Chapter 13: One-Man Army

Blood and Shadows (3)

Comet left the power plant worker who refused the dangerous operation and jumped out of the building window.

『This world doesn't know honor either.』

"It's normal."

『Aren't you going to take the spear?』

"There's no need to give it and then take it back. I'll collect it when it's over."

She took out a Soul orb and turned one of the souls into a knife. It was hastily made, so the performance would be poor, but it would be enough.

Approaching Dan Ga-yeon, who was fighting a three-story-tall Flame Golem, she greeted Comet with a bright face. It seemed she was struggling just to hold on, let alone defeat it alone.

"Comet-nim! What about the survivors?"

"I saved one. They want to be in a safe place. Can you handle the Golem?"

"No!"

Dan Ga-yeon rolled to avoid the Golem's fiery fist. The ground rumbled, and flames swept around. A sword strike flew, extinguishing the flames.

"The attacks aren't working!"

"Try putting more Mana into it."

Dan Ga-yeon swung her sword at the Golem's fist, which was stuck in the ground. The blade struck rather than cut the Golem. It scratched the Golem, but it wasn't a significant blow.

"It's not working!"

"Or try using Mana in a more sophisticated way."

Dan Ga-yeon dodged another attack and swung her fist at the scratched area. Dust rose with the impact. The Golem still looked unshaken. The advice didn't seem to help much.

The fight would end if she destroyed the Golem's core, but she had to break through the Golem to destroy the core hidden inside. From the start, the attacks weren't working, so she seemed to be struggling.

"How about abandoning the sword altogether and using your bare hands?"

"I'm a swordsman, you know? If I focus on bare-handed attacks, there will be huge openings."

"I'm a Necromancer, but I use a knife just fine."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"I have no choice. I'll show you, so try to follow along."

Comet slowly approached the Golem. Dan Ga-yeon stepped back, gasping for breath.

The Golem gathered both fists and slammed them down. Comet jumped lightly like a spirit and climbed onto the Golem's arm. Flames engulfed her, but they were pushed back by Spiritual Power.

She placed her hand on the Golem's arm and forcibly injected Spiritual Power. Various magic and engineering technologies applied to the Golem blocked the intrusion of Spiritual Power. Comet bypassed and sometimes broke through, injecting Spiritual Power. The Spiritual Power raged inside the Golem's arm. When Comet put Spiritual Power into her fist and struck down, the Spiritual Power collided and exploded. The Golem's debris scattered, and flames swept around.

Comet used the shockwave to fly into the sky and landed next to Dan Ga-yeon.

"I used Spiritual Power because I don't have Mana, but you can follow along with Mana."

Dan Ga-yeon stared blankly at the result. Debris fell from the Golem's broken arm. The Golem took a defensive stance with its one remaining arm.

"You're telling me to follow along?"

"It's not difficult."

"That's a top-tier technique."

"Oh, you know. Mages are more powerful when they cast magic, so raid users usually aren't interested."

"Ugh, that's not a helpful demonstration."

Mana flashed from the Golem. In a short time, the broken debris reversed and returned to the position where the Golem's arm had been, restoring it. Whoever made it, for whatever purpose, it was high-performance, with fast and stable restoration. It would be like that until the core was broken or the energy ran out.

"You can do it. Come on."

"No, but why are you watching? Shouldn't you be the one catching it, Comet-nim?"

"Well, that's..."

Comet looked around and paused. A familiar man was running into the burning and collapsing building, holding the spear Comet had made for him in both hands.

Comet's lips curled up.

That's why I like human souls.

#

He just wanted to be a civil servant. Comfortable, thin, and long. When he actually joined a public enterprise and managed a power plant, it wasn't that comfortable, but as he gained experience, he got the hang of it. Do what you're told, and don't do what you're not told. He doesn't hear good things, but he doesn't hear bad things so much that he can't stand it.

The Seonbae seemed to hate living like that. He brought new cases from somewhere and created work. He was ignored and rejected, and only when the approval was barely obtained did the work proceed.

Some of the approved projects failed, and most of them produced mediocre results while being criticized by other departments. Unlike the innovative and progressive goals, the results were ambiguous.

Rumors circulated about the Seonbae. He was making others tired for his own satisfaction. The Seonbae might have had bad luck with his colleagues.

Unlike the bad reputation, the Seonbae's promotion was never delayed. When he asked why at a drinking party, the Seonbae told him this.

"Because someone has to do it. I'm just playing the villain right now."

He seemed like a different kind of person.

As the Seonbae's promotions continued steadily, other stories circulated. He was choosing things that the higher-ups would like.

The Seonbae didn't bother to deny it. It was probably both. Half the desire to make the workplace better. And half the desire to get promoted.

The Seonbae was neither a hero nor a superhuman. He was the type of person who would get promoted moderately but wouldn't reach the top and would retire with regret. The kind of person who would start a convenience store or a chicken restaurant after retirement because he would be too embarrassed to stay at home and complain about his life.

So he couldn't accept the Seonbae's decision.

"Let's run away too!"

"The director left the control system unattended! We have to go and normalize it right away!"

"Why are you doing that, Seonbae?! Let's run away first and then punch that bastard in the face!"

"It could explode!"

"It might not!"

He couldn't persuade the Seonbae. He just ran across the power plant site with him to the central control system. He was out of his mind with fear. He didn't know why he was running with him. If he couldn't persuade him, he could just run away alone.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter any wild dog Monsters or Golems until they arrived. He and the Seonbae exchanged smiles of relief and hurriedly began to normalize the control system.

It seemed like it would go smoothly. Until he discovered a Monster hiding in a corner, preparing to pounce on the Seonbae.

Just as there was no need for a reason to follow the Seonbae, there was no need for a reason to abandon the Seonbae and run away. Without any thought or organization, he ran away. He heard the Seonbae's scream from behind. In his field of vision, he saw the Seonbae falling, his leg bitten.

When he came to his senses, he was in a building on the power plant site.

I didn't do anything wrong. I told him to run away. He died on his own.

As time passed, I was able to think rationally.

Even if I had helped, we would have died together. It's right for at least one person to live. It was just lucky that we didn't encounter anything on the way, it's a natural result. The Seonbae made the wrong decision in the first place. I was just trying to stop him and got caught up in it.

By that point, he was able to move for safety. He went up the floors and looked for a safe room where Monsters wouldn't find him. Then he entered a place where he could check the status of the control system. He learned something. The control system had been normalized. The Seonbae had succeeded. He just couldn't be alive.

A rescuer with short black hair and red eyes looked at him.

"I don't have time because I have to help my colleagues. So, I think you should go to that building and solve the important problems."

He couldn't accept the situation.

"There will be wild dog Monsters on the way, and there may be Monsters in the building you arrive at. I'll give you a weapon."

A spear was handed over. He didn't take it.

"Hurry. There's no time."

He opened his mouth with difficulty.

"...I can't. I've never fought before, and I've never learned self-defense! I'll die if I encounter them!"

The rescuer watched him with red eyes and let go of the hand holding the spear. The spear fell to the floor with a sound.

He felt like the sound echoing in the hallway was loud.

"That's okay. Then we'll catch the Golem and come back in with you. As you explained, the power plant may be damaged during that time, though."

The rescuer went out through the window. She was uninhibited, even though it was three stories high.

He lowered his head and clenched his fists.

She's an Awakened, so she can say that so easily. She must think she can catch Monsters if she has a weapon. What is she expecting when I've never fought before? I didn't do anything wrong enough to be ridiculed by dropping the spear on purpose.

I just...

Through the window, he saw another Awakened with a sword fighting a Golem. The scene of flames erupting and the earth being destroyed was terrifying.

Beyond that, he saw the broken and burning power plant building. The flames were getting bigger. The flames were swaying back and forth. Time was running out.

He trembled and lowered his body. A cool spear shaft was caught in his hand. It was heavy yet light, difficult but comfortable.

The walk down the hallway turned into a run. He went down the stairs and reached the second floor, and then the first floor.

A wild dog Monster wandering on the first floor turned to him and ran. Sharp teeth were revealed, and the air felt hot.

As the Monster leaped, he ran straight ahead and shouted. The thrust spear pierced the Monster's mouth and stabbed its head. Hot blood flowed down the spear shaft. The dead Monster fell, and the spear was pulled out.

He ran towards the place he had to go.

For only one reason.

Because someone has to do it.

It was just me this time.

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