"Guild Master, aren't you curious what would happen if a Stranger were eroded by contamination?"
"I'm curious too……."
Kim Jun-hwan had been roughly playing along, just as he was cautiously reaching for his weapon.
"Then shall we try it?"
Cheon Gyu-ri smiled brightly.
The moment Kim Jun-hwan drew his sword and turned his body, an enormous magical power stirred.
[Activating the Skill 'Red Shoes'.]
- Controls the target at will.
Clang!
The weapon Kim Jun-hwan was holding fell to the floor.
"Huh……?"
He moved forward, twisting his leg joints abnormally.
'My feet……!'
His body wouldn't listen. It was moving of its own accord, beyond his will.
The end of that direction was a Blood Cluster.
The Blood Cluster was pulsating as if it were alive.
"Ugh!"
The closer he got to the Blood Cluster, the more the contamination suffocated him.
His cheeks, exposed directly to the thick contamination, burned. It felt like his body was catching fire.
Terrified, he shook his head.
"Stop, stop it!"
However, regardless of his will, Kim Jun-hwan spread both arms wide. Then he embraced the Blood Cluster to his chest.
Sizzle-!
"Aaaaaaaaargh!"
Kim Jun-hwan's body burned as if scorched.
His terrible scream couldn't escape the swamp.
A barrier had already been erected around the area to prevent the sound from leaking out.
Irina crouched down next to the fallen Kim Jun-hwan, curling her body into a ball.
"Hmmmm……."
Furrowing her brow, she pressed her index finger firmly against her lower lip.
To Strangers, the contamination seemed to act merely like a strong acidic substance.
"Are Strangers immune to contamination…… or are there special conditions?"
She tilted her head quizzically.
It was when she was pondering whether to experiment a bit more, since there would be many Strangers once they left the swamp.
"Irina."
A low, familiar voice called out.
Irina turned her head toward the direction of the sound without thinking.
The muzzle of a black Glock was aimed at her.
Suddenly, Irina's face and voice were filled with delight.
"Jenya?"
Bang!
*
Sunlight filtering through the leaves caused the baby flying squirrel to open its eyes with a sparkle.
'Morning!'
Perched on a branch, the baby flying squirrel stretched.
"Haaaaaaam!"
After yawning wide enough to split its mouth, it washed its face like a cat and blinked.
'Where is this?'
After quenching its thirst with dew from the leaves, it looked around in every direction. No matter how much it rubbed its eyes, all that met its gaze was forest.
'Gru, how did it come to this…….'
Gru slowly recalled the memories of last night.
"I'm Gnosis."
The moment she heard Serhi's answer, it felt like her vision went white.
Really, is he Gnosis?
She didn't know what to do, what to say.
While she hesitated, unable to open her mouth.
Serhi, who had been covering Gru's eyes, removed his hand and spoke with a horribly contorted face.
"So run away now. Hurry."
Those words were the signal.
She couldn't think at all.
An instinctive sense of danger was detected in her head and alarm bells rang, causing her body to react first.
As if pushed from behind, Gru transformed into a tiny flying squirrel and leaped out of the train.
Serhi simply watched that figure.
Even though a baby squirrel could easily be caught. He deliberately didn't chase after her.
This was after getting off the train, running all night, and waking up from a nap on a tree branch.
Gru sprang up on the branch, spread both arms wide, and hopped down.
"Hyaahh!"
The baby flying squirrel floundered through the air a bit before landing splendidly on the ground.
Gru, who had landed on the ground in a superhero landing pose, trembled her shoulders at the thrilling sensation.
'Flying squirrel life…… might be a little fun.'
If she hadn't been able to transform into a flying squirrel, she wouldn't have been able to jump so bravely from the train last night.
When getting off the train, she spread both arms wide, and the light flying squirrel rode the wind and soared. Forgetting that she was in a situation fleeing in haste, Gru's eyes sparkled as she rode the wind.
'Is this true freedom?'
Of course, it was only for a moment.
'Squeak?'
Because she soon tumbled and fell to the ground.
After that, she had blindly chased after the tail end of the train.
Gru returned to human form and let out a heavy sigh.
'Brother Serhi really is Gnosis.'
The squirrel farm where oak leaves rustled when the wind blew.
The peach that burst with juice with one bite.
The sweet and cloying red radish candy.
We had spent all that time together.
She had believed it was a misunderstanding.
Choked up, tears welled. Gru's ears and tail drooped.
'Was he planning to deceive me from the start…….'
To steal the special acorn? Her heart constricted painfully.
Why did he tell Gru to run away.
Dragging her feet at a slow pace, Gru walked a few steps and then shook her head vigorously.
Though her heart hurt as if hedgehogs were rolling around inside her stinging chest.
Sniff. She rubbed her stinging nose tip.
Afraid that tears might plop down at any moment, she opened her eyes wide.
'Gru, there's something you have to do!'
If she didn't purify the swamp with the acorn quickly, this raid would fail.
'Raid failure = Dungeon Break = Great Crisis!'
To make the raid succeed, she had to stop Serhi and help Master.
'Will Master be okay?'
Just in case, she had left a note under the luggage bag saying that Serhi seemed to be Gnosis.
'Did he see it?'
If so, wouldn't a fight have broken out between the two…….
Master was incredibly strong, and since he wouldn't have to fight while protecting Gru, it would probably be a better situation, but…….
Someone might get injured, or in the worst-case scenario…….
As she walked, lost in such worries.
[The flying squirrel detects contamination.]
['Flying Squirrel's Immunity (Special)' activates.]
[Contamination cannot infect the flying squirrel.]
'Oh!'
The fact that she detected contamination meant?
Before long, what appeared before her eyes was a sign saying it was a contaminated zone and to turn back, and a rope dividing the area.
'Here!'
Gru began to run over the rope.
'I have to get there without being late!'
Because Gru's acorn would be needed for the purification!
At that moment, a crow sitting atop the sign fluttered its wings and flew up.
*
Meanwhile, Naohyeong, who had been following Serhi, stopped his steps.
'Found her!'
The crow connected to his eyes had discovered a small child.
He had been gradually slowing his steps behind Serhi, who was heading deep into the forest toward the swamp.
Serhi seemed no longer interested in him, regardless of what he was thinking.
He had always been a strange guy, but had become even more inscrutable since his return.
Naohyeong recalled his right arm, which had been crumbling like sand grains.
A chill sank into his chest.
'If it hadn't been reversible by now…….'
Even Naohyeong, as an outstanding Hunter, had only lost an arm; if not, his entire body would have turned to sand and crumbled away.
He calmed his breath, seething with anger and humiliation.
It was dangerous to separate from Serhi's side now. Was moving together safe then?
If he had to take risks anyway, it would be better to choose the side that could make him stronger.
And that lay over there. Naohyeong carefully increased his distance from Serhi.
*
"Ouch."
Irina touched her cheek grazed by the bullet. A trail of blood flowed long down her cheek.
Irina touched her blood-soaked fingers and wore a smile.
"We haven't seen each other in so long, and this is what you do the moment we meet?"
Jin Si-won shoved the gun muzzle forward with cold eyes.
"Where is Gru?"
"Gru? What's that?"
Irina blinked her eyes as if she truly didn't know.
Si-won lowered the gun and immediately pulled the trigger.
Bang!
"Ouch!"
The bullet flew into Irina's arm, which was torn open wide enough to reveal bone.
Even so, Irina smiled leisurely.
"At this level, you can't kill me……."
As she said, her arm was regenerating at a rapid pace.
'A mannequin?'
Had she modified her original body, or had she simply transferred her consciousness into a mannequin made in Cheon Gyu-ri's form…….
'It doesn't matter.'
Si-won thought coldly and raised the gun expressionlessly. One thing was clear from the biological response.
"You feel pain, don't you."
Bang!
After shooting the regenerating arm once more, Si-won spoke coldly.
"Next is your head. Where is the four-year-old girl you took."