This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 662

As if there was a stunningly exquisite delicacy right before me, emotions surged within the eyes of the ‘Queen,’ which had maintained a lifeless demeanor since her initial appearance.

A profoundly deep and base emotion,

As a result, the faces of those confronted with such raw emotionality twisted into distress.

It was unavoidable.

To them, it was inevitable… as this was the first time they had been exposed to such emotions in their lives.

How on earth could one even express this?

Hunger?

Yes, that would be the first word to linger in my mind, making it a far better fit than the word emotion, for it was much more aligned with desires and cravings.

Of course, someone might argue that even those things are part of emotions…but among those surrounding the queen at that moment, there wasn’t anyone who could agree with that notion.

Emotions? Not a chance.

If one were to say that, it would almost seem like she was a real human.

She was merely a monster.

An evolved version of a creature that devoured humans,

There was no need to attach terms like emotions to such a being, nor should it be done.

Considering that this was a step toward understanding only amplifies the absurdity.

Thus, it was likely a moment when everyone felt both discomfort and horror as they observed the shimmering gaze of the queen, resembling glass beads.

Among them, there was someone who fell into even greater dismay—none other than Miss Almighty.

If one were to gather the horror felt by other heroes in this moment and shape it into a round rice cake, would it even amount to half of what Miss Almighty was feeling?

Indeed, an overwhelming and intense horror raced through Miss Almighty’s mind.

Though her expression remained that inscrutable mask of thoughts,

‘…What on earth is happening?’

Surely… she must have made a ‘fix.’

Yet somehow, how did she become aware that something had been done on this side?

Could it be a test of sorts? But it didn’t seem like that was the case.

It didn’t feel like she had committed such an act with the intention of finding confirmation for uncertain thoughts.

Thus, one could not help but wonder, and as these doubts lingered, a particular possibility flashed through her mind.

‘No way…!’

Where her gaze fell, there were still thousands upon thousands of people displayed like chunks of meat hanging in a butcher shop, lined up following the trees.

It was truly a sight one could only describe as grotesque,

Yet, what she focused on was different.

Snap—!

With a sound of a finger snap, the scenery before her shifted.

Red and blue something encircled the heads of people grotesquely dangling here and there,

What should have maintained a round form occupying a certain range appeared shriveled and pitiful.

Not only did it look pathetic, but it was also connected to a thin line that had reached from somewhere, a line that was being robbed of something.

What that was… only the existence that created such a thing would know.

If one knew that, they might be akin to what people commonly refer to as a deity.

Nevertheless, that wasn’t the important part.

What truly mattered was the existence of something absorbing that.

Chasing the slender line enveloping the heads of people, she wondered where it extended to.

Just when such thoughts began to take shape in her mind.

‘…Ah.’

She finally grasped it.

The cluster of lines connected to the heads of people.

What could one even call that?

…A jellyfish?

It was perched on top of a tree, soaring dramatically high.

No, perhaps saying it was perched wasn’t quite right.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t hanging but merely resting.

Resting atop the tree—

‘Was this… how it was…?’

It spread wide, encircling the entirety of the Heogye.

Its scale seemed too immense to even describe as overwhelming,

Thus, a strange laugh escaped her lips.

At the same time, she realized.

Despite thinking she had completed the ‘fix’ perfectly, an unprecedented error had occurred,

That must have been why.

That was why…

It might have been the moment when what people commonly call enlightenment brushed past her mind.

An anomaly occurred in a world where everything else had frozen still.

The eyes that had been fixated, motionless, began to break that law and move.

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【Yoonseo’s perspective】

Bang—! Boom—!

A heavy impact shook the cavern repeatedly.

Was it such that they couldn’t help but respond?

“…It’s more intense than I expected.”

“What in the world is happening up there…?”

“The opponent is the ‘Queen,’ who even the Lightning Lady found alarming. There’s no way it would be easy, unlike what we faced on the way here.”

“True, that girl-like entity presumed to be a downgraded version of the Queen would have struggled greatly if not for Miss Almighty’s efforts. The original Queen would be even more formidable.”

It was likely during such casual exchanges that something unusual occurred up above.

A colossal shock struck the cavern, incomparably greater than anything that had resonated before.

“Ugh…!”

“Be careful…!”

Everyone was swaying this way and that, while Yoonseo, standing firm amid the chaos, was pouring all her mental focus into introspection.

Of course, Yoonseo’s body wasn’t free from the tremors that overtook the cavern.

Maintaining concentration in such a situation was no easy feat.

The sheer nature of the Heogye world hindered her from concentrating further, yet still, Yoonseo’s focus remained unshaken.

Instead of breaking or quivering, it felt as if her concentration solidified all the more whenever an outside disturbance occurred.

Is that why?

Unbeknownst to her will, even with her body swaying, she remained still, her closed eyes evoking the impression of a seeker desperately searching for something.

As time elapsed, it seemed that Yoonseo was sinking into a swamp of concentration, reflecting on herself.

When was it?

Perhaps this was the first time in her life that she had focused to such a degree.

It felt almost as if she had transcended herself.

She felt her consciousness floating.

And so, that floating consciousness began to expand gradually.

It was a sensation entirely different from merely detecting the existence of nearby entities through moisture in the surrounding air.

A sense of omnipotence wrapped gently around her body, as if she could do anything and go anywhere.

Thus, her consciousness continued to broaden and expand, and within that awareness, ‘I’ existed.

Standing tall in the middle of the cavern surrounded by fellow heroes, it seemed safe to assume for the time being.

So… using that cloud-like drifting consciousness, she began to chase after what had flown far away.

Of course, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

This was the first time she had ever fallen into such a state, and she didn’t know how to move her consciousness as she wanted while maintaining such a state.

With nothing to lean on, what could she do?

She had no choice but to tackle it head-on until she found some results.

After arduous struggles that felt like an eternity, she finally grasped a way—

From that point on, surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult.

As a saying goes, the first attempt is often the hardest, and true to Dogun’s favorite phrase, once she understood the method, she found her ability to control her consciousness surprisingly effortless.

Thus, she finally began to move as she wished, tracing the roots that extended here and there.