19 – Ascal Plateau (2)
Ascal Plateau.
The plateau on the vast mountain range was quite far away. Even if one walked diligently from Pestal, it would take two days.
Dozens of vehicles moved together. The sound of Titans walking spread from the side.
“Even just walking makes me tense.”
Edan, the bald man, wiped his chest. His upper and lower teeth clashed and made a loud sound.
“They won’t really kill us, will they… This is the first time they’re even dividing guns.”
“Don’t jinx it, Edan.”
Abakusa was optimistic.
“For f*ck’s sake, I thought I’d get seven pieces of meat in the morning, but then…”
“What meat are you talking about, hyungnim?”
“Are you deaf?! What a sh*tty mood…”
“I just asked…”
I walked without saying a word.
All the food I had for two days was in my backpack. It should have been enough for the return trip, but…
There was one thing that was missing.
We must retake Ascal Plateau.
“Drakan.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Garsh came up to me and spoke. I looked up.
“What?”
“We are allies. Warriors who have shed blood together. If you think you might die, hide behind me.”
“Huh?”
“You’re strong. But you don’t know your mind. You can be weak. Kid, you can be enough.”
Garsh patted my
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Why do you protect me?”
“Child. Protecting you is the natural duty of a warrior.”
“Hey, Gingivitis. What the hell is this brat? That guy is just a superficially young monster.”
“Shut up, loser.”
“What do you mean by loser?! Hey, damn! I won yesterday!”
“Overall record. I’m still on top.”
“How about another game here?”
Elliott Moot cut in.
“Focus on marching. Do you want to get your throat slit?”
“…”
I walked quietly. He said he would protect me.
“No need. Garsh. Don’t do any unnecessary things.”
“But…”
“I’ll look after my own life.”
I nudged Garsh.
“Worry about your own life. As that son of a b*tch said, I’m too old for this.”
. . .
We took a break. Forced down tasteless combat rations.
High-calorie side dishes. Most of it was salty. It was difficult to swallow without the dried-out pound cake.
“I miss mess hall food so much.”
“Brother, would you like this too?”
“Forget it. You eat it. You little brat.”
Accidentally turned into a split meal party.
I ate with Garsh, Edan, and Venzens. Only Avakusa among the original members dined with the newcomers.
A senior who grumbles but takes care of the juniors on his own.
He’s exactly like a military base leader. His attention to discipline was evident in his actions.
“Drakkan.”
Elliott Moot called me.
“Follow me.”
“…Yes.”
He followed him to a secluded place. Elliot Moot glanced at me briefly.
“Are all dragons as strong as you?”
“Similar.”
“Really?”
Elliot Moot turned to look at me. For some reason, his gaze was sharp and piercing.
“Do you have any experience in war?”
“No.”
“But I heard you emerged from Albion.”
His words sounded a bit harsh. I replied with unease.
“…I was just hiding and then came out. That’s all.”
“I see.”
Elliot Moot raised his armor. His fist covered in thick gloves struck the nearby tree, shattering it.
Crash!!!
Pieces of wood flew into my face.
“I have only one question, Dracon.”
“……”
“Can you handle armor?”
“I have neither worn nor handled it before.”
“Is that so?”
Elliot Moot clicked his tongue. Arrogance, for some inexplicable reason, seeped through his body.
“This ends the questioning. Return to your post.”
I went back to my position. What was the intention behind these questions?
Surely, he wasn’t asking if I wanted to be equipped with armor.
I couldn’t decipher Elliot Moot’s thoughts. For now, I decided to keep my distance.
“Hey, you bastard. I ate the remaining food.”
I didn’t forget about crushing Avakusa’s head.
. . .
Two days later, Ascal Plateau came into view.
The resistance forces had established a temporary base in an area hidden from the enemy’s eyes.
“Wait.”
All squad leaders, including Elliot Moot, were summoned outside. Abacus muttered.
“It seems they’re going to attack at midnight.”
“Brother, isn’t there still some distance to Ascalon Plateau?”
“If we go further, we’ll be exposed, so we set up a temporary base here. Stupid idiot. Do human technological capabilities look like s***?”
It’s not wrong. Human technological power is supremacy itself. The resistance must have accumulated its own information by ascending and descending Ascalon Plateau several times.
We established a base here because it is beyond the reach of human vision.
A light flickered in the distance. We lowered ourselves and swallowed our saliva. We have to deal with the forward base that they’ve set up before entering Ascalon Plateau.
Once we cross over there, an irreversible war will begin. We will keep pushing forward.
“If you’re itching to pee, do it now. Don’t wet your pants along the way. If you smell something rotten, throw it directly into the bullet field.”
As if Avakusa had survived for a long time for no reason, he instructed his soldiers.
“Don’t take the easy-looking path. You’ll twist your ankle.”
“Are you talking about mines?”
“Yes, you idiot. Don’t stick your head out just because you see the enemy. If you’re in cover, just lie down and shoot. The moment you stand up, you’ll get one more hole in your head than you already have. Well, we’re a punishment unit, so we have to jump into the front line, so we don’t need to cover anyway.”
I memorized his words. Words that come from experience are obvious. Words that can only be spoken because they’ve been through it.
I had better conditions than others. Innate abnormality and sharp senses. But that alone won’t survive the hail of bullets.
Breathe steadily and keep calm.
Don’t try to be a hero, be a soldier.
I will survive somehow.
“If it’s after midnight, we’ll move.”
Elliot Moot announced the end of rest.
“When the signal sounds with flares, 13th squad takes the front directly.”
“F**k, Abacus…”
“Shut up, Avakusa.”
“Yes.”
“I completely accept the forward base in front of us. I’ll let you use useful things inside this time.”
It’s unexpected good news.
Elliot Moot lowered his voice.
“When it is confirmed that there are no insurgents inside the base, we will immediately join the main unit. Do not disobey my orders. If you do, I will blow your head off right there.”
“…”
“Do not entertain futile thoughts. Even if I die, the battalion commander still holds your lives in his hands. The remote control is not all that I possess. Remember that your lives are at the commander’s mercy.”
“…”
“Answer.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Elliot Moot turned around.
“One hour remaining. Remain on standby until the time is up.”
Once again, the given last rest period. Garsch untied his scarf and toyed with his broken fang.
“It’s a shame. I only have one fang left to leave behind when I’m dead.”
“Hey, tooth decay. Why did it break?”
“Fought against an elf army. They arrogantly took our carriage as they passed by.”
“You’re also a cosplay victim?”
“…”
Seems like there is more to the story. Avakusa didn’t ask further.
We lay flat in the bushes, holding our breath. Edan, the bald one, was murmuring his prayers beside me.
“Oh god, please let me survive another day so that I can embrace a human woman…”
“That guy is real.”
“I agree.”
“It’s a shame if that prayer doesn’t exist.”
Unit 13 laughed. I laughed along.
Even in the face of death, we become preoccupied with trivial matters.
Is this what it means to be alive?
“Hey, you piece of sh*t.”
“What? You little sh*t.”
“Have you ever tasted it? In the festival, there’s a dish where you stack pieces of meat and grill them. It’s marinated and tastes amazing.”
“So what?”
“If we return alive this time, the reward will be substantial. If we reclaim it, the fortune will pour down on us. It’s not a dream to have dozens of silver coins.”
Avakusa tapped my side.
“Let’s split what we get and call for a chef on a business trip. How about that?”
“Go with the other guys.”
“F*ckers. Screw them. I like to bounce! I’ll pay 70%!”
“I said go with the other guys.”
“I feel like the other guys are all going to die.”
“Why are you so obsessed with meat?”
“It was a food I couldn’t eat when I was young.”
Abakusa smirked.
“We made a promise, didn’t we? When we grow up, we’ll eat until we’re stuffed. So shouldn’t we eat now? I intend to try every type of meat in the world.”
“Eat with your own sibling then.”
“Unfortunately, my sibling can’t eat. They died.”
“…What?”
“You bastard. Have you found the person you were looking for?”
I turned my head. Abakusa pointed at himself.
“You f*cker. You’re also a loser without someone to eat meat with. I’ll eat with you. How about that?”
“…Fine, just watch out ahead.”
“You pretend not to like it, but you actually do,” Abakusa chuckled.
Elliott Moot returned.
“Get ready, everyone.”
I turned my head. There were many people crouching in the shadows. They were too numerous to count with the naked eye.
But they remained eerily silent. No one spoke. They didn’t even utter common curses or jokes.
It was a silence as if the entire army had perished.
“…It’s the signal.”
A flare was launched. Sirens began to blare from the human base.
“Advance.”
Elliott Moot raised his gun.
“If anyone lags behind or strays from their position, immediate action will be taken.”
Abakusa started running. Garsch followed suit. Among the latecomers, I took a step forward.
Benzens was by my side. His expression was frozen. And it seemed I was the same.
Gunshots began to ring out, spreading.
From the depths of human cunning, the sound of sirens suddenly erupted.
“Glory to the resistance army.”
The youngest soldier, who had been tormented by Avakusa, turned into a beehive. A bullet pierced through the body of the soldier who had laughed gleefully.
Forces being swept away. Blood and flesh scattered.
I increased my speed, closely chasing behind Elliot Moot who was leading the way.
I will survive.
No matter what.