NOVEL NEXT Side Story 14
Side Story 14. Gratitude And Grudge
Inside the command vehicle, Mori wore an expression of fury. He kicked the terminal-embedded table in irritation. A loud thud echoed from the fixed tactical table.
“This is utterly unacceptable! Wasn’t Wraith supposed to be as strong as a Goblin Knight?”
The footage from the small camera attached to Wraith was nothing short of a nightmare for Mori. The Dancing Mail project, which was supposed to be announced with spectacular results—a man-made monster plan researched by Kamishiro Serika, aimed at creating soldiers equivalent to Level 3.
In these days when ammunition is scarce, it is revolutionary to be able to create soldiers who can conquer dungeons without using guns. Mori had been secretly supporting Kamishiro Serika, and had stolen the plan at the last stage. Mori had no intention of stealing it. After all, he had invested a lot of money and people into it, so he naturally thought that the results were his own.
Wraith couldn’t even withstand AP rounds from assault rifles, let alone tanks or armored vehicles, but if they could produce soldiers capable of destroying a Goblin King’s dungeon on the spot, it would be a remarkable achievement.
If dungeons could be conquered and Level 3 potions reliably harvested, not only would combat strength increase, but crafting skills would level up, significantly boosting production capacity. The world would be transformed.
If the results were delivered, everything else would fall into place. Materials for soldiers were littered all over the ruined city. Those who criticized their use as test subjects would surely fall silent once they saw their performance. Contradictory as it was, that’s how the world worked. Once something proved useful, people flipped their stance—such was society.
But that was only if results were delivered. Based on the performance Kamishiro Serika had calculated, Mori had expected a few Wraith sacrifices to conquer a Goblin King’s dungeon. The first and second-phase targets were trivial in comparison.
“Wasn’t Amano Sakimori supposed to be Skill Level 3? That magician shouldn’t be that strong! And what the hell is that familiar? It’s far stronger than Wraith!”
“B-But according to Major Fuuma’s intel, he’s definitely Level 3! We don’t know why he has such combat prowess!”
A pale-faced operator reported to Mori, who radiated fury. On the monitor, Wraith units were being annihilated one after another. Their vitals flatlined, the display switching to DEAD.
Even the operators couldn’t believe the battle onscreen. A single Wraith was designed to defeat an Arachne. Though mass production had downgraded their specs, they still possessed enough strength to crumple cars like scrap, and their mana armor was both durable and magic-resistant—they shouldn’t lose to some Level 3 magician.
Yet the monitor showed them being torn apart by the magician’s pitch-black tiger familiar. At first, its unexpected combat power had caught Wraith off guard, but they should’ve adapted and destroyed it. Instead, the familiar clad itself in jet-black armor over its jet-black fur—its performance skyrocketing, its claws slicing through Wraith’ armor like paper, its own armor effortlessly blocking their strikes.
It was hard to tell who was testing whom. And then—
“Another one down! Number 8’s been destroyed! I-It’s no use, they’re completely outmatched. It’s a monster.”
The jet-black spears flew through the air and attacked the swarm of wraiths at high speed. As the jet-black wind passed over their bodies, the wraiths were pulverized and scattered to the ground. The speed of a wraith should be over 100 km per hour, but the spears far exceeded that speed, pulverizing the wraiths.
Even when they crossed their arms to block, the spear pierced through limbs and torsos like paper. Dodging was futile—it struck with terrifying precision, its speed and power undiminished as it danced through the air.
“Tch! Target the magician!”
“No good! The spearman’s using defensive skills—we can’t get close!”
Mori ordered the remaining Wraith to charge Sakimori, but Gotou, wielding his spear with the martial skill [Aiming], stood in their way, deflecting and repelling them with ease.
“Send in the soldiers! Kill those insolent bastards!”
Finally abandoning the Wraith performance test, Mori commanded his men to eliminate the defenders. Three Wraith remained—they could resume testing after the targets were dead. With soldiers wielding assault rifles, humans stood no chance.
“Roger! …Vice-Director Mori, we have an incoming call from Kamishiro-sama.”
As the operator relayed the communication, Mori, still seething, grabbed the receiver.
“Kamishiro Serika! Your research is nothing but lies! Wraith is being destroyed like tin toys by some Level 3 magician. What the hell is going on?”
Serika’s voice, transmitted through the receiver, remained calm despite Mori’s crimson-faced roar.
“Is that so? I provided precise numerical values. Wraith does have Level 3 performance. I guarantee it.”
“They’re being wiped out! Without results, performance means nothing! You will bear the responsibility for this! Not to mention the magic tools secretly smuggled out to create Wraith!”
Mori shamelessly shifted blame. Moments ago, he’d planned to steal credit for research he hadn’t conducted—now he brazenly accused her.
“That’s troubling. But don’t worry. Wraith has a hidden function.”
“A hidden function?”
Mori’s eyebrow twitched. He’d been scheming how to pin this failure on Serika, but now his anger gave way to interest.
“Yes. Wraith is controlled by a command crystal—the ‘Mother’ unit installed in this vehicle. Operator orders are relayed to Wraith through it.”
“We knew that during design! What’s your point?”
“The crystal can also channel mana into Wraith. For a short time, their combat power will multiply.”
“Such a function exists… Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’d intended it as a trump card for my own survival, but since I’m about to be branded a criminal, I have no choice. Say [Nightmare Release] to the command crystal to activate it.”
Her voice, logical and melodious, carried through the receiver. Mori pondered. With that power, those magicians would be crushed.
Rubbing his chin, Mori weighed the offer—then made his decision.
“The order stands. Send the soldiers after Amano Sakimori.”
He chose not to use the so-called hidden function. His face showed no hesitation.
“Oh? Not using your trump card?”
Serika’s teasing voice drew a scoff from Mori.
“Do you take me for a fool, Kamishiro Serika? I wouldn’t touch such a suspicious function!”
A brief silence followed.
“Ahahaha. Guess anime and novel clichés don’t play out in reality. Though I should’ve expected that—you’re excellent at self-preservation.”
Mori’s expression darkened. He wasn’t stupid enough to fall for such an obvious trap.
“So it was a trap. Remember this, you wretch! When you return, I’ll strip you of your new lab and hand you off to some lecherous old—”
“Hard pass. Besides, the trap’s already sprung.”
“What? What are you—…No!”
Serika’s carefree tone made Mori realize—
“That conversation was the activation command?!”
As he tried to flee the command vehicle, a terrible premonition struck—
Too late.
“Wh-What is this?”
“Eek!”
“Some kind of… black stuff?”
Tar-like darkness oozed from console gaps, under tables—everywhere. It slithered like slime, clinging to operators’ legs, crawling upward.
“What is this? The same stuff covering Wraith? Damn it!”
Black droplets fell from the ceiling, landing on Mori’s shoulder. He tried scraping it off, but it clung, spreading.
“Aah—!”
One operator, fully engulfed, dissolved—flesh melting into black bones, then liquefying further into the tar.
“Guh! You planned this, Kamishiro Serika!”
As his own body eroded, Mori roared. The command vehicle was nearly submerged in the black tar.
“Fufu. You were a good partner. Your funds and connections were useful. But I’d like to continue my research alone now—I have other patrons. So goodbye, Vice-Director Mori. Ah, rest assured, I’ve already retrieved all your hidden data.”
“You bastard… You’re mocking me—”
“I’d say ‘curse your unfortunate birth,’ but I hold no grudge against the Mori family. Still, take pride in becoming part of a great experiment. A researcher’s dream, no?”
The communication ended with those words, and Mouri was covered in black tar. He tried to struggle to escape, but eventually everything melted and mixed into the black tar-like substance.
Seated in the passenger seat of a jeep speeding through the ruins, Serika wore a faint, cruel smile. Her silver hair shimmered in the wind.
“All good-nya?”
The driving Karin glanced sideways. Serika shrugged.
“Yeah. My research is nearing its climax. Vice-Director Mori’s outlived his usefulness. I can proceed alone now.”
“Kinda feel bad for him-nya.”
Though Mori was a villain, he’d been a long-time associate, funding Serika’s work. Karin pitied him slightly.
“If he’d known he’d die, he wouldn’t have come-nyaa.”
Her cat ears twitched. Karin’s intel had revealed Mori’s plan to discard Serika for a promotion. She’d reported it, and the albino genius had orchestrated this trap.
“A bigshot from the inner city, dying in the ruins… Nyah.”
“He was just a boy. Fufu—my number one wanted line. Good job, Karin.”
Laughing, Serika removed her bone-conduction headset and tossed it into the sky. It shattered on the ground with a clink.
The jeep, carrying the two girls, kicked up dust as it vanished into the ruins.