City of the Dead
The Faceless Ones had these characteristics. They mimicked the dead, carrying their knowledge as well. They thought like humans but could turn savage at any moment. They could move during the day, but prolonged sun exposure made their skin redden and blister. After death, their human faces vanished, and even brief sunlight melted them away. That meant they could only be distinguished by sunlight or Yoo Soyeon's ability.
These five traits meant one thing above all else. They had to be dealt with fast.
I hadn't left every problem behind for no reason.
Thud. I headed into Namdong Station first. My destination was Saseol-dong, shrouded in black fog, so I planned to take the tracks straight there.
"Hoo."
This mission: the Faceless Ones.
Honestly, I'd assumed they were just monsters mimicking the dead's appearance. That's why I'd planned to gather survivors, wipe out the Liberation Army, then tackle the remnants. The Liberation Army seemed more dangerous than the remnants back then.
But these bastards were far worse than I'd thought.
...That's why my priorities shifted.
Unlike the second remnant that snatched people away to devour them on the spot, or the seventh that just hunkered down laying curses, these were a different breed of threat. They disguised themselves as people, pretended to be human, waiting to strike from behind. Unlike the others confined to bases, they could threaten ours anytime.
Hell, they'd already hit us this time.
Of course, distinguishing humans from Faceless Ones was easy enough. Even without Yoo Soyeon's power, just gather people and let them sunbathe for five minutes.
But that was only because I knew what they were and their weakness.
What if they infiltrated civilians or soldiers, striking during sleep or vulnerability?
Sure, a base obsessed with lust like ours might get subdued easily, but... Jeong Suhyun handled firearms, which saved us. If Hwang Jinseok and Lee Jeongsu had wielded rifles instead of blades, it would've been a disaster.
The army has one more reason to collapse.
There was a reason no rescue came. I'd suspected it, inferred these threats existed. But speculation and seeing it firsthand were worlds apart.
What if they disguised as high-ranking officers and issued orders? Or snuck in for a shooting spree, or drove a tank into the ranks?
Collapse would be instant.
Weak to sunlight? In this apocalypse, this ruined world—do people stop moving at night? Zombies and remnants were bonuses.
Fuck it.
No sign of the army for a month anyway. The only "military" I'd seen treated people like animals: the Liberation Army.
Responding to unknowns without knowledge was impossible. That's why I had to clear everything visible in the fog this time—for me, or for whatever innocent survivors remained.
Haa... I sighed again and stepped forward.
Drop. Drop. Dripping water echoed, just like before. The subway was eerily silent.
But this line differed from Northdong Station to Yuseong University Station. Black fog filled the tracks.
I scowled at the fog blanketing the entire route to Saseol Station.
Fog underground? Ridiculous.
Remnants truly weren't of this world. I'd suspected as much since that fetus.
Fog or clouds? I stood at the boundary, peering inside. From outside, it was opaque.
Thud. Step in a bit, and the outside was clear from within.
I grimaced and plunged into the fog.
Step. Step. Only my footsteps echoed.
I scanned the flickering LED lights one by one, moving slowly.
Scraaape. Scraping the wall yielded no issues. I'd expected building damage like the crimson flesh masses.
Then what the hell is it?
I eyed the drifting fog patches and approached slowly.
No reaction from Ashes Veil. No smell, no inhalation sensation—harmless to the body, it seemed.
...Mental effects?
My mind was fine. Vision clear, judgment sharp.
Why, then?
The station overrun meant the lower district was too. And...
Grrraaah.
Zombies too... I pondered the crawling one ahead.
Drop. Drop.
The second remnant's blood-clump zombies devoured regular ones, so zombies avoided crimson flesh zones.
But here in the black fog, zombies roamed freely.
No relation? Or they ignore it?
Hard to guess without zombie behavior knowledge.
Then.
How did they devour Hwang Jinseok's group and Lee Jeongsu, turning them into Faceless Ones?
Thud thud.
No conclusion again.
Fine. See it myself.
"Ice Spear."
I dispatched the zombie and reached Saseol Station via Yuseong University Station.
......
Saseol Station.
Fzzzt. Flickering white emergency lights.
I followed them out. Silent underground mall. Stairs. Ticket booth.
The lights pierced the black fog just enough to navigate. I climbed the stairs to the surface.
Huh...
Outside Saseol Station. Cheonggyecheon was 500m down—my target.
But black fog choked visibility.
Fzzzt. Signs sparked despite power—damaged somehow. I looked up.
Sky dark. Not quite night—too bright for that, too dim for day. Like pre-dawn twilight.
But it was past 8 a.m. Sun should've been up.
Black clouds blanketed the sky, black fog draping from them to ground.
Ruined city. Ruined roads. Fog everywhere.
Downtown left, Mirae Apartments right—all shrouded.
I knew the area from prior visits. Otherwise, perfect for getting lost.
Saseol Station was hidden anyway.
Haa... I Frost Blinked toward Mirae Apartments to scout nearby.
......
Mirae Apartments, Building 210 parking lot.
...
I perched on a 1-ton truck, scanning.
...
Figures moved ahead. I scowled.
Faceless Ones?
Below, in the apartment playground, shadows shuffled. All Faceless Ones.
Kreeeak. Creak.
They jerked heads and limbs unnaturally. Zombies crawled nearby too.
Unlike blood-clump zombies, they ignored each other.
Not aggressive toward each other? Why?
Zombies had animal-level smarts—evading crimson boundaries proved it.
No clue.
Zombies neither avoided nor attacked Faceless Ones. Like ignoring objects.
I scanned, then Frost Blinked to Building 210's roof.
Needed reasons for this madness.
Whiiiish. Chilly rooftop. Damp fog clung. I stood at the edge.
...
Surveyed all directions. Below: eerie stasis. Zombies groaned endlessly, Faceless Ones twitched oddly beside them.
Head to Saseol-dong downtown?
Mirae Apartments were quieter than expected. No blood, guts, predation.
Just zombies and Faceless Ones crawling silently.
Something's here.
I knew it wasn't all. Liberation Army, mind-controlled by the seventh remnant, wouldn't target here otherwise. Weaklings like zombies or Faceless couldn't manage that.
Seol Juyeong, Seol Minyoung, Lee Seoyul might've lied, but...
Logically, yes.
Search downtown block by block.
I stretched. Scout apartments, then downtown. Find the culprit.
Then—
Flash!
Lightning cracked ahead, at Building 209. Sky briefly lit.
What the—?
I spotted the source.
A massive...
...balloon?
No. About 10m—three stories. Giant spherical flesh mass.
It appeared suddenly, wrinkled red skin dripping black fluid. Holes pocked its surface.
Float. Drip. It drifted, searching.
Squelch squelch.
It halted at Building 210's playground. I narrowed my eyes.
What're you doing?
"Frost Blink."
I blinked to the parking lot shadows, unseen.
Whatever it was, not normal. Why stop where zombies and Faceless crawled?
Then—
Shhhrrrrk!
A massive scythe protruded from the sphere.
Slash!
A wandering zombie's head flew.
Thud.
...
Claw-like tendril lifted head and body, stuffing them into a hole.
Crunch. Into the sphere.
...
Slice! Splash!
It severed a dancing Faceless One's head.
Grind.
This time, just the head—blood gushing from the neck. Shoved inside with a crunch.
Then.
"...Huh?"
Men's faces emerged from the sphere's countless holes. Like whack-a-mole, popping up with pop crunch.
"What...?! What the hell?!"
The man screamed from inside. Realized his fleshy prison, shrieked.
"What is this shit! Fuck! Aaaagh!"
Crackcraaaack!
His scream cut short. The sphere convulsed; his hole gaped empty, blood trickling.
Slurp. Splash!
Something birthed from the underside. Like Northhyang Hospital's giant fetus spawning blood-clumps—this sphere birthed too.
Difference: fetus birthed monsters from human form. This birthed human form from monster.
...
The form solidified into the man's face from before.
The energy of the Ninth Fragment of Ruin is felt nearby.
Discovered: City of the Dead
Status window alert. I narrowed my eyes.
As expected. A remnant.
Though the follow-up bugs me.
Obviously main-quest related. No time to check now.
Remnant first.
Recalling Rocket Mart, I hurled Ice Spears.
Boom! Crash!
The sphere reeled, black fluid spraying from the blast.
Groooowl.
It writhed, then—flash!—vanished.
"Frost Blink."
I blinked down immediately, looked up.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The sphere hovered exactly where I'd been. A colossal roar erupted.