Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Guilt? I Admit You’re a Fool!
117th Chapter – Everyone Has a Hidden Side (5)
“It all happened in an instant…”
“I apologize.”
“It’s not your fault, Aiden.”
Liam, the Supreme Commander, sighed and slumped in his chair aboard the stationary flagship in the vastness of space.
Next to him stood Captain Aiden, who had previously come to this planet for exploration and had withdrawn after losing two escort ships.
“The frontier command has unexpectedly been assigned a critical mission. How are the negotiations with the locals progressing?”
“They are on high alert, especially their leadership, the Mages. However, the negotiations themselves are proceeding smoothly.”
“The esteemed Supreme Commander is showing great interest. There’s also a significant chance they are aware of the Alliance’s presence here.”
The reason their leader dispatched the majority of the command to the headquarters was not without cause.
Believing that the source of misinformation about this place came from the Alliance they opposed, they remained excessively cautious.
Moreover, their leader had become obsessed with the new “technology” that could be gained from this planet and indicated a willingness to wage war against the Alliance to obtain it.
“Magic. It’s hard to believe, but here’s the evidence.”
Liam was replaying the same footage on the screen.
The video captured the Mages performing magic and was absolutely not fictional.
A new concept of power that defies the laws of physics. The value of this power was recognized by anyone who saw it.
If utilized, it could significantly influence the prolonged power struggles.
“However, there’s still an unresolved issue…”
“Have we still not found any trace of them?”
As Aiden murmured while bowing his head, Liam clicked his tongue and changed the screen.
“There isn’t much data on the horrifying alien insects.”
The footage displayed the records of the previous battle.
A massive nest covering the ground, bombings… and counterattacks.
Aiden flinched as he witnessed an escort ship being obliterated by a colossal beam shot from the ground.
“But in all my decades in the military, I’ve never seen insects capable of targeting spaceships from the ground.”
“They are not ordinary insects.”
Aiden struggled to speak.
“It’s true that we were utterly defeated by our bombardment, but that was only a part of their vast nest. Even then, we were forced to retreat due to immediate counterattacks. However, when we regrouped with the main force and headed back to the ground…”
“The vast nest had completely vanished.”
Both Liam and Aiden fell silent, lost in thought. It was indeed strange to categorize them simply as ordinary space monsters.
“…What did the locals say about them? They were said to be on the brink of extinction.”
“They described those monsters as the descendants of a monstrous race known as the Destruction Beasts, which existed in the past. They claimed to have barely survived in the deep, deep underground labyrinth and recently emerged again.”
“I can’t understand. Isn’t that too different from their testimonies? I’ve encountered many simple infection-type monsters. But…”
Liam pondered as he searched through the gathered data on the Destruction Beasts.
While the locals claimed the monsters resembled Destruction Beasts, the creatures they had observed directly were quite different from those recorded in their history.
“I really can’t comprehend it. The curves of that body… could it possibly be feminine?”
“The temporary code number is 01-00, and we have classified it based on the locals’ opinions as a ‘Commander-level’ humanoid warrior type. It is a named monster that the locals greatly fear, known as the ‘Wings of Despair.'”
Aiden added an explanation based on the data he collected as Liam muttered while looking at the enlarged screen.
On the large display was the humanoid monster captured by the flagship, which was partially destroying the escort ship Jereus in space.
With a pair of black wings and surrounded by a dark red energy shield, it looked nothing like the simple monsters they had faced until now.
“…Even if they have vanished for now, we’ll need to form a dedicated team to develop a response strategy. Think about it, Captain. If dozens of such small but potent monsters can charge into the battlefield while spewing sufficient firepower, our fleet would be left unable to utilize its enormous size and could be annihilated. The tides of war could shift dramatically.”
“Indeed. We urgently need a countermeasure.”
“Perhaps the locals could assist us with that countermeasure.”
Although he had been demoted to a lesser position due to the Supreme Commander’s dictatorial power, Liam had once been capable enough to serve as the Supreme Commander of the Alliance forces. A flash of inspiration came to his eyes.
*
‘Rather than targeting them, we should focus on the locals who are in close contact with them.’
While discussions about countermeasures unfolded at a high level in space.
Kang Do-yeon, the one at the center of the discussion, remained in the refugee camp.
‘Why is this happening?’
‘They must be more thorough than the locals since they are here for exploration of an alien planet. They might quickly notice any anomalies in their safety.’
‘What? That’s an unfounded prediction. But fine, I’ll go along with your plan.’
Eve approved Kang Do-yeon’s scheme. She had already devised a plan.
Changing the target, she intended to ambush one of the recent negotiating delegates to extract information.
“…What’s going on?”
The problem was that the refugee camp, crowded with people from various places, was complete chaos.
In such confusion and disorder, she, who appeared to be a frail woman, could easily become a target for crime while wandering alone.
As Kang Do-yeon crossed the night streets, she found herself surrounded by men who had followed her from the tent village.
“Don’t worry. This is much better than living alone.”
A man grinning with a rough rope approached her.
They were one of the types that typically emerged during chaotic times—low-quality thugs who forcefully abduct defenseless women, claiming to offer protection while coercing them into selling their bodies.
‘This works out well.’
‘Is there a better plan than being ground up alive for nutrients?’
‘…If greater chaos spreads, it’ll be easier to target them.’
Seeing the men approaching her, Kang Do-yeon’s face hardened as she spontaneously added a new stage to her plan.
“Don’t be afraid. If you want to enjoy yourself, the pain will be just momentary.”
They mistook her stern expression for fear and chuckled.
“Hey?”
However, one of the men reached out to Kang Do-yeon, only to have someone grab his hand.
Kang Do-yeon had not come to this desolate ruin without purpose.
Seeing the massive, rough hand of a black creature slowly emerging in the moonlight, the man gasped in shock.
Gradually revealing its form, it was an abominable creature clad in black armor.
It was a moment when the Legion’s camouflage capabilities, maximized by combining the abilities of various creatures like the earth’s mimic octopus, emerged.
“Ugh, aah!”
“When did those bastards…”
The elite Legionnaires, who had infiltrated the ruins, instantly revealed themselves and subdued the startled men without a sound.
And injected them with infectious microbes through their skin.
“Cough… guh…”
They lost the ability to scream as the spreading black veins took over their bodies.
“Go, rampage.”
Kang Do-yeon sent the unfortunate victims, unaware of the predator, into the refugee camp.
They twisted their bodies in madness and dashed out like madmen.
The refugee camp inevitably fell into chaos after experiencing unexpected terror during the night.
“We should move.”
Hearing the distant screams and cries, Kang Do-yeon activated her camouflage ability and concealed herself elsewhere.
If the internal chaos grew larger, the guards would naturally lower their vigilance.
“What on earth is happening?!”
“Sir, Congressman! The refugee camp is…!”
And her expectations were confirmed.
One of the leading members of the negotiation team, an old Mage who had once been a member of the continental council, bolted from his quarters in shock.
Kang Do-yeon noted that all eyes were focused on the refugee camp before advancing.
Among them, the Legionnaires, who had transformed into ordinary humans, dashed through the darkness toward him.
“Mr. Torres!”
“W-What?!”
The knights guarding him drew their swords in response to the sudden assault, but it was futile.
A middle-aged, emaciated woman and a still-growing child wielded their bare hands with blank expressions, shattering the knights’ swords, and their kicks crumpled the armor, sending bloodied figures flying.
“Ugh…”
Before he could even cast a spell, Kang Do-yeon had him by the throat, slamming him against the wall.
His wide-open eyes recognized the face that had been meticulously hidden beneath a mask, but it no longer mattered.
The infectious microbes that penetrated his body began to spread rapidly, gaining control over him.
And just as they vanished.
No one was left in the street, and they disappeared without a trace.
