Chapter 36
Chapter 36
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 036
Chapter Title: Counterattack Begins, Kyonam-dong Recapture Operation (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3.
This was a brief interlude just before the apocalypse.
The clock rewinds by a mere one minute.
The hands point to 12:09.
*Click.* Jeong Ha-kyeong snapped her pocket watch shut. She holstered the revolver she'd just fired a tracer round from, too.
‘Probably won’t need it for a few minutes.’
Assuming things went according to Choi Uk’s timeline.
“Now what do we do, Captain?”
On the rooftop of a gutted building, fierce winds howling around her. One female hunter awaited Jeong Ha-kyeong.
Her [National Army Headquarters] olive drab coat flapping in the gale.
“Didn’t I say don’t call me Captain? I’m not military anymore, dumbass.”
“Sorry.”
“Whatever. What’s your take?”
“Recon’s done, I’d say…….”
The female hunter gripped the railing and peered toward Gyeonghuigung Palace street.
Nightmare.
Countless nightmares charging from there.
Flipping street mud and smashing structures in their path.
*Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud.*
To describe the nightmare’s form: a giant with a dragon’s head.
Grayish-white scales gleaming across its massive frame—gruesomely vicious.
The colossal variety.
The so-called Earth Dragon type.
The female hunter scowled.
Overwhelmed by the powerlessness radiating from that sheer size.
“We can’t keep up recon now, can we? We’re the last ones on the right flank.”
Spot on.
Main force already way out ahead. Earth Dragons chasing them down.
“Damn impressive…… Using the [Refugee Escort Column] tactic here. No wonder the Lead──”
“──Slacking already? Pulling junior officer bullshit?”
“I-I’m a captain now too!”
“Then act like it. Don’t pussy out. Buy some time. Even just a little.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong drew her rifle from its sling.
A <Forge>-made large-caliber long gun. Mid-range sniper, but the kill power was unreal.
“At this range?”
“Just stall for time. Time only. Gun out.”
“Yes, ma’am.” As her low-rank subordinate fumbled the massive rifle off her back.
*Chill.*
Hair-raising killing intent.
Jeong Ha-kyeong whipped her head around.
Something.
Staring straight up at them from the Gyeonghuigung Palace wall.
A massive serpent eye.
Bluish starlight gleam.
The epicenter of suffocating madness crushing her body.
……Earth Dragon?
But no.
Something was off. Something different.
“That thing’s bigger than an Earth Dragon, huh? Shoulder height’s gotta be three, four meters.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong held her breath.
Nothing like a standard Earth Dragon.
Eye spewing dark blue glow.
Loathsomely pallid skin on a hulking frame.
A pair of grotesquely warped wings jutting from its back.
That oppressive aura above all.
Felt it before. Somewhere. Where? Right—Muak-dong. In Muak-dong.
Subordinate.
Facing the shadow worm Cha-Ratevil.
Breath came fast.
That…… that’s definitely a Subordinate.
“Did it just spread wings?”
“Down.”
Too late.
Subordinate thrashed wings, vaulted sky-high. Dove straight at them.
Fast.
Insanely fast.
No clue how long it watched, but next she knew, the building rocked hard.
In one instant, Subordinate landed on the roof.
*Wobble.*
Jeong Ha-kyeong lost balance.
Vision spun wild. Dust cloud thick. Debris flying everywhere.
Yet those bluish serpent eyes? Crystal clear. No longer distant—now glaring down at Jeong Ha-kyeong.
Staring.
「ArBilReShiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.」
Low-rank subordinate got unlucky. Impact flung her off the roof—or so it seemed. Mid-air, Subordinate snatched her.
“Ah…… aaah…….”
Groan leaking from its vise grip.
“C-Captain──”
──*Crunch.*
Subordinate balled its fist.
Gruesome blood squelch. Female hunter pulped to death. Pointless ends like this? Daily shadow for any hunter.
Mind blanked white for a beat.
Barely sized up the situation. Ran battle math.
Bastard…… targeted [Recon Team] from jump. Not main force stinking of [Holy Blood Pill].
- Assume worst case. Build strat around it.
Choi Uk said exactly that.
Bullshit though. These fuckers always…… hit with the unimaginable worst.
「BeliДзØΨΩish.」
Instant: Subordinate pounced on Jeong Ha-kyeong.
Might’ve been paste. If not for firing unique skill 《Super Acceleration》 right then.
──*Flash!*
In her accelerated internal-time world.
Jeong Ha-kyeong slung rifle to backpack holster. Vaulted railing. Leaped below.
*Rumble rumble rumble───!*
Beat late: Subordinate’s arm raked roof floor. Burst roar.
Warn them. Sound the alarm.
Before this fucker picked off [Recon Team] one by one.
Fumbled revolver cylinder open.
Sonic round. Sonic…… sonic! Fucking sonic.
Where the hell?
Pocket grope frenzy—nabbed bullet. Loaded fast.
Pocket watch tumbled free.
No mid-air grab, so it drifted down slow.
Sonic load done (internal accel made first-falling watch lag behind)—glimpsed time.
Hands at 12:10.
[Unique skill 《Super Acceleration》 expired.]
Next instant, Jeong Ha-kyeong.
Yanked revolver trigger hard.
4.
Second sacrifice: five seconds later.
Right flank [Recon Team].
Ahead of Jeong Ha-kyeong’s spot.
That hunter? Duty-bound.
Heard sonic—loaded his own, fired instant.
That diligence?
Exposed him straight to Subordinate.
“Hm?”
Ground-kick thud.
Turned at odd vibe. One beat: Subordinate’s huge hand-blade sheared his torso clean.
…………*Splurt*…………
Stumbling legs.
Spine remnant spraying blood wild before flop.
Sacrifice worth it? Yeah.
He croaked—sonics wailed everywhere.
*Beep…… beep…… beep…… beep…… beep……*
Clock hands?
Still 12:10.
5.
Third sacrifices: ten seconds on.
Support Squad 5. Spot: right mid-flank.
Far from main now. Ambush-intercepting one Earth Dragon.
“Hyeok, ankle!”
Hunter Hyeok charged like hell.
Spear-slash mid-stride: deep gash on charging Earth Dragon ankle.
“Got it!”
Stagger.
Earth Dragon knee-buckled. Two backups pounced sync.
Unique skills to scale-sheathed skull, chest—fatal hits.
“Done?”
“Done!”
Bulk crashed dirt.
Mouth foaming red, but toast soon.
“Easier than thought? Subordinates’d be cake too.”
“We see ‘em coming.”
Mid-small raid team hunters.
Fist-bump victory cheer. Fair play—Earth Dragons were beasts.
──*Beep beep beep beep beep.*
Sharp screech drilled eardrums.
“Huh?”
Tense hush…… then sonics screamed omnidirectional frenzy.
Crazy…… really here?
Lead hunter shook it off, smacked comrade cheeks.
“Wake up, assholes! Back to main──”
──Outta nowhere.
World went pitch-midnight dark.
Eerie. Ominous. Starlight still hit that far corner?
“U-Up, up, upupupabove!”
Scream-shout panic.
One hunter bolted raw.
Other two puzzled skyward. Froze terror-struck.
Massive thing dove right at ‘em. Cold-blue eyes flashing.
“Ah…… ah…….”
Next beat.
Roar shook old district.
That blast?
Grinding bone-crunch buried lost.
6.
“……Ngh!”
Jeong Ha-kyeong slammed building wall. *Zing.* Razor pain. Ribs cracked few?
Body went limp.
Fucking hell……
Razor-close. Fucking *razor*.
Pre-splat.
Exclusive skill 《Three Iron Hearts》 spun wire. Hooked third-floor balcony.
Trap wire improv.
Tough as hell—her dangling full weight? No sweat.
‘……Five secs post-sonic?’
Rest over. Drop time.
- Repayment. Take it, Ha-kyeong-ssi.
That guy saved her ass again.
Nah…… gift for her favor.
- Suits you perfect.
Kim Baek-jun’s grin ghosted by. Ugh…… Jeong Ha-kyeong mashed face into neck-slung skull gas mask.
“Noona?!”
Familiar yell below. Peered down: Cha Seung-hyeon, winded, staring up.
“What’re you doing up there?”
“What’s it look like?”
“Nose-deep in gas mask, sniffing. Tastes are trash.”
“Fuck off again? Asshole.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong cut 《Three Iron Hearts》.
Body buoyed.
Hong Byeong-gyu caught smooth groundside.
“Bungee at high noon. Cool hobby—wrong time, place.”
“Not that, fucker.”
“American joke…….”
Hong Byeong-gyu sulked. You first on time-place……
“Uncle, why lagging so hard?”
“Monsters fucking wild. Choi Uk fucks block. Lagged ass. This? Major catch-up.”
Ah.
Got it rough. Jeong Ha-kyeong dismounted—dizzy pain buckled her.
“Star Cloud Liquid?”
Cha Seung-hyeon cape-flipped, belt-fumbled pre-answer.
“You got?”
“Yeah. Earth Dragon scrap burned most—one left.”
“One works.”
Sleeve hike light.
Cha Seung-hyeon syringe out, jabbed forearm.
Creepy rush veins. Text popped eyes.
[Hunter perk ‘Healing of the Stars’ repairing body.]
This shit-game? No heals ever.
Post-Muak-dong raid tho? [General Store] stocked new: [Star Cloud Liquid].
Delivery: syringe.
Stuff: Paradise mist concentrate.
No zone-miracle cures.
Pain block, scratch fix? Gold.
“That yours, noona?”
Yoon Geon-woo front-point.
Sonics howling all ‘round. Good—signal flew true.
“Yeah. Still close.”
“What?”
“Boss mob fucker! Move.”
Front corner then.
Hunter lurched out, collapse-close.
……Huh?
“Ah…… aaaaaah.”
Bad vibe hit.
Same corner: massive burst. Forelegs pulped hunter.
Back-builds swept, tumbled. Eardrums near-rip boom.
“That…… that fucker.”
Heart jackhammered.
Last life-scrawl on world canvas.
“That’s the boss.”
“……Column core, no? Straggler?”
Yoon Geon-woo words iced Hong Byeong-gyu crew faces.
Jeong Ha-kyeong bolted first tho—they clocked, tailed.
“Core, stray—don’t matter! Can’t let pass.”
Subordinate drop? Faster, sneakier than Choi Uk math.
Let slip?…… Main wipes pre-point.
“Stall it—that’s the word.”
“Gotcha. Our Gye-sang statue’s got a hot date with that ugly hag?”
“Wow fuck. Gye-sang hyung’s too sweet—say date, he’d bite. Bury here.”
“Gift to Baek-jun hyung.”
“No way.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong snap—three dudes sly-grinned.
Fucking pricks……
Battle breather? Done.
Subordinate wheeled main-force way.
“Go.”
“One slip, afterlife stroll—know it?”
Jeong Ha-kyeong team-glance, nod.
Cha Seung-hyeon chakram-kiss. Yoon Geon-woo saw-spear blade-caress. Hong Byeong-gyu [Heavy Armor] visor-drop.
No tension. Go time.
Show that thing human grit.