The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 123: There Are No Friends Here 3

While Yeonhwa went up to the surface to join the patrol, Shia remained with her hat pulled down, still on guard against any potential ambush from doppelgangers or other monsters.

The numerous civilians trapped in the dungeon seemed unaware of any immediate danger, still sitting together in small groups, chatting among themselves.

At least, the fortunate thing was that no panic had erupted yet.

If a situation arose where civilians could no longer be controlled, they might lose their reason, scatter, and a great number of casualties could occur.

“I hope this ends soon.”

“I want to go home…”

“When are the Hunters coming?”

“They’ll be here soon, I guess.”

“Ugh… we came out to have fun, but look at this!”

“It’s fine. Let’s get something delicious when we get back.”

It could be seen as a lack of awareness, but the association’s handling of emergencies had earned the trust of the public, so while they grumbled a bit, beneath it all, they trusted the Hunters to protect them.

Rather than losing their rationality to fear and terror, it was better to maintain the illusion that this was just another part of their daily lives.

Shia, glancing at these civilians, continued to spread out her holy power, expanding her senses to find any doppelgangers possibly mixed in with them.

‘Nothing. Why aren’t they here…?’

With so many civilians around, this would be the perfect environment for doppelgangers to toy with the Hunters.

Yet, despite the faint presence of malevolent energy in the air, there weren’t that many doppelgangers.

Shia, prepared for the worst, thinking she’d have to use her miracle of Great Healing to revive the dead as quickly as possible, was now bewildered by the doppelgangers’ unexpectedly passive behavior.

Thud!

“…!”

What was that?

What was that pulse that just spread out?

Shia looked up, startled by the sudden, unfamiliar beat resonating within her chest.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud!

The beat increased.

One, two, three… Dozens, and then hundreds of beats seemed to echo from the surface.

Was this a heartbeat?

No.

Something was calling me.

Shia closed her eyes.

She temporarily gave up her sight.

Her pupils decayed.

Instead, her skin and ears became even more sensitive to the vibrations.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

[Kill]

[Move aside]

[This is ours.]

[It’s ours.]

[Kill everything in the way.]

“…!”

They were here.

Shia opened her decayed eyes at the deafening sound of countless desires felt from the surface.

Though her pupils had rotted from momentarily sacrificing her vision, Shia’s eyes naturally restored themselves without the need for a miracle of Great Healing.

She bent slightly, taking a running stance, and immediately launched forward from her spot.

Boom!

“Huh? It’s Shia!”

“Where, where?”

“They say it’s the leader!”

“Really?!”

“Uh… She was just here a second ago…”

○○○○○

The Hunter Association of 2088 wielded significant influence in the Hunter world, thanks to the recruitment of numerous Awakened individuals with various technologies and support abilities.

During the First Great Rift, they tried to manage the Hunters with a bureaucratic mindset, only to be harshly criticized by the first-generation Awakened, including Yeonseo. Now, however, the Association’s role and government policies were focused more on supporting rather than managing Hunters.

As a result, various auxiliary technologies had developed, including Hunter support AI drones and smartwatches that worked even within corrupted dungeons, making the production of such equipment one of the Hunter Association’s main tasks.

“Good. Setup complete… Director! We’ve successfully connected the satellite to the mega-dungeon! All we need is to power up the erosion detection radar and mana density meter…”

“The drones?”

“We’ve connected 39 drones to the screens, but the remaining 21 are still in the process. Once you give the signal, we’ll launch the connected ones.”

“Don’t hold back. Launch all of them as soon as they’re ready. If the drones get destroyed, we can just request more supplies from the Association.”

The entire area around Mapo-gu had been swallowed by a corrupted dungeon, with the otherworldly transformation process underway.

With so many civilians still trapped, it was crucial to respond quickly. To do that, they needed to provide maximum backup to S-rank Hunter Yeonhwa and Returnee Shia, who were still inside the dungeon.

Their mission was to quickly send data to the Hunters’ drones as soon as any small gimmick, monster, terrain feature, or other peculiarity of the dungeon was identified.

“Report the erosion rate, mana density, and threat level as soon as they’re measured.”

“The current mana density inside the dungeon is at B… No, A-rank.”

“And the toxicity?”

“None yet, but the mana concentration in the air is steadily increasing over time!”

“The erosion rate… is 91 percent.”

“91 percent? Are you sure?”

“I’ll double-check…”

The erosion rate referred to how much a dungeon had encroached upon reality, transforming the environment into something entirely different, or otherworldly.

An S-rank dungeon teeming with doppelgangers.

It wasn’t unusual for the mana density, erosion rate, and other danger levels to be high.

But an erosion rate of 91 percent was incredibly hard to believe.

The erosion rate indicated how much a place’s terrain had changed—like if a flatland turned into an ocean, or if a tropical forest became a frigid snowfield.

The higher the environmental difference, the higher the erosion rate.

For reference, the Kurutala Mountain Range in Gyerongsan, where wyverns nested, and the Rotting Mountain swarming with blade centipedes had erosion rates of less than 20 percent, aside from the monsters.

Yet an erosion rate of 91 percent?

‘This has to be a malfunction…’

In previous dungeons, even with high erosion rates, the terrain usually only changed slightly, or poison gas or climate changes were added.

If the erosion rate surpassed 90 percent, it was standard to assume the space was no longer Earth.

If the erosion rate here really exceeded 90 percent and the otherworldly transformation was complete, then the buildings in Mapo-gu should have long since vanished, and the land would have been turned over, with the terrain and climate transformed into something alien.

“Put the erosion rate aside for now. Other than a few buildings getting bigger, there’s almost no change in the terrain.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Hurry and get the drone screens up and start transmitting data to Hunter Shia and Hunter Yeonhwa. Is there still no contact with headquarters?”

“We’re still receiving signals from outside, but it seems nearly impossible to transmit out from inside the dungeon. The mana concentration is so strong that any signals we try to send out just get scattered.”

“Damn it…”

Without being able to send news from inside to the outside, the Association’s support was bound to be limited.

Although food, water, and other supplies could still be delivered regularly via transport drones,

They couldn’t rely on Hunters below B-rank, as they’d likely just get killed, and it would take time to gather enough A-rank or higher Hunters to send in.

In the end, the current situation in this corrupted dungeon depended on Shia and Yeonhwa.

“Director!”

“What now?”

“We’re under attack!”

“What? Attack by what!?”

For fuck’s sake. Now of all times!?

“It’s doppelgangers!”

“…Shit.”

At those words, the director looked outside and barely managed to compose himself, almost fainting.

What he saw beyond the barricade of the base camp, protected by electric fences, looked like countless humans. If this weren’t a dungeon, they might not even notice anything strange.

But the countless humans beyond the barricade weren’t human at all.

They appeared as police officers, soldiers, firefighters, security guards, and civilians in plain clothes, but their jet-black eyes rolled as they approached the base camp like puppets.

Of all times…

Now!?

Yeonhwa Hunter, Shia Hunter, and the government Hunters had all gone out on patrol, and these creatures had chosen this exact moment to swarm in!

Click.

Click.

Click.

The slow steps grew faster.

It wasn’t hard to tell that those steps were speeding up as they stalked their prey, yet the doppelgangers’ approach felt terrifyingly slow.

The director and the rookie agents had a gut feeling.

Ah, we’re dead.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

“…What do we do, Director…?”

“This is fucked… Where are Hunter Shia and Hunter Yeonhwa…”

“They were at the Hongik University shelter earlier…”

The Hongik University shelter was quite far from here.

Even if they sent a distress signal now, it would be hard for them to arrive in time.

But the agents couldn’t simply run away from here.

If they fled to the shelter like this,

Hundreds of A-rank doppelgangers would tear off the shelter doors and kill both the fleeing agents and the civilians inside.

Having made up his mind, the lead agent bit his lip and shouted.

“Fuck! Hold them off! The Hapjeong Station shelter is right behind us! If we run, everyone will die!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Attack!!”

Rat-a-tat-tat!

At that command, the agents immediately drew their issued firearms and began to respond to the doppelgangers.

Though they were neither Hunters nor Awakened, the agents of the Hunter Association were trained in the use of firearms and promptly began firing from behind the barricade.

However, the doppelgangers in this corrupted dungeon had an average danger level of A-rank.

Even though the doppelgangers mimicked human appearances, their physical abilities were those of A-rank monsters, so killing them with mere bullets was out of the question.

“It’s no use! They’re either dodging all the bullets or continuing to walk even after being shot in the head!”

“H-Hik! The bullets are bouncing off!”

“Of course! How could A-rank monsters be killed by bullets? Keep shooting anyway!”

Most of the bullets either deflected off or were dodged by the doppelgangers twisting their bodies at high speed.

If they were lucky enough to hit their heads, the doppelgangers would momentarily stop, but only for a few seconds.

As the resistance from the agents became fiercer than expected, the doppelgangers’ steps began to quicken.

[Move aside]

[Move aside]

[We must enter.]

[Kill]

[We are coming.]

[Kill anything that blocks us.]

[Kill them.]

“Don’t even think about running! If we retreat, all the civilians behind us will die! If necessary, blow up the entrance so they can’t get inside!”

“Yes, sir!”

Despite the intensifying barrage of bullets, the steps of the approaching doppelgangers grew faster and faster.

Of course, the director never expected that their skills or firearms would be enough to stop a horde of A-rank doppelgangers. He knew the lives of the civilians in the shelter depended on them.

Yet, the doppelgangers strode forward, unaffected by the bullets, and even though they momentarily halted at the electric barricade, some of the doppelgangers in the front row began to press their bodies against the electric fence.

Sizzle!

“Damn it… they’re using their bodies to climb over the barricade…”

“Director, what should we do…?”

Shit. This is why high-intelligence monsters are so terrifying.

The rookie agents had already sensed that their lives were forfeit.

The electric barricade and bullets were useless, so even holding out for a short time seemed impossible.

“Blow up the shelter entrance! Don’t let a single one of those bastards get inside…!”

[You’ve done well.]

“Huh…?”

At that moment, a clear, holy voice, tinged with sacred aura, tickled the agents’ eardrums.

Shia had suddenly appeared right in the middle of the agents, though no one knew when she had arrived.

“I-Isia Hunter!”

Her voice was a welcome sound in this moment of extreme crisis, and some agents welled up with tears.

How had she known to come all the way here, despite the distance?

However, now was not the time for such questions.

Click.

Click.

The sound of Shia’s boots echoed as she calmly walked forward and raised her hand toward the doppelgangers that were just about to cross the barricade.

Under normal circumstances, she would have taken her time.

Why are you here?

Would you taste good?

If I ate a doppelganger transformed into a human, would it taste like human flesh?

She could have leisurely hunted them and even cooked them.

But given the current situation…

[Miracle]

Without hesitation, Shia clenched her hand toward the air.

[Holy Body Annihilation!]

The compressed white holy power in her hand exploded forward, becoming a massive, transparent barrier of destruction that shot toward the doppelgangers.

As the holy energy surged, it declared its presence to both the agents and the doppelgangers. The white energy tore through the ground, swept over the buildings, and shattered the horde of doppelgangers into pieces.

KABOOM!!!

The first ones to be destroyed were those trying to cross the barricade.

Their limbs, which resembled human arms and legs, were crushed, but no blood flowed.

Instead, dark, gooey liquid dripped down like slime, and that was all.

The enraged doppelgangers then turned into a black wave and charged toward Shia.

[Kill.]

[Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.]

[Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!]

[Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!][Move aside!]

“They’re still not all dead?”

Surprisingly, they held up well.

Was it because of their flexible bodies? The miracle of annihilation had torn apart the front lines of doppelgangers, but the impact seemed to have diminished after that.

And now, they appeared even angrier, perhaps due to being attacked.

Some of them, like true A-rank monsters, began to run on all fours, embedding their limbs into buildings and walls like beasts.

Well, it didn’t matter either way.

[Kill.]

[Kill.]

[Move aside. Move aside!]

[Move aside!!]

Watching the frenzied doppelgangers, who had now broken into a full sprint, Shia muttered quietly.

Ah, you really shouldn’t have come here…

Once more.

[Miracle – Holy Body Annihilation]!

BOOM!!!

Still not enough.

[Miracle – Holy Body Annihilation]!!

BOOM!

One more time.

[Miracle – Holy Body Annihilation]!!!

CRASH!!!

The shattered bodies of the doppelgangers formed a grotesque scene, like crushed sewage.

Just moments ago, they had at least maintained human shapes, but after being repeatedly struck by the miracle of Holy Body Annihilation, the hundreds of A-rank doppelgangers now resembled a tangled mess of mercury, impossible to recognize.

“…………….”

The agents, who had been watching, were struck dumb, their voices gone as if they had swallowed their words.

But soon, they bowed their heads deeply and expressed their gratitude to Shia.

“Thank you!”

“What about the other shelters?”

“Based on the drones, this is the only place that was attacked! The barrier you set up is still intact, as confirmed by the drone footage.”

“At least that’s a relief.”

Thud!

Shia glanced at a wriggling fragment of a doppelganger and then stomped on it fiercely with her boot.

To Shia, devoid of her usual playful nature, these monsters were neither a tasty meal nor a delicacy.

They were simply evil manifestations of malevolence, threatening and trying to kill humans.

“What was the reason for the attack? Did any of you provoke the doppelgangers?”

“We… can’t think of anything. There’s no way they attacked us because they detected our communications signal. It’s probably because the dungeon, their territory, was invaded…”

It was strange enough that the previously dormant doppelgangers had suddenly gathered to attack, but no one knew the reason.

“You can’t apply human logic to dungeons or monsters, but we really lack information at this…”

Thud!

At that moment, a massive ice flower bloomed in the middle of the towering buildings.

“…Bingu?”

However, the ice was disturbingly black.

[Frozen Flower Contagion]

The ice flower bloomed.

Starting from the sewer system that the dungeon had copied, black ice began to spread like an infection across the buildings and ground, freezing everything in its path. The frozen road rapidly reached the area where Shia and the agents stood.

What is this?

No way…

Is it attacking us?

Shia quickly made a decision and extended her hand, unleashing her holy power.

[Miracle – Sanctuary of the Orphan]

As the white barrier expanded, the spreading ice was blocked by Shia’s holy power, halting its infection.

However, everything in the immediate vicinity— the ground, the walls, and even the shattered corpses of the doppelgangers— was devoured by the ice, as if being consumed.

“The ice…?”

“Isn’t that Yeonhwa Hunter’s ability?!”

“Could Yeonhwa Hunter be trying to attack us…?”

“Hey, idiot! She probably just lost control while fighting outside! There’s no way she would do that on purpose!”

Shia slightly tilted her head and touched the ice that was pressed against the barrier.

It was cold.

It was dark.

It was pitch black.

And it smelled delicious.

What was this?

Why was a scent whetting my appetite here?

I don’t salivate over the smell of monsters like this.

So why?

Why do I feel so uneasy?

For now, I’ve set up a barrier here, so it should hold for a while.

After confirming the safety of the agents with a quick glance, Shia stepped outside the sanctuary and placed her foot on the frozen ground.

Crack…!

‘The ice is hostile to me?’

As soon as her foot touched the ground, her boots froze.

It wasn’t just the ground and buildings that were frozen.

Outside the sanctuary, even the air was so cold that, without protection, an ordinary person would quickly freeze to death.

The ice tried to climb up Shia’s boots and freeze her as soon as she stepped out.

Of course, Shia could resist with her holy power, but what she couldn’t understand was why Yeonhwa’s ice was attacking indiscriminately and even targeting her.

The agents assumed it was a loss of control during a battle with monsters, but could Yeonhwa, an S-rank Hunter, really lose control like that?

Following Yeonhwa’s presence, Shia moved forward and soon found the source of the ice in the center of the frozen area.

Standing there was a figure with blue hair reminiscent of ice, wearing Yeonhwa’s usual Hunter outfit, which prioritized mobility, though it had a slight exposure.

“Binguya!”

“…”

At Shia’s call, Yeonhwa slowly turned her head after a long moment.

Her eyes were hidden by her hair, but the lower face was unmistakably Yeonhwa’s.

With her usual bright expression, Shia approached Yeonhwa and tapped her on the shoulder.

“What’s going on? Was there a monster attack?”

“…It was you.”

“Hm?”

[So, it was you.]

In an instant, a black blade swung at Shia with a speed impossible for a human to track.

Clang!

But Shia blocked Yeonhwa’s sword with one arm, surrounded by holy power.

Even now, the sword’s cold energy was trying to gnaw at Shia’s skin and flesh. Despite the holy power shielding her, the arm that clashed with the sword was slowly freezing from the intense cold.

Crack, crack!

“Ouch… so cold.”

[That’s strange.]

Crack, crackle…!

The freezing sword, which could chill even the air around it, fiercely clashed with Shia’s arm, creating a tense struggle.

Yeonhwa’s appearance seemed normal at first glance, but it was very different upon closer inspection.

No, the figure that looked like Yeonhwa was staring at Shia with writhing black eyes.

From those eyes, black liquid was dripping down like blood.

[I deliberately closed the distance to strike before you could react, but you managed to block it with just one arm.]

“Well… I already knew from the start.”

[How did you know?]

“You didn’t react to the word ‘Bingu.’”

The Bingu I know would immediately say, ‘Ah! Don’t call me Bingu!’ and grumble.

At the very least, she’d look at me as soon as she heard the word.

[…Bingu. Yes, Bingu. I’ll remember that.]

“No need to remember it.”

Thud!

[Urgh…!]

With that, Shia unleashed a burst of holy power from her frozen arm, blasting away the figure that looked like Yeonhwa.

The impact shattered Shia’s frozen arm into pieces, but as the Saintess of the Dead, her body swiftly reconstructed the damaged parts within seconds.

“You’re going to die here. Demon King.”

[Ha, Demon King, huh…]

At Shia’s words, the Demon King in Yeonhwa’s form shrugged.

Part of her shoulder, which had been damaged by Shia’s holy power, was filled in with black liquid.

[Well… I suppose you’re not wrong.]

The twisted smile on that face.

It was definitely not Yeonhwa.