The Death Walker's Seal

Chapter 6

Baekho opened his eyes underwater. He could not breathe. His lungs burned. He tried to swim up, but something held his leg tight.

He looked down and saw it. A water spirit. Its body was made of water, but its eyes were solid and blue. It stared at him with curiosity, like a child looking at a new toy.

Water spirits were Grade C monsters. They were rare and dangerous. What was one doing in a Grade E Gate?

Baekho pulled out his knife and tried to cut the spirit's hand. The knife passed through water and did nothing. You could not cut water. You could not hurt water.

His vision started to blur. He was running out of air.

[Warning: Death imminent.]

[Seal release recommended.]

No. He refused in his mind.  If he released the seal now, it would drop below 40%. And then things would start happening. Things he could not control.

But what choice did he have?

His body grew weak. His movements slowed. Death was fast approaching 

Fine.

[Seal release authorized.]

[Current seal strength: 38%]

[Warning: Memory wipe will occur.]

Power exploded through Baekho's body. His eyes turned red. Red light surrounded him like flames underwater.

He grabbed the water spirit's arm with both hands. This time, his grip did not pass through. The spirit looked shocked.

Baekho pulled. The spirit's arm came off. Water poured out, but it was black water now. Corrupted water.

The spirit screeched. The sound traveled through water and made Baekho's ears ring. But he did not stop. He grabbed the spirit's face and activated his true ability.

[Death Absorption]

The spirit's body began to crack. Lines of black light spread across its form. Then it shattered like glass. The pieces dissolved into energy that flowed into Baekho's body.

He felt stronger. Faster. More alive.

But also more empty.

Somewhere in the world, someone forgot him again. Maybe a teacher. Maybe a neighbor. Maybe someone important.

He did not care anymore.

Baekho swam up to the surface. He broke through and gasped for air. His team stood at the edge of the pond, staring at him with wide eyes.

"What was that?" Moon Rael whispered. "What did you do to that spirit?"

Baekho pulled himself out of the water. His clothes dripped. His hair stuck to his face. But his eyes were still red.

"We need to leave," he said. His voice sounded different. Colder. "Now."

"Why?" Lee Rowoon asked. "We killed the spirit. We are safe now."

"No. We are not. That spirit was a scout. Where there is one, there are more. And they know we are here now."

As if to confirm his words, the pond began to bubble. The water rose up, forming shapes. Five water spirits emerged. Then ten. Then twenty.

"Run!" Choi Iseul screamed.

They ran back into the forest. The spirits chased them, their watery bodies flowing over the ground like rivers.

"This is insane!" Park Hwan cried. "This is supposed to be Grade E! Why are there so many Grade C monsters?!"

"The professor was wrong!" Moon Rael shouted. "Or he lied!"

Baekho ran ahead of the group. His body moved faster than before. The seal release gave him temporary access to more of his true power. He could fight all these spirits if he wanted to. But that would mean releasing even more of the seal.

And then people would remember.

They would remember the incident from two years ago. The incident that killed three hundred people. The incident that was blamed on a rampaging monster but was actually caused by him.

Kim Baekho. The Death Walker. The boy who absorbed life to become stronger.

No one remembered that name now. The seal made sure of it. It erased him from history. From memories. From records.

Only his sister remembered. And she hated him for what he did.

"There!" Lee Rowoon pointed ahead. "Another clearing!"

They ran into the clearing and stopped. In the center was a stone altar. And on the altar was a crystal. But this crystal was different from the Gate core. It pulsed with dark energy.

"What is that?" Choi Iseul asked.

"A corrupted core," Baekho said. "Someone placed it here deliberately. This Gate is not natural. It is a trap."

"A trap? For who?"

"For us. For the students."

The water spirits caught up to them. They formed a circle around the clearing, blocking all escape routes.

"We are trapped again," Park Hwan said weakly. "We are going to die this time."

"Use your emergency device!" Moon Rael said. "Call for extraction!"

Lee Rowoon pressed the red button on his watch. Nothing happened. He pressed it again. Still nothing.

"It is not working!"

"Mine too!" Choi Iseul checked her device. "They are all jammed!"

Baekho looked at the corrupted core. Of course, that was its purpose. It blocked all outside communication. Whoever set this trap wanted to make sure no one could escape.

"Can you fight them?" Choi Iseul asked Baekho. "Like you did with the ogre?"

"I can try."

"Then do it! Or we all die here!"

Baekho looked at the twenty water spirits. Then he looked at his team. Park Hwan was shaking. Moon Rael was trying to stay calm but her hands trembled. Lee Rowoon held his sword tight, ready to fight even though he knew it was hopeless.

And Choi Iseul looked at him with desperate eyes.

Why should he save them? They were strangers. Rich kids who had everything while he had nothing. Let them die. It was not his problem.

But then he thought about his sister again. If he died here, she would die too. No one else would take care of her.

He made his decision.

"Stay behind me," he said. "Do not get in my way."

"What are you going to do?" Lee Rowoon asked.

"Something I should not do."