Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Apocalypse #10
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"Madness, this is insane!"
"They're fighting like absolute pros!"
"Boss! Doesn't this mean we can win?!"
Blessed by the Idol of Allah, morale shot straight through the roof. It had been forever since I'd seen faces this full of hope.
"Long live the Idol of Allah!"
"We can do this! Waaaah!"
The holy warrior spirits were grinding the skinwalkers to dust, leaving us with nothing much to do.
They got shredded by spiritual AK-47s before they could even get close, and even the lucky ones that made it through fell like leaves before the scimitars.
On top of that, with Sal-hyung holding the front like a human blender, we could just guard the rear without a worry.
"Allahu Akbar!"
And just like that, we crushed the skinwalker horde.
Not sure on the exact count, but it had to be around a thousand strong.
A massive force that would've wiped us survivors out over and over—we took them down like it was nothing.
"Sal-hyung! I never imagined it'd be this epic...! They're all praising the greatness of the Idol of Allah!"
I rushed over to share the thrill, and Sal-hyung let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! This was only to be expected, brother! I'm overjoyed to open your brothers' eyes like this!"
He seemed thrilled that my crew had all started praising the Idol of Allah.
"That battle hymn was badass too! Mind if I memorize the lyrics?"
"Nothing could make me happier! Once this fight's over, I'll teach you!"
Once this is all done, I gotta learn Arabic first.
"But Sal-hyung, how'd you guys get taken out with power like this? I don't know the details, but surely Islamic holy warriors aren't this weak."
Honestly, their combat prowess seemed to outclass even the Fake Management Bureau. Sure, all I'd seen were Section Chief Lee Do-hyung and his goons, but these holy warriors just felt stronger.
"You're right. There are many holy warriors like me. But... this was unavoidable."
Sal-hyung's face grew somber.
"An enormous, overwhelming evil rose up in an instant. Our connection to Mecca was severed at the same time, rendering countless barriers and spiritual powers useless in a flash."
"Ah."
"And it all happened the moment those giants appeared."
"No way... those giants nullified your spiritual powers too?"
"Yes."
The giants had appeared so suddenly, and their presence had instantly neutralized spiritual forces, dooming them.
Even a powerhouse group like these holy warriors couldn't handle it.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard and asked,
"Sal-hyung. If you could go back and stop this from happening, what would you do?"
"Hmm, a pointless hypothetical. But if I had to answer... we'd need to lie in wait at their spawn point before they appeared and wipe them out the second they showed."
"..."
Right after I regressed.
That timing could've turned things around.
But even if I went back to that moment, what could I do? I don't have this kind of overwhelming firepower.
Which means I'd need help. Contact the Management Bureau and Sal-hyung right at the start? But how to do it naturally? Get their numbers first?
"Sal-hyung."
I was about to bring it up when—
Thump!
A massive pulse echoed through.
"Huh?!"
"Urgh!"
My crew clamped their ears and dropped low. I staggered from the intense vibration too. I'd felt this before—the throbbing inside the building right after that monster burrowed into the wall.
"No way! Brother! Be careful! A great evil has appeared!"
"A great evil?!"
Don't tell me—a giant!
"Get it together! On your feet! No guns, we're all dead!"
"U-Uwaaaah!"
Everyone scrambled up, screaming.
And then—
Boom!
Something burst through the debris ahead.
"Shururuk."
About 3 meters tall. Not huge, but giant enough. It looked like a stretched-out skinwalker... but with a key difference.
Sizzle.
Bone blades protruded from all over its body, like a bomb of jagged spikes had detonated inside it. Grotesque.
"Such a sinister aura!"
And then—
Boom!
Thud!
Ten of them appeared from all sides.
"S-Sal-hyung! Can we take these?!"
"Urgh...! Nest guardians! Elite warriors! We fight to the death! No other way!"
Flash!
The ten vanished in a blink.
Slash!
Blood sprayed from everywhere.
"Wha—?!"
"Eeek!"
"Kuaaaah!"
Jin-seop, Byeongcheol, Taeho—slashed open. The monsters had closed in at invisible speeds, swinging their bone blades.
"Guys!"
These bastards hit my crew!
"You motherfucking—!"
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
I aimed my K2 at the monsters and unloaded. The holy warrior spirits fired spiritual AK-47s too.
But—
Slash!
One swing cleaved multiple spirits. No blood since they were ethereal, but their pointless deaths filled me with despair.
"N-No! The holy warriors! Islam's spirits are falling!"
Boom!
In my despair, I cried out—and the bisected spirit exploded.
Did it land?
A huge gash opened on the monster's body.
"They're martyrs! Fight on, brother! Holy warriors fulfill their duty to the end!"
"Allahu Akbar!"
"Allahu Akbar!"
At Sal-hyung's shout, the spirits sprayed spiritual AK-47 fire and charged. They exploded on contact.
"Suicide bombings...! Fuck!"
No time for smart moves now.
Slash!
Boom!
Everyone fought like maniacs. Sal-hyung roared like a beast, swinging his scimitar and nailing precise AK-47 bursts.
Their numbers thinned, but there'd been too many to start.
With most spirits sacrificed, one finally targeted me.
"Uwaaaah! You fucker!"
I sprayed bullets, knowing full well it wouldn't stop it.
Is this how I regress?
If only I'd gotten more intel from Sal-hyung.
"Brother!!!"
"Sal-hyung?!"
In that instant, Sal-hyung leaped in front of me. Too sudden for me to react.
Slash!
The monster bisected his upper body.
"Sal-hyung!"
He flew back, blood raining down in his arc.
"Urk...! Holy warriors!"
I dashed and caught his spurting body. The last spirits charged his attacker and detonated.
Boom!
Every elite monster was down.
"Sal-hyung! You okay?!"
But we'd lost everything.
My crew.
The holy warrior spirits.
And Sal-hyung.
"Cough, kuhk...!"
Blood poured from his mouth.
"Can't... move anymore... Ugh, this is the end for me, brother."
"Don't talk, Sal-hyung!"
"Brother... If only we'd met sooner..."
"Sal-hyung...!"
Tears welled up.
Our time was short, but he was a true big brother.
Who am I to deserve this?
Just some guy with a Black Stone Fragment!
He died to save me!
"Kuh, cough... Such a shame... Couldn't teach you Islam's true doctrine... Hoo! But brother, duty doesn't end here."
Duty.
"Take my sacred arms."
He said it with resolute eyes.
Take his scimitar and AK-47.
"And this."
With trembling hands.
He handed me dynamite.
I took it.
"Hyung...! Urk!"
"Don't cry. No time. Go now! Join the agent and the nun! Go, brother! Save this world! Before the wicked devils devour the Earth!!!"
"Saaal-hyuuung!"
Whoosh!
I accepted his final words and stood.
"That's it... brave brother... Allah, hoo, akbar..."
I couldn't face his death.
I had to carry on his will.
Clutching Islam's sacred arms, I ran and ran.
"You fuckers!"
Grief surged, tears streaming.
Raw sorrow and rage boiled over.
"Let's go!"
My mission stayed the same.
No matter what, find the key to ending this!
Rat-tat-tat!
I ran and ran.
Had we slain so many monsters? None appeared on the way. I kept sprinting toward the distant flower.
"Ah."
The landscape shifted.
A more twisted world.
Flesh hides draped over rubble, like our world was morphing into the giants'.
Black-suited, sunglassed corpses littered the area.
Long dead.
"Fake Management Bureau agents..."
Like at the hospital, they'd fought the giants too.
How long did I run past those piles?
"Ah!"
There—a nun sat ahead!
"Hey, Sister!"
I shouted her name as I ran.