Chapter 277 - Chapter 275: Episode 275
I decided to get the hell out of there immediately, just as Azael and Jung Su-yeon said.
The remaining flames were extinguished the moment Azael pulled another vine.
How the hell did she do that...? According to Azael, she'd mixed cold-natured fruit, water-rich leaves, and roots packed with carbon dioxide to create the ultimate fire-extinguishing substance, and that's how she put it out.
She claimed she'd rigged it so that pulling the vine would make it spread instantly... but I'd been standing right next to her and hadn't even noticed her setting it up....
'she could've taught me...'
While I was lost in thought,
we rushed to get out of there, carrying the Low-grade Alraune's head.
A stunning, pale, grass-colored beauty appeared at the spot where the Low-grade Alraune had popped out.
She looked almost human, but there was something distinctly alien about her, and she was barely covering her nipples and pussy with leaves.
"...Who killed my child?"
A 'Very Dangerous' warning flashed in my head,
and I took off at full speed without looking back.
"It's the Alraune Queen! Run, Kim Do-jin!!"
'I'm already running like hell!'
Jung Su-yeon's warning came a beat too late,
but having consumed countless stories and played every kind of game, I knew that anything showing up at a time like this was a boss-level threat, so I ran like a madman. Azael was quick-witted too, so she was running right alongside me.
"...My child... my poor child... you always had such curiosity about humans. I told you so many times to be careful of those evil humans."
She was clearly far away,
so why did it sound so clear, as if she were whispering right in my ear?
I got goosebumps all over from that strange phenomenon and ran even faster.
This felt like a classic trope where I'd die if I got caught, so I ran like a lunatic.
"...You died the most terrible death. ...It's so painful to burn to death, ...who killed this pure child, ...humans, ...I clearly promised. ...I promised your ancestors. ...That I would not attack humans. ...But, ...but, ...now you even kill my habitat and my child so brazenly. ...Fine. That promise is broken now. ...Last year, a human female with sky-colored hair came and slaughtered my children mercilessly. ...My patience has reached its limit. ...Now I will gather those who have been harmed like me, ...create a legion, and punish you all. ...Before that, ...I must deal with the rats who cruelly killed my child."
With those words,
the Alraune Queen appeared in front of us.
"...Huh?"
The Alraune Queen looked at the Low-grade Alraune's head I was holding.
"...You took my child's head, ...as if taking a trophy. ...Right, to humans, we must be that kind of existence.
...My poor child, ...I told you so much not to approach humans, ...sob, ...boo-hoo. ...Why didn't you listen to me...."
And then, she saw me.
Then she blushed and spat out a curse.
"...Fucking hell♡ It was worth approaching♡"
"Eh...?"
"Human male...♡ Mate with me...♡"
No, is it okay for the vibe to shift this drastically all of a sudden?
Just a moment ago, she was in 'grieving mother' mode, blinded by revenge because we killed her child.
Why is she acting like this all of a sudden...?
The Alraune Queen slowly approached me.
But then, Park Hye-ji appeared with a 'Ta-da!', as if a bolt of yellow lightning had struck from afar.
"I came because I sensed some fucking cunt-like energy, but what the fuck? Why is the Alraune Queen here?
Sigh, fuck. Hey, Jung Su-yeon. Can't you manage things properly? If the Alraune Queen shows up, you're supposed to run, not hunt or whatever the hell you were doing."
"...I, I was running away, okay?! And is this my fault? It's because this goblin planned the operation all weird...!"
"No. It's not my fault. It's because Husband was giving off such a horny scent. It just so happened that the Alraune Queen's direct offspring got caught."
Everyone is passing the buck.
So I should pass it too.
"It's because the teacher didn't monitor me properly and went to sleep!"
Park Hye-ji to Jung Su-yeon, Jung Su-yeon to Azael, Azael to me,
so shouldn't I pass it back to Park Hye-ji to complete the circle?
Anyway, after this series of blame-shifting conversations,
Park Hye-ji started fighting the Alraune Queen in earnest.
At first, Park Hye-ji seemed to have a slight advantage, but the situation changed when the Alraune Queen called her children.
You can't win against a gang-up, and Park Hye-ji was starting to look like she was struggling.
So, it feels a bit dangerous.
"Hey, you fucking bitches! You should be running away while I'm stalling! Why are you just standing there staring blankly!!!"
"...Ah, I thought the teacher would win again..."
Jung Su-yeon replied, scratching her head.
I guess I wasn't the only one who thought that.
"Jung Su-yeon! I can't do this alone! You help too!"
"Yes!"
Since nothing was said to me and Azael,
Azael and I made eye contact and ran away immediately.
I guess Park Hye-ji knew that Azael and I were useless, so she didn't give us any specific instructions.
So, we have to run away hard so she doesn't worry about us and can fight properly.
I ran and ran again.
I was gasping for air, and I honestly felt like I was going to die.
As a result of running so hard while panting,
I arrived at the boundary I mentioned earlier where the forest suddenly became dense.
It was so exhausting that I could vomit if I let my guard down, but anyway, since we've come this far....
'We made it. Finally...!'
"Kim Do-jin! Dodge!!!"
Park Hye-ji and Jung Su-yeon were bleeding from their heads, arms, and legs.
And the multiple plant vines they were blocking.
But one of the vines dodged them and swung violently at me like a whip.
"Husband!!!"
Azael threw her body to defend me.
- Crash! -
The intangible barrier around Azael shattered.
With a sound like shattering glass, Azael was blown to the side.
But the power of the plant vine whip hadn't completely died out.
A part of the tip came towards me.
I quickly covered my vital points like my head and heart.
But part of my leg was exposed.
- Slap! -
"Aaaaargh!!!"
It hurt so much I felt like I was going to pass out, but I barely managed to keep my wits about me.
My leg...,
fortunately, it wasn't severed.
It looked like I'd been hit by a steel whip; a chunk of flesh was gouged out, but it wasn't severed.
But, the fact that the bone is slightly exposed means this is serious....
The Alraune Queen..., she's too strong.
Aren't I going to die like this?
I was thinking that,
when I saw girls in military uniforms running from afar.
"Over there!"
"Do-jin oppa~!"
"Fire! Fire!"
Humans had developed anti-monster weapons using a mix of magic and science,
and the results were now in the soldiers' hands.
Special firearms with magic circles engraved on the guns and mana infused into the bullets.
Special weapons resembling recoilless rifles..., also known as bazookas.
As the number of humans increased and bullets rained down, the Alraune Queen observed the battle situation for a moment and then retreated into the dense forest.
However, she didn't retreat quietly and left with an ominous prophecy.
"...Human male♡ ...Next time for sure♡ ...I'll make you produce as much as you killed♡"
And she added something else in a very small whisper.
"...And I'll treat your injury♡ ...The human male's injury♡ ...It's because that goblin blocked and changed the path♡ ...I was originally just going to capture you♡"
The Alraune Queen disappeared, taking other Alraunes, presumably her subordinates or children, with her.
I let out a sigh and collapsed to the ground.
I was so tired that my eyes closed on their own.
#
I woke up in a hospital room.
Looking around, I saw other patients... I was lying in a crowded eight-person ward.
As soon as I woke up, I touched my leg with my hand,
and it was perfectly healed without a single scar.
This must be..., not modern medical technology, but some magical power like a potion was administered.
When I raised my upper body and got up from the hospital bed,
the other patients nearby each had something to say.
"Oh, Kim Do-jin. He's up."
"Didn't the nurse say to call her if he wakes up?"
"...But, he looked like an angel even when he was sleeping, and he's even cuter now that he's awake..."
"...Sigh, fuck. My pussy is wet. I'm going to go to the bathroom and jerk off."
"I can hear you, you idiot. Keep it down."
I looked at the women whispering about me...,
no..., wait. Why are there only women in the hospital room...?
Come to think of it, seeing girls in military uniforms who might be guardians or visitors, could it be....
The atmosphere feels like a military hospital....
"Excuse me..., where is this?"
"Ah, this is a small military hospital attached to the Mountain 63rd Regiment... It only has eight beds."
"Then what about my other companions...?"
"I understand they left saying they needed to be treated at the National Hunter Academy.
Especially those two women, they were poisoned by the toxin shot by the Alraune Queen, so they needed special treatment...,
The taming goblin you're raising also went to the academy.
I heard that since that goblin was wearing some kind of protective magic tool, she was safe even after getting hit once at the end.
Still, just in case, they went to the academy to get checked again and to receive treatment if poisoned."