Chapter 75
When early morning came with red energy faintly visible in the sky, Baek Rak and Seo Won moved to the surface in advance.
The two, who had climbed up the barrier to avoid people’s eyes, positioned themselves behind a pile of boxes under the watchtower. Since there weren’t as many sentries as expected, it wasn’t too difficult to move around.
Seo Won looked at the gradually brightening sky, then turned his gaze to the ruins outside the barrier.
As darkness began to recede, the bright red eyes started disappearing one by one. Some became smoke and vanished into the sky, while others sank as if seeping into the ground. The creatures that had densely filled the ruins scattered silently.
“……”
Though he had seen it several times while being chased by the Alpha, this was the first time seeing them move in such large numbers, so Seo Won quietly watched the disappearing creatures. The sight of them vanishing as smoke was quite spectacular.
When all the darkness retreated and the bright red morning arrived, the ruins outside the safe zone were completely empty. A few creatures that hadn’t disappeared could be seen here and there, but soon they too wandered off somewhere.
As the creatures disappeared, the shelter began to come alive with activity instead. Seo Won hid his body more while being wary of the bustling surroundings.
How much time had passed like that? Suddenly, the barrier began to shake little by little. Seo Won looked around, unable to understand why, then looked outside. Then a strange sight caught his eye.
The ground covered with dirt began to split open left and right.
Through the cloudy dust created by falling sand particles, a dark space appeared. When the gradually opening ground stopped, a large tanker truck slowly rose from within.
Whether this place also had noise-canceling cubes attached to vehicles, there was no vibration or sound at all.
“…A vehicle is coming up from underground.”
“The inside of the power room is a garage.”
“Really?”
He felt a bit regretful that he hadn’t been able to look around completely when he went to the power room, being distracted by the generator and charging tanks. There must have been many things in that huge space.
The tanker truck that fully revealed itself was surrounded by protective equipment all over the vehicle, just like the one at Yeongdeungpo Station. Just as he was marveling at the familiar sight.
“…Huh?”
Following behind it, another tanker truck came up from underground. Seo Won unconsciously let out a small exclamation.
“It’s not just one?”
When the second tanker truck came up, yet another vehicle rose. When a total of three tanker trucks lined up in front of the barrier, he felt somehow overwhelmed.
It had been so difficult just protecting one, but he hadn’t known they would move three at once during a single trip.
‘That must mean they’re that confident, right?’
Moreover, not only tanker trucks but also motorcycles and jeeps came up from underground. All the vehicles were loaded with various firearms, and huge blades were mounted on the front and rear.
Gangnam Station seemed to take a much more combative approach unlike Yeongdeungpo Station.
“But I don’t see any hunters? Don’t tell me they’re driving themselves?”
“Civilians will drive and hunters will escort. Since they’re still on standby, they must be planning strategy somewhere.”
Hunters preparing for battle were easy to distinguish from civilians because they carried specific weapons. No matter how he looked at the people coming out of the driver’s seats, they weren’t carrying weapons, so he had wondered, and indeed they were civilians.
Seo Won slowly nodded and looked around the top of the barrier. However, no people presumed to be hunters were visible.
After giving up on finding them and waiting while watching the standby vehicles for a while, the large gate at the main entrance opened and six hunters appeared from inside, each carrying their weapons.
Seo Won examined them one by one and asked Baek Rak.
“There’s no fire-type hunter among them, right?”
“No. They’re all familiar faces. Five are physical enhancement types and one is a rare ability user who can deploy protective barriers.”
“Rare ability? The barrier in that power room?”
“Right. The person at the front. That person is both a rare ability user and the Gangnam Station shelter administrator.”
Seo Won looked in the direction Baek Rak pointed. Among the six people walking toward the parked vehicles, the one at the very front was a man who appeared to be in his thirties. He had pale skin and a thin face with sunken cheeks. Though he looked like a patient with a serious illness, his eyes alone were sharper than the other hunters.
The hunters immediately climbed onto the vehicles. The man who was both the Gangnam Station shelter administrator and had rare abilities stood in the center, saying something to the people.
After talking like that, they each took positions on different vehicles.
When everyone went to their respective positions, the tanker trucks and the remaining vehicles following alongside as escorts slowly moved forward.
Knowing well what feelings they had when leaving the safe zone, Seo Won swallowed his saliva. Even though he had experienced many times the moment when the air became heavy and the fishy smell grew thick, it was unpleasantly disgusting. They must surely be feeling the same way.
The vehicles that finally left the shelter and entered the ruins began moving farther away, repeatedly starting and stopping as they slowly advanced. When their figures became invisible, Seo Won quietly asked Baek Rak.
“Isn’t the road from Gangnam Station to the Han River quite far?”
“About 3.5 kilometers.”
If there were no creatures and the path was clear, it would be a trip that could be completed within 10 minutes, but in a situation where they had to crawl like turtles, it would take considerable time.
He could only hope that darkness wouldn’t fall in the meantime.
Seo Won stared for a long time in the direction the vehicles had disappeared.
He couldn’t tell how much time had passed. He was only certain that it had been quite a long time.
The people who had gone to fetch water still hadn’t returned, and the red sky had become more turbid than in the morning. It felt like night or darkness or something was about to approach at any moment.
“It’s taking a long time…”
Seo Won muttered while alternately looking at the sky and the direction of the Han River.
Though Yeongdeungpo Station and Gangnam Station were wary of each other, he didn’t wish for these people to come to harm, so he earnestly prayed in his heart that nothing would happen. Because though what they were trying to protect was different, in the end they were no different from themselves.
However, making his prayers meaningless, darkness began to descend from far away. Seo Won swallowed his saliva.
“…The sky.”
As if even the faint light coming in was displeasing, something beyond the sky covered the sun.
Kiiiiaaaak!
The sound of creatures awakening began to be heard faintly. At the same time, sounds of something breaking and being destroyed echoed.
Seo Won urgently turned his gaze toward where the sounds were coming from. Then he could see tanker trucks surrounded by hundreds of creatures. Finally, those who had left to procure water had arrived near the shelter.
Having encountered creatures on the way and continued fighting, they seemed to be urgently speeding up after seeing darkness fall.
Looking closely, semi-transparent barriers were faintly shimmering around the approaching vehicles. Every time creatures that bounced off those barriers kept charging, sparks flew with crackling sounds.
Just when he thought they were blocking well enough.
“…That!”
The barrier shattered in an instant and creatures began charging. Behind them, darkness was approaching frighteningly.
Seo Won could only watch restlessly. Not only could they not reveal themselves from here, but it was even impossible to go help them.
The sound of creatures charging and crashing with banging noises could be heard all the way here. They still needed to come at least 700 meters more, but he didn’t know if the people and vehicles could hold out.
The figures of hunters surrounded by creatures and fighting began to appear one by one. The vehicles running at full speed while demolishing surrounding buildings looked like they might overturn at any moment.
However, despite running so hard, they ultimately couldn’t overcome the speed of approaching darkness.
The people and vehicles were instantly swallowed by pitch-black darkness. Red eyes began appearing like bamboo shoots after rain above it.
Knowing how scary and frightening it was inside that darkness, Seo Won unconsciously jumped up from his position.
But then.
From somewhere, a huge ball of flame shot out, illuminating the surroundings. That fireball devoured all the creatures it passed by and flew far away before crashing into the ground.
BOOM!
Then there was a tremendous explosion and flames shot up high.
“…!”
Seo Won’s mouth fell open at that tremendous spectacle.
He had vaguely known that fire-type hunters were amazing, but he hadn’t known they would be this powerful. They said they were the only ones who could burn creatures. He could vividly see the creatures turning to ash and disappearing in the blazing flames.
And that fireball shot out again and again several times.
“Baek Rak!”
“Wait here.”
At the fire-type hunter’s appearance, Baek Rak immediately kicked off from his position and ran out.
Watching the fireball accompanied by intense heat and explosive sounds, a strange elation swept through his entire body. People were no longer in danger. The vehicles running toward this direction also seemed to focus more on reaching the shelter rather than dealing with creatures.
Only then did Seo Won turn his gaze to look at the source of the fireballs.
Then he could see someone wearing a long robe. Every time he used his ability, the robe fluttered and billowed, but the hood covering his face precariously stayed on without falling off.
“Who could it be?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
