Distortion (3)
After my vision went completely black, I floated adrift in the void for a while. Nothing was visible, no sounds reached me. A profound solitude wrapped around me, as if I'd been abandoned alone in the depths of space.
Then, suddenly—the surroundings began to brighten gradually. As the darkness lifted, an entirely different world unfolded before me. Modest stone buildings, narrow alleyways, and small green figures scurrying between them... It felt familiar somehow.
'Goblins!'
But I'd never encountered goblins while playing Another World. Were they like an extension of the NPCs, something akin to black rats? Short in stature with pointed ears, the goblins went about their everyday lives. It was as if I'd been dropped into another dimension.
One goblin charged straight toward me. Instinctively, I tried to dodge—but
—whoosh.
The goblin passed right through me. As if I were air, or a ghost, nonexistent.
'Let's try touching something.'
I reached out to a nearby stone wall, but my hand passed straight through the rock. No resistance, no texture at all.
I started walking slowly down the goblin village street, my feet gliding forward without touching the ground.
"Kekeke, business was good today!"
"Right?! My kid's the bravest!"
"I love you; you're all I need."
The goblins' warm conversations drifted to my ears. In the marketplace, they hawked fruits and fish, while children played tag in the alleys—a scene of perfect peace. A young goblin couple, looking like lovers, passed by holding hands, their happy smiles right up close.
I stood before a goblin merchant selling fruits at the edge of the market, watching him intently.
"Ke... ke...?"
Suddenly, the goblin's eyes rolled back to show only the whites, black foam bubbling from his mouth. I witnessed the horrific change from inches away. His green skin turned a sickly dark purple, like a disease ravaging him.
I thought,
'Zombification...?'
"Huh? Gordan, what's wrong?"
His friend goblin approached, and I tried to block him—but my hand sliced through empty air.
—Crunch!
I watched from the side as the mutated goblin tore into his friend's throat. Green blood sprayed, seeming to splatter my face, but it passed right through me.
"Kyaaak!"
Following the screams, I walked down the alley. Goblins tore into each other everywhere. In front of one house, a young goblin child called to his mother.
"Mom! Mom! Wake up!"
But the already infected mother goblin's eyes flashed as she lunged at her own child.
Walking along the streets, the scenes grew ever more gruesome. The stone pavement became slick with sticky green blood. It flowed like a river beneath my feet, but didn't stain my shoes.
Blood smeared the house walls, and zombie goblins growled from windows, thrusting out their heads.
By the time I reached the central square, it had turned into a green blood sea. Corpses littered the ground, zombie goblins shambling among them.
I stood in the middle of the square, looking around. Everything was dyed green. A once-peaceful village transformed into hell in an instant.
One zombie goblin passed through my body.
'This is... a World Fragment?'
I watched the carnage to the end, powerless to act.
—Whoosh.
My vision warped and shifted again. The horrific green blood sea vanished, replaced by a charred village. Buildings reduced to black ash, streets scarred with dark burn marks. The air reeked of smoke and death. The sky brooded under storm clouds, amplifying the gloom.
'What's this time...?'
Then, a familiar chime rang out.
You have entered the World Fragment (Common).
Defeat the Goblin Lord Zombie (Rare). (0/1)
??? Exclusive Quest: Grant Them Rest
🎁 Reward: ???
As I checked the quest, something stirred amid the blackened buildings.
—Crunch... crunch...
Footsteps echoed, and shadows emerged one by one. Goblins. But utterly unlike the normal ones I'd seen before.
A goblin with a deep bite wound on its neck limped forward, black blood oozing endlessly from the gash.
Another had its chest torn open, ribs starkly exposed, white bones protruding amid spilling entrails.
An arm dangling from the shoulder... a leg bent backward at the knee... half its face smashed...
Goblin zombies bearing grotesque wounds materialized from the darkness.
But the most chilling part was their eyes. Pupils devoid of life, like bottomless voids. Yet beneath those blank stares...
—Drip... drip...
Green bloody tears streamed down.
Those tears brimmed with raw injustice. Why had this happened to them? Why harm family and friends? Why become these monsters? Desperate resentment and rage filled them.
"Gr... grrr..."
One goblin zombie groaned, its voice laden with inexpressible despair and agony.
—Shing... shing...
The goblin zombies raised weapons one by one.
—Grrr...
The neck-bitten one tilted its head, glaring at me. Lifeless eyes locked on, bloody tears flowing thicker.
"Kraaaagh!"
Suddenly, one charged with a roar, ribs exposed and bleeding, momentum terrifying.
That sparked the rest—they all rushed me at once.
—Thud thud thud thud!
Limping on broken legs, swinging limp arms, smashed faces—they didn't relent. Weeping bloody tears, harboring grudge.
I gritted my teeth, knuckles clenched tight, ready to meet them.
Goblin Zombie (Common)
Unlike zombies from our world, these wield weapons.
The first was the neck-bitten goblin zombie, rusty dagger raised high, bloody tears falling as it slashed down.
—Whoosh!
I twisted aside, dodging. The blade grazed past my face with a whistle.
Thanks to my 'Black Eyes' trait, their attack paths glowed red. But something felt off. Unlike other zombies, their strikes carried... resentment.
—Thud!
I countered with a punch to its chest. Already torn open to expose ribs, my fist sank into the wound.
"Grk... kraa..."
The goblin zombie groaned and died.
The suffering ??? has entered eternal rest.
I ignored the chime, focusing on the fight.
—Clank! Clank!
Others swarmed from all sides. Left: a leg-broken goblin limped, thrusting a splintered spear. Right: arm-dangling one swung a deformed axe with its twisted limb.
Attacks from both sides, but paths clear. I narrowly dodged the spear tip aiming for my shoulder—
—Whoosh!
A club sliced air from behind toward my head. I ducked; it smashed the front goblin's skull.
—Crack!
The half-smashed face distorted further, but pain-free, it clawed at me relentlessly.
—Thud! Thud! Crack!
I unleashed a flurry of punches.
The suffering ??? has entered eternal rest.
The suffering ??? has entered eternal rest.
'...Hoo.'
I panted heavily. But the goblin zombies gave no respite.
—Kyaaak!
The rib-exposed one made a final desperate lunge. One leg shattered, but it crawled toward me. Its eyes still burned with injustice.
—Whoosh!
It swung its rusty blade at empty air. Seeing that, resolved to end its pain for good, blue light gathered at my fist.
—Thud...
The final blow touched its chest, blue light enveloping its body. The agonized face gradually softened into peace.
—Thump...
As it collapsed, no pain or grudge remained. More serene than in life, incomparably calmer than wandering as a zombie. Like a child waking from a long nightmare into warm bed and deep sleep, even a faint smile curved its lips.
The suffering ??? has entered eternal rest.
Data Spoiler Warning: Yoon Seoyeon
