NOVEL NEXT chapter 2
Chapter 2
Jin Crow was, how should I put it…
Even within the academy, which had its fair share of peculiar individuals, he was someone who received quite extreme evaluations.
‘Someone you absolutely don’t want to get involved with.’
And that sentiment was shared not only by the cadets but also by the instructors.
There were many reasons, but the most compelling one was probably this:
“Jin Crow, is that instructor’s personality really that nasty?”
“Don’t even get me started. I heard that if he doesn’t like you, he draws his sword regardless of whether you’re a cadet or an instructor.”
“He’s insane. Why do they let him be?”
“His career is one thing, but I heard the faction he’s affiliated with is no joke either.”
Humans tend to reject what they cannot understand.
Of course, more than half the reason Jin Crow was ostracized was his personality, but still.
“……Even his way of speaking is annoying.”
Jin Crow muttered as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
To others, it might seem like he was crazy, but amusingly, this was him being somewhat calm after accepting reality.
He continued his thoughts as he brought the whiskey from the table in front of the sofa to his lips.
‘Jin Crow.’
Previously, he was simply considered a delusional villain, but that didn’t mean he was a one-dimensional character.
It was certain that Jin Crow had something hidden.
However, the problem was that in the story, only the military faction behind him was mentioned, and the rest were unresolved foreshadowings.
Why weren’t they resolved?
‘Well, that’s because Jin Crow died before that.’
A sudden chill ran down his spine, causing a cold sweat to break out.
‘Calm down. It’s not happening right now anyway.’
After regaining his composure, he checked the year on his smartwatch and found that he still had a few years left before his death.
The problem was that it was the time when the 4th Galactic War was about to begin…
Anyway, what mattered now was not the vague fear of a distant future, but the reality unfolding right before his eyes.
“Sigh.”
He let out an unconscious sigh.
Possession, possession.
It took more time than expected to accept that simple and unbelievable fact.
…Let’s not think about it because it’s ugly.
What mattered now was that he was possessed, and roughly ten years later, this world would be destroyed.
By the cosmic monster, ‘Creature.’
For a moment, he wondered if what he was experiencing was just an unpleasant dream, but it was no use.
–
「Q. Prevent the destruction of the galaxy!」
■Goals
□Exterminate the Creature
□Ensure the survival of the protagonist, ‘Baek Hwi-yeong’
□Ensure the survival of the possessor, ‘Jin Crow’
■Description
□You didn’t like the ending of the Galactic Chronicles! Become a character in the work and change the future yourself!
–
The translucent window floating before his eyes shattered even the smallest hope.
Anyway, he muttered quietly, holding the black cigarette that Jin Crow would have smoked in his mouth.
“Recognition information.”
–
■User_Jin Crow
□Rank: Major
□Serial Number (S.N): SMCO55-1113027
□Gear: Dual (Error)
□Health Status: PTSD, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Headache, Drug Addiction, Paranoia, Anger Management Issues
–
A neatly organized window appeared before his eyes.
It would be nice if it were the status window often mentioned in novels, but it’s just simple personal information output by a device that every soldier must carry.
To put it metaphorically, it’s the dog tag of 2275.
Maybe that’s why.
After going through the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, and clearing his mind, he could objectively look at the situation.
‘…What a sight.’
Of course, looking at it objectively didn’t make the situation any more beautiful or positive.
Rather, along with the questions, he could clearly see how messed up the body of Jin Crow, the man he had become, was.
‘The average gear of the cadets at the Central Special Operations Academy is triple.’
Gear is a measure of the power of a superhuman, that is, a special operations officer.
‘The more gear you have, the more efficiently and destructively you can use your power.’
Simply put, it’s a device to handle the overflowing psionic energy of a superhuman.
The average grade of the cadets is triple.
On the other hand, Jin Crow is dual gear.
Would it make sense to say that a single gear squad equipped with reinforced exoskeletons and special operations weapons could subdue him without much damage?
That means Jin Crow, despite the charisma he showed in the early part of the story, is actually quite weak.
‘…It doesn’t add up.’
He muttered, furrowing his brow unconsciously.
It’s not that there were no scenes of Jin Crow fighting in the early and mid parts of the story.
The power he showed at that time, though momentary, surpassed Baek Hwi-young, who was a triple gear at the time.
Then, what could it be?
The questions don’t end there.
‘Error, and drug dependence…?’
The information displayed in front of him was full of incomprehensible phrases.
And the most eye-catching among them was the word ‘Error’ next to dual and Jin Crow’s shattered health condition.
At that moment, the recognition information window suddenly shook, and an anomaly occurred.
■User_Jin Crow
□Rank: Major
□Serial Number: SMCO55-1113027
□Gear: Dual (Error)
□Health Status: PTSD, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Headache, Drug Addiction (30min), Paranoia, Anger Management Issues
–
“……30 minutes?”
The time indicator next to drug dependence updated, and the throbbing headache that had been present since he regained consciousness subsided considerably.
Of course, the deviation wasn’t severe, but for someone who was inwardly irritated by the unfamiliar sensation, it was truly a surprising event.
‘Drug addiction. And what I’m holding are cigarettes and alcohol.’
Anyone with half a brain could see the connection.
A clue was emerging.
Just as the corners of his mouth were about to lift for the first time.
Knock knock-.
The door opened with the sound of knocking.
Then, a woman who seemed visibly displeased appeared.
“Instructor Jin Crow.”
Her gaze landed on his glass of alcohol.
Her previously tense face hardened, and she bit her lips tightly before exhaling a sigh and speaking.
“You always disappoint me.”
Her white hair and pale eyes were fixed on the glass Jin Crow was holding, and she looked at him with eyes filled with inexplicable betrayal.
“Put that glass down immediately.”
Meanwhile, Jin Crow, who had been staring at her with blank eyes, soon realized who she was and muttered softly.
“……Ideale?”
At that moment, it was only natural that Ideale’s brow twitched.
“Your words have become short. Even if I’m the principal now, I’m still your superior.”
……No, that’s not it.
At that moment, Jin Crow thought.
It seems that things have been twisted from the very first meeting.
*
‘Jin Crow.’
Ideale walked down the hallway with a furrowed brow.
“Salute!”
Even as she received the salutes from the instructors she occasionally encountered, her expression did not easily brighten.
A short while ago, the head instructors of each department came to deliver their complaints.
– Recently, there have been too many rumors about Major Jin Crow.
– While he has performed the minimum role as an instructor, he has been holed up in his quarters for weeks now, not coming out at all.
– Action is needed. No matter how much he is a member of Rosen…
This finally moved her, who had been silent for the cadets until now.
This too, was for the cadets.
‘That damn faction. I’m sick of it.’
No matter how much they are the best instructors of the Central Special Officer Academy, the highest resource of the Human Synthesis Nation, they are not free from the rampant faction politics within the military.
It is inevitable.
With hyperspace jumps making the entire galaxy the range of human activity, many soldiers and officers were needed.
When the numbers increase, it is human nature to form groups.
Jin Crow was also one of the beneficiaries.
Rosen, one of the largest factions in the military.
It must be the complaints of other factions who seized the opportunity to oust him, backed by them.
‘But his recent behavior has clearly crossed the line.’
Drawing a sword on a cadet a while ago was excused, but an instructor who skips the few lectures he has and irresponsibly holes up in his quarters is clearly neglecting his duties and committing a breach of trust.
That was the background of her walking to Jin Crow’s quarters early in the morning.
Knock knock-.
She knocked very formally, but had no expectation that he would come out on his own, so Ideale immediately used her security card to forcibly open the door to his quarters.
As expected.
Jin Crow’s appearance was even more disgraceful than she had imagined.
“Instructor Jin Crow.”
Her cold gaze fell on the glass of liquor and cigarette in his hand.
The cigarette could be overlooked.
Even the liquor, she had no private authority to stop an instructor from drinking in his quarters.
But if the person in question irresponsibly holed up and skipped the few lectures he had, it could not be seen in a good light.
“You always disappoint me.”
There was no reply.
He just stared at her blankly with endlessly sunken eyes.
…Was it because it was so different from the time they had briefly crossed paths before?
Ideale, rarely showing emotion, spoke with a voice tinged with anger.
“Put that glass down immediately.”
Moreover, his psionic energy, usually so still it was hard to detect, was swirling around the room, indicating how much he had drunk.
‘What on earth happened to make him this broken?’
Ideale thought absentmindedly, but soon bit her lip slightly and steeled herself.
The past had faded, and what stood before her was merely a soldier who had failed to fulfill his duties.
Preparing to subdue Jin Crow at any moment, Ideale spoke to him with an endlessly cold face.
“Just a month ago, I clearly warned you. I will no longer tolerate actions that undermine the discipline of the academy.”
“…Yes.”
As expected.
Jin Crow nodded obediently with eyes that were impossible to read.
If only he would lash out, it would be a relief, but he always stopped just short of crossing the line.
…So cowardly.
She furrowed her brow at his attitude, then spoke as if she had made up her mind.
“Before midnight, return all the alcohol to the military police. And if you do not attend the upcoming lecture, you will be formally court-martialed.”
Even with Rosen behind him, such blatant dereliction of duty could not escape guilt.
No matter how lenient the punishment might be.
Even though she had turned her back on her family and been pushed to a remote post, she still held that much authority.
She turned on her heel to leave his quarters immediately after delivering the notice.
No, she tried to leave.
If it weren’t for the response he gave, which was unlike his usual silent departure.
“I understand.”
She turned her head at the unexpectedly compliant answer.
Jin Crow’s face, unusually pale, had a terribly awkward smile trembling at the corners of his mouth.
“…Understood.”
Feeling a strange sense of incongruity, that was all Ideale could say.
*
-I understand.
Even as she left his quarters, Ideale unconsciously mulled over Jin Crow’s response.
‘Did he receive a warning from another faction?’
There is no other possibility that comes to mind.
“Sigh.”
Suddenly, she found herself amusing for worrying about such things.
What is a soldier?
It is their duty and mission to protect the people.
But for such a military to be divided into factions when they should be wholeheartedly protecting the people of the Synthetic Nation?
‘It must be eradicated. Someday.’
Others said it was inevitable, but she could never tolerate factions within the military.
…Even if it was her own kin or former comrades.
She gritted her teeth again and walked forward.