Volume 9 / Chapter 263
TL: LightNovelCafe
Editor: Hungry Panda
World Federation's headquarters.
The atmosphere is strange in the communications sector. Strategist was going over the information that raid 85 had sent through a short while ago.
There is a death toll. There isn't anything special about dying inside missions because it is common, but a raid was instantly ma.s.sacred. They hadn't even been able to properly react.
"I'll go."
"Stay back."
Strategist restrains Weapon Master.
If he goes, they'll be certain to get information like the new mutant's strength.
But the risk is too great. If something goes wrong and he dies, it'll be beyond a disruption in their plan and they'll have to worry about failing the mission.
If he goes, the three level S Lifers and all of the top level A Lifers have to go. This means all of the supporting core behind them as well.
Woong!
Strategist replayed the video that raid 85 sent on the PDA. The Lifers inside the communications sector including Weapon Master all look in one direction.
A white haired, beautiful woman moves around between 700 Lifers wearing battlesuits. She killed on impact. There is no distance.
"She doesn't even get a scratch?"
Nuclear speaks in terror. They can say she's strong. But 700 people together can't hurt her. All they do is graze her.
She either avoids bombs that attack wide ranges or fired artillery, or something similar to a sh.e.l.l comes out and protects her main body. It looks like partial awakening.
"The installation there?"
"It's over."
He is referring to the Universe Eye. When they take care of enemy forces in each area, a level S Lifer puts up a Universe Eye at the location given to them. They are zoning the areas that they have pa.s.sed and watching them.
"Alternatives?"
"There isn't enough information. We'll keep searching for now and look for trends. After that, we'll keep an eye out for an opportunity and decide whether we're going to take care of it or not."
They can't just go out blindly to catch it. They need to know more.
Strategist shared information on the unknown mutant with all of the Lifers. He told them not to engage if they run into it and to immediately board the sentinels and retreat. They are far from headquarters, but they can't get close.
Cha Jun Sung looks up at the night sky. He feels uneasy. He had gone back to reality to get some rest, and had heard unexpected news.
[While you were gone, they went into level S mission, Ruler of Bones.]This is what he heard from Kyoko.
While he was searching through South America in his deal with Jigneon, World Federation and Park Jin Hyuk's group had entered a level S mission.
He had known that they would enter at some point because there was nowhere to go up at this point, but he didn't think that they would do it so suddenly.
[Jun Sung, take care of Jin Hyuk and the others. They could all die.]Cha Jun Sung couldn't say anything.
For his entry disqualification to shackle him like this, it is enough to drive him crazy. He felt comforted to an extent because there are 3 level S Lifers and the supporting power is impressive, but there's no telling the future.
The more frustrating thing is that after he got this news, Jigneon reminded him of his current situation again via his PDA.
Summarizing Jigneon's words is simple. He basically told him not to have unnecessary thoughts. He is not to even go near the Amazon, the mission area.
Cha Jun Sung can't focus on his mission because he is consumed by his worries about Park Jin Hyuk's group.
He has been blank in one place for the past few days already. Even during that time, the cyborgs that Jigneon sent in support have been busy in their search. They move busily according to the way they were programmed because they are not human.
'The Amazon…'
Cha Jun Sung keeps repeating this to himself.
He was already inside a mission. Worst case scenario, he wanted to just quit everything.
He would be completely disqualified if he goes against the laws that the supervisors made, but he couldn't just stand by and watch something go wrong with Park Jin Hyuk's group. The problem is that while his eyes and ears are currently obscured, he can't know the situation over there. But all of this flowed in an unexpected direction.
Jigneon opened a supervisors' meeting.
It was to talk about mysteries like Cha Jun Sung's mutant form and the unidentified bug.
The 3 supervisors hologram watched a video full of flesh, blood, and shrieks without a care and were busy in conversation.
"Level 8?"
"No. Not even Inferno who is the strongest of level 8s in human form would show that kind of ability in his awakened state."
Gabenu refutes what Borteth is saying. It isn't a level 8.
For convenience, they decided to call the mutant inside the video the White Haired Reaper. White Haired Reaper is going wild among 700 Lifers. A level 8 might be able to kill 700 Lifers, but it would have sustained a wound. That is how powerful the force is.
The helpers inside the battlesuits of the Lifers that died there saved video footage of the battle and sent it to the supervisors.
They are automatically edited to send through easily, so there was no need for them to touch the footage up. All the supervisors have to do is make a judgment.
"Could it be level 9?"
"The chance that it's a level 9 is high, but it's weird. This is before she's awakened, but she's too strong."
The difference between levels 8 and 9 manifest after awakening. It is difficult to show transcendent strength in the sh.e.l.l of whatever they are whether that might be human form.
The White Haired Reaper used partial awakening with power similar to one weakest level 8 and killed an entire raid within moments.
The first 3 forces were defeated one by one but from watching video, it didn't seem like the result would be much different even when they were swarming in together.
"On top of that, there are two patterns."
Gabenu pauses the video. White Haired Reaper has two patterns.
Attacks using tentacles and defense using a white carapace that looks like a bone.
It isn't fixed. It switched according to the situation. She applies in variety. It is inevitable that the Lifers die helplessly.
"The decision?"
"We're done though we're not 100% sure."
According to all of the information they collected in Life Mission until now, White Haired Reaper's ident.i.ty has to be one of three.
"I studied Evil Queen's corpse that had been in South America. In conclusion, it is like a snake shedding."
"The inside is empty?"
"Yes. The genes are the same, but we can't say that it is Evil Queen."
"Then is that Evil Queen?"
"The pattern of using tentacles matches Evil Queen's combat style. It is obvious why she went to South America – to meet Bon Load."
Jigneon heard the report and became lost in thought.
Of the A virus put into South America's Amazon, the strangest was F type 155.
A virus is just the term that unites all of them. Within that, there are tens of thousands of types.
Those injected into Disasters and Nightmares are all unusual. The existing ones cling to a living being and change the host, but F type 155 is one that sticks a life form to itself.
That is why not even the supervisors can know what form they will evolve into. That is why before realization of Life Mission's missions, they sent in cyborgs to check on evolved F type 155s.
They had little information on Disasters because they couldn't check properly.
"So what you're saying?"
"Whatever the appearance is, that's either Evil Queen or Evil Queen fused with Bon Load. Or it could be that a new being has appeared."
"The order of possibility?"
"Fusion, herself, new."
Jigneon agrees with Gabenu.
The order as well.
That's why he is more worried. Two ordinary mutants can't become one. For example, Parasite King taking over Cruel King can't be referred to as fusing. In that case, Parasite King just took Cruel King's body.
White Haired Reaper's two patterns, Evil Queen's tentacles and Bon Load's bones. If all hypotheses line up, this is a serious matter.
The strength of even one level 9 is enough to swallow up a continent whole, but there is nothing to say if two are combined.
"Transcension that goes beyond transcension. Does that mean mutants are superior to Lifers?"
Borteth smirks. Jigneon and Gabenu support Lifer research, but he is for mutant research.
The fusion process is unclear but if Evil Queen has gone beyond level 9, 3 level S Lifers won't be able to complete the mission.
Gabenu signaled to Jigneon without Borteth knowing. Jigneon thought he had something in mind, and nodded.
"We won't make Ruler of Bones into a special mission and leave it for now. We don't know anything yet, and the Lifers have just got started."
It is first contact.
It is way too early to make a decision.
/ /
Volume 9 / Chapter 264
TL: LightNovelCafe
Editor: Hungry Panda
Boom!
On the one hand, while mutant Cha Jun Sung was full of thoughts of Park Jin Hyuk's group, another Cha Jun Sung was crossing through the Amazon's jungle.
It really is vast. It is a tremendous area over 70 times the size of Korea. He doesn't see an end to it because he has to search it without gear.
This is the same even when flying in the sky. Turning off the booster and going on foot can't even be imagined. He would need to wander around until he dies.
Cha Jun Sung landed on a small plot of land on one side of the jungle in order to save his battlesuit's energy. It is an area with a lot of water. It is the Amazon River.
"It's uncomfortable."
If Cha Jun Sung's battlesuit energy went below 50%, he stayed in one place until it reached 100%. He didn't move around for no reason.
He is out of charging devices, so he needs to rely on solar power. That is why nighttime is most dangerous. Moonlight charging rate is the worst.
Small mutants don't matter, but he can't come out unscathed if he runs into a level 8. That's why he was as careful as possible at night.
The total amount of energy in a level S battlesuit is vast, but it isn't infinite. That's why it depletes easily once he starts using it. It takes quite some time to fully charge with solar power, which is natural energy.
Cha Jun Sung opened up the solar panel, halted his battlesuit's functions, and laid on the ground. Since it is mechanical armor, it is like a rock.
Boom!
A sound from right next to him.
Cha Jun Sung turned his head while lying down.
Something wobbles and crawls toward him from far away. It is obviously a mutant.
It is twice the size of a large truck. It looks like a crocodile but much more bizarre. With sharp b.u.mps all over its body, it is level 6 Awl Armor Crocodile. The Awl Armor Crocodile didn't notice Cha Jun Sung, and pa.s.sed by him. It was only a few meters away. It was a narrow margin, but he wasn't nervous or anything like that.
Whether it is injured or tired, it plops down without getting too far. Because of that, muddy water is pushed by the large ma.s.s and covers Cha Jun Sung's battlesuit.
Cha Jun Sung sat up. The Awl Armor Crocodile looks at him.
But that is it. It just breathes.
"Odin. Scan it."
Zing!
Odin scans the Awl Armor Crocodile's entire body.
It was easy because it didn't move. Its form comes up on the battlesuit's hologram.
"It's injury was penetration. Something pierced its side. Is it an automatic cannon?"
It would have quickly regenerated if its skin had been pierced, but its organs were affected. It might be difficult, but it won't die with a level 6's ability to regenerate.
[It sustained this injury within the last hour. There must be Lifers nearby.]It seems to have somehow gotten away from Lifers. Cha Jun Sung lost interest and went back to his spot. There's no need to get blood on his hands.
He'll have already left this place once the Awl Armor Crocodile recovered and became active again. It is bothersome to kill it and he won't get points anyway.
"Should I just pretend to be crazy and beg?"
If they are at the 10 year point, charging devices will be super cheap. If he meets parties with devices, they throw him one or two out of pity.
[That's a good idea too if you're trying to get out of the Amazon. You'll get supplies and get out of a dangerous zone. Do you want to try it?]"Nah."
Cha Jun Sung went back to what he was doing. He'll just keep going without it.
Bang bang bang bang!
An explosion of a large scale battle with Lifers. The Awl Armor Crocodile forced itself up in order to run away.
Cha Jun Sung woke up as well.
[I have gotten an idea of how many Lifers there are by the explosions. This kind of sound means it's a raid unit. They could be fighting with a level 7.] [They are estimated to be 9 to 10km away. What do you want to do? Will you go?]Cha Jun Sung thought about whether he should go or not. The battle continued.
"Fine."
Cha Jun Sung threw his body. He didn't fly, but moved by land. 9 to 10km is a distance that he can go within 5 minutes while running.
But the explosions decreased as he got closer. It seemed the battle was coming to an end. What bothered him however was not the decreasing sound of explosions.
"Ack!"
"Ack!"
Lifers screaming. A raid means level B. If it is this fierce, they could be in the middle of advancement. They are fighting a level 7.
'It's over.]
There is no more screaming. Cha Jun Sung felt the 5 minutes to be very long. And after 5 minutes, he arrived at the place of battle.
What greeted him was hundreds of bodies ripped apart. He watched the battlefield from afar with just his head sticking out.
[It was one-sided.]It looked like 3 or 4 forces. It wasn't a raid, but it wasn't a weak amount of power. Combining the time that he thought about coming and the time it took for him to get here, it didn't even add up to 20 minutes.
Even a level 7 wouldn't be able to get rid of hundreds of Lifers this quickly.
[There's no trace of mutants.]"I guess that's possible if they weren't injured."
[It would be best for us to get away.]There is a lot of meaning in Odin's words.
Cha Jun Sung understood and prepared to get away. It isn't good. It seems to be stronger than level 7.
"What are you?"
A whisper from behind.
Cha Jun Sung pulled out Hades as he turned around. He wasn't able to show force because he did it so quickly, but it was enough to kill a level 7 with one blow.
Hades split everything diagonally in a vacuum wave. And he turned his booster on to soar into the sky without looking back.
The language that came through the translator was English. A speaking creature. It must be level 8 to speak so fluently. There's no good in colliding with it.
Cha Jun Sung stopped while soaring. He looked down and saw tentacles s.h.i.+ning like blades wrapped around his ankle. To catch him in that short period of time.
It looks like he's been properly caught.
Evil Queen isn't fighting World Federation because she wants to. They have their headquarters somewhere in the Amazon and are blocking her path.
From their actions, it seems they're looking for something.
She just went past it the first few times because she didn't have the time to mind them, but she thought that she would have to catch a few and ask what their goal is. It may not be easy because they're not uselessly weak, but it's entirely possible if she wants to do it.
She doesn't need to go looking for them on purpose.
The Lifers' active radius is extremely wide. They are spread out everywhere in the vicinity. There are so many of them that she is bound to run into them while making her way along her path.
Then, she discovered an appropriate one. He moved secretly. She felt him and still wasn't sure. She almost pa.s.sed by him.
Evil Queen strokes his cheek with a finger. Blood flows from his cheek. Blood gets on the finger. The wound isn't deep, so it regenerates quickly. Evil Queen rubs the blood. The wound formed so quickly that he didn't realize it had formed until several seconds after. It is an interesting phenomenon.
The tentacle pulled taught, Cha Jun Sung brandished Hades.
It would have been good if he cut it in one blow, but he ruined it by only cutting through about half.
Rather than being st.u.r.dy, it was tough. Like a wet towel. He hadn't been able to show full cutting force because he had been flailing.
He tried to cut through the rest with Hades' booster, but of course Evil Queen won't just sit back and watch. She wouldn't have caught him in the first place if she was going to let him go.
Cha Jun Sung gets sucked down. The pulling strength is greater than the booster's output. The distance between him and the ground narrowed rapidly.
Boom boom boom!
Right before collision.
The booster on his back changed direction and lifted his body into the air.
Evil Queen however, had achieved her goal. As soon as Cha Jun Sung got close to the ground, she ran at him as if this were her chance. She meant to suppress him before he tried to fly away.
Ordinary Lifers were unable to avoid even one of her attacks. She hadn't needed to worry about them running away, but this opponent is different.
Leaving the arm wrapped around Cha Jun Sung's ankle, Evil Queen's other arm divides into hundreds of arms. It looked like strands of hair attached to her shoulder.
Boom boom boom!
Cha Jun Sung raises his battlesuit's output. Overbooster becomes Overmode and multiplies the battlesuit's ability.
Hades receives that power and cuts the tentacle on his ankle.
Cha Jun Sung didn't stab vertically and horizontally. He restrained Evil Queen with diagonal cuts. He had put some thought into this. Stabbing won't have an impact, and she could come with it when he recovers Hades. It is an attack that prevents counterattacks.
But with cutting, attacks are continuous once you start to move. That is why he is able to restrain the enemy's approach beforehand.
The tentacles coalesce and block Hades. It is on the brink of being cut, but it withstood it and regenerated as soon as it pushed Hades.
"You left a wound on me?"
Evil Queen resigned from the fierce restrain.
She touches her tentacles. There are still remnants of where she had been cut. An amount of force that could cut through her skin. It is impressive.
"Don't show me your back. You'll die."
Evil Queen showed a beautiful smile.
Cha Jun Sung focused without saying anything. It is an annoying situation, but she is right. He failed in a surprise escape. He would have thought of different methods if he had been in a prepared state. But he can't think of anything right now.
'Let's just fight for now.'
/ /
