Chapter 359
Inside the glass tower building, into which zombies had broken in, was Sasha.
She was in danger. Simon didn’t know exactly what was going on inside that building where the barrier had closed, but he couldn’t just stand by.
“I’ll break through the barrier and go in.”
“That’s impossible.”
Kajan shook his head.
“This barrier is the same type as the one surrounding the city of Pentamonium. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s the highest level of barrier that can be made with black magic.”
“If I use the Legion Commander’s power, I can break through.”
Simon opened the subspace and summoned Feer. Since this was an outside engagement, Feer had been waiting in subspace in case of an emergency.
[Khhuhuhu! So it comes to this after all!]
Simon threw a robe over himself to hide his school uniform, and over that he donned Feer’s Bone Armor. Finally, he took up Feer’s treasured blade, the Greatsword of Destruction.
‘The real thing feels completely different.’
He had briefly used Dick’s greatsword during the siege, but it was no match for this Greatsword of Destruction.
Simon raised the sword above his head, and took a deep breath.
Kajan, Serne, and Prince each took a step back.
Entering the ritual he always performed, Simon heightened his concentration.
‘Cutting through the space itself—’
His two arms naturally came down.
‘—with the feeling of slicing it apart!’
Jjjeeeeeeoooooong!
Amazingly, the barrier that Kajan had insisted was the highest level bore a massive wound and split open.
“...Impressive.”
Kajan’s lips parted slightly, as if he hadn’t expected it.
“Huhuhut.”
Serne, on the other hand, licked her lips as she looked at Simon.
Feeling a bit creeped out, Simon lowered the greatsword.
“Alright, let’s get in before it closes.”
[Go! Go!]
The Prince took the lead, and the three followed into the barrier. As the last to enter, Serne passed through and the barrier instantly repaired itself.
‘Stay safe, Sasha.’
Simon pulled Feer’s helmet down and started toward the first floor of the glass tower.
Inside, it was a complete mess.
The indoor lighting was out, perhaps because the mana supply had been cut. Sofas were shredded with stuffing strewn across the floor. Paintings and orchids that had hung on the walls lay toppled, and bloodstains could be seen here and there.
“This wasn’t just a simple zombie attack.”
Kajan said, brushing his fingers through a blood droplet.
“If even the necromancer guarding Pentamonium’s glass tower was breached, it means there’s something more than zombies in here. Let’s move carefully.”
“Yes.”
Simon headed toward the magic circle elevator, but it bore scratches like those from zombie claws. The damage was severe, making restoration impossible.
[In that case, we’ll have to take the stairs.]
Prince clicked his tongue as he spoke.
There was no time to hesitate. The group left the building’s lobby and headed to where the stairs were.
It was a spiral staircase, the center open, winding upward around the core. The ceiling seemed very high.
With a stern expression, Simon spoke.
“Let’s go.”
* * *
37th floor of the glass tower.
Inside a special hospital room.
“......”
A small girl in a patient’s gown sat curled up, trembling.
Everything had happened far too suddenly.
When the building-wide alarm sounded, the adults had panicked and murmured anxiously. Words like “safe 50th floor” and “full evacuation” were heard.
‘—I’ll be right back. Wait here!’
That was what the researcher lady had said.
Sasha, who usually obeyed her words well, had stayed in the room as told.
But no matter how long she waited, the researcher and the adults didn’t return.
And then—
—Uooohhhhhh.
A terrifying wail came from outside the door.
Wet footsteps came closer, step by step.
It was clear to anyone these weren’t normal footsteps. They were sluggish, occasionally losing balance and bumping into the wall with a thud, thud. Each time, Sasha flinched.
‘What if it comes in?’
Like a frightened rabbit, she curled up tighter and shivered.
She even held her breath, afraid the sound might give her away.
‘Please just pass by.’
‘Just go away.’
She closed her eyes and prayed.
‘...Kami-unnie, Simon-oppa.’
Thud!
Sasha gasped and covered her mouth. The sound this time had come from the door to her very room.
Thud! Thud!
—Uooohhhhhh!
It was trying to come in!
Her whole body felt frozen, but fortunately, it seemed the creature didn’t understand how a sliding door worked.
Just as Sasha was mustering the courage to approach the door—
Crrrk!
By chance, its body pushed the door open, and the zombie came inside.
—Uooohhhhhh!
Covered in bright red blood, the zombie opened its mouth wide and lunged at Sasha.
“Kyaaaah!”
She threw her arms over her head and curled up.
And then—
Puuuk!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang in her ears.
Something warm, like water droplets, splashed against her cheek.
When Sasha trembled and raised her head, she saw a branch extending from her own shoulder, piercing through the zombie’s chest.
“Ugh.”
The moment she thought the sight was horrific, another branch shot out on its own, impaling the zombie’s head with a thwack!
“......”
Breathing hard, Sasha stood up. The spot where she had been sitting was now covered in branches and leaves of various sizes.
‘I have to close the door.’
Crawling slowly, she reached the door. Pulling it shut as quietly as possible, she peeked her head out to check the hallway.
‘!’
It was a mistake. She locked eyes with the zombies wandering the hall.
—Uooohhh!
—Oohhh!
The zombies swarmed toward her.
‘Ah.’
Terrified, Sasha shook all over. She was so shocked and afraid that her feet wouldn’t move.
[Aren’t you being overly dramatic?]
Just then, a voice rang out.
[You’re a far worse monster than they are.]
It was Sasha’s own voice.
She had gone berserk with her ability, awakened as a saint, turned into a gigantic tree and been rescued, then become a blood test subject in Pentamonium.
She had endured trials in succession that an ordinary person would find difficult to experience even once in their entire life.
To survive, her brain had erased most of those horrific memories.
But those rejected memories had created another personality deep beneath Sasha’s subconscious.
[Fight.]
At the voice pushing her to fight, Sasha felt her heart pounding as she placed her hand over her chest.
The adults here had told her never to use this power without permission, but she had no choice. She activated the eternal magic circle engraved on her chest.
Chwaaaaa!
Chwaaaak!
But then, something astonishing happened.
Branches sprouted from her body in torrents, skewering over a dozen zombies in an instant. The surfaces of the branches shimmered with Darkness.
“Gasp!”
Sasha swung her arm, and the branches turned, smashing through glass windows and hurling the impaled zombies outside. She could hear their wails growing distant.
—Uooohhhhhh!
Then, a fat zombie three times the size of the others climbed along the wall and charged at Sasha.
She sent branches to intercept it, but—
Thud!
They failed to pierce the thick flesh of the fat zombie.
However, Sasha immediately grabbed hold of one branch tightly and closed her eyes.
<Enchant>
The branch turned pitch black like coal. The enchanted branch completely pierced the fat zombie’s torso and slammed it into the wall.
—Kyeeeeeeehk!
The fat zombie thrashed in pain. Sasha once again placed her hand on the branch that had pierced the zombie, and closed her eyes.
Amazingly, a “curse” began to form in her palm.
<Daphne>
The curse flowed down the branch and reached the zombie’s body. Just like Sasha, tree trunks and leaves began sprouting wildly from the fat zombie’s body.
—Keck! Keeeeeeeck!
The tree trunk grew larger and larger, while the zombie’s body withered and shriveled like a desiccated corpse. The zombie struggled desperately to break free, but Sasha was just as desperate.
Finally—
“Haa, haa.”
The fat zombie was gone, and in its place stood only a large tree.
Sasha collapsed to the floor, dripping with sweat.
[Well done, very well done. Keep doing that.]
Sasha’s other personality whispered. Feeling a heavy pressure, Sasha shouted,
“G-Get away! Stop trying to tempt me!”
[Tempt you? Tempt you? I am your true nature. Stop pretending to be good. Mass murderer.]
The voice slithered into her ears like a snake’s tongue.
[Remember, when you went berserk and turned into that giant tree? You killed all the villagers.]
‘No, I didn’t kill them!’
[Oh really? Is that so?]
‘Stop it!’
The other personality laughed.
[Fine, fine. Then let’s talk about something else. You want to enter Keyzen, right? You want to see Simon-oppa again, don’t you?]
“.......”
At that question, Sasha’s face flushed hot.
[But you and Simon-oppa barely have any connection. You only met him once during a mission. Soon enough, he’ll lose interest in you.]
At those words, Sasha’s heart sank in fear.
‘T-Then…’
[Simon-oppa is Keyzen’s Special Admission No. 1. You know what you have to do to be someone worthy of him, right?]
“.......”
As she clenched her small fist—
Step, step.
Footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway. Banishing the other personality, Sasha jumped up in alarm.
‘Are there still more zombies?’
But the figure that appeared in the hallway was human.
It was an adult man with a black-feathered cloak and a protruding belly.
“So here you are. You’re Sasha, right?”
She hunched her shoulders warily.
“W-Who are you?”
“I’m Evangelos Alphonia, a necromancer from Keyzen. I came to rescue you at the researchers’ request.”
“Ah!”
At those words, Sasha’s eyes widened instantly.
If he was from Keyzen, then he was in the same organization as Simon and Kamibarez! Someone trustworthy!
Her wariness quickly crumbled, and a belated wave of relief flooded in, tears welling in her eyes.
“There, there.”
Evangelos approached with a gentle smile, placing a hand on Sasha’s trembling shoulder and speaking kindly.
“Now that I’m here, you can relax.”
“What about Simon-oppa?”
“You mean our school’s student? He’s safe, so don’t worry.”
“That’s a relief! Truly, what a relief!”
Soon Sasha was in his arms, sobbing loudly.
And then—
While gently patting her back with a kind smile, Evangelos’ expression quietly shifted into something cold.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters