novelraw Chapter 8 : Chapter 8
Chapter 8 : Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Murderer (4)
Han Chulwoon charged.
'Now is the opportune time.'
After Seo Yeonhwa killed a goblin, but before she killed a person.
The time, of just over 10 seconds, when she was 'human', was now.
The goblins began to attack both Seo Yeonhwa and Han Chulwoon.
Twoong!
The hammer Han Chulwoon threw struck Seo Yeonhwa's body, knocking her down once again.
"Keuaak! Get off!"
When she fell, the goblins invariably rushed at her.
To her, who had received a Constellation's sponsorship, the likes of goblins were a laughable level, but their numbers were many.
It was enough to hold her ankles for a moment.
Han Chulwoon, smeared with ogre's blood, was pushed down in the goblins' attack priority.
'Lively.'
A small number of goblins rushed at Han Chulwoon, but he evaded like flowing water.
Like a ghost.
Neither the weapons the goblins thrust nor their hands could reach him.
Like magnets of the same pole, he shed them, keeping a fixed distance.
At the same time, as he swung the two short swords stained with ogre blood, there were even those among the rushing goblins who were startled and fell.
One among them.
He threw one short sword at a goblin blocking the narrow hallway.
Ping-!
Kwajik.
It was embedded in the wall, knife and all.
[You have acquired 10coin.]
Han Chulwoon rushed at Seo Yeonhwa without reducing his speed.
Seo Yeonhwa, having come to her senses, hurriedly activated a skill.
The skill called 'Snake's Predation'.
Her mouth swelled up like a balloon, and a magic-like gravity was generated.
It began to suck in Han Chulwoon.
'A skill that selects and sucks in only living creatures.'
Moreover, a dark energy emanated from the center of that maw, causing a loss of depth perception.
'This much.'
Han Chulwoon did not reduce his charging speed.
He received that force and rushed in further.
If only one isn't deceived by the distorted depth perception, and can aim for a very precise timing.
Kwaduk!
Like this, one can strike the jaw upwards.
"Keub!"
She received a shock that seemed to pierce up from her jaw and through her skull.
It was a shock enough to break her jaw and cause a concussion, but.
[Snake's Molt] skill activated.
"Geureureuk!"
A layer of scales attached to her body fell off, and in an instant, repaired the broken jawbone.
It was simultaneous.
A rubber-band-like tongue shot out and tied up Han Chulwoon's wrist.
"Die!"
Her mouth opened once again, as if to eat him this time for sure.
It opened gigantically.
That tongue's strength is strong.
It was tough enough that it couldn't be cut even with a knife, and the skill sucked Han Chulwoon in with a magic-like power.
It was an ability that a human without skills could not counter.
It was a skill close to a Constellation's authority, but.
'Its limit is clear.'
He heavily stepped on his stance.
This was one of the skills he had obtained in the Murim.
'Thousand Jin Pendant.'
It was a technique of holding one's center of gravity and enduring.
It originally required internal energy, so it wasn't a method Han Chulwoon, who hadn't accumulated internal energy, could use, but.
'If I just know the principle, I can apply it.'
It is possible to imitate Thousand Jin Pendant just with weight shifting and a sense of balance.
The ability he was using now had less than 30% of the original Thousand jin pendant's power, but it was enough.
Enduring like that, he controlled the speed at which he was sucked in.
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ is taking note of Han Chulwoon's technique.]
Han Chulwoon, who had balanced himself with the method of Thousand jin pendant, avoided the attacks of the goblins swarming nearby and threw them into Seo Yeonhwa's black-hole-like mouth.
Juuuk.
Even while being sucked in, he moved his body to the side.
Seo Yeonhwa's head, turning to follow him.
At that, a nearby goblin was sucked in first.
'That ability's limit is up to about 6 times the body weight. Also, to digest 6 times the body weight and recover the body, it requires a minimum of 12 minutes or more.'
"Kkueub!"
As she sucked in 12 goblins in a row.
Her stomach bulged out.
Unable to endure it, she even dry-heaved.
Han Chulwoon, aiming for that moment, thrust the last dagger with his unbound hand.
Puuk-
It pierced up through the underside of her jaw.
With the hand that was sucked into her mouth, he grasped that blade.
"Kkeugeuk!"
She let out a groan.
The stronger the sucking power, the deeper the wound it would inflict on her.
It was just prey that couldn't even be eaten.
However, it was a skill that couldn't be stopped.
As the evil god loved the offerings they would sacrifice more than its believers.
The blood flowing from Han Chulwoon's hand mixed with her blood and flowed down her chin.
"......Why?"
Seo Yeonhwa was dying.
Because she had received a blow exceeding her regeneration ability.
"What did I do wrong."
She just went through the efficient path.
She never had bad intentions.
Ttuuk, Her skill stopped, and her body lost strength and staggered.
Han Chulwoon pulled her head and stroked it.
"You are dying as a human."
"I...... I'm......."
"Still, you've never eaten a person, have you."
This is a trivial comfort.
To a person cornered, efficiency is bound to go through such an immoral process.
Anyone can be like that.
It's just an extremely natural thing, with no need to even discuss forgiveness or not.
Even though she was an ordinary person, she tried this much, so she couldn't be blamed.
[You have acquired 46coin.]
He knows her good side.
Even the past where they laughed while tilting glasses together, falls asleep with the snake's pupils, from which it's hard to read emotions.
'Tired.'
Han Chulwoon also closed his eyes for a moment from the rushing fatigue.
Memories of the past rose up like clouds.
***
"Chulwoon Brother."
"What?"
There was also a life I spent with her.
"Thank you for saving me."
"That phrase. I've heard it about 50 times."
She often said thank you for saving her.
"Heueuk. Eoeoeong."
"Why again?"
"In my dream...... people...... I was strangling them. Heueoeong."
And often, she would have nightmares of the day she killed people.
"Brother. Why do we go around as just the two of us? Can't we increase our colleagues to about 5 people?"
"No."
"I'm always living as the youngest......."
You grumbled like that, but this was for you.
On days you fell asleep, I know you try to eat living people, as if sleepwalking.
It was a terrible state where you couldn't be put with anyone.
At times like that, you used to ask.
"I'm....... not human, am I?"
"Yeah. Didn't you know?"
When fighting with people, there were many times it ended with cannibalism.
That act broke you yourself.
"Cannibalism...... I can't...... stop it."
"I will stop you."
"......Thank you."
You can't even commit suicide as you wish.
Your, only tool for suicide was me.
"Yeah. You were like that before too."
Ttuuk-.
Then too, I killed you while hugging you like now.
In my arms, you closed your eyes while receiving warm body heat.
The blood that gushed from your body was cold.
***
By killing her, the nightmare was lifted.
The sight of her, dead and fallen in the dream, completely matched the current Seo Yeonhwa's appearance.......
Whether it's still a dream.
Or if he's returned to reality.
He couldn't gauge it, but.
'At some point, I've come to not even feel sorry.'
His heart was different from that time, he was calm.
[The Constellation ‘Serpent of the Deep’ laughs with delight.]
[Sponsors 100coin to Han Chulwoon.]
Even though the human it sponsored had died, the Constellation paid a viewing fee as if it had enjoyed the show.
'Seo Yeonhwa. It was something you too would come to wish for.'
The serpent that had been coiled around her body moved, and in an instant, swallowed her corpse.
After that.
The snake shriveled up.
Like a very old corpse.
[You have murdered an Incarnation Candidate in a state without a sponsor.]
[You have acquired the Title ‘Slayer of the Star's Child’.]
[When fighting Incarnation Candidates, magic efficiency increases by 10%.]
He obtained a pretty good title.
Among the enemies he would fight in the future.
The dangerous enemies were mostly 'Incarnation Candidates' backed by a sponsor.
The title he obtained now would always be helpful.
Also.
[You have decided the fate of a monster.]
[Monsters will recognize you as their own kind, and will not attack you.]
[Warning. In the case you kill a monster, you become human.]
He had killed the 'human Seo Yeonhwa', so he was registered as a monster.
Even the goblins that had been fiercely rushing at him belatedly retreated.
And even Yeo Gangseok, who had been hiding and looking for a chance, lost his soul.
"Mon, monster......"
The witch, that man, the snake woman, all were monsters.
To such a Yeo Gangseok.
Tuuk.
Han Chulwoon threw him a goblin corpse.
"Take it."
"......Yes? Wh, what right now?"
"You should say thank you. I'm saying I'll save you."
The goblin's corpse.
Yeo Gangseok saw it.
And only after a moment.
"Ah? Ah! Ah, right."
He came to his senses.
'Right! I came to get this.'
He had seen something so shocking, he couldn't come to his senses.
'But how did that person know my objective?'
A question did remain about him throwing the goblin corpse, but the thought of asking about it didn't occur.
He wanted to hurry and escape this place.
"......Thank you. This favor, I'll definitely."
"Not needed."
"Yes? Yes."
He went down, picking up the goblin while observing.
"......"
Han Chulwoon remembers.
Originally, Yeo Gangseok is a just person with strong leadership.
However, if left like this, he is a person who will betray and kill each other with people.
'Yeah. You too live a long and healthy life.'
For that decent temper to get screwed up, just one very 'unpleasant day' is enough.
'He's also a guy who will do better if let loose than if kept along.'
He's a person who will be sufficient if just given time to adapt.
Around then, the witch showed curiosity.
-You, you even defeated the ogre, what trick did you use?-
She had no intention of harming Han Chulwoon at all.
Where could there be such a good participant?
He was a person even the Constellation was interested in, so it wasn't enough even to praise him.
However.
-Hmm. I'm curious?-
The witch just felt it was a waste that she had missed one of the scenes that could be called this scenario's highlight.
That scene of killing the orc and the ogre.
Moreover, the process of how he came to be on this ship was also curious.
Because she had clearly seen everyone on the deck head below.
Her gaze reached the entire ship, the scenario's stage, but.
Seo Yeonhwa's resolve was special, so she was immersed in observing her, and in that gap, one important event had passed by.
-The ogre wouldn't have been an enemy one could face without the Constellation's favor?-
He did not answer.
First, he retrieved the weapon he used on Seo Yeonhwa.
He also retrieved one short sword she had in her bosom.
In addition, he also grabbed the shriveled serpent.
He peeled off its skin.
[Shadow-Eating Snake's Skin]
[It is the skin of a snake that tried to eat shadows. It possesses a special magic power.]
[It has a hidden effect.]
'Gu poison Snake.'
There is a sorcery called Gu poison.
It is forcing poisonous insects, poisonous centipedes, poisonous snakes, and the like into a narrow space and making them eat each other.
It is a dreadful ritual where the last entity that survives in that way comes to hold the worst poison or curse.
The one that remained at the end of that 'Gu poison' ritual is this snake.
'The possessed body the Constellation briefly stayed in.'
Did the Gu poison snake, completed in that way, come alive?
No.
Even though it survived that dreadful ritual, it was abandoned by its owner.
This is the very snake that died, just gaping its mouth in a dark place.
It wasn't a particularly scientific or efficient method, but.
Its grudge alone must be dreadful.
The bodily fluid smearing from the snake's sloughed skin stained Han Chulwoon's hand black.
That which slowly penetrated was dreadfully painful, but he calmly rubbed and applied it to the goblin's corpse.
This was a poison, though only in part, that was smeared with the Constellation's power.
'A poison that defiles the mind more than the flesh.'
It is suitable to use now.
-Oh my. The silent type? That is also cool in its own way, but being this silent....... It must be hard for you to be loved by the Constellations.-
Only then.
"Not needed."
Han Chulwoon answered.
-Hmm? Their abilities will be helpful to you too. Or, shall I make you need them?-
The witch's beautiful voice chillingly dug into his mind.
"I know it all. Can you stop chattering?"
For once, the Constellation of Regression is also quiet, and he doesn't know if he'll receive proper sponsorship for the first time in those numerous regressions.
He'll have to put on a more fiery show.
Ttuduk.
Cracking his joints, he raises his stats.
[You have raised Strength by 2 points.]
43coin remained.
With this, Strength, just like Stamina, also reached 15 points.
This is the body of an extremely trained athlete.
-If you know? As expected, are you going to walk the path of Ma? The Constellations of that side also welcome rough people.......-
"No, from the start, I was the top bastard on this floor."
-......Yes?-
"Who are you to dare apply the standard of welcoming or not."
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ frowns at Han Chulwoon's un-heroic remark.]
The Serpent of the Deep has left.
The 'Gu poison' poison won't last long either.
Therefore.
"Now, you die too."