Chapter 209

Operation Dustborne headed straight for the interior of the Cartata. There was no time for leisurely sightseeing. The long procession of evacuees was an indication of the city’s situation.
When Asterique stepped onto the soil of her homeland, her first emotion was one of strangeness.
“I can’t believe how many people were there.
Compared to Kilikia, Cartata was a small town.
A place where you know most of the faces on the street, where residents help each other through the winter, and where they know each other’s whereabouts in such detail that it’s sometimes creepy.
It’s not going to be any different now.
Bastiterra is basically a country with little change. There have been some reforms recently, but the center of change is the capital. The population of the provinces has shrunk, not grown.
It’s just that the atmosphere is noisy.
Like that day when onlookers flocked to the burning mansion.
“Ah, you’re here sooner than I thought.”
Upon arrival at the barracks, the team was greeted by a well-dressed woman.
“I’m Monica Galiena, Deputy Commander of the Order of the White Falcon. I seem to recall we’ve crossed paths a few times in the castle, but this is the first time I’ve greeted you.”
Apparently, he was a familiar face to Kim Yi Hyun. A member of the Royal Order of Knights, he’s quite the tycoon now, but given his youth, he’s only going to get better.
“I didn’t see that in the game.
He was probably killed or maimed in a civil war.
It’s nothing to get excited about.
“I’m Yi Hyun Kim from Dustborn Corporation.”
At the same time, Kim was conscious of the barracks’ atmosphere. It was disorganized, to say the least. Judging by their facial expressions and attire, they seemed to be roughly divided into two groups.
Troops that were already stationed in the city.
The White Falcon Knights, sent by the Crown.
“I’m no stranger to Dustborne’s reputation. I personally have high hopes for you, but this is a highly organized operation, and I expect you to follow orders as closely as possible.”
The Templars were clearly in the driver’s seat. It was unlikely that any troublesome issues would arise between them, which was none of Kim’s business.
If something bothers you,
‘I see you have an Asterike acquaintance.
Asterike wore no mask. She used to be careful not to let her criminal past show, but now she has the royal family behind her. A criminal record or two, not much of a blemish.
As she walked around, she noticed a few people glancing at Asterique. Nervous, if not convinced. Some things don’t change over time.
I don’t really care.
“Let’s just memorize it.
What did you say, by the way?
“As a reminder. Please do not act alone and follow instructions.”
Oh, yeah, that’s what I was talking about.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re not that casual about it.”
“I apologize if that sounds unpleasant, but it’s such an important agenda item, the survival of the city is at stake, we need everyone on board.”
We will treat Dustborn with respect, but no special treatment. I am prepared to hold you accountable if you do not follow orders. That’s pretty much how it translates.
‘Sure. You don’t have to bow down to us.
The fact that he doesn’t make racist remarks is a passing grade for character. Echidna’s ego was a little scratched, but Kim’s wasn’t that bad.
“Absolutely. Organization and efficiency, I love it.”
So, yeah.
If you’re not organized and efficient in Chuck’s eyes, you’re not in command.
* * *
The location of the rift is a mountain adjacent to the city.
It was normally a well-maintained place. Regular patrols by hunters and diligent reporting by herbalists kept it safe. Monsters were slain before they could descend into the city, and the number of wild beasts never exceeded a certain number.
The mountain that had been so peaceful had suddenly turned into a demonic landscape.
Quack!
A blade plunged into the deer’s skull. Three misshapen eyes fluttered and lost focus; gray crystals oxidized from the instantly dead body and permeated the air.
“Ugh, hi profit…….”
The soldier was reduced to a blood-soaked mouse by the deer. A piercing glare fell on him as he struggled to regain control.
“Are you injured?”
“It, it, right arm a little bit.”
“Then back off. You could be infected.”
Monica drew her knife and assessed the situation.
They had already killed more than ten, but five remained. While the first part of the mountain was relaxed, as we had already deployed troops to control it, the battle quickly intensified once we crossed the halfway point.
“Don’t go it alone. Pincer carefully!”
They are not particularly threatening individually. In a group of three, you can definitely take them down. So far so good, but the biggest problem is the environment.
“Damn, here they come again!”
The din of battle has brought in new beasts. How many beasts there are in this snotty mountain. It was safe to assume that all of the mountain beasts had been monstrousized.
Each time, Monica had to step up to the plate, and she did so with ease, slaying beasts larger than her size, as if her title of vice captain wasn’t just a title.
However, the focus on combat meant that the precision of command was compromised.
“I have too many things to worry about.
An anomaly you’ve never seen before. In every engagement, there were casualties. Most of them were minor, but even so, there was room for infection.
The presence of outsiders was also a problem.
“Sir. Are you going to keep those guys in the rear?”
While resting after the engagement, the subordinate said.
I didn’t have to ask who he was referring to.
“I can’t help it. I don’t mean to ostracize you, but…….”
Monica squinted at the vaguely familiar Kim. Dustborn had done nothing while the soldiers and knights struggled, for she had insisted on giving the order to stand by.
“You can see by the equipment, we can’t use him actively, he’d be too wary of the wrong person on his back, and we can’t put another royal guest in the lead.”
Outsiders are outsiders, even if you don’t call them minos. Throwing them in would only disrupt the harmony. As a commander, he’d be a liability.
Monica’s judgment was not lost on Dustborn’s agents.
“It’s always a little disconcerting when things like this happen. I’m starting to admire Mr. Asterike in a new way. I don’t think I’ve ever been treated like Minos before.”
“Huh? That’s because I’ve been drinking a lot of foreign water.”
“What the heck, it’s nice and comfortable, I’ll go back and make a big deal out of it.”
Ekidna shrugged, interrupting Chelsea and Asterique’s conversation. She had been nervous about her first game in a while, but the thorough off-the-field handling had calmed her down.
But that’s only for now.
“This is kind of the center.
The contamination index on the instrument is approaching 300p. If you’re not immune, you can get infected just by breathing. The beasts that have emerged so far are just the aftermath of the rift.
“Enough chatter. Get ready.”
Cracking isn’t exactly a favorite.
“……Get down!”
Monica exclaimed urgently.
Soon after, an owl-like creature swooped down from the treetops. Its wings, folded tightly, unfolded like a fan, and it swooped down with a blade that spanned a dozen meters.
The upright trees, the armor, and the body inside.
Anything that touched the wing was neatly sliced off.
“Aaaaahhhh! My, my arm…!”
Blood gushed from the cut like a fountain. The attack was so sudden that many were too late to dodge. Before I had a chance to assess the damage, my wings began to retract.
Monica could finally see the enemy clearly.
“Parasite?
Wings disproportionately large for its body. A gray, thin membrane covers its entire body. No crystals were observed anywhere on the beast’s body, indicating that it is a mutated parasite.
An adult born from an egg.
That wasn’t all. Mutants were coming, smelling blood.
“Oh no…! We’re retreating first!”
It’s not practical to rush operations. Once the battle begins, there will be many more of them. This is not the only egg we’ve found, and we don’t know how many of them may have hatched.
The word annihilation flashed through Monica’s mind.
Jiaying-!
A wire was injected from the rear out of nowhere.
The wire attached to the tree shortened again, and a human silhouette raced through the air. He stopped atop a thick branch, overlooked by an owl. The gun in his hand crackled electrically.
“No, run away!”
As soon as Monica called out, the owl turned. The wings, which had flapped once, had returned to their original position. Like a loaded gun.
Just as my wings were about to spread once again,
-Bam!
The owl’s body has large wind holes in it.
“……?”
Monica froze in place, as if about to kick the ground. An owl landed in front of her in a pool of blood. A chunk of meat halfway to her face.
Then Kim descended back to the ground. For some reason, he was holding a strange gun. The barrel gaped open like a crocodile’s mouth. It had a triangular ball and neon lights.
“We’re all about efficiency, so we’ll take it from here.”
“What? Solo action is….”
“The way it looked, I realized it would be the same no matter when I did it.”
“What do you mean, the same?”
“If you move after you’re all dead, isn’t that a solo action?”
Kim’s emotionless eyes locked onto Monica’s, but only for a moment, as if to say, there’s no point. He lets go of the gun and a new device appears in his hand.
[GNW3 Launcher].
The cartridges that came together contained three grenades. Specialty grenades, each with a different effect. Kim took out the purple grenade and loaded it.
I aimed at the horde of blindly charging mutants and pulled the trigger.
Poof!
A heavy grenade landed in the middle of the horde.
The grenade exploded, releasing electricity from within. The mutants began to be drawn into the spreading current. They struggled, clawing and biting at each other, but their efforts were futile.
With the struggling enemies in front of him, Kim drew his minigun.
Drrrrr!
Blood splashed like a splash of water.
The sparks of the gravity field and the crackle of gunfire shook the mountain. Halfway through the rounds, the mutants were already tattered.
Monica’s mouth dropped open.
“What’s that?”
It’s been less than a minute.
Dozens of monsters were wiped out in an instant.
It was a sight that made me doubt my own eyes. A level of violence that defied common sense. I honestly felt like a fool for wielding a knife, and her men shared the same sentiment.
I’m sick of hearing rumors.
Two foreign companies with strong ties to the royal family. Rumors circulated among the knights that Dustborne was particularly dangerous.
“I never thought you were lying.
Otherwise, smoke in the chimney. Minoans, but they were still men of action. Outsiders had their own way of fighting, and they were the ones who honed it.
But what I imagined was one thing, but the reality was another.
Before I get into the skills and techniques, it was just overwhelming.
“What are you staring at?”
Still looking immaculate, Kim took a step forward.
“Let’s get this organized.”