By Zephyria Lee Hyun-muk’s words made Yohan’s heart sink. Knowing that while he often played pranks, he wouldn’t joke about something like this, Yohan grew scared and followed Lee Hyun-muk. Lee Hyun-muk, returning to their dwelling at a rapid, almost running pace, commanded Yoon Seung-ryong and Joo Ho-young, who were still stuck to the floor.
“Get up immediately. We need to move to another area. Pack your things within five minutes, everyone.”
“What?!”
As Yohan exclaimed in surprise, Yoon Seung-ryong and Joo Ho-young got up without a word. Joo Ho-young quickly ran off somewhere, and Yoon Seung-ryong dashed to the room used as a food storage. Yohan, dazed, then hurriedly packed his own belongings.
Packing didn’t take long. It was because they had already packed in advance, as a precaution against the Flood. Having been attacked by the Flood twice since falling into the Abyss, they were prepared to leave at any moment. However, unlike Yohan, who had become quite relaxed after months of peaceful living here, the other team members, including Lee Hyun-muk, showed no signs of shock.
“…Is it the Flood, by any chance?”
“We have to hope it isn’t. It’s better than it becoming dangerous, so we’re moving to another area.”
Lee Hyun-muk said, handing the backpack to the frightened Yohan’s back. Yohan grabbed the backpack straps tightly and stepped outside the dwelling. He kept looking back at the well-decorated interior and exterior, wishing Lee Hyun-muk’s intuition was wrong. Yet, on the other hand, Yohan also felt an ominous feeling creeping up on him. The fact that he had a nightmare today and wasn’t feeling well… could it be, could it possibly be…
“Team leader!”
Joo Ho-young, who had packed faster than anyone and returned after checking the planned route, had a grim expression.
“It’s the Flood!”
The moment he heard those words, Yohan’s heart sank again. Recalling what had happened every time the Flood approached, he looked once more at the dwelling he had grown fond of. Joo Ho-young quickly said, shoving his Game Console into Yohan’s bag.
“Every direction we could move to is swarming with the Flood. It seems the Japanese sector is completely surrounded.”
“Shit…”
Yoon Seung-ryong, who had been nervously chewing on jelly, cursed. Yohan’s mind went blank. The entire sector was surrounded? Because of the Flood…? While everyone was agitated and anxious, only Lee Hyun-muk remained calm. As Joo Ho-young gnawed ferociously on his fingernails, he asked.
“Are you sure the Japanese sector is surrounded?”
“That’s what it looked like to me. It’s like they’ve been waiting for months for this. Slowly closing the net…”
Yohan got goosebumps. He didn’t want to confirm that the Flood was targeting them in this way. At first, he thought it was a coincidence, then he harbored doubts, and now he was certain. As if possessing intelligence or reason, the Flood was tracking them and now even surrounding them.
“Sh-shall I try to break through? We drove back the Flood last time, didn’t we?”
Yohan asked, recalling how he had chased away the Flood mass in the jungle area. Lee Hyun-muk shook his head.
“No. It’s too dangerous. And even then, we were severely drained just by chasing it away. Moreover, if it’s a Flood capable of surrounding the Japanese sector, it’s beyond your power.”
“Then… what do we do now?”
Yohan asked in despair. If breaking through was impossible, were they to be surrounded and die by the Flood? Furthermore, he knew that unlike the Ruined City, the Japanese sector had no tunnels connecting to other areas. Lee Hyun-muk paused in thought before making a quick decision.
“There’s one path that isn’t surrounded.”
“There’s… such a path?”
Yohan asked hopefully, and Lee Hyun-muk nodded. Yoon Seung-ryong and Joo Ho-young, as if they already knew the answer, clicked their tongues.
“Black Mountain.”
Answering thus, Lee Hyun-muk’s gaze fell upon the towering Black Mountain range. Yohan’s face turned pale as he saw what, though called a mountain and appearing as one, was definitely not a mountain.
Yohan vividly remembered the time he fled from the Flood in the Ruined City. When they tried to escape into the canyons of Black Mountain, the mountain had moved to close, and monsters had been sucked into it. Even now, recalling that time sent shivers down his spine.
‘It means it’s a path that’s less dangerous than the Flood, but more dangerous than that subway tunnel.’
He had struggled with that giant, elongated monster that lured and devoured people, and now he was about to plunge into something even worse. Yohan screamed internally and wailed. Tears were about to well up in reality, but he held them back with all his might.
As a High-level Awakener, his speed should clearly be similar to Lee Hyun-muk’s and faster than the other two Intermediate Awakeners. Yet, Yohan felt like everyone was matching his pace. While Joo Ho-young might be an exception, this made his status as a High-level Awakener seem meaningless.
For faster movement, Joo Ho-young ran ahead, laying down intermittent icy paths. It was essential to move quickly, as they couldn’t afford to have the path to Black Mountain blocked. Behind them, they could feel the city stirring. This sinister and fearful atmosphere was something they had already experienced in the Ruined City.
Even though he had become a High-level Awakener, recalling that time, the tears he had held back finally welled up. He quickly wiped them with his sleeve, trying not to be seen, but Lee Hyun-muk and the other two, who had apparently seen, comforted him.
“Yohan-ssi, you must have been scared and upset.”
“Yohan-hyung, I’ll find us a nice dwelling in another sector again.”
“That’s right, Yohan. Things like this are common in the Abyss.”
He was grateful they weren’t scolding him like his Hyung, but Yohan, feeling quite embarrassed, quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve again. Then, with a slightly nasal voice, he asked.
“Did the Flood ever chase you like this among those times?”
“No…”
Yoon Seung-ryong replied in a dejected voice, and Yohan also became dejected. Perhaps it was because Joo Ho-young had been extremely anxious since earlier, but Yohan, who had unconsciously caught his anxiety, was biting his lip. As Black Mountain grew closer, Lee Hyun-muk called out, “Yohan-ah.” It was a voice that showed no fear or anxiety in this situation at all.
“To finish what I was saying earlier, you see…”
“What you were saying earlier?”
Yohan, asking back in bewilderment, widened his eyes slightly. He recalled the topic Lee Hyun-muk had been discussing with him before the chaos caused by the Flood’s encirclement.
“My Negative Reinforcement is…”
Hearing the words that followed, Yohan momentarily forgot about the Flood. Complex emotions flashed across his wide-open eyes. He looked at Yoon Seung-ryong and Joo Ho-young. Just as he was about to say something, Joo Ho-young screamed in a cracking voice.
“Flood! Flood!”
Did they only notice their escape late? The Flood was closing in from all sides, crawling towards them. Yohan’s face turned pale as he saw the black, low waves. However, compared to the others, even that reaction was considered good.
“Ugh, ugh…”
“Hahahaha! Hahahaha! Shit!”
Joo Ho-young began to gag, and Yoon Seung-ryong burst into hysterical laughter. Only Lee Hyun-muk held out the longest, remaining silent, but it was only a matter of time before he too became a Madman and started spouting nonsense. Yohan raised his weapon and infused it with light. Fortunately, his abilities were fully charged after a good night’s sleep. Bright light scattered, illuminating the surroundings.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Trembling like someone cold, Joo Ho-young and Yoon Seung-ryong instinctively moved closer and huddled by Yohan, basking in the light. Lee Hyun-muk spoke to Yohan, raising his voice slightly.
“Once we enter Black Mountain, no matter what happens, don’t stop, just run!”
“Yes!”
Yohan replied, tensing up. Joo Ho-young ran at the forefront without hesitation, followed by Yoon Seung-ryong, then Yohan, and finally Lee Hyun-muk. Joo Ho-young plunged into Black Mountain without hesitation, followed by Yoon Seung-ryong. Yohan, though scared, chased after the two and set foot on Black Mountain. A moment later, the Flood surged behind them. Yohan’s face turned white as he saw the black, muddy mass crawling up the incline.
But only for a moment.
The Flood churned and kept sliding back down. Despite desperately trying to chase them, it couldn’t easily set foot on Black Mountain. Yohan soon realized it was because the surface of Black Mountain was constantly flowing downwards like an escalator.
Black Mountain did not allow the Flood to dare climb it. Even when touched by the Flood, it did not deform or distort, merely emitting a sinister aura.
“Huff, huff…!”
Panting, Yohan looked around. Apart from the pervasive blackness, it looked like an ordinary mountain with rocks and trees jutting out. Yet, for some reason, he felt eyes on him from everything. As Yohan kept looking around, Lee Hyun-muk quietly warned from behind.
“Yohan-ah. Just keep looking at Seung-ryong’s back and run.”
“Y-yes!”
The answer that barely escaped his lips trembled. Recalling how it had swallowed approaching monsters in the Ruined City last time, his feet on the ground also felt shaky. Fortunately, Black Mountain did not try to swallow them. It merely watched them silently.
As he traversed the ‘mountain’ where everything seemed dead yet alive, Yohan recalled the information he had heard about Black Mountain. This ‘Black Mountain’ was distributed throughout the entire Abyss, and all its mountain ranges were connected. It was also the only place in the Abyss that was not invaded by the Flood. Lee Hyun-muk did not know why it was not invaded.