By Zephyria The area where the bound Aberrant had jumped to avoid something.
Driving the van at full speed without anything hindering them on the ground, they finally arrived at a location that, befitting a land full of mountain ranges, was again at the foot of a small mountain.
Mu-hae swept all the equipment provided by the Defense Force into his bag and winked at Joo-oh, who was smacking his lips.
As the car door opened, he darted out nimbly. In the forest, where even the sounds of insects were eerily absent, Joo-oh quietly closed his eyes.
Huuuhm, his chest swelled greatly as he inhaled, then deflated repeatedly.
“Smell of iron. Fur and oil… a pungent smell…”
He muttered, then abruptly opened his eyes wide. His red pupils caught the faint sunlight, emitting a mysterious glow.
“Pungent smell?”
“It drools a lot. And it’s very fast. It must have sensed us. It’s suddenly rushing towards us.”
Just as Joo-oh said, the mark on the radar was approaching the center. They wanted to buy some time, but could they lure it away?
As if reading his expression, Joo-oh frowned and shook his head. Jin Mu-hae hurriedly dumped out the bag and deployed the equipment as he grabbed it.
Better quality Tasers than those used for mercenary work, electric fences, flashbangs, various binding tools, even the artillery mounted on the van…
Meanwhile, Park Young-chan, who had been hesitating, also shouldered a shotgun-type weapon, preparing for battle.
Before long, Mu-hae faintly heard the Aberrant’s sound.
Krrgeu- Gigigeek-!
A grating cry like scraping metal. A body so large it vibrated the ground.
If it has fur and drips toxic fluids… there’s only one type of Class 1 Aberrant that could have come up from the beach.
Hansugui. A grotesque creature with particularly long hair that looks disheveled. Not an aquatic creature, but it nests in the Crystal Zone near the water, an extremely dangerous Aberrant that only appears on this peninsula.
For some reason, it had come up near Goryeo City. Moving north at a very fast speed, even chasing away Hangman.
“It’s a relief that electricity works on it.”
“Jin Mu-hae can do it.”
Even with a Class 1 Aberrant right in front of him, Joo-oh had a carefree expression. He lightly jumped and strolled casually near the installed traps.
It was strange. If that sight seemed more Aberrant-like than the approaching threat, was he out of his mind?
With a face too beautiful and delicate to be a monster, he grinned and picked up a club.
Gigigigeek-!
The Hansugui revealed itself in an instant. Breaking tree trunks in the direction they were guarding, a quadruped charged in, sliding along.
Taang-! Zzzzzz!
Even after being hit head-on by an attack that would have been enough to damage other Aberrants, it was unfazed and reached out its foot towards Mu-hae.
Resembling a human hand, but with seven toes, its forelegs moved frantically, snatching at the air.
Mu-hae quickly rolled to the side, dodging the massive arm, and once again aimed his gun.
Taang!
The Aberrant, slightly retreating, stepped on a trap and paused. Reddish bare skin was revealed between the fur on its hind legs, which had been burned by the electric shock.
“Disgusting. Right?”
He should have told him not to take off his mask in the car earlier. If he licked his lips and said something like that, wouldn’t it sound like ‘delicious’?
It wasn’t just Mu-hae who felt uneasy at that sight; Park Young-chan, who had been firing buckshot, also flinched.
“Focus. Lure it.”
Hearing Mu-hae’s voice amidst the screeching, Park Young-chan took out a drone. Weeoooong- Biyo- The fist-sized drone made annoying bird noises as it circled around the Aberrant’s head.
Feeling the Hansugui’s black eyes, which had no whites, roll around, everyone took that as a signal and turned their heads, closing their eyes.
Peeing-!
A flashbang went off. A light close to pure white poured out, and the closed vision burned red.
Removing the arms he had been using to cover his face, Mu-hae lowered his goggles and regained his sight. Taang! Without a moment to breathe, he poured down gunfire again.
The staggering Hansugui flailed its forelegs wildly, blocking the attacks flying towards its head. Still, there were effective hits. The monster’s legs were soaked with dark red liquid.
“Like a mop.”
It was just like Joo-oh to make such an observation about a Hansugui the size of a house. Bbaak! The Aberrant’s flank caved in from the club he swung.
Gagagagak! Keeeee!
Finally, a cry of pain that seemed to tear the ears rang out. The enraged Aberrant turned its head, searching for the easiest target.
For some reason, it seemed to be making an exception for Joo-oh, who was the most lightly armed. Park Young-chan, who was too far away, would have been the next choice…
Kaaack!
An insane speed, not befitting its size, shot towards Mu-hae. Jin Mu-hae didn’t have time to retreat and rolled across the ground a couple more times.
While he kept the Hansugui’s attention with his dirt-covered body, Joo-oh approached again and swung his club.
Booong-! A noise close to a sonic boom, considering it was made by a forearm-length rod, echoed as the Aberrant’s hind leg twisted mercilessly.
Tatatatata!
Park Young-chan, who had somehow changed weapons, was also frantically trying to hit the constantly shaking head. They were short on manpower to catch a Class 1 Aberrant, but their teamwork was better than expected, reducing the risk of being overwhelmed.
However, Mu-hae’s back hit a rock as he retreated. Damn, he had lost his direction while rolling around so much.
Realizing there was nowhere else to run, the Hansugui leaped at Mu-hae despite its injuries.
“Instructor Jin!”
In a fleeting moment, Park Young-chan seemed to realize the impending tragedy and shouted. Although he was wearing protective gear, the grip strength of a Class 1 Aberrant would easily crush that and dig into the soft flesh.
In the face of the approaching blow, which seemed to be in slow motion, Mu-hae suddenly recalled a distant past.
The first time he had witnessed a Class 1 Aberrant. The scene from several years ago where about 70% of the ten or so mercenaries who had taken on an expensive large-scale commission to find a relative of a Central resident had died.
Jin Mu-hae was the only one who survived with only minor injuries. It was partly due to luck, but also because he had safely avoided the first attack and held his breath.
Taak!
Mu-hae’s foot stepped into a crevice in the rugged rock. Hook, the tall, slender man leaped into the air with surprising height.
The man, who lightly did a somersault in the air, stepped on the Aberrant’s back in a clean posture. Then, another leap.
Pak, Tssseuek! The figure, flung far away as if bouncing off, landed steadily. At the same time, Kwaang!
The grenade he had left under the rock exploded with a roar. The Aberrant, with shrapnel embedded in its eyes, tumbled to the ground, devastating the surroundings.
“…”
Beside Park Young-chan, who was so surprised that he was only reflexively shooting, Instructor Jin’s assistant approached and stood.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
In his dazed eyes, a light of emotion flickered and filled them. Joo-oh, who took a breath as if admiring a great work of art, pulled out a spike attached to Park Young-chan’s side and threw it at the Aberrant.
Equipment that originally needed to be mounted on a shooting device to show sufficient power pierced and firmly penetrated the Hansugui’s body in one go.
Kaaaack!
For a moment, Park Young-chan somehow made eye contact with Mu-hae rather than the Aberrant. The dirt-covered man tapped his wrist.
Nearly 10 times he had been pushed during training. He had been hit with needles once, and tripped four times.
Could it be that the teachings, which had been so emotionally upsetting that he thought it was bullying, had been effective? Park Young-chan instinctively understood the instruction and pulled out the wire attached to his gauntlet.
The hook was fired and caught on the Aberrant’s neck. His body was dragged and thrown by the Hansugui’s struggles.
But the small crack he had created revealed the monster’s weakness. As the injured head was lifted sharply, Mu-hae’s gun spat fire.
The Aberrant’s body, which had been staggering backward, finally stepped on the net that had been set up… Paak!
During the few seconds that the weak binding had bought, Jin Mu-hae moved as far away from it as possible. Bbibik. When he pressed a button near his tattered epaulet, a sturdy support came out from the side of the hover van parked a few meters away.
Gwaaaaang-!
The artillery fired a shell with a roar. Someone stepped on Park Young-chan’s wrist, who was about to be caught up in the aftermath.
“Euk!”
Mu-hae, who had approached in an instant, cut the wire with a hand axe. Then, he grabbed the neck of the person who was crawling groggily and pushed him away with tremendous force.
Peoeong- Hwareureuk!
A secondary explosion occurred, and crimson flames swallowed the ground. It was the very spot where Park Young-chan had been lying.
Just as the chilling realization that he had almost been blown to pieces cooled his heart, Mu-hae, who approached with a tattered body, kicked him to the side once more.
Gigigeek- Kaak!
The Aberrant’s foreleg, engulfed in flames, futilely slashed through the air. The Hansugui, with its long hair completely reduced to ashes and pieces of flesh falling off here and there, was rushing in ferociously.
Only the hair around its mouth remained, like a beard, because of the blood-mixed saliva pouring out of its long, torn maw.
Jin Mu-hae thought it was a creepy sight, but Joo-oh apparently didn’t. He chuckled and ran forward with his club.
Bbaak! Bbak!
The human, who was tiny compared to the Aberrant, severely beat the monster’s bulk. The Hansugui, which had been running even after being shot, retreated as if in unusual pain.
Unusually for a Aberrant, it turned its body. It was running away. Trying to avoid the immediate crisis and looking for an opportunity to slaughter the humans again.
“Normally, we would have run away at this point too… but the Defense Force can’t do that.”
With a face marked with abrasions, Mu-hae activated the buried Tasers all at once. Avoiding the electrified ground, the Hansugui turned in the direction Mu-hae wanted.
Pajijijijik!
The Aberrant, hit by the high voltage of the temporary fence, flashed its one remaining eye.
“To be able to afford such waste. Jackal would be jealous.”
Mu-hae, who muttered something only he knew, fired a flare into the sky.
Peeing- Pyeong!
Now, if they could just somehow hold out for a dozen minutes, the requested manpower would arrive. Park Young-chan, who had been relieved for a moment, blocked the Aberrant with a half-crying face, struggling with all his might.
It took a few minutes longer than expected, and a Small aircraft flew nearby. Armed troops, scraped together even from off-duty Defense Force members, effectively subdued the heavily injured Aberrant.
“Haaaa…”
Next to the exhausted two-year veteran, the man with the neatest appearance of the three approached and stood.
“That was fun.”
“…”
“Want to have this?”
Joo-oh rummaged in his pocket and took out a pink toy. It was a cheap figurine that even a child would play with.
“I told you not to carry that around.”
“I never said I would.”
“You nodded.”
“I just nodded.”
When he was calling him Instructor Jin, Instructor Jin, he was so devoted, but now Joo-oh unreservedly made childish retorts.
Then, ignoring the punishment of a smack on the back of the head, he put the figurine in Park Young-chan’s hand.
“It’s a Dadabu, so when you’re hesitating about something, feed it Tornado Fruits.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Tornado Fruits are delicious.”
As he accepted it in confusion, his handsome face broke into a bright smile. Who knew that the lower half of his face, which he always covered with a mask, would be so perfect.
The troops who had finished cleaning up the Hansugui approached Park Young-chan, who was lying down. He wasn’t seriously injured, but he couldn’t even stand up because his legs had given out, so stretchers and respirators were brought over one after another, as if they thought he was seriously injured.
Mu-hae waved his hand, but watched the Defense Force member being carried away helplessly, then put his hand in the small bag he had on his waist.
Tuk. A wet wipe flew into Joo-oh’s face. As he crinkled the wrapper and tilted his head, a voice laced with annoyance warned him.
“I know you touched the monster’s beard. Don’t even reach out your hand until you scrub it clean.”
“Tche.”
From within the acrid ashes, an additional aircraft to carry them opened its door with a whirring sound.
The two men, their clothes tattered, entered the cabin under the escort of the troops.
“You fought a great battle.”
“It was nothing.”
“It was nothing? This one fought a Class 1 and his eyes are in this state.”
“He was alone, though.”
A Class 1 Aberrant that suddenly appeared. Not only had a group of just three people successfully completed a surprise battle with it, but they also suffered no injuries other than exhaustion and bruises.
That fact alone made the Defense Force excited. Rumor had it that the higher-ups might award them medals.
According to Instructor Cha, even a reporter had come. It seemed that this incident would be published in an article.
Regardless, someone arrived early in the morning and knocked on the door of Mu-hae’s office, who was preparing for the next training without being swept up in the atmosphere.
“Looks like you’ve been discharged.”
“I wasn’t even hospitalized in the first place. Thanks to you, I wasn’t hurt.”
Park Young-chan touched his wrist, which had a scratch, with an awkward face. Then, he put down a huge box of 20 bottles of fruit juice and bowed his head.
“I’m alive thanks to you. I almost ended up being written on a tombstone in front of headquarters.”
“If you hadn’t followed me, you would have lived anyway.”
“The rumor that you’ll receive a medal is true. My father is also planning to attend the reception that day. He said he wants to thank you. It’s embarrassing for me to say it myself, but it will be helpful to you, Instructor.”
Hearing a clattering sound, he looked to the side and saw Joo-oh opening the juice box. The guy, who took out a bottle without permission and emptied it in one go, smacked his lips and quickly grabbed a few more bottles.
“That’s great, Instructor. Right?”
He didn’t know what his father did, but if it was a party held after receiving a medal, he would be able to effectively contact people from Central.
Park Young-chan nodded instead of Mu-hae to Joo-oh, who asked with a smile.