NOVEL WEB Chapter 229: This… is Hell…
Shu knelt, his vision blurred, unable to see clearly.
"No…" he finally rasped. "I don't believe it… I don't believe it…"
He tried to stand, to laugh, to pick up the "props" and tell the others, who would surely jump out any second, "Nice prank."
But he couldn't stand. His legs gave way. Every cell in his body screamed that this wasn't a dream, not a joke.
Warm blood, the monster…
Blood was blood. Mutation was mutation…
He was too late.
But Shu couldn't stop smiling. Even though his expression was a grotesque parody of a smile.
Did he want to laugh, or cry? He didn't know. He couldn't do either…
"Fake… it's all fake…!" he choked, crawling on his knees before regaining his footing.
He clung to walls, to anything that offered support.
He reached out, grasping at a wall, his hand landing on a blood-soaked drawing. The tape, soaked in blood, gave way, and he fell again.
"Fake…" That word was all he could manage.
The stench of blood filled his lungs. He clung to the last straw, staggering to his feet.
He was covered in blood, a ghostly figure, no less horrifying than the monster in the center of the hall.
"No…" he whispered, his last shred of sanity fighting for survival.
The door was open… Maybe they'd escaped… Maybe they were all safe…
"Yes… they escaped…" This was the first lie he readily accepted. He wanted to turn and flee, but he saw the small, half-body.
"No… they must have escaped…" His eyes were bloodshot, his face ashen.
They were smart. They knew how dangerous the Herrscher was, knew their own limitations… They must have escaped…
But as he stared at the open door, he retreated, step by step.
Then, inexplicably, he looked towards the innermost room.
The isolation room.
They couldn't be in there…
He started to walk, slowly, towards the isolation room.
He stepped through pools of blood, over torn flesh.
The ringing in his ears intensified, his vision blurred, until he could only see the door of the isolation room.
Like at the train station in Nagazora, only the door was visible, the world beyond it hidden.
His hand reached the doorknob, its lingering warmth sending a jolt through his nearly dead heart.
He hesitated. The door had become a monstrous maw. Every part of his body screamed at him to turn and run.
But his soul refused.
His trembling hand turned the knob. The unlocked door swung inward.
…
Shu's eyes widened.
His strength gave out. He collapsed to his knees.
This time, he couldn't get up…
The white-haired girl, covered in wounds, cradled her beloved senior in her arms, leaning against the wall. The senior held a broken blade. She held her senior.
The black-clad mercenary shielded two small figures beneath her, eyes closed, as if embracing her entire world.
The small silver wolf still clutched her weapon, but the empty magazine showed her ammunition was spent.
The bandaged girl lay still, as if asleep, her expression peaceful.
"Urgh…" Shu reached out. He couldn't see his own hand, but he saw everything else clearly.
He wanted to feel the girl's pain, but there was nothing. His body felt only the scrape of his knees on the floor.
But he felt a pain that stole his breath.
He could have returned… He didn't have to leave… He could have… prevented this…
This was supposed to be the Nest… a temporary base before Fire Moth evacuated them…
It wasn't supposed to be like this…
This…
…
—was hell.
Shu collapsed, his head striking the floor, but he felt no pain.
…
"Oh? You're back?" A surprised voice, familiar, casual, mocking.
Not the familiar weariness, but pure derision.
As if stimulated, Shu forced himself up, turning stiffly.
Vakh stood behind him, tall and imposing.
He wore a pristine white coat, his glasses reflecting the setting sun and the surrounding carnage. Not a speck of dust on his clothes.
Behind the flawless lenses, the strange patterns in his purple eyes glowed, the ultimate mockery.
Shu stared blankly. Vakh sighed. "Well, I am surprised. I haven't finished cleaning up…"
"I thought you'd need more time." Vakh's gaze drifted downward, towards Shu's pocket. "It seems the [Champion] didn't pose much of a challenge. Pity. I missed seeing its demise."
"But since you've [eliminated] it, I can't complain. That was your own skill, after all."
He looked around, waving a dismissive hand. "Never mind. Since you're back, there's no need to clean up."
"Fortunately, the [test] I prepared for you doesn't require setup… I was worried you'd flee at the sight of this. It seems they were important to you… Good. I've removed any distractions. No one will interrupt us."
A flicker of excitement appeared in Vakh's eyes, though his expression remained calm.
"Or… perhaps we could cooperate? I think we can discuss… a more efficient way of providing data?"
Shu stood up.
"Alright… I've waited long enough…" Vakh said, his speech accelerating slightly. "Your teammates provided… fascinating data. Let's see… what the main course will offer…"
In a blur, a fist appeared before Vakh's composed face.
Then, as glass shattered, Vakh, smashed through the thick concrete wall and soaring into the sky, heard a bloodcurdling roar.
"HERR—SCHER—!!!"