This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 215

I might be facing a situation I never anticipated.

Or perhaps it’s because I’ve seen a sight so horrific it’s made me feel nauseous.

My heart raced as if one of its mechanisms had malfunctioned.

Thanks to that, my breathing became increasingly labored, and I had to spit it out in several small bursts.

Amidst that, what drove me even more insane was… the strange sensation that had begun manifesting in my arm since earlier.

How should I even describe this feeling?

It felt as though another heart had settled in my left arm without me even realizing it.

A peculiar thrum pulsed from the area wrapped in bandages.

And so… it became a problem.

What if I wasn’t the only one feeling this way?

What if those things lurking around were also experiencing a similar sensation to mine?

Even if things seem fine now, they would inevitably figure it out sooner or later.

So I desperately prayed in my mind for them to just go somewhere else… but despite my fervent wishes, it didn’t seem to have much effect.

It was as if someone had smeared honey nearby; those things showed no sign of leaving.

Thus, at some point, I naturally came to a realization.

Those creatures had changed somehow.

When I saw them in that hellish world where humans were treated as nothing more than prey, they had bulked up absurdly.

But the ones wandering around now, making those weird croaking sounds, looked slim as though they had undergone the strictest of diets.

Did that mean they looked weaker than before?

Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

Stripped down, they appeared to be even sturdier, their exoskeletons thicker than I remembered.

It felt as if they had evolved collectively for some unspoken necessity.

And maybe because their appearance had changed, their behavior had altered too.

For those Others, humans were… both enemies and prey.

So capturing someone wasn’t merely a choice for them.

What I had seen before in the world of the Others—where they carried away unconscious people—was always done to offer humans as food to a being akin to their mother.

So, by all means, it should have remained the same this time…

“Huff… Sa-save…”

The scene I caught a glimpse of through the curtain playing the role of a changing room door was a bit different.

Those creatures that had captured a person somewhere were dragging them in front of what appeared to be their commander for a sort of ‘inspection.’

I didn’t know whether that action was truly taking place, but at least the scene reflected that to my eyes.

What shocked me was the reaction of the creature presumed to be the commander.

—Kiru-rrk!

With an unearthly shriek, the creature shook its head back and forth.

The sight was eerily human-like, sending chills racing down my spine against my will.

What followed next was something I won’t even mention.

“Uweeep…!”

A smell that could be found in a playground with rusty bars wafted through the air.

And once that smell began to flow, it only grew stronger over time.

More and more people hidden nearby were dragged out one by one to be sacrificed.

Thus, I realized something.

If I remained still, it was akin to waiting for a preordained death.

And… perhaps what they were truly searching for was me.

So?

I had to do something.

If those things really were looking for me, they wouldn’t leave until someone—an actual Hero dispatched to cleanup—came to take them out.

The problem was…

‘Disaster alert… never came…’

That was it.

Just like how neither Chae-rim nor I had returned from the mountains, a rift had appeared right in the heart of the urban area, in plain view, yet my mobile phone had remained silent until the Others revealed themselves.

That fact weighed on my mind.

According to Chae-rim, the rift alert systems installed would detect signs of an emerging rift and send the information to the Association so the Heroes would be dispatched.

But what if the rift alert systems—the very ones responsible for initiating all of this—failed to perform their duty?

Meaning… what if they couldn’t detect the rift forming at all?

That would imply there might not be information sent to the Association about the rift.

Which would mean the time for Heroes to respond could be delayed.

Could I even hold out against them until then?

To be honest, I wasn’t confident.

While I had been able to hide somewhat, the chaos left me unable to create enough distance from where the rift had formed.

Until now, the numerous people hiding around had prevented their attention from gravitating toward me, but… that seemed to be coming to an end.

Was it trying to prove that my suspicions were correct?

Suddenly, a loud crash erupted nearby.

In that moment, Bora, who had been pinned beneath me, jolted and trembled violently.

Feeling that response, I pondered inwardly.

How on earth did it come to this?

‘No…’

It wasn’t like I had ventured far; Bora had just said she wanted to grab something, and I only stepped out for a moment. Why, of all times, did a rift open?

‘Is it really a year of misfortunes or something?’

I found it so absurd it almost made me think such thoughts.

Even while I was lost in my inward grumbling, the sounds of those creatures’ footsteps drew ever closer.

With a crunch—the shattering sound of glass—it began echoing through the air.

It was time for me to make a genuine decision.

One way or another.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Bora’s Perspective

Was it because of the hand that had kept my mouth covered for a while now?

I struggled to breathe.

No matter how hard I tried inhaling through my nose, my breathing felt insufficient.

And so my head began to spin.

In that dizzying haze, I pondered.

How on earth did it come to this?

All I wanted was to buy something that I needed.

At the same time, I was also hoping to enjoy a sense of dating while getting a tour around the neighborhood with Dogun…

Why did I have to experience something like this?

It was frightening.

The smell I had encountered several times began seeping into my nostrils again, intensifying my fear.

The scent of violence and death was drawing nearer.

And yet… I could do nothing.

There was nothing I could do.

What good would it do to possess talents anyone would envy in such a situation?

I was utterly powerless.

Thus, for the first time in my life, I experienced the feeling of guilt toward another person.

What if I hadn’t insisted on dragging Dogun along?

Then, he wouldn’t have to endure such a thing while enjoying his peace at home.

That’s why I felt sorry.

At the same time, I was terrified.

What if Dogun blamed me for this? What should I do then?

He hadn’t even been told the reason for the outing yet.

Of course, he hadn’t, since I hadn’t shared it with him.

So… that made me even more afraid.

If he found out the truth, I could easily foresee the expression on his face, the look in his eyes.

That’s why I kept my eyes tightly shut… only to suddenly feel a warm, moist breath against my ear.

Reflexively jolting at the sensation, I heard Dogun begin to whisper.

“Listen closely, Bora. Those things…”

And as that whisper unfolded in a voice meant for someone on the brink of sleep, I found myself increasingly confused.

How could he suddenly be sharing such warnings now about how to handle the Others?

I had no idea why he was saying this at such a critical moment.

I couldn’t understand.

And so, unable to remain in the dark any longer, I opened my eyes.

“Got it? Just be cautious of what I told you.”

The hand that had been blocking my mouth dropped away all at once.

My airway instantly opened up.

“What, what…”

Just then, my body instinctively inhaled deeply as I was overcome with the panic of breathlessness, interrupting my speech—

With that, Dogun jumped up and burst through the curtain leading outside.

Shouting loudly as if for someone to hear.

The sounds of hurried feet pounding against the ground swiftly faded into the distance.

.

.

.

.

.

Dogun…

Is in danger…!