Beyond Hell

I ran into an alleyway with those ghouls.

I ran out looking like I dove right into a fight…

Well, I kinda did that.

Crusted blood splatter and dust covered my tunic.

Recon 6.344k, Recon 6.345k, Recon 6.346k… eliminated.

I needed to report this back to military headquarters.

The attack was not coordinated or rushed.

Luckily I was able to beat them.

I ran back down the streets.

People looked at me as I ran across the area with half crusted blood all over me.

Well I do look like a serial killer though.

I get it if they flinch or back away or give weird ass looks.

Just like they are now.

I drained some blood from the bodies and put it in one of my empty jars.

I need some blood evidence and things like that for them to check out with the magic and science stuff.

I also cut off a couple of fingers to bring it to check it out.

They were in my backpack and I needed

I only kept up running for 5 or so minutes.

I breathed heavily.

There were some clouds rolling in.

It started to drizzle.

Rain.

For me rain brings me good luck.

I hope it does better this time.

How are counterintelligence soldiers dying from these weak ghouls…

I remembered that many of them were civilians.

Not everyone had the same experience as I did.

I feel bad for them.

Of course, the dead are dead.

We cannot help them, we can only honor them.

The ghoul I fought last time was much harder than these ones—

However the last ghoul had a smaller number.

That means it probably survived longer than those ones that had larger numbers.

But larger numbers may be a new deadly addition.

Who knows.

I exhale.

I inhale.

The rain slowly became larger and larger.

I need a map of this city.

A mix of sweat and rain rolled down the side of my head.

I couldn't tell whether it was blood being slowly washed by the light rain, or was it sweat.

I also collected the knives that they had.

An unknown steel.

The steel was strong, though.

It did not chip even after blocking an execution.

A normal attack without any abilities will only be 20% of the power and speed of execution.

I pulled one of them out from one of my pockets.

The steel was shiny but also dark.

It was different from the knife that Kaiya has.

Kaiya's knife had invisibility and some kind of multi-role design.

This was a type of dagger.

There was no handle on it, only just steel.

The steel was very cold.

The rain dripped over it.

A sound of sizzling.

The water droplet vaporized.

My hand started to burn but I did not realize it.

I turned my hand around and saw my skin was burning.

Pain shot up from my hand.

"W-what?" I stammered.

I quickly dropped the knife onto the soaked ground.

Jeez… the knife actually reacts with water?

Luckily it did not touch blood.

Or cut me.

The water on the ground only made the knife hotter.

"Is that why the ghouls rushed their attack?

If so… That means they are more powerful technologically.

I used the tip of my boot to kick the knife away.

"I cannot pick that up again…"

I still had 2 of them in my backpack.

I guess I will turn in one of them.

The other one, I will keep a close eye on.

I looked at my right hand.

Burned.

There might be some use with these knives.

I grabbed one of the pieces of cloth from my backpack and grabbed the bloody hunting knife I had from a back pocket and wiped off the blood.

I looked at the sizzling knife on the ground.

There has to be some use…

The headquarters were busy with people rummaging around and having conversations.

This was an average day at duty for some people.

There were books lining the walls like it was a library.

Tables set up cross the room.

"Excuse me sir, where is the ghoul studies division?"

"Over there towards the left."

My boots are clomping on the solid wood ground.

I quickly walked down a corridor towards a single door.

The door was gray like the lids of my jars and the dust on the walls.

It looks like not a lot of people go here.

I slowed down and stopped right in front of the door.

I tapped on the sheath of my o-katana.

It came back into view, the invisibility started to wear off.

I was going to need that for the next part.

I knocked on the door.

No one was there.

Of course.

I punched the door.

The door opened.

The man behind it.

"Hi." I waved.

"I have some things to drop off."

Senior commander 12 star Smiley J. Rokes.

He runs the ghoul studies division.

Appariently behind that door is a huge laboratory for different researchers to work on.

Magic and science alike, are used in projects like this.

"So where did you find those materials?"

"I found it on the ground."

"Where on the ground?"

"An alleyway."

"Who would leave it there?"

"Me."

"Did you leave it there?"

"Yes."

"How did you kill it so easily?"

"Memorizing attack patterns."

"Do you need a bath?"

"Yes!"

"Wha-"

"Please stop, what do you think I will answer with, HUH?!"

Apparently I was a target now…

Ghouls were few during my time, but now they have had some major hostile actions.

I never saw one before until this year.

This is no coincidence.

I shuddered at the thought of ghouls.

Blood as well.

I feel like I am getting used to it.

I used to, kinda, piss myself thinking about it.

How?

Chris and the prime minister are keeping everything confidential.

Of course, I don't have access to it.

Whether I like it or not, I suppose that the numbers between 1 and 5 are going to be the ones containing them.

Thoughts started to catch up to me slowly but surely.

The blood.

The decapitation.

I was genuinely sure I might die there.

Those ghouls were now dead.

They couldn't hurt me anymore.

I walked past the same areas of town as I always did.

It was now evening.

The townspeople were moving around still doing their jobs.

It seemed more quiet though.

No one suspected that I was attacked.

I was cleaned off and I got a new white tunic and brown pants.

I kept all my gear in the same pockets though.

My belt and my backpack were heavier than I thought.

I took it off so I need to get back used to the weight.

My cloak was folded in my backpack.

The blood samples, body…parts, and…

I turned it in.

I shook my head and started walking faster.

The real nature of killing is bad.

It is a burden for the rest of your life.

I turned in all the materials I gathered.

However, I kept one of the knives on me.

I felt that it was a good weapon for throwing.

I gripped the sword and pulled it out.

Yeah, 4 kills.

I slowed down my walking in order to avoid walking into something.

There were almost no oncoming people.

For all I know, having a sword out in public without there being an emergency is illegal.

I knew I was going to do something like this without realizing.

I couldn't feel it, but my eyes were cold.

I said it was bad in my mind.

No one would know.

A pain zapped through my arm.

I swore and dropped my sword.

A sound of clattering.

The people on the roads were busy and mostly ignored the clattering sound.

Enough people to mask that sound.

My senses in my right hand started burning.

I forgot all about that.

My nerve endings could have possibly been burned off.

A slow pain turns sharp.

I picked up the sword with my left hand and let it lean on my shoulder.

No way was I going to deal with that burn.

I didn't ask for a bandage.

A cool water cloth will do better anyways.

I diverted my brain to a different topic.

I guess I will look at the present time right now.

What is going to happen to me?

Apprenticeship?

Instructing?

Or will I just pass through as a soldier, or comrade.

No, that is a rarity.

I didn't even get paid for my job.

I do wonder, if there were more ghouls, my life would really suck.

It already does.

I made it to the dorms now.

I will use one of my other tunics and probably cool off my burn first.

The door clicked as I closed it behind me.

There was a wide open reception area.

It was quiet now.

Here, you were allowed to have meals at any time.

I wanted to skip dinner.

There was no way I was going to not think about it.

I will be heaving onto the ground.

That would practically be a waste.

All my strategies not to get sick.

I looked at the burn on my right hand.

I slowly reached across and clumsily sheathed my sword.

I used the back of my right hand to push it into place.

Invisibility.

You are not allowed to have unconcealed weapons in this place, as stated clearly by a sign that was right in front of me.

Apparently concealed weapons are fine.

Is an invisible o-katana concealed?

Who cares?

If they can't see it, then they can do nothing about it.

It is officially concealed.

I did not get blood on it, so it shall stay invisible.

It was very quiet.

I walked past the reception and straight up the stairs.

It is time to face the layout of the dorm rooms.

I started going up the stairs.

My o-katana got stuck on the stupid corridor.

"Whaaaaat? You gotta be kidding me!"

I rotated my cutty-slashy-thing and started walking up the stairs.

Ehh, that was very unprofessional of me.

I guess I will keep it that way.

No one cares.

"No one saw that…" I mumbled.

I shrugged.

"OOF-OWDAHELL?"

I tripped on the last step and face-planted.

"WH-at the shit?"

Ahh, the sweet scent of the floor.

Many people have walked here so… DISGUSTING!

I tried to pick myself up but my right hand burned and I slipped and fell back to where I was.

My nose was bleeding and everything.

Whatever…

The question is, how the hell did I trip?

Ahh, yes the stairs.

They are planning something.

Somebody definitely rigged them to kill me.

Just kidding.

Whoever done that would have been very stupid.

I couldn't imagine.

I wiped away the blood and laughed.

"Shut the helllllll up!" A muffled but intense voice came from a nearby room.

I probably need therapy; I stopped laughing.

I stood up using my left hand this time.

Welp time to go to my room.

I stumbled around and burped.

The light was slowly catching back up to me.

This got real messy real quickly for no real reason.

I tried to keep a straight face, but my eyes probably sold out a different paper.

That was damned stupid.

The blood flowed freely like water.

Some of it flowed into my mouth.

I wiped it away.

Now the blood is stained on my arm.

Good for me.

I did not pay attention to the fact that my head was spinning and the pain started to extend across my body.

It was just luck that can do things so stupidly for any person.

Whatever I just thought.

Welp 191 is going to just be around a couple more corners and stairs.

I followed the numbers and signs as I walked down the halls.

By the time I reached the room, I stopped bleeding.

I felt a painful headache that I had not felt until just now.

It took a long time to find the right places.

But there I was in front of the place where I will call home for the next week or so.

So this is what the worst week in my life is going to look like?

I knocked on 191 and left a stain of blood.

Oh wow, I can wipe my blood on this door!

I proceeded, drawing a few more stains of blood onto the door.

Umm.

I wonder who is going to see this and start freaking out.

I shrugged.

Of course.

I was distracted by more thoughts that pushed into my brain.

I heard the door unlocking.

The door opened.

191— beyond hell and beyond my sanity.

Yaaaay.