Chapter 890

EP.890 [Light Novel Side Story] Creation of Death Dinass 2 Volume 007

Pabang!

A golden fist, imbued with magic power, strikes the monster’s temple. The wolf monster strains every nerve to sink its sharp fangs into the human, but already a long spear is lodged in the waist of the beast.

Keeeek….

The monster, its vitality spent, groans and collapses limply. Raon confirms the death of the monster and retrieves the spear.

“Are you alright?”

“This is nothing, Sister.”

Ha Yujun flexes his forearm, nearly twice as large as Raon’s, boasting his vigor. Without proper protective gear, let alone a hero suit, Ha Yujun’s recklessness has Raon incessantly nagging.

“Fighting on the battlefield without proper armor… dangerous actions are… relying only on physical strength can be reckless…”

“Me, Nuri, Nuri-sshi?”

“Stop talking back and listen!”

Standing at a distance observing the battle situation, Xian feels sympathy for Ha Yujun who can’t escape Raon’s scolding.

“He’s really getting it.”

“It’s because we’re worried something might happen.”

Yuna voices Raon’s concerns. Though Ha Yujun had a low growth ceiling, he was still a capable special ability user, and Raon didn’t want to see him injured like herself on the battlefield.

“The best thing for a healer is to have no one to heal. That means no one gets hurt.”

“But aren’t you bored? You were active in the dungeon until recently. I’m sure the magic power was activated to C-”

“Xian-sama.”

Yuna winks.

“I won’t reveal my strength until Xian-sama gives an order.”

“…Thank you. Let’s go on a date next time.”

“Yes, yes. To the dungeon to hunt King Slimes? Hehe. By the way, that side is cleaned up, what about the opposite side?”

Yuna points inside the building. Xian checks the reaction of the monster detector issued by the association and shakes his head.

“It seems they haven’t caught it yet. It’s still alive.”

“What if something went wrong? Like someone got hurt and is facing off against the monster or something?”

Yuna channels magic power into her staff. Ready to treat any injuries at a moment’s notice, Xian stops her by grabbing her hand.

“Don’t worry. Chun Bomi went along too.”

Xian divided the four team members into pairs of two for maximum efficiency in exterminating monsters. Nurri and Chun Bomi, Raon and Ha Yujun each took responsibility for inside and outside the building.

“Judging from the reaction, it’s just a D-Rank. Not even able to pierce body suits. If it was truly dangerous, an emergency alarm would have sounded.”

“But still…”

Still worried, Yuna couldn’t help but suppress a smile as Xian applauded Raon and Ha Yujun who returned with the monster core and pointed inside the building.

“Thank you for the core. Shall we assist inside where things aren’t finished?”

“Huh? Did something happen?”

“…We’re going to check. It shouldn’t be a big problem.”

Guro Digital District, a building around 20 stories high. The group, having collected the monster cores, cautiously stepped inside following Xian’s detector.

* * *

The white-haired hero, Princess Seok Harang, stood atop a bus surveying the battle situations across various locations.

– In Gwanak, a dungeon was discovered beneath the engineering department of S University. Confirmed as a D-Rank dungeon, <Hunter Killer> entered with students.

– In Gangnam, <Red Pine> commenced a large-scale monster search operation. They will find and eliminate all monsters hiding within buildings.

“Please avoid fighting using cores or byproducts. An official from the association must witness each battle to ensure proper settlement without disputes.”

Under Seok Harang’s command, the association employees dispatched to each guild quickly moved into action.

With analysis from the association employees, she strategically placed 13 guilds to clear monsters from the rear while those in front, led by Seok Harang, prepared to cross the Han River.

“Yes, please arrange them that way, and the rear support is….”

Seok Harang stood in Yeouido Park looking across the Han River. All bridges destroyed, making crossing impossible for most, but not for her.

“Current time, 10:08 AM. Operation begins exactly at 10 minutes.”

Seok Harang set the alarm and tidied her tousled hair. Her mind grew as tangled as her hair, all due to that arrogant blonde man.

– Mangmyeonggak again….

“What is that guy anyway?”

Just thinking about it makes her irritable. Recalling that day when he was pestering her, she wished he’d drop dead, but she assigned his team to the rear.

“Hey, this is Seok Harang. Where’s Kim Nori’s team?”

“They’ve gone to Guro. Part of <Cheongsong> and <Megrez> teams are escorting them.”

“Ah, Guro?”

Thought he’d run wild everywhere, but seems he knows his place. Feeling a decade-old chest tightness ease, Seok Harang gradually raised her internal magic power with a refreshed expression.

10:09:57.

“Entire army, prepare to cross!”

Seok Harang walked steadily towards the river with her hands in her pockets. Upon touching the Hangang River, a long, thick bridge of ice formed where the Mapo Bridge once stood.

58 seconds.

Ki-e-e-e-k! Monsters beneath the river emerged, sensing Seok Harang’s magic power. Heroes followed closely behind her.

59 seconds. Seok Harang took a deep breath and shouted with magic power.

“Cross!!”

10:10 AM. The vanguard heroes stepped onto the Han River.

* * *

“Aaaaahhhh!!”

A scream from Nurri echoed on the staircase. The four hurriedly ascended, leaping two or three steps at a time, toward the floor where Nurri screamed.

“Nurri!”

Xian rammed the steel door with his right shoulder. The tightly shut door opened easily, revealing Nurri shaking and crouched inside the office.

“Aaah, Uncle! There’s something in here!”

“Shit, damn it!”

Could it be a monster missed by the detector? Xian reached into his coat and ran into the break room.

“……?”

“Ahh, Xian-ssi. Nurri-yang saw a corpse and panicked. A human corpse.”

Chun Bomi pointed to a skeleton leaning against the wall in the break room. Completely devoid of flesh, it appeared to have starved to death. Xian picked up a scattered coffee mix packet from the floor.

“Could this be….”

“Yes. Looks like they were trapped in the break room and starved.”

Chun Bomi pointed to the door. Xian inspected the claw marks resembling a monster’s behind the concealed door.

“Ah. Trapped inside the break room, huh.”

“Looks like they filled their stomach with this until they starved. …How pitiful.”

Chun Bomi prayed for the departed soul with hands clasped together. Xian knelt before the still tense Nurri and met her gaze.

“Calm down, Kim Nurri.”

“Uncle! How could this person be so pitiful? They died trapped here, right?”

“There are quite a number of people who couldn’t escape Seoul and ended up trapped. You’ll get used to it as you see more.”

Raon pinched her nose and examined the corpse upon entering the break room, bowing her head deeply in silent prayer. Xian signaled Chun Bomi to step outside with a glance.

“Nurri, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

“Huuaaang, isn’t it pitiful how the Seoul refugees ended up like this? Didn’t everyone die like this here?”

“If they were lucky enough to starve, that is. Others were eaten alive by monsters….”

Xian held back his words. It wasn’t wise to mention such details to someone experiencing stress from seeing a corpse for the first time.

“…Anyway, you’ll often encounter corpses like this. Officially, about five million people in Seoul have gone missing.”

“…I can’t do this! We can’t stay here like this!”

Kim Nurri rose, gripping the floor, burning with determination.

“Monster bastards, I’ll crush them all! Uncle! Show me the detector! Where are they?!”

“……Chun Bomi-ssi, Hyun Joong-hyung. Please go with Nurri and clear out the monsters on the upper floors. Yuna, you come with me to collect the bodies.”

“Understood.”

Taking the detector from Xian, Chun Bomi led Nurri and Ha Yujun upstairs, while Xian, with the help of Yuna and Raon, moved the body into the office. Raon’s face was full of sorrow as they carried the body.

“Raon-ssi….”

“…If only I hadn’t been taken down so easily during the first wave, maybe I could have saved someone.”

Raon was blaming herself. Not just for failing to save a man, but also due to the guilt felt by every Korean hero regarding Seoul.

Chik. Xian pulled out a torch for incineration from his supplies bag. Raon slightly raised her magic power to keep the flames alive around the corpse.

“May you rest in peace.”

Hwaaack. Red flames engulfed the corpse. Each of them prayed in their own way for the departed soul.

“…….”

After finishing their prayers, Xian re-entered the break room to inspect the situation. There was a window connecting to the outside, and sunlight streaming through revealed numerous tally marks on the wall.

“Ah, a last message.”

Xian examined the wall hidden by the corpse. The short sentences written in blood were partially erased but still readable.

“Base opening…?”

Even though it was faded, he immediately understood the intent behind the last words. Xian paid respects once more and stood up.

Fusshh.

Xian’s foot crushed an empty coffee mix packet. It was the one he had picked up earlier and discarded.

“……Eh?”

Xian’s eyes widened, then swallowed hard and stuffed the packet into his pocket.

Kwaang! The sound of Nurri stomping monsters upstairs resonated downstairs. After briefly seeking permission from Yuna and Raon, Xian carefully inspected the break room once more before heading upstairs.

* * *

1 PM. The group stationed in the old Digital District of Guro had cleared all the monsters in the area and returned to base camp.

Two nights and three days. Longer than expected for some, shorter for others, during this period the special ability users at the rear guarded against surprise attacks from behind while those at the front fought.

“In November 2021, wasn’t it the third wave? Cunning monsters attempted to raid the heroes’ positions guarding the river at night.”

Yuna explained while serving soup with a ladle. Nurri listened intently, sipping the soup with a plastic spoon.

“Though we kept strict vigilance, the monsters suddenly raided our base camp at night. It resulted in a major incident where three heroes died.”

“How did that happen? Did they sprout from the ground or something?”

“Yes. They attacked using underground passages.”

Yuna shrugged while pointing to the ground. Pale-faced Nurri watched as Shi An, who was chewing bread, continued the explanation.

“Even though all the bridges were destroyed, the underground tunnels remain, allowing monsters to cross the Han River just like the subway system under Seoul.”

“……Is that possible?”

“Bridges can be rebuilt, but it’s harder underground, right? There were many opinions. Ultimately, we decided not to disturb the underground and kill them as they emerge. Our goal is to reclaim, not destroy, Seoul.”

Raon’s vivid testimony captured the group’s attention as they ate.

“It was actually a very successful operation. We waited on the platforms and killed the monsters as they emerged. Eventually, the monsters couldn’t reach the surface.”

“Then in 2022, after the great upheaval, all stations underground in Seoul became ‘dungeons.’ The monsters we clear now are ‘grunts’ expelled from those dungeons.”

“…So you’re telling me not to go on the subway now?”

The group nodded. Cheon Bom checked the map. Their base camp was located near the northwest corner of the Digital District.

“There’s a subway station nearby, Dalim Station.”

“Ah, that’s a dungeon entrance too. I heard if you go down the Line 7 platform, it leads to the dungeon.”

“So, Kim Nurri, under no circumstances should you even think about entering a dungeon. The owner there is an SS-Rank monster.”

“Hold on!”

Kim Nurri jumped up from her seat.

“Then why don’t we attack that dungeon? Isn’t this supposed to be the Seoul Recovery Operation?!”

“……Because cores come out.”

Yuna explained from the perspective of the commander.

“As long as cores come out of the dungeon, even though it’s in Seoul, we can’t close it. Once we start attacking the dungeon, the cores won’t keep coming out endlessly like now.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Well, the higher-ups probably think since it’s abandoned land, we might as well harvest cores from the dungeon. Back in the day, Seoul was like an oil field that wouldn’t dry up. And even if we were to capture this land…”

Shi An gestured around with a helpless expression.

“Would anyone really want to live above a place that used to be a dungeon? Corpses were everywhere, and it could take decades to rebuild?”

“……Ah, frustrating!”

Nurri gently placed her empty bowl aside and abruptly stood up.

“Uncle! We’ve decided on our guild’s policy! We’ll restore Seoul with our own hands!”

“Nurri!”

Yuna sternly scolded Nurri. Surprised why Yuna was angry at her, Nurri realized her mistake and broke out in a cold sweat.

“…Guild?”

Hyun Juun’s face lost color. His gaze alternated between Nurri and Shi An. Shi An closed his eyes momentarily, then shrugged.

“Because Nurri keeps insisting I stay as manager till the end… Honestly, I’ve told her repeatedly that the studio isn’t a guild, but she doesn’t change.”

“To cultivate heroes in Korea isn’t common, right? Most guilds operate independently and recruit directly, but it seems Nurri wants to bring us all into her guild.”

Shi An and Raon smoothly made excuses. Although it somewhat portrayed Nurri as foolish, realizing her mistake, Nurri bowed her head deeply with a red face.

“You’re really amazing, Manager-dnim.”

Cheon Bom smiled as she tidied up the dishes.

“Isn’t it like opening a new market? If Nurri successfully becomes S-Rank, everyone will send their promising candidates saying, ‘Please make our child S-Rank too!'”

“Bom-ssi, that’s a bit much. Haha.”

Shi An chuckled awkwardly and began cleaning up. Others had finished eating and were quenching their thirst with instant coffee.

“…? Brother, not having coffee after meals?”

“…..I’m brushing teeth soon, so nah. I’m good.”

Despite being offered a paper cup of coffee, Ha Yujun firmly declined, fetched his toothbrush from the luggage area, and disappeared. Watching his retreating back, Shi An sniffed and smirked.

“He’s already had one cup… …..?”

Shi An silently glared at the spot where Ha Yujun disappeared.

* * *

Half a day passed.

As the sun set and the moon illuminated the Seoul night sky, Seok Harang declared the end of the first day’s operations after clearing monsters in Jongno.

– Set up base camps by 9 PM to rest and prepare for the next day.

Following that order, Shi An led the group back to the Digital District base camp and settled into three two-person tents arranged in pairs.

“Can’t I just sleep outside…?”

“Do you not want to spend the long night with me, Brother?”

There was a moment when Ha Yujun acted up, but eventually, the men settled under the same tent.

“Yuna, please take care of Raon-ssi.”

“Ne? Ah, ne.”

Shi An requested Yuna to look after Raon’s mental health, and Yuna comforted Raon who was still uneasy.

“Our youngest member, please take good care of her, Cheon Bom-ssi.”

“Of course. Take care, Nurri.”

“…….”

Caught sleeping together less than a day after meeting, Nurri couldn’t hide her awkwardness. However, Cheon Bom’s unique warmth helped her become friends with Nurri.

“So A-san and C-san were dating, but then B-san, A-san’s ex-girlfriend, showed up and grabbed C-san’s hair…”

“Wow. I never thought that sister had such a temper. She always seemed to laugh like a retriever in dramas, turns out it was all acting?”

“That’s what actors do. Look at how she opens her eyes when she sees me!”

…To win over the former cafeteria worker’s heart, Cheon Bom brought out secrets from the entertainment world and exposed colleagues’ flaws one by one, but eventually succeeded in opening Nurri’s heart.

“Hohoho, Bom-ssi, I wish you’d join our guild!”

“…? Hmm, hohoho. Alright. Then Nurri, you’ll protect me when that happens?”

“Of course. Don’t I have the potential to become SS-Rank? Trust me, Bom-ssi. I’ll carry you.”

“? Erm, uh, un.”

Ending that conversation, both fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

That early morning.

“Sister, it’s your turn for watch duty.”

Awakening Nurri grinned and poked Bom’s sleeping bag. But when she pressed the bag, it sank deeper, and Nurri snapped awake from the surreal sensation.

“Eh, Sister?!”

2:09 AM. Cheon Bom had vanished without a trace.