Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 104.5: Beyond the Fog (5)

The distance between the monster and me is less than 30 meters.

It’s the range at which the reflective field begins to lose its significance.

However, not all monsters have the same minimum range for their reflective field.

A 5th-level Awakened can activate a reflective field at least 5 meters away.

If I trust the hypothesis that there’s no significant difference between Awakened beings and monsters, the minimum range for the reflective field can vary depending on the individual.

But before considering that, what I need to do is observe.

Monsters behave entirely differently from humans.

There are exceptions, but monsters don’t immediately attack just because a human is nearby.

Monsters are like machines, standing between living beings and inanimate objects, acting according to algorithms, like a program.

And purely in my own opinion, monsters can read intent.

They can sense the thoughts of humans who intend to kill them and have a habit of striking first against such individuals.

This is an opinion I haven’t even written in my reports.

It’s too subjective, and, like most theories about monsters, it’s almost impossible to prove.

But hunters who have been in battle, especially veterans who have faced countless monsters, shared similar thoughts.

For instance, Ma Won-gap, the one who created that cult, didn’t believe that monsters wouldn’t attack just because they passed by. He was probably so panicked at the time that he couldn’t even look after himself, let alone think of killing monsters.

Monsters don’t bother with people in a state of panic.

Monsters primarily counterattack those who directly assault them, and only rarely attack those who harbor the intent to kill them first.

Entrusting my fate to this unproven theory, I glance out of the observation deck at the pale-gray creature.

Its height is about 3.5 meters.

Its form is more humanoid than a necromancer-type, which is typically a grotesque, elongated, diamond-shaped head.

Unlike that, this one has a more human-like head.

Though it doesn’t show sensory organs like eyes, nose, mouth, or ears, its hollow cheeks and oval-shaped structure evoke a chilling feeling, as if this being had maliciously mimicked human features from the cracks in another world.

But its frozen form, situated somewhere between life and inanimate, doesn’t differ much from other monsters I’ve seen.

What concerns me more is the engine sound of the armored vehicle.

The armored vehicle, which had approached with its spotlight, is now pulling back.

Well, they’re probably moving out of the way because they’ve released a monster they can’t handle.

Boom boom!

Another thunderclap cracks.

This one’s closer.

Lightning strikes a nameless tree, lighting up the mountain ridge with a red glow.

Then, far off, I hear the sound of a loudspeaker, carried by the wind and rain.

“The rumors must have been true.”

There’s no way to respond to that.

I could shout back, but I don’t feel the need to communicate that way.

“I heard the old-school hunters in China killed more people than monsters.”

I won’t deny it.

There were far more humans than monsters, and they came at us in groups.

As I moved further back, this trend intensified.

“They say we’re like human butchers. They’ve done a great job killing our children like this. It’s amazing, really. I even got some butchers from Pyongyang to sit there, but none of them killed our cadets like you did. I’ll give you credit, Professor. Not as a monster hunter, but as a human butcher.”

Listening silently, I’m a bit surprised.

The low-level Awakened. The ones controlling the government in Jeju—did they really harbor this much inferiority toward us old-school hunters?

Even my friends from Gaeseong, and Baek Seung-hyun, why do they have so much jealousy toward us?

We haven’t done anything to them.

Is it the inferiority complex of the unqualified ones caught between old-school hunters and high-level Awakened?

Or perhaps it’s the sense of complicity that the unqualified ones have created for themselves?

I don’t know the reason.

Their hatred for us, especially me, seems as deeply rooted as my hatred for monsters.

Though I suppose my own uniqueness might contribute to this.

Still, Baek Seung-hyun, representing the old-school hunters of the past, has his role in all this.

“Should I release a dancer-type? Unfortunately, none of the capsules we have in stable condition have one, but I brought a stronger one. I didn’t expect to use this.”

Baek Seung-hyun’s voice continues.

“I heard that the holder of the golden fleece was very good at killing monsters. Let’s see for ourselves. How will an incompetent man who hasn’t received any powers from a god fare against an Executioner-type?”

Executioner-type?

Is he talking about an executioner?

A type I don’t know. A new type.

And it’s apparently more dangerous than the dancer-type.

I can’t help but chuckle.

Boom!

Lightning strikes.

There’s no one on the ridge.

Only a phone mounted on a tripod in the distance shines in my direction.

It seems like they’re using a phone as their observation equipment too.

There must be better equipment, but Jeju Island isn’t exactly a well-equipped place.

I erase unnecessary thoughts from my mind and step outside, staring at the motionless monster that seems frozen in place.

The phone camera, fixed firmly to my chest, gives me the perfect angle to capture it.

The dim light is...

Boom!

The great forces of nature provide the missing light.

Is the monster reacting to it?

The creature, which seemed like it would never move, slowly begins to stir.

It moves its human-like head in my direction.

Though it lacks eyes, its face, turned toward me, looks eerily human in the way it gazes down at me.

“······.”

The hypothesis I formed in the past flashes through my mind.

Could it be that monsters are trying to imitate us humans, ultimately seeking to replace us?

The monster moves.

Thud!

My curiosity, more pathological than fearful, stirs.

How does this creature intend to annihilate humans?

Though it’s humanoid, it doesn’t move like the Necromancer type, floating with appendages sprouting from its body. Instead, it walks like a human on two legs.

But its movements remain rigid, never deviating from the typical patterns of a monster.

Slow and stiff.

As I watch it approach behind the outpost, Baek Seung-hyun’s voice echoes.

“If an Executioner-type had come out in your time, you would have done nothing. This one’s far beyond the dancer-type, a judgment on the old-school hunters who’ve been boasting. So, Professor, you’re just a lucky bastard who happened to ride the wave of time.”

Who’s he talking to?

Isn’t it those high-level Awakened who’ve really lucked out?

Anyway, the monster has reached the outpost.

Its actions suggest it’s aware of me and is searching for me.

It’s clearly slower than the dancer-type, so it probably isn’t suited for close combat.

At least with the monster in front of me, there’s no danger of gunfire.

As long as the monster is blocking the line of sight, Baek Seung-hyun’s soldiers won’t do anything foolish like open fire.

“······.”

I step out in front of the monster, one hand holding a gun and the other gripping an axe.

The monster looks at me silently, then raises one of its arms.

What’s it trying to do?

Its pattern is incomprehensible.

But there’s something that anyone who faces monsters must keep in mind.

There’s no such thing as a meaningless action in a monster’s behavior, especially in combat situations.

I fix my eyes on the pale-gray arm stretching toward me.

“?!”

Instinctively, I duck behind the wall.

The next moment.

Crash!

An explosion, unlike gunfire, erupts right in front of me, followed by...

Thunk! Thut-thut-thunk!

Pale fragments embed themselves mercilessly into the floor, which wasn’t protected by the wall.

“······.”

If I’m not mistaken, this is from a shotgun.

It’s exactly like the attack of a shotgun.

That means...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It’s certain now.

This monster is emulating the old-school hunters who used shotguns to mow down their fellow humans.

Thud!

I can feel it turning around the corner.

In a hurry, I retreat into the outpost.

Thud!

The wall shakes.

It’s hitting the wall.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The attacks are slow but deliberate, shaking the entire outpost as if an earthquake were occurring.

“See it? The Professor is fleeing like a rat!”

Bang!

I head up to the rooftop and open fire.

The distance and wind, along with the tremors, make it harder to aim.

I miss.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

After firing five more shots, I destroy the phone that had been filming us.

It won’t be able to make any more dirty commentary.

Maybe it had the courage to come this far.

The monster seems to be heading back this way from the rooftop.

“······.”

What should I do?

It’s aware of me and intends to wipe me out.

There’s no doubt about it.

So, to survive, I must kill it.

Click—

I pick up the shotgun I had obtained earlier.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

It’s a shotgun, after all.

Given its power, it’s far superior to a rifle.

I go down to the second floor and kick the cracked bulletproof glass out of my way.

As the glass, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ stuck like gum, falls down to the floor, I lean out the window and aim the shotgun.

The monster’s body is partially visible.

It’s 3 meters away.

I can’t reflect its attack.

With certainty, I open fire.

Bang!

With a fierce gunshot, the shotgun rounds flew toward the monster's body.

But just before the bullets hit, an ominous shimmer appeared in front of the creature's body.

“!?”

A reflective field?

In that moment, I thought I was dead.

After a brief moment, I realized I was still alive.

It wasn’t a reflective field.

I stared at the monster’s surface, which was shimmering.

The bullets were being blocked by an intangible barrier.

“Defense field?”

A defense field.

Unlike a reflective field, this type of shield blocks only kinetic energy-based attacks using an intangible force.

Reports say this has been observed in some larger species, but it hasn’t been proven.

The Indian government, who observed it, has been wiped out.

But the phenomenon was happening right in front of me.

“······.”

Boom!

The monster noticed me and turned in my direction.

I immediately took cover.

Boom!

The monster stood right in front of the outpost.

I could feel its gaze, a faceless head staring at me.

“······.”

Is this an Executioner?

Bullets don’t work on it, and it’s firing back at me.

How should I deal with this creature?

Is this monster really an executioner for us old-school hunters?

I became aware of the phone in my chest, warming against me, as I listened to the pouring rain.

Right, I was recording.

I had been giving it my all in the live stream for Live! Apocalypse! showcasing my efforts as Skeleton.

What kind of comments are coming in?

What expression is Melon Mask making?

I wonder if everyone’s enjoying it.

I know what they want.

A happy ending.

Most people want a happy ending.

Even those who dislike happy endings want one for themselves.

I too would like to end this fight with hope.

But how?

“······.”

Right.

I’ll fight in my own way.

Thud.

I dropped my gun and picked up two axes.

Close combat.

The type of battle I prefer above all else.

Even if it shoots some kind of firearm, so what?

There’s no survivor in the dance of death I perform.

Boom!

Thunder rumbles.

At the same time, I jumped over the remaining shards of glass from before and charged at the monster.

I swung the axes.

I could see it flickering.

I ignored it and used the recoil from my body to drive both axes forward.

The axes stopped with no resistance.

They were blocked by the intangible shield.

I felt myself falling but quickly retracted the axes toward my wrists and landed on the ground.

I was now between the monster’s legs.

The creature, hunched like a hunchback, moved its feet.

In what seemed like an instant, ready to crush me underfoot, I quickly drove the axe into it.

Again, the intangible barrier blocked my strike.

I wouldn’t give up.

Ignoring it, I quickly attacked the other leg, or rather the inner thigh if it were a human.

Thud!

“?!”

My attack succeeded.

It left a shallow wound, nothing that could truly be called a strike, but the important thing was that I had wounded it.

And that meant one thing.

If I can wound it, I can kill it.

I felt the flames of will and hatred rise within me as I entered a trance-like state.

In the thunder and lightning of Jeju, a land that did not welcome me, I danced the dance of death.

The audience was more than sufficient.

All eyes from around the world were watching this dance.

“Phew!”

All I hear is the sound of my strikes and my controlled breathing.

Within that, I could feel the monster slowly collapsing.

Crack!

The monster’s leg broke.

At the same time, its body began to glow with light particles, as if it were burning.

“······.”

It was the perfect dance.

I felt my chest fill with emotion, and I silently caught my breath.

From the ridge, the sound of a loudspeaker echoed.

“Damn it.”

A figure appeared on the ridge.

Is it finally here?

It doesn’t matter.

At least today, I performed the best dance.

I saw those who had taken the ridge, and I gave them a faint, slightly exhausted smile.

“······.”

They raised their guns.

I saw some hesitate, which gave me a small sense of satisfaction.

Baek Seung-hyun’s angry voice rang out, and I closed my eyes.

It hadn’t been a bad life.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

I failed to become the last of humanity, but if this was my end, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad life after all.

As I waited for death, something unexpected happened.

Boom!

A shockwave hit me.

It wasn’t an ordinary shockwave.

In that instant, the world around me trembled with a thumping sensation that made everything seem like it would stop.

This thump, I knew it.

I opened my eyes and looked back.

Someone I knew was walking toward me.

A woman, radiating light that dispelled the darkness.

Her name was Na Hye-in.

“Park Gyu.”

She called my name.

At that moment, I remembered her nickname and, without realizing it, gave a wry smile.

Right, she was the savior.

The rain stopped.

The clouds moved swiftly, and before we even knew it, the faint light from the east began to illuminate the world.

In that twilight, I saw it.

The fog, which had been so obstructive beneath my domain, had silently cleared.

Beyond it was a strangely beautiful field and plains, with the world’s cracks shimmering above them.

That’s it.

That is our fate.

Just because you turn your eyes away or hide behind something doesn’t mean that fate disappears.

It’s a simple truth.