episode_0082

It turns out that what Gyeong-gyeong did was to intentionally induce a phenomenon called ‘runaway erosion’.

The reason his brother’s doppelganger became a complete tree monster was because the erosion was complete and his identity as a human ended.

It was a dangerous act that could have resulted in a person losing his sense and being transformed into a supernatural entity.

“Nod! Nod!”

Gu Gyeong-hyung, who had been rapidly eroded by the supernatural entity ‘Guardian Tree’, desperately tried to suppress it and grind his teeth.

All that could be done to him was to sprinkle him with holy water and give him buffs such as strengthening his physical abilities and mental strength.

“Hyung Gyeong-gu. Isn’t that too much?”

“Whoosh, whoosh…! I can’t help it. If I hadn’t done that, the roots of the ‘Guardian Tree’ tree would have protruded infinitely and it would have become a giant hundreds of meters tall.”

“…was it that bad?”

I open my mouth and stare blankly, and even though Gyeong-gyeong is sweating coldly, he chuckles.

“I guess you don’t know much about paranormal phenomena? I heard you were a colleague with us… Ugh…!”

“No, I was a new employee. If you count the date I joined the management office, it’s been less than two months.”

“Uh, really…? Whoosh, whoosh…! Crack!”

Grinding his teeth in a cold sweat, he suddenly grabbed a thick stone nearby and crushed it with just his grip.

A bloody sound resounds.

“…I don’t think even a gorilla could do something like this.”

“Whoa, whoa…! Damn it, Hangil. I’m sorry, but please bring me a rock.”

“A stone?”

“I need something to focus on, ugh…! That’s because I feel like I can endure it…!”

“Okay, I get it.”

I looked up after hearing his words, but other colleagues were already moving.

“Hangil. You focus on taking care of Gyeong Sang-tae. We will pick up the stones.”

“Is this enough? Should there be more?”

-Here it is. Use your strength to your heart’s content.

As Retel and Rael demonstrate their abilities, dozens of stones of various shapes pile up like a mountain in front of the structure.

“Whoa, whoa…!”

Pap-duk! Crack! Quad deuk!

Clenching his teeth, he struggled to stay conscious by repeatedly smashing the stone he was clutching. Each time the stone was smashed, the rhizome that had penetrated his body began to pulsate and wriggle as if it were alive.

How many minutes have passed like that?

“Haaa…!”

After sighing for a long time, Hyeong-gyeong fell limply on the spot and sighed.

Slurp, slurp.

The thinner and smaller rhizome sank into his body, as if admitting its defeat.

“…It must be difficult to continue like this, right?”

My companions nodded in unison at my words.

“Of course. It’s harder than I thought and I have no strength in my body.”

“And I think we need to further refine our fighting methods. Whether it’s our chemistry with each other or our experience, nothing is satisfactory. It’s all immature.”

“Whew, okay. Let’s go back then.”

I didn’t show it, but I was also quite tired, so I immediately helped Gyeong-hyung.

***

After returning to the stone building that used to be Sahagin’s lair but has now become our hideout, we quickly ate the remaining fish and Manish meat as if we were gluttons.

Manish meat that had been aged for about a day was much more delicious than when it was freshly caught.

“First of all, before we get into the main topic, I think we need to decide on a leader. I think Retel would be the best fit. What do you all think?”

“huh?”

“Eh?”

-yes?

I thought I had said the obvious, but I was quite embarrassed when everyone else looked at me as if it was something new.

“What’s wrong? Is it because you don’t like the idea of choosing a leader? You say you can’t listen to someone’s orders…”

“No, that’s not it… I thought of course Hangil oppa was the leader?”

Everyone nodded at Saeron’s remarks.

“I think Hangil oppa is the strongest among us, and he’s the one who knows the situation best…and he’s pretty good at commanding, right? Can’t we just do what we do?”

-you’re right. Han Gil clearly has the talent to be an excellent commander.

I hastily shook my head.

“Oh, no. I’m not confident about that. If my shoulders are too heavy, my head won’t turn properly.”

“No, I think you can do it.”

Gyeong-gyeong, who was still chomping at the meat, pointed at me while waving his large thigh bone.

“You see, people change when they go into battle. Did you receive any special training?”

I feel a bit of déjà vu.

I think I’ve been asked this question before.

“Uh…it’s not like that.”

“Really? Then, is he really talented? Anyway, I have no complaints. He can see the battlefield well, is quick to judge the situation, and above all, he is the strongest, right? This is a more important factor than you might think.”

“Hmm. If you think about it that way, Letel is…”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the right skills. When fighting, do you want me to worry about other people and even use my abilities? Wow, my head is going to explode.”

Letel shrugs his shoulders slyly and pats my waist.

“Just do it yourself. No one will complain.”

“Ugh…are you all thinking the same thing?”

I met Lael, Noeul, Gyeonggyeong, and Saeron one by one, but they only nodded as if it was natural and gave me silent pressure.

“No, I don’t know about Rael or Letel, but the others have only just met me, so what are you trusting and entrusting me with being the leader…?”

“I heard you were an indispensable companion to us in the future?”

“From my perspective it is, but from your perspective it’s not like that, right?”

As I was tilting my head, Saeron raised her hand.

“Honestly, the time we met was short, but I thought it was okay because I felt that my brother believed in us first!”

“Ah, maybe that’s why I do that too.”

When Hyeong-gyeong agreed, I had no choice but to accept it.

Why is my face so hot?

“Hmm… I understand. Then, I will be the leader. Then, shall we get to the main topic?”

He took a sharp stone and scribbled something on the floor of the building.

“First of all, since Gyeong-gyeong has been dealt with, there are only four people left, including me…”

“You didn’t deal with me, you dealt with my doppelganger. It makes me feel weird, so please state the subject clearly.”

“Ahaha. Yes, I understand. Uhm, anyway, the only ones left are Saeron, Noeul, Retel, and me…who do you think should be the next doppelganger to deal with?”

“Wasn’t I the next one? You said Oppa Gyeong and I would be the easiest?”

Noeul tilted her head and pointed at herself.

…I was still wearing my succubus uniform, so I inadvertently looked straight at her cleavage.

Why are you still wearing those clothes? Did you like it?

“…I’m sorry. I said that at the time, but when I actually experienced it, it wasn’t easy. So I decided to listen to everyone’s opinions.”

“Really? Hmm… then how about Saeron?”

“Saeron? Saeron…”

“You mean we can run away? But with our current combination of abilities, we won’t be able to escape that easily. The ‘non-existent danger’ was clearly just information floating in the air when it was a supernatural entity, but it dwells in Saeron. “Because now that it is eroding, there is a clear reality.”

Sunset points to Retel, Rael, and me.

“I heard you can trap it with spatial abilities and telekinesis, and even create barriers with the Holy Grail?”

“that’s right.”

“And if I add my succubus ability, there will be no room for Saeron to escape. It’s just that the presence disappears, not the existence itself.”

“Noeul, you should say doppelganger, not me.”

“Whatever.”

Noeul laughs and pokes her cheek, and Saeron smiles and hugs her.

“Noel. Did you take ‘runaway erosion’ into consideration?”

“Of course. Even taking that into account, I think it would be difficult for Saeron’s doppelganger to escape.”

“That’s right… what do other people think? First of all, I think it makes sense.”

-Me too.

Rael and I agreed, but Retel, Saeron, and Gyeonggyeong had slightly more subtle expressions.

“To be honest, predicting and anticipating a supernatural entity is very foolish, but it is also true that there is no way. Even if variables arise, we will have to face it directly at some point anyway.”

“I don’t know what I would do if I was on the verge of death…”

“It seems like there’s no room for me to be active. Saeron’s abilities and mine don’t match well.”

Looking at their confident expressions, I felt like my confidence was disappearing as well, but I tried my best to smile and clap my hands to lighten the mood.

“Okay, now that we’ve decided on a target, let’s give some feedback. Let’s review and make up for what we lacked in today’s battle. Wouldn’t it be nice to do some simple training? Oh, and let’s imagine the variables that Saeron can create. Umm…about twenty things, if possible.”

“…what?”

“Sleep, Hangil. You’re kidding, right?”

I tilted my head in response to Letel’s question.

“Are you kidding? How can you joke when everyone’s lives are at stake? Oh, is it because there aren’t enough? Well, twenty is still too few, right? Then just about fifty…”

“No! Twenty! Twenty seems like enough! Yes!”

“That’s right! On the contrary, if you make a plan with too much imagination, you will only waste your energy and time!”

“Ah…I guess so. Okay, then let’s proceed slowly.”

-…Hangil is the type of person who gets more worried the higher his position gets.

“Huh? Rael. What?”

-no. nothing.

I tilted my head when I saw my companions sweating for some reason.

***

A snake the size of your forearm.

It looked like an ordinary snake in both shape and size, but its color and pattern were beyond flashy and it glowed so softly that it could be spotted from far away.

[624:00:00]

A creature that has been given a whopping 26 days worth of time.

That was the prey this time.

“…I don’t know what benefit such brilliant colors and self-luminescence can be gained from nature.”

“I see. Even if you do that, you won’t be attacked by other animals?”

“Maybe it’s incredibly toxic?”

-Will it be delicious? I wish so.

“Ahaha! Are you thinking about eating first?”

“Rael has a secret appetite.”

-Wow! Sorry, sorry…

Lael’s joke seems to ease the tension a bit.

…You’re kidding, right? Your eyes look a little serious.

“Saeron. Can you do it?”

“Of course. Just trust me. My dagger is not only poisoned but also cursed.”

The moment Saeron took a deep breath while raising the dagger, which gave off an ominous feeling just by looking at it, her appearance disappeared.

I couldn’t feel anything, not just the warmth and sound of breathing, but it was as if my presence itself had disappeared.

“Retel. Please trap that snake.”

“huh.”

Wow!!

“Noeul, please.”

“Just leave it to me.”

She exuded pink energy and placed it low on the floor.

The pink energy approached silently and quickly wrapped around the snake’s body.

“Shh!? Shhh!”

The snake suddenly raised its head, stuck out its tongue several times, and then curled its body.

Fuquaaang!

Immediately after, a startlingly loud roar rang out, and the snake’s body flew away like a bullet.

It was so fast that I couldn’t even see the afterimage with my eyes.

“W-what!?”

“explosion!?”

I was startled and woke up, but fortunately the snake hit an invisible wall and fell straight down.

“Phew, that’s good. I thought I missed it…”

“Saeron. Are you there? Go and kill him!”

How many seconds had passed since Gyeong-gyeong shouted loudly, when Saeron appeared and came running with a pale, blood-stained face.

“Emergency! Bisaang!”

“Bird, Saeron!?”

“Why this way…!?”

According to the original plan, she had to be in the space that Retel had distorted.

So that the doppelganger cannot escape.

I was also preparing to strike the barrier right away.

…No, wait a minute. If you killed the snake in the first place, you shouldn’t be able to move due to the pain of sensory accumulation by now, right?

“It was already dead! I didn’t even touch it and it was dead!”

“what?”

An ominous thought passes through my mind.

“S-No way…!”

“Kuhuhuh!? Kuhuhhh…!”

Letel sits down with a groaning sound and blood dripping from his eyes, nose, mouth, and even while he is in pain, he looks up at us with a puzzled expression.

“…!!”

My hands and feet become cold, tension becomes extremely high, and a sense of crisis makes my survival instinct go crazy.

“This can’t be…!?”

“Did that snake hit the space wall and die!? So it was acknowledged that Retel killed it!?”

“Everyone calm down! Prepare for battle!”

Damn it!

After spraying holy water and giving buffs to my companions, I manifested [Mystical Eye of Condemnation] and looked at Letel’s soul and karma.

The copy, split from her soul and karma, instantly took on human form and then turned into Retel’s form and stared at us.

And then he smiled.

“Damn it…!”

This is real.

Fucked.