CH 6

No matter how early it is in the frontier of Holy Mount Noah, making noise in the middle of the night is not a wise decision.

In The Defense, noise was always something to be cautious of, as it acted as a detonator for waves, no matter when or where.

However, that didn't mean there was no solution.

I held the gun and turned it slightly.

The Ark-15 rifle had an automatic conversion function and could apply a noise reduction mode through pressure adjustment of the muzzle.

[Noise reduction mode applied.]

Although there was a slight decrease in destructive power, it was enough to face a Hellhound.

I took out a magazine from the insertion mount and loaded it as is.

It was a B-type shotgun shell.

B-type shotgun shells were one of my favorite types of shells.

Among the elements that make up a shell, it had the most exquisite balance of destructiveness and cohesion, showing excellent effectiveness against high-level monsters.

Just like right now.

Shrrrr!

[Crash!]

With a sound of wind being torn, the heart of the Hellhound rushing towards me exploded, flying far away.

It was clearly an instant kill.

'Oh.'

Even though I aimed for a vital point, killing it with just one shot was surprising.

Considering the additional damage effect of 10% on grade 9 or lower beasts that I obtained from hunting Skullhounds, it was still a surprisingly unexpected result, considering the current noise reduction mode.

'Maybe it's because of the traits I wrote for firearms.'

The gun-related traits I wrote might be the cause of this unreasonable destructive power.

'Maybe it's not just for show that Ark access is prohibited.'

Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of thinking deeply about it.

Hellhounds were rushing towards me with ferocity."Kyareung, kyareureung!"

The barrel of the gun quickly shifted towards the exposed jugular of the Hellhound with surprising speed.

Ssang!

With a sound that sliced through the air, the entire body of the Hellhound exploded outward.

Hududuk-

The once Hellhound's meat fragments rained down like a shower.

"Kreureung...!"

"Kung! Kung!"

The other twenty-nine Hellhounds, instinctively realizing that they had no chance of overpowering their opponent, began to charge at once.

"If they surround me, it'll be troublesome."

Luckily, my legs were incredibly sturdy.

"Two in front, five in the back."

In that case, I'll break through the front.

Ssang!

I kicked the first Hellhound to reach me and spun my body like water flowing to pull the trigger again, now aimed at the Hellhounds behind me.

"Kyang!"

Despite the screams of the dying Hellhounds, there was no time to rest.

If I didn't keep changing my position, being surrounded by the Hellhounds was only a matter of time.

"The terrain itself is treacherous. One misstep and I could be surrounded in an instant."

It was a death line.

Strictly speaking, the current situation was even more dangerous than when I was chased by the pack of Hellhounds, including the Skull Hound.

Not only because I was alone, but also because my objective was not Arkro's escape, but the annihilation of the Hellhounds.

But...

'Only if I look at the given situation.'

The barrel of the Ark-15, now switched to shotgun mode, spun around again.

A ripping sound pierced the air.

"Crack!"

A sound of flesh being pierced.

"Thud!"

The sound of a body falling to the ground.

Gunshots and the howls of hellhounds echoed in the darkness.

Of course, there are blind spots in a gun's range.

However, just as humans have two hands, I pulled out my machete with my left hand and cut down the charging hellhound.

"Crack!"

Even if it was me, it was impossible to slaughter a hellhound with just one cut.

However, it was more than enough to create an opening, and it was enough to overwhelm them.

"Swish!"

The air exploded again, and the hellhound's head burst open like a watermelon.

Soon, I realized that this wasn't a battle.

It was a massacre.

"About half of them are left."

At that moment...

"Squeak..."

I turned my body reflexively at the sound that reached my ears.

"Huh?"

As I aimed my gun, I had to pause for a moment.

There was something here that shouldn't be, something that couldn't be here.

"... A child?"

No, that's not it.

When I realized this fact, the child in front of me was grinning so wide that the corners of his mouth were tearing.

"Hee hee..."

It wasn't a human laugh.

"Hallucination!"

A brief hesitation.

In the battlefield between life and death, that moment of hesitation created a gap that was all too large.

"Grrrr!"

"Crunch, crunch!"

The hellhounds, who didn't miss the opportunity, quickly bit my arms and legs.

"Dammit!"

Luckily, my level 3 protective gear was strong enough to break through the attacks of these level 10 beast species, but it still hurt.

"It hurts!"

In an instant, my arms and legs were all restrained.

In my original state, I would have been completely immobile, but my extraordinary ability stats made it possible.

"A warrior with exceptional abilities and talents. Has innate talent in marksmanship, and a trained body and strong will that will not be shaken by the whispers of souls."

I know.

I know that.

"Die!"

Throwing off the hellhound on my right arm, I aimed my gun again.

"Die."

Bang!

With the sound of air being split, the hellhound's head exploded once again.

"Keep biting and holding on."

The hellhounds probably didn't even understand my words, but they still didn't let go of my arms and legs.

Perhaps it was their way of repaying me.I personally fed the B-type pellets to the Hellhounds still biting my arms and legs, one by one.

[Kehng!]

[Kkang!]

One, two, three, four, five...

Without stopping, the pulled trigger aimed at the last Hellhound's head.

Woosoo~

Flesh fragments fell.

"Whew..."

Gasping for breath, I looked around, unsure if it was sweat or blood on my hands, in the landscape dimly lit.

All I could see were the corpses of Hellhounds and blood permeating the air.

[You have overcome the night raid with your unwavering perseverance!]

[Your stamina has increased.]

[12 -> 13]

[You have instilled absolute fear in the Hellhounds of the Underworld.]

[Deals an additional 30% damage to the 10th-grade beast, Hellhound.]

[You have responded to the whisper of the soul.]

[Your ether sensitivity has increased.]

[6 -> 7]

"What does responding mean..."

Honestly, it was a bit ridiculous, but the fact that my stats were increasing was a good thing in itself.

"Ha..."

This was no joke.

I lay on the ground, taking deep breaths.

"Thank goodness, the bitten areas are okay."

The Hellhounds' fangs couldn't penetrate my level 3 armor.If the fangs of the Hellhounds had pierced through the protective gear and dug into my flesh, the outcome of this story would have been quite different. Fortunately, such an event did not occur.

I couldn't help but be grateful for the kindness of Lieutenant Imocia.

"It was only a minor injury, but considering the durability of this sturdy body..."

Of course, that was beside the point.

"It was definitely a hallucination."

I had underestimated the 10th rank beast species, the Hellhounds, and did not anticipate such a variable during combat.

It was not for no reason that I was considered a valuable trash characteristic in The Defense.

"But I don't have time to dwell on this."

After resting for about ten minutes, I got up.

Even though I had turned on the silent mode, the howling of the Hellhounds could not be completely muted.

Due to Noah's characteristics, there was little chance of other magical beasts or creatures finding us, but I did not want to gamble with my life, so it was better to start moving.

"What will happen to those guys..."

I looked at the corpses of the Hellhounds.

There were 31 bodies.

In extreme situations, the corpse of a magical beast could be quite a decent source of food if you knew how to handle it properly.

Of course, the taste could not be guaranteed, but that was beside the point.

"It's a shame, but I can't take them with me right now."

After considering my options, I decided to collect the Hellhound corpses to bring with me once I found a suitable base.

"Based on my current location, one of the water sources shouldn't be too far."

I had already checked my current location when heading towards Noah, so it was not difficult to determine my destination.

With my goal in mind, I began to climb Noah.

Despite its name, the lush forest was barren without a single blade of grass, reminding me that this was a volcanic mountain.

Despite the intense battle that had occurred earlier, climbing the mountain was not particularly difficult.Above all, I was someone who was tired of training and missions on the mountains.

This much was nothing.

" ... It reminds me of the past."

As I climbed the mountain, various thoughts naturally passed through my mind.

How long have I been walking?

Finally, I arrived at one of the points in Suwon that I knew.

" Maybe it was around here."

I took my field shovel and began to dig the ground.

Digging, digging, and digging again.

When I dug about one meter into the ground, it happened.

Squirt, squirt, squirt!

Out came the hot spring water that I had been searching for, heated by the heat of the volcano.

< Exploring the Shelter (2) > The End.