Terrestrial Savior Archetype - T.S.A Chapter 5 (part 2): Choice and Focus (3)

With the scene unfolding before him, Jeong-woo was momentarily stunned by its incredible speed.

Jae Hyung couldn’t escape.

The field and the new employee Jae-hyung were swallowed by a massive funnel-shaped thing.

To be precise, it was the part corresponding to a creature’s head.

“……”

Jeong-woo remained half-turned, holding his breath, his eyes fixed in place.

Above the engulfing funnel-shaped that filled his field of vision, that thing was there.

A naked giant.

Its limbs were unusually long, but the overall body structure was almost human-like.

The only difference was that its skin was glossy black, and its head spread out like a funnel.

‘So, it’s been waiting there all this time…?’

Using its unnaturally long arms and legs, it clung tightly to the ceiling. The sight of its bony chest and pelvic structure vaguely visible on its emaciated torso was even more chilling.

The funnel-shaped monster that covered the pile of bodies and newcomers remained greatly expanded.

It seemed like that thing was its head and also its mouth, with the narrow end of the funnel serving as a substitute for a human’s neck.

Is it coming down soon?

How fast is its movement speed?

“Hey, snap out of it…”

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

A horrific existence never seen even in dreams.

Such a monster was truly right in front of him.

Thud…

Finally, its jaws twitched, emitting a sound as if the iron frame was bending.

While listening to that sound, Jeong-woo imagined how much strength that mouth would exert when it closed.

It would shatter human bones like snapping twigs.

And sure enough, the creature lifted its entire jaw slightly and dropped something.

Thud.

“Ah!”

In that brief moment, Jeong-woo saw it.

It was a part of Jae Hyung’s arm.

But what was more astonishing came next.

The arm fragment that had fallen to the floor, along with blood, was instantly sucked into the inside of the funnel monster.

And there was nothing left in the place where the arm had been.

Not even a trace of blood.

Only now could Jeong-woo understand how the dead people disappeared from this spot.

What was even more terrifying was the fact that this creature had set a trap here.

Using the souls of the people it had previously devoured as bait.

‘It’s not just a monstrous being. It’s wicked enough to hunt humans.’

Squelch.

Another strange sound came from its jaws.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the gigantic funnel monster that had spread to a diameter of 10 meters folded up.

The completely folded jaws of the creature had transformed into a bud-like shape.

Still, the head remained relatively large.

About three times the size of an average adult male head.

Its body was also much larger than a human’s.

The arms and legs, which were holding onto the pipes attached to the ceiling, measured about 2 meters each. Generally, height and mobility are proportional.

Jeong-woo had a premonition that he wouldn’t be able to escape from it with his running ability alone.

No, no human would be able to move faster than this creature.

“…Team Leader Jo.”

As the creature folded its jaws, the team leader Jo Sun Woong appeared on the other side, standing with a resolute expression.

He, too, stood stiffly, seeming to be pondering how to cope with the situation.

“……”

The gaze of the two humans met in mid-air.

Jeong-woo checked the numbers visible near Chief Jo’s head.

His current Essences count was 17.

An increase of 7 Essences compared to before.

However, Chief Jo’s momentum was still diminishing.

He didn’t know how to deal with that monster.

‘Just because he’s a predator doesn’t mean he learned how to use essence separately.’

Jeong-woo muttered.

If that’s the case, the only remaining solution is himself.

With 25 Essences in possession.

If this is truly a powerful weapon like Earth claims it to be, it’s no different from ten people unleashing firepower.

But what good is having plenty of bullets if you don’t know how to pull the trigger?

‘If I’m the savior, then what’s the difference between me and an ordinary person? Am I going to die without even knowing my purpose?’

Swoosh.

In a state where he couldn’t find any alternatives, “the thing” extended one of its arms toward the ground.

Then it released the remaining arms and legs that were holding onto the pipe.

Crack!

Surprisingly, there was a sticky sensation resembling glue when its foot touched the ground.

Perhaps it’s a secretion oozing from its hands or the soles of its feet…

“…Damn, what does that have to do with anything now?”

Whoosh.

The creature raised its head, appearing as if a person had fallen and only lifted their head to scan left and right.

A tightly gripped bud-shaped head.

Thinking that it could unfold into a gigantic funnel at any moment sent shivers down Jeong-woo’s spine again.

It seemed to have no eyes, so does it track targets by scent or sound?

“If I just turn around and run, it’ll catch up right away. I’d rather…”

Jeong-woo still felt the presence of the pen in his right hand. He clenched his molars.

If possible, he thought of stabbing near his neck when it pounced on him.

After all, he didn’t want to run away in a disheveled manner only to end up dead.

“Earth… What the hell are you doing? The savior you appointed looks like he’s about to die. Do something.”

Gulp.

The monster that stood between Park Jeong-woo and Jo Sun-woong finally turned its head.

Its gaze was directed towards Jeong-woo.

It wasn’t by chance; it was a deliberate movement with a clear purpose.

Although it didn’t initiate a conversation, Jeong-woo could instinctively feel it.

“R-Run!”

Jeong-woo, who sensed his impending doom, shouted towards Jo Sun-woong who was still on the opposite side.

It would be better to seize the opportunity for at least one person to survive.

And at that moment, an unbelievable event occurred.

A translucent text box appeared in front of Jeong-woo.

“…..!”

“Human Park Jeong-woo’s ‘Savior’ aptitude score exceeded the average.”

Earned a base score of 21 points from the survey.

| Additional 7 points gained from judgment.

| Additional 4 points gained from empathy.

| Earned 20 points from absorbing Essences.

Calculated with a zeal bonus of 1.5x.

“Having obtained a total score of ’78,’ an evaluator will be assigned. Thank you.”

Not understanding what kind of nonsense it was, Jeong-woo still believed that something was about to happen. However, the timing was not ideal.

Behind the chaotic score sheet, “it” had already assumed an attacking stance.

It folded its elongated hind legs like a grasshopper and touched the ground with its arms.

Anyone could tell it was a forward leap.

-Hello. I am the assigned evaluator ‘Da467’ for Park Jeong-woo.

A natural voice resonated in Jeong-woo’s mind, as if it knew about the situation.

Since it was an evaluator sent by Earth, it surely wouldn’t be human.

Nevertheless, the tone used to convey the dialogue felt remarkably natural.

Well, that doesn’t really matter in this situation.

Jeong-woo immediately addressed the evaluator.

“Since we don’t have time for pleasantries, shall we get straight to the point?”