Episode 175: Crack (5)
“Work, what on earth is that? “What did you order from above?”
“Rather than forcing me to do it, I was frustrated. “It’s no big deal.”
Lee Ji-yeon, who had insisted that she would tell me if she ever met her, finally smiled and spoke to me a week after seeing her face again.
What she said ended up being a fight. However, it was a little different from what I expected.
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“The president of the association kept asking me if I should give it a try, so I decided to give it a try.”
“It will be much better. “Rather than fighting monsters, it’s better to fight and look after people.”
I chuckled. What Baek Seung-cheol, the president of the association, asked her to do was to help new awakened people train in combat at the Awakened Academy.
The president of the association found a pretty good way. It was an appropriate way to give her, who was already weak, a moderate amount of carrots, but not send her to a dangerous place.
“You’ll be okay, right? “If I accepted this job, I would no longer be able to go to places like dungeons, so I was going to refuse, but now it seems like I don’t need it anymore.”
“That’s the way it is.”
I realized why she was saying this because she was looking at me. All this time, I have been using her to enter the necessary dungeons and gates and obtain the specimens I want, so I have taken care of them.
However, this time I crossed over to the North American continent alone and went to the dungeon, so it meant there was no more trouble.
‘This is better. I don’t know how long it will last.’
But for some reason I thought this was better than having her go out into a dangerous field. In fact, when she was telling me about her past, she went to the scene as if she was being chased by something, putting her life on the line, and seemed very anxious.
I was satisfied just because that thing was gone. Now there will be no more moving around using her as a shield.
In that case, if I think efficiently, it would be right for me to quit being her manager. The reason I stuck with her and worked with her in the first place was because I wanted that.
However, it didn’t happen. As much as she changed, I changed too. This change had little to do with Lucy.
[The heart beats faster. [If you have any suspicions about heart disease].
Looking at Lucy’s reaction as she was talking nonsense with a message accompanied by a humming vibration, I wasn’t confused.
“I’ve said this several times, but don’t worry about Jiyeon Lee. She can’t be your competition. Because the essence is different. “You know what I’m talking about, right?”
While Jiyeon Lee was away for a while. I smiled bitterly while holding the cell phone and spoke to Lucy through it.
[of course.]
Lucy answered well. However, I wasn’t sure if it was sincere. Even if you’re not good at lying, it’s not difficult to hide your true feelings.
“What is the situation on the continent? Is it the same? “Is the work going as you want?”
[That’s right. Currently, the desired work is being carried out smoothly in all regions.]
Instead, I deliberately asked a question to divert Lucy’s thoughts. In response to that question, Lucy turned the screen around and began to explain.
* * *
[The number of variants is still large. Those monsters, whose unique breeding ability makes it impossible to properly count or even guess, are pushed out of their allies’ nests and run away to border areas, and the mutants who escaped became a whip that urged the locals to flee more quickly.]
The legacy left behind by Baal, a truly filthy mutation of legacy. The monsters, who had already harpooned half the continent even before Lucy attacked, are unable to defeat the Demon Lord’s army after losing control. As if they knew this, they did not attack Lucy’s demon lord army and instead attacked easy-going locals and constantly harassed them.
“It’s annoying. “I don’t think the infectious agents were at this level either.”
I clicked my tongue. What would happen if a mutant-like monster appeared here on Earth? If even the slightest touch spreads a vapor that turns people into monsters, and those mutated people go crazy and attack those around them.
Ravizda’s corrupted world trees and infected entities attacked without hesitation, and they knew how to run away and avoid situations when they were at a disadvantage.
It’s scary to even think about it. If such a curse spreads here, where the population density is incomparable, the world will suffer irreparable damage.
“I don’t know how they created such monsters. “Isn’t the investigation into that demonic spirit thing over yet?”
[The investigation itself has ended.]
Lucy showed me a gem. A purple gem that Baal forced into the human emperor and caused him to go berserk, creating monsters called mutants.
As a symbol and token of the Demon King, it was a kind of divine object containing a considerable amount of power.
[The principle is similar to Gangsim. It drastically strengthens the wearer’s strength and grants them special properties.]
“They say it’s the symbol of the devil. “Are you not going to use it?”
[With a little processing, it seems like another strategic weapon can be created.]
Although she is called the Demon King, Lucy is not particularly obsessed with being the Demon King after taking revenge by killing the traitors.
To Lucy, the magic spirit is just a tool that holds a lot of power. Lucy, who had created a strategic weapon called Gungnir by processing the inherited heart of a dragon, planned to use this magic spirit as her own weapon.
“Who are you going to give it to? Is it Yuria? Me? Raon? Or do you use it again?”
[It hasn’t been decided yet. Since it is a different type of weapon from other types of weapons such as double-bladed swords or lances, the user’s skill is considered important.]
The strength of a strategic weapon that can support enormous output is that anyone can use it. In fact, Lucy used it not as her carefully created avatar, but as the body of a higher species.
[First of all, we will start by encouraging residents to evacuate.]
Lucy turned her attention to what was still happening.
Fierce and cruel wars and battles. It’s not uncommon here, but it’s literally happening constantly there.
* * *
“Hurry this way. “There are still people left!”
Near the border where people are being evacuated. The man who brought a group of people said that as soon as he saw the church’s troops.
“Those who remain?”
The person who responded to those words was a man of sturdy build. However, his attire was a bit different from other members of the church.
“They seem to be people who originally came with them, but ended up falling into a nearby fortress, Ethan.”
“Shouldn’t we save it?”
His name is Ethan. He was an awakened person from Earth. When he heard the sound of the stragglers, he opened his mouth to the paladins who were moving together, asking if they should save them.
“But Ethan, according to your testimony, there were more than a dozen mutants who attacked them. If they had all been hit, it would have devoured them by now and their numbers would have swelled into the hundreds. “It’s too dangerous to rush in on our own.”
“But there’s no guarantee that the increased number of monsters won’t attack here, right? “We have to go now to prevent that.”
Ethan, who was sent here to help the cult forces like other awakened people including Liam, was a little more sincere. He was a man who was called a hero because he always took the lead in fighting enemies and protecting people.
Even here, the heroic spirit did not go anywhere. The reason for the dispatch was due to individual training and secret persuasion from the government, but the message that people in danger had to be saved had the greatest impact. The rivalry with Liam, with whom he often clashed, was a bonus.
“It’s not wrong. let’s go. “At least so we can determine whether they are alive or dead.”
The commander in charge of the scene, Commander of the Holy Knights Russo, sympathized with Ethan’s words.
If you leave those affected by mutants unattended, they will soon turn into another monster and attack you.
“let’s go!”
Soon a group of men rode horses to the fortress where the people were said to be isolated. If they had succeeded in holding on, they would have had enough strength to rescue them.
“Over there!”
“Oh my, are you late!”
And the fortress we arrived at was already on the verge of collapse. The corpses of mutants were scattered in front of the castle walls, but they were digging their claws into the walls and climbing up to fight inside.
‘These guys.’
Ethan immediately took out his bow and shot down the mutants with an arrow equivalent to a flash of light.
The other paladins who came along also drew their weapons and dealt with the rampaging monsters, successfully rescuing people who were in desperate need.
‘Why are you so desperate? ‘At this point, I should run away.’
However, Ethan, who was dealing with them, felt something awkward. After losing Baal’s control, it became the mutants’ pattern to run away rather than pounce when overwhelming power was shown, but this time, they rushed forward recklessly, just like when Baal was controlling them.
“Uh, that is!”
“They are bastards. “It’s a black iron insect!”
And the cause was soon revealed.
A group of monsters appeared again from behind the mutants and shot them all dead with ray cannons. Ethan turned his head towards someone’s shout and gritted his teeth.
A true monster, a true enemy that turns mutants into rampaging beasts.
Wearing black armor, they once again raised their ray cannons, condensed the energy, and fired it, as if they had been chasing this far. This time, it was aimed at humans, not mutants.
“Evacuate first.”
Ethan stepped forward and increased his strength. Several arrows fired from his bow intercepted and blocked the light cannon.
[Ethan’s existence has been confirmed.]
Lucy also confirmed Ethan’s appearance from Earth and dispatched the appropriate forces.
A high-ranking troll Delta that holds four swords on its four arms.
Lucy, who continues to herd the locals into one place, gladly accepted Ethan’s challenge.
“Tsk… … .”
Ethan rushed forward roughly and began to be pushed back by the sword-wielding Troll Gamma.
He is also one of the few Awakenings, so if it is a simple one-on-one match, I wouldn’t know. However, Troll and Delta launched a joint attack with other soldiers and put pressure on Ethan.
“Everyone was evacuated. Just avoid it!”
Meanwhile, all those holding out in the fortress were evacuated.
Ethan gritted his teeth as his pride was hurt by the fact that he had to run away first, but Lucy pushed him harder so that he would give up first.
[If you don’t run away now, I will kill you.]
And that warning was all it took once.
If Ethan wanted to fight to the end, Lucy was ready to kill him without hesitation.
[Battle victory. To date, 75% of them have completed their escape.]
The Demon King’s army, having achieved its goal anyway, did not chase after them as they ran away.