novelraw Chapter 86 : Chapter 86
Chapter 86 : Chapter 86
Chapter 86 World of Art (6)
'Can we catch that?'
'......'
There were three people having this conversation.
They were members of the 2nd Squad of this building's security detail, in other words, Ryu Ji-ho's squad members.
They were hiding in the distance, aiming their gun barrels at Riman.
However, they could not carelessly pull the trigger.
It was obvious it would be blocked anyway.
'...It is a monster that defeated the squad leader who utilized the sprinklers.'
There was no way they could defeat such a human with just a few rifles.
That was why they could not pull the triggers even while aiming at the target.
Eventually—
CLACK.
The most senior member lowered his gun barrel.
Then, the other squad members asked quietly.
'We should retreat, right?'
'No.'
CLICK.
The senior member loaded a new bullet taken from his chest pocket into the chamber.
It was a different type of ammunition from the ones previously loaded.
A bullet with a casing painted red and a warhead emanating a haze-like aura.
The squad members realized what it was at once.
'Magic Bullet...!'
It was a Magic Bullet equipped with a highly concentrated Magic Stone warhead.
And a considerably expensive one at that.
'Are we allowed to use that?! I think those were issued for when high-level Demonic Beasts invade......'
'How is that bastard different from a Demonic Beast?'
'......!'
The shooter who loaded the Magic Bullet raised his gun and aimed at Riman.
However......
'Huh?!'
He was gone.
Riman had disappeared.
He had vanished from their sight in that short moment while the Magic Bullet was being loaded.
'This bastard, just where did he...!'
"What are you doing?"
The squad members froze in place.
Because Riman's voice was heard right next to them.
Riman was standing right beside them.
'When did he get here...!'
They hadn't even felt his presence.
They hadn't heard footsteps either.
The floor was even sloshing with water due to the recent battle.
Anyone walking on this floor was bound to make splashing sounds.
Yet, Riman had approached this close in a single breath while hiding his presence to near perfection.
And at high speed, too.
"How on earth...!"
[Discharge]
ZZZT!
Pitch-black sparks burst from Riman's fingertips.
The senior squad member collapsed right at Riman's feet.
The last thing he saw as he fell was Riman's shoes,
Thanks to the shock emission and absorption functions of these shoes, Riman was able to execute such silent high-speed movement.
"This bastard...!"
CLICK, CLICK!
The other squad members aimed their guns at Riman.
Riman let out a short sigh and said.
"Think a little. What do you think will happen if you pull that?"
"......"
They looked at the fallen squad member.
And they also saw the corpse of the squad leader lying dead with his head separated.
The answer was simple.
Only surrender.
CLATTER!
They threw their guns onto the floor and spoke.
"Surrender! P-Please just let us live!"
"Hand over the key card. The doors are all blocked going upstairs."
"W-We will give it to you!"
They took out a key card and held it out to Riman.
A key card that allowed access to the floor where Francis Appel's studio was located.
It wouldn't have mattered if he just broke all the doors on the way up, but there was no reason to do something so troublesome.
To Riman, who was pocketing the key card, they spoke.
"Then we are......"
"I'll let you live."
"Yes?"
[Discharge]
THUD!
They also fainted and fell alongside their senior.
Riman used [Freeze] to stick their backs completely to the floor.
Since the floor was pooled with water, their bodies stuck quite firmly.
'They won't be able to move for two hours with this.'
After that, he destroyed all the radios they had and took anything useful.
'What is this, a Magic Bullet?'
He had opened the gun chamber because he felt a certain wavelength, and it was the right call.
'This is a pretty expensive bullet... Good, let's take it.'
After finishing everything from suppression to looting.
Riman headed upstairs.
* * *
'Groan......'
Woo Yeong-tae opened his eyes.
A member of the Park Gang and a victim kidnapped by Francis's group.
And the very young man Riman was trying to save.
He barely regained consciousness.
'...Dammit.'
He couldn't see anything.
Fortunately, it wasn't because his eyes were gouged out, but because a sack was placed over his head.
His hands were tied behind his back, and his feet were the same.
On top of that, something like a dog collar was fastened around his neck.
Moving in any way was impossible.
'What on earth happened?'
Just as he was about to recall what had happened.
-KYAAAAAH!!
A tearing scream rang inside his head.
It was Lisa's scream.
The scream of the woman who had been kidnapped with Woo Yeong-tae replayed in his mind.
'No, no......!'
Woo Yeong-tae squeezed his eyes shut.
His entire body began to tremble.
The scene he saw earlier, the things Lisa suffered, the 'Art' that Francis performed.
...Because all of those things replayed in his head vividly like the color of blood.
'NOOOOO!!'
No matter how much he shouted no, it came to mind clearly.
All the tortures Francis Appel inflicted upon Lisa.
In what order Lisa's body, lying on the operating table, was dismantled; what expression Francis made while watching it; and what was drawn as a result.
All those memories were engraved in his mind as clearly as a tattoo.
'No, no, no!!'
The sight of the comrade he had held hands with to escape hell being disassembled right before his eyes.
The terrible helplessness of being able to do nothing but watch.
Francis, who wore an ecstatic expression while personally carrying out that entire process.
And the single painting completed as a result.
'The painting... that fucking painting......!'
Francis tortures the victim over a long period and paints a picture through it.
To be precise, rather than painting, she draws it out.
Because the picture is not drawn by her hand, but developed by the superpower she possesses.
While the victim writhes in the pain of torture.
Francis grabs the victim's head with one hand.
And places the other hand on the canvas.
Then, something spreading from her fingertips begins to engrave a picture onto the canvas.
This is Francis Appel's ability, Thoughtography.
A superpower capable of developing images from the mind onto paper or film.
Francis expanded this ability to develop even the mental imagery of others onto the canvas.
In other words, the painting she creates is a reflection of the victim's mental imagery on the canvas as they writhe in torture.
-Isn't it beautiful?
Francis muttered this while showing the painting she had created.
Genuine ecstasy was embedded in her eyes as she spoke.
-How is human life so beautiful?
Even after killing a person through two hours of torture, Francis shamelessly spoke of life.
-Mr. Woo Yeong-tae, I know why you look at me with those eyes. Hatred, fear... But listen. If you listen to the world of my art, you will be able to understand too.
At that time, Woo Yeong-tae had cursed wildly and struggled.
The helplessness of losing Lisa.
The fear of the torture he would subsequently suffer.
Because of all that, he couldn't be in his right mind.
Of course, Francis continued speaking without caring.
-I do not like killing people. Rather, it is the opposite. Because capturing the essence of 'being alive' on canvas is my vocation.
Woo Yeong-tae shouted at her to stop spouting bullshit.
-At a glance, it sounds like nonsense. But think about it. When do we feel that we are alive?
We humans do not easily feel that we are alive. Because life is something too obvious.
Just as fish in water cannot know the existence of water, we also live disregarding the existence of life.
Francis continued speaking while glancing down at the operating table.
-For a fish to feel the existence of water, it must go out of the water. Life is the same. To experience life, death and pain are necessary.
That sensation of drifting infinitely far away from life, only that makes life reveal itself clearly.
Francis smiled brightly and said.
-That is the reason I torture. To capture the clear outline of life revealed through pain onto the canvas.
-Why... why do you do that with other people's lives?
-Pardon?
-If it's that good, you should do it with your own body!! Torture your own body and feel it directly with your own body!! Why do you drag other people into it, you crazy bitch!!
Francis burst into laughter at those words. Pfft.
-Mr. Woo Yeong-tae, do you cut off your own flesh when you want to eat meat?
-What......?
-If you want to eat meat, you look for a cow or a pig to die in your stead.
-You crazy......!
-While you yourself are accustomed to offloading your pain onto other beings, why do you apply such strict standards to me?
The moment he heard those words, Woo Yeong-tae's mind went blank.
It was clearly bullshit, but a rebuttal didn't come to mind for a moment.
Watching Woo Yeong-tae at a loss for words, Francis giggled.
-Ah, do you want to take a look?
Francis suddenly turned the canvas that was facing her toward Woo Yeong-tae.
Woo Yeong-tae finally saw the painting.
A picture drawn using a single life as paint.
A painting that made him shudder, that was horrible, that he would have torn to shreds if only his hands were free, but, why on earth......
-'...Beautiful.'
Tears flowed from Woo Yeong-tae's eyes.
Tears flowed along the contours of his face, crumpled by all kinds of emotions.
Francis asked.
-Beautiful, isn't it?
Woo Yeong-tae did not answer.
He could not understand his own emotions.
Even after witnessing the terrible process by which that painting was made, why did I...!
-That's a good expression. I like that kind of expression. Hateful, angry, yet an emotion that cannot be hidden......
-.......
-You don't understand your own emotions, do you? Don't understand it. Art is not about understanding, but feeling.
Francis's face became flushed.
At the same time, black lines extending from her began to slowly choke Woo Yeong-tae's neck.
-...I will make you beautiful soon too.
Woo Yeong-tae's memory ended there.
And the present.
Woo Yeong-tae was abandoned somewhere, his vision completely blocked.
'What on earth is happening......?'
No, that's not it.
That is not what needs to be said right now.
'...Please save me.'
Sobs rose from deep within.
'Anyone, please save me......!'
At that time.
WHIRR-
The 4th floor, where Francis's studio is located.
The door opened and Riman entered the 4th floor.
The 4th floor, a level impossible to open without a key card.
Because of that, the security guards on the 4th floor didn't think much of Riman.
Opening the door with a key card and entering meant he was an authorized person here.
Of course, he could have stolen the key card like Riman did, but they did not consider that possibility.
Therefore, they focused on what they were doing whether Riman came or not.
"Wow, how much do you think we'll get if we sell this ring?"
"Is this the one that girl named Lisa was wearing earlier?"
"Right. But honestly, the design is a bit old."
"Did she inherit it from her grandmother? Keukeuk."
They were sharing the valuables stolen from the victims.
Riman spoke toward them.
"Hey."
Only then did the guards turn around.
"What? It's a face I'm seeing for the first time. What brings you here? Did you bring a new model?"
Riman looked around without a word.
There were only two guards on this floor.
Furthermore, there was no strong individual like Ryu Ji-ho.
"Hey! Can't you hear me? I asked what brings you here?"
"Where is Francis?"
"Francis? You punk, is Francis-nim your friend?"
The guard immediately pulled a pistol from his holster.
But Riman was faster.
GRAB!
"......!"
Riman closed the distance in an instant and grabbed the guard's face.
The guard couldn't even properly perceive Riman's movement.
"Mmph, mmph...!"
[Heat]
Heat began to pour out from Riman's palm.