Chapter 20 – Game Board (3)
– If we’re not careful, the nightmare from ten years ago might be recreated.
“…”
I absentmindedly read and reread the knight’s article.
And let out a sigh.
Ten years ago was when the response system was still immature.
At that time, countless people died due to demons.
The situation is just as dire now.
“Is it against regulations to mention the game? Right?”
[Correct. Anyway, all responsibility falls on you.]
“…Are you still unaware?”
I scrolled down the text rapidly.
There’s been nothing but such discussions lately.
Evolving demons, also known as mutated types.
To those who don’t know, it might seem confusing.
But technically, they are not considered mutated.
They are growing, interacting, and learning.
South Korea hasn’t reported anything about such mutated types yet, but they could appear at any moment.
“What about the legion? How much more does it need to grow before it can interact with me?”
As the situation became more urgent, I couldn’t help but bite my lip.
I had asked if it was possible to extract information by inserting even a part of an upper entity’s body, but I was told that with the current interpretation ability of the legion, complete restoration is impossible.
Even if I send blood containing my genes and cells, it meant the legion couldn’t replicate a human with just that.
[When communication will be possible, no one knows. It could be at any moment or in the distant future. But rest assured, managing that will be your role.]
My role.
I checked the sample slots that still had some space available.
I had steeled myself to some degree.
If demons emerge, I planned to seek them out and take their pictures.
“..Huh?”
At that moment, a loud siren blared from outside.
*
“Surely it’s around here?”
In the chaotic atmosphere of the streets, Chae Yeon, who had driven her car, parked it and placed a small stone on her palm.
The stone was vibrating and humming.
After searching through more than half of Seoul, she had finally picked up a signal.
Based on this signal, she had established a general range for the target.
[It’s impossible to find the exact location. However, if you get close enough, you should be able to find any suspicious individuals.]
“Understood.”
She stepped out of the car.
Thanks to her distinctive appearance, people around her began to recognize her, but she deliberately ignored their gazes and moved on.
Two schools, numerous apartments and shops, subway stations, etc.
Though she had narrowed the range, there were still too many potential targets to identify.
“…”
However, someone was watching her.
Not only her but also another existence that was unaware of her background.
A creature that was sharing vision with a sparrow flying around in the sky revealed its sharp teeth and grinned.
“…The location has been fixed for several hours already. Then that means private residences, schools, and small businesses, not just floating populations?”
As she drove around the neighborhood, Chae Yeon pondered and attempted to deduce candidates in any way possible.
This area was a typical bedroom community, so if someone remained in one place during a weekday morning, she could still find a few candidates.
[This is—]
But in that moment, the peaceful tranquility of the morning shattered.
She lifted her head.
A scream echoed from afar.
“Sudden gate!”
“G-Goblins! But these guys look…”
The hunter’s keen hearing accurately caught the faint screams.
From the people’s shouts, she realized something was happening.
[Coincidence? This is definitely not a coincidence. Get to safety. They are coming after you.]
“…Then why did they have to draw attention.”
She clicked her tongue and instinctively ran toward the source of the screams.
Of course. She was a hunter, someone who hunts monsters.
At the same time, she had an obligation to save people.
[No, retreat right now. The fact that variables can’t be created is Karthos’s intention.]
“People are dying! It’s our fault!”
[Unfortunately, that consideration is not on your player’s agenda.]
“Ugh…”
She staggered from the sharp pain piercing her spine.
This was a warning.
Her player was a clear powerhouse with a mysterious power.
In the first place, they had imposed constraints to use her as their own pawn while bestowing blessings upon her.
[Step back and assess the situation. When the demons’ capabilities are confirmed, then join in and accumulate merit.]
She had to obey the command.
Ultimately, biting her lip, she hurriedly withdrew, regardless of how much the screams grew louder.
“What the hell are goblins doing…”
At the moment Chae Yeon was retreating, the space twisted, and the creatures flooded out, attacking people indiscriminately.
They were about the height of elementary school kids.
With dark green skin and distorted faces.
They resembled the goblins from fictional works but were instead referred to simply as goblin-type small group monsters.
In fact, they were known as D-rank monsters of the lowest grade, with even an average person able to beat them one-on-one.
“This, this is… cough.”
But the ones pouring out of the gate now were different.
They were no longer just a mere pack of beasts.
Ragged flags with characters written in blood flew, albeit crudely, from worn-out fabric.
“●●●!!”
A few police officers who rushed in a hurry, firing their handguns, were struck down by arrows launched from the beasts.
They had already formed a legion.
While releasing beings that ran around for looting and massacring, a commander with a long beard directed the army, aligning them with a meticulously arranged formation.
“…”
The creature sniffed the air, glancing around.
In a location linked by sorcery, a bird was currently flying in the sky.
It was one of the means to locate its target.
Yet the object of their pursuit had disappeared from sight.
“●! ●●!”
Of course, this didn’t matter.
The reason it came here wasn’t simply to hunt a single unit of the opponent.
The creature swung its command staff, dispersing its soldiers.
“Ahhh!”
“Let go of me!”
The ones continuing their indiscriminate slaughter selectively captured specific targets instead of killing them.
Their prey was fertile women.
Goblin creatures could not reproduce without females from other races.
“●…”
One warrior at the forefront was sniffing.
People were desperately fleeing from a large building.
The smell of their prey wafted strongly from there.
“Hey, guys! Get a grip and stick to the manual! Quickly to the shelters! We can’t go out now!”
The previously calm school descended into chaos.
Siren blared crazily as faint screams were heard from afar, but evacuations started awkwardly.
“Kids..!”
As the actual situation unfolded, the teacher’s control faltered.
It was not a case of safety complacency.
It was just extreme fear.
“What are you doing? Let’s go.”
“You seem strangely calm? But we might need to reconsider heading to the shelter?”
Kang Do-yeon was left with no choice but to stick right next to Oh Yu-na in the midst of chaos.
Oh Yu-na, however, hesitated even when Kang Do-yeon urged her to head to the shelter.
“What do you mean?”
“It could lead to total annihilation if we’re not careful. It’s not that I don’t trust the manual. It’s just that we can’t be sure what kind of monsters will pop out of the gate.”
Seeing her friend smirk at the mention of annihilation, Oh Yu-na frowned.
Although she was already aware of the app and game, they were still just ordinary high school girls.
“I’m not so sure. Even if we plan, coming into contact with the monsters emerging from the gate doesn’t seem like a good choice.”
“Ahhh!”
As Oh Yu-na was engrossed in her rambling, something burst through the hallway windows.
An arrowhead sharpened like obsidian.
Seeing that, Kang Do-yeon felt a chill run down her spine.
“It’s goblins!”
Someone screamed as if being torn apart.
The goblins targeting the school began to ignore everything else and started swarming over the walls like ants.
“Let’s run.”
“Yeah.”
At that moment, the two of them unanimously agreed.
You’d think a mere goblin couldn’t do anything to the steel doors of a shelter, but they knew those goblins were no ordinary creatures.
“Everyone evacuate outside… What are you doing?!”
“You were smart until now, but don’t act stupid at the end. If everyone bolts outside, it’ll be hard to escape properly. There’s no time for that.”
Kang Do-yeon blocked Oh Yu-na’s mouth as she tried to evacuate other students and teachers outside.
Oh Yu-na, taken aback at how far she was willing to go, gazed at her in shock.
“…You mean the friends are bait?”
“Bait? Bait is for hunting. This is just flailing around.”
She was resolute.
Even though she had the upper hand, Oh Yu-na nodded, compelled by her fierce tone.
After that, they rushed frantically through the hallway.
The goblins that infiltrated from the back were killing those who resisted and capturing students who couldn’t escape in time.
“Eek…”
While they were on their way down the stairs, a goblin holding a bloodied sword stood before them, grinning.
The casualties included the principal and the head teacher of the student council.
Freshman teachers also tried to protect the students, but they edged forward, abandoning the students, only to be killed by the monster that had overtaken them.
“Protect me! You’re giving me strength for that!”
“I know.”
A trembling Oh Yu-na hid her small body behind Kang Do-yeon.
Ultimately, Kang Do-yeon stepped forward.
If they couldn’t escape here, they would die.
Perhaps something even more horrific awaited them.
At the very least, she had some feeble strength left.
“●●.”
The goblin grinned and thrust the sword toward her.
Though it was a goblin’s sword, it was still the length of a machete.
‘Please, stay focused.’
Kang Do-yeon desperately tried to gather her thoughts.
Every time she saw a monster directly or indirectly, it triggered the traumatic memories of that day.
The terrible memories from her childhood that still haunted her.
“Hah…”
The incident from that day had various impacts on her mental state.
Those impacts could, at times, plunge her into panic in response to specific situations.
“Fuck you, disgusting monster bastard!”
“●!”
At times, it also filled her with boiling disgust and anger.
The moment her anger suppressed her fear, she slammed the ground.
Simultaneously, she lifted a fire extinguisher with one hand and struck the unsuspecting goblin squarely in the face.
Flesh burst, and the sound of bones crunching and breaking echoed sharply.
