The Fifth Specialization (Part 2)
Kieeeek! A sudden monstrous screech pierced the air.
People shouted and raised their personal firearms. My consciousness snapped back in an instant. A chill raced down my spine. My vision sharpened. I clutched Seong Ga-yeon's shoulder and whipped around reflexively.
A massive monster boar's corpse. Beyond it, the riverbank. A half-severed monster bat, one wing dipped in the water, thrashed wildly, spraying brain matter everywhere.
"Fire!"
Special Forces Captain Seong Gyu-hyuk bellowed as he pulled the trigger. Tutututututu! Flames erupted from firearms all around. Bullets hammered into the monster bat's body like a hailstorm.
Kieeeek! The monster bat gaped its jaws wide and shrieked madly before hurling itself straight into the river. A dull boom echoed as a massive splash erupted. And then, the monster bat vanished beneath the surface.
"Fuck, keep firing! Fire!"
Seong Gyu-hyuk shouted, advancing toward the river while squeezing the trigger nonstop. Dozens of Special Forces operatives, special warfare agents, and American soldiers swarmed in from all sides, swapping magazines as they unleashed a barrage into the water.
Whiiiine! The half-collapsed barracks roof. Someone fired an anti-tank rocket into the river. BOOM! A heavy drum-like thud boomed out with another towering splash.
But the monster bat was nowhere to be seen.
"Over there!"
One of the Special Forces members yelled. He pointed to the middle of the river. Ripples formed in what had been empty water. The disturbance traced an A-shape, surging upstream against the current.
No one needed prompting—they all opened fire on the ripples. Another anti-tank rocket streaked in and detonated underwater. More spray exploded upward. But the ripples didn't fade. If anything, they accelerated, snaking along the riverbend and vanishing amid churning waves.
Then, human limbs bobbed to the surface along the river current, drifting downstream.
...Limbs from human beasts.
We all knew exactly what that meant. The monster bat had swept up the human beasts crushed on the riverbed and devoured them as it fled upstream.
"Fuck!"
One American soldier hurled his helmet to the ground and cursed. I watched the whole thing while leaning on Seong Ga-yeon for support. I could've chased it down and done something about it. But right now, I couldn't move a muscle. Even if my recovery was kicking in, with several ribs shattered and my guts punctured by claws, my whole body felt like it was about to give out.
While the Americans stared at the river, Seong Gyu-hyuk approached and supported my other arm.
"We let the leader bat slip away. For now, you should head back and rest."
Yeah, shit. Let's rest. I've done my part, haven't I?
Supported by the two of them, I trudged toward the barracks. That's when the American commander emerged from the rubble, rifle in one hand and leaning on his own men. Blood streamed from his head, past one eye, dripping from his jaw. That eye was swollen shut.
He spotted me, smiled, and rattled off something in English.
"He says they planned to draw them out one by one for piecemeal defeat, but you wiped out three leaders in one go. Too bad about the bat," Seong Gyu-hyuk translated.
I smirked as I listened.
"Didn't expect the commander to be fighting alongside us."
The American commander chuckled and replied.
"When my life’s on the line, how could I sit it out? Still, thanks to you, we minimized casualties. For three leaders showing up at once, that is."
...Casualties. Ah, my head's spinning, damn it. My whole body was sticky and gross, soaked in blood. I forced my eyes open and asked,
"The barracks took a beating. Any deaths?"
The commander gave a bitter smile.
"Several crushed when the roof caved. Some missing too—probably buried in the debris. We'll know for sure once we clear it."
"...That's a shame."
He shook his head.
"We're soldiers. The real shame is the end times, not dying in battle. They all fought bravely."
The commander continued,
"We'll recover the fallen and give them military funerals. I'd appreciate it if you joined us."
I didn't answer. Just nodded a few times. He smiled.
"Still, today's a good day, right? We won the fight, took down the mountain's boss, and crippled the bats' forces."
Mm. Now the skies were open. If that thing had stuck around, no Chinook could've taken off.
The commander grinned and said,
"This is all thanks to you. You really are a superhero. If I hadn't seen it myself, I'd never believe someone fell from the sky and walked away on their own two feet."
Superhero? Whatever. That monster bat was still alive. With its spine severed and a massive hole in its head, it wouldn't recover in a day or two. Should've finished it off. If I'd ordered the shadow warrior to sever its neck... But with my ribs pulverized from its grip, I couldn't think straight. That's my only regret.
The commander limped over badly—looked like a fractured ankle. He extended his hand.
"You're an outstanding warrior. With respect, thank you."
Hearing the translation, I lowered the arm draped over Seong Ga-yeon's shoulder. The commander's face was scratched up, probably from shrapnel. Yet he beamed at me, hand outstretched. I smiled and shook it.
* * *
U.S. military base hospital. It'd take about a day for my wounds to fully heal. They wanted to stitch up the gash on my abdomen, but I asked them to treat the other wounded first. Might've looked selfless to outsiders, but how do you explain that my soul tattoos would heal it on their own?
Luckily—or whatever—there were plenty worse off than me, so the overworked medics focused there. Let me skip the stitches.
Careful not to wake Seong Ga-yeon dozing off by my bedside, I slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and scrubbed every inch of my body. The nurses and Special Forces had cleaned me up, but it still felt grimy. Covered in monster puke blood, after all. A proper shower would've been nice.
As I washed, I glanced at my hands. I'd gained a new specialization: Space Explorer.
And a new skill: Space Claw. Consumes 5 Agility each time used with Acceleration. Collision immunity suggested it could ram things—or serve as powerful mobility.
Acceleration was fast enough, but in that moment when the boar charged the barracks, I'd wished for even quicker movement. Perfect timing, perfect ability.
I opened my status window and dumped the 3 points from gunning down the monster boar into Agility, bringing it to 15. That gave me three uses of Space Claw. Gotta experiment now that I had it. I'd used it half-delirious while falling from the sky, but with its high versatility, I needed to master it fully.
...Come to think of it, my specializations and skills covered close combat, ranged attacks, recovery, mobility, and Acceleration. Back when I didn't know what the stats mapped to, it frustrated me. Now that they're all unlocked, it makes sense.
I dried off with the paper towels by the sink, stepped out naked—no one entered the whole time. The sprawling hospital felt empty now. Everyone was in their rooms recovering, or the uninjured were guarding the base.
Back in the room, Seong Ga-yeon had her head on my bed, passed out face-down. Must've been exhausted. Clean jeans and a T-shirt sat on the chair beside it—probably for me. I changed quietly and left the hospital.
Downstairs, people bustled about. Medics in white coats and nurse uniforms hurried around. Was there a point to dressing up in this mess? Or had they returned to the hospital out of duty to care for the wounded? Who knows.
Heading for the exit, a white doctor spotted me and approached, saying something in English I couldn't parse. As I tilted my head, a familiar voice cut in.
"She says you shouldn't be up yet—your wounds aren't fully healed. Go back to your room."
I chuckled and turned. Seong Gyu-hyuk approached, rifle in hand.
"Tell her I'm fine. Didn't expect the Special Forces captain in a hospital. What's up?"
He chatted with the blonde doctor. She eyed us suspiciously, then nodded reluctantly and walked off.
"The Americans are still clearing the collapsed building—bodies trapped inside. Short on guards, so we're handling security here."
I nodded and asked,
"Lots of deaths? Among the Americans?"
"Heard about twenty. Most from the collapse. Should finish recovering them in a day or two. Funerals after, simplified."
...A lot died. Twenty. Well, that boar monster wrecked the place pretty good.