Chapter 37

[Mist Form (Unique)]

[Transform your body into mist.]

Haemi recalled the description of Mist Form.

If it simply made one transparent to avoid attacks, it could have been named Ethereal Form or something else.

Nevertheless, it was named Mist Form because it inherited the characteristics of mist.

Indeed, when using Mist Form, a thin mist spreads around.

It’s just enough to slightly obscure the opponent’s vision, but when combined with traits, quite significant effects can be expected.

Patter patter patter.

Green hands can be seen gathering around.

Eyeballs, sprouting all over the hands, are visible.

Those rolling eyeballs are all looking at me at once.

Goosebumps rise all over my body.

Gazes pouring toward me all at once. Dozens, hundreds of gazes.

Everyone notices me and everyone looks at me.

Are those gazes filled with blame directed at me?

The sharp gazes felt like they would cut me directly.

The stinging gazes stand like needles, sharp and pouring down on me.

They didn’t say anything to me, but my heart was already thoroughly slashed.

I know.

It’s just paranoia, fabricated by my fragile and weak heart.

But perhaps I need that level of shock.

No one punishes me. If only I were punished, the guilt lodged in my heart might fade a little.

Drip.

A cold raindrop falls on the bridge of my nose.

The sky I blankly looked up at was still just full of dark clouds.

With that as a starting point, I watch raindrops falling one by one.

I feel the sensation of clothes clinging to my body.

Cold. Chilly. Heavy. Numbing.

Numb with pain.

It felt like the falling things weren’t raindrops but needles.

It’s as if they pierce through the skin.

Thanks to that, I was able to regain my senses.

“Mist Form.”

Unlike before, the skill was naturally cast just by lightly murmuring.

Mist begins to spread around.

This time, instead of immediately releasing it, I maintain it a bit longer and spread mist here and there.

I carefully observe the appearance of the green hands, monsters called Noksoo in the game.

The overall appearance is like a human arm. They walk using their fingers as legs.

Eyeballs sprouting here and there are visible. Other sensory organs like noses, ears, or mouths are not visible.

Among the various senses, the only senses these creatures can fully feel are vision and touch.

Even then, since they have the form of human hands, they probably can’t utilize touch that well.

They probably can’t find targets using vibrations like snakes.

In the end, the most important aspect for them is visual.

If I use mist to block vision, it will be difficult for those things to find me.

I grasp my still trembling hand and take a deep breath.

I need to calm down.

“Hoo.”

The breath I exhale rises with a white light and then disappears.

Using the fading breath as a signal, I moved my body.

The Noksoo seen up close had an even more grotesque appearance.

At the end of each finger, there was another hand.

They seemed to use the middle and index fingers as signaling organs, communicating with other Noksoo through sign language.

These are the organs that should be targeted first.

Since there’s a need to cut off information transmission.

Hiding my body in the mist, when I spotted a Noksoo that was isolated, I ran straight towards it and cut off its airway.

As their defense wasn’t that high, dealing with them wasn’t that difficult.

I first targeted the middle and index fingers.

I needed to paralyze their signaling system to delay the exposure of my position as much as possible.

Because it was a dagger, the reach was short, and I almost got in danger a few times, but I could escape well using Mist Form.

Investing the stat point in Magic Power was definitely worth it.

I can tell because magic power, which would have been depleted long ago in the past, is still abundant.

But I’m gradually getting out of breath.

My body had been cooped up in a room all this time. It’s strenuous to fight for a long time.

My rain-soaked body is shivering.

I could sense it. Ah, I’m going to catch a severe cold.

That too was a worry I could have only if I survived.

There were so many times I wanted to die, but now that I’m in a crisis of death, I want to live again.

I leaned against a tree and looked up at the sky. A hurried breath naturally escapes.

“Huff, huff. I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion.”

Raindrops flow down my face.

They wet my eyes, flow along my cheeks, and fall to the ground. Like I’m shedding tears.

I reverse-gripped the dagger and cut down an approaching Noksoo.

By now, I’ve become quite skillful at wielding the dagger.

It seems the Noksoo that just rushed in was the last one.

Thud. I slumped down, leaning against the tree.

My clothes were soaked in muddy water from the rain, but I didn’t care much.

I didn’t have the energy to care.

It was hard enough just to barely hold onto my consciousness, which seemed like it would collapse.

[Anonymous Constellation 1 says it was fun.]

[Anonymous Constellation 3 expresses gratitude for being able to draw a good picture thanks to you.]

[Anonymous Constellation 2 comforts you, saying you did well.]

With messages that seemed to say it was definitely over, the tension was completely relieved.

Words filled with praise.

Though they weren’t particularly grandiose words, they made me smile spontaneously as it had been a long time since I heard praise.

Ah, I shouldn’t fall asleep here.

Perhaps because the tension was relieved, I slowly closed my eyes, unable to overcome my heavy eyelids.

“Well done.”

I think I heard such words before losing consciousness.

* * *

“Well done.”

I said to Haemi, who had quietly fallen asleep, perhaps from exhaustion.

I moved Haemi back to the waiting room.

Since the waiting room itself had recovery effects, there was no need to worry about injuries or illnesses.

“Isn’t she amazing?”

“Indeed, her adaptation speed is faster compared to other players. It seems she can also think for herself.”

Time’s affirmation made me feel good for no reason.

“You’re in a serious condition. She’s not your disciple now, you know.”

“No, she’s my disciple. She was before, and she will be in the future.”

“That’s scary.”

Leaning back in the chair, I took in each of the books stuck in the used bookstore with my eyes.

Even in this upside-down world, I could tell which book was where.

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

“I wonder what those monsters that came out this time, Noksoo or whatever, were modeled after?”

“It would be selfishness.”

“So it is that after all?”

What do humans think when they fall into the abyss of misfortune?

First, they think about escaping from there.

They will struggle to climb up, following the streaks of light that flow in between.

But if they can’t escape even as time passes, they gradually begin to harbor the emotion of despair.

Despair becomes frustration and makes them sit down.

Where the gazes of those who have sat down are directed is toward those who, like themselves, reach out for hope.

They think: I can’t be the only one suffering. If I can’t escape, neither can you.

Thus, they begin to grab those chasing hope and pull them down.

Wishing for them to swim together at the bottom of despair, so that no one can climb up.

Hence, only hands remained. Only eyes that envied others remained.

Not all people are like that, of course.

Monsters were created by gathering only negative emotions.

Nevertheless, the bitter taste in my mouth was unavoidable.

“Then we should extend our hands from above.”

I turned my head at Berg’s words.

Berg is casually drinking tea as if he hasn’t said anything special.

“Don’t go in too deep. There are also many people pushing from behind.”

She rolled up the front brim of her hat, fixed it, and continued.

“Those monsters over there, as you know, are just things created by extracting only negative emotions.”

Berg was right.

“Instead of being depressed about such things, make sure to properly formulate plans for the future.”

“Understood.”

I nodded at Berg’s words.

“But is there any meaning in the Constellation name being anonymous? I think everyone knows who is who anyway.”

Judging from Anonymous 3’s comment about drawing a picture, it was easy to identify who it was.

There was only one person in the Tower who called themselves a painter.

It’s Longing. Always a weirdo among weirdos who depicts the world only in monochrome.

“That’s just how it is. Even at a masquerade ball, people probably already know who is who. They just pretend not to know while knowing.”

Ignoring Time’s answer, which still had inscrutable depths, I turned my gaze to Berg.

Berg is not counted in the number of viewers because she’s not a Constellation. But as the HR person, she could watch them with administrator privileges.

“By the way, what happened to what I asked for?”

“I’m looking for it. Don’t worry. I should be able to find it by the end of this beta period.”

“Promises must be kept.”

I must keep my promise with the old man.

With such a unique name as Jangchunmong, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find.