Chapter 9

It had been a long time since the city had heard the sound of explosions created by humans. When a bomb detonated in such a place, the surrounding monsters turned their gaze toward the nest of the monster rats.

The monsters that had lived since the time when humans still existed recalled their old memories.

Humans have returned!

Boom. Boom.

From a distance, beyond the five-story building, a monster's head gradually approached. Even from the rooftop, it was clear that this monster was as tall as a seven-story building.

"Large one at 12 o'clock."

Kyung-hoon, observing the approaching monster, continued writing in his notebook.

After the bomb exploded, the surrounding monsters became restless.

From the monsters screaming to those emerging onto the streets, and the ones approaching this place.

Kyung-hoon meticulously recorded all these monsters.

The navigation system on the railing clearly displayed the current location.

Fortunately, the GPS was still functioning.

Kyung-hoon, who had closed his notebook, looked up at the sky. The satellites were still intact. Though they were far in space, it was evident that scientific civilization still existed.

Perhaps the world had not completely perished.

Kyung-hoon put the navigation system, which he had placed nearby, into his pocket. He had brought a compass, but with the navigation system working, it was no longer necessary.

It was time to move.

Although the map of this world was different from the one he knew, the terrain itself was not much different.

[1, Taepyeong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul]

This was the location of the Seoul Awakened Center written on his phone. Near Seoul City Hall, it was 2.5 kilometers north from here in Yongsan.

Kyung-hoon, looking at his notebook, planned a safe route to avoid the monsters. Although it was a long distance, the Awakened Center being close provided some help.

With his backpack, now more than half lighter, slung over his shoulder, Kyung-hoon leaped over the railing.

Fourth-floor rooftop.

For an ordinary person, it would have been a suicide course, but Kyung-hoon stepped on the cracked walls and window gaps, sliding down smoothly.

He quickly reached the ground and started running north.

He needed to escape this place before the monsters became too active.

'Wow... I'm faster.'

Kyung-hoon was surprised again by his own movements. He was navigating the treacherous path filled with debris as if it were flat ground, and even faster than a track athlete.

Clearly, he had become faster and stronger since killing the monster rat, at least 20% more.

'If this keeps up, won't I become a superhero if I reach A or S rank?'

Kyung-hoon leaped over a wall more than three meters high and continued moving forward.

***

In the city where humans had disappeared, a monster ecosystem had taken root.

A massive monster, never seen before, dominated the entire area, with medium-sized monsters controlling the streets, and smaller ones nesting in buildings.

Boom. Boom.

A giant monster, resembling a carnivorous dinosaur, walked over the broken road. A monster walking down the street stuck its head into the alley between buildings and pressed its eyes against the broken window of a half-destroyed building.

However, the monster found nothing and, exhaling a loud breath, resumed its pace.

As the monster disappeared into the distance, the hidden monsters began to move.

A small monster, resembling a flying squirrel, hidden inside a building, spread its membrane and glided to the adjacent building. At the same time, a lizard monster, waiting on the wall, leaped down.

The body of the leaping monster changed from cement gray to sunset orange.

Squeal!

The gliding monster failed to reach the next building, caught in the mouth of the lizard monster.

Thud.

The lizard monster landed safely on the ground and changed back to a darker color, blending with the surroundings.

The nearly black monster, carrying its prey, hid in a dark alley.

Plop!

However, as it entered the shadows, it fell to the ground with a sound like a deflating soda can.

"Why did you have to come to where I was hiding?"

Kyung-hoon emerged from the darkness of the alley. Wearing a khaki military uniform and a lighter backpack, he held a pistol in his hand. It was a modified K-5, which he had luckily found on his previous visit.

However, the pistol was much longer than before, with a silencer attached to the front.

It was something he had bought along with the materials for the homemade bomb at Dongmyo.

'Unexpectedly good performance.'

The silencer was much quieter than the one he used before, thanks to the advanced technology. As a result, the approaching monster did not notice him.

"What to do with this."

Looking at the lizard monster on the ground, Kyung-hoon had a perplexed expression.

The destination was 2.5 kilometers away, not a long distance. He had planned to arrive well before nightfall.

However, with the sun setting, Kyung-hoon found himself standing where the Namdaemun Market sign was lying. He had only covered two-thirds of the distance, reaching Namdaemun.

Despite possessing superhuman strength and carrying a weapon, Kyung-hoon was still a weak link in the food chain here.

Therefore, he had to move as stealthily as possible, managing to cover only 1.5 kilometers in half a day.

'Sadly, this is as far as I can go.'

Even though he could see in the dark, the possibility of nocturnal monsters moving around was high. Moreover, the time for dimensional travel was running out. It was safer to find a secure location for later.

After a moment of thought, Kyung-hoon slung the dead lizard monster over his shoulder. Although it was heavier than a human, Kyung-hoon felt no strain.

He entered the building next to him.

The building Kyung-hoon entered was a low three-story structure. It was not very tall, so there were not many broken areas, but there were burn marks everywhere.

It seemed to have suffered more from fire than from destruction.

"This world's Namdaemun Market sells similar things."

Burned clothes, toys, and various accessories were scattered on the ground.

Click. Click.

The building was not entirely empty. Small monsters with membranes between their legs were flying around the corridors.

However, none of them approached Kyung-hoon, possibly due to the lizard monster he was carrying. They only hovered from a distance.

As he explored the building, he placed the monster's body in a corner.

'It must have been a bookstore.'

The destroyed shop was filled with half-burned textbooks, reference books, and magazines.

Kyung-hoon's eyes lit up as he scanned the scattered books. He picked up a half-burned magazine.

[Monthly Awakened Magazine]

It was an Awakened magazine!

Kyung-hoon quickly flipped through the pages.

Gloves that increase strength.

Necklaces that warm the body.

Weapons and protective gear with various special abilities.

As he turned the pages filled with intriguing advertisements, he came across an interview.

Unfortunately, the pages after the interview were burned and unreadable.

Kyung-hoon, recognizing the rugged face, continued reading the interview.

The interview proceeded in a straightforward manner.

Self-introduction, career, and surrounding stories.

It was a typical interview, but the subject was not ordinary.

Kyung-hoon checked the sword at his waist, noticing the beautiful pattern.

[Mana Item Crafter, Ahn Hyung-min]

This was the person who had created the weapon.

- Ahn Hyung-min: When the monsters first appeared, we used our existing weapons to fight them.

- Journalist: That's right. At that time, existing weapons were sufficient to deal with them. Wasn't it the Awakened who were the problem?

- Ahn Hyung-min: Haha, that's true. The Awakened were treated like mutants. Everyone had a hard time.

- Journalist: However, that era didn't last long. Soon, it became difficult to deal with them using regular weapons.

- Ahn Hyung-min: Well, we could deal with them using heavy weapons, but the damage was significant, especially in urban battles.

- Journalist: Even the Awakened didn't have much effect.

- Ahn Hyung-min: At that time, they were just people with enhanced strength and special abilities. They couldn't break through the strengthened defenses.

- Journalist: That's when item crafters like you appeared.

- Ahn Hyung-min: Haha, it was good luck. Thanks to the help of dimensional travelers and the mana stones in the monsters' bodies.

'Dimensional travelers and mana stones?'

Kyung-hoon tried to read the rest of the story, but unfortunately, the remaining interview was damaged by the fire and difficult to read.

Kyung-hoon sighed in disappointment. It would have been great if more of the content had remained.

However, he was grateful for what he had.

Now he knew what to look for in monsters.

He also confirmed that the changes in his world were progressing similarly to this one.

Moreover, he realized that he needed to hide his awakened abilities for now.

Kyung-hoon's serious expression relaxed as he examined the pages with advertisements.

"Since there are ads, there must be stores selling mana items."

When he arrived at the Awakened Center, he would need to search the surroundings carefully. There was bound to be a store like that near the center.

Kyung-hoon took a plastic bag from his backpack, placed the magazine inside, and sealed it. He planned to examine it more closely when he returned.

Thud.

Kyung-hoon sat on the ground. In front of him was the body of a lizard-like monster.

Kyung-hoon pulled out a dagger from his waist and took a deep breath.

He had planned to dissect the body from the moment he carried it. Although he was not an expert, he needed to examine what these creatures were. Moreover, thanks to the magazine, he knew what to look for: a mana stone.

"Fortunately, I can see in the dark."

The sun had almost set.

Kyung-hoon plunged the dagger deep into the monster's body. Since it was already dead, no defensive barrier appeared.

Squish, squish.

Kyung-hoon moved the dagger to dissect the body.

He peeled back the skin and removed the internal organs.

Time passed. By the time he had been dissecting for an hour, it was completely dark outside.

Buzz~

His phone vibrated, but Kyung-hoon ignored it.

"I found it."

Eventually, he found the mana stone. A small gem was embedded near the heart.

Kyung-hoon recognized the mana stone immediately. It was identical to the gem in his pistol.

After securing the mana stone, Kyung-hoon took a photo of the dissected monster's body.

Only after finishing everything did he check his phone.

He already knew when the alarm went off.

The activation time was shorter than before. Clearly, his rank had increased, reducing the activation time.

Kyung-hoon packed his belongings again. Although he had not reached his destination, he had no intention of spending the night in the city on his first trip.

Kyung-hoon immediately created a black hole and leaped into it.

*

After Kyung-hoon disappeared, small monsters with membranes between their legs continuously flew into the Namdaemun Market building.

The creatures, resembling flying lizards, had gone out of the city in the morning's rising air currents and returned to their nests on the night breeze.

Tens of thousands of small monsters filled the building, while others cautiously moved away.

The lizard monster's body, left where Kyung-hoon had been, was soon reduced to a skeleton.