Chapter 356
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: 145. Faith (4)
The knowledge held by a rookie like Yi Haru never fully reflects reality at 100%.
It's true that Dancer types are dangerous foes for us old-school hunters.
They're faster than us, and compared to other monsters, they actively hunt humans. Plus, their close-combat prowess is unmatched among their kin.
When we encountered one by chance, without the right weapons to counter it in that moment, we had to brace for total annihilation.
But even in such situations, we've come out on top before.
Of course, that was possible only because we had the best teammates, led by Kim Daram.
However, if you remove those two variables, a Dancer type is actually an easier prey than a Spider type that's "completed its fortress" or a Necromancer type that's "completed its kingdom."
Though it's an infiltration type by nature and turns the surrounding area into a gray-white erosion zone after establishing a base, its minions are fewer in number and weaker in combat compared to other infiltration types. The base's defenses aren't much to speak of either.
In other words, if we spot it accurately and come prepared with the right gear, a Dancer type isn't that tough.
Of course, this is from the perspective of experienced hunters like us.
Inexperienced hunters, even if prepared, often get wiped out by the Dancer type's terrifying leaping power and explosive speed.
"I'll head out now."
Despite her words, Yi Haru merely backed away a good distance but didn't leave the area.
Instead, she was filming us with a camcorder she'd pulled out from somewhere.
She was probably trying to capture our final moments on video.
Watching her face as she peered at us on the camcorder screen, a faint smile playing on her lips despite everything being so obvious, reminded me of U Minhee back in the day.
She shows promise, but in my opinion, she still needs more polishing to surpass our legends.
Click! Click!
Meanwhile, Defender's team members were busily setting up razor wire connected to the side emergency exits and passages linked to the intact platforms, along with Claymores and anti-personnel mines.
Once combat began, noise was inevitable, and they wanted to block any fanatics who might hear it from approaching.
"You gonna be okay?"
Defender, seasoned through countless battles but showing his weakness against large monsters true to form, approached me cautiously with the question.
One reason for his concern was that I was the only hunter participating in this operation.
His friends might be excellent soldiers, but soldier skills and hunter skills are strictly distinct.
Besides, human groups look entirely different in normal times versus crises.
Defender's team seemed composed of seasoned killers with solid combat power and organization, but would they keep their cool when casualties started mounting?
Casualties within the team are the biggest stressor for members.
If even one snapped under the extreme pressure, the situation could spiral into uncontrollable chaos.
That would be far riskier than me diving into the enemy lair alone.
Because the monster we faced wasn't just one.
We could handle the Dancer type, but there was another new type: a mid-sized one.
One I didn't know well.
Only those with vast experience, able to adapt flexibly to any scenario, can face the unknown.
Shing—
I inspected the axe blades.
They were sharply honed.
I'd prepared three types of weapons.
Two Harpoonizers, one pistol, and two axes.
No rifle.
Its report might alert the fanatics above, and I needed to move more nimbly when the Dancer type appeared.
"Professor. Operation starting."
Right after radioing the start, one of Defender's team members monitoring the platform suddenly turned to me and snapped a crisp salute.
"······."
It was a small gesture, but the respect for my past stirred a faint sense of uplift in me.
I stepped into the gray-white tainted zone.
The first thing I noticed was the fishy metallic tang at the tip of my nose.
Not the rift's scent.
Beyond rifts lies a sterile, lifeless void with no smells whatsoever.
Probably the odor from the weathering subway buried in the erosion zone.
Scuttlescuttle—
Moving further ahead, I heard the busy patter of numerous legged things.
Soon, within the narrow circle lit by my lantern, gray-white monsters emerged.
Emotionless beings resembling centipedes, with multitudes of legs, upright heads, and two blade-like forelimbs like their master, gathered in the light.
Dancer type minions.
They attacked with the same explosive speed and lethality as their Dancer master.
Shreek—
Like this, two leaped at me like bullets.
Pingrrring—
Savoring the delightful feel of the axe handles dancing over my fingertips for the first time in a while, I swung both axes lightly.
Slash!
Two down.
Both cleanly bisected from the head down to half their torsos.
"······Incredible."
"He took them down with just cold steel, no gun?"
"A monster, as expected."
Voices from Defender's friends crackled over the comms, breaking their constant silence.
Seemed they'd challenged this zone before too.
"As expected of the Professor!"
Yi Haru let out a laugh like her mentor's.
"Not bad, huh?"
I didn't bother responding; it wasn't worth it.
It wasn't particularly hard.
Dancer minions were fast and lethal, but their pattern was simple: high-speed charges targeting the torso. With the right knack and timing, they were easy pickings.
Most people just didn't master that knack, so they handled them from range with guns.
Ignoring the various noises from behind, I advanced one more step.
One step, one step, cautiously.
But with enough presence to clearly alert the enemy.
Calling out the minions lurking everywhere, one by one.
C.Y.M—Call Your Mom, one of the classic monster-taming tactics in the playbook: literally "call your mom."
Lure out and eliminate minions bit by bit to draw out and kill the monster fortified in its nest.
Traditional, highly stable method, but time-consuming, and some individuals don't take the bait, leading to wasted days.
The Chinese government overseers watching us hated this approach especially.
"Ah, I know that one. The C.Y.M tactic, right? We learned it in school as one of the old-school methods. But what if the Dancer type doesn't come out?"
Yi Haru, U Minhee's protégé, chattered over the comms.
She'd studied hard, it seemed.
From what I knew, regular Awakened skipped old-school hunter doctrines since they weren't on exams.
"······."
There were ways.
I'd done this almost daily.
Sent dozens of comrades to the afterlife and watched even more perish.
Shreek—
Slash!
Condition was good.
Above all, liberation from the sleepiness that had plagued me for so long felt great.
What had stolen away that incurable, disease-like drowsiness?
Slash!
Thinking deeply, maybe the social reputation I'd gained online had given me renewed will to live?
Not the time or place to ask Yi Haru, and our rapport wasn't there yet, but kids her age surely surfed the net and knew about the Necropolis.
Do you know Skeleton?
What would she say to that?
Not just her.
Even the regular Awakened holed up in places like that sauna would know me.
Someone was bound to recognize me.
Maybe even a flustered fan gasping, "No way, you're that Skeleton?"
Shreek—
Slash!
Twenty down.
Enough.
Dancer minions had lethal individual strikes but far fewer numbers than Spider or Necromancer types commanding thousands.
At most, not over fifty.
Monsters each had their strengths and weaknesses.
One issue: the situation converged on what I'd foreseen and Yi Haru had blabbered about.
No sign of the main body despite picking off minions one by one.
"······."
This was the unresponsive type.
Doctrine didn't work.
"See? It's not coming out."
Should've left this chatterbox behind.
"Maybe that doctrine worked in your active days, but nowadays, very few come out to C.Y.M. You know monsters adapt and improve their behavior on their own, right?"
"I know."
My first response.
Click—
I drew my weapon.
The Harpoonizer.
My sharpest spear for any situation.
Eliminating minions wouldn't change much here.
A monster with a solid base would have plenty stocked.
But monster type mattered.
Dancer types far exceeded kin in personal combat but, as noted, lacked talent as fortress-builders.
Sure, with time, they could make a decent stronghold, but nothing compared to rivals.
Especially since its trait—few, powerful minions—faded against experts like us who could dispatch them freely.
And each vanished minion opened a path for us.
"······."
There it was.
A hazy silhouette of the monster, standing stock-still like the dead amid incomprehensible gray-white structures it had built, matching the intel from the crossbow scout perfectly.
I scanned around.
Beyond, a massive partition half-blocked the subway tracks.
Per intel, the new mid-sized type was back there.
I quickly took down one more.
Slinging the Harpoonizer on my back, I sprinted at full speed.
Scuttlescuttle—
Minions rooted like trees everywhere stirred in response to my footsteps.
And then.
Shreeeeek—
Shreeeeek—
From all sides, they hurled themselves at me like javelins.
Shing—
I drew both axes and batted them away.
Slash! Slash!
Key was not slowing down.
Shreeeeeeek—
Thuk!
Didn't matter if I didn't one-shot a minion.
Even if it tumbled, regained balance, and glared.
Crucial: enter the Dancer type's reflex field range at top speed.
Before it fully woke.
Shreeeeeeek—!
Slash!
Attacks came relentlessly.
Killed five, flung seven aside.
Distance now 50m.
A single sprint's reach.
But I wouldn't accelerate fully yet.
Shreek—
I waited for one incoming from the side.
Slash!
Then drew my spear.
Distance: about 40m.
[Mixed]
Pulled the safety pin, hit the button to mix the propellant, and counted down inwardly.
'3······. 2······. 1······.'
Boom!
At countdown's end, a shockwave erupted ahead.
It was awake.
Our enemy monster.
"You okay?"
Yi Haru's voice again, but I ignored her and glared at it.
It stretched, roughly shaking its 5m-long body, flexing its two blade-like forelimbs.
Soon, what passed for its head fixed straight on me.
Recognition.
It was peering into me.
I stood still, unmoving.
"H-Hey, you really okay?! Say something!"
I waited.
For it to come closer.
Boom!
Shockwave burst as it leaped.
I aimed my spear simultaneously.
"······."
As I'd said many times in press conferences and off-record interviews, our hunters—especially Korea's—didn't originate from modern elegant archers or Western safari hunters. They came from old-time hunters who felled tigers with crude single-shot matchlocks.
They hunted Siberia's apex predator with unreliable guns that couldn't guarantee mid-range or reloads.
Their way: courage and composure.
Knowing one shot could end them, they waited for prey to close within 20m, then struck fatally.
All on one shot.
Hiss—
Like now.
KABOOM!
A deafening roar and jetstream propelled the razor-sharp harpoon straight into the monster that seemed about to devour me, detonating in merciless chain explosions inside.
I wanted to watch its end, but.
Clunk—
Duty called.
Handle the one I missed earlier and the fresh arrivals.
Shreeeeeeek—!
Slash!
While fighting the second wave of charging minions, dazzling particles dazzled the edge of my vision.
"······."
I let out a light sigh, slashing at the onrushing minions as I spoke.
"Dancer type. Defeated."
Cheers erupted over comms and from behind.
Of course, laced with disbelieving voices.
"F-For real? You soloed that thing...?"
No time to reply.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Gunfire from the platform side.
And then.
Boom!
Another shockwave shook the darkness.
Mid-sized. New type.
Macrophage type awakened.