Chapter 16

15. Adoption

I avoid combat not just because it's dangerous.

The aftermath is a nightmare.

One of the air-raid shelters was destroyed, and dealing with the bodies is a chore.

Burying them one by one is impossible given the sheer number and the lack of suitable places.

In the end, I pushed the bodies into a half-destroyed air-raid shelter and set it on fire.

One of the invaders had made it to the main air-raid shelter and was half-burned to death, so I had to carry and drag the body out.

While moving it, a mixture of fluids dripped, contaminating the ground.

Cleaning up the bodies is not the only task.

I also have to dismantle the tents they set up and erase all traces.

All of this is work and labor.

During the battle, I didn't even break a sweat, but while dealing with the aftermath, I was drenched in sweat to the point of exhaustion.

There were no spoils of war.

The invaders' possessions were of the lowest quality.

Especially the food; it was hard to believe even by looking at it.

The food they brought was dog food.

To be precise, it was dog food ground up and mixed with unidentified meat, then hardened into a bar-like shape. I couldn't bring myself to eat it.

The moment I saw it, I felt anxious.

A plan is needed.

The creatures that appeared this time are likely just the tip of the iceberg.

*

Beneath the U.S. military base, there are air-raid shelters that remained almost undamaged even after a nuclear attack.

This underground facility first allowed me to loot, but after the subsequent scavengers took everything, nothing was left. However, if it were converted into a living space, it might be better than my own air-raid shelter.

I never thought I would live in a place hit by a nuclear bomb.

But then someone like Major Choi appeared.

If one appears, there will be more.

The U.S. military base needs to be dealt with.

To prevent another Major Choi from causing trouble, measures must be taken to prevent them from even considering setting up a base.

But how?

Should I set it on fire?

Or use the heavy machinery in the air-raid shelter to block the entrance?

Nothing seems to fit.

A more intense and intuitive method is needed.

For example, something like a monster.

A mutation like the Gold Swarm would be fine.

But how do I get them there?

They don't communicate and will try to kill anyone they see.

I also considered moving the sniper mother and daughter, but I wouldn't go there myself, so I gave up on that idea.

Feeling frustrated, I added a lot of sugar to my coffee and connected to my mental oasis.

I clicked on the popular posts tab.

Let's see.

Before working, I posted a picture of the dog food bar.

I thought it might become popular with a few comments.

But it wasn't on the list of popular posts.

It only got one like.

But then.

"Wait, what the hell..."

I almost swore.

Keystone: This is what the kids in Seoul are eating these days 😂

The photo Keystone posted was none other than the dog food bar I had posted.

He used my photo to get a popular post!

SKELTON: (Skelton confused) I took this photo?

I protested, but there was no response.

What a conscienceless guy.

I complained on the forum, but no one listened.

My only internet friend, the human hunter, was also nowhere to be found that day.

While ruminating on my anger and scanning the other popular posts, a title caught my eye.

Kyle_Dos: What is this?

Feeling gloomy, I clicked on it.

A single photo appeared.

It seemed to be the hill behind an air-raid shelter.

The photo showed a mundane scene of overgrown grass and trees, but something distinctly odd stood out, exuding a creepy presence.

A pale cylinder with a dull, grayish surface.

Kyle_Dos: I woke up and it was suddenly there. Anyone know what it is?

Various responses were posted, but none were correct.

It couldn't be known.

This is something only a nation on the brink of destruction can observe.

The pale cylinder is called a capsule.

It is a monster's egg.

*

Monsters begin to decay the moment they enter Earth, but there are exceptions.

The first exception is the infiltration type.

Infiltration types are mainly small species that can survive independently in Earth's environment without decaying.

The necromancer type that turned President Jeung-ho into a zombie is one of these.

While they are immune to decay, their combat power is weak. This "weak" is relative.

The second exception is not an individual species but an environmental change.

When the energy from the rift exceeds a critical point, the surrounding area distorts into a form similar to the world beyond the rift.

This is called erosion.

In the eroded land, monsters can exist regardless of their size or strength.

I have seen eroded land in China.

The world, twisted maliciously, could only be described as apocalyptic.

The photo Kyle_Dos posted is of the first type.

This is an infiltration type's egg.

Don't underestimate it just because it's an egg.

When the capsule opens, a fully combat-ready monster appears and tears apart any unlucky humans nearby.

There are no cute baby monsters.

Many researchers were sacrificed because they didn't know this.

No matter how strong the walls or restraints, they were useless.

After hundreds of researchers and dozens of research facilities were destroyed, the World Union banned the study of capsules.

To me, capsules are death traps designed by monsters.

They exploit humans' curiosity and desire to study and analyze.

The capsule has appeared in Korea.

It's a terrifying piece of news.

The appearance of a capsule is undeniable proof that the surrounding area has already been eroded.

I sent a DM to Kyle_Dos.

SKELTON: It's a capsule. A monster will come out. It's a monster's egg.

Soon, I received a reply from Kyle_Dos.

Message from Kyle_Dos: You can speak normally?

SKELTON: (Skelton service) It's extremely dangerous. I'll take care of it.

Message from Kyle_Dos: Can you remove that weird header?

SKELTON: OK

Message from Kyle_Dos: But how will you handle it? Are you coming here yourself? I know you've been active on the forum, but why should I trust you? You might not be the Skelton I know. What if you're a looter?

SKELTON: Post it on the forum.

Kyle_Dos, unlike Keystone, was a sharp friend.

He had a good eye and instinctively knew what was dangerous.

Message from Kyle_Dos: Actually, I think it's better not to post it. I'm not advertising my location. Just come and take care of it. What will you ride?

He was a survivor.

He had the right to survive.

Yet, Kyle_Dos's fate was bleak.

"Pa-ju-ra..."

His air-raid shelter was near Paju.

It was in a rift zone.

There are pros and cons.

In the rift zone, elite hunters and military units maintain an absolute defense line called the kill zone, protecting the area like a fortress.

It's the most dangerous place, being the gateway for monsters, but it also offers the safest security service.

However, if the area around the air-raid shelter is completely eroded, only two options remain.

Die inside the air-raid shelter, or become a refugee.

I took out my pickup truck.

It's a 1-ton electric truck.

The navigation system displayed the optimal route, but in this era, old information is meaningless.

"Personal identification number: SKELTON. Confirmed. You want to bypass Seoul? Follow Route 13, then Route 22, and from there, Route 8."

The only roads I can take are those controlled by the government.

Especially when driving a valuable vehicle.

Kyle_Dos's air-raid shelter was not far from the road, and the path to it was a suitable dirt road for vehicles.

Kyle_Dos peeked out from behind a tree, gun in hand, to confirm my identity.

"It's Skelton."

I revealed my identity first.

Kyle_Dos hesitated.

I reintroduced myself.

"Skelton, here."

Only then did Kyle_Dos show himself.

He looked to be in his early 30s, with a lazy gaze, neat clothing, and a decent nutritional state.

Most striking was his smile, which seemed to be genuine, not a sneer or a forced grin, but a smile filled with warmth and expectation.

He felt like a well-prepared and resilient doomsday prepper.

Unlike the dirty and half-broken refugees.

"You're younger than I thought, Skelton. And you look fine. Surprising. Surprising."

"Surprising?"

"From your posts, I thought you were around 50."

I threw him a couple of cans of Spam as a gift.

"What, this? Actually, shouldn't I be giving this to you?"

"Where's the capsule? Let's get this over with quickly. Even on government-controlled roads, it's dangerous after dark."

"Wow, this is different from what I imagined. Why are you so decisive?"

"When am I not decisive?"

We were meeting for the first time.

We had never even spoken or had a drink together.

But for some reason, we understood each other.

Like old friends.

Is this the bond of the community?

It's a warm feeling.

"But, you were a weird guy on the forum, right?"

Why is my reputation like this?

"Ah, it's over there. That one."

Kyle_Dos pointed into the forest.

Beneath a half-logged summer forest, a pale, grayish object about a meter long displayed a presence entirely different from the world's life.

"So, this is a monster's egg?"

Kyle_Dos shivered slightly.

"Ah, damn. It gives me the same feeling as the monsters that escaped from the kill zone. The color is similar, and just looking at it makes me feel sick."

Kyle_Dos looked at me.

"Isn't this dangerous? It's a monster's egg, right?"

A capsule can open in two ways.

One is when the monster inside wants to come out, and the other is when it receives a strong external stimulus.

The manual provided by the school recommends the following method for dealing with capsules:

- Use special ammunition that can penetrate reflective fields to attack the capsule from a distance, making the monster come out, and then handle it according to the manual based on the type that appears.

This is the on-site response to capsules.

In short, shoot from a distance to force the monster out of the egg and kill it.

That's all they know.

I know one more thing.

"Step back for a moment."

I approached the capsule with two axes.

"If I die, take my truck and run. The key is in the ignition."

"What?! Die?!"

I didn't come here expecting to die, but there's no 100% in this world.

But when it's time to act, not taking risks leads to 100% death later.

I know this well.

I've seen how indecisive comrades in China died, became cripples, or went mad.

"Starting."

The two axes struck the capsule's grayish surface.

Just before the axes hit.

"Whoa!"

I stopped the axes with full force.

It was a feint.

I only pretended to strike.

In human society, this might be considered a joke, but monsters are not human.

So, they react.

Swish-

I saw it.

A black axe blade tearing through the space in front of my neck.

A reflective field.

The reflective field is a monster's ability to distort and twist attacks aimed at it, returning them to the attacker.

While there are limits to the physical quantities that can be distorted, humans have no defense against the counterattack caused by the distortion.

One of the many reasons humans cannot defeat monsters.

Fortunately, I controlled my strength, so my head didn't fly off.

I sighed in relief and retrieved the axes.

The black, water-like field that spread at the point where the axes hit rippled and then dissolved into the space.

"It's safe."

When a monster doesn't want to come out of the capsule, it creates a field.

At that time, an attack that the field cannot block must be made to tear open the capsule and reveal the monster.

The reason is unknown.

Maybe it's not done with its makeup or wants to sleep more, or perhaps it's socializing with other monsters.

Whatever the reason, using this tendency to confirm safety is my method.

If I had to name it, it would be the Skelton-style capsule test.

With temporary safety secured, I loaded the capsule onto the truck with Kyle_Dos's help.

Thud!

Spoils secured.

"You're really fearless. What if a monster jumps out?"

Kyle_Dos whistled, looking at the capsule on the truck.

"If I'm unlucky, I'll die."

"Good answer."

"Anyway, I'm in a hurry, so I'll go now."

"Sure. Be careful."

We didn't need many words.

Both of us got what we wanted.

And this isn't the end.

Why? We'll see each other in a few hours on the community.

Kyle_Dos waved.

"This is our secret, right?"

I nodded.

"Next time, like my post! Please."

"Depends on the content."

Kyle_Dos smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Feeling the strong bond of the community, we parted ways.

Thud

The location where I placed the capsule was not the U.S. military base.

It's too close to my home.

I placed the "cute baby monster" in the middle of the road connecting the U.S. military base to my territory.

The distance is about 5 km.

The same distance as the sniper mother and daughter.

I don't know what will come out.

It could be a necromancer type that creates zombies or a spider type that preys on buildings.

At least it won't come to my side.

Monsters tend to go where there are more people.

But it's not 100%...

Still, this young one is reliable.

*Crackle* This is the 23rd Pioneer Unit! There's an unusual object ahead!

*Crackle* This is the Road Control Headquarters. The drone observation confirmed it as a monster's spore. Turn around immediately and get as far away from the spore as possible. This is an order, not a suggestion. Repeat...

A group of refugees cut.

"Like!"

*

A month passed.

It has been 1 year and 11 months since the war began.

On the community, posts about the influx of refugees and the resulting anxiety and complaints are consistently popular.

Among them is a post by Keystone.

Keystone: Damn, this is bad!

A refugee camp has been set up in the neighborhood near Keystone.

Is this the inevitable outcome?

The world is in chaos, but I am enjoying a leisurely late summer.

Refugees?

I don't care.

At this moment, the "cute baby monster" is still in its round capsule, blocking pests trying to enter my territory.

But good things come in pairs.

An unexpected person is trying to disrupt my peace.

Personal identification number: Sergent

I received a message from Eun-hoon.

This friend, who manipulates the collapsing Republic of Korea, is my Salieri.