Chapter 87
“Cha Soo-yeon-ssi.”
I grabbed Cha Soo-yeon’s shoulder and said.
“I’ll block the front. Please take care of the zombies behind you.”
Cha Soo-yeon was more effective than me against zombie monsters. At my words, Cha Soo-yeon nodded her head with a nervous expression.
“If you make a way with the team members, I will follow you. We have to go out of the mart and use the rescue firecrackers.”
“Okay.”
When Cha Soo-yeon stopped her ability and stepped back, the strong flames faded and the needle flew again. I used my energy stronger to build a veil with the wind, but the needle flew through my ability.
“Keuk…!”
I felt a burning pain in the back of my hand. A large needle slipped past, cutting the back of my hand and bleeding.
‘The attack flies through the ability. Is it S-grade?’
I couldn’t even figure out what kind of opponent it was. No one in the novel had this ability. It wasn’t even a gate where such a monster would come out.
‘Why did such a being suddenly appear? Is it related to Jayna Guild? If not…’
A needle aimed at my eye, I bent my neck quickly. The sound of a needle that ripped the skin long and fell to the floor was heard. Blood flowed down my chin with a bitter sensation.
“Han Yi-gyeol!”
Cha Soo-yeon, who succeeded in pushing the zombies out of the mart entrance, called me. At the same time, three needles flew at the neck and shoulder.
I raised my arms and flew back while covering his face. As I stepped out of the mart, the disgusting smell of burning corpses stung my nose.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
The needle stuck in the centre of my palm was pulled out by force. Blood gushed out with throbbing pain.
“What about rescue assistant?”
“I did it. If I hold it for a little while…!”
“Seonbaenim!”
One of the team members, who was cutting off the head of the attacking zombie, pointed to the entrance of the mart I had just escaped from.
Through the black smoke, something long and tall appeared. A woman dressed in a pink dress, with her yellow blonde hair tied in pigtails and a white apron, looked at us with her hands full of needles.
No expression and strangely shiny skin. Cha Soo-yeon stepped back with a pale, tired face.
“What, is that… It is a doll?”
“Ahahaha!”
A strange laugh escaped the doll’s mouth. Giggle. The doll, which had its neck cut to the side, raised its hand that was covered in red manicure.
“Argh!”
One of the team members, who was nervous because of the flying needle, fell forward and was dragged towards the doll. Seeing the thin string wrapped around the screaming team member’s arm, I quickly made the wind like a blade.
Piing!
The team hurriedly stepped back as the string, which had been pulled tightly, broke. It was then that I discovered a silvery thin string all around us. It was like a spider web.
Like me, Cha Soo-yeon, who grasped the situation in an instant, lit a strong fire and burned the string, but the speed was too slow.
“It’s probably an S-grade. A flying needle pierced my ability.”
“S-grade? But it’s a doll. Could it be a monster?”
I shook my head at Cha Soo-yeon’s words, who looked confused. I couldn’t feel the energy of an S-grade monster. The opponent was just a doll with no vitality.
“Ahahaha!”
The sound of laughter spread widely and the doll lifted its hands and swung them. The chilling goosebumps soared up the spine and instinctively pushed Cha Soo-yeon, who was next to me.
“Ugh!”
The string that I had narrowed down aiming for Cha Soo-yeon wrapped around my body strongly instead. I was dragged to the doll while rolling wildly on the floor with my waist and arms caught.
“Han Yi-gyeol!”
The right shoulder was swept to the floor, causing a thick layer of dust to rose. The five needles that the doll put between each of its fingers were raised high towards me. The moment the needle caught the light and flashed.
“Kkyaaaak!”
The doll was pushed back with a loud sound along with the cry of the beast. Biting my lip in the coming pain, I opened my eyes wide and looked at the person approaching.
“Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi.”
Grrr.
At my call, the giant wolf, Woo Seo-hyuk, cried low and bowed down. I brushed off the broken string and climbed onto Woo Seo-hyuk’s back.
“Talented Han Yi-gyeol!”
Hong Si-ah and the guild members who came to see the rescue assistant arrived one after another. Seeing the doll that staggered and raised its body, Hong Si-ah frowned and asked Cha Soo-yeon.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know. It appeared suddenly.”
“It’s not a monster.”
After a certain distance from the doll, I came down from Woo Seo-hyuk’s back and said to Hong Si-ah.
“I think it’s a puppet controlled by someone.”
“A puppeteer… If it’s playing an S-grade doll, it must be quite talented.”
Roar!
When Hong Si-ah struck the ground with her whip, the floor cracked with the sound of lightning strikes and cold air rose from the crack.
“Kyagak! Kyahaaaak!”
The doll lowered its jaw joint long and cried out in a bizarre sound. The open mouth was full of sharp teeth that looked like needles. A dead zombie monster corpse was found inside the mart. Was it the work of that doll?
“Except for Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk, the rest of you move back.”
“Master Hong Si-ah. I will help you from behind like last time.”
Grr.
Woo Seo-hyuk let out a breath that was displeased with me for not stepping back and shook his tail wildly.
“You got hurt, will you be okay?”
“Yes.”
As soon as I answered, Woo Seo-hyuk showed his teeth and growled. It was nice to be transformed into a whole, but it was because he couldn’t speak, it looked frustrating.
“Don’t worry. I will only use my ability.”
“Okay. Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk. I understand your feelings, but the first to do is get rid of the doll in front of you. With the help of Talented Han Yi-gyeol, we can handle it faster.”
At Hong Si-ah’s words, Woo Seo-hyuk frowned. It was scary because it was already a huge wolf, but it was even worse when he frowned.
“Haha…”
I’m sure I will listen to his nagging later. Smiling awkwardly, I raised my ability. Woo Seo-hyuk and Hong Si-ah’s bodies were wrapped in the wind while Hong Si-ah swung her whip loudly.
Chaeaeng!
Several flying needles were blocked by a leather whip and fell down. The doll, which had blown all the needles, opened its mouth wide and pulled out its teeth. When ten were pulled out at once, bright red blood gushed out from the gums.
“What doll bleeds?”
As if tired of the disgusting sight, Hong Si-ah shook her head and flew forward. After that, Woo Seo-hyuk followed.
“Ahahahaha!”
When the doll saw Hong Si-ah and Woo Seo-hyuk running toward it, it burst into a mad smile and crossed its hands. Piing, the silver string that had been hanging in the air was pulled tight and blocked the way.
“Annoying!”
The silver string that had been wrapped around was cut in a single stroke by Hong Si-ah. In the meantime, Woo Seo-hyuk, who turned his path slightly and ran to the side, ran towards the doll with his big mouth open.
Crack!
Red blood gushed out as the doll’s right arm was bitten by Woo Seo-hyuk’s teeth. Grasping its crushed arms, the doll opened its chin.
“Aaaaah! Aaaah!”
It sounded like a child’s cry. Everyone looked displeased at the scream of Ivy that came out of the doll’s mouth (인형의 입에서 터져 나오는 아이비명에 모두가 불쾌한 표정을 지었다). Cha Soo-yeon muttered while frowned.
“I feel bad…”
“Hurt! Hurt! It hurts!”
Dalgak! Dalgak!
The doll moved its jaws violently and complained of pain in a child’s voice. Cha Soo-yeon and some guild members covered their mouths with their hands in a cold sweat. My stomach churned as if I was motion sick.
“I don’t know who the puppeteer is.”
Hong Si-ah swung her whip and wrapped around the doll’s ankles and pulled it. Kuung! A doll with red blood dripping from its arm fell to the floor.
“The taste is awful.”
The doll with a whip that flew straight to its neck quickly avoided it.
“Tsk!”
With a quick movement, the doll that opened the distance with Hong Si-ah blew the needle it was holding. A needle brushed past Hong Si-ah’s shoulder.
Although the needle kept flying, Hong Si-ah did not back down. I concentrated on Hong Si-ah’s movements and raised the strength of the wind a little more.
The moment the doll flinched at the sight of Hong Si-ah approaching its nose in an instant, she swung her whip. Just in time, I wound up the whip with the wind to speed it up. Like a snake running for its prey, the whip devoured the doll’s left arm precisely.
Crack!
Its arms, frozen in the cold, shattered white like a plaster statue. The doll, which had lost both its arms, made a gurgling sound.
“Hurt! Hurt! I will kill you! I will kill you!”
Blood was pouring out of its left arm, which had been released from the cold. The doll poured tears of blood from its eyes and poured the curse on Hong Si-ah with a gloomy voice.
While Hong Si-ah was fighting, Woo Seo-hyuk, who was looking for his chance, ran from behind the doll. Crack! The doll, whose upper body was mercilessly chewed by Woo Seo-hyuk’s teeth, drooped.
Grr.
Woo Seo-hyuk groaned and spat out the doll on the floor. The doll rolling on the dirt floor did not move any more. A continuous stream of blood soaked the ground.
“Whew, is it over?”
Seeing that the connection between the doll and its magician had been cut, Hong Si-ah let out a sigh of relief. Woo Seo-hyuk hit the doll’s head with his big front paw and walked over to me.
“You have worked hard, Master!”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
The guild members, who stood back and watched the fight with a worried expression, approached.
“First, the injured should be treated by the healer and the rest should be prepared for battle. I guess I need to speed up the clearing.”
“Yes!”
Hearing Hong Si-ah’s orders, I looked at the doll lying on the floor. The face of the doll, which was pure white and beautiful, was covered in blood and both eyes were wide open. Anxiety stirred at the strange appearance.
At that moment, I felt soft fur on the back of my hand. When I turned around to see, Woo Seo-hyuk’s golden eyes were still staring at me in a wolf state.
“Why?”
When I tilted my head to the gaze that felt something forgiving, Woo Seo-hyuk licked my palm with his big tongue. Only then I remembered the palm that had been pierced by the needle. It was still bleeding.
Kkuuung.
He whimpered, wagging his tail quickly. I smiled awkwardly as I felt the will to receive treatment from the healer right away.
“I’ll come later. Right now, Master Hong Si-ah is being treated and the other guild members are also injured…”
“Han Yi-gyeol!”
While explaining to Woo Seo-hyuk, who gave me a cold gaze, Cha Soo-yeon approached and grabbed my arm.
“What are you doing here when you’re injured? Let’s go get treatment.”
“Uh, no. Wait…”
Even though Woo Seo-hyuk was listening next to me, I was dragged to the healer before even pointing out Cha Soo-yeon’s tone, which didn’t feel a sense of distance at all.
“I’m okay. I’ll receive it later…”
“What do you mean when you’re the most wretched?”
I can’t believe I’m in a mess…
So I sat next to Hong Si-ah and was treated by the healer. Behind Cha Soo-yeon, who made a satisfied expression with her arms crossed, Woo Seo-hyuk, who was still in the form of a wolf, sent a pathetic look.