It was truly an uncanny coincidence.
The moment someone closed their eyes upon hearing the name Hong Seon-yeol, the mansion began to shake suddenly. Although it was unclear what exactly was happening, it felt undeniably unsettling. It was as if the act of Hong Seon-yeol closing his eyes was a warning not to let that happen.
If it were an earthquake, it might have been a random occurrence, and since the entire mansion was shaking, that possibility wasn’t entirely ruled out. However, earthquakes were practically unheard of in this land, so naturally, my thoughts leaned toward the latter explanation.
Regardless, the mansion rocked violently.
To determine the cause of the quake, I stumbled toward the nearest window I could recall. As I reached it, accompanied by bouncing jellies, I caught sight of something bizarre through the dirty, cracked glass.
The state of the window wasn’t concerning—what truly mattered was the view outside. The mansion was shaking along with my body, but it seemed that everything else around it remained still. This suggested that the earthquake theory didn’t hold water.
The issue at hand was that while the mansion was indeed shaking, it was doing so in an unexpected and strange direction.
With a deep rumbling sound, the mansion appeared to be slowly rising into the air. To be precise, limbs were sprouting from the mansion’s base, pushing it off the ground. The sheer force with which the mansion was being lifted caused it to rock violently, as though a tree was being uprooted.
Although I recalled a movie I’d seen in passing, I hadn’t anticipated anything like this to actually happen.
However, any amusement I might have found in the situation was overshadowed by the disturbing sight I’d already witnessed here. So, setting the jellies straight, I steeled myself.
I didn’t know what exactly this mansion was, but I knew I had to destroy it quickly.
The stillness had masked the sense of danger before, but now, seeing this fortress-like structure moving, a clear alarm rang in my head.
If this monstrosity headed toward a crowded area, disaster loomed. Being crushed by its massive frame was one thing, but the very thought of being swallowed entirely and ending up like Hong Seon-yeol was unbearable, especially considering the nearby presence of Hwang Bo-yul.
So, I resolved to act without restraint. What was the point of caution? After all, this was likely the entity responsible for what had happened to the humans here.
The answer was clear: none.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have held back from the start.
Was I seeking vengeance for the people who had been turned into furniture?
I wasn’t sure.
I questioned whether it was right to avenge strangers I had encountered today. Even if I had originally been human, mourning for and avenging strangers I’d never met seemed implausible.
As these thoughts bubbled up within the jellies, I ignored them and issued a command to the jelly army. Meanwhile, the mansion’s growing limbs wriggled like stretching muscles.
The command was simple: destroy everything except the “furniture” and turn the place into chaos.
Upon reflection, there was no need to hesitate. The areas devastated by explosives had regenerated, so rough treatment wouldn’t likely destroy it permanently.
Once they received my command, the jellies went into action like hired mercenaries, wreaking havoc. It was an eerie sight.
The adorable, bouncing jellies transformed into ferocious beasts, tearing through the walls with a loud crunch. Parts of the mansion that were shattered were absorbed into the jellies’ bloated bellies. Interestingly, the destroyed sections did not regenerate.
Perhaps the jellies devouring them prevented the reconstruction.
Furthermore, the destructive jellies refrained from disturbing certain pounding areas. It was as if they instinctively understood that those parts were off-limits.
They were more restrained than I realized.
Who were they taking after?
In any case,
It was time for me to take action.
As I gazed at the writhing mansion, thoughts of those turned into furniture resurfaced.
It disgusted me.
With unwavering resolve, I extended my tentacles, sharpening their edges. Having already engaged in combat, my attacks flowed smoothly and were, to my embarrassment, quite lethal.
With the sensation of slicing through flesh, crimson liquid sprayed from the severed parts of the mansion. Based on its increasing tremors, this was likely its blood.
I cut again and again, using my tentacles to sever the areas the jellies had neglected. As I hacked away, I searched for the source of the pounding.
If I kept destroying everything, the mansion would either die, or its mover would reveal itself—either way, there’d be no loss for me.
After swinging my tentacles for some time, I reached the ascending staircase and surveyed the area.
Because the jellies had carried everything forward, visibility was poor, but the devastation was evident. However, one unexpected detail stood out: areas I thought wouldn’t regenerate were slowly doing so, resembling cell division. Little bumps sprouted from the jellies, reinforcing the mansion’s biological resemblance.
Clearly, this mansion was akin to a living organism. If the pulsing parts were akin to its organs, its regenerative process mirrored that of a living thing.
Though the perpetrator was incomprehensible, it seemed to resemble a living being in the eyes of my jellies.
Regardless,
This meant I had to destroy the “core,” the equivalent of a heart in a human.
Would I run out of stamina searching for it and cutting? Or would I strike it down first?
I naturally leaned toward the former, since that would explain…
At that moment,
The mansion shook with the most massive tremor I’d felt yet and rocked violently, like a ship on raging seas. Amidst my confusion, another deafening explosion echoed.
Could it be the bomb I used to enter? Or something similar? With limited imagination, the only thing that came to mind was the magical wand often called Aladdin’s staff.
…Or perhaps not something as ridiculous as a tank.
But now, a question arose.
Why?
Why, after letting me in, were they unleashing such chaos?
The mysterious, overwhelming explosions continued. Suddenly, the mansion’s growing limbs seemed targeted, causing the structure to tilt dramatically. My jellies and I were flung in the tilting direction like a small boat tossed by a wave.
Though the vibrations and noise were unsettling, the jellies reacted by bristling like hedgehogs. Luckily, the mansion quickly regained its balance, minimizing damage.
Conflicted about whether to celebrate or mourn, I moved to the window once more and peered outside. The mansion’s limbs had grown even more robust since I last looked. One of the limbs appeared frayed, likely having been damaged and briefly malfunctioning.
More importantly,
The mansion, sprouting limbs, was crawling toward a group of people, probably humans, standing in its path.
The shaking and explosions were likely caused by them—
Right then, another projectile struck the mansion, shaking it violently once more. Whatever it was, both it and the mansion rocked violently as a result.
Despite the dizziness in my head, I understood their reasoning.
The mansion had begun moving, so stopping it was a natural response. Whether they were aware of the potential disaster my earlier thoughts hinted at was unclear.
Regardless,
Their interference was slowing the mansion’s progress, although it wasn’t a definitive solution. The mansion seemed to adapt to the attacks, reducing the frequency of its tremors.
This meant one thing.
If those outside couldn’t stop it,
I had to destroy it before it reached the crowd.
In essence, it had become a timed attack.
Hastily, I moved forward, the thumping sounds of attacks against the mansion echoing around me.
