NOVEL WEB Chapter 163
The deep night stirred as the Plague rose, sending waves of energy through the horde. With their speed picking up, it was only a matter of time before the barriers were utterly overwhelmed.
Humans infected by the Plague could be contained, but massive creatures like elephants or buffalo, and monsters, were unstoppable, even by barbed wire, fences, or walls.
They didn’t get stronger; they just became harder to kill and spread the Plague instead. Just not dying changed everything.
Beasts barreled toward the fences, relentless in their charge. Not even concentrated fire or explosions could stop them. Eventually, the walls gave way, crumbling under the pressure. At least the beasts that pushed through ended up falling into the pit we had dug in advance.
It bought us some time, but considering the number of them, it meant little in the grand scheme. They’d fill the pit, trampling each other in the process.
When the front lines began to give way and we started our retreat, a long tail seemed to twirl in the distance. The moment we saw it, the military set off all the bombs and mines we had planted, and we quickly began to flee.
The rise of the Plague—the same decision would have been made even if our defenses hadn’t crumbled.
Engines roared as a Chinook lifted off. Soldiers in the air looked down, unable to tear their eyes away from the stark reality below. Even as we soared higher, the presence intensified like a looming shadow.
That feeling morphed into a profound despair. Watching the military spread across Tehran and Iran made hope slowly evaporate.
No matter how much we struggled, this was humanity’s grim reality. All beings abandoned to lands they would never tread again became tainted by the Plague, rising again as monsters out of their fury.
The surface of Tehran was succumbing. Soon that entire place would be claimed by the Plague. Even with whispers of retreating to Baramin, the soldiers could only respond in stunned silence.
The city trembled visibly. Buildings across Baramin collapsed, dust clouds billowing as it steadily turned into a wasteland.
But that wasn’t the end of it. The city began to sink. Dark spots were appearing everywhere.
The soldiers stared blankly at the devastation. Refugees fleeing Tehran and citizens of Baramin scattered, only to start falling one by one. Eventually, they all disappeared underground, reminiscent of an antlion trap.
As the binoculars slipped from the soldier’s grip and crashed down into the abyss, something massive emerged from the depths below, swallowing countless people in one fell swoop.
When silence fell, the earth had turned as dark as if infected by the Black Death. The once solid ground seemed to weaken, crumbling under an intensity far beyond explosions, leaving our ears ringing.
In the end, a city had sunk. The name Baramin would soon vanish from maps.
All we could do was stand there, dazed, watching the gruesome scene. Not as humans, but as dirt. The insects that gnawed at the earth—the true nature of disease. The helicopters swiftly changed course.
***
“―――!”
A warning siren blared throughout the Square. Before dawn could break, Mages began to hustle about in frantic energy.
The horrors the soldiers had witnessed. The hordes of Plague pushing into Tehran and the sudden appearance of a deadly Disease that brought Baramin crumbling down. It all lay clear to the Wolf.
Much faster than expected. We anticipated movement but thought we’d have a bit more time. Yet, the calamity swooped in without a warning, once more descending upon humanity.
Or maybe this was the warning we’d been waiting for.
When this ends… No, wait. Focus on what’s right in front of us first. That’s the only way to fend off the disaster. There’s no room to think about anything else. The odds are already slim.
The irritating part was that they appeared in different places. With only one Floating Island, the Square could only block one at a time. Ideally, we’d split them apart, but now we must decide. Whether to tackle the Plague or the Disease…
“……What do we do?”
Her voice was cautious. Hong Yu-ri asked while looking down. That was both the answer and the decision. I could sense Baek So-yul’s trembling gaze filled with uncertainty. She looked like she wanted to say something but knew she didn’t belong here right now. I nodded in response to an unasked question.
…
When the Wolf stepped outside the Mansion, Hong Yu-ri, preparing her gear, reached out as Baek So-yul handed her the pouch. But Baek So-yul’s grip tightened and wouldn’t let go.
“What?”
“I want to go too. Please let me.”
“…….”
Hong Yu-ri said nothing, but it felt like her silence asked, ‘What can you even do?’ In the brief moment as she tightened her shoelaces, with sirens still blaring, Baek So-yul spoke with a quaking voice.
“…I know you’re disappointed.”
She was already intoxicated just from smelling the essence of Dragon Blood. She understood her teacher’s disappointment in her magical abilities. But still…
“But you showed me, didn’t you?”
“What?”
“You asked me before we entered the Square. If I still wanted to learn… Yes. I still want to learn. And I want to do this. No, please let me.”
She had already tied her shoelaces, but Hong Yu-ri didn’t stand up. Even without witnessing the hordes of the Plague herself, she purposefully showed some scenes of the devastation in Tehran.
She asked whether I would still want to learn magic after seeing such things. Whether I’d give up. She wished for Baek So-yul not to become like the Mages who shut the doors after giving up and despairing.
“I just want to help a little. I know it’s all I can do.”
“You make it sound so easy? Just because she saved you?”
With a fierce glare, Baek So-yul didn’t break eye contact, even when Hong Yu-ri’s brows furrowed in anger.
“It was for me.”
That implied that at the moment, it wasn’t. Living life as a shepherd girl where no one believed her, unable to believe in herself… Only she could speak for what Baek So-yul had felt.
It was only natural to want to help refugees swept away by evil as a single victim herself, especially if it could also help the Alpha.
“…I’ll see it through to the end. Until I collapse.”
Agitated, Hong Yu-ri took the pouch that Baek So-yul had handed her. As her hand fell under the weight, her lips pressed tightly together, yet the following words sparked determination in her eyes.
“Since you’re saying you’ll do this, if you become even a slight hindrance, be prepared. Got it?”
Baek So-yul nodded vigorously.
***
As soon as word got out that Baramin had fallen, a mass exodus began under the military’s command from nearby cities. Many didn’t heed the warnings provided ahead of time or couldn’t act in time.
The real problem wasn’t the city east of Baramin but the isolated ones left between Tehran and Baramin. The horde of the Plague was approaching from the northwest, and the city was crumbling to the southeast.
The only option left was to cross through the Koji National Park to evade the hordes. Although even that would lose meaning if the Disease were to pursue.
Not just the refugees, even the soldiers felt uneasy. Those who had escaped in helicopters like Chinooks would likely survive, but those in vehicles had no guarantees. They hoped the Disease would be satisfied and stop, but with the ground shaking beneath them, running was their only option.
The soldier in the lead, binoculars in hand, gulped at the thought that the city of Baramin had entirely vanished. An icy chill swept through him as he pondered what might have happened had he been there.
Turning away to look at the distance, the Wolf spotted a horde of the Plague, particularly the swift ones—dogs and monsters charging toward them. The escape routes would be caught up soon. A plan had to be formed… just as that realization hit, the plague creatures began to drop one by one.
He blinked, wondering if he’d imagined it, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Already, none remained, having vanished completely.
***
The Wolf darted off toward the edge of the Square. As he leaped, the bright moon barely illuminated him before he touched down, shifting rapidly from platform to platform and landing on solid ground.
District 20 of Tehran—a key path to Baramin. The Wolf arrived there, staying invisible while glancing back at the Square. In the end, the decision would fall to them. With the Plague and the Disease appearing in separate locations, the Square would have to choose.
If he stayed distant, they could only prevent one threat. But the Wolf knew what choice the Square would lean toward. They’d prioritize stopping the Plague.
Considering the nature of the Disease, there was no certainty they’d catch it even if they tried. A more definitive choice would be made. After all, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Therefore, it wouldn’t take long to decide.
Before long, magic would pour down upon Tehran…
District 20—the wind-wrapped Wolf charged forward, and everywhere his stride reached, black flames erupted. Transformation grew in intensity, becoming an inferno soon known as the great fire.
The black flames lashed out, threatening to cover the entire district as the Wolf sprinted toward Baramin.
How long the transformation could stall the horde was uncertain. But as long as it could buy even a little time, that would be enough.
The Disease—a monster hiding deep underground, luring it away so the refugees could distance themselves.
Not long after he took off toward Baramin while maintaining detection, the blackened city and fleeing refugees mingled with the writhing form of the Disease, all vividly clear to the Wolf.
First, he had to lure them into Tehran, where the Square would begin shelling. But before that.
The Wolf turned his head to find a horde of beasts barreling through the black flames. The long shadow extended greedily, undulating like a living creature.