021 episode. wilderness (2)
– Judging by the wheel marks, he’s one guy.
—Shh, be quiet from now on.
A voice came from over the scrap metal pile.
The sound of thumping footsteps began to approach this way.
‘Have you already been tracked?’
I expected it, but it was faster than I expected.
I took two pistols from my arms, held them in my hands, and pressed them against the pile of scrap metal.
—Maybe he is using a strange power like the boss. If you’re the only one who made the mess.
─… there is a possibility Sometimes there are some crazy strong guys among the travelers.
—But still, to be stronger than our boss.
The boys whispered a little.
The circuit was built and his hearing was strengthened, so he could hear that level of sound clearly without using magic.
‘Two guys from the sound of words.’
—Wait a minute.
The footsteps of the guys who were creeping closer stopped abruptly.
Not far away, my bike was exposed.
jerk. jerk.
Guys move again.
With a much more careful movement than before.
The timing of the guys passing through the scrap metal piles and revealing themselves.
I blew up and dropped a tin can on the other side of the pile.
Dang!
“… … !”
Their guns and their eyes are focused on the can.
She becomes in a posture with her back facing me, and again creates wind around her ankles and rolls her head forward.
“Bye!”
The distance was closed in an instant, and the guns were attached to the necks of the guys exposed under the helmets.
They also had scorpion tattoos on their arms.
“Don’t think about raising your head. Because the beaked head will fly away.”
“Yes, yes, ah, I see.”
“Say, if only you could save me.”
Quickly understand the situation.
It’s a life-threatening situation.
“You guys are probably hunting dogs.”
“No, that’s right.”
“How big is it? How many people are chasing me?”
“… … .”
The answer was cut off for a moment.
When I applied force to the pistol, the voice erupted again.
“I don’t know the exact number, but it’s around 100. Now, the number of people chasing the teacher is about 10 people from the separate dong… .”
I thought for a moment.
100 people. It is quite large.
There will be a hideout, and there is a possibility that relics have been piled up.
‘… Whether it was looted or obtained by chance, there might be useful items.’
Clearing 100 people is not a problem if you plan carefully.
However, there were parts of the boys that were offensive.
“You said your boss uses strange powers.”
“Hey, how do you do that?”
Power the pistol again.
“that that! They spit fire from their hands and put on a curtain to block the gun!”
“… … .”
is a wizard
Often there are guys like that.
These guys don’t get treated in the center, so they go out and pretend to be.
The existence of the wizard itself is rare, and it is not an easy case to find, but it was not at all.
‘There is a possibility that they are ordinary people.’
If you are lucky enough to get your hands on an already active artifact and be able to handle it.
“… … .”
Either way it was annoying.
That was the moment.
The two guys made a move to get up at the same time while I was in a moment of thought.
But my movements were faster than that. I reflexively pulled the trigger.
bang!
Two gunshots rang out.
The sound wasn’t that loud because it was equipped with a silencer.
Avoiding the pool of blood on the floor, I stepped back.
“… … .”
They were tougher than I thought.
‘I should have digged up more information, sorry.’
The scene was not cleaned up.
That way the other guys can keep track and I can get information.
Iron jerk!
The guns they had were thrown into a pile of scrap metal and hid so that they could not be retrieved.
I found their bike and shot the lock on the back box.
‘It’s a similar composition to the guys I met before.’
Things like money, food, and ammunition.
I move things that can be moved on my side.
Got the job done quickly and got on the bike.
When I started the engine and pulled the steering wheel, a loud noise echoed through the ground.
ooh-!
Two corpses move away from the rearview mirror.
The sand breeze of the wilderness was fluttering through the hem of their clothes.
* * *
When the sun had softened a little, we arrived at one of the villages.
An old sign at the entrance greeted me.
「11-A」
It was proof that they were definitely getting closer to their destination.
The closer you get to the 110th division, the lower the number.
“You really put them all over the continent.”
Next to the sign was a statue of a goddess looking down on the dry land.
With that kind and peaceful smile of courtesy.
I grabbed my bike and went inside.
“Move quickly! I’m leaving the car soon!”
A supply vehicle had arrived at the entrance to the village.
In front of the open mineral pit, dusty people were forming a long procession, pulling carts.
“shit! I’ve been sleeping all day, but this is all I can do? Put this on someone’s nose!”
Exchangeable items were printed on the monitor attached to the side.
Food, dry food, currency, daily necessities, as well as firearms were on the list.
But no one picked up a gun, even if he paused for a moment in front of the button.
‘There are no specific hunting dogs around.’
“Hey! If you have changed everything, come out immediately!”
“I’m leaving the car! If I starve, you will be responsible!”
I approached the end of the procession and spoke to one of the villagers.
“I want to know if there is a place to get my bikes repaired here.”
The sun in the wilderness is hotter than anywhere else. The ground is also rough and rough.
The bike was not running at its own speed because the engine had been overworked all the time without a break.
“What, what? hunt… I don’t think it’s a dog. just a foreigner? Are you a tourist?”
I nodded.
The eyes of the people around me scanned my body as if exploring.
Then, seeing the broken glass and the bike full of bullet marks, he said, horrified.
“Hey, there are only hounds to shoot around here. Come on, I’m sure you’re not being chased. no. If you help me out and get involved, I’m in danger too.”
When their eyes met, the residents quickly avoided their gaze.
“… … .”
I pulled out a shiny silver coin from my pocket.
The eyes of the residents change in an instant.
Negotiations did not take long.
I followed one of the villagers and pulled the bike into town.
The total number of people in the village will be around 200.
Shabby shacks made up the scenery.
‘It’s only adults… . I can’t see any children.’
The atmosphere was also gloomy.
It was too deep to be simply because of a hard life.
I got lucky.
“I think something is going on in town.”
“uh? huh? Oh no nothing. nothing happened.”
He guided me to the front of the vacant lot and disappeared somewhere in case anyone found out that we were together.
“… … .”
It was a vacant lot full of scrap metal.
In the middle, a man wearing an iron mask was seen repairing a mining machine.
Wheeing! Wheeing!
The sound of the drill was deafening.
As we got closer, he took off his mask and turned his head towards it.
“It’s a face I haven’t seen. What did you come here for?”
He was an old man with a thick beard.
Thanks to the strong body, I did not feel old at all.
“I’d like to have you do some repairs.”
The old man stopped what he was doing and came over to inspect the bike. There was a twinkle in his eyes.
“Hey. This looks like a Kaftan model, but from what I can’t remember exactly, it seems to have been released relatively recently. And these traces… did you fight With the hounds?”
I nodded quietly.
“You look like a traveler, but you have good kangs. The guys in this town are just pure cowards.”
Looking at the old man looking at the bike, I muttered.
“… It seemed like something was going on in town.”
“It’s nothing special. This part is completely crooked.”
“I didn’t see any children.”
“… … .”
The old man stopped moving. he turned to me
“I have good eyesight. Once repaired, it can be done. There must be money, though.”
I took a gold coin from my pocket and bounced it at the old man. It was a large currency equivalent to 100,000 shillings.
“This is enough.”
“I don’t need change, so I want to hear where the kids have gone.”
In fact, there was a point to point out.
I just hoped that this conjecture would not be correct.
“Well, even if it’s not me, it’s something that someone will talk about. All the hunting dogs have caught them. I’m thinking of selling it as a slave somewhere.”
To sum up the story, it was.
A total of 20 children were taken away.
Power enters the voice, and something irritating rises from within.
“… Didn’t people think of joining forces to resist? Surely we could have gotten the weapon from the supply vehicle.”
The source of this feeling was most likely Cain’s.
“Huh, resistance? weapon? If you get caught by the hounds, that’s the end of the day. The people here are people who have been persecuted all their lives wherever they come from. Resistance, I can’t even dream of such a thing.”
“It doesn’t seem like an old man.”
The old man’s forearms groaned.
There are also round marks on the body that appear to have taken out bullets.
Whether you’re a veteran or a member of an organization, it’s proof that you have a past.
“Now I am just an old man. And even if I had a will, what good would it be if I was alone?”
He said that there was also a village that was burnt down after he rebelled against the hunting dogs.
“… … .”
It was a familiar story.
The situation is a little different, but Cain’s village was also burned down.
‘It has become a battlefield between organizations. Innocent.’
helpless adults.
He was also used to it.
The robbers kidnap children right before their eyes, or beat them to death.
It was not uncommon in the village where Cain was born and raised.
‘At that time, the adults did not take any active steps.’
I just watched the scene with sad eyes, who had given up on everything.
“… … .”
Cain understood.
It’s not that adults aren’t sad.
It might be the right decision for the adults to somehow survive and lead their own lives.
At the same time, I did not understand
How can you just watch your child get caught?
I mean, I can’t even resist even the slightest bit of resistance.
[Synchronization with ‘Cain River’ is in progress.]
[Current synchronization rate – 75.5%]
As if a switch was pressed, emotions begin to transfer in an instant.
‘… I feel bad.’
Nails dig into the palm of your hand, and blood oozes out.
This anger is directed not only at the hounds, but also at the villagers.
Whoo-
I sighed a little.
Perhaps if it was Cain, he would have helped them even if they had no purpose to steal the relics.
“The kids will be back tonight.”
“What did you say?”
“Children, I said I would be back tonight.”
The old man stared intently at me. After reading the sincerity on my face, those big eyes twitched.
* * *
As we headed towards the center of the village, as the old man said, a shabby shop appeared.
He said it was the only restaurant in town, a bar, and an inn.
Ttareung.
When I opened the door, the bell rang, and the eyes of the people inside turned to me.
“… … .”
it’s dark
As if he had finished today’s work early, there were people drinking and playing cards everywhere.
‘… Your eyes are not pretty.’
It seemed that the rumor had already spread that a stranger had come in, and also a guy chased by a hunting dog.
I went to the bar and sat down.
Soon after, the tattered menu board came out.
A cheap drink whose purpose is simply to get drunk. And, likewise, it was just a dishonest dish made with cheap ingredients.
‘You can’t really expect much from a place like this.’
widely.
After I roughly placed my order, a dusty bottle of vodka appeared in front of me.
The store owner looked at me and said.
“It would be better not to stay long. The atmosphere in town is not good right now.”
“Without children, the atmosphere is bound to sink.”
The owner’s body trembled.
“… Where did you hear the story? You said you were being chased by a hunting dog. Don’t make us suffer any more. Once you have your meal and your bike repaired, leave this town right away.”
little girl.
Fill an ice glass with vodka and pour it over in one bite. There is only a sense of bitterness, there is no drunkenness.
The mana circuit shares its flow with the blood vessels. It has the effect of decomposing impurities in the body, so mana users do not get drunk.
‘It’s not easy to get drunk, that’s a little sad.’
I thought that I could ease the anger towards the residents a little. But there was no effect.
“I don’t quite understand. The number of villagers would be twice as many as the hunting dogs, but they did not resist and were just being beaten.”
The owner’s eyes narrowed.
“… speak carefully. Without knowing the situation.”
circumstances.
They must have had various circumstances and positions.
Parents who have lost their children.
A person who is not a party, but feels anger and guilt as a member of the village.
It’s not just his business, he’s just sitting around and relieved.
‘Even if there is a difference in combat experience, if you push it with numbers, you will have a chance.’
Weapons and other equipment can be easily obtained from supply vehicles.
Hounds can’t monitor the village all day long, so if you prepare thoroughly, you can secretly gather weapons and create an army.
But they gave up resistance.
Because I don’t have that kind of experience.
Because the neighboring town is afraid of burning.
What I didn’t like was that.
“If it’s the case that one’s life is more precious than the children, it would be the case.
The owner looked at me with a bitter eye and disappeared inside to cook.
I grabbed my drink and went to a table with a few men.
When I put a few coins on the table, I was wary and made my place.
“Brother. Is it true that you are being chased by hounds?”
“right. If you have any information about them, I’d love to hear them.”
Silence passes, and the men look at each other.
After adding a few more coins on the table, he spoke up.
“They collect monthly payments from the village. to them.”
He said the extortion relationship had been around for quite some time.
No one would ever think of turning it around.
“Isn’t it better to go back to the 110th division? It would be the same as living here or there.”
“… it’s better here When I work, at least I don’t get hungry.”
“And I can’t go back anyway. I have to go through the canyon, but their bosses have strange powers.”
There were people who had already tried to escape, but they were blocked by a transparent membrane placed in the canyon and were caught.
“You can come in at will, but not when you go out. I saw it from a distance, and it had a soft blue tint.”
transparent membrane. blue light.
For a moment, I felt like my blood was cold.
‘… Barrier.’
The barrier is a high-level magic.
Not only is the formula difficult, but the mana consumption is so severe that it can only be operated at the level of an elder of the horse tower.
‘But how could such a talented person be the leader of the hounds… .’
I have no memory of setting such a person in such a wilderness.
But there were memories of setting up other things that made that possible.
‘… relics.’
The relics of the ancient magic kingdom are divided into two types.
A tool for living that has a useful function enchanted by itself.
And when using a certain type of magic, an auxiliary tool that amplifies the efficiency.
‘It’s called blue.’
Obviously, there was one such thing.
At the end of the episode, the bracelet that the protagonist will unearth from the nearby ruins.
Significantly reduces the amount of mana consumed when using barriers.
Since it is sleeping deep in the ruins, there is no way that the object has already appeared in the world.
The protagonist at this point must be growing up in the capital, so there is no way he has already appeared in this wilderness.
Many possibilities are erased from the mind, and one possibility naturally remains.
‘Has the flow of the story changed?’
The hunting dog boss obtained the barrier relic. whatever route it was.
Changing the settings I knew was something I expected to happen someday.
From the moment I escaped, no, the moment I fell into this world, the story must have started to crack.
‘… Still, I can’t be 100% sure. Need to check it out for yourself… .’
When I was about to ask the next question.
Kick- bang!
“I heard there are foreigners here.”
Hunting dogs appeared.
All three.
They had guns and knives in their hands.