Snake Venom Ch 50

Chapter 50

Even when the road is the same, there are places where your feet hesitate to step forward. Corners or walls that look identical somehow end up being passed by without a second glance. Spatial angles that are unconsciously overlooked, blind spots not registered by the mind even though seen with the eyes. Such places lacked the distinct scent of the living.

The hunting grounds of Sodom, teeming with beasts in search of prey, were no exception. Though they had been ransacked beyond recognition and were rarer than ordinary buildings, unconscious blind spots still existed. Only places that could be found by Lee Yeonwoo alone remained as rare havens.

Lee Yeonwoo referred to these spots as nests and used them as survival boxes. It was a know-how he had developed through countless games with his exceptional sense of smell. Secret spaces filled only with inorganic scents. Lee Yeonwoo led Cheon Wooshin to one of those spaces.

It was a skill he had been forced to learn in order to survive, but now it had become second nature. Lee Yeonwoo found the nest in the shooting range faster than expected. It was located deep behind a large cabinet in the multipurpose room on the third floor.

Once found, it turned out to be a place with many advantages. With plenty of cover, it allowed for both offense and defense in case they were discovered, and since there were doors on both sides, it was ideal for escape. It was also close to the emergency exit, making it easy to go up and down floors. If such a place had existed in Sodom, he would have rejoiced—it was a perfect fit.

It was so fitting that he could almost praise himself, and it felt particularly meaningful as if all the hardships in Sodom were finally paying off. He had thought he just needed to endure here until Jung Suho arrived, but—

“……”

“……”

Rustle, the sound of fabric brushing. It was the sound Cheon Wooshin made as he moved. Lee Yeonwoo’s fine hairs stood on end at that faint noise.

That’s when he realized—he had never considered this before, so he had never accounted for it. Most of these spaces were far too narrow to accommodate two people.

Pressed against the wall with Cheon Wooshin right in front of him, Lee Yeonwoo didn’t know where to look. If he looked up, there was Cheon Wooshin’s chin; to the sides, his broad shoulders; down, his thick chest—wherever he looked, it was Cheon Wooshin.

‘This is the real ambush.’

Lee Yeonwoo repeated to himself and ended up closing his eyes.

He closed his eyes to endure it somehow, but his other senses only sharpened. The scent, now stronger with time, sounded internal alarm bells, and a calm breath, different from his own, rhythmically brushed the fine hairs of his earlobe.

Had he ever been this close to another person before? As he recalled, another image of Cheon Wooshin rose in his mind. The perverse Cheon Wooshin who had lost his memory had been desperate to stick to him. Back then, his limbs had frozen from the tense swings between hot and cold, but now, it felt like he was being squeezed by tough yet soft fabric. The sensation of his throat drying up felt strange and unfamiliar. It was all unbearable.

Watching the hallway with vigilance, Cheon Wooshin was more composed and razor-sharp than ever. He was regulating his senses with astonishing balance.

In contrast, Lee Yeonwoo couldn’t do the same. No matter how hard he tried, it wasn’t working.

His heart pounded, his breathing was shallow. His vision blurred and his stomach churned. Why was this happening? Didn’t he understand how dangerous it was right now? Scolding himself fiercely did no good. In a parade rest stance, Lee Yeonwoo clenched the fists at his sides. His nails dug into his palms, yet the sensitivity only seemed to increase.

“At most, it’ll be twenty minutes.”

The deliberately lowered voice flowed in from right nearby. Lee Yeonwoo awkwardly nodded like a wooden puppet, repeating Cheon Wooshin’s words. Right, as he said, at most twenty minutes…

‘How am I supposed to wait twenty minutes!’

In the end, Lee Yeonwoo began to sing songs in his head. He didn’t know why he had to do it, but it felt like the only way to survive.

Since the transmitter’s coordinates only registered vertically, the enemies would have to check eight places across the underground and aboveground floors. Eight chances. Even if they came here, failing to find them would further complicate the search. Of course, the best outcome would be if Jung Suho’s team captured them before they found Lee Yeonwoo and Cheon Wooshin.

Lee Yeonwoo checked the biometric gear on his wrist. Perhaps thanks to the suppressant, his heart rate and temperature hadn’t changed drastically. He wiped his nose. If it weren’t for that scent, he might have felt more at ease—but it was now more intense than before. Hesitating, Lee Yeonwoo spoke.

“The scent’s gotten stronger.”

“…If the numbers change too, I’ll inject another suppressant.”

They were exchanging whispers quickly when it happened. Click—someone grabbed the doorknob.

Cheon Wooshin, watching the exit, moved in close to Lee Yeonwoo. The elbow supporting him next to Lee Yeonwoo’s head folded inward.

The locked doorknob was turned roughly. Then came the loud sound of something banging against the door, followed by the door swinging open. Someone stepped into the multipurpose room.

“Ha, fuck’s sake, they wrecked all the circuit breakers. This is such a fucking pain.”

The man’s rough curse slithered between the furnishings. Footsteps drew closer. As he focused on those footsteps, Lee Yeonwoo blinked rapidly.

For a moment, it felt like he was back in the hunting grounds.

Like an ancient instinct, he held his breath and pressed himself against the wall. He became almost one with it, barely daring to blink. I want to live. I don’t want to die like this. I want to live well again. These were the words Lee Yeonwoo repeated as he waited for the predators to pass.

Just like back then, the one thing he couldn’t control was his heart, pounding like it would burst. As the sound grew so loud it made his ears ring, something tapped lightly beside his crown.

Lee Yeonwoo met Cheon Wooshin’s gaze. Even though the darkness made it hard to see, he knew. He was definitely looking at Lee Yeonwoo.

“……”

“……”

Eyes like a deep abyss, without a flicker of movement. Cheon Wooshin showed no expression, but with just that steady gaze, Lee Yeonwoo regained his center. Silently, he nodded. Understanding the gesture, Cheon Wooshin turned his eyes away.

As the careless footsteps drew nearer, Cheon Wooshin pressed even closer to Lee Yeonwoo. The polished tip of his shoe nestled between the ragged sneakers. Cheon Wooshin held his breath. His ribcage expanded silently, pulling his jacket taut.

“……”

“……”

Lee Yeonwoo, stunned by Cheon Wooshin’s closeness, looked bewildered. It was suddenly all too close.

“If I catch him, I’ll fuck him once before handing him over. The little rat’s made us go through all this shit.”

The man, grumbling and cursing, seemed seconds away from finding them. And so did Cheon Wooshin. Lee Yeonwoo quickly turned his head just as Cheon Wooshin’s chin nearly touched his nose.

In that moment, the scent intensified. It wasn’t just because they were closer. The strength was the same as the night they had dinner together. Back then, Cheon Wooshin hadn’t been able to eat properly, and his condition had rapidly deteriorated. He had become so weak that he couldn’t even stand on his own, eventually losing consciousness.

Was he okay? What if he was sick? Lee Yeonwoo glanced at Cheon Wooshin’s wrist. Their eyes exchanged wordlessly, and understanding his concern, Cheon Wooshin slightly turned his wrist.

“……”

“……”

His fear had become real. His body temperature was dropping. As Lee Yeonwoo gasped in surprise, Cheon Wooshin covered his mouth and pressed against him as tightly as possible. There was no time to react—their chests were now touching. It was practically an embrace.

“Hey, you fucking bastard, are you sure they’re even in here?”

The man spat his profanity. Convinced no one was around, he was speaking on speakerphone with someone.

– Just find them. Don’t kill him. Try not to even scratch him. The others, kill them all if you want.

The voice on the line was leisurely—and it was a voice Lee Yeonwoo knew.

“That fucking animal, what the hell, acting all high and mighty.”

– What else? It’s money. Nice, crisp new bills.

The man spit a thick glob onto the floor.

“Forget finding them—I think my nose’s gone numb from all the bleach sprayed around.”

It had been Lee Yeonwoo’s idea, suspecting that among them could be half-humans.

– Ah, our sweet Yeonwoo’s been crafty again, huh? I knew it. Should’ve given you a camera.

The sneering laughter sent chills down his spine.

‘By the way, Yeonwoo, have you ever been fucked?’

The consciousness he had fought so hard to hold onto slipped again with a crash. Those humiliating words, flung with a friendly face. The dozens of cameras that relentlessly pursued him as he fled from violence and sex-crazed monsters. The miserable moments he tried not to recall for the sake of his sanity overwhelmed Lee Yeonwoo’s vision.

Cheon Wooshin glanced briefly at him and twisted his lips—but it was only for a moment. His eyes, once again calm, stared alertly through the gap in the metal shelving. He stared at the incomplete outline of the man, dimly lit and obscured by the furnishings, for several persistent seconds.