Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: 73. Armband (6)
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Slash!
For the first time in a while, real emotion fueled my axes.
The two blades tore into it without a shred of hesitation, ripping and slicing its body apart, dismantling it piece by literal piece.
Even as its flesh shredded and split, the thing didn't so much as twitch.
Thud!
It merely sent out pulses, as if supplying its own flesh to the grub-like creature was its sole reason for existing.
Monsters don't really have vital spots.
They're less like living beings and more like moving phenomena, disintegrating from any shock beyond their tolerance, regardless of where it hits.
But from my experience, striking spots like the head—what you'd call vitals on humans or beasts—deals more damage.
In truth, with mid-sized or larger true "combat types," hits to the head, excluding their armored exteriors, seemed to inflict greater shock than elsewhere.
But it's just a hypothesis. Monsters don't leave corpses, so dissection and analysis are impossible.
All we have are external observations and the personal experiences of those in the thick of battle.
But this new breed is different from the rest.
It has true vitals, both in appearance and function.
Slash—
My axes relentlessly carved through the flesh, exposing the repulsive innards within.
One reason I kept hacking toward the center was its absurdly tenacious life force, but I also suspected its vital spot lay deepest inside.
And sure enough.
There, in the deepest part, I found a familiar organ.
A throbbing thing that looked just like a seed,
the monster's heart.
The instant I swung my axe at it.
Thud!
A shockwave crashed over me.
Probably instinct rather than deliberate defense, but at point-blank range, it hit me hard.
"Urk!"
A jolt that blurred my vision for a moment.
Well, not as bad as that I Am Grotesque blast.
This was the close-range shockwave I was used to, really.
Normally, you don't get body-to-body with monsters.
Before it could unleash another, I gritted my teeth, steadied my buckling body, and smashed its heart with my axe.
Crack!
The seed split open.
At the same moment, the monster's body—which had seemed immortal—scattered like dandelion seeds in the wind, dissolving into particles of light.
"......"
Finally, I'd taken it down.
The leader of this so-called Extermination Type.
As the particles dispersed, a faint comfort soothed the flames of my hatred just a little, and I let out a shallow sigh.
"Hoo."
Yeah, this was the feeling.
The one I'd forgotten, yet always longed to return to deep down.
"Hunter Park Gyu!"
No time to indulge in sentiment.
My radio crackled noisily again.
"On my way."
I rode through the alley filled with beautiful particles of light and headed for the wedding hall on my motorcycle.
Sure enough, things inside the wedding hall were dire.
At the upper end of the "Heavenly Stairs"—the spiral staircase descending in pairs from the three-story central hall, the venue's signature gimmick—the search party was desperately resisting Extermination Types charging with fire axes and clubs.
Below them, zombies and more Extermination Types carpeted the floor, slipping endlessly down the slopes as they tried to reach the humans via other stairs.
"Sam!"
Song Yujin's voice came from above.
At the same time, the search party's Awakener kids lined up on the railing like children, staring my way.
At the end of the paired stairs, soldiers were holding the line.
"Guns will work now!"
I shouted to the sturdy man I pegged as Sergeant Kim.
"No ammo!"
He bashed a charging grub with a steel pipe and replied.
I nodded and raised my gun.
Bang bang bang!
Prioritizing the one lunging at Sergeant Kim.
Then three-point bursts, nine rounds each into the ones following.
"Kieeeek!"
Hit ones writhed and tumbled down.
Since they didn't dissolve, probably some coma state. Just a guess as I turned to the zombies and monsters eyeing me.
Click.
Reloaded and fired at the charging zombies.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Key with zombies: one shot, one down. They charge on numbers, not skill.
Brain destruction stops them cold.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Six down in seconds.
Cheers erupted from the railing, but my eyes were locked on the gray-white grubs trailing the zombies.
Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!
They swarmed.
Suppressing the nearest as they slowly thudded down the stairs.
Amid single shots and bursts, the wedding floor—once host to countless blessed pairs—was covered in gray-white filth.
The ones climbing recognized me and lunged.
One even launched itself straight at me.
Click—
Empty.
But no worries.
Shing—
I had my two axes and the hatred still burning hot.
In the dance of death, piling corpses into mountains, voices of the watching "new Hunters" reached me.
"......Wh-what the hell?"
"Is that a person?"
"Th-this is Old School?"
I glanced up after felling the last one.
"Sam!"
Song Yujin beamed, trying to descend but slipping on the slope.
Thought she was done for, but luck was good—her foot caught on a zombie-smashed edge, avoiding major injury.
It must've hurt like hell, but she had grit: head up immediately, grinning and thumbs-upping me.
"That's our Sam!"
*
The situation was resolved.
All threats neutralized, and the belated chopper guaranteed safety.
As its rotors whipped up a blizzard, I got the full battle report.
"......Is that really true?"
It was unbelievable.
Search party leader Lee Hoyeon used "Smite," an Awakener ability unleashing grenade-like psychic blasts in midair. At that moment, he felt intense shocks to his brain and heart, vomited blood, and collapsed.
He can't generate pulses himself, but witnesses said it was like the pulse backlashing into him.
The grub biting his thigh came after.
Sedated and stabilized on a stretcher, Lee Hoyeon nodded to me with effort, showing respect.
He beckoned me over.
"......Perhaps."
His voice, feeble as his vitality, continued.
"This new type might be a counter to us Awakeners."
Pulse backlash.
A never-before-seen ability.
But with Awakeners handling major monster fights right now, this discovery casts another shadow over humanity's gate-closing efforts.
"......"
Darker than victory's thrill, gloom swiftly overtook my heart.
What kept it from total darkness? Probably knowing someone like me existed.
"Sam!"
My disciple approached, arm in a cast.
Behind her stood Awakener Hunters who'd previously kept their distance.
"That was insane! For real! I've never been prouder to call myself your student!"
Led by Song Yujin,
"How do you fight like that? What kind of training?"
"Are all Old School that good?"
I dodged the naive questions with a faint smile.
It's not about skill.
Our war is
kill or be killed.
Facing monsters armed with powers and abilities using just your body demands resolve before talent.
"Hunter Park Gyu."
First face-to-face with Sergeant Kim.
I'd seen his face before, but never spoken directly.
"Thank you."
"No need."
Those who've seen the same hell don't need many words.
His sincere gratitude said it all.
People boarded the chopper.
"Sam, you coming?"
"Nah, got work."
"Sam! I'll call later! Promise! I make killer cookies! A ton of..."
Still buzzing, my disciple boarded. The chopper roared up through the blizzard over the silent city.
In a way, another chapter closed.
Valentine waited behind, looking a bit drained.
"No more monsters now, right?"
I smiled gently.
"Probably not."
We mounted our rides and headed for the tomb where my role model, John_nenon, lay buried.
Beep beep beep—
The Geiger counter went wild.
"I'll handle this! You've done enough today, SKELTON. Stay back—no radiation for you!"
While I guarded with my gun, Valentine fixed the rooftop antenna.
About an hour, he said. Brutal cold, so I lit a fire to warm us and the bikes.
Sipped instant coffee from pre-boiled hot water, watching Failnet get patched. Battle adrenaline lingered.
Flexing my hands, reliving the thrill of axes cleaving them, the radio buzzed.
ID: REDMASK
Woo Minhee.
"Yeah. Minhee."
"Senior~ Heard you finally did some senior-level work. True?"
"Just two weeks out, but your old man's student was in danger. Had to flex a bit."
"Can't wait to hear the details."
"Got footage on my phone."
"Sweet—. Oh, one more thing."
Woo Minhee laughed, bright and uncharacteristic.
"What're you naming that monster?"
"Monster name?"
"First to discover or hunt a new one gets naming rights. Between discoverer and subjugator, subjugator wins."
"......What."
Naming rights.
Rule from the so-called World Hunter Association.
Not nations, politics, or categorizing scholars—the hunter who slays it names it.
Discoverers can suggest, but the slayer finalizes.
I've named plenty: not Necromancer or Spider, but Dancer, Pyromaniac, Artillery, Panzer—Park Gyu originals.
Last was General type, but unofficial.
I discovered, didn't slay.
First slayer changes it.
"Dunno. What to call it."
"Decide quick—meeting soon. Heard about the new ability?"
"Yeah."
'Ass Grub' popped up strong, but superhuman restraint won. Gave it a simple, fitting name.
"Meatball and Caterpillar."
"Still boring naming sense. Something like General."
"Then Sausage and Stranger?"
"Hanging up."
"Yeah."
"Get home safe, senior."
Call ended.
Her pace as always, but oddly, a faint smile lingered on my lips after. How long since...?
Hearing true thanks from Woo Minhee.
Not spoken, but the emotion was pure gratitude.
"SKELTON!"
Valentine waved from above.
"Can you see it?"
"Pardon?"
"See it?!"
"What?"
I asked; he pointed skyward.
Afternoon sky lost its glare, twilight creeping in.
Pointing there, Valentine shouted cheerfully.
"Happiness!"
"Ah."
Fixed.
His "happiness" probably Failnet's signal.
In a world of death and pain, only Failnet's waves bring real solace.
Leaving the city, I asked him.
"What if the server dies? Not forever, right?"
"Who knows."
Valentine hedged, but his face showed resolve.
He looked at me.
"Then maybe risk our lives once?"
Valentine grinned, face flushed dark.
Thus, the "dead" Failnet revived.
I saw no people's happiness, but hoped they found small comfort.
In this ruin, without even that, it'd be pure hell.
"Hey."
Before leaving, I asked Valentine.
"My armband—no, board admin spot. Solid?"
He nodded vigorously.
"Watch! On my name—no, Gu Ssanghyeo's name—I'll make you armband, SKELTON!"
"No need to drag John_nenon into it..."
Truth: came for the armband.
"Nah, we will."
That was my "happiness."
[73. Armband (6)] End