Chapter 21 – Variables (2)
As I took a few steps forward, a feeling as if I had passed through sticky soap bubbles enveloped my entire body.
It passed through the barrier that blocks out sound.
“I don’t think there’s any chance that a madman with a gun suddenly appeared in a place like this.
What’s in front of me must be an ancient civilization’s weapon.
I’m sure you can guess.”
I jumped over the remains of the wall that should have surrounded the building and said to Number 7 on my back.
“It’s different from the wild beasts who fought tirelessly.
I’ve heard about it a few times through books or rumors, but I don’t have much information about it.
Don’t let your guard down, thinking you’ll die if you’re not careful.”
“I’m scared, so I don’t think I’ll have time to be vigilant…”
“Answer me.”
“I’ll stick to the captain’s back.”
…Okay.
Seeing that he jokes even in this situation, there is no reason for his body to stiffen with tension.
Contrary to my concerns, we passed through the barrier and were not attacked until we reached the building.
There was no reaction, let alone an attack.
I wish nothing had happened until the end.
I crossed the broken glass window praying like that.
As soon as I took a step out, I felt an intense cold flow from inside.
It’s not the level you feel when you get chills or goosebumps, but the real chill you’d only experience in a freezer.
No. 7 seemed to be the same, and his body trembled on his back.
“It’s 27 trillion won.”
No. 7 said.
When I motioned silently and gestured to continue talking, she continued.
“There are people in Team 27 who use cold magic.
I’ve seen him use that magic before, and it felt the same way now.”
In other words, it’s been a while since I used ice magic inside the building.
I nodded.
As I entered the building, the feeling of incongruity grew.
The reason was simple.
Because this building was not a hatchery.
It’s been cracked everywhere by the commander’s magic, but at least it hasn’t turned into a beast factory covered in unpleasant flesh like the other buildings.
The floor and walls of the corridor are covered with tiles as clean as marble.
It made me realize that in the distant past, these ruins were facilities that were actually used.
All the hatcheries we’ve destroyed so far look like they’ve entered the belly of an alien monster.
“Did an ancient beast even use it as a villa?
How clean it is.”
“That’s a novel idea.
Do you see the bullet marks on the other side of it?
The internal structure is quite complicated, so I almost got lost, but I can just follow the trail.
I’m going to run, so don’t bite your tongue and hold on tight!”
Without waiting for No. 7’s answer, I started running at high speed.
I felt her legs tightly wrapped around my stomach to keep her from falling.
At first, it was about bullet marks, but the more you followed them, the more you could see the traces of a fierce battle.
In a large room that looked like a seminar room, there were dozens of marks that looked like cuts on the wall with a knife.
As soon as I went through the destroyed door and came out into the hallway again, I found the body of a man lying on the ground holding a broken knife.
I vaguely remember seeing their faces as they came and went.
27 trillion won.
I remembered it and continued to follow the trail.
This is because they decided that the priority was to find survivors.
The living must live.
Let’s postpone collecting the body until later.
As I started going down the stairs that were about to collapse as if they had been distorted by heavy equipment, I felt the cold even more.
The place where the cold magic was used seemed to be nearby.
The door to the first basement floor had been beaten with guns so much that there was no beehive.
Thanks to this, I could easily step inside without having to open the door.
The next moment, No. 7 and I suddenly stiffened.
Fortunately, No. 7 and I didn’t even make a small groan.
This is thanks to years of experience fighting beasts.
The first basement floor was very spacious.
No, the upper building was also spacious, but didn’t it feel that way because of the complex structure filled with corridors and rooms?
In any case, unlike the first floor where the sunlight came in, it was dark, so I couldn’t see all the way to the inside, but I could tell at a glance from the entrance that this place was spacious.
The ceiling is so high that even if you stretch out your hand, you can only reach half of it,
Huge glass tubes reaching from the floor to the ceiling.
Just looking at the fragments, you can guess that it must have been incredibly thick.
Machines of unknown purpose.
Referring to movies with ancient civilizations as the theme, it was like a laboratory in a monster movie.
“…”
Of course, it was a very surprising sight, but it wasn’t the only thing that surprised me and #7.
There were three corpses lying around where I and No. 7 were, about 50 meters from the entrance.
Their bloodstains were completely frozen, entangled in shattered glass tubes and shards of machinery.
Someone was still standing between the three bodies.
It looked like a human…
A creepy atmosphere came from the back of the man standing motionless like an ottogi with his lower body covered in dark blue ice.
I thought about launching a surprise attack, but I soon gave up.
It was a gut feeling, but I had a strong feeling that I shouldn’t be found out by him.
I didn’t want to ignore the warnings of my instincts.
Thankfully it didn’t seem to have found us yet.
Even when he ran and came down the stairs, he was good at keeping the sound as low as possible.
I began to withdraw very quietly but without hindrance.
The sound of No. 7 swallowing saliva was heard in my ears.
One step, one step.
Not too slow, but deadly quiet.
In the movies, they always step on a tree branch or something like this to get caught.
I have no intention of making that mistake.
I moved my feet, carefully making sure not to step on the rubble.
I was so nervous that I was confused whether the chicken meat on the nape of No. 7’s neck was because of the chill coming from that block of ice or because it was really creepy.
We retreated to the very front of the stairs without any noise except for the sound of breathing.
There was no sign that he noticed us at all.
The moment I let out a sigh of relief inside.
[This is headquarters.
Deliver it to Team 5 of the Hunt.
Articles 8 and 13 are ordered to assist…]
The walkie-talkie I had in my arms worked.
Squeak!
At that moment, with the sound of scratching the iron plate, his neck turned once and looked at me.
When their eyes met, they saw lifeless eyes, pale skin, and perfectly symmetrical features that gave them a rather inhuman feel.
I turned the volume down as much as possible, but did you react to this?!
Even before the hairs on your body stand on end.
Reflexively, I grabbed a fist-sized steel ball from my combat uniform and threw it at his head.
As the iron ball flew towards it with a piercing sound, I saw it.
The artificially human form of the creature collapsed in an instant.
His chest zipped open, revealing the mechanism inside.
From the open chest, it turned over like a paper crane upside down, transforming the human torso into a lethal hunk of metal.
Right before the iron ball I threw touches it.
In terms of humans, the device that would be called the belly part emits light and creates a shield.
Right after that, with a dull sound, as if it were a shell, I could see the iron ball that hit hit and bounce off like a broken egg.
If it was a shield made by a tolerable wizard, it was enough to break through.
It would be troublesome to use all of the mana that is equal to that of a few normal people and use even offensive magic.
I decided to step back and started to climb the stairs, looking ahead.
“Get off at once!
No. 7, you don’t know what’s coming, so put up a barrier…”
It attacked me before I even finished my words.
The moment it pulled out round and long human arms from both sides of its body and pointed it at me, there was a flash of lightning and a roar like a hundred times the sound of a woodpecker.
The maximum-strength protective shield created by No. 7 with both hands spread made an ominous metallic sound.
Is this how it feels when someone with a hundred hands starts hammering in your ear?
Incredibly, it was pouring out dozens of bullets per second.
“Captain, I can only last two minutes!”
Of course, I had no intention of enduring leisurely under that rain of bullets.
I don’t even need to mute my voice anymore, I ran up the stairs with all my might.
It didn’t even take 2 seconds, let alone 2 minutes.
As soon as I stepped into the hallway on the first floor, the stairway that had been bombarded with stray bullets collapsed.
I listened and ran to find a safe place.
Even if I listened intently, I couldn’t hear him chasing us.
It must be because the lower part of the body is covered in ice.
Thanks for letting me go for an hour.
“I didn’t know that the technological power of ancient civilizations was that great.
It’s difficult just to put magic into a bullet, but to fire it so quickly.”
“There was also a barrier built up.
Honestly, it’s better than anything I’ve ever made.
Even a barrier that blocks out sound…”
While complaining with No. 7, a part of my heart felt bitter.
The expectation that it would not be a big deal was greatly missed.
The ancient weapon was too powerful than I thought.
Considering the hunting unit as a whole, it might not be a big obstacle.
If you push with the number of people, you should be able to handle it without too much difficulty.
But a few people will surely be sacrificed.
Group 27 of Kang Ji-ah was unlucky to belong to a few of them.
Will I be alive?
Damn, first I have to live.
“I’ll report to headquarters, so stay alert.”
I said that and took out the walkie-talkie from my pocket.
I was caught by him because of a radio call from the headquarters earlier, but the unit commander said at that time.
They said that they had issued support orders to Articles 8 and 13.
The more there are, the better, so more manpower is needed.
I should report the performance of the ancient weapon to the headquarters and request additional support.
The moment I made that decision and was about to send the radio, I felt a tingling sensation in the lower part of my body.
“Ouch?!”
Number 7 let out a low moan.
A weak current, enough to give you a slight electric shock, was flowing throughout the building.
The epicenter must have been a guy chained underground.
Weak current?
I don’t think it’s an attack.
What do you mean?
I couldn’t guess his purpose, but it didn’t take me long to figure out the answer.
The radio with the current flowing through it crackled and smoked, and then it was completely stretched out.
Did you destroy the communication equipment first after noticing that I received the radio?
It’s a weapon that looks like a human, and it uses all its heads.
Things got very difficult.
I glanced at number 7.
It was unreasonable to force further rescue with communications paralyzed.
I couldn’t risk my life for survivors who might even exist with No. 7, if I were alone.
I must go around the first floor and return to the crew.
I concluded that and was holding No. 7 firmly on my back when I heard a small voice.
“Gong… Master Chief?”
“Jia, isn’t that Kang Ji?!”
It was weak, but it was definitely Kang Ji-ah’s voice.
Her voice came from a room only a few meters away.
As soon as I kicked in the door, I saw Kang Ji-ah lying with her back against the wall and a man collapsed next to her.
Jia Kang seemed to have been shot in her left shoulder.
She tied her wound with a bandage to stop the bleeding, but it seems that her wound was so deep that it couldn’t stop her blood from leaking out.
Her left half was covered in blood.
Still, it was fortunate that Kang Ji-ah was a body enhancement wizard.
Had she been a normal person, her shot would have ripped off her shoulder and whole arm.
As I approached Jia Kang and bent her knees, No. 7 got off my back and began examining the man lying next to her.
“It’s hidden.
It was just that she exhausted herself by excessively consuming her mana in an instant.”
I nodded her head and asked Jia Kang.
“Explain the situation.
What happened?”
I took out her supply of painkillers from her combat uniform and put them near her wound.
Her bottle of medicine shimmered and her medicine seeped into her skin, her Kang Jia’s expression relaxed just slightly.
Her eyes brightened.
“I came to this building because I felt strange smells and sounds while hunting beasts, and I found a person.
Because of her appearance, she approached thinking that she was a member of another group.
It was an ancient murder weapon that was still in operation.
As soon as it transformed from a human to a machine, one person was killed in an instant, followed by four people who disobeyed instructions and scattered in panic.”
The first guaram we discovered was one of those four.
First five people dead and one corpse holding a knife in the hallway.
There are only three corpses in the basement and only one survivor here.
Hunt 27 has been wiped out.
Ji-ah Kang announced that her men had been annihilated with her devastated expression.
“Here, Joo-seong Han’s magic is cold magic, and it specializes in neutralizing enemies.
After killing the first five, the ancient weapon began pursuing us as we retreated inside the building.
We dragged it underground with casualties.
In order to give Joo-seong Han time to put all his efforts into locking him in the ice…”
“We went downstairs too.
There were three corpses.”
Jiah Kang nodded her head.
“It took a lot of sacrifice, but the plan worked.
After completely freezing the ancient weapon and stopping its movement, I took Joo-seong Han and Jo-won, who fainted due to exhaustion of mana, and took refuge here.
Then I passed out for a while.
I woke up to the smell of the captain, the princess.”
Right.
Jiah Kang’s strong reaction to my scent was her luck.
If she hadn’t woken up in time, she would have passed these two without noticing them.
I nodded her head and asked her.
“You said you stopped it by completely freezing it?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t have escaped otherwise.”
“Did it move fast?”
“If I was alone, I would have been able to get away with it, but it would be difficult if I wasn’t a physical enhancement mage.
Mobility, range, and navigation were all excellent.”
After hearing Kang Ji-ah’s words, I was convinced.
I said.
“If we didn’t find you guys, Number 7 and I were going to leave like this.
It’s held up well so far.
From now on, I will go underground and destroy the ancient weapon.”
“Yes?!”
Kang Ji-ah exclaimed in fright.
“We have to fight with the support of the other groups and do our best.
If the two of you fight, it’s just dog death!”
“I don’t have time, so I’ll explain quickly.
Listen to number 7 as well.”
He took out the walkie-talkie from his pocket.
“First, an ancient weapon destroyed my radio.
Neither will yours… Of course we never know when reinforcements will arrive.
But it’s clear that support doesn’t arrive quickly.
It’s to the point that we, who finished the mission the fastest among the hunting teams and were placed closest to you, group 27, have just arrived.
Not to mention the other groups.
Besides, this mission is less dangerous than usual, but there is rather a lot to do as the area in charge is large.
It means that even if support comes, there won’t be much room for it.”
“Wouldn’t it be right to wait for support even if it takes some time?”
Number 7 asked.
“I would have done that normally, but this time it’s different.
Did you see number 7?
Contrary to what Jia said, his upper body was moving normally.
It was melting the ice.
You’re resisting magic.
Judging from the powerful magic he possesses, he should be able to escape in the next few minutes.
The one who escaped will start chasing us nearby or the number 1 guys waiting outside.
Then everyone dies.”
“That…”
Number 7 let out a moan.
Kang Jia also lowered her head with a look of despair.
“Then… Even though you know it won’t work, do you still have no choice but to attack him while he’s tied up?”
I shook my head to Jiah Kang and said.
“No, I’m not attacking in desperation.
There is a way to destroy it.”
“Really…?
My teammates and I fired a lot of attacks at him, but he didn’t budge.
No matter how much the master… Even if it’s the captain who is a princess, that’s it.”
I looked at number 7.
“I need your help.
Number 7, can you trust me and risk your life?”
“Uh…”
Number 7 hesitated for a moment, as if taken aback by the sudden words, but then looked straight at me and said.
Her eyes were full of her trust in me.
“Of course!”
“Thank you.”
She nodded toward Number 7 and she vigorously pulled herself up.
“Then let’s go quickly!
You never know when the magic will break.
Right now…”
“I’ll go too.”
Kang Ji-ah suddenly intervened.
What nonsense is he talking about?
“What are you talking about with that body?
What can you do now?”
“Thanks to the painkillers, I’m somewhat better.
You could run with No. 7 on your back instead of the captain, or at least wait behind the stairs and make a loud noise to get his attention.
I won’t get in the way.”
“You now…”
“My men have been slaughtered.
We’d never see each other again, and we had a lot to say…
Still, they were the ones I was leading.
As their leader, I want to be of any help.
Please.”
Jiah Kang said that and bowed her back.
I met No. 7 and her eyes.
She also shook her head.
You think so too.
Drying it would be useless.
It was obvious that he would secretly follow him if he was not forced to come.
In that case, it would have been better to take him and wait in a safe place.
If you hypnotize Kang Ji-ah and give her an order, that’s it, but it was difficult to do that because there was No. 7 next to her.
“Follow me.
Instead, you must obey my orders.”
“Thank you!”
Jiah Kang started to follow me with staggering steps.
