A shocking number of people had surrounded Seung-Hyun’s group.
Si-Woo was stunned. “How the heck did they find this place?! Unless... Seung-Hyun was truly infected?”
Since he had been infected, there was no way to hide their location. However, it was nonetheless surprising that the enemies had managed to launch a surprise attack despite the island's defenses. Dropping from a massive airplane, they’d secured the area with the precision of a highly trained special forces unit.
Recognizing how dire the situation had become, Si-Woo was drenched in a cold sweat.
Being on an island meant a demoralizing lack of escape routes. Behemoth, who was supposed to be guarding them, was still nowhere to be seen.
Swimming away in the middle of a fight was not an option, while fighting and winning against them was even more implausible.
The problem was that there seemed to be high-ranking Awakened individuals among the infected. Things may have been better if they had rampaged mindlessly without intelligence. Alas, the enemies clearly retained their sense of reason. No matter how much the dagon parasite had mutated, the sheer number of infected was overwhelming.
The chance of Si-Woo, an ordinary person, escaping from them was far from reassuring.
The enemies turned to one another to discuss their next move.
“What should we do?”
“Subdue them?”
“Subdue them.”
That was when Si-Woo began to notice something strange.
‘Huh?’
Si-Woo had lost his eyes long before he set foot on that island. However, undergoing a procedure performed by the Saint of Tionis, he’d received special prosthetic eyes that allowed him to see with a clarity far beyond normal human vision.
‘There's a delay in their movements.’
Their motions gave an air unbefitting of living beings. They were alive, but a strange delay was apparent in their actions.
Such a level of discernment was typical of a former pro gamer, capable of analyzing split-second moves, who’d gained eyes that provided superhuman vision.
Si-Woo, who had been focused on the peculiar movements, suddenly instinctively wrapped his arms around Elysia and threw his body to the side, groaning, “Shit!”
“Kyaaah!”
Sling!!!
At the same time, an Awakened individual slashed Si-Woo deeply across the back with a sword.
Elysia's eyes widened in shock. “Si-Woo!!”
“Ugh. Ngggh. Aaarrgh!”
When someone who'd lived a life far removed from combat got deeply cut by a sword, the pain, confusion, and fear they experienced were beyond imagination.
Biting down to the point that he couldn’t even scream properly, Si-Woo uncontrollably trembled with a pained groan.
“Don't move! I'll heal you right now!” Elysia quickly poured recovery magic onto the large wound on his back.
At that moment, a man's voice rang out, declaring, “We only need those two. The rest can be killed. Finish it as quickly as possible. Their backers are starting to notice and make their moves. Let's get the fuck out of here before we’re boned.”
Time was running out for them, too.
Seeing Seung-Hyun twitch, Si-Woo immediately reached into his pocket and lightly snapped something inside. He gulped, the object quickly resonating and emitting heat against his leg.
As he shook, one of the men slowly approached before opening their palm. A grotesque, purple, mucous-like substance suddenly shot out from it.
It was incredibly disgusting.
Ssss.
Fine, tentacle-like things sprouted and quickly wrapped around Si-Woo's neck. Its grip intensified, clearly intending to snap his spine.
“Si-Woo!” Elysia cried out in a panic, only for two female Awakened to swiftly restrain and subdue her.
Meanwhile, Grace was stressed out of her mind—her power still wouldn't move. “Damn it! Why isn’t it activating?!”
Then it happened.
“Grrr. Gaaa!!” Though he'd been badly cut and was trembling with fear, Si-Woo tried his best to stay conscious and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Grace! Elysia! Close your eyes!”
Boom!!!
It was instantaneous.
He suddenly tossed the item out of his pocket before it flared brightly, enveloping the entire area in a flash.
He was thankful for what Rinne had provided him when they arrived.
- This is a very powerful flash grenade. Rinne evaluates this crowd suppression system made by Lord Davey highly. Rinne recommends its use in the low chance that anyone attacks her hideout.
The effect of the flash grenade was undeniable.
“Aaaagh!”
An intense light that would’ve made even a regular Awakened individual stumble badly burst forward.
In the chaos, Si-Woo realized that the tentacle was no longer choking him so he grabbed Elysia.
“Grace!”
Startled back to awareness by his shout, Grace, who was groaning with her eyes closed, instinctively slung Seung-Hyun over her shoulder.
While Grace looked utterly frail on the outside, there was a great deal of strength within her small frame.
‘I can't run too far, anyway.’
Enemies incapacitated, Si-Woo’s first instinct was to escape to one of the nearest hideouts. All he needed was to buy time until the association sent support, or Behemoth noticed something was wrong and returned.
Leaving the surprisingly sluggish enemies behind, he dashed into the woods, not even thinking to wipe the cold sweat pouring down his face.
Soon, some of those who had recovered their senses began chasing him at an incredible speed. “Chase them!”
Having fled into the distance, Si-Woo immediately gave a slight turn of the top part of a nearby stone tower, then let it collapse.
Whummm!! Whummm!!!
Following his motion, a hidden magic circle activated.
Thud!! Boom! Boom!!
A mass of binding web magic was fired toward the pursuers, completely ensnaring them all where they stood.
“Haah. Haah...”
Seeing Elysia heavily panting behind him, Si-Woo decided he couldn't wait any longer. He lifted her into his arms.
“Oh!”
“Pardon me, Elysia!”
No matter how light a woman was, carrying a person and running was bound to be heavy.
However, Si-Woo seemed to summon a superhuman strength from who knows where, cradling her and running quickly.
Elysia was startled at first, then her eyes widened, and her face flushed red at his reliable appearance as he protected her even while injured.
“We’re not too far out! If we can get there, we can hold out for at least two hours!” he told her as he ran.
“H-how do you know that, Si-Woo??”
“Rinne told me a few things before we came here. It was an offhand comment she probably told me just in case, and it isn't a full-fledged backup plan, but this isn't the time to be picky.”
Turning his head back, he saw Grace dragging Seung-Hyun behind her.
“Haah. Haah.” She didn't look so good either, clearly extremely exhausted.
He quickly touched a small switch beyond a rock crevice and stomped his foot nervously. “Hurry!”
The dagon parasites, which were closing in on them with every passing moment, had already started to pick up speed.
In that fleeting moment, where a single second felt like years, the door opened and Si-Woo shoved Grace, the unconscious Seung-Hyun, and Elysia inside. He threw himself in last and slammed the door shut behind him.
Thud!!!
Gratified by the heavy sound, he finally loosened up. Only then did the throbbing pain hit him. He felt completely drained.
Since the four people had practically tumbled inside, they were all tangled up in a mess.
Once they all separated, Elysia looked around in wonder. “This is...”
“Supposedly it's a warehouse. Since it stores important objects, Rinne took extra care to build a defense system. We might be able to hold out here for quite a while.”
Taking in his explanation, Grace silently looked at Seung-Hyun. She couldn’t help but worry, since he’d still yet to regain consciousness after the infection flared up.
“If they try to force this place open, the defense system will activate and do its thing. Since there are a lot of traps in this forest, as long as we understand and utilize them well, we can buy ourselves enough time until help arrives.”
But then Elysia immediately pushed him against the wall.
“U-uhh?!”
“Stay still!” Throwing him down in an embrace, Elysia, face pale, began to re-heal the wound on his back. Only someone like Davey could completely heal a wound with a single primary treatment—her recovery magic was nowhere near that potent.
She began treating his wounds with tears welling in her eyes, but it had little effect.
“Hey!” Grace abruptly called out. “Isn't this a first-aid kit? Let's at least put some medicine on it.”
“Thank you!” Elysia's face brightened upon receiving the Tionis-made first-aid kit, and she quickly and familiarly treated Si-Woo.
“Ugh. You seem... quite experienced.”
“I've treated many villagers who were cut by farming scythes or severely injured by blades while playing around.”
Elysia combined a few special medicinal ingredients, crushed them with a practiced efficiency, rubbed them thickly on her hands, and applied them to his back.
As she worked the medicine in, she asked, “But... how long will we have to spend holed up in here?”
“We're safe for now,” he assured her. “Still, we need to pray that the association sends support, or that Behemoth returns...”
“I have to say, you truly are amazing,” Grace complimented him. “I never imagined you'd escape from the Awakened like that.”
“I don't really know how I did it, myself...” Si-Woo smiled faintly while lying face down, then winced at the stinging pain. “Ngh...”
Then, the hitherto unconscious Seung-Hyun slowly began to stir. He groaned, “Ugh. My head... Where is this place?”
“Seung-Hyun!”
When Grace immediately hugged him and wept, he made a bewildered face. “Grace?”
His eyes then widened once he saw Si-Woo laying down receiving treatment.
“Si-Woo? Don't tell me...”
“Those bastards found out about this place, and now we're holed up in a foodie panic room. That's the whole story.”
They were in an underground space that looked to be about five hundred square feet in size.
Of course, as it was called a hideout, there was another escape route, but they had to be careful since they didn't even know how many enemies there were. They couldn't be sure what lay on the other side.
Boom!! Thud!!
They could already hear movement outside, a poignant reminder of the enemies trying to break into the hideout.
Elysia skeptically looked around the space, worked up by the sounds. “W-will we really be okay here?”
“Don't worry. This storage space is sturdy enough that even a high-ranking Awakened wouldn't be able to open it.”
While Si-Woo reassured Elysia, Seung-Hyun felt extremely depressed by the fact that he had been infected and put everyone in danger.
Noticing his mood, Grace called out, “Hey. Seung-Hyun.”
He gave a start and began shuffling backward, stammering, “W-wait a moment! Back away, Grace!”
“Why?”
“Don't come near me! There might still be some parasites inside my body.” He wore a bitter expression, insisting that just because he’d been infected once, it didn't mean he couldn’t get infected twice.
“It's fine, Seung-Hyun!” she assured him. “I can tell the difference now! I can detect them, even if they're hiding!”
He was clearly skeptical. “Are you sure you can properly control that power?”
While it was true that Grace had rediscovered her instinctual ability to find the parasites, her reliability left much to be desired. She couldn't properly control her power.
He firmly declared, “So it's better if I keep my distance for a while.”
Of course, his worries were completely meaningless to Grace. She clung to his legs and yelled, “Shut up!”
“Ugh! Hey!”
“You don’t have them!” she insisted. “If I say you don’t have them, they're not there!”
He gave a wry smile. “Don't you know that those guys are after you?”
“I know!”
“Then back off, you idiot!”
“No way!” she declared boldly, clinging to him even tighter. “I heard the Awakened on Earth aren't very strong, so they shouldn’t be able to get in here. You’re no longer infected, so you're fine.”
“Can't you do anything about them with your power?” He hoped at least her special constitution would afford her the proper strength to fight them off.
“No...” It wouldn't be a problem if Grace could control the power she’d used to extract the parasite, but she didn't even know how to bring that power out.
Noticing the awkward moment, Si-Woo took out the emergency rations carefully stored in the warehouse and said, “First, there's food here, so fill your stomach. You need to eat up in order to move and be prepared for any situation.”
Grace's eyes sparkled. “I was just about to say I could eat a horse right now. This is perfect!!”
She scurried over, quickly opened the box of emergency rations Si-Woo handed her, and pulled out a can of food. Her arms shook as she tried to pry the lid off. “Ugh. Why won't this open!”
Seung-Hyun approached, practically embracing her from behind as she struggled with the can, and reached out for it. “Hey... Give it here.”
Her eyes widened sharply, and she froze. All she could manage to do was mumble, “Uh... Uhh?”
“There. All yours now.”
As Seung-Hyun retreated nonchalantly, her face turned red from the strange feeling she had just experienced. She usually went crazy for food, yet at that moment, she couldn't tell if the canned food was going into her mouth or her nose. All she felt was her rapidly beating heart and fluttering chest.
“Phew! But this is really weird...” Seung-Hyun began.
Grace asked, “What is?”
“Those dagon parasites. It seemed like they were after you and Grace from the beginning, and it only happened to start at Alfland.”
“Really? You think so?”
“Don’t you think it’s strange? How they got their hands on this information?”
“Does that mean the original host is someone who knew Grace and Elysia were on Earth, and knew their true identities? No way...”
Hyun-Ah's face suddenly flashed through his mind. After all, the others were so powerful that he doubted a mere parasite could even infect them.
If even she was infected, successfully fooling everyone, it would be a whole other ballgame.
However, Si-Woo shook his head. “It can’t be Hyun-Ah. There’s a clear conclusion we can reach just by looking at the movements of the infected.”
Everyone looked at him, expecting him to elaborate. One of them asked, “One thing?”
“There's a delay in the actions of those who are infected. A very subtle one. It’s like they’re playing on a lower polling rate.”
“You can see something like that?”
“My eyesight is good. Honestly, it’s actually, like, really good.”
His dynamic visual acuity was practically monster-level.
He continued, “I don't know about the first host, but there's a very slight delay in the movements of all the ones we’ve encountered. It's probably due to the parasites’ innate deficiencies for transmitting and responding to orders.”
If his prediction was right, the first host wouldn't be much different.
Unless that host was already dead.
“But Hyun-Ah didn't show any of that kind of delay.”
“Then who the hell...”
“There's one more person who knows the situation.”
Seung-Hyun stared at him with a shocked face. “Don't tell me, could Kouna be...”
“No. I’m talking about the head of the Korean Awakened Association.”
“That's crazy! That guy can’t even enter the gate, so how could he have gotten infected? Unless the dagon parasite was outside from the very beginning...”
“There's a possibility they were infected by someone who came out of the gate and then passed it on.”
Just as that speculation left his mouth, it happened.
Seung-Hyun suddenly flung himself forward and pushed Grace away. “Look out!”
Soon enough, clusters of sharp tentacles pierced through him.
He collapsed in terrible agony. “Gaaa. Aaaaargh!”
Accompanied by his screams, the closed and secured hideout was suddenly opened to the outside.
“H-how?!”
“How? Will luck be a good enough explanation?”
Startled by the voice that suddenly echoed, Si-Woo turned his head. He immediately recognized the man from his appearances on TV.
Face solemn, he said, “The head of the Awakened Association.”
“You're proving to be quite a pain. Are you hoping someone will come to your aid? I'm sorry, but those people are also in the palm of my hand. No support will come, and that giant monster is preoccupied in its own world, so you’re all here alone.”
Grace's pupils shrank as she stared in horror at Seung-Hyun, who had collapsed again. “S-Seung-Hyun...”
She had failed to protect him. Again.
She had let him get hurt. Again.
The memory of Neltarid’s words echoed across her mind.
- Stay by his side and become his family, watching over him to help when he's in danger.
She trembled uncontrollably as she stared at him slumped over like a corpse.
“Don't resent me too much,” the man said before turning to Grace. “I didn't want to go to such extremes either, but you are too dangerous to our species. Once this is over, we’ll have to move the original host to avoid the mess we’ve stirred up, but getting rid of you is definitely worth the trouble.”
Si-Woo suddenly understood. It had become clear how the Awakened had managed to get there without a sound. The association gathering the infected for examination had, in fact, given the infected association head a chance to secure his own troops.
For the head of the Korea Awakened Association, procuring transport wouldn't have been a difficult task. Flanked by his sizable retinue of Awakened fighters, the association head approached Grace, who was trembling while embracing Seung-Hyun.
At the same time, purple tentacles began to pierce and burst through his hand. He coldly declared, “I'm afraid you'll have to die here. We can't allow a natural enemy to keep roaming about, after all.”
Some of the tentacles wrapped around her neck and waist, tightening as if to crush her.
Elysia frantically cried, “Grace! Run away!”
Yet, the young homunculus just stayed still and trembled even harder. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a way to subdue them.
“Of course, I also have to consider the threatening power you occasionally show.”
The association head had seen Grace extracting one of his own kind, and so laid a careful trap. The moment the tentacle fully wrapped around her neck and began to tighten, her breathing grew ragged under the overwhelming stress.
Then, a mechanical voice flowed from her mouth. “Warning. Activating self-defense system due to injury and stress levels exceeding threshold. Evaluating available self-defense systems. Defense system No. 1 failure. Defense system No. 2 fail...”
She continued with a surprisingly cold voice, mentioning only failures starting from number one. When that number reached a staggering twenty four, her eyes flashed.
“24th and final defense system. Initiating mimicry. Urging individual awakening. All limits released.”
‘Mimicry? Is she transforming into something?’
At the same time, her body changed to slime and began to transform into something else.
“Initiating phased mimicry. Activating first data. Mimicry individual name.” After a brief silence, she spoke shocking words. “Killer Rabbit. Replication rate 20%.”
* * *
“Lord Davey, Rinne reports that Park Seung-Hyun's biometrics have stabilized.”
He simply commanded, “Rinne, popcorn.”
“Rinne evaluates popcorn highly.” She brought over a box of popcorn and offered it. “Lord Davey, Rinne questions if watching is necessary.”
“This was never a fight they could win, there wasn't a snowball’s chance in hell. They hardly know a few things about Grace, let alone her true power. Never mind that, just make sure to record her performance properly. Hmph. If Park Seung-Hyun had planned to abandon her, I would've taken her back to receive the cherishing she deserves.”
While he was conducting a test of Earth's self-reliance, it was also a test for Seung-Hyun and Si-Woo. While Willow wasn't too concerned about stuff like that, he at least felt responsible for seeing things through to the end.
“Warning. If Lady Perserque finds out about this, Rinne determines that Lord Davey will be reduced to a ragged shell.”
Davey knew he wouldn't get in too much trouble just for running a test. However, while creating Grace, he had indulged his desires for the first time in a long while.
In the process, he had secretly stolen and used some of the ingredients that Perserque had saved by cutting the territory's budget.
The Development Society and the Gourmet Research Society.
At their root, they were all Davey O'Rowane.
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