Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: The Monster of Gyeryong Unit - 1
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I'd heard the welcome message, but the Gyeryong Unit was too vast to bother replying.
It was big enough to fit a small city inside with room to spare.
While exploring the base with Da-jeong, something odd caught my eye.
A place this size should be crawling with survivors and monsters alike.
"It shouldn't be this quiet."
"Yeah."
Maybe it had something to do with that unidentified roar.
Before I knew it, night had fallen, and we found some barracks near the main headquarters.
Our real hideout was the shelter beyond the dimension gate, so anywhere we could hole up would do.
The dormitory, likely used by soldiers, was surprisingly clean.
Da-jeong brushed the dust off a bed and sat down.
"Looks like we can crash here."
"Separate the mattress and blanket and lay them out on the floor."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Hunt down the mess hall and PX. A setup this big has to have leftovers."
She gave me that fed-up look, like I was farming again.
If only she knew.
"Farming's gotta be nonstop."
Right then, that familiar roar echoed again.
Da-jeong tilted her head.
"Sung-ho, ever heard a cry like that before?"
"First time."
I knew monster cries inside out, so I could usually ID them on the spot.
"Not an ogre, but it sounds eerily similar."
"An ogre would've caused a scene."
The thing was massive—easy to spot from afar.
In my current state, there was no way to take it down; running was the only option.
Coat myself in Tier 3 skills and gear... maybe then?
But unlike the game, I had guns in reality.
I wondered how many rifle rounds an ogre could tank before dropping.
At least a hundred, easy.
Still, the math didn't add up.
Even hoarding thousands of rounds left me short.
Farming was the only way.
I left the barracks and headed for the main building.
Darkness swallowed everything in seconds; I couldn't see my hand in front of my face.
Popping a shadow grape cleared it up just enough.
"PX... over there."
No looting had happened; just a bit of dust, but otherwise pristine.
I grabbed whatever looked useful as I wandered.
"Tons of smokes."
Should fetch a nice pile of points from the smokers.
Share some with Hyung-jun too.
I stuffed every pack inside.
Nothing else worth taking.
Just daily essentials, cosmetics, and some food.
"Flavor packets here too."
Perfect for jazzing up bland rice.
I cleared out everything worth grabbing.
Tossing it all through the dimension gate willy-nilly left the shelves bare.
Always the same feeling...
"Farming's the best."
Claiming humanity's last scraps for myself? Priceless.
A few years from now, these would be relics...
We'd improvise substitutes, but nothing this convenient.
"Where's the mess hall...?"
A building this huge had to have multiples.
Plenty of stars meant quality ingredients too.
Most would've rotted, but retort packs lasted forever.
I roamed the main building aimlessly and found the mess hall underground.
The sign was gone, but the table setup screamed cafeteria.
The kitchen was stocked with retort pouches.
A general's mess might've had fresh stuff, but this seemed like officer chow—lower tier.
"...What's that smell?"
I wrinkled my nose hard while bagging the pouches.
Not just rotten food—way more pungent...
Staying exposed to it made my head spin.
One last storeroom raid, then out—until the horror unfolded.
The room was piled high with monster corpses.
"..."
Goblins, kobolds, orcs, werewolves, lizardmen... even what looked like keeper parts.
An orc's slack head stared at me, one eyeball dangling out.
"Damn."
I bolted from the kitchen.
Apocalypse-hardened as I was, this gore was new.
Monsters didn't suicide-pile themselves—someone had stacked them deliberately.
As I exited the mess, the floor vibrated.
Thud.
Something was coming.
I opened the dimension gate and slipped inside.
Thud, thud—steady footsteps.
The intruder finally entered: a monster I'd never seen.
"What the hell is that...?"
Over two meters tall, humanoid.
Absurdly long limbs nearly scraped the ground, mouth packed with shark teeth.
Eyes closed? Probably no eyeballs.
Scar-free skin screamed regeneration skill.
"Ugly mug."
It sniffed around the mess hall.
Caught my scent?
"From now on, you're Sniffer."
Sniffing everywhere—fits.
It headed into the kitchen.
Munching sounds soon followed. Crunch, crunch.
Eating... monsters.
That storeroom was its pantry.
"Ambush from here...? Nah."
Too cramped.
Didn't know its abilities.
Sharp nose suspected, but not enough.
I slipped out quietly.
The gorging stopped dead.
Good ears too.
I dashed up the stairs; behind me, Sniffer's footsteps pattered.
Hit the entrance, opened the gate—landed on the cave mattress as Sniffer charged.
"Oh, come on."
Its grotesque form gave me chills; I slammed the gate shut.
Almost thought I heard sniffing.
Opened it again: Sniffer paced with its back turned.
Dimension gates were invisible to it, as expected.
"Wanna bolt that ass."
Couldn't resist; stepped out.
Loaded the ballista, reopened the gate, aimed.
"Let's see you tank this."
Pulled the upgraded trigger—bolt vanished on impact.
Thwack.
Sniffer flipped, bolt in its butt.
Had to hurt.
But it rose slowly, yanked the bolt free.
Finger-sized hole knit shut before my eyes.
"Insane."
Regen that good? Beyond standard wound healing—top-tier.
Sniffer pivoted exactly toward the gate and approached slowly.
I knew gates were unbreakable, but damn, it unnerved me.
What would it do?
It reached the gate, sniffed around—then lashed out an arm.
"Gah!"
I recoiled in shock.
It caressed the gate like a treasure.
Suddenly, spines erupted across its body.
Grrk.
Spines couldn't pierce; the gate repelled it.
Sniffer bristled like a porcupine, bared fangs, and roared.
Roooaaar!
I shut the gate for good.
"...What a nightmare."
Arms dangling long, attacking with body spines...
Grabbed? Fatal wound minimum.
Reopened later: gone.
Stepped out—then froze.
What if Sniffer was lurking behind?
Chills ran down my spine.
It could.
Instead of exiting, I prepped the rifle.
Grabbed potatoes from storage, chucked one—Sniffer lunged.
"Knew it, you bastard."
Rat-tat-tat!
Rifle barked; Sniffer jerked from bullets.
No fatal hit—whipped around.
Two skills confirmed minimum.
It sensed I wasn't easy prey and bolted for the main building.
Smart too.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Emptied a mag; it vanished inside anyway.
"Total freak monster."
Bullets barely fazed it—no idea how to kill it.
Penetration resistance skill?
"Melee's suicide though."
Arm extension too fast.
Average joe wouldn't react—dragged in, skewered.
Hard skin might help, but no guarantees.
"Head back for now."
Waited minutes, slipped out cautiously, sprinted to barracks.
Da-jeong nagged about the delay, then gaped at my tale.
"A monster like that?"
"Claims the main building as turf. Problem is, bunker entrance is smack in the middle. Gotta kill it to get in."
"Send ghouls?"
"Bet they'll drop one by one. Too valuable—size and locusts especially."
"What? Nothing works?"
Time to figure it out.
.
.
.
We relocated the hideout.
Too close to the main building for comfort.
Da-jeong sent an enhanced zombie—freaked.
"What is that thing?"
Per her, it got shredded in a blink.
Insanely agile, freakish strength...
Tough nut.
Moved to another building, huddled up.
"Bunker door's triple-locked. Breaching'll take time."
"Sniffer shows meanwhile?"
"Enhanced zombie lasted one second. Ghouls won't hold long."
A few sizes and locusts might buy time, but doomed.
Hard to acquire, long to raise—conserve.
Da-jeong sent two enhanced zombies to scout Sniffer.
"...Arms stretch crazy far. Over ten meters."
Like rubber...
"Spines pack a punch. One-shot an enhanced zombie."
Hard skin unreliable.
"Pepper bombs... effective, but three seconds max."
Summary: Sniffer had godlike tankiness shrugging normal attacks, plus unreal agility and power.
Paralysis poison? Doubt it.
No answer.
Da-jeong muttered anxiously.
"No wonder no monsters around—Sniffer wiped 'em."
Territorial as hell.
We needed that bunker—overcome it.
Current arsenal? No kill.
Needed big, beautiful boom.
"Like an anti-tank rocket..."
"Where?"
"Bunker, probably."
Contacted government shelter, requested bunker weapon inventory.
Secretary tried brushing off—"you'll see inside"—but perked at Sniffer.
Soon, Jang Won-taek popped into the comments.
Lately, this grandpa showed up often.
Felt like I was always taking from him.
Not on purpose.
He was shocked by the Sniffer report.
Moments later, both appeared.
Seok-hyun was itching for a fight.
Sword User's hooked.
I pressed Jang for the list instead.
Grampa fishing for free info.
Wanted to refuse, but we'd gained plenty—agreed.
Spilled specs and traits; groans all around.
Seok-hyun alone burned for battle.
Cost a whopping 100 points.
Thrifty grampa.
Bought the bunker stockpile list.
Jackpot.
Da-jeong peeked, puzzled.
"Army dropout here—explain."
"You're a girl."
"Right."
Grenades, grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons stood out.
Tankiness eats bullets; grenades too weak, launchers iffy.
Anti-tank for sure.
Issue: triple doors to reach 'em.
Felt aimed at me—sting.
Seok-hyun still fired up.
Hmm...
Merging with Seok-hyun, bringing him to my shelter? Solid option.
But trekking here...
No.
While minions breach seals, needed a time-buyer.
Ghouls insufficient—Seok-hyun perfect.
But Seoul to here? No ride.
Thought of Mi-kyung.
Blink risky solo, but with Seok-hyun, escape Seoul doable.
Close call.
Mi-kyung arrived; they moved channels, she said.
Jang and Lee'd be miffed.
Not full allies yet...
Mi-kyung typed.
Blink range: 1km.
Can't chain, but leveled Mi-kyung might manage.
She pondered long.
She didn't know.
Chaining Blinks drains stamina, causes dizziness.
Sun Apples fix that.
Plucked some, bundled with winter berries, auction-listed.
Least I could do for help.
Recalled her fave.
Rice cakes—no fish cakes.
Hmm...
Sword User without Mi-kyung? Useless.
For now.
I talked him down; he seemed bummed.
The Monster of Gyeryong Unit - 1 End