◈ Episode 058

I'm helpless. That's the only way I can express it.

"Fuck, f*ck. This fucking monster."

The hand of the Al Qamar member holding the knife was trembling.

The tip of the sword was touching Mithril's forearm. Although he had clearly thrust with all his might, he could not feel the stabbing sensation.

There wasn't even a scratch. This wasn't the first time. Blades and bullets struck Mithril's body repeatedly, but not a single drop of blood flowed from it.

Phew!

The back of his hand, covered in blue minerals, swung. It was like chasing away a flying insect. With just a simple gesture, the human head was shattered and sent flying dozens of meters.

Mithril's fighting style was extremely simple. He simply struck and destroyed everything he saw. With his incredible durability, defense and evasion were unnecessary.

"hmm."

Mithril looked around the execution ground. The thick smoke had already cleared. The people had also left the place, so only Legion and Al Qamar remained.

And most of them were corpses.

There were not many survivors on the Legion side. The corpses of Atlanta citizens, regardless of affiliation, were piled up like mountains.

The main force that had been on standby arrived. They had even made them wear gas masks just in case, but it was an over-preparation. There was no reason to use gas to deal with the remnants.

"Leave 20, no, just 10."

Bang, that's right!

The gunshots rang out like thunder.

There were those who flinched every time. Those from Atlanta who had converted to the Legion. Those who had been doing thug things seemed to have gained some discipline after experiencing combat.

The weeding went reasonably well.

"You survived well. You will be promoted in rank."

After praising the hard work, I started walking. I could hear the sound of heavy breathing among the corpses. As I kicked away the trash that was in the way, a human figure appeared.

"Waiter, didn't you know it would turn out like this?"

"Whew, whoosh…!"

Darun's condition could not be described as good even in vain. Both of his legs were torn apart, and blood and cold sweat flowed out like crazy. He could not even use his spells properly due to the intense pain.

Mithril crouched down in front of Darun. Seeing him desperately trying to keep his body in check was pitiful, so she spat phlegm on his head.

"I've kept parasites like you alive. It's a pain to uproot them all at once. What's the point of clearing out the stronghold and killing the leader? The subordinate organizations and all will just set up a new stronghold overnight."

He made a circle with his hand.

"So I tried to squeeze out some money and… make an example of them. I think the pigs in Atlanta have gotten too used to us, so I needed to shock them."

Mithril clicked his tongue in annoyance after saying that. His prediction was only half right. Soon, the adjutant approached him and told him some news.

"Mantra was shot…?"

"He was punctured in the lung. We rushed him to a nearby hospital, but as you know, the medical standards in Atlanta are not great. Our equipment is also inadequate, so the hope is slim."

"Is that the merchants' doing?"

"The bullet casing was found on the roof of a building about 200 meters away from Mantra's location at the time. This will become clear when we check the surveillance camera footage."

It was a painful loss. Mithril recalled the figure of the merchant named 'Hyeon' a moment ago. All the unexpected problems had originated from him.

A spell that creates various equipment, including smoke bombs. It was an ability that was extremely useful for creating variables. It was regrettable that he could not persuade her even in the current situation.

"ha ha ha."

A small laugh erupted. The person at my feet snickered.

"You idiot. You got hit in the back of the head."

Mithril's face hardened. He looked down at Darun for a moment and continued to receive information about the situation from his adjutant.

"You didn't miss it, did you?"

"They are fleeing in a vehicle. I have sent four platoons to pursue them."

"Where are you? Where are you moving?"

"That is...."

The adjutant hesitated for a moment and then flinched. It was because the gaze he was glaring at was fierce. He only pretended to be relaxed, but a fire was boiling inside Mithril's stomach.

Because it was my own mistake. If I had planned it more carefully. If I had caught the suspicious people disguised as merchants from the beginning, this wouldn't have happened.

"Answer me."

"Okay, looks like we're headed for the border."

"...borderline?"

Mithril wasn't the only one who was confused. Darun's eyes opened wide. I thought he was going to hide out, but he's leaving the country?

"Huh," Mithril let out a hollow laugh.

"It looks like the one who got hit in the back of the head was an ordinary person."

He got up from his seat, grabbing the hair of the man he was dealing with, and forcibly handed the man over to his subordinate, who was shooting the remnants nearby.

The order to throw him in jail was a bonus.

"I'll go too. Ismail is over there."

* * *

"As expected, you're following me."

Westcreek, who had been scanning the rear, alerted the pursuers. The recoil of the spell had subsided, and his thinking had returned to normal.

It won't catch up to me right away, but I can't let it follow me forever. I have to shake it off before I reach the safe house of the rapper.

There is no need to worry. The detailed operation was figured out and planned on the spot, but the escape route was decided in advance. This kind of situation was anticipated even before entering the country.

"Just keep going. You just have to reach the border."

"…Is this really how you come back?"

"What's the problem?"

Turkam frowned at the calm question.

"We're the only ones running away!"

Unable to hold it in, he raised his voice. Contrary to his upset appearance, Kim Yi-hyeon's reaction was extremely lukewarm.

"So, what's wrong with it?"

"Weren't you a collaborator? Wasn't it a plan to help those people drive out the Legion? At least that's what I thought."

Kim Yi-hyeon crossed his arms as he spoke. If he didn't know the details of the situation, it would seem like he was betraying them. He seemed to have neglected the explanation as he was focused solely on the operation.

So to speak, the premise was wrong from the start.

"You seem to be making some huge mistake."

"It's a mistake."

"I told you this. Al Qamar is a criminal organization."

This is not a resistance group with great patriotism. It is a group of criminals.

"The reason they rebel against the Legion is simply because their rice bowls were taken away. Let's put aside whether it's possible or not for now, and let's say that they somehow cooperate well and push the Legion out like you said. Then what do you think will happen next?"

"...Isn't it going back to how it was before?"

"Are you going back?"

The leash will simply fall into Al Qamar's hands. He will use Ismail to control public opinion and suck blood like the Legion.

It is only a change from military dictatorship to cartel dictatorship. The people's lives may be better than they are now, but they are far from stability.

"More than anything, our affiliation will have to be revealed at some point, and when that happens, Rap's position will inevitably become very difficult. It's no different from helping a criminal organization take over the country."

"But we can't just leave the Legion alone."

"That's what the military is supposed to do."

But the Atlanta army was disintegrated. At the point when the only force opposing the foreign power was criminals, Atlanta was already defeated.

'At least this guy is a bit of hope.'

Kim Yi-hyeon glanced at Ismail. He covered him with his coat because he didn't look like he could open his eyes and look at him. He must have been quite tired, because he was asleep right now.

Ismail's presence is essential for a formal intervention in Atlanta. From here on out, it is a matter beyond the hands of a single operations team.

The decision must be made by Kushan.

'There will be a harvest.'

I dealt with Mantra, who should have appeared as a mid-boss in the next stage. I couldn't be sure because the message wasn't output, but Turkam's words didn't seem like a lie.

'Does the message only come out when you witness it directly?'

It's a convincing hypothesis. There must be more than one or two characters who died out of nowhere, outside of the original plot. If I were to tell you everything, it would be crazy in its own way.

And I obtained information so valuable that the life and death of the mantra seemed trivial.

'There is discord within the legion.'

I don't know about the other executives, but at least Mithril is preparing for independence. The Legion does not tolerate traitors. In other words, the Legion and Mithril will inevitably clash sooner or later.

'It's a bit off balance though.'

If either side suffered damage, it was a gain for Kim I-hyeon. I thought I was lucky, but then I retracted it in my head. In the end, it was the result of the things I had done.

Now, if we can just escape, the operation is over.

"...ha."

Kim Yi-hyeon bent his neck and looked at the ceiling. It had only been a few days, but perhaps it was because he had been working his brain too hard. He was tired of even thinking.

As Kim Yi-hyeon closed his mouth, the car became quiet. It was so quiet that it didn't seem like there was a chase going on.

West Creek looked away, wiping the blood off his body with a towel. He felt a sense of satisfaction as he watched Kim Yi-Hyeon enjoying a short break.

'There was a reason Ghost was so highly regarded.'

Kim Yi-Hyeon was an outstanding talent even without his value as an agent, with his fighting skills that were rapidly improving. He had rare and useful spells.

He was a kind of commander that rap didn't have.

He is not as gentle as Leila. He is not as expert in conducting as a professor.

But he has foresight.

There is no stubbornness that is unnecessarily clingy. If necessary, he uses and kicks out criminals. Although it may seem like he is walking a tightrope on one leg... he eventually succeeds in such a feat.

'It's hard to say that he's not popular.'

Chelsea and Asterike trust and follow Kim I-hyeon. They seem to have a good relationship with the professor, and Ghost and Leila are no exception. Turkam seems to be very dissatisfied, though.

West Creek himself felt it during this operation. Even without detailed tactical command, it felt like every single one of his actions was calculated. It felt like he was a cog in a wheel.

'I heard that the business agreement was a proposal that Hyun brought…'

As an agent of the rap, I can only say that it was a stroke of luck. And for the legion, it was a disaster. In the future, Kim Lee-hyun will continue to improve his skills as an agent and as a commander.

But that's after everything has returned safely. It's still too early to comfortably discuss future growth.

They were still in the middle of enemy lines.

"Crazy, the road is blocked!"

Barricades appeared on the empty road.

About fifty soldiers were blocking the road and preparing to fire. It seemed that the personnel guarding the outskirts of the capital had received a call and moved.

"How do I do this? Do I break through it?"

"Step aside."

"You want me to run along the forest path?"

"What can I do? They're coming from behind too. Hurry up!"

If you stop on the road, you will be attacked from both the front and the back. Since Ismail is here, Mithril will be following with fire in her eyes. It will be difficult to waste time.

"What the heck... Just go, just go!"

The car swerved sharply. Turkam held the steering wheel tightly and leaned in. The car shook like crazy as it drove on the bumpy road.

Bang, that's right!

A few bullets struck the closed car door. Of course, the car was not bulletproof. The backseat window shattered with a loud noise.

"Focus. This is better than last time."

"Where are you looking!"

"At least there's no debris falling in front of our noses."

Instead of responding further, Turkam only crumpled his expression.

Concentration is concentration, but… Kim Yi-hyeon's words were not wrong. Whether it was the result of repeated learning or not, I felt more relaxed than when I was actually being chased by a dangerous person.

The fact that the forest paths are well-maintained also played a part. As you can see just by looking at the streets, Atlanta is a country that has put a lot of effort into landscaping. Because the area is small, people have touched every corner of the country.

There were several more clashes after that.

By the time they reached the border, the van was already riddled with flat tires, barely able to roll. It was in no condition to be towed to a safe house.

'This is enough.'

Border checkpoint.

Kim Yi-hyeon chose to go head-on. Not because he was being rude or trying to mock his opponent… but because it was the most noticeable.

The movements of the troops stationed outside can be seen at a glance. Even now, it is the same. The only road leading out of the country was covered with barricades and soldiers.

This time, the signal was Kim Lee-Hyeon's.

Chewy!

Kim Lee-hyun threw a smoke grenade out the broken car window.

To the legion soldiers, it was just ridiculous. The smoke screen didn't clear the way, and the distance was more than 500 meters to begin with. It was actually blinding them.

Just wait calmly and fire as soon as you enter the effective range. The commander turned the gun over once before giving the order.

5 seconds, 10 seconds.

It was at this moment that the commander thought he was later than expected. A rickety vehicle began to rush forward, cutting through the smoke.

"You crazy bastards. Shoot!"

Thud!

Simultaneous gunfire shook the checkpoint. Headlights were shattered, bullet holes were ripped through bumpers, and bullets shattered the windshields and lodged inside cars.

The tires were not spared either. The car lost its center of gravity and began to sway erratically. It suddenly slowed down and stopped before it even hit the barricade.

There was a brief silence.

"...."

The soldiers still stood guard with their guns out, but no one jumped out from the stopped car, and no sign of life was felt.

No one was riding. The commander who had checked him turned his eyes. The smoke in the distance had thickened, making it impossible to see the enemy's movements.

"Did you abandon the car?"

It was a stupid decision. Even if they hid their bodies, it was only for a moment. Once the smoke cleared, they were completely defenseless. All the soldiers had to do was wait quietly.

Above all, reinforcements are still coming. I don't know what they're thinking, but any hope of them getting out of here safely has disappeared.

That was when the commander was thinking like that.

-Doo doo doo doo!

A sound was heard. In an instant, the heads of several soldiers, including the commander, turned.

At some point, a dot appeared in the sky. The dot quickly grew larger and its shape became clearer. A lump of iron flew straight toward the checkpoint.

"Hey, helicopter?"

The commander opened his mouth in astonishment.