Commander of the Battlefield - 1
One step, two steps. Lira, who had been advancing slowly, suddenly broke into a sprint once she passed a certain point.
Even if they were just bait, she couldn't just stand by and watch fragile young Executors in peril. It wasn't a wrong call, especially since there were no particular anomalies around.
But wasn't her running speed a bit too fast? It felt less like she was hell-bent on saving the Executors and more like she was desperate to ditch me.
She's been acting weird for a while now. Every time I pick up the pace a little, she ramps it up like it's on purpose.
Lira kept her eyes fixed ahead, steadfastly running. But for a superhuman like her, pinpointing an opponent's position with hearing alone was child's play.
In the end, it looked like nothing more than a ploy to put distance between us.
I could catch up if I tried—easy enough. But why chase after someone who's going out of her way to avoid me?
So, nothing I can do about it. I'm just a frail little Inspector, after all. If only I could wash away all the despair and suffering in this world... but alas, I can't.
Before long, Lira vanished from my sight. I slowed my steps. I didn't think the 1st Platoon was in any real danger anyway, and even if I were there, they wouldn't need my help.
So, I could just stroll along slowly, nice and leisurely.
That's what I was thinking when faint noises started tickling my ears.
Nothing visible around me. The ground was barren of life except for me, and the sky was just tinged with a hazy dust wind.
So where was this vibration coming from?
I glanced down at my feet.
The ground...?
-Crackkk.
Life sprouts from the parched soil of death. Or rather, in this case, they'd been lying in ambush from the start.
And not just one or two. Sharp teeth were erupting from every visible patch of earth.
Whoa. Cadaver party. But that's wild—my senses didn't pick up a single one. Does that mean every cadaver here has Linker abilities?
-Kyaeeeeek!
The cadaver legion announced its presence to the world. With bloodshot eyes, they began scanning their surroundings meticulously.
Naturally, I was the first thing they spotted.
Silence fell.
It was a powder-keg moment. One tiny movement could shatter this fragile standoff in an instant.
The cadavers lost their patience first.
One let out a guttural screech and lunged at me.
The perfect chance to test my new toy gun. Without hesitation, I snatched the Reaper from my belt and squeezed the trigger with flair.
-Bang!
A crisp gunshot rang out, and the cadaver's head exploded. Its body convulsed as if the brain shock had rippled through every nerve—even though it was already dead.
Not as punchy as the Finisher, but solid power. Now I finally feel like a soldier! Way more convenient than pretending to be weak and tapping them with my fists.
The loud shot was the signal flare. Soon, every cadaver around charged at me.
None of them were pushovers. Judging by their size, at least 3.0 stage specimens. Taking them out one by one with care would be a hassle. A toy gun's still just a toy, after all.
I drew the standard-issue bio-dagger from my belt. Swung it with moderate force, and the charging cadaver split clean in half.
I'd never trained in swordsmanship, but hey, brute strength solves everything, apparently.
Reaper in one hand, supply dagger in the other. My hands didn't stop processing cadavers.
Flesh sprayed nonstop. With them swarming everywhere, every kill splattered blood and chunks onto my uniform.
The cadavers slicing like tofu felt surreal. I'd time my shots for the leisurely approaching ones, watching the bullet's trajectory crystal-clear before it pulped their brains in a grotesque burst.
This is fun. Balance adjustment in action? Not bad rocking the beginner weapon set instead of an endgame one.
But I've had my taste now. Starting to get a bit boring?
Even as my hands kept moving, I brainstormed a way to shake them all off at once.
Options to wipe them out instantly were endless, but flashing something flashy here was a no-go.
I'd prefer they ignore me and scram, but cadavers are slaves to their desires—they wouldn't give up easily.
Hiding now might be too late. If I'd cloaked properly earlier, they never would've found me.
Or I could just bolt past them. But that'd be too pathetic!
As I pondered, a spark of genius lit up my mind.
If they're so desire-driven, why not poke that desire? And yeah, I've got just the trick.
The Linker's power isn't limited to hiding itself. It's about blocking its own signal while sensing other cadavers'.
Which means... they're hypersensitive to intense signals, right?
I unleashed my suppressed presence in a single burst. No need for a long demo—just make them grasp the insurmountable gap between us.
Time itself seemed to freeze; the cadavers halted mid-motion.
Looks like my plan worked.
-Grrr...
The cadaver legion began retreating. Survival instinct had overtaken hunger.
The being towering before them was the king of cadavers. Realizing the vast disparity, they dared not charge.
Soon, every last one started pulling away from the Remnant Site.
This I didn't expect. They're not just ignoring me—they're fleeing outright. Where'd that death-defying horde go?
I couldn't let their shameless retreat slide.
So I blasted another signal.
The reversing legion froze again.
Language barriers existed between us, but raw overwhelming power made that trivial!
They didn't turn to look at me—they'd only sensed a threat to life.
So, kindly, I decided to give them the next directive.
I grabbed the nearest cadaver. It wriggled faintly, but pointless struggling.
Lifted it effortlessly and hurled it deep into the Remnant Site with all my might.
It arced far, slamming into the center.
Cadavers aren't dumb. Compared to other creatures, they're sharp. Their intelligence is just hyper-focused on violence—geared solely toward devouring foes.
But what if survival instinct dominated instead?
The cadavers started moving. Toward the Remnant Site.
-Kyaeeeeek!
Screams echoed again. But they sounded weaker—hallucination?
The initial shrieks were mad bloodlust; now, they rang like the lament of soldiers forced to charge.
Funny thing. The world's most battle-hungry creatures lose their zeal when ordered to fight.
"4.1, 4.7, 5.3 stage... 6.1—observation error."
Nova, who rarely showed expression, furrowed her brow.
"A signal-disrupting specimen?"
"High possibility."
"Cadaver movements outside?"
"At least hundreds."
"This is a headache."
In their curt exchange, Carlos pieced together the situation.
He'd anticipated an ambush if it showed. But not like this.
The cadaver that appeared inside the Remnant Site was just a plain Linker. Tricky ability, but not overwhelming for Executors.
Right—the real target anomaly hadn't surfaced yet.
The Executors' screams were pure panic. The nighttime surprise attack probably amplified it.
If it'd ended as a minor scuffle, great. But then came the blatant mass assault.
Carlos found it baffling. Hundreds of cadavers? Not scary. The issue was their coordinated group action.
Cadaver hordes numbering in the hundreds formed often enough. But planned strikes on Executors? Never. And every one in the pack with Linker powers? Unheard of.
Malice orchestrated this. Anyone calling it coincidence was out of their mind.
Then that recent signal disruption. Too blatant for an accident—like a taunt: Find me if you can.
The detector screen had glowed blood-red from the amplified signal. After two pulses, what next?
The stalled horde suddenly surged toward the Remnant Site.
Cadavers remained enigmas, endlessly evolving and proliferating—hard to keep up.
But predictions were possible.
A researcher once posed a question: If Linkers remotely exchange and control signals among cadavers, couldn't they manipulate others via those signals?
The idea fizzled out. Cadavers' fierce independence meant their intelligence couldn't command groups. Optimism never lasts.
A near-certain hunch struck.
It emitted a signal too potent for measurement, crippling observation. Persistently targeted Executors, drawing in extras. Then unleashed the horde on the trapped bait.
Only one entity could pull this off.
"A cadaver commander is here."