Just then, the spider monster that had been out hunting returned to its nest. The second it realized its prey had escaped, it let out a furious roar.
Its senses were insanely sharp. It quickly picked up the vibrations inside the ducts and locked onto Seo Yi-kyung's exact location.
There was no way Seo Yi-kyung could outrun it. Right as she was about to crawl out of the vent, a thick glob of webbing shot out from behind and wrapped around her neck. The silk was insanely sticky and tough. She yanked at it with both hands but couldn't tear it off.
Thinking fast, she kicked out and shattered a nearby glass panel, grabbed a sharp shard, and sliced through the webbing. She dropped down into the sunlit room below.
The light-hating spider monster didn't dare jump down after her. It could only thrash around in helpless rage, watching her slip away.
Seo Yi-kyung didn't waste any time celebrating her narrow escape. She took off running toward the first floor.
...
At the same time, Pyeon Sang-wook was giving Choi some water when the tied-up man suddenly started convulsing like he was having a seizure. Nosebleed sprayed everywhere.
His broken limbs made sickening cracking sounds as they twisted and healed at a visible rate. The wounds on his face were closing up fast.
"I want to live… I want to live… Let me go!" Choi screamed.
Pyeon Sang-wook didn't look scared at all. He calmly broke off a table leg, weighed it in his hand, and walked over. "Don't forget what you did."
He pulled out a photo of the victims from his pocket. The second he looked at it, the cold rage he'd been holding back exploded again.
He brought the table leg down hard. Choi Young-jae's skull caved in with a wet crunch. Blood instantly covered half his face.
"I'm gonna kill all of you! I'll fucking kill every last one of you!" Choi didn't die. Instead he bared a mouth full of sharp teeth and roared.
"Really?" Pyeon Sang-wook's eyes stayed ice cold. He didn't hold back. Soon the room filled with the heavy, wet thuds of the table leg smashing into flesh over and over, like someone beating a punching bag.
A few minutes later, Pyeon Sang-wook walked into the bathroom holding the blood-soaked table leg. He turned on the faucet and washed the splatter off his face. Something was clearly happening to Choi that he didn't know about. He pulled out his phone and dialed Ivan Greevs' number.
"Yo, it's me. Pyeon Sang-wook."
"You awake?" Ivan answered, eyes fixed on the TV. The screen showed South Korea had gone into full emergency lockdown. The military had taken over all security and law enforcement nationwide.
"Yeah. What's up with Choi? Looks like he's about to turn."
Pyeon Sang-wook took a deep drag on his cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke.
"Just beat his ass until he's crippled. He won't amount to shit. The guy was a worthless piece of trash before infection. You really think turning is gonna make him strong?" Ivan said casually.
Choi was just a little potted plant he was growing. Once the fusion finished, it would be harvest time.
On the TV, a female soldier spoke with a grave face. "The military has confirmed that most citizens have already undergone mutation and turned into monsters. We still don't know the exact cause of the infection, but we suspect it's triggered by human desire."
"This infection does not spread through air or blood. Symptoms include nosebleeds, sudden fainting, dropping body temperature, auditory hallucinations, and visual hallucinations."
"If you notice anyone showing these signs, isolate them immediately. According to our investigation, monsters possess extremely strong recovery and regeneration abilities. However, before they fully transform, severe injuries like amputation cannot be healed. This is the only window to kill them. We call it the Golden Time."
"Finally, we promise that the military has both the ability and the will to resolve this crisis. Please do not lose hope. Wait for military rescue."
The military's promise gave people a sliver of comfort, but it couldn't erase the fear in their hearts. Especially after watching the President get executed on live TV. Despair started spreading silently through the crowd.
"The army's definitely coming to save us, right?" the guy with glasses asked, voice shaking.
"What the hell are you saying? Of course they're coming," supermarket owner Kim Seok-hyun snapped. But the look on his face made it clear even he didn't believe his own words.
"Quick—look!" a woman suddenly pointed at Cha Jin-ok in panic.
Cha Jin-ok clutched her mouth as bright red blood leaked between her fingers. "It's all your fault… every single one of you."
Black, worm-like lines crawled across her face in front of everyone. She suddenly threw her head back and laughed like a madwoman, eyes burning with insane hatred. "I'm going to kill all of you! You bastards murdered my daughter!"
"She's infected! Kill her! Kill her right now!" Kim Seok-hyun screamed, stumbling backward.
"I'm sorry, but your daughter's death has nothing to do with us," Lee Eun-hyuk said calmly. "Your symptoms prove you're infected. We need to isolate you immediately."
"Waaaah…"
Cha Jin-ok stared blankly at the blood on her hands. The double blow finally broke her. She dropped to the floor and started sobbing uncontrollably.
But Kim Seok-hyun wouldn't let it go. "Are you all fucking stupid?! The TV said this is the best time to kill them! If she fully turns, we're all dead!"
"Then you do it," Lee Eun-hyuk turned and stared straight at him.
Kim Seok-hyun immediately shut up, but still muttered under his breath, "Either throw her outside or kill her. Those are the only two options."
In the end, Lee Eun-hyuk decided to put it to a vote. Kick Cha Jin-ok out or keep her isolated on the first floor. Looking at the broken, sobbing woman, some people couldn't bring themselves to be ruthless. Most of them were women who used to get along with her.
Ivan stood off to the side with his arms crossed, not participating in the vote at all.
Cha Jin-ok's fate—whether she stayed or got kicked out—meant jack shit to Ivan. Ever since he'd crushed his own desire, eating more monsters gave him zero benefit anyway.
Her desire was boring as hell too. Just plain revenge killing. Nothing special, no value for analysis.
He'd rather keep an eye on Choi.
The guy looked like he was about to fully turn any second now. That desperate "I don't want to die" desire should cook up something pretty interesting.
So while everyone was busy voting, Ivan turned around and headed back upstairs.
___
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69