Chapter 218
Chapter 218: Threat
"Phew."
It was only natural that difficulty would spike dramatically whenever anything related to the Otherworld was involved.
Baek Woohyun, who had been moving with the mindset of simply destroying an ordinary research facility, significantly raised his assessment of this place's danger level from within.
The fact that his instincts were detecting danger and sounding alarms as he ventured deeper also played a part.
The fact that his anxiety was absolutely not excessive was proven when he descended to an even deeper underground level via the stairs.
It was now slowly becoming visible even to the naked eye that the power of the Otherworld had encroached upon this place. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all covered in violet membranes.
Like the membranes spread by the space monsters from that once-famous real-time strategy game.
'How horrific.'
Baek Woohyun's expression hardened even further.
Because he had never seen such membranes even in 'that place.'
It meant something beyond his knowledge, beyond his expectations, was being carried out inside the research facility.
Or perhaps, had already been carried out.
'From TL Series doping drugs, and now membranes brimming with Otherworld power.'
He was slowly becoming curious about how far this would go. Was the ultimate goal perhaps the Otherworldification of Earth itself?
Of course, since this was an Otherworld-related matter, there was a high probability that the Otherworld God Abrasax-Deus was deeply involved, but in any case.
The research facility bastards Baek Woohyun knew would likely have ended up this way regardless, even without Abrasax-Deus's incitement.
Kuaaaak—!
His contemplation didn't continue long.
As if declaring that this floor was different from the upper levels which had only security guards and Etinel, a horrific howl echoed from far away.
Sensing the presence stomping toward him, Baek Woohyun immediately drew his military dagger and assumed his stance.
"...Oho."
The enemy that revealed itself shortly after was not a monster.
It was just a man dressed exactly as one would picture a researcher.
The fact that the white coat he wore was blood-soaked was somewhat unsettling, but his other features were no different from the researchers he'd seen thus far.
"So there was an intruder."
"......"
The researcher casually initiated conversation, but Baek Woohyun didn't respond.
He simply examined his opponent with eyes shining pure white.
Despite the seemingly rude behavior, the opponent shrugged as if accustomed to it.
"Are you from the Management Bureau? You look exactly like someone from there, keeping your mouth firmly shut like that."
"......"
"If you turn back now, I won't bother stopping you. Really. I promise."
"......"
"...Hah. I'm already busy enough with cleanup."
Swoosh.
The grumbling researcher suddenly extended his hand toward Baek Woohyun. Despite the considerable distance between the two, his attitude showed no concern whatsoever.
However, the next moment, seeing his hand transform into a violet tentacle and stretch out long would reveal why he was so composed.
It was confidence that his attack would reach regardless of distance.
"......"
Swish, scrape!
Despite it being a surprise attack, Baek Woohyun had anticipated it and easily dodged, then swung his military dagger to sever the tentacle.
The tentacle, cut through the middle, fell to the floor and wriggled, and the researcher frowned and spat out a quiet curse of "Damn," while retracting his tentacle.
His plan to easily eliminate Baek Woohyun had gone awry, apparently causing him considerable stress.
'Does he not care about the severed part? And it seems he can't feel pain either.'
"So you at least have the skill to make it this far."
"......"
"Fine! Let's see what you've got!"
Shiiik!
The researcher shouted angrily and transformed both arms into violet tentacles to launch an attack.
The tentacles whipped like whips and contained such tremendous power that getting hit would leave no bones to collect.
In fact, when the tentacle targeting him struck the floor where Baek Woohyun had been standing, it cracked deeply, leaving severe wounds.
Moreover, the speed was extremely fast, and the trajectory was truly unpredictable.
Rather than because they curved like whips—though that contributed somewhat—it was because they demonstrated movements that ignored the laws of physics several times.
Trajectories where carelessness would lead directly to death, like extending at full power to the right then immediately bending at a 90-degree angle.
If it hadn't been Baek Woohyun, he would have been hit by the tentacles several times, and whichever part of his body would have been torn off.
The power of the tentacles the researcher wielded recklessly was that terrifying.
'This bastard is far more than I thought—'
"How long are you going to just run away!"
Shwook!
Simultaneously with the researcher's shout, new tentacles sprouted from the swinging tentacles, targeting Baek Woohyun.
When he dodged those, more new tentacles appeared, and when he dodged those too, yet more tentacles surged from the existing ones. It was truly a horrific attack method.
And that wasn't all. Two entirely new tentacles sprouted directly from the researcher's body. It was slowly becoming pitiful to even call him human.
Yet despite causing such chaos, the tentacles couldn't even graze Baek Woohyun.
Instead, taking advantage of them getting tangled among themselves, he approached the researcher in an instant. Meaning he had reached a distance where his dagger could strike.
That moment.
"Kyaaak!"
Crrrack!
The researcher's face deformed as his mouth opened.
Beyond his lips, his cheeks tore, and further, his entire head seemed to split in half—a grotesque sight.
The predator's maw thus created tried to bite down and devour Baek Woohyun.
"...!"
Though somewhat surprised, Baek Woohyun's response was swift this time as well.
Both arms had already become tentacles, and new tentacles had sprouted from his back. At this point, a mere facial deformation wouldn't be a problem.
Thanks to not thrusting his military dagger based on a premonition that there was something more, he easily avoided the researcher's head trying to bite him.
The tentacles returning stealthily from behind to attack were the same!
Pupupuk!
Absurdly, when Baek Woohyun dodged, the tentacles instead pierced through the researcher's torso.
He had attacked himself.
"Huaaaak!"
The researcher, attacked by his own tentacles, screamed while spewing blue blood.
A moment that anyone would consider a golden opportunity... but Baek Woohyun, with a coldly hardened face, distanced himself from the one writhing in pain.
Then the creature stopped as if he'd never been in pain and giggled with laughter.
"Wow, you didn't fall for that."
"......"
"That was a feint?"
"If I'd thought it was a chance to finish him and gone in, oof."
"That's why humanoid monsters are scary."
—If it were me, I would've rushed in and died
—ㄴㄴ Wouldn't even make it this far^^
—Tentacle man is fucking strong ㄷㄷ
—This too is the majesty of the Otherworld God
"But that tentacle man... is that what we should call him? Anyway, he's just wearing ordinary researcher clothes, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"If an ordinary researcher is that strong, then how much stronger have the ability-using hunting dogs and Hellhounds become?"
"...Mmm."
"...Oh, gosh."
***
"I'd rather you get torn to shreds to the point where you'd wish you'd died from being tricked."
The researcher, warning with a roughened voice, completely abandoned his human form.
Four long tentacles wriggled instead of arms, and the head that had mutated by splitting in half became even more grotesque as the two eyeballs bulged out like a frog's.
The skin color that had turned violet was truly the finishing touch. No one could claim this was an Earth organism just by looking.
Huung, huuung—!
Having discarded unnecessary mimicry, the power of the swinging tentacles increased accordingly. They seemed to have become almost twice as fast!
Baek Woohyun dodged the tentacles targeting him with bizarre trajectories by throwing his body in all directions. Because he couldn't avoid them otherwise.
If he'd used the method of narrowly dodging by a paper's width, his body would be pierced by new tentacles sprouting from the tentacles.
"......"
Scrape!
However, this also meant conversely that the researcher's tentacle attacks wouldn't reach Baek Woohyun if he just dodged with a bit more care.
Baek Woohyun occasionally slashed through tentacles as they swept past. Several times, despite them regenerating as if nothing happened.
Though he had never faced an enemy like this researcher before, he possessed abundant combat experience accumulated over ten-plus years in 'that place.'
Therefore, it wasn't particularly difficult to disassemble and analyze the enemy while dodging their attacks and landing his own.
'Certainly strong and fast, but...'
Scrape!
'...that's all there is.'
The raid boss Baek Woohyun had directly faced just recently, [Lord of Storms], was far faster and more powerful than this.
Using an existence that was an Otherworld Lord as a measuring stick against the researcher was truly unreasonable treatment, but that couldn't be helped.
When looking purely at aspects of speed and strength without any technique, naturally [Lord of Storms] would come up.
In any case, one fact was important here.
The strength the researcher displayed already had a superior version, and even that had died fighting against Baek Woohyun.
'I can take him down.'
Scrape, taaat!
Having finally finished analyzing his enemy, Baek Woohyun immediately counterattacked.
Slashing through one tentacle to create space, he charged forward with a clearly different momentum, and the researcher flinched in panic.
One couldn't help but react that way when the opponent one had been happily pummeling suddenly rushed toward oneself at a terrifying speed.
Even amidst this, the researcher counterattacked by swinging his tentacles, but it wasn't very effective.
Both because his ability to control the tentacles was lacking, and because the direction from which Baek Woohyun penetrated was too excellent.
Tentacles that had already passed couldn't target him, and somehow bending their trajectory or sprouting new tentacles was quite difficult.
"—!"
With a fierce roar, the military dagger was swung!
The trajectory like a jet-black flash instantly severed the researcher's neck. A beheading that cleanly cut through even bone.
The widely opened mouth, the two bulging eyes, the grotesquely mixed frog-and-human-form head floated up into the air—
""...!""
—And locked eyes precisely with Baek Woohyun.
This absolutely couldn't be dismissed as a mistake.
The two eyes of the research facility employee, burning hotly with hatred, were glaring at Baek Woohyun. As if the fight wasn't over yet.
Then the creature's mouth opened and the tongue transformed into a tentacle shot out at a speed that defied the flow of time.
Shwook!
"Kuk!"
Gritting his teeth, Baek Woohyun twisted his body, and the tentacle-tongue grazed past him. Even this final attack for mutual destruction didn't work.
However, that didn't mean it was completely meaningless. The tentacle-tongue had at least slightly cut Baek Woohyun's cheek.
Unlike the meaningless tentacles that hadn't even left a scratch.
Checking the blood that stuck to his fingertip after touching his cheek, the expression vanished from Baek Woohyun's face.
As one could tell from his appearance, the researcher hadn't been personnel assigned to combat. He was merely a researcher who had mutated due to something inside the research facility.
"......"
Yet the fact that he had inflicted injury, however slight, had a clear meaning.
The enemies to come after this would be even stronger.
Whether hunting dogs or Hellhounds.
"......"
For the first time since coming to 'Reverse Planet,' Baek Woohyun felt a true threat.