Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The World After the Prologue (3)
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***
The moment he saw the rocket flying toward them, Kim Mansu sensed defeat.
Kwaaang!!
After being caught in the explosion, Kim Mansu thought of death.
Superhumans weren't invincible. Gunshots hurt, excessive bleeding could kill them, and a direct hit from a rocket meant certain death, no exceptions.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Superhumans who had surpassed a certain realm... monsters like Border White or wielders of the Holy Sword could withstand even tank cannons using their highly reinforced mana.
But Kim Mansu hadn't reached that level. He had never even dared to hope for it.
He was the type to face the reality right in front of him rather than chase unattainable dreams.
So in this moment, it was inevitable that he gritted his teeth and considered retreat.
Just because he valued his life? No, that wasn't it. If he cherished his life that much, he wouldn't have become a mercenary.
The problem was—
'North Manchuria has fallen.'
The first line of defense meant to stop the monsters' southward advance had gone silent.
To prevent civilian casualties, he had to relay this news to the Manchuria base as quickly as possible, every minute and second counting.
If he could turn the truck around and escape, he would gladly sacrifice his life. But in this situation, it was obvious a rocket would come flying the instant the truck moved.
In the end, a swift superhuman had to go on foot. And here, the only superhuman was him.
'...Damn it.'
Having made his decision, Kim Mansu turned toward the Manchuria base. Right then, his eyes met Cheon Yeomyeong's as the young man headed in the opposite direction.
Golden eyes glanced at him briefly, but that was all. Yeomyeong ignored him without a word.
Even though it wasn't a situation to feel ashamed, Kim Mansu couldn't lift his head.
Yeomyeong brushed past his shoulder. And in the next moment, Kim Mansu's eyes widened as he looked at the newbie.
"Wait, newbie, you... how do you have mana?"
Mana.
Even he, who was insensitive to it, could feel the intense mana pouring from the newbie's body.
Had he just awakened as a superhuman? Or had he been hiding it from the start?
...It didn't matter which.
What mattered was that now there were two superhumans here. If it had been just him, it would be one thing, but with two, there was still a chance.
'If we can get the truck out of here, even if we take just one hit.'
At the truck's speed, they could reach a spot with communication to the Manchuria base within an hour. Twice as fast as him running on foot.
"Newbie! You planning to fight?"
Kim Mansu caught up and asked. The newbie responded by raising his sword and shotgun.
Seeing the gesture, Kim Mansu let out a hollow laugh.
"If you're up for fighting, good. I have a plan, but I need your help."
"...Does a plan even mean anything in this situation?"
No sooner had Yeomyeong spoken than another anti-tank rocket slammed into the mercenaries.
Kwaaang!!! Screams mixed with the prolonged explosion.
Seeing it, Kim Mansu hardened his expression. Time was short. He spoke quickly.
"Simple plan. We draw the enemies' attention so the truck can escape."
"...That's it?"
"If possible... draw their attention alone. In the meantime, I'll take out the ones with rockets."
"...."
"If even one truck gets away, we can save tens of thousands of lives. Just hold out until then."
It was a blatant request to be a meat shield, but Yeomyeong nodded readily.
He had planned to charge ahead anyway. There was no reason to refuse help from someone who had turned back to assist.
Of course, his words weren't kind.
"That's a really simple plan."
"...Sorry."
It was essentially asking them to die together, so Kim Mansu bowed his head.
And in the next moment, Tian Lin's voice rang in their ears.
—Newbie! Vice Captain!
Tian Lin ordered them both to retreat to the Manchuria base. Same choice as Kim Mansu, who didn't know Yeomyeong was a superhuman.
"...What will you do?"
As soon as Tian Lin finished, Yeomyeong asked.
"We stick to our plan. No need to explain. Tian Lin will move without me saying."
His answer was firm. Yeomyeong nodded and gathered mana in his legs. Kim Mansu grabbed his rifle and drew his favorite hand axe.
That was preparation enough. No more words were needed.
—All living personnel! Cover those two...!
Using Tian Lin's voice as the signal, the two kicked off the ground simultaneously.
***
Yeomyeong dashed forward almost like he was flying.
He layered Wave Yang Art's mana over Flying Leg Art's feather step. The bursting mana propelled him from the ground, and his body pushed against the air.
His target was the coniferous forest where the enemies hid. The not-so-distant gap closed in an instant.
Dududududu!!
Bullets poured toward him belatedly. Most missed even his clothes, but one lucky shot pierced his left shoulder.
Blood sprayed. His body hesitated briefly from the impact, but Yeomyeong was already inside the coniferous forest.
Among the towering trees, Yeomyeong deliberately unleashed an enormous amount of mana.
A blatant provocation. The red-glowing eyes of the Pig Heads and Cow Heads turned toward him.
As if on cue, they all raised their weapons.
Tatatatang!!!
Muzzles spat fire. Yeomyeong leaped between trees, and the immobile conifers became hives, spewing wood chips and sap.
'...Pig Heads first.'
Yeomyeong gripped his sword tighter and charged through the conifers.
Unlike the shepherds tracking him only with their eyes, their presences were vividly clear to him, as if tangible.
'First one.'
Yeomyeong swung his issued iron sword horizontally. A silver arc flashed briefly.
Schaak—
In the sword's path, a Pig Head's head separated from its body, blood gushing out.
Before the sticky blood hit the ground, Yeomyeong was already charging the next.
Two, three, four...
Like a slaughterhouse butcher, his blade sliced through Pig Heads again and again.
"Suu—per—huu—man! Curse—! Allow—!"
Only after nearly half the Pig Heads were dead did a Cow Head shout. Immediately, the repulsive mana they carried seeped out.
'...Cow Heads are higher than Pig Heads.'
Would chicken heads come next? Yeomyeong steadied his cold breath and shook off his sword.
Dozens of curses rippled toward him simultaneously. But there was no fear.
Yeomyeong moved his already regenerated left hand and drew Uragan's Hilt from his waist.
[...Aren't you encountering peculiar things too often?]
Using the Unicorn's voice echoing in his mind as the signal, Yeomyeong raised his sword to shoulder height.
A preparatory stance to sweep them away in one strike. Too many to kill one by one.
"Kill—!"
Probably the bravest among them, a Cow Head lunged forward and gaped its mouth.
Kyaaaah—!
Mana twisted, and a red beam poured from the open maw.
Yeomyeong didn't dodge. He simply raised his left hand and braced his legs.
[My child! I shall protect you!]
As the beam was about to engulf him, multicolored light burst from Uragan's Hilt, repelling the curse.
"Kill—! Kill him—!"
But that wasn't the end. Various curses the others had prepared rained down on Yeomyeong.
Green and red beams, yellow acidic liquid, transparent curses with a foul stench...
Facing them all, Yeomyeong infused mana into his iron sword.
The same technique he had shown Seti with chopsticks.
He borrowed the Comet Sword's shell for form and filled it with the waves surging through his body.
It rippled. Mana, heart, rage.
Yeomyeong swung the unnamed sword. He cleaved horizontally across everything in sight.
Wuuung—
Mana from the sword lightly swept the air. The split air was silent, and the blowing wind held its breath.
For a very brief moment, silence fell.
Then, the next instant, a Cow Head in range opened its mouth.
"You know us too well. How is that possible? As if you're our natural predator..."
"...."
"Ah, I see. The one rampaging in Incheon... was you..."
With those words, a long thin line appeared on the Cow Head's chest.
The other Pig Heads and Cow Heads beside it, and even the conifers they stood next to, fared the same.
'Power control still needs work.'
With that brief reflection, the headless torsos and ownerless entrails spilled to the ground.
Soon after, the conifers crashed down one after another. Cursed corpses blanketed by dead trees formed graves.
Yeomyeong gazed at the sight for a moment, then let out a long breath and turned away.
Kim Mansu and the mercenaries came to mind anew.
Fortunately or not, no more gunshots came from the mercenaries' direction.
And Kim Mansu was...
Right there, mouth agape.
"...Did you take care of the ones with rockets?"
Yeomyeong met his eyes. Sweat beaded on the burly face.
The usual Kim Mansu would have laughed heartily or cracked a crude joke to lighten the mood.
But after seeing Yeomyeong's swordsmanship, Kim Mansu couldn't.
He had struggled to kill just three Pig Heads, yet Yeomyeong slew not only them but even stronger-looking Cow Heads in one strike, by cleaving the air itself.
Unable to speak, he simply nodded stiffly.
"Are the mercenary unit guys safely retreating?"
As Yeomyeong asked, silence fell briefly.
Kim Mansu only spoke after noticing Yeomyeong furrow his brow slightly.
"...Tian Lin would definitely retreat. No more gunshots... from earlier."
Suddenly formal speech? Yeomyeong tilted his head, but that was it. Speech patterns didn't matter.
"Then shall we retreat now?"
"W-Well... First, we should check the North Manchuria base's status and search for survivors."
"Is that so? Then we just head north like this."
Yeomyeong sheathed his sword lightly and turned north.
He already knew the North Manchuria base had fallen, but he wanted to confirm something else.
'...The orb of light in front of the Manchuria rift.'
What exactly was that orb of light?
Considering the term "Master of Fate" and the six orbs at the academy, it likely pointed to some "person" with high probability...
'The orb being in front of the Manchuria rift means someone from the Korean government or a mercenary.'
Of course, nothing was certain. Even that the orb was a person was just a hypothesis.
It could simply be a fortuitous encounter or an item...
As he headed north with such thoughts, Yeomyeong's senses picked up something.
"Get down!"
By the time Yeomyeong shouted, the "something" was already upon them.
As Kim Mansu blankly raised his head, Yeomyeong drew his sword and slashed the air.
Kclang!
Iron met iron, sparks flying. Yeomyeong's iron sword, having repelled the object, hummed with vibration.
Wondering what had flown at him, Yeomyeong checked the deflected item. Immediately, his brow furrowed.
'...A bullet?'
It wasn't fired from a gun. No bullet in this world launched casing and all.
Clap clap clap!
As Yeomyeong looked toward the direction it came from, short applause echoed from afar.
—Impressive. Reacting in that split second. Good instincts.
A chilling old man's voice, like scraping metal.
"This voice, no way..."
Hearing it, Kim Mansu's body stiffened. Yeomyeong turned toward the voice and understood his reaction.
—But that's why it's all the more regrettable. You shouldn't have come here.
A massive skeleton stood there, too large for the conifers to conceal.
But it wasn't made of human bones.
Horns growing like a crown from the back of the skull, an elongated snout with sharp teeth.
A sleek reptilian body extending to a tail, and wide bone wings from the shoulders.
That form was unmistakably...
'A dragon?'
Between the hollow eye sockets retaining a dragon's living form, blue flames flickered.
—It's unfortunate it came to this.
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