NOVEL NEXT Chapter 204
Chapter 204 – Rebellion (4)
“Ugh, huh?!”
The first member to discover him was completely clueless about what was happening.
They were in a blank state, unaware of their own condition or why they were acting this way.
However, the movement of this member’s body was certainly not pure will. After all, they were just one of the ordinary people who knew nothing.
‘It’s an enemy. Enemy, must kill. Absolutely.’
The parasite bug implanted in their body does not forcibly manipulate or brainwash the host. Doing so would quickly reveal the existence of the parasite.
It merely secretes substances that disturb the host’s emotions, amplifying emotions and desires like anger and hatred, enabling the host to see “invisible entities.”
“It’s an enemy! The demon’s minion has appeared!”
Recognizing him as a guardian, the member had always considered guardians to be demons going against the will of the gods, so there was no reason to not be hostile.
“Die!”
The member aimed their gun at their enemy and yelled loudly, pulling the trigger without hesitation.
“What the hell?!”
He grimaced at the hail of bullets, raising his arms to cover his face in shock.
Though the bullets failed to pierce his body or even his armor, his concealment skill was instantly shattered, and screams erupted from the crowd around.
‘Do they not care if the residents die?’
Despite the wounded and dead resulting from the stray and ricocheted bullets, the member did not stop firing.
Grinding his teeth, he charged forward. Now that he had been discovered, there was only one way to break through—head-on.
“Ugh.”
The frostblade he drew swiftly cleaved through the member’s body still holding the gun.
The body of an ordinary person was severed in an instant, but this was just the beginning.
“Over there!”
“Shoot him!”
Members of the organization, rushing from all directions, began firing at him. Checking the direction quickly, he dashed towards the entrance of the underground bunker, hoping it wouldn’t be too late.
“Captain! You need to escape! The demon is impervious to bullets!”
“Stop the fuss. It’s just one person.”
And, of course, this news was immediately relayed to the organization’s leader in the underground bunker.
“But…”
“This is a perfect opportunity to test our new power.”
Yet the leader, Omar, remained composed even amidst the urgent words of his subordinates.
Thanks to that, the subordinates who had not yet been infected by the parasite were merely confused, not understanding what he was saying as he wore a faint smile.
“Block him! You must block him!”
‘Did I arrive quickly only to find he’s already escaped?’
Junyoung, unaware that Omar had not yet fled, began traversing the underground bunker at an incredible speed.
The various traps and guards the organization had set up to prepare for enemy invasion were defensive systems based on the strongest U.S. special forces, but they couldn’t block the otherworldly items wrapped around him.
[Chain Light]
He raised his mana and swiftly sliced through the cannonade of bullets, cutting down the heavy barricade hastily erected before him, and cast magic on the members gathered ahead via a magic scroll.
‘He’s still nearby. He didn’t escape.’
The game skills manifested in reality.
As the lightning struck the gathered members one after another, over a dozen enemies were electrocuted and fell, leaving the path empty.
Leaping over the corpses, he glanced at the detection results and confirmed that Omar was still inside the bunker, urging him to hurry.
“Captain! At this rate, we’ll be completely overwhelmed by him. We can’t block the demon’s power!”
Using all the achievements he had gained as a user alongside the residents on the screen, Junyoung’s figure, breaking through all resistance alone, drove the members into panic and fear.
Clad in black armor, a cloak, and a mask, he looked no different from a true demon warrior—fearsome and destructive.
Some members were already gripped by terror. They were paralyzed with fear, not fleeing because they were afraid Omar would shoot them down.
“Did you think such bullets could stop a demon? But don’t worry. We too have the favor bestowed upon us by the gods.”
“Is that really true?”
“This is a test. We will overcome this test and punish the wicked heretics who defy the gods.”
Yet Omar still maintained his composure. What he presented as his trump card were biological weapons created by the bugs mimicking Earth’s firearms.
Having been infected with the parasite before, he was filled with dissatisfaction towards the existing order, and now, spurred by the bugs’ disturbance amplifying his desires and emotions, he truly believed that the bugs were the great gods he worshipped.
His beliefs, nurtured through decades of daily prayers, had twisted and changed in an instant due to the chemicals from the parasite infiltrating his body.
“Take these and block him. This is a holy war!”
Omar urged the astonished members, who were taken aback by the writhing chunks of flesh, as he grabbed one of them himself.
What looked like a thick gun latched onto his arm, draping its squirming tentacles about him.
“Oooo!”
The intersection of the biological weapon and the parasite in his body further heightened his hormonal imbalance. An intense energy like a drug, making him forget fear and terror, enveloped their bodies.
*
‘Alright. I’m almost there…’
“Ugh?!”
How many minutes had passed as I tore through the underground bunker? I finally stood with my target in sight and hurriedly broke down the door to rush inside.
But what came flying at me was an attack infused with an entirely different energy from the bullets before. My aching arm and wobbling mana were subjected to an attack using their mana.
“@$%^#!”
“There’s no need to verify authenticity anymore.”
I sighed softly upon seeing their posture aiming something at me. To some extent, I had anticipated this, but now I couldn’t deny that they were being controlled by the bugs.
The weapons they wielded looked unmistakably like the physical forms of the newly evolved bugs.
Simultaneously, the thought that the cunning and evil nature of the bugs had truly revealed itself darkened my expression.
‘Is this all they can muster?’
They began firing violet projectiles at me in unison. Unlike gunpowder-powered bullets, the mana-infused attacks were more lethal to me, yet they were still at a low-level magic standard, and with everything I had come prepared with, I wouldn’t fall.
“?!”
“There’s no need for interrogation.”
Seeing their panic upon realizing their barrage wasn’t effective, I raised my frostblade.
My original plan had been to swiftly capture the enemy’s leader for interrogation to distinguish whether they were infected by the parasite, but that was no longer necessary.
“—!”
They were horrified, but it was already too late. The cold emanating from my swung sword spread instantly, and those without special protection couldn’t withstand it and quickly froze to death.
In the face of that power, even ordinary members, including Captain Omar, were not exceptions. Aside from the sounds from outside, silence descended in an instant.
“Damn pests.”
Among those still alive, the ones who remained were the biological weapons they had been holding. The still writhing forms seemed to indicate their origins.
“Grrk…”
However, the situation wasn’t over yet. The frozen corpse of Captain Omar began to writhe, deforming grotesquely as it began to revive.
Like a withered mummy sucking the last of its life, the parasite that had grown by consuming the nutrients left in the corpse emerged—a familiar entity.
“Why? Do you really want to kill me?”
I smirked at the mummy-like Omar, whose eyes glowed. The hatred and obsession received by him and the residents, including Riena, sent chills down my spine.
Instinctively, I could sense that these beings wanted to kill me no matter what. It had been disgusting when I felt it indirectly, but it was even worse now.
“Eh?”
But that wasn’t all. The noise outside, which should have settled, instead grew louder, and the cries began to merge and swell.
‘A Gate!’
Thinking back, it was only natural that such a thing occurred since they were allied with the bugs. I wasn’t the only one who had trapped the enemy.
They had opened a gate into the city to capture me.
‘What should I do?’
Having cut down Omar and the parasite right before my eyes, I fell into a dilemma.
For now, I had achieved all my objectives after endless suffering. I had confirmed the existence of the parasite and how they intended to control the power structures and their human subordinates. So I could simply open a portal and flee home.
But… this city, occupied by Omar’s armed group infected by the bugs, was in a state where the guardians couldn’t approach, and the terrorists were in a poor armed condition.
If they began a massacre with intent, countless people who had no choice but to trust these idiots would die.
‘No, keep your priorities straight.’
Had it been my original character, I would have opened a portal and returned immediately.
I had never considered myself the protagonist, and I thought my duty was merely to cultivate the residents on the screen well.
“…”
The reason I hesitated was simple. The people I had observed and learned from would never have fled in times like this.
It was all about the greater good. If the people died, and they were driven by fear, crucial forces for fighting the enemy would vanish, and the enemy would only grow in strength.
“Can you hear me? Do you understand?”
As the rattling sounds echoed, I caught a glimpse of a foreign language—something all too unfamiliar—suddenly spoken right at that moment, pulling my attention.
“Unknown guardian of Korea, countless lives are at stake. We are also fighting with all our might, but the new bugs that have appeared through the gate are overwhelming us. Please help us. We are the American intelligence agency.”
The source of the voice was a drone that had flown in behind me.
The tiny drone’s camera was precisely focused on me as it spoke.