After letting my body calm down and my breathing return to normal, I walked back to where Olivia and Hyunsuk were waiting. They immediately turned to me — their faces a mix of relief and worry. Even in this dark and grim place, I could clearly see the concern in their eyes.
"Lan, are you alright?" Olivia asked softly, though her voice was filled with emotional tension. Her hands clutched the edge of her clothes, her eyes looking at me as if trying to confirm I was real and not just a shadow born of despair.
"Hyung… you look terrible," Hyunsuk murmured. "But that… that was really cool. Are you actually some kind of martial arts master?"
I just gave a faint smile. I didn't answer, only shook my head. Words felt too heavy to say right now. I simply grabbed a bottle of water from my bag and started cleaning the monster's blood off me. The metallic stench stung my nose, and the water turned dark red the moment it touched my skin. Yeah… maybe I used up too much water — we'd have to find a new source soon.
After washing my face and hands, I looked at the two of them.
"Alright, let's move on," I said softly, but loud enough for them to hear.
But before we could take a step, Hyunsuk suddenly called out, "Wait, Hyung! I need to satisfy my curiosity." His words came with quick steps toward the dead dog-like monster.
I frowned slightly, but gave in, and bent down again to carefully lift Olivia. I positioned her gently in my arms, though there was still blood staining parts of my clothes.
"Sorry… this is kind of messy," I said with a guilty tone.
"It's okay," Olivia answered quickly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She looked away, but I could see a slight pink hue on her face. Maybe it was just the awkward position… or maybe something else.
While I adjusted Olivia's weight, I watched Hyunsuk crouch beside the monster, holding his machete, trying to dissect the creature's body.
"What are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, this? I've read a lot of manhwa… monsters usually have a core or some kind of energy crystal. It's usually useful for power or sells for a lot. I just… got curious. Who knows, maybe it's true here too," he explained enthusiastically.
"And?" I asked as I stepped closer.
"I already tried cutting out its heart… but nothing. No core," he replied, sounding a little disappointed.
I nodded slowly. "Well… this isn't a fantasy story. This world is real. But even so… I think it's not wrong for you to keep noticing things like that. We might find something valuable one day."
"You're right, hehe…" he said, then stood up again and wiped his machete clean.
We moved forward. Our destination: the red door that had once been guarded by the monster. Hyunsuk carefully opened it. As it swung open, we were met by a vast, grim sight — an underground parking garage filled with concrete pillars, damp air, and the flickering yellow light of old bulbs.
Even though it was empty, the place didn't feel safe. If anything… it felt too quiet.
Our footsteps echoed as we walked. In the distance, we spotted a green car parked askew in one corner. Its tires were missing, the hood was open, engine gone. The doors were rusty, one of them hanging loose on its hinges. Still, the car stood out more than anything else in this place.
We approached, hoping to find something useful.
And that hope paid off.
In the driver's seat, like an unexpected gift from this twisted world — lay a firearm. A shotgun. It looked to be in good condition, with a short barrel and slightly faded steel body.
"Hyung! Look at this! We've got a weapon!" Hyunsuk shouted, lifting the shotgun with wild excitement.
I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. In the midst of all this fear and pressure, finding a firearms felt like discovering new hope. Not just for its power, but as a symbol — that we now had a better chance at surviving.
"Hey Hyung, do you know what kind of shotgun this is?" Hyunsuk asked.
But before I could answer, Olivia — who had been quiet all this time — suddenly spoke up.
"Looks like a Benelli M4. Holds eight 12-gauge shells. Semi-automatic. High rate of fire. Usually used by police and military in close-quarter breaches," she said calmly.
Hyunsuk and I looked at her, speechless for a moment.
"Uh… you guys know I'm from America, right? Knowing about guns… is kinda normal," she added quickly, laughing awkwardly.
We chuckled softly.
"Take it, Hyung. Don't go doing another close-range fight like that," Hyunsuk said seriously, offering the weapon to me.
I shook my head and looked down at Olivia in my arms. "No. You keep it. I don't have a free hand, and someone needs to protect us from the front."
Olivia sighed and nudged my chest gently.
Hyunsuk grinned proudly. "Then… I'll protect you guys!" he said, hugging the shotgun like it was his own child.
Inside the car, aside from the shotgun, we also found a small shard of purple crystal that reflected light in a strange way. No one knew what it was, but from its shape and the energy it gave off, I knew this wasn't an ordinary item. We kept it.
But just as we started to move deeper into the garage, our journey took another turn. At the far end of the basement, under the flickering, unstable light stood a figure.
It was unnaturally tall, its silhouette thin with arms so long they nearly touched the ground. Its eyes… glowed white without pupils. It stared at us, silent and still.
I could feel the air around us grow heavier. A chill crept into the space, and every instinct in my body screamed, this monster is terrifying.