Chapter 59: Tangled (3)
“Is it just me, or is it a bit strong?”
Yoon Su-Ah forced a smile as she deflected the enemy’s sword.
Her ability was [Cutting], a power that granted the ability to imbue the sword with cutting force.
Thanks to this advantageous trait, she had never had a problem with attack power as long as her sword made contact with the enemy.
The issue was that the enemy’s magical power was also Formancy, just like her ability.
No demon she had fought so far used this kind of power, so she was barely holding her ground against an unfamiliar type of opponent.
“Ugh.”
She was forced back due to the overwhelming force.
The problem was that as monsters grew stronger, such battles would likely become more frequent.
And she was well aware of that.
‘I have to endure.’
Resolutely, she planted her feet on the ground.
It was one thing to retreat in the past, but now she couldn’t afford to do so.
Dodging a large black great sword that was swung at her, she quickly lunged forward.
“Haah!”
Taking advantage of the enemy’s momentary confusion, she raised her sword high and slashed down the length of its armor.
The power of Cutting erupted.
The enemy’s armor began to crack and break apart under the force of her attack.
“Got it!”
She felt a surge of certainty in her victory, a confidence in the possibility of success.
Her excited heart raced.
“They’re coming in!!”
“More kobolds!”
Yoon Su-Ah glanced at the glowing magic circle ahead, where monsters were being spewed out relentlessly.
Charging forward, fueled by newfound confidence and supported by covering fire from the soldiers, she aimed for the ones that seemed particularly special among the monsters.
—
“Do… you think the main base will be breached?”
“I don’t know. Damn, why is everything going so wrong?”
In the midst of the constant gunfire, explosions, and shouts, Robert, who was on standby, was smoking a cigarette out of nervousness.
The other mercenaries were similarly tense, their expressions dark.
All of this was due to the enemy, who kept thwarting the Allied Forces’ predictions.
“I wish they’d just end it all with missile or nuclear bomb strikes under the guise of rescuing survivors.”
“We’re at this point, and you still think it’s that simple? It’s questionable if that would even work at this stage. I could easily believe that those monsters could shoot back. They’re using strange magic; do you seriously think they can’t fight back?”
Unease was growing sharper with every passing moment.
And it was the same for him as well. No matter how hard he tried to calm his mind, fear was still fear.
[Unit Summon Ticket x1]
A thought flashed in his mind—something only he could see, the final card he could play.
The problem was, this really was the last card.
Even if he summoned it here and now, the backlash was unthinkable.
Unless he was facing death itself, he couldn’t use it.
If the defense of the base was breached…
“The defense…!”
“The defense is falling! Elite monsters are breaking through!”
It seemed that all his worst fears were coming true.
“Fall back! Our priority is to protect our researchers!”
Robert immediately rushed the researchers to the back of the base.
The chaos was only escalating.
“Alright. Maybe the Apache can take them all out?”
As the combat helicopters launched into the fray, firing missiles and machine guns, the chaos intensified.
“…”
When the helicopters were all shot down by blue lasers from the enemy’s line, Max snapped.
He gripped the handle of his gun tighter.
[The Legion is always ready to stand by your side.]
“…Not now. It can’t be now.”
The base had not yet collapsed. Calling upon the Legion’s power in front of so many people was the wrong decision.
[Then you will have no choice but to watch as people die.]
“Shut up.”
He gritted his teeth, torn between reality and desire.
In the end, he did not use the summon ticket.
Even when the tanks blocked the path in a hurry.
Even as the creatures that circled around the tank approached through the artillery fire that shook the base at this very moment.
He kept repeating the primary objective in his mind. His goal was nothing other than survival.
From the enemies and from the Legion. Everything he was doing was for that.
Attracting the enemy’s attention here could lead to disaster. He wanted to save it for a moment of extreme danger.
“This doesn’t look good; I think we have to fight too.”
Robert mumbled, sweating in anxiety.
The base, housing tens of thousands, was vast.
The urgent defensive forces at the front were being overwhelmed, and those on either flank wouldn’t be stronger than the frontline.
“It seems we’re lacking enough hunters to counter their special operations.”
“…If you want to go, you can. I’ll definitely make sure to pay you.”
“What?”
Robert, confused by Cox’s words, lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
Feeling flustered, he had no choice but to move forward. This was his burden to bear.
If he did not step up now, the strongest justification he had explained to the Legion would lose all meaning.
‘Maybe I could just pretend I rushed out…’
Of course, he hesitated. And since all the information the Legion could know was something he had to tell them, wouldn’t it be possible to deceive them?
[Are you confident?]
But his weak heart trembled at the one phrase that appeared before him.
Taking a deep breath, he planted his feet firmly.
“I must convey! Without fail! The choice I made now, and how much I loathe those monsters!”
He dashed towards the left side of the base, where enemies were closing in.
He steeled himself. This wasn’t just about the Legion; those monsters were also his enemies.
Helping the people was not merely about nurturing an excuse.
—
[He joined forces with his allies to face the attacking enemies and aided the people. Compared to the black-armored enemies advancing from the front, the foes he faced were somewhat inferior in strength. The special operations troops using Formancy were only on the level of a mild enhancement spell. They seemed to know that artillery fire would be concentrated on both flanks and intentionally funneled weaker targets as bait.]
“He is currently…”
“Where’s my brother?! Is he okay?!”
In the middle of passively listening to the commentary, Kang Do-yeon couldn’t hold back any longer and raised her voice.
“Ugh…”
The Legion quickly silenced her.
A mask formed only around her mouth, covering her jaw and lips.
“I can interpret the tidal wave of emotions. Excitement, extreme excitement, relief, and then excitement again. Did he just take down an enemy?”
[Indeed. He shot down one of the monsters attacking a soldier with the gun he was holding. One with Formancy now charges at him.]
“The result?”
[Calmly, he jumped back and swung the butt of the gun at its head before kicking it away. He seized the sword it was holding and struck down.]
“He’s fighting well, but I can’t understand it.”
The Legion frowned beneath the mask.
Of course, the Legion hoped for his survival and wanted him to grow stronger to facilitate that.
But he was not fighting to grow stronger.
“Why?”
For the Legion, the purpose of fighting was solely for growth and devouring the weak.
Thus, the concept of fighting to save and help someone was something hard to comprehend.
It was clear through the emotions flowing from him that he was sincere, making it all the more baffling.
“Ugh! Ugh, ugh!”
At that moment, Kang Do-yeon began to tap her mouth repeatedly.
Seeing this, the Legion removed the mask.
—
“There are not just one kind of fights…”
“To protect someone? Why is that? The weak are naturally culled and eaten. It’s the law of life. Let me just say this: don’t impose your human values on me.”
“I don’t understand that either, but still, my brother is trying to teach you. His thoughts. Will you ignore that too?”
She carefully spoke up.
However, the value of siblings trying to impart a new ideology was something the Legion found hard to grasp.
[If you don’t understand, keep watching. He fights for you and for his beliefs.]
“This is a waste of time, not helping his growth… But I’m not sure. It would be faster for me to get much stronger and aid him. If I devour all the humans, there won’t be a need for him to protect anything, right?”
“That’s absolutely not what my brother wants! He would be sad!”
Kang Do-yeon desperately tried to persuade and guide the Legion, well aware of her purpose.
[As he was helping the injured, a particularly strong foe appeared. Its equipment looked unusual. As energy flowed into the blade in its hands, it began to shine blue. An energy field unfolded from the device in its other hand, deflecting bullets.]
“…I don’t care about anything else; I want to swallow those primitive furballs whole one day.”
The Legion seethed with anger.
Kang Do-yeon didn’t stop that fury. It was the anger and hatred towards the demons.
The Legion had accepted one of the teachings the siblings were trying to convey.
[He made use of the offering you provided. The power core of the Legion created from the modified Sacred Tree. It merely released energy, but that was sufficient. The enemy was crushed in the explosion, shield and all.]
“I have to give him more.”
Hearing the news that he had killed a formidable foe with the weapon he provided, a smile crept onto his face.
As if the mask was about to be placed back on, Kang Do-yeon decided to hold her tongue, carefully observing.
