Chapter 3: The language of Kaiju

Just ten minutes before Jo Sung-Il’s Awakening.

A woman with twintails, dressed in uniform.

Han So-Yeon, one of only nine S-ranks in Korea, and the only sniper among them, was waiting at the site of the monster wave.

–Crackle! B Sector, all clear.

The monsters that had ravaged this area had been subjugated by numerous Hunters.

Considerable time had passed, and there were no signs of trouble.

Given the lack of incidents so far, she expected her shift to end here.

“Sigh.”

She let out a sigh.

It had been a while since she’d had a break.

Being on duty and on standby wasn’t exactly a true break, but it was still a welcome respite.

Since the appearance of monsters, the damage to Korea had been astronomical.

Commercial and residential areas in urban centers were devastated, and infrastructure like roads, sewage systems, electricity, gas, and communication lines were crippled.

Countless people had been exhausted trying to restore everything.

And with the workforce significantly reduced due to the monsters, Korea had nearly fallen into a dark age.

‘It’s all thanks to us.’

With the establishment of the Hunter Association, and the Hunters’ dedication to preventing the end of the world, they had managed to avert the worst-case scenario.

But the situation was still far from easy.

They were checking the area because new dungeons could form where monster waves occurred, but there weren’t many places left to patrol in Seoul.

Only about a third of Seoul remained habitable; the rest was occupied by wanderers drifting from place to place.

‘I want to go home.’

Her home was Jeju Island.

She was only here, struggling in Seoul, because the Association had requested her to protect the capital.

‘I hope another S-rank appears soon.’

There were nine S-ranks in Korea.

If another one emerged, she might have a chance to return home.

‘When will another S-rank….’

KABOOM!

At that moment.
A tremendous roar pierced her ears.

“What was that?”

She rose from the parapet of the building rooftop where she was leaning and looked outside.

And she saw it.

The appearance of an unprecedented monster.

“That’s…!”

CHWAAAAAK!

A gigantic ‘dragon’ was rising from the Han River, parting the waters.

Thick, armor-like skin, teeth larger than mooring posts, and eyes that seemed to pierce into the depths of one’s soul.

It lacked wings, but it was undoubtedly a top-tier monster.

–Crackle! Emergency! Second wave monster detected! Based on size and appearance, presumed to be a bipedal saurischian! Estimated rank: ‘EX-rank’! Proceed to C Sector immediately….

EX-rank.

A term used to describe the boss monsters at the heart of the initial monster onslaught that had devastated Korea.

Each possessed immense destructive power, beings beyond comprehension, only defeated after the sacrifice of several S-ranks.

And now, one had appeared here.

Click.

Without hearing the observer’s report to the end, Han So-Yeon grabbed her rifle and assumed a sniping position.

‘Should I shoot?’

Her rifle, a powerful firearm crafted with artifacts, was specialized for dealing with giant monsters.
However,

‘It’s only effective up to S-rank.’

Its effectiveness against higher ranks was unconfirmed.

‘Should I wait?’

Due to the high recoil of her rifle, firing a shot would immediately reveal her position.

She had to be cautious unless she was certain of a kill.

‘Huh?’

While she was deliberating, a tank that had suddenly appeared took the first shot.

‘!’

Smoke billowed.

It had definitely fired a Crafted Round, so there should have been at least a scratch.

However, the giant monster emerged from the smoke unscathed.

‘As expected.’

After swallowing nervously, Han So-Yeon repositioned herself.

‘There’s no other way.’

Fighting a suspected EX-rank monster without other S-ranks was suicidal, but she couldn’t just stand by and watch the soldiers get slaughtered.

Click.

She loaded a round and focused.

She had to make this one shot count, aiming for the most vital area.

PLOOSH!

Suddenly, the giant monster, sprinting through the Han River, slammed its fist into the ground where the tank was.

KWAAAAABOOOOM!

It was incredibly fast.

Han So-Yeon, who hadn’t had time to aim properly, stared blankly.

What she saw wasn’t a crushed tank.

‘No way.’

The monster had crushed a lizard monster that had appeared in front of the tank.

It then proceeded to swat away other approaching lizards.

‘Is it helping them?’

It was unbelievable.

But the giant monster’s actions were too strange to deny it.

‘I thought I misheard….’

The words she had briefly heard earlier. Despite the static, Han So-Yeon had clearly heard them. “I am not an enemy.”
Those weren’t words a monster, an enemy of humanity, would say.

She wanted to investigate further, but in the meantime, other tanks appeared near the first one.

BANG! KABOOM!

The tanks, identifying the giant monster as an enemy, started firing shells indiscriminately.

The giant monster roared and writhed.

But it didn’t crush the tanks.

Even though it could attack them just like it did the lizards.

Then helicopters appeared, firing missiles at the giant monster.

Explosions and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The giant monster seemed to be preparing to retaliate, moving its hand.

It scooped up water from the Han River and splashed it at the helicopters.

WHIIIIIR!

The helicopters, suddenly drenched, altered their flight paths precariously.

Meanwhile, the giant monster started to move quickly.

Han So-Yeon, who had been watching the scene in a daze, stood up with her rifle and muttered,

“Interesting.”

It was a genuine, involuntary observation.

“I am not an enemy, huh?”

Even as she repeated the words, she couldn’t believe what she had heard.

Han So-Yeon stood still for a moment, then started walking.

The hem of her skirt fluttered.

She stepped over building debris and followed the giant monster.

It continued running along the Han River, seemingly intending to cross it and go somewhere.

‘Where is it going?’

There weren’t many people near the Han River.

That was because aquatic monsters occasionally emerged from the water.

Since these monsters were difficult to detect, people had relocated their bases away from the Han River, except for facilities related to the water supply.

KABOOM!

The giant monster smashed through another already damaged bridge.

It was an unbelievable sight.

The monster’s power was on a different level compared to others.

SPLASH, SPLASH.

The giant monster, continuing its trek, suddenly shifted its gaze.

Han So-Yeon, who had been hopping from one piece of debris to another, was exposed.

‘Oh no!’

She stopped abruptly on a piece of building debris, but she had already made eye contact with the giant monster.

『@#%@$@^!@.』

Static.

It was saying something to her.

“I can’t hear you….”

『!#% are you following me?』

 

Suddenly, she could understand the words.

『I am not your enemy.』

Clear as day.

Han So-Yeon froze, her eyes wide.

The monster, watching her warily, started walking again.

Its massive feet continued wading through the Han River.

『Don’t follow me. I don’t know if you can understand me.』

Seemingly aware that its voice wasn’t reaching her properly, it spoke those words and continued on its way.

Han So-Yeon, regaining her composure, quickly caught up to the monster.

Then, with a powerful jump, she landed on its shoulder.

『What the, sh*t!』

The monster, thinking a bird had landed on it, tried to shake her off before realizing the situation and yelling.

『What are you doing?!』

“Ah.”

She sighed.

“You understand our language?”

It wasn’t just simple translation.

It was definitely an expression used by Koreans.

Having confirmed this, Han So-Yeon asked in surprise,

“What are you? You’re not just a monster, are you?”

『You, understood me?』

The monster stopped and rolled its eyes in surprise.

『Wait a minute. You’re….』

It recognized her.

‘Han So-Yeon!’

The only sniper among Korea’s S-ranks.

The very Hunter Jo Sung-Il admired was now on his shoulder.

“Me? You know me?”

Unaware that Jo Sung-Il was originally human, Han So-Yeon tilted her head, her hair cascading down.