Chapter 53 (2/2)

The voice sounded a little depressed.  Just like when I opened my stats window, I asked a question in my mind.

'What is the delicious smell?'

–Just my food… At that time, I ate a food that smelt good. Master as well…

Then he added in a trembling voice.

–Ah… I… I will never eat Master. I won't eat. Don’t bite me.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps overlapped with the voice. I turned around.

”….”

A woman with disheveled hair stood in front of me.  The shadows under her eyes seemed to be due to extreme stress, not just lack of sleep. She hadn't washed in a few days, so a foul odor spread from her.  Blood dripped from the thumb she was biting.

”…You.”

”What?” I knew what the girl was saying but I pretended not to so that I could step closer.

-A delicious smell!

”…Don't…”

”Fix your p.r.o.nunciation. I can't understand.”

”Get away from me! You son of a b.i.t.c.h!”

”…!”

Despite how prepared I was, I still felt surprise. The women's atmosphere changed so dramatically. She was now foaming at the mouth and her bloodshot eyes were shaking. At the same time, a dark killing intent could be felt from her!

Of course, I heard her words but hadn't really understood the meaning. There was a shocking amount of hatred directed not at me, but at the world.

“Kihi!” She made a noise like a goblin and rushed towards me.

Fast!

Nevertheless, it was at a level that I could cope with. I stepped back and extended my fist. It was a punch at the abdomen with my strength restrained. I thought it would be enough to overpower her.  It was a miscalculation.

Tak!

As she grabbed my fist with her arms, she raised her legs and wrapped them around my arms and shoulders. In the blink of an eye, one arm was broken.

”Hihihi!” She spat crazily as she looked at me and didn't move. The firmness and flexibility of my newly formed muscles and bones were good. I took a deep breath and grasped the hem of the woman's clothes with my locked arms.  Then I swung the woman hanging onto my arm down towards the ground.

Teong! A groaned flowed from the woman's mouth. I wasn't aiming to hurt her but she was injured. I could tell from the force around my arm. As the force squeezing my arm weakened, I lifted her up and swung a second time.  Her limbs were completely detached from my arms and I let go of her clothes. Her body flew to the other side.

Kung!

Jjeolgurong!

The place that she crashed into was a small bar/kitchen so there was a loud noise as the gla.s.s broken and household utensils fell. As expected, she immediately got up.  Even though she experienced a tremendous force, she wasn't that hurt.  The killing intent just thickened even further.

Syuok!

A frying pan hit my cheek and I fell back over the sofa. It wasn't just that. She threw all types of pots and utensils before rus.h.i.+ng over to me. One hand was holding a knife used for meat.

”Hiit!” As she threw the knife at me, I slid down. Before the action was over, the knife she threw pa.s.sed over my head in a breathtaking way.  I rolled to avoid it and got up.

I triggered Darkness Cloud. But surprising, apart from a momentary stiffness, she avoided my outstretched hand in the darkness. She backed away a few steps and stared for a moment, before continuing with her throwing attacks like she had spotted the core of the darkness.

She seemed to have something that improved reflexes. I wasn't sure whether it was a talent or technique, but her movements couldn't be explained with simple agility. Furthermore, just looking at the physical abilities, she was the most outstanding among the individuals I had met so far in the dungeon. If I encountered her after just finis.h.i.+ng the seventh floor, then I would probably be covered in blood by now.

”Hihi! Hi! Hihihihi!”

But my patience had already reached its limit. I lifted Darkness Cloud.

”Hihit!” She grasped a frying pan and knife and rushed at me once again. The frying pan was aimed at my head while the knife headed towards my body.

Puok!

A cold blade was stabbed in my abdomen.

“I got you.” I grabbed her wrists and growled. She seemed to want to use the same move as before but I wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.

Hwik!

As I held her wrists, I swung her entire body towards the ground. Despite not using my maximum strength, the impact from hitting the ground was no joke.  I pulled out the knife stuck in my abdomen and slammed the blunt end down. Indeed, her face flattened like a pancake. A groan emerged from her mouth as her crushed nose started bleeding. I got on top of her.

And I waited.

”Hey!”

Shortly afterwards, the soldiers arrived with Director Oh.

”…Didn't I tell you not to hurt her?”

“It is just a broken nose, not a serious injury.”

My words were irrefutable. Director Oh gave a command to the soldiers. Soon the soldiers approached and placed her in a straitjacket.

“That will have no meaning. Perhaps after entering the dungeon and becoming stronger, she will just tear out of it.” If it was put on me, then I would be able to tear out of it straight away.

“I know. But… A mother wants to talk to her daughter for a little bit. She hasn't been able to be knocked out for a few days.”

I nodded as I looked at the people clearing the bodies in the room. “Anyway, I have fulfilled your request?”

”…Yes. In the future, I will leave the explorers to you… If you can’t control them then I give you the right to kill them. I can give you this position if you want.”

This was a lot easier than I thought.

“Soo-young!” Shortly afterwards, a woman in her 50s entered the bomb shelter.  She held the cheek of the woman called 'Soo-young' in the cleaned room and cried while saying something. No matter what she did, Soo-young was still out of her mind. She even bit the woman's hand touching her cheek.

”…In the end, the most important thing in this world is power.” Director Oh said while smoking his electronic cigarette.

“In other words, you have to kill general explorers with your own hands.” He was standing at the threshold of the bomb shelter with me. He looked at the painful reunion of the middle-aged woman. Then he started explaining.

“The signs started on the third day. On the third day that she left the dungeon, she sliced apart one of her friends.”

“Did you settle it?”

“I still think about that day.” Even though he had done many dirty work behind the scenes, he still reacted to that horror.

“The next day… I thought about gathering people like you together. There was a bitter taste in my mouth.”

Although it might be sensitive information, there was a reason why the director told me this. A few days had pa.s.sed so there was no evidence remaining and… First of all, he thought that I already knew the ident.i.ty of the middle-aged woman. It was natural. Anybody with common sense would know that face.

”Anyway, thank you for the trouble. The additional compensation for this work… To be honest, I can't do it right now. Since that person is crying like that… But I'll submit the report later. I will surely keep my promise.”

”I believe you.” I replied and took a few steps. It was towards the inside of the bomb shelter. Towards the middle-aged woman and Soo-young.

”…Hey.”

Director Oh knew where I was heading and grabbed my arm.  “I told you. You don't need to do anything with that girl anymore. I will keep my promise.”

”Yes. I also told you that I believe you. But…”

I touched my abdomen.  My natural recovery had grown to such a degree that an injury like this was easily healed. But I had still been stabbed by a knife.

”There is something I need to get.”

With those words, I gently pulled my arm away from Director Oh.  I immediately headed to the sofa where Soo-young was.

”You…”  The woman, who was crying as she watched her daughter try to bite her, looked over at me.

”I think it is terrible.” I lowered myself to my knees and faced Soo-young. ”If there was a way to get your daughter back, what would you do?”

”…!”

Even if a person she didn't know was saying this, it was putting words into the ears of a desperate person. It was why cancer patients were deceived by scams and bought panaceas. This woman had confined her daughter, who had become a serial killer, instead of subjecting her to the laws of the country, so I knew her mindset.

“I-If you can, anything…”

“Think about your words carefully. Although this is a fairly important story.” I smiled as I looked at the First Lady.

”Why don't you try talking about it with your husband?”

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