Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 67.5: Hero (5)

The results of our Hunter's battles are all recorded.

There are countless records, but the most significant record is, of course, the kill score — the number of kills.

The value of a single kill can vastly outweigh others, so kill records aren’t just about writing down numbers. They break down the type of monster or mutation you killed and the specifics of it.

Otherwise, a Hunter who just casually used a machine gun in a zombie-controlled area would be evaluated far more highly than a Hunter who, while losing comrades, took down a medium-sized monster in a war zone.

The details of the kill count are broken down into 62 categories, if I recall correctly.

Mutations by species, their variations, interdimensional creatures, and monsters.

Though not an official term, people call it the "kill encyclopedia."

It's not something I'm proud of, but I have recorded a kill for nearly every entry in that encyclopedia.

From small species to large ones.

There's not a single one I haven't killed.

Of course, new species are continually being discovered, so at present, Park Gyu's encyclopedia hasn't reached 100%.

For example, I haven't even killed the general-type monster I discovered.

By now, that would probably be added to the list too.

However, humans are not included in that kill count.

Ethically, it's an issue, and we, as Hunters, face monsters and their mutations, not humans.

But Awakened are a different matter.

They were categorized under the vague "unclassified" category.

According to records, our team has eliminated 36 unclassified monster types.

All of those 36 were Awakened.

"I’m also a former Army sergeant. I served at the front for 33 months," Yang Sang-gil emphasized repeatedly that he could fight.

I had no intention of giving him a gun.

He asked Kim Min-ho for supplies.

"I'm not sure about Yang Sang-gil, but Song Yu-jin was personally sent by Colonel Woo Min-hee. We can't afford to lose her."

"Her direct superior, huh..."

"Military security."

"Just a moment. Give me the requested items. We’re all going to die anyway if we can't deal with the Awakened."

As Kim Min-ho hesitated, Song Yu-jin stepped forward.

"Park Hunter may be retired now, but he was considered the best among the old-school Hunters."

Kim Min-ho glared at me through half-squinted eyes over Song Yu-jin’s shoulder.

"Have you ever killed an Awakened?"

I silently nodded.

"Ha, I see?"

Kim Min-ho stopped questioning further.

He quickly reorganized the soldiers, set up defensive positions, and provided the supplies I requested.

What I asked for were three grenades.

I handed them to Yang Sang-gil.

"You know how to use these, right?"

"Of course. What do I do next?"

"Let’s talk as we move."

The golf course isn’t flat.

Although the fresh grass with a neatly trimmed look gives an impression of smoothness, the terrain actually has many bumps and undulations, which create the course.

These undulations, which were hardly noticeable during the golf course days, became prominent as the grass withered and weeds and shrubs grew.

There were places to hide and ambush zones scattered around.

The Awakened, however, was slowly advancing toward the easiest path, where visibility was good.

There was no need to hurry from their side either.

A Chinese-made medium-sized drone, like an eagle hunting for prey, slowly circled the sky, surveying the battlefield. It succeeded in surrounding us and began tightening the encirclement, eventually trapping us.

"Hide here. When I give the signal, throw the grenade. You don't need to show yourself. Don’t aim, just make it seem threatening. Do you understand?"

I explained the mission to Yang Sang-gil, watching his face.

The most unstable factor wasn’t the enemies or allies.

It was the inner thoughts of this man, Yang Sang-gil.

The reason I didn't give him a gun was because of the possibility of betrayal.

The grenade was also risky, but it was quicker to act with than a gun.

"Only those three are with the Awakened, right?"

As Yang Sang-gil fiddled with the grenade, trying to recall how to use it, I instructed Song Yu-jin to scout.

"Yes! There are three, that’s all."

Song Yu-jin, with her soft glowing eyes, answered while staring into the air.

She is said to have the ability to see through and detect weak auras.

Her detection range, when focused, is about 30 meters.

It’s not very wide.

So, she’s considered level 2.

"Are there any other hidden ambushes?"

"No!"

"Good. Return."

"Already?"

Song Yu-jin gave me a slightly disgruntled look.

"You said you weren’t a combat specialist."

"But..."

"You’ve done your part. Go help the soldiers. There’s a firefight going on behind."

"Understood! Sam!"

After Song Yu-jin left, I turned back to Yang Sang-gil.

He had been raising his hand as if he had something to say.

"What’s up? Did you forget how to use it?"

"No."

Yang Sang-gil shook his head and looked up at me.

"What I’m being asked to do... Is it bait?"

His cold gaze demanded an answer.

There was no need to lie to a person like him.

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Do you think you’re going to die?"

"The chances are high."

"If you quit now..."

"If you don’t want to, you can leave. We’re not going to fail just because you’re not here."

Upon hearing my words, Yang Sang-gil suddenly burst into laughter.

"You’re going to kill an Awakened? You? An Awakened?"

I calmly stared at him.

"Do you know how many monsters I’ve killed?"

"What’s that got to do with anything—Ah!"

Yang Sang-gil looked at me with a surprised face.

"...Professor!"

"..."

"I’ll do it!"

Yang Sang-gil, putting the grenade in his pocket, opened his mouth.

"...I’ve had nightmares. The world chasing after me, trying to kill me."

He stood up and climbed up the slope, peeking his head over.

Bang!

A sharp gunshot echoed, grazing his hair.

Yang Sang-gil tumbled down the slope, crashing to the ground, but quickly got back up and glared at me with a grimace.

"Whether this is a dream or not..."

Yang Sang-gil suddenly pulled the pin of the grenade.

When I took out my pistol and aimed it at his head, Yang Sang-gil clenched his teeth and threw the grenade toward the slope.

Boom!

A deep explosion and the shocked screams of the enemies echoed from beyond the corner.

As the dust from the explosion rained down like rain, Yang Sang-gil coldly said.

"...This battle, I guess it’ll end when I die, huh?"

He knew his fate.

Yang Sang-gil lay flat on the slope.

His determined eyes matched the soldiers behind him.

Deciding to trust him, I ran silently, as fast as I could, ducked behind cover, and observed the enemy’s movements.

Yang Sang-gil was still there, holding the grenade, crouched low, trying to assess the situation beyond the invisible dirt.

"I know you’re hiding there."

I heard the enemy's voice from beyond the ridge.

"Above. Can’t you see?"

I was standing here because my position was blocked from all the enemies' line of sight.

I raised my firearm and aimed at the sky.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

I aimed at the drone drifting through the air with semi-automatic shots.

Shooting at drones is hard.

The accuracy of anti-aircraft fire is quite low. Drones are typically flying at higher altitudes, further away, and have three-dimensional flight paths, unlike flat trajectories of ground targets. They don’t leave visible bullet traces unless tracer rounds are used, making it hard to know where the bullets are hitting. Therefore, anti-aircraft shooting is hardly ever executed unless there's specialized equipment.

If the situation allows for plenty of ammunition and time, sure, but in combat, worrying about hitting a drone can end up dispersing firepower and spreading out resources, which is an inefficient use of ammunition and energy.

Experienced drone pilots often exploit this and employ hit-and-run tactics, which are meant to confuse ground soldiers.

Among us, Kim Daram, who was the best shot, naturally excelled at taking down drones as well.

Sniper rifles, assault rifles, shotguns—he had no issue with any weapon.

I remember Kim Daram once told me his trick.

"They have operators, right? If you think they’re going to hit, they try to dodge, right? That’s proof that they’re actually aiming and shooting. It means you’ve created a threatening fire zone."

I was on my fifteenth shot when the drone, which had been lazily floating, suddenly swerved.

I adjusted the controls and fired at the target my instincts guided me to.

Tat-tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat!

The drone’s wing snapped off as it wobbled in mid-air.

Cheers erupted from the soldiers.

The drone staggered and began to fall.

I had crushed their eyes.

As expected, retaliation was swift.

Black dots appeared beyond the ridge.

The situation was grim.

There was no cover around.

I had chosen a position without cover for the anti-air fire, and that became my downfall.

Luckily.

Tat-tat-tat!

I had allies.

In particular, Kim Min-ho played a crucial role.

He quickly deployed the soldiers and covered me.

Without the Awakened, the raiders were nothing.

Four or five raiders appeared over the ridge, but they had holes shot through their bodies and slid down the slope, never to rise again.

I gave Kim Min-ho a quick nod in gratitude and sprinted toward the ambush point.

Yang Sang-gil was still there, crouched like a lizard on the slope, only watching the movements of the approaching Awakened.

His position may have been ugly, but the focus he had was persuasive enough to acknowledge why he had succeeded among his peers.

"You're still a pro," Yang Sang-gil said without looking at me.

"Why do you think those so-called saviors are wary of you?"

"..."

"Principal Jang Ki-young said it. If someone like you could be trained at school, there would be no need to use dangerous Awakened like those."

"Quiet."

"Sorry, I got carried away. I can’t help it, thinking I’m about to die..."

A presence.

It’s the enemy.

The Awakened was closing in.

Understanding their tendency to move along flat terrain where visibility was good, I had already set up the ambush route.

Though there had been an original plan, Yang Sang-gil’s earnestness made me consider changing it.

"Can you throw a grenade over there in 30 seconds?"

"Thirty seconds? Now? From now on? Or...?"

"Once I signal."

"Yes."

"By the way, where’s my family?"

"They’re watching from the back."

That was a lie.

His family was huddled behind, unable to even lift their heads.

Despite that, Yang Sang-gil was fired up.

"Alright."

"Let’s begin."

We charged up the slope with full force.

Through the chaotic, heavily swaying view, I could see the enemies.

Four soldiers with guns, and a small-framed man with a short-cropped sports haircut, unarmed.

The sports haircut man was the Awakened.

As soon as he revealed himself, I fired.

Bang!

Before the gunshot even echoed, a shockwave appeared in front of the sports-haired man, an obsidian-like energy shield similar to those used by monsters.

The bullet passed through that barrier and then split the air, heading directly for me.

However, the bullet merely grazed the side of my head.

Intimidating.

It was just a warning shot directed at the monster.

As you can see here, the way to deal with human-turned monsters is not much different from handling regular monsters.

Monsters can't distinguish between playful teasing and intent to kill—do humans find it easy to make that distinction, though?

I don't think so.

"Son of a—!"

Inside my head, I counted the seconds. Fifteen seconds passed.

Tat-tat-tat!

The soldiers guarding the Awakened opened fire.

But I had already hidden below the ridge, running ahead.

Twenty seconds.

I hid again behind another ridge, erasing my presence, then glanced back at Yang Sang-gil.

He wasn’t looking at me.

He was still there, flat on the surface, silently counting under his breath.

I joined in his count.

What kind of person he was, and what crimes he had committed, didn’t matter much in this brief moment.

...28, ...29, 30!

It was time.

Yang Sang-gil suddenly jumped up, pulled the pin of the grenade.

The next moment...

Wheeeee--!

A black object was diving rapidly from the sky.

It was a suicide drone.

Tat-tat-tat!

I shot directly at it.

The drone, struck by the bullets, wobbled like a drunk person, passed over us, and crashed into the tent set up by Yang Sang-gil’s family, causing a small explosion.

"Professor!"

Yang Sang-gil shouted brightly, smiling.

Bang!

Gunshots came from an unexpected direction.

"Huh?"

Yang Sang-gil’s head tilted slowly, like a puppet on strings.

A soldier, who had been confirmed by Song Yu-jin, popped out and shot at Yang Sang-gil.

The bullet struck his torso squarely.

But Yang Sang-gil didn’t fall.

It might have been better if he had just collapsed.

Boom!

The grenade he had already pulled the pin from exploded in his hand.

His torn hand and the fragments flew through the air as I dashed back up the slope.

Tat-tat-tat!

The soldier who killed Yang Sang-gil fired again.

The distance, cover, and luck protected me from the bullets.

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When I crested the ridge, four soldiers staring straight ahead appeared.

I charged downhill and rushed at them.

The soldiers, realizing too late, looked toward the Awakened, but it couldn’t protect them.

Tat-tat-tat!

It was too close to use a reflective shield.

I wiped them out in one move and approached the Awakened.

The small-framed Awakened glared at me with horrified eyes.

"You... son of a—"

His eyes flashed.

He was likely preparing another power.

My axe was closer than his power.

Crack!

The axe cleaved into his skull.

Checkmate.

The king was captured.

Next, it was the soldiers' turn.

"The Awakened is dead!"

"Attack!"

Led by Kim Min-ho, the soldiers from South Korea, who had been waiting quietly, launched a fierce counterattack.

The raiders, losing their leader, scattered like chaff.

The soldiers pursued them for quite a distance, setting all vehicles on fire and slaughtering the raiders.

The massacre continued until evening.

*

“I'm terribly sorry for being rude. I don’t know how to apologize for this.”

Kim Min-ho privately apologized to me.

I told him it was fine.

This wasn’t a battlefield where we had time to care about minor rudeness.

The situation was urgent, and many soldiers had died.

The soldiers loaded the bodies of their fallen comrades, relatives, and subordinates onto trucks.

“Instructor.”

Before Song Yu-jin left, she came to say goodbye.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to have dinner with you.”

“If you’re sorry, don’t come next time.”

“No, that’s not it.”

I gave her a lonely smile, hinting at her.

“Look behind you. They’re all waiting.”

“I’ll come next time.”

She bowed with a smile on her face.

I think this might have been the first time.

The most respectful greeting I’d ever received from my half-hearted student.

Song Yu-jin got into the truck.

Of course, she was in the passenger seat.

In the back, soldiers, each with their own stories, were quietly savoring the aftertaste of their victory.

One of the two trucks was loaded with corpses.

There were no soldiers in it, but instead, Yang Sang-gil’s family had filled the empty seats.

It seemed they had decided to return to Incheon.

“Our hero, Park Gyu Hunter, salute!”

Before Kim Min-ho left, all the soldiers saluted me.

Saluting isn’t a Hunter’s custom, but I understood their feelings, so I accepted the salute military-style.

After a brief exchange of eyes filled with many emotions, the trucks departed.

The familiar silence returned to the old golf course grounds.

Yang Sang-gil’s body was not loaded onto the truck.

His body, along with the raiders' corpses, was carelessly abandoned inside the bunker.

Like the raider I had killed before, his body was barely covered with a bit of dirt, never properly buried.

No common condolences, not even a single flower.

This was the miserable and pitiful end of a man who once held such power in South Korea.

At least, to his family, Yang Sang-gil was a hero.

He had to have been a hero.

In the way he clung to the idea of family, even after becoming a demon.

Yet none of his family bothered to take care of or even recover the body of their head of the family.

Perhaps that’s why.

Yang Sang-gil rose again.

With his face, now unrecognizable and destroyed, the zombie stumbled toward the wilderness.

It was just a feeling, but it seemed like the zombie followed the path the trucks had taken as they departed.

Bang!

“...”

It was the clumsy end of a clumsy family.

In the dim light, things gently descended from the sky.

It was snow.