Necromancer Survival

like there was something stringy, and fur-like on the surface… It felt exactly like hair.

       “I-It can’t be…” I shook my head and tried to observe it again.

     Before I could reach out again, someone’s footsteps approached.
That sound–those footsteps–stopped directly in front of me.
Pierced with fear, I raised my head.

[Were you searching for this?]

     The voice’s owner kicked the ’round thing’ towards me.
As soon as it touched my hand, I clenched my fists and curled my fingers; my body began trembling against my will.
“……”

     As soon as I was about to say something, I remembered Woo Ragi’s reminder to not respond.
My breaths came heavier and heavier as I continued to retreat.
However, I soon hit a firm wall.

[Did Ragi tell you not to answer me?]

     “……”

     That thing, imitating ‘Seo Dawon’s’ voice, asked in an amused tone.
I didn’t respond.
However, soon, soft fingers touched my cheek.
Without hesitation, that ‘thing’ began stroking my face.
When I could feel the ring on ‘its’ hand, I firmly shut my eyes.

     ‘It really feels like Seo Dawon… No, it can’t be….’

[Open your eyes.]

     “……”

     I clenched my teeth and lowered my head; that ‘thing’ touched my lips as if to make a mockery of me.
Then, something damp touched my lips.
I could smell a faint scent of blood–a kiss?

      “……”

[I’m not a fake, Lee-kyung-ah.]

      That ‘thing’ whispered reproachfully at me for not responding.
I pushed at him strongly at that moment, but its solid body did not budge one inch.
‘Seo Dawon’ lightly embraced me and buried its face into the nape of my neck.
It murmured, lips moving against my skin–

[Don’t you find his words suspicious?]

      With that said, ‘Seo Dawon’ stroked my lower back.
I clenched my teeth and tried to escape his hands, but the more I struggled the more his arms felt like shackles.

     Eventually, in my efforts to slip out from its arms, I finally opened my eyes.
And, as soon as I opened my eyes, the swarm of black tentacles holding me and my collapsed, as if they were sinking to the bottom of a swamp.
Simultaneously, I made eye contact with ‘Seo Dawon’ who only had his head and neck left.

    “……!”

     I couldn’t even scream and opened my eyes wide with shock as I saw ‘Seo Dawon’ in its current state.
‘Seo Dawon’ smiled insidiously and extended black tentacles towards me.
Then, those black tentacles slowly began to take on a human form.

     Starting from hands and chest–all the way to feet–the tentacles took shape and changed color.
Now, it had completely changed into a perfect replica of the Mage I so intimately knew.
It then stretched out its newly formed hand towards me.

     At that moment.

     “I told you not to answer it, you idiot.”

     Suddenly, I could hear Woo Ragi’s temperamental voice from below; A diagonal line suddenly appeared in ‘Seo Dawon’s’ chest.
Still smiling, ‘Seo Dawon’s’ chest was separated from its head.

     I was too weary to even scream; I simply looked on with my stiff mouth open, dazed.
‘Seo Dawon’ became even more gruesome after it was cut open.

      Startlingly, Woo Ragi, the one who had cut ‘Seo Dawon’ from behind… had nothing above his neck.
He still had the stance of an incredibly disciplined swordsman, but, instead of a head, I could see the cross-section of his neck.

     Of course, the anatomical details weren’t clearly visible; the edges of his neck were shadowed.
Anyway, I couldn’t bear to see such a gory scene.

     However, I had no time to fall into a panic.
“What the… Wh… What the hell….”

      “Hey, pick me up by my throat.”

       “What?” I looked towards the direction of his voice.
Woo Ragi’s head was near my foot.
I stared blankly at his golden hair before, falteringly, lifting his head with both hands.
I wasn’t confident enough to look into the swordsman’s face, so I continued to hold it in its backwards state.

      Fortunately (?), Woo Ragi’s body, which had finished cutting up ‘Seo Dawon,’ walked over to me and picked up his head from my hand.
Then, as if he were adorning a crown, he fitted his head onto his neck.
I couldn’t bear to look anymore and lowered my eyes.