Forward Base
Yusoha finally gathered her scattered team members late that night. Once they had regained their senses, she began explaining the plan for the following day. They would prepare supplies to counter the heat and prioritize terrain reconnaissance above all else.
“We need to establish a forward base. The distance from the base camp to North Hwanghae Province isn’t that far, but the deeper we push inside, the more even the smallest differences in stamina will become glaringly obvious.”
“But… will we even be able to set up a forward base in terrain like that?”
“That’s exactly why reconnaissance comes first. There has to be some land we can use for a forward base… somewhere the heat isn’t too severe. For the time being, constructing that forward base is our top priority.”
“Understood. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
“Earlier, Eclipse mentioned that while we were in the lava zone, he sensed an incredibly powerful presence quite far from where we were standing.”
“…Is that true?”
Yusoha nodded.
“If Eclipse said it was that strong, it’s probably an absurdly powerful monster. He isn’t the type to throw around words like ‘strong’ lightly. And I’m certain that creature is the one holding the gate’s core.”
“Then…”
“Yes. Our final objective will be that monster. But not right now. We haven’t pinpointed its location yet, and we still don’t have enough reconnaissance data on North Hwanghae Province. If we approach recklessly, there’s a high chance we’ll suffer serious losses.”
The team members nodded at Yusoha’s words. Just as she said, they were only now beginning the expedition. Rushing ahead would only invite disaster. Since the target was far away, it was only right to prepare step by step.
“So for now, we start with the forward base. We need at least one intermediate stronghold. Tomorrow, our goal is to find suitable terrain for that base. If we have time left over, we’ll clear the area around it.”
“Understood.”
“Also, Sihoo and Hyungwon.”
Yusoha looked at Baek Sihoo and Eun Hyungwon. They were the two members of Hwanryeong Team 2 who had awakened water-attribute mana.
“Yes.”
“The two of you are exempt from combat.”
“…Pardon?”
“Instead, you’ll be given an even more important role.”
“What would that be?”
“Protecting the team. I want both of you to focus entirely on blocking the lava zone’s heat and restoring the ice packs once their cold air has dissipated. Use your mana for that.”
“Ah, understood.”
The two immediately accepted Yusoha’s instructions. Fighting while also blocking the heat had been quite a burden for them, so they readily followed her suggestion.
“Your roles are the most crucial in this North Korea expedition. Support the team members well.”
“Yes!”
“And Gain.”
“Yes?”
Chae Gain, who had been standing there blankly, jumped in surprise at Yusoha’s voice and answered.
“As far as I know, your Guardian Star Zekern has stealth abilities.”
“Ah, yes! That’s right.”
“Could Zekern scout a wider area for us? The other Guardian Stars might end up attracting monsters instead.”
“Of course that’s possible.”
“Good. Then we’ll disband for tonight. Everyone, regroup here tomorrow morning at seven.”
“Yes!”
“You all worked hard today. We gained quite a lot in many ways, so let’s do our best again tomorrow.”
As soon as morning broke, Hwanryeong Team 2 quickly made their way back to the area they had visited the day before. With Baek Sihoo and Eun Hyungwon blocking the heat to the best of their ability and the prepared ice packs worn inside their protective suits, the environment became noticeably more comfortable. Thanks to that, the team reached the spot where Yusoha had planted her flag yesterday without any major difficulty.
“This is definitely much better. We should have done this from the start.”
“I agree. So then… until we build the forward base, we’ll prioritize terrain reconnaissance?”
“Yes. And Gain. Just like I mentioned yesterday, please send Zekern to scout in a different direction from where we’re heading.”
“Understood. Zeki.”
[Yeah. Leave it to me. What do I need to do?]
“Head in the direction we can’t go right now and find areas where the heat is weak. If you discover any monsters, tell us what kind they are too.”
[Got it!]
The fire cat Zekern spun around cheerfully in mid-air before vanishing completely. It was Zekern’s specialty—stealth.
“Looks pretty excited.”
When Yusoha said that to Chae Gain, the latter gave a faint smile.
“Zekern is a fire spirit, so it likes hot places. In an area like this, Zekern doesn’t feel much fatigue, so the mana consumption isn’t that bad either. But what about you, Team Leader? Eclipse must consume quite a lot of mana…”
“Ah, maintaining Eclipse barely uses any of my mana.”
“…Pardon?”
At her words, every gaze in the vicinity snapped toward Yusoha.
“I’m not sure if it’s because Eclipse still can’t use mana properly, but… the consumption really isn’t that severe.”
“That’s cheating…”
The words slipped out of someone’s mouth before they could stop themselves. The whole reason Awakened couldn’t keep their Guardian Stars materialized at all times was because of mana consumption. Yet she was saying it barely used any? If such overwhelming combat power came with almost no mana cost, that truly was the very definition of cheating.
Seeming to sense those stares, Yusoha spoke to her team with a slightly smug expression.
“Anyway, that means I can keep Eclipse materialized twenty-four seven without any major issues to my mana reserves.”
“Whoa…”
After thoroughly enjoying her team’s reactions, Yusoha addressed them again.
“Alright, that’s enough chatter. Let’s get moving.”
“Ah, yes!”
Hwanryeong Team 2 continued pressing forward. Monsters did pop out here and there, but they were only low-level creatures that could be easily suppressed with firearms, just like yesterday. Even so, the team members never let their guard down. Hadn’t Eclipse warned them? There was a powerful monster out there. That meant there could very well be creatures influenced by it. Generally, if a monster holding a gate’s core existed in a Blight Zone, the entire region fell under its sphere of influence. Stronger monsters were bound to appear eventually. They simply hadn’t shown themselves yet.
Some time later, something caught Eclipse’s eye.
“Soha.”
“What is it? Do you see something?”
Orcs with powerful, ash-gray bodies were charging toward them atop flaming wolves.
“There are monsters ahead.”
“Monsters? Wait, what do they look like?”
“Monsters with ash-gray skin. They’re riding flaming wolves and heading straight for us.”
“…What? Everyone, prepare for battle! Enemies ahead! Open fire the moment they enter your sights!”
“Yes!”
Though the creatures had not yet revealed themselves, Yusoha swiftly assumed a combat stance. Her team members did the same. They gripped their firearms and stared intently at the path ahead. Sure enough, flaming wolves came racing toward them with gray-skinned giants riding on their backs.
“Gray-skinned orcs spotted ahead. Fire!”
The instant Yusoha saw them, she gave the order to shoot. She planned to check whether bullets worked first; if they didn’t, they would switch to mana immediately. Even as she poured on the gunfire, Yusoha somehow had a gut feeling that bullets wouldn’t work on these things. And that feeling proved correct. The team watched as the bullets bounced off harmlessly in an instant. Only then did the creatures seem to notice Hwanryeong Team 2. They spurred their wolves harder and began charging forward like mad.
“Everyone except the gunners, bring out your main weapons!”
“Yes!”
Yusoha instantly formed a golden sword from solid alloy and gripped it. The other Awakened followed her command, drawing their own main weapons and rushing forward. Those who used cold weapons took the front line, the mages stayed in the rear, and the gunners supported them from the middle.
The clash between the orcs and the Awakened happened in the blink of an eye. Among them, the one that appeared to be the leader leaped down from its wolf and swung a massive war hammer at Yusoha. She swiftly dodged the hammer and slashed at the orc. A clean sword strike flew toward the creature’s forearm as it swung its weapon.
Squelch.
With a sharp sound, a deep gash appeared on the orc’s arm. But the creature acted as if the wound was nothing and began swinging its war hammer even more fiercely. The attacks were wild and formless, yet their power and speed were no joke. Moreover, Yusoha noticed that the hammer was faintly shimmering. It was mana. Mana.
‘How can an orc use mana…!’
Yusoha felt her common sense crumbling. Orcs could not use mana. That was common knowledge. Among the countless orcs that had appeared so far, not a single one had ever been seen wielding mana. Yet right before her eyes, an orc that could manipulate mana had appeared.
“Everyone be careful! These orcs can control mana!”
“…Yes!”
Although the other team members’ voices carried clear bewilderment, they quickly regained their composure and began facing the orcs with utmost caution. Yusoha, who was dealing with the leader orc, swiftly dodged outside the range of its swinging war hammer and began channeling her mana. A massive current of mana surged toward her, and countless golden weapons materialized around her. Every time Yusoha swung her sword, the weapons shot forward, aiming for the orc. The creature could block the sword she swung directly with its hammer, but it couldn’t defend against the weapons flying in from every direction.
Crunch.
In that instant, a golden spear formed from Yusoha’s mana pierced straight through one of the orc’s legs. Its movements began to slow noticeably. Realizing she had seized the opportunity, Yusoha pressed the leader orc even harder. The flaming wolf that had been attacking her alongside it had long since been skewered by her weapons. The leader orc, having lost all its early momentum, gradually took more and more hits until it finally collapsed. Not long after, the remaining orcs were quickly dealt with as well. Thanks to the support from the gunners and mages, the orcs couldn’t put up any real resistance before they all fell.
The moment the battle ended, Yusoha gathered her team members and spoke.
“This… might be more dangerous than we thought.”
“Yes.”
The team nodded. Especially the frontline Awakened who had clashed weapons directly with the creatures spoke to Yusoha with grave expressions.
“The force behind their attacks was beyond imagination. If we hadn’t trained for the past month, we would have been in real danger.”
“Exactly. The shock that transmits through… Anyway, Team Leader. What should we do now?”
“For now, let’s push forward a little more. We still haven’t found suitable terrain for a forward base. We’ll take a short rest and then move out. We can discuss the orcs once we return.”
“Yes!”
After taking a brief rest, they reattached the ice packs that had regained their chill thanks to Baek Sihoo and Eun Hyungwon, then immediately continued onward.