Chapter 100 - Bullet Taxi
“Hooo. So what happened here?”
At Sunggoo"s question, one of the Roused next to Haesol spoke.
“Ah-yoo. You don"t know the half of it. It started at the Sadahng station, then the nearby Dungeons Broke in succession. Currently, the entire city of Seoul is in a state of emergency. I"m not sure which guild you are from....”
At a glance, they could tell Sunggoo"s combat ability was extraordinary. With this much skill, he should be a famous high rank Roused. However, his face was unfamiliar to them, so they carefully asked Sunggoo the question. At the man"s words, Sunggoo acted like his usual self. He let out a laugh.
It seemed more than one Dungeon had experienced a Break. Even now Sunggoo could hear sounds of explosions and guns. It tickled his ears.
Amongst the words spoken to him, there was a word that bothered him.
“The Sadahng Station Broke?”
“Yes. It was the first one to Break. Hammer guild was nearby, so it looked as if it would be resolved pretty quickly. However, after the Dungeon Break of the first 6 star Dungeon, a 5 star Dungeon and a 4 star Dungeon broke one after another. It seems they are still trying to settle the situation.”
There were numerous entrances to the subway stations, and there was an equal amount of Dungeons to the exits. Three consecutive Dungeons had Broken nearby, and it would take some time to clear the monsters.
Moreover, Sadahng station was the epicenter of the Breaks. The stations around the region Broke. No matter where one turned one ran into a monster.
His family was there….
“Ms. Haesol. I"ll have to go to Sahdahng.”
“Understood.”
It was only a distance of one station away.
Sunggoo quickly started to run.
*
Hammer Guild"s Headquarters near Sadahng Station.
This was a high-rise building built after the Dungeon Break, so it was built like a steel fortress. It could prevent most monsters from entering.
From the ground floor up to the 3rd floor, thick steel doors descended to cover all the doors and windows. It stopped the encroaching gray wolves.
It had also been designated as an emergency shelter.
“Hurry hurry! Run!”
The Roused of the Hammer Guild was trying to urge and protect the civilians. One could see Gray Wolves closing the gap behind them.
Hammer Guild"s president Park-sahngoh stepped forward.
“Hah-ahp!”
He spread both his hand. It created wind pressure, and a gale swept across the wolves. It sent them flying.
Korea"s best Wind Mage, Park-sahngoh, let out a yell.
“Hurry up and run.”
The civilians quickly headed towards the building. Park-sahngoh mumbled to himself as he saw the swarm of monsters.
“What the h.e.l.l….”
How could such a thing happen?
Was this caused by the whim of the Dungeons? Or were the Dungeons starting to change?
This didn"t fit in with the established convention regarding the Dungeon Break.
Already cleared and completed Dungeons were Breaking.
“Uh?”
Amongst the civilian, Park-sahngoh"s eyes picked out a familiar face.
“Mr. Jung-minchan.”
“…president.”
They hadn"t parted on good terms. Minchan faced his ex-boss, and he gestured his hand towards Kahn-woojin"s mother, sister and Sunggoo’s family. They had accompanied him.
“Please head on ahead.”
“Aigo. What about you, vice president.”
“I"ll follow you all soon.”
Civilian were of no help in this situation. They had stopped, because Park-sahngoh had called out to Minchan, who had worked in the same workplace as him. Haemin led his family and the guild"s families towards the shelter of the Hammer guild.
“Jeez.”
There was bitter taste in Park-sahngoh"s mouth. An ambivalent feeling swirled around his eyes as he looked at Minchan.
They were of the same age, and Minchan had been an exceptional employee. It seemed the bowl under him had been too small to contain him. He used to be a team leader, yet he had climbed to the position of vice president after moving to Alandal.
“It"s dangerous here. Please go on ahead.”
“Yes. Our guild"s Roused will join us here soon.”
Park-sahngoh let out a snort of disbelief. Wasn"t Alandal Guild basically a one-man team of Kahng-woojin? He was still in the Middle East, so how could he come here? Aside from him, there was a Rank B Roused named Hong-sunggoo, and an ex-military Roused, who had just joined them. Roused of those caliber were overflowing inside the Hammer guild.
The Roused from his company around Park-sahngho were at least Rank B.
“It"s all right. Hurry up and go in.”
“Yes. I"ll do so.”
Civilians would only get in the way if they stayed.
The civilians could help them by evacuating to safety, and staying put.
“Chet. If only Jinwoo was here...”
The other Rank A of the Hammer Guild, vice president Park-woojin, was at Pusan trying to clear a 6 star Dungeon.
The news of this event was sent to the Support team that had been sent along with him, so he should be coming back to Seoul.
The move didn"t mean much, since they would have already cleared the monsters by the time he got here. It seemed Park-sahngho would have to step forward, and fight the monsters with his company"s Roused.
“Let"s see you run until sweat comes out of your feet... Uh?”
Park-sahngho"s words trailed off when he saw the being strolling down the middle of the road.
Even if a 6 star Dungeon had Broken, a being such as this had popped out?
The Boss Monster shouldn"t exist in an already captured Dungeon. Even at a glance from a distance, he could tell it was giving of a boss-like energy.
[Ah-ooooooooh.]
At the b.a.s.t.a.r.d"s howl, gray wolves started to saunter out from between the buildings. The lead wolf was gathering its pack.
“Isn"t that one a little bigger than usual?”
“A little bigger is quite the understatement.”
Park-sahngoh frowned as he replied to the Roused, who had spoken up next to him.
The size of the leader was abnormal compared to a normal Gray Wolves.
If a normal one was the size of a pa.s.senger car, the leader was about the size of a trailer truck.
It even had a horn on its head, and it was letting out a very serious vibe.
“s.h.i.+t. We have no idea what will pop out next. Get ready to defend and attack.”
Park-sahngho was a Rank A Roused. His team consisted of veteran Rank B Roused. They"ve experienced going into 6 star Dungeons that had yet to be cleared on several occasions. He had taken down several boss monsters that size, so he wasn"t afraid.
Moreover, he was at an advantage since there was no entrance restrictions.
“Ooh-roo-roong.”
With the leader at the center, the wolves charged forward in a structured formation.
“Whirlwind!”
Hooooooohng!
Park-sahngoh"s nickname was the Wind Mage. As befitting his nickname as the Wind Mage, the magic he immediately casted towards the running wolves broke their formation. The Guild"s physical Roused ran towards them with their weapons out.
Ssss-kuhk, Kwahjeek!
“Kwahng, kuhng!”
“Get bent, please!”
There were sporadic fights breaking out in various places. Hammer guild had the most Roused, but there were a good number of Roused from the mid-sized guilds. They fought back to back with each other.
During all of this, Park-sahngho"s attention was solely on the leader of the wolves. If his team and him could occupy this b.a.s.t.a.r.d, the clean up of the monsters would go smoothly.
The Capital Defense Units would be here soon.
Everything was going well in the battlefield when a variable appeared.
“Ggee-ahhhhhhk!”
Accompanying the goose-b.u.mp inducing screech, bizarre creatures made an entrance.
‘Human-faced Bats.’
If its face looked similar to a human, then it might have been considered cute. Unfortunately, the body was also human-sized. It didn"t have a beak, but it used its human-like hands and feet to catch its prey. Then it dropped the prey to kill it. This was how they hunted.
It would be great if they stayed still, while the Roused took care of the wolves. It would be a problem if the Man-faced Bats joined in. In a battle of life and death, the appearance of a distraction could turn the tide of a battle.
“s.h.i.+t! Magicians shoot whatever you want. The physical Roused will stop the wolves.”
Park-sahngoh yelled loudly, then he glared at the lead wolf, who was standing still. Park-sanhgoh didn"t know what that b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s aim was. No, he had a hunch. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d would jump him if he got distracted.
However, if he only focused on the lead wolf, his side would be at a disadvantage. It worried him. It seemed his side would take a lot of damage before the other Roused and army showed up.
Hwah-roo-rook!
At that moment, a reinforcement that would stabilize the tilting balance of the battle arrived.
‘Didn"t I see that face somewhere before?’
Park-sahngoh had a puzzled expression when he saw the magician, who could freely control fire.
“Hah-ahp!”
Sunggoo quickly burned three Human-faced Bats. Then he struck the head of a wolf that had run towards him with its mouth open. The power in his punch was unbelievable for a magician!
Sunggoo frowned as he saw the monsters coninuously streamed out towards the street.
‘5 star Dungeon Slime.’
The Dungeon Slimes were crawling towards them, and the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds couldn’t be hurt by physical attacks. They came in all kinds of color, and they possessed a horrible poison. Moreover, they were capable of Acid Attacks. The fact that they showed up in a city was a calamity in itself.
If they didn"t immediately clear the Slimes, they would cause ma.s.sive damage.
“Wall of Flame!”
Sunggoo put strength into his stomach, and he spoke an incantation with his hand outstretched. Enough magic drained out of him to make him a bit dizzy, and a long wall of flame was erected where Sunggoo"s hand was pointing.
Hwah-roo-roo-rook!
The Slimes couldn"t get close, because of the incredible heat. While they were being held back, the physical Roused quickly moved in to kill the wolves and the Human-faced Bats. Then the magicians would be able to focus their attention on subduing the slimes.
“Let"s work hard.”
Sunggoo"s action attracted the attention of the Roused, and they started fighting more energetically.
“Let"s stem the flood.”
The Capital Defense Command"s helicopters appeared in the sky. When the Roused, the evacuated civilians inside the Hammer guild"s building and the civilian trapped inside other buildings saw the helicopters, they all let out a cheer.
The mood of the battle was s.h.i.+fting when it happened.
The lead wolf moved.
[Earth is a very fun place.]
The word that came out of the wolf"s mouth burrowed into the surrounding people"s head. This was a form of communication that transcended language as its intent was delivered to the humans. Everyone became confused, and few even let out an astonished shout that was closer to a scream.
‘It"s a talking wolf?’
[This will be a fun hunting ground.]
He had been observing. He wanted to see how the humans on earth fought.
He had a good idea what they were doing. Moreover, he knew how to fight them.
Trahnet"s 72 Commanders.
His name was Juriel of the 2nd Step. He possessed two Thrones.
He laughed happily.
He"ll become stronger by hunting. Then he"ll challenge the 3rd Step.
The ambient mana on earth was starting to rise, so all he could do was dedicate his body into forming on earth. That was his limit. Even a 3rd Step using 100% power wouldn’t be able to materialize on Earth. He entrance into Earth was perfectly timed.
He"ll occupy the earth"s hunting ground first. He"ll have the opportunity to get stronger.
A white light sparkled on the leadwolf"s horn, and it swept through the surrounding.
Pah-jee-jee-jeek!
“Ggooooook!”
He had swept the Electric Shock in a wide arc. Those with weak resistance died immediately, and even those with high resistance were shaking their head as their bodies trembled.
“W...we have to stop it.”
Sunggoo"s tongue was twisted into a knot. He tried hard to shake off the effect of the shock, but Juliel"s second Electric Shock hit Sunggoo"s body. It wasn’t a widely dispersed attack like before. It was a concentrated attack meant for a single person. It was like being struck by a lightning.
“Ooh-uh-uh.”
His eyes rolled backwards as the white of his eyes appeared. Then Sunggoo immediately fell to the ground.
‘H...hyung-nim.’
His thoughts brushed by him like a kaleidoscope. When he accepted his eventual death, a funny thing happened. The first thing he thought about wasn"t his parents. It was Woojin.
I guess I want to live a little bit more?
Sunggoo wanted to see Kahng-woojin.
‘Delicious humans are gathered there.’
Juliel"s gaze headed towards the Hammer Guild"s building. Humans… It was where the supply of his energy was gathered.
Earth was like heaven for Juilel. There weren"t any decent 7th Circle Roused here, so they weren"t able to resist against his Electric Magic.
Pee-yooooooong, kwahhhng!
The small rockets shot by the helicopter hit its target, but not a single fur on Juliel was harmed.
[How annoying.]
Pah-jee-jeek. Too-too-too-too-too-too.
Electric Shock detonated from Juiel"s horn, and the helicopter lost its sense of direction. It started spinning as it descended.
[Ah-ooooooooh.]
Gray Wolves weren’t the only monsters gathering from Juliel’s summons. The Slimes, Human-faced Bats, and other monsters started to gather. They all submitted to the Commander"s prestige.
*
Capital Defense Command’s Emergency War Room.
“Both helicopters we sent has fallen.”
“Mmmm. The ground troops aren"t there yet?”
“They will arrive at Sadahng Station in 12 minutes.”
“s.h.i.+t.”
After the Dungeon Shock, military personnels were placed around various parts of Seoul. Still, it was impossible to mobilize the troops to each region within several minutes. Moreover, the monsters" rampage had destroyed various roads, and the monsters were still causing havoc. It exacerbated the situation.
“Uh? There is an unidentified object approaching the airs.p.a.ce of Seoul.”
“What? Did a flying monster show up?”
“I...it"s something different.”
The officer read the radar, and he replied haltingly.
“By looking at its speed, it seems to be a missile.”
“What!”
The commander"s face crumpled into a frown. Which crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d had shot a missile towards Korea? China? North Korea? Or was it j.a.pan?
“Two minutes until target is over Seoul. Please authorize an intercept.”
It was an unidentified missile. In the end, the most important thing was to stop it.
“I"ll allow it.”
“The Missile Defense System is being activated.”
The missile must be an ICBM. The ICBM was already almost over the Seoul"s skyline. Just by looking at the trajectory, one could tell the missile had re-entered from the earth"s atmosphere. How far did they launch it from...
They couldn"t do anything about the damage that will be caused from the shock wave of the explosion and the fragments of the missiles that would rain down. Still, if they delayed any longer, the shock wave would completely devastate Seoul. If they failed to intercept it, Seoul might be wiped off the map.
“We"ve successfully shot it down!’
The red dot on the radar disappeared.
*
Sunggoo, who was lying down on the floor, looked up into the sky.
When he saw the very clear sky, he thought it wasn"t a bad day to die. In a strange way, it comforted him.
The Electric Shock must have messed with his brain. Sunggoo was blankly staring into the sky when he saw a dot in the sky.
‘Uh?’
He had taken Reinforcement Stones like snacks, so his eyesight was above average. If he focused, his eyesight was comparable to a binocular. Sunggoo"s gaze focused in on the dot.
It looked like a missile, and there were several fighter jets trailing behind it. The problem was the missile was falling from the sky.
‘I guess the government gave up on Seoul.’
Sunggoo really thought this was what had happened. He thought the government wanted to take care of the monsters with a single missile strike.
Kwahng.
However, anit-ballistic missiles shot from the surface intercepted the unidentified missile. It seemed the ICBM didn"t hold any warhead as it broke apart with a loud boom. Only the fragments of the missile started raining down to the ground.
Amongst all the debris, there was a man descending from the sky at a breakneck speed.
‘Uh uh?’
The person was too far away to make out any details, but it seemed the person was falling towards his direction. When the person was almost upon Sunggoo, Sunggoo"s paralyzed lips fell open.
“Hyung… nim?”
The missile flying through the air exploded, and hyung-nim was falling from the sky. Moreover, hyung-nim didn"t have a parachute on his back.
Kwahhhhng!
He fell like a meteor, and the sheer presence of the man made it feel as if an earthquake was happening around them. Everyone’s attention was focused on him.
Poo-s.h.i.+-s.h.i.+-s.h.i.+.
There was a crater in the middle of the road. Kahng-woojin walked out as he waved his hand in front of him. Dust was flying everywhere.
Sunggoo suddenly sat up, and he started rubbing his eyes.
It really was Kahng-woojin.
He was supposed to be in the Middle East yet he was here?
“H...hyung-nim. Did you perhaps ride a missile here?”
“Do you think I rode Rudolf here?”
Kahng-woojin grinned, and he looked at the large wolf, Juriel.
“You are the one running amok?”
He heard someone was causing Breaks one after another. Was this b.a.s.t.a.r.d the culprit?
Second Step Juliel. Of course, they had faced each other before.
Juliel"s body, which had been relaxed, started to shake.