Chapter 317
Chapter 317
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 317
Chapter Title: 128. Tower (3)
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It was back when the rifts first opened.
Governments around the world expressed strong concerns over these superphysical phenomena that modern science couldn't explain, while simultaneously showing a dual attitude, trying to link the rifts to economic and scientific gains.
The hardliners who argued for sealing off the rifts with thick concrete walls, like Chernobyl, were quickly overwhelmed by the moderates insisting on exploration.
Looking back now, if they'd followed the hardliners' advice, humanity's doomsday clock might have been delayed a bit.
Once the moderates gained the upper hand, "exploration" began as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The explorations proceeded in a manner similar to probing another dimension—one that clearly existed but was utterly alien to Earth, much like space.
They started by sending probes, confirmed their return, then sent primitive lifeforms, gradually moving to higher organisms, and finally reckless souls eager to etch their names into history.
Unfortunately, no one knows who crossed a rift first.
It's not that there are no records—too many people rushed in around the same time, all claiming to be the first.
Now, over a decade later, we're probing a secret government facility in a way that's astonishingly similar to those early rift explorations.
Whirrrrr—
The first attempt was a high-speed drone piloted by Hong Da-jung.
This drone, capable of maneuvering in eight directions and praised for its uncanny agility that seemed to defy physics in still air, however...
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Flashes erupted from the darkness beyond, and it scattered, riddled with bullets.
"This is no joke, huh?"
Hong Da-jung tilted her head.
For someone as skilled as her with drones to react like that meant our situation was hopeless.
"How'd Emgu manage to film it? He used a drone too, right?"
The inquisition into Emgu began immediately.
Emgu had no idea we'd come here.
We'd deliberately kept it from him.
Telling him would've meant possibly running into Ji Chang-su and his daughter—people I wasn't fond of—or scaling up the side of a crumbling apartment on a rope.
Luckily, Emgu seemed at loose ends and replied promptly to our questions.
Of course, the drone got destroyed.
Only after seeing the messages did Hong Da-jung nod in understanding.
"Looks like Emgu's drone triggered their anti-air defenses wide open."
"What? Not from the start?"
"Probably the toys inside aren't passive defenses—they're AI-learning types."
Hong Da-jung sketched a quick diagram on her tablet to explain.
"Heard this back in my Legion days: Chinese use people for large drone ops. Like twenty for a hundred drones? Meanwhile, the US and Korea run entire fleets from one control system, adding AI learning right before war. Autonomous learning control systems."
Rustle.
Hong Da-jung pulled out another stacked drone, sticking out her tongue.
"Not a bad warmup."
Her eyes gleamed with the chilling spark from our first meeting.
I figured I could trust her.
But as in most fields, in human-vs-human combat, equipment is eighty percent of the battle.
Especially in cutting-edge tech wars, superior gear means total victory.
Just look at air forces: top-tier US jets rack up near-perfect records against lesser foes.
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
The warehouse dragon, equipped with an AI brain, crushed Hong Da-jung's every attempt.
And increasingly humiliatingly for her.
It started dumping massed fire, but now...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A few precise bursts downed her drones.
In under a day, she'd lost five.
Cheap consumables in bulk, sure—but irreplaceable losses in this production-starved era.
"Hm."
Hong Da-jung halted operations.
"Gotta wait for a better idea."
We weren't alone before the government's hidden assets.
Kim Byung-chul's men weren't shadowing our every move, but they loosely monitored the warehouse from nearby.
"Not going well?"
That evening, Kim Byung-chul showed up to ask.
"If it's not working out, hand it over. No need to waste resources, right?"
Next to him, a girl who looked just like him fiddled brightly with something.
She waved at me cheerfully, but it stirred an inexplicable aversion.
Her cheer was childlike and bright—fine, but it felt out of place in these times.
"Kinda like an autistic kid."
Cheon Young-jae voiced his unfiltered take bluntly.
As I watched silently, he shrugged.
"Just vibes, right?"
"Even so, you say that about someone else's healthy kid?"
"Worked at a refugee center post-war. Community service."
"You commit a crime?"
"DUI."
"Brag much?"
As we chatted, Hong Da-jung approached.
She knew Cheon Young-jae but rarely spoke to anyone but Defender or me—yet here she came, looking purposeful.
"Yeah, rumors like that."
Frustration from stalled ops making her chatty? 100%.
"Kid's weirdly bright. Not sure on autism, but low IQ for sure. What's it called?"
"Borderline intellectual functioning?"
Cheon Young-jae knew terms I didn't.
"Yeah, that. Mom left because of her, or so they say."
Listening to them gossip was exhausting.
We'd been on edge all day, guarding against Kim Byung-chul's betrayal.
Time proved it excessive, but better safe—we stayed vigilant.
Anyway, sunset.
No sharp plan, plus Seoul travel fatigue—we bunked down.
Next day.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hong Da-jung ditched her VR monitor, peering straight at the gap, controlling manually.
Soon, another drone went down.
"Hm."
She sighed shallowly, pulling out her favorite toy.
That damn robot vacuum.
Looked useless, but I didn't ask.
She meticulously checked it, then slipped it through the gap.
Whirr-whirr-whirr—
A funky wheel noise as it rolled in.
Soon...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire.
Difference?
Whirr-whirr-whirr—
The vacuum returned alive.
Secret: armored top plate.
Three dents.
Hong Da-jung nodded, carrying it over confidently.
"Figured something out?"
"3.5 seconds. 3.5."
"3.5?"
"Time from detection to attack. Tested seven—it's shrinking, but bottoms at 3.5."
She set it down, stretching.
"Minimum for detect, process, fire."
"Hm. Yeah?"
Was that key?
Eh.
3.5 seconds.
Long enough to kill a man—too short for humans to react.
"We're stopping here."
"Meaning?"
"Yeah. Giving up for now."
She eyed Kim Byung-chul's mocking soldiers.
"Let's see what they do."
Hong Da-jung seemed antisocial, but competitive fire made her outgoing.
Makes sense—she'd worked cafe gigs, scammed and killed with the "flower snake" ploy.
Not phobia, just annoyance.
No reason to push without her buy-in—drones would just burn.
"What? Quitting already?"
Kim Byung-chul laughed heartily.
Quite pleased.
"Knew it."
He radioed boisterously.
"Ready? Oh, yeah? Good. Let's roll. Guest just checked out!"
He had an ace.
Soon, it rumbled up with earth-shaking roar.
A tank.
K1A1.
Korea's main battle tank shook the whole underground lot approaching us.
Hong Da-jung, outside the truck instead of Defender inside, uncrossed her arms, glaring.
"Ah, figures."
She smirked meaningfully, nodding.
"Knew they'd pull that."
"Yeah?"
"Duh. Net's tight and precise. Good fire net. But I sent drones—no heavy MG past machine guns?"
"Biggest calibers around 7.62mm."
"Solution's simple."
"That?"
"Yup. Send something too big for MGs."
She sneered coldly, re-crossing arms.
Her lingering smile prompted me.
"Think it'll work?"
She shrugged.
"Who knows?"
Then scratched her shoulder lightly.
"Probably not."
The tank advanced.
Krunch!
Smashing the heavy door with its hull.
And—
"Cover your ears!"
Before the tanker's shout reached us,
BOOM!!!
The main gun roared, threatening to collapse the lot.
Thud!!!!
Blast wave kicked up dust as a massive explosion echoed from beyond.
"This allowed?"
Cheon Young-jae muttered beside me.
Yeah—goal's supplies inside, not drones.
Whatever, that shot was pure show.
Fired the main gun blatantly, then charged the hole it made.
Hong Da-jung, still crossed arms, counted on fingers.
"Three, two, one... half."
Her fingers past three, fierce gunfire erupted beyond the door.
Dozens of weapons, by rough count.
No survival for man or drone.
But bullets don't pierce tanks.
That's the point of design.
"Good! Keep pushing! Crush those toys!"
Kim Byung-chul appeared with his beaming daughter, yelling fervently.
"Korea's future is in our hands!"
I tilted my head.
"..."
Still clinging to "Republic of Korea"?
No hate for patriots.
"Korea's revival hangs on us! Rebirth starts here in Seoul! Advance! Plant the flag on the hill!"
But his ideals seemed beyond outdated—clinging to a ghost, formless and gone.
Like vain faith.
Prayer to a silent god.
"SKELTON."
Hong Da-jung snapped me from reverie.
"Watch."
She mouthed a silent explosion sound.
"Ah!"
Noise burst from Kim Byung-chul's blaring radio, raw tanker groan.
Next instant.
KABOOM!!!
Rear blast howled from the hole, nearly blowing us away.
Tank destroyed.
"Say government's useless, but they guarded their rice bowls better than anyone."
Hong Da-jung whispered low.
"Obviously prepped for armored vehicles too."
Tanks and drones alike denied.
Government's dragon fiercer than imagined.
Hong Da-jung shook her head.
"Sorry, SKELTON. This one's tough."
She'd quit at drone five.
Letting Kim try to prove inevitable failure.
To convince me.
"Defenses counter all human weapons—even warlords like him can't touch it."
Made sense.
Not sour grapes.
Da-jung worried I'd rush in—gave clear examples as proof.
Even sacrificing innocent tanker lives, Defender-style.
Defender, truck-bound, agreed.
"SKELTON. Not our wheelhouse."
True.
Hunters aren't omnipotent.
We're ad hoc for monsters only.
Won't deny our limits.
But humanity's greatest virtue? Intellect, adaptability therefrom.
"Hold up. Surfing net quick."
"Internet?"
"Yeah."
Ran to truck.
Saw stone-faced Defender arms crossed; Valentine awkward under his aura.
"Out a sec."
Got Defender's nod, sat at laptop.
"..."
Tap-tap-tap
How many strings of text can make you smile? Feeling the board camaraderie, my fingers flew at 900 strokes per minute.
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!