Chapter 405

“The operation will commence tomorrow at 06:30. Every front is to carry out its assigned orders without fail.”

Pop.

With those final words from Wei Fenghu, the Minister of National Defense, the meeting ended.

Lee Jungryong, Vice Guild Master of Ares Guild, leaned back in his chair and stared at the five monitors that had gone dark.

Things are moving quickly. Far more quickly than I expected.

This was not a war that would end easily, nor was it a war that should end so easily.

China was both a Hunter powerhouse with an enormous number of Hunters and a closed-off country. It was also one of the few countries where Ares Guild, which had extended its reach across the world through its mercenary business, had failed to establish a proper foothold.

That was why Lee Jungryong did not want China to remain stable. The more damage China suffered, the wider the cracks he could exploit.

More than a million casualties? Hundreds of trillions of won¹ in property damage?

What did any of that matter? This Monster Wave might have been a disaster for some, but for Lee Jungryong, it was an opportunity.

But…

Once again, Jin Taekyung is the problem.

Lee Jungryong raised a finger and slowly tapped the table.

He had always known that the world did not move according to plan, but lately, whenever Jin Taekyung blocked his path at every turn, the same thought kept surfacing.

He’s dangerous.

The interest Lee Jungryong had felt when he first learned of Jin Taekyung’s existence had long since vanished without a trace.

If a child who had barely reached an adult’s waist suddenly shot up within a few months and met that adult’s gaze head-on, the adult could not help but be unsettled.

And what if the child was still growing?

He’ll only become more dangerous.

If the Arch Lich’s rampage had been an opportunity for Lee Jungryong, it had given Jin Taekyung wings.

The man had achieved incredible feats in battle and now stood in the global spotlight.

Another war had produced a new hero, just like the heroes born amid the chaos of the Great Cataclysm.

People fear the strong even as they envy them, but heroes are worshiped.

Lee Jungryong knew that better than anyone. And if this war ended because of Jin Taekyung’s exploits—if that happened—then…

Crack.

The tip of his finger, infused with aura, had already bored through the solid wood and reduced it to powder.

Lee Jungryong silently looked down at the table, its center punched clean through.

For now, it was only a small hole. But if it continued to grow, it would soon become impossible to control. He had to fill it before the table collapsed.

“Send in the Head of Security.”

At Lee Jungryong’s quiet order, someone waiting outside the door left to carry it out.

Before long, the door opened and a familiar figure stepped inside.

“You called for me?”

Jin Taekyung was not the only one who had changed in such a short time.

Go Jun, Lee Jungryong’s right hand and Head of Security, had changed a great deal as well.

A dark light lay deep in his eyes, and his voice had grown dry. A few people who knew the circumstances whispered that after losing to Jin Taekyung, his already hard expression had turned even gloomier.

Lee Jungryong disagreed.

“You look well.”

“I’ve made a little progress.”

“Too much modesty is unbecoming. You accomplished a great deal on today’s battlefield as well. You deserve the praise.”

“…Thank you.”

The monster army’s sudden assault on five fronts had left enormous casualties, but the northern front under Lee Jungryong’s command had been the sole exception.

The Ares Guild elites, who had conserved their strength by hanging back in previous battles, slaughtered the monster army. Go Jun had also single-handedly killed two Death Knights that had served as the monsters’ leaders.

“What were our losses?”

“Eleven severely injured and forty-six lightly injured. No deaths. The severely injured will need more time to recover, but the others have already been fully healed.”

The more than four thousand casualties among the other Hunters and soldiers did not enter their calculations.

Lee Jungryong asked, and Go Jun answered. To the two of them, only Ares Guild counted as allies.

“It’s unfortunate about the commander, though. To die such an untimely death. He was quite a tough man……”

As Lee Jungryong trailed off, a gloomy light flickered in the depths of Go Jun’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. I tried to stop them with everything I had, but there were simply too many monsters.”

“It couldn’t be helped. Did you recover the body?”

“It was too badly mangled, so we had no choice but to cremate him. The staff officers who died with him were treated the same way.”

“Well done. Ah, you know Lieutenant General Wang Ochun has been appointed the new commander, don’t you?”

“Yes. I was just on my way back from meeting him.”

Only a handful of people, including Lee Jungryong, knew that Lieutenant General Wang Ochun and Go Jun had met before.

For several years, the two had occasionally shared meals at secluded safe houses. Each time, the trunk of Lieutenant General Wang Ochun’s sedan grew heavier.

“What did he have to say?”

“He said he looked forward to working with me.”

A faint smile touched Lee Jungryong’s lips.

“Of course. You’re comrades who will be fighting together.”

By now, Wang Ochun was probably delighted to have been entrusted with such an important post. He had no idea that this entire chain of events was anything but simple good fortune.

Nor did he know that his tough predecessor, now reduced to a handful of ashes, had been preparing a report on Ares Guild’s lackluster performance in battle.

“Watch over him carefully. We can’t afford to lose our commander twice, can we?”

“Understood.”

Anything could happen on a battlefield.

A commander on poor terms with someone might be torn to pieces by monsters, while a corrupt general with a fondness for money might be appointed in his place.

Now in a considerably better mood, Lee Jungryong continued.

“You’ll have a hard time starting tomorrow, so get plenty of rest tonight.”

“What do you mean by that……?”

“We’ve been ordered to advance with all possible speed and sweep away the remaining monsters.”

“Mobile warfare, then. Was that order issued to every front?”

Lee Jungryong nodded.

Beginning tomorrow morning, the five fronts, including the northern front, would commence mobile warfare. Within a few days, they would cut off the monster army’s retreat and tighten an encirclement around it.

“They must have taken considerable losses as well, but their numbers will still be formidable.”

“What do you think this country has more of than anything else? Even now, hundreds of transport planes are carrying Hunters in from all across China. Even low-ranking Hunters will make useful arrow fodder.”

Lee Jungryong spoke calmly, then continued.

“Focus on minimizing the Guild’s losses. Just in case…”

His gaze deepened as it settled on the table.

“There may come a time when you have to fill a hole.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

The meaning was unclear, but to Go Jun, Lee Jungryong was both a revered Master and as good as a god.

Without questioning him, Go Jun silently nodded. Then he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to ask something important.

“Where is our final destination?”

Instead of answering, Lee Jungryong raised a hand and pointed at the map of Sichuan Province that covered the wall.

Pshk!

A blast of wind shot from his fingertip and pierced one section of the map. Go Jun’s gaze fell on the place-name written beside the hole.

Suining City.

The place where this entire catastrophe had begun.

The Arch Lich was there.

At dawn the next day, everyone who woke found themselves divided into two groups.

Those who were leaving and those who were staying.

Naturally, I belonged to the former group, while Team Leader Choi and Xiao Shen belonged to the latter.

Only when our departure was imminent did the two of them finally regain consciousness—and immediately start protesting the fact that they were being left behind.

“Mr. Jin. I’m perfectly fine.”

“I’m perfectly fine, hyung²!”

“I can fight.”

“I’m confident I can fight harder than anyone!”

…What is this, an echo?

As I looked at Team Leader Choi and Xiao Shen shouting with stiff expressions, I had no choice but to make them an offer.

“Hmm. If you can last ten minutes against me, I’ll take you along.”

“…”

“…”

“Is that what you call an offer, you shameless, wicked human?”

Shameless, my ass.

If anything, those two were the shameless ones. They could barely run properly, yet they wanted me to take them onto a battlefield.

It was good that they were burning with fighting spirit, but heading into battle in their current condition was a surefire way to get themselves killed.

And what kind of undead talks about conscience?

Why, I oughta…

After making that threat in my head, I addressed the two thoroughly dejected men.

“For now, focus on recovering. If you spend the next few days getting your feel back and your stamina returns, you might be deployed to the front then. That goes for you too, Shen—not just Team Leader Choi.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmmmm.”

They still did not look happy, but at least they seemed somewhat resigned.

Both of them knew what condition their bodies were in. They could not keep insisting forever.

“Then I’d better get going… Ah.”

I had forgotten something.

Pretending to rummage through my bag enchanted with space-expansion magic, I pulled out the item I had stored in my Inventory and held it toward Xiao Shen.

“Here.”

Xiao Shen blinked.

“…Hyung²?”

“What are you waiting for? Take it. My arm’s going to fall off.”

Xiao Shen reflexively accepted it and stared at me in confusion.

“What is this?”

“A gift. Someone I know entrusted it to me, but I think you should have it.”

“A sword this fine?”

“Why? You don’t want it?”

“No, that’s not it. I’m just not sure I should accept something like this…”

Xiao Shen hurriedly waved his hands, then gazed almost dreamily at Hero’s Soul as he gripped its hilt.

Its weight distribution and balance were close to perfect, and the transparent blade gleamed with unmistakable sharpness.

He swallowed hard.

“Can I really accept this?”

“I’m not giving it to you for no reason. I’m giving it to you because you qualify.”

“I qualify…?”

“That’s right.”

The courage he had shown in the last battle. His sacrifice for someone else.

That was enough.

Besides, I had been using a spear for years. If I kept the sword, it would only rot away in my Inventory.

Xiao Shen, another Chinese member of the Public Security Armed Forces Department, was a more fitting owner than I was.

And since nothing happened when he grabbed the hilt, I guess the sword has accepted him too.

The Skeleton Warlord grumbled quietly.

“This commander is good with a sword too… This commander likes swords…”

Huh? What was that?

It was hard to hear the words of a loser who had secretly grabbed Hero’s Soul from my Inventory at dawn and screamed.

“…Hmph, forget it. A cheap sword like that is unworthy of this commander!”

“…”

What is he talking about? Someone who wants it more than you is sitting quietly right here.

Since I was thinking about it anyway, I discreetly glanced at Team Leader Choi.

Truthfully, I had agonized until the very end over whether to give Hero’s Soul to Xiao Shen or Team Leader Choi.

Team Leader Choi was human too, after all. He might have felt hurt.

But apparently, all that concern had been for nothing.

“Congratulations, Regimental Commander Shen. That is truly an excellent sword.”

At Team Leader Choi’s sincere congratulations, Xiao Shen finally came to his senses and looked back and forth between him and Hero’s Soul.

Conflict flickered in his eyes, but a bright smile soon spread across his face.

“I don’t think I’m the one this sword belongs to.”

“…?”

“Mr. Choi, would you accept this sword in my place?”

I had not expected that.

Still…

That’s nice to see.

Team Leader Choi politely refused in his confusion, but Xiao Shen had already made up his mind, and his resolve proved stronger.

As I watched the two of them pass the sword back and forth, I quietly slipped out of the ward and started walking.

Before I closed the door, Team Leader Choi’s voice reached my ears.

“Of all the swords I’ve ever seen, I like this one the most.”

Right. Then that settled it.

I strode through the ranks of the troops who had already assembled.

The wall of people parted before me amid looks of awe.