Chapter 212
“I don’t have a clue how to kill that Monster either, but if there is a way, there should be some kind of clue in a place like this. Think about it. Does that inquisitor bastard look like a naturally born entity to you?”
Cheonchilbaek nodded, recalling the inquisitor’s appearance, which looked like an unnatural mix of human and machine.
At a glance, it was an artificial being born from a highly inhumane and horrific biological experiment. There was a high possibility that there would be some information in a lab like this.
It had been about ten minutes since Paradox and the other people began rummaging around the lab.
“Did you find a way to deal with the inquisitor?”
As Paradox put down the file he had finished reading, Samsao asked him. Paradox shook his head.
“No. But I think I’ve found at least a clue. There doesn’t seem to be anything else to see here. Let’s keep moving for now.”
At Paradox’s words, the Companions looked for a way out.
But there was a problem. There were two doors.
When Paradox hesitated and showed signs of contemplation, Osai stepped forward and spoke.
“Is there any reason to dawdle here? Let’s just open both doors first, yeah? We can just see what’s inside and decide.”
Saying so, he strode forward. Paradox didn’t stop him either. Since they had no information, they ultimately had to confront it to learn more.
Osai headed for the right door. The moment the automatic door was about to open, Cheonchilbaek saw a disturbing illusion.
“Wait! Cheonchilbaek, what’s wrong?”
Paradox perceptively noticed him flinching and trembling, and asked.
“Ah, it’s nothing. I think it’s just because my physical condition isn’t good…”
As everyone’s gaze turned toward him, Cheonchilbaek shrank back and spoke.
His supernatural ability seemed to be a type of crisis detection, but even so, what he had just seen was far too absurd.
He felt a bit awkward talking about it confidently in front of Paradox and the other seniors.
“It’s fine even if it’s something trivial, so just tell us. It would be good if it could be any sort of clue. It’ll also help build your understanding of your Supernatural Ability.”
Paradox spoke calmly. Osai also urged him from the side, saying, “What is it? Just say it.” Cheonchilbaek reluctantly spoke.
“Well… I saw an illusion of being trampled by brute-sized monkeys.”
“…”
A chilling silence flowed. At that single remark, the eyes of the other prisoners grew cold.
Cheonchilbaek felt wronged. This was why he hadn’t wanted to say it.
The others were probably the same, but he was dumbfounded too. What were monkeys suddenly doing in Sector 1 of Glitch Hall?
Paradox cleared his throat and tried his best to smooth it over.
“Right, well… it’s not a completely impossible story. Just in case, do you want to approach the other door too? I’m curious what the stealer will see on the left.”
For Cheonchilbaek, who still had the tingling phantom pain of being beaten by monkeys lingering all over his body, it wasn’t a very welcome suggestion.
As Osai approached the left door, an even more horrific illusion washed over his consciousness this time. Cheonchilbaek trembled for a long time before shaking his head.
“I don’t think the left is a good idea. The left is a no-go.”
“What did you see to say that?”
Fortunately, this time he could answer confidently without embarrassment.
“I saw an invisible beam being fired and bodies being split apart.”
“Hmm…”
At Cheonchilbaek’s words, Paradox pondered for a moment.
However, it was obvious what conclusion would be reached.
Wouldn’t large monkeys naturally be better than invisible lethal lasers?
“Let’s go to the right for now. Even if there really are killer monkeys, we should be able to deal with them as long as we’re prepared. It’ll also serve to check if what the stealer saw is correct, so that would be better.”
Once the decision was made, the Companions opened the right door and entered. Passing through the elongated passageway beyond the door, a ground overgrown with dirt and grass appeared.
As they advanced a little further inside, dense bushes and thick trees like a jungle appeared. The room was clearly larger than imagined.
Also, there was no way they would have created such a space for no reason. Was it an animal they might have experimented on after building an environment similar to a jungle?
Everyone had an animal that came to mind.
Osai muttered quietly.
“Fuck, there really might be monkeys coming out of here.”
As if answering those words, the bushes rustled eerily.
Everyone took a cautious stance, but nothing happened even as they waited. It was the same even when they pushed the bushes aside. Only a few bugs were swarming around.
By this point, Cheonchilbaek wasn’t the only one feeling an ominous premonition. The other Companions all pushed through the bushes carefully with stiff expressions. The grass was so tough and thick that the space felt incredibly large.
Had they come about halfway? Paradox’s voice was heard.
[Everyone needs to move very quietly. I can feel those bastards nearby. There are quite a lot of them. I think they really are monkeys.]
It seemed Paradox was reading the monkeys' minds with his telepathy.
Couldn’t he just give the monkeys an order to go somewhere else?
The illusion of being trampled to death by monkeys came to mind, making his stomach churn. Cheonchilbaek broke out in a cold sweat and quietly followed behind the others, making as little noise as possible.
The problem was that moving quietly was by no means an easy task. Since there was no path, his legs got scratched and his feet caught on grass and branches with every step.
Every time such a noise was made, Paradox flinched and stiffened his expression. His face was gradually growing paler.
Even so, they somehow managed to reach a distance where the door was visible, just as everyone was breathing a sigh of relief.
Snap.
A breaking sound was heard. It was Samsao. He seemed to have stepped on a branch that had fallen on the ground.
It was a trivial sound, but it sounded incredibly loud. With a little exaggeration, it felt as if it had echoed through the entire room.
At the same time, Paradox got another nosebleed. He groaned and shouted as if he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Damn it. I can’t block them anymore! Everyone, run! They seem to use strange abilities like proper laboratory monkeys, so be careful!”
Cheonchilbaek doubted his ears for a moment. Strange abilities? Were the monkeys going to shoot off supernatural abilities pew-pew like the model prisoners?
[Kkikkikkikkikkiak――――!]
In just a few seconds, his question was neatly resolved.
Cheonchilbaek staggered at the intense mental wave that echoed in his mind. Not only he, but everyone else was the same.
If what he heard in his head was correct…
“A monkey’s cry?”
Osai muttered as if he was dumbfounded.
He got a sense of how Paradox had found out that the monkeys used supernatural abilities.
He had been engaged in a fierce battle with a monkey that used a similar telepathy-type ability in the territory of the mind!
Kkikkikkikkiak!
Monkey cries were heard from all directions. Beasts with long arms and fluffy fur were flying swiftly through the trees.
They had a long face like a horse, and a unusual nose shape that subtly resembled a dog’s. They were baboons. However, one thing was for sure; they weren’t ordinary baboons.
Their brute size, which was closer to a gorilla than a monkey, was one thing, and also…
Haaack, ptui!
A monkey that had been riding the trees and circling around distractingly suddenly spat. Cheonchilbaek freaked out and jumped to the side to dodge.
Where the spit had passed, whether it was wood or rock, everything had melted and a hole was pierced through. It was acidic saliva!
A stone also flew in from somewhere. Samsao, whose physical ability was enhanced, quickly ducked his head and dodged the stone.
Craaack――crunch.
However, it seemed the target had been something else from the start.
The tree, struck by the stone as if by a cannonball, tilted with a precarious sound, a large hole left in it. The tree tilted exactly toward the direction the Companions were running!
It was obvious that they wouldn’t escape death if they were crushed by that tree, even without it being an ability.
Even so, they couldn’t turn back. The rear was full of monster monkeys aiming for their lives.
Cheonchilbaek ran with all his might. However, it wasn’t enough. Not only he, but Paradox and Osai were the same.
With a human’s physical Ability, they couldn’t outrun the falling tree while dodging the monkeys' raining offensive.
The thought, “Is this the end?” naturally came to mind. Just as strength drained from his exhausted leg muscles and he was about to give up, Paradox shouted just in time.
“Run! Until the end!”
At that shout, strength returned to his legs as if by magic. He was more afraid of Paradox’s anger than the tree or the monkeys.
Whatever happened, he was a person he would have to keep seeing even after this simulation ended!
Crrraaaash-!
There was a tremendous noise, and various fruits and peels fell from above their heads.
Without looking, he squeezed his eyes shut and continued to sprint forward.
The strange thing was that even so, the collapsing tree didn’t crush his head.
Looking back, Samsao was on his knees, supporting and lifting the trunk of the collapsing giant coconut tree with both hands. His muscles swelled as if they would burst, heating up and radiating warmth.
It was like seeing a titan shouldering the sky. It was truly a supernatural physical ability that exceeded human limits.
It was marvelous. The problem was that the monkeys wouldn’t be so forgiving of such circumstances.
A monkey with hideously long and sharp nails fell, sharply cleaving the air. For Samsao, who was shouldering the entire tree, it was an attack he could never dodge!
At that moment, Osai leaped up and blocked the path between Samsao and the monkey.