Chapter 52
* * *
Everything is red.
The water entering through my nose, ears, and mouth was as cold as ice.
A pungent scent numbed my head. The water that entered through my nose and ears pierced my brain, while the water that entered through my mouth tied up my tongue. Those things blocking my esophagus soon filled my stomach and suffocated me.
Even amidst that, a transparent light of sleep could be seen. It shimmered like waves, swaying gently in the calm breeze, blooming like summer, yet painted with a red hue.
Turning my gaze away from it to look at the bottom where I was falling,
.
I couldnt see the end.
Gulp.
A bubble of air from my body rises to the surface.
Though the thick lake water, reminiscent of blood, tormented my eyeballs, the red-drenched view couldnt completely obscure the sight before me. It was like a sinkhole, filled to the brim with this crimson liquid.
And on that wall, obscured by the vines that were descending like branches, I could see what they were covering. Thick and tangled vines, some with thorns, were clumsily trying to hide those things from my sight, inadvertently scratching my eyes.
Long, towering pillars. Numerous entrances beside the pillars. Rectangular stones dividing the wall with geometric patterns.
At that moment, a greenish monster reaches out its hand.
Squelch.
.
It grabs my neck, crushes me, leading me to death.
Ah.
Suddenly,
It felt like I saw its face.
* * *
Ha.
Im going to vomit.
Lee Jaehun, who was desperately trying to hold back his coughs, jerked his body.
Even though he tried to stop the coughs from bursting out, it was futile, and water leaked from his nose and ears even as he covered his mouth with both hands. He could only pray that they wouldnt make a loud noise.
In the end, unable to hold back the nausea, he had to leave the spot.
Huk, ugh.
Coughs flowed through the gap between his hands.
To avoid waking the sleeping group, his movements had to be cautious, and even though he tried to move his feet as quickly as possible, his stumbling legs had their limits.
Finally, Lee Jaehun could open his mouth after moving away from where they had settled.
Leaning against a tree, he hung his head down.
Kuk, ugh, eugh.
Thud.
Large water droplets fell under his feet.
I might die like this.
It felt disgusting to have foreign substances coming out of his throat, but more than that, he felt suffocated.
But perhaps it was because water had entered where it shouldnt have. Lee Jaehun had to keep coughing up rough coughs until his lungs recovered. The stomach acid that came out with it burned his throat and mouth, but now he couldnt stop. RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only
It hurt differently from throwing up after overeating or drinking. The lungs, which had been still without his realizing, were injured from repeatedly expelling water, and that sharp pain pierced them. The feeling of it coming out of his nose and mouth again was always freshly painful.
It felt like he had vomited out all the water in his body, so much so that his stomach felt hollow. His throat stung as if scrubbed with sandpaper, and now that his nose and mouth were finally open, he gasped for air. While he had experienced pain before due to external factors, this intense bout of vomiting was a first, leaving his head spinning.
Having expelled all the lake water from his body, Lee Jaehun leaned against a tree and stretched out flat, as if pressing his forehead against it.
.Cough!
Immediately after, he coughed violently again.
What the hell is going on?
Although he felt like he had vomited everything out based on experience, he couldnt understand why he kept coughing.
No matter how inferior his current body was compared to his past life, this situation was just ridiculous. Just because a little water got in, he was now wheezing like this. If his past life team members saw him, they would probably ridicule him rather than pity him.
And all this was because of that damn lucid dream.
While grumbling inwardly, Lee Jaehun quietly pondered.
He met Constable Kim Yeonwoo.
Although Detective Hong himself was unaware, he had a slight affinity for Constable Kim Yeonwoo. After all, she was someone who committed suicide due to the mental shock of her death, and even though it wasnt solely because of that, he had some stake in it.
Even though he was in a daze, if such a guy had not come to see Constable Kim Yeonwoo and was leisurely patrolling, it meant that they had already met and sorted things out internally. He wasnt the type to be thrown out without being sorted out internally first.
Should I pretend to know?
Since Constable Kim Yeonwoo was also a police officer and the other party introduced themselves as a police officer, it seemed like a good idea to pretend to know at this point. Pretending not to know and then later having Constable Kim Yeonwoo pretend not to know could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
However, the problem was that this wasnt a connection created to be used in such a sudden situation.
It may not be effective to lower the level of vigilance unnecessarily.
Anyway, the other party was just as wary of Lee Jaehun.
Of course, Lee Jaehun was only pretending to be wary, but Detective Hong, who didnt know that fact, might think that they were both wary of each other. If an unexpected situation arose later and he couldnt remember Constable Kim Yeonwoo due to his initial wariness, it could serve as a reasonable excuse.
Lee Jaehun inwardly nodded and decided not to pretend to know. It wasnt so much a big problem as it was not a card made to be used in such a sudden situation.
I know what you were doing, but why did you call me?
In a situation like this, meeting a survivor for the first time can only be a relief. I heard a noise while patrolling nearby, and I found out that you were here.
Do you find it amusing to see someone vomiting?
As expected, Lee Jaehun grimaced for no reason. If he saw someone vomiting violently, it would be strange not to be calm. He intended to push the setting that his mental state worsened along with his deteriorating physical condition.
And the other person responded.
I wouldnt say that. More importantly, you dont seem to be in good shape.
Are you healthy?
I doubt it. I wouldnt say someone vomiting blood is healthy.
.
Huh.
Lee Jaehun hesitated to speak.
Saw?
If seeing someone vomit blood as much as a small bottle of mineral water counts, then yes. I saw.
.
So he saw, this guy.
Thats just great.
Lee Jaehuns face involuntarily stiffened.
Given the dark night and his significantly weakened mental state, Lee Jaehun naturally assumed that the other person couldnt have clearly seen him. He thought that although the sound of vomiting might have been audible, what was being vomited wouldnt have been visible.
And the smell of blood wouldnt reach that far.
But apparently, Detective Hong Kyungjun had senses sharper than imagined.
I seem to have a good sense of smell, maybe because of some tough experiences. My eyesight isnt that great, but its a common fact that something crimson coming out of a persons mouth isnt normal.
.
Of course even at a glance, it doesnt seem quite normal.
Even though they werent standing close enough to see what was vomited, if he knew enough to know what it was, then this guy wasnt just good at intuition; he could probably do anything biologically possible.
Feeling slightly baffled and overwhelmed, Lee Jaehun stammered, and Detective Hong continued.
Did you try to hide it? My apologies for the lack of consideration.
No.
But you shouldnt hide pain, especially if youre vomiting blood. Are you suffering from a chronic illness? Or have you suffered a major injury since coming to this world?
No, no. Its okay.
Lee Jaehun shook his head vigorously.
Im fine, so if you could just let me go on my way, Id appreciate it.
Why is that?
Just that would be best.
In my state of mind, this bitch.
* * *