Ch.203203. Enemy’s Movement

The flowing Milky Way was watching Eun Ji-ho suffering in the now desolate underground headquarters of the Goegeobdan.

“To be disturbed by mere words. How childish.”

“!”

Just as Eun Ji-ho’s magical power began to stir, the Flowing Milky Way’s body glowed red.

In an instant, Ji-ho’s body became rigid.

Of course, Ji-ho quickly broke free from this power, but the Flowing Milky Way was already by his side.

“Is it parental affection? But from the beginning, you were someone with monster genes, an ‘inheritor.'”

“S-still, I want to talk to her. Maybe…”

“No, that’s not the case. Eun Se-rin created you as a weapon. Clearly to cooperate with this plan.”

“What are you saying?”

“I understand you’re young and swayed by the deception of maternal love. But Eun Se-rin created you in collaboration with our leader.”

“I know better than anyone that I was created with ancient species genes secretly implanted in me. So what?”

“Is that really all there is to it?”

The Flowing Milky Way grinned.

“Come, let me show you our leader’s face.”

“Finally seeing that illustrious face, huh?”

Ji-ho grew curious. Who exactly was this leader who had never shown their face even once throughout this entire situation?

Even when the Goegeobdan was first formed, there should have been at least a face to identify, but there wasn’t even that.

As Ji-ho followed the Flowing Milky Way, something strange caught his eye.

Along their path, the remaining members of the Goegeobdan were lying soundly inside strange circular formations.

Almost like a procession of corpses.

“They’re still alive?”

Ji-ho realized they were all alive. Just immobile, as if dead.

“What are you planning?”

“Do you know about butchering? Food resources are used by cutting up all parts. They are such beings. Nothing more, nothing less than livestock.”

Their path was a long corridor, a parade of staircases that the Goegeobdan had twisted around to avoid tracking.

Literally, spiral staircases leading to each floor were everywhere.

But the Flowing Milky Way didn’t use those stairs, instead deactivating a camouflaged wall.

“It’s psychological. There’s no door between the stairs and the long corridor.”

“So normally people would take countless stairs to move around, but actually they were just right here? How pointless.”

The door opened, revealing something like a vault. As the vault opened in three stages, the door they had entered through was closing.

After unlocking these three mechanisms, a strange light poured out from inside.

As Ji-ho’s gaze turned inward, his expression became peculiar.

“What is that?”

Not admiration or awe. Rather, his eyes showed disappointment.

But Ji-ho didn’t realize at that moment that the light was already enveloping him.

“This is the final stage.”

As the Flowing Milky Way quickly restrained his body, the light also consumed Ji-ho.

“Uh… uh…”

Ji-ho was bewildered, but his eyes were already growing dim.

“A strong body, the power of ancient species, longevity. You were created for this from the beginning.”

“I was…”

“Resent Eun Se-rin. You were deceived. Now we will fulfill that revenge for you.”

“I was… deceived? Then…”

Amid his wavering heart, the light completely embraced Ji-ho.

The Flowing Milky Way spoke to the leader who had undergone the “preheating process.”

“It’s earlier than expected, but it’s the best we can do now. Since it’s not perfect, there might be gaps. Be careful and control the body well.”

[Of course.]

With a murky voice, Eun Ji-ho suddenly lifted his head.

“The title of leader is no longer necessary. With this, the Goegeobdan is disbanded.”

[I’ll turn the world upside down as you wish.]

“Then let’s feed the meat being butchered.”

Simultaneously, energy began to be extracted from the circles where the sacrifices were placed inside the Goegeobdan.

[So this is the power of human summoned spirits. Possible only because of a human body.]

“Monsters can do it too. It’s just less efficient. If you had told us about the hostile primitive species sooner, it would have been more stable.”

[Who knew they would stab us in the back. But it doesn’t matter. We will cross the taboo and exceed the limits of power. With my participation. I won’t just function as ‘His terminal’ forever.]

A figurehead leader. The Goegeobdan’s leader was actually a proxy sent by the monster faction.

From the beginning, the Goegeobdan wasn’t collaborating with the monster faction; they were subcontractors for the monsters.

But now that the Goegeobdan was lumped together with them, there was no reason to maintain it anymore.

The experiment was just a means for monsters to utilize human power, the power of summoned spirits.

The ultimate goal was to extract fundamental power for immortality, like now.

As of today, the Goegeobdan met its end.

*

Dokgo Jun looked at the destroyed city in disbelief. They had won.

Certainly.

“Should we call this a victory?”

But the victors themselves were dumbfounded as they gazed at the scorched landscape.

A city being obliterated in the aftermath of the great battle was already a foregone conclusion.

They had succeeded in subduing human monsters and new species alike. But more than 70% of them had died.

In normal warfare, even half of this would be considered annihilation, so with twice that amount, it was hard to call it a victory.

“Damn it! What the hell!”

Park Tae-sang shouted, wiping away a streak of blood.

They won, but the wounds were too deep.

A victory with nothing left. They had suffered critical losses for future battles against monsters.

A Pyrrhic victory.

How could such a result occur when there were two people who had reached the level of Avatar?

The answer lay in the giant corpse beneath Dokgo Jun.

The original Cyclops, which had appeared in Do Jong-hyun’s past.

The 70-meter giant’s body was torn open, and there was another similar one beside it.

Ancient species.

Full-fledged ancient species had been deployed. Their power was tremendous.

Even Dokgo Jun had expended considerable effort just to wound the Cyclops.

‘The other monsters weren’t the problem. These two and the monster that emerged from the chrysalis. These three were especially dangerous.’

Even wounds inflicted by Dokgo Jun were healed by regenerative abilities, requiring massive attacks to deal significant damage and bring them down.

Naturally, even with two Avatar-level individuals deployed to handle these two creatures, it took time.

Each attack unleashed by the giants was enough to alter the surrounding terrain, so what chance did the Jaegers caught in the aftermath have?

“To think they were hiding such power…”

Dokgo Jun bit his lip. With only 30% survivors, they could only celebrate a sad victory.

*

[Humanity has won the fierce battle at Pico da Neblina, Brazil. However, the damage is also enormous…]

Dokgo Jun is the very person who possesses Avatar power that no one else in the world can match.

Honestly, an Avatar-level fighter would be stronger than my evolved form. Yet over 70% of hundreds of Jaegers, including Dokgo Jun and Park Tae-sang, were annihilated?

“You’re joking, right?”

It was utterly bewildering. What kind of monsters could take down 70% of such forces?

“More than we thought…”

“Dangerous indeed.”

Eun Se-rin suddenly rested her chin on your shoulder.

“They’re reverting to ancient species without considering their lifespan. That’s how threatening they are. But when they resurrect ancient species, the repercussions affect the modified monsters. It’s the revival of their original consciousness.”

“So the current monsters were modified versions created to live longer?”

“Yes. They sealed their original bodies and operated in modified monster bodies. From those monsters, numerous branches of monsters emerged. If you trace the end, one ancient species influences multiple monsters.”

Eun Se-rin clearly knows the details, being an insider.

“So if we destroy the ancient species, the root, the monsters influenced by them will show weakness in the not-too-distant future.”

“…But, Noona.”

“Yes?”

I can’t just leave things as they are. I brought up Ji-ho to Noona.

“Don’t you want to talk to Ji-ho?”

“…To that child?”

Noona’s expression darkens. But if we can resolve this through dialogue rather than fighting, we should.

“Can you apologize to Ji-ho?”

“Would that child accept me? After what I did in front of everyone…”

“There’s room for dialogue. Even during fights, he just left sometimes. Noona, let’s bring Ji-ho to our side.”

Eun Se-rin is trembling.

“Is that okay? Can I really? What right do I have at this point…”

“Yes. You’re both alive. You can talk and think. Just like you’re alive right now.”

Above all, with the heavy losses to our forces, we needed every fighter we could get.

Since it had come to this, I asked her to tell me more about Ji-ho.

“I understand you contacted the Goegeobdan out of revenge, but how did the ancient species genes get involved?”

“The leader himself wasn’t human. He was a monster, and essentially the Goegeobdan was a subcontractor. They were one from the beginning.”

“So they gave you ancient species genes for experimentation.”

“Yes, they created him by mixing my egg with ancient species genes. The experiment itself was probably known up to the Goegeobdan leader… likely the Flowing Milky Way. They were trying to further modify monsters. Especially focusing on human power that could handle summoned spirits.”

So Eun Ji-ho can use summoned spirit power in addition to his existing powers.

That makes him a significant asset if we can recruit him to our side.

“So please, I’m asking you. Besides, you’re that child’s mother.”

“It’s certainly my responsibility, so I should do it.”

On the very day Eun Se-rin agreed, another big news arrived.

The Association sent a messenger announcing my release.

“Do Jong-hyun, orders have come down. You’re being reinstated. Eun Se-rin, you’ll be conditionally released under the Magician Guild’s supervision.”

“That’s appreciated.”

Eun Se-rin and I are finally free. And what does this freedom mean?

It means I’ll be returning to school.

The Jaeger side, having suffered enormous losses, must be looking to utilize me somehow.

But at this moment, an ominous sign appeared.

[Monster Daily]

-Capture the Ancient Species Red Dragon Rising to Heaven

-Time: 3 days later, Jaeger Academy grounds

-Reward: 10 Monster Points

A Monster Daily was issued. And it mentioned a monster designated as an ancient species.

“What? But they know I can predict through Monster Daily?”

The question is this: It’s expected that enemies can make some predictions about Monster Daily.

That’s why it hasn’t appeared until now.

So why prepare an invasion right after my obvious release?

“It’s suspicious to the point of being a scheme.”

At this point, both sides’ moves are obvious. The enemy knows I’ll come, and I have no choice but to move.

Why send this when both sides know what’s happening?

“Either it’s an extremely powerful creature or they’re planning something at the academy.”

Which is it? It could be both, so I sent a warning to the academy.

And three days later, as expected, they pulled quite an interesting maneuver.