Chapter 154: Mobilization Training – Mid-to-Late Stage
Chapter 154: Mobilization Training – Mid-to-Late Stage
A week passed.
As is the case with most Mobilization Training, everything went smoothly this time as well.
It was a repetitive cycle of patrols, drills, and killing time—boring hours devoid of any incidents or accidents.
In other words, it was peaceful.
There were no sudden scrambles in the middle of the night, nor was there any need to stay awake as part of a thirty-second standby team.
Instead, something else began to increase….
"Ha-ram Oppa! Spar with me! Smil says we’re going to win this time…."
"Master Lee! Please, give us your guidance…."
Unexpectedly, it had turned into a venue for fostering camaraderie among the unit members.
How did it even come to this?
I let out a sigh, but all I got in return were the boisterous shouts of the soldiers and the lukewarm gazes of my disciples.
It started with a simple spar.
A brief request for a duel had come in while I was training with my disciples.
After I took the challenger down with my bare hands, people started clinging to me, begging for lessons.
Perhaps sparked by a sense of competitiveness, Chris suddenly joined the fray, resulting in this bizarre social gathering.
"I told you, I’m busy training my disciples!"
"That’s a lie! Just yesterday, you set your two disciples to free sparring and were nodding off…."
"How did you even know that?"
Those noisy bastards definitely weren't around yesterday.
"Smil told me! He saw you from the sky!"
So it was you.
Then again, I don't usually pay much attention to every single bird floating in the sky.
That was a major blind spot.
"Master Lee! Please, teach us!"
"Teachy-ing!"
It’s 'teaching,' Chris.
Sigh.
I looked up at the sky with a heavy breath.
The sun was bright, and its light was warm.
I had intended to use the weather as an excuse to run away if things got bad, but even Mother Nature was blocking my path of retreat….
I guess I have no choice.
"I don't want to waste time, so all of you, come at me at once!"
Thud.
I slammed my hammer down and took a stance.
"Yes, sir!"
"Understood!"
I clashed with the charging unit members.
Another day that was far from boring passed just like that.
* * *
I woke up after sensing something.
"…."
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say I opened my closed eyes rather than saying I woke up.
I’ve been suffering from insomnia ever since I came here.
I still find it hard to sleep when others are around; I can't even understand myself sometimes.
It was fine back at Nanjido. Perhaps because of the Otherworldly Power permeating that place, I could fall asleep without a single thought.
Looking back, that overwhelming drowsiness was likely a sign that my mind was being drained, but thanks to it, I could sleep easily despite the presence of my disciples and the children.
How ironic.
With a short, bitter smile, I pulled myself out of bed.
I turned my head to check on my disciples and Chris, but only the sound of shallow breathing came from their beds.
It didn't seem to involve them.
Next, I turned my gaze to the spot where he always sat since we arrived.
The small table in the center of the quarters, used by everyone.
The one who used to sit there, fluttering his short legs.
Coincidentally, the moment I looked, moonlight settled upon the table.
"…."
However, there was only the table, shimmering under the light. The Bear Mascot, which had always sat there as still as an ornament since we arrived, was nowhere to be found.
I had sensed a mana pulse unique to Mascots and wondered if Un-ho had come to see me, but it seemed to be a different fellow.
Hmm. For a Mascot that had been staying perfectly still to suddenly leave its spot.
Did something happen regarding Chris?
Or was it a betrayal, or something equivalent?
Of course, it could all be unnecessary worry.
He might have just stepped out to buy snacks like Un-ho.
So, what should I do?
I pondered for a moment, but the answer came quickly.
…I might as well look for him.
Sleep is already an optional domain for me anyway, and what little drowsiness I had has long since vanished.
Even so, I have no clues.
I can't exactly scour this entire Barrier looking for him….
Just as I was lost in thought.
Woooong.
A very faint pulse rippled out.
It was a mana pulse—the same one I felt moments ago—with an intensity so weakened that even precision instruments wouldn't be able to pick it up.
…I just need to follow that.
It’s weak, but not so much that I can't perceive the direction it's spreading from.
With that thought, I opened the door to follow the mana.
Creeeeak.
The hinge, as noisy as ever, pierced through the silence of the night.
I reminded myself that I really needed to get some oil this time, having forgotten every other time, and quietly closed the door.
Woooong.
The mana pulse shook the surroundings again.
With the same intensity and the same directionality.
Let’s see… the emission type is circular…. Given the intervals, it seems there's a need to emit it continuously.
My ability to detect Otherworldly Power is quite dull, so I can usually only read the presence and approximate scale of the power, but if I’m exposed to the same energy repeatedly, I can manage this much.
So, for what purpose is that fellow emitting mana like this?
If I could read the formulas embedded in mana like Un-ho, I’d know instantly, but I don't have that ability.
Therefore, I have no choice but to find a similar pattern within my experience.
Thinking this, I moved toward the direction the pulse originated from.
I can think while I’m moving.
Step. Step.
My footsteps echoed through the dark hallway.
However, that wasn't the only sound around me.
Light and noise leaked through the gaps in the doors.
Even though the night was deep, every other room was bursting with signs of life.
It was only natural.
While Mobilization Training is similar to military action, the summoned Heroes aren't obligated to follow orders or stick to a daily schedule like soldiers.
As long as they participate in patrols, lend their strength when combat occurs, and don't desert, the Management Bureau has no intention of restricting their freedom.
In such a situation, those who follow the schedule as diligently as our room are the rare cases.
Tsk.
I don't like it.
I know why this environment was created.
The trauma of those of us who were treated like soldiers.
The Heroes who became 'Super-B' entities because of it.
So, I can understand it.
However.
It’s only for two or three weeks; can't they follow the rules just for that long?
Acting freely is fine. But they have no awareness.
The awareness that if a large-scale invasion occurs and the Great Barrier is attacked, they are the first wall protecting humanity. That mindset.
Such thoughts continued to swirl in my head.
I didn't even have these thoughts when I participated in Mobilization Training last year.
Back then, I simply didn't think about anything.
Solitary, I kept my mouth shut in my quarters and moved according to the schedule alone.
Like the dead. Because I had no interest in the actions of others.
Step. Step.
I passed the quarters, and the sound of laughter faded.
The long hallway and the stairs leading upward were filled only with the sound of my footsteps.
The mana pulses passing through my body began to pour down from above my head.
Is it the roof?
I followed the pulses and climbed the stairs.
And I resumed the train of thought I had started a while ago, which had been interrupted by the light from the quarters.
Power emitted periodically in a spherical form, containing faint mana.
The first thing that comes to mind is detection magic. Magic like a radar used to create maps, find specific objects, or mark nearby enemies.
This isn't particularly dangerous. The act of mapping to prepare for all situations was common among those with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
Of course, that’s assuming that fellow isn't a traitor.
There’s also the possibility he’s gathering information to summon and command enemies.
The next magic that comes to mind is magic used to call someone.
It could be to call a single target, or a widely dispersed army.
Either way, because the exact location of the target is unknown, it’s a siren-like magic used when one wishes to summon something, even if it consumes more power.
If it’s this magic, something terrible could happen.
He might be calling the countless Otherworldly armies beyond the Great Barrier.
A traitor Mascot.
A being with immense mana that can play the role of a Command Entity.
Of course, this too might be mere paranoia.
Step. Step.
I continued my thoughts as I climbed the stairs.
Formation of an altar. Reality Manipulation. Wide-range contamination. Mental manipulation. Planting seeds.
As those examples passed by, only one remained in my mind.
To tear a hole.
To be precise, these pulses don't occur when a hole is being torn.
When tearing a hole artificially, immense power must be gathered, so such pulses wouldn't occur.
However, The Hole itself can emit such pulses.
If that’s the case….
Gulp.
Was it because I recalled old experiences?
I swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth and looked at the door.
The closed door leading to the top of the Great Barrier.
"…I can just ask him directly."
Clank.
I gripped my hammer in my hand just in case and turned the handle.
The door opened.
Pale moonlight.
Light poured in.
Perhaps because there were no other light sources around.
Atop The Wall, shimmering under moonlight as bright as day.
The Bear Mascot was standing there.
The blue Bear Mascot stared straight at me the moment the door opened.
"I have been waiting for you."
To the Bear Mascot's greeting.
"…What were you doing?"
I thrust my hammer forward and threw out the question.
"The atmosphere suggests you wouldn't believe me if I said… nothing."
How brazen.
"Ha. Would you believe it? If a Mascot left his assigned Magical Girl behind and was shooting out wide-range mana pulses while claiming to be doing nothing?"
At the Bear Mascot's shameless attitude, I raised my right hand and aimed The Hammer.
"Of course, I wouldn't believe it either. Well, it doesn't matter. I have achieved my purpose."
Purpose? Already achieved?
This is ominous. Just what did he do?
"…I’ll ask again. What did you do?"
"I called someone."
Calling magic.
Then, the target?
"Who is it?"
"Hero Lee Ha-ram. It is you."
Absurd words spilled from the Bear Mascot.
A ridiculous statement that even made me pause in surprise.
…That makes no sense.
If that were the case, why go through all this trouble?
He could have simply caught me in the quarters and talked to me.
"A simple excuse. I didn't want to use force against a Mascot, but…."
I took my stance.
Ready to crush that furball the moment anything went wrong.
"It does not matter if you do not believe me. I know well that it is difficult to understand why such complex measures are taken to call one person in secret."
Right. That’s why it’s an excuse.
I put strength into my heels.
So I could spring forward at any moment.
"However, to escape the Gaze of The End and not be woven into the Story, a corresponding amount of form and price is required."
Zzt.
the moment the Bear Mascot uttered those words, his body flickered as if distorted by static.
"…What did you just say?"
I asked the question while maintaining my stance.
That was how unbelievable the opponent's words were.
"The End. That is what I said."
Zzt.
Along with the sound of static.
The Bear Mascot's appearance changed.
From a Bear Mascot in the form of a furball.
To the form of a disgusting corpse bear, made of flesh and muscle.
Zzt.
"It seems it will be difficult to deceive you any further. You may find it hard to believe, but I have come to deliver a story to you. Well, meeting like this was purely coincidental, though."
"…Speak."
Zzt.
The thing, now transformed into a felt doll, opened its mouth.
"The Queen of the Magic Kingdom awaits you. The door is open, so let us meet face to face. O Black One."
Zzt.
Before I knew it, the bright moonlight had vanished.
Only the darkness of the night swirled around us.
It was that kind of night.