Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

For fuck sake, this place is not even a forest, why are there so many monsters?

Seems like all the monsters around the station have gathered here. The winter hasn’t ended yet, but this situation was probably possible only thanks to the unique skill of that doctor.

We stood side by side and fired at the monsters approaching. The consumption of bullets continued to increase, and more than half of my stock was used. The grenades had also run out long ago. And since there were so many dead monsters on the floor, it was difficult to move properly.

While my friends were blocking the monsters, I quickly entered the spare shelter. It was because only I could quickly go down to the shelter and take the supplies back to the battlefield.

Falling down the dark passage, I opened the portal beneath me and went inside. Once I realigned myself, I went outside again, falling not too high before hitting the solid ground.

“Damn bastards.” Curses left my mouth as I saw smashed crates in several places. The looters had stolen a significant amount of my supplies.

“Just wait until I’m done here.” I would track them all the way to the end and regain what was rightfully mine. When I opened the intact crates one by one, there were not many guns and ammunition left. Seems like the reserve shelter literally only serves as a reserve storage for the government. It wasn’t a place of importance, so the stuff stored wasn’t luxurious by any means.

I quickly went through the list of boxes.

“There are no heavy weapons here.” They should have written that there’s no heavy weapon here in the first place!

Once I finished ranting, I moved all the guns and ammunition crates and placed them into the portal. In the meantime, I also unearthed an unexpected thing: a crate full of grenades in the corner.

“Why is this between the clothes?” I sighed. It was evidence that everything stored here was hastily put in. I put the whole grenade box inside the portal. And some of them were stored in the dimension slots after removing the safety clips.

Except for Seokhyun, the rest should be able to pull out the pins and throw them. It’s better to run out of firepower than to give that man a grenade. If he ever got his hand on the grenade, it’s clear what he would do. He would become a human grenade. Running towards the monsters with his body and exploding it while being swarmed.

“I think I should throw it all by myself.” I stepped on the dimension wall and climbed up. After doing it so many times, now I was able to climb much faster than before. When I finally got to the entrance, the corpses of monsters were piled up around me.

“Grenade-nim will do everything for you.” I opened the dimension slot, took out a grenade, and pulled out the safety pin. “Hey! Step back for a second!”

My friends scattered at my voice. After the grenade flew in a beautiful arc, I heard the detonator activating. Right after that, an explosion occurred in the middle of the monster swarm.

BOOM-!!

The power of the grenade was not a joke. The floor shook for a moment, and the mangled corpse of the monster splattered in all directions. Everyone opened their mouths as they witnessed the bloody sight.

“A grenade? Where did you get it?”

“In the corner of the storage room. The looters probably couldn’t find it because it was piled together with clothes!”

“Ahh…” Da-jeong nodded her head in understanding before squeezing the trigger once again. In the meantime, the other two didn’t pay much attention.

At that moment, the monster in the tunnel parted to the sides like the sea in moses’ story. In the created path, a doctor draped in white robe walked forward.

I threw the grenade right away without saying a word. However, the ghoul-like doctor flicked his finger, and a large-mouthed ghoul swallowed a grenade in mid-air. And once it exploded, the ghoul disintegrated into bits and pieces.

The doctor smirked as he was hit by the monster’s remains.

“Hello.”

As soon as those words came out, the monster’s momentum, which was never-ending, ceased. They backed away as if the blood-crazed frenzy they were in a few moments ago was nothing but an illusion.

“Are you trying to talk with us?” Da-jeong took a long breath.

“That’s right. It’s worth talking to you. Unlike the other test subjects.”

“Are you referring to the human who became the basis for the test subject?”

Everyone looked at me, and I put the grenade into the dimension slot.

“A person with spatial ability… The ability we were hoping to get. We have been waiting for you, come, come into our arms.”

Before I could even open my mouth, Da-jeong stepped to my front. “He’s already mine, so don’t even dream about it.”

“A woman who will become the future Queen of monsters. But it is useless to us.”

“Is it useless?” Da-jeong, whose self-esteem clearly got hit, bit her teeth. The doctor grinned sullenly, and then he slowly walked forward.

Seokhyun stepped forward too and spoke in a low tone.

“If you come any closer, I will slap your ass.”

“Oh… a person with resurrection power. But there are limits to your ability.”

Even Geom-in went forward and the doctor gave his two cents about him.

“Oh, someone with several unique skills? It hasn’t even bloomed yet. The harvest must be postponed until later.”

…what the hell is this bastard?

Considering that he was perfectly aware of our abilities, he wasn’t just a normal crazy guy, I suddenly wanted to get an evaluation from him.

Stepping forward, the doctor stretched out his bare arms. He was wearing surgical gloves stained with blood, but when I looked at those hands, it was clear they were not hands that belonged to humans.

“All I need now is you, man with spatial ability. Come to us and let’s become one.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to become one with someone who is neither a human nor a monster like you.”

“Are you talking about this hand? Do you know how many things I can do with these hands…”

“Not important. If I go to you, I will be remodeled to a Sniffles, right?”

He gave a twisted smile.

“It is a waste to use a spatially talented person like you as a test subject. You can rest assured. The only ones I will use as test subjects are that naked man and the woman.”

Da-jeong crossed her arms and asked.

“So what is your purpose? You were the one who gave Jo Seung-cheol the resurrection scroll before, right? What do you want?”

He looked at us one by one with his terrifying white eyes.

“It’s about becoming one.”

“Even now, we are one.” Da-jeong grabbed my arm and hugged me.

The doctor slowly removed his surgical gloves, revealing his bizarrely deformed hands.

“Isn’t it just copulation for pleasure’s sake? It’s pathetic… hand him over. I will use him more skillfully.”

Suddenly, Seokhyun and Da-jeong let out a growl.

“I will never do that.”

“Seongho, you step back!”

The two ran to the doctor. Naturally, the monsters quickly stood in their way and Da-jeong’s ghouls also ran out. Chaos once again descended after the brief lull.

“Once the two of them start to move away, buy some time.” I said to Geom-in.

“Distract him with guns, right? Okay.”

We immediately turned back and faced the monsters that narrowed the distance again. With the intention of destroying everything, we poured bullets and threw grenades without reserves. However, since the number of monsters were so great, some of them slipped away from our shots and came close to us. Thankfully, we were able to escape the crisis with the dimensional wall and dimensional prison.

Not many monsters were left now. The hundreds had been reduced to several dozen. Thus, I left the side of pouring monsters to Geom-in and turned around. The doctor was pressing Seokhyun and Da-jeong with his bizarre deformed hands and monsters.

Just what is his unique skill’s additional effect?

“To think you will attack me just with those pathetic powers!” The doctor’s hand grew longer and turned into a sharp blade as he spoke. Then he swung it.

Seokhyun, who was rushing at him with his bare fists, quickly kicked the ground and spun back. However, it was not enough to avoid the attack. The sharp claws were still able to cut him on the stomach. Although the wound had healed in an instant, Seokhyun still wrapped his stomach and grimaced.

I threw a mithril blade at him.

“Use this!”

“Thank you!”

While Seokhyun charged at him again, Da-jeong attacked the doctor together with her Tank. However, from behind the doctor, another Tank jumped out and attacked Da-jeong. She bit her lip and snapped her fingers. Her Tank then moved and threw its fist towards the other Tank. Some of her grasshoppers, too, were attacking the doctor. However the doctor’s hand easily crushed them.

Kieeeeeek-!!

A grasshopper flung away to the air and slammed to the wall. When it plopped down to the ground like a leaf, it couldn’t even stand back on its feet.

“He’s strong…” I really couldn’t help but say this. He’s stronger even than the Sniffles. All that was left was the anti-tank, but I wasn’t sure whether it could kill him or not. Regardless, I still put the M72 on my shoulder and disengaged its guard.

“MOVE!” I shouted.

Seokhyun and Da-jeong glanced back and flew to the side. The moment the space opened, Geom-in started shooting.

“Keuk!” The doctor covered his face with his arms and withstood the bullets. And when I finally pulled the M72’s trigger, a violent aftermath erupted.

BOOM-!!

The warhead exploded and swept all the nearby monsters. When the dust finally settled, a gruesome landscape was revealed. Sadly, the doctor did not die. Although he had lost his arms, he was still standing.

“Fu*k…” Da-jeong muttered. Even Seokhyun had a nervous expression on his face.

“Keuk!!! Ahhhh!!”

The doctor wriggled his whole body, then stretched the remaining parts of his arms out towards the nearest corpse of the monster from him. Dozens of tentacles wriggled out of his shattered arms and wrapped around the corpse and pulled it to him. Just like that, the doctor got a new arm.

“Hah… Hah… you are making me suffer quite a bit…”

Let’s see how long he can hold out. When I took out the M72 again, the doctor backpedaled and retreated behind the monsters. Then, a hoarse voice echoed through the tunnel.

“This has become too grandiose for a mere greeting… I’ll see you next time…”

Next time? Sorry, there will be no next time.

I winked at my friends and threw two grenades at the doctor. I removed the clip and pretended to pull out the pin, and everyone nodded. They were aware of what I wanted to do.

This is our last chance of beating him. To succeed, the monsters must be removed and Geom-in must remove the tank.

“You need to put the grenade really close to him, okay?”

“Yeah.”

If it was Geom-in in the past, he would have been afraid to approach monsters alone, but he’s different now. When I sent another signal to the other two, they started shooting towards the doctor.

Naturally, monsters crowded and blocked the bullets for the doctor to run away. At that moment, I threw another set of grenades to the crowd.

The monsters could not even scream and became minced flesh at an instant. The only monster still standing around the doctor was the Tank. The moment the doctor’s back was revealed, Geom-in secured the sight with a flash and disappeared; he moved behind him with Blink.

The doctor did something and turned around, but what was left was not the Tank, but two detonator-activated grenades.

“Fu…”

BOOM-!!

The area lit up, and the doctor’s cry echoed while titanium shards bore through his body.

“Aaaaaah!”

“Da-jeong! Seokhyun-ah!”

The doctor’s tank, which was moved to another place by Geom-in’s blink, didn’t have any time to regain its bearing as Da-jeong and Seokhyun rushed towards it.

I quickly handed the M72 to Geom-in who just arrived beside me.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to kill him?”

“If I kill him, I will become a murderer.”

“Ah!”

Geom-in took the M72 and pointed it at the howling doctor. And when he put his finger on the trigger, I told him. “After this, let’s go inside the portal and rest.”

“Yea..”

The rocket was launched and the warhead struck the doctor directly in the face. The doctor disappeared without any traces and most of the monsters which were caught in the explosion died instantly.

At that moment, Geom-in exhaled and dropped the launch tube to the floor.

“You did really well today.” I put my hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, but a message popped up.”

We didn’t have time to check that. Because there were still many monsters rushing towards us from the stairs. We disposed of the Tank and poured the remaining bullets on the remaining monster. However, it was not as tiring as before since the end was clearly visible.

.

.

.

Major Hyunwoo and the other two soldiers carefully went down to the subway station. It was a decision they came to because there was very little information available from outside. The President clearly ordered them not to go inside, but Hyun-woo wanted to get some information. So he still went ahead.

The three of them were sticking to the wall and looked around with a flashlight. It was quite eerie. As if nothing had happened.

“Why is it so quiet?”

“Is the battle over?”

“If that’s the case, we should see some monster still roaming around…”

“They must have gone through the tunnel.”

In his head, Major Hyun-woo concluded that the victory of the battle goes to the monster. No matter how well-armed the four were, he couldn’t picture them walking away with their lives in a battle against such large numbers of monsters.

‘At least I’ll give them a proper burial…’ Major Hyun-woo said to himself. The President was the one who sent them here, but in the end it was them who accepted it. It was the least he could do for them.

As they stood on the stairs leading to the platform below, a strong smell of gunpowder and blood wafted towards them. When two of his men lit the flashes in their hand, a horrible sight of monster corpses strewn across the floor, walls and ceiling entered their view.

“Heup!” Second Lieutenant Lim, who had a weak stomach, covered his mouth. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Jo held his breath and moved the light from his flashlight throughout the area.

“Ma-major Kim! over there…”

Hyun-woo clenched his teeth and looked at the four. Their appearance was not very different from when they left the Yongsan bunker. Except for the fact that Rabbit Pwincess was now fully naked.

“It’s blinding, put the flash off.”

It was Seongho’s voice. Lieutenant Jo turned off the flash and the four climbed up the stairs. It was only then that Hyun-woo came to know the state of the four in detail. They were not fine at all; blood and dust was covering every inch of their body.

“C-can I ask what happened?”

Hyeon-woo asked, but Seongho did not answer and pointed to him.

“If you are curious, go check it out. We are going to rest.”

“You must tell me the result so I can make a report.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll come back later and report to you.”

Major Hyun-woo bit his lip at Seongho’s answer. What he’s doing right now wasn’t a mission he had been given, so he had no excuse to intervene more than this.

The four disappeared into the entrance, while Hyun-woo and two of his men hurried down to the bottom. When they arrived, the bottom was even more messy.

“Heup!” Second Lieutenant Lim couldn’t stop the rising acid on his throat anymore and vomited at the sight of pits of meat and blood scattered everywhere.

Meanwhile, The two others could not shut their mouths after checking the signs of a fierce battle. It was as clear as day that hundreds of monsters had gathered in the place. And the four stagnant waters had killed them all.

“Oh my God… all of this…”

Major Kim Hyun-woo would have never imagined that what he currently saw was possible. The battle took place not in an open space, but a narrow space. It was simply impossible for whoever was fighting to not be overrun by the numbers of the monsters.

Major Kim Hyunwoo immediately reported to the President.

-You mean they killed all the monsters in that small space?

-Yes, there are quite a few Orcs and Enhanced Ghouls corpses in here. There’s also the corpse of an entity that appears to be a Tank… its head has been severed.

-Hoho… it seems like they went crazy because we gave them the right weapon.

They were dangerous. Major Hyun-woo had thought that once the guns make their appearances in the apocalypse, the prestige of ‘Stagnant Waters’ would be shattered. But seeing the sight in front of him, he realized that he was wrong. It became clear that the stagnant waters would only become much stronger when they held the gun.

-Combat power beyond imagination. They will help a lot in the future!

-That combat power can be directed at us, Mister President.

-They are on our side now, are they not?

Major Hyunwoo did not understand why the President trusted them that much. After all, it was doubtful whether they would still be friendly once the Corrosive Disease disappears.

‘I’ll have to prepare.’

Not knowing what kind of chaos they had caused, the four stagnant waters rushed to Sports Complex Station and robbed the looters with high spirit.

“Give us everything you got!”

The looters in charge of transporting goods were not well armed and had no choice but to declare their surrender. Seongho put all of the supplies into the portal, leaving the looters with only enough supply to survive. Then, the four disappeared somewhere.

The looters who were still able to hang on their lives spit curses once their robbers disappeared.

“Fu*k…”

“Where did those crazy people come from…”