Kyaaaah! Kyahhh!
The monkey horde, drenched in poison, scread like people as they tried to flee—but it was already too late. The heavy, perating poison seeped into their skin.
If Lee Hyunmook’s attacks were best suited for targeting a single enemy, Yoon Seungryong’s were most effective when used on a wide scale. Before falling into the Abyss, he’d rarely used his ability so broadly out of consideration for his teammates. But now, there was nothing to stop him from using his power however he wished—after all, no one in his party could be hard by his poison.
The poison surged like a swelling river, clutching even those monkeys trying to flee, and spread toward Yohan and Hyunmook as well. But the mont it touched the halo of light around Yohan, it lted away without a trace.
Hyunmook, on the other hand, stood there as if it didn’t matter whether the poison reached him or not. Indeed, being exposed to Seungryong’s poison caused him no serious harm. Even so, Yohan sidled closer and expanded the range of his purification. Hyunmook, who had been glaring sharply at the monkeys and scorching them with lightning, lowered his brows.
“Yohan... you should save your ability.”
“Hyunmook-ssi, it still hurts if you get hit by poison. This much is fine.”
Even if it didn’t cause major harm, Yohan didn’t want to leave him alone to endure it. With a bit of selfish intent, he edged closer—when a few monkeys, unable to withstand the poison, leapt into the flower field. The flowers’ reaction was explosive.
The mont contact was made, their petals, wide open, clenched shut like buds, then burst out a cloud of condensed pollen. The monkeys, touched by the pollen, seed to forget their pain and bounded about among the flowers. With every touch, more pollen was released, until all the flowers began spewing it in a chain reaction. Their petals even fanned it violently, and in an instant, the entire area was blanketed.
Still busy dispatching monkeys, Seungryong let out a curse.
“Shit—what the hell is this now?!”
“Seungryong hyung! Are you okay?”
Yohan called to him in alarm—only to suddenly feel a firm, solid grip around his waist. Then, all at once, his vision vanished into a dense haze. Through the pollen fog, he could barely make out Seungryong’s shape.
“Yohan! Stay right—!”
“Hyung?!”
Seungryong’s voice cut off abruptly, replaced by monstrous roars echoing from all sides. Turning his head toward the one carrying him, Yohan cried—
“Hyunmook-ssi, Seungryong hyung—!”
But before he could finish, he realized with a jolt that the thing coiling around his waist wasn’t a human arm at all—it was a thick, black, fur-covered tail. Stiffly, he turned his head, and through the yellowish mist, crimson eyes glead, fixed directly on him. Terror surged through Yohan as he scread.
“Let go! Let go! Hyunmook-ssi! Seungryong hyung!”
The more he struggled, the tighter the grip on his waist beca. Then the creature leapt into the air with him in tow.
“No—!”
With only one push off the ground, it soared several ters {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} high. Desperately scanning the area, Yohan saw no sign of Seungryong or Hyunmook. Whether the creature was simply too fast or they hadn’t yet realized he was gone, he couldn’t tell. Rembering Hyunmook’s advice, he stopped pumling the tail.
‘If you don’t know a monster’s traits, it’s better not to attack—you could trigger sothing worse...’
In such cases, Hyunmook had told him to confuse it with purification. Clutching the tail, Yohan channeled his light into it—only for the black fur not to revert to that of so ordinary animal, but to swell even larger.
“Huh? Wh—what?!”
While he gaped, the flower field vanished from sight, and before he knew it, they were deep in the jungle. Praying the others would find him, he saw no sign of pursuit.
He tried blasting light to revert the creature into sothing weaker—like a bear, a wolf, even a monkey—but the tail only grew softer and fluffier. His eyes shook as he found himself wrapped in a thick plu of fur. When every attempt failed and despair set in, he started crying in earnest—only for the creature to finally stop.
Now he saw it clearly: it was nothing but a pitch-black void.
It was like the black from an internet video he’d once seen—the so-called “blackest black,” so dark that even a flashlight’s beam disappeared into it. Only here, it seed made of pure darkness itself. Even in the Abyss, even in this jungle, the darkness around it felt unnaturally deep. Yohan’s light seed unable to touch it. Within that shadow, only the cold red gleam of its eyes shone.
“Uhh... uh...”
Shivering, Yohan backed away when the creature growled low and released him. He turned to run—
“Ahhh!”
Another one had appeared. This one, too, was pitch black and sleek, its body rippling oddly. No—there weren’t just two. Two smaller ones he hadn’t noticed before were lurking as well—four in total.
Trying to bolt, Yohan found himself snared again in a tail. He was no match for them. Two of the beasts crept closer, growling in low, strange tones.
They’ll rip apart. Bite until I’m dead. And since I’m high-tier, it won’t be quick—they’ll make it last...
The grueso visions filled his mind until his stomach lurched—and he vomited right there. Crawling weakly, he curled into a ball, sobbing.
“Don’t co near... don’t... please...”
He cried because he feared Hyunmook or Seungryong might have been hurt or driven mad back there, and because if he died here, no one would be left to care for them.
But no matter how long he cried, nothing tore into him. Lifting his head cautiously, he saw the creatures were gone.
From sowhere, faint and irritable, ca the sound of Cree-hee-hee...
Yohan staggered to his feet, took a few steps, then collapsed against a tree trunk. Sprawling there, he broke down into wails.
“Heuhhh... I’m lost... what do I dooo...!”
Where his tears fell, the soil darkened, a low, flat purple shrub sprouted tender shoots, and bright green moss spread. Eventually, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve, forcing himself to think straight.
“Snff... I have to go back...”
If the others had gone mad, he’d be the only one left to care for them. But they were strong—surely they weren’t dead. Guessing the direction of the flower field from the monster tracks, he decided to check there first, then the shelter from their first night if needed. Sniffling, he trudged through the dark jungle—
“Ah!”
A monster appeared in front of him from nowhere. Before he could run, he was seized again. Slashing at the tail did nothing.
“I—I taste bad! I’m no good!”
Even as a high-tier Awakener, without offense, it was useless. He grabbed the knife he’d kept for ergencies and stabbed—but the blade snapped with a tallic crack! and flew into the undergrowth.
So that’s why they told not to attack...!
The monster then opened its mouth wide and swallowed his hand, only to spit out the knife handle with a ptoo. His hand intact but his resistance crushed, Yohan wept in frustration.
And then—
[Weak]
[Weak... so weak]
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