan, hyungnim…”
“I’m Kim Do-gyeong.”
“I-I’m Kang Hwa-young…”
None of the three looked happy. Their expressions were gloomy and bitter.
Naturally. Everyone they knew had died. And they must have felt utterly helpless in front of the Special Zombies.
Kang Hwa-young in particular looked like she had PTSD, constantly scanning her surroundings and trembling. She looked like she might wet herself at any moment.
‘Which one of these three should I turn into a player?’
I planned to turn one survivor into a player—an awakened—using an Account Creation Card sold by the Peddler.
‘Just surviving this long proves they’re worthy.’
The problem was, I could only choose one.
I didn’t know when I’d meet the Peddler again, or whether he’d sell another card next time. The two not chosen might end up dying as non-awakened in the end.
‘Well, not really my problem.’
They can blame their own fate for not awakening.
“Hey, Hwa-young. Lift your head.”
“Y-Yes…”
“Hmm.”
She was… average. Not particularly attractive, not particularly shapely. Shy, exhausted, and completely worn down from running from zombies.
If you asked whether she had decadent charm… I’d say she just looked ruined.
‘Not great. Even if I awaken her like this…’
Still, making a woman into an awakened player is more useful.
The two thugs would fight decently even without awakening.
But Kang Hwa-young? Without awakening, she’d be almost useless. She’d need stat boosts just to match an adult man’s strength.
A non-awakened woman in this situation had almost no use.
‘Sorry, but I’ll have to choose Kang Hwa-young.’
“I’ll buy this.”
“Good choice.”
I immediately bought an Account Creation Card from the Peddler and handed it to her.
“Take it.”
“T-This is…?”
“If you use that, you’ll become an awakened player too.”
“Wow… lucky…”
“H-Hyungnim… I can fight well too…!”
Gu Ji-hwan swallowed hard, staring at the card with burning desire.
Kim Do-gyeong looked at me pitifully, fidgeting as if to prove he’d be better.
“I’ll give you one next time if I get it.”
“A-Alright!”
“I’ll work hard!”
At least I said it.
Honestly, by the time I got another card, they’d probably be dead.
“That aside—kneel.”
“…What?”
“Kneel. Now.”
“H-Hik… y-yes…!”
Kang Hwa-young quickly dropped to her knees. She had long since submitted to me.
I cut my finger and pressed the blood against her forehead.
First, I’d make her a slave. Then she could use the card.
Sssshhh—!
“You are now my slave. No self-harm. No betrayal. Do not harm the team. Remember this well.”
“Yes…”
With this much mana, creating slaves felt effortless.
Only after becoming a slave did Kang Hwa-young use the card.
“U-Um… I’ll use it now…”
“Go ahead.”
Please… hidden class…!
She tore open the silver foil.
Flash!
A card appeared in her hand amid bright light.
“What is it? What did you get?”
“Uh… Carnage Vamp…?”
“What? Carnage what? What kind of class is that?!”
My Luck 666 strikes again!
That name alone sounded ominous.
Carnage Vamp.
A vampire of massacre?
“I-I don’t know… ah…?”
Crack—!
The moment the card vanished, her bones twisted with a sickening sound.
“GAAAAH!!!”
She collapsed, thrashing in unbearable pain.
“What the hell?!”
“GAAAAH!!”
“Hey! Stop!”
She was a slave—she should obey my commands no matter how painful it was… or so I thought.
“Gghh… gaaah!!”
She resisted my order.
“Damn it! Stop! I said stop, you bastard!!”
“Grrrrrrk!!!”
Only after repeating the command several times did her convulsions finally stop.
“…Ah…”
Something was different.
Not just her aura or appearance—
‘Her race changed.’
Her skin turned deathly pale. Her fangs grew long, her ears sharpened, her hair turned white, and her eyes became blood-red.
‘D-Decadent beauty… insane… so this is a vampire…’
Swallow.
She was beautiful enough to make my mouth water. Her original face remained faintly, but it was like she’d undergone extreme plastic surgery.
She was almost on Eun-ji’s level now.
Maybe even beyond.
“Haa… haa…”
“Hey… you okay?”
“Y-Yeah… haa… I’m okay now…”
This was definitely a hidden class. She was still level 0, so I didn’t know its abilities yet.
I’d find out once she killed a zombie.
Then I’d know exactly what this bloodthirsty-sounding class did.
“That’s enough. Becoming awakened is what matters. Congrats. Work hard from now on.”
I patted Hwa-young’s shoulder as she sat blankly on the ground.
“Th-Thank you…”
She still looked strange, but she seemed exhausted.
“Kuh…”
She looked like she was suppressing something. No one dared approach her.
“O-Oppa… she’s okay… right?”
“Uh… probably.”
“Her eyes are scary…”
“Let’s leave her alone for now.”
“Yes, Master.”
…She doesn’t crave blood already, does she?
‘With looks like that… letting her drink once wouldn’t hurt… I should add her to the harem later.’
Missing a legal chance to bed a vampire would be a crime.
Kang Hwa-young would definitely need to be “sampled” someday.
But for now, she needed time to adapt.
“Alright, let’s rest!”
“Yes! Great work!”
Ha Jin-seong answered most energetically. Surviving with his younger brother clearly made him the happiest.
‘It’s calming down now that morning’s here…’
No more zombies climbed onto the rooftop.
I didn’t know how many were left inside the mart, but we could rest for now.
“Haa… I’m tired… oppa, I’m gonna rest…”
“Me too… Master, sorry, but I’ll lie down for a bit.”
“Yeah. Go rest. You both worked really hard today.”
I wanted to kiss their cheeks, but it’d taste like blood.
“Hehe… oppa, you were amazing. The best!”
“Master is the best… I trust only you…”
With that, Eun-ji and Ha-rin collapsed onto the blood-soaked floor.
They were utterly exhausted.
‘I’m fucking tired too…’
I wanted to lie down between them, but I’d fall asleep instantly.
There was still work to do—skill points to allocate, and six achievement rewards to choose.
“May I lean here for a bit?”
“Go ahead.”
I leaned against the Peddler’s bag.
He didn’t care at all.
Aside from selling items, he seemed uninterested in interaction.
Probably because he was an NPC.
“J-Jo-jun, here—drink some water.”
Hwang Soo-min quickly brought bottled water and a chocolate bar.
I had placed bags with supplies around the rooftop in advance, just in case the battle dragged on.
Ironically, the woman who suggested it died early on.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Haha…”
Her hands trembled slightly. Her smile was awkward, cheeks faintly red.
She kept glancing at my face.
‘No need to be that nervous.’
Mages were late bloomers anyway.
“Why did Lee Eun-hye get injured?”
“She… got hurt trying to save me…”
“I see. Okay. Go.”
“Yes!”
She bowed and hurried back to the Ha brothers.
“…Alright. Anyone injured, speak up.”
And just like that, I spent the time healing wounds.
…Damn it. I still need to allocate skills.