Chapter 9 - Strength & Struggle

"This should be right."

Sehwa whispered to the silence.

Her amethyst eyes glued to the map, brows furrowed, she, then, scrutinized her surroundings with deep focus.

A while has passed since Sehwa left the room she found herself in. Deciding that knowing her current whereabouts was her first priority, led her to investigating the nearby halls.

Fortunately, she has the terminal. The map function is inevitably necessary for her to reach the armory.

What troubled Sehwa was the sheer size of the ship. She couldn't just randomly search the map, but she had to find clues to narrow it down.

It took her some time to find, but eventually, floor labels and room names appeared.

"Finally…" She sighed in relief.

1st Floor, rear end, worker's station. Somehow, she ended up way further than she ever expected.

What made her feel grim, however, was the fact that there was no more moving forward.

Her search didn't just land her information on her location but also the fact that many more monsters were barricading the way.

Sehwa, knowing that, couldn't help but feel her palms grow sweaty.

This time, there was no Van to guide her.

Whatever wits she had and the guns she received was all that she could rely on.

Currently, she found herself in the dining hall of the workers. It was a spacious area filled with tables and chairs turned upside down by the chaos.

She sat by the corner and placed her terminal and guns on the table.

Her mind was wandering deep as she thought about what she could do. It was a good thing for her that they weren't entering the area, but the moment she leaves and one of them senses her, then all hell would break loose.

Afterall, she didn't know if she could escape many of them going after her.

According to what she learned before heading out, the monsters vary wildly. Their most common thing is their inhumane physical abilities and the thorn stuck in their faces.

Sehwa, then, remembered the one that attacked her. In her thoughts, that was definitely the quick kind. If those were the ones around, then she was infinitely screwed.

In her relief, these monster's weren't invincible and her gun would be effective if it hit. However, to effectively kill them, taking out the core was the only option and the core placement varied greatly.

"Ugh… what to do? What to do? What to do? Can I even do anything at this point?"

She rambled in indignation. At this point, Sehwa was racking her brain at full power and with the things available for her right now, nothing was critical enough to create a helpful plan.

A moment later, she was about to give up her entire situation to chance when her eyes caught the glimpse of her gun.

"Huh?..."

Sofya's personal weapon. A custom-made pistol made to her preference and also as a channel to their abilities.

Van, however, was very vague on the topic of their powers as Sehwa was clueless how to awaken the gun.

"But… I felt it. I don't know if it was my imagination, but when I was transported, I could feel some connection with both of them. Whatever happened back there, it must have something to do with me."

She could still vividly remember the feeling she had back then. It was mysterious.

Sehwa felt like a different person at that moment. Her body doused by a surge of strength that disappeared the next instant.

If that was the power that Van was talking about. And Sehwa may have the chance to activate it, she knew that was the one thing she could try betting on.

Now that she had decided, Sehwa needed to at least try before leaving everything to chance.

In her mind, that sounded ironic because she may not even have this said power. However, somehow, she just knew.

The clattering sounds of the tools placed on the table then halted. Calmness betided the room as Sehwa straightened her back, and her eyelids steadily fell.

Darkness.

It was almost a friend to her and they met as much to Sehwa's dismay.

It was a memory that belonged further back to her mind. A memory she couldn't recall but felt.

Precisely the reason she loved Van's bubbling warmth, was the whisper's cold solace.

She didn't dread it, nor abhor it. However, the chilling darkness came with pain. It was something her body remembers even if she didn't.

Now, however, Sehwa's conscious needed to listen.

…

…

A change occurred as she fell deeper into her meditation. Her eyes were closed but she saw herself.

Her posture as she sat, her face and skin, and as she looked closer within, came to her sight a heart. Her heart.

It was as pitch black as the darkness that seemed to crawl from her legs. The rhythmic beats of her heart were full of life, it was something that maybe connected to her fast recovery.

The 'Sehwa' looking from outside was formless yet she felt enticed to touch that heart.

Her phantom hands slowly reached out. Inch by inch, until her finger delicately landed.

Star-like lights then burst from within. Her consciousness sucked back into the real 'her'.

"GASP!"

Sehwa's eyes widened awake as she gasped heavily for air.

Immediately, she felt a difference that was unlike she ever felt. She, then, surveyed herself and saw her hands held out. The star-like lights was now emanating from herself.

Her fingertips was, now, black and through the terminal's reflection, her eyes glowed with a gem's brilliance.

"What… is this?"

She then stood straight as an arrow and held the gun laid in front of her.

At that moment, the gun in her hands was absorbing some of the starlights and sparkled as bright as her eyes.

With a swift motion, she placed both her hands on the handle and a finger on the trigger. Her stance was steady and proper.

Aiming at the wall, she didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Bang!

The recoil of that shot shocked her as her hands were thrown back by the force and the boom was still vivid in her ears.

However, as soon as she recovered, she realized the mistake she just made. That shot was quite loud and must have echoed through the whole worker's station.

"Ah! Why did I do that!?"

Screaming, she scrambled to dump everything in her bag and took a run for it.

"Whoa!"

Sehwa's sudden jump in physical ability brought unfamiliarity to her movements and she almost tripped as she dashed.

This made her awkward as now, she had to watch her steps as she went.

It didn't take long, however, for the light to fade and she returned to normal. She then took the chance to run and exited to the hallways.

She made a dash towards the direction of the central area where the stairs were located. Now that the monster's have heard her, they won't stop to track her whereabouts.

Unfortunately for Sehwa, her conjectures were right.

The loud stampede from the monsters' heavy gait reached her ears. It was rushed and similarly coming from the direction she was heading into.

There were only two paths that led to the worker's station, one from the western side of the ship, and the other on the east. Currently, she was heading for the east exit, but she was sure that no matter the direction she went to, both paths were filled with rushing flesh-hungered beasts.

Holding the gun still with each hand, she took a deep breath and readied herself to the inevitable confrontation.

To add to the grim situation, the hallway was narrow and would put a burden on how she could maneuver past the monsters.

They didn't give her any time to think, however, as she was in the corridors when she had already caught the glimpse of their hideous forms.

The first was crawling on all fours, clambering through the walls and floor of the hallway. Another was bulging in size with its skin overly inflated, almost blocking the whole path with its presence alone.

"Ugh… how are you both so fast? Can't you wait for lunch to run first?" She joked with exasperation.

As she spoke, starlight once again appeared on her as she aimed the gun forward.

Crack!… Bang!

She briefly held the trigger and poured as much energy as the bullet could handle. The crackling of deep purple electricity zapped across the gun's barrel before it fired a spear of light that zoomed across the hallway.

With a loud dull thud, it reached the first monster running ahead, barely missing its head and straight to its shoulder, obliterating half its chest in the process. Its arm fell upon impact and it staggered from the blow.

Its whimpers of pain, however, didn't receive attention from its companion. Continuing its heavy steps, the monster charged with reckless vigour.

"What the-!?"

Meanwhile, Sehwa's expression showed complete surprise at the scene. She didn't expect the first bullet of this battle to produce such results.

This was evident from the numbness she was feeling from holding herself steady against the gun's recoil.

Though, she did feel the exhausting drain if she continuously released such shots.

Nevertheless, the choice wasn't hers in the situation. She had to hurry and leave or the monsters from the other hall would catch up and she'll be flanked from both sides.

Shifting her attention to the other monster, she ran forward in tandem while trying to aim with her shaking arms.

Crack!

The crackling charge of the gun once again began but the monster, mindless in its rush, was unperturbed.

Bang!

Another spear of light flashed and hit the monster dead in its abdomen. The bullet punctured a wide hole in its side and it fell on its sides as it raged in pain, mirroring the first monster's reaction.

"Tsk… ugh!"

Sehwa, however, was not painless in this endeavor. The moment the bullet was released, her running figure halted and the force even sent her a few steps back.

This was with the starlight's physical enhancement, if she took that on naked of its effect, she would have tumbled like a weed.

Her recovery was more swift than the monster's and she got on her feet and dashed forward once more.

Unfortunately for her, they didn't give her any breathing room as the other monster, armless, was rampaging as it went running towards her and almost within reach by the next moment.

Its speed barely hindered by the loss of a limb.

Crack!

Sehwa could barely charge the gun when the monster was already upon her.

Thud!

One of the monster's claws tore on her shoulder and she fell on her back.

Immediately, Sehwa screamed in anguish. The terror in her voice was blood-curdling as if pleading for some sweet release.

Then, with a creaking noise, the monster's mouth ripped wide open while sticking its face closer to Sehwa's.

"No! No! No!" She repeatedly struggled. Her eyes turned watery but in her hand, the gun was held with a tight grip, both a way to comfort her tormented shoulders and continue the gun's charging process.

Its sharp tongue, then, lunged forward like a whip. Simultaneously, despite the discomfort, the muzzle of the gun was already stuck to its side, its bullet looking for its release.

Bang!

The loud breath of fire raged across the monster's torse and sent it flying. Its tongue, barely missing, grazes Sehwa's cheeks while the gun flew out of her grip and her whole arm fell limp.

Another moan escaped her lips, as she immediately strained herself up on her feet.

The monster was still alive, but with a body almost split by the torso, any movements could further injure itself. That didn't stop its struggle in pain, however, as it repeatedly smashed the ground.

Moving her gaze up towards the second monster she shot, she saw that while she briefly wrestled with its companion, it was moving at a slower pace but was still only moments away from her.

"C-can't I catch… ha… a breath at least?" She panted.

Alas, her pleas, that were spoken in jest, were ignored and she couldn't help but groan in annoyance as she ran and reached for the fallen gun.

Creak!

The ground was cracked, pressure was pushing against the steel floor. As if to signal their confrontation, the monster lunged in Sehwa's direction with its boulder-like weight while Sehwa, her left hand stiff from the pain, was already holding the gun with its crackling energy charged.

Seeing its massive arms already upon her, her mind worked over the limits as she tried to make a sound decision within seconds.

Unlike the small monster, its huge body wasn't going to be thrown back by the bullet's sheer force.

And so she made a decision.

She turned her body around and jumped backwards with all the strength her tired body could muster. She aimed herself right at the monster's side and tried to evade through its gaps.

Normally, no maneuver of hers could make it through such a gap with her current strength.

Bang!

A gunshot roars. But no monster was hit, nor any blood was splattered. Instead, Sehwa aimed back at the way she was facing and the recoil pushed her body further.

They both missed each other by the hairbreadth, the monster confused and rageful while Sehwa chagrined as she was dragged along the wall and rolled across the floor.

Their positions switched, she immediately made the decision to run. The monster tried to charge once more but as if the heavy lunge was its last straw, the creaking floor, damaged by the other monster's tantrum, finally cracked from the pressure.

Red flashing lights and ominous beeps of the alarm sounded then.

By the time they saw the crack, it was too late for them to escape. The small wound opened a hole and the small monster was immediately dragged to the depths of empty space.

The one left tried to resist but it was to no avail. Its large body was dragged down to the ground and plugged the hole for a few seconds.

Realizing her chance, Sehwa ran for her life as she noticed the steady descent of a steel door, closing off the damaged path.

The monster didn't last for more as its organs and flesh was slowly ripped out by the vacuum's pressure bearing down. Its skin, inflated by flesh once, was turned hollow and was dragged like a sheet of fabric outside.

Fortunately, Sehwa only needed that much time to quickly make her way across and slide below the gap left from the closing door.

Thud!

The door was finally closed and Sehwa couldn't help but tiringly lean on it. Every fiber of her being was aching. Even when she ran with her all, she was just enduring the pangs of pain that screamed for her to stop and rest.

Finally, the silence that broke the chaos enabled her to relax a little bit more. Just a bit, before she continues on her arduous journey.