Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Honestly, I felt a little wronged.

I had tried in various ways, yet the incident had to break out on the very first day of entry.

Of course, from my standpoint, I had not known the exact date, so it was not as though I had nothing to say.

‘It cannot be helped.’

What had happened had happened.

Speculating about what might have happened if this or that had gone differently was meaningless.

For now, I needed to focus on the current situation. It would be more than enough to think about such things later.

“Bravo Team! This way!”

Instructor Kim Sangeung shouted.

We hurriedly moved.

“Attention.”

Instructor Kim Sangeung swept his gaze over us and spoke.

“This is not training. This is an actual situation. So all of you had better stay sharp. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“I will start with a brief briefing. At present, a large-scale Transference Phenomenon has occurred three kilometers to the west, and because the tide route is blocked, transport vehicles cannot enter.”

Jebudo was an island where the road was submerged beneath seawater or opened depending on the tide.

If the tide route happened to be blocked, escaping by vehicle was impossible.

“But do not worry too much. Transport aircraft and helicopters from the Defense Strategy Department are scheduled to arrive within thirty minutes at the earliest, and one hour at the latest, so there is no need to panic.”

That was welcome news.

If aerial assets were deployed, getting out should not be that difficult.

‘It was not completely ineffective.’

Although the timing had not been good, thanks to Minister Ahn’s decision, it was worth expecting a response even a minute or a second faster than before.

“But do we have a mission too?”

Ra Sihyeon asked Instructor Kim Sangeung.

“Of course you do.”

“We are trainees, not official Hunters.”

“Even if you are trainees, as long as you are Awakened, you have the status of Hunters.”

“What?!”

“Were you expecting special treatment?”

“Is that not only natural? We are the most important people even among the trainees.”

I could not stand by any longer, so I had no choice but to say something.

“Fall out.”

“Pardon?”

“I told you to fall out.”

“What does that mean?”

“It seems all you can think about is receiving special treatment because you are a Mage, so we do not need you. You can hide among the civilians over there and get out safely.”

I said that while pointing at the doctors, cleaners, administrative officials, cooks, and others.

“That is not what I meant. Nobles like us……”

SLAP!

With a crisp sound, Ra Sihyeon’s head snapped to the side.

“I have had enough of watching this.”

Kim Seunghye growled.

“……!”

We were startled.

Who would have thought that Kim Seunghye, who had only seemed timid, would reveal such a temper as if she were about to kill Ra Sihyeon?

Ra Sihyeon did not simply stand still either.

“Did you just hit me?”

Ra Sihyeon glared at Kim Seunghye with eyes sharp as axes.

SHHH!

Ra Sihyeon’s eyes were dyed black with Ether.

“Do you think I will go easy on you just because you are older than me? How dare a mere Guardian hit a Mage……”

SLAP!

Kim Seunghye wordlessly struck Ra Sihyeon across the cheek.

“Is.”

SLAP!

“Being.”

SLAP!

“A Mage.”

SLAP!

“Everything?”

SLAP!

“Do I.”

SLAP!

“Have to serve you like my superior?”

SLAP!

Ra Sihyeon was powerless before Kim Seunghye’s overwhelming violence.

The destructive force contained in Kim Seunghye’s palm was stronger than expected, so Ra Sihyeon seemed unable to withstand it.

“Enough.”

Instructor Kim Sangeung stepped forward.

“Yes, Instructor.”

Kim Seunghye obediently stepped back.

Seeing that she was not excited at all, she seemed used to committing violence.

Yes, as expected.

‘She was not assigned to Bravo Team for nothing.’

I found myself nodding.

“I will kill you…… I am going to kill you……”

Despite being unable to even hold herself upright properly, Ra Sihyeon growled at Kim Seunghye.

“Trainee Ra Sihyeon, do you have no will to defend the nation and protect civilians?”

Instructor Kim Sangeung spoke to Ra Sihyeon in a low voice.

“Why do I have to do that……?”

Ra Sihyeon spoke with an expression that showed she truly could not understand.

“Awakening was my talent…… I was born superior to others…… So why do I have to help anyone else? No one ever helped me or saved me……”

Ra Sihyeon spoke in a tearful voice.

She seemed filled with pent-up resentment, but I did not care about such things.

“……If we follow your words.”

Ra Sihyeon’s gaze turned toward me.

“Then is it also justified for the things coming out over there to kill people and destroy the world? Because they are stronger than humanity? Are they allowed to trample us as much as they want?”

“…….”

When I pointed toward the place where the Transference Phenomenon had occurred and spoke, Ra Sihyeon bit her lip.

“Putting everything else aside, if you want to be treated like a noble, act like one.”

“Act like a noble……?”

“No one has any reason to give you special treatment just because you are a Mage. At the very least, should you not first act in a way worthy of noble treatment before demanding it?”

“That is……”

“Fall out. I do not want to entrust my back to you.”

An incompetent ally was more frightening than an enemy.

That was my long-held theory and an immutable truth.

“If you get on my nerves one more time……”

I did not bother finishing what I was about to say.

There was a limit to how much I would overlook just because she was a minor.

If necessary, I could kill her.

If she threatened my life and the lives of my comrades.

Before I returned to the past.

I had been a monster who, out of vengeance, had killed my comrades even if it meant humanity’s destruction.

***

We left Ra Sihyeon behind and moved under Instructor Kim Sangeung’s command.

“Bravo Team and Alpha Team’s mission is to protect the civilians and help them board the transport aircraft when they arrive.”

Instructor Kim Sangeung handed down the mission details.

“As of this moment, do your utmost to protect the civilians and get them onto the transport aircraft. Understood?”

“Yes!”

It seemed like an appropriate mission.

Bravo Team was made up of the most anticipated prospects in every Cohort, so it made sense for us to be assigned to the most important and difficult task: civilian protection.

“Please come this way! Move in an orderly manner!”

At Instructor Kim Sangeung’s shout, the civilians gathered.

“We will now move to the runway! Everyone, please follow procedure and move calmly!”

The civilians working at the Special Force Training Center were trained in evacuation methods and rules of conduct in the event of a Transference Crisis, so controlling them was very easy.

‘I should have watched the news back then.’

Because I had lost my father in the past, I had been unable to pay attention to what was happening in the world, and I deeply regretted that.

‘Still, since the evacuation order came even five minutes earlier, we have at least gained that much time.’

Boom, boooom!

Explosions sounded from the distant west.

It seemed the Republic of Korea military’s artillery assets had begun shelling.

Soon, bombardment from multiple rocket launchers and missiles would probably begin as well.

“Do not panic! This is an attack by friendly forces to protect all of you! Transport aircraft, military forces, and Hunters from the Defense Strategy Department are scheduled to arrive soon, so please act calmly!”

I heard Instructor Kim Sangeung’s shout as he tried to reassure the civilians.

However, his expression was not good at all.

“Is it very serious?”

“Very.”

When I quietly approached and asked, Instructor Kim Sangeung answered softly.

“As you can see…… the situation is not good.”

Instructor Kim Sangeung showed me his tablet.

From the distant sea, black things were swimming at high speed, and their numbers seemed to exceed tens of thousands at the very least.

Boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!

Even though our side was carrying out shelling and bombardment, the enemies’ numbers did not seem to be decreasing at all.

“Still, aerial support is coming, so there is no need to worry too much. Stay calm.”

“Yes.”

Green dots that seemed to be friendly transport aircraft were approaching very quickly on the tablet screen, so as Instructor Kim Sangeung had said, there did not seem to be any need to worry too much.

ROOOOAR!

THUDDUDDUDDUD!

Together with the sonic booms caused by fighter jets in the eastern sky, I heard the rotor sounds of transport aircraft and various helicopters.

WEEEEEEENG!

I also heard the sound of attack drones flying in.

“SCREEEEEE!”

“SKREEEEE!”

Gargoyles flew in from the west in a pitch-black swarm.

There seemed to be thousands of them, so it looked as though a chaotic aerial battle was unavoidable.

RATATATATATATATATAT!

Boom, boooom!

An air battle broke out.

RATTLE!

The corpses of Gargoyles, shell casings from the autocannons fired by friendly helicopters, and debris from exploding drones came raining down over our heads.

WHIIIIIISTLE!

BOOOOM!

One friendly helicopter crashed and caused a massive explosion.

WHIRRRR!

A piece of the crashed helicopter’s rotor flew toward us like a giant boomerang.

WHOOOSH!

Reflexively, I swung the [Butcher of Madness].

THUNK, THUNK!

The rotor piece, split in two, embedded itself in the asphalt on either side of me.

There was no time to be surprised.

“SCREEEEEE!”

Several Gargoyles came rushing at me.

“Eunseong!”

“I will handle it!”

I shouted back at Instructor Kim Sangeung and swung the [Butcher of Madness] like mad.

Boom! Booom!

“SKREEEEE!”

CRASH!

“Aaaaaaagh!”

It was a chaotic situation.

All kinds of noise raged, and things broke, died, and killed.

Yet my inner self was operating in the exact opposite way from the situation in reality.

‘It is comfortable.’

Ironically, the chaos of battle gave me inner peace rather than fear.

That was probably because I was thoroughly used to situations like this……

THUDDUDDUDDUDDUD!

A Chinook Helicopter, commonly called a [Rubber Shoe], landed.

Bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!

The Chinook’s hatch opened, and soldiers poured out from inside, raining bullets on the monsters.

“This way!”

“Move calmly!”

Hunters from the Defense Strategy Department opened a path so the civilians could board the Chinook.

Our Bravo Team also helped them so the civilians could board the Chinook.

But once the civilians had boarded, there was no room left for us.

“SCREEEEE!”

“KRAAAAK!”

And because the Gargoyles’ attacks were continuing, someone had to remain behind and cover the Chinook so it could safely escape.

THUDDUDDUDDUDDUD!

I saw another Chinook approaching.

“We will escape on the next one! Help the civilians get out first!”

“Yes!”

Following Instructor Kim Sangeung’s orders, we helped the soldiers and Hunters belonging to the Defense Strategy Department so the Chinook carrying the civilians could escape the scene.

At the same time that the Chinook carrying the civilians safely left the area, the Chinook we were supposed to board landed.

The problem was that, unlike the civilians, we had no supporting forces to cover us.

“H-Hurry up and get on!”

“It will be difficult to take off like this!”

The Hunters and soldiers belonging to the Defense Strategy Department fought desperately, but there were too many Gargoyles swarming in, so it seemed impossible for us to take off.

‘This looks difficult.’

The moment that thought crossed my mind.

WOOOONG!

A powerful wave of Ether shook the surrounding area.

“SKREEEEE?!”

“KRAAAAK?!”

The Gargoyles all floated upward as if they had fallen into a state of zero gravity.

Someone was blocking the Chinook’s hatch while emitting powerful Ether.

Long straight hair dyed blond.

It was Ra Sihyeon.