Chapter 5
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Creature at Notium 61
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First, if a person is bitten by a virus monster, they become infected and transform into the same kind of monster.
‘To kill it, I have to attack its head.’
The novel explained that infected humans transform into bizarre, monstrous figures.
Dealing with these transformed humans is a bit tricky. Sometimes, depending on their physical condition before infection, a monster with a massive build or one with unnaturally high speed could be created.
‘Still, they had weaknesses.’
They had poor eyesight and sensitive hearing. This meant they could be easily lured with a louder noise.
Moreover, they were weak to things as hot as fire.
So, recalling a method I’d seen in a movie, I made and brought some Molotov cocktails. I filled wine bottles with kerosene, stuffed a cloth in to act as a wick, and sealed the opening. Light it, and you have a Molotov cocktail.
For my main weapon, I bought an axe. I slid the axe into the holster on my back and didn't forget to conceal it by pulling on a spacious robe.
‘When it appears, I’ll throw a Molotov cocktail to distract it, then attack its head with the axe.’
It was a perfect plan.
As I was thinking this, I spotted a figure in the distance and held my breath.
At a glance, it was a woman’s build. She had a robe on and was surveying her surroundings, looking just as suspicious as I did.
‘Is that Aurora?’
In the novel, the reason Aurora had specifically come here to Notium 61 was that someone had sent her an anonymous letter.
[Come to Notium 61. There, I will tell you the secret of your birth.]
I remembered the letter saying something like that.
The heroine, Aurora, was an adopted daughter of the Lancaster ducal family, taken in at fifteen after losing her memory.
Although Duke Lancaster and her brother, Ethan, showered her with love, the secret of her birth was always a source of curiosity. It was a fitting narrative for a heroine.
However, because the novel was discontinued, the secret of her birth was never revealed, nor was the sender of the letter.
“Ugh!”
A faint scream brought me back to my senses. The robed woman, who had been approaching with quick steps, had accidentally missed her footing.
She almost fell flat on her face, nearly planting her nose in the street, but she managed to regain her balance and scan her surroundings. She was probably checking if anyone had witnessed her clumsy moment.
‘She seems like a bit of a klutz. Cute.’
It seemed that woman was indeed Aurora. I could tell by the way she was loitering in front of the mansion at number 61.
‘She looks like she’s in danger.’
Still, since she was the main character, she probably wouldn't die or get hurt, but you never know. The virus monster was going to appear right there, of all places.
After a moment of deliberation, I decided it would be best for me to enter the mansion at 61 myself. After all, the Elpinus Herb was said to be stored inside the mansion.
‘I’ll climb the wall.’
As soon as I made my decision, I lowered my posture and slipped into the alley beside the mansion, trying my best to avoid being seen.
The wall wasn't high, and all the lights in the mansion were off, so it didn't look like anyone was home.
I placed the Molotov cocktails upright in my belt bag to prevent them from spilling and hopped over the wall.
After landing safely in the mansion's yard, I took out the Molotov cocktails from my belt bag to check them. Thankfully, not a single one had broken.
The mansion, with all its lights off and no sign of life, was eerily quiet. That meant I had to be even more careful. A monster could attack when I let my guard down.
I slowly approached the mansion's front door. The tightly shut door felt like the entrance to a tiger's den.
‘No, a monster’s den is scarier than a tiger’s den.’
My lips were dry, and my palms were sweating. I slowly placed my hand on the doorknob.
I was hoping that someone had already dealt with the monster in the meantime, but no such miracle occurred, and I had to turn the doorknob myself.
*Click.*
The unlocked doorknob turned, and soon, the rusty hinges moved with an unsettling *creak*.
The first-floor lobby, visible through the open doorway, was pitch-black. A cool air enveloped the space, making it seem as if it had been deserted for quite some time.
‘No. I can’t be sure of that.’
As I recalled, the infected person had survived alone in this mansion for several days. The novel never explained where or how they got infected.
‘How could it get canceled without revealing anything?’
I grumbled to myself as I scanned my surroundings again.
In any case, the monster was now starving after not having eaten a person for days.
‘I have to stay sharp.’
I gripped a Molotov cocktail, ready to pull out my oil lighter from the belt bag and light it at any moment.
I was glad the setting was a 19th-century European-esque world with industrial advancements. If it had been the 18th century, I might have been stuck trying to light a match in this situation.
‘Right. A world without guns to fight zombie-like creatures doesn't make much sense.’
I tried to shake off my nervousness with such pointless thoughts as I slowly walked inside.
The first-floor lobby had two staircases leading to the second floor. I stood before them for a moment, pondering where the Elpinus Herb might be and where I should start looking when—
*Thud.*
A small box fell at my feet.
I was so startled I thought my heart would leap out of my chest.
On the surface of the box that had fallen to the floor was a drawing of a plant that looked just like an insect.
A plant that looks like an insect—this is it!
It matched the description from the novel perfectly. It was the box of Elpinus Herb I had been searching for.
‘What? Where did it fall from?’
I quickly picked up the box and put it in my belt bag. Then I looked up and met the eyes of a man staring at me from the dark second-floor landing.
Shit, you scared me!
The man's eyes widened.
“W-wait! Wait!”
The man screamed and came running down the stairs. He must have missed a step midway because he suddenly stumbled and tumbled down.
*CRASH—!*
He finally fell in front of me.
What the…!?
“Help me. Please, save me, save me!”
The man quickly came to his senses and scrambled to sit up. His right leg seemed to be broken, as he kept limping even as he struggled to his feet. Fortunately, he didn't look like he had been bitten by the monster. There were no bloodstains at all.
I first pushed the man behind me to protect him. Then, just as I was about to take out my oil lighter from the belt bag to light a Molotov cocktail,
*BOOM—*
The floor shook for a moment.
With the Molotov in hand, I scanned my surroundings. It was hard to tell where the sound had come from. It felt like the entire mansion had vibrated.
Just then, a thick, green liquid dripped onto the floor in front of my shoe.
*Drip—drip.*
‘Shit.’
I forced my unmoving head to look up at the ceiling, slowly, like a malfunctioning robot.
Only then did I see three large eyes staring down at me, hanging from the ceiling.
The creature hanging from the ceiling chandelier had long, spider-like arms and legs. Its torso was swollen as if it had been soaked in water, and its head was twice the size of a normal person's.
Even the pincer-like fangs visible between its parted lips resembled a spider's. And dripping from between them was green saliva. The sight was truly revolting.
‘Disgusting.’
Does this mean I'll have to keep fighting things like this once the world ends? The unbelievable situation made me freeze from head to toe, unable to move.
The monster didn't make a move right away.
*Hiss—Hiss—*
It only made an unidentifiable sound, as if on high alert.
I clutched the Molotov cocktail tightly and quietly asked the man hiding behind me.
“Are you bitten anywhere?”
“Wh-what? Uh…”
“Answer me properly, I’ll help you. Did that thing bite you?”
“N-no. When I came to this mansion, that monster was tied up in a room. My younger sister hadn't been in touch for days, so I came to check, and there was some monster…”
Tied up in a room, he said. That means someone had tied it up.
“Anyone else? Is there anyone else here?”
“N-no one. There’s no one else.”
Watching the wary monster slowly move its legs, I lit the wick of the Molotov cocktail.
At the same moment, the monster lunged at us. I calmly threw the lit Molotov at it.
*WHOOSH—*
The creature, now on fire, let out a piercing shriek and crashed to the floor.
*KRAAAAWK!* It continued to writhe in agony.
“Save me!”
In the meantime, the man with the limping leg kicked open the front door and fled.
‘Good. Just run. You’re only in the way.’
I pulled out the axe holstered on my back and approached the monster to finish it off by taking its head. But the quick-witted creature immediately dashed out through the open front door.
“Damn it! No!”
I ran frantically after it as it charged across the yard towards the main gate. That direction was, of all places, where Aurora was.
“It’s dangerous! Get away!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping Aurora would hear, and ran until I was out of breath.
And just as the monster was about to break through the gate—
I swung the axe at it.
*THWACK.*
I missed its head, but the axe blade lodged squarely in its torso.
*KRAAK!*
The creature let out a shriek and collapsed to the ground.
“Aaaah!”
The woman, presumably Aurora, screamed and crumpled to the ground in front of the gate.
I'm so screwed.