The Little Prince in the Ossuary-Chapter 117 : April Vengeance, corona Triumph (6)

April Vengeance, corona Triumph (6)

A decision postponed again and again. Gyeo-ul invested in a technique. In a direction to enhance combat ability. Even so, he couldn't achieve the efficiency he once had. The higher the grade, the fewer the times it had been previously mastered.

Thus, strengthening the survival-related series was put off for the future. This was the reason he had been saving up his accumulated resources.

'No matter how strong my combat power, a single epidemic could put me at risk.'

Though unlikely, Gyeo-ul wanted to prepare for the case of a "Manifest Liberation" failure.

In one of the worldviews that had ended some time ago, he once contracted a disease that caused the flesh to rot. In 「After the Apocalypse」, where non-humans roamed and killed people, such an illness meant an immediate social death. Back then, he was less well-off than now. His belated and inadequate "disease resistance" only prevented further progression.

[Confirmed civilians on top of the smokestack.]

A radio message from the pilot. As the helicopter circled above the cruise ship, Gyeo-ul also glanced in the same direction.

A few survivors were waving desperately to the sky atop the smokestack structure, where the engine exhaust was released. A high and precarious spot—how had they gotten up there? Many of the mutants wandering below the smokestack had broken limbs. They must have been people who failed the climb.

Being so plainly in view, the attack helicopter had to abandon its mission.

There were quite a few mutants on the tiered decks. Perhaps realizing they couldn't reach, they didn't clamor at the sight of the helicopter. Instead, from time to time, they just tilted their heads and stared quietly upward. That response alone was enough to show that the pathogen from Australia was just as threatening as those in the Americas.

The pilot prevented firing.

[Don't shoot yet. There are too many enemies. I'll get you into a good position if you wait.]

Both gunners signaled their OK. They were both clutching support weapons mounted on the sides of the helicopter. On one side, a medium machine gun; on the other, a minigun. The latter could fire 4,000 rounds per minute. Six barrels rotated, preventing overheating.

The pilot suggested making one round first. Since they had no knowledge of the internal structure, they needed to observe everything from the outside before heading in. Survivors trapped in passenger cabins pressed themselves to the windows.

The warrant officer at the controls displayed masterful skill, bringing the helicopter down almost to the water's surface. It moved as if sliding, checking for possible entryways besides the decks. With the ocean swirling so close, it felt almost like being on a boat. Spray from the breaking waves even splashed into the cabin.

[The boarding gates are open... but it looks hard to enter.]

The pilot's regretful voice. Just as he said, there were five open doors at a low height on the side of the hull. Entrances for passengers to embark and disembark when the ship docked. Or perhaps emergency exits.

Desperate people must have opened them. What happened after they jumped out?

As the waves broke, water flowed into the ship. But it was nowhere near enough to wash away the blood.

The corridors were soaked in blood. It looked like a scene from a cheap horror movie.

And in the middle, figures resembling humans stood motionless. Hearing the engine sound, they turned their heads furtively. Stepping out to where the doors were open, they braved the precarious wind, sizing up the distance to the helicopter.

"They are hardly any different from living people. It looks like it hasn't been long since infection."

The stiff voice belonged to the FBI agent.

Just as she said, the mutants' skin hadn't yet started to rot. Even before the immune response could tear the flesh.

It was the same for those on the deck. Gyeo-ul wondered if the agent would be able to bear it.

'It can't be helped with the adults, but there are too many children...'

Her weapon was a shotgun. A weapon that ripped targets apart with shot pellets. Wouldn't she be shocked at the sight of young children being shattered to bits? No matter if they're mutant infectees...

[What should we do, first Lieutenant?]

The pilot asked Gyeo-ul for his decision—where should they enter?

"Let's go to the uppermost deck. Start by clearing around the radar mast."

[Understood. Moving to firing position.]

To be on the safe side, the gunners on each side checked their weapons.

The radar mast, except for the smokestack, was the highest point on the ship. As befits a luxury liner, parasols and an outdoor restaurant were spread out around the mast. Now, the food served was human flesh.

How did someone end up dying at a table? The body of a man was being devoured. The creatures, feasting in neat clothes now soaked in blood, paused their meal and looked up blankly.

Bzzzzt. The sound of an electric motor.

"Guns, guns, guns."

With three repeated words, the minigun gunner warned, then pressed the trigger.

Vrrrrr-!

A barrage swept over them—a weapon that fired in an area, not just at points, instantly tearing up the deck. The hosts of the plague were ruthlessly smashed. Shattered heads, arms, legs, and torsos mixed together indiscriminately. Beneath broken lights, the blood splashing on the deck looked as if black darkness was being scattered.

"...."

A voiceless groan. The agent's gaze was fixed in place. The medium machine gunner, watching her, glanced over and mouthed something silently. Gyeo-ul read the shape of his lips: m-a-g-g-o-t. Rookie. An over-harsh judgment. Anyone who doesn't waver at such a scene would be abnormal.

'Yeah, I mean myself.'

Only now did Gyeo-ul feel his mood calm. A world that once worked with excessive effect for a boy like him, now moved according to inertia. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Whoa, what is that?"

The motor's rotation slowed. The gunner's astonishment snapped Gyeo-ul back to attention. In the path cleared by the barrage, one figure was staggering to its feet. Its appearance was bizarre: robust physique, and its skin densely covered with white spots. Judging by the blood, it seemed to have taken a few hits... Could it be a special mutant? As Gyeo-ul watched, the gunner tightened his lips, targeting the creature.

Vrrrrr-!

Unlike the previous wide sweep, this time the fire concentrated on a single spot.

It was as if sand was being blown off by the wind. The creature was being destroyed. Under the storm of hundreds of rounds, it was knocked down and sent rolling, being demolished in real time. That resilience was truly impressive.

Keeeek! In its final moment, the monster let out a death shriek.

[Hmm? Oh no, all the other decks have cleared out. They're running away.]

The pilot reported in dismay. Those who witnessed the power of human firepower had ducked into the interior. Gyeo-ul had noticed this as well. With intelligence, it was only natural. But the speed exceeded expectations.

'If they're that organized...'

A Trickster, ghoul, or something similar. Only a higher-rank entity capable of exerting command could make ordinary mutants act with such unity. The enemy remained shrouded in mystery.

A deck filled deeply with death and silence. The helicopter touched down on it for a moment. Without missing his chance, Gyeo-ul and the agent disembarked. The helicopter did not stop for even a second, immediately lifting away.

The pilot left words of encouragement.

[We'll first rescue the people on the smokestack, and then watch from above. Come back anytime if things get critical. Good luck.]

Before the paralysis of flight terror could even subside, the agent's foot slipped.

"Ugh!"

She had stepped on a gallbladder. On the deck soaked with blood and oil, shredded corpses covered every line of sight. Gyeo-ul too had just stepped on someone's colon. With a fizz, feces oozed out. The smell didn't get any worse. It was already unbearable.

"Are you alright?"

Gyeo-ul extended a hand to her. The slightly rocking ship, and the slippery floor. If she tried to stand on her own, any hand she used would get soaked in blood. Gritting her teeth, the agent grabbed Gyeo-ul's hand.

They moved forward, dragging their feet. Gyeo-ul approached the body of the special mutant. Its body, ravaged by concentrated fire, was shredded and now stretched over ten meters.

He needed to analyze its characteristics. Gyeo-ul drew his machete.

Tic.

He poked an unidentified white spot; a sound like hard things clashing came out. The agent furrowed her brow.

"This is... bone."

Indeed. The white spots covering the skin were actually shallow and wide bone structures under the flesh. Bone beneath bone. Even with flesh in between, the layered bones ultimately provided an airtight shield. It was virtually an exoskeleton. The muscle thickness was greater than that of a trained athlete.

At first glance, it looked like fatty, rotting pork.

"I have no idea how many of these things there are, but this is troubling. They'd be hard to take down with ordinary personal firearms."

The bone density supporting the superhuman muscles was extremely high. Just as the agent said, it was a monster that would ignore most firearms and charge in. Even with a shotgun's repeated fire, a clean kill was not guaranteed.

Are there such creatures in Australia? If these things land, is this how a new type is transmitted to the mutants in the Americas?

There was a weakness. Gyeo-ul collected the larger pieces of the carcass.

"At the very least, it doesn't protect the joints. Of course—otherwise, it couldn't move."

Then he grabbed the neck and twisted it hard. Crack, the bones broke out of alignment. A pitch-black tongue, studded with infectious spines, slipped out between its teeth. The neck, too, because of up, down, left, and right movement, didn't have such a dense bone covering. When pressed, depending on the part, it even felt a bit soft and cartilaginous.

"That may only be a meaningful weakness for a person like you, first Lieutenant..."

The agent shook her head with a wry smile. Yet, although there was tension, there was no fear. She was a woman far more afraid of flying than of mutants. As she stood up from the corpse, agent Gibson addressed Gyeo-ul.

"Let's go. I'll take your six."

Twelve o'clock was forward, six o'clock was rear—that meant she'd cover his back. She expertly watched a wide arc. Gyeo-ul searched for a way down to the next level.

The upper deck of a luxury cruise ship was an open, multi-layered structure. From the outdoor restaurant, there were two ways down to the next deck: take the stairs, or use the slide. The cylindrical slide dropped straight into the swimming pool below. Its bright colors were vivid even at night. Multicolored.

Inside that hole, there was an infected boy.

Grrrrk.

When their eyes met, the boy flinched. Although it was a cautious gesture, his small build made it look like fear.

Empathy is so arbitrary.

Our impression of the other rarely matches their true essence.

Gyeo-ul fired a single shot. Thock! The head snapped back, blood-red brain matter splattering onto the slide. Against the yellow background, it stood out even more.

The corpse was sucked into the cylinder. And then, splash! The sound of a body hitting water. Looking over the railing below, there was now one more body in the already blood-red swimming pool.

By this time, the helicopter approached the smokestack. Once again, the pilot's skill was superb. Matching the speed of the ship, he maneuvered at a constant velocity, without apparent acceleration or deceleration.

After closely watching the process of confirming infection status and rescuing people, Gyeo-ul descended two flights of stairs. He shot two lookouts before they could scream. It took only one bullet.

Grrk. Grrrrk. Two necks penetrated by single shots. The mutants, even as blood drooled from their mouths, still staggered toward him. Gyeo-ul waited quietly. As they lost their footing, falling and crawling closer, he kicked them away. Only when they could no longer move due to respiratory distress did he finally leave them.

'I need to conserve my ammo.'

There was plenty of time left before the cruise would reach San Francisco. If he was lucky, Gyeo-ul could secure a core part of the ship and ride it all the way to San Francisco.

—Author's Notes—

#Star of Espionage

Do you know the Naver webtoon "Star of Espionage"?

Really, it's been a long time since I've seen such a pure-hearted comic.

And then I realized: the reason Lulue doesn't come to mind is because Cthulhu is afraid of the world's high school girls...

Someday, I'd like to have combat capability greater than three high school girls too.

Make sure to read it. It's a great webtoon.

#Q&A

Q. "bab-e-neunchitsol": @Park Woocheol, how many gods have descended upon you these days?

A. Since he's performing plays where the God of Consumption literally dances, he's enjoying the blessings of many different gods. You could call him Everchosen.

Q. Ca-something: Is this how Gyeo-ul would get to see foreign mutants? It seems like finding a nuclear submarine would be hard enough, but he's even rescuing civilians... wow. Why does Gyeo-ul save civilians? Is it just because, as the player, he's accepting the quest as part of passing events, like a game? Or does he truly want to save civilians and correct injustice, even a little, because of his sense of justice? (etc. omitted)

A. There are some clues. Like, Gyeo-ul once said, what do I have left besides my heart now? And, in the counseling part, he spoke of human standards. And then, his confession: "I didn't know it myself, but maybe I've been dreaming of fighting the world."

There are others too. If you read through the series again in, say, 40,000 years, it should make more sense. Heh heh.

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