By Zephyria “Fuck.”
Jin Mu-hae slowly chewed and spat out the curse.
The Stone Mason was an Aberrant rarely observed from here to thousands of kilometers north. As a Grade 1, it was somewhat intelligent, fast, and strong, making it a challenging opponent for a single mercenary to handle.
Even in a world overflowing with Aberrants, it felt like he’d encountered too many lately. Jin Mu-hae was probably wondering if his fate was cursed.
But there was no need to worry. It was still Chapter 1.
There was no way Jin Mu-hae would face an insurmountable trial so early on. The Aberrant wasn’t at its full Grade 1 power right now.
What did that mean…?
“Disgusting smell of blood.”
The thing dared to make a fuss and chase after them, but the Stone Mason in this quest was actually heavily injured.
It was a natural consequence. There had been a battle not long ago, and there was no way four or five mercenaries wouldn’t have inflicted some damage on it.
A long bolt was lodged in its third thigh.
A metal skewer, closer to a spear than a bolt in size, fired from a weapon almost like a ballista.
“Looks like… it’s hurt.”
Joo-oh licked his lips, offering another hint.
Of course, that was the Stone Mason’s main weakness and the key to victory in this battle.
“But it’s still running around trying to catch us. Funny, isn’t it?”
Having said that, Joo-oh clamped his mouth shut. He realized the expression “funny” might have been a bit odd.
Mu-hae, who had been guarding their surroundings, slowly turned his eyes to look at Joo-oh.
“Hmm.”
But he couldn’t think of anything else to say right away.
His body was gradually heating up from the smell of blood. The instinctive part of Joo-oh’s mind was expanding.
Haha… He shouldn’t laugh. As his senses became more acute, his human thoughts grew fainter.
A strange vitality coursed through his veins, and every joint in his body was preheated, ready to run wild at any moment.
Huff! Joo-oh, barely managing to control his reason, twitched his lips and shook his head from side to side.
With each shake, the incoming smells, the direction of the wind, the smallest sounds, and the tingling sensations… all yielded different results, gradually narrowing down the location of the Aberrant.
“Throw a grenade if you sense anything strange.”
Jin Mu-hae’s instructions barely registered in Joo-oh’s ears.
Normally, he would have absorbed even his annoyance, but it had been so long since he’d smelled something this interesting that he was getting distracted…
The look on Jin Mu-hae’s face, which he barely managed to glance at, held unspoken conviction.
He had only seen the possibility of victory after hearing that the Aberrant was injured.
“Jin Mu-hae.”
Zzzzt. As the signal returned from the top of his head, Joo-oh twitched his ears and gripped his club.
“That thing. It’s coming.”
With those words, showing signs of regression again, a beast pounced from somewhere on the upper left!
Hihiaaaak-!
A body twice the size of Jin Mu-hae’s bike. Skin revealing grotesque muscle shapes.
Taang!
A large firearm spat fire at the Stone Mason flying overhead.
With a recoil that pushed Jin Mu-hae’s body backward, a thick bullet pierced the Aberrant’s foreleg.
Considering Jin Mu-hae’s fighting style, he would have originally aimed for the head.
But even injured, a Grade 1 was still a Grade 1. There was no way the Stone Mason would have taken that quietly.
Hahaak-!
Kwaang!
The failed attack came at a cost.
The bike, which had been fixed in place as a barricade, was sent flying by a powerful foreleg.
That was what the Stone Mason had been aiming for from the start. As if it knew that humans used those metal contraptions to escape.
“Shit.”
“How nasty.”
As if understanding Joo-oh’s muttering, an irritating cry echoed.
Hiaaaak-!
A grotesque being with red and blue flesh pulsating all over its body. The Aberrant, having discovered the joy of toying with humans, opened its maw wide with glee.
The teeth packed tightly into its throat resembled human molars. Unpleasantly and eerily so.
Even in the face of that horrifying sight, Joo-oh didn’t flinch.
He simply tilted his head as if something was strange.
“Hmm.”
They don’t usually mess with the bike, do they?
As Joo-oh muttered inwardly, he looked down at his own body and sighed softly, “Ah.”
“If one’s taken care of… the other one runs away?”
This was the result of Joo-oh joining a battle that was originally meant for Jin Mu-hae alone.
He had guessed that the story would change little by little if he intervened.
But he didn’t expect the battle to flow accordingly.
Swaeek- Kwaak!
Taang-! Tang!
The lightly injured Aberrant launched minor attacks.
Jin Mu-hae skillfully dodged them and narrowly counterattacked.
As expected, the protagonist was still the protagonist. Although his already tattered jacket had been completely torn just now, it was a clean hit without any major injuries.
Eventually, the Aberrant, having circled around for a long time to avoid the gunfire, jumped to a higher ground and disappeared again.
The same pattern of attack would come again. This time, the one being attacked would really be Jin Mu-hae.
“Jin Mu-hae. That leg…”
Joo-oh, who was about to offer advice again just in case, slowly closed his mouth.
He had already switched equipment and was fully prepared. A cylindrical plasma round clicked as it was activated.
Zzzzzz…
Kwaang!
The shockwave exploded near the leg of the Aberrant, which had flown in like the wind.
There was no need to hit the affected area precisely. The moment the powerful wave touched nearby, the long bolt twisted in all directions, tearing apart the Stone Mason’s leg.
Kiaaaak-!
Only now did the Aberrant let out a scream-like cry and roll on the ground.
That wasn’t the end of it. The mines laid around the area activated one after another, giving the massive lump of flesh an electric sauna.
Taang! Tang!
Jin Mu-hae’s firearms, having entered a burst-damage phase, gleefully spat fire, not missing the opportunity.
Having been shot here and there and finally becoming tattered, the Stone Mason fled and hid somewhere again, bleeding dark red blood.
‘The next pattern, huh.’
No sooner had Joo-oh begun to rummage through his memories than, whoosh- kwaang!
A rock the size of a human head was shot and passed by Mu-hae. It was a warning that things like this would be flying from now on.
It was a bullet hell game for the next three minutes. When Joo-oh played it himself, the floor was marked so he could see it in advance and avoid it, but now the world of “La Vida Blue” was not a game.
How would Jin Mu-hae try to predict the attacks? Would he even be able to see the Aberrant?
Joo-oh, who had been looking around with great interest, suddenly straightened his face and reached out his arm.
Kwaang!
“Kugh…!”
A jagged rock was embedded in the spot where Jin Mu-hae had been standing.
It was fortunate that Joo-oh had quickly pulled him away. Jin Mu-hae would have almost become minced meat.
‘…What?’
While Mu-hae, having twisted his ankle, groaned and regained his posture, Joo-oh’s eyes darted around in all directions.
Thump, thump, his heart beat heavily, shaking his mind.
‘It’s not there.’
The markings… were gone. No signals or hints were revealed.
Only Joo-oh’s senses could detect the direction and location of the incoming rock.
“Damn it… You stay back for now.”
Even in the midst of all this, Jin Mu-hae was worried about others without knowing anything. Another rock was about to fly, but he didn’t even notice.
This wasn’t the main story. It was just a side quest to change his jacket, but Jin Mu-hae shouldn’t get hurt with such an unreasonable balancing.
What should he do? He couldn’t let him become minced meat. Joo-oh’s lips moved slightly.
Jin Mu-hae who wasn’t breathing.
Jin Mu-hae who had no smell. Jin Mu-hae who wasn’t moving.
No, he didn’t want that Jin Mu-hae. If Jin Mu-hae was crushed, would he have to wander the wilderness again, searching for him?
“No way.”
Could his body, which wasn’t a game character, be regenerated again?
No. It wouldn’t be. Then how long would he have to wander through the world of this game that wouldn’t be reset?
Kwaang!
“Kugh…!”
Mu-hae, who had been pushed so hard that his body flew, rolled on the ground. Another heavy rock was embedded in the spot where he had been standing.
Only then did Jin Mu-hae realize that this crazy rock-throwing wasn’t a one-off thing. It was flying, targeting only him.
Having lost the chance to even get up, he began to throw himself around, rolling on the ground.
The jagged rocks that were embedded menacingly narrowly missed him.
“No…”
He couldn’t even finish the short word before the pupils in his red eyes grew black.
If. Just if.
If they created something like an Experiment under the leadership of a large city for the purpose of handling and managing an Aberrant with formidable power and speed that grew at a terrifying rate.
“I don’t like it.”
How strong would that being be?
“I don’t like it.”
What terrible process would it have been created through?
Kwaang!
Kkiaaaaaak-!
Red eyes he had never seen before in his life. The jewel-like eyes shone brightly on his expressionless face.
Jin Mu-hae pulled the ‘human’ who was frozen like a statue and repeating the same words towards him, as if embracing him.
Taaang-!
As the last bullet pierced its head, the Aberrant convulsed and stopped moving.
After even the echoing gunshot subsided, Jin Mu-hae lowered his gun in the silence.
…The perilous battle was over. His twisted ankle throbbed, and every joint that had been scraped against the ground seemed to be bruised, but he was alive.
Mu-hae took a long breath and wiped his flushed face. He could still feel the blood coursing through the blood vessels in his temples.
“It’s okay now.”
As he whispered, bowing his head, his stiff body slowly relaxed.
His gaze, which had been blankly staring at the air, slowly moved and met Mu-hae’s eyes.
However, his clenched jaw showed no signs of returning to normal.
His white forehead was veined as if he was suppressing something with all his might.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t hurt thanks to someone.”
Even after emphasizing it once again and waiting for a long time, the body in his arms showed no signs of moving.
The sound of someone else’s pounding pulse was heard with excessive clarity.
It was hard to believe that this was the same being who had smashed the rocks that had flown in like cannonballs with his club and torn apart the Aberrant’s legs with his bare hands.
Joo-oh had been in this state ever since. Standing still and endlessly enduring something.