Episode 129. Once things go wrong, they spiral out of control (6)
The structure of the fort was very complicated.
‘They said the architect designed it based on a maze from a foreign myth.’
It was designed this way so that if the monsters broke in, they wouldn’t be able to find their way.
As a result, even ordinary bedroom walls were made of the hardest material on earth so that steel-crushing monster teeth couldn’t break them easily. And so that powerful monsters couldn’t crumble the walls.
The inner maze also contributed partly to the fort’s name, the -Wailing Wall-.
‘There’s even a rumor that if you enter this place unknowingly, you’ll end up wandering here for the rest of your life.’
I could feel the cool metal on my fingertips.
It was the standard method to avoid getting lost in the maze.
“Si-woo, you know the way, right? It might be better for us to go back. It takes most experienced hunters at least 30 minutes, even when they have a map. I get confused sometimes, too…….”
“It’s okay. I’ve got something better than a map.”
I replied with a smile to Kim Seung-hyun, who asked worriedly.
[‘Information Access’ is currently activated.]
I could see the entire structure of the maze on a transparent screen in front of me. Ordinary people would frown and puzzle over it no matter how long they looked at it. But I was not an ordinary person.
“This way.”
If I could see the inner structure, I could readily escape the most difficult mazes. I walked without stopping, running my hand against the wall.
“…Are you sure?”
“Why are you so worried? It’s Mr. Si-woo.”
Kim Seung-hyun asked again, and Han Yeon-soo sharply retorted.
I ignored their conversation and just focused on walking forward.
And after walking for a while.
“You were right. There was no need to worry……!”
I took my hand off the wall. Or, to be exact, there was no longer a connected wall.
[Caution: Area inhabited by multiple dangerous creatures.]
[Only 1st class hunters with an SS-grade Total Ability Assessment rank to enter.]
A large door that reminded me of a castle gate had a sign written on it.
“Total Ability Assessment rank SS-grade… Mr. Si-woo, are you sure you can go in? Your grade is between A+ and S.”
“That’s because I didn’t renew mine. How about you?”
“I got an SS grade, of course.”
“…….”
I awkwardly scratched my head, and instead of replying, I took a step forward and pushed the door.
“Whew….”
In theory, it was the strongest door on earth that could even withstand a nuclear missile with ease. It was a very heavy door. I drew up my mana, planted my feet firmly on the ground, and pushed with all my might. The door then creaked, and dust billowed up into the air.
Creaaaak.
It seemed like the door hadn’t been opened for a long time. The strong odor of monsters came from the slightly open door. At the same time, I began to feel slightly tense.
The front line was a dangerous area, but -The Land of Death- was on a completely different level. In my past life, I had to brace myself for the worst whenever I entered, even if it was just for a brief moment. The Land slowly revealed itself.
“Hmm?”
However.
“Why are you so late? You told me to come and wait! You took forever.”
“…….”
It wasn’t a wasteland nor a terrifying monster that welcomed us beyond the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here? You told me the coordinates. But I thought I’d get caught if I went inside the fort, so I teleported here.”
“…Oh.”
The first individual I encountered in -The Land of Death- after coming back in time was Sung Hyun-woo.
The cheeky boy looked at me innocently.
“Si-woo, long time no see!”
I heard Yoo Ji-yeon’s voice from behind Sung Hyun-woo. I glanced over and saw all the members of the -Jeong Si-woo Division- gathered there. Yoo Ji-yeon, Zhang Wei, Lee Jin-woo…….
“…Wait, why did you bring her?”
“Huh? You told me to bring them all. Everyone on our side.”
I couldn’t help but sigh at Sung Hyun-woo’s reply.
Our side? Yeah, she did help us a bit, but that wasn’t enough to bring her here.
“Hey, why are you looking at me like that? I’m here to help!”
Sitting on the floor, she shouted sharply. It seemed like she read the meaning behind my gaze.
“Yes, thank you.”
Seol Ah-rin.
The -Third Disaster- was helping the process of stopping the -Fifth Disaster-. It was such an ironic sight.
‘Well, in that case, Hyun-woo is also a Disaster.’
But they were different. This one was an uncontrollable bomb.
She was a powerful bomb that everyone acknowledged, but there was no telling whether our allies or our enemies would be caught up in her explosive power.….
“Whew… Oh well. We don’t have time for this, so I’ll start the briefing.”
I shook my head from side to side and clapped my hands.
Whatever.
There wasn’t a moment to lose.
* * *
“We need to find a creature that looks like a human. Around this time… He will be about this tall, and he’ll look like an elementary school kid.”
“Elementary school? And that tall? Are you serious?”
“I’m not kidding. If we can’t find him on time, or if we provoke him by mistake, it’ll be over. Hyun-woo, you saw it in my memory, right?”
“Yes.”
Sung Hyun-woo nodded at my question.
“If things go wrong, that fort will be gone in three days. There won’t even be a brick left.”
“…….”
The others’ faces hardened at my words.
Sung Hyun-woo wasn’t the kind of person who joked around in situations like this.
“You said not to provoke him, right? Is there anything we should be careful about?”
“To make it simple… Don’t ever try to harm him. And don’t threaten him, either verbally or physically. You have to respond to him as if you’re really soothing a child. It’s quite straightforward, isn’t it?”
“But there must be something special.”
Something special? Of course, there was.
“Don’t ever kill monsters.”
“What?”
“You must never kill a monster in front of him. If you do, everything will be over.”
-The Fifth Disaster-
He was born as a child of monsters. The Land of Death was his home, and his only family and friends were the swarming monsters.
So, what would happen if we trampled his home and killed his friends and family in front of him?
“I assure you, when that happens, it’ll be the end of humankind.”
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