Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Head-On
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*Click.*
Having evaded the MK2 and climbed to the safe house roof, Kanghyeok pressed the rifle’s stock to his shoulder.
He took a firing stance and looked down at the MK2 prowling around the safe house.
Damn it.
His hands felt clammy.
Sweaty palms despite the cold weather meant he was tense.
Tension dulls the body.
He took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to make as little sound as possible, then focused on the MK2 again.
He paid no mind to the shock absorbers installed at the joints, like its arms, legs, or neck.
Instead, his attention was on its back, which jutted out like a hunchback’s.
It wasn’t hard to guess what it was, since there couldn't be a real hunchback inside.
‘A battery pack.’
The MK2’s movements were strange.
Though it moved slowly, as if underwater, its speed was abnormal considering the weight of its armor and weapons. To make that possible, it had to be equipped with something to assist its movements.
‘She said they attacked a U.S. military base.’
Gabriel’s words came to mind.
Gabriel of the Errant Priests, who had been tracking Iron Mask, had told him they had stolen something from a U.S. military base.
‘Is it wearing an exoskeleton stolen from the base?’
Otherwise, its movements couldn't be explained.
Those bastards.
A Powered Exoskeleton System wasn't a piece of equipment that could be utilized at this point in time. Even far into the future, it was only operated by a very small number of special forces units.
At present, it was naturally an incomplete technology.
Its functionality was limited, and it hadn't even been lightweighted. Its effective operational time would be abysmal, but the machine seemed to have somewhat offset this problem with its large frame and thick armor plating.
‘For now, I have to assume the battery is its only weakness...’
*Thud, thud.*
The MK2 began to move again, searching for Kanghyeok. He aimed at its back and placed his index finger on the trigger.
Then he slowly squeezed.
*Rat-tat-tat!*
The rifle, set to burst fire, spat out three bullets.
*Clank!*
The bullets glanced harmlessly off the thick armor, and the MK2 stopped walking.
With its characteristically slow movement, it turned its upper body toward Kanghyeok.
*Whirrrr!*
The sound of the minigun spinning up spread through the chilly air.
Before the MK2's back moved out of his line of sight, Kanghyeok squeezed the trigger repeatedly.
*Th-th-thump, th-th-thump, th-th-thump!*
He precisely peppered every spot that looked weak—the seams where the armor plates met, areas where the plating seemed thinner—but none of it dealt any effective damage.
The battery pack he had counted on was perfectly protected by armor plating; it wasn't a weak point.
*Grit!*
Kanghyeok clenched his jaw and dashed to the center of the roof.
*Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!*
The minigun’s bullets descended on the spot where Kanghyeok had been.
Debris from the wrecked safe house shot high into the air before settling, followed by the thunderous, enraged footsteps of the MK2.
It was looking for a way up to the roof.
But Kanghyeok knew there was no way for such a massive body to get onto the roof, so he glanced up at the helicopter.
The helicopter showed no particular movement in the darkness.
It didn't shine its searchlight on him.
It merely watched him like an observer.
It only churned out the heavy thrum of its propellers, as if pressing him to decide his next move.
*Whirrrr! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!*
The machine opened up with its minigun again from behind the safe house.
It sounded as if it intended to force Kanghyeok down, even if it meant destroying the building.
Kanghyeok took a deep breath through his nose.
“Hooooo.”
He exhaled a white, frozen breath, his eyes calmer than before as he looked toward the sound of the minigun.
“I can't hope for a lucky break.”
Kanghyeok checked all the firearms he was carrying and walked to the edge of the roof.
*Clack!*
He roughly reloaded his rifle and glanced at the helicopter.
“Let's take this head-on.”
The MK2 could be called Iron Mask's magnum opus.
They were serious enough to steal an exoskeleton from a U.S. military base.
In that case, I have no choice but to be just as serious.
No relying on luck, just a pure, straightforward fight.
I've already confirmed that luck won't work against this opponent.
Then the only option left is a direct confrontation.
*Grit.*
Clenching his teeth, Kanghyeok leaped to the ground.
*Thump!*
A heavy sound echoed as he landed.
*Rat-a-tat-tat. Whirrrr.*
At the same time, the minigun fire died down,
*Thud, thud, thud.*
and the machine's earth-shaking footsteps drew closer with long strides.
*Clack!*
Kanghyeok raised the rifle's muzzle to the sky and squeezed the trigger.
*Rat-a-tat-tat!*
As the spent casings clattered to the ground, the machine’s footsteps quickened. Gauging the distance by the sound, Kanghyeok turned.
Then he ran in the direction of his room.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
The machine's footsteps sounded close.
It felt as if its dark helmet would be right in front of him if he turned his head, as if the whir of the minigun would start at any moment.
*Smash!*
Kanghyeok kicked through a window and entered the safe house.
*Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!*
As if displeased that Kanghyeok had disappeared from view, the helicopter began to move. Kanghyeok switched to his shotgun and stood before the door leading to the hallway.
The reason he entered the safe house?
Because this place was his only hope.
He hadn't been playing tag with the MK2 with his head in the clouds.
He had been checking how fast it could move and how narrow its field of vision was.
The conclusion he reached led him into the safe house.
The open yard wasn't suitable for fighting the MK2.
This safe house had plenty of places for cover and concealment, and it was also stocked with weapons hidden in preparation for an invasion.
*Thud.*
As the MK2, radiating an immense presence in the darkness, appeared, Kanghyeok activated the grenade launcher attached to his shotgun.
*Fwoosh! KABOOM!*
The damnably plush mattress exploded beyond recognition, leaving black soot stains on the once-clean wallpaper.
*Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat!*
Kanghyeok switched to his rifle and relentlessly fired at the machine’s head.
He heard the sound of bullets being deflected by the armor plating, and the MK2, which had paused for a moment, began to move again.
At the same time, Kanghyeok switched back to the shotgun and fired another grenade.
*KABOOOOOM!*
Thick dust billowed up, but the winter wind soon revealed the MK2's silhouette.
Was it because of the successive grenade hits?
The machine was on one knee.
*Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!*
Switching back to the rifle, Kanghyeok went out into the hallway and flung open a drawer of a cabinet.
One hand grenade, one flare.
Kanghyeok picked them up and stuffed them into an inner pocket.
*Thud! Thud!*
Hearing the machine’s footsteps, which echoed even louder indoors, Kanghyeok moved toward the living room.
*Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat!*
He kept pulling the trigger even though the rifle bullets were ineffective, likely because he wanted to ensure it wouldn't stop chasing him.
He would absolutely finish it here, today.
Reaching the living room, Kanghyeok pressed his back against the wall and waited for it to approach.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
Amidst its footsteps, he could faintly hear the whir of the minigun spinning up. But it didn't unleash a hail of bullets.
It only let out a whirring sound that seemed to carry anger and frustration, as if ready to blow Kanghyeok away at any moment.
Kanghyeok pressed his face, now as cold and hard as ice, against the wall.
Through the wall, he could feel the vibrations and the presence it exuded.
‘Two meters.’
It would soon come into view.
*Thump, thump.*
‘One meter.’
*Whirr, whirr.*
Feeling it scan the area as its minigun spun, Kanghyeok moved his hand to his shoulder.
Grasping the solid handle of his kukri, his mind calmed and settled.
*Thump.*
As the machine took another step, the minigun came into Kanghyeok's view.
Kanghyeok jammed his kukri between the minigun's three barrels. Just after he felt a jarring sensation, confirming the kukri was lodged firmly between them,
the MK2 turned its head toward him,
*Whirrrr!*
and as it tried to spin the minigun,
*CRUNCH!*
the kukri was sucked into the barrels.
*CRUNCH!*
With a sound of metal grinding against metal, the machine's barrels bent.
*Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!*
The minigun sputtered to life, spraying bullets toward the floor.
But the other side?
*Screeeech!*
There was no way the bent barrels could spew a hail of bullets. The minigun, damaged beyond firing again, drew the MK2's attention.
And Kanghyeok gripped his shotgun.
*BOOM!*
His target wasn't the MK2's head or the minigun.
It was the right wrist holding the ruined weapon.
More precisely, the shock absorber attached to the joint.
*CRACK!*
With a shriek of tearing metal, the shock absorber twisted, and the hydraulic suspension that absorbed the impact burst, spilling black oil onto the floor like blood.
It was right after that.
*WHAM!*
Perhaps in a rage over its broken minigun, the MK2 kicked Kanghyeok in the chest.
Sent flying as if hit by a truck, Kanghyeok completely destroyed a side table in the living room before crashing to the floor.
“Gack! Keuk!”
*Whirrrr!*
The motor of the MK2's minigun whined as it aimed for Kanghyeok's head.
“Ugh-aaah!”
Kanghyeok threw himself aside and reached into his coat.
***
“Aaaaargh!”
One of the citizens, hit by a Molotov cocktail, writhed as if dancing before collapsing.
Others rushed over, stomping or throwing their own clothes on him to extinguish the flames, but the fire wouldn't go out.
Instead, it consumed the clothes they'd thrown on him and burned even more fiercely.
“Damn it all!”
A man cursed at the corpse burning with thick black smoke,
*Rat-a-tat-tat!*
and was immediately riddled with bullets.
“Take cover! Take cover!”
“Don't fall back! Fight!”
The gangs were attacking.
It was a coordinated move by the gangs, turning their arrows of vengeance on the city's people who had dared to stand against them.
“You sons of bitches!”
Like a drunkard beating a dog that had bared its teeth at him, a gang member glared and ruthlessly squeezed the trigger.
*Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!*
A spray of blood erupted from the clustered citizens, and their ear-splitting screams shattered the dawn's silence.
*Crack! Crack!*
The citizens also fought back, firing at the gangs from behind their barricade.
*Thwump!*
“Argh!”
“Fucking idiot!”
Cursing at their comrade who was rolling on the ground after being shot, the gang members gradually advanced toward the supermarket.
*Crack!*
A large hole was punched through the head of an old man hiding behind the barricade, and he spilled ghastly dark red blood onto the ground.
The stench of blood and fire.
The foul odor of a person burned to death.
Here, where mounds of ash rose high and settled like snow, the gang members lit the wicks of their Molotov cocktails.
*Thump! Fwoosh! Thump!*
The thrown Molotovs set the asphalt ablaze, and some ignited the barricade the citizens had erected.
“Aargh! Dammit!”
“Put out the fire! Hurry!”
“Bring something! Anything!”
“Aaaaaaargh!”
The Molotovs didn't just contain gasoline.
They had put cut-up tires inside, and the heat melted the rubber, causing it to stick to the skin, refusing to come off.
“Aaaaaaargh!”
The screams of the person who, just moments ago, had been filled with hope and urged others to fight the gangs were agonizing to hear.
It felt as if hope itself was breaking, making the hands holding the guns tremble.
The faces of the people holding guns behind the barricade hardened, and their trigger fingers grew sluggish.
“Gimme a gun!”
A gang member who had run out of Molotovs shouted to his comrade, and a rifle was tossed to him.
*Clack!*
The gang member racked the bolt to load it and fired a burst of bullets at the barricade.
*Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!*
The barricade shuddered violently, beginning to break apart in places.
“Aaargh!”
People behind it were hit and fell, and a vicious, cruel smile spread across the gang members' faces.
It was then.
*CRACK!*
A dry gunshot rang out,
*Thwack!*
and the gang member collapsed, shot through the temple. Everyone's attention turned to where the shot had come from.
Yohan was there.