Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Unstoppable Advance
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The negotiations wrapped up neatly. Both sides had gotten exactly what they wanted, and the terms were more than fair trade.
With Taebaek LLC handling supplies and cleanup on the major strongholds we'd already smashed through on our way, all we had to do now was charge ahead without a second thought.
One of Taebaek's biggest advantages was the sheer scale of hunters they could mobilize—far more than any other company at their level.
"Damn, these corpse bastards are fucking endless. Jeong!"
Off in the distance, carts came rolling along, tumbling end over end. Heaped on top were more bodies than seemed possible.
No beasts pulled the carts. Corpses jammed into the wheels spun round and round, frantically pushing the carts forward with their arms.
"Nina nina ni gorilla~"
With a clacking rattle, Jeong Oh-hoon slung his rifle and drew a compact grenade launcher from his belt.
A clean thunk echoed as the grenade sailed out and hit the ground. It burst with a wet squelch, splattering white liquid everywhere.
The spread turned to foam, ballooning up in seconds before hardening into solid masses.
The charging carts slammed into the blobs and flipped. Of course, the hardened white chunks shattered too under the momentum.
"Nice one, Batman."
I gave him a nod of approval, and Jeong Oh-hoon aimed his wrist at a tree behind us. An anchor shot out with a whoosh of air, embedding in the trunk. His body zipped along the cable after it.
Landing atop the tree, he kept firing, picking off approaching corpses.
The moment the hooded ones targeted him and the corpses tried to counterattack, his form shattered into dozens of fragments and scattered.
He'd picked that up in Jaun Valley.
"Looking sharp."
Han Sang-ah drew her sword and charged in. Jeong Oh-hoon fired off a few rounds to cover her. The bullets buried themselves in the ground.
Like sprinklers, they hissed and sprayed adhesive everywhere.
With the corpses slowed by the sticky goo coating them, Han Sang-ah swung her blade.
"Who the hell comes up with ideas like that?"
I watched the corpses flail, covered in the white gunk, only to get hacked into chunks. Had to admit, it was pretty damn useful.
No need for me to jump in and clean up anymore.
I jammed my spear into the dirt and leaned against it, spectating as Han Sang-ah and Jeong Oh-hoon fought.
"Hey, watch your back."
If I spotted a mistake, I'd just neutralize the threat now and then.
Kids grow by fighting, right? Jeong Oh-hoon had decided to completely overhaul his fighting style. He needed time to adjust.
"Careful."
Han Sang-ah barely dodged a bursting adhesive bomb and shot Jeong Oh-hoon a word of warning.
"Ah, sorry."
He glanced my way and added,
"But aren't you gonna sync up with me at all?"
Still leaning on my spear, I replied,
"Sync up? What for?"
I'll sync to you. It's like dancing—the better dancer leads and accommodates the other.
"How far to Sariwon still?"
I shot Jeong Oh-hoon a look at his question.
"We haven't even hit Geumcheon yet."
About 15 km to Geumcheon, then another 80-plus to Sariwon from there.
"Lemme launch the drone."
Jeong Oh-hoon sent the drone from his pack skyward.
"Holy shit, they've got some funny ideas over there."
The drone feed was impressive. Geumcheon had the Yeoseong River, and the Kaesong-Pyongyang expressway we were on had to cross it.
"They blew the bridge."
After demolishing it, they'd piled up barricades beyond. The river was serving as a natural moat now.
Well, at least that's what the corpses seemed to think. And sure enough, obelisks stood back there too.
"Three of them this time."
They really didn't want anyone crossing that river. Once past it, the only other defensible spot hugging water was Pyongyang along the Daedong River.
But... Pyongyang might've been North Korea's old capital, but our goal wasn't reclaiming it. It was wiping out the Rank-1 Erosion Core in Pyeongseong's Samhyeol-dong.
"If we reach Pyongyang, we could just bypass it entirely and hit Pyeongseong from the flank."
That's why they were desperate to hold here. Hugging a river did make assaults tougher, after all.
No shield this time, though. They'd seen one get shredded uselessly before—putting up another would be idiotic.
"Mountain right by the broken bridge. If I set up there, I'll have a clear shot across the river."
"You take position and provide overwatch from range."
Meanwhile, Han Sang-ah and I would cross the ruined bridge, sweep the corpses beyond, and smash the obelisks.
"Once I'm set, I'll signal..."
Right then, something shot toward the drone observing the far bank. It blew up. The screen fizzed to static, boldly flashing "No Signal."
"That thing was expensive!"
"How much?"
Jeong Oh-hoon had been shopping on his phone a while back. Most of his gear now was from that spree. He answered,
"Apartment deposit money, at least. Why?"
"Fuck, why're you yelling at me? Did I smash it?"
The deposit-killer was those river-hugging corpses, not me. Jeong Oh-hoon grumbled as he packed up.
"Let's move. They know we're close from the gunfire anyway. Fucking bastards—once I'm set up, I'll show 'em a bullet storm."
Money hit him hard. No surprise—with that much cash blown in seconds, he'd be pissed.
And his rage unleashed full force once he signaled from his perch.
"That's not bullets."
He'd modded his main rifle with some accessory. Instead of bullets, it spewed crimson laser beams like a minigun.
"I know that. Rich folks get 'em under the table for self-defense. My family's got a few."
Normally, they drew ambient mana to fire mana rounds—about ten shots before overheating for an hour recharge.
But as a mana-wielding hunter, he'd tuned it.
Thin red flashes streaking from the distant peak across the river were a sight to behold.
"And he even made a temporary bunker with that foam wall from before."
—What're you doing, slacking?
Jeong Oh-hoon's radio crackled. Under his laser cover fire from the peak, Han Sang-ah and I bolted for the river.
As if on cue, his rapid lasers kicked into suppressive fire from afar.
"I can make this jump, right?"
Instead of answering, Han Sang-ah reached toward the far bridge ruins. Her body and the debris linked in pale sparks.
"Need a lift?"
"Nah."
She pulled herself across the gap. I infused mana into my legs, took a deep breath, and leaped.
Arrows and spells rained down on cue.
Han Sang-ah turned translucent. Every attack passed harmlessly through her.
"Man, wish I had that."
I had to dodge or deflect each one manually. She'd gotten it easy from Jaun Valley gear.
As I batted away a storm aimed at me, Han Sang-ah—arriving first—called out,
"Looks shorter than it is?"
"Not short. Focus on the enemy."
I thrust my spear forward, extending its length. It stabbed into the far bank. I ran along it, yanked it free, and landed.
—Good—now the big one!
Jeong Oh-hoon's radio blared as something streaked from afar with a rising whine, slicing the air.
A basketball-sized metal orb arced beautifully over the enemies' heads.
Not super fast.
Which meant it didn't need to be.
Even if intercepted, no problem.
A black beam lashed out with a shriek, smashing the incoming orb amid screeches.
"Cluster munition?"
White powder erupted from the wreckage, scattering on the wind. Spotting it, Han Sang-ah and I fell back a bit.
Then the flour-like dust exploded in blinding blasts.
—Ha! Serves you right! Payback for my drone—and my money!
The corpses caught in the blasts were shredded. Like they'd been hit by a cremation wave. Dead ones stayed dead; survivors were wrecked.
I froze the mangled ones with my ring; Han Sang-ah finished the ice blocks.
Meanwhile, Jeong Oh-hoon pinned distant attackers with his eagle eye and laser gatling.
—Let's crush 'em! Those rotten corpse shits blew my drone—the one I bought to use forever!
Guy acted like he'd blow the president's head off over a loan default.
Not someone who did anything for money, but he sure valued it.
Mid-fight, I spotted Han Sang-ah charging and lunged at her.
"Shit."
I grabbed her collar and hurled her back. Razor spikes erupted from the ground right after.
Vicious things—nearly 3 meters each.
Without my toss, her gut would've been riddled with holes. The earth heaved with thuds as a tank-sized beast burst out.
"Stag beetle with spines all over its back."
Close call. It'd hidden perfectly. Nearly missed it.
The beetle's maw split wide, birthing a head—a hag's face on an unnaturally long neck.
Like a snake with a granny's head.
—It's you.
Just like before, this one radiated an aura like Varea's. Twice now. Samhyeol-dong had to be linked to her somehow.
"Granny, why's all that drool pouring from your mouth? Nurses and caregivers hate that."
Drool streamed from the hag's mouth. Rope burns scarred her neck—like she'd hanged herself.
Her limp tongue lolled out, licking the dirt.
"Feels like I'm seeing a ghost."
Presence so faint. Hard to believe it was real despite being right there. A massive bug like that, too.