Chapter 19

"As your practical combat capabilities have not yet been properly assessed. We plan to have you execute a simple operation first. Our first area of operation is Temporary Outpost No. 4 at the border of Sinsa and Gangnam."

Captain Kim explained like that.

"Currently, that outpost is one of the places closest to the boundary of the blackout zone. Due to the fog and darkness, the visibility of regular soldiers is extremely limited, and it is a point where attempts by mimic beasts to infiltrate have been frequently reported recently."

"What is our task there?"

The owlbear old man asked while resting his heavy sledgehammer on the floor.

"The complete destruction of mimic beasts approaching the vicinity of the outpost. That is all."

The operation was simple. But the weight that simplicity carried was by no means light.

Because it meant we had to stay up all night in darkness where we couldn't see an inch ahead, facing monsters that wear skin and mimic human memories.

Furthermore, that wasn't the only problem.

"Are there any questions?"

"...How are we supposed to distinguish between a person and a mimic beast?"

Captain Kim answered quietly to those words.

"You cannot distinguish."

"Then..."

"Assume all approaching suspicious persons are mimic beasts, and fundamentally, shooting to kill is the rule."

Shocking words telling us to shoot and kill everyone who approaches.

Upon hearing those words, Kim Ji-hoo threw out a question.

"Isn't there a possibility that it could really be a person? But how could..."

"I will tell you that the possibility of that is remarkably low. We gathered the citizens in a safe place at the same time as martial law was declared, and the civilians remaining in the vicinity right now are an extremely small minority."

There was a reason why they moved the citizens first as soon as martial law dropped.

Of course, even so, it's not that there's zero possibility of it being a person, but... the damage incurred when leaving that possibility open is unimaginable.

In the end, even Kim Ji-hoo nodded his head.

"...I understand."

"Are there any more questions?"

No one answered.

Everyone adjusted their grip on their respective weapons, substituting silence for an answer.

"Then, I will see you again in a week."

With those words, the briefing concluded.

The week passed faster than expected.

During that time, I learned how to handle firearms and... hah. I was able to make several comrades-in-arms.

The naga beastman Yoo In-ha and the dog beastman Min Ah-ji.

Because our living quarters were grouped by the same gender... I lived together with these two during that time.

Since we're both twenty years old, comfortably... no, since my mental gender is different, it wasn't comfortable.

Me pointlessly stepping forward there would only cause a nuisance.

It's not like it's entirely wrong either, and it's not like I can join the men's living quarters anyway.

...Damn it, if only my body hadn't become like this.

"Yoo-jin unni, you worked hard in training today too."

"No, I told you not to call me unni..."

Yoo In-ha, who approached slithering her massive snake tail, spoke to me.

Because her lower half is a snake, she lived on a mat instead of a bed.

At first, it was an ordeal to look at that bizarre clump of scales, but now I've gotten quite used to it.

"You are unni. Yoo-jin unni smells nice."

Min Ah-ji, this dog beastman, sniffs near my arm whenever she gets the chance.

I understand her sense of smell is sensitive, but she says the aura of an angel or whatever stimulates their instincts or something.

No matter how much I tell them not to, these guys keep calling me unni.

But it's not like there isn't a reason for that either, so it's hard to say anything...

They said the reason they joined us was also to find that older sister.

The reason they cling to me and call me unni must be to reduce that anxiety even a little bit...

Of course, even letting that slide, living together itself is an ordeal.

Since we share the living quarters, we also had to handle various other things together.

The biggest ordeal was shower time.

No matter if my body has changed, my mind is still that of a healthy South Korean young man.

I won't explain in detail.

Because that would be disrespectful to others. But I can swear and declare to myself that I saw absolutely nothing.

Why on earth is it that instead of others being mindful of me, I have to be the one mindful of them...

Now why are they clinging to me like this.

Of course, the reason they were no longer afraid of me was purely thanks to my growth.

Should I say I finally realized the fundamental reason why the mutants were terrified just by looking at me.

Once I became aware of it, I could starkly see what an enormous amount of energy was pouring out from within me.

The waves of Holy Power that overflowed from the vessel of my soul and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leaked outside.

That was prodding the instincts of the surrounding mutants, unintentionally forming a powerful sense of intimidation.

Once I realized that fact, the solution was unexpectedly simple.

If it's overflowing and leaking out, I just have to forcibly pull it back in.

In between training, I devoted myself to practicing reining in that invisible skein of light enveloping my body.

At first, the repulsive force was severe, like squeezing a water balloon filled to the brim with my hands.

But as I repeated it, I got the hang of it.

This wasn't pressing down with force; it was closer to the sensation of gently brushing stray hairs back neatly into the inner recesses of my mind.

And right now is when I finally succeeded in completely reining in the Holy Power.

"Let's go. Everyone's waiting."

We left the living quarters and headed to the briefing room in the underground parking lot.

There, the orc mister, the owlbear old man, and Kim Ji-hoo were already waiting, fully armed.

"Everyone has gathered. Then, I will brief you once more."

The content of this briefing was the same as last time.

Meaning we aren't heading straight into the blackout zone, but taking on a guard duty at a temporary outpost.

"But that doesn't mean this operation is simple."

Even though it's outside the blackout zone, they say there are frequent cases of mimic beasts escaping.

That's why they forcefully cleared out the civilians around Seoul.

Well, it's correct to clear out an area where immortal monsters pretending to be humans are roaming around.

"Mimic beasts fundamentally do not die, but they are not immune to bullets. If you shoot them to a certain extent, neutralization will be possible."

"What happens next once they're neutralized?"

"A cleanup team will collect the mimic beasts. The time it takes for a mimic beast to become active again from a neutralized state is within 24 hours. There won't be any problem if we put them in the quarantine facility before then."

It was a quite systematic method.

Indeed, they said they predicted this event a few years ago...

Anyway, I was surprised by how well they had prepared, more so than I thought.

Did our country always work this well?

"Are there any further questions?"

No one answered.

"Then, we will depart."

The backseat of the massive two-and-a-half-ton truck was much more cramped than I thought.

Normally it was a space where five or six people could sit comfortably, but with the massive orc mister, me with my cumbersome wings, and Yoo In-ha with her snake lower half all mixed together, it was truly a scene of pandemonium.

"Yoo-jin unni, your wing feathers ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠keep tickling my nose..."

"Endure it. Because I don't even know where my wings are stuck right now either. And I told you not to call me unni. I am..."

I'm getting tired of even saying it now.

I let out a sigh while feeling the cold touch of the Glock pistol resting on my lap.

Every time the truck rattled, the scenery of Seoul brushed past through the gaps in the tarp.

The streets that would have been full of flashy neon signs just a week ago had now become a desolate city cut through only by the headlights of military vehicles.

And the black cylinder visible far away.

Just what on earth is that damn thing to cause this kind of bullshit.

I don't have the luxury to be scared.

Because inside there, there must be a bitch whose hair I need to grab and drag out.

"The atmosphere is unusual."

The owlbear old man muttered while gripping the handle of his sledgehammer tightly. The old man's feathered ears were trembling finely.

"Old man, do you hear anything?"

"No. That's the problem. It's too... quiet. The screams and bizarre shrieks that should be heard near the blackout zone aren't heard at all right now."

At those words, the air inside the truck froze.

The communications soldier sitting in the front passenger seat grabbed the radio and continuously turned the channels.

Only an unpleasant noise flowed from the radio.

Deep wrinkles formed between the communications soldier's brows.

He turned his head and looked at us in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the backseat. A terrible tension lingered on his face, which was not wearing a gas mask.

"Contact with Outpost No. 4 has been lost. A report saying there were no abnormalities clearly came in just 5 minutes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ago..."