Chapter 4 - 'Dead' Monster

Knowing that, I couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh.

I need to prepare myself… quickly! I know that my current combat skills aren't enough to completely crush the enemy in front of me. However… a fight with an opponent that is under such mental degradation is sure to show many flaws.

Fortunately, I only needed to escape and the girl wouldn't weigh me down too much.

While contemplating my actions for the escape, I rushed towards the girl to prepare and carried her to a random table nearby that I just cleaned up of debris.

I tightened the coat wrapped around her and examined my own self next.

My main equipment on this venture is my gun. A custom weapon that is made to suit my own abilities. Otherwise, I have nothing extra on me… I haven't been able to gather any supplies afterall.

Then, I rolled both my sleeves up as I pulled up a band module on my right hand.

This wristband serves both as a symbol of A-gent members and as a multi-purpose protective energy field that envelops a circular area around the user.

It's a convenient tool but takes quite a while to recharge so I have been saving it up for emergencies… Unfortunately, I am in this predicament and I have no choice but to bring it out.

Boom!

The final blast of the steel doors signalled the last moments of preparation and it instantly caught my attention.

What welcomed me was the bent and ravaged entrance door that was now nothing but a gaping hole on the wall and the monster now wildly dashing through the rows of table as it bellowed a thundering cry and approached us by the moment.

"Oh shit!" I exclaimed in surprise.

I reached for the girl and immediately placed her in between my arms. Flicking the watch a few times, the energy field activates giving off a greenish hue and covering both of us within it.

These kinds of moments are when I am grateful for the fact that I am quite athletic, giving me such ease with my movements.

With my right hand, I pulled out my gun and embraced the girl with the other. This impeded my hand movements and placed a burden on my aim but I had no choice.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three green flashes escaped the barrel of my gun as soon as I was in position and face to face with the monster.

The staggering large frame of the monster slightly flinched and respectively hit one of its shoulders and two dead on the chest.

It was basically a huge chunk of flesh and the wounds spurted out the same disgusting putrid blood and white pus it was covered with.

Seeing the monster barely affected, I rubbed my right hand on my face and brushed off my hair to focus. After that sequence of actions, dusts of light begin to emanate off my body. The once blue eyes I had now shone emerald-like and my vision rapidly changed.

I leaped across to the side as my body suddenly felt lighter. The monster still within my sight, I scrutinized its features deeply as everything appeared to slow down.

The huge monster slowing down wasn't real but instead it was my eyes seeing things different.

Before, it was just a wall of meat that resembled a humanoid figure as flesh was visible beneath its cracked skin. Its face impaled by a massive thorn that went through the back of its head.

It resembled a wild, hideous beast. Yet it was also something else… a very horrible thing.

As soon as my eyes changed from then on, its body parts shone differently as if to indicate something. The same dusts of light I gave off began to scatter around variously.

Most of its body had less and but one part gathered significantly more, specifically the center of its chest.

"Right under all of that?"

I couldn't hold back such remarks as the information I got was quite annoying. The thing I tried to look for was its core. And now, I can see that it's buried underneath all that flesh.

A moment has just passed by when all such thoughts settled onto my mind. The monster that flinched for a second earlier immediately pounced towards my position.

With haste, I started leaping across the room while firing shots aimed at its chest and hoping for an opening to escape through the gap.

After landing at the spot I once was where, I felt the room tremble slightly at the force it exerted. One mistake and we will be completely crushed by its weight alone.

Unfortunately, with its little intelligence left, the monster instinctively guarded against the only exit. It seems to be aware that once I get close, I'll be able to dash my way through and disappear from its senses.

Thankfully the monitor room is quite large and I still have some leg room… but not for long anyway, I need to break through!

The monster started charging after me. The shots I fired in its chest completely had no effect but made it berserk worse than before.

"Damn it, is it regenerative? The worst kind of them?"

I lept further back upon that realization and stood firmly against the ground as I braced myself.

I aimed the gun to its chest as my irises shone brighter. Those dusts of light once again gathered but this time, it was at the end of the barrel.

My hand immediately felt heat rising within the gun and it was proving harder to hold unto it.

The monster was still charging after me and mere moments later, I pulled the trigger as I was within its arms reach. A chunk of light instantly blasted out of the gun and that shot fiercely dug through the monster's chest.

Boom!

After that contact, the bullet detonated with enough force that the huge monster's frame couldn't stop it from staggering back and falling. Blood spurted out as its whole left arm went flying across the room with a thud drowned out by the loud boom and the pained cries it let out.

Unfortunately, I wasn't safe from the explosion as I shot at almost point blank range. The energy field instantly brightened showing that it was fully activated at this moment.

My feet that were firmly planted on the ground slid and my right arm immediately suffered from the huge recoil of releasing such a shot single handedly.

"Ugh!"

I couldn't help but utter a disgruntled grunt from the numbing pain felt by my entire arm.

Unfortunately, I couldn't be bothered by its current state as my eyes stayed glued on the monster. The light from the explosion went away as fast as it came and the scene that cleared up became evidence of a terrifying result.

The monster was already climbing up on its feet. Its left chest was missing and the monster was clearly severely wounded.

However…

From that gaping wound, squirmed and bloated the monster's flesh as if it was liquid boiling.

It continuously gushed out blood and pus, yet its flesh and bones bloomed to form the same parts that went missing after the explosion.

A regeneration visible to the naked eye.

"What kind of joke is that?!" I exclaimed in extreme disbelief.

That shot was accurately aimed right at its core! How did it miss? Did the recoil affect it? The gun is still overheating, I can't fire another bullet yet…

Thoughts rapidly raced through my mind.

Fortunately, the monster was affected by the attack and was still regenerating from its wound. I ran without hesitation towards the exit.

Even though I missed, I had succeeded in my primary goal in this battle.

The monster is currently lurching as it tries to chase after me, its mobility is severely hindered by the imbalance in its body now.

With full force, I carried the girl and fled the scene as fast as I could. Within a few seconds, I was able to pass through the hole that once was the door.

As soon as I left, the only thing that entered my ears were the blood-curdling roars that despised my escape and the destruction of the steel room from its fury.

I ignored the monster's cries as fatigue was not setting upon my whole body but I still had to find a safe area.

A few turns in the hallway and rest became available in-between the rooms I could hide in. Slowly and steadily, I made my way back to my temporary shelter in this tumultuous place.

• • • ° ° °

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"Ugh…"

A groan escaped Sehwa as she struggled to open her eyes.

Prickling headaches assaulted her. It didn't take long however for it to soon become much more tolerable.

Then, dim lighting directly showered her face as she slowly regained her vision.

What welcomed her was a quiet environment. A small room that had a plethora of things she couldn't recognize and the soft feeling on her back that made her want to lay down forever.

"Cough!"

She tries to raise her head but to no avail. Instead, it resulted in severe discomfort and she noticed that her body felt sore all over.

"You're awake?" another voice registers in her ears.

Gently, she turned her face to the side and with her eyes vacant, her gaze wandered. From a corridor, a blond middle-aged man enters the room and surveys her physical state.

He gently smiles at her and sighed a breath of relief.

"Can't talk yet, I see. Well, that's fine too."

She looks at him blankly as if curious of the unfamiliar sight.

"My name's Van. Van Hazel. Many say I have a very short name."

Van chuckled as he approached the bed frame where Sehwa was resting. He seemed to realize that the girl before him couldn't understand a word he said but he still talked.

He stopped for the desk beside the bed and began sorting through the clear containers containing medicine. One by one, he picked out a few drug capsules and calmly extracted the fine powder onto a paper.

"This is to help you relieve some of the pain you're feeling right now. I promise, It'll go away soon…" He muttered as he worked.

He then turned and sat at a nearby chair while holding both his hands out. A glass of water was on one and another was the paper where a small amount of white powder was placed on.

"Here, take this one first before I give you the water."

Van explained as he tried to reach closer to Sehwa. With the way he prepared the medication, it was evident that Van had worked as a medical professional or at least had experiences on it.

This is also why, though pointless, he chatted with the girl to convey he meant no harm through his behaviour.

Nevertheless, Sehwa just stared at the things he held out and didn't produce any reaction.

He couldn't help but smile wryly at such a sight. Left without a choice, he got up and sat closer in the bed. He gestured several times to portray that the medicine was to be taken orally as with the water.

After a few trials, he got her to understand him enough and was able to give her a much needed dose of medicine.

Soon, Sehwa fell unconscious once again. A side effect of what she drank that enables for better circulation and recovery.

He stayed with her for a few more minutes until he was sure that Sehwa was in deep sleep.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you…"

Van muttered under his breath as he looked sadly at Sehwa's sleeping figure.

Immediately after, it was as if he grew more resolute than ever, he confidently but steadily took strides out. In his mind, still full of chaos, but now was starting to see through that very storm.

"Wait for me, Sofya."