Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The World After the Prologue (2)
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As they drew closer to North Manchuria, the scenery visible outside the truck began to change.
The endless plains that had seemed eternal finally gave way, revealing mountains and rivers.
The mountains, slightly taller than hills, were dotted with coniferous trees forming sparse forests. The river winding alongside them carried thin ice floes, and the frigid air stung the nose.
Only then did the reality of nearing Siberia sink in.
“We’re almost there. Come on, everyone, wake up! Check your weapons before the mission!”
Tianlin’s voice reached the ears of Yeomyeong, who had been taking in the view. Turning his head, he saw that Tianlin was already fully armed.
Like the other mercenaries just opening their eyes, Yeomyeong wordlessly pulled out his weapon bag.
The Remington MH750 and grenades that Jang Man had prepared, along with three supply iron swords from the mercenary corps.
It was all close-quarters gear, but no mercenary pointed that out.
What need was there for a newbie to fire a gun on an expedition support mission? The rifles carried by the veterans were more than enough.
Just as all the mercenaries finished arming themselves and the military truck began to slow down.
…?
Yeomyeong’s senses plummeted. No, his reality stretched out long.
The engine noise of the military truck and Vice Captain Kim Mansu’s retching sounds all diminished, as if coming from a distant place.
‘What the hell is this…’
He tried to draw up mana, but his body had long since escaped his mind’s control.
Shaaaaaa—
Amid the stretched reality, a shadow rose.
It was a primordial shadow that devoured even starlight within the night sky, and at the same time… a familiar one.
‘…Mignium?’
Yeomyeong unwittingly called out its name. But no answer came back.
The shadow simply silently wrapped around his mind and lifted him high.
His detached spirit, the stretched world, soared upward. Everything below his feet began to recede.
First, the military truck pulled away. Then the Manchurian mountains, followed by the Korean Peninsula.
Finally, rising to the height where he faced the stars, a voice flowed out from between the shadows.
『My chosen one.』
It was a sticky voice, disconnected from reality. Only then did Yeomyeong realize this was a dream.
A dream of no one else but Mignium.
『Look there.』
Yeomyeong followed the shadow and gazed westward. The first thing that caught his eye was America.
The land of supermen, victor of the Cold War, strongest nation of humanity.
But it was blanketed in darkness. There was only one light. Deep within Washington, a single small twinkling orb.
『Do you feel it?』
He didn’t know what the orb of light was, but Yeomyeong nodded.
In this stretched world, even from that distant land, only the light orb felt vividly clear, as if within reach.
『Then now, find the next orb.』
The next place his gaze fell was Australia.
More precisely, the western part of the Australian continent, a place called Lord Howe Island.
Yeomyeong knew it well. The famous building atop that beautiful island was none other than Lord Howe Academy.
But the moment he focused on the academy, his eyes narrowed.
Unlike America, six orbs glimmered at the academy.
Some orbs shone more brilliantly than others, some were cracked, some were hidden, but…
The light emanating from all six orbs simultaneously could not be concealed. The intertwining colors dazzled the eyes.
…What the hell are those orbs?
Doubts piled up, but no answer came. Mignium’s shadow led his gaze to the next location.
『Once more, look below your feet.』
Right beneath him, between the gloomily red Korean Peninsula and the darkness-shrouded Siberia.
Manchuria.
Two orbs twinkled there. One was racing northward from the Manchuria base in urgency, and the other…
Was right in front of the Manchuria rift.
The moment he realized it, Yeomyeong’s mind plummeted downward.
Not toward the military truck carrying his real self, but to the hill overlooking the rift.
It was the site of the North Manchuria base that Tianlin had mentioned. A place that should have been guarded by armed mercenaries and superhumans, but…
All that remained was a burning ruin.
Monsters swarmed the surrounding foothills and forests, and the desperate gunfire of resisting mercenaries echoed.
A delusion in the dream? Or a prophetic vision?
Neither. The scene unfolding before his eyes was reality happening in real time.
Yeomyeong turned his head toward his real self.
Not far from the burning base, the Sunjuk Mercenary Corps’ military truck was visible. The corps was approaching the base defenselessly, unaware of anything, and…
‘Korean government shepherds?’
Freakish figures wearing pig heads and cow heads were charging toward them.
Could the Korean government be the ones who destroyed the North Manchuria base? Why?
Amid the surging questions, Mignium spoke.
『Fate has awakened.』
『Thus, all masters of fate have also awakened.』
『You must seize their fates.』
Incomprehensible words, an incomprehensible dream.
Yeomyeong glared at Mignium with eyes demanding explanation.
But Mignium, the master of the dream, offered no answers. It simply laughed silently and issued an eviction order.
『Strive harder, my chosen one.』
‘Wait…!’
The dream flipped. The stretched world contracted, and his spirit flew back toward his body.
As Mignium’s shadow receded and the scent of death and blood pierced his nose.
Yeomyeong awoke from the dream.
***
‘…What’s that?’
Smelling something burning, Tianlin stuck his head out of the military truck.
The smell wafted from beyond the North Manchurian coniferous forest. Not just gunpowder. Mixed in were the odors of burning wood and flesh.
Tianlin frowned and looked up, seeing faint black smoke rising into the sky.
Needless to say, it was an ominous sign.
He grabbed the radio and tried contacting the North Manchuria base. Not even a simple signal returned.
As a seasoned mercenary, Tianlin didn’t ignore his instincts. Something had gone wrong. Very wrong.
“Stop! Everyone, stop!”
He pounded the driver’s seat to halt the truck and gathered the other mercenaries’ attention.
The preparing mercenaries looked at him in confusion, then frowned upon spotting the smoke filling the sky.
“That smoke couldn’t be…”
“Captain, what happened in North Manchuria?”
“No response on comms, so we don’t know yet. First… the whole corps disembarks here. Wake the sleepers! Secure the perimeter!”
The moment Tianlin issued the order, Yeomyeong, who had had his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
“…Newbie?”
The air around the awakened newbie grew heavy. Finally tensing up now that danger loomed?
No, that didn’t seem to be it.
With a rigidly set face, Yeomyeong drew his sword and shotgun, approached Tianlin, and said,
“Senior Tianlin. We need to retreat right now.”
“Retreat? You scared, kid?”
“There’s no time. At least part of the unit has to fall back and report the situation to the rear. North Manchuria has already fallen.”
“Fallen? What the hell are you…”
Tianlin’s question couldn’t continue.
The next instant, something flew toward the military truck carrying the other mercenaries.
‘…An anti-tank rocket?’
The moment Tianlin identified it, the rocket struck the truck.
KABOOM!!
It was a massive explosion. Even the sturdy military truck couldn’t withstand the impact and was flung into the air.
A shockwave of flames, screams, shock, and terror slammed into the mercenary corps.
Tianlin’s body, in the truck right beside it, was hurled up and crashed to the ground.
“Urp, damn… shit…”
Fortunately, he landed on soft dirt. His head rang, but no major injuries.
“Aaaagh!”
“My arm! My arm!”
Unlike the lucky Tianlin, those who didn’t die instantly screamed with limbs blown off or shrapnel in vital spots. Most wounds couldn’t be saved with the field kits on hand.
“200 meters ahead! In the western forest! Enemies… more than ten!”
“Fuck, light ’em up!”
Those still compos mentis began return fire toward the rocket’s origin.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The deafening gunfire swallowed the air.
But it was mere suppressive fire. Against enemies hiding in the coniferous woods, rifle firepower had limits.
If they’d brought grenades or mortars, maybe, but the mercenaries’ issued weapons were just assault rifles and shotguns.
It couldn’t be helped. They’d come to hunt monsters, not wage war against armed humans.
‘Terrain and firepower both against us. No way to turn this around…’
The corps’ situation was hopeless. Annihilation was only a matter of time.
“Fuck, everyone retreat! Scatter into the forest!!”
Having assessed, Tianlin called for retreat. Some mercenaries began dashing behind cover in response.
But at their backs, the enemies fired another rocket.
Were they using magic? The rocket landed precisely over the mercenaries’ heads.
KABOOM!!
Amid the erupting blasts, blood and flesh sprayed. Countless mercenaries were swept away without even a scream.
“Retreat! Retreat!”
Victory was already lost. He didn’t know how the newbie knew, but North Manchuria surely wasn’t intact either.
“Don’t die like dogs—retreat!”
Even as he said it, Tianlin stepped forward, spraying bullets. To buy even a little more time for his men to escape.
‘…Where are the newbie and vice captain?’
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Even as the gunfire rattled his ears, Tianlin scanned around.
No matter what, those two had to escape alive.
‘Damn it, before the monsters push south, only the superhuman can get word to the Manchuria base…!’
Tianlin yanked a grenade from his belt, tossed it, and took cover behind the foremost truck’s rear.
By some grace, the two he sought were sheltering not far from him.
Both had weapons drawn, conversing about something. They seemed unharmed.
Unlike the newbie with slightly torn clothes, Kim Mansu was singed in places, but… such scratches meant nothing to a superhuman.
Tianlin let out a sigh of relief, then shouted toward them.
“Newbie! Vice Captain! If this keeps up, the monsters will push south! You two retreat to the Manchuria base and report!”
Even if it meant all other mercenaries dying, the southward monster advance had to be stopped. With cold resolve, Tianlin ordered the rest.
“Everyone still alive! Cover those two! Buy time!”
The instant Tianlin gave the order, the two moved.
Not toward escape.
Toward the enemy.
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