IATAOTHKG | CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 20

“Aaaahhh!”

“Move!”

The ballroom turned into complete chaos in an instant.

People collided, tripped, and tangled with one another as they all rushed toward the door.

Then it happened.

Boom…

A foreboding sound echoed through the vast space.

Everyone who had been running stopped all at once.

Crash!

With a thunderous noise, the doors that had been wide open slammed shut by themselves.

Tap.

Tap tap.

Tap tap tap!

The pumpkin-shaped lamps on the walls went out one by one.

Clang!

Finally, the enormous chandelier hanging in the center fell straight down—

—as if someone had pulled the rope from below, shattering into countless pieces.

“The door’s shut!”

“His head—where’s his head?”

“Where did it roll?”

“Over there! Over there!”

“Ahhh! Look at all that blood!”

“A horrible murderer must have snuck into the ballroom!”

People raised their voices in panic.

“Everyone, calm down!”

Khalif had climbed onto the stage and shouted in a chilling tone.

The terrified crowd instantly fell silent.

“Sob… sob…”

“Oh no, did you see that? Sob…”

Quiet weeping broke out here and there, but no one screamed or ran anymore.

“If you move carelessly, you could cause a stampede. Nobody take a step.”

Khalif issued the order calmly and jumped down from the stage.

He walked toward one side of the ballroom, where people had stepped back in fear.

On the floor lay a severed head.

Though its body was gone, its eyes were wide open—almost as if it were still alive.

Khalif drew his sword from his waist.

He prodded the head lightly with the tip of his blade.

The crimson lips opened for just a moment.

“Grrraaaahhh…”

A bubbling sound came from its throat.

“I-It just moved! It made a sound!”

Those who saw the grotesque sight fainted on the spot.

Meyna, standing beside Khalif, shut her eyes tight.

‘Again. A monster has escaped the gate again.’

First it was the port city of Solodom.

Then, Gillingham Square.

And now, La Rundel Town.

Strange phenomena were spreading throughout the Empire of Farman.

Khalif examined the thing closely, then opened his jacket.

He pulled a dagger from the sheath at his belt and thrust it into the center of the creature’s forehead.

“Gwaaaahhh!”

It screamed like a slaughtered boar, then melted into a sludge-like brown liquid.

People began shouting at Khalif all at once.

“W-What happened, Sir Lennox?”

“Sob… I just want to go home! Why won’t the door open?”

Khalif didn’t answer. He pushed through the crowd toward the door.

Before he reached it, a curly-haired young man grabbed the handle.

“Don’t!” Khalif yelled.

“Aaaghhh!”

The young man’s hand burned black the instant he touched the handle.

“H-Help me! It’s too hot!”

His knees buckled.

He fell to the ground, and his entire body turned to ash and crumbled away.

The air was filled with the stench of burning flesh.

Everyone was frozen in horror.

Khalif muttered a quiet curse under his breath.

“Sir Lennox,” Meyna called softly, her voice trembling.

“Open a portal. We need to get these people to safety.”

A faint glimmer of relief crossed Khalif’s tense face.

Without a word, he nodded.

Meyna began organizing the survivors into lines.

She knew that fear could turn people mad.

“Everyone, line up. Women and children first. Men, please stay behind.”

Then a grumbling voice cut through the air.

“Why do men have to go last?”

She turned to see a short, stout man with an unpleasant face.

His hair, the color of chili sauce, was slicked back, and he wore a fine velvet suit with white shoes.

The others glanced at him but said nothing.

“Hey! Why do women and kids go first, huh? Are men disposable?”

“…”

Meyna bit back all the things she wanted to say.

“Don’t feed idiots,” Khalif had once told her. “Talk to them and they’ll only get worse. Ignore them and deal with them later.”

Remembering that advice, she kept quiet.

When the women hesitated, Meyna guided them forward herself.

“It’s alright. Come on.”

Meanwhile, Khalif checked the line and began sending the children through the portal first.

“Slowly. One at a time.”

The small children stepped into the portal with tiny, nervous steps.

The noble ladies followed, stumbling in their long dresses.

“When you step inside, it might feel like you’re falling, but don’t panic—just keep walking.”

Meyna tried to calm them.

“W-Where are we going?” an elderly woman asked anxiously.

“To the capital of Moonkashim. La Rundel Town is too dangerous now,” Khalif answered briefly.

Most of the children, women, and elderly had gone through safely when—

Boom.

Crash!!

A deafening noise shook the ballroom as part of the ceiling collapsed.

Dust and stone rained down.

“Grrrr…”

“Raaaargh!”

Familiar, dreadful sounds filled the air as a pile of corpses tumbled through the opening.

Or rather—pieces of corpses.

Rotten green arms and legs.

Hands, fingers, heads.

Headless bodies fell to the floor with sickening thuds.

Some headless torsos walked clumsily, crashing into columns.

Others, missing their legs, dragged themselves forward with their hands.

The remaining men screamed in horror.

“H-Heuk!”

One of them fell to his knees, trembling.

Khalif grabbed him by the collar.

“If you don’t want to die, pull yourself together.”

He shoved the man into the portal.

Only six people remained—Khalif, Meyna, and four others.

Khalif readied his sword and glanced at Meyna.

She nodded.

“Stay calm and walk straight ahead,” Meyna said to the others.

Now five remained.

“Don’t look back.”

“Graaahhh!”

“Rrraaargh!”

Four.

“When you arrive in the capital, stay together.”

Finally, only Meyna, the red-haired man, and three young boys were left.

Then it happened.

“Kiyaaah!”

A monster that had slipped past Khalif charged at the group.

“Get out of the way!”

The red-haired man yanked one of the boys by the hair just as they reached the portal.

“Ahhh…!”

The boy collapsed to the floor.

The red-haired man ran into the portal.

Creak… crack…

The green monster crawled toward the boy, its long hands reaching for his throat.

“Sir Lennox!” Meyna shouted.

But Khalif was surrounded, struggling against dozens of monsters.

“P-Please! Help me!”

The boy looked at Meyna with desperate green eyes.

“Just… just hold on,” she said.

She looked around, searching for a weapon.

Her eyes landed on a tall, heavy golden candlestick.

She grabbed it and swung it at the monster’s head.

Crunch. Crack.

The creature’s neck twisted grotesquely as it turned its face toward her.

Crack. Crack…

It made a sickening bone-snapping sound as it turned.

Thud…

Meyna dropped the candlestick in fear and staggered backward.

“Please… please don’t kill me…”

The boy’s voice trembled with tears.

The monster still gripped his neck as it crawled closer to Meyna, cornering her against the wall.

“Meyna!”

Khalif shouted as he ran toward her.

At that same moment—

Snap!

The creature broke the boy’s neck.

‘No…!’

Meyna’s legs gave out, and she fell like a withered leaf.

A single tear rolled down the boy’s pale cheek.

Then everything went white.