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Chapter 38: Vegabond (Part 2)

“Mister.”

“What’s up?”

“Whatever’s inside that hole, don’t you think that they’re screwed?”

Several days had passed, and the water kept on flowing into the hole. The area past the hole was probably getting flooded. Zin nodded without replying.

“How come nobody’s getting out of there?”

“Either everyone’s dead, or they moved out from there. There could be multiple exits.”

“Really?”

As Zin spoke, he was sure that there still were survivors in the area. The stench in the area was too fresh for a base that was destroyed long time ago. He thought that the survivors probably escaped to another place. But he was also thinking about a third possibility.

“But… something smells even worse, and I don’t like it.”

As the rainwater flowed into the hole, the air inside was pushed out. And a different type of stench started to come out.

“I’ll need to verify.”

They wanted to stay in the basement for couple of more days, and Zin wanted to find out what the foul stench was about.

“What about me?”

“You wait here.”

Zin entered though the hole that the water was still flowing into. It was dark, and Zin crawled through the narrow passage. He moved forward along the wall, and it was leading him further below the ground.

It smells like CP.

The smell coming out from the passage was very eerie. Zin continued to crawl through the muddy water.

As Zin came out of the narrow passage, he pulled out his Saiga rifle.

I’ll need to use night vision goggles.

Zin took out the goggles that operated with chips. He could have used a flashlight, but it would be a foolish to reveal himself in the dark.

A stairway…

The narrow passage connected the building’s basement to another building’s basement. The top of the stairway was blocked with concrete rubble.

It looks like they drilled the passage to utilize the basement…

—kuuuuu!—

A large amount of water was flowing out from under the piled concrete. The stairway led down a wide passage.

Is this a bunker?

The stairway leading downstairs was quite wide, and it looked like the bunker was built before the apocalypse. The concrete wall was old but looked sturdy, and the rainwater kept flowing downstairs.

Hmm… I’m pretty sure this is a bunker for the VIP’s.

Zin could not understand why such a bunker existed even though the military base was not a large one. However, it was not surprising to see bunkers of this size in the regions of North Korea.

Well, whatever it was used for, the important matter is who is in there.

As Zin was about to enter the bunker, he felt very uncomfortable. He was pretty sure that there was something in the underground facility. The entrance was the narrow passage, and air flowed through the concrete. It was an ideal location for someone to hide.

—kuuuuu!—

Luckily, Zin’s footsteps were cancelled out by the sound of the water flowing down. There was only one way leading down, and smell of the rain and the foul stench was getting stronger.

I am pretty it’s the smell of CP, but there’s something more to it…

As he reached the bottom of the bunker, someone spoke to him with a warning.

“Stop, do not move forward any more, hunter.”

“…”

“There is nothing of interest to you in here. So turn back now.”

A voice could be heard from somewhere that Zin could not see, and the voice had an ominous tone.

“Did you know that I was here?” Zin asked, waiting for a reply.

“You were blocking the entrance, so why would I not know?

Anyways, leave now. I will let you stay here through the storm. But get lost after the storm dies down.”

“If more rain comes down, this place is going to get flooded. Aren’t you worried about it?”

“That is our problem. It’s none of your business, hunter. It’s not a problem that can be solved by a hunter, anyways.”

‘Our’… there must be a group of people.

The other person knew about Zin and Leona, and blocked off the entrance so that they wouldn’t come inside.

“Well, I’m not a scavenger, so I know when to stop being curious. But, I have no intentions of staying with a suspicious group of neighbors through the storm.”

“Look, you are the ones who entered our shelter. You have no right to say that we are suspicious.”

“Pal, it is two hundred years late to proclaim this place as your shelter. I have no intention to fight you, but I need to know who you are.”

Zin did not have to learn who they were, but as he had decided to stay at the basement through the storm, he had no intention to mess around with unknown people. As long as he was going to stay in the basement, he had to identify what the strange smell was about.

“So you regard safety as a priority. Fine. I know the ways of a hunter. But keep in mind,” the person started to warn with a hoarse voice, “You are not the only one who thinks that attacking is the best defense.”

“… you a hunter?” As Zin asked, someone started walking towards him. And as Zin saw the man through the infrared goggles, he frowned. The man continued to talk.

“I once was. But no more.”

“… Vegabond.”

The body of the man was covered with black smoke. He had a hood on his head, and he was covered with darkness all around. All Zin could see was a big mass of darkness.

People who were addicted to CP became monsters called vagabonds. And they were CP addicts. They were in danger of becoming monsters because of the exposure to CP.

However, hunters who hunted monsters and extracted chips frequently were also exposed to CP. People could become monsters through CP addiction, or they could become monsters by exposure to CP for a long time. It might be a small difference in words, but there was a big difference if effect.

Hunters who became monsters maintained their consciences. And therefore they were referred as a vegabond instead of a vagabond. They were not regarded as devils, but some became monsters deadlier than a devil. After the devils were eradicated, the deadliest monsters were usually vegabonds. The fact that a hunter survived to become a vegabond meant that he was a veteran fighter, and there was nothing more horrible than an expert hunter and fighter becoming a monster.

And Zin could feel goosebumps rise all over him. This was not a foe that he could easily fight against, like poisonous dogs.

“This is my last warning. Get lost.”

“What are you doing here? Tell me that and I’ll walk away.”

“… You are one persistent hunter.”

Veterans were able to spot other veterans. Just as Zin was on his guard against the vegabond, the vegabond also knew that Zin was no ordinary person. It was better for them to avoid any clashes.

So, they left the battle as the last resort.

“We are getting prepared to head to the Betrayer’s Hut.”

“Going such a long way…”

“So we need more preparation time. Now, this is none of your business. Get going now.”

“Fine.”

Zin slowly backed away from the stairway. The vegabond watched Zin leave through the narrow passage, but Zin did not put back his gun yet. Finally, Zin was able to figure out what the foul smell was about. It was a combination of CP and body odor coming from the vagabonds. For whatever reason, the vegabond was gathering the vagabonds to head to the BH. They were probably preparing drugs to maintain the conscience of the vagabonds.

The Betrayer’s Hut was the only area where the vagabonds who were rejected by the humans and monsters could live. It was no small feat to lead the vagabonds to the BH while preventing the vagabonds from turning into monsters.

Zin didn’t understand why the vegabond was doing such thing. In any case, the vegabond had no ill intentions, and that was enough for Zin. There was nothing to gain by fighting against a vegabond regardless of the outcome. Zin sighed with a relief.

Leona quickly asked Zin as he came out through the hole, “Did you find something?”

“There was something, but nothing to worry about it.”

“… What was it?”

As long as the vegabond was there, Zin thought that the vagabonds would not attack Zin and Leona. Leona kept on asking what that was about, but Zin did not reply. The storm was still strong outside.

And unfortunately, the situation Zin and vegabond hoped for, where both parties would go their own ways, did not happen.

The storm was still strong, and on the fifth day, Zin woke up at strange sounds in the middle of the night.

Get inside! Now!

No, no… help me… I’m hungry…

Wait until the rain stops!

The eerie shouts along with the sound of the rain, kept Zin alert. Leona also heard the sounds, and woke up.

“What was that?”

“Something’s going on.”

—krraaaa! kaark!—

I need the drug… give it to me!

Not the drug! Give him the suppressant!

I’ve had it! I’m done with this! I don’t want that suppressant anymore! I need chips!

The loud sounds were getting closer and closer.

I’ve had it! I am getting out of here!

—thud! thud!—

And a banging sound started to echo out.

Did the vagabonds go crazy…?

The large sound was coming from the banging of something big. The vagabond was probably destroying the concrete pile around the bunker.

“What? What the heck is going on…”

Leona could not stay still as she was getting frightened.

You told me that there was a hunter!

The hunter should have some chips!

Twenty chips would be enough to make a week’s worth of drug!

Stop it, you bastards!

The vagabonds were drug addicts, and the addiction would not stop, since they were becoming monsters. Most of the vagabonds became monsters that sought chips.

—thud! thud!—

The sound of crushing concrete was getting louder, and Zin pulled out his weapon with a serious face.

There’s about… seven or more. It was my mistake to trust in the vegabond’s ability to control them.

Zin pondered for a while as he drew his weapon. If he fought the seven vagabonds outside, the storm could conceal his position. But the problem was not the crazy vagabonds.

If I assume that I will have to fight against the vegabond, I will have to hide first and take position.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Without much explanation, Leona knew what Zin wanted to do. Zin carried Leona on his back, and talked to her.

“Hold on tight. It’s still gusty outside.”

“Okay.”

Zin ran out of the basement and headed outside to the ruins where it was still storming.

—boom! babam!—

The pile of concrete on the right side exploded. It was raining heavily and dark, so Zin was not able to figure out what happened. He flung himself in the opposite direction, and hid himself behind the bushes. Zin loaded the buckshot ammo on his AKM that utilized 5.56 ammo, and looked around.

He was trying to finish the fight from mid-range.

—boom!—

Leona did not open her mouth even when the showering rain struck her face. The gusts were too strong for Leona to stand by herself.

Zin observed the location where the explosion happened without blinking his eyes.

—Kabooom!—

As the lightning flashed, Zin spotted a group of monsters that were exiting the entrance of the bunker. There were eight of them, and most of them had already turned into monsters completely. The biggest one had broken through the concrete.

Did they live inside the bunker and finally get out of it as monsters…?

They were barely under control because of the suppressant, but as soon as the suppressant wore off, they would become monsters completely.

There was nothing that could stop them. They were too addicted to the CP, and they were beyond the point of no return. It was probably because they lived in the bunker for a long period of time, or because of the sudden storm.

It looks like they were going to leave for BH after producing enough suppressants…

However, the vagabonds went mad after barely maintaining their conscience by taking the suppressants. As Zin was holding his breath, he waited for the right time to attack. The vegabond was trying to calm down the vagabonds, but it was too late. The vagabonds were losing their minds one at a time.

—flash!—

As the lightning brightened the surroundings, one of the vagabonds who was looking around spotted Zin lying flat on the ground.

Damn!

The cognitive senses of the vagabond were more alert than Zin had imagined. A giant more than thirteen feet tall started dashing towards Zin.

“Kwaaaaaaahh!”

At the screams of the monster, the other vagabonds started rushing towards Zin as well. Zin got up and was ready to pull the trigger.

—crunch! —

But right at that moment, the dark mist wrapped around the vagabond’s body.

“Kiiiieeehhk!”

—crunch! crack! thud!—

Like a beast, the mist started biting and crunching the body of the monster. Blood splattered everything, and the body of the monster was mashed and destroyed. The other vagabonds did not care, and kept on running towards Zin.

And the dark mist also swallowed up the other monsters that were rushing towards Zin.

—crunch! thud! —

“Kyaaaah!”

“Keeeeeck!”

The dark mist minced and ate up the monsters. It was a gruesome scene even for Zin who was familiar with hunting. In front of Zin, the dark mist devoured the monsters. All of the monsters were gone without a trace of blood, and eaten by the mist.

“Uh… disgusting…” Leona did not take her eyes of the scene as she whispered. All the seven vagabonds were eaten up. Now only Zin and Leona were left, and the vegabond stood in front of the entrance of the bunker as he drew back the dark mist back into his hand.

—kaboom!—

In the middle of the storm, the vegabond stood still. He was planning to go to the BH with a group of vagabonds for some reason, but he killed all of them when they went mad. Zin also looked towards where the vegabond was standing.

This is like a nightmare… fortunately he doesn’t seem mad.

The dark mist was a very rare power that Zin hadn’t seen before. Ghost-type monsters turned into mist, but he had never seen a mist eat creatures alive.

Hunters became the most dangerous monsters, the vegabond in front of Zin was a proof of the fact. Leona was not sure what the vagabonds meant to the vegabond, but she was able to feel the sadness within the vegabond.

… What is this feeling?

Leona felt weird that she was able to notice the feelings of the vegabond. She was not judging based on his calm silence. Leona was able to feel the emotions of the vegabond flowing through her mind, she was very certain of the fact.

What came across to Leona was a deep and unfathomable despair. The vegabond also looked straight at Leona, not Zin. At the moment, a sense of compassion was shared between Leona and the vegabond.

Leona hung to the neck of Zin tighter, and the vegabond started walking into the storm, away from Zin and Leona.