Ch.146The Fifth Apostle (3)

The cold touch of metal meets my fingertips.

I pulled “it” out of my bag.

A homemade bomb made with butane gas and a simple circuit.

‘Should I just throw it?’

The thought crossed my mind for a moment.

‘No.’

I was being affected by the madness too.

The urge to rush forward, fight, draw blood, and destroy everything.

If I threw the bomb, Daju would get caught up in it.

I’ll keep this as an emergency measure for now.

‘Then what should I do?’

I need to stay calm.

I carefully observed my surroundings.

First, there are two enemies around Yoon Daju.

Two researchers wearing blood-stained gowns.

And at a distance, another group of researchers slowly approaching us.

‘Search.’

I tried to search out of habit.

[Insufficient authority.]

[Unauthorized.]

Of course, this is something I can’t do now.

My authority as a Librarian is essentially gone.

‘Think.’

I need to figure this out myself.

From everything I’ve observed, I need to understand the essence.

I thought about their behavior patterns.

1. They barely feel pain or fear. Even when Senior Serim swung a blunt weapon at one, it didn’t even flinch.

2. They’re obsessively fixated on blood and try to extract it from living people.

There seems to be some kind of priority system. Rather than fighting each other for blood, they cooperate to kill people who are still unharmed.

3. They’re trying to complete some kind of drawing with blood. The moment this drawing is completed, this space will become part of the Fifth Apostle, transforming into a realm of madness.

I don’t know exactly what will happen, but it will definitely be worse than the current situation.

The drawing will be completed soon.

This was a “gut feeling.”

The instinctive sense of danger that all living beings possess.

It was telling me that everything would end soon.

Yoon Daju’s blood would complete the drawing.

Daju, still unconscious and collapsed on the floor.

The two researchers drag her around, leaving blood trails to complete the drawing.

‘What if I become bait?’

They crave fresh blood.

They might value my living, moving blood more than the collapsed Daju’s.

‘…No.’

I can’t be bait.

With my broken leg, I can barely move properly. If I’m not careful, both Daju and I will die.

Ripples are spreading through the space.

My peripheral vision is growing darker.

Only the elevator shines brightly.

The Fifth Apostle is

Yes. The elevator is safe.

I just need to get Daju there.

The fifth of those bound in chains is coming

Like toxic air, the madness filling the space invades my consciousness.

I had to constantly resist it even while planning my next move.

I repeated my initial goal.

The elevator is safe.

I just need to get Daju there.

And I think about how.

I still have the gun.

‘With the gun?’

I wasn’t confident.

If I make a mistake, Daju might get hit.

So, as I initially thought.

Click.

I pressed the bomb’s button.

It will explode in 3 seconds, but there’s a chance it might go off earlier.

It’s not exactly a precision device.

The butane can with crude attachments flies toward the group of crazed researchers.

Fortunately, the bomb reached its target.

A moment later.

BOOM!

Metal fragments scatter everywhere with the explosion.

And almost simultaneously, blood spills onto the floor.

Blood drips from the researchers’ wounds.

‘Good.’

They’re obsessed with blood.

Now that they’ve seen blood, they’ll go into a frenzy and attack each other.

I’ve succeeded in diverting the attention of the distant ones.

Now for those two still dragging Daju…

Soon.

There’s one more thing.

The red pattern covering the floor.

I need to prevent it from being completed.

This time I took out a water bottle from my bag.

I planned to pour water to quickly erase the blood, but it wasn’t working as well as I’d hoped.

‘What the?!’

Is the blood already dried?

I tried scraping the bloodstains with the bottle’s mouth.

“Ugh!”

I reflexively dropped the bottle.

It rolled across the lab floor with a clatter.

It felt like an electric shock.

Even without touching it directly, a hot, tingling sensation crawled up my arm.

So should I save Daju first after all?

“!@$%#^$”

People are shouting something from the elevator area.

Maybe it’s the effect of this space, but I can’t hear clearly.

“Huff…”

Rushing in now would be reckless.

I should erase the pattern first.

That red pattern drawn on the floor.

It’s affecting my thoughts.

See? The same thoughts keep circling.

I think I had a plan at first, but I keep wavering.

Daju…

Looking at Daju collapsed in the distance, I gathered my thoughts again.

I can’t let her die like this.

So, the plan?

My hands keep trembling.

My thoughts feel like they’re in a fog.

Think.

Keep going.

Focus on what’s right in front of me.

I opened my bag.

Inside, in the most visible spot, was a plastic bottle.

Right.

Gasoline.

That was it.

Splash-

I opened the cap and poured the contents onto the floor.

My hands were shaking, but I managed.

The liquid spread evenly, quickly covering the red pattern.

And there was one more thing.

Another…

I roughly took off my hoodie and threw it aside.

Something fell from the pocket with a thud.

A lighter.

I need to light it with this.

My hands were shaking so much that the sleeves of my hoodie were soaked with oil.

I held the lighter to the clothing and waited.

Soon, with tremendous smoke, the fire began to catch.

As the flames became visible,

I carefully placed the clothing on the floor.

Whoosh-

A massive flame rises, using the clothing as kindling.

The red pattern on the floor blackens and becomes unrecognizable.

And one more thing.

Another effect I had planned.

Shhhhhh-

The emergency alarm sounds, and water begins pouring from above.

With wet hair, I looked for Daju.

Slowly, the madness is being erased.

Like red paint on a wet palette, the parts of the drawing that were recently made begin to wash away.

On one side, flames that haven’t been extinguished are still burning each stroke of the pattern.

Drip-drip-

Water droplets scatter as I roughly brush back my hair.

I can see a bit better now.

Where’s Daju?

“Oh.”

In front of me were the two researchers from before.

They seemed to have left Daju and come straight for me.

Are they here to kill me?

I picked up the gun now.

Even with a weapon, the chances of escaping safely are low.

First, this gun has very little stopping power. Its effectiveness was reduced along with its sound.

Second, there’s the issue of my accuracy. I won’t shoot in completely the wrong direction, but this time I need to hit the head precisely.

Still, I have to try.

As much as I can. To the best of my ability.

There’s a good side too.

Now I don’t have to worry about accidentally hitting Daju.

She’s still lying over there.

Phit-

A hit.

One of them takes a headshot and collapses.

Now for the next shot.

I was roughly pushed and fell to the floor.

The other one had already reached me.

If I’m pinned down like this, I won’t be able to aim properly…

Tap. Clack.

“…”

It wasn’t targeting me.

It was heading for the flames that were still consuming the pattern.

Without a moment’s hesitation, it throws itself into the fire.

As if trying to smother the flames with its body.

But the fire continues to burn regardless.

The gasoline-fueled flames were that powerful.

“Urrrrrgh.”

A black shadow twists in a grotesque posture within the flames.

“Help me.”

“Help me…”

Did it return to its senses in its final moment?

I aimed the gun at its head.

Another hit.

It collapsed into the flames.

I took deep breaths to calm myself.

There’s still time.

I just need to crawl slowly to Daju.

“Daju. Yoon Daju…”

“Oppa.”

“Huh?”

I looked up.

Daju was half-bent, extending her hand toward me.

So she had woken up.

Relief washed over me.

What if she was already dead?

Or critically injured and collapsed?

I was so worried.

Yoon Daju looks down at me with a nonchalant smile.

“Oppa, why are you lying here? And why are you shirtless?”

“Is that all you have to say? Because of you…!”

“Get up quickly.”

Yoon Daju glances behind her.

The group of researchers I had stopped with the bomb earlier are advancing toward us again.

“My leg is broken.”

“Get on my back.”

“Okay.”

I grabbed Daju’s hand tightly and tried to get on her back.

Or rather, that’s what I intended to do.

The moment I took her hand, my body floated up.

“Whoa!”

And landed on Daju’s back.

Daju had pulled me up with her strength.

“Why are you so late? We don’t have time.”

“Hey, you really…!”

Her strength is truly incredible.

Anyway, on Daju’s back, I pointed the way.

“Go straight that way. That’s where the elevator is.”

“Okay. Hold on tight.”

“By the way, what happened to your clothes?”

“Over there. In the fire.”

“You burned your clothes?”

“Yeah. To save you.”

“Thank you, Oppa.”

“I’ll rest a bit since it’s tiring.”

“Sure.”

I rested my head on Daju’s back.

Finally, a bit of comfort.

“…”

I lifted my head briefly in the middle.

Daju was looking behind where I was, then quickly turned her head to avoid my gaze.

Ah, wait, why does she keep glancing back?

“Hey, Yoon Daju.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Stop looking back here and look forward.”

“Yes, Oppa.”

“It’s dangerous, what are you doing?”

It’s not like I’m completely naked, just wearing a t-shirt.

I had it on under my hoodie, but why is she acting like this?

…I started to wonder what she meant by “thank you.”

“Dabin. You’re safe. Daju too.”

“Unnie!”

“Daju… Dabin… Thank goodness.”

Heo Yoon seems choked up, unable to continue speaking properly.

Thanks to that, Daju teased her for quite a while.

“What? Unnie, are you crying?”

“I’m not crying.”

“Hyunmin Oppa! Yoon Unnie is crying!”

At that, Seok Hyunmin naturally puts his arm around Heo Yoon’s shoulders.

Honestly, it’s a bit irritating to watch.

“Anyway, it’s fortunate. That we all made it out alive.”

“Yes… fortunate.”

I nodded weakly at Seok Hyunmin’s words.

[Doors closing.]

Though no one pressed the button, the elevator doors closed smoothly.

As if all that needed to be done here was finished.

“So where are we going now?”

Seok Hyunmin asks, pushing up his glasses.

I tried to stand up coolly but collapsed again.

“Argh!”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I forgot my leg is broken and tried to stand up.”

“Sigh…”

Seok Hyunmin sighs deeply.

Then he extends his hand toward me.

“What? Do you need to get up? Want me to help?”

“No, I’m fine. Just press floor 1.”

“Huh?”

Seok Hyunmin pauses.

“Just the first floor?”

“Yes. Just press the number 1.”

“Really…?”

We’re going to the first floor.

As if he can’t believe what I’m saying, Seok Hyunmin adds what he knows.

“We’ve been to the first floor before. If I remember correctly, it was extremely dangerous there?”

“That’s true.”

Heo Yoon nods.

It seems they’ve been to the first floor together before.

“Is it different now? Right, Dabin?”

“Yes.”

Many things are different now.

“Now, we need to go outside the apartment.”

A shock runs through the group.

Perhaps a feeling of “finally,” or maybe a question of “how?”

Before the tremor each person felt could subside, the space itself began to shake violently.

It’s the trace left by the Fifth Apostle, the otherworldly being summoned by the Professor, the beginning of all destruction.

I tightened the reins of tension that I had momentarily loosened.

“We need to chase it.”

The Fifth Apostle. And the Professor.

The two pillars playing the role of destruction—”Seven”—in this story.

We will face these two again outside the apartment.

If we survive, the world survives too.

If we die, the world will be completely forgotten and cease to exist.

Seok Hyunmin pressed the button, and the elevator moved silently.

Toward the first floor.

Now, it’s time to see the end of the story.