The Corpse Mass

Luna always called herself a hound of hell.

But when she truly faced a “hellhound”…

She was speechless.

That… was the real thing.

A starving beast—

Devouring everything it could consume.

Lamp posts.

Lanterns tied to wires.

Anything that could be swallowed—

Was dragged into that writhing mass of flesh.

The Corpse Guardian never seemed to be full.

It chased Luna relentlessly—

Like a sworn enemy from another lifetime.

Embedded within that mass—

Flickered warm orange lights.

Sky lanterns made of glowing ore.

Once hanging peacefully from street poles—

Now swallowed whole.

It truly was a starving beast.

An endless hunger.

This thing…

Was created by Savage—

A puppet creating another puppet.

Almost laughable.

Because Savage still believed he was himself.

Yet he was nothing but a pawn.

He never knew what stood behind him.

His tail had merged with his memories.

The tail was Savage.

Savage was the tail.

Yet—

This Savage…

Was no longer Savage.

Just a corpse animated by the Flower of Death.

And that corpse…

Had summoned this abomination.

The mass looked like a hill of flesh.

A crawling mound—

Like a grotesque snail.

From afar, it seemed slow.

But up close—

It surged forward with terrifying speed.

Like an avalanche of blood.

Its presence shook the ground.

The stench of blood filled the entire town.

Unbearable.

Wherever it passed—

It painted the walls in dark red.

Like hell itself had spilled across the earth.

Even the deepest pits of hell…

Seemed mild in comparison.

The Lantern Festival—

No longer a blessing of the Goddess.

But a symbol of hell.

The full moon cast silver light—

Over blood-soaked streets.

From above—

The roads looked like veins.

Reflecting cold silver.

A chilling beauty.

Mixed with death.

Like the gaze of Medusa—

Alluring…

And fatal.

Luna ran swiftly.

Leaping across rooftops like a thief.

Tiles cracked beneath her feet.

Some shattered—

Sliding down into the streets below.

Only to be devoured instantly.

The only sound—

Was the sickening squirm of flesh.

The Corpse Guardian bled endlessly.

Like a fountain.

Spreading wherever it moved.

“Damn it…”

Luna muttered.

Her magic—

Water and earth.

Defensive.

Useless against this thing.

She had underestimated it.

The books in Demon Castle…

Had described only small clusters.

Destroy them piece by piece—

Reduce them to pulp—

And wait for their magic to fade.

But this—

Was an entire town.

Nearly ten thousand people.

Ninety percent—

Now part of this mass.

This wasn’t something brute force could destroy.

She knew that now.

She had tried.

Punching it head-on.

But when she used her Mind’s Eye—

She realized the truth.

It had thousands of weak points.

Everywhere.

And yet—

Striking them only destroyed tiny fragments.

Blue particles drifting away.

The damage healed instantly.

Flesh replacing flesh.

Every strike drained her stamina.

Even hitting thousands of points—

Would achieve nothing.

This…

Was a mythic devourer.

Unstoppable.

She kept running.

No destination.

Only movement.

After those punches—

Her hands burned.

The blood was toxic.

Corrosive.

Savage had prepared this perfectly.

He knew her methods.

He left her with no way to fight.

Touch it—

And she would be eaten away.

Cruel.

Now—

She could only stall.

Buy time for Eugene.

Though he was weaker than Savage—

She trusted him.

He wasn’t reckless.

He wouldn’t die pointlessly.

She wished she could burn it.

But she couldn’t.

No fire magic.

“Annoying…”

She thought.

The mass was frighteningly agile.

Even at full speed—

She barely outran it.

It flung chunks of corpses onto rooftops.

Blocking her path.

Those fragments—

Were still alive.

Slithering like eels.

She stomped—

Knocking them back down.

They melted back into the mass.

Like drops into an ocean.

She felt chills crawl across her skin.

Her brows tightened.

Thinking.

What should she do…

She leapt across rooftops.

The mass grew more violent.

Launching bodies higher and higher.

She jumped again—

Higher this time.

Like an arrow into the sky.

From above—

She saw it.

A strange structure.

A massive chimney.

Outside the town.

An old alchemical crucible.

Overgrown with vines.

Blended into nature.

“I’ve got it…”

It was a magical construct.

A device.

She could see the circuits.

Lead it there.

It was instinct.

No logic—

Just intuition.

She had no other choice.

She flipped midair—

Like a cat.

Adjusting her descent.

Her crimson hair flowed wildly.

Her hidden ears revealed.

She dove toward the chimney.

A gamble.

But it was all she had.

The mass followed.

Guided by Savage.

Flowing like blood through veins.

Chasing that crimson streak in the sky.

Out of the town.

The town…

Now a true hell.

Bones scattered everywhere.

Blood oxidized into dark clots.

Unimaginable tragedy.

A lively place—

Destroyed in an instant.

The air thick with metallic sweetness.

As if telling its story.

The dead would find rest—

Someday.

Perhaps too late.

Meanwhile—

Savage burned.

Eugene’s spell took hold.

Heat surged through his body.

Smoke rose from his skin.

He tried to cool himself—

With layers of ice.

But it barely helped.

He struggled desperately.

Because he knew—

At any moment…

He might ignite.

A terrifying fate.