Chapter 64 (1/2)
Episode 4: The Great Colonizing Age / Chapter: Demon King (5)
TL: emptycube
Editor: Obelisk
From the outside, the dome that covered Seongbuk District was opaque, but from the inside, it was transparent. Of course, this place looked to be from outer s.p.a.ce instead of Seongbuk District, but the sky they saw outside the dome was still the Earth’s sky.
It was currently dusk.
Flames spread from Choi Hyuk’s hand as though it would burn the whole world.
{Kiiiiaahh!}
The cries of the devil, caught by Choi Hyuk, rang out continuously.
The pitiful devil used to be the nightmare of the Seongbuk District awakenees in the past. The Flaming Devil that melted cement and steel with its endless flames. The devil that was narrowly held back through Saintess Choi Miyeon’s death.
However, the devil was currently crying. Its face, grasped by Choi Hyuk, had become distorted with burns.
Its cries were desperate, similar to the pleading of a person in tears. No human thought that a monster that was filled with killing intent could cry like this.
“Does it hurt? Does this hurt?”
Yet, Choi Hyuk felt its cries were insufficient. The monster that killed his mother, the monster that snickered as he heard his mother’s cries, for a monster like that to cry after this much… Wasn’t this boring to the point of being absurd?
“You can’t be like this.”
As Choi Hyuk let go, its face, where the eyes, nose, and mouth had melted together, was revealed. The devil tried to open its mouth to scream, but it wasn’t able to let out a proper cry as its upper and lower lips had merged together. The sound of air escaping and its cry reverberating from its throat mixed together to sound like the winds from h.e.l.l.
Shrriiieek, Guahhh!
<flaming wing=”” dance=””> was still activated. Other monsters didn’t dare approach due to the flame-like feathers fluttering around his body.
“There’s still a lot left.”
Choi Hyuk grabbed the devil’s leg with his left hand. Its leg burned.
{Krrrr!}
Unable to properly scream due to its burning mouth, the devil shrunk in fright. Choi Hyuk dragged it by its leg as if dragging a corpse.
Every step Choi Hyuk took would be engulfed in flames, and the even monsters that were wary from afar became enwrapped in the flames, rolling on the ground before turning to ash. In an area filled with broken machines, screams sporadically cut off and only the suppressed cries of the devil weakly continued. A strange stillness.
The sound of the devil being dragged could be heard clearly.
Thunk, thunk, thud!
The devil, which was being dragged while head-b.u.t.ting against piles of machines, had, at some point, become sprawled on the ground. The leg Choi Hyuk grabbed had burned and cut off. The devil was unable to endure the pain as its body flailed around on the ground.
“What the… it cut off?”
Choi Hyuk, with an unimpressed look, rubbed his hand that had turned black with ash and grabbed another leg. His steps were walking towards the ‘eyeless observers’.
Choi Hyuk wanted to hear it. A collaborative song of the Flaming Devil and their screams.
“Now, now. I’ll be gentle so endure for a bit longer.”
To prevent the Flaming Devil from becoming dull to the pain, Choi Hyuk lowered the heat. Thunk, Thunk. The Flaming Devil, which was being dragged while striking into machines, felt a momentary coolness… and learned the unfamiliar emotions of despair and fear.
A purple color swelled up between the red sun like veins.
The Berserkers fell into a stat
e of madness over the hallucinations and mental stimulation created by the ‘eyeless observers’.
The Berserkers’ characteristic boundary, which narrowly hovered between order and disorder, had disappeared, and only disorder remained. There were some who forgot themselves in the voices of their loved ones, while others jumped in after seeing hallucinations, yet, the result was the same. It was madness. The ‘eyeless observers’ made the Berserkers emotional, however, the emotions the majority of them possessed were only rage, despair and a madness mixed with spasmodic bursts of pleasure. The Berserkers, who were unable to resist the eyeless observers’ mental attacks, simply fell into a state of madness.
However, the circ.u.mstances were the same for the Berserkers who had resisted the mental attacks. Even though they understood the monsters’ tricks, they didn’t care. They didn’t attempt to stay calm. They didn’t resist and left their bodies to fall into the madness guided by the monsters.
Why?
“Ha. Ha. Haha…”
Dispirited laughter erupted out.
The moment they lost the people dearest to them, the fear, cowardice, and longing from that day, all turned into hallucinations created by the monsters. Similar the darkness they felt the moment they were about to fall asleep and the confusion they felt when their eyes opened in the morning, the Berserkers suddenly realized. The dullness of their life that continued since that day. They who lived in a partly dream-like state after leaving everything that was beautiful behind. They who lived simply because they hadn’t died. The feeling of futility in their chests that couldn’t be sated after drinking rivers of blood and consuming mountains of flesh.
And the rage they felt towards the monster b.a.s.t.a.r.ds that used these memories.
Enlightenment? Strategy, tactics?
At this moment, the majority of the Berserkers had the same thought.
‘’f.u.c.k that!’
“Keaahhhhh!!”
{Keulalalh!}
Monsters and Berserkers tangled together. Who was the monster, and who was the human? They were indistinguishable. Slicing with swords, ripping bones with their hands, tearing off veins and smas.h.i.+ng heads… The Berserkers charged at the same time. Whether the monsters responded systematically or not, whether they died or not, until all the monsters were dead, until the Berserkers’ limbs were smashed apart and they died, they would restlessly press forward.
They thought,
‘Whether you die or I die, I just wish for everything to die.’
Of course, there were a few who maintained their senses.
Lee Jinhee and Bae Jinman were like that.
“Come to your senses!”
Unable to communicate. Lee Jinhee shouted as she looked at the Berserkers who scattered like tiger moths and died along with the monsters. Even if she stopped those who were running out, it would only be for an instant. Lee Jinhee felt a thorough helplessness. There was no way to stop them.
“If you continue like this, you’ll die! You crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!!!”
She shouted until her voice was hoa.r.s.e, but it was useless.
Lee Jinhee looked around her. She looked for a commander who could calm this situation. Ryu Hyunsung and Baek Seoin. However, even they weren’t in their right minds.
Ryu Hyunsung was a Berserker who ran out faster than anyone. The eyeless observers brought him panic and fear. Thus, he was unable to stop.
Although no one knew this, he had a vulnerable mind. He was weak to stress and had no hostility. He was like this since young. So, even though he possessed better sword skills than anyone else, he wasn’t selected as an Olympic athlete. ‘He’s used for practice. He doesn’t have the temperament of a victor.’ That was what his coach would always say, and it was also something Ryu Hyunsung felt in his bones.
Whenever he stood in official compet.i.tions which were more bloodthirsty than hostile, he was unable to display even half of his abilities after succ.u.mbing under pressure.
That was how he lost all his chances to partic.i.p.ate and returned to campus. Ryu Hyunsung spent his time lazily sleeping, flopped on his desk, during lectures. Though it was self-deprecating, perhaps it was because he was naturally meek, but a listless peace wasn’t bad. However, when he woke up from his nap, what he saw were the blood and flesh of other students. Everything changed that day.
“Euaahhh!”
Ryu Hyunsung wanted to live. He wanted to survive. Because he did, he hid all his fear, astonishment and vulnerability deep into his heart. He jumped into terror and wielded his sword more viciously than anyone. Until that horrible feeling dulled.
Now, Ryu Hyunsung endured vicious fights better than anyone and possessed murderous intent. However, that didn’t mean his true nature had completely disappeared. He still had nightmares every night. He couldn’t sleep without his sword, and because he wielded his sword in his sleep, he couldn’t sleep with anyone.
The ‘eyeless observers’ brought out the loathing that seeped out when he was asleep. As someone who possessed the ‘Mind’s Eye’ trait, he was able to quickly resist it, but fear and astonishment couldn’t be easily repressed once released. There only one solution. Like before. He would have to jump into that fear and endure. Until his sensitive senses dulled.
Ryu Hyunsung threw out his responsibilities as a commander and began to run amuck amongst the monsters. His unmatched precise and exquisite sword skills shone with murderous ferocity.
Lee Jinhee sighed.
“Ryu hyung doesn’t look good… Baek hyung? What about Baek hyung?”
The only person she could believe in was Baek Seoin.