Rust - Chapter 609



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-609

The video sent from Kim Yang’s exosuit tactical camera became increasingly distorted here and there.

‘If the radio interference is this bad, it means there are monsters swarming around.’

So, like the cockroaches and rats we encountered in the New York sewer, or at least the snakes we encountered in Yellowstone National Park. At that time, the communications and tactical camera footage were all messed up.

‘Or there’s a monster emitting jamming signals.’

Either way it wasn’t good.

In the video, Ms. Kim carefully advanced. The supply warehouse she reached was full of traces of battle. Broken walls and roofs, and signs of explosions and burns here and there.

Maru’s brow furrowed as he watched the video while wearing the Ripper suit.

[Chi-ik- See-huh? Chik-]

[Chijik- beep-]

The video cut out at the same time that the rear sensor of Kim Yang’s exosuit made a loud noise. Even though the nurse was startled and let out an ‘Eeeet-‘ sound, Maru stayed in his spot.

If Miss Kim was in danger at such close range, her senses would have been activated, and if she was feeling calm, it would mean that she could handle the situation well.

“Shouldn’t you be going out now? The video suddenly cut off.”

The nurse fidgeted and stomped her feet.

hmm-

Maru had intended to wait a little longer, but nodded after seeing the nurse’s tense face.

“After I leave, move the car back.”

“Back? How far?”

“Out of Tully.”

“Huh? That far?”

If you were going to take it out, it would be better to take it out. If you took it out clumsily and the snowmobile was attacked, you would be tired. Above all, it was dangerous to leave the defense to the nurse when you were not sure who the enemy was.

“Set the AI ​​assistant’s autonomous defense to the highest level and never go outside.”

“Me. Absolutely not.”

“Yes. Absolutely not.”

“Ah. Okay, I understand.”

Maru activated his stealth function and went outside.

At the same time as the crunching sound of snow crunching, heavy gunfire began to ring out from the direction of the supply warehouse across from where Miss Kim was.

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Beep be …

High-pitched sound from the rear sensor.

Ms. Kim lay down on her stomach. Although lying down like this was dangerous, she did not hesitate.

Crunch-

Something lunged for the back of its prey’s neck, missed, and flew back toward her.

Quadduk-

Kim Yang rolled over and dodged again, then crawled on his back and aimed his 20mm chain gun.

?

What disappeared in that brief moment in front of the gun barrel?

[Play the previously recorded video]

[Play video.]

The assistant AI uploaded a recorded video to one corner of the HUD. There was a strange monster disguised in camouflage.

[what?]

[There is a greater than 90% chance that it is a subspecies of the American badger.]

Beep-beep—-

When I aimed my gun in response to the side sensor sound, it was already gone.

It has a truly amazing reaction speed and even a camouflage that is almost stealthy. If you see it and react, it will be too late.

Hoot

Ms. Kim closed her eyes.

What came to mind was the movement of the floor.

Things that almost killed me while working in the past.

Let’s bring back the moments when it was too late to look and shoot. Under the slogan of ‘think and shoot,’ the nature of shooting and watching that was buried has quietly awakened.

There was no sound and no sight, so Kim Yang just pulled the trigger and turned the gun to the side, aiming at the empty snowfield.

Wheeeeeeing-

Doo doo doo doo-

The sound of gunfire mixed with the sound of electric motors created a red-hot spurt of blood.

‘Can it hold 20mm?’

Kim Yang’s eyes narrowed. If it had been a buffalo, moose, or bear, it would have withstood a 20mm bullet. They were monsters that were 4~5m tall at the shoulder.

But the size of the raccoon that was holding out even after being hit by a 20mm bullet was only about 2m. I brought a 20mm chain gun to catch those rats, but I didn’t know there was something like that.

[The American badger is known to have quite tough hide···.]

[Unlike other beasts that mutated to increase in size, it is predicted that it mutated to focus on agility, endurance, and resilience.]

The crimson blood stains that had been dripping down, as if from an analysis by an assistant AI, had disappeared.

All that remained near the last trace was a dent, a sign that the snow and ice had been dug into in a matter of seconds.

Kim Yang activated the spectacle sensor toward the sunken space. Past the blocked entrance, a long passageway was faintly visible.

‘Did you block the entrance?’

The bastard blocked the hole as he ran away.

If you want to throw nerve gas or napalm, you have to break through the blocked area. In that short period of time, you can break through and block the hole.

‘What the heck is this?’

There were no reports of such a thing. And yet, it was as if a bomb had been thrown into the hole···.

‘Have you ever been in a bomb attack?’

Suddenly, this thought occurred to Ms. Kim.

What if the Divine Rats and Flame Rats fought this?

What if you couldn’t catch it even if you desperately took drugs and threw bombs?

When I pictured a badger trampling a pack of rats, I thought I knew why there were packs of independent rats.

The god of death that the older generations spoke of?

Drugs and bombs as evidence of faith?

All that stuff is meaningless.

To the new generation of rats, the badger in front of them must have been a monster that was difficult to resist. The faith of the rats that had passed through the generations was that shallow.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-

Red spots began to gradually increase, filling the space where the raccoon had disappeared.

‘Look at these little bastards.’

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A year was a really long time for a rat. The story of the god of death told in a picture book became a story of 4~5 generations ago after a year had passed.

Even if the mutation caused an increase in lifespan, the rats that experienced Maru directly became ardent believers and went to the front lines. So many died.

The second generation of rats that followed believed in the power of the blessings of medicine and bombs as something sacred, but the next generation, whose intelligence developed further and whose thumbs began to grow, was different.

As their brains got better, they began to think that medicine and bombs were just human objects. Compared to the 1st and 2nd generations, which were only 40-50cm in size, the 4th generation and later grew to 60-70cm.

Drugs that mixed antibiotics and psychotropic effects also developed resistance after about the fourth generation. The dramatic effects of antibiotics were reduced, but the body’s healing power increased, and as addiction resistance developed, the feeling of God’s grace that the first and second generations felt disappeared.

If the 1st and 2nd generations had overwhelming power, things would have been different, but after the 4th generation, when the younger rats who were bigger, stronger, and smarter took power, the atmosphere changed drastically.

I can expand my power by using the medicine and bombs that humans give me. There is no need to fight humans. While I was taking the medicine and bombs that PD gave me and sucking the honey, a monster appeared.

The first and second generation rats who still believed in the god of death fought the monster with drugs and bombs. They cried out to the god of death and burned their entire bodies, but the results were disastrous.

The monster was impervious to explosions and could not be caught by fire that did not go out easily. The scariest thing was that the experience and tactics of the first and second generations did not work.

After the monsters entered the city and settled in, the rat population, whose food situation rapidly worsened, began to split.

Some rats left the city in groups, and some rats decided to believe in the reality before their eyes rather than the god of death whose identity was uncertain.

And the monster made sense.

The rats split into two when they were told that if they offered two rats a day, they would be protected with that.

The God of Death. They still believe in the being who gave them the grace of medicine and bombs. They follow the group and the new ruler. And the group that follows the new ruler gradually increases.

Jjiiiiiiiiik! (Save me. Noeeee- kill me!)

Maru, who had gone out of the snowmobile, quickly caught a rat. The nurse, with a bad expression, told the story of the interrogation so far.

“So the rats are divided into two. A monster that came from somewhere is now ruling the rats here.”

“yes.”

A deep wrinkle appeared between Maru’s eyebrows. He remembered the conversation he had had with the PD.

‘If you want to control rats, it’s best to use your faith.’

Even now, Maru had no intention of playing God back then.

PD and people thought that it was up to them to decide what they thought of themselves. Because they didn’t think of themselves as gods, apostles, or saviors.

‘Did I get it wrong?’

I didn’t know that I would lose control in just over a year. It was fortunate that the Sacred Rats and Flame Clan Rats that entered the Newport News Shipyard were the mainstays of the first and second generations, otherwise things would have been crazy.

Caaaak?

“Don’t say things like that. You’ll be in big trouble.”

“What did you say?”

At Maru’s question, both Crow and Nanae simultaneously avoided eye contact and rolled their eyes.

“Ah, again, aren’t you the god of death?”

under-

Maru cursed inwardly.

Why crows are loyal to him.

The reason the wolves were loyal to Maru wasn’t simply because he was strong.

The strong are bound to become weak, and the prosperous are bound to perish.

If he were just a strong creature, would it be worth risking one’s life to be loyal to him?

Even the strongest leader wolf eventually returns to the dust.

Even the wisest crow in the flock eventually gets its wings clipped.

What if you’re not the god of death?

What if you decide that Maru is not an absolute being?

How do crows and wolves behave?

It wasn’t something that could just be passed over.

Beep beep beep beep—

The snowmobile’s sensors began to display a dense red dot pattern. A red wave that seemed to surround them.

Knock knock-

The sound of snowmobile gloves scraping began to resonate.

[Defense system activated]

[Enemy. A pack of mutant rats.]

As the auxiliary AI activated its defense system, the automatic turret began to fire.

[Glove damage 3%]

[Damage 4% ··· 5%]

Squeak-

The ground caved in and the snowmobile tilted.

Whoa-

The nurse, who lost her balance and fell into Maru’s arms, froze in place.

Squeak-

The snowmobile, which had its rear end sunk deep into the snow ditch, is now completely stuck, its front end also sunk in.

[Glove damage 11%···13%]

As the rats that had completely covered the snowmobile grew louder, slashing their teeth in all directions, the assistant AI changed its response.

[Napalm spraying.]

Hurrrurruk-

Jjieeeek-

Sizzle sizzle-

A group of rats clinging to a snowmobile were set ablaze. Even as the flames, reaching temperatures of nearly 1,500 degrees, began to melt the entire frozen space, the rats did not give up.

A pack of rats began shoving round snowballs into a burning pit. The fire and the snowballs met, boiling steam creating a thick fog.

It wasn’t just simple fog, it was frozen water vapor. The fine crystalline fog completely enveloped the snowmobile.

[Barrel crack. Starting barrel replacement.]

[30% napalm remaining, stop napalm spraying.]

As the horde of clinging rats fell, the voice of the assistant AI starting maintenance was heard behind him. Maru opened the hatch and went outside, leaving the frozen nurse sitting on the chair.

Hoohwaaak-

Outside the snowmobile, the air was filled with melting heat, cold, and the murderous intent of a swarm of rats.

Srrrrrrrr-

“As you wish.”

The nurse’s eyes and the crow’s gaze followed Maru’s back as he disappeared beyond the hatch.

And something felt beyond the heavily closed hatch.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

It wasn’t a sound, it wasn’t a vibration.

It just felt like something was happening outside. A primal fear.

Huh …

Kaaaaaaaaa

The chair the nurse was sitting on became hot and damp, and the crow’s sphincter muscles relaxed, and his eyes opened along with them.

Die.

asleep.

Kaaaaaaah—

And then – everything was cut off.