episode_0013

Feeling the cold wind blowing through downtown Seoul, I walked along the main street of the Han River.

The agents, who were at a loss for what to do with my seemingly impromptu decision, followed me. Each of them is holding a rifle, no matter where they got it from.

Gradually, people around me seem to recognize me, and stories about me come to me on the wind.

─What…? Sergeant Choi, isn’t that a Red Lizard?

─Uh. really. It’s real! It’s a red lizard.

─You stupid bastards! What are you going to do if you hear it? Everyone shut up!

─Red Reaser… Is the dragon helping us again this time? Ah..haha we survived!

A group of soldiers sigh in relief when they see me. I approached them and asked.

“There. Is there anyone who works in telecommunications?”

A gasping sound is heard, as if briefly startled by the sudden call.

“Ah… There are no signal soldiers at our 103rd guard post, but there is a walkie-talkie connected to the command center. If you have something to say to me…”

A V was drawn on the helmet of one of the soldiers who said this. Hasaro.

“Good. If so, tell them. I, Elm, will participate in this battle.”

“Yes…? Yes, I understand! Unity!”

A sergeant ran to his guard post, shouting a salute to me, picking up a walkie-talkie and shouting loudly. I suppressed my inner laughter.

The sight of him saluting me so confidently made me laugh. I’m not even their boss.

Then I looked back and spoke to the agents who followed me.

“You can go back. Participating in this battle is something that happens on my own initiative. You don’t have to follow me. Take that American and return to the bomb shelter.”

“No. I just contacted my superiors and received orders to continue escorting the VIP. We will continue our mission.”

“If a battle breaks out, I cannot protect you. You have to protect yourself, is that okay?”

“Protecting VIPs no matter what happens. That’s what an agent does. No problem.”

I nodded to their words. When I made eye contact with Helen and saw her smiling and bowing silently, it seemed like she would never leave my side.

“In a situation like this, it would be much safer to be with someone who creates a storm with a sword than in a bunker,” she muttered, smiling and winking at me.

I guess creating wind with a sword was very impressive to them.

In fact, that wind is magic.

It changes the flow of air by generating mana.

No matter how skilled I am in swordsmanship, it is impossible to create a storm with just a sword.

With a wry smile, he slammed his great sword into the ground, and the sword penetrated the asphalt as if it were stuck in clay, and the middle of the sword body sank into the ground.

I put my hand on the hilt of the sword that reached down to my waist, stood in front of it, felt the pleasant sensation of my tie fluttering in the wind, and looked out at the street that would become my home in a few hours.

A few hours later, around 2 a.m. Korean time, the gate breaks out again.

It is a simultaneous outbreak not only in Korea but also around the world. On the first day of December the same thing takes place all over this earth.

Still, things have already changed to some extent.

By evacuating citizens and deploying troops to defend against monsters, preparations have been completed to deal with monsters with as little damage as possible.

Even if this incident is prevented, it is not the end. As mentioned in the original work, the gate will open intermittently for the next 10 years, releasing monsters.

And in the end, humanity, which stopped the monsters, repaired the damage over the next 20 years using the by-products of the monsters and advanced scientific technology and grew rapidly, forming a friendly hunter worldview.

So Hunters are swords that have grown by feeding on the blood of countless people.

They need to know how many people died for them before they entered the academy and could enjoy a free life.

This is something that must be taught to those who have awakened abilities that I will teach in the future.

With that thought in mind, I tightly gripped the hilt of the sword in my hand.

*

At dawn.

Although it was early morning, countless flares were fired in the sky above Seoul, maintaining the brightness of early evening.

All the street lights shine, and the searchlights that look at the sky move and watch the sky.

Helen looked at the scene and recalled once again the cold feel of the small submachine gun in her hand.

As the time he spoke of drew closer, the tension creeping up inside her seemed to gradually tighten her heart.

Out of sheer nervousness, I fiddled with the tiny camera on my chest. Her goal is to keep watch over the Red Lizard.

A red lizard who has temporarily lost his magic but will fight against monsters with his sword.

knife. It’s a sword… .

In her thinking circuit, it was difficult for the sword to have any meaning beyond a cold weapon used only in the Middle Ages.

The knights are screaming! Isn’t it something that was only used when talking about diaries? Of course, at first glance, it felt intimidating because it was a huge sword that seemed to be over 1.5 meters long, but it was still a black sword.

For her, who lived in a world where firearms such as firearms became mainstream, swords were at the peak of inefficiency.

The world of Grandis is like a medieval land on Earth. Although magic exists differently from reality, it was a place that could not escape the limitations of the Middle Ages.

So maybe the best weapon he could think of was a sword? How much fun can you have against monsters with a sword?

Even if you can create wind with your sword, how far can you overcome the limitations of melee weapons?

‘…He must have something on his mind. Let’s trust that grumpy lizard.’

With that thought in mind, she suppressed her anxiety and turned her gaze to her surroundings.

There was a huge crowd gathered around her.

As soon as it became known that the Red Lizard was participating in the war, people kept coming from somewhere, one by one, no matter where they had heard the news, and were now forming a large group.

Special forces wearing full black guards, combat units wearing the National Intelligence Service mark, and armored units sent by the military to protect VIPs are escorting the Red Lizard.

Even the war reporters who flocked there. It’s so crowded it’s like Hwagae Market.

Only in this way can one guess the success of the Red Lizard, who uses a sword, a melee weapon, as it raises doubts as to whether he will be able to be active.

However, the famous VIP did not express any complaints.

The only thing he said was when he saw the reporters carrying huge cameras, he blurted out, “Why did a civilian come?”.

After hearing the answer about that, he asked, “Is he like a military secretary?”, and there was no additional comment.

Just standing there in front of the sword stuck in the ground.

‘Take a look. I will confirm how much of a threat you can be to the world after losing your magic.’

Helen, who had been looking at Northmund with truly agent-like thoughts, suddenly felt as if someone had poured water on her at the words he uttered in passing.

“…They are coming.”

Is it finally starting?

She was not the only one who heard the red lizard’s words, and everyone around her became busy and screamed.

“The monsters are coming! Everyone, get ready!”

“All armies ready for battle!”

“Ready for battle!”

Sirens sound throughout Seoul, and everyone braces their abnormally pounding hearts and prepares for battle.

The soldiers grip the barrels of their guns so hard that their knuckles turn white, and the tank commanders command their crews to maneuver with trembling hearts.

Soon, heaven and earth split and the nightmare army from a week ago appears.

The folding sky, the tearing air, and the creeping fog of chaos.

A week ago, the force that wanted to destroy Seoul’s daily life and turn it into a world full of death and sorrow has finally revealed itself once again.

─Kiyayayaya!!

─Guuuk!

─Shaaa! Shaaa!

Is that what the screams of souls who have fallen into hell sound like? They showed up with a scream that made you want to drop your gun and cover your ears.

Several soldiers were already seen sitting down and covering their ears.

But it would have been difficult to blame them. Helen, who had been undergoing arduous agent training for a long time, also screamed and almost closed her eyes.

Everyone present instantly lost the will to resist due to the sound of fear that stimulated the survival instinct engraved in humans from the very beginning.

“Silly things! Come to your senses!”

Someone ran like the wind and spewed out harsh words.

She was the one who came to her senses relatively quickly. Does the fact that she was able to come to her senses while recalling her mission in the world of unconsciousness prove that she is a skilled agent?

She ran after him, holding the small camera on her chest.

At that moment, a white flash appeared on the lens of the camera she was holding.

“That…black energy?”

A soldier near Helen muttered.

It’s a sword. Now that I think about it, it seems that one of the skills used by sword masters in the Chinese fantasy genre called martial arts had that name.

I think it was a technique that strengthened cutting power by flowing processed energy called Qi along the sword they were holding… .

Now that I think about it, doesn’t the same light flow from the Red Lizard’s sword? It’s like the lightsabers of the Jedi from StarX… .

When he swings his shining greatsword wide diagonally, a monster is cut in two and falls down.

Even the huge fingernails that were swinging at him were cut off cleanly.

“Come to your senses! It’s just the growler’s cries that affect the mind. Grab your weapons! It’s coming from behind you too!”

When the group, startled by the sound, turned around, monsters came out of the gate behind them and were running towards them.

“I will take charge of this matter! Please come back and take care of me.”

“Yes! All right! All troops open fire!”

“Fire! Kill the monsters!”

The sound of someone firing a firearm is heard, and everyone who comes to their senses pulls the trigger.

Todd, who was panting like a dog and running on all fours, was turned into a hive by a volley of fire and rolled around, and Slasher, who boasted long, sharp nails, fell to the ground without even being able to swing those nails.

And countless monsters continue to advance on top of them falling down and lying around.

Like a swarm of rats, they continue to swirl over the corpses of their compatriots.

As many as six monsters are shattered by the tank’s cannon, and the Vulcan cannon tears them apart at a rate of fire of 6,000 rounds per minute.

A wall piled with the corpses of hundreds of monsters. The monsters continue to advance over the mountain of corpses, just like zombies climbing over a wall.

“Oh my god, this can’t be happening… .”

Helen felt the world she had seen cracking.

For nearly a week, I had been watching videos of the Seoul incident and learning about the characteristics of monsters, but when I actually stood there, the pressure that came over me was too heavy.

But she is a skilled agent. He calmly fired the submachine gun in his hand at the monsters.

If there were guys that the soldiers missed and were allowed to approach, they were dealt with first and were keeping pace with Northmund and his group.

‘Let’s see how well he fights.’

She looked back as she changed the magazine of her submachine gun.

*

─Kwaeeek!

He raised the greatsword in his hand high.

The sound of meat being split lengthwise.

I retrieve the sword with a clean cutting sound and the feeling of the blade cutting through the meat becoming lighter.

The vertically split slasher scattered organs on the ground and made two landing sounds.

─Suddenly!

Five blades heading straight towards me.

He leaned back to avoid the other slasher’s claws, but his tie ended up in contact with his claws.

The bottom of the tie, which has been cut cleanly as if cutting paper with a sharp knife, flies away in the strong winter wind.

Using the recoil of the body leaning back, the arm is thrown out and the slasher’s abdomen is cut horizontally.

─Shaaa!

As I looked to the side, I caught a toad running toward me. It was a guy who had just come out of the gate and was still covered in black fog.

The guy who was running towards me on all fours like a Taoist dog jumped towards me like a frog… .

─Kaaaa!

The great sword I thrust forward pierces him from his mouth to his butt at once, and he lets out a cry of pain.

White light flowing from the sword, almost like a sword.

However, this is not sword energy, but simply magic power projected onto the sword.

It is less powerful than a real Auror Blade and consumes more mana, but it is no different in the face of monsters.

bang. Bang bang bang!

Bang bang bang!

I hear a gunshot behind me.

The sound of gunshots heard simultaneously not only behind me but also throughout Seoul reflects off the forest of buildings and echoes in the air.

Fighter planes flying in the sky, Cobra combat helicopters firing Hellfire missiles, anti-aircraft guns fired into the sky to hit the monsters in the air, flares fired continuously, gunshots fired from all directions… .

Flashing lights and booming noises, like fireworks or a thunderstorm, echo throughout the city.

I swung my sword widely and sent Todd, who was stuck in the sword, flying away. Tod flew in a bloody trail and crashed into other monsters that were approaching me, knocking them down.

I dodged another claw swinging behind me and reflexively swung my sword in its place. I felt the shoulder of my suit being ripped apart by the claw.

I ran toward the gate, dodging the path of claws swinging from all directions with a slight difference.

‘The gate must be destroyed first.’

I moved forward, cutting down the monsters that were desperately blocking my path and blocking my approach.

As I push the sword in my hand hard, as if imbuing it with magical energy, the sword body burns brighter and emits white plasma.

Eventually, I raised my sword high above my head and vertically cut the gate through which monsters continued to pour out.

A trace of a flash of light so bright that it cannot be seen with the naked eye.

It’s so crazy!!

The purple oval that the plasma blade passed through melted and eventually disappeared with a popping sound.

As the gate disappeared, the distorted space returned to its original state, creating a small atmospheric shock wave.

─Ugh.

At that moment, the sound of a growler was heard from somewhere.

A Growler was trying to scream from the gate created across the street.

That doesn’t work!

I held the sword with both hands and swung it horizontally as if I was hitting a bat.

The magic blade of white light formed on the blade flies towards the Growler. Soon, the Growler will melt without leaving a trace in plasma exceeding thousands of degrees.

And then you just have to destroy the lost gate.

‘uh?’

Shashashak!

Suddenly, the monsters gathered and gathered in front of the blade’s path to form a wall of meat, and the magic blade that was flying hit the meat wall created by the monsters and exploded, leaving a loud explosion.

A scene like countless worker ants trying to protect a queen ant.

The queen ant, the growler, is alive and not dead! So we have to deal with that guy quickly… .

─Aaaaa!!

Without even thinking, I jumped forward and tried to pierce the Growler, but unfortunately, he was a little faster.

A cry that shakes people’s spirits and breaks their hearts rings out on the streets.

When my sword eventually reached and cut it apart, it felt like the Growler was laughing with its huge mouth.

Damn it.

“Ugh… .”

“ji… It’s hell… help me… .”

“Send me home… I don’t want to fight anymore… .”

With the sound of a gun being dropped, the group behind me was sitting down in fear.

Is it because, unlike before, I was hit by the Growler’s roar while fighting in a state of mixed excitement and tension? Everyone who heard the screams lost their senses and was staggering around.

The special forces scream and cover their heads, and the soldiers throw down their helmets and fall to the floor, convulsing as if they have epilepsy.

Everyone had lost their senses and was filled with fear, showing only primitive reactions.

“Wake up! Come to your senses!”

It’s strange. Aren’t low-level monsters like Slashers and Toads beings who act based on instinct?

Even in the main part of the novel 『Kishi.Sen』, it was said that low-level monsters have no ego and act according to their instincts, with the only thing left to do is slaughter.

Therefore, the basic strategy for dealing with multiple monsters was to attack them individually. This is because low-level monsters do not cooperate.

This was what the academy professor clearly said in the hunter studies lecture that the protagonist Han Si-woo was taking.

But what did you just see?

They clearly moved in large numbers with a purpose. He saved the Growler by throwing himself down to protect the Growler from screaming.

And what does that sneer mean at the end? I clearly saw the corners of the Growler’s huge mouth twitch.

Do low-level monsters actually have egos? Or is there someone controlling the monsters?

“Damn it! This is not the time… .”

I’m left with doubts, but I don’t have time to think deeply right now.

The monsters finally reached them and began to slaughter them because they were so scared that they had lost their will to fight.

The slasher’s claws cut through them as they trembled, and the brute hits the stopped tank.

A tank whose front part dents, falls over, and overturns.

Todd bites off a soldier’s face like he’s taking a bite out of a peach. A peach that bursts with blood instead of flesh.

Agents are blown into dozens of pieces by the slasher’s fingernails, and a war correspondent falls on his camera, staining the lens red.

“You idiots!”

I screamed as I shot forward like a bullet. They’re such idiots that they’re not prepared to fight!

“Kaaaa!”

A shout mixed with magical power.

I jumped up with the Dragonian Lore and landed in front of them, firing off dozens of magic missiles.