“Who?”
At the word “support,” Major Yun Sangcheol asked cautiously.
“I’m Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok, sir. I was here for rear support. I’ve come with potion support.”
At that, the major realized who he was.
“Ahhh! Good to see you!”
He had a rough idea of who he was. He waved his hand vigorously, welcoming him.
“I’ll clean up those tin cans first.”
“Huh? Right! Take good care of the trainees!”
Sinhyeok walked forward with his rifle shouldered.
‘Armor-plated ones first.’
He would take care of the armored insects blocking them by slamming into walls here and there.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang bang!
The gunshots were modest, but every time they rang out, the creatures that had been like thorns in their throats fell.
“Nice! Good job, junior!”
Cheers rose from all around as they pushed forward.
Seeing the atmosphere of the battlefield change in an instant, the commander shouted fiercely.
“Good! Gale Battalion! Push!”
At the order to push, the monsters began to be driven toward the portal entrance.
“Push! Clear out those damn things!”
Under the barrage of skills erupting everywhere, the monsters of the gate began to be driven into a corner.
Once things had been somewhat sorted out and the monsters faltered, the commander breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s it. Whew, we’ve got it!”
Sinhyeok looked at the situation, still not completely under control, with concern.
‘The boss mob isn’t showing.’
He didn’t know who was dealing with things inside right now, but the boss mob guarding the core was nowhere to be seen.
‘The gate’s already broken, so it’ll come out.’
A gate’s portal was small during normal times. Whenever a break occurred—that is, whenever the core tried to emerge onto Earth and synchronize—the portal would grow larger.
‘It’s going to come out anyway. And soon.’
Sinhyeok looked at the situation where they had gained a slight advantage and sighed.
“Excuse me, battalion commander?”
Major Yun Sangcheol, who had sunk to the ground, turned his attention to Sinhyeok.
“Ah, you’ve worked hard. Trainee, you were a great help. You may return now. It would be better for you to evacuate to a safe place.”
“I want to support the gate closure. My ability will help locate the core.”
“Huh? Uh. Huh?”
Flustered, he asked again at the statement that Sinhyeok was volunteering to go inside the gate.
“In there?”
“Yes. I have to go now. It’s going to burst soon.”
“Huh? Uh, uh. Huh? You have the ability to do that?”
“I served in Hongik when I was a soldier. If you call Brigadier General I Gangyeol, he’ll tell you.”
At the sudden mention of the name “I Gangyeol,” the major tensed.
“Ahem. You can get into big trouble for carelessly saying that man’s name. Wait for now. Support troops will arrive soon.”
Sinhyeok felt frustrated.
‘They’ll come. But before then, everything will get swept away.’
He was about to sigh but held it back because a superior was in front of him.
“Then I’ll stand by here.”
“Huh? Mm, yes, do that.”
Sinhyeok unshouldered his rifle, set it down beside him, and looked around.
“Could I receive one piece of equipment as support?”
The battalion commander was listening to a field report, but at Sinhyeok’s question, he nodded for the time being.
“If you need it, take whatever you want. Someone bring this trainee anything he needs!”
Sinhyeok put down the rifle and looked around until he found the anti-materiel sniper rifle he wanted.
“Yes, this will do. Do you happen to have grenades as well?”
“Uh, they’re over there. But they won’t be much help.”
He gathered armor-piercing rounds and grenades used for the anti-materiel sniper rifle, then plopped down on the spot.
[Temporarily enhancing large-caliber armor-piercing rounds.]
[Temporarily enhancing 40mm high-explosive grenades.]
‘One more time.’
He gathered mana again and infused it into the live rounds already imbued with mana.
[Attempting re-enhancement.]
[Compressing mana with mana, achieving a marvelous enhancement.]
[Original durability and performance have been surpassed by one stage.]
He had packed overwhelming damage and explosions into ordinary live rounds.
‘It’s nice being awakened. The performance got even more insane.’
After finishing his preparations, he stared at the portal. The portal, which had kept growing larger, stopped.
“It’s coming.”
Cracks began to form in the portal.
“Huh? Uh, uh! Damn it! Hey! Did the guys go inside!?”
Major Yun Sangcheol, panicking, looked for his subordinates, but it was too late.
Crack.
The portal shattered, and they poured out all at once.
A swarm of giant moths and wasps scattered through the air.
The core floated in midair, and around it, a giant armored centipede stood guard.
“Block them, block them!”
Sinhyeok first put the enhanced ammunition into his inventory and grabbed the grenade launcher.
“Go already.”
Whoosh.
The high-explosive grenade lightly launched through the air and struck a moth in midair.
Kwaaaang!
An explosion mixed with mana erupted, blasting through the air.
“B-buh?”
Sinhyeok advanced and poured down bombardment.
“Please just piss off.”
Boom!
Kwa-boom!
Every time an explosion went off, the tide shifted.
Major Yun Sangcheol stared blankly at Sinhyeok, who was displaying insane firepower.
Sinhyeok glanced back.
‘It’s not enough.’
With their current strength, it seemed impossible to break through that monster force and strike the core.
“Battalion commander, we need support troops immediately.”
“Ah? Aaaah!”
Kwa-boom!
He kept firing grenades whenever he had an opening.
As his grenades began to run out, Sinhyeok whipped his head back.
“We need them right now.”
“Aaaah! It’ll take thirty minutes!”
“Haa, talk about cursed luck.”
When the grenades ran out and the firepower ceased, the armored centipede wrapped around the core glared in Sinhyeok’s direction.
‘Even at a glance, it’s A-rank.’
In other words, death was guaranteed.
“Goddamn it.”
Red flames enveloped its entire body, and it charged toward the ground.
A swarm of wasps followed behind it.
“Run!”
Sinhyeok shouted urgently, but it was no use.
Kwa-wa-wa-wang!
The instant it struck the ground, the centipede displayed overwhelming firepower.
The ground erupted, and everything nearby was swept away.
“Khup.”
Sinhyeok, flung away, grimaced at the pain coursing through his entire body.
“Ugh, damn it.”
A curse came out of him on its own.
When he looked down at his body, a piece of rebar had pierced through his stomach.
“Khk. Goddamn it.”
Looking ahead, he saw monsters filling the air, trying to spread out.
“Sinhyeok, Sinhyeok, why didn’t you just run away? Why did you butt in again! Fuck!”
He cursed at himself.
He bit down on his lip and stared for a moment at the rebar piercing his abdomen.
‘It’s going to hurt like hell, isn’t it?’
After that brief thought, he immediately moved forward.
“Guuuuuup!”
The farther he moved, the more the pain shook his brain.
“Guaaaaaargh!”
His body pitched forward, and his intestines were visible through the hole.
“Haa, haa.”
Because of his pain-filled scream, the attention of those around him gathered on him.
“Ha, damn it……”
With trembling hands, he took a red potion out of his inventory and poured half of it over his stomach.
“Krrgh, damn it, that hurts like hell.”
It bubbled and boiled as he healed.
He drank the other half.
Swoosh.
Every monster turned its attention to Sinhyeok.
“Hah.”
Sinhyeok took out the anti-materiel sniper rifle and held it in one hand.
“Still, back in my day, I was a special-class marksman, you bastards.”
He shouldered it and immediately aimed at the core.
“Come at me. Come on! You damn sons of bitches!”
Boom!
A thunderclap-like sound shook the air, and the bullet squeezed through the monsters and headed straight for the core.
Srrrk.
The armored centipede immediately moved.
Thud.
The centipede’s body staggered backward.
The centipede’s expression changed, and immediately, all the monsters surged toward him.
“Aah! Fine, so it’s a gang-up, is it!”
He immediately put the anti-materiel sniper rifle into his inventory and ran.
“Come on! I was about fifth from the back in speed at Hongik!”
In other words, he was relatively slow.
‘Where’s somewhere to dodge?’
[Beginning mapping.]
As a result of covering his body with the potion, his mana wavered.
‘There!’
He immediately fled into a building.
Monsters poured in after him.
Tadadadak.
He hid in one of the rooms and looked for a window.
“Hoo, hoo.”
He steadied his breathing and watched his surroundings.
‘Retreat route.’
He checked the path to escape.
He took out the evacuation descender beside him, wrapped it around his body, and immediately pulled out the anti-materiel sniper rifle.
Rattle.
He opened the window and glared at the armored centipede guarding the core.
“Get out of the way, you bastard.”
He rested the sniper rifle on the railing and got into position.
He waited for the moment the centipede’s stance faltered.
‘Move. Hurry.’
Tududuk.
He heard something approaching from behind. Sinhyeok waited calmly.
Kwa-boom!
He heard the sound of the wall breaking and countless things pouring in.
‘Not yet.’
He waited calmly.
Boom!
A monster’s cry sounded right behind his back.
“Kraaaagh!”
Along with that cry, the centipede’s movement shifted.
‘An opening.’
Without hesitation, he fired two shots.
Kwa-boom!
He immediately shoved the sniper rifle into his inventory and jumped.
‘The wall!’
Whirrrrr.
The evacuation descender rapidly unwound.
However, because of the wasp monsters pouring in, the descender’s rope was cut.
“Khk!”
With five meters left to the ground, he fell bare-bodied.
“Khup!”
A powerful impact engulfed his entire body.
Trembling, he searched for a potion first.
‘Potion……!’
He summoned one immediately, simply smashed it, and brought it to his body. Vitality returned.
He forced himself unsteadily to his feet. When he lifted his head, he saw cracks in the core.
“How’s that? Feels like shit, doesn’t it?”
The centipede thrashed, trembling violently.
“If it pisses you off, come over and hit me.”
Sinhyeok staggered as he forced himself upright.
Wuuung.
The sound of the swarm of wasps circling in the air reached his ears.
He immediately moved.
‘Somewhere to hide!’
He quickly swept his gaze around.
Finding a suitable building, he limped and ran.
He immediately took out a potion and smashed it against his leg.
“Huuup.”
A fierce groan escaped him.
Instead of healing instantly, intense pain shook his brain.
He turned around, pulled out the sniper rifle, fired one shot, and hid in the building.
‘If it’s there…….’
Sinhyeok climbed to the rooftop and swept his gaze around.
‘Not yet.’
The monsters were overturning the area as they searched for Sinhyeok.
He sat for a moment and caught his breath.
Crackle.
When the radio crackled, he quickly answered it.
“Sinhyeok!”
He immediately lowered the volume.
“Captain?”
“Sinhyeok! Where are you!”
When the other party seemed to be fine, Sinhyeok let out a relieved sigh.
“I’m on a picnic, sir. Have all the civilians evacuated?”
“Yeah! Now you get out too!”
At the order to come out, Sinhyeok lifted his head and looked outside.
‘Ha, I’m done for.’
“Captain. Please tell the support troops I’m dying, so they need to hurry. At this rate, I really will be killed in action.”
“Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok!”
At the other man’s increasingly fierce shout, Sinhyeok groaned as he stood.
“I’ll buy some time until those support troops arrive, so I’ll hide well.”
He pulled off the radio and dropped it beside him with a thud.
“Hoo.”
He rested the anti-materiel sniper rifle on the rooftop railing.
“Now then, let’s play again.”
Through the scope, he aimed at the thrashing armored centipede.
“Stop throwing a tantrum and play with your big brother.”
The moment the crosshairs of the scope met the centipede’s face, he pulled the trigger.
Boom!
The centipede’s face was shoved straight back.
“Kyaaaak!”
A vicious cry rang out. Cracks spread across its outer armor. Then the moths and wasps came pouring in.
“Serves you right.”
He immediately pulled out his rifle and fired at the moths and wasps.
Tatatatang!
‘Annoying.’
Because of the swarm pouring in, his vision grew chaotic.
He gently closed his eyes.
Relying on the sensory perception of mapping, he pulled the trigger.
He repeated rolling, firing, and leaning against the railing to spray bullets forward.
“Escape.”
There were too many closing in. He immediately put away the sniper rifle and ran for the stairs.
With his back to the stairwell wall, he fired bullets.
Bang bang bang bang!
“Piss off already!”
When corpses blocked the path ahead, he immediately went down.
After descending to the lower floor, he looked out the window and saw the few remaining monsters glaring at him.
“I’m sick to death of this.”
He immediately fired the rifle at them.
Bang bang bang bang!
The few remaining moths and wasps fell, and the enhanced live rounds for the rifle ran out as well.
“Hoo.”
He pulled out the anti-materiel sniper rifle and aimed at the armored centipede charging like mad.
“Please, let me go home already!”
Boom! Kwa-kwa-boom!
He poured out the remaining armor-piercing rounds.
The centipede, taking them all head-on, collapsed sideways.
“Ha, let me rest for a bit, damn it……”
He leaned his body against the railing.
He was catching his breath from exhaustion when he heard an irritating sound.
Rattle.
“Please, just stop.”
The centipede was staggering to its feet.
Blue blood was pouring from its entire body.
“Fine, you’re the strongest.”
Out of bullets. Sinhyeok shoved the anti-materiel sniper rifle aside.
‘Those support troops are taking forever.’
Giving up, he looked up at the sky, and something glittered.
‘Hm?’
It grew closer and closer.
“Bombardment? Is that really a bombardment? Damn it!”
Shells poured down from the sky.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boom!
They shook the entire area.
The aftermath reached the building, and Sinhyeok was thrown backward.
“Keuhuk!”
For a moment, his mind blacked out.
* * *
His lost consciousness returned.
“Kr…… hup.”
When he opened his eyes, the building was in pieces. His eyes opened on the ground, now turned to ruins.
Krrrrrk.
The centipede, covered in blue blood, was right in front of him.
“Haa. You’re still alive?”
The centipede trembled faintly and moved its mouth.
“Just die already.”
He left the centipede, which was nearly dead anyway. Looking down, Sinhyeok’s own body was a wreck as well.
Two pieces of rebar had pierced through his stomach and arm, and his leg was pinned under a wall.
“I’m the one who’s going to die.”
He considered pulling them out, then gave up.
‘Let’s just wait. Someone will pull them out for me.’
Crackle.
As he was trying to wait, he heard a radio somewhere.
“Ah, that thing didn’t break.”
He gave up and waited, then flinched.
“D-Damn it! Fuck! Everyone, run!”
It seemed it had been pressed by mistake.
It didn’t seem to be that captain.
“Damn Nightfang! What is your goal!”
“The annihilation of humanity. And the advent of evil.”
Stale nonsense. It was the line of idiots who contracted with demons and dreamed of terrorism and their world.
“Demonic humans.”
The radio had not turned off.
“Kuaaagh!”
Soon after, another voice sounded.
“The rest will definitely blow too, so don’t worry, kkeukkeuk!”
At the sound of someone sneering, Sinhyeok sighed.
“What a damned world.”
He had no strength left now, and yet the world still wouldn’t leave him alone.
‘Can’t I rest now?’
He no longer had the strength to even twitch.
He desperately wanted to give up.
As he leaned comfortably against the wall and let his head fall to the side, he spotted a soldier who was on the verge of death.
“Kkh, kkheup.”
Even as he was dying, the man was struggling desperately to live. Sinhyeok quietly watched him.
When their eyes met, the man moved his lips.
“You want me to save you?”
“S-Save them. The people, the people.”
He was spouting nonsense when he himself was dying.
“You crazy bastard.”
The man looked at Sinhyeok with desperate eyes, then collapsed.
“Why are you doing this, damn it, you damned world?”
Sinhyeok thought of the Dragonewt potion he had placed in his inventory.
‘Ha, ha…… damn it.’