◈ Episode 157

On their own!

Several helicopters landed over Howland. Amidst the loud roar of propellers, the helicopters lowered their altitude. Then, a rope was lowered from inside the open hatch.

Several agents, including Ghost, descended into the city. Among them was Kim Yi-hyun. As soon as they landed, they pulled out their guns and began to stand guard.

"Clear. There are no visible enemies."

-How's the detection?

"Yes, there are no moving creatures within a 150m radius."

"The same goes for heat detection."

Kim Lee-Hyeon summarized the reports from those with detection abilities.

"It looks like there was no ambush."

-The security is lax. They must have noticed you approaching.

This operation took a lot of effort from the preliminary stages.

The professor made plans after discussing them repeatedly with several people. He predicted dozens of possible situations and devised countermeasures.

I had also prepared for the possibility that a battle might not break out immediately like it did now. From now on, it was time to respond by reducing the number of possible scenarios one by one based on the opponent's reactions.

-Is this really an attempt to drag me in?

"Well, we'll have to see. For now, safety has been secured."

-Okay, I'll land, so please continue to cover me.

As the pre-landed agents spread out, the perimeter was widened. There was no attack until all helicopters had landed safely.

Kushan, who had finally gotten off, looked around.

"...It's eerily quiet. It used to be such a bustling city."

Howland.

In the past, it was a famous resort.

An island country with a beautiful emerald-colored sea. However, the sea is now dry, exposing the bottom, and the city is covered with pure white sand.

"Have you ever been to Howland?"

"For a brief moment, regarding work. It was a long time ago."

"You don't look that old, but how long have you been working…."

"I would like to answer that what you see is not everything."

Kushan, who answered Anima's question vaguely, looked at the members of Albatross. They were each receiving their weapons from members who still looked like boys.

The armor and weapons that had been compressed to the size of a fist returned to their original size one by one. In addition to Kushan, the agents watching in that direction let out exclamations.

Chelsea's reaction in particular was strange.

"Boss, boss. Doesn't that look like an easy way to make money?"

"Come on, Inma. This is no time to be talking nonsense."

I buried the fact that I had the same thought before even hearing it.

No matter what, I didn't want to be considered the same as Chelsea.

After quickly finishing the maintenance, the professor gave instructions.

"First, let's search. Teams 1 to 5, spread out and search the surroundings. If you find even the slightest trace, signal immediately. The rest of you, stay alert at this point and…."

It was the same as what was briefed in advance. Each team included one person with the ability to detect spells. The team members would quickly search while covering the agent.

"Dustborne, please move as planned."

"okay."

Kim Lee-Hyeon's team consists of a total of six people, including himself.

The team was formed solely from Dustborn, without any RAP agents. Everyone except Noctane, who had virtually no combat capabilities, and the guys from the Kilikia branch were brought in.

At first, the professor was reluctant to include Dustborn in the search party. Although their combat capabilities were unparalleled, unlike other teams, they did not have anyone with specialized search abilities.

But upon closer inspection, it turns out that wasn't the case.

Because Dustborne has socialized beasts.

"Arya, I only trust you."

"롸져."

Although they never had a formal contract, Arya was practically considered a member of Dustborne rather than a rapper. It was no surprise, since she was glued to Asterike like glue.

And today, by being mobilized as a member of Kim Yi-hyun's team, my affiliation has been confirmed. It seemed like I would have to write a contract when I returned. I could easily imagine a future where I would explode with anger as I explained.

"킁킁."

Arya, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, began to sniff the ground. The triangular ears that stood out on top of her head perked up. Kim Yi-hyun nodded his head in satisfaction at the sight of her like a military dog.

Even though the picture was a little funny, it was an excuse.

To avoid suspicion when you find the enemy's hiding place in an instant.

'If there was only rap, I could have just glossed over it.'

Now was the time to be careful.

If you happen to fall out of favor with the Albatross, you'll be in trouble. The moment they're branded as villains, they turn into real mad dogs.

Move southwest and explore for a while.

Under Kim Yi-Hyeon's precise guidance, Arya caught the hint.

"…It's a bad smell. The smell of blood. The smell of a rotting corpse."

I immediately picked up the radio and relayed the message to the professor.

-Any visible traces?

"None. It seems like there is a hidden facility."

-Okay, just continue. Don't cut off the communication.

From here on, there was no need for Kim Ihyeon to lead them. Once Arya caught their tail, she guided the group to the source of the stench without any problems.

"Professor, I found it."

A location somewhat far from the city center. There was a structure protruding from the bare ground covered with sand like a blanket. It was similar to a bunker leading underground.

There was dried blood stains on the doorway. Even without an animalistic sense of smell, she could smell the stench coming from the basement. Arya had a hard time holding it in, so much so that she covered her nose.

The scattered operation teams gathered again at Kim I-Hyeon's location.

"It looks like an underground cistern."

Kushan, who had examined the structure, was convinced. Marcus would need numerous life support devices at this point. There was no other facility more suitable for him to hide his body.

"Mr. Hyun. How is your internal condition? Has there been any change?"

"It's as quiet as a mouse. We'll have to go down and find out."

"The conditions are not favorable for us. It's burdensome to rush in without knowing the size of the enemy or their internal structure. It might be better to just destroy them with explosives."

The professor immediately gave his opinion. It was an opinion that Kim Lee-hyun would have agreed with if it had been normal. At first, the growth of the 'player' who could not do anything was impressive.

But this time is an exception.

Kushan hit the player who was trying to oppose.

"No, that won't work."

"Why?"

"I'm not questioning the professor's judgment. That's a separate issue. If there's a Markus Dresner here, he shouldn't be killed."

Markus Dresner, the last king of Shalem.

The Cellbrox Lab, built on the territory of Shalem.

It was a sufficient condition to associate them with each other.

Anima gave Kushan a sharp gaze.

"Isn't it past time to be loyal?"

"That's not the story. If Marcus dies... "

After a pause of a breath, the conversation continued.

"The great disaster of 44 years ago will happen again."

44 years ago, in 2000.

There was a 'great disaster' that occurred simultaneously around the world and caused countless casualties. The disaster that had been occurring locally for a long time began to sweep across the entire continent from that point on.

A statement that it will happen again.

The content was the same as the nonsense the doomsayers were spouting. But the messenger was different. The moment it came out of Kushan's mouth, it couldn't help but feel more weighty.

"I'm sorry for not explaining it in advance. However, this is a prediction based on already verified data. I hope you will accept it as a fact and act accordingly."

There was silence for a moment.

The gazes directed at Kushan were never friendly. He had hidden the part that should have been conveyed in advance. Above all, what he had just said made him suspicious of his actions.

It was time to intervene.

"I'll have to hear your story after everything is over. I trust you won't leave me out. It's a matter of trust."

"...Of course. I don't know if you'll understand, though."

"Whether or not we are convinced is a matter for us to decide at that time."

The flow was sorted out by Dustborne, who had been interacting most closely with Rap, pointing it out. Anima, who had been showing a look of dissatisfaction, softened her gaze.

"Okay, let's start with the task at hand. Are you ready to jump in?"

"If the explosion doesn't work, it seems like it has no choice."

"In that case, we will take the lead."

The professor readily agreed.

"I would appreciate it if you would do that. Can the Knights of the Golden Lion also stand on the front lines?"

"You can give orders at your convenience. You are my commander now, Professor."

Through a series of conversations, Kim Lee-hyun gained confidence.

'Now it's time to slowly separate from the rap and act individually.'

The professor had definitely grown up. She wouldn't have died suddenly and violently if she were her current self. Now that there was no real benefit to be gained from sticking around, it seemed like she could focus on Dustborn.

The instructions were given just as the deliberation was over.

"Let's dive in."

Heavily armed Albatross members entered first.

A relentless advance that didn't even hide the clanking of armor. In the first place, stealth meant nothing when the helicopter was brought in.

A passageway that could fit three or four people side by side. The stench got stronger as they went down. Not only that, but corpses strewn across the stairs began to appear.

Ghost quickly searched the body and tore off the dog tag.

"As you can see, they appear to be soldiers of the Legion."

"Should we consider this an internal strife?"

"That's right. These eating marks are very similar to those seen in Shamalshina."

Kim Yi-Hyeon was the only one who knew the information that no one else noticed.

One of the corpses discarded like trash was not that of a single soldier.

'Soldier.'

It's like the mini me I saw in St. Kitts.

It is a doll that contains Marcus' consciousness.

That is, the godmother killed Marcus' doll.

It was a clear betrayal. The purpose was obvious.

The godmother plans to detonate a bomb.

'I don't know if I can stop it… but I have to try as far as I can.'

As I went down the stairs, a wide open space appeared.

An agent swung a searchlight, illuminating the darkness. Numerous pillars connected the floor and ceiling. It was a place reminiscent of an underground temple. It was also filled with bloodstains and corpses.

Behind the pillars, shadows moved.

Bro! Wow!

"Approach and subdue him!"

As if they had been waiting, the Albatross and the Golden Lion Knights rushed at the order given. The number of enemy soldiers identified by the detection system's ability personnel was less than 100. It was not a large number.

"We'll support with fire. Save your spells."

Kim Yi-Hyeon entered the battle with only one [Ivory]. His already mature shooting skills were added to the accuracy correction. The bullet that flew pierced the head of a soldier who jumped out from the pillar.

While the archers cleared the outskirts, the knights ran wild.

A member of the Albatross charged at a speed far exceeding that of an ordinary person and struck the enemy with a blunt weapon. The sword swung by a member of the Golden Lion Knights cut off the neck, completely cutting off the bone.

'As expected, the performance is good.'

By that point, each individual has skills that surpass those of a 4-star melee-specialized agent. Among them, Albatross Vice-Captain Anima and the first-class knight Nord were particularly outstanding. Their clean swordsmanship was impressive.

It was a one-sided massacre.

By the time Kim Yi-Hyeon emptied one of his magazines, the battle had already reached a lull. Anima returned to the ranks, her sword covered in blood and dregs.

"It seems like there are only ordinary soldiers. There was no one called the godmother."

"I'll have to go in further. Sorry, but I can't give you time to fix it."

"Okay. Let's move forward."

I changed the magazine while listening to the conversation going on. After a while, I felt someone's gaze. Anima was staring at Chelsea and Kim I-hyeon with a strange look.

"Why do you look like that?"

"No, because you two are shooting so well that it's a bit annoying."

"If you shoot well, you shoot well. What's the point of feeling bad?"

"It's accurate, but the timing is like a ghost…."

Suddenly, Kim Yi-hyeon chuckled as he remembered something old.

It seems like only yesterday that I was getting cursed at for shooting like a total idiot.

I resumed my movement with my senses sharpened. The detection ability users continuously cast spells to check the surroundings. It wasn't long before I could confirm a response.

"There is a person in front of here."

The detection ability was not omnipotent, so caution was required. I moved cautiously, but steadily, keeping in mind the possibility that it was bait. Soon, the true nature of the 'reaction' was captured in sight.

It was a woman whose limbs were bound with chains attached to a pillar.

"There's an injured person. Please help me quickly..."

"Leila, calm down first. I'll look into it."

Kim Yi-hyeon approached the woman under the protection of his group.

Upon closer inspection, the condition was atrocious. The limbs were torn off one by one. Pus and blood were seeping out from the marks that looked like they had been burned and stopped bleeding.

Even though I had seen so many things I couldn't stand, it was still disgusting at the moment. It was almost like a corpse, but when I put my hand on the corner of its mouth covered in blood, I could feel its shallow breathing.

"It's a wonder I'm still breathing like this."

The wound on his face was so serious that it looked like he had been slammed into the asphalt. It was hard to recognize him. While I was wondering what to do, his tattered eyelids opened.

Her bright blue eyes, sparkling like jewels, were revealed.

Only then could I recognize who the woman was.

"The Saint of Shamalshina. She's alive."

She looked at him as Kim Yi-Hyeon looked at Nephritus.

"Ah, ahh...."

Nephritus, who was breathing sadly, shed tears like chicken droppings.

"Wow, you gave it to me, angel…."

Kim Yi-hyeon's expression became serious.

He expressed his opinion to Leila, who was giving him an anxious look.

"This is a big deal. I think I'm going crazy."