Chapter 238: Side Story (5)

It was a terrifying sight. A horrifying sight of a corpse walking around.

Cirk! Cirk!

The monster looked like a rotten corpse. When one of them shouted as he looked horrified seeing the walking rotten corpse, the others denied it.

“What shit? What nonsense is that?!”

“How can that happen?”

The human psyche is a unique thing.

[The one who enters the Mountain of the Dead will never come back alive. It is a place that only the dead can enter.]

It is one of the legends of the Three Banned Areas that’s located in the Midwest Region. Everyone present knew about it being just a ‘legend,’ yet all of them were anxious.

As they froze, their leader, Yun Ja-seo, stepped forward.

Srr!

He drew his sword and shouted at the approaching monster.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but stop!”

In response to his warning, the approaching corpse accelerated towards them. Rather than walking, it was now running and screaming.

“Kuaaaak!”

The sight was terrifying. Surprised by the evil-looking monster running in, Yun Ja-seo hurriedly used his sword.

Pupupuk!

“Kukukukuku!”

The stabbed monster was all bloody and staggering, but something more strange happened.

‘Black blood?’

Chun Woo-myung was puzzled at it. Black blood was coming out of the wounded area. It seemed similar to what happens when the blood gets old and rots.

“Ugh.”

Hu Bong, who usually had a strong stomach for such things, frowned at the rotten corpse.

The rogues approached the fallen monster.

“What is that?”

“Is it human?”

It seemed like an animal howling.

Chak!

Yun Ja-seo put his sword back in its sheath and looked down. Taking a closer look, it really just looks like a corpse. It looked like the monster died a long time ago. Ho Jong-ii, who made a fuss about the dead, said,

“Isn’t he dead?”

“Hey. Didn’t you see the dead person got stabbed by a sword?”

“Enough, Ho-jeong.”

The rogues turned anxious. Perhaps, because of his bravery, the nerdy-looking Hon No-gae sneaked close to the corpse and used one hand to hold his nose while the other had a branch touching the corpse.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking. Like this black blood, maybe it is a plague.”

“P-plague!”

At the word plague, everyone closed their noses and mouths simultaneously. It was a reasonable guess. Once upon a time, a small village in the mountains was hit with a weird plague, so the entire place was isolated.

“Does one turn into an animal when they get plague?”

Ko Wang-suk asked Hu Bong with a puzzled expression. How could Hu Bong even know of it?

“Well. It’s my first time coming across something….”

It was then.

“Kuaaaaak!”

Crack!

“Accckkk!”

The corpse-looking monster, which had collapsed, abruptly got up and bit the ankle of Hon No-gae.

Shocked, he tried to kick the monster away using his other foot.

Puck!

The monster bounced back.

“Kuak!”

Srrrng!

All of them drew their weapons at the same time. It was very shocking for them that the corpse-looking monster was alive.

“H-How can that be?”

“I touched and sealed more than a dozen blood points, how is it still alive?”

Yun Ja-seo did seal the blood points. Moving like that shouldn’t be possible after getting stabbed, but the monster moved unbothered.

Crik! Crik!

“Damn it!”

Hon No-gae grabbed his left ankle that was bitten earlier. The flesh was torn off. One of the rogues supported him to balance.

“Can you walk?”

“Kuak. It looks like you broke a tendon.”

It was difficult for the man to now use light footwork.

“Kuaaak!”

The monster, not caring about anything, jumped and ran to them again.

At that moment, they were all puzzled at the monster that doesn’t die even after getting stabbed, kicked, or sealed.

Chak!

After one swing of his sword, the head of the monster running toward them rolled on the floor. Then Hu Bong stood behind with a sword in his hand.

“Let’s see if it still survives even without its head.”

“Ahh…”

The rogues calmed and looked at the monster, which had its head cut off, and thought if this was better than stabbing it a hundred times.

‘There was no hesitation in his hand.’

Some of them frowned at how effortlessly Hu Bong’s sword moved. In rare cases, most clans wouldn’t aim for the neck of the opponent. Even though they use martial arts, they don’t aim for the throat.

‘They can’t be from the Forces of Justice.’

And such thoughts formed in their mind. On the other hand, Chun Woo-myung and Ko Wang-suk, who received harsh education since childhood, had thought of cutting the head and wondered if this monster would still move.

But another weird thing happened.

“Huh?”

The headless body was trying to attack Hu Bong.

Hu Bong, too, was shocked at this strange thing that he had never witnessed before and avoided the monster.

Tatatak!

“What is this?”

He tried to dodge, but the no-head corpse-looking monster kept running toward him.

“Eik!”

The rogues were gasping. First, they thought it was a plague, but now they were confused. The decapitated body was moving in front of them. It was strange. Very strange.

“Kakakakaka!”

Another surprising thing was that the severed head was constantly screaming.

“D-Dead!”

“T-the dead!”

Right. This monster was indeed a dead person. Otherwise, this wouldn’t be possible.

“Uncle Hu! Legs. Aim for the legs!”

Chun Woo-myung shouted.

“Okay!”

Chak!

Hu Bong avoided the incoming monster and cut off the legs. And when the legs were cut, the body fell down. However, since the body had no legs, it tried to use its hands to catch Hu Bong.

It was such a terrifying sight.

“Kuak!”

This time, Hu Bong was shocked and finally revealed his strength.

Wheik!

Flames soared on his sword, and Hu Bong, who had the blood of Qilin, was holding it.

“F-Flame on sword?”

The rogue’s eyes widened.

Among the Murim, only a few could handle the Flame Qi.

‘No!’

They were surprised.

Wheik!

When Hu Bong swung his flame sword, the body crawling toward him was caught on fire, and one usually dies after receiving that kind of attack. Yet, despite being cut in half and burned, the body still moved.

Thud!

‘What the hell is this?’

Everyone was speechless at that sight.

A loud noise could be heard from the dark underground place.

Bang! Bang!

Something was wanting to get out. The person looking into the iron bars with curious eyes was Chun Yeowun.

“Interesting.”

The reason why Chun Yeowun said that was because only the head, torso, and left arm were trapped inside the iron bars. All the other parts were cut off, but the body was alive.

‘This is interesting?’

The Emperor next to him frowned. It was a frightening sight for anyone.

The being inside this prison was a corpse, yet it was moving.

“Where did you find this?”

“… a valley near the Mountain of Dead.”

It was the Crown Prince who answered very carefully.

“Mountain of Dead? One of the Three Banned Areas.”

Chun Yeowun heard of it. It was the only banned area that Chun Yeowun hadn’t visited.

“You found something interesting.”

To his reaction, the Crown Prince spoke in a stern voice.

“Don’t take it so lightly.”

“What would that mean?”

“No matter how many times it is cut, put in water or burnt, it will move.”

“Oh.”

Which meant it was immortal. However, it couldn’t regenerate. Which was why Chun Yeowun didn’t take it seriously.

“I don’t think you had to call for the help of the cult for this. It seems like something that your Golden Guards or the East Spears could handle for the Emperor.”

The Emperor replied,

“That isn’t it.”

“… what do you mean?”

“As you said, if it could be handled with them, we wouldn’t have sent a letter requesting for your help.”

Chun Yeowun didn’t understand it.

“Even if it can’t die, you can make it immobile and lock it up, what is the problem?”

At Chun Yeowun’s question, the Crown Prince Zhu Chi-yun spoke.

“Then we wouldn’t have asked for help if it’s just that. The problem is that… that monsters are infectious.”

“Infectious.”

Chun Yeowun looked at the monster with serious eyes.

Crack!

“Ack! H-Hon No-gae, what are you doing?!”

The man supporting him panicked and pushed him away.

“Kuak!”

He looked at his shoulder. As he was supporting, the flesh was bitten off. Hon No-gae began to bite his shoulder.

“What crazy shit… huh?”

The eyes of the angry man went wide.

“Kuaaak…”

Hon No-gae’s eyes were both dazed, his skin turned gray like a corpse, and black veins appeared, transforming into something horrible.

Crack!

And he was biting on the flesh he nit from his comrade earlier and gulped. It was a frightening sight to see.

“Hon No-gae!”

The others, too, noticed he was acting strange and pulled far. It was like seeing a monster. He was slowly acting like the monster which moved even after being burned.

“Collect yourself!”

One of them shook him, but the Hon No-gae they knew was no longer there.

“Kuaaak!”

A monster-like sound came from his mouth that they couldn’t understand.

“W-what does this mean?”

“Kuaaaak!”

Hon No-gae, who turned into a monster, rushed to the man he bit. Flustered, the man moved.

Phat!

“R-run away!”

They would rather fight against alive people than the dead who would rush to them repeatedly.

“Everyone, withdraw!”

Yun Ja-seo, the leader of the rogues, shouted. Everyone moved aside because they didn’t want to stay there any longer.

Papapah!

“Young Master?”

At Hu Bong’s question, Chun Woo-myung nodded his head. Since he didn’t know what this monster was, it was right to step back.

“Kyaak!”

The scream of Ko Wang-suk was heard.

“Ko Wang-suk!”

Chun Woo-myung looked at her.

He was surprised to see Hon No-gae, who turned, holding one of her thick hands in his while she was trying to make him move.

‘!?’

“Kwaak!”

The mouth opened wide, ready to bite her.

“Accck!”

Crack!

At that moment, she put energy into her hand, crushed the monster’s head, and punched the chest.

Puck!

“Kuak!”

Baaang!

The body felt as if it had been thrown back. Ko Wang-suk, who sent the monster away, burst into tears and ran to Chun Woo-myung, wiping out the brains and blood on her.

“Young Master, I am scared!”

Seeing her approaching, he only thought.

‘… I am more scared.’

But he couldn’t say that. Meanwhile, the body with the head burst got up, and ran again.

“Young Master. We need to leave now.”

They decided to move as Hu Bong urged them.

“Yes, uncle. Let’s move away for now.”

Phat!

Chun Woo-myung agreed to it and flew to the other side of the forest. And dreamed of his first-ever adventure, which turned into a horror story.

Well, this wasn’t a banned area for nothing.

‘Was that really dead?’

Everything that happened earlier made no sense. However, Chun Woo-myung, who was walking back, caught something.

‘Huh?’

What could be seen through the fog were the rogues who ran away. He could see them taking a step back.

‘What’s with them?’

Puzzled, he got closer to them to see clearly, but then understood why they were stepping back.

‘!!!’

Numerous figures were visible through the thick fog. All were the same kind of monsters.

Angel’s Corner

LMAO, hahahaha, I never expected the side-story to be a horror story. ????????????