Chapter 129

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."

I still remember it vividly.

When he lost control and went on a rampage, he suited the name Great Overlord so well.

The legions of invaders from an unknown place trampled on the world—on humanity—and wiped out all living creatures. Cities and states collapsed, and the civilization that humans had built up melted away like a sandcastle.

"You have to keep it in mind."

If it happened this early, if we ended up facing him without preparing perfectly.

Honestly.

I wasn't confident that we could win.

* * *

Inside the Land of Death was just like its name.

The ground was dry and barren without a single plant and partly eaten dead monsters were strewn about.

"Ugh... I hate it."

Yoo Ji-yeon muttered in disgust. It wasn't a very pleasant sight.

"Ajusshi, further out, it's swarming with monsters. Are you sure about this? I don't think even we could handle them beyond that hill......."

"We need to go, so we have to. We can run away immediately, anyway."

"That's true, but... I think it's too dangerous."

Sung Hyun-woo said in a worried voice.

I answered him firmly.

"But we still have to. You know that it'll be more dangerous, otherwise."

"...Okay."

It wasn't that I didn't understand Sung Hyun-woo's concerns. He probably saw the horrible sight beyond the hill with his X-ray vision, and he would have seen the horrors in my mind with his ability to read memories.

Although he didn't experience it in person, -The Land of Death- was most likely a scary place for Sung Hyun-woo.

"Come on, let's start walking again."

I hastened my steps again after stopping for a moment. It wasn't a good idea to stay in the Land of Death for a long time. It was overflowing with monsters that could gnaw away at your life force just by existing. So, staying here for a prolonged period could cause serious damage to your body.

"What are you doing? Let's go. Why are you standing still?"

But even after I said let's go, Lee Jin-woo didn't budge.

"...What you said earlier."

"Huh?"

"You said he looks like an elementary school kid... And that he's this tall."

"Yeah, I did."

"In the Land of Death... There's probably no chance of an ordinary elementary school kid wandering around unless it's him, right?"

"What?"

What was he talking about?

"There—over there."

I was about to ask, but Lee Jin-woo pointed upwards with his finger.

"Not beyond the hill or far away, but over there."

He was pointing at a big tree. A bare and dry tree that didn't have a single leaf.

"Over there... Do you see?"

"You're right."

And there was a boy sitting on the tree branch.

"What? Did you finally find me? I've been watching you guys forever."

A playful face and a clear voice.

He looked human, no matter how you looked at him. Some of my members' hands shook at his appearance. It was because I had defined him as a 'monster', and depending on the circumstances, they might have to kill the creature that looked like a child.

"Are you my new friends? Amazing. My other friends don't look like me, but you guys look just like me. Hehe. Are you my family? Family?"

The Great Overlord smiled brightly.

"Hey, Jeong Si-woo. What should we do? How do we respond?"

"I'm thinking, so be quiet. Whew...."

Lee Jin-woo asked impatiently, and I replied, annoyed.

I couldn't think properly. It was all so sudden. Damn it. What should I do?

"Why aren't you answering me. Oh, oh. Is it because you're excited to play? Hehe."

The way he talked while hanging from the tree branch irritated me even more.

And then.

"Okay then, let's all play together-!"

When we didn't respond enthusiastically, the Great Overlord shouted loudly. It was a dry and cracked voice that was so different from the boy's voice we had just heard. It sounded like something that most likely came from a monster's throat, not a human's.

"...Hey."

"......."

At the same time, Lee Jin-woo turned even paler.

"I think you need to tell us how to respond as soon as possible."

The reason was simple.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Starting with the Great Overlord's shout, footsteps were echoing all around. It was like an earthquake. I mean, being this conspicuous, even a child could know that monsters were coming.

And that we were now fuc—.

"Wh-what should we do......!"

Lee Jin-woo wasn't the only one startled. Even Mr. Zhang Wei and Seung-hyun Hyeong, who usually kept calm, looked visibly alarmed.

"...What we should do is."

I bit my lower lip and said.

I mean, was there any other solution?

"Run for now."

We could never beat that.

As soon as I finished talking, Sung Hyun-woo put his arms around us and used teleportation.

And while I watched the landscape in front of us change, I could hear a faint voice.

"Where are you going─! You're it, and you can't just disappear!"

A bizarre and creepy voice, which was half a boy's voice and half a monster's voice mixed together.

Simultaneously, Information Access, which I had activated to figure out the fort's structure, automatically scanned his information.

.

.

.

[Name: Great Overlord]

[Detailed information not available.]

[A creature defined as the 'Fifth Disaster'.]

[Confirmed Abilities]

[→ 'Leadership']

[→ The power to lead a group or an organization. Can control the minds of creatures defined as 'monsters' and make them do as commanded.]

[→ 'Pheromone']

[→ Loved by creatures called 'monsters'. Becomes immune to all 'mana' attacks. The greater the number of monsters, the more the ability is amplified.]

[Cannot access abilities that haven't been observed.]

No matter how many times I saw him, he was always one hell of a monster.