Chapter 138: We Are The Post-Apocalyptic Generation (4)

Experienced hunters observe their target for at least a week before hunting it. And a skilled killer observes their target for nearly a month before springing into action.

And between these two categories, Yoo Seodam was the latter, a skilled hunter and a killer. After spending one month observing Kim Ha-soo, he had devised a plan to achieve a complete victory.

There were many methods he could employ to hunt Kim Ha-soo. He could easily take advantage of Kim Ha-soo’s righteous mind, he could hunt him by creating chaos in the fortress by destroying the facility, or he could deliberately fall into a monster’s trap and let the group be annihilated while hunting on the outside.

Yoo Seodam was sure that most of the methods had a success rate close to 100% unless the variable called ‘Shop Window’ came into play.

However, in the end, Yoo Seodam did not carry out his hunt.

He was aware that the existence of Kim Ha-soo was harmful to this world. Just by being alive, monsters will keep being born in this world, and every time he uses the Shop Window, the world's destruction would accelerate.

It was a sad tale, but Yoo Seodam couldn’t be bothered by it. The most important fact for him was the ‘conviction’ that Kim Ha-soo held.

In the first place, Yoo Seodam was a hunter with many years of experience under his belt. Throughout the numerous battlefields, he saw countless deaths. He also had lost his loved ones because he couldn't protect them.

Therefore, Yoo Seodam could sympathize with Kim Ha-soo’s feelings of wanting to protect his loved ones even though he’s weak.

In the first place, there’s only one reason why he wanted to become stronger.

‘Hell Gate'.

It was to return to that accursed place one more time and meet the person he had once lost due to his weakness. Unlike the past, he was now strong and is going to become stronger. So, maybe, just maybe, he would be able to save her.

That was why he did not refuse to do such vile things. He killed, killed, and killed regardless whether the person was good or evil.

But….

When he came to this world and saw a man with the same conviction as himself, someone who was trying to protect everyone, he couldn't bring himself to put a hole in his head.

“I will kill him…. I’ll be the one to carry out his conviction. I will kill him for sure.”

Even though the system didn't respond to his words, Yoo Seodam continuously repeated such words. For other people, it sounded like he was trying to memorize a spell of some sort.

“…Wait a minute. Maybe, If the protagonist's ‘ultimate goal' disappears, things could be solved in a better way, right?”

Impossible. The system tried to say so, before stopping. She had a feeling that whatever she said, Yoo Seodam wouldn’t be heeding to her words.

"I can see it."

On the day when Kim Ha-soo purchased a nano-recovery agent to save Lee Seong-soo, Yoo Seodam deserted the group and went straight to the northern plains.

Rumble!! Rumble!!

The ground trembled as the octopus-headed monster turned its head. It was bigger than the ‘63 Building’ that was attacked and destroyed by a monster in the past. (T/N 63 Building is a real skyscraper that exists in Korea.)

That octopus monster with blue eyes was none other than the ‘Colony’.

He finally arrived to the northern plains to hunt the so-called ‘mother of all monsters' that existed in the Koran Peninsula.

The chances of him failing was high. In the first place, he was aware that there was no way he could hunt something that could only be hunted by the protagonist with the help of protagonist correction. He was neither a protagonist nor did he have the power of probability backing him up. Nevertheless, he still came to this place.

If he didn’t do this, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to keep his sanity.

Yoo Seodam bit his lips. He disgusted himself with his own reasoning. After he became a protagonist hunter, he had always killed every protagonist without hesitation. But now, he couldn’t help but hesitate when he saw someone who reminded him of himself.

That was why Yoo Seodam planned to hunt the Colony for the sake of his target. So, even if his target dies, he could die comfortably.

…Or, he hoped that he could come up with some ‘other’ method to successfully complete this hunt once he erased the protagonist's final goal.

Hunting more difficult targets for his own peace of mind?

Yoo Seodam laughed wryly since it was really stupid and crazy idea.

At that moment, Taylor Nine came to his mind. He felt like he could hear her cursing vividly, ‘You are really crazy. I fell in love with some lunatic bastard.’ 

He also felt guilty towards Aracelli. He didn't say anything to her before leaving for this place. He also wanted to take her to Earth. The child had walked a very painful and difficult road, so he felt a responsibility to make her happy.

Then, Seol Jungyeon's face passed through his mind. Her warm smile vividly appeared in front of his eyes. She is a woman who planned to spend the rest of her life by living for him.

[E/N: Four harem members confirmed….]

‘I will definitely return.'

He had promised Seol Jungyeon, but what kind of expression will she make once she learns that he is doing such a stupid thing? Will she be angry? Or will she praise him for doing well? He didn’t know.

"I know. So what? Do you think I will die? I’ve come back alive from the pit of hell before.”

Clack clack!

Yoo Seodam loaded his Winchester and put it on his back, then he pulled from his inventory and wielded it. Soaked by rainwater, the red inscription on its body glowed brighter than it ever had.

The Flower Pot was also silent today. However, through the feeling of magic that was actively wriggling on his heart, he knew that even that little child was sincerely preparing.

Kuooh…!!

The fight began without anyone’s knowledge.

Through the rain, tentacles, each as big as pillars of a building soared high into the sky. It might penetrate Yoo Seodam’s body if he stayed on the ground. However, he was already flying in the sky.

Moments later, another tentacle whipped towards him as if trying to snatch his body.

Then, Yoo Seodam activated his boots skill [Wind Leap] and shot towards the ground.

Thanks to the repaired and , he was able to exert his full power. With the effect of magic and items on top of his S rank physical ability, he was able to exhibit the might of an S+ rank superhuman's physical ability. If the match was good, he might be able to demonstrate the strength of SS rank.

That was precisely the case right now.

Due to the windy condition, the effect of the Dharma's ‘Heavenly Wind God Technique’ had been reinforced. Therefore, he could move swiftly and hit the giant monster while avoiding its powerful and heavy attack.

When Yoo Seodam landed on one of the tentacles, it suddenly exploded. He was taken aback at the scene because he didn’t do anything but touch it. But then, he realized that the Flower Pot was the one who caused it.

‘Good. This much is enough.'

Yoo Seodam moved towards the biggest tentacle that hangs above his head. He assumed that it was the cause of the rain cloud. So, his business here would be finished once he removed it.

As he tried to move closer, numerous tentacles rushed towards him. However, Yoo Seodam skilfully avoided it all and quickly clung onto the Colony’s face. He then swung his sword and left a long 5m scar on its face.

KUOOOOHHHHH!!!!

Angered by Yoo Seodam’s action, the octopus-headed monster pulled out another tentacle from the ground and tried to hit Yoo Seodam with it. But Yoo Seodam had already moved to its right cheek area and struck his sword on it before running toward its forehead with its sword still dug deep on its flesh.

The tentacle whipped towards where Yoo Seodam ran into. However, just seconds before it reached its target, Yoo Seodam quickly pulled out his sword and moved to the octopus-headed monster’s back, before swinging his sword once again.

Like a wind gale, Yoo Seodam struck the monster's nose, left chin, forehead, back head, head, neck, and shoulders while he flew around avoiding the chase on the tentacle. He relentlessly cut down anything on his path, just like a raging storm.

But suddenly, a shockwave erupted and pushed Yoo Seodam’s body away.

“Kuhh…!”

Yoo Seodam crashed into the ground and rolled over the floor.

“Cough cough….”

Yoo Seodam found it difficult to breathe. He could feel blood was flowing from his ears. He was only attacked once so far, but his was already cut in half.

He stood up and staggered before trying to run, however, he lost his centre of gravity and fell over.

Swiishhhh!!

At that moment, a tentacle flew towards him.

It hit Yoo Seodam on the chest and blew him away.

Yoo Seodam bounced on the ground for nearly 30m before stopping.

"Damn it!!!!"

Yoo Seodam got up once again. Then, he took a potion from the inventory and injected it into his arm.

His bleeding quickly stopped. He also felt energized. Unlike potions from the fantasy genre, potions made in modern earth contains a very small amount of narcotics, therefore it couldn't be used often.

“Heup!”

Yoo Seodam put strength on his feet and leaped towards the Colony once again. From the opposite site, he could see lots of tentacles flying towards him.

Yoo Seodam moved around the tentacles by stepping on the tentacles, swinging his sword and avoiding it.

Every time his feet touches a tentacle, it either exploded, burned by lightning or froze.

After tearing several more tentacles, Yoo Seodam pulled the Winchester with his left hand and landed on the snout of the Colony.

Papa Papang!! 

An energy bomb exploded, creating a magical storm of sharp blades inside the Colony’s mouth.

Cutting, exploding, ripping and breaking.

Yoo Seodam used every method available to him to damage the Colony.

His sword contained numerous swordsmanship from other worlds. However, out of all these sword styles… Something pink that resembled a lotus flower was shining brighter than anything else.

A swordsmanship that resembled Seol Jungyeon, a breathing method obtained by Ha Sun-young, a heart-beating method created by Aracelli, a violent and aggressive hunting skill inspired by Taylor Nine, and a strategic but unexpected magic utilized just like Yekaterina. 

Even though he was fighting alone, Yoo Seodam felt like several people were helping him.

‘Sigh….'

As Yoo Seodam exhaled. He pulled Winchester's trigger before reloading it and put it on his back. Then he struck the Colony’s eyeball with his sword.

Boom!!

The eyeballs burst. It seems that his sword contains mana in it, and Flower Pot was the one who controlled the mana.

After that, his legs finally gave up. However, amidst the exhaustion, a smile bloomed on Yoo Seodam’s face.

It was because he could see the Colony fall backwards as it lost its eyeballs.

"Hahaha……."

Even though he was laughing, Yoo Seodam knew his condition was a complete mess. His shoulder had been dislocated and blood was gushing from his head. Moreover, his vision keeps getting darker and darker.

However, he didn’t really mind. Because he had successfully killed the Colony.

Now, he could dream of a better ending for this protagonist hunt. Maybe, if he was really lucky, he could reap the protagonist's power itself from Kim Ha-soo without killing him just like what he did to Yekaterina.

However,

Rumbleeeeeee!!!

The ground shook, and ‘something' raised its head.

"……Ah."

Yes. So far, the enemy that Yoo Seodam had been dealing with was Colony.

However, it was only a small part of a monster called Colony.

"Crazy….”

Yoo Seodam said in disbelief.

The true body of Colony was enormous and overwhelming. Its previous size that he thought was around the size of 63 Building was tiny compared to its true size.

The whole sky was obscured by its body. For a moment, Yoo Seodam thought that the rain had stopped because of it.

It rolled its blue eyes and looked at Yoo Seodam.

At that moment, Yoo Seodam realized. He could never face it alone. Because it was, at minimum, an SSS rank monster.

It was truly a monster worthy to be called as the Final Boss of this world’s protagonist.

“Haaaaaa, damn it….”

Yoo Seodam clenched his teeth. It doesn't matter how big the opponent is or how powerful they are. He had long forgotten the fear of death. That didn’t mean he was planning to die here. There were many people who were waiting for his return.

His intuition had told him so.

‘It’s not my time to die just yet.'

And so, he wielded his sword once again. His whole body was screaming in protest as he tried to get up.

Wooooshhhhh!!

At that moment, from a distance, something flew towards him with a noise that seemed to tear the sky apart.

Yoo Seodam knew what it was. He didn't know the exact model, but it's something he’d seen often in modern times.

‘Jet fighters?'

The moment he thought about it.

Someone jumped off from one of the jets. It was an impossible action for many human beings. But in this world, there’s one person who is capable of doing so.

It was the protagonist, Kim Ha-soo.

Boom!!

Kim Ha-soo landed on his knees in front of Yoo Seodam and raised his head. Then, he smiled at Yoo Seodam, revealing his pure white teeth.

“Lieutenant Yoo Seodam, thank you for your hard work. I was worried about how to pull its real ‘body’ outside… But your hard work has made things easier. There will not be a single victim.”

Rain poured down.

The Colony was furious. It swept the sky with its tentacles, fending off dozens of fighter jets.

“So, stop now. Please go back and rest. From here and on, I will be the one who solves it.”

What?

The moment Yoo Seodam tried to express such doubts, someone grabbed him by the shoulder from the back.

When he turned his head, he could see a transport aircraft and soldiers who walked towards him from it.

Then, the man who grabbed him by the shoulder, Lee Seong-soo said to him with a stiff expression devoid of his usual pleasant smile.

“…Let's go back. It's Captain’s command.”

“Wait, I can't-”

“Lieutenant Yoo Seodam. I don't know who you truly are. But I know that you're stronger than I thought. I know you can beat us all and do whatever you want if you want to.”

He was bowing his head. His head was covered in a beret, so his eyes couldn't be seen. But for some reason, rain flowed from his eyes. It was a hot rain that could not be stopped.

"Please… It’s Captain's comm— no, it is his last request. Can you please heed it?”

Yoo Seodam clenched his teeth and nodded. Then, he was promptly carried to the transport aircraft.

The moment he boarded the aircraft, he was able to see something Kim Ha-soo was carrying on his back.

‘That’s…… Zone Destruction Missile?’

Only then did he realize something. However, it was too late. As he tried to move his body, someone suddenly grabbed his arms. It was Aracelli.

“Professor, please….”

Aracelli was looking at Yoo Seodam with pleading eyes. Then, she hugged him tightly with both hands, worried he might run away again somewhere.

If Yoo Seodam really tried to run away, the strength of a teenage girl wouldn’t be able to stop him. However, he could never resist Aracelli.

In the end, Yoo Seodam had no choice but to look at Kim Ha-soo, who was alone on the ground, with blank eyes. Kim Ha-soo was looking straight towards the monster, so Yoo Seodam could not see his expression.

"You lots!!!"

Kim Ha-soo's voice resonated far and wide. It was loud enough to be heard by all soldiers in several aircrafts in the sky.

“Do you know why main characters in movies never look back at the last minute?”

And when the transport aircraft and several fighter jets had moved far enough from him. Kim Ha-soo raised his thumb high to the sky. His small back stood straight against the magnomous monster in front of him. It was a scene no one here could ever forget. It was imprinted forever in their memories.

“It’s because it’s not sexy.”

Wooooonngg!!!

Then, a pure white glow covered the world.

The rain that had always covered the world without a single day of rest, finally stopped. And a dazzling light that had almost been forgotten penetrated through the crevices of the clouds.

It was the first sunlight to ever illuminate the destroyed world.

[Staff thoughts: 

Asta: That was the sexiest roller coaster of emotion.

Kig: Damn… What a sexy protagonist…

Aaghna: May he rest in sexy.]

[Additional note: removed – from ranks (previously: S-rank, A-rank, etc. Now: S rank, B- rank, SS+ rank, etc.) to avoid confusion]