Chapter 309
Chapter 309
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 309
Chapter Title: 124. The Play (3)
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I once got asked whether hunters or soldiers were stronger.
It was probably back when I was operating in China.
Those of us from our school—who'd endured brutal training and received national support before heading to the front lines—generally said it was obvious that hunters were stronger than soldiers.
One-on-one, that might be true.
But what about group against group?
What if it was against a military unit with seasoned soldiers and competent commanders?
I'd say no.
To begin with, we're specialized adaptation units designed to deal with the monsters that appeared in the modern era.
Soldiers, on the other hand, were born from the dark ages before history to kill and subdue other humans.
And crucially, there was that incident that taught me the superiority of the military.
While operating north of Beijing, we were attacked by the Chinese army due to a communication error—or maybe intentionally.
No casualties, but the all-around pressure from artillery and tanks, suppressive fire so intense we couldn't even lift our heads, and an advance and encirclement we knew was coming but couldn't stop.
In that utterly helpless situation, I felt in my bones that soldiers were a force made solely to fight humans.
We might have taken a few down with us in the final stand, but the commander called off the attack, ending things abruptly. Even now, nearly ten years later, my impression of that military unit remains vividly etched in my memory.
After that, I drilled it into every new recruit who came along.
Never underestimate soldiers.
If they turn their guns on us, we'll be the ones rolling around as corpses.
Even in this era where everything crumbles, we know from the world just before that the U.S. military was the strongest in the world.
And now, we have to face them.
Maybe ones who are extremely pissed off.
*
Honestly speaking, though, killing the U.S. troops approaching our territory right now wouldn't be hard.
We have Javelins.
Just aim and press a button, and we can cleanly take out their armored vehicles and everyone inside.
But Rebecca and Soo are riding in there.
The story will pick up from the part where Rebecca, Soo, and the U.S. troops dismount, discover the huge lie of this play, and feel disappointed.
I considered not showing my face at all, but then I'd just have to watch them climb back in, crushed, and turn back toward Daegu.
In the end, it means we have to meet face-to-face and talk.
I learned English in school, so I can understand it to some degree, but speaking it isn't second nature.
The interpreter issue can be handled with the app on my phone and Rebecca's family.
Fortunately, Soo is coming along this trip too.
Message from COOKIEMONSTER18: (Soo) I'm going too!
With Soo, who speaks better Korean than Rebecca, communication won't be a big problem.
Dealing with the U.S. military is one thing, but convincing my territory's comrades is just as tough.
"...There used to be friends living next to my territory. I'm thinking of bringing them here."
My position as group leader and my past as a professor lend undeniable authority to my words, but I'll still seek my comrades' understanding as much as possible.
I explained how I came to know Rebecca and Soo, the circumstances of luring them here through this series of plays, and the possibility of clashing with the U.S. troops accompanying Rebecca.
Of course, I didn't breathe a word about my multiple clone technique.
Besides, only Defender attends these meetings, and he maintains a poker face like the psychopath he is, so the truth hidden behind the play won't come out.
The comrades' reactions were subdued.
No shock, no resentment.
"If they're Park Gyu's old friends, we should welcome them."
"He took in a guy like me, so no reason to refuse neighbors who've been with us since right after the war."
What actually put me in a bind were the questions.
"Senior Park. How the hell did you fool the U.S. military? That damn internet again?"
"I got in touch with an old acquaintance. We talked about this and that."
"In English?"
"No, Korean. They speak it well."
"Really?"
"Anyway, it won't be easy, but I appreciate it."
I wrapped up appropriately and moved on to the next item.
It might be chilling for Rebecca, but next we discussed how to greet the armored vehicle.
I'll stand on the main road waiting for it.
Defender will stand beside me.
Everyone else stays hidden.
Bang Jae-hyeok with the Javelin leads the rest of the combatants in ambush positions, while Da-jeong handles recon and combat support via drone.
If things go south, our plan is to wipe out the U.S. troops within a minute.
Naturally, that includes Soo and Rebecca.
No helping it.
The only way to beat trained soldiers like the U.S. military without losses is to overwhelm them with a sudden, devastating strike.
In a life-or-death situation for us, showing mercy would be arrogant—and that arrogance might trample the lives of my comrades here.
Rebecca and Soo are precious neighbors, but sacrificing everyone for them would be too unfair to the people who've trusted and followed me.
Of course, I won't let anyone die.
That's my job.
*
Chijijik---
The public frequency spat out an unfamiliar language around late morning.
Click—click—
The comrades assembled in the bunker's central clearing, each grabbing their weapons.
I nodded silently at them.
This time, I'm the one in debt.
I owe them thanks.
The rendezvous point is the optimal ambush spot we'd scouted before.
Javelins can cover from the bunker hilltop, with perfect ambush positions on both sides of the road.
"Skeleton. Skeleton."
As the K-walkie-talkie broadcast Rebecca's voice, I gestured to the comrades to take combat positions.
Ha Tae-hoon and Cheon Young-jae headed into the thick brush, while Defender and I stood side by side on the roadside.
I glanced at Defender.
"You don't have to be here with me."
"Better two than one. The U.S. military aren't idiots; they'll expect an ambush."
True enough.
Anyone would suspect a trap if just one guy blocked the road.
Adding one more doesn't change much logically, but human psychology is subtle and simple.
Two feels very different from one.
"If you die because of me, what do I tell Da-jeong?"
I said it half-jokingly.
"We've all set it aside anyway."
"What?"
"The resolve that killing means we might get killed too."
Defender smirked and kicked a pebble on the ground into the brush across the road.
"Isn't that fair?"
"Sounds good."
We could die anytime.
So far, none of my territory's comrades have been hurt, but I know it won't last forever.
Someday, someone will die, someone will get injured.
Might be better that way.
Better than someone going mad or changing in ways we can't control.
If that led to our ruin, I'd have no choice but to think of that man I despise—D.S. Era.
"Armored vehicle spotted. Moving slow?"
Da-jeong's voice came over the comms.
I spoke to everyone via the radio.
"Let's do this."
It's starting now.
Standing on the road with the radio, I tried contacting Rebecca.
"This is Skeleton. I'm out at the rendezvous point to greet you."
"Yeah. Okay."
Rebecca's reply.
But moments later, Da-jeong reported something very different from Rebecca's response.
"The armored vehicle stopped."
Out of sight.
The road curves toward the ruined village, obscured beyond by a gentle slope.
At least 5km away.
Out of rifle or Javelin range.
Why did it stop suddenly?
In an ominous hunch, Da-jeong gave follow-up intel.
"Drone launch. Yeah, recon type."
I tilted my head slightly.
I usually don't show emotions during ops, but this one's personal—for my connections.
Not an undeniable order from the nation, but a request.
The thought that people honoring my request might be in danger made me act out of character.
Small drones at 1km+ altitude are nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Occasionally one glints, but U.S. military drones would have anti-reflective coating as standard.
The issue is its purpose.
I know why the U.S. military launched it.
They suspect me.
Not just me.
They're even suspicious of Rebecca, whom they brought along.
Not blaming them.
Any trained soldier, any commander, would prioritize mission success and troop safety like I would.
Even as potential enemies, this calls for praise for their caution.
"Huh? Skeleton?"
Moments later, the radio crackled with Rebecca's voice, like a verdict amid noise.
"The plane. It's gone? What happened?"
"It was there. Then it left."
"Really?"
Rebecca's voice faded, followed by rapid English echoing faintly from afar, then cutting off abruptly.
"......"
The world isn't a game.
No one unilaterally takes hits and dies for me—that's only in games.
We face tough situations in nearly every scenario.
"Skeleton. That transport you mentioned. What did you do there?"
Someone's directing Rebecca.
He must be experienced, suspicious of everything.
Different language and race could make him pull the trigger without hesitation.
"Dunno. I watched from hiding far away. They even launched a drone. Couldn't snap a single photo because of it."
"Oh?"
Brief silence again.
Then.
"About that photo. Seems like it was taken from your side? We have several here, and the angle in one only matches from there."
A dagger-like point.
It's different from the internet.
Very different.
"Really? I was inside the bunker the whole time."
"I see. Huh? Captain?"
Rebecca's tone shifted.
Fast-paced, hard-to-follow English conversation poured from the radio.
Some argument, disagreement.
Then.
"There."
An unfamiliar voice.
"You. You're the hunter, right?"
Korean.
Short words, but with a clear, familiar pronunciation.
"......Yes."
"I'm Captain George Maxwell, U.S. Army. From Fort Sagnol, out of the airbase in Daegu formerly called K2."
This guy's it.
The one who halted the vehicle, launched the drone, had Rebecca verify.
Voice alone tells me.
Extremely meticulous and prickly.
"Did Private Rebecca confirm our military transport from the internet on your end too?"
I felt Defender's gaze.
Great minds think alike.
He senses this is off too.
It is.
This isn't about comrades' lives.
All the effort to save Rebecca and Soo could crumble right here.
Captain Maxwell gave me two choices.
Lie or truth.
The light and shadow that always test humans.
"Skeleton......"
Da-jeong's voice.
Not just her.
Everyone's listening via radio.
They all know how my answer could shift things.
"......"
I thought for a moment.
Then answered.
"No."
"Then what were the photos Rebecca saw?"
"All fakes."
I layer truth's paint over the canvas riddled with lies of this theatrical play.
Whether it's good artistry depends on the viewer's heart.
"Is that so?"
The foreign officer said.
Radio cuts out.
Silence on the other end.
"Drone's returning. Drone recovery!"
Da-jeong's voice hints at the impending doom we'd braced for.
"Skeleton. Armored vehicle turning......"
A failure without losses.
Not the worst, but close in another sense.
Amid thickening defeat, the K-walkie-talkie broadcast a cold voice.
"There. Hunter."
"......What?"
"Care to show your ambushing friends?"
I chuckled and gestured to my comrades.
Ha Tae-hoon and Cheon Young-jae stepped out from ambush on both sides of the road.
"Honest."
"How'd you know?"
"Too obvious a ploy. Luring out low-intelligence targets for gain."
"The principal's right here, and you're calling her low-IQ?"
"Mind if I ask one thing?"
"First, I'd like to apologize to Rebecca."
"Chance to chat later. Answer my question first."
Silence.
Affirming silence.
A chillier wind brushed our hair a couple times, then a cold, faint foreign accent rang through the radio.
"Why do this?"
"To save Rebecca and Soo."
I scatter more truth's paint over the ruined canvas.
Hoping it conveys my sincerity.
"......I see?"
The radio went silent.
From the unseen blind spot, the armored vehicle's powerful engine roared.
"Huh?"
Da-jeong's voice broke the bitter silence.
"Armored vehicle turning again! Coming this way!"
No sooner had she spoken than the radio activated.
"Korean hunter. We're heading your way."
Maxwell.
"Stay put and wait for us. All four of you."
My comrades stared at me.
Each with their emotions.
I met their eyes with a wry smile.
Defender nodded.
Cheon Young-jae and Ha Tae-hoon nodded almost simultaneously.
Looking at them, I felt long-forgotten emotions piling up in the hollow void of my chest that seemed eternally empty.
I grinned.
Not bravado.
"Why the funeral faces? We've got me, right?"
We have one more.
Bang Jae-hyeok, our current ace card.