[What's life anyway, just live as it comes]
[What's life anyway, just live as it comes]
The main reason they called me was a lack of manpower. The government could handle most things, but the problem was that there wasn't just one Dimensional Rift, but two.
[Simultaneous Dimensional Rifts are rare, but they do happen. However, it's basically the first time they've occurred at such close proximity.]
"Where are they?"
[One is at Yeouido Park. The other is near Sindorim Station.]
"That's like a 15-minute bus ride away."
[Yes, the proximity is the problem.]
The personnel in charge of this area are limited. With only 10 minutes until the Dimensional Rift opens, splitting the manpower would inevitably lead to casualties.
Moreover, both are densely populated areas.
[Lee Gyeong-jin-ssi is at Yeouido Park. There's no need to worry about that side, but the Sindorim Station side is the problem.]
"I recall there being a residential complex at Sindorim Station."
[Yes, that's why it's a problem.]
No matter how much the world has improved and how well-established the procedures are, there are many things that just can't be helped. If there are apartments near a Dimensional Rift, it's easy for them to collapse if a large Enemy Species appears.
Even if they try to evacuate, 10 minutes is too little time to evacuate an apartment building where hundreds of people live. And it's hard for the elderly and weak to evacuate quickly.
[Yeouido Park is late, so there are few people. The military can set up a perimeter and send in a few teams for quick suppression. But the Sindorim Station side is...]
"I heard a Master User went to Yeouido. Isn't it the opposite?"
A park is mostly an open space. Plus, it's night now, and I've been thinking about clocking out for a while.
It's natural that there wouldn't be many people in a park at night, other than those out for exercise. A park like that versus a residential area. If it's Yeouido Park, there's nothing nearby but roads and buildings. It's obvious which one we should be more worried about regarding casualties.
But they went to Yeouido?
[The higher-ups don't seem to think so. The Force influx phenomenon takes time, and the National Assembly is nearby, so if it gets damaged by mistake...]
"They're probably doing that shit because their image and approval ratings would drop."
Enemy Species-related matters are closely connected to politics. Because human lives are at stake.
But if they can't even judge where is more important just because of their image, I started to doubt if they were sane.
"Our country's assembly members do a shitty job. If an Enemy Species pops up, just crush it, right?"
[Are you accepting? Thank you!]
"Crushing a few Enemy Species isn't hard. Getting there is the hard part."
Baek-ri had already sensed it and was preparing to close the shop door. I took out the animal-ear headphones I now carry with me at all times, put them on, and pressed the button.
Click, a metallic mask covered my face.
"Hyung, going to do something again?"
"There are too many tax thieves in this country. Going to clean up the shit."
"You say that like tax thieves just appeared. They've been like that forever."
"Maybe if I say I'll cut the throat of anyone not working properly, they'll work better. Should introduce character tests first. Right? I have to finish this, so go home safely."
"Yes, see you tomorrow, Hyung."
It was night. The streets were still bright, but there are always parts where the light doesn't reach. Sion can manage our building's CCTV, so I can erase the footage whenever I want. So, being recorded inside the building isn't a problem.
I came out the back door of the shop and went up to the roof.
The distance to Sindorim Station is a bit far, but that's only if you go by car along the road. If I run in a straight line without obstacles, I can arrive within a few minutes.
"If I had a cape, I could fly away looking cool."
-No capes allowed.
"What, were you listening?"
-Since you're wearing the Raccoon Man Mask, the message came to me naturally. What is it?
"Enemy Species appeared, got a call from Team Leader Jo. Heading out to support."
-Let's see... Two Dimensional Rift alerts in Korea at this time. Which one?
"Sindorim."
-The military has already been dispatched, and about 60 Force Users have been sent. But civilian evacuation is not yet complete. They are forced to wait inside their homes.
"Meaningless if it's medium-sized or larger."
If it's small, hiding inside might work, but from medium-sized and up, it's easy to just crash into a building and knock it down.
In that case, being at home actually causes a major disaster. Ah, I clearly remember a big accident from the past where they told people to stay put.
-Yes, so there's trouble again. Traffic is jammed, so it looks hard to move by vehicle.
Along with Sion's words, an image appeared on the glass part of the mask that acts as an eye-guard. It looked like a highway on a holiday, completely jammed, as if she had hacked the cameras on the nearby roads.
-5 minutes until the Dimensional Rift occurs.
"Enough."
If I pick up the speed a bit more, I can definitely arrive before it happens. I added power to my kick-off to run a long distance.
Before long, I arrived near Sindorim Station, where horns were blaring noisily. Since it's a residential area, there are many residents, so evacuation takes a long time. If Sion hadn't distributed the latest Dimensional Rift Detectors, a major disaster would have happened here too.
Since the Great Depression 20 years ago, manuals have been set up so that the military can be dispatched to deal with any densely populated area. If they don't, they get cursed at and their approval ratings drop, so it's a part the government can't let go of. Thanks to that, there's even a saying that the capital region troops have it tougher than the front lines.
Barricades were set up, and hundreds of infantrymen with live ammo were aiming their guns at the estimated location of the Dimensional Rift. It looked like me a year ago, so I felt a bit of pity.
-1 minute left.
"There are some Force Users... enough to catch an average one, but I'm worried about casualties."
It looks like the Dimensional Rift is going to occur near a small park in the residential area. The path is limited, so if a small Enemy Species appears, they can handle it without me needing to step in.
-Dimensional Rift occurring.
Along with Sion's words, the atmosphere began to tremble. Space twisted, creating a strange fault, and soon a monster with a massive body began to reveal itself.
Talk about bad luck; I thought it was just a saying, but the one that came out was medium-sized or larger.
Despite being a quadruped, it was the size of a 3-story apartment building. The outer shell looked like a lump of rock, but the material looked much harder.
It looked a bit cute, so I tried to remember where I had seen it...
"Armadillo? Pangolin?"
It had the appearance of an animal that rolls its body into a ball to protect itself from predators. However, seeing that the outer shell was scale-shaped, it might be closer to a pangolin.
"Kick! Kick! Kiiiek!!"
"It's a medium-sized Enemy Species! Small arms won't work, bring the 60mm!"
"Close-range Force Users, forward! The outer shell looks hard, so close-range types, just buy time! Hold on until the Force influx phenomenon ends!"
They were dividing roles, as if their cooperative relationship was well-established. Because of the Raf Energy, physical attacks don't work well on Enemy Species. Mortars are just for drawing attention against a medium-sized Enemy Species.
Of course, the military knew that well, too. Their role was strictly support. They would never step forward and their role was to reduce any potential casualties.
The Enemy Species looked around, let out a screech, and curled its body into a ball. Seeing that it acted similarly despite looking similar, I wondered if the place the Enemy Species came from had similar vegetation to this side.
Rumble!!!
As the Raf Energy flowed, it began to rotate its curled body. Gaia Force was gathering from all sides, and a foothold to attack the monster was gradually being prepared, but it would be too late by then.
The Force influx phenomenon is a double-edged sword. It's what makes it possible to deal effective damage to an Enemy Species that normally wouldn't take any.
However, during the time it takes for that to happen, a Force User is just a person who can fight a little better.
"I can catch it if I just wait, but I didn't come here to watch that."
Let's beat it to death and go home. Sion will be waiting with food prepared.
"A raccoon fell from the sky," Lieutenant Han Jin-seong thought about the report he would write later. If he wrote it like that, he would definitely get a blast of fire for joking around.
But the metal mask and the animal-shaped mask were the same as the eccentric hero who had beaten an Enemy Species to death with a tuna not long ago.
"Raccoon Man?"
"Raccoon Man will handle this Enemy Species, so rest easy!"
"Thank you, Raccoon Man!"
"Wait, who the fuck is that!"
There was an officer shouting nervously at the voice that played along with the joke, but that wasn't what was important. The Enemy Species, which was large enough to knock down a small shopping center, was rotating and charging, making threatening sounds and shaking the ground as it rushed toward Choi Ak.
Kwooooong!!!
Choi Ak didn't dodge. He took it head-on. Despite the unusual friction caused by blocking the high-speed rotating body, he was stopping the mass that reached over a dozen meters with a human body that wasn't even 2 meters tall.
It must be incredibly heavy in proportion to its size, but even after stopping that mass that had even gained acceleration, there wasn't a single crack in the ground where Choi Ak stood.
"The only sport I used my biggest effort in was basketball!!!"
He blocked it with one hand, made a fist with the other, and struck out powerfully. A heavy vibration echoed, and the Enemy Species lost its rotational force and was pushed back.
"You pillbug-looking fucker that looks like something you'd see if you dug up the ground at a school playground, you're hard as hell. Want me to feed you bean rice through your nose!"
I don't know if it could even eat, but Choi Ak continued to throw punches at the curled body of the Enemy Species.
Kung! Kwoong! Kwooooong!!!
Impacts that were hard to believe could be produced by human strength spread in all directions. It was surprising that he had that much power, but the sight of the Enemy Species enduring it was also worthy of being called a monster.
However, it wasn't that there was no damage, as it stopped moving properly and just struggled.
Seeing a slight opening, Choi Ak shrugged as if loosening his shoulders and stepped back for a moment.
"Hey, Lieutenant-ajusshi."
"Uh, me?"
"If there's another Lieutenant here, I'd consider it. But there isn't. You're the one in charge, right?"
Actually, if you consider who's in charge, it becomes a complicated story. If you include not only the officers from the military but also the team leaders from the KFU, the hierarchy gets tangled. Fortunately, Han Jin-seong was the only military official present at this spot, so it was at least easier to talk.
"Yes, I'm one of the people in charge of this site."
"Just passing by. How about this? You guys catch it? Or should I catch it for you?"
"Will you catch it?"
"Catch it?"
"If you would, we'd be grateful!"
"Okay."
An invisible force pulled the Enemy Species. When the giant mass weighing over a dozen tons floated up, shocked voices were heard from all around.
Force Users can do the same thing. But that was all they could do, with several people gathering and barely casting it for a few seconds. Lifting over a dozen tons of weight freely alone like Choi Ak is difficult even for a Master-class user.
The body of the Enemy Species floating in the air remained curled in a ball. It had realized the difference between its opponent and itself after a few punches and chose to take the state most advantageous to itself.
The Enemy Species, which had an outer shell that wouldn't even budge from mortar fire even without Raf Energy, was waiting for an opportunity while in a defensive posture.
"In this day and age, there's something called penetration damage. It's a deep-rooted setting from the martial arts novel era called 'Internal Heavy Hand Method'."
The ability called 'Interference' allows you to do more things than you'd think.
It allows you to mimic everything from simple telekinesis to mental abilities. Of course, since the foundation is always 'Interference', there is a difference in depth.
However, if you use it for a long time, that shallowness also becomes deep. There are fields that Choi Ak has specialized in while living as a Reincarnator.
Kiiing!!!
Choi Ak's fist began to ring with a strange resonance.
"Welcome to Korea. While you're here, try this. It's killer!"
It really kills.
Killing Intent Filling Heaven.
Killing Intent Filling Sky.
Killing Body Merging Heaven.
He refines and condenses his killing intent into three stages.
A true finishing move that pierces through time, space, and even concepts to kill the opponent is unleashed.
"Fierce Emperor Crushing Fist"
Jjeo-eo-eong!!!
A strange sound like something breaking echoed. And a moment of silence followed.
Soon, the curled body of the Enemy Species uncurled. Even though there wasn't a single external wound, the monster's life had stopped, and it wasn't even breathing.
It was too bizarre that the Enemy Species, which had been moving perfectly fine and was practically a vanguard for killing humans just a moment ago, was dead without a single external wound. It went beyond that and gave me goosebumps.
It's a basic principle of the world that you can kill an opponent by cutting them with a sword, shooting them with a gun, or fighting them somehow to wound them.
However, being able to kill an opponent without inflicting any harm is chilling beyond anything else.
"How is it, killer?"
He really killed it.
After Choi Ak defeated the Enemy Species in one blow, the rest was time for cleanup.
The usual procedure is to dissect the Enemy Species to extract the core or dismantle it to send to research institutes or other places that need it. However, in this case, since the corpse remained almost intact, many places would want it.
"Thank you for your help. Um... Raccoon Man-ssi."
"I basically came out for exercise, so it's fine. Don't bow your head like that, it makes me uncomfortable."
It would be fine to leave the spot immediately, but Choi Ak stayed a little longer to watch the cleanup.
Watching the dismantling of a giant monster was just fun to watch. Choi Ak had seen and killed many creatures larger than humans while reincarnating, but the only time he had seen one being dismantled was a dragon.
"Originally, we should arrest Raccoon Man-ssi, but..."
"Huh? Arrest?"
"Didn't you know? There's an arrest order for Raccoon Man. If spotted, arrest..."
Due to diplomatic issues caused by what he did in Japan, Choi Ak was charged with numerous crimes.
First, basically, unregistered Force User.
Next, unpaid special tax for such a Force User.
Even unauthorized departure from the country and property damage and assault in a foreign country.
He was given some leniency for sending the blueprints for the latest Dimensional Rift Detector, but the crime didn't disappear. Nominally, Raccoon Man is a criminal and a target for arrest.
"Honestly, we don't have the capacity to arrest you, so I'll tell the higher-ups that I tried, even if I get an earful."
"Are you sure? What if you get passed over for promotion, Lieutenant-ajusshi?"
"I'm discharged in three months anyway."
"Wow, congrats in advance."
Unless it's a dishonorable discharge, being discharged is something to celebrate for a man. Any veteran can sympathize with that.
Choi Ak was also a soldier until early this year, so he could deeply sympathize.
"Company Commander!"
"Corporal Kim? Why? Who's calling on the radio?"
Someone ran up calling the Lieutenant. Judging by the equipment on his back, he looked like a communications soldier, and he blurted out with a look of clear panic.
"Mir is coming!"
"What?"
"Mir? Dragon?"
"Mir is a military term like Jindo dog. It refers to one person..."
There is only one person in South Korea who can be called Mir (Dragon).
Even if it were the President, they wouldn't call them that. Because you have to be qualified to call a dragon a dragon.
Korea's only Master-class Force User.
Thousand Swords Lee Gyeong-jin.
A Force User who always stays in Seoul for the defense of the capital region is coming here.
The person who had gone to Yeouido Park for its defense was now heading here.
"I feel a chill down my spine, I should run before things get big... Ah, fuck, too late."
Choi Ak turned his head to look at a corner of the road.
If you come in a straight line from Yeouido Park to Sindorim Station, it's only a few kilometers at most. It's normal for a Force User to be able to run 100 meters in the 6-second range, but for a Master-class user, that's laughable.
No, in the first place, he doesn't run.
Even if I run now, I'll just be chased. I can shake him off, but either way, it's the same.
"A man should face it head-on! Who's the real man!"
"Are you crazy?!"
There was someone flying like a flash of light from far away. It wasn't just the figure of one person, but dozens of swords were flying along behind his back.
The sight of him flying while riding on the swords as a foothold was more like a Sword Immortal from a martial arts novel than a human.
The reason Lee Gyeong-jin's nickname is Thousand Swords is because of that. It's a name given because he can fight while freely wielding dozens of swords with a manipulation trait that has developed further from his telekinesis trait.
A man who looked young enough not to look like he was in his mid-40s on paper landed on the ground. The sword he had been using as a foothold naturally flew behind his back and floated in the air.
"I finished the other site quickly and came because I thought support might be needed."
He said, looking at Choi Ak.
"An unexpected person is here."
"I'm also thinking about what to do after suddenly meeting an unexpected person."
The moment Choi Ak saw him, he realized.
Ah, this isn't going to end smoothly.
Unlike Japan, this is Korea. There's nowhere to go unless I immigrate overseas.
If my identity is revealed and things get complicated, fleeing overseas wouldn't be bad, but my business base is here, and I haven't even lived in my new home for half a year yet. It's a house that Sion spent money to design and build herself, so I feel sorry to leave that and go overseas.
"I'm Lee Gyeong-jin. You?"
"Call me Raccoon Man."
"Did you handle the Enemy Species here?"
"While you were wiping the asses of the high-ups over there, I handled the one here."
Lee Gyeong-jin looked at the Enemy Species being dismantled.
At least medium-sized. He'd have to measure it to know the exact grade, but the size alone was exceptional. Even leaving the grade aside, a medium-sized Enemy Species causes a lot of damage because of its size.
Especially in densely populated areas where civilian evacuation hasn't been carried out properly.
If Choi Ak hadn't been there, the troops here would have only been able to hold out at best. In the process, several people would definitely have died.
"I express my gratitude. If not for you, people would have died."
"If you're thankful, can't you just let me go?"
"That's that, and this is this."
Shushushuk!
Dozens of swords flew in and surrounded Choi Ak in a circle. Seeing the swords stuck in the ground, creating a circle at regular intervals without a single error, you could see not only that they moved, but how delicately they could move.
"Raccoon Man. Unregistered Force User, unpaid special tax due to that. Illegal exit, and the incident in Japan... I'll arrest you here, including hearing your story. If you don't resist, I'll show leniency."
"I've been talking informally from the start, so I can't say anything, but your tone is disgusting."
You can't use a tone that implies you're above the other person unless you're someone exceptional.
Lee Gyeong-jin also had his own qualifications. There were only nine Master-class users in the world, and since he possessed power that was universally recognized everywhere, even more so than the President who changes every five years, he could be seen as higher. But that doesn't apply to Choi Ak.
There is always someone above you. And Choi Ak knew who was above him. Choi Ak, who belongs to the top 0.1% across all dimensions, still had two steps left to go. He was in a state where he couldn't easily take even one of those steps.
"What if I run?"
"I'll just catch you."
"Can you even catch me?"
"Of course."
The swords stuck around Choi Ak began to make a strange vibration and a threatening sound.
"Think I'm weaker than you?"
"The amount of Force itself isn't absolute. But the difference in Force amount between you and me is huge, right?"
The Gaia Force Choi Ak possesses is just something he gathered while breathing casually. He only uses it for physical enhancement occasionally, and when he uses his ability, 'Interference', unlike other Force Users, he uses mental power or will, not Gaia Force. It was because there was no need to waste power when there was something more efficient and stronger.
Therefore, the amount of Gaia Force Choi Ak possesses is at most the amount of three or four skilled Force Users. Even that is quite a lot, but compared to a Master-class user, it's a drop in the bucket.
"I don't care if my face is revealed... but getting caught by you is fucking annoying, so no."
Choi Ak raised his middle finger and held it out to Lee Gyeong-jin.
"Fuck off, you asshole."
"If you insist, I'll take you back after cutting off a limb."
Dozens of swords poured toward Choi Ak like lightning.