novelraw Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Superhumans are broadly divided into two categories.
The first is the Martial Arts Division, composed of martial artists who have continued their lineage through centuries of physical enhancement and training, manifesting Psionic Energy through their bodies and weapons.
The second is the Special Ability Division, which has deeply researched and developed Psionic Energy and Gear, shaping it into a distinct phenomenon.
The two departments, each with a different history, were not on good terms.
No, rather, it was a traditional competitive structure that all Special Mission Military Academies commonly encouraged and promoted.
However, there was one lecture on which the cadets of both departments rarely agreed.
“I really hate theory.”
“Ughhh…”
It was, of course, the theory lecture.
Baek Hwi-young gazed at Miel, who was slumped over her desk next to him, writhing with all her might.
It wasn't just Miel.
Looking around, most of the cadets sitting in the classroom already wore expressions of being bored to death.
“They say Instructor Jin Crow is teaching again starting today. Don't you think we're on his bad side…?”
“No way. We apologized right away, so it should be fine.”
“I’m still anxious…”
As Miel said, the cadets' reactions weren't solely because of the theory lecture.
It was because the lecture they had to attend was taught by the notoriously infamous Instructor Jin Crow.
Miel glanced at the young male instructor standing by the window on the left side of the lectern, trying his best to maintain his expression, and grumbled.
“It would be nice if Vice-Instructor Ginatio kept teaching.”
“I know, right.”
Baek Hwi-young, while giving her a perfunctory agreement, was once again realizing just what Jin Crow's reputation was like at this time.
It was strangely amusing.
This was Jin Crow's lecture from the beginning, and Vice-Instructor Ginatio had only been filling in temporarily, yet the reactions were so drastically different.
“I want something sweet.”
“Let's go to the commissary after this.”
“Really? You can't cause trouble today, okay?”
“I know.”
Who exactly was the one causing trouble?
Baek Hwi-young looked at Miel's face for a moment as she whispered with sparkling eyes, then raised his head at the presence he suddenly felt in the classroom hallway.
Vweee-.
The firmly closed front door of the classroom opened.
Subsequently, the gazes of all the cadets, including Miel and Baek Hwi-young, turned forward in unison.
“…”
Naturally, the one who opened the door and entered was Jin Crow.
He scanned the cadets sitting in the classroom without a word, then narrowed his eyes.
‘Did something displease him?’
Just as the cadets were nervously swallowing their saliva at his already unpleasant expression,
‘He’s different. Definitely.’
Only Baek Hwi-young did not miss the change in him.
Wasn't he the man who usually walked around with the weight of the world's complaints on his face, his black military uniform worn carelessly?
But now, he was different.
His long, perpetually messy hair was the same, but he was wearing the instructor's military uniform, which had always felt like he was forced to wear it, neatly.
Of course, his pale complexion with deep, dark circles and his almost paranoid-ly restrained Psionic Energy were still the same.
“I heard the story. You’ve troubled the Commandant again, I see.”
It was then.
The brown-haired Vice-Instructor Ginatio, who had been standing silently by the window, spoke up.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the classroom grew heavy.
And Jin Crow, standing at the lectern, also slowly turned his head to look at him and finally opened his mouth.
“Who are you?”
“…Excuse me?”
It was Vice-Instructor Ginatio who was taken aback.
But that too was brief.
“I am Vice-Instructor Ginatio. The one who had to run a substitute lecture despite having much of my own work to do, thanks to Instructor Jin Crow locking himself in his room without a word.”
He blinked his characteristic brown eyes for a moment, then, realizing he had been ignored, his cheeks flushed as he gritted his teeth and spoke.
Although a Vice-Instructor was lacking in rank and Gear compared to full instructors, there was no reason to be ignored like this.
But at the words that followed, Vice-Instructor Ginatio was forced to shut his mouth.
“Is that so. Then why are you still here?”
“…”
“Even for a Vice-Instructor, you don't need to attend the lecture unless it's necessary.”
At a glance, it seemed he was rendered speechless by Jin Crow's brazen attitude.
But Baek Hwi-young and a few other cadets noticed it after looking at Vice-Instructor Ginatio's eyes.
‘He’s scared.’
‘I heard Instructor Ginatio is also a Special Mission Officer with a Triple Gear…’
For a fleeting moment, he had been completely 'overwhelmed' by Jin Crow's warning-like words.
But he was an instructor nonetheless.
Ginatio took a short moment to compose himself and spoke again.
“…The Commandant ordered me to observe.”
His tone had become calm.
The Commandant's order was an order, but he must have concluded that nothing good would come from dragging the conversation out any longer.
Although he was biting his lip quite hard.
“Do as you wish.”
Of course, Jin Crow spoke as if he couldn't care less about Vice-Instructor Ginatio.
“Now, let's begin the lecture.”
As always, the cadets' attention focused on his endlessly indifferent yet strangely irritated voice.
“For today's lecture, I've prepared something a little different from usual.”
And the next moment, when they saw the video projected onto the screen with a ‘*Beep-*’, the cadets couldn't help but be bewildered.
“Let's learn about the Space Monster, no, its academic name, ‘Creature’.”
〔Aaaaaaaargh!〕
Soon, a horrific scream echoed from the screen.
***
〔H-Help me!〕
〔Gyaaaaaaaaargh!〕
KABOOOOOOOM!
〔R-Retreat! I said, retreat!〕
〔To where! Where are we supposed to retreat to!〕
Amidst the desperate screams, countless gunshots and cannonades rang out.
A child's cry, a parent's shriek, an old man's prayer, a wounded soldier's final gunshot.
〔Ah, ahhh…〕
The video's point of view slowly turned to the sky.
What came into view were the battleships of the Planetary Defense Force, already falling below the clouds.
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
Clouds and black smoke mingled.
Skyscrapers that had soared high into the sky collapsed to the earth, and soon the cleared sky was filled with purple rifts.
〔Fire! Just fire!〕
〔B-Battleship Canis is aground! Captain! Th-The city is being breached! When are the Special Mission Officers arriving!〕
〔Destroyer Veritas aground! Battleship Plu aground! Th-There are no battleships left!〕
The blue sky had vanished.
And filling its empty space were countless Void Turtles poking their heads through the rifts and Corrosion Spikes pouring down onto the ground.
〔This is Lieutenant Colonel Rodrick of the 12th Brigade, Planetary Defense Force. There are no superior officers left above me. As of this moment, the corrosion risk level is revised to red. Abandon the planet and evacuate as many citizens as possible. I repeat. As of this moment…〕
The Defense Force officer, who seemed to be the owner of the bodycam that recorded the video, hurriedly headed toward the city upon hearing that transmission.
He was probably heading for the gate where the evacuation ships would be.
However, a scene from hell was already unfolding there.
-Krrrrrrk.
-Screeeech.
Countless Corrosion Spikes stained the surroundings black, and soon transformed into a corrosion nest, spewing out innumerable Creatures.
Was that all?
Monsters that were once human, but had ultimately transformed into Creatures, blocked their path.
KABOOOOOOOOOOM!
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
The Planetary Defense Force's ground tank batteries opened fire, and the few Special Mission Officers madly slaughtered the Creatures, but it was not enough.
〔Is this the end.〕
The situation was so desperate that he muttered it unconsciously.
The officer, the owner of the bodycam, seemed to sense the end was near as he slowly raised a pistol to his own head with a trembling hand.
〔…Please, may there be a heaven somewhere in this vast galaxy.〕
BANG!
A short gunshot, followed by the death cry of a crumbling body.
And finally, what the bodycam captured as it hit the ground was none other than…
-Kyaaaaaaaaargh!
Only the repulsive teeth and roars of the Creatures, surging forward like a wave.
“…”
“…Urp.”
The video ended there, and Jin Crow nonchalantly murmured.
“It's over.”
The cadets' gazes were now fully fixed on Jin Crow, who stood at the lectern.
They stared at him with eyes filled with displeasure, disgust, pity, and questions.
It was only natural.
In this era, the Space Monster 'Creature' was nothing more than a 'natural disaster' that caused considerable damage in the galaxy.
‘Why would he…’
The enemy of the United Human Star Nation was the Holy Galactic Empire, which had started three great wars, not some lowly organisms that occasionally appeared on colonial planets outside the Defense Line.
So what on earth was his intention in deliberately showing such a video?
“Disgusting…”
Because of that, most cadets felt more revulsion or pity than anything else.
“Hwi-young, I feel sick…”
It was the same for Miel.
“Hwi-Hwi-young?”
But when she turned her gaze, Miel couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
“…How. No, why?”
At that moment, Baek Hwi-young's expression was contorted with shock and an unidentifiable emotion.
It was different from any expression she had seen on him before.
Because of that, Miel unconsciously flinched and could only stare blankly at Baek Hwi-young sitting beside her.
“The video you just watched is not from an incident on a colonial planet outside the Defense Line.”
And finally.
“The source of the video is a portion of the Planet Aurum Planetary Defense Force data from approximately 44 hours ago. The planet's current risk level is violet. Meaning 75% of its territory has been corroded, and it is effectively black. Meaning, they are undergoing the planet abandonment procedure.”
Unbelievable words flowed from Instructor Jin Crow's mouth.
“To add to that, Planet Aurum, while on the outskirts of the Defense Line, is an industrial planet strictly within the Defense Line.”
Of course, not only the cadets but also Vice-Instructor Ginatio were shocked by his words.
They couldn't believe that the Defense Line had been breached by mere space monsters, creatures that had only recently been given a name.
“I-Is that possible?”
“Aren't they just primitive creatures at best?”
“No way. That’s absurd.”
“…Hey. It's real. An article just went up.”
“Crazy…”
Jin Crow paid no mind to the cadets' reactions and impassively organized the things he had brought.
“By the next class, submit a report analyzing the factors of Planet Aurum's defense failure and suggesting improvements. That is all.”
Then, without even glancing at the increasingly noisy cadets, he turned and walked out.
No, he tried to walk out.
“I have a question.”
If a cadet hadn't stopped him with a flushed voice, that is.
Everyone's eyes turned to him.
“Huh, huh?”
Miel, sitting beside him, flushed red at the sudden influx of attention, but Baek Hwi-young, the one who had asked the question, simply waited for Jin Crow's permission, his characteristic ashen eyes gleaming.
“…”
Jin Crow, who was about to leave the classroom, slowly turned his head and his eyes soon fell on Baek Hwi-young.
A moment of silence hung in the classroom.
Finally, Jin Crow opened his mouth and asked back.
“What is it?”
‘Was he displeased that someone dared to halt his steps?’
The voice he uttered was endlessly cold.
Was that why?
Baek Hwi-young, as if realizing he had been hasty, blinked for a moment to gather his thoughts before answering.
“…I am curious about your intention in mentioning the Creatures, Instructor.”
His question, in a way, pierced through the doubts of not only the cadets but also Vice-Instructor Ginatio.
It was certainly shocking.
But what did this have to do with modern warfare?
“My meaning, you say.”
Everyone, thinking it was a reasonable question, looked at Jin Crow and awaited his answer.
However, Jin Crow's subsequent reply was truly concise.
“Write that down and submit it as well.”
That was all.
Vweee-.
He left the classroom without any further comment, and soon, everyone's gaze turned to Baek Hwi-young.
“Ah?”
Only then did Baek Hwi-young, with a slightly dazed expression, let out a deflated sound as he realized.
…That the homework had just increased.