Chapter 115

Jun-sang frowned at the woman’s shout. He had thought there must be some limitation to her actions, given that she went to the trouble of luring men into a deserted basement. But for her to reveal herself so brazenly…

The target clearly said: the taboo was broken. And because of that, nothing could stop her anymore. This implied that her actions had been constrained by something called a taboo until now, and that Jun-sang had broken it. In that case, it would have been better not to have touched her at all. How was this any different from clumsily poking a hornet’s nest?

As Jun-sang, hidden in the shadows, clicked his tongue, people passing by were startled to see the building under construction suddenly collapse, and an unidentified colossal flower emerge from within. Some, shocked by the bizarre, gigantic flower, immediately fled, while others, conversely, showed interest and took out their phones to film it.

But that was only for a very brief moment. People residing in nearby buildings, who had been gazing out their windows with wide eyes, began to be ensnared by tentacles erupting from the gigantic flower and dragged out. And again, before Jun-sang could react, some of the captured citizens were torn apart by the tentacles and died. As the other people caught in the tentacles began to scream and struggle, only then did the onlookers begin to flee in terror.

The target laughed loudly, quenching her thirst with the bones and flesh of the citizens. “Hahahaha!”

This was no hostage situation. It was simply the beginning of a full-scale hunt, using Jun-sang’s presence as an excuse. Perhaps the monster had intentionally been mimicking a dancer in a crowded amusement park to create this very situation.

There were still no signs of military or police movement. He would have preferred to launch an attack after pinpointing the Dark Seed‘s location or finding some weakness, but if he waited, it was unlikely she would reveal any weaknesses on her own.

Jun-sang took out the box of grenades he had stored in his inventory. How effective they would be was unknown, but they were certainly one of the most powerful means to strike without revealing himself in the current situation. Jun-sang pulled out a stick grenade from the box. Ordinary grenades just needed the pin removed before throwing, but stick grenades had a slightly different method of use. First, one had to twist open the cap-like object at the back of the stick, then pull the safety string inside before throwing it. It was undoubtedly more inconvenient to use than a typical egg-shaped grenade, but it had the advantage of being able to be thrown farther and more accurately. In fact, this advantage held little meaning in modern warfare, so stick grenades had been phased out in most countries, with only the Chinese army still using them as standard issue.

However, conversely, for Jun-sang, who possessed dozens of times the physical strength of an ordinary person, it could be a tremendous advantage. Jun-sang pulled the safety string, then threw the grenade at the target from a distance and immediately concealed himself. The grenade flew rapidly towards the target’s head.

“Hmm?” The target, seeing something flying rapidly towards her, frowned and quickly extended a tentacle to snatch it. Then, seeing the strange object caught in the tentacle, which resembled a cluster of mushrooms, or, more bluntly, a male organ, she tilted her head. “What is this?”

But the next moment, the grenade, held in the tentacle, exploded with a deafening roar. As the grenade suddenly exploded right in front of her, showering her with shrapnel and a blinding flash, the creature was completely engulfed by it.

“Gah! How dare you use such a toy!” The creature raged and writhed, but the moment the grenade exploded, Jun-sang observed that the red mist surrounding the target rapidly moved to protect its body, which resembled red petals.

Modern weapons were not entirely ineffective. However, to inflict damage on the main body with modern weapons, it was necessary to first neutralize that red mist. But how?

As he pondered this, several police cars arrived at the scene with blaring sirens. “Tsk…” Jun-sang pulled out a small pistol and clicked his tongue, seeing the bewildered police officers. It was impressive that they had arrived so quickly, but with their current armament, they wouldn’t be much help. And sure enough. The target, hearing the loud sirens, turned her gaze towards the police.

“You scoundrels!” Immediately, colossal, tree trunk-like tentacles erupted from the ground and surged towards the police like an angry wave.

“Eek!” When something overwhelmingly powerful charges at them, people simply freeze. Most of the police officers, facing the sight of tentacles pouring down from the sky like a tidal wave, were no different. A few police officers still managed to shoot at the tentacles, but even they didn’t think it would have any effect. It was merely the act of soldier ants brandishing their mandibles before being crushed by the foot of a giant elephant.

Is this how I’m going to die? Just as the police officers were having such thoughts, seeing the tentacles obscuring the sky.

A figure suddenly burst forth from the shadows and swung two massive iron spheres, blocking the descending tentacles. That person, Jun-sang, without even looking back, blocked the tentacles with Weapon Defense and shouted to the police behind him, “Seal off the area and evacuate the people!”

The police, hearing Jun-sang’s shout—a figure clad in a cloak, swinging two huge iron spheres seemingly a meter in diameter to block the tentacles—only then realized they were alive. “Hurry! Quickly!”

“Ah, yes, understood.” The police, keenly aware that the events unfolding were beyond their capabilities, followed Jun-sang’s command, sealing off the nearby area and evacuating the people.

“You finally came out! You mere returnee!” The target shouted loudly, looking at the revealed Jun-sang, and slowly began to lift its body rooted in the earth. The moment the red flower, exuding a putrid scent, rose, Jun-sang’s eyes gleamed with a strange light. The location of the Dark Seed, which had been invisible until now, came into view for a fleeting moment.

“So that’s where it was.” The Dark Seed was emanating a black halo from the center of the body connecting the red flower and its roots, flaunting its presence. Jun-sang, having finally found his target, devised a plan of attack in his mind. The fully transformed target moved surprisingly slowly. However, as long as numerous tentacles rooted in the ground existed, approaching the Dark Seed, its weakness, would be extremely difficult. The tentacles’ movements were so violent that even using Phase Shift was not easy. And it was impossible to destroy all these tentacles. So, what should he do?

As Jun-sang parried the tentacles with Weapon Defense, a path suddenly appeared in his sight. A single path, seen through the gaps in the densely packed tentacles, like weeds growing on a windy hill, and the red mist swirling between them. Was it a gap deliberately shown to lure Jun-sang in? Or was it a path inevitably created by the creature’s physical structure? There was no way to confirm which it was, but the path vanished again in the blink of an eye.

Jun-sang first forcefully pushed back the tentacles, then used Invisibility and Phase Shift to escape their range.

“You scoundrel! Do you think you can escape!” The target raged, swirling the red mist to sweep away any place where Jun-sang might be hiding. It was difficult to indiscriminately use Heavy Strike or Blood Sucker from a distance. Range was one problem, but if he didn’t land an effective blow immediately, he was more likely to be counterattacked. In other words, to deliver an effective strike instantly, he needed to get as close as possible to its weakness. But how, amidst the wildly flailing tentacles that made even Phase Shift difficult to use?

At that very moment, it reappeared. A single passage, like a narrow path through a dark forest, appeared once more in the swirling gaps of tentacles and red mist. For an ordinary human, it would be impossible. More likely, they would be immediately engulfed by tentacles and red mist rather than breaking through.

However, Jun-sang was no ordinary human. Jun-sang immediately changed his combo cards.

Sprint.

Leap.

Instant Acceleration.

Instant Acceleration (R).

These four cards combined to complete Deandallas’ Courier. Jun-sang finally equipped Weapon Charge. And quietly waited for that path to reappear once more.

But just then. A very familiar Range Rover sped through the chaotic city and appeared.

“Ugh… that guy is never there when you need him.”

“Get ready!”

“Yes!”

Seo-yoon and his comrades quickly got out of the Range Rover and immediately prepared for battle. It seemed reckless to Jun-sang, but even in their fearful state, they were pointing their weapons at the gigantic monster flower that had appeared in the city.

The first to attack was Seo-yoon. “I really didn’t want to use this, but I have no choice.” He took out a large anti-tank missile from a cabinet, slung it over his shoulder, and began to aim.

“What are you doing! You can’t be behind him!”

“Oh, I apologize.” Yoon Seong-ryeol looked surprised as Seo-yoon suddenly pulled out an anti-tank missile and began to aim, but hearing Jung Da-bin’s words, he quickly moved out of the backblast range.

“Firing!” Seo-yoon shouted, then pressed the firing button towards the monster flower, which was raging and destroying buildings in an attempt to find Jun-sang. Flames erupted as the anti-tank missile launched.

“Huh?” The target, frowning as something flew towards her again, swung a tentacle to block it. Then, once more, a shower of fragments accompanied by a flash and explosion rained down upon the woman’s face.

“There you are!” The target shouted and turned her body to look at where the anti-tank missile had come from. But then she grew angry, seeing not Jun-sang but five or six men and women standing there. “How dare you, you mere mayflies!”

As an angry roar erupted from the woman’s lips, five or six tentacles again shot up from the ground and launched towards Seo-yoon and the others. Then Jin Se-ah, who had been prepared, stepped forward and used her magic.

“Go!” With her short shout, three or four large fireballs flew towards the tentacles. That wasn’t all.

“Yaah!” A burst of spirited cries erupted from Jung Da-bin’s lips, and suddenly the surroundings seemed to darken, and a bolt of lightning struck the monster flower from the sky.

“Th-this is?” The target, who had her bare upper body exposed on the flower, was startled as lightning suddenly struck from the sky and quickly covered her body with red mist. As a result, the tentacles flying towards Seo-yoon and the others instantly lost their momentum, and immediately, as fireballs exploded, Seo Yoo-mi, dressed in a white dress with long hair, stepped forward. She slowly took out a kitchen knife wrapped in white cloth from her bosom and unwrapped it. Then, she quietly lowered her body, preparing for a quick draw, and then, like lightning, swung the kitchen knife at one of the tentacles flying towards her group.

Skat!

Then, a flash extended, splitting the flying tentacle in two instantly. The moment a tentacle, severed by Seo Yoo-mi’s kitchen knife, flopped on the ground like a freshly caught fish, the woman’s charred figure, struck by lightning, let out a furious roar.

“You were returnees too!”

The woman momentarily forgot about Jun-sang and began to move her body towards the newly appeared party of returnees. At that very moment. The path appeared again before Jun-sang’s eyes, who had been waiting for an opportunity. Jun-sang immediately shot forward like a fired arrow. The enhanced Sprint effect, provided by Deandallas’ Courier, made Jun-sang’s body move as fast as a beam of light.

However, that was not enough. At some point, tentacles and red mist began to block Jun-sang’s path. But Jun-sang did not panic. Instead, he thrust two massive iron spheres forward and activated Weapon Charge.

For a moment, Jun-sang had a strange experience. A peculiar sensation, as if he was detaching from the space and time flowing around him. But that sensation vanished in an instant, and at some point, Jun-sang’s vision was filled with the black haze emanating from the Dark Seed.

Jun-sang returned Rangdazar’s Fury to his inventory, then pulled out Blood Sucker. And, without a moment’s hesitation, he swung the cursed blade towards the Dark Seed that was approaching him. Jun-sang felt it. The black blade of Blood Sucker instantly cleaved the stem of the monster flower. And immediately, it flew towards the Dark Seed.

But at that very moment. The Dark Seed, which had been emitting black haze, moved on its own, dodging the blade of Blood Sucker flying towards it. Jun-sang realized his triumphant blow had failed and quickly tried to use Phase Shift, but unfortunately, there was no shadow within ten meters around him for him to move into at that moment.

From above him, the furious voice of the woman erupted. “Kruaaaaagh! How dare you, you wretch!”

Jun-sang, realizing the aftereffects of Blood Sucker were raging throughout his body, immediately used a healing potion. Immediately, the vitality of the healing potion spread throughout his creaking body, overloaded from the strain. But before Jun-sang’s body could recover from the aftereffects of Blood Sucker, a bundle of tentacles shot out from beneath his feet and wrapped around his legs.

“Got you! You rascal!” His body was unable to move a single finger below his head due to the lingering aftereffects. In that state, Jun-sang saw it. The black haze, which had disappeared earlier, was now rising again from the head of the woman, whose bare upper body was exposed on the flower. That was the trace of the Dark Seed. Behind her head, the sun was shining brightly, like a halo.

Jun-sang immediately switched cards, then performed Phase Shift into the shadow cast by her body. And with wide eyes of shock, he ferociously bit into the woman’s neck with his teeth.

“Kruaaaaagh!” The woman screamed, reaching out with her hands and tentacles to tear Jun-sang’s body away from her. But Jun-sang, drenched in the blood gushing from her body, bit into her neck even more ferociously.

Crunch!

Crackle!

He felt the soft flesh of the woman being torn by his teeth, and her bones shattering. Hot blood surged from the severed artery with a gurgling sound. Was it not just mimicry? But Jun-sang was not swayed by such sentiments. Harriah’s Mad Dog Mk. II. As if he had become its very incarnation, he simply bit into the woman’s neck like a mad dog.

And finally, freed from the aftereffects of Blood Sucker and able to move his body, he immediately reached out with both hands, gripping her hair and shoulder respectively.

“W-wait… P-please…” The woman stammered, trembling with fear, but Jun-sang’s two arms mercilessly tore the head, from which the black haze was rising, from her body.