Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 129.3: The Voice (3)

The widely known types are easier to deal with.

To say they’re widely known means their patterns and characteristics have been fully analyzed.

But that doesn’t mean "easier" is synonymous with "easy."

How many creatures that are widely known are still troublesome to face?

Even in boxing, champions are analyzed frame by frame, breaking down every habit, movement, and technique to 0.1-second intervals.

The Praetorian-type is one of those.

Thoroughly analyzed, yet still not an easy monster.

Back when I was in China, I’d have passed it off to the artillery or air force as soon as I saw it.

As its name, inspired by the legendary Roman Praetorian Guard, suggests—it is a perfect killing machine, combining offense and defense seamlessly.

When we encountered the Annihilator-type previously, its devastating firepower wiped out entire human groups in mid-range, while this monster, unlike other monsters, moves at high speed and fires projectiles mimicking human rockets, obliterating human forces in its wake.

A monster as big as a trailer, hovering at about 35 km/h, is impossible to engage in close combat. But that doesn't mean it's weak in close combat.

It may lack limbs, but its tentacle-like appendages, thick and durable like a ship’s ropes, lash out with such force that any human attempting to get close is literally torn in two.

The most effective way to kill it is to use expensive weaponry.

Aircraft, helicopters—anything with guided, supersonic projectiles fired from outside its reflective field.

If that’s not possible, artillery is the next best option.

Well, even the Praetorian-type, if caught in a concentrated barrage like other monsters, would be nothing special.

The real problem begins when it leaves the killzone and roams freely.

“Can we take it down?”

Kim Byeong-cheol also seemed to know the Praetorian-type.

Seeing him tense, unlike with the other monsters, I shook my head.

“This is different from the Necromancer-type. This is a combat-type, not an infiltrator. I can’t take it down on my own.”

“So, what do we do?”

“I’ve already planned ahead. But first, we should evacuate the people under The Hope.”

“Let’s try talking to them first. I’m not sure they’ll listen to me.”

I shared the Praetorian assault plan with Kim Byeong-cheol and went to my teammates.

Everyone was waiting for me.

There was no sign of discord or awkwardness.

Perhaps one of the few positive effects of monsters—sometimes, humanity’s enemies bring people together.

“Skelton. What’s the plan?”

Hong Da-jeong asked.

“For now, we fight. But that mid-sized monster is beyond the capability of an average hunter team. This battle will be fought entirely with the soldiers' equipment.”

This isn’t a hunt.

It’s a battle.

No one objected, but Cheon Young-jae suddenly remembered a name.

“By the way, what’s going on with Woo So-jang? Is she coming here or not?”

Woo Min-hee.

Right. She was supposed to be here.

Maybe she won’t show up, but who knows?

There’s been no word, no signs.

Considering her personality, she probably would’ve come, but... who knows?

Well, it’s probably for the best.

A difficult battle lies ahead.

One that may cost me my life.

*

“Target ‘Mu’ approaching.”

Through military equipment, I observed the Praetorian-type.

There are no signs of it starting to disintegrate.

Most monsters that emerge from rifts vanish within 24 hours, but this one shows no such signs.

It’s probably staying in the erosion zone to avoid decay.

The simplest option was blocked, but I hadn’t really expected that from the start.

There’s another move.

A rockfall /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ attack using the buildings.

In fact, this is the only method we can use against the Praetorian-type.

Although we have two “Dumbhead” tanks, they’re only useful against small types—against a human-mimicking mid-sized type or higher, they’re just wheeled cannons. They’d be torn to pieces if hit by a mid-sized monster’s attack.

Kim Byeong-cheol needs those tanks to survive.

So we’ll bet everything on using rockfall from building destruction.

The one consolation is that we know exactly where it’s coming from.

It follows the Voice of the Dead.

That voice is echoing from beneath The Hope.

Knowing the destination, calculating the route is easy.

There are three primary paths from the northeastern area where it’s located.

We’ll block two of them with barricades.

The monster, with its speed of 35 km/h, would prefer to avoid obstacles and keep its speed.

“If I signal, detonate it.”

A drone floats high above.

To avoid the monster’s large drone pulse, it’s positioned at a high altitude, providing us with a sweeping view of the ruined city of Seoul below.

“Target ‘Mu’ approaching from the northeast!”

I watch the approaching monster’s location, growing closer by the second.

The plan is simple.

Once the monster reaches the rockfall point, we hit the button.

That’s it.

However...

“Hm?”

Kim Byeong-cheol tilted his head in confusion.

It was understandable.

The Praetorian-type had deviated from its route.

More precisely, it had gone right through the building we’d planned to use as an obstacle.

It tore right through the thin, high construction wall we’d set up and barreled toward us, straight through the empty columns between the buildings.

“Well, what now?”

Kim Byeong-cheol asked urgently.

“Evacuate everyone.”

I immediately jumped down.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to lure it.”

“You’re luring the monster?”

A soldier had mentioned that in the worst-case scenario, you need to be ready to act. I don’t particularly like that advice.

The “worst case” implies things aren’t going well.

It implies damage.

But still, it's better than being caught off guard.

Right?

“Skelton?”

“Come with me for a moment. I’ll drive the truck.”

I headed for The Hope’s underground, to the government’s secret warehouse where the dragon was once kept.

“W-What are you doing?”

“I’m going to lure the monster.”

I drove the truck.

Vroom—

The trailer roared as it sped forward.

Thunk—tch-tch—

The sound of the power cables snapping in the back.

But the signal should remain intact.

I looked at the panel beside the driver’s seat.

Switching to emergency power.

“This is Park Gyu. What’s the Praetorian’s location?”

“Two kilometers ahead of The Hope! It’s moving toward the main street!”

“Got it.”

I sharply turned the wheel and entered the road, waiting for the truck to stabilize before flooring the accelerator.

Vroom—

The engine’s hum had a calming effect on me.

It gave me confidence that, despite being only human, I could still do something.

As the landscape rushed by, I saw soldiers hastily moving the barricades out of the way.

From here on, it’s enemy territory.

It’s the land of zombies, monsters, and mutations.

I turned the wheel to the west.

An unfamiliar area.

I sped through it, crushing zombies, debris, and other random obstacles under the massive vehicle.

“This is Park Gyu. What’s the monster’s location?”

And then I waited.

For the response I hoped for.

After a brief silence, a reply came.

“Target ‘Mu’! Changing course! Heading west!”

I closed my eyes and sighed.

My efforts were paying off.

No doubt about it.

Deadman_working.

It wasn’t his discovery of the Voice of the Dead.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

It was the whisper of humanity’s enemy, the monster, coming from beyond the rift.

That strange wave gave him the miraculous power he thought he had.

I’m sure Deadman_working found that voice, but he knows just as little about it as I do.

“Target ‘U’! Changing course north!”

35 km/h is fast by human standards, hard to catch.

But when a monster the size of two trailers is moving at that speed, there’s no way to stop it with human strength.

To human tools, that speed is ridiculously slow. Even with the horn blaring from behind, there’s no reason to slow down.

I guided it, with a sense of casual roaming, back toward the trap we’d set.

Once a monster deviates from its path, it surprisingly obediently follows my direction.

“...”

I can’t even explain the emotion that came over me.

The only thing I can understand is that humanity is standing on a giant turning point we’ve long desired.

Not quite as monumental as Armstrong on the moon, but we’ve crossed a ridge.

That much is certain.

“Target ‘Mu’! Reached impact point!”

“Detonate!”

A loud explosion echoed from the collapsed building.

Moments later, the monster, moving at 35 km/h, entered the rain of death and was swallowed by the downpour of destruction.

Boom! Boom!

Cheers from the soldiers rang in the distance.

"..."

But I remained in the truck, staring at the collapsed rubble.

I couldn’t see the particles.

That meant the monster was still alive.

“Do we have any explosives left?”

I needed to act quickly.

There wouldn’t be another chance.

All monsters have self-regeneration abilities.

Unless they’re wounded to the point of disintegration, they will eventually wake up and move again.

And it doesn’t take long for that to happen.

“Hurry!”

I grabbed a bag full of explosives and sprinted toward the wreckage.

I could hear the distant moans of zombies lurking nearby, but I ignored them.

What I was focused on was the shadow of the collapsing building, and beyond it, humanity’s enemy crouching there.

It’s there.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A monstrous, ashen-colored creature, pulsating like a heart, pushed the debris off its body.

The Praetorian-type.

I’m 50 meters away from it.

I won’t use firearms.

Not yet.

Swish—

It swung its death-whip.

Thud!

The tentacle-whip, as thick as a human thigh, struck the pillar behind me with enough force to bend it.

Though my back wasn’t even touching it, the blow felt like a shockwave that rattled my insides.

If I had taken that hit, I’d have been torn in two.

The whip isn’t the only threat.

Creeeek—

A strange air current swirls.

This current—

“...”

It’s a detonation.

A power unique to monsters that triggers the explosion of explosive devices.

Instinctively, as soon as I recognized it, I threw the explosive bag high into the air.

And—

Boom!

A brutal explosion erupted close by, and the shockwave and deafening sound overwhelmed my senses.

Whoosh—

When I regained my senses, I found myself face-first in the dirt.

My body wouldn’t move.

Drip—

Blood trickled down my forehead.

I took a breath.

I could breathe.

My lungs weren’t damaged.

My limbs?

No, first, I needed to check something else.

I looked down at the axe I was holding in my hand—an axe I didn’t even remember pulling out—and scanned for any signs of the monster.

I closed my eyes and let out a painful sigh.

I could see it.

The light particles.

Beyond the fallen debris, the beautiful golden particles scattered, shimmering.

I had killed it.

Another enemy of humanity.

...

But my end was probably close. frёeωebɳovel.com

Clomp-clomp—

The zombies are coming.

They’re here to scavenge the feathers of fallen birds.

...

Suddenly, a fragment of a story I once heard passed through my mind.

Being killed by zombies is more painful and prolonged than you can imagine.

Well, being slowly chewed to death by a 65kg bite force would be quite painful.

“Senior Park! Where are you?!”

“Park Gyu! Answer me! Respond!”

People are calling for me, but the zombies are already at my doorstep.

Before they arrive, I’ll be dead.

Fortunately, I still have my sharp axe in hand.

If I sever my carotid artery, I’ll pass on without pain.

But I don’t plan to end my life like that.

I will fight until the very end.

I’ll face my death head-on.

No matter how desperate or horrific it is, I will watch it to the very end, seeing my demise with my own eyes.

That’s the fate we, as hunters, must endure.

Clomp-clomp—

The zombies draw near.

With broken teeth, twisted hands, and pale, ashen eyes that gleam ominously.

I try to move my immobile body, but it won’t obey.

The zombies’ eyes gleam.

They rush toward me, each eager to be the first to reach me.

I stare at them, waiting for my death.

“Come on.”

I still grip the axe in my hand.

“Uuuuugh!!”

The zombies cover my vision.

Boom!

I feel the shockwave.

The next moment, the world flashes before me.

An explosion.

My vision goes dark, and a strong wind whips through the air.

Debris, dust, and choking air fill the surroundings.

I cough and focus all my attention on my sight.

As my vision slowly returns, a painful screech cuts through the air.

Kiiiii-kii-iiiii—

I squint in the direction of the sound.

A large hole has been punched through the concrete.

And beyond that hole, a tall, thin woman with a hook-like prosthetic arm stands arrogantly, waving it at me.

“Ha-ha...”

I’m not the type to laugh on the battlefield, but I couldn’t help myself.

Screeeech—

Scraping the floor with her prosthetic, the woman approaches me.

“Ha-ha... Senior, you look the best when you’re wounded and bleeding.”

Yes.

The unexpected savior is my junior, Woo Min-hee.

She reached out her hand.

Her face, once hidden by the backlight, slowly came into view.

“Right? Eom Chang?”

My junior smiled.

*

Crackle—crackle—

Broadcasting equipment, not underground but under the open sky, extends upward, sending and receiving waves that are invisible to us.

“Ahh. Ahh. What is this? Something felt off ever since we arrived.”

Even surrounded by countless hostile soldiers, Woo Min-hee acted like she was in her own living room—completely calm and at ease.

To be more precise, it was as if she wasn’t even acknowledging them.

Even though Kim Byeong-cheol was right in front of her, she didn’t give him a second glance.

“What’s this?”

As usual, she did whatever she felt like.

Right now, she’s not interested in me or even the government’s hidden assets. What’s caught her attention is the strange voice she alone can hear.

She stared at the towering equipment, leaning against the trailer for support, and asked,

“This?”

“Yeah. Eom Chang-ah.”

“Why do you keep calling me Eom Chang when it’s not?”

“Yeah, yeah. Eom Chang-sunbae.”

Woo Min-hee gave me a sly smile.

“But why do you like such crude language?”

“?”

“Isn’t Dr. Emiris your clone, too?”

“What are you talking about...?”

Well, if she’s not a beast, she’s probably figured it out.

In truth, the fact that I’m Eom Chang was over 90% exposed a while ago.

It’s just that now it’s been confirmed.

Even so, I think it’s part of my charm that I keep denying it.

“Skelton!”

Ballantine came running out of the trailer.

“It’s almost done! Are we receiving?”

He immediately noticed something was off when he saw Woo Min-hee. His face turned pale like a litmus test paper exposed to an alkaline substance.

He, with his sharp perception, knew exactly who she was.

How dangerous she was.

Unable to speak, Ballantine was replaced by Woo Min-hee, who looked up at the equipment and asked me,

“Is that what brought you here?”

I nodded.

“Yeah.”

I looked at my phone.

The antenna was up.

One bar—just over one.

I turned on the internet.

And I waited.

For the promised Voice of the Dead to reach my phone.

[ F. Sawyer, M. O’Connor, and the beloved Red, for you. ]

[ Welcome to the noisy city of death. ]

Press Enter if you are a dead person -

I handed the phone to Woo Min-hee.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

“It’s Necropolis.”

“Necropolis? Oh, is this what the Westerners use?”

She glanced around.

“Is this what it is?”

“What do you think?”

I watched her bright eyes intently, waiting for an answer.

After a while, she looked around, her curiosity evident, before offering a meaningful smile and responding.

“Voice.”

Her words were ambiguous.

Is the strange signal surrounding us the Voice of the Dead, or is it the voice of the rift?

Either way, one thing has been proven.

We’ve found the voice of the rift.

At least, after 20 years since the rift first appeared.