Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: ACT 2. Those Who Were Left, Those Who Will Be Left (5)
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“Ah…?”
The shattered crystal turned to dust and scattered.
Park Tae-min's eyes slowly followed the dust downward.
“Wh-wha, what...”
He was in such shock, he couldn't form a proper sentence.
He had betrayed his friends, and now even the hope of escape was gone.
It was only natural for his mind to break.
‘I never intended to use the crystal from the start.’
The Ghost Shadow also stopped its charge at my action and began to cackle.
*That fool just destroyed his own path to survival.*
That's what it must be thinking.
But it was wrong.
I was planning to kill it.
[The Angel of Benevolence frowns at your actions.]
[The Judge of Consecration remains silent.]
[The Devil Who Mocks the Heavens clutches its stomach and rolls with laughter.]
[You have been sponsored 500 coins.]
Based on the average combat power of the current chapter, you receive a special bonus for killing a monster far stronger than that.
Chapter 1 hasn't even ended yet.
Being the very beginning, the average combat power is at its lowest.
It's a level so low it's hard to even call it E-rank, the lowest player grade.
So what happens if I kill a D-rank Ghost Shadow in this state?
“You… you crazy bastard! What are we supposed to do now!”
I used the coins to raise my stats.
When I closed the status window, I could see Park Tae-min glaring at me, his eyes bloodshot.
“It's not like we can't escape yet, right?”
“There are no crystals left! How are we supposed to escape!?”
“There was another way to escape besides the crystal.”
“What are you…”
Park Tae-min, who was about to retort, seemed to remember something and stammered.
“Either get a crystal… or defeat the monster…?”
“You catch on quick.”
I smiled and drew my dagger.
Speechless, Park Tae-min's face turned deathly pale.
“You, you're insane… You're going to kill that thing?”
“So you two should help. If you want to get out. How many lives were sacrificed to that monster? We have to get revenge.”
[The Angel of Benevolence understands your intentions and lets out a sigh of relief.]
Sensing my hostility, the Ghost Shadow let out a loud roar.
I could feel its rage, as if asking how dare the prey challenge the predator.
The Ghost Shadow's form shimmered and vanished.
Immediately after, several identical beings appeared, as if it had used a cloning technique.
“H-huaaah!?”
“The monster multiplied!?”
‘Impossible.’
There is only one Ghost Shadow. It never acts in a group.
It's not a microbe; it doesn't suddenly increase its numbers through budding.
This is also an illusion.
It seems to have put a bit more effort this time, summoning clones that look exactly like itself.
[Activating skill, ‘Extreme Eye’.]
[Seeing through the target.]
The clones created by the illusion turned transparent, and the hidden true body came into view.
As soon as I confirmed the main body's location, I moved like an arrow.
[Using item, Potion of Agility.]
[For 30 minutes, Agility stat increases by 3 + 10%.]
[Agility: 10 (+3) (+4)]
An Agility stat rarely seen in Chapter 1.
Looking back, I don't think I've ever raised my stats this much at this point in any of my past playthroughs.
I zipped past the clones.
The clones, no better than E-rank, couldn't touch me.
“Kiiieeeeeek!!”
The panicked main body swung its arm to attack.
Five claws the size of kitchen knives. They looked incredibly threatening, but the reality was different.
Its rank was only higher than a Death Bite because of its tricky illusionary powers. Its actual combat ability was on par with or even below a Death Bite's.
I ducked.
Whoosh. A strong gust of wind swept over my body.
“Uwaaah!?”
Park Tae-min, who was behind me, shrieked and fell on his butt.
It wasn't even close to him. Did he just get scared preemptively?
Splat.
Perhaps because something cold suddenly touched his hand, Park Tae-min flinched and furrowed his brow.
“Ugh, why is there blood here…!”
Park Tae-min turned his head and gasped.
The corpses of a teacher and a student.
Seeing up close the gruesome state of those he'd led to their deaths, his teeth began to chatter.
His gaze was fixed on the ground, unable to look away.
I scoffed briefly and dodged the Ghost Shadow's attacks a few more times.
Whoosh!
It was threatening, but easy to dodge.
As I dove into its reach, Extreme Eye clearly revealed its weak point.
A core located in the center of its body.
Without hesitation, I plunged my dagger into it.
Shhhk!
[You have slain the ‘Ghost Shadow’.]
[You have obtained the item, ‘Eye of the Illusion Slayer’.]
[You have achieved the accomplishment, ‘Hierarchy Breaker’.]
[You are rewarded with 1500 coins.]
[The barrier has been lifted.]
The space blurred and slowly returned to its original colors.
The creator of the barrier was dead, so the barrier lifted, returning us to our original location.
I let out a short, tense sigh.
The other two, who had been struggling against the illusions until now, were unable to move, their faces blank as they returned to the real school.
One of them had even pissed himself, judging by the acrid smell.
“Y-you really… killed it?”
“No way…”
The two looked around, as if they couldn't believe it.
Outside the barrier. Only after confirming once again that they were in the normal school did the tension leave their bodies, and they went limp.
“This isn't the time to relax. Especially you.”
I gestured to Park Tae-min with my chin.
Park Tae-min, who didn't understand what I meant, froze when he heard the cries of Death Bites from nearby.
“Death Bites have an excellent sense of smell.”
Park Tae-min got a lot of blood on his clothes and body when he fell earlier.
It was obvious what would happen next.
Realizing the meaning of my words, the color drained from Park Tae-min's face.
“Hey, why are you avoiding me? Hey, wait. Hold on. Don't tell me you're going to leave me!?”
Park Tae-min desperately pleaded, but the other student's reaction was cold.
He reaped what he sowed.
Park Tae-min was getting what he deserved.
“Grrrrr...”
Death Bites appeared from the school's side and back gates.
The main gate I had entered through was the farthest from the main school building, so it had relatively fewer Death Bites.
Park Tae-min, who had been in a state of panic, was out of his mind for a while before he suddenly started snickering.
“H-heh heh. But do you think all those monsters will be satisfied with just me? They'll definitely chase after you too, right?”
Instead of answering, I got up.
His quick thinking was good, but it wasn't enough to turn the situation around.
“Time to go. Try your best to run. For your information, as long as they can smell you, they'll chase you to the ends of the earth, no matter where you are.”
“N-no! Take me with you! Take me! You son of a bitch!! You think you'll be safe if you just leave!?”
His desperate cries were drowned out by the excited howls of the Death Bites.
Trash should be left for the cleaners to take care of.
Clang!
As I ran, an empty air freshener can fell to the ground with a cheerful sound.
Think I'll be safe?
Of course, I will. Thanks to the air freshener, they won't chase in my direction.
[You have cleared the sub-quest.]
[You are rewarded with 500 coins.]
“Hyung!!”
Not long after leaving the school, I found the kids who had left first.
They were heading to Jeungsan Station as I'd told them, but it was obvious they had been worried and restless.
Kim Ji-hyeon… she probably heard Lee Seon-yul's request for support and went on ahead.
“You guys were still here?”
“Well, we were worried about leaving you behind… Ouch!”
Jo Min-woo, who got a flick on the forehead, clutched it and yelped.
“Wh-why did you hit me!?”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Right now, you can't handle a Death Bite if one shows up. They even travel in packs. What were you going to do if you ran into them?”
“…”
They hadn't thought of that, it seemed, and their spirits quickly sank.
A bitter smile formed on my face.
I got angry at them when they were just worried about me.
But this time, it was justified.
The most important thing was to rescue the twins and build their trust, and they had nearly put themselves in danger.
“We're sorry. We weren't thinking straight.”
“Ah, me too… I'm sorry, Hyung.”
“It's fine. But don't do anything dangerous from now on. Got it?”
“Yes.”
I patted the twins' heads and shifted my gaze.
There was a piercing gaze I'd been feeling for a while.
Go Yeong-jun's focus was on the student who used to hang out with Park Tae-min, the one behind me.
“...What about that guy?”
Someone who wasn't here.
I briefly thought of Park Tae-min, whom I'd abandoned at the school, then shrugged and answered.
“He started cursing the moment we got out of the barrier and went off somewhere. If he has the skills, he'll survive somehow.”
“I knew we shouldn't have bothered saving them…”
The student who had been part of the bully group flinched under Go Yeong-jun's cold glare and avoided his eyes.
He was busy sneaking glances at me, trying to read my expression.
He seemed to be trying to figure out why I lied and said the guy was fine.
There was no reason to tell the kids I'd led him to his death.
I am a good person. I needed to give that impression.
It's easier for a good person to earn trust than a bad one.
“By the way, how did you all manage to escape? Don't tell me you killed the monster…?”
Instead of answering, I gave a faint smile, and the look in Jo Min-woo's eyes changed.
It was a look filled with awe, like a kid who loves soccer meeting a famous national player.
“Alright, that's enough chit-chat. They'll be waiting for us over there. Let's get moving.”
With Lee Seon-yul and Kim Ji-hyeon, the C-rank monster must have been dealt with long ago.
With elementary schoolers present, we need to focus more on protecting the survivors.
Our travel speed will be slower from now on, so joining them quickly is the top priority.
“Come to think of it, why is everyone gathered at Jeungsan Station? It's not a very good place for a base.”
“We're on the move. We just need to evacuate to the Seoul World Cup Stadium. I heard other survivors have already gathered there and set up a base.”
“Whoa, things are getting really serious… Ugh!?”
Ruuuumble.
The ground shook.
Thinking it was an earthquake, I crouched down and checked my surroundings, only to see the ground in the area had sunk.
It wasn't happening everywhere.
As if a sinkhole was about to form, only the spot where we stood was changing noticeably.
‘Something's coming.’
[Activating skill, ‘Extreme Eye’.]
Something huge was moving underground.
From deep underground to the surface, at an incredible speed.
The target of this mysterious monster was...
“Get out of here, now!!”
As I shouted, the startled kids scrambled to move without even knowing why.
But the monster's speed as it approached the surface was much faster.
“Kiaaaaaak!!”
The concrete road shattered, and from within, a massive, elongated creature revealed itself.
Its body was segmented like an earthworm's, and its front was a gaping maw lined with what appeared to be hundreds of teeth.
My mouth went dry.
A C-rank monster, the Death Worm.
A monster impossible to kill at the current stage, no matter what.
Why this thing?
Why is it appearing here?
“Aaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaah!!”
Not only the spot where the Death Worm emerged, but the surrounding ground also sank, creating a massive pit.
They were awakened, but without any coins, they were hardly different from normal people.
With a bottomless pit expanding right behind their feet, their vision was inevitably narrowed by fear.
“Kiyaaaa!!”
The Death Worm, having erupted from the ground, looked around before focusing on one spot.
Fortunately, the kids weren't all clumped together; they were slightly spread out.
The Death Worm's potential targets were limited, so it was also simple for me to decide where to move.
But of all things, the Death Worm targeted the twins.
“U-uaaagh!!”
The twins are essential for clearing the later chapters.
But they aren't some overpowered beings from the start. They're the type to gradually awaken and grow stronger as the story progresses.
I had to protect them, no matter what.
‘I know all its weaknesses.’
Information about the Death Worm flashed through my mind.
Fortunately, I had a few cards up my sleeve to deal with the Death Worm effectively.