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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 32: Shooting, Star (7)
In a room veiled in darkness, Commander Baek stood alone.
Surrounding him were multiple holographic screens, each displaying the shadowy silhouette of a figure.
The thirteen figures represented the leaders of humanity: the five Elders, the heads of the Seven Mega Corporations, and the Prime Minister of the Central Government.
Together, they were known as the Round Table.
Tonight, two of the screens were blacked out—Yeomra Corporation and Izanami Corporation.
That was because Commander Baek and Commander Masamune were attending in place of their respective chairpersons.
–Chairman Baek Ran attempted to blow up Yeomra HQ.
An aged Elder’s voice rang out.
–How can we allow such a dangerous child to remain in that position? I believe it’s time for you to retire and relinquish the chairmanship—
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. ‘Blow it up’?”
–It’s no use denying it.
The Elder’s silhouette vanished, replaced by a video feed on his screen—footage of Yeomra HQ staff rapidly evacuating through the underground passageways.
–Many witnesses confirmed it.
“That was Yeomra’s annual drill. A mandatory evacuation exercise in case of an attack on UnderHeaven. I believe other corporations do the same. Isn’t that right?”
Baek’s question prompted a voice from a screen in the corner—Prime Minister of the Central Government.
–Yes, we received confirmation that it was a scheduled drill.
–Heh. With something that elaborate, you'd think UnderHeaven was actually under attack by monsters.
–Enough of that. Let’s get to the real matter. We can’t leave the Supreme Commander seat vacant forever.
–…Very well.
–Wait a moment.
A sharp woman’s voice cut in.
–Shouldn’t we talk about that cadet first?
She was the head of Chernobog Corporation—and clearly wanted to bring up Baek Ho. Those wretched old monsters likely knew a great deal about him.
–He killed Nilberis. We need answers. We should investigate and reward or punish accordingly. Surely we’re not going to just let this slide?
–Ahem…
–Hmm…
–......
The Elders murmured uncomfortably—as if they didn’t want to discuss Baek Ho at all.
Then the eldest Elder opened his mouth.
–Today isn’t a regular meeting. It’s the day for evaluating merits to select the next Supreme Commander.
–I’m aware of that. But—
–Let’s stay on topic.
No matter how dominant the Seven Corporations were in UnderHeaven, the words of the Elders—who had ensured humanity’s survival—carried more weight.
A new set of holograms appeared before them all.
They showed the recent achievements of the two Vice Commanders.
By any measure, Commander Baek’s record outshone the rest.
–Incredible…
–Looks like we’ll be able to reclaim the entire state of California soon.
–Might be a good time to establish a forward base there.
As the virtual space filled with conversation, a whistle echoed from across the screens surrounding Commander Baek.
The chatter stopped.
Then came Masamune’s voice.
–Your son’s grown up.
His voice was smooth and elegant, but it clung to the ear like venom—silken and poisonous.
Beneath the refined tone simmered cruelty and deceit, like a snake flicking its tongue between gleaming fangs.
“Shut up.”
–As I’ve told you before, there’s no need to sharpen your words to hide your weakness. It’s not intimidating—it’s just sad.
“......”
–There you go. Silence suits you better.
–Judging by your smugness, I assume you’re confident in the hand you’ve prepared.
–Indeed. I’ve also been working for humanity—just in my own way, unlike you.
As Masamune finished, the rest of the suppressed audio came flooding back from the screens.
–This part especially makes no sense.
–Indeed. Words alone can’t explain it.
One side was trying to downplay Baek’s accomplishments; the other, praising them.
Then Masamune’s voice returned again from behind the screens—still syrupy and composed.
–Apologies for interrupting. But there’s something I’d like to show everyone.
＊ ＊ ＊
Baek Ho’s group was descending a staircase dimly lit by weak overhead bulbs.
Unlike the ruins outside, the interior was surprisingly well maintained.
Signs of human activity were evident throughout.
“We should just burn this whole place down…”
Seonhwa muttered with a click of her tongue.
At the bottom, they arrived at a small concert hall set up inside the old broadcasting station.
It had 200 seats and a round stage.
Most of the seats were damaged beyond use—but the stage remained intact.
The Pig Mask stepped up onto the platform, rotating his shoulders in wide circles.
He called out to the Chicken Mask, who was pulling a cart.
“Let’s get things ready.”
“Oi, you too. Time to get up.”
“Ugh… yeah, okay…”
The three members of the Liberation Army moved swiftly, getting to work.
They began setting up microphones, cameras, and lights on the stage—as if preparing for an actual broadcast.
“Baek Ho, why are we even here?”
Frank approached and asked him.
The others had been briefed on the purpose of this trip, but Frank, still disoriented, had missed it.
Baek Ho pulled a black cigarette from inside his coat and lit it before answering.
“A retirement concert.”
“For who? That girl?”
“Yeah. And also… to keep a promise I made to a friend. I told her I’d take her to an I_Vu concert.”
“Baek Ho only has one friend—Frank. But Frank doesn’t remember that…”
During the ride to the station, they’d discovered that Frank had lost several months of memory.
The time he left home and first entered the Lower Sectors.
When he witnessed the darker side of UnderHeaven behind all its glitz and glamor, and the moment he decided to become a fixer.
And finally, the songs of I_Vu that comforted his heart when he needed it most.
“Cheer up already.”
“......”
“If you lost something, go find it. If you forgot something, try to remember.
It’s not that deep—so quit acting like it is.”
“I just…”
“Don’t sulk. That’s not like you.”
“…Alright.”
“Here. Take this.”
Baek Ho pulled a purple glow stick from inside his coat and handed it over.
“What the hell is this?”
“When something starts to feel familiar… shake it. Hard.”
“Come on. I’m not the kind of guy who waves around stuff like this.”
“Just do it.”
“…I seriously hate this.”
Baek Ho gave Frank a pat on the back, then walked over to Nana.
She was sitting on the stairs leading up to the stage, taking deep breaths.
“You alright?”
“Ah… yes… but… do you think this is okay…?”
She gently touched her face.
Thanks to Seonhwa’s help, most of it had been cleaned, but she still couldn’t wash away all the blood clinging deep in her hair.
“I didn’t even get to do my makeup… or change outfits… This is supposed to be a final send-off, but I don’t look good at all…”
“You look fine.”
“F-Fine…? I look fine…?”
“Yeah. The best. Don’t worry about it.”
His tone was indifferent, but to the one hearing it, it meant everything.
Nana lowered her head, cheeks flushed red.
“I don’t know…”
“Didn’t you want this? You’re free now—shouldn’t you be happy?”
“I am happy…”
“Then show it. Do your best.”
Just as Baek Ho turned to walk away, Nana gently reached out and grabbed the hem of his coat—just like she had the first time they met, when she begged for his help.
“If… if things go well this time… could I join you as a Retainer?”
[Familiar → Retainer]
Baek Ho had no intention of taking in anyone besides Frank.
But her power—healing not the undead, but the living—was tempting.
“I don’t know what exactly happened to me… but I think I could still be useful…”
“You just fought your way to freedom. Why try to belong to someone again? Why?”
“I… it’s just…”
Baek Ho took her hand from his coat and placed it gently on her own knee.
“Let’s talk after this is over.”
“…Okay.”
Nana bit her lower lip slightly.
To help ground her nerves, Baek Ho forced a half-smile and casually wiped a streak of blood from her hair.
Watching the scene unfold, the three Liberation Army members clicked their tongues.
“Damn… that was some smooth flirting.”
“Let’s be real—his face does half the work.”
“Hey, look over there.”
The one in the Ox Mask gestured with his chin.
Seonhwa stood off to the side, trembling with barely restrained fury as she stared at Baek Ho. Her lips twitched, like she was one second away from yelling.
It wasn’t jealousy. It was loyalty—raw and fierce.
“Must be nice, having people fall for you left and right…”
“Honestly? I kinda like him too.”
The Pig Mask earned a solid smack to the back of the head from the Chicken Mask.
“Snap out of it, idiot.”
“I’m serious! How many necromancers would go that far for a Reaper? Especially a royal citizen like him?”
“You’ve got a point… Alright, I’m a fan now too.”
“Morons. Who knows what he’s actually thinking?”
The Ox Mask kept grumbling, but the others just shook their heads.
“This guy’s still salty.”
“Doesn’t even appreciate who saved his sorry ass. Tsk-Tsk.”
“......”
At that moment, Seonhwa turned and barked at the three Liberation fighters.
“You little rats! You think this is the time to be chit-chatting?!”
Unable to vent her anger at Baek Ho, she took it out on them instead.
“Want me to crack your skulls open?! Get moving!”
＊ ＊ ＊
In a dimly lit virtual space, the members of the Round Table watched the same video.
–BOOM!
The battlefield.
An undead soldier clashed swords with an orc covered head-to-toe in cybernetic enhancements.
The soldier’s body was too weak to withstand the brute force of the orc’s green, machine-laced muscles.
Crushed by strength, the soldier’s torso was split clean in two.
Blood gushed out. Intestines and metal parts spilled across the ground.
Though he was already dead, the orc didn’t stop there.
He raised his foot, aiming to crush the vessel embedded in the undead’s head.
–No!
Another undead soldier nearby dove forward, snatching the fallen comrade’s head.
He broke formation, fleeing toward the rear without any command.
His retreat didn’t last long—an axe hurled by the orc struck him down mid-run.
–Tsk-Tsk… That’s just…
–Unbelievable.
–Discipline’s gone completely to hell.
Amid the Elders’ murmurs, Masamune’s voice cut in—calm and composed.
"Reclaiming territory. Yes, it’s important. And when it comes to that, no one rivals Commander Baek. But tell me, how long will we drag this out? In the past sixty years, humanity has reclaimed only six percent of the Earth. At this rate, there’s no guarantee UnderHeaven will even last long enough to see full restoration.”
–So what exactly are you suggesting?
"That we stop wasting humanity’s military might on methods that don’t work. Please, let’s continue the footage.”
The screen changed.
Now, an old, low-resolution video began to play.
A wide-open field.
Mindless corpses charged straight toward the orc camp.
Among the masses, Death Knights wielding weapons could be seen.
There were also chimeras—stitched together from pieces of dead monsters.
They showed no hesitation, even as the undead around them were cut down.
Driven by a singular purpose, they charged forward — to kill the enemy.
It was a stark contrast to the earlier undead soldier, who broke formation to save an ally, only to lose his life in the process.
"Do you feel the difference? Of course, today’s troops are individually stronger than those from back then. But if I were one of the other races... I’d fear the necromancers of the past far more.”
–What’s the point of rambling on with this nonsense?
Commander Baek finally voiced his displeasure.
Masamune’s implication was clear—he believed the old undead legions were superior.
But everyone gathered here knew the flaws of those forces better than anyone.
Skeletons were fragile.
Zombies were slow.
Death Knights and Dullahans consumed too much dark mana.
Liches and chimeras were especially costly—not just to create, but to maintain.
Compared to the undead soldiers of today—mass-produced in factories, self-regulating and efficient—there was no contest in practical terms.
And most importantly—The orcs of the past, primitive and dumb, couldn’t hold a candle to the orcs of today—heavily armed, cybernetic brutes in alliance with the goblins.
"You're wasting everyone's time with this nonsen—”
–Enough.
The eldest of the Elders cut in.
–I, for one, would like to hear more of Masamune’s proposal. Is that acceptable?
“…Yes.”
–Masamune, then what exactly are you suggesting? Are you saying we abandon modern tech and revert to the past? Or do you actually have a viable plan?
“I propose we utilize modern undead soldiers the way we did in the past.”
–And how do you intend to do that?
“By using Mad Eater.”
The audience on the screen stirred.
Mad Eater—what was it?
It referred to a phenomenon where undead units broke free from their necromancer’s control and descended into a state of violent madness. A chronic flaw of Reapers and undead battalions alike. Despite years of research, no cure had been found.
And now he wanted to use it?
People exchanged confused glances, but Masamune calmly continued his explanation.
He spoke about the Beowulf prototype—a berserker unit engineered to feel no fear of death, no concern for comrades, existing solely for battle.
“…As for the risk of losing control, we’ve found a workaround using specific vocal frequencies. If research continues, I believe we can create the ultimate weapon—one that combines the best aspects of both past and present.”
A brief silence followed.
The room was awash in stunned reactions.
Some thought—
At last, the inevitable has come.
Others feared the chaos this might unleash.
Still others felt betrayed, realizing such a project had moved forward without their knowledge.
And then the oldest of the Elders broke the silence.
Clap—Clap—Clap—Clap—
He burst into applause, letting out a voice full of excitement.
–Excellent! Simply excellent!
At that, Commander Baek’s face twisted in disbelief.
That very elder had once been the most vocal proponent of granting undead a sense of humanity.
This was why Baek hadn’t reacted strongly when Sophia first told him about Masamune’s plan—he’d assumed the elder council would shut it down immediately for how absurd it was.
But with a response like that…
At this rate, the project might actually go through.
It might start with ordinary undead soldiers, but before long, they could push to turn even the Reapers into berserkers.
Treatment of the undead would grow even more inhumane, and Awakened ones and ordinary humans alike would do everything in their power to avoid the frontlines.
And if that happens, humanity will collapse.
Forget reclaiming Earth—extinction would be inevitable.
“Wait just a moment…”
Commander Baek stepped forward, but the Elder continued speaking.
–There will be countless issues arising from this—especially in UnderHeaven, where the backlash will be intense.
“You’re right. The war resources produced there are vital, so it’s something we must consider. I’m not rushing anything. Let’s proceed only after the system has proven effective on the battlefield. If I may add, there was widespread opposition when we first proposed converting Awakened ones into undead. But how is it now? Change is always hardest to accept at first—but eventually, we adapt. That’s how humanity has survived until now.”
Masamune strengthened his tone slightly as he went on.
“After all, why should it be a problem if a necromancer wants to use undead as they see fit?”
A brief silence.
Then another Elder spoke up, clearly skeptical.
–From what I understand, this ‘trigger’ you speak of is key. But forgive my limited knowledge—I can’t grasp how something like a voice could be used to control Mad Eater. Care to explain?
A faint chuckle reached Commander Baek’s ear—Masamune’s.
As if he were ready to drive the final nail into the argument.
“Do you happen to remember the Saint of Light?”
–Mother Selena? Of course I do. Who could forget that madwoman? But what does she have to do with this project?
“Not long ago, our team at Izanami unraveled the mystery behind her miraculous abilities.
Her voice carries a transcendental frequency—inaudible to normal people—which resonates with the soul imprint carved into vessels and stimulates regenerative cells within the body, triggering a collective—”
–Masamune, really now. Why drag up Selena out of nowhere? The woman died decades ago. What does she have to do with any of this?
To that, Masamune replied smoothly.
“Surprisingly, I am a direct genetic descendant of Moth—”
He paused mid sentence.
Then, only Commander Baek could hear the quiet voice of Masamune’s aide whisper in his ear.
“Sir, you need to see this right now.”
“What is it?”
Baek immediately contacted the Special Operations Unit.
He asked if there was any situation needing urgent attention.
A video feed was quickly sent back to him.
A livestream—currently broadcasting across all regions of UnderHeaven.
It was a channel typically used by rebels for issuing terror warnings or propaganda.
Static—
On the grainy screen, a pale-skinned woman was singing.
Her face was familiar.
A celebrity reportedly last seen with Baek Ho.
Edelin Nana.
“Why is she…”
As she finished the song, the woman smiled into the camera.
< There’s something I’ve never told you before, and I’d like to confess it here today… >
She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with her thumb and spoke calmly.
< …I am undead. >
Commander Baek furrowed his brow.
The most beloved singer in UnderHeaven—an undead?
‘This is going to stir things up.’
Then, in Baek’s earpiece, he heard Masamune’s voice again—this time shaken and uncharacteristically panicked.
“Cut the broadcast. Shut it down—NOW—”
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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