VSP 106

“How is there not a single person?”

[If you cannot find traces of anyone, it is closer to them being confined somewhere. If they were attacked or killed, there would at least be bloodstains, but there is nothing. It is completely clean.]

No trace of any survivor could be found, and when Sejun clicked his tongue, the system calmly assessed the situation.

Sejun nodded, finding it reasonable. It was hopeful, and it thousands of civilians had been swept away and killed, that would have been terrifying in its own right.

Except for the fact that the parking lot, which started from the second basement level,was packed with cars, not a single person was visible.

But instead of relaxing, his whole body tensed up. It was so different from usual, it was eerie, but it also made him realize he was in a dungeon.

]Sejun-nim, you’re putting too much strength into your body. Excessive tension isn’t good.]

“Is it as easy as it sounds? I feel like the time I spent clearing S-rank dungeons with Cha Dogyeong, was a past life.”

If you think about it, maybe it really was close to another life… Sejun tried hard to relax while thinking about something stupid.

Thinking about Cha Dogyeong ad proven effective in various situations, but now wasn’ t the time to leisurely contemplate his crush. Sejun shook his head, shook off the thoughts, and quickly headed downstairs after confirming there was nothing amiss on the second floor.

The anomaly occurred on the third basement floor.

“uh?”

The moment something quite out of place caught his eye in the underground parking lot, Sejun immediately ran forward.

It was a tree.

To be precise, it was the top of a tree, a massive tree covered in lush leaves. It was poking its head through the concrete floor, three stories underground.

Even under the fluorescent lights, the sight of the green leaves shining so vividly that it was strangely unsettling was more than simply beautiful and natural. It was so out of place.

Its size was so enormous that one could not even think of it as an ordinary plant that simply bloomed in an unfamiliar place.

Just looking at the top part that rose through the parking lot ground, it looked much bigger than a thousand year old giant tree.

The concrete floor was split like a spiderweb as it pierced through, and a cloudy green spore-like substance was seeping through the cracks. The air was filled with the sweet yet repulsive smell of rotten fruit.

As he approached, he saw something sticky, seeping through the bark. And where it had dripped, traces of melted concrete remained.

“No wonder the outside of the department store had all those tree vines stuck on it.”

[lt’s a plant. It’s huge and seems to use acidic liquids. Don’t get too close.]

“Yeah.”

Sejun lowered his head and looked at the messy floor. The concrete floor was riddled with holes, and what peeped out above them was the very top of a massive tree, like the crown of a human head. It had grown through the entire building.

[Considering that only the tip of the head is sticking out of the parking lot, the main body seems to be on a lower level.]

“Of course. I’ll go down right away.”

[Be careful, Sejun-nim. This doesn’t look easy.]

“I never thought it would be easy in the first place.”

Sejun headed straight downstairs without hesitation. The fourth basement level was filled with verdant tree crowns. The fifth basement level was filled with enormous tree trunks that jutted through the celling.

Finally, the 6th basement floor.

“…Ah.”

As he approached the sixth floor, the damp, heavy earthy smell became even more intense, and Sejun pinched his nose. Shouldn’t phytoncide be present in this abundance of plants? But the smell of this massive plant was off-putting.

But as if the smell was just the beginning, Sejun was left speechless with wide eyes as he saw the horrific scene that appeared upon reaching the 6th basement floor.

[It’s terrible.]

It was just as the system said.

He thought the key was the 6th basement floor, but the situation there was so bad that the upper floors he had passed by looked like child’s play.

The roots that covered the entire parking lot stretched across the ground like living snakes, as if they had been there for hundreds of years, constantly feeding on something.

He never thought he’d see the day when he’d look at the roots of a plant and think this way, but they looked like tightly woven blood vessels, and for some reason, they gave him goosebumps.

But the creepiest thing wasn’t the trees writhing as if they were alive, but the living people hanging from the giant tree trunks like Christmas decorations.

No, are they even alive?

Not a single person had their eyes open. Everyone was unconscious, slumped over, their faces pale. It looked ominous. As if the monster had sucked the life out of them.

In addition, Sejun sensed a subtle vibration beneath his feet. The sensation of roots, buried deeper than they appeared, squirming. It was evidence that this massive creature was breathing.

Sejun swallowed as the tension rose.

He knew that time was life, but watching people lose their energy in real time made him realize that every second count.

But what should he do?

Should he summon Hoya right now and try to rescue the people on his own? Or would it be better to call Lee Dohun and Choi Hangyeol and try to rescue them together once they arrive?

He couldn’t tell which was the better choice, but the sooner he made a decision, the better.

Sejun first summoned the spirits.

Giggles were heard, and Sejun immediately sent the spirits flying upstairs.

The spirits can’t speak, but the other two would probably notice Sejun calling them as soon as they saw the spirits and come running.

While Sejun was summoning the spirits and sending them up, the system, which had been quietly observing the situation, realized something first and spoke to Sejun.

[Sejun-nim.]

“What?”

]There are a few people hanging over there, you’ve seen them before.]

“What? Who?”

[Members of Bacheon Guild.]

Something happened when the system just started spitting out that information.

Bang!

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, something like a boulder flew at incredible speed, right next to Sejun. Startled, Sejun jumped to the side, avoiding being struck by the shattered concrete fragments.

Of course, there was no way a non-existent rock would fly up, and it didn’t take long for Sejun to realize that it wasn’t a rock but a person that had flown in.

“……Seo Sejun?”

Because there’s no way a rock can talk.

The person who had flown in was still for a while, groaning and struggling to come to his senses. Then, when Sejun saw his face, his eyes widened. He was familiar with the person.

“Lee Yongseok?”

It was Lee Yongseok.

It was Lee Yongseok. He was known as a sweet, prim and proper man in his forties, but he arrived in such a mess that it was almost acceptable to call him a rag doll, covered in blood.

The captured members of the Bacheon Guild were lying limp. Lee Yongseok, the only one who hadn’t been captured, was covered in blood. It was impossible to discern the situation. While the chaos outside was raging, he too was struggling alone.

Lee Yongseok flew with a force and speed that no ordinary person could ever survive, and despite hitting the solid concrete floor, he stood up without a care and approached Sejun.

The glaring face was quite menacing, and the smell of blood made Sejun flinch without him realizing it. Lee Yongseok approached Without paying attention, grabbed Sejun’s arms, and quickly opened his mouth.

“Damn it, why are you so late!”

“What?”

He sounded as if Sejun had been significantly late for an appointment. Of course, there had been no such arrangement, and Sejun, dumbfounded, asked back. Lee Yongseok, unconcerned, glanced around quickly and urged him on.

“Other, other hunters? Where are the other hunters?”

“…..l’m the only one in the basement.”

The moment he heard those words, Lee Yongseok closed his eyes.

“Shit.”

Then, all of a sudden, he started swearing.

The disappointed man, who had high hopes like someone who had just won a lottery ticket, glared at Sejun as if he was going to kill him.

“Damn it, why are you here? Where are the others?!”

“Upstairs……”

Sejun answered reflexively, and Lee Yongseok let out an enraged sound, ruffling his own hair violently. Blood splattered everywhere from his blood soaked hair, but this was not the time to comment on it.

“Call them right now! What are you doing?!”

“What the, seriously…”

Even considering the situation, the way he ignored Sejun and ordered him around like a subordinate made Sejun bristle.

At that moment, the floor beneath Lee Yongseok flashed with green light.

“Urk!”

Sejun instinctively reached out and shoved him aside.

Under normal circumstances, that small push would not have mattered, but Lee Yongseok was already heavily injured. Caught off guard by the sudden shove, he could not even resist and was pushed backward.