Chapter 43: Burnt

Jin' POV

"Mom!!!" I shouted as I saw a fire wolf devouring a body. The corpse was splattered on the floor, the flesh was torn apart and the organs were ripped to shreds.

I quickly summoned Andromeda and killed the fire wolf with a single stab.

[You have defeated a fire wolf]

[Gained 3000 exp]

I rushed towards the body, and see if it was really my mom. Even though the corpse was ripped and torn, traces of clothings were still visible, it was a nurse uniform.

I let out a sigh of relief. There's still a chance that my mom is safe, but where is she? I searched the other rooms, but it was already wrecked and empty.

"Mom, where are you?" I whispered to myself. I went down to the base floor and searched the other rooms. The wards also have corpses of both monsters and people. This means that there are also levelers who are present in the hospital.

I went to the left hallway and entered the rooms one by one. When I was going near the hospital's cafeteria, I kept hearing a soft wail.

"Hello?" I said as I slowly opened the doors. "Anybody here?" then I entered the cafeteria. As soon as I entered, the smell of corpses and rotten foods were intoxicating. I rummaged through the bodies, to see if my mom was one of them

There were many corpses of patients, but my mom's not one of them. As soon as I finished looking at the bodies, I heard a loud thud coming from the cafeteria's kitchen.

"Who's there?" I asked, a soft wail replied. I prepared Andromeda, in case of a monster popping out from somewhere.

I slowly approached the kitchen and looked through the window. There was a wraith, who kept pushing a wooden cabinet.

[Monster Name: Wraith]

[Monster Level: 25]

[Ghosts of a deceased person who cannot enter the heavens. They are known not for their strength, but for how hard to kill them. They can possess people's mind.]

[Jin used Lion's Roar]

I pointed Leo at the wraith and used Lion's Roar to burn the wraith from afar.

[You have defeated a wraith]

[Gained 2500 exp]

I quickly rushed to the cabinet and opened it. Inside the cabinet, there was a crying little girl.

"You're fine now. Come here" I said and offered my hand to her. She looked at my hand, then looked at me... Oh s**t. Her eyes were pitch black, and there were cracks on her forehead. She's possessed by a wraith. I took a step back and readied Leo.

The possessed little girl let out a soft wail and then lunged at me head on. I positioned my sword and pierced her head.

[Jin used Lion's Pride]

I then burnt her corpse from the inside. I left the cafeteria and went to another room. I searched every room from the base floor but there were no signs of my mother.

"Aaaaaaah!" I heard a shriek, it came from the upper floor. Mom! I rushed and climbed the stairs. I then arrived at the second floor, but I already searched here. I went straight to the third and last floor. The hallways were covered with bodies of people and monsters.

"Helppppp!!!" Another shriek. I quickly opened the rooms one by one, still no signs of my mom nor anybody. I already searched the base floor, the second floor and the last floor, where would... wait, the roof top!

I quickly went to where the door to the rooftop is. It was wrecked and damaged. It looked like a strong force just punched the door open.

When I arrived at the rooftop, I saw a nurse hurling projectiles at a fire golem. She was protecting an elderly and a patient in a wheelchair.

[Monster Name: Fire Golem]

[Monster Level: 36]

I summoned Andromeda and dashed to the monster. I cannot use an AOE spell nor a powerful spell because there are patients nearby.

I slashed the monster first to taunt it, in order to drive it away from the patients.

"Drive it away from the patients!" I shouted at the nurse. She nodded and casted a spell.

[??? used Hate]

"It's an alteration spell! It will target you, so please be careful!" She shouted.

"Thank you!" I replied and made the fire golem follow me. When I was near the edge of the roof top...

[Jin used Lion's Roar]

I then destroyed the fire golem with a flaming projection from Leo. I then approached the nurse.

"Thanks for saving us!" She said.

"Do you happen to come across a patient named Jenna? She's in her forties, black hair and brown eyes." I asked.

"I am Jenna's nurse" She replied.

"Where's my mom?" I grasped her shoulder and asked. I realized I was being aggressive, and let go. "Sorry" I added.

"Jenna... She's been... " She started.

"Say it to me, directly. I need to know" I replied as I lowered my head waiting for the words that my mother had already died.

"She died while we're escaping from a fire golem" She replied. I haven't uttered a word. I stayed silent. I walked away and sat down on the stairs.

"Mom, how can I face Ashley. I'm so so sorry. Mom..." I said and cried. Maybe, if I stayed I could have saved mom. Maybe, if I haven't gone to monster island... Mom would still be alive. I closed my eyes and let the tears flow.

I felt that someone sat beside me, she said "Jenna, she was an optimistic person. Til her last breath, she managed to save a person". I can tell that it was the nurse.

"I'm Geraldine, your mother saved me. I couldn't move properly because of my wheelchair, so I was having trouble climbing the stairs. Your mother risked her life for me, so if you're looking for anyone to blame... blame me." The patient on the wheelchair said. I pointed my sword at her and said...

"My mother lost her life by saving you. Now you're saying that I should take your life... that's not a bad deal"

"Mister-" The nurse started.

"But no" I said and banished my sword. "There are no more monsters at the lower floors. You can go now"

I then left. Mom is now gone. I don't know how I can say this to Ashley. Kristana and the others are with Ashley, I just hope they can take care of themselves.

Eva, please hurry. I hope you can get there in time.

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Third Person's POV

Eva arrived at their house. The neighborhood was wrecked and ruined. The houses were either flaming or destroyed. Eva entered the house.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed.

Bodies of goblins were piled up on their living room. These were the goblins we rescued back at Frankenstein's dungeon, she thought.

"Ashley!" She shouted, but there were no response.

She went to the kitchen to look for her. It was a mess. The sink was destroyed so water kept flowing out, the windows were shattered and some parts of the room were teared or burnt.

"Ashley!" She yelled again, still no response. This time, she went up the stairs. She entered Ashley's room, but there was no one there. She then left and approached Jin's and her's. When she was about the open the door, she heard a crying sound...

"Ashley?" She said, the cry stopped. "Ashley!" She opened the door... What she saw in that room... It was not Ashley.