novelraw Chapter 99 : Chapter 99
Chapter 99 : Chapter 99
Chapter 99: Mimicry (1)
Watching the monster turning into ash and disappearing, Seol Hayun ruminated on the scene she had witnessed.
Even after seeing it directly, she couldn't believe it.
Ryu Jinwoo showed perfect movement.
Angle. Speed. Breathing.
There wasn't a single unnecessary movement.
Swordsmanship that seemed to have gone through decades of training.
It was reminiscent of the state that anyone who makes the sword their profession dreams of.
‘Sword Saint.’
Even thinking about it herself, it was an impression that didn't make sense.
An absurd thought that could only be a misunderstanding.
But at that moment, it really felt that way.
"Cough-!"
Suddenly, a small sound brushed her ears.
Following that, red spots spattered in the air.
A trail of fresh blood flowed down from Ryu Jinwoo's chin.
His knees buckled.
His body, having lost balance, fell to the floor.
"Ryu Jinwoo!"
Seol Hayun immediately approached him.
Lowering her stance right away, she began to examine his condition.
There were no injuries.
It was natural since the monster's fist couldn't reach him.
However, his breathing was becoming rapid.
His muscles contracted violently on their own.
Blood seeped out from between his lips once again.
‘His breathing is irregular.’
Abnormally soaring heat and muscles convulsing in distortion, Ryu Jinwoo's fingertips trembled.
This is not a normal reaction.
It was an impression as if he was being tortured.
‘Why?’
Touching Ryu Jinwoo's sweat-drenched forehead, Seol Hayun narrowed her brows.
Is it because he pushed himself until just now?
But that doesn't explain these severe symptoms.
Soon, one possibility crossed her mind.
‘No way…….’
Come to think of it, Ryu Jinwoo often collapsed even during training.
Back then, she thought it was simply due to pushing himself too hard.
If he was sick somewhere, meaning if he was suffering from a disease, it explained everything clearly.
The frequent fainting until now, going to the infirmary every time, and even these symptoms showing now.
Seol Hayun took off her outer garment and started wiping the sweat on Ryu Jinwoo's face.
The more she looked, the clearer it became. Ryu Jinwoo's body is not normal.
She had heard of it.
That there is a disease where nerves are filled with pain as if being gnawed away when power is used excessively.
A type of 'Demonic Beast Disease' said to have started spreading as gates opened and demonic beasts flowed in.
Those symptoms were very similar to what Ryu Jinwoo was experiencing now.
If it was that, using power excessively like this was no different from suicide.
‘Why, when you are this sick, do you not care about your own body?’
Looking back, it was always like this.
Not only today, but also during the Mystery Hall incident last time.
Ryu Jinwoo fought the enemy devoting his everything.
Like a hero who survived last while everyone fell.
And for some reason, she hated that a little.
Seol Hayun bloomed magic power while biting her lip.
[Flower of Flames: Vulture]
The firebird revealed itself in the air again.
Crying could be done later.
Moving Ryu Jinwoo to a safe place comes first.
And making sure he could receive treatment quickly was the priority.
Just as she lifted Ryu Jinwoo up, put him on the Vulture, and was about to fly up.
BOOOOM-
The air sank momentarily.
‘This is?’
An absurd momentum.
The air started to vibrate violently.
Seol Hayun's gaze turned towards the Viking's bow.
Someone was standing right at that spot.
A giant man with huge horns and the head of a black ox.
‘……Freak?’
She felt it instinctively.
Twisted energy different from a normal human.
That momentum was very strong.
In an instant, her vision shook and her breath started to choke.
Pressure where even sound couldn't come out properly.
She hurriedly tried to bloom magic power to protect her mind, but soon realized.
The fact that there was no remaining magic power due to excessive use until before.
"Ugh-."
With a small groan, her body staggered from sudden dizziness.
Vision slowly blurring.
A ringing tinnitus resonated inside her ears.
Soon, Seol Hayun's body tilted.
THUD-
Simultaneously with the sound of falling, a faint breath leaked out quietly, and her vision sank into darkness.
***
"Were they Zero's cadets?"
A low voice shook the ground.
The giant man with an ox head moved his steps slowly.
The man was Chief, the executive of the Villain Alliance whom Edward was talking to.
He looked down at the two fallen cadets.
The one that caught his eye first was the girl.
The girl with conspicuous silver hair was a face he knew well.
Seol Hayun, Ju Yeonhwa's granddaughter and the successor of Korea's giant guild 'Fire of Annihilation'.
She was a child on the watch list even within the Alliance.
Because she was material for an excellent 'Freak'.
However, Chief soon withdrew his gaze from Seol Hayun.
The place he moved his gaze to immediately was right next to her.
A boy named Ryu Jinwoo, who wasn't even in the preliminary data.
An existence whose face and name he had never seen until now.
Should he say he seemed to have sprung from the ground?
However, right now, he was attracting Chief's gaze more passionately than anyone else.
Normally, Chief wouldn't pay attention to such a human.
He had no magic power, and outwardly showed no special talent.
A mediocre talent as common as stones kicked by feet.
That was the first impression.
But he saw it.
Just before, the last exchange this boy shared with Gonta.
In an instant, the boy had become a completely different being.
"It was beautiful swordsmanship."
Chief's voice was heavy and low.
He grabbed the boy's chin and lifted him without difficulty.
His body hung limply in the air.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you. I was watching."
Calm praise followed, neither a joke nor mockery.
"Using the Viking to crush the giantized Gonta, and finishing off the surviving Gonta with splendid swordsmanship."
PUFF-
Rough breath leaked from the tip of Chief's nose.
"I purely admired it."
At those words, the boy's lips moved a little.
"……."
No voice flowed out in the end.
Blood spread around his mouth dripped from the tip of his chin.
Chief observed the boy's condition carefully with his eyes narrowed for a moment.
He slowly stroked Ryu Jinwoo's jawline with his palm.
Heat boiling like fire beneath the skin.
Abnormally beating pulse.
"No external injuries, but your condition is strangely bad."
There are no signs of allowing an attack.
No special wounds either.
But he was groaning in pain.
To the extent that he couldn't even breathe or speak properly.
"Are you suffering from a disease?"
Examining more closely, it soon became certain.
This boy is clearly suffering from a disease.
His life force is being gnawed away.
Then, things become simpler.
PUFF-
Along with the nasal breath bursting out with strange excitement, Chief's head tilted slowly toward Ryu Jinwoo.
"I'm thinking of making a good proposal."
He quietly stared at Ryu Jinwoo.
"Don't you have thoughts of becoming a freak? It would seem fine if you merge with 'Mantis'."
***
‘Out of the frying pan into the fire.’
Beyond my blurry vision, I looked at the man who had grabbed and lifted me up before I knew it.
An ox-headed human looking hideous.
He was a dangerous person as much as his threatening appearance itself.
Alliance executive, Chief.
Before I could even rejoice over catching Gonta, a big shot appeared.
From the moment he appeared, a big shot whose momentum alone was enough to make Seol Hayun faint.
Such a man spoke to me.
Asking if I have no thoughts of becoming a freak.
[Chief]
[Interest, Enjoyment, Euphoria]
Even though his subordinate Gonta died, he didn't care at all.
Only the emotion of being purely glad that a new 'material' appeared was clearly reflected.
Yes. There is no normal person among freaks.
Chief was someone indulged in creating freaks.
The executive in charge of the Material Procurement Team within the Alliance.
Should I call it fortunate?
‘Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you.’
This word he spat out is true.
How do I know?
I know because I've played this game.
Chief pursues a philosophy of 'Non-killing'.
A freak with a non-killing philosophy.
But the problem is that non-killing literally means 'does not kill', which is the problem.
If I get dragged away held in Chief's hand like this?
‘……I will suffer all sorts of experiments.’
Simulation started running in my brain.
The fact that I knew acted as a curse.
The experiments they conduct, those gruesome scenes.
They were vividly drawn in my mind.
The moment I saw myself becoming a grotesque monster with my body modified and merged within that.
‘It's the worst.’
I cautiously brought my hand to the sword.
Even if I have to use every ounce of strength I have and don't have, I must counterattack somehow.
But it was useless.
"Stop."
Chief opened his mouth immediately.
"No can do. Again, I have no intention of killing you. Nor do I have the heart to damage precious material. If you stay quiet, it will be comfortable for both of us."
Cold momentum rose from his body.
Simultaneously, his hand started tightening around my neck.
Breath was choked off.
Cold sweat flowed down my spine.
The worst ending was drawn in my mind.
What will become of me?
Am I going to die like this?
It was the moment my mind was crumbling due to the tightening neck and the pressure suppressing my breath.
FLUTTER-!
Along with the sound effect of a book opening ringing out.
[Kihikihik]
Laughter was heard.
The Mimic started bursting into laughter.
Paroxysmally bursting cheerful laughter.
[Candy! It's candy! I wanna lick lick! Lick lick!]
Continuing the fuss, the guy stuck out his tongue and started licking my body.
‘This is.’
I have experienced similar situations before.
When my whole body becomes covered in cold sweat due to excessive tension.
Little by little, little by little.
This sensation as if I am becoming a different existence.
HISS-
At that moment when Chief exhaled nasal breath like a steam engine as if savoring the moment.
[Kihikihik! It's Balzac! Balzac!]
Along with Mimic's words, a message floated before my eyes.
[Tactical Manual]
[Mimicry Instinct: Mimicking ‘Balzac’.]
***
SQUEEZE-
Strength went into Chief's hand holding the boy's neck.
Breathing sounds gradually subsided.
Soon the boy would lose consciousness, and Chief would be able to proceed with the desired 'experiment'.
But it was right at that moment.
Suddenly, the boy's momentum changed.
Fierce strength filled the neck held in the hand.
Following that, an uneasy vibration was transmitted as if something was crawling up from under the skin.
Soon, the boy's chin lifted slowly, and simultaneously confidently enough to be annoying.
Cold confidence and superiority looking down on others raised their heads within the blue eyes.
The helpless and sickly-looking boy no longer existed there.
Furthermore, there was a point stranger than anything for Chief.
That was the fact that this existence right in front of his eyes now made him immediately recall someone he knew.
"Long time no see. Chief."
The boy's mouth that had been closed the whole time.
A low and sticky voice flowed from it.
Plus that tone which seemed to personify arrogance.
The air trembled thinly as if sliced by a knife.
Each letter coming out of the boy's mouth rang as if hitting the ears.
Chief's mouth opened quietly.
"Balzac?"
"You can't manage your expression. Unlike you."
As soon as those words were heard, Chief's hand loosened on its own.
THUD-
The boy who was dangling in the air fell as is.
But there was no such thing as losing balance.
The boy stood upright lightly on the ground.
As if he came down, not fell.
"Thanks for putting me down. Since I have a precious body."
An indescribable current.
The boy in front of him was clearly Ryu Jinwoo.
Nevertheless, the image that came to mind the moment he looked at him was too clear.
Black Mage of Deception. Balzac.
His form seemed to be 'overwritten' on the boy.
Undeniable momentum.
Unquestionable presence contained within it.
"……Are you really Balzac?"
"Did you not hear anything from Edward?"
"This, makes no sense-."
Chief realized.
This boy is Balzac.
No other meaning existed.
PUFF-!
Chief's nasal breath swelled greatly.
"Although I heard from Edward that you are taking refuge."
Chief caught his breath and muttered low.
"To think that refuge would be in the middle of hero society."
GRIN-
Ryu Jinwoo, no, Balzac smiled.