I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by besisis21.
Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for besisis21’s contribution to my translation work.
*Huff, huff, pant…*
An ard man stumbled out of the passageway connected to the anomaly, his breath ragged and labored. Following close behind, people of similar appearance erged one after another, like a living tide.
As soone who couldn’t control their montum tumbled out, so of those guarding the exit where they were popping out moved in unison to drag that person to safety.
Those who ca out gasping for air after catching their breath joined the ranks of the guards.
The equipnt held in the hands of the group aiming at the entrance… was a mismatched array.
While the worn uniforms and gear were as consistent as if asured with a ruler, the weapons in their hands… were as diverse as if at a flea market.
So gripped ominous-looking firearms, while others clutched butcher knives that looked like they had been painstakingly forged in a blacksmith’s shop.
Soone else hefted a pole to subdue a massive, cow-like beast, while so had their burly bodies lowered as if they were heroes of legend.
They waited with bated breath for the monstrous creature that would erge from within.
‘Will this even be effective?’
Though it seed questionable, the monster in the last transmitted video had discarded its weapon, so it seed sowhat worth a try to so extent.
Understanding these so-called anomalies was impossible, but their weaknesses were… often surprisingly absurd things.
Aren’t there cases where things like can openers, ordinary axes, or chainsaws are their Achilles’ heels?
*Gulp.*
But the tension was unavoidable, thick, and palpable.
If they fail to subdue it, preparations have been made to ultimately collapse this space itself, so they have done all they could to prepare, in a sense…
But if asked, ‘Will everyone be able to survive in that process?’…
It seed like no one would answer ‘yes.’
*Sigh…*
Han Seori, observing from a slight distance, swallowed a sigh inwardly.
‘This has spiraled far beyond what I anticipated.’
Han Seori’s initial plan was rely to map out the man-eating labyrinth below.
…Though she thought it was partly her own fault, she also harbored a tiny, faint hope of finding a clue to shut it down… but she didn’t expect events to unfold in this manner, leaving her a bit flustered.
The anomaly 922-KR, the Labyrinth of Crete, was only managed without any gain or ans of deactivation, the nickna sticking like glue.
The outco seed imminent - would soone pen a new myth befitting the moniker, or would they crumble like the powerless humans of the original tales?
The result seed like it would co out in a mont.
Han Seori’s thoughts turned to the sli girl who caused the current situation, though she felt partly to bla herself.
7496-KR, the sli girl, seed more capable than she had initially assud.
Witnessing an unprecedented irregularity… the sli girl had likely stumbled upon sothing that lay at the core of the anomaly.
Moreover, that being… a cow monstrosity.
Han Seori found it peculiar that the jokingly given na “Labyrinth of Crete” had proven accurate in the end.
It was for that reason that those waiting tensely for the sli girl and cow monster ahead had sowhat anachronistic weapons in their hands.
There was no ti to verify, so it went straight to actual combat. This might feel a bit unreasonable, but it couldn’t be helped.
If it truly had its origins in mythology… it just might work.
However, there was one concerning point: in the myth, the helper Ariadne only told Theseus, who entered the labyrinth, how to get out.
In the end, the story is that the cow monster inside was defeated by Theseus’… heroic physique.
…Is that possible for modern humans? No, in the first place, does a human that ets that standard even exists, since it’s mythology?
It’s not like they could hastily bring a UFC champion, either.
Han Seori and the manager had no choice but to trust the agents before their eyes.
…They could only hope that what they prepared for the worst case wouldn’t have to be used.
Eventually,
*THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!*
A trendous sound reverberated from within the anomaly. The imnse noise shook the very ground, sending chills down the spines of not only Han Seori but also those awaiting the cow monster’s arrival.
Just by not throwing their weapons and running away, aren’t they already doing their job?
Soon, accompanied by a deafening noise, dirt erupted into the air. It felt like the creature had drawn very close.
*CRASH!*
“MOOOOO!”
With a resonant cry, soone covered in dirt popped out with 7496-KR, the sli girl, in his arms.
The sli girl was held in the man’s arms, and her two slis were held in the sli girl’s arms.
Behind them, leaping to avoid the explosion, a silhouette appeared that was even more gigantic than they had feared.
Its hands were so imnse and muscular that it seed a re flex of its fingers could reduce a person to a bloody pulp.
There seed to be no one with the courage to charge at that sight with a butcher knife, let alone bare hands.
…But no one could bla them for that. It was just that there was no hero there.
Still, they could struggle as humans.
“Fire!!!”
Towards the incomprehensible being that popped out of the nest, one of the most vicious things created by humans was fired.
Along with the noise of gunpowder exploding, fist-sized things were thrown, and soon, an explosion loud enough to deafen the ears was heard.
The dirt flung in before seed trivial compared to the massive clouds of debris that billowed up from the onslaught, but the pale-faced humans did not relent in their desperate attack.
They fired their weapons more and more fiercely in desperation, and with stone-faced expressions, they shut their mouths.
With the montum that if soone said, “Did we get it?” they would sew that person’s mouth shut.
“MOOOO! AAARGH!”
As if their struggles were having an effect, the cow monster’s pained screams pierced the air.
The humans fired and fired again with a small hope.
How long had passed since they poured out their all?
Around the ti when soone thought, ‘Did we get it?’ in their head…
The humans had no choice but to stop struggling.
It was also because they had used up everything they had prepared, but the resounding roars that had been heard were no longer audible.
There had been a precedent of soone becoming not of this world after saying a magic spell, so no one there opened their mouths rashly.
*Gulp.*
The sound of soone swallowing their saliva is heard.
The thick dirt slowly began to settle with the wind blowing from sowhere.
As the dirt settled,
“….”
“Huh.”
“…Oh my god.”
Voices that sounded sowhat hollow were heard, and the fallen form of the monster that seed like it would crush anything until a mont ago was seen.
Most were happy that the monster died, but so looked at the monster with bitter faces.
‘…In the end, does it an it can be done even by normal humans?’
The fallen monster had its lower body missing.
To be exact, it seed to have been swallowed by what was originally the entrance to the “Labyrinth of Crete.”
It was presud that along with the suddenly vanished entrance, the cow monster’s lower body also disappeared.
Perhaps the humans’ valiant struggle had played a role in preventing the cow monster from escaping before it was ensnared.
But the bitterness welling up inside could not be avoided.
…Should they take solace in the fact that even the cow monster was bound by the limits of a living creature?
In the strange atmosphere,
For now, the imminent threat seed to have ended.
As I was running for my life, I suddenly recalled my indifference to the death of the one who had co to help a little while ago.
…I think it’s very sudden, but it may be natural to think of the dead in a situation where you might die.
But, thinking of that naless person, I was oddly apathetic.
Was it because there was no ti to think due to the sudden situation?
Or did my tired mind block worries that would tornt ?
…Or maybe I was unconsciously thinking it doesn’t matter since it’s a total stranger.
At the sudden discomfort, I hesitated, and the man walking with clicked his tongue and picked up.
“Phew… you must be tired.”
No, not really.
But it was true that I was confused.
Did I lose my ability to empathize with others after becoming a sli?
…I don’t know, I didn’t feel like I had no emotions or couldn’t feel them, so it was more confusing.
Anyway,
As my worries were about to grow bigger, I felt so fresh air.
But it was short-lived.
Along with soone’s shout, an even more trendous noise and explosions bigger than before began to echo all around.
*Gasp, wheeze…*
The man holding , perhaps because the tension was gone, collapsed on the floor and didn’t think of getting up.
But he still seed to be breathing, so I escaped his arms and got up.
Then Han Seori, who appeared out of nowhere, popped out and picked up.
“…You’re safe.”
Muttering that, Han Seori held and took a step back, looking at the billowing dirt.
I was also watching it, so I had a strange feeling.
…Will that thing die with that?
It was fine a little while ago.
But it seed I was worrying for nothing. The monster had died… split in half.
To be precise, it appeared to have perished along with the space I escaped from rather than succumbing to the guns and bombs.
Han Seori let out a sigh of relief with a sowhat bitter face above my head.
“…Well, what’s resolved is resolved.”
Muttering that, Han Seori put down on the floor and gestured to soone.
“Bring the containnt box.”
While others were cleaning up the remains of the cow monster,
Han Seori squatted down to et my eyes and said,
“Can I take what’s inside you?”
…Huh?
I was wondering what she ant, but I noticed the orbs floating inside my body.
…I had forgotten about this, too, since the situation was so urgent.
I stopped imagining spitting out the orbs to give them to her.
Spitting out orbs from the mouth is… a bit much. It’s not like I’m a cat coughing up hairballs.
As I silently (I can’t speak anyway) nodded my head slightly, Han Seori smiled contentedly as if it was as expected.
And put her hand inside .
*Squelch!*
With a wet sound, her slender, pale fingers entered the sli.
…Uh, that’s… a bit, um, troubling if you do it so suddenly.
Her hand slled strongly of the potato chips I sotis ate.
Quite… a lot.
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