NOVEL NEXT Chapter 205
Chapter 205 – Rebellion (5)
“We need to withdraw immediately. It’s an order from above!”
“Where exactly? How do you propose we do that? Start by telling me that.”
Panic, chaos, fear. The residents on the screen facing the Bugs were feeling the same emotions now.
For some, they were just pixels on a screen, so it was only natural. The problem was that they were in a place where the User couldn’t exert influence right away.
“Follow me!”
“Team Leader!”
They stood at a crossroads while carrying out their mission, but Team Leader Ash quickly made a decision. He couldn’t just pass by the people dying right before his eyes, obeying the order to withdraw.
‘These crazy monsters.’
The rampaging Bugs slaughtered indiscriminately, regardless of age or gender.
After seeing the decapitated bodies of a father and son still holding hands, he gritted his teeth and drew his gun, firing at the Bugs.
“It’s not effective.”
“They’re a new variant. We can’t capture them. We need a Guardian!”
While the lower-level enemies that hadn’t yet become ultimate Bugs could be dealt with using bullets, the new variant Bugs that had evolved through continuous fire exchanges couldn’t be taken down by rifles.
“Where are the Guardians? Ian is currently on standby at the base.”
Upon hearing his teammate’s words, Ash sighed. They had snuck in with just the two of them, so the Guardians affiliated with the team were stationed far away at the base. As things stood, there were no Guardians left in this land, which had been completely overrun by the terror organization.
“There’s, there’s one Guardian, isn’t there?”
It was then that one of the team members handed him a controller. It was for a drone equipped with a camera.
He flinched upon seeing it. The screen from the quietly infiltrated drone was showing the target they had followed all the way here.
“Are you out of your mind? You want to reveal our identities?”
“This is a well-known conflict area; we can make an excuse. Right now, this person is our only hope.”
The teammates were persuasive, having solidified their determination. Already, the weight of responsibility to protect the remaining teammates weighed heavily on him after ignoring the orders from above to retreat in order to save people.
“Connect to him right now.”
Realizing there was no other choice, he moved the drone towards him.
The man on the screen had already wiped out all the members of the organization parasitized by the Bugs underground.
“Did you say you plan to move him?”
“It’s intel from Korea. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll show up at the coordinates we provided.”
Just as he was about to speak, Ash recalled the words he had heard from his superior. They had already faintly recognized his identity and had cooperated with the South Korean National Intelligence Service to spread the bait.
Lee So-Yeon, with whom he spoke, had asked them for information about the bait, and they had revealed the coordinates, waiting for his actions.
‘Amazing.’
And the sheer power he wielded was enough to astound them all. He rendered all modern technology useless like the Bugs, single-handedly crushing that nuisance of an armed group.
It was also confirmed that the armed group was indeed those who had been parasitized by Bugs.
‘Who on earth is he?’
At this point, Ash couldn’t help but question everything. This individual looked stronger than any Guardian revealed to the world. What did he want? Why was he acting this way?
But one thing Ash was certain of was that his actions were not for his own benefit or that of a specific group.
“Right now, countless people are dying. And we lack the power to stop them. The only one who can halt the new variants in this city is you.”
So he earnestly appealed. He thought surely he would agree. It was terrible and almost guilt-ridden, but what could he do?
‘Could he really have come along because of me? Well, anyway, my relationship with Lee So-Yeon is kind of already transparent at this point.’
And hearing Ash’s words after revealing their identities, the man calmed his surprise and bit his lip.
Unlike Ash’s expectations, he was already wrestling with immense inner conflict in this moment. However, it was true that Ash’s appeal, stripped of influence and nationality, had made an impact.
‘If it’s just one or two new variants…’
Ultimately, he decided to go for it and turned away. Ignoring Ash’s calls, he sprinted out of the underground bunker, charging towards the Bugs that were turning the city into chaos.
“Team Leader!”
“We’re only catching the smaller ones now. Hurry and evacuate the people!”
His teammates were surprised to see the black cloak streak past them, but Ash decided no longer to monitor him; he would focus on what needed to be done.
*
“Ugh, aaaah!”
There were some who picked up the weapons abandoned by the organization and resisted. They fought the Bugs that came through the Gate, armed with weapons to protect their families and loved ones.
“…”
However, even the well-aimed anti-tank weapons couldn’t penetrate the chitin of the evolved Bugs, leaving the general populace with no means to resist.
“Yikes!”
A massive insectoid new variant turned to look at the person who just fired the anti-tank weapon at it.
At the same time, the gigantic spear in its hand flew towards him as carelessly as if swatting a fly.
[Mana Protect]
The spear was swiftly met by a blue defense barrier that had formed. With that, Joon-Young gritted his teeth behind his mask, charging at the Bug.
‘I can do this. No, I must do this.’
As he dodged the blow from the recovering Bug, he tried to mimic the actions of the strongest warrior he had seen.
It wasn’t too hard. The power surging within him was borrowed directly from that warrior.
“—!”
His sword, emanating cold, cleaved through the Bug’s torso with pinpoint accuracy. As a result, the earth’s firepower shattered the armor of the insect that possessed tremendous defensive capabilities, splattering thick bodily fluids everywhere.
“See, I got it. I really did it alone!”
“That’s a relief.”
Hearing the words of his teammate watching through binoculars, Ash, who was evacuating the kids, let out a hollow laugh.
‘A real hero has appeared.’
People were ecstatic and responded to the idealized image of a hero. There was no reason not to have hope in the true hero who appeared in their moment of difficulty.
If his efforts proved successful in saving the city and its citizens, the reverberations would be significant. Everyone would understand what was truly needed to save lives.
“Team Leader?”
“What? Is there an earthquake?!”
However, everything was not over yet. Ash knelt on one knee, staring wide-eyed at the violently shaking ground beneath him.
The purpose of the Bugs that had emerged through the Gate was to capture him.
Now that he chose to fight, there was no reason not to exert even more strength.
‘What the hell is this huge?!’
Ash was taken aback by the sight of a gigantic creature emerging from the ground right in the middle of the city.
A massive, elongated body with sharp teeth. It was a bona fide giant monster that dwarfed even ordinary buildings.
Combining that enormous size with its intrinsic defensive capabilities made it seem impossible to land any hits at all.
“These sneaky bastards…”
While Ash was horrified, Joon-Young, who had just succeeded in defeating the new variants, gritted his teeth upon seeing the enormous Death Worm crawl out.
He comprehended the Bugs’ intention. They knew he was trying to protect the people and were using them as hostages.
While he could likely escape from that massive foe, the city’s residents who couldn’t evacuate would perish in droves.
‘No. I can’t win right now.’
Even a Frosbite the size of a person seemed more like a toothpick compared to that massive body.
Bullets and shells flew everywhere, hitting it, but plainly, the glinting teeth of the Death Worm didn’t even flinch.
The intention was obvious, but fighting here wouldn’t guarantee victory anyway.
‘I really need a hero.’
The Death Worm was the secret weapon released by the Bugs. No creature like that had appeared in this world before. In that respect, they were certainly determined to take him down, and he realized this too.
“The buildings are collapsing! Everyone get out!”
“Um, mom…”
People were dying by the second. Even if he didn’t understand the language, he could sense what they were saying as they died.
“Yes, I know what you all are feeling.”
Looking up at the sky, he let out a hollow laugh. It wasn’t hard to guess what kind of emotions those watching this scene beyond the screen must be feeling as a fellow User.
‘This is a chance to test myself.’
Thus, he naturally drew up his powers. If the Bugs were pulling out their final moves, he too had to face them head-on.
And typically, the final move is what decides the outcome.
[Descent]
He welcomed a true hero into his body. At this moment, she was somewhere far away in another world.
“…?!”
“What’s the matter?”
After taking control of the Wall, Riena stood up with her eyes wide open, preparing to charge alongside Balun.
“That man is calling.”
“W-what!?”
Regardless of Balun’s surprise, all she could say was that. At the same moment, her body was enveloped in a radiant light and vanished.
“What the hell is this?”
Only Balun, who was left there with a gaping mouth, remained.
‘It’s the same as back then. That dream.’
Riena realized she was flying in the sky. This familiar sight was exactly what she had felt at the moment when she connected with him after acquiring Descent.
‘I understand what you want now.’
The city down below burned, and people screamed. And that city was being destroyed by a gigantic monster.
Riena recognized his will in calling her here and bit her lip. Killing those pesky Bugs was something she desperately wanted to do too.
There was no reason to oppose the commands of the one she trusted.
“I don’t know who you are, but you’re just as disgusting.”
With a massive, bright golden flash that tore the heavens, Riena descended, spreading her wings and aiming her sword at the Death Worm.
Her sworn enemy and the world’s abomination. The sacred light harmonizing with the Bugs erupted from the sword she raised, releasing a massive strike comparable to the thick body of the Bug.
“—!!!”
Clearly caught off guard, the Death Worm, unable to evade from an unexpected assault, was left writhing in pain, blood gushing from its cracked armor.
“I could do this dozens of times over.”
Riena scoffed, recovering her sword and charging up for another colossal strike.