By Zephyria 303
Boundary Line
The closer Eui-jae got to the Invasion Dungeon, the more scattering ash there was. The alleys, roads, sidewalks, and roadside trees where people would have been busily passing by were already covered in white ash. The way the ash scattered was similar to the way snow falls. At first glance, one might even find it beautiful.
Eui-jae stopped walking. A wall taller than a telephone pole blocked the road. It must be a wall erected by a Hunter’s ability. Whether everyone living in the vicinity had already been evacuated, he couldn’t sense any presence around him. Eui-jae asked Mackerel, who had followed him.
“The residents?”
“They were evacuated to the fish market a few days ago. I had a bad feeling. I was planning to send them back after the Rift Management Bureau took care of it…”
“Good job.”
Mackerel asked with a serious face.
“Is it that bad?”
“Yeah.”
Beyond the wall, an ominous, writhing energy was felt. Like a volcano about to erupt at any moment.
‘It wouldn’t be strange if it exploded at any time…’
The scenery of the whitened, dead sea encroached on his vision and then disappeared. It was a chilling sight. Eui-jae shook his head to shake off the dead sea. Wasn’t that the future he had learned while suffering in the Memorial Dungeon? He couldn’t just stand there and watch.
‘I have to deal with it now.’
Eui-jae turned around.
“Min-gi Seo, please contact each government office and ask them to issue a ban on entry to this area. Make it wide… up to the vicinity of the fish market.”
“Understood.”
“Mackerel, you…”
Mackerel blinked, waiting for the rest of his words. Eui-jae hesitated for a long time, unable to find the right words, and eventually patted Mackerel’s shoulder a couple of times.
“Go and stay with your Hyung. Protect the residents too.”
“What, are you kicking me out right now?”
“You’re quick to catch on.”
“Hyung, do you think I’m just some minnow…? I have some combat ability, you know.”
As Mackerel clenched his fist, a few goldfish appeared around him. Instead of denigrating the goldfish, who were cute and good at driving but didn’t seem to have a knack for fighting, Eui-jae pointed to himself with his thumb and asked.
“Can you fight better than me?”
Mackerel’s mouth snapped shut. Eui-jae waved his hand dismissively.
“If not, you’ll only be a hindrance. Go.”
Min-gi, who was on the phone, criticized him.
“If you set such an evil standard, who will meet it? You’re wicked, Master.”
“That’s why I’m saying I’ll be alone. It’s easier to fight alone.”
“How do you know how many Monsters will come out to say such a thing?”
“At most…”
Thanks to the Memorial Dungeon, he remembered things he had forgotten.
Quantity warfare was his specialty. Well, maybe. It wasn’t originally his specialty, but he had become that way after dealing with countless Monsters pouring out of the West Sea Rift. To survive, you have to learn everything.
‘It can’t be more than the West Sea Rift.’
Experience learned with the body does not easily disappear. He takes out a huge spear. As the heavy weight wraps around his hand, the noisy mind calmed down. Hooo, he inhales and exhales lowly.
The moment Eui-jae touched the wall,
Thump!
The wall vibrated.
“……”
The energy beyond the wall fluctuated ominously. Was it reacting to Eui-jae, or was it just about to explode? It’s impossible to know.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Each time the wall vibrated, dust fell and the floor shook as if there was an earthquake. Eui-jae looked up at the wall and muttered.
“Wait. I’ll open it for you…”
Eui-jae spun the spear around once and then diagonally drew the wall with the tip of the spear. White light appeared along the spear’s movement. It was a neat and clean movement. And then.
The wall cracked.
Kwaaaack! The solid wall cracked and tilted along the light created by the spear’s blade. Thump, thump… Fragments of the wall fell to the ground, raising dust, but Eui-jae didn’t care. The dust and ash mixed together, and a hazy dust obscured his vision. At that moment.
Swaeeek―
A large beast’s foot appeared through the dust. Eui-jae lightly dodged the foot. A huge claw mark remained on the road where the foot had slammed down. Krllk… A scratching roar shakes the ground. White ash scatters. Like a blizzard, so much that it’s hard to see in front of you.
Kooong… The floor vibrated. A huge shadow covered Eui-jae. He looked up. A huge, pure white lion was looking down at him. White mane flutters.
Dungeon Break, a phenomenon that occurs when an activated Dungeon is left unattended for a long time. When the number of Monsters in the Dungeon increases to the point of oversaturation, the Dungeon cannot withstand it and releases the Monsters. At this time, the owner of the Dungeon, who accounts for the largest proportion, also pops out.
Eui-jae looked up at the lion, which was as big as a four-story villa, and muttered.
“You’re the Master of the Dungeon.”
Did this guy also mutate from someone? Was he originally human? If he was human, is he someone I know? There’s no way to know now. Around the giant lion, Monsters that had escaped from the Dungeon began to gather one by one. Eui-jae and the lion did not move rashly. They were just sizing each other up. How much strength do they need to use? To kill the other. In addition, Eui-jae thought as he looked at the increasing number of Monsters.
Were they all human?
Weeeeing― A siren began to sound on the quiet street. It was a ominous sound ringing from people’s cell phones and loudspeakers installed on the side of the road, announcing the appearance of a Rift and a Dungeon Break.
[A Dungeon Break has occurred. Residents are requested to evacuate to the designated shelters. I repeat. A Dungeon Break has occurred. Residents are requested to evacuate to the designated shelters. Your safety will be protected by the Hunters…]
Eui-jae raised his huge spear and aimed it at the lion’s head. It was a clear signal to fight. However, the lion did not react to it by roaring or swinging its forefoot. He just stared at Eui-jae…
Kooong…
He started walking past him.
“…Huh?”
Eui-jae looked up at the giant lion passing by his side with a dumbfounded expression. Neither the lion nor the company of Monsters following him paid attention to Eui-jae. Far from attacking, there were even small Monsters that approached him in a friendly manner and rubbed their bodies against his ankles. Eui-jae stared blankly at the procession of Monsters.
Is it a relief that they’re not fighting?
Happy?
Can you become friends with Monsters?
No.
None of that.
Eui-jae’s neck was wet with cold sweat. His spine felt chillingly cold. His instincts were constantly warning him.
‘I’m screwed.’
The existence of the Invasion Dungeon does not attack him. It does not recognize him as an enemy. Whitening, the Mutation in progress. This soon…
‘…Did they recognize me as one of their own?’
But all the Monsters I’ve met before had hostility? Didn’t I have fun fighting the Monsters in the Invasion Dungeon? Eui-jae wracked his brain. Since when? Since when have the Monsters not shown hostility? The answer came easily.
From right after I came out of the Memorial Dungeon.
Tick, the sound of the clock hands moving seemed to ring in his ears. Eui-jae looked down at the white, furry Monster rolling around at his feet. Soon, a Monster that looked like its mother approached and picked up the furry one in its mouth. And after bumping its head against Eui-jae’s thigh, it followed the procession. Eui-jae thought of something he wouldn’t have been able to think of before.
‘Were they a family when they were human?’
Until now, Cha Eui-jae had no awareness that he was mutating. Well, nothing had changed except for his hair color. But he went through the Memorial Dungeon and learned the facts he had forgotten. He realized. What his hair color meant, what the origin of the Monsters was.
He began to think of humans when he saw the Monsters,
“……”
He felt anxious that he would become like them,
“……”
And deep down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he and they were in a similar situation.
How powerful is the power of thought? He watched the procession of white Monsters and readjusted the spear that was slipping due to the cold sweat.
Eui-jae was ‘understanding’ their thoughts and behaviors. They instinctively head to places with a lot of life. They must take revenge on those who killed their kin. They must get nutrition. They must increase the number of their kin as much as they have died…
They are heading to the fish market.
No!
Eui-jae slammed his weakened thigh with all his might. Thanks to the tingling pain, he barely woke up. Already, a black shadow was soaring in front of him. It seemed that Min-gi Seo had blocked the procession. Eui-jae started running with all his might. Pushing through the procession of Monsters that didn’t stop him, he heads to the front of the procession.
“Min-gi Seo! Mackerel!”
Even if he shouted loudly, there was no answer. Eui-jae pushed through the Monsters with his spear and arms and ran. The Monsters only made dissatisfied cries, but they did not attack or pounce on him. That was even more terrible.
And then, when he reached the front of the procession.
The sight of the lion swinging its huge forefoot was shown slowly, like slow motion. There was a man in a black suit there…
“…Min-gi Seo!!”
Red blood scattered through the white ash.