31. Gun and Blood. (3)

Special Forces Captain Seong-gyu-hyeok’s younger sister, Seong Ga-yeon.

She finally looked at the man hugging her, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Oppa, is that you?”

“Yes, Ga-yeon. It’s me.”

Even a tough guy like Special Forces Captain Seong-gyu-hyeok can make such expressions.

True.

When family is involved, that’s how it goes.

…I wonder how my own sister is doing.

Ga-yeon clung to her brother, sobbing.

Seong-gyu-hyeok said,

“Well done. You endured well.”

“How, how did you come? There was no rescue operation. Did you come because of me?”

Seong-gyu-hyeok didn’t answer.

Instead, he gently patted his sister’s head and glanced at her swollen ankle.

“Can’t walk?”

Her ankle was so swollen it looked like a baseball. When Seong-gyu-hyeok lightly touched it, Ga-yeon groaned in pain.

Sweat dripped from her face and head.

Seong-gyu-hyeok nodded and signaled to the other members.

They approached and held Ga-yeon down.

“It will hurt. Don’t make a sound.”

One of them pulled out a belt and gagged her.

Seong-gyu-hyeok punched the wardrobe door.

Crash!

The door broke, and he tore it off.

Two pieces of wood.

Other members each took out belts and knelt by her swollen ankle.

Their movements were well-coordinated.

Ga-yeon realized what they were about to do and nodded, biting the belt.

Seong-gyu-hyeok applied a splint to her ankle.

Wrapped it with a belt.

And tightened it.

“Huuuuueeeek…!”

Ga-yeon trembled like she’d been electrocuted.

Two Special Forces members held her shoulders, while Seong-gyu-hyeok and another member tightened the belt around her ankle.

All of this happened in less than 30 seconds.

Trained individuals are indeed different.

I nodded and said,

“Good you saved the person, but don’t forget the mission.”

The Special Forces members and Ga-yeon looked at me.

I nodded toward the armory.

“Let’s go. Get the weapons.”

The members nodded.

Ga-yeon also looked at me and the others, then nodded firmly.

With her brother and comrades by her side, she found courage.

Seong-gyu-hyeok handed his pistol to a member and supported his sister.

The five of them followed me downstairs.

“B, but…”

As we were leaving the house, Ga-yeon said quietly.

I turned around.

Ga-yeon was drenched in sweat.

She must have gone days without eating or sleeping, enduring extreme tension, fear, and pain from her ankle.

She said,

“Who are you? Which unit…”

“Han Seong-hun. Civilian.”

I gave a short answer and left the house.

From behind, Ga-yeon’s voice echoed,

“Civilian…?”

She doesn’t recognize me.

If the Special Forces had individual missions and my existence was classified among them, it makes sense.

Seong-gyu-hyeok’s 2nd Team’s mission must have been to contact me.

Anyway, now’s not the time for explanations.

The members also said nothing.

We quickly headed to the armory.

…Quiet.

A distant, muffled sound could be heard, but it wasn’t nearby.

Fortunately.

I looked at the warehouse door.

“…Tsk.”

Unsatisfying.

The door was slightly ajar.

As if something had forcefully rammed it.

I looked at Seong-gyu-hyeok and the members, pointing at the door.

They approached and examined the armory door, reacting with raised eyebrows or deep sighs.

They know too.

What will happen when we open this door.

The ajar door.

Opening it will cause an extremely loud noise.

At least the creatures on this U.S. base will be provoked.

I looked around.

Toward the park.

And deeper into the base.

They’re coming from both sides.

“Huk, hak, hueuk, hak!”

Ga-yeon’s breathing quickened with tension.

I gritted my teeth.

This can’t be helped.

I said calmly,

“From now on, you’ll see something strange. Just endure it.”

Ga-yeon looked at me.

Her eyes filled with curiosity.

I sheathed one sword.

And pulled out two magazines from the bag.

Right hand holding the magazines.

Left hand on the sword.

Left side toward the base.

Right hand holding magazines.

Right side toward the park.

Kya-a-a-a-k!

Roars and footsteps.

They’re coming.

“Hueuk, hak, hueuk, hak!”

Ga-yeon clenched her teeth.

I waited, gritting mine too.

They’re coming, they’re coming…!

“Kya-a-a-a-k!”

They arrived.

Acceleration.

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

Left.

Only 3 to 4 meters ahead.

I threw the sword in my left hand to the side.

Swish!

Shadows burst out from my fingertips and caught the sword.

Kill.

The shadow gripping the sword stood on the ground.

Bent.

And swung the sword.

I looked to the right.

The horde of human beasts filling the road.

A small wave that had gathered in the park.

I tossed the magazines into the air.

The magazines slowly rose.

Immediately, I pulled out the Ingram from my right thigh.

And aimed forward.

In front.

Around the Ingram’s front.

A circular, transparent barrier formed.

Anything that touched it-whether a body part or even a fingertip-began to glow red.

I scraped the submachine gun to the side and pulled the trigger.

Dak, dak, dak, dak, dak.

A white flower bloomed in the air.

It gradually spread into a field of flowers.

The bullets moved slowly after leaving the gun.

The Ingram M10, firing 18 rounds per second.

The 30 bullets in the magazine pierced the heads of 30 beasts.

The magazine was empty.

I didn’t stop firing at the right timing.

I immediately pulled out the Ingram from my other thigh.

With my left hand.

And scraped it the other way.

Pulled the trigger.

Dak, dak, dak, dak, dak.

Lost count of how many accelerations I used, maybe five times.

The magazine emptied.

Instantly ejected both magazines from my hands.

And raised my arms.

The empty magazines floated slowly in the air.

I looked up.

The two magazines I threw earlier.

Spinning relatively fast but slowly.

I aimed the Ingram upward and slammed in the magazines.

Clack.

Did the same for the other Ingram.

Clack.

I let go of my hands and caught the falling magazines.

And shoved them into my back pockets.

The two Ingrams floating in the air.

Raised my hands.

And ended the acceleration.

“–Cough-cough!”

About 60 human beasts in front collapsed, bleeding.

Gunfire and impact sounds behind.

Clanging of swords.

And the sound of them collapsing.

Far ahead.

Dozens of meters away.

Kya-a-a-a-k!

More were coming.

They ran over the corpses, tripped over them, and kept coming.

Acceleration.

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

I raised both hands and aimed forward.

And pulled the trigger while spreading my arms.

Dak, dak, dak, dak.

About 30 to 40 of them visible ahead.

Not sure how many I’m shooting.

Can’t stop firing to match the exact number.

So, I just keep shooting.

Dak, dak, dak, dak.

After several accelerations, the magazine emptied.

White smoke rose faintly from the Ingram.

Must be something wrong after firing 60 rounds non-stop.

But I have the Dalga-rim gloves, so I don’t care about maintenance.

I placed both hands on the thigh holsters and inserted the Ingrams.

And extended my right hand to the side.

The remaining beasts behind.

Not many.

At most 20 or 30.

It’s probably over by now.

Acceleration ended.

“–Cough-er-up!”

Dozens of human beasts collapsed in a heap, far ahead.

Whoosh!

A sharp whistling sound.

A sword appeared in my hand.

[Level increased by 2.]

“…Phew.”

Sword.

Covered in blood.

White smoke rising faintly.

I swung the sword to shake off the blood.

Splash!

And sheathed it.

Shirr-click.

Silence.

…I sense a gaze.

I looked to the side.

Ga-yeon was staring at me.

Her face expressionless.

Eyes wide.

She opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak.

Kya-a-a-a-k!

A distant howling sound echoed.

Noise from the warehouse door.

And the sound of Ingram gunfire.

Even the distant beasts were provoked.

“H, how…?”

Ga-yeon barely managed to speak.

I looked at her.

Couldn’t find words to explain.

I said,

“…They’ll come again. Just focus on escaping for now.”