Ch.9595. Human Monster

# [Dokgo Jun Announces Retirement!]

# [Dokgo Jun’s Shocking Retirement Announcement. What Will Become of South Korea’s Future?]

It was a massive shock to people worldwide, myself included. Dokgo Jun announced his retirement due to injury at a time when destruction was approaching.

By this point, I had already graduated from the academy, but new types of monsters and mutants were devastating areas everywhere.

As monsters increasingly occupied the country, growing in power and creating a sense of crisis, this powerful figure retired.

Dokgo Jun’s retirement was confirmed through video footage.

One of this man’s sharp eyes was gone, as was one of his arms.

His breathing was labored, and even moving seemed difficult.

The cause of this shocking injury was an attack by the human monster, Siu Jin.

Siu Jin himself was 33 years old and had led the White Dragon Guild with exceptional skill.

The problem was that Siu Jin had been replaced at some point.

Replaced by a human monster. The timing remained speculative.

Human monsters naturally blend in with humans and eventually cause organizations to collapse.

As the third-in-command, Siu Jin had many one-on-one meetings with Dokgo Jun.

And finally, he launched a surprise attack.

Dokgo Jun survived and won the battle. He succeeded in killing Siu Jin on the spot.

But the price was Dokgo Jun’s retirement. It was a devastatingly unfair exchange.

No matter how intelligent and powerful human monsters are, they can be produced faster than humans.

In contrast, talents like Dokgo Jun are so rare they can be counted on one’s fingers across the entire world.

Moreover, the rising forces that should have succeeded him were blinded by fragging and jealousy, dying in fights against each other, cutting off the momentum of growth.

Dokgo Jun’s retirement wasn’t simply the defeat of one Jaeger. It was directly connected to humanity’s future.

I knew this, which is why I had to catch the human monster. But I never expected to meet one so soon.

In my Insect Sura form, I targeted only him.

This moment was crucial to prevent the death of important future resources and avoid extinction.

I intended to end everything at once with my horn.

A sneak attack would do. If I could just kill him…!

As I charged forward, ready to split him with my horn, my entire body suddenly shook as if in a car accident.

“!”

I could see it clearly.

Siu Jin’s hands gripped my horn, not moving an inch.

Like a stronger opponent effortlessly holding back a weaker one’s struggle in arm wrestling.

“Well, look at this? Did humans create some strange monster? Attacking without warning? Can’t you tell friend from foe?”

Siu Jin’s voice was flippant. His attitude was like someone looking down on an inferior.

“…”

“Answer me. I’m not in a good mood. Why are you interfering with our work? Or are you just a poorly trained creature?”

My wings were flapping, but I was being pushed back.

What kind of strength was this? Blocking an Insect Sura’s attack in forest terrain?

The moment I tried to use my arms to touch him, a strange force began to crack my horn.

My vision floated as if on a ride before colliding with the ground.

The pain itself wasn’t severe, but the clear difference in strength was immediately apparent.

Still, I didn’t give up.

[Armor]

As I activated the Armor skill to defend myself, he took a stance like a martial artist and stomped the ground.

Gathering a large amount of magical power, he delivered a shoulder strike like an iron mountain.

Before I could take a defensive stance, his attack swept through my entire body.

In that instant, I spat blood and rolled away.

Rolling near a cliff, I precariously managed to stand up.

“I don’t know if you can’t speak or lack intelligence, but at least you’re not under our control. What are you? Our guild master is quite stressed because of you, you know?”

The human monster was so brazen.

But I couldn’t win like this. He was clearly more intelligent than other monsters.

What should I do? This insect’s stats were comparable to a dinosaur’s, but…

I switched cards.

[Firearm Armor Level 10]

I flew up into the air again.

Before equipping my sub-card, Firearm Armor Level 10, I obscured his vision with a sandstorm.

“Useless effort.”

But with a shout, he stomped the ground, causing a landslide that dispersed the sandstorm.

It’s fine. That much is expected.

I haven’t equipped Firearm Armor Level 10 yet. I need to create an opening.

I charged again like before.

[Fierce Charge]

Using the Fierce Charge card, I attacked more powerfully than before.

“Oh ho.”

To my eyes, Siu Jin was being leisurely.

He wasn’t even dodging, just waiting for me.

As the landslide collapsed, the distance between us narrowed again.

Collision. Once more, I felt the shockwave spreading in all directions.

Right now.

[Firearm Armor Level 10]

My body was enveloped by the Firearm Armor.

Just as the cannon mounted on my back aimed at him, I felt a massive impact in my abdomen.

My body jerked, but I completed my preparation.

And now the cannon aimed at him.

“Hey, wait…”

An explosion occurred.

The power of Firearm Armor Level 10 fired at point-blank range almost sent my body flying back.

Why? Because he held onto my horn and withstood it.

His body was covered in burn marks, and his clothes were completely torn.

As blood dripped from his head, an indescribable terror came over me. He had endured it. He was now withstanding it and laughing maniacally at me.

“Hahaha, this is interesting. Absolutely…”

[I won’t let this slide.]

As his voice changed, light emanated from his eyes.

He’s transforming. Yes, why would a human monster be called that? Because they can transform into monsters.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound from my trapped horn. I could see his body swelling to twice, three times its size.

This was different from mutants.

It’s just a monster taking human form. In other words, this was his true form.

His size grew to more than twice that of the Armored Gorilla I had faced before.

Hideous horn-like spikes began to grow all over his body.

His flesh was covered in black leather, and his face resembled a primate’s but with eyes filled with black pupils.

This was the human monster, Siu Jin.

I was now seeing a monster form I had never seen even before my regression.

As the monster looking down at my 6m tall form exerted force, my two horns broke easily.

[Liquid Metal Sub-Card Effect Disappeared]

-Stats are adjusted due to characteristics.

As goosebumps rose on my skin and I tried to switch to a smoke card, his fist moved.

I had only concentrated for a few seconds, but when I felt the overwhelming magical power, I flew backward.

Literally to survive. That was the only thing on my mind.

As his fist cut through the air pressure and approached, all strength left my body.

In the extreme pain in my abdomen, feeling as if my stomach had been blown open, my consciousness faded.

The last thing I clearly remember is him getting farther away. What kind of power could send me flying from one mountain peak to another? It’s mind-boggling.

*

Siu Jin had no intention of letting that creature escape.

‘Is this the cause of our plans constantly going awry? I should eliminate it now.’

His two legs were swelling greatly. Having completed his stance to jump with legs that seemed to have doubled in size, he was ready to finish the job.

The power of a human monster was more than enough. Just as he was about to deliver the final blow, he stopped moving.

He realized that he heard something from below.

“This is why I hate competent guilds.”

He hastily reverted his form.

Familiar with the situation, Siu Jin took out clothes from a bag placed near the nest and put them on.

Soon after, guild members arrived, and Siu Jin destroyed the nest in front of them.

“Ah, there were so many it was annoying.”

He said casually.

As Do Jong-hyun had mentioned, the White Dragon Guild members were scattered around for geographical survey. They had rushed over after seeing the break.

Faster than Siu Jin had planned.

‘I was a bit late in handling it.’

That was partly because the opponent had escaped using unexpected means.

Siu Jin clicked his tongue, but he knew the creature had flown away.

With a large hole in its abdomen, it would die under normal circumstances.

But Siu Jin wasn’t satisfied with that and wanted certainty.

“First, the opposite side…”

“Captain Siu Jin. Please describe the monster’s appearance and form.”

“Huh? Ah…”

Right. If it was a new species of monster, as a unit member, he naturally had to record it first.

‘This is why it’s annoying.’

If this would take only 1-2 minutes, he wouldn’t say anything.

But he had to meticulously write on a tablet for a full 15 minutes, explaining its combat style and structure.

“Wait, I think I saw a monster on the opposite peak. Should we check it out?”

In the end, Siu Jin had to send his subordinates separately.

15 minutes later, the returning subordinates reported finding nothing.

“Really? That’s too bad. I must have been mistaken.”

His face smiled, but inside he was not smiling at all. Siu Jin gritted his teeth.

*

Am I dead?

As I barely opened my eyes, all I could see was a grayish, dull world.

I was definitely attacked by him and I…

Didn’t I die? No, normally one would die from that.

The gray world rippled then. Like hair swaying, the space shook, and a giant eyeball appeared before me.

“Eek!”

I tried to back away in surprise, but I had no sensation.

And that eye passed through me. Through my body.

What is this? If it’s passing through me?

The answer that came to my mind at that moment was simply that this was a dream.

Not some afterlife, but a dream.

In it, something snake-like… no, something too grand to be called a snake by its size.

A massive writhing like a dragon living in water could be felt.

I feel like I’ve seen something similar before?

The view changes. This time it’s the sky. There, giant flying monsters beyond any knowledge I had were flying around.

How many meters? Bodies so large that tens of meters seemed small.

Winged creatures like Oriental dragons were also flying around.

I understand they’re monsters. But why are they all so big?

As the scene shifted to the ground, quadrupedal and bipedal dinosaurs growled at each other.

But they weren’t the 10-meter sizes we know; they looked to be 60-70 meters in size.

Enormous. Everything was enormous.

Why am I seeing this? Is this the world of monsters? Are there creatures like that?

Even in that crevasse, most creatures were limited to the size of blue whales, but here were beings two or three times that size.

The scene changes again.

This time it was more desperate. From a natural survival competition, suddenly monsters were fighting each other.

As if the world was divided in half, all monsters were killing each other.

At both ends, something wrapped in sacred light existed.

Why are they doing this?

Why are they fighting?

In my bewilderment, the war ended with one side’s victory, and the sacred light on one side faded away.

I don’t know what this means. But I was certain that there were far more secrets on the monster side than I knew.

Before I knew it, my eyes had opened.

The scent of grass filled my nostrils, along with the smell of earth.

The scene before me as I stood up seemed to be where I had been thrown after being hit earlier.

“Ugh!”

As I stood up, muscle pain followed as expected.

I quickly bit into an energy bar and got to my feet.

Staying here would mean death.

I took out my tablet to check my current location so I could descend.

“Argh!”

Pain followed as soon as I moved. But I had to escape.

From this place, now.

I limped away from here. Though I was forcing myself to move, it was definitely easier than before.

And my card deck began to glow.

Why is this happening? Feeling some special sign, I scanned through my cards and saw a black awakening card glowing for the first time in a very long time.