Episode 160
Departure for the world competition qualifiers is approaching. It wasn’t just the students who were trying to achieve this.
“How are you?”
“I think the reaction speed should be a little faster.”
Kang Tae-min was having a conversation with his alter ego in the sub-space.
“I’d also like to reduce the size a bit.”
“I agree. Let’s turn it into a sawed-off.”
With those words, Kang Tae-min’s femur cracked when he showed his ability. The metal huddled in the gap, transforming the frame into a shotgun shape.
“The limit for mana slug bullets is 24 rounds.”
“It should be good enough for emergencies.”
In addition, weapons were hidden all over the body of the alter ego. Kang Tae-min remodeled the body of an existing alter ego, and practiced repeatedly so that the alter ego could adapt to that body.
“This will be for the best.”
“yes.”
Kang Tae-min finished checking the condition of his alter ego for the last time. There is one reason why he put so much effort into remodeling his alter ego.
“I hope it doesn’t matter.”
It was because it was the alter ego’s responsibility to lead the students in America. However, since clones cannot use their abilities, the number of weapons that can be used has been increased.
Kang Tae-min himself was thinking of staying in Korea and looking for Nobody.
“It’s our job to make sure nothing happens.”
At Kang Tae-min’s words, the alter ego shook its head.
* * *
On the day of departure, Kang Tae-min visited Crown Island in the form of an iron man.
“Yeah, no big deal.”
Miss Backdoor wrinkled her nose and shrugged.
“is it?”
“As you said, we are looking at the trends of the North Korean people, but there is no significant change.”
After dealing with Nekrod, he was thinking of figuring out the movement of Nobody.
‘They injected a lot of seeds into Nekrod.’
It was obvious from the fact that Necrod had grown stronger in a short period of time and had changed.
‘Since Hands and Torso have died, there will inevitably be disruptions to the supply and improvement of seeds.’
It was clear that the defeat of Nekrod’s invasion would be a huge loss even for a Nobody. To make up for that loss, a new seed was needed.
Whether it was finding another suitable person and recruiting them as a nobody, or creating a Corrupted, there had to be a seed.
Because of this, Kang Tae-min assumed that Nobody would try to use North Koreans as ingredients, and entrusted the request to Miss Backdoor.
“The bodies of the deceased were also buried intact. Well, except for the case of being eaten by a monster.”
Accordingly, she traded information on the number of deaths in North Korea and whether or not the bodies were damaged.
If Nobody tried to get seeds’ materials, they would have no choice but to touch the corpse.
“… is it.”
There could be no problem with the data Miss Backdoor investigated. However, Kang Tae-min was still unprepared.
Miss Backdoor asked if that feeling was buried in the way she spoke.
“Is there something else wrong with you?”
“… I don’t understand why Nerod besieged the city.”
Kang Tae-min was chasing Necrod’s main body in North Korea, so he didn’t know the exact aspect of the invasion. After we dealt with it and returned, we learned how the invasion was carried out.
“Yes? That’s it, to increase the undead… .”
“Usually it would be.”
Kang Tae-min was well aware of how Necrod expanded his army. That’s why I didn’t understand it any more.
“They spread out wide and increase the number of undead while pressuring them with the increased force. This is his trick.”
“You really did?”
“No, it is not. It didn’t happen because I forewarned it.”
In fact, Nekrod’s plans were thwarted. The association evacuated civilians from the outskirts in advance, and at the shelter, it prevented internal infection by borrowing the hands of hunters and excellent students.
“So he had to use a different move.”
“Another demand?”
“Yes, not a siege, but one-point concentration. We had to somehow break through the barriers and enter the city.”
“ah… .”
Undead overflowing inside and outside. It was the way Nekrod had won.
Miss Backdoor nodded as if she understood as much as she had read his past.
“It’s strange to hear it. It’s not an ordinary undead, it comes back to life even if it dies. It would have been a priority to come into the city and attack the shelter to replenish the number of undead.”
Miss Backdoor’s expression also became serious.
“yes. The reason why I designated the defense zone for the strongest was because I didn’t know where it would enter. But to keep the siege as it is… .”
It was for that reason that Kang Tae-min left behind the strongest. I hoped that they would play the role of commanders so that they could respond to sudden changes in the war situation.
But in reality it was not. The undead clashed with the blockade, and the strongest were able to defend themselves relatively easily.
“If Nekrod was baptized with No Name, then his breath would have been applied as well, right?”
“… I guess so.”
However, it was not clear exactly what the intention was. information was needed.
“For now, keep an eye on trends. I will investigate separately.”
“Okay.”
If your thoughts had limits, it was time to move your body.
* * *
At the same time, Song Dae-beom’s house.
“Are you missing anything? Did you check everything?”
“Oh, I did!”
Song Dae-beom responded to his mother who followed him with a grumbling attitude.
“Ayu, but check your passport and plane ticket.”
“No, you did it the day before yesterday, yesterday, and today.”
“What about your wallet? If you have money, you can buy it no matter what.”
“Because I got it. Now I really go.”
“Yeah, my gosh. I still can’t believe my son is representing Korea.”
The mother smiled at Song Dae-beom’s attitude. Song Dae-beom was even more embarrassed by the proud and affectionate look on his face.
Then, with slow steps, my father came out of the living room.
“Have a good trip.”
“No, this gentleman. Is that all you have to say after paying your annual leave?”
“It’s fine if you have a good trip.”
he replied bluntly. However, Song Dae-beom was not young enough to accept the words as they were.
“Well, prepare to come to America.”
“yes?”
“If you go to the finals, your family will be invited.”
Song Dae-beom turned around to hide his embarrassment as he spoke.
“really? How… ! Thanks to my son, I will be able to visit America.”
“What are you doing to make a child feel burdened?”
“Oh, then you’re going to watch the house alone.”
“Who isn’t going?”
Song Dae-beom smiled lightly at his parents’ conversation. The fact that I could make my family happy with my own power made me feel better.
“Then I’ll go.”
Song Dae-beom happily headed to the meeting place. The friends who arrived first were waiting for him.
“Was it close? If I had been caught by Master, I wouldn’t have let go.”
“Penalty for being last.”
Dahyun Ju and Yoohwarin said playfully to him. Inoa and Pyo Soo-ho were talking separately, and Ko Min-soo was smoking a cigarette in the corner.
“Sam?”
“You should be back soon. Because time is guarded like a knife.”
“Ice cream as a penalty.”
“What else does he say? Is this the car we will be driving?”
Song Dae-beom lightly ignored Yoo Hwa-rin’s words and headed for the parked car.
It was a fairly large bus for 6 students, 1 teacher, and 7 people. Next to it was a pattern depicting a sword and shield.
“Isn’t it the Avalon Guild?”
“I heard from my grandfather, but this time the sword lord said that he really wanted to support me.”
“Well, actually, I received a lot from the Spiral Guild.”
While we were talking, the driver came and loaded Song Dae-beom’s luggage. Other students who had been scattered for a while also gathered.
While chatting for a while, Kang Tae-min arrived. Students lined up quickly.
“One last check before departure. Are you ready?”
At Kang Tae-min’s question, the students looked sideways at each other. Soon, Joo Da-hyun replied as the representative.
“Yes, it is over.”
“Okay, then let’s go.”
Kang Tae-min immediately took a seat in the front seat. I glanced at the students and moved to the back seat.
“I will depart.”
The driver bowed in a respectful manner and started the engine.
The bus that got out of the city center quickly reached the outer ring highway.
“Wow… You can see it here.”
Song Dae-beom looked out the window and frowned. Undead corpses piled up like a mountain came into view.
“Are you going to clean everything up after the World Championships?”
“I heard you have to clean it all up manually.”
“Trucks came and went to the Veritas Guild every day.”
“I heard that Soyul is helping too?”
Yuhwarin shook her head at Inoa’s question.
“Yeah, he said he would come during the finals.”
Min So-yul was concentrating on mass-producing the cure, ‘Senity’, at the Veritas Guild Lab.
Even though she was a student, her skills were already verified, and Johanna actively welcomed her cooperation.
“He must have a really good portfolio.”
“Soyul has a lot of patents.”
“Is he going to become more and more famous?”
Song Dae-beom did not hide his envy. As if the students agreed, each one said a word.
In the meantime, he swallowed bitterness into himself.
‘Come to think of it, I’m the one with the lowest specs.’
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Lee Noah, Ko Min-soo, and Pyo Soo-ho had the top 3 titles in the Youth Championship, and Joo Da-hyun had the Spiral Guild behind him.
Yuhwarin was also in a similar situation, but the nature of being a spiritual sage itself was not common, so from the time she woke up, her future was clear.
Song Dae-beom was not like that. He had no background, no achievements. But that didn’t discourage him.
‘I will definitely achieve results in this competition.’
In the past, I would have done too much to gain recognition among my friends. But now it was different.
‘Even if I’m not great, I shouldn’t be an ugly son.’
Song Dae-beom remembered his parents who saw him off. I thought of the satisfaction I felt when I saw their smiles.
“yes… ?”
“what?”
The reaction of his friends put him out of his mind. I wanted something, but the speed of the bus slowly decreased.
“Is it a complete parking lot?”
“Has there been an accident?”
The word “highway” was colorless, and there was a long line of stopped vehicles on the road.
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Loud honking sounds in, and several angry drivers get out of their cars and stare ahead.
“Uh, is the flight time okay?”
“Isn’t this a pretty big accident?”
“Looking for news… .”
The moment Joo Da-hyun took out her smartphone and checked it, her expression stiffened.
“what… .”
As if contagious, the faces of the other students also hardened in an instant. It was because there was noise on Joo Da-hyun’s smartphone screen.
“Master!”
Everyone immediately got up from their seats. At Ju Da-hyun’s cry, Kang Tae-min turned his eyes.
“… I guess I will have to postpone my departure.”
The students approaching the front seats opened their eyes wide before long.
“What, what is this… ?”
“It is getting night… ?”
The scenery seen through the front window was very heterogeneous. The color of the sky was dyed black as if someone had painted over it.
However, just looking at the blackened night sky elicited a strange feeling of uneasiness. As proof, the angry drivers were backing away without even realizing it.
“There, undead corpses… !”
Pyo Soo-ho shouted as he looked around. At those words, everyone’s eyes turned.
Undead corpses piled up enough to be seen with the naked eye from afar were collapsing.
what the hell is this
“Sir, sir… .”
The steps that had been taken backward soon became a run, and a procession of people left the vehicle and ran away.
It was a survival instinct.
Among them, screams were heard from everywhere as they collided and tangled with each other.
“moon… ?”
Yuyurin muttered quietly.
The night sky, dotted with black and not a single starlight, expanded its area and filled half of the sky.
And it was the moon that appeared at the boundary of that realm.
Kang Tae-min asked at a distance.
“… Pale Moon.”
It was emitting a chilling light.