Chapter 1181

<Chapter 1181> 1181. Day 15

I turned my head to the side.

A towering man nearly 2 meters tall, wearing a doctor’s coat, stared at me with indifferent eyes.

“Who are you?”

“Kaminoyama Kazuto. The hospital director here.”

“Hospital director? Is this place really a hospital?”

I looked around. There was blood and chunks of flesh everywhere, but it didn’t feel like a hospital at all. To me, this place was clearly a factory.

“Our main house is connected to the hospital. It was designed this way for efficiency. The hospital handles raw material acquisition, while the precious finished product—blood—is managed by the main house.”

The hospital wasn’t far from the mansion. Since I came here through an underground passage, it made sense that this was the hospital. Though, whether this was a hospital or not, it didn’t matter much to me.

I tightly gripped the hilt of my katana.

Kaminoyama Kazuto still had that emotionless gaze as he pulled out a weapon from his coat pocket. A black pistol emerged.

A Colt M1911.

Even after 100 years, its muzzle—beloved by many—was pointed straight at me. And there I was, shedding tears of blood as I glared back at him.

This situation was disadvantageous. No, it wasn’t just disadvantageous; there was more than 10 meters between him and me. With my current physical abilities, I couldn’t close that distance in one go. If I tried to rush him, a bullet would pierce my body before I got halfway.

‘I’ll need to use Complete Recovery.’

I’d already come to terms with dying once.

“I have a proposition for you.”

“…A proposition?”

“You’ve killed dozens of villagers, right? Your abilities intrigue me. I’ll offer you a handsome salary. Work under me.”

“Sorry, but I don’t plan on being stuck in this village forever.”

“Don’t worry about that. Once this situation is resolved, I intend to relocate the operation. Of course, we’ll need the shrine maiden’s approval… but thanks to someone, the value of this village has dropped, so she should agree.”

“Still no. I don’t plan on working under your little brat.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

He pulled the trigger. Watching his finger closely, I immediately darted behind a nearby machine.

“Able to dodge bullets… impressive.”

“Kaminoyama Kazuto. Are you in charge of this village… no, this operation?”

“Operation… I like that word. But I’m not the one in charge. If I must say, I’m the second-in-command.”

“The Spirit Shrine Maiden is the one in charge, huh? What’s your relationship with her?”

“Siblings. Though, that monster probably doesn’t think of me as her older brother…”

Kaminoyama Kazuto answered casually. I hoped he’d close the distance to kill me, but he stayed put, instead walking sideways to find a better shooting position.

As soon as I saw him, I moved to the side of another machine. Ping! The bullet ricocheted off the machine.

“Monster? For a monster, she was quite beautiful.”

“I see people for who they truly are—not their appearance. After all, humans are just lumps of flesh. The shrine maiden, that woman, enjoys playing with people.”

“Playing with people…?”

I nodded.

If the villagers wanted to kill the Circle Ones, they could’ve done so on the first day I arrived.


People, weapons, terrain—everything favored the village. But the villagers didn’t attack on the first day. Instead, they created an atmosphere of unease. A strange and unsettling feeling, like a meticulously planned play. And the shaman? She’s both the playwright and director.

But for that to work, one condition was necessary: The shaman had to completely control this village.

“How? How did the shaman take over this village?”

“Faith… and drugs. She brainwashed the villagers with nonsense about mountain spirits. She used drugs strategically and framed blood pills as gifts from the gods. Surprisingly, the villagers believed her without much suspicion.”

“The blood pills must be that impressive. It’s hard not to believe when you see the effects.”

Just by eating them, physical abilities increase. If you have a cold and eat it, the cold disappears in an instant.

In this world, blood pills were already abnormal. Add drugs into the mix? Game over.

“That woman would’ve controlled the village even without the blood pills.”

“You’re overestimating your sister. Did you know? Before coming here, I killed an old man at the mansion.”

“My father is dead? So what? Do you want me to feel anger toward you?”

“Aren’t you pissed your dad got murdered? Damn, you really are heartless.”

“It’s just another incompetent human dead. To be honest, I kind of like you.”

“Had issues with Dad, huh?”

Even as we continued our conversation, the battle raged on. He carefully pulled the trigger while I used machinery as cover to close the distance between us.

“Forget about Dad. That woman—the shaman—her face twisted in rage because of you. Her script was ruined, and she was furious. Watching her lose composure felt amazing. Like ten years of frustration vanished instantly.”

Bang!

A bullet flew past, grazing my cheek by a hair.

“3 meters. At this range… I could kill him without using full recovery.”

Just as I resolved to charge at him—

KABOOM!

The door burst open, and someone entered.

“He’s here.”

Kaminoyama Kazuto stepped back, creating distance. He’d been stalling all along, waiting for this intruder. He slipped his gun back into his coat pocket.

I climbed onto the machine and stared at the newcomer.

It was a towering man in black clothing, but his proportions were off. His upper body was absurdly large compared to his normal-sized lower half. His arms were like barrels, and his head was covered with a black cloth. Every time he exhaled, the black cloth covering his face fluttered.

“…Japs. The Shaman ordered your death.”

He advanced with heavy steps.

“Is that thing… human?”

“Human. Just enhanced with blood pills. The problem? He doesn’t listen to anything I say.”

“Move aside, Doctor. This machine is expensive. Try not to break it.”

“…”

Called Shibata, the brute charged recklessly at me.

I leaped off the machine to dodge, but Shibata collided with it instead. The machine shattered, spilling human blood onto the floor.

“You’re still as crude as ever.”

Kaminoyama Kazuto clicked his tongue. Leaning against the wall with a relaxed expression, he lit a cigarette, showing no intention of intervening.

“Japs…! Die…!”

Shibata’s body wasn’t intact after smashing into the machine. His right shoulder and arm were crushed and bleeding. Yet his muscles twitched, healing rapidly as the damaged tissue returned to its original form—an absurd recovery speed.

With a massive hand, Shibata lifted the broken machine effortlessly. It had to weigh at least 500kg, yet he threw it at me without hesitation.

I rolled across the floor to evade.

“You created THIS monster?!”

“The shaman called it… a miracle from the Mountain Spirit. In my opinion? Just an improbable coincidence.”

Kaminoyama Kazuto replied casually.

“Shaman! Kill that guy!”


“Leave it to me! Yes! As the Mountain Spirit wills it!”

“That kid. It’s obvious his brain is fried.”

“It’s the result of the shaman’s meticulous brainwashing. I saw it up close… she thoroughly brainwashed him. If I had been brainwashed like Shibata, I would’ve committed suicide without hesitation. Well, I understand. They probably didn’t want to lose a monster like Shibata.”

I couldn’t respond to Kaminoyama Kazuto. I didn’t have the time. I was too busy dodging Shibata’s attacks.

‘I need to stop thinking about this as fighting a human. This guy… he’s a Monster.’

By rank, an E-class Monster.

With my real body’s abilities, I could burst his head open with a single punch. But right now, I can’t even use my acceleration ability.

Shibata’s attacks are simple and brutal. Since his movements are so predictable, dodging isn’t that hard. But…

‘If this keeps up, I’m going to die.’

My breath caught in my throat. My stamina was reaching its limit. I dodge Shibata’s attacks and swing my sword for a counterattack. But it’s useless. I don’t have enough strength to land a fatal blow.

‘…To fight a monster, I need to become a monster myself.’

I pull out the blood pills from my pocket.

Seven.

I take out three more. I pop ten blood pills into my mouth. Crunch crunch. I chew and swallow them.

“You’re insane…”

Kaminoyama Kazuto watches me with fascinated eyes.

My already red vision turns even redder, and my whole body heats up. To control the overwhelming power, I grip the hilt of my sword tighter. Crack. My skin tears, my bones break, and blood splatters. Yet, the strength in my grip only grows stronger.

It’s not that there’s no pain. It’s just that the pain is so insignificant it barely registers. This sensation actually feels kind of good.

“Hah, hahahaha.”

Shibata’s movements are crystal clear now. Evidence that the blood pills have improved my dynamic vision.

‘This might work.’

I clash head-on with him. I manage to cut off half of his right arm, but get hit by his left fist and fly back, slamming into the wall.

“……!!”

This won’t do.

Even after consuming ten blood pills, my physical abilities still fall short compared to his. Thanks to the pills’ effects, I haven’t died instantly though. Still, I think five or six ribs are broken.

“Guhk…”

I turn my head at the sound of breathing. A startled Kaminoyama Kazuto pulls out a pistol from his pocket and shoots me in the side. The bullet lodges into my side, but since I feel no pain, I don’t perceive any danger. I swing my sword and decapitate Kazuto.

I catch the falling head and throw it at Shibata. Shibata swats it away with his left hand like swatting a fly. The head flies toward the machine and bursts like a watermelon.

Shibata charges at me.

I flee after opening the door. Fighting him head-on is out of the question. Even if I consume more blood pills, I doubt it’ll be enough against this guy.

“Stop right there!!”

As I climb the stairs, the first floor of the hospital comes into view. The lights are on, and I see a few nurses. None of them are young; they’re all middle-aged.

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

The nurses scream as soon as they see me. I get it. After consuming ten blood pills, I must look far from human right now.

I pass by the nurses and head toward the lobby. The men in suits in the lobby abruptly stand up and draw their guns from their coats, aiming at me. Their reactions are pretty quick, but their gun barrels can’t keep up with my movements. I slash and kill every single one of them who’s holding a gun.

‘Now I’ve got a gun. That monster kid should be equal before firearms, right?’

I shoot at the guy chasing me from behind. Though I aimed for the head, not a single bullet hits its mark. Instead, a few bullets lodge into his body.

The gun wasn’t equal after all.

The bullets embedded in his body are pushed out and fall to the ground. He didn’t pause for even a moment until this point.

“Come here and die quietly!”

“I ain’t dying quietly.”

Without looking back, I flee outside the hospital.