Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

170 – New Monster

Since the onset of the Gate Crisis, the landscape of the DMZ outposts, originally established solely for monitoring the armistice line, had undergone significant changes. Due to the frequent appearance of gates in relatively uninhabited areas, the DMZ, devoid of residents, became one of the prime locations for gate emergence.

Thus, from 2022, when the Gate Crisis began in earnest, the duties of soldiers guarding the DMZ included not only inspecting the armistice line fences but also scouting for and reporting gate occurrences within the boundary area. Naturally, the Ministry of Defense’s decision to expand the surveillance area without increasing the number of personnel caused immense stress for the soldiers stationed in the DMZ.

“Hey, Min-jae. They want us to check the valley up by Jungse-ri today,” Sergeant Ki Sung-woo, who had been promoted last month, said with a frustrated expression, looking at his subordinate.

Private Min-jae, the one being addressed, responded, “Didn’t we check the Jungse-ri valley last week?”

“They want it checked again this week. Grab the flare gun. We’ll head down right after we finish the optical network inspection.”

“What if we actually find a gate? They say the monsters these days can’t be handled with just a K2 rifle.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. What’s the point of scouting if we can’t respond? If we find a gate, try to make as little noise as possible and escape without being noticed. Only fire the flare if you’re sure it’s safe.”

“During the last training, they told us to track the monster, find the gate, and fire the flare right at the gate’s location.”

“That’s a damn rule made to get us killed. Who in their right mind would fire a flare right next to a gate? You’d get torn to shreds by monsters instantly. If you see anything resembling a monster, be cautious and run. Fire the flare from as far away as possible, and let the EDA guys handle the rest.”

Private Min-jae then asked his superior, “Aren’t we getting any anti-monster equipment? I heard that before I enlisted, they used to have specialized units and even provided anti-material sniper rifles.”

“That was in the early days. After a soldier from the 8th Division tried to shoot a monster with a .50 caliber and got the whole unit wiped out, the regulations changed. Now, active-duty soldiers only perform surveillance and scouting missions, and the EDA handles all monsters.”

“Still, shouldn’t we at least be given equipment to protect ourselves in case of an emergency? Sending us out with just a flare gun for scouting duties seems a bit much…”

“Well, each major unit has EDA-affiliated Awakeners stationed on rotation. Just a heads-up, don’t get any ideas about becoming an Awakener by taking down a monster with live ammunition. There have been plenty of active-duty soldiers who ended up on the news as corpses because they tried that.”

“Have you never thought about it, Sergeant? They say becoming an Awakener can completely change your life.”

“Well, it’s a hot topic these days, so I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. But trying it in the military isn’t the way to go. These days, there are plenty of companies selling equipment for civilians to hunt monsters, and soon, power armors made with technology released by the Liberal Clan will be available for civilian purchase. It’s better to save up and buy that gear to try becoming an Awakener. Trying to take down an monster with a K2 rifle that can’t even pierce their hide is practically a s*****e mission.”

With their conversation concluded, the two soldiers stepped outside to inspect the optical cables installed along the armistice line. After confirming there were no issues, they proceeded towards the canyon they were ordered to scout.

The area, while called a canyon, wasn’t particularly rugged. However, it was a shadowy, valley-like region with large trees that had grown densely over decades, obscuring visibility.

“Let’s split up here. You follow the stream down that way, and I’ll scout from the ridge above.”

“Take care of yourself. You’re close to discharge, aren’t you?”

“Even if you don’t say it, the moment I see even a hint of an monster, I’m ditching you and running like hell. You do the same—if you see anything suspicious, radio in and get out immediately.”

Separated from his superior, Private Min-jae cautiously moved forward with his rifle, loaded and ready to fire at any moment. He was on high alert for any unknown monsters that might be lurking in the underbrush.

In Min-jae’s mind, there was a mix of fear—hoping he wouldn’t encounter an monster until his discharge—and a flicker of hope that if he did find and successfully hunt one, he might become an Awakener.

Although rare now due to the increased strength of monsters, there were many stories from the early days of the Gate Crisis about soldiers who became Awakeners by hunting monsters during their service. These tales had become a sort of urban legend among soldiers, similar to stories about soldiers who captured North Korean infiltrators and were immediately discharged.

Moreover, rumors circulated that Cha Myung-jun, considered the world’s strongest Awakener, had also gained his abilities during his military service. Min-jae hoped he might get such an opportunity.

‘If it’s a strong one, I’ll have to run, but they say weaker gates from the early days still appear occasionally…’

He tightened his grip on the K2 rifle, ready to shoot and eliminate any weak monster he might encounter, planning to quickly leave the scene before his comrades arrived. As if responding to his expectations, a small creature, distinctly different from any known earthly life form, appeared before his eyes as he diligently searched the forest.

‘Is that an monster? Is it weak? It doesn’t look like anything from the manual.’

The monster he saw resembled a large worm. It had no teeth, not even a mouth, and looked like a long, red piece of flesh, reminiscent of a sea cucumber. It was unlike any monster he had seen during training.

‘Could I take it down?’

The fleshy creature showed no reaction as Min-jae approached, seemingly lacking sensory organs to detect sound. It simply lay on the fallen leaves, quietly inflating and deflating its body as if it were sleeping.

Seeing the monster’s passive state, Min-jae felt his fear being replaced by a rising desire to become an Awakener.

‘It doesn’t have thick skin, it’s small, it looks slow, and most importantly, it doesn’t seem to have a mouth to attack with.’

Judging that such a soft and moist organism couldn’t withstand the firepower of his K2 rifle, Min-jae decided to shoot it instead of firing a flare. He maintained a safe distance of over 200 meters, ready for the arrival of his comrades if needed.

With his rifle aimed at the red flesh, Min-jae focused with an intensity far beyond what he had ever experienced at the shooting range and pulled the trigger.

BANG!!! –

The rifle’s thunderous roar echoed through the forest as the bullet burst the red flesh like a balloon. To Min-jae’s astonishment, an incredible amount of fluid gushed out from the small creature. Amidst the mess, he saw something glinting that he recognized from TV.

‘A crystal!’

Even the smallest ones were valued at hundreds of thousands of won. Sometimes, they were known to grant supernatural abilities to those who touched them.

With his heart pounding, Min-jae sprinted towards the direction of the fleshy remains, eager to claim the crystal.

He quickly reached for the iridescent gem glinting in the pool of blood.

‘I can become an Awakener too!’

Although Min-jae knew that not everyone who touched a crystal became an Awakener, he was convinced that he would be the exception. He believed his life was special, that he was the protagonist of this world, born solely for this moment.

However, what Min-jae didn’t know was that as he reached for the crystal, a red fleshy tendril with a sharp 10-centimeter needle-like spike was rising from the ground behind him, aiming for his neck.

Just before Min-jae’s hand touched the crystal, the tendril struck, driving the needle mercilessly into the exposed nape of his neck beneath his helmet.

Puuuk!! –

“Guh… Guhhh!!!”

An excruciating pain, as if boiling liquid metal was being poured into his spinal nerves, coursed through Min-jae’s body. The pain was so overwhelming that he couldn’t even scream. He simply convulsed, hanging from the tendril like a puppet, his body shaking uncontrollably.

In that moment of unimaginable agony, Min-jae realized that the fleshy mass he had burst was merely bait. The fragments of the red flesh, which had scattered and revealed the crystal, were now coalescing, reforming into their original shape like liquid metal.

Despite the horrific pain, Min-jae instinctively knew he had to alert his superior about this new type of monster.

‘New… monster… must… report…’

Enduring the hellish pain with every movement, Min-jae desperately reached into his pocket. He pulled out the flare gun from its holster and fired it haphazardly into the air.

Bang –

The small pop of the flare gun was nothing compared to the thunderous sound of his rifle earlier, but it was enough to rattle his eardrums. Satisfied, Min-jae managed a faint smile.

However, as if to crush his hopes, another tendril shot up from the ground at lightning speed, intercepting the flare mid-air. It opened its mouth and swallowed the burning flare whole, like a predator consuming its prey.

“Guh… Guhh… What… the…”

At that moment, an even more excruciating pain than before surged through Min-jae’s body, forcing his mouth open in agony. But before he could scream, another tendril emerged and clamped over his mouth.

The tendril began to pour the most nauseating liquid into Min-jae’s mouth, making him gag and retch. His body tried to expel the foreign substance, but the tendril’s pressure was stronger, forcing the unknown liquid into his stomach.

“Ugh… Ugh… Ugh!!”

The sensation of something he shouldn’t swallow entering his body made Min-jae’s stomach turn, but the tendril relentlessly pushed the liquid into him. After a few moments, the tendrils released him, as if they had achieved their purpose.

The tendrils, including the one with the needle that had pierced his neck, withdrew from his body and disappeared into the ground, leaving Min-jae alone, his eyes unfocused and dazed.

Just then, Sergeant Ki Sung-woo, who had heard the rifle shot, arrived and found Min-jae collapsed on the ground. He shouted in alarm, “Min-jae!!!”

“Sergeant Ki…?”

“I heard the gunshot! What happened?! Why did you take out the flare gun? Wait, you already fired it? I didn’t see the signal. Was it a dud?”

“Sergeant…”

“You don’t seem injured. What the hell happened?”

Suddenly, as if snapping back to reality, Min-jae stood up abruptly. He shook his helmet as if trying to clear his head and spoke to his superior.

“It was a wild boar. It charged at me out of nowhere.”

“And the flare?”

“I thought it was a monster because it was so big, so I tried to fire the flare. But it must have been a dud.”

“It’s probably a good thing it was a dud. If you had fired a flare at a wild boar, you’d have been called in by the battalion commander for a grilling. Any monsters?”

“None. This area is clean.”

“Then why were you lying on the ground?”

“I was running away in a panic and felt nauseous. I’m fine now. But, Sergeant…”

“What?”

“My legs are shaking. Could you help me up, even just for a moment?”

“You idiot. Of course, lean on me. I’ll help you down to the valley. But you have to go to the medical unit, alright?”

Feeling reassured by his subordinate’s seemingly fine condition, Sergeant Ki Sung-woo grabbed Min-jae’s arm. As he placed Min-jae’s arm over his shoulder to support him, Min-jae suddenly screamed.

“Sergeant! Run awa—ugh!!!”

Turning his head to look at Min-jae leaning on his shoulder, Ki Sung-woo saw a horrifying tendril emerging from Min-jae’s mouth, aiming straight at him. He tried to push Min-jae away, but Min-jae’s grip on his shoulder was unyielding.

Unable to stop the tendril, Ki Sung-woo let out a terrible scream as it forced its way into his mouth. Moments later, after swallowing the tendril, Ki Sung-woo collapsed to the ground with vacant eyes, just like Min-jae.

Rising to his feet, Ki Sung-woo spoke to Min-jae, “Assimilation complete. Memory consumption in progress.”

“Memory… partially digested. Tracking base location.”

“Confirming host directive. Act inconspicuously.”

“Confirmed. Moving to battalion headquarters. Initiating additional host acquisition.”

The two exchanged an incomprehensible dialogue and began moving skillfully through the underbrush towards their battalion headquarters. Their movements perfectly mimicked their pre-possession habits, making it impossible to distinguish them from their former selves.