Chapter 26: The Resistance - 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: The Resistance - 1
About a week ago.
The Military State had abruptly mobilized its forces.
While it was common for the military authorities to dispatch soldiers to maintain public order, hardly newsworthy, the scale of this operation was on another level. Leaving only the bare minimum required to defend the borders and strategic points, every available soldier converged on the city. It was as if they were waging war on the city itself. As people hid in their homes, trembling at the sight of the soldiers flooding the streets, the Military State began a massive wave of arrests.
Petty criminals who had been left alone due to their ambiguous offenses, names that only appeared on wanted posters, and members of the Resistance who had been hiding with the help of citizens.
And a great many unlucky, innocent civilians.
All were trampled and arrested under the boots that marched through the streets.
Kanysen was no exception.
In the past, when the Military State was still a kingdom, Kanysen had been a squire in a renowned knightly order. Though he had gone into seclusion after the Military State took power, their intelligence division still considered him a person of interest and kept him under surveillance.
Naturally, this incident prompted a visit from soldiers to his small home.
To this extent, it was a routine affair in the Military State. Key figures from the kingdom era receiving unexpected visits from soldiers. Being dragged away and tortured over a single misspoken word.
There was, however, one thing that was different from the usual: Kanysen was a genuine revolutionary, and he was preparing a terrorist attack against the Military State in the near future.
The moment he sensed something was wrong, Kanysen grabbed the bare essentials and fled. His comrades fled with him.
Having poked at what they thought was a stone and found a vein of ore, the Military State immediately gave chase.
But Kanysen was a man who had once served in the military, even if it was back in the kingdom era. Sensing something amiss in the chaotic movements, instead of fleeing, he infiltrated the Military State’s logistics division. And there, he discovered a startling truth.
Countless vicious criminals had escaped from Tantalus, the great prison that housed the worst offenders in history, and the Military State had mobilized its forces to prevent the chaos they would inevitably cause.
He had obtained incredible information, but his time was running out. The pursuit was relentless, and the enemy was too numerous. Resisting here would be meaningless. He would only be swept away and crushed by the overwhelming difference in numbers.
Then, a means of escape appeared before him like a miracle.
A supply box, originally destined for Tantalus, now abandoned and without a destination because of the prisoner escape.
Thoughts flashed through my mind like a running horse lantern. In a brief moment, I slammed the glittering memories into my brain to get the information I needed.
My head ached. I clutched my throbbing temples and pulled myself out of the stream of thoughts.
A sudden, large-scale security check. A resistance group on the run. Using my mind-reading, I got the gist of how they ended up here and sighed in disbelief.
Fucking idiots, the Military State. They always act so meticulous, but they didn't even bother to check the box.
I felt the urge to grab that golem who had boasted about the supplies arriving promptly and shake it senseless. Can’t you double-check before sending things off? You don’t even inspect the cargo?
Thanks to the Military State’s negligence, five members of the Resistance had managed to survive by eating the food inside. Groaning in pain within the cramped space where they could barely move a finger, they burst out the moment the box landed, as if they had been waiting for it.
The first thing they saw was me, and it was only natural that they, disgruntled with the entire world, would direct their hostility my way.
Haa. The Resistance.
Even if they called themselves the Resistance, most were just young people with grievances against society. I may be at the bottom of the barrel here, but I had no intention of losing to a bunch of brats. Well, shall I teach these kids a lesson? I'm what you kids become when you grow up.
As I was cracking my knuckles, a well-built young man pointed his gun at me and shouted sharply.
“Freeze! Hands up!”
I quickly raised my hands. Can't argue with a gun.
Phew. That was close. If Azzy hadn't licked my shoulder, I wouldn't have been able to raise my arm and might have been killed. I should thank Azzy.
…No, wait a minute.
The reason my arm hurts in the first place, and the reason I’m out in the yard at this exact moment, is all because of Azzy. If I hadn't been playing ball with you, I wouldn't be facing the Resistance bare-chested!
“Woof?”
Azzy, who had been wagging her tail furiously, happy to see new people, tilted her head at my burning gaze. I glared at her, my arms still in the air.
You got me into this mess, so you get me out of it!
I scowled, sending a message with my expression. Azzy’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me, and she nodded as if she understood. Alright, Dog King. Time to finally earn your keep.
“You, dog-girl, hands up too!”
“Woof!”
Azzy barked cheerfully and raised her paws, mimicking me.
Right. What did I expect from you? You’re so quick to welcome anyone with that fickle tail of yours.
The young man looked at Azzy’s overly bright face with a hint of suspicion. I had hoped he might attack her, but…
‘…For a filthy dog beastkin, her attitude is quite docile. She seems a bit dim-witted, but she doesn't look dangerous for now, so I’ll leave her be…’
It seemed her appearance influenced his judgment. A pity. If he had just fired his gun and started a fight with Azzy, they each would have gotten a doggy punch and broken a bone or two.
The young man brandished his gun menacingly and shouted.
“Alright! Now that your hands are up, get on your knees and put your face on the ground—!”
“Alpha. Stop.”
A middle-aged man appeared silently from behind the box. He stepped forward naturally and placed a hand on the shoulder of the man called Alpha. As Alpha gasped, the middle-aged man took hold of his gun and slowly lowered it.
Alpha asked, breathing heavily.
“Chief?”
Whether by age, skill, experience, or even appearance and presence.
The man who could only be the chief, Kanysen, walked toward me.
I could feel his strength in his steady gait. It felt as though if the world were to collapse, he would collapse just a little bit later. Despite having been curled up in a box for days, his body and mind seemed completely unscathed, resolute.
Kanysen, the leader of this resistance group, chided Alpha.
“We still know nothing about this place. I know you’re frustrated and anxious, but what we need to use right now is our tongues, not our guns.”
“…I’m sorry. I was too hasty.”
“It happens. I understand. We were trapped for too long.”
Kanysen stroked his rough beard, his cold eyes sweeping over me and Azzy once. He then glanced at the distant Tantalus, its searchlights cutting through the dark, before approaching me with a calculated smile.
“Pardon the intrusion. You must be startled.”
I was, genuinely. I nodded and shouted with sincerity.
“Of course I am! Who… who are you people? Suddenly pointing a gun at me!”
“Do not be alarmed. We are enemies of the Military State, which makes us your allies. I apologize for the gun. And you are…?”
Kanysen trailed off, asking for my introduction.
He was polite, yet he exuded just the right amount of pressure to demand an answer. The way he naturally pried for information about me was exemplary. All the while, his mind never stopped working.
‘He’s young. Shirtless. He’s not wearing a military or even a warden’s uniform, so he’s likely not affiliated with the State. He’s lean and agile, but doesn’t look strong. I heard most of the prisoners escaped, so if he’s the first one out to get supplies, he’s most likely a laborer. If so, I can get what we need most… information about this place.’
It seemed the Resistance hadn't chosen a fool for a leader. His thoughts were rational, his judgment swift. Despite having just emerged after being trapped in a tiny box for three days in the legendary prison of Tantalus, he hadn't lost his composure.
My kind of guy. It makes it clear what attitude I should adopt.
The image he painted in his mind defined me. If he thought I was a laborer, then I would become the most perfect laborer he could imagine.
I slouched slightly, making no effort to hide my exhaustion, and laced my voice with a hint of fear and bewilderment. It was a good thing I wasn't wearing a warden's uniform; it saved me the trouble of making an excuse. I let my powerless gaze wander deliberately, mimicking the reaction of a laborer encountering intruders.
“I, I was brought here about a week ago. Soldiers just burst in, arrested me, and threw me in here without a word, telling me to work. I-I don’t know anything. I don’t have any money, either.”
“What kind of work are you in charge of?”
“Menial stuff, like cooking and cleaning!”
“I see. So you were dragged here by the villainous Military State.”
“Yes. I’m innocent.”
Kanysen nodded in satisfaction and extended his hand to me.
“Just as I thought. We are comrades. We, too, have a score to settle with the Military State.”
“Huh?”
As I hesitantly reached out, Kanysen snatched my hand and shook it vigorously. He was so damn strong that my whole body swayed.
“We are the friends of the people, the Resistance. We are the ones who seek to defeat the cruel Military State and reclaim freedom and peace.”
This was my cue to be shocked. I shouted with an exaggerated expression.
“The R-Resistance?!”
After the military overthrew the monarchy and seized power, harsh labor, low wages, strict control, merciless punishment, and rapid urbanization led to the collapse of the old order. Those who lost their property or families to the Military State went into hiding and formed organizations to fight back.
But these uncoordinated rebel groups were no match for the State’s elite soldiers. They would spring up sporadically, only to be crushed in an instant, time and time again. The rebels, too, felt the need for a systematic leadership and united under a capable leader.
That was the largest rebel group, the Resistance. Those who cried out for liberation from the military government.
Of course, now that a long time had passed since the military government took power, the public perception of the Resistance wasn't very good. I should mix in a little wariness here. It would be more natural.
“The R-Resistance? You mean, the terrori— Hup!”
I deliberately cut myself off mid-word, pretending to cover my own mouth. Then I looked at him with eyes full of fear.
A bit rude, but a normal reaction for an ordinary person.
As expected, Kanysen saw my attitude and showed no particular suspicion.
“I understand. You must have only heard bad rumors about us. The Military State would have incited that we are ruthless terrorists.”
“Ah, um. Yes.”
“But know this. Most of the cruelty of the Resistance that the Military State speaks of is, in fact… things the military authorities have done and pinned on us. In essence, we are just like you, falsely accused by the Military State.”
Perhaps because he was once a knight, his solemn words carried weight. If I were an ordinary person, I might have found myself trusting him without realizing it.
On top of that, he was skilled at first reassuring me that we were on the same side, then building a sense of common ground by saying we were no different. It was clear he had experience leading people.
“Trust us. We are here to help you.”
This man.
He has quite a talent for swindling. If he hadn't been a knight, he would have become a con artist in the back alleys.
But he had the wrong opponent. It was his bad luck to run into me, the greatest swindler of those very alleys, rendering most of his words useless.
I answered, acting as if my fear was slowly receding.
“You’re here to help me?”
“Of course! To help those unjustly oppressed by the Military State. That is what the Resistance is for! We will help not only you, but all the innocent people trapped here!”
“Aah.”
I let out a small sigh, as if in admiration. Kanysen, seeing my reaction not betraying his expectations, laughed heartily.
He briefly looked away from me and turned his gaze to Azzy, who was still standing with her paws up.
“Now, who might this beautiful beastkin young lady be?”
At Kanysen’s question, Azzy shouted brightly.
“Woof! I’m Azzy!”
“Azzy? A peculiar name. Miss, how did you end up in this place?”
“Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!”
Azzy suddenly dashed forward and began to circle Kanysen. It was so fast and unexpected that even Kanysen, a former knight, couldn't react in time. Just as the startled Kanysen’s hand went to his waist.
I felt a surge of hostility from inside the box. I turned my head to see a female resistance member, who had been warily watching from inside, aiming her gun at Azzy.
“Chief!”
A young woman’s voice, filled with clear apprehension.
Hearing it, Kanysen’s face contorted.
“Sto—!”
‘Don’t shoot!’
But before his word could even begin, the trigger had already been pulled.
Bang!
A bullet shot out from the muzzle. The armor-piercing round, slightly faster than the sound of the shot, zeroed in on Azzy. It was instantaneous. At this close range, it took less than a blink of an eye for the bullet to reach her.
Azzy, who had been circling Kanysen, suddenly stared at the armor-piercing round approaching her, and then…
Just before it touched her body, she caught it with her teeth.
Crunch.
A bizarre sound echoed. The sound of teeth digging into steel. The sound of metal being mercilessly crushed. And that was it.
The bullet’s short journey from the muzzle had ended between Azzy’s teeth.
Chomp.
No one had properly witnessed the spectacle. At best, only someone like Kanysen had quickly grasped the situation.
‘She caught an armor-piercing round fired at close range? With her teeth?’
Surviving a bullet wound was common. With a little Qi training, sturdy clothing, or even just being born naturally robust, one could easily withstand a bullet or two. Guns were useful, but not particularly powerful weapons.
But catching a flying bullet? That was a feat not even a master could easily accomplish, and even if they could, they would never attempt it with their teeth. Failure would mean the bullet tearing through the soft flesh of their mouth.
But Azzy had done it.
Azzy chewed on the steel bullet once, then scrunched up her face and spat it out. The crumpled bullet bounced on the ground. She shouted with a dissatisfied expression.
“Hot! Hard! Tastes bad!”
The crumpled bullet, the teeth marks on it.
Just as the other resistance members, belatedly grasping the situation, raised their guns in unison.
“Cease fire!”
At Kanysen’s roar, they all flinched like students being scolded by a teacher and lowered their weapons. Kanysen’s face twisted as he shouted.
“Who gave the order to fire? Beta, did I not tell you never to shoot until I gave the command?”
The young woman called Beta hastily bowed her head.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“If you understand, then stay put!”
After barking at her, Kanysen politely clasped his hands and bowed his head to Azzy.
“Please forgive our rudeness. We are unlearned and do not recognize your esteemed identity. Would you be so kind as to tell us your name?”
‘That dog beastkin is no ordinary person. If a fight breaks out… we’ll all die!’
Oh, not only does he know his place, but he even apologizes first. It’s refreshing to meet such a normal, ordinary person for the first time since coming down to Tantalus. Being in this basement was making even a model citizen like me feel like I was going crazy.
Of course, it takes two to tango. Just because he acted normally didn't mean he would get a normal response.
“Woof! I’m Azzy!”
“Azzy? If I may be so bold, is that a title?”
“Name! Woof! Woof! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!”
Kanysen stared blankly at Azzy with a dazed expression. Having momentarily lost his sense of direction, he looked at me as if pleading for help.
“Excuse me, this esteemed person is.”
“Ah. She’s a trainee who was left here. Her name is Azzy. She’s strong, but she listens well, as if she were a real dog, so we hang out together sometimes.”
“The legendary Dog King? No, surely not, even in Tantalus, a being like that…”
Correct. Smart, too. It seems he’s picked up quite a bit of knowledge here and there.
Polite, knows how to fear an opponent, knows his place, and is knowledgeable. If there were to be trainees on this land, I wish they were all like him.
Haa. Which makes it all the more regrettable.
To think I have to kill a person like this.
Kanysen, having regained his senses, asked urgently.
“Are there any soldiers or other prisoners… no, trainees, left here?”
“Uh, no soldiers. But there are two more trainees. They’re busy sleeping or doing their own thing, though. They probably won’t come out unless you set off a bomb.”
“Is that so. What a relief.”
‘A chill runs down my spine. At least two more beings like that… No, they said there was a prison break, so there must have been far more locked up. How in the world did the Military State manage to capture monsters like that?’
Kanysen was lost in thought for a long time. His thoughts flowed, changing by the second. With a face that knew nothing, I calmly read his mind.
‘This is not a place to be taken lightly. If we don’t hurry with the plan, we could be stopped by the other prisoners of Tantalus. We must finish this as quickly as possible.’
The Resistance is the enemy of the Military State.
The prisoners are also enemies of the Military State.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Even more so if my enemy is powerful.
Normally, a resistance group would choose a tactic like recruiting the prisoners or simply freeing them to place a huge burden on the Military State.
But for some reason, Kanysen had no intention of asking the prisoners of Tantalus for help. As if that was never his objective in the first place.
Why did Kanysen, a terrorist and a member of the Resistance, come to Tantalus? Why did he hide in a supply box bound for Tantalus while on the run?
To the Abyssal Prison Tantalus, a land cursed by Mother Earth, from which there is no escape?
‘Once you’re in Tantalus, you can’t get out. The only equipment we managed to grab in our hasty escape were the bombs for the terror attack. The only way to inflict meaningful damage on the Military State with this is…’
Simple, I muttered cynically.
What else would a terrorist do but commit terror?
‘Only one thing: to completely destroy Tantalus, the symbol of oppression, and sink it into the Abyss.’
Those bastards. They just came here to blow this place up. Without a care for their own lives.
My eyes grew cold.