The Regressor Wants to End It

Chapter 7: Murderer (3)

Constellations were beings who had become legends, like the stories engraved in the star signs.

And they now included even the forgotten legends.

While there were figures who truly existed and became legends, like Yi Sun-sin or Hitler, there were also those born from stories and passed down only through stories, like Zeus or Satan.

Their kind did not distinguish between good and evil, nor did they distinguish borders and races.

They didn't even distinguish between real existence and illusion.

However, the more forgotten the being, the more desperate they were.

Oblivion existed as a thirst for them.

The desire to be remembered ruled the Constellations, no different from human carnal desire.

Eventually, they wanted to prove that they had existed, until they re-engraved their presence onto the world with a thickness greater than memory.

It was a principle as dreadful and simple as eating to live, and seeking sleep to live.

Survival.

The humans that Constellations perceived were no different from livestock for survival.

They were merely consumables that could be spent at any time in that process.

However, Constellations who were not desperate were relaxed.

They respected humans and sought ways to coexist.

'But, the forgotten beings.......'

Han Chulwoon was waiting for a moment.

***

2nd Floor.

The place where the survivors who found weapons had formed a final line of defense.

Seo Yeonhwa had rescued the injured, and she had told them that weapons were hidden.

Thanks to that, people who had gathered their courage were preparing to fight the monsters like this.

Among them.

A man who appeared to be the leader spoke.

"Now. Everyone must prepare themselves firmly."

Yeo Gangseok.

That was his name.

At his words, everyone tightened their grip on their weapons.

Tension lingered in the silence.

The goblins' current location was the floor just above.

And soon, they would come down here.

"On the 1st floor, there are the elderly and the weak. There are injured people too. If we retreat, they will all die too. We must absolutely not retreat."

That was why it was the final line of defense.

They had the will to fight, and among them, they had picked the young and healthy people.

Their number was eight.

"I will explain the plan one last time. We will form teams of 4 each, and block the 2 hallways."

In addition, they had piled up various items from inside the ship here and there to build a barricade.

Most of the ship's furniture was fixed in place, so it was difficult to find materials for a barricade, but still, they did their best with what they could.

"There's a saying, 'Those who seek death shall live, and those who seek life shall die.' We have nowhere left to flee. We must absolutely defend this point."

It was a single chance.

These two hallways were the best place to defend, and the 8 people gathered now were the most aggressive about fighting.

"......"

However, it wasn't that they didn't have anxiety in their hearts.

It was something everyone thought about at least once.

'If I kill a person and become a monster...... wouldn't I be able to live?'

Also, they could easily guess that the other person had thought such things too.

"Everyone! I know what you're thinking. But if even one of us betrays, this defense line will collapse! Then the people below will be massacred! Do you understand? The eight of us must absolutely not betray each other."

Yeo Gangseok, as if he had predicted even that, emphasized, and emphasized again.

That a single person's life does not end as just one.

There was a gaze looking down on them.

[The Constellation ‘Serpent of the Deep’ licking it’s lips.]

[The Constellation ‘The Tiger with the Smile’ anticipates the next situation.]

[The Constellation ‘The Tiger with the Smile’ sponsors 20coin.]

[Several Constellations watch the situation with interest.]

This was a message that appeared for all 8 people.

The sponsorship also went to all 8 of them.

At that.

"Huh? Coin? What's this. Someone is sending something called a coin right now?"

One of the defenders said.

Yeo Gangseok answered.

"That's all in the status window manual. For now, it seems like it would be good to raise Strength fir......."

He had explained it as the leader of the defense, but it was a mistake.

While speaking, Yeo Gangseok hurriedly shut his mouth.

"......"

The atmosphere instantly froze.

A few quick-witted ones understood the meaning.

'How does Yeo Gangseok know this?'

And.

At that puzzled reaction, one by one, people began to notice this situation.

"Br, Big brother ...... how do you know that?"

"No way. Mr. Gangseok?"

A murderer!

A person who had already become a monster, who wouldn't be attacked by other monsters.

That was......!

Whirr.

People retreated a couple of steps, centering on him.

"Ah. It's not. You mustn't misunderstand."

Yeo Gangseok said urgently, showing his palms.

But the atmosphere was not good.

"Then, what did you mean just now? How did you know about coins!"

"I didn't try to commit murder! Unknowingly, no, I don't even know why I got coins."

He poured out a long stream of words, but the logic didn't unfold cleanly.

The flustered excuse, rather than becoming a refreshing explanation, was only inflating the suspicion.

"I will fight the monsters! You have to believe me. We are only eight people. If even one of us doesn't cooperate, everyone will just be in danger!"

[The Constellation ‘Countless Legs’ watches this situation with interest.]

[Sponsors 30coin to Yeo Gangseok.]

In his urgent heart, he hurriedly raised his stats with the coins he received.

However, this too was a deception.

[The Constellation ‘The Tiger with the Smile’ smiles from ear to ear.]

The message that the Constellation had sponsored Yeo Gangseok was also delivered to the other people, only amplifying the suspicion.

"Right now....... are you saying you're going to live alone?"

They didn't know exactly what that thing called a Constellation was, but it seemed to be in league with the witch.

But, if he received sponsorship from such a Constellation.......

"Back off!"

"Don't come close."

"Brother. I really didn't want to do this, but honestly, you know the situation is a bit strange, right?"

Suddenly, 7 people thrust their weapons at Yeo Gangseok, and Yeo Gangseok raised both hands as if surrendering.

However, since he was also human.......

He couldn't bring himself to drop his weapon.

"Cr...... crazy. Everyone calm down. This is what those things called Constellations are aiming for. W...... we can't be like this amongst ourselves! Th...... the real enemy isn't me!"

Stumbling.

Stumbling.

He poured out excuses.

He knew it was a situation where he couldn't persuade them with any words.

"In that case, give us trust."

Someone said.

"Can't you just go upstairs and bring back a goblin corpse?"

"But!"

It was a crazy act.

According to the scenario explanation, Yeo Gangseok, being a monster, would not be attacked.

However, that was only until he killed a goblin.

If he killed even one goblin, all the goblins in the vicinity might rush at him.

No, perhaps the very words that monsters aren't attacked might be a lie.

"Hurry up and go!"

"Let's be certain. For certain!"

"We can't help it either."

However, the conversation didn't get through.

Seven pairs of bloodshot eyes forced the choice on him.

"......Ah. Alright. Calm down! I just have to go up, right."

Yeo Gangseok backpedaled towards the exit.

In the midst of that.

He heard it.

A certain seditious discussion.

"Wait, if that person goes up, isn't he just going to betray us?"

"What if he attacks together with the goblins......."

"Before that, we first......"

Hearing those words, Yeo Gangseok ran up to the floor above as if fleeing.

No one followed.

***

"If I've really gained strength......."

Seo Yeonhwa looked at her own arm.

The orderly scales reflected the light and sparkled.

This might be pretty, cool.

Every time she moved her arm, a tick.

Tick.

Dissonance arose from her elbow or armpit.

It was the sensation of scales bumping against each other.

Between her fingers, on her knees too.

But that subtly coarse feeling was not bad.

"Why does this power exist?"

She asked Morsallia.

-Well. Isn't it just to survive?-

The witch answered.

It was the most fundamental answer.

"Just, to live?"

-There is probably no desire stronger than that.-

It wasn't a very satisfying answer.

But her heart felt at ease.

Just a moment ago, her form changing into a monster was strange, but now she liked it.

She didn't even feel fear towards the witch.

Everything just became trivial.

Everything she had done in her past too.

That killing, those good deeds, even the human heart.

It was utterly laughable.

"Ah....... Um, then what do I do now?"

Seo Yeonhwa asked.

This time, the Constellation answered instead of the witch.

[What to do is for the strong to decide.]

An extremely simple answer.

And since she was in the midst of being hungry, what she had to do was clear.

Growl.

She picked up a non-resisting goblin from next to her.

-Oh my. You're not eating a person? If you did that, you'd become the public enemy of the monsters.-

Streeeetch-!

Seo Yeonhwa's mouth stretched like rubber.

The red flesh between the scales was revealed, and the scales trembled.

With that bizarrely large mouth, she swallowed the goblin whole.

Gulp.

She spoke, with her throat bulging.

"Gulp. Ugh! This thing. It's struggling."

First her throat swelled up, then her chest swelled up, and soon her stomach bulged.

'It doesn't....... really hurt.'

Seo Yeonhwa thought, placing a hand on her chest.

Even this bizarre act didn't feel strange.

Rather, it was natural.

The living creature struggling for its life was so appetizing.

The goblin's warm skin, its body heat, felt like the aroma of an appetizing food.

Ahem.

Afterward, she looked at the witch, but it was different.

'As expected, the witch doesn't look delicious.'

The witch didn't seem to be an ordinary living creature.

Even though she clearly had soft and vivid skin, for her to look this unappetizing.

There was a sense of dissonance, as if looking at an old corpse.

"If the Constellation is a truly great being, and I'm truly blessed, I could probably win even if a bunch of goblins attack."

-Is that so? You are truly bold.-

Seo Yeonhwa moved as if blocking one side of the hallway, just as she had practiced before.

"Now no one can go down. Whether it's goblins or orcs."

The hallway had two paths, but soon all the goblins would rush at her.

Her thought was to annihilate them in this spot.

It was then.

Those stairs over there.

She saw a person coming up the stairs, and Seo Yeonhwa recognized who it was.

'Hm? Mr. Yeo Gangseok is......?'

Ttuk-

That was as far as it went.

Suddenly, her consciousness blurred.

She felt an uncontrollable impulse.

A magnificent feast incomparable to the likes of a goblin!

Even though the human was far away, it felt ecstatic.

Unknowingly, she licked her lips and flicked her tongue.

'My...... my...... prey.'

She moved her feet toward Yeo Gangseok by instinct.

'Soft flesh and warm blood. It will definitely be delicious.'

Clunk.

Sticking her foot out, she approached.

It was a movement that had almost lost its reason, so she staggered a bit and took a few steps, but.

Tudadadak!

Suddenly, her body rapidly accelerated.

Around then.

The movement of the goblin that had been struggling in her stomach stopped.

[You have acquired 10coin.]

It had died.

And next.

The goblins, which had been no different from docile animals, suddenly growled like ferocious beasts, their eyes shining towards Seo Yeonhwa.

"Geureuk."

"Kyahaak!"

However, there was a person who moved even before the goblins.

From the stairs leading up, Han Chulwoon came down.

"Heub!"

He threw his whole body, striking Seo Yeonhwa.

Kwaduk!

She flew backward and fell.

Splaf.

Next, the goblins swarmed her like a horde of ants, trying to hit and bite her, but.......

"Kyaaak! I said all of you get lost!"

As she swung her whole body with a complaint spat out in a tearing voice, the goblins were flung away.

"Keuleok."

Pain suddenly rushed in.

She knew instinctively.

If she ate anything, this body would recover.

She twisted the neck of a rushing goblin and swallowed it.

But the recovery was slow.

'When?'

Because the axe had dug into and entered half of her side.

If she didn't even have scales, her spine might have broken.

"Kkeueuk!"

Eudeudeuk.

She pulled out the axe.

This was the weapon that man had been holding.

"Keollok! You....... What the hell are you doing, you bastard!"

She shouted hysterically.

Han Chulwoon did not answer.

He just said what he wanted to say.

"Seo Yeonhwa."

"......!"

Her snake-like eyes widened roundly.

'How does that person know my name?'

"You have done nothing wrong. And you're not a monster, either."

"You, who on earth are......."

The words that had been stirring in the deepest part of her subconscious.

The one phrase she never let go of, even while changing like a snake.

That...... from that man's mouth.......

"The wrong, is what I'm about to do."

The witch Morsallia was also surprised by his appearance.

'Who on earth?'

The witch had grasped all the personnel on this ship.

But, that man was a person who hadn't been there.

If so, where did he come from?

She peeked at his status window, so she could find out his name.

'Han Chulwoon?'

Moreover, hadn't that person clearly come down from above? ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel※fire.net

But there should have been orcs on the upper floor.

Where the orcs were.......

'Ah!'

Her head turned upwards.

The things that should be there were gone.

Not just the orcs, but even the ogre!

That meant one thing.

'How could a mere human, not bearing the Constellation's blessing?'