Ubermensch – Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Castle, adjacent to Yongsan Station, was only one subway station away. It was literally right in front of them. To think that so many monsters could be hiding in such a close location.

‘No, rather, it’s because of Castle that we didn’t notice.’

Attack teams or camps usually started their operations by scouting nearby subway stations. This was because it was a headache for them, as attackers, if monsters hiding in the subway suddenly popped out.

The problem was that Castle Defense was the exact opposite. It was an operation designed to lure and wipe out monsters.

They never imagined that any monsters would remain within the reach of the luring waves.

Because they had never seen it before.

That was right.

They hadn’t anticipated the possibility that the premise of the operation, ‘All monsters are lured by the luring waves,’ could be broken, so they hadn’t bothered to scout nearby dangerous areas.

‘It’s not something our party can handle alone. We need to return to Castle and bring more personnel…’

Seo Yeonhee, who was about to turn around, hesitated.

‘…Scar?’

Not a single monster that looked like a Centaur was in sight.

Were they hiding in blind spots like restrooms or station offices?

Or…

‘Deeper inside…?’

Seo Yeonhee pondered for a moment.

This place, Basement Level 2, was the subway platform. It was a space connected to other stations.

“…”

Seo Yeonhee made up her mind.

‘Let’s scout and go.’

It was dangerous. A dangerous task, but…

Fighting without proper information could endanger the entire attack team involved.

Then she would have to bear the risk herself.

Seo Yeonhee went down to Basement Level 2, avoiding the monsters as much as possible.

“…!”

The moment the view of Basement Level 2 came into sight.

Seo Yeonhee froze in place.

Did good news and bad news always come together?

This time was no different.

‘Centaur…’

The good news was that she had found the Centaurs.

The Centaur that had entered the subway station from above was kneeling and looking up at someone.

The bad news was that the kneeling Centaur wasn’t Scar.

A giant Centaur, as large and imposing as a subway car, was sitting majestically deep inside the subway.

‘Scar…!’

The giant Centaur with a cross-shaped scar on its chest, Scar.

He was listening to a Centaur less than half his size speak.

In those eyes, as large as marbles, a wicked intelligence flickered.

And the truly horrifying thing was… he wasn’t alone.

‘Ogre… Troll…?’

If Basement Level 1 was where small and medium-sized monsters resided, Basement Level 2 was swarming with large monsters.

Even beyond the subway station, along the tunnel sections, she could sense the presence of monsters.

Seo Yeonhee felt dizzy.

‘This isn’t a horde of monsters. This is… an army of monsters!’

The most fundamental question that Mason and Seo Yeonhee had at Castle.

The answer to that question was lurking underground.

Seo Yeonhee bit her lip.

‘I have to report this.’

This was a situation where she needed to request reinforcements from Castle, no, from the mainland.

Seo Yeonhee slowly started to move. Carefully, but hurriedly.

But at that moment.

“Sniff.”

As soon as she heard the sound of sniffing, a black shadow rushed towards her from behind.

“Kyaak!”

Small and thin, hence fast and sharp enemy.

It was a Goblin wielding two daggers wreathed in lightning.

A Goblin, draped in a tattered cloak, seemingly twice the size of its kin at first glance.

It swung its daggers, aiming precisely at Seo Yeonhee’s location.

Seo Yeonhee quickly threw herself aside to dodge.

Thud!

At that moment.

Seo Yeonhee felt a chill run down her spine.

“Ah…”

Eyes. Hundreds, maybe thousands of monster eyes were all fixed on her.

And in all those eyes…

“Krrr…!”

…killing intent began to swirl.

๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑

Seo Yeonhee drew her daggers.

‘Run.’

But her duty was clear.

‘To run, I must fight.’

She had to fight, even if it was just to open a path of blood.

Seo Yeonhee ran along the walls, flinging various items from her pockets. Smoke grenades, flashbangs, caltrops, and more.

Tools with no lethal force, but highly effective for disruption and confusion.

“Queek?!”

“Krrk?!”

Amidst the confused cries, Seo Yeonhee leaped and weaved through the monsters, performing parkour.

‘Got it!’

The exit was visible in the distance.

The monsters on Basement Level 2 were too large to pass through the stairwell, and the confused monsters on Basement Level 1 could be broken through.

“Kyaak!”

It was then.

Right in front of Seo Yeonhee’s eyes. A familiar shadow rushed onto the stairwell.

‘Kkeuk…!’

It was the Goblin in rags, wielding twin daggers.

Did it see through the flashbangs and smoke grenades?

No, that wasn’t it. Its eyes were unfocused.

Just as it had attacked without hesitation upon spotting the intruder, it had reflexively blocked the retreat as soon as Seo Yeonhee detonated the flashbang.

‘This one has high combat intelligence…!’

Seo Yeonhee had no choice but to confront the Goblin, wielding her two daggers.

Clang! Clang! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!

However, even blinded, the Goblin maintained an ironclad defense, blocking Seo Yeonhee’s attacks.

It couldn’t block everything due to its lost vision. But it was definitely protecting its vital points.

It knew that it didn’t need to win the fight, just keep Seo Yeonhee tied down.

At that moment.

“Duck!”

As Seo Yeonhee reflexively ducked, a thud echoed, and the Goblin’s body flew away like a soccer ball.

“Mason!”

Mason, hearing the sounds of battle, had kicked it in a hurry.

“Grab her!”

Mason extended his hand to Seo Yeonhee.

As Seo Yeonhee grabbed his hand, Mason flung her backwards.

Seo Yeonhee landed on the ground after performing a somersault.

“Shall we fight?!”

Mason shouted, but Seo Yeonhee shook her head.

“We have to run! We have to return to base!”

“Right!”

Mason looked at Deroa.

Deroa made a crying face.

“Hey! Teleport’s blocked!”

“What? Why?!”

“Interference field!”

A raid boss’s unique ability to block teleportation.

It was bad news.

It meant that the thing down here was at least raid boss level.

“D*mn it!”

Mason gripped his two-handed hammer.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

Crash! Crash!

He slammed his hammer against both walls, and with a cracking sound, the exit began to collapse.

After blocking the exit, Mason hoisted Deroa onto his shoulder.

“Run to Castle!”

“Yes!”

They started to flee in a hurry.

At that moment.

“Hiss!”

With a sharp, hissing sound like air escaping, something rushed from the nearby ruins.

It was a humanoid insect wielding a large halberd.

The halberd, wreathed in bluish flames, hurtled towards the group.

“Humph!”

At that moment, Ronan turned and parried the halberd.

As Ronan adjusted his Dragon Bone Greatsword, preparing to launch his next attack, Deroa shouted.

“Old man! What are you doing? Run!”

“…”

Ronan swung his Dragon Bone Greatsword wide, forcing the humanoid insect to retreat. He turned and rejoined the group.

At that moment.

Whoosh!

“…!”

A stake as thick as a human arm flew towards Deroa like an arrow.

‘Too late.’

Mason was looking ahead, and Deroa had no way to dodge.

As Deroa squeezed her eyes shut and ducked her head,

Clang!

With a sharp metallic sound, the stake grazed Deroa’s cheek and flew past.

“Liza!”

Liza had swung her spear, altering the stake’s trajectory.

She spoke to Mason in a calm voice.

“There’s a sniper. Cover Deroa.”

“Thanks!”

Mason lowered Deroa from his shoulder and embraced her.

He glanced back and saw a monster as large as a bull, looking like a hedgehog that had been pumped full of steroids, shaking its body.

‘D*mn it.’

From the Goblin onwards, they were all displaying threatening movements. They weren’t just strong, they were showing tactical movements.

As Mason’s group approached the front of Castle, the people inside began providing cover fire.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The monsters all retreated in unison.

“Now! Open the gate!”

As the gate of Castle opened with a heavy thud, Mason’s group tumbled inside.

“Huff… Huff…”

As people gasped for breath, Seo Yeonhee shouted urgently.

“Yongsan Station! Deploy troops towards Yongsan Station! Quickly!”

It was the opposite direction from the monsters in front of them.

When people looked puzzled, Seo Yeonhee shouted.

“The large monsters are flanking!”

The monsters currently chasing Seo Yeonhee were the small and medium-sized monsters from Basement Level 1. Only the smaller ones that could enter and exit through the subway entrances.

The large monsters, unable to use the stairs, must have been moving along the tracks from the beginning.

And assuming they were flanking, the exit would be the above-ground station.

“Large monsters!”

It was the direction of Yongsan Station.

Castle and Yongsan Station were a stone’s throw away, right in front of them.

The distance, the safety margin, the most crucial resource for ranged dealers, could not be secured.

“Slow them down! Slow them down somehow!”

The mages desperately unleashed their magic. But at their forefront was Scar.

“Kraaaaaaaaa!”

Scar, the giant Centaur with a body the size of a large trailer. He stood at the vanguard of the monsters, charging like a raging storm, and…

Crash!

He slammed into the wall of Castle, reinforced with steel and concrete.

The steel buckled, and the concrete crumbled.

“Oh God…”

Amidst the flying debris, people momentarily stopped and groaned. It had only been 30 minutes ago that they were enjoying their peaceful daily lives.

30 minutes. In those 30 minutes, everything had changed.

Who would have expected this?

Who would have expected the walls to crumble and break?

Even as people despaired, the tidal wave of large monsters surged in like floodwaters breaching a dam.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

At that moment, Mason’s roar shook the heavens.

It wasn’t just a simple roar. Mason, reaching out his hand towards the sky, was already charging towards Scar.

Thud.

The two-handed hammer, flown in by rune magic, landed in Mason’s hand.

Crash!

Mason’s strike slammed into Scar’s abdomen.

Scar staggered, taking three steps back, and Mason, standing majestically in his place, roared.

“Are you going to die a coward? Fight! Die fighting!”

Though momentarily stunned by the shock, everyone here was a battle-hardened warrior.

Regaining their senses at Mason’s roar, people began to grip their weapons anew. The first to raise his weapon high was Sung Kijun.

“Holy Knights! Forward!”

Clank! Clank! Clank!

They all gripped their weapons in unison.

The Holy Knights, renowned for their mental fortitude.

They shook off their fear and shouted.

“For the weak!”