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[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 25: Shooting Star (9)
Baek Ho was stunned.
He doubted his ears as Nana continued humming in a soft voice.
“Lawsuits for all the bad comments~ Yup, no settlements~ All of them are going undead~”
His eyes rolled back.
The whites of his eyes were more than half visible.
Her hands, which she had folded together demurely, trembled uncontrollably.
The more her strange behavior continued, the faster the wound on the Ox Mask began to heal.
“Love? That’s bullshit~ Even talking to a guy and people are all over it~”
Darkness gathered behind Nana’s head as she moved her head back and forth.
The faint cross that had been present began to fuse into a single, clear form.
Her left hand.
The long, slender fingers curled in, leaving only the middle finger extended.
It resembled the Chinese character "凸."
“Image management? Fuck that~ Go manage your boyfriend who’s sending nudes through DMs~”
The Pig Mask stepped back.
Could this really be the same woman he had known, the one who was like an angel?
What was up with her eyes rolled back like that? And the sudden middle finger?
Just moments ago, it had seemed like she was performing a serious healing ritual.
But now, it felt more like a crazy witch offering a sacrifice to the god of death.
“Love luxury brands~ I have tons of them at home~ So what if I’m rich~”
“Uhh…”
Baek Ho was just as flustered.
The moment Nana started rolling her eyes, he began to feel nauseous.
It felt as though a straw had been inserted into his heart, sucking out dark mana.
“Genuine music? Bullshit~ You won’t even understand it with your dumb ears~”
“......”
He tried to subtly pull away, but Nana grabbed Baek Ho’s wrist.
The song she had been muttering stopped.
Her eyes, which had been rolled back, suddenly snapped into focus and glared at him.
She licked her blood stained lips with her tongue and spoke.
“God... just a little more...”
“Hic...”
Baek Ho hiccupped.
It wasn’t from surprise, but from the intoxication.
He subconsciously made an excuse.
“My friends are still fighting outside... and I need to use the bathroom...”
With his other hand, he pushed Nana’s hand away.
As the dark mana was cut off, Nana collapsed unconscious.
“Shit...”
The Pig Mask whimpered.
It wasn’t a whimper of joy at seeing a teammate revived, but one of fear.
“Hey, Pig... You need to go help outside too...”
“Ah... Okay, okay!”
The Pig Mask ran off, as if fleeing.
Baek Ho also slowly stood up.
He looked at Nana before removing the scales.
“…What the hell is she?”
What he had just witnessed was similar to the divine power taught in school.
Prayer, light, healing.
But it didn’t make sense.
Humanity could no longer use divine power.
All the gods who once bestowed healing grace had disappeared.
But that wasn’t all.
Undead couldn’t use divine power either.
That had been the result of turning priests from the Hunter Era into undead.
Of course, there was the special case of Mother Selena, but she was merely a conduit for the divine, so it was possible for her.
Moreover, Nana’s actions just now were far from divine.
‘Please tell me it’s not a brain issue? She looked precarious, but...’
Rustling—
As Nana moved, Baek Ho took a step back.
He quickly left the area.
＊ ＊ ＊
The necromancer of the White Skull Syndicate hid behind the concrete debris.
“Damn it…”
This was an unexpected turn of events.
What was a Reaper doing in the Liberation Army’s group? And a high-performance Reaper at that.
That’s not all.
From the movements and the rapid regeneration, it was clear there was also a necromancer.
Is it even possible for a necromancer to be traveling with the Liberation Army?
What exactly is the Liberation Army trying to be liberated from? Isn’t the world ruled by necromancers?
{Subordinate ‘16’ is now incapacitated.}
{Connection to subordinate ‘2’ has been lost.}
There were no subordinates left to resurrect.
The enemy Reaper had completely destroyed everything, and even the survivors of the Vessel couldn’t perform their duties.
“Goddamn it…”
He slipped his hand into his pocket and fiddled with a small gun.
If necessary, he planned to use it.
“We’re all dead…”
He poked his head out from behind the wall.
The sounds of explosions and clashes had quieted down.
He was far enough from the frontlines, but pursuit would be imminent. He planned to keep his presence hidden and reach the hideout.
“Siléntĭum.”
He cast a spell to mute the sound and moved.
Thanks to the remnants of the old civilization, there were plenty of places to hide his body visually.
He passed through what had once been a restaurant.
He made his way through an electronics store.
And just as he was passing by a tipped-over car...
Flap. Flap—
A crow flew onto the car door, landing.
The necromancer's face contorted.
He recalled the trouble that little creature had caused earlier.
“Get lost… Hey…”
After threatening the crow, he quickly took off again.
For a necromancer, his physical strength was surprisingly good.
That was one of the reasons the White Skull Syndicate trusted him enough to send him out.
He was confident he’d reach the hideout in no time when—
BOOM—
The wall of a nearby building exploded.
A hole was blasted through by something.
Through the dust and debris, a massive figure appeared.
Wide-open eyes, flaring nostrils.
Mana vapor leaked from his lips, and blood-soaked mechanical arms clanged.
It looked like a machine orc that had come straight from hell.
The necromancer fell on his back in shock.
“Ugh, Aaaaaaghh!”
Screaming, he pulled the gun from his pocket.
＊ ＊ ＊
Baek Ho stopped all his magic.
The crow disappeared, and the scales of the Imugi vanished as well.
He had informed Frank of the necromancer's location, so now it was all over.
“Huh…”
He swallowed the blood rising from his insides.
Pig Mask and Chicken Mask walked from the side alley where they had finished their battle.
From their conversation, it seemed they were discussing the state of the Ox Mask.
Chicken Mask was pleased, while Pig Mask said—’You should have seen that…’
“Good work.”
At Baek Ho’s words, the two of them bowed their heads.
“Is it over now…?”
At Chicken Mask’s question, Baek Ho shook his head.
“Not yet. Hurry up. We move immediately.”
The Chicken Mask and Pig Mask lifted the Ox Mask and placed him on the cart where Frank had been lying.
Nana didn’t touch anything, likely thinking Baek Ho would handle it.
Or maybe she was too afraid to approach.
Chiss—
Baek Ho took out a black cigarette and stood by the window.
The thick, stale smoke stirred inside him.
The pain spread throughout his body.
It dulled quickly, and his life force was replaced by dark mana.
“Huh…”
It wasn’t enough.
Finally, he opened the cap of his hip flask and drank some vodka.
His throat burned, and his insides felt as if they were scorched by fire.
Even though he hadn’t even seen the tips of a monster's claws, his body was already falling apart.
The dark mana was rapidly increasing.
‘I should have been more careful…’
He had expected pursuers, but he didn’t expect them to arrive at this time and place.
Had they anticipated his route and been waiting for him?
Or had they taken the risk and tracked him at night?
He had to remind himself that dealing with monsters and other species was completely different from dealing with humans.
His father had said it before.
Learning and real-life experience are different.
Anything can happen out there.
It was a lack of experience as a commander.
At any rate, things have settled for now.
He just needed to finish up the work at his destination and then return to his normal life.
‘I wonder where Frank is.’
For a moment, he wondered what Frank would say when he saw Nana. Deep down, he had been bothered by missing the concert. But now, thinking this would be fully resolved, he felt at ease. He suspected that he had hastily accepted Nana’s request because of this.
He turned to look at Nana. She was deep in a coma. Having used all her mana to the limit, she wouldn’t wake up soon.
“...She must be heavy”
Normally, Reapers are heavy. Their bodies are made of metal. Though magical engineering had made them lighter, it would still be too much for a relatively frail necromancer to carry one.
I should have Frank carry her.
Just imagining Frank getting all excited made the back of his neck tighten. He reached out, about to rub his neck when—
Bzziiiiiiing—
A loud sound echoed nearby.
A green flare shot up from the debris of a building. Seeing it, his jaw dropped open, and his black cigarette fell to the ground.
Pig Mask and Chicken Mask froze, too, looking up at the flare.
Pwooooosh!
The flare exploded in the air, and green clouds began to spread. A sharp scent filled the air, carried by the wind.
“......”
“......”
“......”
The three men froze. They either opened their mouths or grabbed their heads in disbelief. It was far worse than when they had seen Nana’s sudden transformation.
“Run… RUN!”
He shouted, dashing toward Nana.
He scooped her up quickly and ran in the opposite direction from the green clouds. The cart with Ox Mask in it sped past them.
“Argh!”
“Hurry!”
Chicken Mask and Pig Mask, both enhanced with great physical abilities, quickly outran him.
Normally, they would either carry him or load Nana into the cart, but there was no time for that now.
Instinct overtook them.
They ran for their lives.
“Frank! Where are you!”
–I’m coming!
He turned to look. Frank was charging toward them, tearing through buildings.
He was more desperate now than when he had chased after the necromancer. His face had gone pale, and the fierce look had faded, replaced by one of pure fear.
“We’re fucked!”
Frank dashed toward them and lifted both Nana and him onto his shoulders. His legs, at full power, blasted blue vapor without hesitation.
Forgetting who he was even carrying, Frank caught up to Chicken Mask and Pig Mask quickly.
“Hey! Chicken!”
Baek Ho yelled while still dangling from Frank’s shoulder.
“What kind of monsters are in the area?”
“Insectians!”
Of all things, they were fast, insect-like monsters!
“Run faster!”
They ran like madmen.
They quickly escaped the ruins.
The forest they had passed through yesterday came into view.
Their destination was on the opposite side.
But what did it matter?
They just needed to survive for now.
And not long after, they were forced to stop.
Creeeek—
The thick trees in front of them began to break apart from the distance.
They stopped running and looked around.
Behind them, the concrete ruins of the shattered buildings were collapsing, and to their right, a hazy dust was rising.
And on their left, a green wave was coming toward them.
It wasn’t just bushes swaying in the wind—it was a green tsunami.
“Shit…”
The Chicken Mask let go of the cart’s handle.
He collapsed to the ground as if giving in.
“We’re all dead…”
There was nowhere to run.
His SmartCore proved it.
{!Warning!}
{Mana Beast energy detected.}
{Prepare for battle.}
The flare shot up by the White Skull Syndicate’s necromancer was a pheromone cluster designed to attract mana beasts.
It was called Monster Call.
In the Hunter Era, it was used to efficiently hunt mana beasts.
Now, it was used to lure nearby beasts into battle, turning it into a three-way fight when the battle against an alien species became unfavorable.
In other words, it was a last-ditch effort.
Due to its long history, it was easy to acquire and had excellent performance.
“…Down.”
Frank lowered Baek Ho to the ground.
Baek Ho coldly stared at the approaching army of beasts with his artificially enhanced eye.
Kugugugu—
The forest split apart, and the shapes of the beasts appeared.
At first glance, they looked like giant dump-truck-sized spiders.
Their green exoskeleton reflected sunlight like steel armor, and their legs, covered in fur, looked like arms of an excavator attached to their bodies.
Baek Ho’s artificial eye automatically scanned the beasts.
{Level 4 Insectian ‘Silkroller’ detected.}
{!Warning!}
{There are too many.}
{Your unit’s combat power has been measured. The probability of victory is 0%.}
{Retreat is recommended.}
The commander-only system installed on Baek Ho’s SmartCore displayed a warning message.
If there were just a few, it might have been manageable. But with this many, Baek Ho, who only had one subordinate, had no chance of winning.
That wasn’t even the worst part.
The fact that this many Silkrollers had gathered meant the Forest Queen had arrived.
Crack-Crack-Crack—
In the distance, something that resembled a mountain began to move toward them.
It was a colossal mana beast, and with each step, the ground trembled and the trees shook.
Its massive, rock-like shell was riddled with deep caves, while countless pincers beneath it tore through everything in its way.
The Forest Queen, once guarding her domain deep underground, was now emerging to claim the uncharted land.
Ziiing—
Baek Ho’s artificial eye activated.
The commander’s system sent another notification.
{Level 7 Insectian ‘Forest Monarch’ encountered.}
{!Warning!}
{The opponent is unmanageable.}
{The probability of a successful retreat is 0%.}
{Deactivate your subordinate’s functionality to preserve the vessel.}
{On behalf of humanity, we thank you for your service from the grave.}
{Would you like to leave a final message?}
“…Fuck off.”
{Saved.}
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[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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