◈ Episode 091

"Pablo, get out of here!"

Pawel threw himself at the thunderous roar.

As soon as he got out of his seat, Metunap fell to the spot where he had been standing. He couldn't even land straight and fell headfirst into the ground.

'What the heck, where did you fall?'

Pablo rolled his eyes and scanned the surroundings. The terrain was open except for the hills that rose like waves. Looking again, there was no point nearby that could be called high ground.

Did they jump with their feet? Or maybe they ran with their limbs that were flexing and flexing. Their movements were completely impossible to keep track of.

It looked like a character from a popular old game with a poor physics engine. The physics effects were buggy, and he would suddenly fly up into the sky and go crazy.

But I couldn't find any such ridiculousness.

"Ha, you little bastards…!"

Pablo rushed at Metunap, who was still unable to control his body. He had placed his usual gun in its holder and was holding his shield with both hands.

He wasn't particularly fixated on a particular weapon.

Guns were something that even children could easily kill people with, so they came to hold them naturally. Before I knew it, I was so used to shooting guns that I didn't feel the need to hold any other weapons.

Things were different now.

If that didn't work, I had to take another option. There were dead agents and many weapons were lying around on the floor, but I insisted on holding onto the shield.

If you say shield in rap, most people would think of Botticelli, but for some reason, the image of Kim I-hyun was deeply engraved in Pablo's mind.

Boom, boom!

The feeling I got in my hand was nothing but disgusting. Unlike the appearance of the lump of mud, the inside felt like hard granules.

Hvalla, Hvalla... ... .

It was like a human body. It was clearly completely different, but the mere resemblance was enough to make me vomit. The more it felt like that, the more Pawel slammed his shield down as if he was swearing.

Gulp.

The monster's body collapsed. That was the only thing I liked. There was no need to fool them by pretending to be dead, and there was no need to check and kill them one by one.

"...Ssup, ha!"

Pablo gasped for breath, exhaling white puffs of breath. He spit out phlegm and met Ghost's eyes. He responded to the look that seemed to ask if he was okay by lightly waving his hand.

Besides Ghost, there was someone else watching Pablo.

"Brother, was that your usual style?"

"Huh? What did I do?"

"No, I think you've changed a bit since then. Should I say you've become more impulsive?"

It was Turkam.

A reserve agent who was originally supposed to be waiting in the capital. He seemed like he was going to bring Kim Yi-Hyeon, but he didn't stop there and volunteered to go to war.

Pawel lowered his gaze and looked down at Turkam's hand. The man was holding a shield, just like he was.

It was obvious who would be influenced.

"I'm going to say this, kid. How can you be so calm in this mess? Aren't you scared?"

"Of course I'm scared, I'm out of my mind. Look at this. My hands are shaking so much."

"It's not because it's cold?"

When I told the joke, Turkam chuckled.

"I've been on a few missions myself, so I feel a bit more used to it."

"I see."

It was ridiculous to even laugh at the subject of reserve agents.

Pawel had checked the recorded footage of the operation that Kim I-hyeon and Turkam participated in. One of the reasons was not only his friendship with the two, but also his own desire to improve.

Operation Ashbelt. The Atlanta infiltration was barely recorded on film… but I read the report. And I heard that there was another disaster in Bastitera.

'This guy is having a hard time too.'

It was the price paid for being carelessly involved with Hyun.

But it seems like he himself is quite satisfied.

'He's a guy with great abilities.'

The fact that we can chat like this now is thanks to Kim Yi-hyeon directing the traffic. As the professor began to take an active role in directing, we gradually began to have more free time.

"I think it's all thanks to working under the team leader… but I guess that's what I'm doing."

Turkam said with a trembling face.

Both eyes fixed somewhere.

"What is that guy doing?"

"Don't ask me."

There was a violent incident going on there. Team 5 agents dragged in the injured person, held him down, and Kim I-Hyun beat him. This process was repeated.

There wasn't even any discrimination between men and women.

No, there was a distinction.

The woman was a bit reluctant to hit him in the face, so she started to give him body blows. The female agent, who was quite popular in the rap group for her refreshing appearance, drooled profusely while saying, "Whoa."

"If that's the case, I might as well just hit them all in the face...."

What was even more absurd was that the injured person who had been hit was regaining consciousness. The number of hits was different for each person. I couldn't even understand what the difference was between them.

The appearance of elite agent Hedwig was also a sight to behold. She ran around like fire to help with Kim Yi-hyeon's 'treatment'. Her suspicious attitude disappeared completely, as if she had witnessed a miracle.

It was mysterious. But one thing was certain.

"I absolutely cannot stand getting hurt."

"I was thinking exactly the same thing."

* * *

The main front was still in disarray.

Metunap went on a killing spree, driving humans mad. In proportion to the amount of blood flowing, the swamp grew deeper and expanded its boundaries.

It was a natural result for the godmother.

The creatures of the sanctuary are always hungry. They crave affection, they cry out in hunger and thirst, and they wish to quench their burning lust.

Their density as living beings is different. Like pouring paint into a calm lake, like breaking Styrofoam with a sledgehammer, they defile and trample upon humans without any desire.

It certainly has to be that way.

'What happened?'

The brows of the great mother, who was overlooking the battlefield from the high ground, furrowed.

A location where relatively small-scale battles are taking place. The once disorganized agents of CellbroLogics Labs have now regained some order. They are fighting against hundreds of Metunafs.

Even the people glancing this way were noticeable. They were looking for an opportunity. It was obvious that they were trying to break through the Metunaps and strike the sorcerer.

The godmother also knew where the change had begun.

The phenomenon that the Godmother and her former comrades called 'mental contamination' was still present. It was clearly functioning normally. There was only one thing that could be described as abnormal.

"It's that guy again."

Black hair and black eyes.

Even though it was my first time seeing him in person, he seemed familiar. He was the man who had been caught on video in Cilicia and in Atlanta a while ago.

There are no records of him before he entered Cilicia. Despite his thorough hiding of his tracks, he is currently active here and there, making his presence known.

I simply thought he was a spy hidden by Kushan. However, his presence grew stronger and I could no longer ignore him.

Isn't that the case even now?

"What kind of tricks are you using...."

As soon as 'Hyeon' touched them, they were freed from the contaminated state. The enemies who quickly regained their senses and returned to battle were clearly visible.

'Spell? No, that can't be.'

If it's a spell, I've figured it out. The ability to create various equipment, including firearms. It's far from the power to interfere with the human mind.

A question naturally arose.

Can a human possess multiple spells?

'Funny thought.'

The Godmother knew of only one such being, and that being was turning into something that could no longer be called human.

I don't want to see him in others. I don't want to face the fear that comes the moment I think they resemble me, even if it's just a little bit.

It was such a shameful thing that I wanted to vomit blood.

"...It's so annoying."

The godmother scratched her neck until her skin was peeling off. She was uncomfortable with the presence of an enemy who resisted without knowing the subject, a sniper who was always waiting for an opportunity, and a man who kept drawing attention.

At the same time, I was convinced.

If you don't kill me here, you'll regret it for a long time.

"Abel, come here."

There was a gasp from behind. Even a hesitation.

But it only lasted a moment. The woman whose name had been called walked hesitantly toward the godmother. She knelt down with her face pale.

"God, Godmother. Do you promise? My family…."

"Don't worry."

A distorted smile spread across Abel's lips. It was a statement that had no guarantees. In fact, her family may have already been annihilated, but she had no way of knowing.

Even if you know, your situation doesn't change.

Abel lowered his shoulder strap. Despite the bitter cold, she was wearing only a thin one-piece dress. The two men waiting for their turn behind her were no different.

The skin was densely covered with tiny letters the size of ants. They were imprints that the godmother had personally carved over a long period of time.

They were 'martyrs' raised by their godmother.

Abel, who had revealed his naked body, slowly raised his head. Tears flowed from his large eyes. On the other hand, the face of his godmother, who was looking down at her, was extremely expressionless.

"Godmother, I─"

Phew!

The tip of the staff pierced Abel's crown, shattering his skull and piercing his brain. It didn't stop there, but continued forward through his body, reaching his lower abdomen.

Blood gushed out like a whale spouting water. Abel's skin, impaled on the staff, was soaked with blood. The imprint that came into contact with the soaked blood began to crawl over his body like a worm.

The letters that came out of the body flowed into the swamp.

"Summer is in full bloom."

* * *

The change was immediate.

Throughout the swamp that covered the battlefield, slime-covered plant stems grew. The tangled stems wrapped around Metunap's body. Red flowers bloomed as if sucking up nutrients.

Metunap's roar echoed. He wasn't just howling. His behavior was clearly different from before.

So far they have shown consistent habits.

They only attacked humans, displaying an irrational attitude and not caring about their own safety. It was almost like they were hunting.

But now things are different.

Love you, love you!

Let's go to the forest…!

The distinction between humans and their kind disappeared. Metunap attacked Metunap. He bit his face and laughed. Uncontrollable madness overflowed.

"Damn, what the heck is this…!"

The panicked agents waved their weapons, trying to clear the stems. But it was a futile effort. As they cut down one, three more appeared. The vines also spread underfoot.

Calm down. Let's assess the situation first.

The professor immediately turned on the radio.

The Legion's sorcerer seems to have done something, but it's gotten easier to deal with them. As of now, there's no sign of those plants attacking us.

Yeah, I've tried it a few times, but I don't feel anything particularly strange. If I could get away from here, I'd better... but I guess that's not possible.

As Ghost pointed out, the swampy area was vast. If they were to force it, they could retreat, but that would only be possible because they were a small number. The Bastetira army on the front lines would be abandoned.

It was a choice that had to be put on hold for now.

Eventually, we have to deal with the godmother on our own lines.

The policy has not changed.

Like the professor, Kim Lee-Hyeon looked up at the hill.

'It looks like your pride has been seriously damaged?'

Of course, the Godmother also appears as a boss in certain episodes. If summoning Metunap is a basic ability, then it is only natural that she would also have special abilities.

In other words, this is the start of phase 2.