＜ Episode 70 ＞
A group of men hiding in camouflage as well as optical camouflage were digging into the forest.
The dark forest, as if completely different from Luna’s streets, which were always nightless, stubbornly refused human footsteps, but the men’s movements were unstoppable.
Jiing.
Some were looking through the darkness of the forest through artificial eyes, and others through optical equipment.
– It’s definitely intrusive.
– There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s my first time in a forest like this.
Opinions crossed each other with the implant implanted in the head.
Due to the aftermath of the Great War, the land became an extremely difficult environment for people to live.
The land rotted, the water dried up, and the vegetation disappeared.
Only a few regions were able to accept humanity with vitality, and as time passed, humanity finally began to stretch for prosperity.
While expanding the scope of the city due to ongoing purification work, humanity was able to meet other survivors.
People tend to adapt.
There were people living in the wasteland where survival seemed almost impossible, and they had their own rules and society.
It was a joy to find other survivors, but humans are greedy by nature.
Disputes began to arise to take away from each other what they had or not to take away, and sometimes holding hands and sometimes hostile times followed.
Such time has passed and now Luna is maintaining peace without a clear enemy, but there are always local conflicts.
The intentions between the National Guard, who did not want to waste their forces, and the city councilors who wanted to protect the city’s power were right, and such a minor dispute was outsourced.
Luna’s hidden power that ordinary people don’t know about.
This is the opportunity for PMC to rise like a mushroom.
– Don’t complain. Anyway, isn’t it pretty salty?
– Well, that’s right.
Three days ago, those who were taking a break after returning from an operation outside the city were hired in a hurry.
It was a mission that I would have refused to do normally, but the pay and the client were too big.
I turned around a few times, but the client was the city council.
It was not an opponent that could be refused from the perspective of those who received most of the requests from the city administration.
– It’s definitely strange.
– but. How can we go to a forest like this? If it wasn’t for today’s operation, there would have been no relationship for the rest of my life.
It is not that there are no tree-lined streets in Luna, but it is rare that the area itself is made up of forests like this.
All that stretches outside the city is a wasteland.
That is why even veterans who have experienced numerous battlefields are unfamiliar with the forest.
– If it’s not for the environment, it’s still easy?
– yes. An ambush or booby trap could be expected in this environment.
While exchanging opinions, the movements of those digging into the forest became skillful.
– It was said that there were few solvers. You’ll never have a combat experience like this.
– They’re kids.
– Don’t be vigilant. If you fight head-on with a powerful person, you die. Keep in mind that today’s objective is reconnaissance.
– Aren’t talented people dying when they get hit by bullets?
– That’s right.
– Ha ha ha ha ha.
For those who experienced the battlefield outside the city, this quest was too easy.
It wasn’t long before he was nervous at the news that talented people had joined the enemy camp.
It’s so defenseless that it’s to the point where the tension is relieved.
As soon as the base was confirmed, they would have laid countless booby traps around it to prepare for the enemy’s attack and attacked in reverse.
– It’s been a while since you’ve tasted the blood of a powerful person, hasn’t it?
On top of that, they were the ones who fought on equal footing against the talented on the battlefield.
Individuals cannot fight the powerful, but if they form a team, they are skilled enough to hunt the powerful.
The commander narrowed his eyes at the sight of him being too relaxed, but soon relaxed.
Excessive tension on the battlefield makes the body hard, and the attitude the enemy has shown so far is definitely below the standard.
‘Should I touch it?’
The goal of the operation was reconnaissance, but at this level, it wouldn’t be bad to touch it once.
That’s when I started thinking seriously.
Kwak Kwa Kwa Kwam!
Flames rose with a loud explosion.
***
Even though he was running through a dense forest, John’s body was unstoppable.
Even the suit and trench coat, which did not match the forest, did not hinder John’s speed.
The forest was a familiar place to him too.
In addition, rigid body technique gave him the athletic ability of a first-class unmanned man, and thanks to that, he was able to run through the forest at a speed higher than that of a wild animal.
‘Hmm.’
The organs in the brain were constantly extracting this ability, and the resulting power maintained rigid body art and projected some of the power outward.
A strange light flashed from John’s eyes, and a screen appeared in his mind.
As this ability to observe the microscopic world was exerted at full force, everything in the space encompassing 300 meters in all directions penetrated into his mind.
Everything, including the shape and composition of things.
John’s brain rapidly heated up at the ridiculous amount of information, and the moisture evaporated and steam rose from his head, but John did not stop his supernatural powers.
This ability is intuitive.
That intuition handled the amount of information that even most supercomputers couldn’t handle, and John could now know everything within 300 meters of him in all directions around him.
‘It’s quite close.’
While moving while grasping the surroundings, John’s ability caught the presence of the enemy.
The form was invisible, perhaps because of the use of optical camouflage, but it was impossible to avoid John’s observation, and although it was showing quite skillful movements, it looked clumsy as if it had no experience in the forest.
The number of times I grew up one by one was sixteen.
Seeing how each one spreads out and advances at a distance, they are the ones who have become the basics.
Having figured out the enemy’s route and predicting where they would arrive, John leaned back and then climbed up a large tree.
I took a magic wand from my inventory, mounted it facing down, and tied the loading handle with a sturdy string.
John, who came down to the ground with a ghostly movement, fixed the thread at the level of his ankle.
A booby trap was improvised in an instant, and it took only a minute or so.
John left without regret and crossed the forest without a sound, and installed a claymore where he arrived.
It seemed a little clumsy by John’s standards, but it didn’t matter too much.
After all, the booby trap will only work once.
I heard information that PMCs were hired, and after a quick look at their movements, it was clear that they were veteran soldiers, and that if they were booby-trapped once, they would be wary after that.
The important thing is to get the timing right.
The booby traps you place will explode at the same time, damaging enemies, and in the chaos it’s time for John to move in earnest.
It predicts the enemy’s movements and shakes their psychology to restrict their actions.
If you make it that far, the rest won’t be too difficult.
John quickly moved his body to set up one more trap within the expected time.
***
Kwak Kwa Kwa Kwam!
Almost simultaneously with the sound of explosions, flames rose from all over the forest.
– Aww!
– It’s a trap! Damn it!
I woke up with the feeling of having cold water splashed on my head.
The sudden situation made him lose his mind, but his trained body instinctively moved in search of cover, and the cold feel of the gun in his hand brought the commander back to his senses.
– Report the situation!
– It’s a trap! number four! Three got hit!
– ···ugh. ugh ugh
The commander gritted his teeth at the sound of the connection being disconnected, as if he had even suffered an implant for communication.
– All cover! There will be an enemy follow-up attack! Wake!
– Write SIR!
Hearing the cries of the troops, the commander carefully looked around.
‘I was careless! No… Did I induce you to be careless?’
Although this was not his intention at all, the commander judged that the enemy had outstanding soldiers, and involuntarily gnashed his teeth.
‘Damn you bastards. what? What’s the point of saying that there are only talented people?’
It was caused entirely by their own carelessness, but originally, people find the cause of wrongdoing outside.
‘If you think about it, Colonel Armstrong is a major figure in the National Guard. There’s no way there aren’t any soldiers!’
The eyes of the commander who turned everything into an absence of information and rationalized himself shone.
‘… the damage is great. I lost three people. Not a single person will be lightly injured. Should I proceed?’
The moment I was contemplating whether or not the operation was going on.
Shuk.
John, who had been hiding himself with an optical camouflage, appeared behind the commander’s back without any sign and stretched out his arms.
“town!”
Cover your mouth with one hand.
“Big!”
The military greatsword in the other hand pierced his heart from above his collarbone.
The blade, which was transformed into a single molecule, penetrated the armor and body without any resistance and reached the heart.
‘······!’
As it was, I turned my wrist and caused irreversible damage to my heart.
Took.
His whole body loses strength and his body collapses helplessly to the ground.
In the meantime, John supported the commander’s body so that no sound could be heard.
The figure of John appeared in the eyes of the commanding officer, who was trying to do something about his mind that was getting distant and his eyes that were losing light.
Wearing a suit and trench coat that didn’t match the forest at all, John was looking down at the commander with inorganic eyes.
‘···Optical camouflage. Then how did I find it, that’s it.’
The appearance of a blade with only the handle left floating in the empty air swayed, but soon the body of a heavily armed soldier was revealed.
The optical camouflage device stopped working.
John looked down at the soldier’s corpse and turned.
Because there were still many enemies left.
John’s body faded and then disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
***
“···Oh My God.”
Robin, who seemed to never lose his composure under any circumstances, opened his mouth defenselessly, and Armstrong was no different.
No, it was clear that everyone gathered in this mansion had similar expressions.
Not long after John left the mansion to intercept the enemy, an explosion sounded and flames rose.
It wouldn’t have been a big surprise if it was simply that, but that wasn’t the point.
The forest was burning.
There were only a few, but large fires were terribly devouring the forest, and if left untouched, the entire forest could really burn up and develop into a major accident.
“… you’re a nonsense guy.”
It is not easy to burn a forest full of vitality.
In addition, the forest in District 22 is always a refreshing space full of moisture, but the fact that it caught fire in an instant like that obviously meant that there was another factor.
“It is a very strategic move.”
At Robin’s words, Armstrong looked at him questionably.
“…Our dispute is not something that should be openly discussed. That’s why I chose a battlefield like this. But the forest burned. It’s sure to be an issue. That’s not what the city councilors and we never want.”
“Right.”
Armstrong’s expression hardened at Robin’s words.
“In this case, the opponent’s choice is forced. Should we speed up the raid and subdue this place, or abandon the plan?”
A bright light flickered in Robin’s eyes.
“Neither of these is the situation the other side assumed. When things get messy, bankruptcies happen.”
Although they made the forest in District 22 their battlefield, they are not alone in this forest.
Being able to make a living in this forest in the first place means that they are the highest class of Luna, and they must have been surprised as they watched the situation with excitement.
I thought it was someone else’s house, but it looks like the fire might move to my house.
“The onlookers will put pressure on you. And······.”
Beep.
Robin’s mouth stopped as he explained the expected situation.
A hologram appeared on the device attached to his wrist, and Robin’s face turned white after checking the contents.
“···what?”
Robin muttered to Armstrong, who opened his mouth in a cautious voice, perhaps because of his unusual appearance.
“The Pavel family’s villa has been raided…”
A look of astonishment crossed Armstrong’s face.
＜ Episode 70 ＞ End