There is no distinction between night and day in the Blackout Zone.
What fills this place is only greedy, pitch-black darkness.
Not even a single point of light is permitted here. It is truly a region of endless polar night.
At a glance, it sounds like an environment perfect for shattering one’s bodily rhythms, yet the survivors still tried to maintain a regular lifestyle.
According to a survivor who had been a doctor, doing so made them less depressed, or something like that.
‘…Though that doctor was classified as being at risk of being a Mimetic Beast.’
In any case, thanks to those efforts, the survivors were maintaining fairly healthy bodily rhythms.
As for when to wake and when to lie down, the mutants who could check watches simply told them.
Thanks to that, almost none of the survivors were active during the hours before dawn.
That was probably why the mutants here had gone out of their way to set the meeting for dawn.
‘…It’s about time.’
I looked at the military watch on my wrist and tapped my fingers.
The current time was ten minutes to four in the morning.
An hour when most people would be asleep…
And the time when my meeting with the mutants was soon scheduled to begin.
‘They said they’d come to the building I’m in.’
Originally, the meeting was supposed to be held elsewhere, but the location had changed because I was participating.
After all, I stood out far too much for a secret meeting.
For starters, in a place where there was only darkness, I was the sole source of light. Even the slightest movement was bound to draw attention.
While I was sitting in a chair, calming my nerves, Kim Soyeong relayed a message.
“…They’re coming. I think they’ll arrive soon.”
“…All right. Then let’s go over who’s who one last time.”
The hawk beastman and the Cyclops.
Both of them were mutants who had gained eye-related abilities, and both were familiar faces.
The hawk beastman was on the friendly side toward me, so there was no problem there, but the Cyclops was different.
She was a woman sensitive about her appearance, and since she had mutated into that form, there was no way her gaze toward me would be kind.
Still, compared to the last person to be introduced, she was relatively neutral.
‘Next were the mutant whose neck had grown long like a giraffe’s, and the lycanthrope.’
They, too, were mutants with eye-related abilities.
I didn’t know much beyond that. They hadn’t tried to meet me, either.
However, according to Kim Soyeong, they had rather prickly personalities. Aside from the old leader, they were curt with everyone.
The chances of them being cooperative were low, but even so, compared to the last one, they were still practically decent.
The last one… had been extremely hostile to me.
‘…Phew.’
I sprang up from where I had been sitting.
Then I strode over and, beside Kim Soyeong, looked out the window.
When I looked down, the mutants had already arrived right near the building.
Their appearances could never be called ordinary, but even so, traces of humanity remained deeply within them.
At the very least… they were walking on two feet.
In contrast, the last mutant was…
Sarak—sarararak.
An ominous sound that made my knees weaken just from hearing it spread low through the air.
It was not loud, but it was clear enough to be heard even from a distance.
I saw the owner of those footsteps.
Sarararak—sarak.
A little apart from the other mutants, a centipede the size of a person was crawling toward us.
‘That is…’
The last mutant.
At the same time, the person most hostile to me among the mutants.
No—could that even be called a person?
No matter how much they had mutated, some trace of humanity remained. However twisted they became, it was normal for them to at least maintain bipedal movement.
But there was no longer anything in that being that could be called a trace of humanity.
It was only the size of a person; its appearance and movements were already, beyond any room for denial, those of a centipede.
An appearance alien even compared to the other mutants.
And at the same time, the form of a centipede, something that easily invited human revulsion.
That was why that person had despaired the most when I arrived.
Until now, apart from fellow mutants, there had been no one who could see them. But with my arrival, their appearance had been exposed to the whole world.
In terms of appearance and emotion alike, they were sure to be the greatest obstacle in this meeting.
“Then, I’ll go out to greet them.”
“Ah, please do.”
Though she seemed somewhat shocked by the centipede’s appearance, she somehow managed not to show it and went out to receive them.
It was not long before she returned.
Behind her stood the mutants I had seen from below.
Since all of them had appearances that hardly seemed human, they gave off a fair amount of pressure.
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Unfortunately, Soyeong had decided not to participate in this meeting.
With a brief word of greeting, she left the room.
Now, the only people left inside were the five mutants and me.
Since they were all fairly large, even though the space could not be called cramped, it felt packed full.
“……”
Each and every one of them had an impression that would not be easy to deal with, but…
Well then, shall we begin?
I met each of their eyes in turn, then smiled and said,
“Thank you for inviting me to the meeting.”
“For something like that, we’re the ones who came, though.”
The Cyclops snorted and spoke in a beautiful voice that did not match her outward appearance.
“Hah.”
The Cyclops looked me up and down, then snorted once more.
Then, with a deliberate motion—
A hand so large and thick it looked as if it might burst was placed in front of me.
‘…What is this?’
The meaning of the gesture was not hard to understand.
She wanted to shake hands. That in itself was not strange.
But when I actually saw that enormous hand, all sorts of thoughts came to mind.
You know how people often have little contests of nerves by putting strength into their grip during a handshake.
Still, well. It wasn’t as though I could refuse to take it.
After quickly finishing my thoughts, I immediately took her hand.
“Heh.”
What came back was a laugh, as if I had fallen into a trap.
But she did not start the contest of strength I had worried about.
Instead, she merely held my hand, shook it once, and ended it there.
“Kim Seoryeong.”
“…Han Yujin.”
“You had a name?”
Perhaps that trivial fact was surprising, because the centipede behind her twitched.
Though if it had truly been such a remarkable revelation, it was only the centipede who reacted.
The Cyclops did get in one last dig, but she did nothing beyond that.
She shrugged once, then stepped back.
As if her only purpose really had been a handshake and an exchange of names.
I found that strange, but the mutants gave me no time to think.
“I’m Han Minsu, Angel.”
“My name is Sun Okja.”
In order, it was the hawk beastman and the long-necked mutant introducing themselves.
They, too, shook hands with me and exchanged names.
And only then did I realize their intent.
‘They’re trying to make me shake hands with the centipede.’
After constantly trying to start contests of nerves, it seemed this was the move they had prepared.
They were probably planning to make me shake hands with the centipede and then watch my reaction.
‘If I refuse, or show even a hint of displeasure, it’ll give that side justification.’
It was a rather clever move.
Even as I realized their intent, the order continued to pass along.
“……”
“…Han Yujin.”
“Grrrr……”
“Um, your name is…”
“Kim Minchan.”
Once I got past the lycanthrope, who reacted exactly like a dog, only one truly remained.
Their most confident finishing move. The most alien existence among the mutants.
Of course, its appearance alone—a centipede the size of a person—was enough to leave one aghast, but…
One step.
I approached the centipede first.
“I’m Han Yujin.”
“…Ah.”
The centipede stared blankly at me. Just from the voice, I could feel its bewilderment.
In truth, everyone here was similarly bewildered.
They must have only been thinking of pressuring me with the centipede mutant, and they probably never imagined I would react this calmly.
But, you see.
Did they really think I would be frightened by a mere centipede at this point?
After the world turned into this mess, I had been more proactive than anyone.
I had faced monsters outside, and this was already my second time entering the Blackout Zone.
I had seen everything from Mimetic Beasts to pine caterpillars to the being beneath the Han River… So how could I possibly be scared of a mere centipede now?
“…I’m Kim Miri.”
Though it did not seem to have human vocal cords, apparently it could speak just fine.
The centipede introduced itself that way.
‘…I’ve heard that name somewhere.’
For some reason, it was a familiar name. Since it wasn’t a common name, that was strange…
Well, it was hard to tell just from the voice.
If I saw the face, I might be able to distinguish whether it was someone I knew, but since she had become a mutant, it was a meaningless assumption.
“…Mm.”
With a low hum, the centipede extended its jaw toward me as if it were a hand.
Perhaps because it had so many legs, it seemed to have hesitated over which one to offer, causing the delay.
Clack.
I clasped the centipede’s jaw.
And then—
Saaaaaaaah.
An endless chill climbed up my spine.
Seeing my expression, which had been smiling mildly all along, harden in an instant, the Cyclops sneered.
“What’s wrong? Now that you’re touching directly, does it give you the creeps?”
The Cyclops’s mocking words did not quite reach my ears.
I merely stared wide-eyed, sending the centipede a gaze filled with shock.
“…Ugh.”
As if uncomfortable with that gaze, the centipede was the first to pull away.
I tried to hold on to her, but because of the difference in strength between the centipede and me, I lost my grip.
“…Hey, say something…!”
As the atmosphere began to turn somewhat ominous, the Cyclops raised her voice.
But that, too, did not enter my ears.
I realized it instinctively.
It was a realization only I could have.
‘That mutant—no, that centipede…’
Was different from the mutants. It was not a mutant.
Its origin itself was different from the mutations the other mutants had undergone.
A reason only I could know. A method only I could notice.
Holy Art.
The person named Kim Miri had become a centipede because of someone’s Holy Art.