novelraw Chapter 273 : Humanity's Fortress (2)
Chapter 273 : Humanity's Fortress (2)
After the conversation with Chairman Hwang Yong-jae ended.
Su-hyeon returned to the dormitory and shared the conversation that had passed between them with the cadets.
"...Yu-ha was an experimental subject?"
Yu-jin muttered with a disbelieving face.
"Even though he's my father, really..."
Ji-su, who had been feeling sympathy due to the series of incidents, couldn't stop sighing after hearing this story.
"Even when I try to understand, it's always like this."
"...I agree with that."
In-hyeon folded his arms and frowned.
"I thought nothing would surprise me in this fucked-up era, but chimeras and human experimentation?"
Although it was plausible, the fact that the subject was their friend made the cadets' feelings more complicated.
"I thought my father was my father and I was me, but honestly, with issues like this, I feel like I want to apologize on his behalf."
"Don't do that."
Su-hyeon shook his head at Ji-su's words.
"What wrong did you do that you need to apologize? No one blames you."
"...Right."
When Ji-su, unlike her usual self, quietly answered while avoiding Su-hyeon's gaze, Yu-jin's sharp intuition detected something.
'These two, the atmosphere is somehow...'
"But I feel so bad for Yu-ha."
A-yun said, fidgeting with her hands.
"She always seemed bright and energetic, so I never thought about it. I wonder how difficult it must have been for her inside."
"That's why she probably exaggerated on purpose, that kid."
In-hyeon clicked his tongue as if he understood.
"I get it, but either way, I don't feel good about this at all. They're spending money to build a fortress? I understand there are complicated circumstances passed down from previous generations, but couldn't they have stopped or improved it at their level?"
"Probably."
Ji-su bit her lip.
"I never had any intention of inheriting the group, but if it were me, I would never have left it in that state."
"...To be honest."
Jun-seong, who had been quietly keeping his mouth shut, spoke for the first time.
"I think we need to look at this realistically. There must have been complex circumstances we don't know about. Above all, being born in such turbulent times, it's inevitable to prioritize survival and efficiency over good and evil."
"Hmm."
Hae-na also cautiously expressed her agreement.
"Of course, this case is really excessive, but I can understand why the Commander and Chief of Staff concluded things this way."
"Hae-na-sunbae."
Ji-su bit her lip at the words of the senior she respected.
"What's more important? To rise to the core of the Execution Force in the future and protect people, we must always think about that. We might have to do dirty things if necessary. Isn't that the responsibility of those who rise to the top?"
"......"
'Indeed, a senior is a senior, even if just by one year.'
Su-hyeon inwardly agreed with her opinion.
"Borrowing the hand of the lesser evil to protect people against evil. I think we should do it if necessary."
Having said that, Hae-na placed her hand on Ji-su's shoulder.
"...I'm sorry for the comparison to Ji-su, but..."
"No. There's no room for objection."
Ji-su shook her head.
"Thank you. For saying it like that."
"I agree with Hae-na-noona's words too."
Jun-seong added.
"And in return, Chairman Hwang Yong-jae has offered a lot as compensation. If we can get a massive fortress, a bunker because of that, it'll be a great help in an emergency."
"Hmm."
"It's really difficult."
Ho-su, A-yun, and Geon-woo nodded as they pondered those words.
"Like diplomacy between nations, when it enters the realm of politics, everything becomes just a card for negotiation. That's why Chairman Hwang Yong-jae apologized for everything like this and promised full support."
"Amazing."
Su-hyeon laughed softly.
"I didn't know you could be this realistic."
'That means the situation over the past few months has been harsh on these guys too.'
For 17-year-old cadets, wasn't this a truly realistic and cold judgment?
"Either way, one thing is clear."
Su-hyeon continued, looking around at the cadets.
"Whatever circumstances Song Yu-ha had, with her personality, she probably wouldn't want sympathy."
So...
"Everyone, I hope you'll treat her like before."
"Yes."
"Of course."
Yu-jin and Ji-su nodded.
"My junior fellows, I don't know when you became so mature."
Hae-na chuckled softly as she watched them.
"Noona, you know you sound really old when you say that?"
"I'm still just a youngster though?"
'That's true.'
In Su-hyeon's view, they were all just kids anyway.
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"I can't understand a single character."
'Battle Maniac' Jang Su-il grumbled while looking at the ancient document.
"That's natural. This is the final gateway to obtaining 'the Fragment of the Eroding World.' It doesn't make sense that a cipher written in [Nastrond]'s letters could be easily read."
"A language from another world, and encrypted on top of that? How are we supposed to read it?"
"This is the arrangement 'He' made. So that only we, his faithful servants, could open [Nastrond]."
"That's truly an honor, but..."
'Asura' Seong Ji-cheol said.
"Either way, it seems we'll need to put in a lot of effort to decode this cipher."
"That's a big problem."
The Vampire Queen laughed as if tired.
"Is there a way?"
"Probably."
Hwang Won-jae.
Despite ruining his long preparations, he had still achieved his desired goal, showing unwavering determination in his eyes.
"Our king does not easily help us achieve our tasks. Only by doing so can we prove that we are truly of help to Him."
"Sometimes, you know."
Song Yeonhui laughed.
"I wonder if all this is just a pastime entertainment for 'Him' that doesn't really matter either way. That's how it would be to such a transcendent being."
"From the beginning, the attempt to measure a transcendent being is impossible for us."
Hwang Won-jae closed his eyes.
"What's clear is that we all feel His will. Don't we?"
"I agree. That at least is an undeniable fact."
Seong Ji-cheol said, folding his three pairs of arms.
"Comrades, our great work has now passed the summit. The moment of decoding this and finding 'the Fragment of the Eroding World' is drawing near."
Hwang Won-jae said.
"So until then, let's take some time to catch our breath. For the final battle."
"Then what should we do with small fry like Choi Inbeom?"
"Give them what they want. It won't matter anyway when the day of our great work comes."
"But you know."
Jang Su-il asked.
"Since I'm not smart like you guys and don't have much to do, would it be okay if I smash those bastards to pieces as a warm-up?"
"A long tail gets stepped on."
Hwang Won-jae said.
"It's inconvenient now. I'd appreciate it if you could restrain yourself until the appropriate time comes."
"Well, that much..."
Jang Su-il grinned.
"I can wait as long as needed."
It was the moment when a brief peace arrived.
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Returning to the academy, Su-hyeon met with Principal Min Jeong-gap and Vice Principal Gong Gi-jeong on behalf of his group.
"Su-hyeon, these days you only meet big shots, so it must feel more comfortable for us, right?"
Su-hyeon laughed softly at Principal Min Jeong-gap's joke.
"Not at all."
"You've been through a lot."
At Gong Gi-jeong's words, Su-hyeon sighed.
"I worked hard, but I'm disappointed that the operation ultimately failed."
"You can't succeed every time. Don't be too disheartened."
Min Jeong-gap comforted Su-hyeon.
"Either way, since there's a temporary reprieve, the academic schedule will likely change significantly."
Min Jeong-gap said.
"Honestly, what's the point of classes at this stage? With the end approaching immediately, it's more important to intensively train the cadets."
"It's regrettable as an educator, but there's no choice."
Gong Gi-jeong also agreed with his words.
"I'd like to ask for help from top cadets, including you, Su-hyeon. It's important to provide stimulation from the same level."
"Yes, I understand."
"In any case, during wartime, the academy will also become an institution with strong military power, so we must lend a hand in protecting citizens."
No matter how much time was left.
The reality was that there wasn't even the luxury to despair and sit down in the face of the coming end.
"By the way, we've been so busy that December is already right around the corner."
Min Jeong-gap said, looking at the calendar.
Winter was coming.
"I just hope this won't be our last winter."
"It definitely won't be."
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Unlike the clamor of people who were afraid that the world would end at any moment.
The year changed without much disturbance, contrary to expectations.
Countries with functioning systems, including Korea, prepared for the coming wartime through state-level know-how sharing.
Citizens cooperated actively by stockpiling supplies or participating in shelter evacuation drills, showing a more composed appearance than expected.
'It's already been decades since the first Gate incident.'
The citizens in this Edge of Gate were quite different from the collective trolls commonly seen in apocalypse fiction.
Demonic beast outbreaks, Ma-in outbreaks, and now this situation.
As generations changed twice, people had been physically learning the importance of survival struggle and mutual cooperation.
'That's the fortunate part.'
The greater the social chaos, the lower the survival probability of individuals.
People who failed to understand this fact naturally had to be eliminated during the severe times of the past few decades.
Anyway.
As the year changed, the cadets were now 18 years old.
'Though I'm practically 19.'
In terms of the real-world Kim Seongyun, how old would I be by now?
'I don't want to think about that.'
After the urgent situations that were like war had passed and a moment of peace arrived, I suddenly found myself in the spotlight.
It was nothing short of a Jeong Su-hyeon syndrome.
The darling of the age, a genius, the youngest S-rank, unprecedented talent surpassing the youth of Divine Spear Gong I-an and Dragon Spear Ju Taeyang...
All kinds of fuss modified my name.
'If it were a peaceful era, I might have played celebrity with that fame.'
Though I'm not particularly interested.
But wouldn't it be good if I could make a lot of money because of it?
'Well, such luxury might be allowed after everything is over.'
There were many changes at the academy as well.
Besides the third-year students graduating and enlisting in the Execution Force.
The academy, facing an unprecedented suspension of academics, not only didn't accept new students but also allowed existing cadets to return home if they wished.
'Though hardly anyone actually went home.'
Instead, those who passed the screening were allowed early graduation and enlistment in the Execution Force.
Not only Hae-na's third-year class but also quite a few people from our second-year class enlisted in the Execution Force this way.
'People like Oh Min-seon, Jeremy McGarr, Park Chang-jun.'
In Park Chang-jun's case, it was honestly a bit unexpected, but...
Anyway, he had ability, so I heard he was getting his mind reformed while rolling around vigorously.
But I remained at the academy, maintaining my status as Special First Place without graduating.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind graduating, but...
It seemed better for the academy's atmosphere if I stayed.
'And the training facilities here are the best.'
Since I had direct connections with the Commander and Chief of Staff, in case of emergency, I could just form a special operations unit and participate in operations.
'This is a first for me though.'
Maybe because I stayed...
Yu-jin, Ji-su, Jun-seong, In-hyeon, Seung-yeon, A-yun, Ho-su, Geon-woo, Hae-na, and other cadets all decided to stay at the academy.
'We just do occasional intern dispatches.'
First of all, the biggest factor was that the [Sword of Belphegor] had quieted down.
With Choi Inbeom connected to the Execution Force, the underworld struggles were also sufficiently controllable.
Thanks to this, the Execution Force was reaccumulating strength by treating the wounded and enlisting new members from hunters and PMC personnel who wished to join.
'You need to gather strength during winter to be able to fight in spring.'
We all repeatedly trained to make the experiences of the harsh past semester our own.
"Focus! Don't put down your weapons because it's hard!"
"Ah, I got it!"
"Your response is too quiet!"
"Aaaaargh!"
Besides my personal training, I was also helping with the cadets' training in my spare time.
"Su-hyeon!"
Ji-su walked toward me from a distance.
...After Ji-su's virtual confession.
Yu-jin also clearly expressed her feelings to me.
And I don't know if it was my imagination or what, but A-yun and Seung-yeon also showed suspicious attitudes.
'With Hae-na, I can't tell if she's joking or serious.'
Somehow I felt like I had become a man of fatality.
'Did I... do something?'
I just did what I always did.
'It didn't seem like romance routes opened up so blatantly like this before.'
'That's why gamers were complaining about why this game had no romance routes when it had no dreams or hopes.'
More precisely, even if you somehow proceeded with a romance route, it would end in the apocalypse ending anyway, so there was no reason to be interested in such things.
'I never got along with dating sim games anyway.'
How should I put it? Immersing myself in those made me feel more miserable.
'Not that I had ever dated in real life either.'
"Ji-su, what's up?"
Anyway, during the winter, I finally succeeded in correcting my habit of calling people by their full names.
"What's up? It's a big deal."
"A big deal?"
"I got a call from my father."
"Your father? No way!"
"That's right."
Ji-su smiled triumphantly.
"He wants us to come see the fortress."
The long-awaited news had finally arrived.