40. The Fifth Specialization. (2)

Roar!

An unexpected roar.

People scream and raise their personal firearms.

My consciousness suddenly snaps back.

A shiver runs down my spine.

My vision sharpens.

I instinctively turn around, gripping Seong Ga-yeon’s shoulder.

The massive corpse of the monster wild boar.

Beyond it, the riverbank.

At the riverbank, a half-cut monster bat, with one wing dipped in the water, was thrashing and splashing brain matter.

“Fire!”

Special Forces Commander Seong Gyu-hyuk shouted and pulled the trigger.

Tatatatat!

Flames spewed from firearms all around.

Bullets rained down on the monster bat’s body.

Roar!

The monster bat opened its mouth wide and screamed, then threw itself into the river.

A dull explosion and a fountain of water spray shot up.

Then, the monster bat disappeared into the river.

“Damn, keep firing! Keep firing!”

Seong Gyu-hyuk shouted and advanced toward the river, continuing to pull the trigger.

Dozens of special forces members, special operations troops, and U.S. soldiers swarmed in from all sides, reloading magazines and firing bullets into the river.

Squish!

The partially collapsed barracks roof.

Someone fired an anti-tank rocket into the river.

Boom!

A dull drum sound accompanied by a fountain of water spray shot up.

However, the monster bat was nowhere to be seen.

“There!”

One of the special forces members shouted.

He pointed to the middle of the river.

A current was forming where there was nothing before.

The current traced a V-shape and moved upstream.

Without hesitation, they fired at the current.

Another anti-tank rocket flew in and exploded in the water.

A fountain of water spray shot up.

However, the current did not disappear.

Instead, it moved faster upstream, creating waves along the curved bank and then disappeared.

Following it, human limbs floated up and drifted downstream.

…Limbs of the human beasts.

I, and everyone here, knew all too well what this meant.

The monster bat had swept up and devoured the human beasts lying on the riverbed as it moved upstream.

“Fuck!”

One of the U.S. soldiers threw his helmet to the ground and cursed.

I saw it all while being supported by Seong Ga-yeon.

I could have chased it and done something.

But I can’t move now.

No matter how much I’m healing, with several broken ribs and my stomach pierced by claws, my body feels like it’s being torn apart.

While the U.S. soldiers were looking at the river, Seong Gyu-hyuk approached me, supporting my other arm, and said:

“We lost the leader bat, but for now, it’s best to go back and rest.”

Yeah, damn it.

Let’s rest.

I’ve done enough, haven’t I?

With the support of two people, I walked toward the barracks. From the direction of the collapsed debris, a U.S. commander walked out.

He was also being supported by a U.S. soldier, holding a rifle in one hand.

Blood flowed from his head, passing over one eye and dripping from his chin.

The eye covered in blood was closed.

He looked at me and smiled, mumbling something in English.

“He said that you tried to take them out one by one, but you managed to sweep away three leaders at once. He’s disappointed that the bat got away, but he’s grateful.”

I chuckled as Seong Gyu-hyuk translated.

“I didn’t know the commander was fighting alongside us.”

The U.S. commander smiled and said:

“When it comes to life or death, how can I not fight? Thanks to you, we minimized the casualties. Considering three leaders appeared at once, it could have been much worse.”

…Casualties.

Ah, I’m dizzy, damn it.

My body, covered in blood, feels sticky and unpleasant.

I barely managed to open my eyes and asked:

“The barracks are quite damaged. Did anyone die?”

The U.S. commander smiled bitterly and said:

“Several died when the roof collapsed. Some are missing. They’re likely buried under the debris, but we’ll know for sure after the cleanup.”

“…I’m sorry to hear that.”

The U.S. commander shook his head.

“We are soldiers. The end of the world is what’s truly regrettable, not dying in battle. Everyone fought bravely.”

The U.S. commander continued:

“We will gather the bodies of the soldiers who died today and hold a military funeral. We’d appreciate it if you could join us.”

I didn’t respond.

I just nodded a few times.

The U.S. commander smiled.

“Still, today was a good day, wasn’t it? We won the battle, killed the mountain’s master, and severely weakened the bat’s forces.”

Um.

Now the sky is open.

If that thing had been left alive, the Chinook could never have taken off.

The U.S. commander smiled and said:

“All of this is thanks to you. You really are a superhero. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed someone could fall from the sky and walk away on their own two feet.”

Being called a superhero doesn’t matter to me now.

The monster bat is still alive.

With its waist cut and a large hole in its head, it won’t recover in a day or two.

I should have cut its throat.

I should have told the shadow warrior to sever its neck. It’s a shame I couldn’t think clearly with my ribs shattered and my body in pain.

The U.S. commander limped heavily toward me.

His ankle must be fractured.

He extended his hand to me.

“You are a great warrior. I offer my respect and gratitude.”

As Seong Gyu-hyuk translated, I lowered my arm from Seong Ga-yeon’s shoulder.

I faced the U.S. commander.

His face was covered in cuts, as if he had been hit by shrapnel.

Despite the injuries, he smiled and extended his hand to me.

I smiled and shook his hand.

 * * *

U.S. military hospital.

It took about a day for my wounds to fully heal.

When they tried to stitch up my stomach, I asked them to treat the other injured first.

They might have seen it as altruism, but how could I explain that the soul tattoo would heal me on its own?

Luckily, there were several more seriously injured, so the few remaining U.S. medical staff focused on them, and I avoided being stitched up.

I carefully got up and went to the bathroom, making sure not to wake Seong Ga-yeon, who was dozing off on the bed beside me.

I turned on the faucet and washed myself thoroughly.

Even though the nurses and special forces members had cleaned me, it still felt unpleasant.

I was covered in the blood the monster had vomited.

I wished I could take a proper shower.

I looked at my hand while washing.

I had gained a new specialization.

Space Explorer.

And a new skill.

Space Claw.

Each use of Space Claw with Acceleration consumes 5 Agility.

Given its collision immunity, it can be used for ramming or as a powerful movement skill.

While Acceleration is fast, I thought it would be useful to move even faster in situations like when the wild boar was about to crash into the barracks.

I gained the right ability at the right time.

I opened my status window and allocated the 3 points I gained from shooting the wild boar into Agility, making it 15.

This allows me to use Space Claw three times.

Now that I have the skill, I need to experiment with how to use it effectively.

I used it in a half-delirious state while falling, but it’s a highly versatile skill, so I need to get fully accustomed to it.

…Thinking about it, the specializations and skills…

Close combat, ranged combat, healing, movement, and acceleration… they form a well-rounded set.

When I didn’t know what the stats corresponded to, it was both curious and frustrating, but now that I see the full picture, it makes sense.

After washing, I dried myself with a paper towel from the bathroom sink and left the bathroom.

No one entered while I was naked and washing.

The hospital, once bustling, is now sparsely populated.

Everyone is either in their rooms getting treated or guarding the base.

When I returned to my room, Seong Ga-yeon was lying on the bed, her head on the pillow, fast asleep.

She must have been quite tired.

A clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt were laid out on a chair beside the bed, presumably for me to wear.

I changed into the clothes without waking Seong Ga-yeon and left the hospital.

When I went downstairs, quite a few people were walking around.

Doctors in white coats and nurses in scrubs were busy moving about.

Do they need to wear their uniforms in this situation, or did they return to the hospital to care for patients?

I’m not sure.

As I walked toward the entrance, a white woman doctor approached me and started speaking in English, but I couldn’t understand a word.

I tilted my head in confusion, and a familiar voice came from behind.

“She’s asking why you’re out of bed when you’re not fully recovered. She wants you to go back to your room.”

I chuckled and turned around.

Seong Gyu-hyuk was walking toward me, holding a rifle.

“I’m fine. I didn’t expect the special forces commander to be in the hospital. What happened?”

The special forces commander spoke with the doctor.

The blonde doctor looked at me and the special forces commander with doubt, then reluctantly nodded and walked away.

The special forces commander said:

“The U.S. soldiers are still clearing the collapsed building. There are still bodies buried under the debris. Since there aren’t enough people to guard the area, we offered to guard the hospital.”

I nodded and asked:

“Many died? U.S. soldiers?”

“I heard about twenty. Most died when the building collapsed. They should finish the cleanup in a day or two. The funeral will be a simple one afterward.”

…Many died.

Twenty.

Well, the wild boar did almost destroy the building when it crashed into it.