45. Invasion of the Other World (5)

Jin Seon-mi’s voice had gone completely hoarse, only producing raspy sounds.

“Hey, wake up.”

Slap!!

When I struck her cheek, she immediately opened her eyes again.

I stared into Jin Seon-mi’s eyes.

Unlike Number 2, her mind hadn’t collapsed. Impressive mental fortitude.

“Listen carefully.”

“…”

Jin Seon-mi nodded her head.

“We’re moving to the base now. I doubt you’d do this, but if you scream even once, I’ll kill you on the spot. Understood? Answer me.”

“Y-yes. U-understood… *cough* *cough*.”

“Good. Get up. We’re moving immediately.”

I planned to endure 24 hours in the Other World. But I had no confidence in keeping Jin Seon-mi safe when she was half out of her mind.

So I’d take her to my base, Happy Villa, then open a Gate to send her outside alone.

If I carelessly sent her out here, she might encounter monsters or Awakened groups she couldn’t handle. So despite the difficulty, I had to take her to the villa base first.

“*Gasp*”

“Shh.”

After offering all the corpses of the dead occult club members, I led Jin Seon-mi along a route that would minimize encounters with monsters or lowly spirits. Rather than charging forward blindly, I first sent shadow snakes ahead to scout the path.

Perhaps because I had a companion now, my fatigue was rising rapidly. Moreover, my Inventory was locked. I couldn’t access any items beyond what I currently had on me.

‘It said misfortune increases. How exactly does that manifest?’

When with others, my misfortune increases. I hadn’t really felt it significantly yet…

Crash!!!!

“Fuck.”

A flowerpot fell right before my eyes.

So misfortune was starting to accumulate.

After just 15 minutes of moving together with Jin Seon-mi, misfortune was already stacking up.

This is insane. I need to get this woman out quickly.

Of course, if things get really urgent, I’ll just kill her. I can’t risk my life just to keep one Jin Seon-mi.

“Run.”

“…”

Jin Seon-mi nodded silently without answering.

We picked up the pace. If misfortune keeps accumulating, who knows what might happen.

This penalty is truly insane. Just briefly traveling with others causes misfortune to pile up.

‘Shit, that’s…’

As we neared the villa, I spotted the entities I’d encountered before at the stationery store.

Pale white skin. Blue veins.

And egg-shaped heads.

About six Albino Monsters were standing at the villa entrance. They seemed to be snooping around the villa, searching for something. What could they be looking for?

‘Don’t tell me… these bastards detected the Gate and came all the way here?’

That was highly possible. Gates had opened twice-once in the villa’s basement and once in Unit 401. They might have sensed that and come to investigate.

Thankfully, I detected their presence with shadow snakes before entering their sensing range. Otherwise, things could’ve gotten messy.

Fighting six mysterious telekinesis-wielding monsters while protecting Jin Seon-mi wasn’t feasible.

I’m no good at protecting. Mass slaughter is more my style.

“Hey, Jin Seon-mi.”

“…Yes?”

“I’ll open a Gate for you now. When you return to reality, see that villa?”

“H-Happy Villa…?”

“Right. Go there. If you meet a kid who looks like a middle schooler, tell them you’ve become Lady Elena’s slave. Otherwise, you’ll be killed.”

“Ah…”

“Here, take this. Show it to them, and they’ll believe you.”

Numbers 1 and 2 are combination laborers/guard dogs. I’d ordered them to attack any intruders they deemed killable.

So if a busty woman they’d never seen came running at them, they’d likely try to kill her.

“This is…”

“A paper shikigami.”

It was something I’d frequently used in front of Number 1. I’d also written instructions for Number 1 on it, so he’d understand.

“Now get out.”

“…Yes.”

I opened a Gate and sent Jin Seon-mi outside. Since I sent her near the villa, she should reach the base safely unless she’s a complete idiot.

“Kyaaaa!!!!!”

“Kreeeerele!!!!”

The moment I opened the Gate to send Jin Seon-mi out, the Albino Monsters shrieked and charged toward my hiding spot.

As expected, they could detect Gates.

‘The enemies are telekinetic monsters…’

And they react to Gates.

I immediately dodged them, entered a dead-end alley, and opened another Gate.

-Keeeeere!!

Their cries echoed.

They’d gather here soon.

‘Darkness Stealth.’

Hiding my presence, I climbed up the building’s exterior wall. Then I activated Intangibility and hid inside the building.

Finally, I stood by the window, waiting for the approaching Albino Monsters.

“Keeeee!!!!”

“Haa… Haaaaa!!!”

Soon, Albino Monsters crowded into the alley.

Since they hadn’t consumed human brains yet, they couldn’t speak proper human language. They just let out willful cries.

But those cries carried such intense power that nearby monsters fled.

From what I saw, these were standardized monsters-true residents of the Other World.

While lowly spirits and spiritual beings existed randomly in the Other World, these Albino Monsters felt like an established species.

‘Kill five. Enslave one.’

They could use telekinesis. If I torture-train one into slavery, teach it some skills, and arm it, it’d be quite useful.

Moreover, I planned to absorb one of the five I’d kill with Monster Absorption.

If I gained one of their abilities-telekinesis or Gate detection-it’d be a win either way.

‘Let’s go.’

Ambush. Ambushes are always right.

-Crunch!!!

“Keuhk-!?”

Regina’s Blade lodged into the head of an Albino Monster approaching the Gate.

[142 Points Acquired]

‘Sweet!’

Since they hadn’t detected me, being too focused on the Gate, they couldn’t block the blade. Thanks to that, I deliciously gained 142 points.

Yeah, this is it. This is hunting.

“Kreeee!!!”

Only now, as I reveled in my point high, did the Albino Monsters realize this was a trap and an enemy was nearby.

But it was too late to react.

You’re all already within my attack range.

Whoosh!!!!

Regina’s axe diagonally cleaved an Albino Monster’s head, and immediately after, a Stun Fist coated in Fire Meditation shattered the chest of another monster attempting to use telekinesis.

Unlike other monsters where normal attacks didn’t work because they were spirits, these had physical bodies, making them vulnerable. Moreover, coating my fist with Fire Meditation seemed to increase destructive power.

[155 Points Acquired]

[177 Points Acquired]

“Huh, hua. Hua!!!”

Higher intelligence means they feel ‘fear’ or ‘dread.’

The monsters were terrified of me, who’d suddenly appeared and instantly slaughtered three of their kind.

Ultimately, three monsters tried to flee through the Gate.

The moment one’s upper body passed through, I closed the Gate.

-Squelch!!!!

Upper body in reality, lower body in the Other World.

Its body was bisected.

[191 Points Acquired]

“Uu, uueek!!!!”

“Shut up.”

I electrocuted one of the remaining two with Lightning Strike, then absorbed the one trembling and leaking yellow fluid with Monster Absorption.

[Scent of Another Land: You can smell the scent of Gates connected to other dimensions.]

“That’s it.”

Just wait until a Gate opens. I’ll absorb it immediately and launch a counterattack into another dimension.

“Hehe.”

“Kyaa…”

“Ah-ah. No telekinesis.”

I grabbed the head of the Albino Monster still trembling from electrocution.

Based on my earlier test with Jin Seon-mi, Other World Infiltration doesn’t deal direct damage but is perfect for torture training.

Because it only causes pain.

[Kyaaaaaaaauuuuaaaaaa!!!!!!!!]

The Albino Monster’s psychic scream echoed everywhere.

All approaching presences fled.

Many monsters must have sensed it-an existence here that couldn’t be opposed.

Thus, the weaker lowly spirits and evil spirits beneath the Albino Monsters all fled.

-Thud!! Kooong!!!!

Of course, some reacted to the Albino Monster’s agonized psychic scream.

The apex predators began gathering toward the sound instead.

“Kuaa…”

“Training complete.”

I’d successfully trained the Albino Monster. It slumped, yellow fluid leaking from its entire body.

I lifted it and threw it outside the Gate.

Remember how I said I’d written instructions on the shikigami I gave Jin Seon-mi?

I’d vaguely written that I’d send Number 3 soon. Number 1 would understand.

Note: The Divine Tree Cult Leader and Jin Seon-mi had proper names, so they couldn’t become Numbers 3 and 4.

Only nameless entities or those without titles would be numbered.

“Anyway, the next problem is you.”

The enormous monster that came searching after hearing Number 3’s tortured screams.

It looked like… something cobbled together from all sorts of junk.

At first glance, it resembled a maggot-human hybrid, but upon closer inspection, its entire body was composed of various lowly spirits.

Arms, legs, and faces protruded haphazardly from its form, with unidentified spirits swirling around it.

Like an amalgamation of the dead. Yeah, how about calling it a Corpse Snail?

Gurgle…

The roughly four-story-tall Corpse Snail looked down at me and gaped its mouth.

Kwaaaang!!!!

Yellow fluid mixed with crushed spirits spewed from its mouth.

I dodged hastily, feeling like my body would melt on contact.

‘Looks like it’s worth over 1,000 points.’

A sort of field boss-level creature.

Killing it would likely yield over 1,000 points.

Then the quest to hunt a 1,000+ point target would be complete.

A golden opportunity for 500 points plus a random engraving.

“Hehe.”

I gripped the axe tightly with both hands.

Everything dies if its head gets crushed.

Wouldn’t that thing be the same?

I leaped up with Multi Jump.

Before I knew it, I was far higher than that massive lump.

“Weight increase.”

Regina’s axe began rapidly growing heavier. Forcing my body into balance, I plummeted downward.

I’d bisect that monster with an axe now weighing 500 kilograms.

Yeah, this is the human meteor.

I’ll turn you into mush.