Chapter 91

Chapter 91

“Pablo, dodge!”
Pablo threw himself at the thunderous call.
Afraid to move, Metunaf fell back to where he was standing. He didn’t even land straight, hitting the ground headfirst.
“Shit, where did it fall?
Pablo rolled his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Nothing but undulating hills. Even looking again, there was no point nearby that could be called high ground.
Did they leap with their feet, perhaps, or use their flailing limbs to help close the door? Their movements were unrecognizable to the bell.
Once upon a time, the physics engine was like a character in a crappy game. Physics effects would bug out and suddenly glow, soaring into the sky.
But there was nothing quite as ridiculous as that.
“Ha, disgusting bastards…!”
Pablo lunged at Metunaf, who still hadn’t regained his composure, his usual gun in its holster and his shield clutched in both hands.
He didn’t stick to any particular weapon.
Guns were something that even a child could easily kill someone with, so it just came naturally. Eventually, I got so good at shooting that I didn’t feel the need to pick up another weapon.
Now things are different.
There were dead agents and weapons rolling around on the floor, but I managed to grab a shield.
When you think of shields in racing, most people think of Botticelli, but for some reason, Pablo’s image of Kim was deeply imprinted in his mind.
Puck, puck, puck!
I can only describe the feeling in my hand as disgusting. It looked like a clump of mud, but inside it felt like hard granules.
חוֹלֶה, חוֹלֶה…….
It’s like human flesh. The similarity was enough to make him sick to his stomach, even though they should be completely different. The more so, the more viciously Pablo slammed his shield down.
Purr.
The monster’s body crumbled. It was the only thing I liked about it. There was no fooling around when they were dead, and I didn’t have to do any check kills.
“……sup, ha!”
Pablo sucked in a breath of white smoke. He spat out the phlegm and made eye contact with Ghost. He waved a hand in response to her questioning gaze.
Ghost wasn’t the only one watching Pavel.
“Brother, was that always your style?”
“Huh? What did I do?”
“No, I just thought you’d changed a bit. I’d say he’s a bit of a maverick.”
It was Turkam.
The reserve agent, who was supposed to be on standby in the capital, thought he’d bring Kim Yi-hyun, but he didn’t stop there, he volunteered to go.
Pablo lowered his gaze to look down near Turkam’s hand. He was holding a shield, as was he.
It’s no surprise who was affected.
“That’s what I’ll say, asshole, you’re so nonchalant about this whole mess. Aren’t you scared?”
“Of course I’m scared, I’m freaking out. Look at this. My hands are shaking like crazy.”
“Isn’t it because you’re cold?”
I joked, and Turkam cracked a smile.
“I’ve been out there a few times, so I feel like I’ve gotten the hang of it.”
“Yeah.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the prospective agent theme.
Pablo had seen the footage of the operation involving Kim and Turkam, not only because he knew them, but also because he wanted to improve himself.
Operation Ashbelt. The Atlanta infiltration was barely captured on video… but I’ve read the reports. I also heard he was pooped on again in Bastitera.
‘He’s had enough of this.’
It was the price of being frivolously involved with strings.
I’m actually pretty happy with that.
‘He’s good at one thing.’
It was thanks to Kim Yi-hyun who organized the traffic that we were able to chat like this. With the professor actively taking charge, we were able to relax a bit.
“I’m sure it’s because I’ve been rolling under your feet.”
Turkam said with a shudder.
With both eyes fixed somewhere.
“What is he doing?”
“Don’t ask me.”
Violence was in full swing there. Team 5 agents drag in the wounded, hold them down, and Kim beats them. The process is repeated.
There wasn’t even gender discrimination.
No, there was a distinction.
She didn’t like the slap to the face, so she gave him a body blow. The female agent, who is quite popular in the lab for her clean-cut appearance, “keks” and drools.
“That’s just a slap in the face…….”
Even more absurd was the fact that the injured were regaining their senses. The number of blows varied. I couldn’t even understand what the difference was between them.
Hedwig, the elite agent, was just as bad. He ran around with his feet on fire to help “cure” Kim. All the skepticism was gone, as if they had witnessed a miracle.
It’s a mystery. But one thing was certain.
“I don’t want to get hurt.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
* * *
The main front was still in chaos.
Metunaf slaughters and drives the humans into a frenzy. The swamp deepened and expanded its borders in proportion to the blood that flowed.
It was a no-brainer for the godmother.
The creatures of Sanctuary are always hungry. They crave affection, hunger and thirst, and burning lust.
As a living thing, it has a different density. Like pouring paint into a calm lake. Like smashing Styrofoam with a sledgehammer, they defile humans and ravage them without remorse.
It should be.
“What happened?
The godmother’s brow furrowed as she surveyed the battlefield from high above.
The location of a relatively small battle. The once chaotic agents of the Celbrox Labs are now in order. Hundreds of Metunaphs are standing against them.
I even caught a glimpse of someone looking this way. He sees an opportunity. His intentions are clear: to break through the Metunaf and strike the bard.
She didn’t know where the change started, and neither did her godmother.
The phenomenon that the Godmother and her old comrades call “mental contamination” was still there. It was clearly functioning normally. There was only one thing that could be called anomalous.
“It’s that guy again.”
Dark hair and dark eyes.
Even though it was the first time I’d seen him, he wasn’t unfamiliar. It was Kilikia, and the man from the video I’d found in Atlanta not too long ago.
We have been unable to uncover any records of her prior to her arrival in Kilikia. Despite keeping a tight lid on his tracks, he still shows his face here and there.
I thought he was simply a spy Kushan had hidden. But his presence grew stronger and stronger, and he became impossible to ignore.
Not until now.
“What the heck are you trying to do…….”
‘Hyun’ breaks free of the tainted foot he touches. He quickly regains his composure and sees his enemies returning to battle.
“Spell? No, that’s not possible.
If it’s a spell, I’ve got it. The ability to create a variety of equipment, including firearms, but not the power to interfere with the human mind.
The natural question that came to mind was.
Is it possible for a human to have multiple spells?
“Ridiculous idea.
The godmother knew of only one such being. And he was changing into something she could hardly call human anymore.
I don’t want to see him in others. I don’t want to face the horror that comes with the slightest hint of resemblance.
It was a disgrace that made me want to cough up blood.
“……is annoying.”
The godmother scratched her neck until the skin peeled. She didn’t like the presence of an unwilling enemy, a sniper looking for an opening, a man who kept drawing attention to himself.
At the same time, I was convinced.
If you don’t kill it here, you’ll regret it.
“Abel, come here.”
There was a swallowing sound behind me. A stuttering, even.
But only for a moment. The woman called walked to the front of the faltering godmother. She knelt before her, her complexion pale and gaunt.
“Oh, Godmother. You promise? My family is….”
“Don’t worry.”
A crooked smile played across Abel’s lips. A word without any guarantees. In truth, her family might have already been wiped out, but there was no way for her to know.
Knowing doesn’t change the situation.
Abel lowered her shoulder straps; despite the bitter cold, she wore only a thin layer of dress, and the two men behind her, waiting their turn, were no different.
The skin was densely scrawled with letters as small as ants. An imprint her godmother had taken the time to carve herself.
They were “martyrs” raised by their godmothers.
Naked, Abel slowly raised his head. Her large eyes were watery. Her godmother’s face, on the other hand, was terribly expressionless as she looked down at her.
“Godmother, I-”
Poof!
The tip of the staff pierced Abel’s crown. It shattered his skull and pierced his brain. But it didn’t stop there, it continued onward through his body, reaching his lower abdomen.
The blood gushed out like a whale spouting water. Abel’s flesh, impaled by the staff, was soaked with blood. The imprinting against the seeping blood began to crawl over his body like a slug.
The letters that escaped from the flesh flowed into the swamp.
“הקיץ בשיא פריחתו.”
* * *
The change was immediate.
Throughout the swamp that covered the battlefield, stalks of slime-covered plants grew. The dizzying stalks coiled around Metunaf’s flesh. Red flowers bloomed as if sucking in nutrients.
Metunaf’s screech echoed through the air. It wasn’t just a howl. His behavior was distinctly different from a moment ago.
So far, they’ve been consistent in their behavior.
It’s irrational and doesn’t care about my well-being, but it’s strictly targeting humans, like it’s on a hunt.
But now it’s different.
אוהב אותך, אוהב אותך!
מצב רוח טוב…!
The distinction between humans and their kind has been lost. The Metunav attacked him. It bit him in the face and laughed with glee. An uncontrollable madness flowed through him.
“Damn, what the hell is this…!”
Panicked agents flailed their weapons, trying to clear the stalks. But it was futile. As they cut down one, three more grew. The vines crushed underfoot.
Calm down. Let’s take stock of the situation first.
The professor immediately turned the radio around.
The Legion’s brewmaster must have done something, because they’ve gotten easier to deal with, but for now, those plants don’t seem to want to attack us.
Yeah, I’ve slashed it a couple times, but I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary. If I could get out of here, I would, but… I can’t.
As Ghost pointed out, the swampy area was vast. They could retreat if they were forced to, but they were few and far between. The Bastitera forces at the front will be abandoned.
For now, it was an option that had to be put on the back burner.
Eventually, we’ll have to deal with the godmother in our line.
The policy hasn’t changed.
Like the professor, Kim had his eyes on the hill.
“Egos must have been scratched pretty hard, huh?
Of course, the Godmother also appears as a boss in certain episodes. If summoning Metunaf is her primary ability, it’s only natural that she has a special ability.
This is the start of Phase 2.