NOVEL WEB Chapter 94
Chapter 94 – Consumption and Evolution (4)
“I know where the cause lies.”
Dressed in the hermit’s cloak, I slipped out into the darkness of the late night.
Lee So-Yeon mentioned that the higher-ups, meaning the government of this country, were attempting to control the information. To be precise, rather than control, they seemed to be at a loss, not knowing what was going on themselves.
However, despite their efforts to control the situation, information was already leaking out. This developed internet is frighteningly efficient.
Thanks to that, I was able to find out where the bug first appeared in reality and headed there. It was surely the home of the third user in this country.
The bug, which resembled a giant spider, had already emerged from there and hidden itself in a nearby mountain, but the monitor from which the bug protruded remained in the house. I was planning to destroy that first.
“Or maybe it’s already been destroyed?”
According to what I found out, police forces were already controlling that area. If something unusual had happened to the monitor where the bug came out, perhaps they had already dealt with it.
“The world is going to ruin; what is happening?”
“There are casualties, so it’s not a lie, but if this is a real monster, why didn’t they give us equipment? Shouldn’t the army be involved?”
However, upon arriving at the scene and eavesdropping on the police who I happened to encounter, it was clear they really knew nothing and were just standing alert per orders.
“Everyone step back! And no permissions will be granted. Just go home!”
“So reveal the truth! Hiding it away like this makes it more suspicious!”
There were not just the police. Even in the late night, there were quite a number of people gathered—broadcasting station personnel, curious citizens, individuals live streaming… all of them were haggling with the police trying to enforce control.
I didn’t understand why they were so insistent on finding out about those horrid monsters, but it wasn’t unusual since they didn’t really know the identity of the bugs.
“Maybe it’s better this way.”
Thinking of the residents who were in a life-and-death struggle with the bugs, I figured it might be better for them to be blathering around cluelessly.
If those monsters really began to nest in this world and start spewing out in mass, it would literally become a war. I could hardly imagine our army, of which I was once a part, pouring shells onto the cities or towns we lived in.
“Is there really nothing inside?”
“Like I said, there’s nothing. Just broken stuff.”
Heading into what seemed to be the master bedroom, I saw that even there, a forensic investigator was examining something, with bloodstains smeared around. He, of course, ignored me, but this time, I couldn’t give him my attention either.
[Activation 70%. Would you like to close the rift?]
Words floated in the air. Right above the monitor lying on the floor. This was a sight I’d only seen on the desktop. I wondered if it was still incomplete in activation, as it didn’t seem visible to others.
However, I didn’t have a mouse in my hand. It meant I couldn’t choose to right-click and close it.
In this situation, realizing something, I bit my lip and clenched my hand. The only thing I could do now was one.
“Brr, it’s cold. Why is it suddenly… eek!”
I made the decision and summoned the Frost Greatsword, an item I had obtained today. A huge sword infused with chilling cold that numbs not only flesh but souls appeared in my hand, and my stealth was lifted.
At the same time, the forensic investigator, who noticed my presence, screamed and stumbled, landing flat on his back.
“Get lost.”
Grinding my teeth, I ignored him and swung the sword in my hand. With a raging storm of cold erupting forth, the rift couldn’t withstand my power and shattered, disappearing without a trace.
“What, what just happened!”
“Emergency! Support c— arggh.”
As the rift closed and I went into hiding again, armed police officers rushed outside, weapons drawn. I shoved past the flustered officers and dashed outside.
It wasn’t over yet. I had sealed the hole they crawled out of, but I needed to deal with them before they could create new holes or nests.
*
“Seriously, tell me honestly. What do you know?”
“I haven’t lied. I said I’d start something new, and that’s all related to it.”
“You…”
“Just step aside. There’s no time to explain to you right now.”
Lee So-Yeon, with her pale face, pushed aside her older brother who rushed to her and left the house. When he went to the scene and closed the rift where the bug had emerged.
She got into the car, turned on the ignition, and headed somewhere.
“I have to do this too.”
Hands gripping the wheel, she glanced at the passenger seat. Resting there was a staff with a gem embedded at the end. It was a magical item she obtained as a reward a few days prior.
Having grappled with the news of the bugs’ appearance, she quickly made up her mind. She thought that with the power she had gained, she should step up and deal with those monsters herself.
With people already dead from the bugs’ attacks, she willingly considered it her duty given to her.
“Is it that way?”
Another reason she confidently ventured out was that the strength she had received gave her a hint to pinpoint the bugs’ locations.
Arriving near the mountains where the bugs were known to have fled, she gripped her staff and concentrated on the power flowing within it.
The subtle waves of mana emanating would provide faint hints to locate the bugs.
‘Not too far away. The police are also sending forces to investigate, so if anything goes wrong…’
With trembling hands, she tightly held the staff against her chest and cautiously began to scale the shadowy mountain in the night.
The reckless decision had its roots in the sense of responsibility she felt while watching the residents battling and growing stronger against the enemies in the desktop setting.
“!!!”
But the world doesn’t flow merely as one wishes.
From the dark front, a chilling sound crept in, causing her body to stiffen in fear.
Multiple gleaming eyes in the darkness. A massive spider clad in black carapace slowly approached with venom-dripping fangs, drawn to its prey.
“Calm down. You can do this.”
Telling herself that, she just barely shook off the terror and raised her staff, casting a spell. A flash of lightning burst forth, striking the spider’s body in the dark space.
Whether it hit or not, the giant spider, charred on its face, shook its limbs wildly.
“Two, two of them!?”
The problem was that there wasn’t just one enemy. As she faintly smiled and prepared to cast a second attack, her eyes widened in horror when she saw a spider waiting in the trees ensnaring her with a web.
She tried to resist, but her already bound body couldn’t move.
‘I’m dead. I was too arrogant.’
She had acted too hastily. In that fleeting moment, with grim realization, she tightly closed her eyes. It struck her that she had mistaken her situation due to the residents fighting the enemies in the game.
Unlike the residents, she had lived as an ordinary modern woman, her ability to respond to dramatic situations inevitably diminished.
“Eek!”
But just then. Right before the enemy’s venomous fangs pierced her body, something dashed in at breakneck speed, swinging a sword.
“Ah…”
Lee So-Yeon couldn’t help but marvel at the sudden cold that swept over her. The spider’s head, not having noticed the approaching figure cloaked in the hermit mantle, froze and split in half.
In that process, the strong shockwave and wind billowed, causing the dark cloak to flap wildly.
“You should have communicated before acting.”
As the bug’s corpse collapsed, the man who looked down at her with furrowed brows spoke. With the hood already down, Lee So-Yeon was left speechless at the sight of his face, which had been hidden until now.
“I did, but… there was no response…”
“There are people right nearby. We should get out of here for now.”
Having slain the enemy stunned by the lightning, he seized her, and they fled as armed police rushed in, weapons aimed.
“The rift they crawled out of has been handled. It doesn’t seem like they made a nest here, so this should be sorted for now.”
“Is it okay to say that?”
“A pretty good item.”
With no way to escape, he pulled her into his cloak, listening to the horrified sounds of people witnessing the bugs’ corpses vanish into dust.
After all, wearing this cloak and activating it let them erase their presence and appearance. What the bugs didn’t know, ordinary people wouldn’t be aware of.
“I thought we had to fight. Just like the residents do in the screen…”
“I think that too, but we’ll discuss the details later.”
If they moved too hastily, the cloak might come off. They waited for the police, who were searching the area, to move further away before gradually descending the mountain.
They could finally have a proper conversation once they boarded Lee So-Yeon’s car, parked in an isolated area.
“Well, we expected this, didn’t we? That one day those monsters would appear near where we live. I’m Jin Jun-Young, by the way. It’s about time I introduced myself.”
Since the event had already transpired, there was no need to hide anymore. Sitting in the passenger seat, he chuckled and revealed his name.
“Should we hurry and reveal our identity to the world first? Even if others don’t see it, what we’re doing matters, right?”
“Now that things have escalated this much, I think there will be people stepping up soon. We don’t need to reveal our identities to ordinary people.”
Both of them fell deep into thought about the upcoming events. Lee So-Yeon was willing to step out if necessary, but the man, wanting to avoid attention due to his nature, assumed that things would unfold themselves with a bit of time.
And that assumption was proven to be correct when dawn broke.