Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Transcender (5)
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A few seconds before Yoo Ji-tae brought his fist down on Chief Secretary Cha Seok's head.
The moment the rift tore open, pre-prepared official dispatches rained down on each branch of the Federation.
An SS+ dungeon had burst open without so much as a warning sign.
Astonishing.
But astonishment was astonishment, and a breach was a breach. Now that the incident had begun, those in charge always had to think ahead.
To the Federation's top brass, who never even considered the possibility of failure, the emergence of this dungeon was no different from striking a new vein of gold.
These were the survivors who had walked through the era of war.
These were the ones who had staked their lives on monster hunting to secure their futures.
These were the Federation.
The moment vested interests got involved, existing operations twisted in strange ways. After all, they knew they'd clear it anyway. They just had to think of ways to make even a little more money.
Even if they overstepped by 10, reaping 50 in profits made fines or punishments worth it.
No problem, right?
They were going to hunt it anyway.
And we are the Federation.
For that reason, around the South Amazon rainforest, just as the units launched their full assault, Clone 1 (original clone) found his movements restricted.
"Ah. Hold up. Stop."
He had infiltrated the command unit as a free mercenary. But now the commander blocked his path with a distinctly displeased air.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"You don't need to join the fight."
"I've mastered every operation. I'm moving without interfering with the assault routes."
"No. No. Just stay put. Right here."
"What?"
Clone 1 turned his head and stared straight into the commander's eyes. The commander met his gaze and felt a vague unease but tried to brush it off. So Clone 1 stepped closer.
"What exactly are you trying to pull? I'm here as a free mercenary. I requested permission to maneuver within non-interfering ranges for the operation. That's a legitimate request. So what justification does the commander have for blocking my movement?"
The commander waved his hand irritably, as if shooing him away.
"Just stay put for once... okay? Why are you making this difficult? You're no rookie who's eaten sword-rice for just a day or two. Or did you really blind yourself to how the world works while hiding away?"
"......"
Clone 1 felt a flicker of annoyance.
At that moment, a staff officer stepped forward to defend him.
"Squad leader, still, Won participated in operation planning from the start."
"So what?"
"He won't cause any real losses even if he joins."
"Sigh... Why are you on this too?"
But the commander shook his head, refusing to budge.
Tsk. Clone 1 clicked his tongue. He could push through if he wanted, but for now, he decided to stand by.
Yoo Ji-tae and Clone 1 each had their roles.
Yoo Ji-tae would now persuade the Federation headquarters. Using the same method he had convinced the three Federation hostages. Shaking the organization's values right there and preparing them for the future to come.
It sounded absurd at first glance. For a lone individual with no prior ties to upend the operational policies of the world's premier military force.
But Yoo Ji-tae had to make it happen.
Was Clone 1 just supposed to sit idle while his lord toiled?
No.
His duty was to show that they were as friendly to the Federation as possible. To keep Yoo Ji-tae and himself from remaining enigmatic mysteries. To demonstrate overwhelming power while directing that power toward benefiting the Federation.
In short, Clone 1 had to become the Federation's 'hero'.
That was why he had planned to move from the moment the rift tore. Yet these greed-maddened fools were blocking him? Charging out now to cut monsters would veer that power away from the Federation.
A person or two dying meant nothing to Clone 1.
Clone 1 asked the commander.
"Those guys over there—they your direct subordinates?"
He nodded toward the rift's foremost line. The spot about to clash directly with the monsters.
"Huh? Well, yeah."
"...Don't regret it, Commander."
"What? Don't jinx it! Get lost!"
He took a few steps back.
At this point, it was safe to call it giving up.
No point in advising now; he wouldn't listen anyway.
Right?
O great overseer of the world's providence.
Right now. Flying in from some distant corner of this providential world was malice itself. And only the Apocalyptic Clock could collect the fragments of that malice.
That was why, just for this incident, he had borrowed the Apocalyptic Clock from his lord on the way here...
But its condition seemed a bit off.
What are you saying? Of course you're not an object, great one.
I don't know why, but if I've offended you, my apologies.
Understood. Apologies once more.
......
He told it to be quiet, so he stayed quiet, but the messages kept flooding his mind.
He tried to endure, but the Apocalyptic Clock's messages burdened his spirit heavily. Holding out was starting to make his head spin.
With no choice, Clone 1 addressed the Apocalyptic Clock again.
Please calm down, O great overseer of the world's providence.
But you mustn't get angry.
You mustn't get scary-angry either.
I'm sorry. I have no face to show. But don't you know how crucial this place is?
This bickering with the Apocalyptic Clock didn't drag on long.
The rift shuddered.
The sky bulged unnaturally, writhing as if about to vomit something up.
Mana waves shifted.
The air grew heavy.
Rumble rumble rumble... What sounded like a torrent was actually the flap of hundreds, thousands of wings.
"All hands—battle stations—!"
Right after the commander's shout.
Like a dam bursting, filthy mana and pitch-black greenish hues poured out, along with monsters flooding the air.
Brrrrrng—
Heads and chests. Bellies. Shell-like skin. Sparse bristles. Thin, enormous wings. Insect-like, but entirely unfamiliar monsters.
They emerged with dark clouds, blanketing the skies over the rainforest.
A dense, smoky fog formed. Sunlight vanished. The world plunged into shadow, then pitch-black night.
The First Night had arrived.
"Charge! Don't give an inch—!"
The superhumans clashed head-on with the monsters.
Right after the first collision. The commander snapped his eyes wide and groaned.
"What the— what happened...!"
Something was wrong.
The foremost line.
The reconnaissance superhumans were the first swept by the thick green aura.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Huff! Haaah huff!"
Just hit by mana, yet they clawed at their throats, writhing. Collapsing, they convulsed like they had the shakes.
"W-what the hell is that?!"
"Poison! It's poison-attribute mana...!"
"Evade! Everyone, keep distance from that murky mana!"
With no warning, intel was scarce. Commanders belatedly pulled units back from the rift.
"Hey! You okay?!"
"Hah, haa..."
"Snap out of it, man!"
A healer squad member belatedly dragged out a recon superhuman swept by the mana. He cast healing magic over him. The recon man vomited blood, coughing repeatedly. Even receiving healing mana, the coughs didn't stop.
"Huff, haa... Cough! Cough! Cough! Huff, huff!"
"What kind of cough is this..."
Then, the healer superhuman realized something foul was invading his airways. He held his breath. Closed his eyes. Circulated mana to push 'it' out while analyzing.
Assimilation and Infection energies brimmed.
Startled, he snapped his eyes open and yelled to the commander.
"Captain! This isn't poison!"
"What? What do you mean! If it's not poison, then what?!"
"It's...!"
As he tried to continue, coughs erupted.
The healer clutched his heart.
"Cough, cough! Huff, guh haa...!"
This wasn't 'poison'.
Not mere mana hindering growth.
"Don't approach the downed superhumans! Control your breathing—don't inhale max mana—! This, this is...!"
Repeating 'growth', 'division', 'infection', 'assimilation'. A property of ancient mana unseen in modern times.
"It's the Plague—!!"
The healing commander's shout echoed thunderously across the rainforest.
The crisis veered off course from the start.
Plague-attribute mana swept the superhumans. They choked, vision blocked. In the sudden chaos, 15% of forces became monster fodder.
But up to there, it was manageable. They were the world's elite; their response to anomalies was lightning-quick.
Yet the malice-interfered 7th round often birthed the impossible within human common sense and worldly providence.
Apocalyptic Clock messages appeared.
Normally, the boss should emerge last, after all the small fry, smashing through the rift.
But right now, from the dark rift, a beak like a straight spire began pouring out.
"What?! Why's the boss coming out already—!!"
No preparations made.
The flow completely disrupted.
Not even the anti-boss aerial weapons properly started.
Someone despaired in this situation.
The emerging inky blue monster bird—Boss Kalkaope—revealed itself like a calamity.
Body length 25 meters.
Wings spread, its unreal bulk choked the dark sky.
It perched atop the humans.
Green powder scattered from its wings.
"Nooooooo—!!"
His unit annihilated. The commander wailed in grief.
In the hellish battlefield.
As everyone lost their minds, fleeing desperately—kicking allies grabbing ankles to escape.
"Told you, didn't I."
A man stepped forward from the trees.
"You'd regret it..."
The half-mad commander looked up at him.
"Hey! Even you, run! You'll die messing around here!"
"Then, you not going?"
"My men are dying—where's a commander gonna go! How could I show my face anywhere!"
Clone 1 understood.
Incompetent commanders deserved death.
But not now. Irritated, the clone struck the back of his head. Crack! He crumpled. Without Knifehand Strike (D), he might've died.
Anyway.
About time to overstep. Deciding so, Clone 1 slowly drew the sword borrowed from Yoo Ji-tae from subs pace.
Plain-looking sword. But a level 4 artifact weapon taken after slaying Noah.
Dream-Eating Sword
Ordinary superhumans couldn't wield it even if they had it. Wielders got devoured by the demonic blade. Not for casual use.
But he was Yoo Ji-tae's clone.
In the hellscape battlefield.
Clone 1 gripped the sword tighter.
Responding to solemn mana, blackish deep-green plague mana swirled around him like a sandstorm, parting aside.
A fierce mana reaction. Visible from above as blanketing the whole area.
Hundreds of meters wide vortex shook the rainforest.
Insect swarms caught in it couldn't fly straight. Humans in peril crawled, resisting the vortex.
"What the hell is...!"
"Ah... over there!"
All eyes converged.
In the typhoon's eye.
The being unleashing this incomprehensible might stood there. Next instant, they felt inexplicable chills. The mana around the man sharpened keener than the unknown monster's killing intent.
Even the incoming boss monster froze mid-flight, staring at the tiny human.
At the center of all gazes.
The Yoo Ji-tae born from the 6th round opened his eyes.
Activation
And painted the world in grayscale.