Necromancer Survival

d, reassuring me, and walked first; I followed behind the two into another room.

     “Mph!! Mmmph!!!”

     Inside that other room was a large bed; laying on top was Koo Kyungman, limbs bound to all 4 posts of the bed.

     It was similar to how Koo Hui-seo had previously tied him up with black ties; but, unlike before, Koo Kyungman was not wearing a blindfold, allowing us to clearly look into his bloodshot eyes.

     Koo Kyungman struggled, as if he were having a seizure; he must have predicted to some extent what would happen to him.
And Chairwoman Shin, who usually carried herself with a slight frown, smiled as if she were watching something amusing.
“Really, this is truly refreshing–taking care of one more worry before I die.”

     “……”

     “Mmmmppph!!!”

     Though I could not grasp the emotions of everyone else here, Chairwoman Shin and Koo Kyungman were clearly broadcasting their feelings.
Koo Kyungman expressed himself through his muzzled mouth, like an animal, and Chairwoman Shin observed him joyfully.

     And I…My mouth felt dry as I watched his bloodshot eyes and his struggling, to the point of bruising, limbs.

     To be honest, the courage to see Koo Kyungman’s two arms being cut off was fading.
It’s not that I was ignorant of his actions, nor that I sympathized with him.

     It’s just–maybe it’s that I was afraid of harming a living human being full of vitality.
There was no answer for this feeling of weakness I felt within.
Regretfully, as the barely eaten dinner began queasily moving, my stomach began to ache.

     I didn’t want to be caught trembling, so I clasped my hands tightly behind my back.

     However, Jung Garam had already seen me, after tearing his attention away from Koo Kyungman, and Seo Dawon held my hands lightly.
It seems that I was being rather obvious.

     In addition to holding my hands, Seo Dawon whispered into my ears, “Close your eyes.”

     However, I could not readily accept his consideration.
I was concerned by the gazes of Chairwoman Shin and Koo Hui-seo…Furthermore, Seo Dawon, Jung Garam, and I were on the same team–the same boat.

     “I can’t always be one step behind every time,” I said.
I, in the process of achieving their revenge, couldn’t always stay back because I was afraid.

     So, steeling my resolve, I turned my gaze towards Koo Kyungman, who was still struggling wildly.
Seo Dawon, seeing how I firmly made up my mind, moved to take his hands of mine…but I, involuntarily, clung on.

     I was embarrassed to hear Seo Dawon’s quiet chuckles in the back, but I, who needed some support, shamelessly gripped harder.
Seo Dawon calmly let himself be caught.

     “……Shall we start?”

     “Hmmm…Alright.
There’s no need to drag this out.”

     Koo Hui-seo, as if was watching over me, fortuitously asked Chairwoman Shin to start only after I raised my head high.
She nodded in return.

     “Mmmph!! Mm! Mm!”

     The black strands that held Koo Kyungman’s limbs aloft climbed up his arms like a living snake and settled around his upper elbow.

” ”

     Then it began to tighten in a circular shape, like a string cutter.
At first, Koo Kyungman stopped shouting–perhaps ignorant of what was truly happening–and stared warily.
Then, feeling that something was wrong, he began swinging his arms wildly.

     “Mmmph!!! Mm!!”

     However, the black strands did not stop tightening.
The skin under the string had already turned red and swollen; Koo Kyungman began pounding his head against the wall, neck swinging here and there–the only thing he could control–as the string penetrated his skin.

     The strands surrounding his arms did not loosen.
Meanwhile, dozens of similar black strands climbed up onto the bed, raising its metaphorical head, and began surrounding him.

     At that time, Koo Hui-seo approached the bed with a flask of blue liquid in his hand.
When he sat on the mattress, the string tightening around the captive’s arms stopped moving.

     Koo Kyungman stared up at his approaching brother; when Koo Hui-seo took off the saliva-covered muzzle, he breathed hard.

     Koo Hui-seo shoved the flask right underneath his brother’s nose, “I’ll divide its content into three–slowly swallow.
If you spit it out, I’ll cut your arms off without it.”

     “……”

     Koo Kyungman’s cold and sweaty face was full of vigilance, but he also seemed to realize that there was nothing much he could do.
Before long, he opened his mouth very slightly, and Koo Hui-seo poured a certain amount from the flask before stopping.

TL: Quick update.
I really do pity Koo Kyungman.

Chapter 100 is coming up soon and I’m trying to think of something do~

Footnotes

They, here, I’m using as the gender neutral pronoun Bujeok talisman.