I Became a National ‘Disaster’ Level Monster

Chapter 14: So Different from the Original

It was only a brief moment that I spaced out while watching the fake heroine, who would soon die.

“Everyone, follow me.”

“S-sewer?!”

Yu Che-ran opened the manhole cover and guided the group of stranded people.

Everyone looked hesitant and uneasy.

“…! I get it! If we move underground, we can avoid those flying creatures.”

Just like the saying, “Better to roll in a dung field and stay in this world.”

People, desperate to survive, started climbing down the ladder into the sewer one by one, despite their disgust.

“Hyung, let’s go.”

“Yeah, alright.”

I, too, entered the sewer last with the kid who had woken up.

Inside the sewer, it was far worse than what I’d seen in movies or games. Seeing the sewage flowing right beside us made me nauseous.

However, there was no time to waste even on gagging.

“I’ll take the lead, please follow me.”

“Are we heading to the large shelter?”

“Yes. If we stay on the surface, we’ll face that monster again, but underground, we can reach the entrance safely.”

“I see…”

When playing , I always resolved everything on the surface, so I never thought of this method.

I learned a lot.

To think I’d actually see the real Yu Che-ran from the original work.

I was so fascinated that, despite knowing it was rude, I couldn’t stop staring at her.

“A heroine I only saw on a monitor is here in reality…! No, I need to calm down!”

But did she notice my burdensome gaze?

“Shin-woo, could you come over here for a moment?”

“M-me…?”

How did she know my name?

Yu Che-ran, leading the way, gestured for me to come closer. I quickly ran over to her, feeling nervous.

Did I stare too persistently?

I wanted to apologize to avoid any misunderstanding, like being accused of staring inappropriately.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Mrs. Rolling.”

“…Sorry?”

“I heard you are currently aspiring to be a monster cleaner?”

“Yes…”

“Monster cleaners have a symbiotic relationship with hunters. So, if we meet on the field next time, let’s greet each other.”

“Sorry? Oh, yes…”

What was this conversation?

It was as if she knew me very well… No, more importantly, calling Mrs. Rolling ‘teacher’ caught my attention.

“Um, what exactly is your relationship with Mrs. Rolling?”

“I’m her student.”

“Oh, a student…”

Mrs. Rolling had a student?

And that student is the fake heroine, Yu Che-ran, who would soon die?

In the original work, both of them either died as soon as it started or were already dead. So, I never imagined these two would get involved in such a relationship.

Originally, Mrs. Rolling would have died 10 years ago, but saving her caused this kind of butterfly effect, leading her to come to me.

‘…Is that why she made a better impression than in the original?’

The original Yu Che-ran.

So, she was the senior hunter to the protagonist, a typical ruined character who lost her entire family in the 10 years ago.

Compared to the heroines who appear later, she was relatively better off, but that just means she was less messed up than them.

It doesn’t mean she was normal either.

There was a woman who, upon spotting a monster, would charge forward recklessly, fighting until the end regardless of broken bones or torn flesh.

“Fortunately, that madness from the original doesn’t seem to be present here.”

Usually, when a part of one’s body is damaged during battle, it’s normal to retreat or scream in pain.

“This kind of thing doesn’t hurt or itch.”

When her arm was severed, she used the severed arm as a weapon to smash the monster’s head.

Even now, thinking about that insane decision-making sent chills down my spine.

Then, there was that tragic scene where the protagonist cradled her head in his arms after her entire body had been torn apart by the prologue boss, leaving only her head remaining. She disappeared without a sound.

“I was reviewing all the CCTVs around Myeong-dong to track the monster when I saw you, Shin-woo.”

“Uh… you saw me?”

“Yes. Recklessly, despite being a civilian, you were trying to save people from the monster. Please don’t do that again. Life is precious.”

“Ah, okay…”

To think I’d receive such “sensible advice” from Yu Che-ran.

She was clearly the older woman’s disciple, but I couldn’t help feeling proud.

“By the way, did you know about me? You seemed to recognize me before we entered the sewer…”

“Yes? Oh, that… It’s just… I’m such a huge fan of hunters. So, I have this habit of memorizing all the ‘promising hunters.'”

“…! Y-you mean, a promising hunter…!”

We were walking through the sewer when Yu Che-ran, leading the group of stranded people, suddenly stopped.

As a fan of the original, I had never imagined seeing her look embarrassed.

When I saw her cover her mouth with one hand and blush slightly, I couldn’t help but grin, thinking I’d witnessed something precious.

“Everyone! We can go up from here.”

Yu Che-ran pointed to a ladder right next to us.

“Once you go up, you should see a large shelter about a five-minute walk from here.”

“W-walk for five minutes! What if that flying monster attacks us again before we get there!”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

The people, terrified and finding even a five-minute walk daunting, listened as Yu Che-ran continued with a reassuring smile that wasn’t in the original.

“There is a team of hunters on the surface ready to escort you safely.”

“…!”

“Hunters! Have they already defeated all the monsters?”

“Yes. We just received a report that they’ve taken down seven out of ten monsters. The remaining three can be easily handled by the D-rank hunters stationed above, so you can safely go up.”

To think that Yu Che-ran would demonstrate such situational judgment in cooperation with other hunters.

At this point, she seemed like an entirely different person, sharing only the appearance and name with her original self.

“So, who would like to go up first?”

“M-me! Damn it. I want to get out of this filthy place as soon as possible!”

The first person to climb the ladder was a lady laden with shopping bags.

She muttered irritably as she quickly climbed up to the surface.

“Then I’ll go next.”

“Alright. Oh, and Shin-woo.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll make sure to show your reckless act on CCTV to the teacher later. You better prepare yourself for a scolding and reflect on it deeply.”

“R-really…?”

As I was about to climb the ladder, Yu Che-ran urged me, insisting on some tough love.

Sweating profusely and unable to say much, I nodded.

It was at that moment.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!”

We heard the scream of the lady who had gone up first.

The faces of the people who had just been reassured crumbled in an instant.

Even Yu Che-ran, who had been smiling, showed a hint of panic.

She quickly climbed the ladder and slipped out through the manhole cover.

I followed, curious about what was happening.

And then I saw it.

The lady with the shopping bags was sitting on the ground, terrified, and Yu Che-ran, who had poked her head out of the manhole cover, was waving her hand frantically, signaling me not to come up.

Something rolled and stopped next to my face.

When my eyes met its gaze, I almost screamed like the lady who had gone up first.

What stopped my gaping mouth was Yu Che-ran, who had crouched down and placed her palm over my lips.

“Shh. Stay calm.”

I nodded.

“And, it’s best if you don’t look at that.”

Following her words, I turned my gaze away, squinting at the sight of the severed head of the person I’d just locked eyes with.

However, outside the manhole, there was nowhere to look.

All around us were bodies in hunter suits, identical to Yu Che-ran’s. The headless corpses of those presumed to be hunters lay scattered, splattered with blood.

“Are… are they all dead…?”

The lady with the shopping bags trembled violently, turning to look at us.

“W-what happened…!”

Yu Che-ran, too, only hung her head, looking quite flustered.

Then I saw it.

“Over there…!”

“Eeek?!”

“What is that…?”

It was a monster.

However, instead of rampaging, the creature sat calmly with its back turned to us, gazing intently at the large shelter where the refugees had gathered.

It had two heads.

Even while sitting, its immense size was clear. Standing, it was easily 10 meters… no, perhaps 15 meters tall—a “giant,” by any measure.

Its purple skin was grotesquely rugged, and if my guess was right, this creature was dangerous.

Why had it suddenly appeared here?

I didn’t know the reason, but if this monster was the one I thought it was, we needed someone at least as skilled as Rolling Auntie to handle it.

First and foremost, I had to get Yu Che-ran to escape.

Because this was the monster that killed her in the prologue of the original story.

The monster that devoured her alive and then spat out only her head at the protagonist.

“What is that…”

“It’s an A-rank danger monster, Twinhead.”

“Twinhead…? The one only seen in places like America or Russia?”

“Yes, that’s the one. So, we need to retreat…”

I was about to tell Yu Che-ran to quickly take care of the still-dazed lady with the shopping bags.

But at that moment.

There was a swift motion.

“…!”

“Gasp?!”

One of the two heads of Twinhead, each as large as a person, turned to look at us.

Then, with a single eye glinting, it stared straight at us.