Chapter 19: Wave (1)

Tatiana remembered it vividly.

The despair she felt that day.

The mission was a failure.

All the reconnaissance troops had become prey to the beasts and monsters, and only Tatiana had managed to escape the ruins of Kronos by using their sacrifices as a stepping stone.

The beasts were relentless.

Individually, they were nothing—she could cut them down with a single stroke. But when they came in a swarm, there was nothing she could do.

"Someone, someone please...!"

A hand of salvation reached out like a ray of light.

She hadn't even heard a gunshot.

All she saw was the head of the beast chasing her exploding into pieces.

"Who...?"

That was why she had to know.

Who had saved her?

Even if she couldn't understand her own actions, she had followed that question all the way here.

And when she finally met her savior, she found that reality was far from what she had imagined.

He—Carl Marcus—was neither a secret defender of the White Line nor a reconnaissance soldier of the Red Line on some classified mission.

He was just a man.

A mere survivor who had sought refuge in Ark, only to be denied entry, forcing him to make a home in Noah.

That was all.

Yet, no matter how different reality was from her ideals, she hadn't expected it to be this different.

Her savior did not welcome her.

No, he outright rejected her presence.

...

After being dismissed, Tatiana Belov struggled to suppress her bewilderment and tried to say something—but she soon shook her head.

She had seen it.

The cold, emotionless gaze in Carl Marcus's eyes.

"...I understand. Thank you for saving me."

"Yeah. And if possible, I'd rather you didn't come back. I don't like outsiders trespassing in my territory."

Even at the very end, her savior—Carl Marcus—remained firm.

He left no room for negotiation.

"...I'll keep that in mind."

Tatiana turned around without hesitation.

He had spoken so clearly—she wasn't shameless enough to stay where she was not wanted.

[Leave.]

More than anything, Ether whispered into her ears.

It told her that Carl Marcus had spoken nothing but the absolute truth.

That he truly, genuinely did not want her to return.

...

Her footsteps as she left felt hollow.

She had brought all sorts of things to repay his kindness, but she hadn't even had the chance to hand them over.

Instead, all she had heard was "Get lost."

"...Did I seem that suspicious?"

Of course, if she was being honest, Tatiana had to admit that she wasn't entirely blameless.

Of all places, she had released an Ether wave in Mount Noah, threatening the very person she came to thank.

There was no excuse for that.

But still—but still...

"This is all because that barbarian said things that way..."

As she briefly recalled Kurilta's face, she quickly shook her head.

That was just another excuse.

That barbarian had simply spoken as he always did.

And if anyone was at fault, it was her for forming a preconceived notion of Carl Marcus based on those words alone.

...

Something about this felt... wrong from the start.

As if she had completely ruined something important.

"Why am I always like this...?"

Tatiana Belov's gaze drifted into the distance.

Beyond the Red Line—toward what was once Ark's foremost frontline.

* * *

I watched from a distance, making sure that Tatiana Belov was truly leaving before lowering my rifle.

Just in case she made any sudden moves, I was prepared to respond.

"It's a bit of a shame… but it can't be helped."

In a way, this unexpected midnight visitor could have been a valuable opportunity.

A Navy Line major.

A Level 3 Ether Adept.

Either one of those credentials would have been a powerful connection to have within Ark.

But the problem was that she was a member of the Belov Family.

"I need to find another way to get involved in Ark."

Of course, that wasn't something I could simply decide to do—it would take time and the right opportunity.

For now, there was something far more urgent for me to take care of.

Rest.

"...Too much happened today."

Though, honestly, every day had been like this ever since I arrived in this world.

I was reaching my limit.

Perhaps that was why I had been more curt with Tatiana Belov than necessary.

"Even the hot springs can't relieve this kind of exhaustion anymore."

Right now, I just wanted to sleep.

No—I was desperate to sleep.

But no matter how much I wanted it; I knew the damned voices wouldn't let me.

I rummaged through my pack.

Among the various leaves, stems, roots, and flowers I had gathered, I pulled out a few specific plants—herbs that could aid with sleep.

And, of course, coca leaves.

"I'll just use all of it."

If my guess was right, ordinary sleeping aids wouldn't work against this insomnia.

I needed something stronger.

I grabbed a smooth stone nearby, rinsed it with hot spring water, and spread the herbs over its surface.

I planned to grind them all into a single concoction and take them in one go.

"...And this too."

In parts of Africa, there's a drug called Brown-Brown—a mix of cocaine and smokeless gunpowder. (T/N: It's heroin.)

I didn't have cocaine, but I had coca leaves—the raw material.

If I ground them down, mixed them, and chewed them, it wouldn't be as potent, but it would at least have some effect.

Mixing gunpowder into it, of course, had nothing to do with health.

But at this point, I couldn't afford to care.

"It's a waste of a bullet… but for the sake of a good night's sleep, I'll gladly use one."

After grinding the sleep-inducing herbs into a juice, I moved on to the coca leaves.

I emptied a bullet, poured the gunpowder into the mix, and stirred it together.

The result was a dark, murky liquid.

Just looking at it, I could tell—this was not something that should be consumed.

But without hesitation, I threw it all into my mouth, along with the herbal mix.

"Urgh… ugh."

The first thing I tasted was the bitterness of crushed leaves.

The second was the acrid sting of gunpowder.

The third… I had no idea.

There were too many things mixed together to make sense of it.

But the effects hit fast.

"Ah…"

I knew I needed to get back to my cave.

But my body wouldn't move.

A physique that had resisted hallucinations and auditory delusions crumbled under the weight of drugs.

I looked up at the sky.

The stars felt close—like they were brushing against my legs.

Before I knew it, I was swimming through the cosmos.

[Hehehe…]

[Come play with me…]

The voices were there.

But they didn't invade my mind like before.

"Ah…"

For the first time in a long, long while…

Sleep finally welcomed me.

*

Morning had arrived.

Thanks to the deep sleep I'd finally gotten, my body and mind felt lighter than they had in a long time.

And apparently, it wasn't just in my head—my stats had actually increased overnight.

[You have taken a deep rest for the first time in a long while! Your torn muscles have recovered, increasing Strength and Stamina.]

[Strength has increased.]

[12 → 13]

[Stamina has increased.]

[13 → 14]

"Huaaah…"

Despite yesterday's strenuous activity, my body felt refreshed.

"I can't believe I slept that soundly… even while drugged."

Honestly, I wasn't sure if this method would even work. But it had been far more effective than I expected.

"Still, I can't use this method too often."

Relying on drugs was fine and all, but there was one fatal flaw.

This place wasn't safe.

Just last night, I had an uninvited guest.

No matter how secluded Mount Noah was, that didn't mean I was untouchable.

"And if I'm going to sleep, I need to do it inside the cave, in my tent."

Last night, I'd passed out right next to the hot spring.

If anyone—or anything—had found me while I was out cold, I'd already be dead.

"…I'll only use this method when I'm truly at my limit."

Of course, next time, I'd make sure to take proper precautions.

Leaving my life to chance once was more than enough.

"Now then… today's task is…"

I rummaged through my pack and pulled out the herbs I'd gathered to neutralize monster toxins.

It was finally time to stop putting off my food supply situation.

"I already have enough monster corpses stored… I can start right away."

The first step was making a fire.

I already had firewood and dry kindling prepared—now I just needed to light it.

Chik, chik!

After a few tries, a spark caught.

Carefully, I blew on the kindling, coaxing the flames to spread.

Fwoosh, fwoosh.

Before long, the fire was roaring steadily.

"Fire's set."

Next, I took out my mess tin and filled it with hot spring water.

Then, I added the neutralizing herbs.

"Since the spring water is already hot… I'll give it ten minutes before adding the meat."

This wasn't going to be fine dining.

Just a simple meal to get by.

The first dish? A basic meat stew.

With the fire and hot spring water, it was the easiest thing I could make.

──────────────

[Hellhound Meat Stew] [★ (1-star)]

—A stew made from hellhound meat.

—Tastes absolutely terrible.

"View Details"

──────────────

"Hmm…"

As expected, the cursed phrase was there.

Every monster dish in The Defense had it.

"Whatever. My rations won't last forever. The poison's gone, so I might as well eat."

I scooped up a spoonful of stew.

And in that moment, I finally understood why every single monster recipe in The Defense had the same damning description.

"Urgh…"

I had to eat.

I had to eat.

Like a mantra, I repeated it in my head, forcing myself to swallow.

I couldn't think about the taste.

I had to survive.

That was the only thing that mattered.

"Ghh… ugh…"

It was unclear whether this was a meal or a form of torture.

After a painfully long struggle, I managed to finish.

I was just about to start smoking the rest of the meat when—

"…Huh?"

At some point…

The sky had darkened.

At first, I thought it was rain clouds.

But then—

I saw the massive, black swarm creeping across the sky.

And I knew.

"…That's not a storm."

A deep, earth-shaking roar confirmed it.

[KREEEEK! KIEEEEEK!]

[KAAAH! KRAAAWK!]

I recognized them immediately.

Grade-4 Aberration, Gargoyle.

Grade-5 Flying Beast, Shadow Ray.

Grade-3 Monstrosity, Quetzalcoatl.

Monsters leagues beyond the Mossback Kupf I had fought.

Not one or two.

But an entire sky full.

And it wasn't just the sky.

THOOM!

THOOM!

THOOOOOM!

The ground trembled.

A countless sea of figures emerged from beyond the horizon—so vast that it looked like a single, writhing entity.

Grade-4 Monstrosity, Black-furred Tyrannosaurus.

Grade-3 Aberration, Living Boulder Golem.

[GROOOOOOOAAAAARRR!]

[GRRRRRRK!]

Whether I looked up at the sky…

Or down at the land…

There was only one thing.

Monsters.

Marching.

Advancing.

Moving in perfect unison.

And their destination was clear.

Ark.

A massive, unimaginable army of monstrosities was closing in on humanity's final stronghold.

And there was only one reason something like this could happen.

"…A Wave."

Without warning.

Without mercy.

The first stage of The Defense…

Had begun.

***

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