Episode 20
“The shelter is safe!”
The commander shouted so at Nam Gyu-il.
To think that the fifteen werebeasts they had lost track of were targeting the shelter—even if they were, they couldn’t get in.
“No matter how strong werebeasts are, they can’t smash through the shelter’s thick concrete.”
The commander pointed out logically.
It was a valid point.
No matter how tremendous their strength, the werebeasts were not at a level to break the shelter’s concrete.
The commander went on to emphasize an important fact.
“Ten armed soldiers are guarding the shelter. Guns, of course, and even riot suppression tools in case the civilians rise up.”
Hearing this, there was no safer place than the shelter.
Not only was it difficult to enter, but even if they broke in, they’d be killed by armed soldiers.
Nam Gyu-il knew that too.
But even so, the werebeasts would definitely target the shelter.
Gluttony was their instinct.
And there was a characteristic of werebeasts not yet revealed to the world.
A trait only Nam Gyu-il knew, having entered and exited the Akashic Records.
“Among werebeasts, mutants are born, and they possess the ability to transform into animals they have devoured.”
“What?!”
“They can even change the appearance of their kin, not just themselves. I recall reading about it in an overseas monster research paper.”
Nam Gyu-il added a slight lie, fearing he wouldn’t be believed.
There was no such content in overseas monster research papers.
The commander jumped in surprise and asked again.
“You mean there are werebeasts disguised as humans mixed among the people right now?”
“Yes.”
The commander’s face turned ashen.
If that was true, the situation would spiral into the worst-case scenario beyond control.
The commander immediately called the shelter.
The soldiers protecting the civilians there answered.
“What is the current status of the shelter?!”
“The civilians are following directions well. There are no signs of intrusion from outside.”
“No suspicious movements among the shelter civilians?”
“None. However…….”
“However?”
“A few days ago, some people entered the shelter late. They didn’t say why, for whatever reason.”
“What?!”
The commander’s heart dropped.
They came in late?
They might be werebeasts transformed into humans.
It was then.
A commotion was heard from beyond the smartphone.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Is something happening?”
“Huh? Huh?!”
“A person turned into a monster!!”
Ratatat tat.
“Uwaaack!!”
The sound of triggers being pulled and screams began to mix.
Static.
Soon after, the call was cut off.
The commander broke into a cold sweat, his hands trembling.
“Damn it—!!”
As the situation took a rapid turn, curses burst from the commander’s mouth.
He hurriedly gave orders.
“We’re moving to the shelter immediately. Everyone move quickly, there’s no time!!”
Everyone got into the military Dodge.
Vroom.
The vehicle sped down the road.
They arrived near the shelter.
Srrrk.
The shelter door slid open and people poured out.
Even the sound of gunfire could be heard from inside.
It was the worst-case scenario.
Nam Gyu-il drew the longsword on his back.
“Ru, run!!”
People screamed.
Soon after, a werebeast tried to pounce on the civilians.
The commander and the soldiers couldn’t pull their triggers easily.
They had to save the people.
But the distance between the werebeast and the people was too close.
At this rate, the civilians might be hit by bullets. It was a situation where they might kill people rather than werebeasts.
Then, Nam Gyu-il stepped in.
In a situation where misfires could happen, a blade was far preferable to a gun.
Nam Gyu-il leaped from the Dodge.
He reinforced his legs with internal mana and leaped toward the werebeast.
His speed was so great that he seemed to be flying rather than jumping.
Several soldiers’ jaws dropped at a scene one would only see in movies.
Nam Gyu-il swung his longsword downward.
The werebeast couldn’t even counterattack.
He closed the distance in an instant and precisely split its head, leaving no room to react.
Thud.
It toppled backward, blood gushing out.
One down, for now.
From inside the shelter, people kept pouring out.
Along with them, other werebeasts came running up the stairs.
They rushed at Nam Gyu-il blindly.
Baring fangs and claws sharp as awls.
A refugee nearby screamed upon seeing that.
“Eeeeek!!”
Nam Gyu-il glanced at the people and quickly switched weapons.
A crowd was gathered.
With more people than before, he couldn’t even swing his longsword now.
If he swung it wrong, he might injure the civilians around him.
‘I happen to have something good. Shall I test it?’
Nam Gyu-il took out the Poison Knife. Its jade-colored blade gleamed with a pale light.
Sshhk!!
Nam Gyu-il slashed the werebeast’s face with the Poison Knife.
It was not a deep wound.
But,
“Kee-eeeng.”
The werebeast screeched.
It staggered back, trembling, then soon its eyes rolled back and its face turned pale blue.
It was showing signs of poisoning.
With one dealt with, Nam Gyu-il—
He dealt with the werebeasts coming out one by one.
Having killed about six of them.
No more werebeasts came out of the shelter. Instead, the sound of gunfire came from inside.
Nam Gyu-il shouted to the commander.
“There may be werebeasts transformed into humans. Gather the civilians so they don’t scatter, and we need to check for werebeasts.”
“Understood.”
The commander nodded at his explanation.
The soldiers gathered the civilians and kept them under control so they wouldn’t go elsewhere.
Nam Gyu-il hurried inside the shelter. Many people were still trapped there.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
The soldiers who had been guarding the shelter were gasping for breath, and werebeast corpses were strewn about.
The floor was coated in crimson blood.
“Are you alright?!”
When Nam Gyu-il asked, the soldiers flinched and turned their heads.
They were in confusion and pointed their guns at him.
“You, who are you!!”
“I’m from the Seoul Hunter Bureau…….”
“You’re a human transformed by a werebeast too!! I won’t be fooled!”
The soldiers tried to pull their triggers.
Nam Gyu-il clicked his tongue.
Having fought werebeasts disguised as humans, they seemed unable to make rational judgments.
It was then.
“Uhehiik!!”
A person nearby let out a bizarre sound and transformed into a werebeast.
It charged at the soldiers.
Because they had been pointing their guns at Nam Gyu-il, it was difficult to respond immediately.
At this rate, the soldiers were in danger.
Nam Gyu-il quickly threw the Poison Knife.
Thwack!!
The blade lodged in the back of the werebeast’s neck.
“Kee-eeeng.”
The werebeast collapsed with a scream.
Nam Gyu-il stated his rank and name again.
“I am Staff Sergeant Nam Gyu-il of the Seoul Hunter Bureau. I’m here as support, so everyone can rest easy.”
The soldiers gasped like cornered mice, then finally calmed their breathing with relieved faces.
Nam Gyu-il led the people and soldiers out of the shelter.
The civilians trembled in anxiety.
“What if someone else turns into a werebeast?”
“We’re not all going to die like this, right?”
“Mommy, I’m scared.”
The frightened children clung tightly to their mothers’ legs.
The commander was busy controlling the situation.
First, he urgently treated the civilians and soldiers wounded by the werebeasts.
Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
‘If the National Hunter from Seoul hadn’t been here, the situation would have been grave.’
There definitely would have been deaths.
Thanks to Nam Gyu-il, it was contained to only injuries.
“Then, the real problem starts now.”
The commander scratched his head as he looked at the gathered civilians.
The numbers were far from few.
There might still be werebeasts hiding among them, disguised as humans.
“How do we tell if there are werebeasts or not?”
It was troubling.
There was no way to tell, which was a headache.
Something was needed to undo the werebeasts’ transformation.
At that moment, Nam Gyu-il came into his view. If anyone with such extensive knowledge of werebeasts had a solution, it would be him.
“You.”
“Staff Sergeant Nam Gyu-il. What is it?”
“Can you perhaps distinguish werebeasts transformed into humans?”
“Yes. It’s possible.”
“Right, even for you it’s impossi— ……what? Did you say possible?!”
The commander’s eyes went wide.
Nam Gyu-il repeated himself.
“There is a way to distinguish werebeasts that have transformed into humans.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes, sir.”
Nam Gyu-il asserted confidently.
He explained the characteristics of werebeasts.
“Werebeasts have sensitive five senses. That remains true even while transformed.”
“Five senses? How do you distinguish them with that?”
“There is a sound frequency that humans can’t hear, but they can.”
“Really?”
“That frequency causes them pain. If we gather the people in the shelter and broadcast that auditory frequency over speakers, their transformations should be undone.”
The commander was half-convinced, half-doubtful.
But with no other way, he decided to try it for now.
The soldiers had the civilians re-enter the shelter. Then they broadcast a frequency inaudible to humans over the speakers.
To the beasts, it was no different from torture.
The people heard nothing and had no reaction.
But the werebeasts were different.
“Kee-eeeng.”
A werebeast disguised as a human revealed its true form.
It had looked human until moments ago, but as its transformation was released, its clothes tore and revealed a massive frame.
Nam Gyu-il carefully observed its fur.
Normal werebeasts were spotted like leopards, but the one whose transformation had just been undone was not.
It had stripes like a zebra.
‘A mutant werebeast!!’
Nam Gyu-il bent his knees and bulged his thigh muscles.
Thud.
He soared into the air with tremendous leaping power.
And landing atop the mutant werebeast as if pouncing, he pierced its neck with his longsword.
It couldn’t even let out a death throe.
Its body went limp, becoming a cold corpse.
At that, the other werebeasts disguised as humans also had their transformations undone.
Without the mutant werebeast, the rest could not maintain their human forms.
“Kree.”
The werebeasts clutched their heads as if suffering from excruciating headaches.
Nam Gyu-il split their heads in an instant.
Shhk, thwack.
The werebeasts writhing from headaches died without putting up a proper resistance.
He killed the last one just like that.
The operation was over.
All fifteen werebeasts that had hidden in the shelter were eliminated.
Nam Gyu-il shouted to the civilians.
“All the monsters have been repelled. Everyone can rest easy.”
At those words, the people were relieved.
And they cheered for Nam Gyu-il, who had shown such splendid prowess.
“Thank you!”
“You saved our lives. We won’t forget this grace.”
“Mister, you’re so cool.”
Nam Gyu-il smirked and sheathed his longsword on his back.
With the incident safely concluded, the commander let out a sigh of relief and radioed command.
“This is Rhino One, this is Rhino One. Operation successful.”
Nam Gyu-il immediately skinned the mutant werebeast.
‘I absolutely have to take this. It’s material for a transformation item.’
An item that changes one’s appearance into another, Form Change.
One of its materials was mutant werebeast leather.
‘What luck? To obtain such an item material from a simple support mission.’
It was unexpected good fortune.
Just as the Hunter Bureau gives National Hunters ownership of items and monster corpses, the military also grants ownership of monsters killed by National Hunters to the respective hunter.
Therefore, the ownership of the mutant werebeast’s hide belonged to Nam Gyu-il.
He rolled up the skin and took it.
Then, the commander approached him with a proud gaze.
“You are truly remarkable. I had no idea you were so extensively knowledgeable about monsters.”
“Thank you for the praise.”
“Thanks to a clever National Hunter like you, we finished the operation without great losses. I’m truly grateful.”
“Not at all. I merely did what had to be done.”
Nam Gyu-il bowed his head modestly.
The commander burst into hearty laughter.
“Too much modesty is rude. With your abilities, you’re probably the best among National Hunters.”
“Thank you.”
“If only we had someone like you in our region…….”
The commander trailed off.
Static.
Then a radio transmission came in.
It reported that a new Gate had appeared in Goun-dong, Sejong-si, and they were to move immediately.
“Hah, no time to rest.”
The commander grumbled and sent back an acknowledgement.
Then he tossed an interesting remark toward Nam Gyu-il.
“Thank you for your hard work on this mission. Ah, and this is just a rumor, but apparently an interesting system will be introduced soon.”
“What is it?”
“Something about awarding citations and prizes to the most outstanding team at each regional Hunter Bureau.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Your team even came to support Chungcheong Hunter Bureau……. I dare say it’s practically confirmed.”
“What is the prize?”
“I don’t know that far. But a prize from the Hunter Bureau won’t be small. Look forward to it.”
The commander led the troops and departed for Goun-dong, Sejong-si.
Afterward, Nam Gyu-il headed to Seoul together with his colleagues who had safely closed the Gate.