NOVEL SIMPLE A loud boom echoed through the interior of the Central Research Institute.
The large sound pierced straight through the office desk and became embedded in the wall. If it had been ordinary concrete, the impact would have been enough to punch through, but the Object-composed exterior wall of the Research Institute didn't even have a single crack.
The Lophiomus that had struck me with its tentacles and sent me flying was now swinging its large tongue around, looking for other prey.
From its huge mouth, drool was dripping and sticky mucus was flowing all over its body, and countless tentacles were protruding from that body. It was an Object with an unappealing appearance, but I got back up and charged towards the Lophiomus.
It was a wrestling match with a 100-fold difference in size.
But I had no choice but to charge in.
Since I had made them unleash this monster, I had to stop it.
If I irresponsibly ran away, the trapped employees at the Research Institute would die unjustly.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't understand the conditions for killing the Lophiomus.
It's not my preferred method, but since I can't kill it, I decided to try to incapacitate it in another way.
If all those tentacles get cut off, won't it be in a state similar to being dead?
***
Even in normal times, my workplace was a living hell with constant threats to life, but compared to the current situation, it would be like heaven.
The Lophiomus was running around trying to eat people, and the Gray Reaper was relentlessly pursuing and charging at the Lophiomus.
The closed Central Research Institute had turned into a battlefield.
The high-ranking officials who should have been giving orders had all disappeared, and the Lophiomus, which had only been seen in documentaries about the incident 30 years ago, had suddenly appeared.
The one who saved me as I was running away from the Lophiomus was the Gray Reaper, who was just as famous and dangerous as the Lophiomus.
It was a collision between the most famous and dangerous Object from 30 years ago and the most famous and dangerous Object of the present.
The Gray Reaper charged boldly, but was sent flying helplessly.
Is the Gray Reaper also no match for the Lophiomus? But just as I was thinking that, the Gray Reaper suddenly got up and charged at the Lophiomus again, repeatedly.
Its actions seemed to be like it was rushing in to save us, who were cornered and facing death in the corner of the Research Institute.
It was a situation that made one have that delusion, even though it was absolutely impossible.
The Gray Reaper kept charging, charging, and charging.
It seemed like the one-sided situation where the Gray Reaper was being beaten would continue.
But just when everyone thought so, an unexpected event occurred.
The one-sided situation where the Gray Reaper was being beaten suddenly reversed.
The Gray Reaper was charging as always, but with a loud, tremendous explosive sound, the Lophiomus' agonized scream echoed through the Research Institute.
The Lophiomus' large eyes were blown open like they had been hit by a bomb, and green blood kept flowing from the spot without stopping.
How on earth...?
The Gray Reaper's left arm had disappeared from the elbow down. The severed surface of the arm was slowly regenerating, burning yellow.
Seeing this, the people who couldn't escape gained a glimmer of hope.
Please... please let the less dangerous-looking Gray Reaper win.
***
The method I used now was a combination of abilities.
Ghostification, physical immunity, and regeneration. This combination of three Object abilities.
Objects with ghostification could use the dangerous technique of overlapping their own and the opponent's bodies.
It's very simple.
In a ghostly state, overlap the bodies, then release the ghostification.
The problem is that doing so would mix the bodies, causing fatal injuries to both.
There were actually some vicious Objects with ghostification who repeatedly did this kind of body mixing.
But when physical immunity is added to that, the story changes.
In the case of having physical immunity, one would be able to inflict harm on the other party without suffering any damage themselves.
However, it is not often used against Objects. Why? Because if the opponent is not physically destroyed, both will be shattered!
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That's where regenerative power comes in. After being shattered, regenerating is beneficial, even if it's quite painful.
No, it hurts a lot, I hope such a situation never arises, as the raging blaze pulsing in my chest consumed my lost body and rapidly regenerated it.
Fortunately, there were many people watching my fight with the Lophiomus. Their fear and anticipation greatly fueled my blaze, allowing my wounds to regenerate as if rewinding time.
Moreover, that Lophiomus seemed to be experiencing injury for the first time, as its obvious timidity was evident. After all, how often would an Object with physical immunity get hurt?
This was likely the first time it felt such pain. Isn't that the same for me? When I opened my eyes in Seoul forest, I was always covered in wounds. Unlike those weak creatures born with physical immunity, I was an Object that had been hurt and tumbled around.
The problem was that the Lophiomus also seemed to have a limited regenerative ability. If its regeneration had no limits, complete incapacitation would be impossible.
Now, in the midst of the exciting battle with the Lophiomus, I had to quickly think of a way to drive it out or contain it.
Unfortunately, the fight did not flow one-sidedly. The Lophiomus seemed to have realized that just passively taking the hits was not good, and began actively defending itself, using its tentacles to push me away or evading when our bodies overlapped.
This stalemate where neither could kill the other was suddenly transformed when I exchanged one of my arms with one of the Lophiomus' tentacles.
The Lophiomus, screaming in pain, struck me with its remaining tentacles and sent me flying into the wall of the Research Institute. Normally, I would have gotten up and charged at the Lophiomus again, but this time I couldn't.
'???'
My body easily pierced through the concrete wall and tumbled into the Research Institute parking lot.
The Research Institute was destroyed! Why? Quickly looking back towards the Research Institute, I saw that it was no longer an Object. From one side of the Research Institute, the Lophiomus was breaking through the walls and escaping.
The long, agonized cry of the Lophiomus seemed to express its exhilaration at breathing the outside air for the first time in 30 years. And with a confident gait, it charged towards me.
Well, now that it's outside, it must think it has the advantage.
***
I placed the cane in the director's hand.
"Senior! Is this okay?"
"There's no other choice here. Seeing the director hastily escape, the Gray Reaper must have revealed itself. It's probably released the Lophiomus inside the Research Institute by now."
"Huh? So we're in danger?"
"That's why there's no other choice. Here, I have to hand over the cane." Being eaten by the Lophiomus vs. making a deal with the suspicious Object.
I chose the deal, as the latter was the less unreasonable of the two options.
The director tapped the floor with the cane, just as I had done when using its abilities. Then, he disappeared from the spot.
The junior stared blankly, like a washed-out cotton candy raccoon, and then shouted, "Hey, did the director just run away with the cane? We weren't supposed to deal with Objects, right? Did we get scammed?"
I walked over to the window and flicked it with my finger.
The sound of glass ringing out clearly was heard. Unlike before, it was clearly a normal window.
The Research Institute was no longer an Object.
"No, the deal was done properly. Let's get out of here quickly. This place will soon become hell."
I snatched the hammer from the junior's hand, who was holding a suitable tool, and swung it straight at the window.
If this had been the usual Research Institute, this glass would have bounced off the hammer.
But not now.
Thinking about the hint that Monocle had given, this was the natural result.
[As long as the Director is there, the Research Institute becomes indestructible.]
Since the Director had left somewhere with the cane, this Research Institute had become destructible.
"Ah! You should have told me to smash it with the hammer! I'm good at hammering!"
I quickly returned the hammer to the suddenly babbling junior and hurried on.
"Hurry and follow me. Considering the Objects isolated in the central Research Institute, we need to get out of here as quickly as possible."
Time was running short.
The Objects of the Research Institute would soon begin their escape, the vicious Objects that had been sent to the central Research Institute for isolation.
If you don't want to get caught up in the rampage of the Objects, you have to grit your teeth and run away.
In the midst of the frantic running, the sound of the Research Institute being smashed to pieces resounded from behind.
"Run if you don't want to die!"
It was the sound heralding the start of hell.