Chapter 238: Awakens

A smile appeared on Joo Joowon’s face, and an inexplicable feeling surfaced in his heart. His "body" was dissolving at the speed of light. He reached out and rubbed Hwi’s round chubby head. "Hwi, don’t be afraid..."

His body gradually dissolved like a mark being erased by an eraser. Hwi fell to the ground, while the tentacles in the void emerged once again from every possible opening. Hwi opened his wide mismatched eyes and his original cat-like form gradually changed back into the twisted and terrifying shape he had possessed at the beginning.

"Begging you to listen... begging you to... pity... please... Oh... All Father... hug..."

Meaningless and uncontrollable nonsense continuously poured out. Hwi sat blankly where he was, his frozen thoughts slowly beginning to turn.

An invisible thread extended from his soul, with the other end connected to his...

His...?

Hwi slowly moved his cat eyes, his expression vacant. An unknown force lifted him up, while the final trace of obsession remained firmly rooted deep within his soul, allowing him to slowly begin thinking.

"Hungry..."

"Eat..."

"Find... Mama..."

Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz...

The unknown whispers gradually changed into a noisy indistinct sound of electrical static. Just like every time he had eaten in the past, Hwi pounced on the food around him without being picky at all. The teeth-grating sound of chewing continuously echoed through the silent darkness.

"Ugh..."

Joo Joowon clutched his head and let out a painful groan.

[ Ding! ]

[ System Notification: You have permanently lost 8 points of Mental Power in è°·%#...]

[ System Notification: Your Favorability with Hwi has reached: Deathbound Devotion ]

[ System Notification: Your Pet Companion panel has been unlocked. Your Pet Companion has loaded a sub-panel. Click here to view details. ]

[ System Notification: Your Reputation with #%@&% has reached: Dislike. The current Reputation interface has not been unlocked, so you cannot view the details. ]

The excruciating pain caused by the excessive depletion of Mental Power made it difficult for Joo Joowon to even hear what the system was saying. Everything he saw after opening his eyes was covered in overlapping images. The fanatical holy chanting echoed beside his ears, warm water soaked through his clothes, and his cheek seemed to be licked by some kind of beast, the barbs on its tongue scraping painfully against his cheek.

"I still can’t sleep..." Joo Joowon desperately tried to open his eyes wider. A heavy buzzing rang through his mind, while the overlapping images before him remained impossible to see clearly. He took a breath, and his dangerously weakened Mental Power once again left his body and spread outward to explore.

Although the wounds caused by Byeol’s claws were supported by his high Physique, they still could not heal quickly. At this moment, they were like a reservoir whose floodgates had been opened, with bright red blood gushing out of the wounds as though it cost nothing.

The awakened Byeol opened his wet mismatched eyes and anxiously licked the wounds, letting out a mournful cry.

At his feet, Hwi had shrunk back to his normal size. Beneath his fur, it seemed that there were one broken blister after another hidden away.

Even though Joo Joowon had seen all of this with his Mental Power, he subconsciously shook his head, seemingly believing that everything before his eyes was only an illusion.

When he looked carefully again, it really was an illusion. Hwi shook his cat ears and woke up from his deep sleep. Those eyes, which looked as though they contained a great deal of wisdom, revealed a clarity that had never been contaminated by knowledge. After remaining dazed for a long time, he finally reacted and suddenly pounced into Joo Joowon’s arms.

Joo Joowon was already in a weak state, and the impact directly knocked him to the ground. His dangerously weakened Mental Power immediately collapsed, and his heavy eyelids closed as he completely lost consciousness.

"Meow!"

Byeol angrily looked toward Hwi. Without thinking, he swung one paw out and directly scratched a wound so deep that the bone could be seen across Hwi’s face.

However, strangely enough, such a deep wound did not spill any blood. Instead, dark-colored pus and blood churned within the split wound, while tiny tentacles wriggled and gathered together.

"Meow~"

Hwi showed no reaction at all to Byeol’s attack. He curled himself into Joo Joowon’s arms and rubbed his head against him affectionately, while the thick fur covering his body transformed into countless tiny tentacles that pierced into Joo Joowon’s exposed wounds.

"Meow!"

Byeol’s entire body swelled up, and every strand of his fur stood straight like pine needles. This situation beyond his understanding instinctively made him feel threatened, and his sharp claws landed mercilessly on Hwi’s body.

However, Hwi did not react at all, nor did he make any response. It was not until Byeol sensed that Joo Joowon’s weak breathing was gradually becoming steady that his emotions finally calmed down again. He crouched beside Joo Joowon, remaining on guard against the surrounding environment while looking at Hwi with a strange and wary gaze.

His appearance hasn’t changed, but his scent has changed...

Byeol could not understand this complicated situation. He tried hard to sniff, and that scent was somewhat familiar, as though it carried the same smell as Joo Joowon, yet it also contained a much stronger feeling of madness. Because of this, Byeol could not bring himself to place the same trust in Hwi as before.

Joo Joowon was completely unaware of everything. The unknown whispers were instinctively rejected by him, while his Mental Power, under the subconscious protection of his mind, withdrew into the indestructible depths of his consciousness. The damage to his body was gradually repaired, and his breathing slowly became steady.

The electronic candle went out as its power was exhausted, and the room once again fell into complete darkness. Byeol moved his ears slightly. He could no longer see anything before him, but his hearing became even sharper. Joo Joowon’s breathing and heartbeat reached his ears, giving Byeol an indescribable sense of security.