Thud, thud, thud.
It sounded like clumps of mud falling.
It was the sound of something that had shot up into the sky falling to the ground. Everything outside the Veil was pitch-black darkness, so nothing was visible. Only spine-chilling sounds could be heard incessantly. At those sounds, the Awakened Ones who had been lined up in formation stumbled backward with pale faces.
The Veil emitted a soft glow. This light was the only thing they had.
When they were pressed right up against the front of the Veil, something emerged from the darkness, swaying loosely.
“Hee, heeeeeeek”
It let out a long wail. Rather than a sound made by a living creature, it was like air leaking from a tire.
Several of the Awakened Ones felt nausea rising and covered their mouths with their hands.
At first glance, it resembled a human. It had something resembling long arms and legs, and above them was something that could be called a head. But no one would call it human upon seeing it.
Over the past few months, they had defeated various monsters through tutorials and dungeons. From things resembling Earth’s creatures to bizarre forms they had never seen before, none of it wasn’t bewildering. But they had defeated all of it and survived. Before stepping out of the Veil, they had steeled themselves to not be surprised by whatever they saw. But upon actually facing this thing, instinctive revulsion and fear crept in.
“Haah…”
“Damn it…”
They deliberately cursed to overcome their fear, but they couldn’t stop backing away.
The soft light shining from behind them told them they had retreated right up to the Veil.
Their initial defensive line had been 10 meters in front of the King’s Veil. The boundary of the Veil extended to where Woo Jeongwoo stood. In other words, if Jeongwoo retreated even slightly, the Veil would shrink. So they had set the defense line 10 meters in front of the Veil. Yet without even fighting, just by confronting them, they had pressed right up against the Veil.
Just the fact that those things were nearby made them dizzy and nauseous. This wasn’t simply a matter of courage and endurance. The revulsion was in the realm of instinct.
‘They’ had now approached within arm’s reach. Every time they took a step, something unknown dripped off them. As they approached, the stuffy, dank air flowed out along with a foul stench.
“If you want to go inside the Veil, you may.”
The Awakened Ones, who had been distracted by ‘that thing’ swaying in front of them, came to their senses at Jeongwoo’s voice. Hearing his low, unwavering voice—so different from their own—brought a sudden wave of shame.
In truth, they had been told that Jeongwoo was the strongest in Eternal Guild and that he was the boundary of the Veil, which had wounded their pride. Looking at Jeongwoo, he had a weight to him beyond his years, but he was still only twenty. In the old days, wasn’t that the age when you’d just entered university and be drinking? So they had planned to see Jeongwoo’s skills this time while also showing off their own.
But instead of showing their skills, they had only shown their pathetic side.
“B-but… Vice Guild Master, are you saying you’ll handle it alone? We can’t just—”
“I-I’m sorry, but I’ll go to the Veil. S-sorry!”
One Awakened One at the back quickly retreated. Once inside the light of the Veil, he finally let out a breath of relief. He hadn’t done anything, yet his entire body was drenched in sweat.
The remaining Awakened Ones also wanted to get further away from those ominous things, but they couldn’t bring themselves to do so.
“It’s alright. Those who want to retreat may retreat.”
At Jeongwoo’s polite yet firm tone, several more people quietly slipped backward.
Jeongwoo glanced at them once, then immediately fixed his gaze forward.
Even in the brief moment he looked away, sounds of thud, thud could be heard all around as those things hit the ground.
If they couldn’t withstand the negative energy the dead emitted, it was better to go inside the Veil. If they stubbornly stayed and caused greater harm to their allies, that would be harder to deal with.
“Whew.”
When it seemed all those lacking confidence had retreated, Jeongwoo glared at the black object with grotesquely bent limbs right before his eyes. While the arms and legs were properly attached, the face was a blurry form as if it had been smashed—that was the dead.
Jeongwoo loosened up by tilting his head side to side. Though invisible, Yang Yumi’s camera would be filming. This battle was important in many ways. Winning the fight against the dead was important, but what it signified was more important than that. This was the first mission since Eternal Guild was formed. Through this, Eternal Guild had to establish itself as a definite top-tier guild—no, the number one guild in the country.
He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what, but Lee Shinhoo and Guild Sahae’s movements were unsettling in many ways. They needed to establish a solid position before something happened. To do that, the most effective method was to show the Awakened Ones a clear difference in ability and integrate smaller guilds, while letting ordinary people know that Eternal Guild was safer than anywhere else.
Jeongwoo clenched and unclenched his fist for a moment, then gripped it tightly. Something materialized from the empty air and appeared in his grip. It wasn’t the sword he usually drew, but a long whip. The silver body that resembled a snake glowed softly in the darkness. The feel of the light was similar to the King’s Veil.
When Jeongwoo raised his head and looked forward, he saw a dead one that had approached right before his nose. The dead one, approaching while disturbingly swaying its bent limbs, opened wide the hole in its head—what he assumed was its mouth. Inside the mouth that looked like a black void, white, sharp things jutted out densely. Those must be teeth, right? Jeongwoo tilted his head and swung the whip once more.
“It’s no use even if you do that.”
When one fell after being hit by the whip, the one behind it poked its head out. But Jeongwoo quickly swung the whip in a long arc again. A dull, chilling sound of something being struck was heard. The Awakened Ones inside the Veil flinched at the sound and looked around, but the darkness prevented them from seeing anything. They could only feel the unbearable foul odor more intensely. A disgusting stench of death and unpleasant dampness enveloped their entire bodies.
Jeongwoo swung the whip lightly as if playing around, but each time, the sounds were chilling.
Thud, thuuud, crack.
And at some point, with a thud of something breaking, something thudded down onto the Veil.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Those inside the Veil screamed in terror. The form of the dead that had been hard to see in the darkness was now visible in detail thanks to the Veil’s light. The smashed face and enormous mouth, and inside that mouth, jagged teeth like a shark’s. All of it was so grotesque and hideous that it gave them goosebumps.
Swish, swish.
The sound of Jeongwoo’s whip cutting through the air could be heard ceaselessly. The dead rushed at Jeongwoo like ants drawn to honey, but none of them could get close.
Each time they were struck by the whip, the dead let out spine-chilling screams. It sounded like fingernails scraping down a chalkboard, or like the death throes of an animal facing death.
Just hearing that sound made their hearts pound and their hands tremble.
But Jeongwoo, without the slightest change in expression, swung his whip magnificently and slowly advanced forward.
As Jeongwoo walked forward, the Veil expanded by the same amount, and the fallen dead came inside the Veil.
“Urgh, uweeeek”
“Ah, sh-shit…!”
“What the hell is this… this is supposed to be the dead…?”
They hadn’t done anything to deserve this reaction, but they couldn’t hold back the nausea.
The dead were like clumps of mud. After being struck down by the whip, they became mushy and crumbled, leaving black dirt and water pooled in their place. People grimaced at the rotting smell spreading from there.
Meanwhile, Jeongwoo heard the screams of the Awakened Ones inside the Veil and sighed inwardly.
Today was just a preview, as the system had said. Compared to the real Night of the Dead that would begin tomorrow, today was merely a taste. Yet if they were already collapsing like that, there was a high chance they would be of no help in the battles ahead.
The system had clearly said the Night of the Dead would continue for 100 days.
They had to do this for 100 days.
Jeongwoo let out another deep breath and glared ahead. Though invisible to others’ eyes, Jeongwoo knew. That right now, before his eyes, the dead were endlessly spawning.
“Ashes to ashes.”
All subjects within the King’s Veil could rest comfortably and find peace, but the King’s most loyal servant, Jeongwoo alone, could not rest within the King’s Veil. That was the price he paid for serving the King.
Jeongwoo’s whip split the darkness once more. This was still only the beginning of a long night.
