Fortune Cookie (12)

Excess is never a good thing. No matter what it is, that saying always applied.

Even if your intentions are good, if your drive is excessive, it can lead to mistakes, and so can too much tension. Whether good or bad, maintaining moderation was the only way to achieve reasonable results.

I didn't like anything excessive either. At least, I had always thought that way.

"Ugh!"

Startled by something blurry that suddenly appeared, I immediately ducked my head. Just then, a ghoul's claw sliced past the spot where my head had been. I'd almost lost it in a second.

【Screeeeeech!】【Aaaaargh!】

Of course, that didn't only happen once. All the ghouls in the nearby districts, drawn by the howling, were now chasing me.

It sounded like a murderous musical performance—a chorus of screams and gaping, drooling mouths, creating a truly lethal atmosphere.

My heart thudded violently in my chest, a broken brake sending it pounding. I wasn't even running, but I was so tense I could barely breathe.

I was scared. Terrified. Anxious. I felt like I would go mad. Worried. Like my chest would burst. All these feelings kept growing inside me, ready to devour me—and yet, for some reason, I couldn't help but smirk and laugh.

I'd lost control over my own emotions and mouth. I must have finally snapped.

"Get lost—!"

Before my chest could explode, I threw my mouth open and shouted. I'd already been exposed and was being chased. There was no way a shout louder than this could make things even worse by now.

— Hyun-woo, isn't your personality kind of changing?!

"It always goes like this near the Blue Crystal! I'm actually holding back, you know!"

When influenced by the raw Blue Crystal, you get a bit more aggressive. You react and act more intensely in everything. Even I already knew excessive intensity was dangerous.

I'd already seen the grim fate awaiting those who acted excessively under the influence of the raw crystal.

But if everything worked out just as you intended, would accidents ever happen? The raw crystal was a cause for disaster.

That's why Blue Crystal ore is dangerous. It drives people to make impulsive, irrational decisions against their own will.

Despite being so dangerous, the reason Blue Crystal ore was treated as the most important resource was simple: if you could refine it, it became a power source with unimaginable energy.

Ironically, as humanity expanded out into the universe, the biggest problem became energy supply. Ordinary sources had their limits, but Blue Crystal shattered those limits easily.

Who among scientists or entrepreneurs could ignore a resource that seemed to disregard the laws of physics? Maybe that's why Blue Crystal, despite its unique dangers, was strangely quick to become a part of our society.

Vrrrrr—!

With the hover bike's propulsion system at maximum, ghouls blocked my way. I was rushing through rapidly undulating flesh and blood-pools, but what I'd passed so far was only the closest layers.

Thinking of the road, the monsters yet to cross, left me sighing in despair.

【Energy remaining: 15%.】

"What, the battery's already—?!"

— I'm telling you for the third time: speed isn't always everything!

"What happened to the second time?!"

— I said it before, you just didn't hear me!

【Kiaaaaak!】

"Outta my way!"

Not caring for my own life, I rammed straight into a suddenly-appearing ghoul. If I tried to swerve at this speed, I'd die. If I stopped, I'd die as well. There was no real option.

A bone-crunching jolt shot from the front armor into my arms. My wrist throbbed. Ghoulish fluids splattered on the respirator mask. Even in the cold, ghoul blood ran down the mask's faceplate, remaining liquid.

It was a brute-force method that could have spun the whole bike out of control, but, thanks to the newest model, only the armor plating was dented, nothing more.

The ghoul was launched even faster than my own acceleration, flailing for a brief moment before tumbling across the ruined ground, unable to even scream. It finally stopped only after digging its claws into the ground, crashing and becoming half-buried in a building.

The side wall, already rotted by the biomatter coating the ground, crumbled pathetically. A faint blue glow flickered through the billowing dust.

The defeated ghoul quickly shoved off the debris and rose, but I had already long sped past.

I took a deep breath as flames surged in my mind. An unexplainable sensation was racing through my veins. Was it dopamine or some other hormone? It felt like something in my body was being overproduced.

"This is bad...!"

— What's bad?!

"I feel like I might get addicted to this...! After running for so long, getting to fight feels kinda...!"

— Damn it, Roxy—No, Hyun-woo! Snap out of it! You can't go down that path too!

Licorice was telling me to keep the battery in mind, maintain speed or I wouldn't make it, and so on, but it was all just noise.

I frowned at the howling echoing from all sides, lowered my posture and locked my eyes forward, then glanced at the hologram feed from the rear cameras.

Ghouls screaming with jaws split open four ways,those shoving their kin aside to run at me grotesquely,those too far to keep up, giving up the chase and tossing corpses back into puddles,and those following even up the walls of buildings as if the ground wasn't enough.

Countless monsters, more savage than ever, were on my tail. Keeping count was pointless.

Their rage, as if screaming, "Why are you the only one still alive? Why were only you able to escape the residential area that day?" made it hard to even breathe. Especially with Ted, still staring at me even as some ghouls gave up the chase as distance grew, I ground my teeth in frustration.

I was now in the center of District B. I had passed the dividing walls long ago, but the garden of flesh-soaked in blue light seemed to stretch on endlessly.

This area was still under constant influence of the raw crystal. The hover bike's size let it endure a bit longer, but if I kept going, the communications device might start failing.

And, as I worried, my fears soon came true.

— Hyun... comm... stat... unstable... kzzzt

Before Licorice could finish, static cut her off, and the communication line went dead. The com device couldn't withstand the raw Blue Crystal's energy waves and shut down.

Maybe it was just temporary, but if I didn't get out of this field, it could become permanent.

I had to get out. Simple answer. But there was a problem.

'... I don't know the way from here.'

Beyond this point in District B, the area wasn't always open to low-level workers like me, so I didn't really know the layout.

Still, since District B was more systematically designed than previous zones, it was easier to navigate. That was my only comfort.

I saw the faint outline of the central tower through the snowstorm and steered toward it. The day we escaped the residential area, the central tower eventually collapsed, but its presence hadn't completely vanished.

It was still the tallest building in the residential area. "All roads lead somewhere as long as you pick the right direction," or so the saying went. I had to believe I'd reach my destination safely.

'Where did I hear that phrase?'

As that question popped into my mind, the bike's hologram panel turned red. The warning icon for partial damage to the front armor flickered, and underneath appeared the battery status.

【Energy remaining: 13%.】

"..."

I'd hoped to keep max speed until I was through the flesh-fields, but the nightmare seemed never-ending. I would clearly have to slow down from here if I wanted the battery to last.

Wheeeeeee—!

A relentless blizzard swept over the front armor and battered my suit and respirator. Pellets of ice rattled like a scam insurance gang ramming things on purpose, and the sound tickled my eardrums.

As I slowed to conserve energy, the ghouls closed the gap. When they saw me getting closer, their sharpened claws lashed out.

Each swipe radiated such murderous intent, it sent chills down my spine. I didn't even need to check the rear camera now—I could tell they were right behind me.

The wailing screams clung to me. From the moment I'd chosen to race through this zone, I'd accepted there was only one way: make a straight run for the goal.

To think I could stir this much chaos and then just hide again? That would be overoptimistic. The residential area wasn't short on monsters, and with Nadia and Carry sure to have already reached Sector A, there was no stopping now.

I was insane.

Absolutely insane!

If Nadia had been here, she'd never have let me do this. If Carry had been here, I wouldn't even have needed to ride this thing!

And then—

"Son of a—!"

Bursting through the blizzard, I swore as a pile of building debris suddenly loomed ahead.

Should I slow down and detour? The pile was kind of high—could the hover bike handle it? But if I sped up now, the battery would drain and I'd be stuck. If I didn't shake off the ghouls, my life wouldn't be worth a dime—was it worth the risk?

Those looping thoughts barely lasted a second before instinct took over and I slammed the throttle. Surprised at myself, I quickly forced myself to think rationally.

Slowing down was not an option. The ghouls would grab me instantly. So detouring was impossible.

Then—I spotted what looked like a ramp made out of rubble. It was barely a flat, uneven pile, but for the hover bike's air-cushion drive, it was more than enough.

Vrrrrrrrr!

The round disc inside the thruster spun furiously, emitting blue light. Instantly, I jerked backward from the sudden acceleration. At that speed, the ghouls behind me were no longer a threat.

Yet there awaited a new, possibly greater, danger ahead.

【Energy remaining: 9%.】

I swallowed dryly, fixed my direction, and felt the nose of the bike lift. Jolts and pressure battered my body.

Did I make it? For a brief moment, the sensation of floating made my stomach flutter, and right after, terror stiffened my muscles as we plummeted. The sharp drop sent my body contracting in fear.

【Screeeeeeee!】

To make matters worse, a horde of ghouls was waiting right at the expected landing spot. For a split second that seemed stretched out, I just grit my teeth and braced myself.

Turning now wouldn't help anyway. Like before, I'd just have to plow through.

Thump—! Craaaaack!

It was more of a fall than a descent, more of a crash than a fall. Unable to take the weight, the thruster scraped the ground, sending the bike skidding forward. Several ghouls were launched aside, but with the slowed speed, I couldn't bulldoze through like I had before.

【Screeeek!】

A ghoul snarled with a mocking edge, scratching at the bike's armor and thrusters with its claws. I barely avoided getting pinned, but just barely was all.

Even though it only clung on for a second, it was enough to throw off the bike's balance. I gritted my teeth as we spun around and around, fighting back the threat of being flung outside by inertia, gripping the handlebar for dear life.

【Energy remaining: 5%.】

Just before crashing into a building, I managed to block the collision by kicking off the wall with one foot, ignoring the pain in my ankle as I hit the throttle again. The weakened thruster barely spat light.

— Hyun-woo! Where are you?! Are you okay?!

Perhaps this area was less saturated with the Blue Crystal's influence, because the comms came back. Licorice immediately asked about my situation, her tone urgent and desperate. I felt my face brighten just hearing her voice.

"I just passed Sector A!"

— Exact location! Quickly!

"Uh, uh... Ah! The therapy, the therapy center is at my 2 o'clock!"

I picked out the most distinctive building—slanted, but immediately recognizable even through the gloom.

— Turn right there!

"Uaaaaagh...!"

Swallowing my urge to beg her to answer sooner, I forcibly twisted the unresponsive handlebars. The direction slowly changed with a grating screech.

— According to my calculations, you'll be there soon!

"How much longer?!"

— Three more blocks!

Before long, Licorice's security robot warehouse came into view. Nestled in darkness, the bottom level disguised as a normal store—with an entrance visible below.

'... There are two doors?'

Two identical-looking doors stood side by side. On the outside, nothing seemed off—but something about it sent alarm bells through me.

"There are two doors!"

— What? What do you mean?!

"There are two doors that look exactly the same!"

— That can't be! There should be only one! I own that whole area, there can't be another door! If you're not just seeing things, then the other one must be...!

Fake. With Licorice's cry, I forced my sluggish mind to whirr back to life. Feeling the day's worth of thinking take its toll, my head burned, and my eyes quickly dried up.

It could be a mimic copying a door, so it would be dangerous to check directly. So I decided not to. Luckily, I had equipment that could check for me.

If hesitation doesn't lead to the right answer, then keep doubt brief and take fast action.

I muttered to myself inside — "Try nerfing this too!"—as I locked the bike's gear and handle, then kicked off and jumped to the side. The hover bike, still surging forward with no one riding it, rammed straight into the door.

At that instant, the "ordinary door" burst open, revealing a huge mouth packed with razor-sharp teeth. As expected—a mimic.

Mistaking what was coming toward it as prey, the mimic snatched up the hover bike in an instant. Then came a crunching sound, and a blue spark crackled from inside, followed by a muffled explosion.

【Screeeeeee!】

The mimic, having eaten something it shouldn't have, screamed in agony, spewing thick black smoke.

Told you—should've looked more carefully before eating.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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