Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Let's see who wins

Truly a peculiar world.

Just looking around it was inside the factory. But looking at the sky the moon was floating.

Here no longer clouds gathered nor the ceiling blocked.

No, the ceiling is blocked, but another world overlapping the moon was seen.

Around the pond the ether circuits the Etherix employees left earlier were piled a lot.

And in the center of all that there was a pond.

The blood-colored pond called the moonlight pond.

Seo I-hyeon approached the pond a bit more. 'Breath of the Avesta' floating in the air followed, 'Bug Praise Theory' jumping or wriggling on the ground followed.

Approaching the pond, unhideable expectation was felt from 'Bug Praise Theory'.

Seo I-hyeon every time like this a bit amazed.

Just for the reason of becoming the owner of the magic books their emotions felt so clearly. Of course not always so but occasionally so.

"Hmm. The pond color not liking."

Really a pond as if filled with blood. Seo I-hyeon briefly hesitated. If touching here blood sticks, right?

Seo I-hyeon turned his head and looked at 'Breath of the Avesta'.

"Nothing felt?"

Seo I-hyeon so dull so what felt here just about a pond there degree.

Rustle.

[Mystery that came down from the moon continuously sinking in the pond. The pond filling with mystery felt very clearly.]

"If senses regarding mystery anyone would feel so?"

Rustle.

[Yes. That clear.]

"Filling like that when overflowing time comes releases ether, right?"

Rustle.

[Yes. At the current speed about five hours will take.]

Curious how pours a bit, but no thought of watching that.

Because dangerous.

Even if Seo I-hyeon so, doesn't know what will happen to the magic books.

These two magic books really precious.

'Precious means able to use my body without pain. So one has to cherish.'

Seo I-hyeon muttering so inwardly squatted in front of the pond.

And brought one finger to the pond.

"Nothing special?"

Really the feeling of just touching water with a finger. Detaching and confirming blood not even stuck.

This time a bit more boldly put the hand inside. And stirred.

Pulling out and confirming still blood not sticking.

"This color only like this actually just water."

Seo I-hyeon whose mind a bit at ease put the hand in the pond again and stirred. Also scooped water by closing the hand and also struck down and splashed.

"By the way what how cooking?"

At Seo I-hyeon's muttering 'Breath of the Avesta' answered.

Rustle.

[That that one also doesn't know. Just now says can't swallow.]

"Really? Then meaning I have to do on my own."

Anyway thinking of eliminating this so just doing as wanted seems enough.

Seo I-hyeon got up and looked up at the sky. More precisely looked at the moon floating in the sky.

"Just a bright round moon."

Somehow here seems only full moon.

This time lowered the head and looked at the pond. In the middle of the pond the moon reflected in the water seen.

Water blood-colored so the moon also blood-colored.

Seo I-hyeon blankly looked at that. Looking at the blood-colored pond blood came to mind.

"Shall scatter some blood?"

At the suddenly arising thought Seo I-hyeon scooped a handful of blood from the shadow. And scattered that on the pond.

"Wow."

The reaction very intense. The pond began to boil.

As if rejecting Seo I-hyeon's blood. No, rather seems fiercely fighting.

Just scattered a handful, but the entire pond splashing water in all directions and boiling.

Surprisingly the pond color gradually changing. The surface boiling and the color lightening that water going down and new water coming up and boiling again.

"Seems a bit brighter?"

Seo I-hyeon suddenly the surroundings seeming a bit brighter looked around.

Here from the start not that dark. Because moonlight illuminating here.

But now brighter than the beginning. Seo I-hyeon raised his head and looked at the moon.

If here brightened because the moon became brighter, right?

Sure enough, as expected the cause was the moon.

The moon became brighter.

'Breath of the Avesta' approached Seo I-hyeon.

Rustle.

[The mystery coming down from the moon became denser.]

Seo I-hyeon alternately looked at the moon and the pond.

"So meaning more moonlight entering this pond."

Rustle.

[Right.]

Seo I-hyeon nodded. Then the answer simple, right. Putting more blood is enough.

Right away scooped more blood from the shadow. And scattered on the pond.

The pond boils more fiercely.

Bubble bubble.

Even the sound became more intense.

Then the moonlight became brighter.

Seo I-hyeon put one more handful of blood.

The moonlight became brighter, and added blood.

"Let's see who wins."

The winner decided. Even if the moonlight becomes stronger the pond's ether amount didn't increase dramatically. But blood was different.

Every time Seo I-hyeon's blood entered once the pond's color became transparent to a noticeable degree.

When almost ended seeming, the pond's water suddenly surged upward. A scenery as if reversing a waterfall.

Seo I-hyeon felt the intuition that one must not just leave that water.

The surged water somehow seemed going up toward the moon.

Black and White surged from the floor.

"Block that."

As soon as Seo I-hyeon's command fell Black bent the knees then jumped as is.

Bang!

Black surged like a rocket with a roar.

And at the same time the three swords on White's back flew in the air.

Black arrived at the top of the surging water stream in one go.

Swung the huge greatsword largely and struck the end of the water stream with the face.

Bang!

The water stream lost momentum.

At that time the three swords shredded the lower part of the water stream.

Chachachachachak!

The water stream dropped down again.

Kwaaang!

The water stream plunged into the pond, and water splashed in all directions.

Seo I-hyeon who was in front of that got covered by the water covering like a wave.

"Aish, really."

A magic circle appeared on the floor.

"Evaporate."

From Seo I-hyeon's body dense steam arose. When the steam disappeared, became fluffy as if never wet.

The pond was no longer blood-colored. Very transparent water rippling like an ordinary pond.

Seo I-hyeon looked at 'Bug Praise Theory'.

"Now can eat?"

'Bug Praise Theory' instead of answering floated in the air.

Floating in the air moved above the pond then flipped the pages.

Flutter!

The pages flipping mindlessly at some moment stopped dead.

And from the unfolded page infinitely ominous dark red light overflowed.

The overflowing light poured down.

The pond began to gradually fill with dark red light.

Soon the pond filled tightly with dark red light.

At that moment, 'Bug Praise Theory' suddenly became huge. No, not actually became huge. What became huge was an illusion.

As if scattering a stereoscopic image in the air a huge book floated.

That huge book opened its mouth wide then swallowed the pond in one bite.

Seo I-hyeon quietly watched that scenery.

"Eating really eating like that?"

Honestly didn't expect would do so.

Anyway 'Bug Praise Theory' ate the pond.

Then the world distorted.

The moon floating in the sky disappeared, and the sky also disappeared.

Everything disappeared, and the space became the original factory.

Seo I-hyeon was standing inside the factory. With the two magic books, and Black, White.

Inside the factory only Seo I-hyeon's group, and the ether circuits stacked neatly remained.

No, useless chips that couldn't even be called ether circuits because not yet received the moonlight pond's ether.

Seo I-hyeon's mouth corners slightly rose.

"Ended."

Fortunately the one eyeball keeping didn't use.

Seo I-hyeon thinking would be good if no occasion to use that in the future turned his body toward the entrance.

* * *

Outside the factory. When some time passed after Seo I-hyeon entered the factory, a group approached toward the factory.

Near the factory Red preciously holding the jewel made with Seo I-hyeon's heart in both hands and Walker armed with a gun were standing still.

The two confirming people approaching found cover and hid.

The people coming to the factory were five. Everyone wearing clothes similar to military uniforms, and holding rifles in the hands.

That said they weren't soldiers. They were Etherix's factory management team.

Them coming here not because something happened. Just patrol.

If residing and managing around the factory better, but because can't do so like this patrolling every certain time and only confirming.

If staying long near the factory, problems arise. Because of the barrier and also because of the moonlight pond.

"This patrol interval a bit increasing no?"

The man walking at the very back slightly grumbled.

"How much money we receive. Don't complain and just do."

"Just do. Of course. Still can complain a bit, right. Honestly until now not even one special matter. Even very trivial. Sometimes thinking whether patrol needed. You not so?"

"We also same. Still what can one do. If dislike quit."

"Who says quitting? Just words so. And if without such conversation only walking with mouth closed too boring."

"Spirit tight. Always remember what kind of world we dipped feet in. A world where even if I suddenly split into two no strange."

"Know, know. I also just words so?"

The management team walking while exchanging such trivial conversation soon arrived at the factory.

"Well, same as usual."

"Has to be. Otherwise troublesome."

Like that largely circling the factory once and the moment trying to return, suddenly from the factory an intangible wave poured out.

That wave swept the five management team and passed.

"What this?"

They looked at the factory with tense eyes.

At that time, from the factory dark red light began to pour out. That light so ominous that just looking chills rose on the whole body.

"This... seems one has to report?"

He said that then took out the phone.

The moment just trying to call.

Pew.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

A bullet that flew from somewhere blew the phone away. The man gripped the hand and flowed a groan. And reflexively looked at the side the bullet flew from.

The remaining team members at that moment, lowered the body and aimed the gun.

Everyone tightly closed their mouths. The momentum of shooting right away if something moving seen.

"We'll watch so quickly report first."

At those words the man whose phone flew took out the phone from the colleague's pocket. Because own phone hit by the gun broke.

The moment taking out the phone like that, something whitish popped out.

Pew!

Thud!

No matter attached the silencer excessively quiet sound together the phone held in the hand flew again.

And his colleagues simultaneously shot the gun.

Thudududududuck!

Because used subsonic bullets on the rifle attached with silencer the sound didn't ring greatly.

The problem not the sound but not hitting the target even one.

The whitish form moving this way and that, no matter shooting not hitting. No, clearly seemed hit yet still moves.

"Shit, that seems not a person?"

"Looks so in your eyes too? That skeleton?"

They with faces turned white shot the gun more diligently.

Thududududuck!

But no matter shooting couldn't hit. And in the end all bullets fell.

"How on earth avoiding?"

They first drew the greatswords. The gun didn't work but one has to struggle, right.

Of course seeing the situation running away best. Still whether struggling and running away, or just running away difference large in various ways.

First even struggling later one has words to say.

When they drew the greatswords, Walker stopped the movement and slowly walked toward them.

Walker's goal was making those unable to report and making unable to leave this place.

The simplest method is killing all those.

But Walker tried not to kill those as much as possible. Because regarded Seo I-hyeon would want that.

Walker aimed the gun toward them.

"Shit, what on earth is that?"

"Skeleton? What skeleton uses a gun?"

They first time seeing a skeleton. Skeletons never common anomalies.

Even such a skeleton uses a gun? Never even heard such a thing.

Walker without caring about their reactions shot the gun.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

A shooting accurately aiming thighs and calves.

The management team leaped the body in all directions trying to avoid the bullets. But Walker's shooting skill not ordinary.

"Ugh!"

"I also hit!"

Bullets embedded in two people's legs. The remaining three scattered in all directions.

Walker shot the gun without hesitation.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Bullets accurately embedded in the three scattered people's legs.

They hurriedly crawled and took out phones.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Three phones almost simultaneously flew. Shooting skill accurate to the degree fainting.

Since even phones lost no choice but to run away even crawling. But even that impossible.

Walker approached closely and embedded bullets accurately in their limbs.

Like that dragged the five people who became powerless one by one and lined them in front of the factory.

They looked at such Walker with fearful eyes.

At that time the dark red light flowing from the factory suddenly strengthened then disappeared sharply.

Everyone's gaze headed toward the factory.

The factory door opened, and from inside Seo I-hyeon walked out.

"Those guys again what?"

Behind Seo I-hyeon muttering like that two magic books floating followed, and Black and White followed out.

© Kim Kang-hyeon #12i09