44. Invasion of the Other World (4)

The snake emerging from the shadows overlapped with my vision. Feeling extremely dizzy, I closed my eyes and focused on the snake’s senses.

The perspective was remarkably low. Looking up at the towering furniture, it felt as if I’d entered a world of giants.

‘I should’ve kept a shikigami ready beforehand.’

With my eyes still closed, I rummaged through the cross bag strapped to my chest and pulled out a paper shikigami.

Then I gave the shadow snake its command.

‘Move forward.’

Guiding the snake with slight mental exertion, I slowly advanced it forward.

Since it was my first time using this skill, I wasn’t yet accustomed to it. Some trial and error was necessary. Still, I felt I could quickly get the hang of it.

‘First, let’s try exiting through the broken window.’

Perhaps because it was a shadow, it could slip through narrow gaps-like the space beneath the bedroom door.

Carefully, I guided the snake outside the room and ordered it to climb over the window.

‘Slowly.’

Through the shattered window, I sent the snake outside the attic, had it slither over the rooftop railing, then coiled it around the building’s external gas pipe to descend gradually.

‘It’s faster than I expected.’

It moved forward smoothly. Of course, it was slower than if I were sprinting at full speed, but not so slow that it felt frustratingly sluggish.

‘To the street where that Occult Club president bastard collapsed.’

I guided the snake forward.

Along the way, I spotted grotesque creatures loitering in the streets.

Each one looked utterly vicious.

Some had faces so large they defied description, others had completely crushed torsos, and one was greedily devouring a fleeing lowly spirit with its many overgrown arms.

The ordinary lowly spirits were too terrified to do anything but flee.

Even the lowly spirits, once objects of fear among the living, were mere prey in this world.

Evil spirits feasted on lowly spirits, and even larger, stronger aberrations swallowed their souls whole.

If hell existed, this was surely it.

‘Every time the moon closes its eyes, the aberrations become more active.’

While the moon’s eyes were open, their movements slowed, but the moment they closed, the creatures grew frenzied.

Anyway, they paid me no attention. Or rather, they ignored the snake, half-assimilated into the darkness, slithering along the ground.

‘There it is.’

Perhaps because this other world seemed composed of monochrome, the blood stood out even more starkly.

That blood must have been spilled when the Scissor Ghost slashed the president’s back. Some lowly spirits were even gathered around, licking it up.

To these creatures, the flesh of the living was a delicacy-they wouldn’t leave even a single drop behind.

I moved the snake forward a bit more.

-Uwaaaaah!!!

Kyaaaaah!!!

Further ahead, countless specters had gathered in the street, fighting over scraps.

I couldn’t tell if it was a feast or a funeral. Either way, they were devouring each other, and one area was particularly densely packed.

‘So many of them gathered.’

Nameless aberrations were burying their heads in the ground, licking up the ectoplasm of the dead Scissor Ghost.

This world operated on pure survival of the fittest. Beyond mere killing, it was a world of consumption.

Since the Scissor Ghost, described as having strong spiritual energy, had died, every lowly spirit, evil ghost, and aberration in the vicinity must have swarmed here for even a scrap of its remains.

Naturally, they fought among themselves for dominance, with weaker spirits being torn apart or swallowed whole.

The gruesome spectacle continued.

‘He’s definitely not around here.’

Too much attention was drawn to this spot.

So he must have fled. Since the president wasn’t here, it seemed he’d escaped successfully.

‘More and more of them are noticing me.’

The number of creatures glancing at me from the shadows was increasing. Those with keen senses must have detected my presence.

‘Time to go.’

Some aberrations had bizarre abilities. Before they fully pinpointed my location and teleported right in front of my real body, I had to leave.

‘Where did he go?’

I needed to find traces of the living.

I decided to summon more shikigami. Even without shared vision, they could move according to my commands.

‘In this state…’

Like the shadow snake multiplying, three appeared-the maximum I could summon at once. To summon more, I’d need to increase my Will stat.

It seemed to be one snake per 5 Will points. My current Will was 8, but due to a trait, it was effectively doubled to 16, allowing three summons.

‘Find the living humans.’

Sssss…

The snakes let out eerie hisses before two of them slithered away.

They’d signal if they found anything. Meanwhile, I kept searching…

-BANG!

“Damn it.”

I quickly severed the connection with the snakes and opened my eyes.

Someone was knocking on the attic door of the villa where I was hiding.

How did they detect me while I was using the Demon Digestion Method?

Then again, aberrations shouldn’t be understood through common sense. Some appear randomly when certain conditions are met, regardless of concealment techniques.

I couldn’t forget-this was the other world, where the impossible was routine.

-Hey! Are you in there?! Please help us!!!

When I stayed silent, something spoke to me in Number 1’s voice.

Number 1 had no way to enter the other world. That alone made it clear the voice was fake.

‘A mimic trying to lure me into opening the door.’

Creatures like these usually required the door to be opened or some other trigger to amplify their spiritual energy.

I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t know how it detected me, but staying silent would make it leave.

The front door was securely locked, and all it wanted was a response or for me to open it.

If I didn’t comply, it would disappear naturally.

-Hey!!! Come out!!! It’s me!!!!

-BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!!!

The aberration threw a tantrum as I held my breath in silence.

The real problem wasn’t this bastard but the others its noise might attract. I’d planned to ignore it, but now I had no choice.

‘Damn it.’

I released the Demon Digestion Method and picked up my axe.

If it were just this one, I could’ve waited it out, but in this world, aberrations could appear anywhere, anytime.

If the commotion grew, something far worse would surely show up.

-CRASH!!!

I kicked the door open with full force and swung my axe at Number 1 as he staggered back.

Well, it was an aberration mimicking Number 1 based on my memories.

Regardless, activating Other World Infiltration with the Fragment of the Other Realm embedded in my hand, I split the aberration’s skull in half.

No need for fancy techniques. With the Fragment in my right hand, aberrations were no different from ordinary humans.

[55 Points Acquired]

“You worthless piece of shit, coming here and causing trouble.”

The aberration melted into ectoplasm as it dissolved.

Soon, lowly spirits would gather to feast on the corpse. I had to move.

Ziiing-!

Just then, the shadow snake signaled it had found something.

“Tch.”

I closed my left eye.

The snake’s vision overlapped with mine.

‘They’re gathered in a warehouse.’

Leaping across rooftops, I observed the Occult Club members.

******

“What do we do?”

“What do we do? We’re screwed.”

After Jang Yi-sang took over the academy, the Occult Club members ventured outside to scavenge for food.

While looting a market near Elena’s neighborhood, they found a Gate.

True to their club’s nature, they often debated the other world passionately. A mix of curiosity and heroism led them to agree on a quick 10-minute exploration.

But the moment all five members stepped through, the Gate abruptly closed.

They were trapped.

The first day passed relatively safely.

They had supplies, and the market they hid in was quiet.

But they couldn’t stay forever-there was no food or water, and lingering too long attracted aberrations.

They had to search for another Gate to escape.

“Damn it. To die in a place like this…”

“We shouldn’t have come in.”

“You two, stop whining and hand me the bandages.”

Ham Won-sik, the most level-headed, snapped at Lee Il-sang and Ha Seon-woo for their negativity.

The two fell silent.

Ham Won-sik glared at them briefly before reporting that President Lee Jae-won’s condition was far worse than expected.

“Ugh…”

“P-President, are you okay?”

“I can still hold on.”

President Lee Jae-won had sacrificed himself as bait to protect the club members-including his crush, Jin Seon-mi-from the Scissor Ghost.

He’d suggested entering the other world, so guilt drove his actions. But with his back shredded, he regretted the pointless sacrifice.

“The wounds are deep. And the poison’s spreading. We need to return to the academy for treatment.”

“President, what do we do?”

Jin Seon-mi panicked at the sight of blood soaking the bandages.

She’d found the president clingy and annoying before, but in this disaster, she’d grown dependent on him.

The crisis had turned her discomfort into affection.

Holding his hand tightly, Jin Seon-mi’s genuine concern eased Lee Jae-won’s pain.

More importantly, the atmosphere felt ripe for a confession.

Now or never. Steeling himself, Lee Jae-won met Jin Seon-mi’s eyes.

“Hey. Seon-mi?”

“Huh? President?”

“I… I really like-“

FWOOOSH!!!!!!

Just before his confession, Lee Jae-won’s head spun clean off his shoulders, soaring into the sky.

“Aah… AAAAAAHHHH!!!!”

Drenched in the president’s warm blood, Jin Seon-mi screamed in panic-until Ham Won-sik silenced her.

“Wh-what the hell…?!”

“Holy shit…!!!”

With three heads suddenly torn off, Ham Won-sik-the only one still sane-shoved Jin Seon-mi aside and bolted for the warehouse exit.

“W-wait!! Take me with-!”

Jin Seon-mi reached out weakly, but Ham Won-sik didn’t look back.

He’d endured their whining long enough. With most of them dead, he wasn’t about to die for some bitch.

‘Those useless bastards…! I’m not dying because of these fuckers!’

Finally free, he sprinted for the door-

CRUNCH!!!!!

“Guh…”

An axe embedded itself in Ham Won-sik’s forehead.

The sound of his skull splitting echoed as…

THUD!

He collapsed face-first.

Beyond his body stood an unfamiliar woman.

She smiled at Jin Seon-mi, who clutched a bloodied axe.

“Hi, Seon-mi. I came to help.”

Jin Seon-mi recoiled.

With her spiritual sight, she glimpsed Elena’s twisted soul-more warped than any aberration.

Terrified, Jin Seon-mi wet herself, backing away until she hit the wall.

‘What… What is that? That’s not human.’

The woman before her was no longer human.

Dozens of vengeful spirits clung to her back, yet she moved effortlessly, casually tossing the axe aside.

-BANG!!!!

“Eeek…!!!”

“Stop running. I said I’m here to help.”

The axe lodged inches from her head.

Jin Seon-mi trembled.

The woman reached out, gripping her head-

“GGRRAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

-shoved a cloth into her mouth, then activated Other World Infiltration.

Jin Seon-mi felt her skull being ground in a blender.

The agony began breaking her.

Torture Training activated.

Her soul was slowly bound to Elena.