In response to the information that the Special Response Division was coming to investigate, the ranch employees were preparing to move the workshop.
As they prepared to pack up the equipment in the basement, they grumbled among themselves.
“Since we haven’t processed the people we kidnapped today yet, they told us to leave the operating room alone and clean up the other areas first.”
“When the hell are we supposed to move all this stuff?”
“It’s not like you’re going to be moving everything by yourself.”
It was a job that required a lot of manpower, but they had the monsters Miryeo controlled, so it wasn’t a problem.
Controlled through a copy of the Grimoire The Book of Eibon possessed by Miryeo—
“Grrrrrrrr….”
Monsters called Ghouls, with dog-like faces and human-shaped bodies, carried the luggage at the employees’ commands.
“Those bastards are so damn slow.
Hurry up!”
One of the employees kicked a Ghoul out of frustration.
“Grrrr…”
Dominated by the Grimoire, the Ghoul simply took the beating and continued carrying the luggage.
And then, at a certain moment—
Kim Miryeo, the owner of the copy of The Book of Eibon that controlled the Ghouls, died at the hands of Grizzly, who had just woken up.
“—!”
All the Ghouls’ eyes widened, and their bodies began to tremble.
“Grrrr—Aah!”
The control over the Ghouls, who had been treated like slaves, was released.
The Ghouls immediately charged at the ranch employees and began biting and tearing apart whoever was closest.
“W-What the hell?!
AAAAAH?!”
“Damn it!
What is this?!
G-Get the guns!”
The employees who quickly assessed the situation fled while the Ghouls were occupied attacking the other workers.
Like wild dogs instinctively gathering around a corpse to fill their stomachs—
Crunch—crunch!
The Ghouls killed the employees who couldn’t escape, tearing into their flesh and devouring them to satisfy their hunger.
Once they had filled their stomachs, the largest Ghoul, the leader of the group, stood up and shouted.
“AAAAAAAAH!”
Roughly translated, it meant something like, We will not be slaves!
We will become the masters of the world!
“WAAAAAAAAH!”
The Ghouls shouted along with their leader and emerged into the basement corridor.
“Grrr…?!”
They immediately recoiled and staggered backward, overcome by instinctive fear.
The dogs’ noses twitched at the strong scent of the wizard’s blood—the wizard who had enslaved them.
The corridor was empty.
And yet, something was there.
Something terrifying was waiting ahead.
“Grrrr…!”
Deciding that they couldn’t stop here, the Ghoul leader ignored the warning signals sent by its instincts, stepped forward, and let out a mighty roar.
“GAAAAAL!”
And then, the Invisible Vampire appeared.
“Gyaa?”
Grizzly swung its arm at the prey that had suddenly blocked its path.
BANG—SPLAT!
The Ghoul leader’s head was torn off, slammed against the corridor wall, and crushed.
“……”
The Ghouls watched the scene for a brief instant, then turned around.
They charged ferociously after the humans who had fled earlier.
The employees also retrieved the firearms they had illegally smuggled in and prepared to fight back.
“Are we even allowed to use these?”
“This isn’t the time to worry about that!
Someone go check on the young lady!”
Bang!
BANG!
The battle between the ranch employees and the Ghouls began, with the fate of the underground workshop at stake.
In any case—
Grizzly looked around at the corridor where the passage split into different directions, trying to figure out which way to go.
“Gyaa!”
Sensing Yohan’s presence drawing closer, it cried out happily and continued moving.
***
In the unusual environment of a wizard’s underground workshop, the gunshots and what sounded like the roars of fighting beasts grew louder and louder.
Yohan and Sion cautiously walked down the corridor.
Walking one step behind her, I glanced at Sion’s profile, where composure and tension mingled, and quietly spoke to her.
It wasn’t something I particularly needed to ask right now, but if I didn’t ask now, I might not get another chance.
“…Was what you did earlier, when you smashed the iron-barred door, something like martial arts from a wuxia novel?”
At Yohan’s comparison, Sion gave a faint, wry smile and replied.
“Martial arts… I suppose it’s similar.
But I can’t use flashy sword energy or palm strikes like in wuxia novels.”
“It’s a special breathing technique.
It temporarily enhances my physical abilities.”
At Sion’s answer, my eyes lowered slightly.
‘Damn it, of course that’s how it is…’
Magic without Fireball, and martial arts without sword energy.
Nothing was ever as impressive as it sounded.
Still, I was interested.
I looked down at my empty hands.
Ritual magic required time and preparation.
If I couldn’t summon Grizzly using the Grimoire The Mysteries of the Worm, as was the case right now, I was essentially an ordinary person.
I had no combat ability.
I didn’t even need to get involved in a Supernatural Phenomenon case.
If two or three people ganged up on me and beat me to a pulp, that would be the end of me.
That was why learning martial arts seemed worthwhile, even if it only temporarily enhanced my physical abilities.
Even if I didn’t have to fight, wouldn’t it be useful to run away faster?
While I was thinking about this—
BANG!
GROWL!
The farther we walked, the louder the gunshots and the sounds of something fighting became.
Sion pressed herself against the corner of a wall at a junction in the corridor and cautiously peered outside.
Then she spoke with startled eyes.
“…Mr.
Yohan, step back.”
However, we were already too close, so I had also seen what Sion was looking at.
Ghouls.
In fantasy, they were commonly known as a superior species of zombie—durable undead creatures.
However, the word originally referred to man-eating demons from the Middle East.
They were versatile and intelligent monsters capable of superhuman strength, using magic, or even transforming into humans to conceal their identities.
And aside from these undead creatures and the demons of the Middle East, there was another species that used the name Ghoul.
The Ghouls of the Cthulhu Mythos.
According to the lore, they worshiped the Great Old One known as Mordiggian, the benevolent deity called the Great Ghoul, the God of the Charnel House.
They were a species with dog-like heads and human-shaped bodies.
They generally operated underground, away from the eyes of ordinary people, and fed on human corpses. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Of course, corpses weren’t all they ate.
When hungry, they would eat anyone, including their own kind.
Just like now.
Although one Ghoul’s shoulder had been pierced by a bullet, it charged through the gunfire, bit an employee’s neck, twisted it, and knocked him to the ground.
“GAAAAAL!”
“AAAAAAH!”
Other Ghouls immediately joined in and began tearing the employee apart while he was still alive.
The guns seemed reasonably effective, judging by the number of Ghoul corpses scattered around.
Even so, the Ghouls still outnumbered the humans.
At the grotesque sight of Ghouls burying their heads in people’s abdomens and tearing out their entrails, Sion and I tensed up.
At that moment, someone playfully poked me on the shoulder from behind.
‘…….!’
My eyes widened.
An icy sensation crawled up my spine.
Sion was standing in front of me.
There was no one behind me.
I slowly turned my head…
There was no one behind me.
Only an empty corridor.
‘Haa…’
My tension eased, and I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
A sticky tongue affectionately licked my face.
Naturally, it was Grizzly.
I discreetly checked Sion’s reaction while stroking Grizzly’s head.
At least my first objective—reuniting with Grizzly—had been accomplished.
My lack of combat ability was no longer a problem.
Ideally, I would have liked to have my Grimoire here as well, but…
As I looked down at my palm and thought about the Grimoire—
“…?”
The space above my palm began to ripple.
It was coming.
I knew it instinctively.
If I called strongly enough, it would come.
The Grimoire’s teleportation function.
It came when its master called.
“…Mr.
Yohan?”
When I didn’t respond, Sion turned toward me and spoke.
I quickly shook my hand, canceling the summoning.
“Sorry.
…I was just startled.”
Yeah, I really was startled.
‘No, wait… What the fuck?
It comes when I call it?!’
For safety’s sake, it would still be better to keep it in my bag and carry it around myself.
But why hadn’t it told me about this function?
Why had I been struggling to carry it around in my hands all this time?
…Meanwhile, back in the room where Kim Miryeo had died—
In the room containing the corpse without a head or arms, The Mysteries of the Worm had eagerly responded to the summoning.
But then the summoning was suddenly cut off.
Vrrrrm—vrrrrm!
The Grimoire vibrated in protest.