Chapter 88

I staggered through the torn and crushed invoices. I stumbled a few times, tripping over bodies, but was lucky not to fall.
“……ha.”
Back at the station, Kim looked up at the sky. It was still broad daylight. It had seemed like a long time, but in reality, less than an hour had passed.
The area around the station hasn’t changed much either. The death of Camelia, the source of the pathogen, may have weakened the infected’s offensive, but it also killed many of the guards.
“In a way, they’re the most successful I’ve ever seen.
Camellia has left a deep scar on Bastitera. She had a greater impact than the Snowfields, who had been vanquished in vain in Metropolis.
No one in this country even knows her name.
“Where, is the radio…….”
Kim checked his belongings. With clammy hands, she pulled out her walkie-talkie and found it in terrible shape. The button was smashed, and the antenna had disappeared somewhere.
It’s a shitty day.
“Fuck.”
I threw the broken radio to the ground. Perhaps I should grab a man and ask him to call the kingdom.
The idea of hassle prevailed. It would be difficult for any guard or soldier to contact the royal castle directly, and even if they could, I doubt they would listen.
“Well, that’s it.
Give it a good beating and it will take care of itself.
“We’ll have to find the one who looks the best.
I was cracking the infected’s head open and looking around.
Ting, ting!
A vehicle begins to appear in the distance. Any infected that gets in its way is run over with the body of the car, and the bodies on the ground are stomped on with the tires. It was a wild ride.
Soon, the car pulls up to the station. It drove right up to Kim and stopped. The door swings open, revealing the driver.
“Team Leader, get in!”
“Turkam?”
I hadn’t seen him in a while.
Kim gave him a dubious look, but quickly climbed into the passenger seat. She took off her ragged jumper and tossed it on the ground before slamming the door.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, I know.”
Turkam stepped on the gas.
The car shudders as it collides with the infected. His head is covered in blood as he races through the chaos. Neither spoke to the other for a while.
As I turned into the alley, it became much quieter. Anyone who might have run had already fled. I ran down the narrow street, shoving past the infected as they ate the cat carcass.
It was a little bit of a relief,” Kim said.
“I’m sorry for soiling your sheets.”
“What, it’s not even my car.”
“That’s it.”
I leaned back, trying to calm the breath that had risen to my chin. I kept my eyes closed for about 30 seconds, then slowly opened them.
[Mutation Rate 29.1197%]
“Is this a good save?
That was my first thought. I can’t measure what the safety margin is, but at least it’s much lower than I was worried about.
Somehow, I was able to do it on the cheap.
“Uh, are you okay?”
“No. I’m going to have to look it up.”
The effects of helixivir. As soon as the so-called ‘transformation’ was over, I felt a rush of exhaustion. My limbs felt limp, as if I had dived into the depths of the ocean.
“At least I didn’t stretch this time.
It’s better than when I fainted. I can hold it for longer periods of time than before, but it recoils less. In isolation, this is a good thing, but I can’t be too optimistic.
‘You’re already a little out of shape.
It wasn’t just my hands that felt foreign, it was everywhere. My neck, for example. His forearm and part of his thigh. Turkam squints to see if he’s noticed.
Now it’s hard to hide it. I could cover it up if I wanted to, but it would be awkward, and I’d have to wear it in the summer.
“I’m going to walk around with pride.
I was scheduled to be tested when I returned to the lab anyway. I don’t expect a cure, but it will be helpful to have a researcher’s opinion.
Of course, that’s all after the fact.
“I’m late to ask, how did you get here?”
“I’ve only been in Magnu for a few days, actually.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yes, but the backup is supposed to be over here, and we need to keep somebody available in case of emergencies.”
Turkam added bitterly.
“Well, it’s off-grid.”
“I guess so.”
The easy acceptance was met with an expectant smile.
“You just admit it.”
“If you don’t like it, tell me, you’re not even an elite agent.”
“I thought you were good at everything, but you’re not paying lip service.”
“Nonsense. Good luck with that.”
There’s just nothing to do. You don’t have a direct boss, so you don’t have to play favorites.
This was also a self-made position. If he hadn’t founded Dustborn and started at the lab from scratch, he might have been in a similar position to Turkam.
“It saved my life anyway.”
“……No, I was just doing what my professor told me to do.”
“There’s a whole bunch of kids who can’t even get it straight, and there’s a whole bunch of fucking torturers who forget what they heard three seconds ago and are like, ‘Didn’t you hear me right?”
Kim shuddered unnecessarily as he remembered the past. He grabbed a blanket from the back seat and began to scrub himself roughly.
“I have a radio. Call me back.”
“Yes. Tell me.”
“Tell the king to get the knights out of the castle.”
Contagion is a thing of the past. Just send in your best people and wipe it out.
“Tell them to make sure they’ve cleaned the station once and there’s still some left over.”
Turkam paused for a moment.
Of course, he was briefed on the situation before he left. And how dangerous Magnu Station had become.
‘And you organized it. All by yourself, without Mr. Asterike?
While Turkam was inwardly stunned, Kim continued.
“Tell the professor when you’ll be there. Find out what’s going on over there, too, if you can.”
He leaned back in his seat. Then he laid back with his arms folded.
“Wake me up if you think it’s urgent.”
“Uh, yeah? You’re going to sleep?”
“…….”
Soon, my breathing evened out.
He was indeed asleep. As he stared at Kim in disbelief, Turkam realized a few things.
His left hand, resting on the forearm of his right arm, twitched violently. His forehead was dirty with blood, and a cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He wore nothing but rags.
They were signs of a struggle.
“……is a great guy.
* * *
The battle was uninspiring.
This is not to say that Legion’s offense was passive. The walkers were still vicious. They wouldn’t let go of their guns, even when impaled on spears, and if their arms were blown off, they’d use their mouths to bite you.
The insanity affected the Bastiterra as well. If one was flogged by a poisoner for fleeing in terror, another went on a rampage as if it were contagious.
All in all, it was a very ordinary war.
“What are they aiming for?
The professor’s eyes scanned the holographic image. Thanks to Selim, he could see the battlefield from a safe distance. Like watching a movie while maintaining an objective point of view.
So it was questionable.
“Are you going to stay out of it?
The godmother was eerily calm.
“You don’t want to drag it out.
The more you dare, the more the capital is defended. The Bastitera military’s passive response is due to their lack of confidence in the Legion’s invasion.
But now it’s different.
The Legion’s presence has been confirmed. The borders are threatened by dangerous men and the capital has been attacked. There is no longer any doubt of an invasion.
Time for the regular army to kick some heavy ass. The Bastila is a nation, no matter how anachronistic. Its army is no match for the terrorists.
The Templars are a different story.
A strategy to break through before they make a move. That was how the Professor had understood the Legion’s intentions up until now. But was there an error he hadn’t considered?
“Carmen, what about you?”
They’ve sealed off the station area, and the Templars will be moving in soon. I’m not sure how long they’ll be alive, but I’m sure they’ll be cleared out sooner or later.
“Okay, let me know if you notice anything unusual.”
It seemed unlikely that terrorizing the capital was the original goal. Or perhaps the Legion hadn’t expected to be so easily suppressed.
‘If not that, then…….’
Waiting for something. For example, a spell’s trigger condition. Or did you intentionally provoke a fight so that you could use your spell at the optimal time?
Professor, I’m sorry, but I can’t wait any longer.
Rosetta said. Then the other agents overruled her.
Prudence is a virtue, but I’m afraid we’ll be in trouble if we let the battle end this way. Our standing in Bastitera will be jeopardized.
Yes. I can’t just sit on the sidelines like this. Professor, I need some guidance.
The professor was conflicted.
It’s risky to send agents into a situation where they can’t read the Godmother’s mind, but they have a point.
Kushan wants to eventually establish a formalized partnership between the lab and Bastiterra, which means he needs to create a debt. Preferably with a prominent major.
There’s no dishonor in hiding during a battle.
“…… Okay, you can join.”
The professor stifled a sigh.
“Instead, aim for the rear, the ones with the longest legs. The woman with the cane is probably the Godmother. Rosetta, Westcreek, you’re in the lead, match.”
The order was given. Led by two elite agents, each carrying a chainsaw and a longsword, they began running down the hill.
The godmother found them too.
“I’m running out of patience.
He wasn’t a bad commander. His plan to blow up the gas was novel, and most importantly, he seemed to understand the differences between Celbrox Labs and Bastiera.
But this time, that prudence proved to be poison.
The godmother looked out over the battlefield. Bodies rolled in the snow. Pecatum and Minoan. Bastilians or Legionnaires, there was no shortage of meat.
It was more than enough for an offering.
“האביב מגיע.”
Saaaaaaahhhhhh!
A black stain spread across the Godmother’s feet.
* * *
The once-white snowfields were covered in a strange slime. A dark red swamp covered not only the front lines, but the command center as well.
Bubbles bubbled up from the swamp. The tiny bubbles burst and multiplied into fives, then dozens, until they clumped together and took on a specific shape.
They all looked different.
Something that is neither dangerous nor mutant. Something three-headed, bipedal like humans, and sprouting eyeballs all over its body.
– त्वयि स्निह! प्रियतमा!
They roared as they hatched from their eggs. Their iron-scraping voices rang out sharply over the gunfire of the battlefield.
“Ah, the devil……!”
A monster clung to the back of a fleeing soldier. Tentacles protruded from gaping holes in its face. The tentacles burrowed into the soldier’s earlobes and quickly reached his brain.
“Kuck, the Black. Keruk….”
The brain-invaded soldier let go of the knife and whimpered. Soon, it began scratching at my neck, drooling saliva. Hard enough to catch his fingernails in the fine flesh.
There was similar carnage everywhere.
Self-mutilation, frenzy, and loss of self. The Legion was no exception. A soldier whose eyeball had been pierced by a spike from the monster’s mouth fired a barrage of bullets at the creature.
In the car, driving through the snow, Kim muttered.
“Holy shit.”
The Granada line had become a miasma.