OL Ch 19

Chapter 19

The massive monster plummeted from the sky and shattered due to Hayun’s ability. A tremendous amount of waste spilled out as if something had been stored within its belly. Mookyeong urgently called for Hayun.

Mookyeong couldn’t recognize the doors manipulated by Hayun and Seo Iju, but his innate aversion allowed him to instantly detect their presence.

Before the waste could reach them, Hayun opened a door, which promptly swallowed him whole. For the first time in his life, Mookyeong felt relieved that Hayun could control these portals.

As this thought crossed his mind, waste also poured over Mookyeong, but it was blocked by his previously erected defensive barrier, preventing any contact.

“…..”

Mookyeong slowly exhaled. With Hayun’s departure, familiar feelings of unease and anxiety returned. The hidden power within Mookyeong surged as stability was disrupted once more.

Although his view was obstructed by the protective barrier, he could sense his surroundings. Out of habit, Mookyeong attempted to locate Hayun’s energy but couldn’t detect his presence. Instead, it sensed other beings nearby. There were humans trapped inside apartments or villas who hadn’t had time to evacuate due to the early hour, along with hunters drawn to this area by the strange occurrences.

Mookyeong focused on those approaching its location. They possessed considerable strength, prompting instinctive caution from Mookyeong. It couldn’t determine if they were allies or aligned with Kim Deukcheol.

‘They’re on my side.’

Mookyeong suddenly found the notion of being on someone’s side quite laughable.

‘Yes, I’m on people’s side—the side of those living here.’

Regardless, he hoped they were enemies of Kim Deukcheol. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem likely.

‘Twelve… No, it’s more than that.’

Could Mookyeong handle them if they sided with Kim Deukcheol?

‘No.’

It would be better to run away as quickly as possible. But something was holding him back.

‘Mom.’

He recalled how Kim Deukcheol had impersonated his father. He must have been buying time until his mother could open the gate. Once given enough time, doorkeepers could easily capture their prey. It was highly probable that his mother safely escaped through the door and left this city.

‘And Hayun too.’

Moreover, Hayun didn’t need any time to open the door. They would’ve escaped safely. In the first place, if it wasn’t for him, Hayun wouldn’t have needed to enter underground at all. It was because of him that he endured hardships and climbed upwards. Since he was one of Hayun’s pieces, he couldn’t pass through the door opened by Hayun.

‘If only you had just run away and hid.’

Did mom know we emerged from underground? If she knew when the labyrinth opened, then she might also be aware that we managed to escape from below.

‘She might come back.’

On the other hand, she could choose not to return out of concern for us. The doorkeepers were definitely pursuing our mother more than us. To them, capturing us seemed like an additional bonus while chasing after her.

‘Then what about Kim Hayun?’

Will he come back or not? What did I want from Hayun?

Rationally, it would be better if he didn’t return, regardless of whether he lived or died. However, emotionally, he wanted him to stay with him. If they were going to die, then let them perish together; and if they survived, then let them live on. The worst outcome would be for him to die while Hayun lives. Even if Hayun insisted that he should survive for his sake, knowing that Hayun had perished alone would drive Mookyeong to suicide. Losing such an important piece as Hayun was unbearable.

Yet, to Hayun, he was merely a tiny piece. Without Mookyeong, it wouldn’t take more than a few years before Kim Hayun would undoubtedly shed all emotional baggage and move on with his life.

Mookyeong couldn’t bear to see him meet someone else, start a family, have children, and one day briefly reminisce about him using old photographs while saying, ‘Long ago, I had a friend who was like a brother…’ He knew too well that he would risk his life if he ever found himself in danger again.

‘I don’t want Kim Hayun getting hurt.’

What should he do? Mookyeong pondered for a moment.

‘It’s best to take care of everything before Kim Hayun arrives.’

This wouldn’t be easy, but he didn’t have any other choice. Mookyeong licked his dry lips, tasting the metallic tang of blood. His anxiety surged, and anger once again boiled within him.

Bam, bam, bam! His heart pounded fiercely. It felt less like a heartbeat and more as if someone were pounding on his chest with a massive hammer.

His mind was boiling over, and he felt disoriented. Mookyeong buried his face in both hands. He barely maintained his rationality but had reached his limit. Once again, he thought it fortunate that Hayun had fled earlier. At least he wouldn’t witness him like this. Slowly lowering his hands, Mookyeong relaxed his body. With his final exhale, the protective barrier around him shattered into fragments, rapidly expanding outward.

Everything obstructing its path began to be swept away. As waste materials were flung far off, locating Kim Deukcheol amidst them became immediate. Kim Deukcheol coughed uncontrollably, spitting out remnants of the monster’s carcass. Upon seeing Mookyeong, his eyes widened. In excitement, he started clapping, only for one hand to abruptly detach at the wrist.

“Ahh, aarrghhh!” He recoiled as he saw his severed wrist spurting blood within a blink of an eye. Covered in monster’s blood, it was hard to distinguish from his own.

“You little brrraaattt!” Kim Deukcheol screamed at Mookyeong, but his voice gradually weakened. There were cracking sounds from his body, and suddenly, his ribs pierced through his skin. His face became puffy. With his remaining hand, he scratched at his neck using the stump where his other hand used to be.

At that moment, another woman appeared nearby, grabbed Kim Deukcheol by the back of his head, and threw him away before firing at Mookyeong. The bullets seemed unusual as they penetrated Mookyeong’s barrier effortlessly. However, they stopped just short of piercing his flesh, halting right before his nose.

“Ha. Not bad for a kid.”

The bullet stopped before Mookyeong’s nose and slowly changed direction. As soon as Mookyeong indifferently looked at the woman, the bullet returned to its original path. The woman seemed to anticipate this, swiftly dodging while continuing to shoot. She cursed each time Mookyeong blocked her shots.

While Mookyeong was focused on the woman, another man emerged from a different direction and descended towards the highest point of the barrier. With an incredible impact that shook the ground, he landed effortlessly. Meanwhile, a shorter man safely caught Kim Deukcheol and quickly wrapped bandages around his wrists. The bandages tightened immediately, effectively stemming the bleeding.

Kim Deukcheol gasped for breath, pointing to his neck. Sighing, the short man yelled at the woman, instructing her to neutralize their psychic powers affecting Kim Deukcheol by stopping the attack on Mookyeong.

“No, do you think it’s that easy?”

Another colleague was trying to increase the distance between Kim Deukcheol and Mookyeong, but within acceptable limits, as it still affected Kim Deukcheol.

“Shame on you.”

The woman ejected the magazine from her gun and requested backup using the radio attached to her waist. Soon, about ten officers arrived. They mocked her for needing their help just to apprehend one person, but she pointed her chin towards Mookyeong.

“Well, they were coming anyway.”

While waiting for reinforcements, chaos erupted around them. Monsters were pouring out everywhere, yet none dared approach this area. When five colleagues simultaneously charged at Baek Mookyeong, cracks began to show in his psychic barrier.

“I thought he was just a tiger cub, turns out he’s a monster himself.”

However, why didn’t it seem like a gap? The woman, Lee Gyeongseon, narrowed her eyes. “Shit, this bastard! Kill that son of a bitch!”

“Ah, surprise!” Kim Deukcheol, freed from Baek Mookyeong’s power, spat out curses with a red face. His wrist was undergoing regeneration therapy, and a baby hand was emerging. Due to his aged appearance, the hand looked even more bizarre. It resembled holding onto a doll’s hand all the time.

“Why did you arrive so late?! You’ve ruined everything!”

“Oh my, come on, be nicer to those who showed up just in time. Why take your anger out on me?”

“Where is Seo Iju!”

“Kim Taeseong went after her, but it seems he missed her.”

“This… damn brats!”

Lee Gyeongseon secretly mocked Kim Deukcheol, who was trembling with anger. His horribly distorted face was quite entertaining to watch. Although they shared the same goal, she held many grievances against him.

“Don’t worry. From what I heard, it seems like she won’t last long.”

“How many times have I told you? We need to find her! If we’re too late, the gogok will be gone from her body!”

“Oh my, my ears hurt,” Lee Gyeongseon said as she covered her ears. The short man standing far away fiddled with his watch.

“Kim Taeseon missed because there was too much distance between them. However, before getting too far, he implanted a tracker, and our nearby member will take over the pursuit. Don’t worry; we’ll retrieve the body before it’s too late. More importantly, old man, where’s the key?”

“Ah, come to think of it, we don’t have the key anymore. He took it with him, saying he’d finish making the doll. Did he insert it into the puppet? Where’s the puppet?” Kim Deukcheol abruptly stopped his ranting. Lee Gyeongseon and the short man, Park Gyeongjo, looked at each other before simultaneously gazing upwards. It felt like the labyrinth was about to open soon.

“Anyway, all we need to do is kill that bastard. Ideally, we should let them catch their breath first, but regardless… Seo Iju is currently the only one who can use the key. If we capture her accomplice and threaten her, she won’t have a choice.”

Kim Deukcheol believed they couldn’t feign ignorance when there was something only they could handle. Observing the madness flickering in Kim Deukcheol’s eyes, Lee Gyeongseon nodded reluctantly. The shorter man, Park Gyeongjo, also nodded unwillingly.

“Well, elite hunters would come forth to raid the labyrinth anyway. It’s Seoul; they wouldn’t just stand by and watch.”

Discovering from ancient records how to summon the labyrinth had been a significant achievement for them. They regretted not being able to reap greater rewards, but there was nothing they could do about the current situation. Lee Gyeongseon tried to console Kim Deukcheol with his words.

Meanwhile, their colleagues managed to subdue Baek Mookyeong. Although it wasn’t pretty, all five of them exerted their full strength to pin him down, causing sparks to fly due to the clash of their powers.

Regardless, Kim Deukcheol rushed toward Baek Mookyeong, furious. He delivered a powerful kick to the head, sending Baek Mookyeong’s face spinning around with a crack. At the same time, amidst a loud popping sound, the head of one of the agents restraining Baek Mookyeong exploded.

“You son of a bitch!” Kim Deukcheol grabbed Baek Mookyeong’s hair and lifted his head. His hands had grown from those of a newborn to that of a child’s size. Despite being covered in blood, Baek Mookyeong grinned at him.

Kim Deukcheol sneered back, making it hard for anyone to tell if he was furious or amused.

“We’ll see how long you can keep smiling like that.”

He gripped Baek Mookyeong’s head with both hands. Lee Gyeongseon clicked her tongue and turned away, knowing what Kim Deukcheol intended to do. It reminded her of a traumatic memory.

Meanwhile, Kim Deukcheol’s youthful hands rapidly aged before their eyes. Smooth, fair skin became wrinkled and darkened. His eyes rolled up into his skull, and saliva dripped from his mouth as Baek Mookyeong’s face began contorting within his grasp.

The four who were pressing down on him also started groaning. One of them judged they couldn’t hold him any longer and aimed for Baek Mookyeong’s neck with his blade. However, the knife intended for Baek Mookyeong’s throat sliced through the great one’s own neck instead.

“Dodge!”

At Park Gyeongjo’s warning, Lee Gyeongseon once again grabbed Kim Deukcheol by the back of his collar and threw him backward. Then, he sprinted away as fast as he could. A massive storm of power erupted from Baek Mookyeong, lifting everything caught in its whirlwind into the air—including Lee Gyeongseon, unable to escape. As she screamed, suspended aloft, the labyrinth door finally opened.

Whether it had opened spontaneously or if Seo Iju returned to open it remained unclear. With this thought, darkness engulfed Lee Gyeongseon’s vision.