Entering the Gas Zone

「Berserk lv.1's level has increased by 1!」

"......"

I looked beyond the Berserk level-up notification, at the combat team members staring at me. Their eyes held emotions like fear, bewilderment, and wariness. Even without looking at their eyes, their actions made it clear they were extremely on guard against me. Just the slightest twitch of my arm made their bodies flinch visibly.

Come to think of it, it's not that strange.

No one had ever seen my armor cover my entire body before. They had no idea it could extend that far. Hell, most of them probably only knew about the tentacles, not even the armor. I hadn't used the armor much anyway. Even the Z-Team members who knew about it thought it only hardened parts of my body at most.

If some unidentified creature with this kind of appearance suddenly showed up, even I'd be on guard. Their reactions weren't particularly out of line.

How's everyone's condition? We got here as fast as possible.

The combat team's condition wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. There were injured and even some dead, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the numbers were low. Alice was hiding in the back, clinging tightly to Serena with a terrified expression. Her clothes and body were covered in dust, but she didn't look injured. No missing limbs or anything. Good, she seemed fine.

"......"

What now?

Should I shed the armor and reveal myself, or just bail? But I decided quickly. No need for long deliberation.

-Shrrk.

I released the armor from my head. My bare face came into view.

"““......!”””

In that instant, a strange ripple spread through the auditorium. The eyes that had been wary of me one by one filled with shock.

The reason for revealing myself was simple. There was no reason not to.

Suppose I kept my identity hidden and ran. Then no one would know the black-armored figure who slew the demon beasts was me, and the potential risk would vanish. The problem came after that. I'd become an individual with immense unknown power—unknown identity, unknown if demon beast or human, unknown if friendly or hostile.

What if the administration judged this 'mysterious powerhouse' a threat and canceled or delayed the operation? They couldn't extend the expedition much longer, so I'd have to sneak through the gas zone alone, unarmored.

That's too risky.

And above all, I had no need to hide. Sure, my armor looked a bit demon-beast-like visually, but I wasn't a demon beast. Well, half-demon, but that's not the point. There was no reason for them to suspect me as one.

Body-altering abilities weren't uncommon among superhumans. Plus, I'd passed the Novapolis wall inspection and the academy physical with flying colors. If questioned, there'd be no room for doubt. I was just a superhuman with a threatening armor-generation ability. Tentacles as a bonus.

That was why I'd revealed myself.

"......Professor?"

Alice was the first to break the silence. She stared at my face and blurted out something dumb.

Then gasps echoed from here and there.

"No way. Han Seongjin?"

"What? The academy professor?"

Confusion filled the auditorium. I saw people's legs giving out weakly. I glanced at the Z-Team. Beowulf laughed hollowly, Juwon clasped his hands as if he'd known all along. Kairon's reaction was kinda funny. He'd dismounted from his crocodile and was staring blankly at me. Clearly, the shock hit him hard.

But surprisingly, the one with the most dazed expression was Ricardo.

He staggered toward me.

"Han Seongjin... is that really you?"

"Can't you tell? It's me. No disguise."

I fully shed the armor and faced him. I even pinched my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cheek to prove it was real. Ricardo let out a hollow laugh at the sight.

"Ha, haha... To think that monster was you, Han Seongjin. Thank you truly. We owe you our lives."

"No big deal."

Ricardo bowed his head in gratitude. Soon after, conversation began to assess the situation. Beowulf joined in.

"Han Seongjin. What was the situation outside before you burst through the ceiling? This wasn't a simple raid. The administration's involved."

"Yeah. We're considering the possibility they betrayed us."

"The administration betrayed us? That's not what I saw."

"Not what you saw?"

I told the questioning Ricardo and Beowulf about the three black-clad figures. They were likely behind the raid, scheming something in the Piros Autonomous Region. Of course, I didn't forget to mention Plan B.

Their expressions darkened as they listened.

"So the administration was trying to intervene in this mess. The lockdown order came straight from the director himself."

"I suspect it was the director's solo act."

"Same here. We need to talk this out."

"Hm. I'll head to administration HQ right away."

"I'll come with you."

With that, the discussion wrapped up for now. Soon, underground guards and administration personnel swarmed in. Explanations, injured evacuations, body recovery, and cleanup followed. Even the relatively unharmed got full checkups at nearby hospitals, and the dead were properly preserved and sent back to their units.

The situation concluded with astonishing speed and secrecy. A rift opening in the urban underground spewing demon beasts would've caused massive panic. Later investigations revealed traces of a barrier down there. Probably the black-clad figures' doing. Ironically, it helped keep things quiet. The hotel staff above had no idea what happened until the barrier ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠broke—even the ground floor got wrecked when I entered.

As for the high-rank demon beast: the Black Knight I'd bisected. They searched for its core right away, but it was shattered along the cut I made. Iris confirmed via contact that cores needed to be intact for detector creation. In the end, the knight's core was useless.

Days passed like that.

Despite the unpleasant incident, Operation Inferno pressed on. The resort's basement was trashed, and the ground floor got smashed when the barrier broke during my entry. We relocated to a nearby hotel.

Administration Director Alex, who'd ordered the resort shutdown—the only lead—went missing. Administration HQ shifted to emergency operations under the deputy director.

With the sole clue vanished, the raid's masterminds slipped back into the unknown.

And now. The administration headquarters auditorium. The same place where teams were formed on the first day in the Piros Autonomous Region.

There were all of Z-Team, Ricardo, and a few C-Team members. A-Team's three, including Serena, were out for injuries. The other teams had too many severe casualties, leaving just over a dozen people here, administration staff included.

-Thud.

A staffer placed a heavy bag on the stage table. Inside gleamed a silver mechanical mask and a thin but sturdy full-body protective suit.

Deputy Director Charles Pegar, the green-haired man, spoke up.

"This is the only way to counter Kargas Volcano's toxic gas. Ultralight oxygen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tank-linked high-density filter mask, and a special suit to block gas particles from penetrating the skin."

Beowulf prodded the suit and asked, "Performance solid? We're staking our lives on this."

"It mobilizes the latest existing tech. However... we airlifted them in a rush, so quantities are severely limited. Only ten genuine suits from Neocraft Federation support."

A strange tension rippled through the room. Dozens were deployed for Inferno, but only ten could enter the volcano's heart.

The decision came swiftly. Only the elite of elites with proven firepower were selected.

A-Team: Ricardo, the sole uninjured leader. And all of Z-Team. Mostly minor injuries, so ready for action. A few C-Teamers were skipped—they wouldn't help much. The remaining three suits went to reserves.

"Professor, I... can I really go too?"

Alice grabbed my sleeve with a trembling voice. The underground auditorium trauma lingered, but she couldn't sit this out. Her spirit could create more variables than anyone here—she was essential.

"Stick right behind me. Don't look anywhere else like last time."

"Y-Yes!"

Alice nodded resolutely at my answer. Truth be told, I probably didn't need the suit—maybe not even the mask—but no point standing out. I equipped up without complaint.

Hours later. Kargas Volcano zone. The gas barrier near the volcano. The dark red gas looked ominous even from afar.

"Visibility drops from here on. Comms will get unstable, so check your trackers constantly. Oxygen lasts three hours—stay sharp."

With Ricardo's orders done.

Me, Alice, Beowulf, Kairon, Juwon, Ryan, Ricardo. Seven of us donned our masks in unison.

-Hiss.

The oxygen tanks hummed to life, mechanical breaths echoing down the quiet mountain path. I peered sideways through the transparent visor.

Status window. I'd completed Demonic Body's evolution to level 4 last night. Plus level-ups for bio-armor and Berserk. Peak condition.

"Let's move out."

With Beowulf's curt declaration, our booted feet took the first step into the dark red mist.

"Hoo......"

I drew a breath.

Operation Inferno, Phase 3: underway.