Chapter 210

As she climbed the mountain, Monica heard gunfire to her annoyance.
In addition to Kim, Dustborn’s agents were armed with guns to take on the mutants. It was never as overwhelming as the first time. It paled in comparison to the power of a sword strike that slaughtered the beast in one fell swoop.
The mutated Parasites were indeed tenacious. It could take ten shots to kill it, let alone one.
But, nevertheless.
“I can’t believe how stable it is.
Pour on the bullets to reduce their numbers, then pick them off one by one. Melee combat was no slouch either. They were unorthodox, flexible, and sharp.
The biggest difference is probably the equipment.
“Is it a firearm.
The knights of Bastiterra have a strong tendency to downplay feverish weapons, especially guns.
There is a perception that guns are the preserve of the Minos. The lack of guns in the country is simply due to the backwardness of Bastitera, but he is unwilling to admit it.
I’m a frog in a well, so to speak, and so far I’ve been fine with being a frog, as I’m confident that I can easily take down a gun-toting Minos with my bare hands.
A weapon reserved for the weak and cowardly Minos.
But what happens when the label of weakness is dropped? Dustborn has two of his own kind, and despite their horns, they blend in seamlessly with my group.
At the very least, Monica didn’t feel confident taking on Dustborn with her current staff.
“370p. You should be able to see it now.”
I pushed through and reached my destination with ease.
“There it is.”
Without needing to point a finger, all eyes were drawn to it. A fist-sized hole in the air. The crack was shedding microscopic particles, making its presence felt.
“…… That’s it, and it makes me feel bad for some reason.”
“For once, I agree with you.”
Ekidna muttered something, and Chelsea echoed it. There was an ineffable, visceral repulsion that seemed to have been imprinted from birth. Some of the more sensitive ones even gagged.
“I’ll listen, but what do you plan to do about it?”
Kim asked, and Monica gave him a nervous look.
“I’ve been instructed to leave the handling of the rift to Dustborne, and as much as I hate to break it to you, I’m going to have to ask you to do it here.”
“It’s not just here. Oh, I’m sorry.”
Chelsea scowled, not at all sorry. Monica chose to remain silent rather than get further entangled. Though she couldn’t hide the slight redness in her earlobes.
“If so, I’ll use my discretion.”
Kim glanced back once, then walked to the rift. There would be many eyes watching, but so what. She decided that she didn’t need to hide herself.
“There’s a railroad.
Raila’s inability to explain how it works is no different. Now that the cracks are starting to appear in earnest, it’s an ability that needs to be brought out in the open rather than hidden.
Without hesitation, the outstretched hand met the crack.
Drool!
Blue electricity was emitted and entangled in the crack.
It was no different than what Leila had done before. The only difference was that the particles were not absorbed by Kim. The agglomerated particles soon disappeared into the light without a trace of Chapter.
‘Maybe this is a good thing.
For Leila, it’s a springboard for growth, but for Kim, it’s an unwelcome foreign object. It would be a shame if the mutation rate spiked every time the rift was closed.
There is a “molt” that lowers the mutation rate, but it is a disposable trait.
Save the best for last.
With a popping sound, the last of the sparks flew. As the light subsided, Kim was hit with a headache. The sensation was similar to that of overusing a spell.
It’s a minor issue.
“The performance is solid.”
The crack disappeared neatly.
* * *
As soon as we disembarked, we went through a sanitization process.
Kim is completely immune to external contamination, but the other members of the group are a problem. Even with only Peccatums and Spellcasters with strong immunity to contamination, the crystallization phenomenon was observed frequently.
The most influential person in Dustborne was Leone.
“Sin, I’m sorry, I couldn’t take care of myself….”
“I’m sorry, and so is everyone else.”
It was nothing to write home about. At most, it was a tiny crystal sprouting on her right arm. Kim checked Leone’s condition and handed her the pills he’d brought from Wangseong.
“Take your medicine, rest, and it will go away. You’ve been exposed to a high concentration of contamination for a short period of time, and you’re rejecting it. The lab will take good care of you.”
“Will this disrupt my training schedule?”
“Training is bullshit. Get some rest.”
“Ooh, okay…….”
This guy’s screws are coming out of his head.
“After all, you’ve learned the dangers of cracking.”
“This isn’t something unique to Bastitera, is it?”
“That’s not likely. It’s better to think it could happen anywhere.”
Ekidna wrinkled her brow at Kim’s answer.
“The sky is falling. The world is really going to end.”
I’m not exaggerating or anything.
This time I was lucky. It was close to the city, but not in the middle of the street. It was a mountain, uninhabited, and I could fight without worrying about the damage around me.
But what if the crack is in the city?
“It would be a disaster if it exploded inside Kilikia.”
“Well, that’s always been the case there, and it’s actually kind of okay, it’s always been a one-and-done town, so we don’t really need to change our policy.”
The problem is when it comes to late discovery, Kim added.
“From what we can see, the crack is expanding. It’s like building a nest and expanding. It’s a good thing we acted quickly this time, or it would be more annoying if we gave it time.”
Ekidna felt overwhelmed. Back when he was a mafioso, he was only responsible for himself and his organization, but now the scale had grown to something unimaginable.
“This is the second time in Bastitera alone. Maybe it’s already started elsewhere.”
“You or Leila can’t even get rid of it?”
“I don’t know about that.”
The agents in Dustborn have been briefed. They know that Kim occasionally administers helixivir. And that she’s unusually resistant to contamination.
I labeled it as a “peculiar constitution” in reference to that.
“I’m not lying.
There’s a strong possibility that Helixivir is actually responsible for my [Chimera] gift. Sucking on the pills turned her half-parasite. The difference with Leila is that she takes 100% of the blame.
“No. I’m frustrated, too.
Kushan and everyone else has a misconception.
I’m not sucking it because I want to suck it, you weird drug.
“Anyway, get ready to pack your stuff when we get back.”
“Ugh, it’s going to get crazy busy again from here.”
“If it’s black, it’s black.”
“People are mean, they really are.”
Chelsea sighed, grumpy as ever.
“Are we back to royalty now?”
“I’m going to do that, but, um.”
When the conversation died down, Kim looked around the barracks and saw a man trudging out of the infirmary. He looked familiar.
“Take a break.”
* * *
It was getting late, so we decided to stay the night in Cartata.
As a state guest, I was not confined to the same living conditions as a regular soldier. Thanks to Monica’s generosity, I was able to stay in the executive quarters, but it was far from comfortable.
“The bed is hard….”
Asterike grumbled to herself as she got up from the futon. Immediately afterward, she realized she was full. It seems like just yesterday she was sleeping on straw, but this bed is hard.
“Not yesterday.
If you think about it, it’s been quite a while since I met Hyun.
Six years in the sun, the longest I’ve been with anyone besides my family. In the meantime, I’ve found new favorite places. Like Kilikia, or the underground facilities at Celbrox Labs.
Even though I didn’t stay there for years at a time, I miss it. It would be an exaggeration to call it an attachment. The unfamiliar air that made her hesitate at first is now only familiar.
Conversely, the word “hometown” is preceded by a sense of awkwardness.
“I thought it would be different in person.
Overcoming this discomfort was the main reason I wanted to return home one day. But it didn’t make much difference. I don’t feel suffocated, but I do feel like there’s something on my chest.
Asterique herself didn’t know.
I don’t know what to expect from my hometown when I have no home or family left. It’s been too long for time to solve this problem naturally.
“Ha, no.”
I was about to get some night air.
-Asterike. Is there?
The familiarity of the voice instantly lightened my heart. Even without the bean pods, the sound of the strings was reassuring. The sound itself was clear and weighty.
I didn’t hesitate to open the door.
“Hyun, why? Did something happen?”
“It’s not work. I brought a guy.”
“Huh?”
Kim gestured to her left. Asterique poked her head over the door frame to follow the direction of the gaze. Then she made eye contact with a woman.
A sitch at first glance. Wrinkles that speak to the years you’ve lived. Age spots under the eyes. On the face of an older woman, scenes from the past suddenly overlap before your eyes.
“……Nanny?”
The nanny’s face had that same warm smile on it.
“You’ve grown up pretty, young lady.”
* * *
The international situation has been pretty tense lately.
It was an epochal shift that could be observed even on the isolated and remote island of Bastitera. As he thought about it, Adrian felt a kind of awe.
“I don’t see anything that doesn’t involve strings.”
“Watch your tone, brother, doesn’t it sound like the strings are blackout?”
“Most of them are, aren’t they?”
“It’s a fact that no one else needs to know.”
Adrian chose to keep quiet. He’s learned from experience that he’s only hurting himself. His brother was not one to lose a word against a strong man.
Especially when it comes to strings.
“I admire you, but I don’t understand you.
Considering the connection between Ainoa and the prefecture, it would be weirder if she didn’t feel anything. As for whether or not it will be reciprocated, it still seems unlikely.
“……I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say this is a string position.”
Adrian stared at the invitation on the table. It had arrived only today. A messenger from Harenhal had come in person to deliver the news.
It’s the summit’s convening agenda.
“Two weeks, maybe. They must be in a hurry.”
“That’s fast, considering how long it took to get here.”
“Yeah. I’m guessing the crack is in other countries as well.”
It’s a pain in the ass. That’s all I can say.
“That’s going to get a lot of attention…….”
The timing suggests that it originated in Bastitera, and it also holds a Cellbrox wrap that could seal the crack. It’s bound to raise eyebrows at least once.
“Whoa. I’ve got my hands full stabilizing the country.”
“We have to pray that there’s no terrorism.”
“Apparently, that’s what happened.”
Adrian tilted his head slowly as he remembered.
“Hmm…. No, no way.”
“Why are you doing that again?”
“I have a weird feeling about this. Could the terrorism have been….”
Ainoa’s eyes widened as she recognized the context.
“Oh, no way.”
Even as I said that, I couldn’t erase my reasonable doubt.
In fact, the more I thought about it, the more suspicious I became.
The Salviati brothers realized the truth in hindsight.