Chapter 41

31. The Man Who Became Light (1)

Jonneun.

At this point, he is in his mid-30s, his real name is Go Sang-hyo, and by old-school standards, he is a D-class hunter.

He did not come from my school.

He is a so-called training center hunter, who received training at a specialized institution and obtained his hunter's license.

Nowadays, whether you're from a school or a training center, if you're not an Awakened, you're all considered old-fashioned.

What happened to that Jonneun?

Some say he died, and others say he's still alive.

One thing is certain: Jonneun became famous through the bulletin board and, like many who become famous, he became even more famous and raked in money.

When he was criticized on the bulletin board for unauthorized reposting, his background in shouting "Bitch" might have been due to his disappointment with the bulletin board, but the substantial wealth he had accumulated would have played a significant role.

When I returned to the bulletin board, Jonneun was no longer giving lectures.

According to rumors, our Mr. Jonneun was providing custom-made packages of destruction to conglomerates and power players.

The wealthy Jonneun completely disappeared after the war.

Some speculated that he was still active under a new account, but no one could identify which account it was.

It has been two years and five months since the war began.

As the long and terrible cold spell passed and a colder spring than usual approached, my role model, whom I thought I would never see again, appeared out of nowhere like magic.

SKELTON: Who are you? I've never seen you before. You don't have any posts either.

SKELTON: (Skeleton) Could you be Mr. Jonneun?

Message from 183cm88kg18cm: This account is indeed Mr. Jonneun's secondary account. But I am not Mr. Jonneun. I am his subordinate.

SKELTON: (Skeleton surprised) A subordinate?

Message from 183cm88kg18cm: (Jonneun's subordinate) Mr. Jonneun wants to see you.

By the way, what is this guy's nickname?

If it's Jonneun, it's a fitting nickname, but was he that tall?

The weight he wrote down isn't light, even if he built muscle; it's hard to maintain in this era.

Most of all, what's with the 18cm? What is that...?

Was it possible for people to go crazy even before the war?

Anyway, the person using Jonneun's secondary account gave me a lot to think about.

First, Jonneun seems to be in Seoul.

He says he can tell you the exact location if you want.

But why now, and why is his subordinate, not Jonneun himself, sending me a message?

When I asked this 18cm guy about the situation, he avoided answering, saying he was sending the message on behalf of Jonneun.

It seems that what Jonneun wants is a meeting with me.

But in the current situation, with pioneers spreading out everywhere, moving is not easy.

The government no longer controls the roads, and everything is in chaos. Moving in this period could lead to death.

SKELTON: I'm very sorry, but I don't think I can go. The current situation is too dangerous.

While sending a polite refusal message, I sent a message to another user.

The recipient was Foxgames.

He is a game developer who created the Christmas tree decoration event in the past.

SKELTON: I have a favor to ask.

In the past, I wouldn't have even tried.

He is a named user, and I am one of the bottom users with Unicorn18.

But my standing has risen significantly due to the Super Super incident, and I've gained some confidence.

Message from Foxgames: Do you want to know who left a message on the tree two years ago?

As expected, Foxgames readily agreed to my request.

My request was simple.

I wanted him to find out the identity of the user who decorated my Christmas tree.

Last year, no one decorated it, but two years ago, someone put a decoration called "Jonneun" on my tree.

I was curious, but I didn't pay much attention.

It was an anonymous decoration, and I had a slight acquaintance with Jonneun, so I thought I might have imitated him and left the message.

But now that a person claiming to be Jonneun's subordinate has appeared, I need to confirm.

A little later, Foxgames told me the identity of the user who left the message.

Message from Foxgames: 183cm something something. Who is this? 18cm? What kind of guy is he?

That's right. It's the 18cm who is messaging me right now.

I thanked him, feeling the warmth of the bulletin board after a long time.

SKELTON: (Skeleton grateful) Thanks.

Message from Foxgames: Hey, Skeleton. I have a question too.

SKELTON: ?

A question for me?

What could it be?

With a mix of worry and anticipation, Foxgames sent me a message.

Message from Foxgames: I've been feeling that the community's speed is getting slower. It seems to have halved compared to the early days.

SKELTON: It has definitely slowed down. We can't upload videos in high definition anymore. But isn't that inevitable?

Message from Foxgames: Recently, there has been a sudden increase in traffic. There shouldn't be any reason for traffic on our side, so could it be an external intrusion? I heard this place is satellite-based, but it's not a closed network and is connected to the external internet.

The community has indeed slowed down.

But as long as it's slow enough to post text and photos, isn't that enough?

It's sad that I can't upload the Skeleton beatbox series, but in a time when everything is declining, it seems a bit selfish to hope that the bulletin board remains intact.

However, Foxgames had a different reason for being sensitive to the speed.

Message from Foxgames: I'm preparing a secret game. It's a low-level MMORPG, but I don't know how the Starlink server is running. That's why I asked.

An MMORPG.

Is it like an online game where multiple people play together?

I don't know much about games, but if Foxgames, who used to satisfy us with small games, is calling it a secret game, it will probably be quite popular.

It will also be a great help to our users, who are getting more and more tired every day.

Anyway, the most important thing is that I found out who decorated the tree.

Jonneun. He is here.

*

Jonneun's survival is indeed surprising.

But it didn't really hit me, and I didn't think it was something to make a fuss over.

I guess you could say I was indifferent.

It's too harsh to dwell on a past role model when reality is so tough.

Although Jo Sung-yong hasn't found my territory, drones frequently appear in the sky, and ominous gunfire is heard from the north.

The frequency of gunfire is low, but the pattern of shots coming from different directions suggests that two hostile groups are facing off.

The sniper also seems anxious, as he has been asking about the situation here every day.

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: Skeleton! It's Su! The north is noisy. What's going on?

The message is from his daughter.

Her mother can't type properly, so the smart daughter is asking for news on her behalf.

This was a request from my side.

Rebecca doesn't have a personal identification number, so we communicate on a public frequency, and with a powerful opponent like Jo Sung-yong, there's a risk of eavesdropping on radio waves.

But they can't eavesdrop on encrypted satellite signals.

SKELTON: I'm not sure, but it seems people are fighting. Do you have enough food?

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: Yes, but it's running out.

SKELTON: What about bullets?

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: We have plenty.

SKELTON: What about the Javelin? Has it discharged again or anything?

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: No problem! Mom is getting one.

SKELTON: Is there anything you want to eat?

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: Something juicy.

SKELTON: You mean something with a lot of juice?

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: Yes!

Text communication has its limits.

It's convenient, but it can't convey the emotions and warmth in a voice, making it a half-hearted conversation.

But if the warmth of the other person is unfamiliar, isn't it better to have a slight barrier while talking?

Isn't confession also a similar structure?

It seems like a good idea to have brought Seonbi's laptop and satellite equipment.

It feels like I'm narrowing the gap with the sniper's family, who are neighbors but live a distance away.

But Seonbi's gift is not just that.

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: The southeast is glowing with an unusual light.

Being connected to the internet is similar to being able to send photos, which can't be conveyed by just a warm voice.

Su sent me a photo.

"......"

For a moment, I doubted my eyes.

A pale white light was eerily illuminating the abandoned forest.

Monsters.

Monsters have advanced to just below my territory and are eroding the area around it.

Where did they come from?

They could come from anywhere.

There were four cracks that appeared in South Korea.

Paju, Yangsan, Gochang, and Jeju.

The situation in Yangsan and Gochang is better than in Paju.

The intensity of the cracks is lower, and the local military chose to become regional warlords rather than getting involved in civil war.

These monsters definitely came from the north.

Or perhaps they came directly from North Korea.

SKELTON: When did this start?

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: Two days ago.

Two days.

Not long.

The monsters observed in the sniper's territory are likely small, stationary types.

Only stationary types can build nests and survive against the will of the Earth.

The most terrifying aspect of monsters is not their combat power.

Their danger lies in their very existence.

There's a good example we learned in school.

Humans built a factory in a certain place.

The factory emitted smoke and wastewater, and the animals and plants living around it died and disappeared.

The factory didn't kill the animals and plants on purpose.

They just naturally died as a result of the factory's operation.

It's a similar principle.

Monsters try to color everything around their territory with their own hue.

Mutation is the most common hue of the other world.

Kaildos went mad because his mind was thoroughly infused with the hue of the other world.

It's a situation that cannot be tolerated to have this near my territory.

If left alone, this area could be eroded faster than Seoul.

I know that the Xinjiang Autonomous Region's crack in China expanded thousands of times faster than the Beijing crack.

SKELTON: I'm coming now. Tell your mom not to shoot.

Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: Mom is sleeping after staying up all night on the computer :(

*

The monsters that our old-school hunters mainly dealt with were small types.

Most are torn to pieces by overwhelming firepower, often accompanied by long-range attacks, before they can do anything.

But some manage to infiltrate our bases through teleportation or luck.

When they infiltrate our bases, there are few options to deal with them.

Their unique reflective fields block our attack methods.

When soldiers are at a loss, it's time for hunters to shine.

Hunters are not soldiers.

For experienced soldiers, cover is another expression of survival, but for us hunters, cover is like closing your eyes in front of a flying knife.

Hunting by hunters requires highly organic teamwork, precise techniques with no room for error, and above all, a lot of courage.

Like the Joseon poachers who faced tiger-sized tigers with a single old musket, we risk our luck and lives to kill the enemies of humanity in the face of imminent death.

There are almost no small types that I, once considered one of the best, can't handle.

Most can be killed alone if the problem of approaching them is solved.

Fortunately, thanks to Viva! Apocalypse!, I discovered the monsters early.

It usually takes about two weeks for monsters to establish their bases.

Once their bases are established, it's not only difficult to break through but also impossible to approach.

But if it's been two days, or at most a week, it's worth a try.

I left the air-raid shelter because Jo Sung-yong's drones are still flying around, and I don't know when the pioneers will come.

"Over there!"

Rebecca pointed to a mountain area 4 km from her territory with tired eyes.

On the surface, there's nothing unusual.

It's clear.

They recently settled in.

Rebecca is an excellent sniper but has no experience in fighting monsters.

Therefore, she is of no help.

In fact, her sniping skills might even get her killed.

This is my fight.

What I do best and what I most wanted to do.

I slowly approached the area with two well-sharpened axes.

Sure enough, as I went deeper, I saw tree branches twisted into strange shapes.

The effect of erosion.

There will be an enemy of humanity there.

Unless it's the one exception, I will kill it and come out.

"......"

I am watching.

A statue buried like it's dead among the withered winter trees.

A large spike embedded in the front legs of a grasshopper, a sharp triangular lower body half-buried in the ground, and a long, pale white head with no trace of any organ that can feel emotions.

The one exception.

Dancer type.

The only one I can't kill in close combat.

Or maybe I can.

But I don't want to risk everything on a 5% chance.

*

"......"

Personal Identification Number: REDMASK

I've been staring at the radio for 15 minutes with the personal identification number entered.

The only person I can realistically ask for help is Min-hee.

She is the only one who can help me.

What I need is hunter equipment, a weapon against monsters, but if she comes herself, she can tear the monster apart alone.

She is an Awakened.

A high-level psychic ability holder, reaching level 12.

But I'm not foolish enough to not understand the meaning of asking her for help.

She is not Da-ram.

Not Da-ram, whose voice I can barely remember anymore...

"......"

I logged into the community to take a break and clear my mind.

I wanted to read something interesting and calm down.

A message had arrived.

Message from 183cm88kg18cm: I'm very sorry, but Mr. Jonneun desperately wants to meet you, Mr. Skeleton.

"Shit."

Another person claiming to be Jonneun's subordinate.

If I had more time, I might have exchanged some words.

But not now.

He is a person from the past.

He can't solve the current problem.

I don't want to communicate with him anymore, so I made an unreasonable request.

SKELTON: I'll think about it if you give me hunter equipment.

Message from 183cm88kg18cm: Hunter equipment?

SKELTON: Mk-7 Harpoonizer

I specified the exact model I want to be clear.

I plan to block him if he starts talking nonsense.

I'm in a very sensitive state right now.

Message from 183cm88kg18cm: We have it.