novelraw Chapter 7 : I Don't Want to Stand Out (1)
Chapter 7 : I Don't Want to Stand Out (1)
Chapter 7 - I Don't Want to Stand Out (1)
He was still soaking in a dim sense of awe while looking at Lake City. Just then, he heard the sound of dress shoes from behind.
Step, step.
Before Taebaek could even identify the owner of the footsteps, Yoo Da-hee spoke first, as if to preempt him.
“Finished?”
“Mostly. Looks like we picked a good day. The security force was less than a quarter of its usual size. Their combat strength was so-so, too. Ah, Rock went to secure an escape vehicle. He should be joining us within three minutes—.”
The man replied, massaging his neck from side to side. Then he spotted Kang Hyunseong, and his face lit up.
“...C-Commander!!”
“It's been a while, Fumito.”
Kang Hyunseong grinned, and Fumito quickly ran over. The two men then bumped fists in a warm reunion.
“Whoa, look how lean your face has gotten. I guess the prison food agreed with you? You're looking sharp now.”
“Don't even talk about it. I didn't even eat ten meals the whole time I was locked up in the Neuro-prison. The soup was the worst. I have no idea what they put in it, but it was bitter as hell. Those tax-thieving bastards.”
“Hahaha. If I'd known, I would've brought a block of tofu to celebrate your release, but it slipped my mind.”
They exchanged friendly words.
It's just like I felt when Yoo Da-hee was talking to Kang Hyunseong, Taebaek thought.
The organizational structure of the Resistance seems to be horizontal.
“Anyway, you went through a lot, Commander.”
“You too. You played the biggest part in this operation.”
“Not as much as you, Commander. You were eating prison food for three months.”
Meanwhile, Taebaek sized up Fumito.
Fumito's coat, unlike the other two's, had a dizzyingly ornate design.
Do they call this a special attack uniform?
In addition, he carried a long Japanese greatsword, an ōdachi, on his back, and wore a wakizashi, a Japanese sword for self-defense, at his hip.
He must be a frontline commander specializing in close-quarters combat.
Taebaek suddenly felt a sense of unease.
It was because Fumito's face and clothes were pristine.
Even his shoes were shiny, without a single speck of dirt. It was hard to believe he was someone who had just come from a massive melee.
“Let's hurry back to headquarters. I asked the Madam to prepare the Commander's favorite doenjang-jjigae with lots of peppers. The spicy soup will clear your throat right up.”
“Mmm! My mouth is watering already.”
“But, that aside......”
As he watched with trembling eyes, Fumito seemed to feel his gaze. His narrow eyes shifted to Taebaek.
“...Who are you?”
“Say hello. His name is Lee Taebaek. He's a new friend I made in prison, and I'm taking him to the Resistance headquarters.”
Kang Hyunseong introduced Lee Taebaek on his behalf.
“Oh, what's this? A field recruitment? This has never happened before. He must be quite a talent.”
“Quite a talent? He withstood the electric chair. For a full 360 seconds. With his bare body.”
Yoo Da-hee, who had been silent, suddenly cut into the conversation.
“He's ex-Siesta Guard Dog. Maybe that's why, but he put a bullet right between the guard's eyes without a moment's hesitation. As a fellow gunslinger, I almost feel a sense of respect.”
“Yoo Da-hee, for you to say that much?”
He stared at Taebaek for a moment, then held out his hand.
“A pleasure to meet you. My name is Shohei Fumito.”
The moment he heard the full name, a shudder like a lightning bolt shot down his spine. At the same time, his earlier feelings of awe vanished.
'The disparity in the timeline created a misunderstanding.'
Shohei the Human Butcher.
The most infamous psychopath, and a character who, depending on the player's choices, becomes a named boss.
Kang Hyunseong's escape was an event from five years ago. And right now, this time period is a prequel to the main story.
Which means this easygoing-looking biker is the Human Butcher before he became infamous.
“Feel free to just call me Fumito. And please, speak comfortably with me whenever you wish.”
The man who would one day become that person was offering a handshake. It was impossible to fathom how much blood that hand would be stained with in the future.
No, he had already killed a whole bunch of people just now.
'Same as me.'
He didn't feel a bitter taste in his mouth or anything. In this barren dystopia, murder wasn't a big deal. It had to be considered a means to an end. A lukewarm sense of morality only invited death. That was the kind of world Taebaek had fallen into.
“Lee Taebaek.”
And so, he shook his hand. Even if Fumito was a ticking time bomb, there was something to be 'gained' from him.
“I'll be in your care.”
Use any means necessary. But you must always draw the line somewhere. That is the bare minimum of conscience.
“They're here.”
Just then, a 3-ton box truck pulled up at their feet, its headlights blazing. It was a camouflaged escape vehicle.
Screech.
Yoo Da-hee threw open the back doors of the truck and gestured with her eyes toward the inside, as if telling him to get in first.
Taebaek went first, staggering into the back of the truck with Kang Hyunseong and Fumito supporting him on either side.
'Oh.'
The truck's interior, unlike its shabby exterior, was packed with various weapons and high-tech equipment like displays. It was a miniature command and control center.
“This is more sophisticated than I thought.”
“Our 9th Special Forces is one of the better-supplied and supported squads within the Resistance.”
Fumito responded to the words Taebaek had uttered casually.
“That's right. And since you spoke informally first, I'll speak comfortably too, Taebaek.”
“As you wish.”
“Anyway, the mission difficulty is that much higher, but since we've joined the Resistance, we're not in a position to play it safe. If we're going to be thrown onto a dangerous front line anyway, it's better to at least receive ample support and supplies. It gives you a sense of pride, too.”
“That's a pretty positive mindset.”
“Positivity is the driving force of my life.”
That's not a line a budding psychopath would say.
“You have to think positively about everything. Otherwise, when I kill those city government bastards, I might end up feeling something like 'guilt'. And I hate feeling that way. Just think about it. I shudder every time I have to kill a cockroach. Ugh... just imagining it is disgusting. Ptui, ptui.”
I was almost fooled for a second there. This guy really is a psycho.
“Taebaek, you're a former Siesta Guard Dog. You get the gist of what I'm saying, right?”
How should I know, I'm not a psycho like you. Still, if I don't want to antagonize him, I should probably play along.
“Don't ask such obvious questions.”
“Ooooh-!”
A more enthusiastic reaction than he'd expected.
Looks like I got lucky with that one. Let's just ignore the wave of disillusionment washing over me.
The three men thus took their seats in order. Then, Yoo Da-hee, the last one, closed the doors.
“Ah, ah. Mic check. One two, one two.”
Yoo Da-hee pulled a microphone down from the ceiling.
“Let's move out, Rock. We have a guest, so let's slow down and drive 'slowly'. The route is as briefed.”
[Kssht- Roger.]
As if on cue, the engine started with an electronic sound. The truck spewed exhaust fumes and took off like the wind.
The taillights stretched into long streaks. Trailing crimson ribbons of light, the vehicle cut coolly through the overpass.
Before long, the truck's halo of light was readily swallowed by the glow of Lake City.
Afterward, as if to fill the void they left behind, sirens began to wail, and emergency lights flickered alternately.
The city government's airborne troops had arrived on the scene.
......
“Major General Rahankel!”
The man, who had been panting for breath, promptly gave a sharp salute.
“I will report on the situation.”
“Not over the radio. Verbally.”
Major General Rahankel turned his head halfway.
The insignia decorating his chest and shoulders shone dazzlingly. Each one was proof that he was a seasoned veteran.
Next to him stood a woman of indeterminate age, her hood pulled down low.
“This escape appears to be the work of the Resistance. According to our confirmation, they had previously planted Kang Hyunseong, designated as a 'Danger Level 5' threat, inside the prison.”
The young soldier continued to report.
“I see.”
Rahankel didn't seem particularly surprised. He turned his head slightly and asked politely.
“What are your orders?”
Lips moved beneath the hood.
“What do you mean, 'what'? First, block the media reports.”
The soldier sucked in a breath. There weren't many who dared to speak down to the commander. A megacorp, for instance.
His judgment was quick. The soldier corrected his standing posture.
“You there, young soldier.”
The woman called to the soldier. Her voice was fragrant.
“Y-Yes...!”
“By any chance, does anyone else besides you know the facts you just reported?”
“N-No, ma'am! I came running straight here after checking the Neuro-prison's data center!”
“I see~ You worked hard.”
The woman's gaze, now devoid of interest, shifted. It moved toward the corpse of the guard Taebaek had put a hole through.
A slender finger slipped into the hole. When she pulled her index finger out, a bent bullet came out with it.
“A Colt MK5 Python. A rare item you can't get even if you personally want one.”
She identified the type just by looking at the shape of the bullet. Not even a seasoned soldier could have identified it that quickly.
The woman put the bullet in her pocket. Then, she pushed herself up from her knees and gave an order to Rahankel.
“Silence him.”
“...Yes, ma'am.”
For an instant, Rahankel's shoulder blurred. A throwing star left his hand and lightly split the soldier's throat.
“Guaaaargh- Ma... jor... General......!”
The soldier clawed at his neck. Rahankel placed a palm on the crown of his head and began to speak.
“As your superior… I am ashamed… I will take responsibility and promise compensation to your family. I am truly sorry.”
A rupturing sound. Blood and brain matter splattered evenly across Rahankel's face. He had crushed the skull with his grip alone.
“You know your next mission, right? Bring them in.”
The woman said, handing him a handkerchief.
“What is the operation name?”
Rahankel put his hands behind his back as if refusing the favor. The filth trickled down his stoic cheeks like tears of blood.
“Python. That sounds good!”
“I will obey.”
Rahankel placed a hand on his medals and bowed his head. The back of his head clearly showed his suppressed rage.
......
The rough texture of the asphalt was transmitted to the soles of his feet. The strange sense of direction frequently induced motion sickness.
“Urp...!”
Nausea repeatedly battered his uvula like a punching bag. He was proud of himself for managing to hold it in.
“Want a bag?”
“...I'm, fine.”
He shook his head, declining Yoo Da-hee's offer. If he were to empty his stomach now, he would vomit up a massive amount of blood.
If that happened, all his efforts to endure by buffing his stats would be for nothing. The alarm bell for his life would ring.
“It's different from the smooth roads in Korea, isn't it?”
Yoo Da-hee said, crossing her legs.
“Lake City's urban planning is famously fucked up. Still, you're holding up well. When Kang Hyunseong and I first came, we were puking all over the seats.”
“H-Hey, when did I ever do that!”
“Let's see. There should be a recording on the CCTV~.”
He was already dizzy enough, but watching the two of them bicker made the frontal lobe behind his eyes throb.
'Anyway, the current time is five years in the past.'
Taebaek leaned back as if lying down and mulled over the situation.
The lore would be shared with the original Recons, but there was a high probability that minor elements had changed.
Therefore, it would be foolish to rely solely on his existing game knowledge.
Because there would be an overflow of coincidences and variables. It meant a portion of his background knowledge, the special privilege of a transmigrator, was now gone.
However.
'If I look at it another way, it means I can get my hands on the various weapons and items used by the named bosses first.'
The bosses in Recons each wielded their own broken, yet unique weapons. That was necessary to make the bosses appealing and to instill a desire to challenge them.
And Taebaek was an expert on the performance and effects of those weapons.
He didn't just know about them. He was the one who made them.
In his past life as a character designer, that had been his designated part and his area of expertise.
'I lost static knowledge, but gained dynamic knowledge.'
He glanced at Fumito. Seeing him dozing off, a smile formed on his lips.
He had poured his heart and soul into all the weapons.
But among them, there was bound to be a masterpiece. The one belonging to the Human Butcher was such a case.
'The Para-Blade.'
Its unique umbrella-sword design. Due to its outstanding performance and wide range of uses, it was a weapon that was highly praised even within the company.
The Team Leader, in particular, had praised it until her mouth went dry.
— The Para-Blade will be one of the key factors in Recons' success, Assistant Manager Lee! I'm sure of it.
He intended to seize that masterpiece he had poured his soul into.
'Above all, it has good synergy with my Buff and Nerf authorities. No matter how I think about it, there's no better option.'
The problem was that he didn't know the source, where the Para-Blade was located... but in terms of timing, it should be soon.
“Sorry, Shohei.”
Think of it as a friendship fee.
Don't feel too bad about it.