This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 658

“Have you ever seen the figure of a taxidermied animal?”

Personally, I think there’s nothing quite as horrifying as that.

And it’s no wonder, since for the animals, it essentially means they’ve been deprived of the very freedom to die.

Of course, I’ve heard that in foreign lands, there are people who can’t forget their beloved pets and request taxidermy with tears in their eyes… Yet no matter how emotional and noble the reason may be, the fact remains that it ultimately stems from their desires.

Because of that, I thought there was nothing more horrifying than the act of taxidermy… but it seemed that what was there embodied that horror in its worst form.

What… how should I even describe that sight?

It felt like someone was reaching out to strangle me, leaving me utterly speechless.

I wondered if others, those who must have been through even more experiences than I, would react differently, so I peeked around, but the expressions of those nearby were just as rigid with fear.

Among them was even Miss Almighty, who until now had never once lost her “composure.”

Could it be that even someone with such a strong my-pace disposition cannot help but feel anger in front of such a scene?

That thought made my head nod up and down in agreement… it was a truly dreadful sight.

To those things, those Anothers, what do humans even mean?

How can they view humanity in such a manner, acting without any concern for what they’re doing?

People, it seemed, were “taxidermied,” easily numbering in the hundreds as they clung to the tree trunks.

Unlike regular taxidermy, they were all still alive, yet I had no choice but to use that word.

The sight of arms and legs severed and stuck to the tree trunk could be described by nothing else.

I could sense the breaths of those around me getting heavier.

Are they… filled with anger?

“Hurry up… we need to move quickly.”

One among us, facing the ‘Queen’—who was clearly a creation designed to protect the tree from external threats—spoke with determination, unable to bear the sight any longer.

Perhaps it was the case that, while nobody spoke out against it, there was no disagreement with that statement.

As the words echoed through the chamber, nods began to ripple throughout the group.

“The number of personnel…”

“Let’s proceed as previously decided.”

“Are you okay? We’re down one person…”

“Honestly, I feel like we could manage against anyone right now.”

Once again, with a look that screamed “how horrifying,” someone raised their head, casting a glance at the gap between the trunks, baring their teeth so fiercely it almost made a crackling sound.

The person conversing with her nodded stiffly in agreement, sharing the sentiment.

Thus, our group of fourteen was split into nine and five.

The nine would go ‘up’ to confront the Queen alongside Miss Almighty, while the five would remain behind to manage the roots spreading throughout Heogye.

To be more precise, Yoonseo would use her talent to locate and disable each root, while those beside her would be there to guard her from external threats.

Compared to confronting the potentially dangerous Queen and the tree that could be seen as another itself, their task felt somewhat easier.

Maybe that’s why.

The faces of those watching the nine who would soon ascend were more concerned for them than for themselves.

Truthfully, they had no choice.

Though the task they faced was by no means easy, it was relatively less hazardous compared to what the nine would be dealing with.

Yet, they couldn’t find solace in that because if those nine lost to the Queen and the tree—that is, the Other—then the horrors awaiting the remaining five would be all too clear.

There was no guarantee that this tree behaved like one in reality, but roots are fundamentally crucial for trees.

As the means by which they absorb moisture and nutrients, it was inevitable.

If outsiders were to recklessly attack such a vital point, how would the tree respond?

Wouldn’t it want to eradicate those intruders out of spite?

Well, even if the roots weren’t that critical to this tree, eventually, it would come to that.

Considering the tree’s size, even a slight anomaly in its interconnected roots would trigger a sense of survival panic.

Thus, we could only pray that those ascending would succeed in toppling the Queen and the tree.

As the nine departed, an oppressive silence descended upon the spot they left behind.

A silence that weighed heavily and dreadfully.

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At that moment, as Yoonseo and her party finally succeeded in reaching the ‘tree’—the destination—they began to prepare for a mission that was highly likely to be their last, splitting into two groups.

Half-heartedly forcing their way through the flesh-made chaos, Dugun and Baeksulhwa finally managed to poke their heads above ‘ground.’

“Ahh…!”

Was the air above ground truly more enchanting than I’d thought?

A sigh of relief escaped from my senior, who had emerged just a step before me.

Following my senior’s lead, I instinctively inhaled deeply the moment I emerged.

Of course… there wasn’t really much difference between above and below.

Both the ground and the underground had the same unsettling red hue in the air.

Nevertheless, the fact that I had successfully escaped the suffocating underground brought a sense of liberation, combined with the certainty that I was finally drawing closer to Yoonseo.

After repeating that deep inhalation several times… I turned to my senior and asked, “Is this the place?”

I was asking if this was where Yoonseo’s presence was felt.

“…Probably.”

Currently, the only group engaged in ‘combat’ in this Heogye would be the Expedition Team sent to build the Anothers.

I nodded at that implication.

As I turned to survey the surroundings, I indeed spotted remnants of reality scattered amidst the wreckage—things that likely used to be parts of the Others.

So it seemed a battle had occurred between the Expedition Team and the Anothers here.

The problem was… it was clear the aftermath had already been cleaned up and everyone had moved on elsewhere.

Where could they have gone?

If there had been footprints, I could have at least made some assumptions based on those.

But, in this damnable world, even the ground wasn’t made of soil; it was a grotesque mass of flesh, making it impossible to find even a single footprint.

In despair, I scanned the surroundings, hoping something would catch my eye, until I finally clenched my teeth in frustration.

Honestly, I hated this world, just as much now as when I first fell into it.

Well, it did lead me to meet Chae-rim, but that was a completely different matter.

At that moment, lost in my thoughts of anger towards the Anothers and Heogye…

“I think… they probably moved in this direction?”

Unlike me, who’d found nothing in the mess surrounding us, it seemed my senior had succeeded in spotting something.

As her voice flowed into my ears, responding, I tracked her gaze and finally set my eyes on—

“…Ah.”

It was a tree I had seen before.

A colossal tree, so massive that I could practically feel my sense of distance shatter.

The traces of the Expedition Team found nearby seemed to lead toward the tree, as if it served as a bridge between the earth and sky.

Hence, I couldn’t help but grimace in reflex.

My left arm ached.

As if trying to remind me of something that had occurred here in the past.