Dystopia Of Night - Chapter 3 Part 14

Sehan examined the monster’s body once again. The monster’s skin glistened smoothly. Covered in a slimy substance, it resembled a frog to ensure its body remained moist.

“Kyaakk!”

However, they did not have much time to think. The monster was coming at them, its massive body shaking the ground. The monster’s speed increased as it became more and more violent.

“Let’s try leading it into the forest with many obstacles! It won’t be able to follow us quickly if its body gets caught.”

Sehan deliberately made a loud noise and pointed to an area with low trees and thick undergrowth. No one knew what lurked within that forest, but they didn’t hear any screams or gunfire from Hae-jun and Yeonji.

It was one of the two options. Either there was no danger within the forest, or there was a more formidable presence than the monster, and if they all died, there would be no one left to tell. Since both scenarios were equally possible and the chances of leaving a last testament before dying were low, the former option had a slightly higher probability.

“This way!”

“Follow us, you monster!”

The three of them deliberately shouted, luring the monster. They had assumed that its large body would result in slower movements, but the monster, upon hearing the noise, became terrifyingly faster. Moreover, it seemed to have grown stronger. Its gigantic feet pounded the ground, tearing through trees and underbrush.

A suspenseful chase followed, as if they would be caught at any moment. The monster was more tenacious than they thought. Yuju, who had been running ahead, began to fall behind a little. Sehan, who was supporting her back, moved forward and grabbed Yuju’s hand, pulling her along.

“Kkyaaak!”

Bam! The massive claw grazed her hair and hit the ground. Though she wasn’t hurt, Yuju’s legs weakened from the shock, and Sehan pulled her with tremendous strength.

The monster, unable to reach the two who had thrown themselves to the side, continued straight ahead without hesitation. Sehan signaled Hansol to return with a silent wave of his hand.

The three of them quietly retraced their steps, leaving the monster wandering aimlessly.

Gasp! Gasp! Yuju covered her mouth, desperately holding her breath, fearing that if she removed her hand from her mouth, her rough breathing might escape.

As their distance from the monster increased, the surroundings became pitch-black. Even the pupils of the creature, which had illuminated the path ahead, had disappeared. The three of them walked silently along the dark forest path, where not a single thing could be seen ahead.

The forest was eerily tranquil, to a strange extent. Everyone’s nerves were stretched taut from extreme tension, and no one, including the tense Sehan, dared to break the silence.

In the silence-piercing dawn, where each other’s breathing reverberated, the forest seemed even chillier and gloomier, as if shrouded in a misty veil. The darkness was intimidating, not allowing the fluttering of insects to pass by unnoticed.

With a shiver running down her spine, Yuju followed Sehan closely, not losing sight of his back leading the way.

Swiish! The bushes rustled loudly. Sehan quickly turned his body, blocking Yuju’s path and raising his gun, aiming towards the source of the sound.

“It’s, it’s me!”

Raising both arms and stepping into view was Hae-jun. The gun, which had been gleaming faintly under the hazy moonlight, lowered.

“I’m relieved to see you all unharmed!”

Hae-jun approached the three with a welcoming smile. At that moment, a gust of wind swept by, gently pushing aside the clouds that had been obscuring the moonlight. The moonlight, now shining brightly, caused the shadows of the three to sway.

In the darkness, she must have been mistaken. Yuju thought so. If she hadn’t closely observed Hae-jun’s face, which was beaming with a cheerful smile, she would have continued to believe otherwise.

“Please wait.”

Yuju cautioned Hae-jun and nervously bit her lip.

“You… Are you really Hae-jun-ssi?”

“What?”

Hae-jun responded with a puzzled expression. Hansol, too, looked at Yuju, as if asking what kind of nonsense she was talking about. Yuju was well aware that this thought was far-fetched. The moonlight once again dimmed behind the clouds, plunging everything into darkness. Shadows vanished, and in the pitch-black void where not even what was right in front of them could be seen, Yuju broke into a cold sweat.

“Shadow…”

When the moonlight had been bright, the three of them had shadows. However, there was no shadow under Hae-jun now. As the clouds returned, it became an inexplicable occurrence.

“Haha.”

Hae-jun suddenly burst into laughter. His hearty laughter sent shivers down her spine. The Hae-jun Yuju had seen was somewhat timid. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who would laugh like that in a situation where he was being suspected. Additionally, even if Hae-jun had met someone he was happy to see while wandering through the forest, his expression lost in ecstatic joy was clearly out of place.

Sehan wordlessly aimed his gun at Hae-jun’s forehead.

“Hyung-nim?”

“No human can live without breathing.”

“What?”

Hae-jun tilted his head playfully, following Sehan’s gaze to look down at his unmoving chest. His previously tranquil chest unnaturally twitched. It was a clumsy movement, as if he was just learning how to breathe. It was different from humans who instinctively learned how to breathe naturally.

“And Park Hae-jun doesn’t call me ‘hyung-nim.'”

“…..”

“What are you?”

Sehan didn’t wait for long. With a quick motion, he struck Hae-jun’s temple forcefully with the butt of his gun. Hae-jun’s body trembled greatly from the intense shock, an impact strong enough to knock anyone out instantly. Sehan kicked Hae-jun’s abdomen and swiftly subdued him, pressing his head down forcefully with his foot.

Click! The loaded gun was aimed at his head.

“Urgh!”

A growling, beastly sound emanated from Hae-jun’s lips. Even his square-shaped teeth transformed into jagged fangs, reminiscent of a wild animal’s. With his oral structure contorted completely, Hae-jun began to change into a beast, spitting out drool with a guttural noise.

Rustle. The bushes rustled again in the wind. Rustle. Rustle. It shook back and forth as if a person had passed through.

Growling sounds filled the surroundings, and like the flick of a car’s headlights, bright yellow glows appeared. They seemed to be a cross between monkeys and humans. Their legs were stunted, and their upper bodies were hunched. Their elongated, dirt-covered fingernails were sharp and pointed like double-edged blades.

Where on earth had so many of these creatures been lurking? There were enough monsters to encircle the three of them.

“What, what do we do, hyung-nim?”

“We have to make a quick escape.”

“What?”

“Run.”

Sehan retorted casually and took aim. Bang! Almost simultaneously with the gunshot, one of the monster’s heads exploded.

“Run!”

Upon Sehan’s words, Hansol dashed forward. Sehan held onto Yuju’s hand and followed the path that Hansol had cleared. The monkey-like monsters were swiftly chasing them by leaping from tree to tree. Unlike the three of them who couldn’t see clearly ahead, they navigated the forest path with ease, as if they knew the forest like the back of their hand.