49. Hunter (1)
49. Hunter (1)
ㅡRattle
ㅡRattle
Crossing the bridge, heading inside.
I headed toward the intersection leading into Sejong.
ㅡScreech
There were no checkpoints or blockades visible here either.
Well, if those existed, the remnants of the 32nd Division wouldn't have fled toward Bugang-myeon. That would mean they had the ability to stop the Infected pouring in from various places.
'Sejong Jiphyeon University, is it?'
There was a university next to me.
Looking at it roughly, it looked completely fucked.
Infected were visible on the rooftops or high floors of what looked like a massive building, but in reality, there seemed to be no one inside.
'No, wait. There are no absolutes in this world.'
However, even if there were any, it would only be a small number of survivors.
It's been nearly three months since the incident, and it would be hard to hold out with just the supplies at the university.
I turned my head.
Next to it was an apartment complex.
A quiet apartment complex with several lights on.
Nothing unusual was visible.
No Flower weeds, no infection like the one I saw earlier.
'The place I saw from the bridge seems to be on the other side of the Geumgang River.'
It's a place that faces Sejong City Hall with just the Geumgang River in between. I saw things stuck all over the building there, like boils on a person's body, so it seemed like some fucked-up Infected had popped out inside Sejong City too.
Are they guys who create zones like Flowers?
'Doesn't seem like a Hunter or a Balloon.'
Well, I didn't come in here to investigate that.
ㅡRattle
ㅡRattle
I headed toward the City Hall along the road.
#
ㅡVroom
Quiet night streets.
Only Walkers and Runners were visible among the Infected.
While passing through the road and following the stream path where Sejong City Hall is located, no special Infected were seen.
'Nothing on the other side either.'
However, the traces were somewhat visible.
Because on the building ahead, there were traces of concrete gouged out as if by something sharp, whether it was the claws of that guy called a Hunter or something attached to its body.
If it's enough to completely wreck concrete and rebar, it must have enough strength to completely sever a person.
'......'
However, the fact that they led civilians and fled to avoid that means that while killing it might be impossible, keeping it in check is possible.
As the Lieutenant said, things stronger than Hunters and Abominations must have attacked the city.
It means deterrence is possible with firearms and other things.
The guy I saw at the IN Company Cheongju Branch was definitely a monster that guns and grenades didn't work on. It probably would have regenerated from a missile, too.
A monster that doesn't die unless you drive rebar into it at bullet speed and churn its body...
'.....'
It really would only die if you nuked it or dunked it in lava.
Therefore, there was a slight chance that there might be people at Sejong City Hall this time.
ㅡScreech
Thinking that, I had already arrived at the City Hall.
The appearance of Sejong City Hall, looking like a ship floating in the sky.
I narrowed my eyes looking at the scene.
Unlike my expectations,
Traces of the military having been there, traces of many people having been there were visible.
Yes, it would just be traces, literally.
A K2 rifle split in half was visible.
ㅡClack
It looked like it had been cut in a straight line by something sharp.
'Annihilated?'
It was full of human corpses.
I got out of the car and looked at the carnage.
#
Sejong City Hall.
Human flesh was scattered here and there in pieces. Everything on the floor had been eaten by Infected, leaving only traces, but in places like the roofs of temporary barracks that Walkers and Runners couldn't reach, flesh splattered on the 2nd floor or higher of Sejong City Hall, blockades, or places made into temporary checkpoints, human flesh was splattered and giving off a rotting smell.
'......'
Ahead, on the path leading into the City Hall, something that looked like a long trail of blood seemed to stretch out, but there didn't seem to be a single survivor.
Walkers and Runners were visible wandering around, but it didn't seem like they were the ones who did this.
If Walkers and Runners had attacked, their corpses should have been visible too, but they weren't. That means they were wrecked by someone else.
'A Hunter?'
A guy the size of about four people stitched together, incredibly fast and powerful.
If that guy annihilated this place, it makes sense.
But it doesn't make sense that the military died to a single Hunter.
'There must have been some problem.'
There were barracks, but the number seemed a bit low,
Did they get attacked by a Hunter while trying to do something inside? Or, a pincer attack with a Sentient Being?
'That's a possibility.'
If a Hunter and a horde come together, there really is no answer.
A size of about four people would be able to move freely inside buildings.
If it had been that massive Abomination, it would have been visible here too.
I first cleared away the barricades that looked like they would stab people.
ㅡClack
ㅡClack
I went inside. Barracks, armories, everything was smashed. Ammo boxes and such were all in a mess, to the point where there was nothing to salvage.
Evidence of using various guns and firearms was visible here and there, which meant they were still smashed like this even after using them.
Broken barracks.
Several broken military trucks.
Broken tanks and armored vehicles.
'Even tanks were smashed.'
Well, since it's to that extent, that's why they lost contact with the main unit.
How strong is this Hunter guy?
'The smell is pretty bad.'
I took several evidence photos first.
Because I have to let them know that the 32nd Division main unit was wiped out.
Next is inside the City Hall.
The inside of the door was also completely blocked by barricades.
ㅡGrind
ㅡCrunch
When I pried the door open, the inside was a hellscape mixed with red and orange.
Whether the civilians had been completely massacred, the entrance was full of corpses, and it was quite strange.
'......'
Because they had hung people up in a row on some flesh, just like pigs in a butcher shop.
Hunter.
Hunter.
Is it called a Hunter because it's a hunter that hunts humans, fitting the name?
They named it well.
However.
'.......'
The Hunter that seemed to be the owner was not visible.
It seems like it would be somewhere in this City Hall, but,
ㅡCough, cough
The smell is too foul.
The smell of rotting people.
The smell of filth from human corpses flowing down and rotting.
On top of that, the smell of blood and a strange odor.
If only I had worn a gas mask. Otherwise, it seemed like it was impossible to explore this place.
Besides, since the inside of the building is easy to ambush, it was also problematic for me to move around.
There are 6 floors of stairs, and it's huge, so it seemed hard to look through by pushing past the corpses.
Also.
"Ugh."
"Ugh."
Walkers and Runners were also visible.
'......'
It seems like the Hunter and the Sentient Being formed an alliance, or they attacked together, or something.
'I can just report it like this.'
However,
It was the moment I was about to turn back.
A sound I suddenly heard.
ㅡScuttle
The sound of something crawling.
I turned my head subconsciously.
ㅡ.......
At the end of that hallway, in the dark space.
Between the staggering Walkers and Runners,
I made eye contact with something that looked like four humans stitched together.
1, 2, 3.
3 seconds.
The monster, as if realizing it had been spotted, crawled toward me at a crazy speed.
Slicing the Walkers and Runners in front in half, at a crazy speed.
ㅡScramble
The sound of it climbing the wall.
I raised my gun subconsciously.
ㅡ!!!!!!!!
The submachine gun spewed fire.
#
ㅡRat-tat-tat!
ㅡPop-pop-pop
As expected, the guy didn't take any damage. It was cunning; as soon as it saw the muzzle flash, it hid its body among the hanging corpses.
Besides, it seems like it wouldn't matter even if it got hit by bullets.
According to previous reports, it said it was meaningless unless it was something like a missile.
Then it was safe to assume that was a bluff.
'High intelligence.'
Maybe even higher than that Sentient Being.
"Kieeeeek!"
"Kieek!"
Walkers and Runners are swarming due to the noise.
ㅡScreech
ㅡThud
I quickly turned back and came outside.
ㅡClack
Then, I ran toward the temporary checkpoint with the flickering light.
This is only six human steps away.
ㅡClack
ㅡScramble
However,
The guy that had crawled out from the end of the hallway was already approaching the door.
The incredibly fast guy broke the wall with the arms attached to its whole body and opened its mouth.
A mouth that splits into four.
The guy opening a mouth that looked exactly like the Crawler's from before.
ㅡThwack!
A crumpled rebar pierced its head.
ㅡSplat!
Blood splattering on my body.
The guy's body slamming into the checkpoint wall with a ㅡBang!
The guy stuck in the wall flailed.
The creepy thing is that it doesn't make a sound while doing that.
ㅡGrind
Then the guy tore off its own head.
As if a head was no weakness to it at all.
Then, the guy, regaining its senses, jumped high, shattered the central City Hall stairs with a ㅡCrash, and tried to escape inside.
Of course, that too was intercepted by rebar,
and it fell toward the parking lot with a ㅡSplat.
ㅡBang!
ㅡSplat!
Even so, it came back to life and ran away through the inside of the parking lot.
I drove rebar into the guy's back, but it ignored even that and fled into the City Hall.
"Wow, fuck."
Because there's a bastard like this.
The country is fucking ruined.
Cheongju was actually a clean zone.
Because I hadn't seen guys like that.
No.
A guy like that was near Eunha University, so my side was at least okay.
'The Lieutenant said the country wouldn't be ruined by just Hunters and Abominations.'
If guys like this swarm, it's enough to be ruined.
They're guys who can fold tanks, so killing them would be impossible unless it's a nuke or missile.
Or a superpower.
However, in the early days, the level of superpowers would naturally have been low, so they must have been helpless.
Those who survived now are just the lucky ones.
ㅡKieeeeeek!
The screaming sound of Walkers and Runners ringing out.
I agonized while listening to the sound of the guys swarming from outside.
'Should I run?'
Or should I go in?
I made a decision.