Old People Don’t Hold Hands - Chapter 139



Only Krnovel

Episode 139, The Frost Queen’s Crown (11)

… … Thud, thud, thud, thud!

It was clearly a heart, lumped all over the wall.

And gray liquids of unknown origin were swimming around inside my heart.

“… … Ugh, what is that?”

Biella frowned at the sight.

“I knew you’d find this strange.”

With these words, Diana took the lead and came closer to the heart.

A gray heart that resembles the cement wall of the basement level.

As Diana approached, the bastard began to shake more violently as if he had been waiting.

Diana reached out to her rapidly beating heart.

As if feeling its pulse and trying to communicate with it.

… … It couldn’t help but be a truly bizarre sight.

A human being who communicates with the heart attached to the building.

“What are you doing… … right now?”

“I feel it. The pulse of this child.”

“… … You said you were like that for several days?”

“How many days? I’ve been doing that my whole life.”

“Then do you have any memories like that from when you were young?”

“That’s… …, old memories tend to be forgotten.”

… … So you’re saying you don’t remember?

Well, even if the memories are tied to the Welcome Body, does that mean the memories aren’t manipulated at all?

Instead of looking at Diana, I walked briskly towards her heart.

As I reached out to my heart, Diana stared at my hand anxiously.

I just laid my hand on it, like Diana did.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

The thing moved irregularly as if it didn’t like my touch.

Still, I didn’t let go.

I just sit there and feel this unpleasant ringing.

… … Was all Diana wanted was a safe space?

So much so that you don’t mind relying on such a monster?

“… … Is this something precious?”

“This child? Or, this space?”

Even when Diana asked him a question while raising her hand, he didn’t bother to look at her.

No matter what answer I heard, my actions would be the same.

“Both.”

“… … It seems precious. If this space hadn’t existed, I would have died.”

“In the end, it all comes down to being safe, then.”

“… … You could see it that way, right?”

“Then do you know that?”

I held the part that was sticking out of my heart tighter.

“What do you mean?”

“Long before this, there was someone who saved Miss Diana.”

“… … ?”

He saves Diana’s life the moment they first meet.

People who have been struggling together to protect themselves.

Me and Biella, and… … .

In the end, Homer was able to protect ‘us’ but was unable to protect himself.

As I thought about it, I put more strength into the hand holding my heart.

Okay then.

Thud, thud, thud.

The heart muscle that had been beating violently was torn.

Inside, a cement-like liquid began to pour out haphazardly.

“Mr. Declen, what the heck… …!”

Diana, who had been shouting at me as soon as she saw that sight, soon lost her strength and collapsed.

Not long after that.

Kookung, kookugugoo, kookung.

Diana’s small fortress began to crumble.

In addition, a gray liquid began to pour out continuously from the torn heart muscle.

“Ugh, euaaaah! Ah, mister! What do I do?!”

Leaving Biella, who was already in liquid up to her ankles, waving her feet in all directions and shouting.

I silently hugged Diana.

“Let’s go to the place we came in from!”

“Ugh, I don’t like it… … !”

“Inogen!”

“Okay, human!”

At my words, Inogen quickly lifted Viella up and started running together.

We are now in the A Line corridor.

Let’s just run in the opposite direction of where the liquid is leaking out.

Then the B line corridor appeared.

By the time I reached the B Line corridor, the level of the rapidly pouring liquid had already reached my calves.

As the water level rose, the speed of escape also slowed down.

After passing through the B Line corridor, the C Line corridor appeared.

Lights began to appear in the distance.

It was the hole we first fell into, down to the basement level.

Meanwhile, the liquid quickly rose up to the top of my thighs.

It was difficult to even move because the liquid hardened over time, making it difficult to determine whether it was real cement.

Even if I put all my strength into my legs, I could barely push my way through.

Inogen quickly attacked by transforming his legs into the shape of a dragon.

Kuung!

I jumped up in one go and reached the first floor.

I handed over the drooping Diana to Inogen, who had roughly placed Biella on the floor.

As Diana climbed up safely, I also tried to jump up with all my might.

Dam, dam, dam.

“… … Chew!”

It was not even easy to jump up because the liquid had half-hardened and become hard.

With just one use of the power, I could burn down this area and move around comfortably.

Even that is not an easy situation.

I tried to escape somehow, using all my strength, but due to a subtle difference, I couldn’t get above ground.

In addition, the more I twisted my body, the harder the stimulated liquid hardened, making it difficult to move.

When I finally gathered my strength and jumped up.

I was able to hang on the first floor, carrying the heavy liquid that was stuck to me hard.

There was just one problem.

“… … Ugh.”

It was holding the liquid attached to the ankle so that it couldn’t rise any further.

I tried to climb up by shaking off my ankles somehow, but it wasn’t easy.

Ugh.

Someone grabbed my wrist.

“Hey, profit! T, pull that side too… …!”

It was Biella.

At Biella’s words, Inogen also grabbed my wrist and started pulling it.

As the two people on the ground started to pull me, my ankles, which were immediately caught in the liquid, began to hurt.

It was to the point where I thought my ankle was going to break.

“Eww, eww! Pull, pull!”

“Joe, be quiet. Human… …! Ugh!”

Inogen, who had even transformed his arm into the shape of a dragon, grabbed it and pulled it.

I was able to come up and break the liquid in one go.

Not long after we were completely out, the liquid hardened into a cement floor.

In between, there was a fairly deep pan, and there was even a trace where my ankle had sunk.

… … Phew.

If you were even a little late, you would be completely frozen and wouldn’t be able to get out of there.

My ankle hurt like it was broken, but I was okay for now.

After applying strong pressure to this part with a cloth and taking appropriate measures,

I looked out the locked front door.

The sun was already high in the sky, and on top of that… … .

“……eye?”

It was snowing.

There is enough snow to cover the ground completely white.

And on the pure white snow field.

Key, key, key!

… … Goblins were running around.

Unlike the spoders who were only sensitive to sound due to their almost complete loss of eyesight.

The goblins took advantage of their good eyesight and large numbers, rushing at anyone they saw.

In addition, the number of people left on the road was significantly reduced compared to before.

Probably because they either went to the shelter as soon as they were seen, or died.

Bang, bang, taang!

Gunshots could still be heard in the distance.

Even that wasn’t as much as before.

… … At this point, there will be no more survivors, so it seems they thought there was no need to desperately defend.

That wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

Kwaaang!

This noise, which is far away but still heard, is clearly… … .

It was a bombing.

People are leaving and they’re bombing the empty city.

It seems like they’re trying to kill all the monsters at once like this…

I had to get out of here fast.

If this happens, you’ll be blown up by the bomb and die before you even encounter the goblins.

First, outside the building… … .

Before I could even finish thinking about moving.

Kick, kick, kick―?

… … I made eye contact with a goblin running in the middle of the road.

When they encountered each other like that, the guys nearby joined in and started to cling to the door.

Boom, bang, bang!

Even though it is crude, it is in the hands of those who strike with axes and swords.

The glass door on the first floor was bound to break at any moment.

Kikruk, kikruk!

As soon as the door broke, I unconsciously extended my hand and casted Emission at the guys who were rushing in.

… … Naturally, there was no flame coming out.

While Inogen was alone in stopping the guys who were getting excited by the sight of the rising black smoke and running even faster.

I quickly picked out a suitable piece of broken debris and swung it.

… … Of course, I have no power or anything.

Even though it was just rubble, I could swing it with all my might and use it as a weapon.

Dam, thud, thud!

… … Even a weak goblin could be easily stopped.

The only problem is that goblins that should be in other areas have flocked here to escape the bombing…

It turned out that more people than expected were rushing into the building.

Of course, Inogen is said to be easily subduing them by swinging his dragon-shaped arm here and there.

If we keep going like this and get caught by the soldiers… … .

At that time, we had to deal with not only goblins but also soldiers.

In a situation like this where these guys are swarming in, the soldiers’ attention would be drawn even more.

So I had to get out of there.

I should have done that, but… …, no solution came to mind right away.

A place where you can avoid the indiscriminate bombing and even the goblins that are swarming everywhere… … .

We had to find a safe place as bombing was continuing nearby.

Where is it?

While I was dealing with those guys for a long time, I was also thinking about it.

I thought of a place that met the criteria.

The subway station right here.

It was about a 20-minute walk from my original home, but it became quite close once I got to the downtown area.

So from here, it’s a 10 minute walk…

If you run, it takes about 6 minutes.

“Inogen, take care of these two people first.”

“What, what? Why?”

“We’re going to move. I’ll take the lead, so follow me.”

With those words, I picked up the largest piece of debris from among the scattered things.

And then I wrapped it around my shoulders using a cloth.

It’s as if he’s wearing a large armor on his shoulders.

The weight of the debris was a little heavy, but bearable.

After confirming that Inogen had taken care of the two people, I ran forward with the shoulder on the side that had fixed the debris forward.

I just opened up the path by blindly attacking the guys who were gathered at the entrance.

He immediately untied the cloth, threw away the debris, and quickly started running towards the subway station.

Key, kirruruk!

The goblin archer pulled back his bow as I ran away… … .

Kwajik!

Thanks to Inogen’s protection from behind, I wasn’t hit by any flying arrows.

After running like that, I tried to enter the nearest exit.

The shutters there were already down and closed.

“… … Human, is this the right place? It’s closed?”

… … No, the fact that it was closed actually meant that I had come to the right place.

The subway usually has its shutters open.

But if I had lowered the shutter in the same situation as now… … .

There must be someone inside.

Boom, bang, bang, bang!

I shouted, knocking on the shutter with all my might.

“Isn’t there anyone there?!”

Did you hear the scream? Soon, various lights began to shine from inside.

The light of a smartphone someone is holding.

… … is a person.

“Let us in! We’re being chased by monsters too!”

As I explained the situation in a loud voice, the lights that had been far away began to get closer.

As the sunlight came right up to me, people’s faces were revealed.

“Uh, what should I do? Leader… … ?”

The object that everyone inside is looking at at once while making a fuss.

I held my breath for a moment and stared at the leader.

The man who was the leader was watching me from the very back while carrying a backpack.

… … Because it was Nowen.