Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 204 - Behemoth (1)

204: Behemoth (1)

204: Behemoth (1)

Descending from the wall, the first to approach me was the Protagonist.

His face, painted with a kind of panic I had never seen on him before, told me all I needed to know about what he knew of the situation.

There had been instances where it appeared he knew of the external threat before anyone else over the past days since I’ve come here, and until now, I thought that he was just using his prior knowledge of the game, but now I realised I was wrong.

After all, if that were the case, he wouldn’t be so taken by surprise at this moment.

Rather, I supposed he might have been getting that information from his #System somehow.

Seeing as I should have been the only one to realise but everyone down here was running around to get things sorted, he must have told them.

“Enki!

We don’t have much time.

If there’s anything you can do, please help us.”

Saying that briefly, he seemed to spot someone elsewhere and briskly departed to talk to them.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to think that I would be able to take care of it fully, but still, his faith was a little annoying.

Or maybe it was desperation.

Faintly picking up him muttering something about it being ‘too early’ as he rushed off, I figured it must have been a scripted event.

‘What an idea to put your base right in the path of that fucking thing.

Of course, it was bound to happen at some point.’

Anyway, the expectations I held for us to be able to beat that monster, even if I worked at full capacity, were exceptionally slim, if not nonexistent.

If we somehow managed to win, then of course, the Protagonist could probably use his Extraction to get one hell of a mana crystal that I might be able to take, but really, what were the chances of success?

The smart choice would just be to cash in right now and get the hell out of Dodge.

Taking advantage of the chaos, I activated Sneak and snuck into the Protagonist’s tent.

Needless to say, it was empty of life, but that’s not what I was here for.

Wasting no time, I entered the back partition of the tent, where the Protagonist stored all his alchemy ingredients.

‘Eh, just take it all.’

In a matter of seconds, everything was rapidly dumped into Storage.

I didn’t bother taking the time to sort through each item and decide whether I wanted or needed it or not; I didn’t have the luxury for that.

Different sorts of leaves, grass and herbs, powders, ores, all deposited straight to Storage without a second thought.

There even seemed to be a couple vials of the alien’s grey blood included in the mix.

I didn’t think I’d ever actually get to doing alchemy myself, and I had no intention of doing so regardless, but it was better to have stuff than not have it, just in case.

Once it was all gathered, I was just about to sneak out the back exit when I sensed a presence.

“…!”

By the time I realised it, it was too late―they had already entered the partitioned area and saw me.

“Why are you here?”

However…

“Iseul.”

Straightening my back, I turned to face the other person halfway and asked.

Then, a woman’s voice replied.

“I just…

was curious where you were going, and followed.”

Faced with that simple answer, my eyebrows furrowed behind the Villain’s Vizard.

‘What?

That means she was able to see through both Sneak and the Shadow’s presence concealment…’

Scanning the face of the woman, which was half-infected with grey, rubbery flesh with writhing black veins, her left eye appeared devoured by the alien mass and transformed, the iris now resembling the same metal nut that was the head of the monsters outside, and her pitch black pupil only creating a void within.

Even the sclera just surrounding it bore an ashen hue, but I wondered for just a moment if it was because of that blighted eye that she was able to perceive me despite the massive enhancements on my presence concealment.

“Why did you follow at this time?”

“It is because it is this time.

I saw the monster outside.

The leader called it a Behemoth.

Without a plan, we are not strong enough to defeat it.

That’s why everyone is evacuating…

But, we don’t need to.”

‘Hm?’

“You have a plan?”

Momentarily shaking her head, she then brought a hand up to her face, softly gracing the cursed skin with her fingers.

“…I can feel it.

It is not here to kill, or even destroy.

It merely seeks sustenance.”

‘Sustenance…

Magic energy?

Mana?

If we distract it with crystals, would it be possible…?

No, hold on a second, why would I even care?

I’m not here to defend the Sanctuary for real, I just need the Protagonist to die.’

“Why do you want to kill the leader?”

Suddenly, her quiet voice piercing through my inner thoughts, I paused.

Perhaps she thought I was giving her time to speak, or maybe she was just taking advantage of my speechlessness, but she continued.

“Sorry.

I meant to ask you before.”

“…What gives you that impression?”

Bringing her hand from her infected cheek to the other side, she covered her normal eye with her palm, explaining simply.

“I can see your intention.”

“…”

For a while, I didn’t know what to say.

There was no excuse I could come up with, but maybe…

Maybe I didn’t need one.

Slowly beginning to form a plan in my mind, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Do you plan to stop me?”

Seemingly without hesitation, she shook her head.

“You are the strongest person in the Sanctuary.

You also defended me despite not being like this.

Having the leader die would be inconvenient, but I would prefer to stay on your side if I can.”

Staring at her face, I watched her expression and eyes for a few seconds, sensing no lies in her words.

Realising she was being honest, or at least honest enough to trick Heightened Senses, calmed me down a bit.

“There isn’t time to explain fully.

If he lives, the world will end.

That is all.”

“I understand.

I could see it too―that the leader is someone special.

He has a weird power, and he seems to know things before anyone else.

He also wants to “cure” me.”

‘He does?

I guess that’s not surprising.

Iseul must be a unique character in the game too.’

“Does that make you reluctant to help me?”

Again, she shook her head.

“I don’t want to be “cured”.

In this world, it would be hard to survive.

And I don’t want to be looked after.”

‘Smart.

It looks like that curse thing gives her some weird sort of powers.

If she wants a higher chance of survival in this world, it would be better to remain cursed as long as possible.

Although, I’m not sure if it’ll kill her in the long run, otherwise what would be the point of curing her if she doesn’t want it herself…’

Quickly dismissing the thoughts that didn’t matter, I suddenly sensed a presence entering the front of the tent―one that matched the Protagonist.

“Follow me.”

Hurriedly grabbing her hand, I pulled Iseul to the tent’s back exit, walking away with her before we were caught.

Now outside, I let her go and observed everyone else rushing about, either evacuating the Sanctuary or grabbing their things in order to evacuate.

No one was stupid enough to try and defend against the Behemoth, especially when their leader, the Protagonist himself, told them to evacuate.

‘Hopeless.

What a useless Protagonist.’

Snorting a faint laugh to myself, I turned back to Iseul.

“Will you help me kill him?”

“…If it increases the odds of my survival even slightly, I will take the chance.

I also wish to repay you for defending me earlier.”

‘Good.’

Before I could even ask what the Protagonist’s weakness was or what she thought he meant by ‘not dying’ when I first met him, she had already opened her mouth again.

“He has a newly-implanted ‘false heart’ here.

I believe that is where he is most vulnerable.”

Bringing a hand to the centre of her chest, she gestured to within.

‘Newly-implanted…?

With the #System?

Must be what bumped it up to 3-star…’

I didn’t even have much time to speculate as she continued.

“It has a very strong presence; one that feels incredibly amiss.”

She was one step ahead of me.

“What will happen when he dies?”

“He simply will not.

Not unless the false heart is removed.

That is what it feels like.”

“Then, he has no defensive measures?”

“No.

He carries potions within a magical spatial storage.

They carry many diverse effects, but the primary ones I have seen him use in battle are mimicries of fire bombs, and occasionally, those that increase his physical parameters.”

‘I see…

Standard stuff, then.

Well, he shouldn’t have the chance to use them anyway.’

“Alright.

You stay here, I’ll go in and–”

“Wait.

One thing…”

Just as I turned around to return to the Protagonist’s tent, Iseul grabbed my arm.

“The leader and the Behemoth…

I think we can kill them both.”

Gazing into my mask as she said that, I could only peer into her cursed eye.