Uninvited Guests (2)
I held my breath. I listened to the approaching sounds. Using echolocation-like perception, I gauged their position and distance. A rustle—the sound of leaves being crushed underfoot. They were trying their hardest to muffle their steps, but they weren't exactly quiet. I glanced at my sister and our eyes met. Ahyeon's stealth was at the Master rank. Mine was only Novice. In the dead silence of night, I was quieter than the ones closing in, but still.
Our eyes locked, and I calculated. What was the best move? What would be a blunder? The thought didn't take long. We didn't even need words or gestures to exchange signals. Kang Ahyeon knew me well, and I knew her just as well. Our intentions were obvious.
I immediately grabbed the over-under shotgun from the gun rack in the cargo bed. It was already loaded. But these weren't ordinary shells. 7.5 birdshot. An abundant supply. After agonizing over how to make use of its low power, combined with my Master-rank shooting skill and the military knowledge that had seeped into my body, I'd come up with a recipe.
The method was simple. Cut the wad of shot straight across from behind. They called it a cut shell. It was the "poor man's slug"—a way to turn birdshot into something that fired like a single heavy lead slug. Because the casing, the wad, and the cluster of tiny lead pellets all slammed into the target at once, the impact was considerable. It didn't eject properly in semi-automatics, so it was useless there, but in an over-under shotgun it was perfect. In fact, it was something you could only really use with an over-under.
I quietly lifted the shotgun using the power of stealth. A pistol stayed gripped in my left hand. I wasn't wearing the exoskeleton yet. It was still hanging on the rack. Putting it on would make too much noise and take too much time. The distance was about forty meters. Still far.
After some thought, when Ahyeon moved toward the driver's side, I met her eyes one last time. I listened to the footsteps. Crunch, crunch, crunch. As the direction of the approaching steps shifted, I pressed the hatch's latch and opened it.
Clank!
The moment it opened, gun barrels all swung toward me at once. I aimed the shotgun at the first one to lock onto me. I squeezed the trigger, then swung to the next fastest one. Two in a row. With Master-rank CQB, hand-to-hand combat, and shooting skills, as long as the distance was close, I wouldn't miss.
Boom! Booooom!
The gunshots rang out in deafening succession. Muzzle flashes lit up the night. The ones closing in were soldiers—helmets, body armor, rifles in hand. Their eyes widened as they saw me.
Thud! Bang!
“Aaaagh…!”
“Guh—!”
I yanked the hatch shut again.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Bullets poured in, ricocheting off the armored surface. Yeah, closing it had been the right call. If a ricochet had hit me, I would've had to use Regeneration. Through the side window, I watched the fallen men writhe. I'd aimed right for their chests, but of course they were wearing body armor. Still, the effect was clear. Dozens of birdshot pellets, along with half the spent casing and wad, had slammed into one spot. Even through the armor, they were twisting in agony.
Should I aim for the head next? Or the legs, which weren't protected? Legs seemed better. Create wounded men to shake their morale. Instill fear.
I opened the shotgun's chamber and yanked out the two spent casings. They rolled across the floor. Cut shells were great, but if you didn't prepare them in advance, they were hard to make on the spot. It took time. And the hatch was already compromised. If I opened it again, they'd be aiming right at it.
Ahyeon had already slipped out toward the driver's side. So then.
I glanced at the German assault rifle on the wall mount, then at the competition-grade shotgun beside it. The one Yeeun had given me. I'd already loaded it with cut shells. In fact, I'd pre-loaded cut shells into every over-under on the rack. Just in case. They didn't jam easily, and leaving them loaded didn't cause malfunctions.
I grabbed the shotgun and slowly eased my body backward. Listening to the unique roar of gunfire and gunpowder, I sat in the passenger seat. Every bullet bounced off. Nothing penetrated. If this had been a regular pickup truck, I wouldn't have been able to stay this relaxed.
I silently thanked the President as I gripped the passenger door. I shouldered the shotgun. The pistol in my left hand went back into its holster, but I kept it ready to draw at any moment. I didn't let my guard down. Neither I nor my sister were invincible. I had Regeneration, but it wasn't resurrection or ultra-fast healing. What if the wound couldn't be regenerated? What if they put a bullet in my head before I could even activate it? I'd die.
So I couldn't afford to hold back.
I threw open the passenger door and burst out.
“Wha—?”
It was the first sound they'd made that wasn't a scream. These guys were used to fighting. More precisely, they were used to robbery. That had been their intention from the start. The reason we'd heard them was either because their stealth was shit or because our Perception was high. Or maybe because Ahyeon had sensed their hostility through Resonance and woken up. It didn't matter which.
Since their intentions were what they were, there was only one thing to do.
Total annihilation.
I aimed the shotgun immediately. The moon wasn't very bright. It was almost invisible. But there were sounds. Footsteps, the rustle of movement, the sound of guns being raised. I dropped sideways to the ground and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Booooooooom!
One man collapsed with a choked gasp. Another fell as birdshot tore into his leg. Listening to their dual screams, I slammed the passenger door shut and hid behind the vehicle, out of their firing angle.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Suppressed breathing. Sounds that were hard to hear over the gunfire. They were already terrified. I knew why.
Beast's Gaze: Overwhelms opponents with ease, instills fear through minor words and actions, and applies a penalty to their morale.
It was the perk I'd chosen with my Master-rank Oratory. Knowing this was the perfect time to speak, I drew my pistol and said,
“Four left now.”
It was a small remark, but my voice came out with a chilling lack of emotion. If I had to compare it, it was similar to the moment when Kang Ahyeon turned terrifying. Maybe siblings really do take after each other.
The gunfire stopped for an instant. A fleeting silence fell. Even though they'd pinpointed my position from my voice, they didn't close the distance. Only screams filled the air. Either way, the effect was clear. The silence that followed was thick with fear.
But I didn't get cocky. The fact that they feared me was an advantage, not a reason to grow overconfident and charge blindly. After all, my job right now was to buy time.
I listened carefully. They realized they were wasting ammunition and stopped shooting. They didn't move from their positions. The screams continued. If I were them, wouldn't I try to get away from the ones screaming?
My heightened Perception made the night as clear as day. The faint moonlight gradually grew brighter as time passed. Elongated shadows. I estimated their positions.
“—Cover! Take cover!”
They'd noticed too and started moving. They scrambled for the trees, aiming their guns in my direction as they ran. The dangling shadows of their rifles looked like claws reaching for me.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
I threw myself back against the vehicle just as I was about to emerge, and rifle rounds rained down like a storm. They bounced wildly—crimson death flying everywhere. Feeling the heat graze the tip of my nose, I held my breath.
Kang Ahyeon's stealth was Master-rank. With all the commotion I'd caused, they hadn't realized there was one more person. And now, among the stretching shadows, I spotted a familiar small silhouette.
So right now—
Boooooooom!
Tadol.
I kicked off the ground with my body tilted as far as it would go and hurled myself forward. Screeeeech! I slid across the asphalt and raised my pistol. In the direction the moonlight fell, I saw seven men aiming at the vehicle. And behind them, Kang Ahyeon. She emerged from behind one soldier, bayonet in one hand and pistol in the other.
My sister and I pulled our triggers at the same time.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Seven pistol rounds pierced through them. Foreheads, throats, eyes. Two shots from me as I slid, five from her. Four heads exploded from Ahyeon's pistol. My two bullets simultaneously punched through two foreheads.
“Guh, glurk, kuh—!”
“Shh, shhh. Quiet. It's nighttime, you know.”
Ahyeon drove her bayonet into the last man's throat and slowly twisted it. That left…
“Ugh, hic…!”
I approached the four who had fallen. Fourteen rounds left. I kicked away the rifles they were still clutching and drew the .22 powder pistol from one of their waists, aiming it.
“Ugh, ngh…”
They groaned, trying to suppress the pain. The one I'd shot in the leg was already dead. Three remained. When Ahyeon pulled out her bayonet and walked over, the three on the ground stared at us with terror in their eyes.
Should I interrogate them and then kill them? We already had plenty of rifles; there was no real need to salvage more. I was pondering that when a walkie-talkie on one man's shoulder crackled to life.
“—Report the situation.”
The eyes of the man with the walkie-talkie widened. Before he could react, the voice continued through the static.
“Did you secure the armored vehicle?”
He trembled violently in fear. I would've done the same. They'd all been killed without a single scratch on us. They'd realized the difference in our level. The cut shells hitting their body armor must've hurt like hell too. Probably cracked a few ribs at least. And now a gun was pointed at their heads. On top of that, a transmission was coming through asking if they'd stolen the armored vehicle from its owner. Anyone would be scared. It was partly because of the Beast's Gaze perk too.
I met my sister's eyes. In the faint moonlight, she smiled sweetly. Sigh, always leaving the annoying stuff to me.
I clicked my tongue and stared at the walkie-talkie, thinking. No matter how strong we were, openly antagonizing the military would be difficult. It was a good thing these guys were just a rifle-armed detachment. If they'd had grenade launchers, we would've been fucked. This vehicle was tough, but a real tank or anti-tank weapon would still kill us outright.
So the best option was… to kill all of them and get out of here. I was debating whether to force the terrified man to respond or just maintain radio silence when—
“…Did they get you?”
Had they been ordered to respond to transmissions immediately? Only a few seconds had passed, yet that was the reply. Impressive. Well, in a world like this, where annihilation could come at any moment, it made sense. The natural consequence. Yeah, we should just kill them and leave quickly—
“Assuming you've been hit… I'm speaking on the premise that you're listening. Owner of the armored vehicle.”
The voice on the other end suddenly addressed me directly.
“Or should I call you this instead?”
His tone was utterly flat.
“The Presidential Assassin.”
My eyes widened. It hadn't been a guess based on the lack of response. They'd already assumed the detachment would be wiped out. In fact, they'd sent the detachment precisely to make contact with whoever had annihilated it. If it wasn't the person they were looking for? Just kill the armored vehicle's owner and take it. Either way, no loss. Whether things went according to his plan or not.
I instinctively realized it. This bastard. What a fucking cunning bastard.
I tore the walkie-talkie free.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Captain Kang Ji-hyung.”
“Not your name. What kind of bastard are you?”
To my irritated question, he answered calmly.
“The kind of bastard who knows what's important in this fucked-up world.”
Important things. I frowned, and he continued.
“Power.”
I froze, the retort dying on my lips.
“And I really, really like people who are strong.”
Beyond the standard speech that suppressed his dialect, there was a terrifyingly calm temperament. I swallowed what I'd been about to say and listened.
“I'm from Busan. It means I know how to treat guests properly.”
A soldier. A man willing to cooperate with someone who'd killed the President and his own subordinates.
“I'll treat you to the full course, so how about stopping by once?”
As I looked at the line of text floating above the terrified men, I realized who they were. They were one of the most common types in this apocalypse—bandits.
Captain Kang Ji-hyung wishes to form a connection with you and hopes for a long-term deal.
They were extremely, extremely sensitive to power.
“Where do I need to go?”
Maybe he was the most cunning person I'd met so far.