Chapter 120 – Everyone Has a Hidden Side (8)
“They are an alliance of various forces that broke away in defiance of the stubbornness of the Alliance Headquarters. However, recently, the leaders of these various powers have been purged due to a single entity and have completely united.”
“…It really is the same everywhere people live.”
The commander of the enemy forces, who had been kidnapped in a loud invasion, spoke under interrogation, spilling everything he knew just like those before him.
I, too, along with Eve, confirmed the information gained by comparing it with what we already knew.
At least, we now had a rough outline of the enemies’ affiliations, history, and general strength.
“It’s both a human strength and a weakness.”
As I laughed at their chaotic political situation, Eve scoffed.
Diversity? There might be some benefits, but the fact that a massive force commanding a fleet in the universe continues to bicker among themselves because of that diversity was simply laughable.
“Anyway, since we’ve revealed our identity, shouldn’t we hurry?”
“We can decide that after observing their movements.”
As we got off the plane, Eve’s eyes sparkled.
If the ones we just ambushed showed a quick and proper reaction…
Then we would have to speed things up.
But if they couldn’t respond appropriately and floundered about, there would be no need to rush.
“The cleaning of our newly established base in REDRIUM isn’t even halfway done. There’s no harm in being thorough.”
“But they are developing their own tactics too.”
“That’s true, but they’re just blind to the fundamental problem. Even Kang Do-yeon and the higher beings are just being led by a handful. Our true power isn’t something that can be wielded by a small handful of guerillas.”
Eve shook her head and quelled my doubts. In the meantime, we had arrived at the airport.
Thinking about it, this was my first time traveling abroad. And I was even accompanied by a bomb that could go off at any moment.
“Ahem. Are you Kang Shin Woo from Korea?”
“Ah, yes.”
The only reason I could stand here in confidence on my first trip abroad without worry was the language freedom I gained after becoming one with Eve.
Thanks to Eve, who had mastered all major languages of Earth in just one day for internet browsing, I could respond fluently in French to the guardian alliance’s representative who had come to meet us.
“I am Gael Baran… Just call me Gael. I am the team leader at the branch here. You speak our language very well.”
“Thank you.”
The man named Gael, who came to greet us, was the leader of the guardian alliance branch in France.
His task related to us was simple: to guide us through the gate to the demonic realm, where a fierce war still raged.
“It’s impressive that you volunteered all the way from Korea, especially since the person next to you is still… a minor.”
Gael, sitting in the front seat with the driver, glanced at Eve through the rearview mirror.
I, startled, quickly nodded and agreed. Even someone who didn’t know Eve could tell that her expression was not very pleasant.
“There are too many humans. It’s sickening.”
“…Just a little longer.”
To Eve, humans were like insects—disgusting.
She fundamentally hated them, and although a swarm of ants passing by posed no danger, it certainly wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
Particularly since she had been bitten hard by one of those ants recently, the revulsion was even worse.
“I will ensure you are comfortable until the battlefield.”
However, Gael wasn’t being friendly merely because Eve looked unhappy.
The reason was closely related to the fact that Eve could easily acquire an identity and volunteer for deployment, even at her minor age.
There was a drastic shortage of personnel. The allied forces maintaining the front lines in the demonic realm were perilously low.
It meant they needed all hands on deck, even if that meant pushing individuals towards a high probability of death.
It was that kind of era now.
“I will tell you how to act for our objective. Uh, first, let’s check the current situation.”
Before entering the demonic realm, I held Eve back for one last piece of training. The material was provided by Gael, consisting of highly confidential local situation data.
I didn’t expect anything grand like a sense of duty from Eve. I only needed to inform her where and how to use her inherent abilities.
“Anything is fine as long as we are together.”
Fortunately, it seemed to be working well so far.
—
“Ugh… These crazy! They’re coming again!”
“Hold your ground! If we crumble here, the damage will be greater!”
The barren land that resembled wasteland was vibrating with the constant deafening explosions.
The allied forces, mainly composed of the French army, were doing everything they could to defend the front line centered around their stronghold. They were also gradually pushing the front line forward, trying to strike at the enemy’s base.
In response, the enemies poured in their troops to breach it. This cycle was repeating continuously.
“Today, let’s blow that cumbersome artillery to pieces.”
The main forces of the enemies were the Minotaurs, known as Overlords, which had destroyed one unit of the allied forces in the last confrontation.
A high-ranking demon from the Overlords, who had recently awakened from its seal, charged forward with its subordinates.
Jumping through the gate, they escaped the fire of the artillery and dashed straight towards the allied units.
Immediately, the artillery fire was concentrated on them, but they were much stronger than before.
Suddenly, the wind shifted. A magical wind, filled with magical energy, enveloped their bodies.
This sorcery was originally a technique learned by other units from their Player. However, bound by the alliance, they shared each other’s techniques and grew stronger.
“This is…?!”
One who was able to withstand the artillery shells flying straight at him, snorted in disdain from his now elevated arrogance.
It wasn’t just them who were getting stronger.
This time, the humans used new weapons gained recently.
A laser weapon provided by the alliance that shot high-energy blasts of destruction.
That high-performance laser glowed blue and smashed the magical wind, sending several of the charging bull-headed monsters rolling on the ground in one blow.
“Kill them all!”
Grinding his teeth, one of the enemies lunged forward with a halberd clenched in hand.
Having crushed the machine gun outpost in a single bound, he began to rampage in the middle of their stronghold, roaring with magical fury.
The infantry carrying rifles could not resist him. If it continued like this, everyone would be slaughtered by the invading monsters.
“Everyone fall back!”
“Maintain formation!”
At that moment, the Hunters armed with their weapons surged forth.
Soon, a chaotic battle broke out in the makeshift artillery position.
“…Shoot. Our mission is to keep firing!”
The artillery crew diligently focused on their mission, trying to ignore the fierce battlefield.
Thanks to that, shells continued to rain down on the enemy position. In the end, it was a battle of endurance.
“Cough.”
“How dare these weaklings…”
The problem was that the leader of the high-ranking demons, the Overlords, was too strong.
He effortlessly split a Hunter who charged at him with a sword in half using his halberd, and his eyes gleamed in excitement.
The fearsome aura caused most of the surrounding Hunters to lose the will to fight and flinch. The Hunter who had just been killed in half was among those considered capable, yet he was dispatched in one blow.
“He seems stronger than the last one.”
At that moment, a pair of men and women invaded the battlefield.
With the ground shaking under her, she flew through the air, wielding a sword, and aimed it down upon the enemy.
‘Perhaps this experience might help the Legion thrive.’
Eve reached an unexpected conclusion from the data collected prior and the direct combat scene she was witnessing.
‘The combat patterns faced by the main force are similar.’
A battle of firepower, and the struggle between those seeking to disrupt it and those aiming to defend it.
The current battle between the Earth Alliance and the demonic realm was very similar to the situation faced by the Legion, led by Kang Do-yeon.
‘The combat strategies and variables that may be used depending on the situation are worth studying.’
Contrary to Shin Woo’s expectations, Eve found this situation rather intriguing.
Although her position now was a defender rather than an attacker, sometimes learning and thinking from the opposite perspective can be effective.
For Eve, who craved experience to grow stronger, even this situation could serve as a mere element to aid the growth of the main force far beyond in the outer universe.
“This human girl…”
The enemy, who barely blocked Eve’s sword that came crashing down from the halberd, was shocked.
He wished to fling her away immediately, but somehow the sword pressing down felt too heavy.
‘Here I go.’
In the meantime, Shin Woo and Eve moved simultaneously.
The howling enemy naturally missed one of their movements. As a result, while he swung the halberd unaware that his leg was being severely cut, Eve’s hair narrowly brushed past him as she released energy, twisting her posture grotesquely in mid-air.
“The Overlord was never a good material. Goodbye, trash.”
The crimson slash erupted from Eve’s sword, cleaving the halberd of the enemy who squeezed out his last strength with a shockwave that expelled a gust of wind.
And as the staggering enemy couldn’t escape, Shin Woo severed his neck.
“…Is this déjà vu?”
Shin Woo, who caught Eve as she landed, chuckled at the attention suddenly focused around them.
