Rampage — Part 1
Thunder rubbed his nonexistent eyelids.
“This must be a dream, right?”
He asked the friend beside him.
The three-eyed friend, who usually kept the central eye on his forehead closed, had it wide open as if it were about to tear apart.
“It’s not a dream. It’s real.”
“Wasn’t that human only Level 5? Does a Level 5 human do this?”
“Well, he’s not exactly an ordinary human, is he?”
“Come on, I know that much.”
Thunder floated mid-air, lightly bobbing up and down.
The fact that his entire body was made of electricity wasn’t even worth talking about.
Not when compared to the sight laid out in this small square.
A field of corpses.
An utter massacre.
Decapitated heads, shattered skulls, charred bodies electrocuted, and corpses with gaping holes blown through their chests lay scattered haphazardly.
There were about a hundred of them.
Judging by the magic wavelengths lingering in the air, they were all Level 5.
It was an incomprehensible scene, one that defied belief. A Level 5 superhuman had accomplished this alone?
BOOM!
It wasn’t over yet.
The sound of consecutive explosions echoed from further inside.
“Are we even supposed to be here? The human did tell us to stay outside.”
“Hah! Are you seriously scared of a human? Great job, Mr. Protector of the Village!”
“You weren’t scared?”
“Of course not!”
Then why is that eye on your forehead shaking like it’s experiencing an earthquake?
Thunder let out a quiet snort in his mind.
He headed deeper inside.
After passing through a wide corridor, they reached a point where they could finally see the human slicing a terrorist clean in half.
“AAAAARGH!”
A terrible scream rang out, but no one cared.
What was truly terrifying wasn’t the scream—it was the cold blade aura emanating from the black sword and the turbulent waves of mana raging around it.
Instinctively, Thunder assessed the human’s strength.
The conclusion was immediate.
‘I can’t win.’
Unbelievable.
Thunder was Level 6. That human was Level 5.
Despite the gap in levels, Thunder knew he’d lose?
But the mutant’s instincts—closer to that of a beast than a human—had been quietly warning him all along.
Don’t fight him. Never fight him.
“Phew!”
The human exhaled, swinging the sword in a long arc.
Fresh blood sprayed out, yet the black sword instantly returned to its pristine state, as if it had never been sullied.
“When did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
“A few of them tried to run outside, but we caught them all. Found a secret passage, too.”
“Well done.”
“Heheh! Of course we did! Who do you think told us to do it? We mutants are the best, don’t you think? Nobody listens as well as us Hopefuls!”
What’s with this guy?
Just a moment ago, he was acting all proud like he wouldn’t budge, and now he’s behaving like a lapdog wagging its tail?
Thunder stared at him in disbelief, but the three-eyed mutant was shameless.
He raised his forehead eye dramatically and gave Thunder a what’s your problem? look.
Thunder decided it wasn’t worth saying anything.
The human nodded and walked further inside.
Thunder quickly followed.
“Are there more?”
“No, there are no more terrorists. That last one was it.”
“Then why—”
“By the way, have you seen Skeleton Snake since last night?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Thunder’s eyes met those of the three-eyed mutant.
“I didn’t see her. The last I saw, she was leaving the village yesterday afternoon on some errand for the chief.”
“The chief is the problem. Always making people do weird things.”
“Then why don’t you become the chief?”
“No way! If I became the chief, I wouldn’t even be able to leave the village! I’d have to constantly offer prayers to the Great Mother!”
The interior wasn’t very deep.
The place seemed to have been carved out using some sort of magical method. Other than the square, there wasn’t much room to expand due to the lack of time and resources.
That’s why it only took them about ten minutes to reach the deepest part of the cave.
A damp, lightless area.
Blocked by iron bars.
It was clearly a prison.
“Uh…”
That’s where Thunder saw it.
“Snake!”
The creature was stripped entirely bare.
Her gruesome form, reduced to bone, heart, and mana circuits, was chained up and exposed.
Clank, clank, clank.
Whatever had been done to her, the mana circuits were glowing red-hot, pulsating wildly.
Her heart was thrashing erratically, beating ten times a second.
Out of rhythm.
Instead of the sound of a drum, it emitted the shrill wailing of glass being torn apart.
The meaning of the scene was crystal clear.
It was on the verge of rampage.
A mutant, unable to overcome its curse, was moments away from turning into a complete monster.
“Snake!”
Thunder called out to Skeleton Snake, his voice filled with sorrow.
‘Was she hit by a bomb?’
That was the first thought that came to mind.
I wasn’t sure.
Even if Skeleton Snake had been subjected to three simultaneous debuffs and abandoned, this state would be extreme.
Skeleton Snake had lived far too long. On top of that, she carried the instability debuff before completing her personal quest. If her exclusive equipment—[Shroud of Silence] and [Mask of Stillness]—were removed, she would quickly go berserk or fall into exhaustion.
“Keys? Where are the keys?”
Thunder was panicking, but I ignored him.
Bang!
I pulled out a shotgun and fired.
With a single shot, the thick magical lock was destroyed.
I kicked down the broken iron-barred door and entered.
Up close, the condition was even more appalling.
Tiny fractures covered the surface of the heart.
The moment that heart shattered and transformed into a mana core, Skeleton Snake would die, and a monster would be born in its place.
Gush.
From my golf bag, I pulled out as much holy water as I could.
I poured nearly ten bottles over the skull and heart.
Then, from the hollow sockets of the empty eye sockets, a faint red glow flickered and focused on me.
“This place… is…”
“Ah!”
Thunder jumped in fright, phasing halfway through the ceiling before returning to his original position.
“Are you awake? Looks like those human bastards got you! Where are your clothes and mask?”
“Urgh…”
The holy water was nowhere near enough.
Skeleton Snake only regained consciousness briefly before the light in her eyes faded, and her head slumped down.
Thunder and the three-eyed mutant both started shouting and jumping around in panic.
“We have to take her to the Great Mother, now!”
“Hurry! Hurry!”
“Quiet down, will you? These are magical handcuffs and shackles. Trying to break them without the key could lead to disaster.”
“W-What? You’re right!”
“Damn it! What do we do? Should we bring Old Owl? That geezer’s magic is second to none!”
“When will you get to the village and back? Skeleton Snake will be dead by then!”
There was no time.
No time to find the key, no time to fetch a high-level mage.
I consciously took a long, deep breath.
Through my Bright Eyes, I examined the magical handcuffs and shackles.
Intricate circuits were etched into them, like spiderwebs or the fine arrays of semiconductors.
To disable them, you’d need either a key or the exact magical code. But…
Bright Eyes, combined with my instincts, revealed the weak points to me.
‘I can do it.’
A spot thinner than a strand of hair, narrower than the eye of a needle.
I drew my Black Tiger Sword.
Summoning my Sword Qi, I focused.
Even the blade itself mustn’t touch the target.
Only the Sword Qi—an extremely fine and sharp gleam of light—must strike precisely at four points simultaneously to disable these restraints.
“Hey…”
Thunder’s distrustful voice called out to me.
“You’re not seriously planning to use your sword, are you? Don’t even think about it! Not even a Sword Saint could pull that off! Breaking the cuffs and shackles isn’t the only issue here!”
I ignored him.
I had something the Sword Saints didn’t: a particular Trait.
I focused.
Drawing my breath thin and long, I fixed my gaze solely on the handcuffs and shackles.
When the vague sensation solidified into certainty—
I struck.
Four streams of blazing meteors shot forth.
They erased the weaknesses in the mana circuits and vanished.
Crackle!
A faint spark of electricity fizzled.
And that was it.
No trap spells activating, no mana circuits going berserk.
Instead, the handcuffs and shackles fell open limply.
As Skeleton Snake collapsed forward, Thunder hurriedly ran to support her.
“H-How did you…?”
His eyes were filled with shock as he turned to me.
The three-eyed mutant nudged Thunder repeatedly.
“You said not even a Sword Saint could do it.”
“Uh… Then he must be a Sword God or something.”
Sword God, my ass.
I let out a small laugh and personally took Skeleton Snake from him.
It was much better for me to carry her than Thunder, who was as light as a feather.
[Purification]
I used it continuously as I spoke.
“Let’s move. Quickly.”
With just that, I propelled myself forward.
Not only using Dash but employing Leap, Sprint, and Mobility all at once.
I surged through the narrow passageway like a gust of wind.
Thunder and the three-eyed mutant scrambled to keep up.
“Wait for us!”
“How is that human so fast? He could outrun you in a race!”
“Bullshit! No human is faster than me!”
To be fair, Thunder was fast.
Being a nearly weightless electricity-based mutant, combined with his Level 6 abilities and abundant mana, made him formidable.
As he pushed himself to catch up, he gradually closed the distance.
It made me think to myself.
‘I need to develop Lightning Interception techniques.’
Sure, Thunder was an ally, but if he were an enemy?
What if it was a life-or-death situation where I couldn’t afford to be caught?
It was worth preparing for such a scenario.
Before I knew it, we’d reached the outskirts of Monster Village.
Leaping high into the air, I descended like a bird.
Grizzly Bear, startled, raised his massive paw as if to strike but froze upon recognizing me and Skeleton Snake in my arms.
His face stiffened as he took us in.
“What happened?”
“She was captured by terrorists. Looks like she was ambushed when she went out yesterday.”
“Damn it! I should’ve sent Thunder with her! And what about her clothes and mask? Where are they?”
Grizzly Bear took Skeleton Snake from me and gently laid her on the ground.
Then he began bowing low.
The wooden houses trembled slightly.
Especially the chief’s house, where a massive branch extended outward.
Leaves dangled from the branch, almost like a human hand.
From the tip, a single dewdrop formed and fell.
It glimmered as it seeped into Skeleton Snake’s mouth.
But that was all.
For a moment, it seemed like her condition stabilized, but it didn’t last. It was only enough to briefly delay the inevitable rampage.
A collective sigh of despair filled the air.
“This can’t be…”
“No!”
“Snake! Skeleton Snake! Pull yourself together!”
“Chief! Please, do something!”
The mutants began collapsing in despair.
Some had already started shedding mana wavelengths instead of tears, while others shook their heads, murmuring that it was hopeless.
A few turned away, gazing at the distant mountains to avoid facing reality.
The atmosphere of Monster Village, already gloomy from the terrorist attack, grew even heavier.
“Ah…”
That’s when Skeleton Snake regained consciousness.
Lying on her side, she barely lifted her head to look around.
She glanced at Grizzly Bear, who had sunk to the ground in despair.
Then at Thunder, whose human-shaped body had shrunk and curled up tightly.
Finally, she looked at the chief’s house, its sagging branch, and the other mutants, who avoided her gaze.
All of them quickly hid their tears, refined their mana waves, and lowered their heads.
Seeing this, Skeleton Snake let out a laugh.
Without a single facial muscle, with no flesh on her jawbone, she made a deliberately cheerful rattling sound.
“What’s with the mood? Did someone die? Why’s it so somber?”
“You…”
“It’s my time, that’s all. Do you know how old I am? I’m older than Grizzly Bear. Over 200 years old. I’m your big sister, you know. Honestly, I’ve lived way past my time. When it’s time to go, you just go. Right?”
“But, still… still…”
“The prophecy! What about Teacher Tojeong’s prophecy?!”
“It must’ve been wrong. Prophets aren’t always right, you know. They get things wrong more often than they get them right.”
Skeleton Snake spoke casually, as if it were no big deal.
Her hollow eye sockets turned to the utterly distraught Grizzly Bear.
“Can you do it? Little Bear?”
“I… I…”
“You promised. If any of us were about to go berserk, you’d put us down.”
“But… but…”
Grizzly Bear fidgeted with his massive paws.
Decades of companionship.
From his words, it seemed like she had taken care of him like a big sister when he was younger.
For someone like Grizzly Bear, who held such deep attachment to his kin and fellow mutants, this wasn’t an easy decision.
Skeleton Snake turned her gaze to me.
“Black Tiger Swordmaster, take my mana core.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I told you before, didn’t I? I was hoping the prophecy might come true, but it seems that wasn’t the case. Please use my mana core well. It would be best if you used it to create a Recomposition Elixir.”
I felt my breath catch.
Was this how organ donors felt?
Rather than take her mana core to the grave, Skeleton Snake wanted to offer it to me as a small token of gratitude.
Grizzly Bear slammed his paw against the ground with a thunderous roar.
“I… I can’t do it! Damn it all! DAMN IT ALL!”
“If you don’t, who will? Killing myself wouldn’t solve anything, and you know it.”
“Goddammit! GODDAMMIT!”
Grizzly Bear began pounding his head against the earth.
I stared at Skeleton Snake, deep in thought.
There wasn’t no way to save her.
After Episode 6’s nuclear war, three methods were discovered to stabilize mutants and bring them closer to normality.
But right now?
Only one method was viable.
And even then, it came with severe drawbacks.
‘The success rate is far too low.’
At best, it’s 10%.
If the mana core went berserk, it wouldn’t just fail—it would explode.
Not just a small detonation, but a catastrophic explosion large enough to obliterate Monster Village.
The mana core would obviously be destroyed in the process.
And I wouldn’t come out of it unscathed, either.
‘Is there even a reason for me to take that kind of risk?’
Not really.
Skeleton Snake and I? We’d only met for the second time.
There was no loyalty or obligation to put my life on the line for her.
But ignoring her plight entirely didn’t sit well with me—especially because of the name she’d mentioned.
Teacher Tojeong.
In my original world, he was merely a scholar of practical studies.
Though widely known for Tojeong Bigyeol, the divination manual often attributed to him, most historians agree that it wasn’t actually his work.
But in this world, Lee Jiham—Teacher Tojeong—was a renowned prophet.
If you had to pick one prophet from the Joseon era, his name would be the first that came up.
He was also a Level 8 mage.
‘Skeleton Snake’s personal quest ends with acquiring Lee Jiham’s legacy.’
I ran a finger over the ring on my hand—the Danger Detection Ring.
Lee Jiham’s legacy could replace this ring.
An SSR-grade item.
That alone made it worth the risk.
“There is one method, though it’s extremely unlikely to succeed.”
I turned to Grizzly Bear and Skeleton Snake.
“The chance is slim, but there’s a way to treat Skeleton Snake. Would you like to hear it?”
“There’s a way?”
Hope flickered in Grizzly Bear’s eyes.
“What is it? Whatever it is, I’ll trust you! Let’s start right away!”
“The failure rate is over 90%. You should assume it’ll fail. Are you okay with that?”
“Of course! If we leave her like this, she’s guaranteed to die anyway! Isn’t 10% better than 0%?”
“Please… I’m asking you too.”
“Save Snake! If you save her, I’ll give you everything I own!”
The mutants clung to me desperately.
Fine. Let’s give it a shot.
What’s the worst that could happen?
If it fails, I can always bail out and run for my life.
High risk, high reward.
Sometimes, you just have to take the plunge.
“First, call in the Hunters’ Association. Use my name to get them here.”
“Humans? Why call them?”
“Our village doesn’t allow humans unless they’re friends.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to give up.”
Grizzly Bear hesitated, chewing on his lip.
Thunder, who had been sprawled out in a puddle, rapidly reformed his human shape.
“Snake’s dying, and you’re worried about village rules? I’ll bring them here!”
I quickly listed the materials I needed.
“One bottle of Elixir, a handful of mutant mugwort, a handful of mutant garlic, 100 Level 0 contaminated mana cores, a pinch of spirit powder, a strand of the Reaper’s hair, a single Angel’s Tear, and one drop of demon saliva.”
“I-I have an Elixir!”
“I’ll bring the spirit powder and demon saliva!”
“Mutant mugwort? Mutant garlic? Do those even exist?”
“I harvested some from the mountains a while ago! My storage is full of them!”
“Then go get them quickly!”
The mutants rushed back to their homes.
Some of them, despite their own twisted forms, didn’t hesitate.
The entire village was moving to save Skeleton Snake.
As I watched them, I mentioned the final ingredient.
“We’ll also need the Great Mother’s blood.”
The Tree Mother.
The guardian deity of Monster Village.
Though her divinity was faint, she was undoubtedly a being that had ascended to godhood.
“Two drops.”
One drop for Skeleton Snake.
And one for me.
–TL Notes–
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Nice chapter