ALL NOVEL Ordinarily, Seoul’s nightlife would be quite vibrant. There were various red-light districts and nightclubs where countless men and women would revel, venting their emotions, dancing, and letting loose in this lively environment.
If one were to take a stroll in South Korea, they would find that there were fewer beautiful women than expected, and there were actually more handsome men. So, it could be said that South Korea didn't really produce beauties but rather specialized in 'makeovers'.
Inside the nightclubs, numerous people danced, and the sound of the DJ's music boomed through the entire venue. People’s faces were flushed from drinking. They swayed to the beat, while others sat in private booths, embracing beautiful women, laughing heartily. Some financially challenged individuals sipped on glasses of cheap liquor and glanced around surreptitiously, hoping to seize any opportunities to mingle.
The deafening music resonated, filling the ears with a thunderous sound. People inside remained oblivious to the events happening outside. Although the South Korean government swiftly notified telecom companies to send text message warnings to Seoul residents, the actions of these private enterprises varied in speed. It was not as coordinated as in China, where a single command could make the entire nation aware.
In the midst of the nightlife, some people glanced at their phones, noticing the SMS warning about the risks outside. However, upon seeing that their companions' phones from different telecom providers showed no such alerts, and given the festive atmosphere of the night, they dismissed the messages. With casual disdain they stashed their phones back into their pockets as they continued to flirt with the person next to them.
Just when the entire venue was reaching its climax, there was a sudden deafening roar, and the ceiling of the nightclub shattered, sending countless debris plummeting.
"Ah—"
"The building's collapsing!"
"Su-yeon! Su-yeon!"
"My friend is trapped under there, someone help him, please!"
"Oppa! Oppa! Are you okay?"
"Don't panic, everyone!"
“…”
Women's screams and men's cries intermingled in the chaos. The falling debris struck many people, crushing them to the ground. Steel-reinforced concrete blocks pierced through bodies, and some hands stuck out from under the debris, trembling.
Blood, severed limbs, bodies pierced by rebar—all scenes that normal people rarely witnessed—unfolded. Some people couldn't bear it and vomited, while others fainted on the spot.
The nightclub's security rushed over to suppress the situation, and many people picked up their phones to call for ambulances and report the incident to the police. However, strangely, all the phones were met with silence, with police and hospital lines playing blind tones.
Fortunately, after a brief commotion, the crowd gradually calmed down. Even the intoxicated individuals sobered up.
Under the guidance of security personnel, the crowd began preparing to evacuate. However, just at this moment, there was a sudden sound in the sky, as if some giant bird was flapping its wings.
"M-monsters!"
Someone, who happened to look up at the sky, saw a disgusting bird-like shadow appearing through the gap in the shattered nightclub ceiling. Following the appearance of this monstrosity, more of its kind filled the sky.
"Run!"
After a brief moment of bewilderment, someone finally shouted. The scene quieted down for a moment, and then chaos erupted again. Countless people desperately rushed out.
"Ouch..."
"Don't step on me!"
"Someone tripped!"
“…”
In this situation, the greatest fear was stumbling, as it could easily lead to a stampede. However, with monsters circling overhead, no one paid attention to the people underfoot. Both men and women, even the security personnel, screamed and fled.
In the air, several Byakhee circled, emitting piercing cries. Soon, they swooped down with speed that created a powerful gust of wind that sent many fleeing people flying, crashing into the walls, or stumbling over each other and falling to the ground.
Some people suffered muscle strains, while others had direct fractures.
It was only at this moment that people noticed there was another type of monster. They resembled fleshless skeletons, or perhaps zombies. Covered in eerie fur, these creatures had hollow eye sockets emitting a faint green light. When they saw the flesh and blood of living humans, they let out loud cries and jumped down from the brutal massacre unfolded; human screams and pleas for mercy filled the air. The previously lively nightlife turned even more chaotic, with blood and flesh flying, and entrails covering the ground. It seemed like another slaughterhouse.
Some lucky ones managed to run out of the nightclub, but before they could catch their breath, they realized that the entire Seoul had descended into chaos. Fires could be seen everywhere, and in the distance, rising thick smoke was visible. Cars collided at intersections, and drivers cursed as they got out and fled.
At subway entrances, some people wanted to go in, while others wanted to come out, causing chaos. Those who wanted to leave shouted that the subway below had stopped operating, while those who wanted to enter believed that the underground was safe and could be used as a shelter. Eventually a ghoul jumped into the crowd, the argument ceased, and everyone ran back screaming.
In this chaotic crowd, intermittent gunshots could be heard, and there were even terrifying sounds of heavy cannons. The sky echoed with thunder, indicating that planes were flying over Seoul. A streak of flame flew across the sky, marking the trajectory of a missile. Then, a fireball and explosion echoed in the sky. The shockwave shattered the glass of surrounding buildings, frightening people into crouching and covering their heads. Fireworks bloomed in the sky, and it was unknown whether those planes had used missiles to eliminate the monsters.
The actual number of these monsters wasn't large. Even if all types of monsters were counted together, there were only about a thousand. A thousand monsters in a metropolis like Seoul wouldn't have caused much trouble. However, these monsters were extremely intelligent. They seemed to be controlled or instinctively knew where the crowd was. They desperately rushed towards the most populous areas of Seoul, attacking places like nightlife districts and CBD commercial zones. Consequently, the casualties in a short period surpassed even the Deep One incident in Tokyo.
Especially troublesome were flying creatures like Byakhee. They weaved between tall buildings, not even avoiding them, directly crashing into one side and emerging from the other. Their stubbornness prevented many fighter jets from launching missiles, fearing the missiles would destroy their own buildings.
In these areas with densely packed crowds and economically developed zones, the South Korean military appeared helpless. They did not dare unleash heavy artillery, similar to the situation in Tokyo initially.
These monsters weren't as strong as imagined. Their individual combat strength couldn't match that of Deep Ones. Ghouls could be directly eliminated with artillery, and even Byakhee could be killed with firearms. However, these monsters were extremely clever. They purposely targeted dense crowds as though without purpose, causing the military to exhaust themselves in this urban warfare.
Urban warfare was something the military least wanted to engage in. Every step was paid with piles of flesh and blood. Moreover, the enemies this time were monsters beyond ordinary, launching sudden ambushes from unknown locations, making it impossible for the military to organize large-scale forces for a systematic advance. They could only fight individually.
At this moment, the South Korean president and the military commander were already deep in regret. They should have directly used heavy firepower to blow up that slaughterhouse, and then there wouldn't be so much trouble. Who could have imagined the outcome would be like this? However, regret was useless at this point.
Above ground, Seoul had almost turned into a war zone, and underground, a fierce battle continued.