Chapter 31
I hurried back with the clue and moved quickly to solve the case, and as a result, I infiltrated the site with this muscle mountain of an agent.
I felt reassured by this situation.
My efforts hadn't been pointless, and in the end, I'd found a way.
There was only one thing to do.
The enemies' central hub was somewhere in this building. Specifically, a wrinkled red sphere. I had to find it and destroy it.
If I did that, this whole situation should be resolved!
Damn! The erosion is pretty severe!
The moment we reached the second floor, Gorgodio immediately started searching.
This agent seemed to be planning to clear each floor one by one as we climbed, but my judgment was different.
The enemies' central hub was on the flower's top floor.
This building hadn't yet turned into a giant, nor had it fully become a flower, but if it had a weak point, I felt it would be on the top floor.
We should be hurrying upstairs instead of rummaging around here... How was I supposed to convince him?
"A wave...! Agent! I can feel some kind of wave from above! It's a powerful resonance, not here! We need to go up!"
For now, I made the claim however I could. I had no way to persuade him. My experience came from the future, after all. I just had to force it through somehow.
"Higher up?"
"Higher!"
Do-hwang is seriously badass!
"So maybe you really did awaken some kind of psychic power. Understood! Let's go up!"
"But your way of speaking is a little different from earlier!"
"Because this isn't the same as speaking nicely to ordinary people!"
"Anyway, let's keep going up!"
This agent, Gorgodio.
He was much easier to talk to than I'd expected, and I liked him a lot. I never thought there'd be an agent this dependable. If I were with this guy, I felt like we could get through this ordeal.
That was when we kept heading upward.
ㅡSrrrk.
The stairs leading to the next floor.
Something came walking down from that side.
"No!"
"An aberrant creature!"
An upper-tier specimen!
A creature with bone blades sprouting all over its body! It was the powerful warrior specimen that had wiped out Salhyeong and the crusaders!
But it was a little short. The one I saw back then was a giant about three meters tall, but this one was only about two meters.
Was this one weaker?
In my estimation, those upper-tier warriors probably couldn't be produced that quickly. Maybe this specimen was weaker because it had been hastily produced to block us. Of course, that was just me interpreting things in the most favorable way possible.
"Be careful! It looks insanely strong!"
"I can tell just by looking!"
Gorgodio's jacket fluttered, and a knife shaped like a Chinese cleaver came out from inside. Did he really use such a terrifying blade as his weapon?
ㅡChubabak!
The upper-tier specimen shot out an arm made of tentacles. Bone spikes were jutting out all over that arm. If that thing hit me, I wouldn't even have bones left.
ㅡChwhaak!
But Gorgodio sliced the tentacles apart!
"Wow!"
Could we win?
The moment I thought that.
ㅡPaat!
The upper-tier specimen disappeared.
"Huh?!"
The instant it reappeared.
ㅡDenggeong!
Gorgodio's right arm was severed.
What?
"No!"
His arm got cut off?!
Damn it, Director Lee Dohyeong!
"Kgh...!"
"Gorgodio!!!"
Is this bastard getting beaten down here?!
No, what the hell are those Administration Bureau bastards even doing?!
"Compatible candidate Gorgodio...! I request forced authorization!"
Gorgodio shouted something while blood gushed from his arm. At the same time, light burst out from him. I covered my face with my arm to block the light.
And when the light faded.
I beheld a warrior before me.
"My God...!"
Gorgodio's appearance had changed. He'd become a warrior surrounded by near-future mechanical armor!
"What are you, Iron Man?!"
There was no answer.
ㅡBuuwoong!
The boosters on his back unfolded like wings, spewing blue flames, and Gorgodio charged straight at the upper-tier specimen at supersonic speed.
ㅡKwaaaang!
The instant they collided, close-quarters combat erupted. Steel gauntlets tore at the monster's bones and flesh, and steel knees slammed into its body.
It was, literally, an incredible sight.
Yeah, so the Administration Bureau bastards really did have a trump card!
To think they could operate weapons like this from the near future!
For a moment, I felt ashamed for having doubted Gorgodio. Of course, this was an S-rank world-ending incident, and the Administration Bureau had simply been caught off guard and beaten down. Give them a chance, and they could still handle things somehow.
With a weapon like that, they should be able to subdue a monster or two easily enough.
That was my judgment, and I quickly did the math. Should I wait until Gorgodio killed the monster and go up with him? Or should I go up first and find the core?
Before I could choose between the two.
"Krrrghhh!"
Gorgodio was torn apart left and right.
Wow.
Gorgodio's steel body was literally torn apart helplessly. No, more accurately, it looked like it was being forcibly ripped to pieces... wait. Is this for real?
Even if these giants were monsters born from an S-rank world-ending incident, they die like this?
Still, Salhyeong the jihad crusader had killed several of those three-meter-tall things by himself, hadn't he?
ㅡPaat!
I had no time to do anything.
The one that had torn Gorgodio apart turned its head toward me. Its body was a total wreck, but I didn't have my K2 or the scimitar I'd gotten from Salhyeong. The dynamite that had seen me through the final stretch was gone too.
ㅡTsupat!
A bone blade flew at me.
I tried to use my last chance to run for the upper floor, but... no strength went into my body.
Because my upper and lower body were already separated.
"Gehk."
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.
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[You died because your waist was severed.]
[Death count: 10 -> 11]
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.
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[Restarting.]
* * *
"Damn it, one isn't enough!"
I need more Administration Bureau agents!
I steadied myself and called the Administration Bureau right away. One Gorgodio wasn't enough. I needed a few more agents who could fight.
-Yes, what is it?
"I escaped from Cheongakmeri Hospital!"
I reported the most basic thing first.
And then.
"There are crazy monsters swarming inside the building right now! There are almost a hundred of them, and they're tearing people apart and killing them! Come quickly, hurry! Please! If all those monster bastards crawl out, everyone in Seoul is going to die! Hurry! Seoul will turn into Cheongakmeri Hospital!"
I screamed while wildly exaggerating everything.
These complacent bastards won't listen unless I yell at them like a goose having its foie gras ripped out. Of course, they wouldn't commit all their forces over a single report either, but by now, please just get it! I'm begging you!
"Hurry!!! If this keeps up, we're all going to die!!! I'm so scared!!!"
-Understood! We'll send agents right away!
It worked!
Since they said they'd send agents, not just Gorgodio but several of them would come.
"Good."
I went straight to the front of the building. A little later, a man appeared, and the bastard dove into the wall like Harry Potter riding the subway again.
ㅡSok!
It was a sight that made my killing intent surge for real.
I was anxious.
I stamped my feet while I waited for the agents.
If I could somehow deal with that upper-tier bone monster, this would be solvable. We were almost at the top floor, so if I killed it and kept going, I'd be able to find the core.
It was maddening.
If I had superhuman strength, I'd be running in there to solve this right now!
ㅡBuururung!
The sound of motorcycles started coming closer.
I instinctively knew the agents had arrived.
How many were there?
I looked toward the sound with anticipation.
"Huh?"
Motorcycles.
Two...?
No way, did only two agents come?
My ominous premonition was right. Two motorcycles stopped in front of me, and Gorgodio took off his helmet and said,
"You're the one who reported it? First, congratulations on surviving. You've had a rough time."
It was a heavier tone than in the previous run.
"From here on, the Administration Bureau will take care of you. However, since you reported that a monster appeared, we should check that first. Please wait a moment. Curas. Enter immediately."
"Yeah. Let's go."
The agent called Curas took off his helmet.
He was a pale-faced man.
But his hair was light green? And what was with that He-Man-like hairstyle... He looked a little gaunt, with sunken cheeks like he hadn't eaten in days, but the light-green hair was so shocking.
No, this wasn't the time for that!
"Wait! Did only the two of you come?!"
"Is there a problem?"
"No, there are monsters everywhere inside. Do you really think two people will be enough?!"
"Hey, you're seriously underestimating Administration Bureau agents."
Agent Curas grinned and grabbed my shoulder.
"Don't worry. If it's me and that musclehead, we can handle pretty much anything."
Hey!
That Gorgodio got absolutely wrecked in the previous run!
"Gorgodio. Let's go."
"Understood. The person who reported it should..."
I had to go with them for now!
"Uh, no! That thing inside—!"
I immediately pointed inside the building to draw their aggro.
"What! Damn it! Move in! Curas, provide cover!"
"Right!"
The two agents entered the building.
At the same time.
"Compatible candidate Gorgodio! I request authorization!"
Gorgodio was engulfed in light. But in the previous run, hadn't he clearly requested forced authorization? Was he just requesting authorization this time? Whatever it was, transforming right from the start was better.
ㅡPaat!
The light faded, and a warrior clad in near-future armor descended. Curas was guarding his back, and I had slipped in right behind Curas.
"Huh?! Wait! Why did you come in?!"
Curas shouted in surprise.
Honestly, I didn't trust leaving it to just the two of them.
I figured I could help if I went too.
In the previous run, I'd forced Gorgodio with sheer nonsense and somehow got him moving with me. Let's do that again this run too.
"Let's go together!"
"What are you talking about! Do you think an ordinary person would be any help in a situation like this!"
"I'm not an ordinary person!"
"What?"
"I survived Cheongakmeri Hospital! I survived that hellhole! Do you know what I was thinking while I was surviving there?!"
As I shouted with everything I had, both Gorgodio and Curas turned to look at me.
"What is it...?"
"Damn it! I couldn't stand seeing ordinary people get caught up in freakish phenomena like that, even if it killed me! Things like this have to be stopped no matter what!"
It worked in the previous run.
Would it work this time too?
"Ha! This guy! He's got incredible spirit! Don't you think so, Gorgodio!"
"He's got the makings of an agent... He'd be useful as a recruit. But even so, he's still an ordinary person."
"I'm not an ordinary person! After surviving that hospital, I developed some kind of extrasensory perception!!"
At this rate, they'd definitely take me with them!