Monster Zoo # 5
Monster Zoo # 5
Anyway, there isn't a whole lot I can do right now.
Look at Kim Geun-cheol, this pathetic little shit. Sure, I've trained my ass off, but I can't catch up to friends who've been grinding for years in just a few months.
If my friends are the champions, then I'm a melee minion. A meat shield—nothing more, nothing less.
Quests, stats, all that crap—I'm still total fodder.
"Ptsststsst!"
But right now—the ones I'm up against are the worker-caste monsterkin, and they're basically minions too. So I have to step up and keep these bastards from getting in my friends' way!
"Die, you piece of shit!"
—Swa-aek!
I brought the raised sword down.
"Ptsststsst!"
The monsterkin—an Antillery—was partway out of the gate when it saw the descending blade, flinched violently, and threw up an arm. But that fragile carapace can't stop an enchanted sword.
—Chwaak!
The falling blade splits the arm. Vile greenish blood spurts out. Having cleaved the arm, the sword keeps going and splits the bastard's face wide open.
"Ptsststsst!"
Taking that as a personal insult, the next Antillery through swings an arm at me.
—Chwareuk!
From the downward cut, I loop the sword straight into an upward slash.
"Ptsstst!"
That's basic swordsmanship I learned from Yu-ri. It splits the attacker's chest right open, and—
"Cut it out! Stop coming, you bastard!"
—Kwaang!
I planted a kick right in its gut and shoved it back through the gate!
[+19 Coins]
"Huff! Huff!"
I hauled in air and refocused straight ahead. If I got pushed back there, those Workers would pour through and screw everything up for my friends...! That was the only thought in my head as I breathed hard, fighting to stay aggressive.
"Ptsststsst!"
"Kraaaap!"
I drive the sword at the next Worker coming through.
—Chwaak!
But.
"Ptsststsst!"
"Pfrrrrt!"
"Tststst!"
These ant-headed bastards just don't stop. I've already killed over ten of them, and the little shits are still pouring out in a nonstop stream.
If the gate had been even a bit wider, there's no question I'd have been overrun—I wouldn't have been able to cover both flanks.
Thank god it's only wide enough for about one-point-five of them at a time.
"Ptsststsst!"
"Oh, fuck! Keep coming at me!"
My breathing's starting to go.
"Ptsstst!"
One of them came through swinging, so I blocked—and in that instant—
—Paat!
The one behind it dropped low and executed a combat roll to the right!
"You've gotta be shitting me!"
I just let one slip through! I cut down the guy in front in a hurry and tried to go after the right-roller, but—
—Paat!
Now the one coming up behind rolled to the left!
"This is bad—!"
The instant I knew it was bad—
—Ppol-ppol-ppol.
The Antillery that got through didn't circle back to flank my friends. Instead, they moved straight toward the glass wall off to the side.
"What the—?"
There's no reason not to pincer us right now. Why head over there? A flicker of suspicion. I couldn't afford to ignore it, so while holding off the next wave, I sneaked a look at the glass wall.
There are captured Antillery locked inside that glass pen.
"Ptsststsst!"
"Tstststst!"
I knew it.
The Antillery coming through the gate weren't here to fight. Even now, the ones that made it past were all heading straight for the glass wall.
And then.
—Ppudeudeudeuk!
The Antillery in front of the glass wall suddenly started to transform! Its chest swelled up and then its whole body began deforming rapidly!
"Oh, hell no!"
It was grotesque as hell! The Antillery basically turned itself into some kind of organic machine, collapsed to the ground, and then another Antillery picked up the bio-machine, pressed it right up against the glass wall, and activated it!
Absolutely batshit!
"You're all insane!"
But the truly insane part? It was only getting started.
"Ptsststsst!"
"Ptsststst!"
These lunatic monsterkin grabbed the comrades who'd turned themselves into organic tools, operated them like actual machinery, and started trying to cut through the glass wall!
—Wiiiiing!
Seriously, they were slicing right through the glass!
—Paat!
More Worker Antillery joined in, repeating the same process—turning themselves into cutting tools—and got to work breaching the glass.
That's it.
"You bastards!"
They're not here to fight at all. Their one objective is to smash that glass wall! And inside that glass wall are more of their buddies!
"I don't get it, but whoever's in there? Must be someone important!"
A realization hit me like a brick.
—Kwaang!
Behind me, my friends are still locked in combat with the Guardians!
"Yikes! It isn't just three of these bastards! They're pouring out like a string of sausages! Crazy ant bastards!"
Leona yelled in a panic, using a comparison that made her sound like a native-born Korean no matter how you look at it.
"Over there! Another one coming!"
Yu-ri shouted.
"It's starting to get tough... Hyap!"
A battle cry from Si-hoo split a Guardian in two. We're winning, but the enemy keeps coming. A war of attrition against an endless foe is a losing battle.
In that case, I'd rather just—!
—Paat!
I stopped attacking for a second and pulled back. The Antillery exiting the gate immediately ignored me and made for the glass wall.
"Ptsststsst!"
"Ptsststststst!"
"Tststst!"
—Jiiiiing!
The Antillery were hard at work cutting the glass. I watched it unfold and assessed the situation. My stamina wouldn't hold up long enough to kill all these worker ants. I was going to get overrun eventually, so I decided to put my faith in what I'd just figured out.
—Ppudeudeudeuk!
Once the glass was cut to a certain point, some of the Antillery started reforming their bodies again. They turned into what looked like living bombs, and other Antillery picked them up and stuck them to the glass wall.
—Peo-eo-eo-eong!
The explosion shattered the glass wall and blew the Antillery in front of it to bits. What the hell's with these guys? They're supposed to be sapient—are they just low-int or something?
"Ptsststsst!"
The surviving Antillery started pouring through the breach right then!
"That's my opening!"
—Kwaang!
I kicked off the ground and launched into a full dash! The burst of speed felt insane. But I couldn't lose focus. The busted glass wall—I bull-rushed straight toward it—
—Kuung!
"Ptsstst!"
—and clear out the Antillery in my path with a shoulder tackle! All of these bastards are trying to get inside and pull out the one in there!
"How about I snatch it instead!"
—Kwaang!
I stomp on the brakes and leap inside. Right in front of me, I see an Antillery hanging limp in restraints. That bastard is the objective the attackers came for today!
Commencing immediate asset denial!
"On your feet, you bastard!"
"..."
—Hwaak!
I grabbed the limp bastard and hauled it close. It was less heavy than I expected, totally manageable. In that position, I pressed my sword against its neck.
Skill.
War Cry.
"Everybody shut the hell up, you cocksucking bastards—!!!!!"
I screamed with everything I had!
—Hwa-a-a-a-ak!
A roar so loud it shoved the air!
"Wh-what...!"
"Ptsstst!"
Result: every pair of eyes in the area was fixed on me. Look at this. Here's your hostage! If this is what you're after, you can't make a reckless move now, can you!
"Ptsststsst!"
"Ptsststst!"
Bull's-eye.
The instant the blade touched the neck, the Antillery—who, up until now, had been acting like mindless drones—froze up hard and then started trembling.
"Ptsststst...!"
Same went for the Guardians fighting my friends. They broke off combat and just stood there, completely lost.
"Wh-what's happening! What on earth did you do, Kim Geun-cheol!"
"Just get over here for now! I'll explain later! Fast! Move it!"
"Oh! Right! Let's go!"
—Paat!
My friends dove into the glass pen instantly and formed up in front of me. All three were gasping and looked absolutely wrecked. Superhuman or not, constant attrition will wear anyone down.
"Quick! Catch your breath! I've got this bastard as a hostage!"
"Hostage? Geun-cheol? What do you—?"
"Look! These bastards came here to get this guy out! I watched them—this is the only thing they cared about! So I took it hostage! That's right! Everybody get down, you ant bastards!!!"
I belted it out a second time, and the Antillery crowded in front of the glass wall started screeching and lowering their postures.
"Ptsstststst!"
"Ptsstststststst!"
They looked like mother animals whose young had just been snatched!
"See! They can't do jack shit right now!"
"Ohh, ohhh! Kim Geun-cheol! You actually used your brain! Nice one! Fucking incredible! Ha... haa..."
—Sseuk-sseuk!
Yu-ri rubbed my back with approval and let her breath out in a rush, obviously relieved.
"Yu-ri. You too. Hurry up and put your blade to this fucker too. Two people threatening it is twice as effective."
"Got it! Hey, bastard! I said get down!"
Yu-ri leveled her sword and shouted, bold as brass, and the Antillery went through another collective seizure.
"No way! It actually worked! Oh my god! Kim Geun-cheol saved us!"
"Saved us? No, Leona. We fought together—so we won together!"
"Classic Kim Geun-cheol, always knows how to package it...! Sniff! You're so damn adorable I could die! Let me pet your head!"
An elated Leona ruffled my hair hard.
Ah man... when I get that kind of treatment, I start to relax.
"Didn't expect this at all. I was honestly getting winded, so—yeah, I'm relieved."
"Right? Still, Si-hoo—we don't know how this is gonna go, so get your breath first."
"Yeah. I will."
We stayed like that, catching our breath and glaring at the Antillery.
"Ptsststsst!"
"Tststst!"
The Antillery, flat on the ground, were practically wringing their bodies in distress, at a total loss. Workers, Soldiers, Guardians. Different weight classes, all of them equally helpless.
Like we'd just given them an absolute order: Do not harm the hostage.
"But what exactly is that thing? Why are they going this far to try and rescue it?"
—Tuk-tuk.
Leona poked the limp hostage a couple of times as she asked.
"Ptsststsst!"
The Antillery freaked out.
Wait—Leona doesn't know?
"Leona? You don't know about these guys' ecology?"
"No, I mean, I obviously do know. It's just... this behavioral pattern? I've never seen anything like it."
"Yeah?"
So even Leona's never seen this before.
"Eh, whatever. Probably some kind of prince or princess."
Yu-ri said it totally nonchalantly. I mean, it doesn't look much like one, but.
"Yeah. Seems that way."
"Guess so. Must be it. You piss-colored shits! Zip it!"
—Kwaang!
I stomped the ground hard.
"Ptsststsst!"
The bastards had another group seizure.
Right this second.
"I could feel my own power—physically feel it...!"
Is this what strength really is?!
Is this the view from the top?!
I chewed on the feeling while telling myself over and over: I need to get stronger.