Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Han River Bridge (1)
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We rode in White Tiger's exploration vehicles as a group, crossing through downtown Seoul.
Inside the car, I briefly wondered where the famous tourist spots that drew crowds might be.
Lotte World? Or Gyeongbok Palace?
I figured it would be fine to ask, but since we were told we'd arrive soon, I just stared out the window.
As we got closer to our destination, familiar scenery unfolded beyond the car window, and we all quickly realized where we were.
"This is a bridge."
"...Isn't this Mapo Bridge?"
"Oh, this place..."
We'd seen it often.
Mostly in movies or on the news.
My memory was fuzzy, but I recalled it was one of the bridges that regularly appeared in traffic updates on the news.
But one fact nagged at me.
"Isn't this Seoul...?"
They'd said monsters rarely appeared around here.
At my words, Hanbit gave a slightly bitter expression.
"They almost never do. Almost."
"...Ah."
Yeah, in a world like this, where was anywhere 100% safe?
When we arrived, both entrances to Mapo Bridge were already completely sealed off by police cars and White Tiger vehicles.
The red and blue police lights flashed silently, adding tension to the surroundings.
And in front of the barricade line, Han Sora and the other former Team 15 support members were bustling about, directing vehicles around and explaining the situation, sweat pouring down their faces.
You guys are working hard.
Our team got out of the car, exchanged light bows with the support team guarding the site, and received a briefing on the current situation.
"It started this afternoon. Suddenly, monsters began appearing irregularly from the starting point of Mapo Bridge all the way to the other end. Fortunately, there haven't been any civilian casualties yet, but the number of monsters is increasing as time passes."
Monsters appearing on the bridge.
Hearing that, all of us on the team, including me, wore uneasy expressions.
A quick glance showed the bridge was pretty long.
The thought of it gradually filling up with monsters felt a bit overwhelming.
We stood at the bridge entrance where vehicle control had begun, gazing at the long stretch of Mapo Bridge.
Somewhere up there on that bridge, monsters were appearing even now. It would be a fight in an entirely different environment from before.
But—
"Where are the monsters?"
"Hmm, I don't see any either."
Standing at the Mapo Bridge entrance under vehicle control and looking up at the bridge, all I could see was an ordinary bridge—no trace of monsters, not even a glimpse.
When I voiced my puzzlement, Shun nodded in agreement.
As if he'd heard that,
One of the police officers directing the scene approached with a serious expression and explained.
"It looks that way on the surface. But the moment you step foot on that bridge, it's like the space shifts, and you're transported to another Mapo Bridge in a parallel world. It's shrouded in thick fog, full of monsters... Sergeant Park! Can you talk about it?"
He hesitated for a moment, then called over one of the officers who'd been huddled in a corner, wrapped in a blanket, trembling.
He was the first to enter the bridge and had been rescued.
The officer began recounting what he'd seen in a trembling voice.
"When I... when I went in right after the report, the fog was so thick I could barely see ahead. But... there were definitely silhouettes in the fog that weren't human, moving around. Grotesque cries that sounded like beasts or people coming from all directions. And those silhouettes and cries were steadily increasing."
He trembled even harder, as if reliving the terror.
"That's when I instinctively realized this was no ordinary situation. I hugged the railing, crouched low, and tried to turn back. Then... then I happened to look below the railing..."
His eyes widened in horror.
"The Han River under the bridge was completely dyed blood-red! And in that blood-red river, countless human hands were rising and sinking repeatedly! Like they were thrashing, begging to be saved...!"
"...Then Sergeant Park passed out, and one of the support team ladies pulled him out."
He'd fainted at the horrific sight, and the nearby support team had rescued him.
The officer pointed at Han Sora.
"Ahaha..."
Han Sora from the support team gave an awkward laugh, saying her brief experience on an exploration team had given her the courage to save him.
She humbly added that it was lucky he'd collapsed right in front of her.
We didn't hold back our praise for her bravery, but at the same time, our worries grew.
This mission was clearly an extermination, but according to the officer, the number of monsters kept increasing.
It might turn into an endless fight, like pouring water into a leaky jar—no matter how many we took down, more would come.
‘Is this the kind of phenomenon where monsters keep spawning until we eliminate whatever's at the root?’
Feeling an ominous premonition, I stared beyond the bridge. This mission seemed far trickier than I'd thought.
After setting aside the officer's horrifying testimony, we did a final check of our items and status before entering the bridge proper.
Bora confirming her talismans once more, Shun loosening up to adjust his condition.
Then, Hanbit went to the back of the vehicle we'd arrived in and pulled out a large case.
Clunk!
It looked like a case for a cello or double bass, but the aura emanating from its surface was anything but ordinary.
You could tell at a glance it was no everyday item.
"Hanbit, what's that?"
When Shun asked on our behalf, Hanbit suddenly stared right at me and said,
"This is an item I got thanks to Minjun."
Thanks to me?
I had no clue, so I just looked blank.
Then Hanbit brought up the story of the large mart run by the group impersonating Jinmyeong Group that I'd dealt with before.
Ah, the place where I'd smashed through the wall and snagged a few items before slipping away.
Come to think of it, Jinmyeong Group's shamans had taken over and handled it afterward.
"After that, Jinmyeong Group thoroughly investigated the items in the mart and started using it by paying fair prices. We judged it a monster we could coexist with if we paid properly. We became the customers."
He said the item in this case had been bought that way too.
"And with just this, I'll be pretty useful on this mission."
Well, I'd always thought Hanbit did his part well, but apparently he didn't see it that way himself.
His voice brimmed with a newfound confidence.
Hanbit opened the case right then, revealing machine parts of unknown purpose scattered inside like fragments.
And in the next moment, Hanbit began assembling them at an unbelievable speed.
His hands moved with the speed and precision of a master craftsman.
The whole team gathered, mesmerized by the sight, watching his hands.
He had a talent for appraising items, and his manual dexterity was no joke either.
Click!
"Oh..."
In no time, the scattered parts had formed a complete shape.
It was a massive, brutally designed rifle with multiple barrels.
"Let's go."
With all preparations done, we finally stepped onto Mapo Bridge with resolve.
The instant our feet touched the asphalt, the scenery warped, and thick fog swallowed us in an instant.
We couldn't see an inch ahead, and the real world behind us had vanished into the distant fog.
Bracing for possible ambushes, we advanced cautiously through the fog, keeping a proper distance between us.
Then, through the faint fog, a grotesque silhouette appeared.
It was inhuman—its waist bizarrely thin and elongated.
"Minjun! Shun! Hold that one for me!"
Spotting it, Hanbit shouted urgently.
Shun and I exchanged a quick glance and nodded.
We charged from both sides, grabbing its arms firmly, one each.
It struggled and resisted a bit, but it couldn't overpower the two of us.
"Good, hold it steady!"
Hanbit brought up the heavy rifle he'd assembled.
What happened next was unbelievable.
The monster didn't even scream—it was sucked into the barrel like dust into a vacuum cleaner.
He said that was how you load this gun.
A gun that turned monsters into ammo—truly outlandish.
Seeing his gun loaded successfully, Hanbit flashed a confident smile we'd never seen before, stepped forward, and shouldered the weapon.
He didn't seem to aim at any particular spot in the fog. He just pulled the trigger.
Kwarung! Kwarung! Kwarung!
What burst from the muzzle wasn't bullets.
Each blast of dark red energy was accompanied by dying cries from monsters in the fog all around, followed by wet thuds of squishy flesh hitting the bridge deck, echoing eerily.
"...I can't see anything. What are you shooting at?"
"Yeah...?"
Shun and Bora muttered softly.
After the prolonged barrage stopped, we cautiously pressed forward again.
Through the fog, we saw countless monster corpses strewn about, shredded beyond recognition.
Hanbit's single rifle had turned this whole area to ruin in seconds.
"Leave the small fry to me."
Hanbit was reloading with the monster corpses.
Seeing that, Shun said—his Korean halting but deliberate—
"Item carry."
...Who taught him that?
Anyway, after that display, I had to admit something.
"Remote attacks are definitely more convenient."
"Minjun... no, Oppa, if you master talisman arts too—"
"Throw a car."
"..."
Bora started to speak, but Shun cut in.
I let out a hollow laugh at Shun's joke, but he looked serious.
And Bora, hearing it, pondered with a serious expression.
It wasn't a joke?