◈ Episode 220

It is a battlefield ruled by monsters.

First Executor Georg Schmitz was beyond awe-struck and was struck by a dizzying sensation. He was so shocked by the sight unfolding before his eyes that he could not concentrate on the battle.

Boom!

A giant fist struck the ground, dripping blood-red lava. A huge pillar of fire rose up, reducing the entire area to ash.

Despite all that firepower, the pecatum called Asterice continued to spew out flames. Its appearance, enveloped in flames, seemed to Georg like the appearance of an evil spirit.

'That blond pecatum named Edwin… … .'

Even when his abdomen is pierced by a tentacle, his movements are not slowed down. Instead, he grabs the tentacle that is trying to escape and crushes the enemy's torso. Absurdly, no one was concerned about his injuries.

And, Kim Lee-Hyeon.

Bam!

The blood-soaked axe cuts off the parasite's head. Even though the enemies swarmed like a pack of dogs, there was no sign of being pushed back. He evaded the tentacles by a hair's breadth, and advanced forward, cutting, kicking, and trampling.

The mace in his other hand glowed again.

Georg braced himself for the impact. As expected, another loud noise erupted. Suddenly, several craters, made by Kim I-hyeon, appeared on the street, as if a bomb had hit them.

'Is this Dustborne?'

His liver was cold. Georg was a man who laughed at the word 'elite group'. He believed that no matter how strong an individual becomes, there is a clear limit and that he cannot surpass the group.

And yet, you volunteered to be a part of a small special forces unit to watch over those monsters.

'What a tricky thing.'

Whether it was because he acknowledged his status as a first-class executor or because he did not want to harm the teamwork of other teams, Georg was assigned to Team 1, but his role in battle was limited.

In less than a few minutes, hundreds of parasites were annihilated.

"It's finally quiet. You've worked hard."

Kim Yi-hyeon rectified his tangled breathing. The first battle ended simply. He was still in good condition, and there was Asterike, who specialized in annihilation battles. The flow was as expected.

However, I couldn't just think hopefully.

'8km ahead. But it's only this many.'

Even though it was reduced once by bombing, it is still swarming like this. How many parasites could have come through the cracks? It could have been more than five digits.

'No matter how you look at it, it's crazy difficult.'

It's almost laughable to say that now is the easiest time.

"It's all cleaned up outside."

- Bird, you were much faster than I thought. The building kept shaking… .

"I saved you the trouble by just rushing in. How about you?"

- First of all, I bought a mid-sized car. It's old, but it'll run, right?

- Same. It's not in bad condition since it was in the garage.

Rosetta and Ghost brought good news. The cars outside were all damaged, but the interior seemed to be relatively well preserved. Thanks to that, I was able to avoid wasting time.

We were able to depart safely because we had cleaned up the area.

In the car driven by Georg, Kim Ihyeon spread out a map.

"I'm going to take the highway."

― Aren't open spaces dangerous?

"Of course it would be dangerous."

Kim Hyun-i responded to West Creek's point.

"That doesn't mean the complex path is safe. There was a guy who got stuck on the transmission tower a little while ago. There are all kinds of special objects out there. It's better to recognize them in advance and fight them than to be attacked unexpectedly."

― I think the same. If we can just break through, we can get close to the crack in no time.

"That's what I'm saying. It's already too late to worry about safety."

I looked up and out the car window.

The sky is painted ashen. Pollution floats in the air like dregs. The sunlight has long since been obscured, and the strange howls of parasites can be heard in the distance.

It was, without a doubt, an apocalyptic scene.

* * *

-Toodoodoodoo!

A speeding car, half-leaning, fires rapid-fire bullets into a crowd of parasites.

The shots were as accurate as a ruler, and the power was different from that of regular bullets. After five or six enemies were helplessly knocked down, the enemies scattered, feeling threatened. Kim Yi-hyun and Chelsea's guns immediately pursued their target.

The sides were taken care of by teams 2 and 3, led by Leila and Ghost respectively.

- They keep coming! They're falling from above too!

- I'll take care of that. Just focus on driving.

Despite the ridiculously high level of difficulty of the operation, the agents showed unprecedented performance. Trust in their teammates and a sense of mission to accomplish it. Several factors pushed their concentration to the limit.

When it was judged to be completely impassable, they would get out of their cars and force their way through. Every time they did, nearby parasites would rush in due to the noise of the battle, and a fierce battle would break out.

But things couldn't continue as smoothly as they are now.

As we entered the highway entrance, the radio spat out a voice.

- Mr. Westcreek, please stop the car.

― Here? Wouldn't it be better to advance as much as possible when there are few parasites?

- No, that's not possible from here on out.

A firm tone that did not tolerate rejection. It was not like Leila. Normally, West Creek's opinion would be right, but Kim I-hyeon listened to Leila.

"Yeah, I guess I should stop around here."

The cars stopped on the road as instructed. The agents looked nervous, as if the parasites would attack at any moment. Leila spoke amidst the tense atmosphere.

- You guys, please go back. From here on out, I will go alone.

The exact same lines from the script I read in the past.

― Leila, what the hell are you talking about? Go back… … .

- Actually, I should have told you sooner.

Recorded voices overlap with reality.

- You guys have reached your limit a long time ago.

Rosetta also remained silent at Leila's remark. No one asked what she meant, because everyone knew it for themselves.

Kim Yi-hyeon glanced at the rearview mirror and checked the backseat. Chelsea, Asterike, Edwin, Leone… … Anima and Georg were also sweating profusely.

With crystals sticking out on the skin.

'But Yoo Da-hee looks the best.'

Among them, it was only better, but it was far from the expression of being fine. Yoo Da-hee had been touching her neck all along. It was a level of pollution that was difficult to endure even for a drifter.

― The meter reading has already exceeded 500 and is not being measured properly. There is still a long way to go. If we delay any further, it will be irreversible.

― No matter what, Leila. It's reckless to go alone. It's suicidal.

- I don't think you need to worry.

A determined voice continued.

- I can do it. No, I will do it.

It was a promised development.

Based on the game, the only person on the continent who was able to safely reach the rift was Leila, as she was an artificial life form born from the parasite's factor.

Players must control only 'Leila' to overcome difficulties.

It was such a burdensome ordeal that it was almost enough to warrant a curse. At this point, Leila has reached 6 stars, and her specs have been enhanced with special stage adjustments, but in the end, she is still just a short person.

But not now.

"It's just like Leila said. Even if you miraculously make it back alive, there will be aftereffects. You won't be able to hope for a comfortable life. Even that's only if you're lucky, and most likely you'll collapse along the way."

- Hyun, you too… … !

"You go back."

There is another agent who will take on a similar role to Leila.

"Instead, I will stay."

"Huh, boss?"

"When I get back, I'll explain the whole story to the command center. Let's see. I'll have some free time around 8 o'clock. Request fire support from the center of the crack then."

Kim Yi-hyeon got out of the car right away. Then, his eyes met with the guys. The characters he had brought back one by one after falling into Polaris… His colleagues were looking at him with astonishment.

Surprisingly, the character who seemed the most calm was Asterike.

"Hyun. Can I wait?"

We didn't have a long conversation. There was no time or need for that. Come to think of it, Asterike had shown keen insight from time to time in the past. Perhaps she had anticipated the current situation.

Still, I am grateful for the trust that you have placed in me and followed me.

"Okay. Go ahead and rest."

How did you get here?

I can't die even if it's because I feel wronged.

* * *

On the highway, a car passed between the junkyards.

"There was no need for Mr. Hyun to stay. I could do it by myself..."

"So you want me to go back now? There's only one car left?"

Leila was speechless at the confident answer. It was definitely true. Whether we go together or go back alone, it is the same thorny path, but it is better to follow the cause.

"Ha, I thought it might turn out like this."

"Then you should have nailed it down from the beginning."

"That's right. Maybe I was scared too."

Kim Lee-hyun recalled the illustration for the final episode. The back view of Leila as she sends the agents away and heads toward the rift. She has overcome hardships and become stronger, but is still as noble as before.

But even then, Leila's back was tiny.

"...It's a thought-provoking sight."

"Have you been here before?"

"Only twice, though."

Leila looked out over the dead city on the side of the road.

"There were always a lot of people. During the day, cars would line the road and at night, it would be packed with students. There's a university nearby."

"It must have been noisy."

"Ahaha. You're saying the same thing, professor."

A soft smile appeared on his lips.

"But I liked that energy. When Director Helena took me to college, she said, 'You might end up here someday.' From then on, I kind of admired it."

"Wouldn't it be possible once everything is over? Even though it might be about 50 years too late."

"I wish you would stop talking about the past 50 years... "

It was a good thing I didn't tell anyone about Helena, Kim Yi-Hyeon thought to himself.

"By the way, it's too quiet."

"Yes, I can't see the parasite."

The road was eerily quiet.

Thanks to this, I was able to move forward without delay, but it didn't feel like a green light. It felt like I was walking into the mouth of a monster.

And the question was soon resolved on its own.

"...Mr. Hyun. Can you see over there?"

At the edge of my vision, a huge chunk of flesh was blocking the tunnel.

"I was wondering where they all went."

It was one and hundreds. A cluster of countless parasites. The individual entities that formed the wall squirmed and moved, almost like a giant tumor breathing.

Fortunately, they did not show any aggressive behavior. They just stood there, huddled together. This was the result of the consciousness of the special entity at the center, the 'Wall', taking over the minds of the other parasites.

'It's actually quite disgusting when you see it.'

An entity that appears on stage and blocks your path.

No matter which path you choose, you will eventually hit a wall.

Usually, the method of forcibly breaking through using 'Leila's' spell is chosen. Although it is painful to consume SP, it is the cheapest way.

"It looks like I have no choice but to go through with it."

"I guess so."

I plan to take the same approach this time too.

Of course, a little smarter than in the game.

The reason why users don't take out their equipment here is because it's a waste to use equipment that will only be used once. Since it's a long stage, you have to choose weapons that will be useful until the end to be able to clear it.

This problem does not apply to Kim Lee-hyun.

"Stay away for a moment."

"Yes? What are you going to do…."

A capsule the size of a finger appeared in Kim Yi-Hyeon's hand. It wasn't anything special. It was a 4-star auxiliary equipment called [Special Bubble Capsule]. It was an item that granted certain status abnormalities.

The strategy for conquering the 'Wall' itself is very simple.

The wall has the characteristic of synchronizing its state with the object it touches. This means that it is extremely vulnerable to abnormal status effects. And the [Special Bubble Capsule] bursts cells from the inside.

As soon as I threw the capsule, it was swallowed by the wall.

Immediately afterwards,

Gulp!

The walls began to melt in an instant.

Kim Lee-hyun took a deep breath as he watched it.

"From now on, get your mind straight."

As soon as the front opened, the vehicle entered the tunnel. It quickly drove along the straight road and soon reached the end of the tunnel. However, as expected, it could not avoid the encounter.

Tentacles resembling spider legs extended from above the tunnel's exit.

"Mr. Hyun! There's something else in front of me―"

Kwaaaaang!

The road shook like waves with a loud noise. A huge shape resembling an earthworm was emerging from the ground from behind. The length of its body seemed endless.

Another feature of the wall.

Sends a signal to its kin when it dies.

It's time for special entities different from those seen before to flock together.