Chapter - 21 [ Faceless Monster ]

"Knowledge, like loneliness, is a companion both profound and burdensome. The more one knows, the more one stands apart, for true understanding often isolates as much as it enlightens. Yet, in solitude, wisdom takes root, and in the quiet of the mind, the deepest truths are found. To seek knowledge is to walk a path few dare to tread—lonely, but illuminated."

---

Victor sat on his bed and opened his notebook. Flipping through the pages, he stopped at a black page.

He wrote:

"Salsas' Method of Meditation"

That was the name of the meditation technique provided by the academy to first-year students.

Today would be the first day he attempted to practice it.

Below the title, he wrote "Day 1" and described his current physical condition.

"Healthy, hydrated, not tired."

Then, he detailed the room and its atmosphere in his notebook. After finishing, he placed the notebook on the bed and got up.

He found a clean floor mat and spread it on the floor next to the bed.

"All set."

Victor sat cross-legged and placed his arms on his knees. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body.

As he inhaled and exhaled calmly, he sensed the strong energy surrounding him in the room.

Since he wanted to test the meditation method, he chose to practice in the bedroom instead of the balcony.

The core principle of Salsas' meditation was to use the heart as a pump, similar to how it circulates blood, but with energy instead.

One had to absorb energy, direct it to the heart, and allow the heart to channel it throughout the body.

This ensured that each organ, muscle, and bone received an equal share of energy.

Victor followed the method as instructed. He absorbed the energy and allowed his heart to pump it through his blood vessels.

Of course, he had to be careful and precise with the process. One mistake and the energy would be expelled from the body automatically, since the body identified unchanneled energy as dangerous and harmful.

"Weird. It's not that difficult if one is careful and does it slowly. It's indeed better than my creation, but definitely not enough for Heaven to provide it to the students."

Victor frowned and opened his eyes after completing two rotations of energy within his body.

"Are they really making students redesign this meditation method to better suit them?

If I were an instructor in an educational institution, why would I do that?"

He pondered the thought. What would make them do this? Was it a test? Or preparation for something?

"That aside, I don't think students from prominent families would use this method when they have their own, passed down through generations.

Not only are theirs superior, but they also don't require adjustments.

Unless the core principle of this meditation is exactly the same as those family techniques.

Do they also use the heart to channel energy through the body?"

Victor wrote everything he thought of in his notebook.

"And if it is true that the core of those meditations is the heart, then it really explains a lot.

Salsas was a genius when it came to meditation, and he created the methods available to the public seventy years ago.

Sadly, he died of poor health two years ago. The exact details of his death were never confirmed in the news."

The entire night, he stretched his mind, forming different theories and ideas about the reason Heaven gave them Salsas' method of meditation.

Ultimately, he could come to only one conclusion.

Judge the students based on their progress with the meditation. But it still wasn't absolute.

The next day, everything was the same—lectures and explanations.

After class, Victor returned to his flat and continued meditating using Salsas' method.

Before applying any of his ideas or adjusting the meditation method, he had to understand it fully.

For the next few days, he planned to do nothing but meditate.

---

While Victor spent his days in meditation, Rio was in turmoil.

Incidents were spreading like wildfire.

Faceless black monsters were emerging in countryside cities one after another, leaving no trace behind.

It was as if they had come through dimensional rifts that had secretly opened somewhere in the cities.

These monsters were different from crawlers—they had no facial skin, almost as if it had been ripped off.

Their bodies were massive and grotesque, oozing a dark green substance from the gaps in their muscles.

Each time they killed a person, they let out a loud, human-like wail.

The strangest part was that they primarily attacked people with attractive facial features.

"Fuck it! I've had enough! Why do I still need to patrol this city? We've already dealt with all the faceless monsters, so why the hell are we still here?"

A hunter from MAD cursed in frustration. He wasn't the only one—his entire team shared his irritation.

"MAD dispatched two teams per city, and every team has eliminated the monsters. Yet, none of us are allowed to leave. It's been three days. If they don't give us a reason, they better pay us double."

The scout responded in an equally annoyed tone.

Nearby, the rest of the team—two hunters and their support—were cleaning and checking their weapons.

They carried the latest plasma blasters, futuristic firearms designed to fire rounds of plasma blasts.

Each magazine held about twelve rounds of explosive plasma, each round measuring approximately six centimeters.

These weapons were the answer to the crawlers' thick skin. Not only did plasma explode on impact, but it also melted any remaining flesh.

One shot was enough to kill a crawler. However, crawlers were incredibly fast and agile, making it crucial for the shooter to be highly skilled.

"I think the higher-ups are just being cautious. What if more show up?"

The support member spoke in a low voice. The two hunters beside him nodded in agreement.

"Whatever the case, they should at least inform us, right? Why make us wa—"

Boom!

Before the hunter could finish his sentence, a deafening explosion shook the area.

Without hesitation, they grabbed their blasters and rushed toward the explosion site.

---

Through the collapsed building, a massive black monster emerged, its hulking form cutting through the dust and smoke that was swiftly blown away by the wind.

The creature's body was grotesque, oozing dark green blood. Its face was entirely devoid of skin, leaving only exposed muscles and raw tissue.

Uuuuwaaaa!

The cry was deafening—an unpleasant, piercing sound that reverberated in the air, causing intense discomfort to anyone who heard it.

Each of its steps shattered the ground beneath it, its sheer weight crushing everything in its path.

The two teams from MAD arrived in a flash. With their almost superhuman physical abilities, moving faster than a speeding car was hardly an obstacle.

"Damn it! Another faceless monster. And this one's even bigger than the rest!"

"We don't have time to argue! Fire!"

In an instant, the six hunters surrounded the beast, raising their blasters in perfect synchronization, aiming directly at the monstrous creature.

Sensing the imminent threat, the monster let out a furious cry and, with startling agility for its size, it leaped into the air.

Its enormous 8-meter frame executed a leap that defied all expectations—more than four times its own height.

Boom!

The creature crashed into the opposite building, its massive form tearing through the wall of the eighth floor.

"Ahhh! Help!"

"Aaaack!"

Screams erupted as the monster plowed through, leaving destruction in its wake. The impact alone crushed dozens instantly, their bodies lost beneath the debris.

"Shit! Hurry! Kill that thing before there are more casualties!"

"Support, call the police and military! Scouts, evacuate the civilians!"

The hunters surged forward, weapons drawn, storming into the building to engage the faceless terror. Their commands rang loud, a desperate attempt to maintain control amidst the chaos.

In the meantime, police cars screeched to a halt around the explosion site. Thirty officers rushed toward the support teams and scouts, their orders clear.

"Evacuate the civilians!"

They wasted no time. The collapsed building was the primary concern, and half of the officers immediately entered the wreckage, searching for survivors.

"H-Help! I'm stuck!"

A faint voice reached an officer's ears. He turned toward the sound, spotting a raised, trembling hand amidst the rubble.

"I'm here! I'll get you out!"

The officer gritted his teeth and tried to lift a massive chunk of concrete, but it wouldn't budge. Just then, a scout appeared beside him.

"Move."

The officer stepped aside as the scout gripped the heavy slab and heaved it away with ease.

Thud!

Dust swirled as the scout reached down and pulled the trapped civilian—a woman, her face streaked with blood and dirt.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she sobbed.

The scout nodded and gestured to the officer. "Get her out of here."

The officer didn't hesitate, carefully guiding the injured woman away from the danger zone.

Boom!

Another explosion rocked the city. This time, it came from the center, near the city bank and park.

Panic spread like wildfire. People ran in terror as the monstrous shrieks filled the air.

"We made a mistake letting that thing escape!" a hunter growled, leaping across rooftops with his team. "We should've blasted it the moment we saw it instead of measuring its damn body!"

Sweat trickled down his face as he pushed himself faster.

The hunters followed the trail of destruction, sprinting across shattered buildings and broken streets. The faceless monster had left a path of devastation in its wake.

"We're gonna get suspended for sure. Fuck! If we don't take it down fast, suspension will be the least of our worries!"

They accelerated, nearly outpacing their own shadows.

The faceless monsters they had encountered before were weaker, slower. Those had been easy to ambush and eliminate with minimal casualties.

But this one was different. Stronger. Faster. Smarter.

And now, it was beyond their control.

They had one hour. If they didn't kill it by then, the consequences would be catastrophic.

One hunter exhaled sharply. "At least the city was on high alert. Most civilians are at home. The streets aren't as crowded as they could be."

Minutes later, they spotted their target.

The faceless monster had reached the city park, where the military had already mobilized, forming a tight perimeter.

A powerful voice thundered through the loudspeakers.

"Fire! Kill this thing!"

Bang! Bang!

Plasma rounds ripped through the air, striking the monster in a relentless barrage.

Uuuuwaaaa!

The creature screamed—a horrific, unearthly wail that shook the ground.

A shockwave of sound rippled through the city, tearing into eardrums like knives.

Soldiers staggered, their heads spinning, weapons falling silent. Even the hunters, still at a distance, clutched their ears in agony.

The raw force of the cry was unbearable.

Without protection, they wouldn't have survived.

Far away, civilians collapsed where they stood, unconscious.

The soldiers, though equipped with ear protection, still struggled to stay on their feet.

"My head!"

One of the hunters gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into a wall, shattering the already damaged structure into crumbling debris.

Even with their Aura reinforcing their bodies, the high-pitched cry had cut through them, inflicting internal damage from a distance.

A few hunters wiped their faces, their noses dripping blood.

"Move! There's no time to groan or feel pain!"

The strongest hunter among them roared, his voice thick with fury. He stomped the rooftop, his Aura flaring around him.

"The faster we kill that thing, the sooner we rest!"

With a surge of power, he launched himself from the rooftop, soaring toward the park.

Though his leaps were nothing compared to the faceless monster's, he could still clear at least ten meters in a single bound.

Bam!

Following his lead, the rest of the hunters sprang forward, jumping one after another toward the battlefield.

From below, the commander shouted in alarm, his voice straining through the chaos.

"Don't stop! It's healing!"

His hands clutched his head, still reeling from the monster's devastating cry. His eyes darkened as he observed the abomination before him.

The plasma rounds had done their job—melting flesh, exposing organs.

But it wasn't enough.

The monster ripped its own flesh away. tearing off the plasma-coated parts before the energy could devour more of its body.

Even worse-it had dodged every shot aimed at its head.

Uuuuwaaaa!

The monster shrieked again, this time with even greater force.

The soldiers collapsed where they stood, their bodies slamming into the ground one by one.

Thud. Thud.

They lost consciousness instantly, their minds overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the sound.

On top of an armored vehicle, the commander slumped over, blood trickling from his nose and ears. His body twitched before going completely still.

"Don't let it cry again!"

The leading hunter roared as they charged forward, weaving through trees, bushes, and fences to close the distance.

Bang! Bang!

This time, the hunters refused to hold back. There would be no escape for the monster.

Boom!

Explosions erupted across the faceless creature's massive body, tearing through flesh that hadn't fully healed.

It staggered, its limbs twitching as chunks of its own body rained to the ground.

Uuuu-!

The monster tried to scream again, but-

Uuu-!

Boom!

A hunter leaped onto a tree, using it as a springboard to launch himself even higher.

Mid-air, he aimed his weapon directly at the monster's lower jaw-

And fired.

BANG!

The bullet shattered its jaw, obliterating the vocal cords before it could unleash another deadly cry.

Thud!

The monster's mangled remains crashed to the ground, its body nearly obliterated.

All that remained were its back legs and half of its spine, twitching slightly before going still.

"Hah... Ha..."

The hunters gasped for breath, their chests heaving as they stared at the ruined corpse.

Their eyes, however, held no victory-only exhaustion and regret.

So what if they had killed it?

The damage was already irreversible.

As far as their eyes could see, soldiers, officers, and civilians lay motionless across the battlefield.

Some twisted and writhed in agony.

Their bodies, broken beyond repair.

Some were already dead.

Others were dying.

No matter how they looked at it, there was no way out of this.

Punishment was inevitable. And this time, it would be severe.

It was their fault. If they hadn't hesitated, if they had struck a second sooner, the monster wouldn't have escaped.

And the authorities would make sure to remind them of that.

"We're done… I might as well retire from being a hunter. This time, it's a huge blunder."

One hunter lowered his head, his face shadowed with regret. In the distance, the rising wail of ambulance sirens grew louder, inching closer like an omen.

This would be a day Rio remembered for decades.