Chapter 57
"Grong. It's good to be enthusiastic. But if you don't know when to hold back, you'll die quickly. Official or not, you're still lacking experience. Conveniently, you're good at shooting, so focus on covering fire from the rear. Understood?"
"Yes. Understood, Team Leader."
"Good. You seem quick on the uptake, so I trust you'll do well. Jamtree. If combat breaks out, take care of Grong. Think of you two as a team."
"Leave it to me."
After answering, Ms. Jamtree looked at me and said.
"Grong. Stick right next to big sis. During combat, follow your seniors' orders. Got it?"
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Then let's go get our supplies. Follow me."
"Yes!"
We all went to the elevator together.
"So, now we're really going to fight vampires. How do you feel?"
Senior Spangdal asked.
"To be honest, I feel my fighting spirit burning bright. As long as vampires exist, I can't sleep with both eyes open. If I can fight them this time, there'd be nothing better."
I've experienced all sorts of things, but my hatred for vampires has never changed once. That damn mosquito bitch not only killed me in the most horrible way, she even turned Mom and Dad into monsters.
All I want is to shove a silver bullet into its heart as soon as possible.
I'm sure you dear vampire hunters feel the same way. But we can't call them in for this mission. It's not just that I don't know their contact details; the battlefield isn't only vampires, but also fake Bureau bastards.
They're specialists at hunting vampires, not the kind of talent suited to a battlefield raining bullets. A conical hat and pince-nez glasses will never stop a bullet. That's an undeniable fact.
I don't want their kind hearts trampled under bullets.
Sacrifice is something I alone should bear.
It's enough if I'm the only one who gets hurt.
Even if they don't know I exist, I'll fight to protect their smiles. Libera nos. If there is a God, please save us. Watch over me as I fight in the darkest place for the brightest people. I will dedicate my life to the vampire hunters.
"I can feel that you harbor a very fierce hatred toward vampires."
"Isn't it because of vampires that I got caught up in these bizarre phenomena in the first place?"
"Fair enough."
With that, we got into the elevator.
But there's something I've been noticing since yesterday.
ㅡVvvvv.
With me, Jaaldi, Spangdal, and Senior Jamtree all crammed into the narrow elevator, a soft, distinctly feminine fragrance wafted around and tickled my nose.
"Grong. Smells nice, right?"
"Huh?!"
A surprise attack from Ms. Jamtree!
"Why are you so surprised? Is it weird?"
Ms. Jamtree tilted her head while fiddling with her hair.
"N-no...! It's not that. I was just thinking about it a little when you suddenly said it. This may be rude to think, but if such a nice scent is wafting around, wouldn't enemies notice during combat?"
"That's a sharp observation, Grong. Of course, we've prepared for that too. Once we put on our masks, we'll all spray odorless perfume."
"Odorless perfume?"
"A perfume that wipes out every smell."
So something like that existed?
ㅡDing.
The elevator arrived.
On the way, Jaaldi explained the details of this mission. The explanation itself was similar to last time. Vampires had appeared in a small provincial city. And there had been a massive fog and torrential rain.
There was also an explanation about the True Ancestors, and that if you got bitten, you'd become a ghoul.
Around then, to minimize any possible variables, I used my ability. Memories from the previous run, along with the words said there, came back vividly.
"Is there no way to save them?"
"Sadly, no."
I said that salvation meant putting an end to the suffering, and Jaaldi added to that. Then I asked whether information control would be possible once combat broke out.
This, too, was the same explanation as before.
And that's how we arrived at the supply room.
"Here, Grong. Take this."
"Ohh...!"
After that, everything was exactly the same as before. We repeated the garlic routine again and even went to buy garlic from a grocery mart, just like last time.
I even remembered to offer everyone garlic once we got back in the car.
* * *
We arrived at the scene.
I had used my ability to minimize variables, but because there were major differences from the previous run, a few details had changed. Still, nothing worth worrying about.
After finishing our small talk, we entered the fog.
Everyone went in first, and I was the last.
I quickly contacted the nun and told her our location. She said she could go anywhere on Korean soil, so she should manage somehow.
I didn't meet the nun in the previous run. That means she'll act as a variable on this battlefield.
Good.
Let's go in.
...
A city with an eerie atmosphere.
A scene exactly as I remembered it.
Back then, I was shooting ghouls here when I ran into the fake Bureau bastards, and in the end, I had to watch Jinseop blow himself up. I even came right up to the point of being bitten by a vampire.
No matter what happens.
I won't let Jinseop die.
There are so many things I want to ask that bastard. If I remember correctly, during the Giant Apocalypse Jinseop said he was a high schooler. So everyone said he was a middle school graduate, since he hadn't even graduated.
At the time, a game where people assigned combat power based on educational background was trendy, and that game ended when the most highly educated guy died.
So how did Jinseop become an agent of the fake Bureau? The timing is way too tight. If he became an agent because the giant incident never happened, that at least makes some sense, but I'll have to hear it from him directly.
Besides, the fake Bureau must be a group of anomalies.
I need to know why Jinseop, who was clearly human, was there.
Of course, even if I save him now, I won't be able to ask right away. But if he's alive, there will be a chance to talk someday.
For now, let's focus on hunting ghouls.
"Oh my, Grong. You look like a completely different person."
"What is it? Grong. Did you go on an overseas deployment or something? You look incredibly seasoned."
"I'm just focused right now. I'll show you. My divinely inspired shooting skills."
And then.
Ghouls appeared.
ㅡRat-a-tat-tat!
They came charging on all fours.
But.
There are a few more of them than last time?
I'm going to have to throw some grenades! I'll throw them!
For now, I threw the garlic grenade.
ㅡKWAaaaang!
An explosion that felt like it was rattling my skull. It had garlic in it, but at its core it was still a grenade. A thunderous blast, as if heaven and earth were shaking, erupted.
When I looked up, I saw the ghoul horde had been reduced to scorched earth. Of course, not all of them were dead, and I quickly took aim with the K2 and pierced the heads of the ghouls crawling out from every direction.
ㅡBang!
ㅡBang!
ㅡBang!
My marksmanship had not rusted in the slightest.
I eliminated them one after another, one shot per target.
"Wow! Grong's shooting is amazing!"
"Oh-ho. I didn't expect you'd be this good."
Everyone was surprised by my shooting.
"At this level, could I be called the Bureau's finest marksman?"
"Heh-heh, maybe we'll need to see a little more? There's an incredible marksman in the suppression team. He's called Kurosna, and he can shoot amazingly well."
Kurosna... In the previous run, the fake Bureau agents mistook me for him. Hearing it again makes me more and more curious about him.
"Senior Kurosna, was it? If he's that good with a gun, I'd like to meet him soon."
"Spangdal. Is he out on another mission right now?"
"Who knows."
"Anyway, make sure you meet him next time."
While we were having that conversation, we finished off all the ghouls.
But.
At this point, the vampires should have shown up.
...
What?
No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see any vampires. Ms. Jamtree didn't say anything about anything fleeing, either.
"Senior Jamtree. Is the enemy completely eliminated?"
"Yes. There aren't any left around here now."
"What about the ones that ran away?"
"Doesn't look like there were any."
What the hell.
Why the hell isn't that vampire bastard showing up?
Last time it definitely appeared here and got shot to death.
The progression is the same, but the details have changed. Could it be related to my becoming an official agent and the vampire not appearing?
I need to eliminate variables as much as possible... Maybe this is something like the butterfly effect. A tiny difference, but by the end it can lead to a huge difference.
Anyway.
We advanced while eliminating ghouls. But everyone was firing their guns and not using their abilities. Spangdal, too, was just firing a pistol instead of going on a thorn rampage.
Jaaldi was the same, but... come to think of it, I've never actually seen Jaaldi's psychic ability firsthand.
When I went up the giant's central core alone, I saw several huge explosions, and given that Jaaldi cleared the upper floors all the way up, Jaaldi must be a powerful esper.
While thinking that, we arrived at the burned-down gym building. As soon as we entered, charred corpses greeted us, as expected.
"This wasn't the vampire's doing. It was someone else's."
Jaaldi said.
"The fake Bureau's. I suspect they gathered people together and burned them all."
"What! So they really did this kind of thing?"
"Only those bastards would do something like this."
It was truly horrifying.
"Look, they're all gathered here, aren't they? Could you gather ghouls into this place and burn them all at once? They gathered people here and incinerated them all at once. That's what this is."
...
That did seem to be the case, even to me.
You couldn't gather ghouls this neatly and burn them all at once. Likewise, if people had sheltered here and then ghouls invaded, causing chaos, there would be no reason for them all to still be gathered here afterward.
Anyway.
The fake Bureau incineration squad will probably show up soon.
As we prepared for that, Jaaldi said.
"Jamtree. Any enemies nearby?"
"Doesn't seem like there are any."
"Good. Move."
What?
"The fake Bureau bastards didn't show up?"
...
I'm starting to get uneasy.
This is too different.
Not only did the vampire not appear in the first clash, there's no battle here at the gym either?
"This is a report from the suppression team. It seems the vampires and the fake Bureau are fighting."
"Ah."
"We'll link up with the suppression team first."
And so, we moved to link up with the suppression team.
Along the way, human corpses and ghoul remains were strewn everywhere. The wounds on the corpses were truly varied: some looked like they'd been bitten, some looked like they'd been shot, and some were neatly severed into pieces... severed?
"Team Leader Jaaldi. There are some ghoul corpses that look like they were cut by something."
"That's the fake Bureau's inspection unit. A bunch of crazy bastards who handle knives extremely well."
Ah, right. Those guys were around too.
"They're the ones Idohyeong drags around with him. They're very dangerous, so be careful."
"Yes."
And so, as we kept moving.
Kuaaaak!
Ghouls hiding here and there rushed at us. There were quite a lot of them, but they couldn't even get close in the first place against my gunfire, and I wasn't alone here.
ㅡBang!
The ghouls fell before everyone's gunfire.
But in the middle of it.
Kreeeeek!
A much larger ghoul burst out, smashing through the building wall!
What the hell is that!
ㅡBang!
I hit its head, but the bullet ricocheted!
No, what is it, a rhinoceros?
Its mutated forehead is bulging out thickly!
A mutated ghoul.
Jaaldi stepped forward.
Soon, the mutated ghoul leaped powerfully, trying to pounce on Jaaldi.
The next moment.
ㅡWhoosh!
Jaaldi caught the falling mutated ghoul, spun around, seized its head and torso, and then pulled.
ㅡRIIIP!
Jaaldi tore its head right off!
ㅡThud.
And then Jaaldi casually tossed the ripped-off head...!
"What monstrous strength!"
"Cool, right? In close combat, Team Leader Jaaldi doesn't lose to anyone."
"Still, I never expected Jaaldi to rip the monster's head off!"
I thought Jaaldi was just a martial artist, but this is on another level!
"Team Leader Jaaldi, you're amazing! No, seriously, you're insanely strong! So this is what a Bureau division chief is like! Wow, I had no idea you'd be this powerful!"
"Enough gawking. Move out, Jamtree?"
"Yes. If we go a little farther ahead... huh? They're here!"
The moment Ms. Jamtree shouted, I roughly understood.
"The fake Bureau, huh. Everyone take cover."
"Yes!"
At Jaaldi's command, we immediately took cover.
A mutated ghoul I'd never seen before, and now the fake Bureau showing up. I don't think I can consider variables anymore. Too many things have changed.
Soon, the fake Bureau bastards armed with guns appeared.
"Grong. Give them a shot."
"Yes."
As I took aim, I checked their faces. They were all wearing sunglasses, so I couldn't tell them apart, but at least Jinseop wasn't among them.
ㅡBang!
The guy with a hole blown through his head collapsed. The fake Bureau bastards immediately screamed and took cover. Not missing the chance, I quickly moved the muzzle and hit the others.
"Damn it! We're under attack!"
"The fake Bureau bastards...!"
"Report your positions!"
And so, combat broke out.
Last time I even hit a grenade; what about this time?
"I'll start short-range interception."
Ms. Jamtree said the same thing as last time.
-Fuck! Throw the grenades you have!
-Yes!
The moment I started listening in, I heard the sound of grenades!
The moment I focused, one grenade popped up.
ㅡKWAaaaang!
I nailed the grenade again this time.
"Good job, Grong!"
"This much is a piece of cake!"
My shooting skills are truly inhuman!
And then.
-Grong! It's Grong!
-Grong appeared!
-That crazy bastard...! He shot the grenade with his gun!
-Damn it! Kurosna alone is bad enough, and now there's another bastard like Grong!
-That guy's a marksman! Don't ever stick your head out!
What?!
These bastards know my codename?!