62. Abomination (2)
62. Abomination (2)
I opened the window and zoomed in with my smartphone.
Abomination.
I think they call it a Corpse Monster in Korean.
I can see why the soldiers named it that.
A monster the size of a building, with arms and legs attached.
However, if you look closely at its body, you can see human corpses plastered all over the place.
Dozens of people?
Something completely dismembered and embedded here and there.
Heads, legs, chests, stomachs, arms, even genitals.
Compared to its size, it doesn't look like that many. What connects those corpses are unidentifiable chunks of flesh.
However, the head parts with human hair were particularly noticeable, so I could tell that those things were human flesh.
'Is that the thing that crushed the 37th Division and Eunha University?'
Then again, just the fact that it moves must mean its physical force is immense.
On top of that, I know it has regenerative abilities.
And that it possesses powerful strength.
Just stepping on things with its weight is enough to crush most vehicles, so the fact that it half-destroyed a tank says it all.
'It would be completely impossible to fight it at Lv.3.'
No, in fact, even in my current state, at Lv.4, I don't think there's any answer if I fight it 1:1.
At best, I can manipulate 10kg to 20kg of metal right now, and there's no way to deal with a creature the size of a 6 or 7-story building.
It doesn't seem like it would die just by taking off its head like a Hunter, either.
'Still, it's better than not trying at all.'
The creature is currently in front of the temporary City Hall office. I'm in a building, and it's not like I have the ability to create metal from my hands and launch it; it just means the creature can't find me in this state.
Also, since it was sleeping, it was perfect for experimenting.
'...Is it sleeping?'
Come to think of it, Infected seem to eat humans, but do they maintain their caloric intake?
Or do they just pretend to eat, and in reality, they don't need to consume calories?
The latter is probably correct.
Creatures filled only with malice toward humans.
If it were the former, most of the Infected would have died by now, three months after the incident.
'......'
Artificial infection is this terrifying.
Anyway.
I cut and floated the broken, completely flattened vehicles around the Abomination.
Dozens of sharp steel rebars.
A method I can use because there is no limit to the quantity. I intended to launch these and grind up the inside of the Abomination's body.
I killed a Hunter at the Sejong City Hall with this.
'I hope I can kill it this time, too.'
I launched the numerous steel rebars.
#
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A monstrous cry rings out.
Unlike the Hunter, which didn't even make a sound, this is a scream from a giant.
The countless human faces attached to its body open their eyes with pained expressions.
'...Are they connected?'
Or are they still alive?
Probably not.
ㅡBang!
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!!!
Dozens of steel rebars pierce into its body.
The creature twists its body this way and that, as if trying to find the source.
However, it can't find it, so it flails about.
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!
I'm in this building far away, how could it find me?
So, as if to vent its anger, it moves around and smashes buildings.
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!
Body slam.
With that pure violence, the building topples backward.
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!
ㅡRumble rumble rumble
At that noise, ㅡKieeeeeek! Walkers and Runners scream. True to their nature of being sensitive to noise, Walkers and Runners flock from here and there.
However, even they are killed by the Abomination's pure violence.
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!
I wonder if it feels pain.
Or maybe it's just angry, I don't know, but the Abomination has chunks of flesh being sliced off by my continuous rebar attacks.
However.
'...It regenerates.'
The Abomination regenerates in an instant, just like the monster that emitted heat that I saw at the Cheongju Branch before.
I tried attacking by launching them all at once to find a way with the rebars, but true to its size, it regenerated from the body parts that had disappeared.
Then again, they're just thin steel rebars. Even if I launch a lot, the mass is too small.
'......'
It seems like a creature that has no answer unless it's something like a missile.
I stopped the rebar attack.
If I did any more, it felt like this whole area would be scorched earth.
And there was no progress in the attack either.
'A Hunter is better, actually.'
I saw another building collapsing.
The surroundings were getting completely smashed.
This part of the city is getting ruined to the point where even cars can't pass through.
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!
ㅡ!!!!!!!!!
ㅡRumble rumble rumble
The enraged Abomination attacked this area for a while, then ㅡ...!!!!!!! It let out a huge sound and twisted its body.
It seems the target of its anger disappeared once the attack stopped.
Soon, the countless human heads closed their eyes again.
'......'
I watched it quietly, then turned away.
Since that thing was even worse than a Hunter. It seemed better to postpone catching it for later.
'I should just not go anywhere near the Cheongju City Hall direction.'
I don't know why that thing is just loitering there, but there was no reason to poke the bear for no reason.
Today, I found out why the 37th Division, which supposedly engaged with such a thing, was crushed.
They engaged in urban combat with a few tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry against a thing that might or might not die if you shot it with a tank corps—of course it would get crushed.
'I could have at least won if I had engaged a Hunter instead.'
It would have been impossible to deal with a crazy giant like that.
'The Logistics Center side was lucky.'
I thought the Hunter and the Abomination were on the same level.
But in terms of pure fighting, the Abomination seems much stronger than the Hunter.
'Of course, I'd have to catch it to know for sure.'
There must be someone.
Among the soldiers or those who used early modern machinery.
Someone who caught an Abomination with something like a missile.
Especially among the people currently conducting IN Company experiments, there must be someone.
'Then does the person who pressed the missile button get the gauge?'
I don't know about that.
I thought about it while floating down the building stairs.
There's a lot to know and a lot to find, but it's true that I need to raise the gauge.
'......'
Finding other Infected is a problem, but catching them doesn't give me the gauge.
In the end, that means I have to look for Hunters. 5 per Hunter.
'Sejong City, is it?'
Sejong City, where there were many traces of Hunters.
Maybe I should go down there alone.
#
But I guess you could say things in the world don't go as planned.
Dawn of April 14th.
As soon as I returned to I-Pension, Seo-yoon, Eun-bin, Yun-ji, and A-rin were outside, even though they usually wouldn't be.
Seeing them holding guns, it seemed like there was some kind of problem.
"What's wrong, why are you all out here?"
Everyone's expressions were not good.
Unlike when they ate meat before, they looked serious.
Seo-yoon said in an urgent voice.
"Oppa. There, there's a big problem."
"Why."
"The Logistics Center. I mean, the place where the 32nd Division people are, we got a radio transmission, but they said the situation is serious, and there haven't been any radio transmissions since then. They aren't picking up either."
"...The Logistics Center isn't responding?"
"Yes. Here, this."
"When did it come in?"
"Um, not long after oppa left."
The situation is not good.
It's been over 4 hours since I left.
Seo-yoon handed me the military radio.
I immediately turned the radio on.
ㅡStatic
"Lieutenant. Can you hear me? I heard there was an emergency."
ㅡStatic
ㅡStatic
No answer from the Logistics Center.
I narrowed my eyes.
If they can't even receive a personal reply radio, it means the situation is quite serious right now.
"Since when has it been like this? Come to think of it, I don't think they've been in contact."
"That's right. Um, they haven't come since the 11th when oppa came. So the urgent contact from earlier is the most recent one."
"Then that means the incident didn't happen long ago."
"...That's right."
Or it could have happened earlier, but they couldn't get through, so they contacted us just now.
I don't know when the problem started. The time is now 2 AM. I only quickly checked the Abomination and had a small skirmish with it, so there was still time.
"......"
Eun-bin said in an anxious voice.
"Could there be a problem over there?"
"Probably. Seeing as they aren't picking up."
"......"
"......"
The women's expressions were not good. The expressions of Tae-jun and So-young, who were keeping watch up there, were not good either; it seems they realized the seriousness of the situation.
This couldn't be helped.
I was planning to rest today and try tracking Hunters, but the Logistics Center was more urgent.
"I have to go."
"Um, wouldn't it be better to go together?"
Seo-yoon asked.
Together.
It would be fine if they brought guns.
'If it's a Hunter and an Abomination, there's no answer.'
I shook my head.
It's better for me to go and take a quick look alone.
At least Seol-hwa is there.
But her level is too low.
"No, in the worst case, we have to assume everyone there is dead. For now, let's keep a tight watch here today."
"Yes..."
"I'll contact you by radio as soon as I get back, so keep holding onto it, you have the civilian one, right?"
"We do."
"Good."
The idea of the Logistics Center being overrun is something I hadn't even thought of. I quickly started the car.
#
ㅡVroom
ㅡClatter
ㅡClatter
The car headed quickly toward the Logistics Center.
ㅡStatic
ㅡStatic
The radio still had no response.
A quiet and gloomy dawn. The weather is still chilly for a mid-April night.
Past Nami-myeon,
To Bugang-myeon,
Past the two familiar Logistics Centers, to the third Logistics Center.
I was able to arrive at the Logistics Center base quickly.
The familiar barricade and the 1st checkpoint where the soldiers used to be, visible in the distance.
Normally, there should be two soldiers along with the Logistics Center base that should have the red Area Surveillance ability.
However.
'......'
Now, there were only Walkers and Runners wandering over the corpses of the soldiers.
The Logistics Center has been breached.