Chapter 79
"It's even better than I expected..."
As I checked the footage from the exterior cameras displayed on the cockpit screen, I let out a hollow laugh.
The monsters captivated by the lure were pouring in from every direction, quite literally like a swarm of ants.
There were beasts with strangely twisted joints, and even birds with broken wings, making me wonder how they could possibly fly.
Apparently, animal-type monsters appeared around here.
The kind of animal monsters with slightly twisted bodies.
The monsters raised clouds of dust as they passed through the abandoned factory complex and gathered around the train.
The total number of monsters gathering from all directions seemed to easily exceed a hundred.
If I turned off the lure, these monsters would charge toward the nearest humans.
I quietly asked into the microphone.
"How is it inside?"
Whiiiiir—!
The reconnaissance drone, which had been checking the abandoned factory and its surroundings, nodded.
It was a signal that there were no problems nearby.
A smile spread across my lips.
Fortunately, there were no other survivors in sight around here.
There were only dozens of men just like the ones we'd encountered on the tracks earlier, drinking and fooling around with weapons in hand.
The group was fairly large, but today would be its last day.
With people like these around, this was probably another reason why people hadn't been able to make it to Demi-Human Town or Yeouido.
"Good."
I reached for the cockpit console at the perfect moment, just as the monster horde had closed in right up to the abandoned factory.
And thenㅡ
Click—!
I shut off the lure's power all at once.
The monster horde that had been charging madly suddenly faltered and fell into confusion.
It was only natural; the signal that had driven them mad had disappeared.
But the hungry monsters' confusion lasted only a moment.
"Grrr..."
That was because another stimulus had pierced the senses of the monsters looking around after losing their target.
It was the smell and sounds coming from the dozens of humans packed inside the abandoned factory right in front of them.
The red glints in the monsters' eyes all flashed toward the abandoned factory at once.
Then, instead of the train, they began pouring toward the old concrete building like a tidal wave.
"W-what is this?! Why did a horde of monsters suddenly show up?!"
"F-fire! Stop them!!"
"The door! Close the door first!"
Amid the desperate screams of the men inside the abandoned factory as they belatedly grasped the situation, a cacophony of noise rang out.
Of course, only the reconnaissance drone was relaying the sound, so the children in Car No. 2 probably couldn't hear even the slightest noise.
The distance helped, and the cars were soundproofed as well.
The men resisted fiercely in their own way.
They used guns and skills, along with things like crossbows.
Ta-ta-ta-ta—! Kwaaang!
But that lasted only a moment.
The horde of monsters gathered by the lure was far too huge to hold back with a few guns and mediocre skills.
The iron doors were torn apart like sheets of paper, and the abandoned factory's barricades collapsed helplessly beneath the monsters' reckless charge.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Help me! Please!"
The arrogant laughter I'd heard through the monitor quickly turned into desperate death cries.
The men who had threatened and robbed an innocent family became helpless prey for the monsters.
"...That's why you should live decently."
Some people risked their lives to build safe zones and protect others.
I turned off the monitor footage and leaned deep into the backrest.
'Have I gotten used to this now.'
If it had been the old me, I might have felt a little guilty at the sight.
But now I was different.
Leaving people like that alive was no different from creating potential victims.
'...To be honestㅡ'
Far from hesitating, I even felt a strange exhilaration at having wiped them all out.
I was adapting to this other world too.
As the desperate screams and gunfire coming from the abandoned factory complex died down, I reached for the cockpit console again.
Click—!
I turned the lure back on.
Before the monsters that had finished rampaging through the abandoned factory could scatter elsewhere, I planned to lure them back toward the train.
"...Maybe it's time to properly equip the train for combat."
I took out the Skill Enhancement Ticket I'd been carefully saving.
There was no need to agonize over where to use this precious item Jiwoo had drawn for me.
The target was the train skill, my most powerful weapon.
[Using Skill Enhancement Ticket.]
[Please select an enhancement path.]
"...This time, the combat type..."
When I pressed the button without hesitation, complex mechanical blueprints filled the cockpit's front screen, and the train's structure began to rearrange itself.
The cars shook and glowed, then their exteriors began to change.
First, the grinder and turret grew larger and changed to a unified black that matched the train perfectly.
The cockpit, armory, and drone hangar changed as well.
A little more... luxurious.
"...The modification list has gotten a lot longer."
As if hypnotized, I checked the cockpit panel and looked over the turret enhancements first.
Several new enhancement options had appeared, and some of them were even free.
Liking the sound of the word 'free,' I looked over the free modifications first.
---
Railgun Turret Modification
- It boasts extreme penetration power and range, but takes longer to fire.
Launcher-Guided Missile Modification
- Fires guided missiles designed to hit as many enemies as possible. Be careful when monsters are clustered nearby.
Plasma Cannon Modification
- Fires destructive energy rounds. Mana stones are consumed when attacking.
---
"...These are free?"
They were all tempting, but I could choose only one.
Considering that I currently had to deal with a large number of enemies using the lure, guided missiles seemed like the best choice.
...The train was sturdy to begin with, and it would be a waste to consume mana stones with every attack.
Without hesitation, I pressed the Launcher-Guided Missile Modification button on the screen.
Hissss—! Clunk!
Light enveloped the train's roof, and the existing turret began twisting grotesquely with a heavy mechanical rumble.
The twisted turret fell away, and the armor plates on the train roof slid open to the sides. Missile launchers rose from within, each equipped with twelve launch tubes.
The silver launch tubes, contrasting with the train, gave off a strangely imposing aura.
"But where have I seen this before... Was it, uh, a turret...?"
For no particular reason, I glanced at the golem, then at the turret.
I suppose they could give off a similar impression.
The enhanced turret, or rather missile launcher, wasn't as large as I'd expected.
They were called missiles, but judging by the size of the launch tubes, they were about the size of a 500-milliliter PET bottle.
Their actual firepower might have been closer to grenades than missiles.
They might grow larger with further enhancements, though...
"All right, then... standby..."
Watching the monster horde running toward the train again, drawn by the lure's waves, I placed my finger over the turret activation button.
As the monsters drew closer, dozens of red target markers appeared above their heads in rapid succession on the screen.
"Oh..."
Watching them, I lightly tapped the button.
Fwoooooosh—!
The moment my finger pressed the launch button, intense flames burst from the top of the train.
Twelve missiles shot into the air, then traced their trajectories like living creatures before raining down over the monsters' heads.
KABOOM KABOOM KABOOM—!
A chain of explosions erupted in front of the train.
"Oh..."
"W-what was that?"
The sound was loud enough to penetrate even the soundproofing, and Ha-seon and the children came running into the cockpit.
Each missile possessed tremendous power, and they struck the dense clusters of monsters with pinpoint accuracy, laying waste to the entire area in an instant.
Their small size was nothing to dismiss.
The reload time was long after a single volley, but most of the monsters had already been dealt with, so it wasn't a problem.
One thing was certain: this was too powerful to use against monsters near buildings.
It had enough power that we would have to account for the possibility of buildings collapsing in a chain reaction.
"...It's a lot more powerful than the other people's skills..."
I left the remaining few stragglers to the drones and golem.
After the battle ended, I completely shut off the lure.
The surroundings grew quiet, leaving only the smell of burnt gunpowder and the monsters' remains scattered about.
"Bring back the loot."
No sooner had I given the order than the golem and drones scurried around collecting mana stones and loot.
"...Can't we go out too?"
"I want to pick that up!"
The children said they wanted to help, apparently finding it fun to watch. Since all the monsters had been dealt with and the golem and drones were there, I gave them permission.
The children went outside and began picking up mana stones and items as if they were collecting seashells on a tidal flat.
They seemed to be having quite a lot of fun.
They compared the sizes of their mana stones and stroked the monsters' hides, apparently fascinated by the texture.
"...Drones, bring back the loot from their hideout too."
While the children picked up mana stones around the golem, I told the drones to search the men's hideout.
We had to take everything worth taking.
After finishing that great harvest of loot, we boarded the train again.
The family we'd just rescued had finally relaxed, and everyone was sleeping soundly in their seats.
I decided to put off talking with them until later.
I should give them something to drink in a little while.
"...Let's get moving again soon."
Hiss—
We set the train moving toward our destination, Daegu Station.
Several hours passed as we traveled along the tracks.
The scenery outside the window gradually began to change.
In the distance, a massive station revealed its imposing grandeur.
The station, which looked as if it had been joined to a department store, seemed far larger than the others.
"We've arrived."
The sign clearly displayed the words Daegu Station in red letters.
As the train slowly glided onto the station platform, survivors hiding in the darkness began poking their heads out one by one and staring at it as if they couldn't believe their eyes.
I couldn't tell whether they were people who had arrived in advance or survivors who had been living around the station, but they all stared at the train with eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hope.
"We've arrived. Those who wish to join Demi-Human Town, please form an orderly line."
I opened the door and spoke casually, and everyone began lining up.
I found myself looking forward to seeing how many people would gather.