Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 038
Chapter Title: Counterattack Begins, Gyo-nam-dong Recapture Operation (5)
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9.
“Get down!”
Im Yong-gon’s urgent shout.
The moment I flattened myself to the ground.
A massive silhouette grazed right over my head.
──A fierce roar.
The abandoned buildings to the left collapsed like an explosion.
Rebar, bricks, concrete. Debris from the structures flew in every direction.
Unrealistic power and speed.
A majestic frame that drew a hollow laugh from me. I had to hunt this monster soon.
Now 70 meters away.
We raced past it.
At the same time, the subordinate raised its dragon head and began pursuing us fiercely again.
Now 50 meters.
Crunch.
The sound of something being uprooted.
That bastard…?
I glanced back and froze in shock. It had yanked up an entire streetlamp and was hurling it our way.
“Gye-sang!”
“Got it!”
Kim Gye-sang extended his left hand backward.
Unique skill 《Pellion’s Mystery》.
A ring of starlight flickered around his wrist, soon transforming into a massive tentacle.
──Splash!
The tentacle shot forward like an arrow.
It wrapped around the streetlamp just before it hit us.
“Might as well clear the ones ahead too!”
He flung it forward.
The streetlamp bounced along the ground, rolling and sweeping through a horde of human centipedes that had suddenly blocked the alley.
“Now 30 meters!”
We rounded the corner, and a steep uphill road appeared. Climb this, and the induction point would come into view.
“…Damn.”
But as expected, nightmare assaults weren’t that easy.
“Hee hee hee heh heh!”
“Heh heh heh heh heh.”
Human centipedes poured out from the buildings on both sides like a swarm of bees. The subordinate was closing in tight from behind.
“Full speed breakthrough!”
“More coming from the left!”
“I’ve got it.”
Im Yong-gon charged ahead.
Swinging his massive iron hammer wildly, the lunging human centipedes shattered and flew away, clearing a path.
「BEFAROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!」
The subordinate’s fist came rushing in an instant.
I barely spun aside, trying to slash its leg with the Dawn Sword, but…
…The shockwave was all I could handle just to regain my balance and keep running.
Then it suddenly started rampaging left and right.
The abandoned building on the right crumbled under its charge, and it burst out again, smashing the one on the left this time.
This mad…!
“We’re going to get caught!”
“It’s right there!”
10 meters.
The end of the uphill was in sight.
Right there on the right. The imposing front gate of the abandoned school.
Here…!
Right then, thud thud thud thud thud thud, the subordinate accelerated. Choi Uk shouted.
“Jump inside!”
We broke through the multitude of human centipede hands lunging at us, their laughter erupting, and the pounding footsteps of the subordinate hot on our heels, finally kicking off the ground.
That’s when a warning flashed in my mind. I voiced it immediately.
“Get down the moment you jump in!”
The instant we leaped through the abandoned school’s front gate, we dropped flat.
Inertia, perhaps.
Our bodies tumbled wildly across the schoolyard grass.
At that precarious moment.
The subordinate’s body soared over our heads.
A split second later, and…
My upper body would’ve been obliterated. Wiping cold sweat, I stood up.
Alright…
The rampage ends now.
The subordinate had plunged deeper into the schoolyard ahead of us.
Its massive bulk slid across the grass, shaking the ground once more.
“Now.”
Choi Uk snapped his fingers toward somewhere. Probably where Seo Hwa-yun was waiting.
An intense flash erupted.
Zzzzzzzzzzzt… The flash instantly enveloped the schoolyard (like a soccer field) in a semicircular barrier 100 meters in diameter, glowing electric blue.
Immense high-voltage current.
The giant swarm trying to follow the subordinate into the schoolyard was charred black and electrocuted in a single instant.
No way.
“Blue Dragon…? How?”
I muttered low in disbelief.
Kim Gye-sang, gazing in awe at the barrier, asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“This is a skill that can’t be replicated. It’s pre-apocalypse tech.”
This wasn’t a unique skill.
Commonly known as [Blue Dragon: Electric Curtain]. South Korea’s cutting-edge nuclear defense system, born from constant North Korean threats.
It vaporizes anything—explosions included—down to the atomic level… or so I’d heard. The cheesy naming was a proud tradition of the higher-ups.
“How did Seo Hwa-yun pull this off?”
Without power or equipment.
Choi Uk, wearing a crow-beak gas mask, shook his head at Kim Gye-sang’s question.
“We’ll hear it straight from her later. Right now, we’ve got other priorities.”
Choi Uk’s gaze shifted.
There stood the second nightmare. It scanned its surroundings as if amused.
Suffocating presence.
The air trembled with every breath it took.
Yeah. Just like Cha-Ratevil.
Subordinates were cunning but never fled battle. They believed themselves overwhelmingly superior.
“The barrier lasts about 5 or 6 minutes. We finish the hunt within that.”
I drew a slow breath in.
Then slowly exhaled.
“That’s plenty.”
Just as Choi Uk said.
One thing mattered now: This entire schoolyard was our hunting ground.
“I heard that sword cut down a subordinate before.”
Im Yong-gon stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me.
At over 2.3 meters tall, clad in [Heavy Armor], he looked like a giant himself.
“Then I’ll tank up front. You focus on slashing.”
His helmet-like tin bucket and the massive iron hammer slung over his shoulder.
Intimidating normally, but reassuring now. Kim Gye-sang joined me too.
“I’ll support from behind. Focus on the cuts.”
“Gye-sang, prep the sonic rounds. Watch the rear closely.”
“Sonic rounds?”
Kim Gye-sang echoed, but soon nodded, loading them into his revolver.
“Got it. I’ll fire if that situation from before hits.”
Choi Uk was just drawing his main weapons: hand cannon and sword-cane. I said.
“Good. Then.”
I exchanged glances with them briefly. Confirming the resolve in each other’s eyes, I kicked off the ground and charged.
Rejoice. It’s hunting time.
A bizarre thrill boiled in my chest. With a shout, I swung the Dawn Sword with my right hand.
The prey was right ahead.
“Urraaaaaah!”
Im Yong-gon struck first, ferociously.
Im Yong-gon, the hunter hailed as strongest among those who hadn’t joined the Muak-dong assault.
That reputation was real.
He wasn’t just parrying Arishel’rab’s assault with his iron hammer?
──Kaaaaang!
Incredible.
Overpowering a subordinate with raw strength?
He spun his body once.
Adding rotational force, he smashed Arishel’rab’s head.
「PIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Arishel’rab recoiled with a roar, but its motion froze unnaturally. A tentacle had seized it.
Kim Gye-sang, left arm extended forward.
The massive tentacle from his wrist bound Arishel’rab’s limbs.
“Now!”
My turn.
Sword tip leading.
I amplified my leg strength, closing the distance to the subordinate in one breath.
Kiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaa!
Arishel’rab kicked the ground with its hind legs. The world shook, and suddenly a massive maw gaped before me.
Dodge first.
I spun my body aside hard. Channeling the centrifugal force into the blade.
The Dawn Sword traced a lightning arc, deeply slashing from its upper jaw to its neck.
=====
[Rampaging Despair, Arishel’rab]
[■■■■■, ■■■■■, ■■□□□]
=====
──Kwarghghghghgh!
The sound of its counterattack reached my ears.
Sweeping the entire grassy field with its right arm in a horizontal strike.
Again.
I spun to the side, piercing its flank with the sword tip.
Throb.
Dull pain in my wrist.
Like swinging at rock. How tough was this bastard’s exoskeleton?
──Puhwaaaaaak!
Then blue blood erupted from its side.
What? That’s weird.
It was a shallow hit. No way it should burst like that.
Suspicious, I pulled back with full power, but blood drops had already splattered my hand.
Damn…!
The moment I clicked my tongue, the contact point bubbled and boiled.
“ A, aaaaaaah…!”
Pain so intense a stifled scream escaped.
Corrosive…?
I let my guard down. This thing’s blood was a weapon too?
My skin melted gruesomely. Bones peeked through slightly.
“Baek-jun! Get back!”
No time to worry about my left hand. It shrieked in rage, swinging its left arm.
For now.
[Unique skill, 《Shadow Lurk》 activated!]
Vision plunged into darkness.
1.5 seconds. Barely enough to catch my breath. But satisfied with dodging the lethal blow.
“…?!”
When I emerged from the shadows.
My mind went blank.
Arishel’rab… this bastard.
It loomed over the exact shadow I’d hidden in, hands raised, waiting.
No escape.
My judgment… was careless.
Subordinates know each other’s skills, obviously. Arishel’rab slammed its hands down vertically.
“Urriiaaaaaah!”
Then a thick, powerful shout.
A massive iron hammer trailed black light as it surged up.
──Kaaaaaaaang!
Subordinate’s hands clashed with the hammer.
Insane metallic clash and sparks erupted.
…Im Yong-gon?
For a moment, Arishel’rab was pushed back (unbelievable as it was), its hands flung up, body staggering.
“Fall back and regroup!”
Im Yong-gon’s unique skill, perhaps.
Whoosh. Black flames ignited at the impact site, and Arishel’rab flailed its hand in agony.
“Over here!”
Once more.
A massive tentacle flew.
It firmly grabbed Arishel’rab’s tail as it tried to counter, buying me time to escape.
──Boom!
Finally, a gunshot roared.
A heavy shell struck the subordinate’s maw dead-on, exploding.
Choi Uk.
I saw him delicately and swiftly reloading.
=====
[Rampaging Despair, Arishel’rab]
[■■■■■, ■■■■■, □□□□□]
=====
This team was truly strong.
Even as I retreated to Kim Gye-sang, Choi Uk and Im Yong-gon kept the subordinate occupied.
I shouldn’t have gotten complacent.
“Where’s the wound?”
Kim Gye-sang pulled a nebula fluid syringe from his belt.
I extended my left hand, and he jabbed the needle in. He scolded like a teacher with a student.
“You’re pushing too hard.”
“Fighting solo’s a habit… Sorry.”
As the nebula fluid injected.
The burning pain subsided, and my skin began regenerating somewhat.
“You really don’t get it. If you get hurt, Ha-kyeong will kill me. Please be careful.”
I let out a disbelieving chuckle.
Kim Gye-sang pulled the needle out and tossed the syringe.
“You just took a big chunk of its HP… Let’s end it this time.”
That’s when the despair began.
I’d foolishly forgotten. That subordinates were true cunning hunters.
Arishel’rab had been waiting.
For the opening when Kim Gye-sang set down his sonic-loaded revolver to grab the syringe.
「PAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
An overwhelming roar that shook heaven and earth.
My skull felt like it would split.
Ah… Aah… As if it were natural, strength drained from my body.
As I dropped to one knee.
──Hummmm.
The Dawn Sword flickered wildly.
Its mystical glow neutralized the intangible force invading my mind.
The headache lingered, though.
Using the Dawn Sword as a staff.
I slowly rose, lifting my head. But…
Gone.
Arishel’rab was nowhere.
Choi Uk and Im Yong-gon struggled not to collapse, but the massive presence had vanished like a lie.
What.
Where… where did it go.
The [Blue Dragon: Electric Curtain] was intact.
If it had exited, I’d hear the voltage explode… Then an ominous thought struck.
How did this thing appear?
From the sky. Like a meteor.
The thought hit, and I reflexively looked up.
“A… Aah…”
And there.
The nightmare hung.