Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Apocalypse #13
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I returned with clues, moved swiftly to resolve it, and as a result, infiltrated the site with this muscle-bound agent.
This situation felt reassuring.
My efforts weren't in vain; I'd finally found a way.
There was only one thing left to do.
Somewhere in this building was the monsters' core nucleus—the wrinkled red sphere. Find it and destroy it.
That would solve this crisis!
"Damn! The erosion is severe!"
The moment we reached the second floor, Gorgodio tried to start searching.
This agent seemed to plan on clearing each floor methodically as we went up, but my judgment differed.
The monsters' core nucleus was at the very top of the flower.
The building hadn't fully transformed into a giant or a flower yet, but if there was a vital spot, it had to be at the top.
We shouldn't waste time searching here; we needed to head up fast... How could I convince him?
"Wavelength...! Agent! I sense a wavelength from above! A strong resonance—it's not here! We need to go up!"
I just blurted out whatever came to mind. No real way to persuade him. My knowledge came from the future, after all. I had to bull my way through somehow.
"Higher up?"
"Much higher!"
The Emperor was seriously badass!
"As expected, you might have manifested a superpower. Got it! Let's head up!"
"But your speech is different from before!"
"It's different from talking nicely to civilians!"
"Anyway, let's keep going up!"
This agent named Gorgodio.
He was more reasonable than expected—really growing on me. Who knew there'd be such a reliable agent? With him, I could navigate this mess.
That's when it happened, as we kept ascending.
—Ssslruk.
The stairs to the next floor.
Something was walking down from there.
"No way!"
"Monster!"
An elite specimen!
The one with bone blades protruding all over its body—the powerful warrior type that wiped out Sal-hyung and the holy knights!
But it was shorter. The one I'd seen before was a three-meter giant, but this one was maybe two meters at most.
A weaker variant?
My guess was that they couldn't produce those elite warriors quickly. It might be a hastily made one to block us, so weaker. Of course, that was just my optimistic spin.
"Be careful! That thing's fucking strong!"
"I can see that!"
Gorgodio's jacket fluttered, revealing a sword that looked like a Chinese dao. Was he wielding something that menacing?
—Chubak!
The elite specimen shot out a tentacle arm covered in bone spikes. Getting hit by that would shred bones to bits.
—Chak!
But Gorgodio sliced the tentacle clean off!
"Whoa!"
Could he win?
The moment I thought that.
—Paat!
The elite specimen vanished.
"What?!"
And reappeared instantly.
—Dengk!
Gorgodio's right arm was severed.
What?
"No!"
His arm got cut off?!
That fucking Lee Do-hyung Section Chief!
"Urk...!"
"Gorgodio!!!"
Was this guy getting wrecked here?!
No, what the hell was the Management Bureau doing?!
"Compatible Gorgodio...! Requesting forced approval!"
Gorgodio shouted while blood sprayed from his arm. At the same time, a glow emanated from him. I shielded my face with my arm against the light.
When the light faded.
I beheld a warrior.
"No way...!"
Gorgodio had transformed. He was now clad in cyberpunk-style mechanical armor!
"Are you some kind of Iron Man?!"
No response.
—Bwoong!
Boosters unfolded like wings from his back, spewing blue flames, and he rocketed toward the elite specimen at supersonic speed.
—Kwaang!
Collision led straight to close-quarters combat. Steel gauntlets tore into the monster's bones and flesh, while a steel knee smashed its body.
An utterly spectacular sight.
Right—the Management Bureau had an ace up their sleeve!
Deploying cyberpunk weaponry like this!
For a moment, I felt pathetic for doubting Gorgodio. Sure, it was an S-rank world-ending crisis, but the bureau had just been ambushed and routed. Give them an opening, and they could handle it.
With gear like that, taking down one monster should be no problem.
Judging that, I quickly calculated. Wait for Gorgodio to kill it and go up together? Or head up now and find the nucleus?
Before I could choose.
"Krraaaagh!"
Gorgodio was torn in half.
"Whoa."
His steel body ripped apart effortlessly. No—more like forcibly shredded... Wait, was this for real?
Even if these giants spawned from an S-rank crisis, dying like this?
Sal-hyung, the jihad holy warrior, had taken down a few three-meter ones solo.
—Paat!
No time to act.
The thing that shredded Gorgodio turned its head toward me. It was mangled, but I had no K2, no scimitar from Sal-hyung, not even the dynamite that had reliably ended things last time.
—Tsupat!
Bone blades flew at me.
I tried to flee upstairs for one last chance... but my body wouldn't move.
My upper and lower halves were already separated.
"Grk."
...
...
...
[You died from being bisected at the waist.]
[Death Count: 10 → 11]
...
...
...
"Fuck, one isn't enough!"
I needed more Management Bureau agents!
Composing myself, I called the bureau immediately. Gorgodio alone wasn't cutting it. I needed several who could fight.
—We've got the call. What's the issue?
"I escaped from Cheongak Mary Hospital!"
First, the basics.
Then.
"Monsters are swarming inside the building right now! Like a hundred of them, ripping people apart! Hurry! Please! If those fuckers crawl out, all of Seoul dies! Hurry! Seoul's turning into another Cheongak Mary Hospital!"
I exaggerated wildly, screaming my lungs out.
These complacent bastards wouldn't budge unless you shrieked like a foie gras goose. Sure, they wouldn't go all-in on one report, but come on, get it through your heads! I'm begging here!
"Hurry!!! We're all gonna die!!! I'm so scared!!!"
—Understood! Sending agents right away!
It worked!
Agents plural meant not just Gorgodio—multiple would come.
"Good."
I headed straight to the building front. Soon, a man phased through the wall like a subway-riding Harry Potter.
—Pok!
A sight that boiled my blood.
I paced anxiously, waiting for the agents.
If we could just handle that elite bone monster, we'd be close to the top. Kill it and rush up—we'd find the nucleus.
So frustrating.
If only I had superhuman strength, I'd charge in and fix this myself!
—Vroom!
Motorcycle engines approached.
Instinct told me the agents had arrived.
How many?
Looking expectantly toward the sound.
"Huh?"
Motorcycles.
Two...?
No way—just two agents?
My bad feeling was spot on. Two bikes pulled up, and Gorgodio removed his helmet.
"Reporter? First off, congrats on surviving. You did well."
A heavier tone than last loop.
"We'll take it from here. You reported monsters, so we need to check that first. Wait here a sec. Quras—enter immediately."
"Yeah. Let's go."
The agent called Quras took off his helmet.
A pale-faced guy.
But lime-green hair? And a hime-cut hairstyle... Gaunt cheeks like he hadn't eaten in days, but that hair color shocked me.
No, not the time!
"Wait! Just you two?!"
"Problem?"
"No, the place is crawling with monsters, and you think two's enough?!"
"Hey, you're underestimating Management Bureau agents."
Agent Quras grinned and clapped my shoulder.
"Don't worry. Me and that brick shithouse can handle most things."
Hey!
That brick shithouse got wrecked last loop!
"Gorgodio. Let's go."
"Got it. Reporter, stay here..."
I had to go with them!
"N-No! Look, right there inside!"
I pointed into the building, pulling aggro.
"What?! Damn it! Breaching! Quras, cover me!"
"Got it!"
The two agents charged in.
At the same time.
"Compatible Gorgodio! Requesting approval!"
Gorgodio was enveloped in light. Last loop it was forced approval, but this time just regular? Whatever—transforming from the start was better.
—Paat!
The light faded, and a cyberpunk-armored warrior descended. Quras guarded his rear, and I'd slyly slipped in behind Quras.
"Huh?! Wait! Why'd you come in?!"
Quras yelped in surprise.
Honestly, I couldn't trust just these two.
I had to go myself to do anything.
Last loop, I'd strong-armed Gorgodio into letting me tag along. Same plan this time.
"Let's go together!"
"What're you saying? A civilian's no help in a crisis like this!"
"I'm no civilian!"
"What?"
"I survived Cheongak Mary Hospital! That hellhole! Know what I realized surviving there?!"
Pouring everything into my shout, both Gorgodio and Quras turned to me.
"What...?"
"Fuck! I can't stand watching civilians get caught in anomalies like that—not even in death! We have to stop this no matter what!"
It worked last loop.
Would it this time?
"Hah! This guy's got spirit! Right, Gorgodio?"
"He's got agent potential... Could use him as a rookie. But still, a civilian..."
"I'm no civilian! Surviving the hospital awakened some kind of hyper-sense!!"
This had to convince them to bring me!