In the Name of God - Chapter 77.2
If that’s the case…
“…It’s dangerous.”
Kwon Jeong-han’s expression hardened at the words I muttered unconsciously. It seemed he had realized the same thing I did.
“Aaaagh!”
“Let go! I said let go!”
The screams of the two teammates echoed from the direction of the cave.
A monster emerged, dragging the two teammates who had headed for the cave by their heads, one in each hand. Their limbs were bloodied and grotesquely twisted or snapped, as if the monster had broken them to prevent any chance of escape.
The creature took the form of a giant flying squirrel beast that didn’t even bother using stealth. It was significantly larger than the ones attacking us, appearing to be nearly 3 meters tall, and the aura it exuded was far from ordinary.
The black beast scanned us as we stood surrounded by the stealthed monsters, then brandished the two teammates in its hands as if to show them off. The two teammates hung limp, their broken and shattered limbs dangling while their heads were crushed in large palms sprouted with razor-sharp claws.
“K-aagh! Help me…!”
“Hieeeek!”
Upon seeing the two bloodied teammates, the people on our side began to lose their will to fight one by one. I didn’t need to look back to know how much the other teammates were trembling.
I made eye contact with the black beast. No, it seemed the creature had been watching me from the very beginning.
‘It looks much stronger than the other monsters, but since no quest has popped up, it’s not the boss.’
A mid-boss? Or perhaps an elite monster.
Even if the two teammates had been in a state of near-panic, to be subdued to the point of having all their limbs destroyed in an instant was telling.
It might be the strongest monster I’ve encountered so far.
Just then, Kwon Jeong-han, who was catching his breath beside me, glared at the beast and asked.
“Do you think you know what it’s doing?”
“…Roughly.”
What other reason would there be to show off teammates who were barely clinging to life as bloody pulps?
‘It’s telling us to surrender.’
The beasts surrounding us gradually closed the distance. Seeing as they didn’t attack wildly like before but only tightened the encirclement, they didn’t seem to intend to kill us recklessly. Though they would undoubtedly pounce if we tried to flee or prepared an attack.
I had thought this earlier, but the current situation was extremely dangerous.
The problem wasn’t being surrounded by monsters. Nor was it that the cave we intended to use as a shelter and bunker had become useless.
A monster, usually driven by instinct, was taking humans hostage to control the group.
The appearance of an intelligent monster.
That single fact sent the situation spiraling toward the worst-case scenario.
‘What should I do?’
I contemplated for a moment while looking into the beast’s pitch-black eyes.
Reason told me to ignore those two captured teammates and break a path to escape. Even if saving everyone was difficult, I felt that if it were someone like Kwon Jeong-han—who followed my lead calmly—I could utilize him well to survive together. Though neither of us would be in perfect condition.
However, before choosing that method, I became curious about why the monsters had swarmed with such thorough preparation.
The fact that they took hostages to threaten us, the way they cornered us without killing us, and the current standoff where they seemed to be waiting for an answer were all quite fascinating.
‘I know they want to take us prisoner. But what’s the reason?’
To use us as bait to capture all the other Awakeners who entered the dungeon?
Maybe they just needed living toys, or perhaps they wanted to stockpile fresh prey.
Or there might be another reason I haven’t thought of.
Whatever the reason, my answer was already decided anyway. Because I thought I knew where that monster intended to take us.
‘I need to meet the Boss Monster.’
Thinking back to the incident in the Disaster Zone dungeon, there was a high probability that the boss of these creatures shrouded in black energy was also ‘something contaminated by shadows.’
If that was the case, not only would a quest involving my lifespan appear, but I would also be able to synchronize with a Shadow Fragment.
Synchronizing with a Shadow Fragment is the way to recover part of my memories regarding the Apostles.
Even for that alone, I needed to allow myself to become a prisoner and be taken away by them.
In the first place, it seemed like the only way for everyone to survive right now.
Furthermore, if it was that Boss Monster commanding these many creatures like an army, these monsters would turn into a disorganized rabble the moment I took him down. Cleaning up after that wouldn’t be difficult.
I dropped my revolver in front of me and unfastened the dagger on my thigh, tossing it aside. Only then did the eyes of the elite monster watching me move. Receiving the gaze directly, Kwon Jeong-han also dropped both of his daggers to the ground with an expression of resignation.
Only then did the teammates seem to grasp the situation, and they began to lay down their weapons one by one. Though they couldn’t see them, they clearly felt the presence of the monsters right at their side, ready to pounce at any moment.
Only after everyone had laid down their weapons did the elite monster move. He handed the two bloodied teammates over to other monsters and began walking toward us. The nearby monsters were already retreating while gathering the weapons we had dropped.
Even during this, I was constantly reciting the scan information, thinking of a way to break through this encirclement without weapons if things turned dangerous.
Suddenly, my gaze landed on Kwon Jeong-han’s face beside me.
“You trusted me, so I’m sorry. My gut feeling was wrong.”
He was the guy who said he wasn’t anxious because I was with him. Yet, since the situation had turned out like this, I felt sorry for some reason.
“No, it’s not wrong yet.”
But Kwon Jeong-han glanced at me and met my eyes as if there was no need for that.
“I have a feeling your choice is the right answer.”
What is he trusting to be so certain?
‘Is his intuition really that accurate? Is he the son of some famous shaman or something?’
If this matter is resolved well, I’ll probably have to gift this guy a fortune-teller’s mat.
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