Training Camp # 7
Training Camp # 7
We scouted the area to find a way into the building.
The hostiles were already positioned on the rooftops. If we watched their sightlines and used the ground-level cover, we could get inside without being spotted.
"This way."
We followed Leona's lead and moved up to the front of the building.
Getting to the building the monsterkin had occupied wasn't that hard—there was plenty of stuff to hide behind.
"Well, nothing special about getting this far. So, are we going in through the door or the window?"
Pressed flat against the wall, Yu-ri said that as soon as we arrived.
"Let's infiltrate through that second-floor window over there. Lee Si-hoo? Can you put up a shield and go in first?"
"Yeah. I can handle that. I'll go in first."
"As expected, you're reliable. Go ahead."
"Okay."
—Whoosh!
Si-hoo threw up a shield and lightly jumped, landing on the second-floor railing. It was honestly amazing every time I saw it. He quietly opened the window and slipped inside.
About five seconds later.
"Clear. There's nothing in here."
"Then, Woo Yu-ri? You're up."
"Got it."
—Hop!
Following Si-hoo, Yu-ri also jumped lightly and infiltrated the second floor. The more I saw that ability, the more jealous I got.
I needed to learn that soon.
"Kim Geun-cheol? What are you doing? Aren't you getting ready for your princess carry?"
"Wait, are we really going with a princess carry here?"
Somehow, I felt like I was always just getting princess-carried by Leona. Honestly, as a man, it hurt my pride.
Getting a princess carry from a girl like Leona. Honestly, it'd be better if it were the other way around.
I couldn't let it happen again.
This time, I'd get up there myself.
"What can you do? You're still weak, Kim Geun-cheol. Hurry up. Act like a well-behaved princess. I have to carry you up."
Leona smiled a strange smile and spread her arms as if telling me to get in. There was no way I was becoming a princess.
"Wait a second, Leona."
"Huh?"
"Can you spot me from below? I wanna test if I can do it."
I'd leveled up my skills on the way here. Watching my friends do it made me feel like I could somehow pull it off too.
It was my chance to try.
I could do it now!
"Hmm? There's no way you have the jumping power for it... Well, fine. But we don't have time, so you only get one chance. If you fail, I'll catch you and carry you straight up."
"Works for me."
—Stomp.
I stood right in front of the wall.
I didn't have to worry about falling. Leona would catch me from below. I glared at the wall, took a deep breath.
"Hup!"
I kicked off the ground and jumped!
—Boom!
Thanks to releasing my mana, my body rose pretty high, but it still wasn't enough to grab the second-floor window. However, I never thought I'd make it up in a single jump!
"Hah!"
—Thud!
I planted my foot on the wall and kicked off hard, jumping straight up!
—Swoosh!
Just as I predicted, my body soared upward! Yes! If I can't make it in one jump, I can just use the wall like this!
"But I overshot the window!"
My body rose higher than the window!
"Ah! Kim Geun-cheol!"
But this world had a thing called gravity. The moment my ascent stopped, I started falling, and I just grabbed the railing of the second-floor window.
"Yes!"
Success!
"What! Geun-cheol?! You jumped all the way up here?!"
"It's a double jump...! A double jump!"
"I'll pull you in! Hurry!"
"Nah. Si-hoo. I'm fine. No need to pull me up."
This wasn't a dangerous situation at all. I was just hanging from the window. Actually, I felt pretty relaxed.
"Watch out."
I didn't even need to use mana. While hanging from the window, I pulled myself up like I was on a pull-up bar, got my leg over, and climbed inside.
"Whew. Managed to pull it off."
"Whoa. You made it?"
"Yeah. Saw that?"
"Good job. I guess you've got the basics down at this level?"
"Heh heh heh, right?"
Yu-ri grinned, spinning around as she praised me.
"Geun-cheol! That's amazing! You already managed to overcome the second-floor window! All that hard work paid off! And this place was actually pretty high up!"
An excited Si-hoo came up to me, chattering away happily. That guy had been watching me grow right by my side. I could really feel his joy.
"See, Si-hoo. I told you, didn't I? I'm overflowing with talent."
"Honestly, I thought you were exaggerating a bit, but this much deserves recognition. I think I can call you a rookie from today on."
"Rookie my ass."
Wow.
A sense of fulfillment wrapped around my heart. I really had worked hard. Overcoming a fairly high second floor like this... The sensation I just felt was something I could use for the rest of my life.
"If I practice this a bit more, I'll be able to do it way easier."
"Well, even if you don't specifically improve your jumping power, you can overcome it with that kind of application. Kim Geun-cheol? You worked hard. You did really well. I can feel that my teaching was worth it."
Leona, who had followed me up, said this with a proud smile on her face. Yeah. Leona had taught me hard too. I was truly grateful.
"This must be what a mother feels. Sob... Kim Geun-cheol, I'm so proud!"
"What are you, my mom?"
"Not exactly. Anyway. We got up here without any problems. Now, I guess we have to open that door and go out."
The relaxed atmosphere immediately snapped back to tension.
"There's a chance the monsters will attack us right when we step out."
"Right. Then, Lee Si-hoo? Please take point."
"No choice, I guess. Here we go?"
Si-hoo stood in front of the door.
"..."
With his sword drawn, he opened the door with extreme caution.
At that moment.
—Grrrk.
"Ah!"
Si-hoo immediately slammed the door shut!
"Whoa! Si-hoo, why?!"
"Get away from the door! There's something next to it!"
And then.
—BOOOM!
An explosion rang out from beyond the door.
"Hoo... It was a bomb. There was something like a tumor—a bomb, right?"
"Yeah. Good call. Any damage?"
"We dodged it, so we're fine."
So the monsterkin used some kind of biological bombs? I'd need to study that.
It was at that moment.
—Grrrrrk!
—Squeaaaak!
The sounds of monsters came from outside.
"Guys. I think they heard the explosion and gathered."
"Looks like it! If anything, this is perfect! Instead of hunting them down one by one, it's better to group up and take them out here! Everyone! Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
—Crash!
The moment Leona violently swung the door open, we saw the holographic monsters swarming together. Leona thrust her sword without hesitation.
—Pwaang!
She swung her sword wildly in every direction, taking down the holographic monsters.
"Leona! Watch out so you don't step on the machines!"
"Ah! These things are really annoying!"
"Geun-cheol! I'm trusting you with the rear!"
Like that, Si-hoo and Yu-ri also drew their swords and charged out the door.
"Well, looks like there's nothing for me to do?"
By the time I slowly walked out, all the holographic monsters had already been wiped out. Since it wasn't an open field but a confined space, the melee DPS could fully exert their power.
Leona, Si-hoo, and Yu-ri had each taken a direction and completely annihilated the monsters.
"Hoo. As expected, that was easy. But since they're holograms and not real ones, it wasn't that hard."
"Yeah. The difficulty is a bit low."
"It was easy. Hey. Let's hurry and rescue the hostages."
"Yes. Let's go find them right away."
—Click-clack.
Once the monsters were taken care of, the spider robots started walking off somewhere. Guess they were programmed to exit on their own. Anyway, we carefully checked each floor as we moved, and after clearing the first floor, we went up to the third.
"Kim Geun-cheol? Please check that room over there."
"Will do."
I received the order from Leona and searched the room.
After searching several, the moment I opened a new door.
"Oh my god!"
I saw something incredibly shocking!
"Urrgh."
"Uuaaah."
People who looked like they'd been kidnapped by aliens! People buried in some kind of tumorous flesh mound, stuck in the walls, groaning!
"Damn, that's vivid."
Of course, it was all a projection. A video that just filled up an entire wall. Looking up, I saw a beam projector installed on the ceiling. So that was how they were showing us the hostages were here.
"Leona! I found the hostages!"
"I'll be right there!"
The moment my friends gathered.
—Beep.
A notification rang from the equipment we were wearing.
"Good work finding the hostages. The rescue has been confirmed. Resume your actions."
"Ah, yes. Understood, Instructor. Guys. It says the hostage rescue has been confirmed. Looks like our guess was spot on."
"Heh heh heh! It was only natural! Since we couldn't destroy the building in a situation like this, it meant there had to be hostages inside!"
Leona was overjoyed and looked very proud. Anyway. Since the rescue was confirmed, all we had to do now was take out the monsterkin on the rooftop.
"But guys? What the hell is this video? What happened to everyone?"
"Looking at it, this seems to be a Campanella nest. They're monsters that use humans as nutrients."
"Wow."
"In that state, they haven't laid eggs yet... Well, it looks like they were just about to. We probably arrived to rescue them at a good time. If we were late, the larvae would have devoured the victims."
"Aack!"
That was seriously horrifying!
You can never underestimate F-rank monsters!
"Hmm... Maybe."
"Si-hoo?"
"Maybe this whole building was overflowing with stuff like that. The training is just expressing it this way, but in reality, it might have been a building filled with those organic hostages."
"Si-hoo! Can you stop saying such creepy things?! That's terrifying!"
Man, how brutal.
Imagining it was really horrifying. It felt like the building itself had become a biological factory for these monsters.
Everyone in the building became nutrients for the Campanella. Looking at the video playing right now, if these flesh mounds had been filling the entire interior... you'd never be able to look at it with a sane mind.
"Geun-cheol. Are you scared?"
"No, this just gives me the absolute creeps. I'm so scared I feel like collapsing."
"But what can we do? Campanella is a monster that actually does that kind of thing. It wouldn't be weird at all if they made a building into a nest."
I had goosebumps all over.
It was a genuinely scary world.
"This isn't gonna work. I can't sleep alone tonight. Let's sleep together, Si-hoo."
"Wha, what did you saaaay?!"
"We're in the same room."
"Stop saying weird stuff!"
We were in the same room, what was the big deal?
"Heh heh heh, Kim Geun-cheol is a total scaredy-cat. Not knowing about Campanella... You need to study monsters more diligently. Anyway. Since the rescue is confirmed... shall we head up now?"
"Let's do that."
It was time to finish the training.
