Chapter 6: One-Man Army

Necromancer (6)

"Low-risk Monsters are currently under the jurisdiction of the National Police Agency, but considering the efficiency of resource management, our committee handles some problematic cases. This operation is also part of that."

Comet nodded vaguely at the Healer's explanation.

"Comet, you can freely subjugate Monsters as long as you don't interfere with the operation."

"What do you mean by not interfering with the operation?"

"Any action that disrupts the encirclement. For example, herding Monsters for hunting."

"Even though I'm a Necromancer, do you think I would do that in this situation? Don't worry."

The Healer nodded in agreement, picked up a pen, and drew a line on the map. The map showed an enlarged view of a mountain located in Seoul.

"Then, as a final summary, I'll explain it again."

Comet listened with as much concentration as she could muster.

"The purpose of this operation is to annihilate a small group of Monsters occupying the mountain. To do so, we will form an encirclement and ascend the mountain. Combatants will be organized in pairs. We plan to actively use flares to overcome communication disruptions and manpower shortages. The flare signal looks like this."

The Healer pointed to a photo of a flare emitting red smoke and shooting into the sky.

"And when the encirclement narrows beyond a certain range, we will reorganize the combat personnel into groups of four at their designated locations in preparation for potentially high-risk Monsters. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Instead of focusing on hunting Monsters, I just need to watch for the flares and join the group when they appear."

"That's right. It would be great if you could do that. It seems like we're all set. Do you have any further questions?"

Comet looked around at the committee members stretching in front of the hiking trail, then turned back to the Healer.

"Which point is Officer Dan Ga-yeon in charge of?"

The Healer drew a line on the hiking trail with the pen.

"Officer Dan will go up this hiking trail, then leave the trail at this point and go up in this direction."

Comet memorized the location and nodded.

"I sparred with Officer Dan, and she's quite skilled. I'll go up in a different direction."

The Healer blinked and stared at her.

Comet gave a bright smile.

#

Whether it was accurate that it was a small group of Monsters, Comet was able to find a Monster later than she originally wanted. It was an animal-type Monster that walked on four legs, and if she had to classify it, it was a wolf.

Comet looked at the wolf with expectant eyes and flicked her knife. The wolf sprinted and lunged in an arc.

Comet watched it blankly, observing it, and was disappointed by its slower than expected speed. She slowly moved her legs twice, bent her upper body, and the raised knife sliced through the Monster's belly. The Monster died, spilling its entrails.

Comet recovered the soul and was perplexed. It was weaker than she thought. If Dan Ga-yeon died to a Monster like this, it would only raise unnecessary suspicion. It was a predicted situation since the committee didn't need to overdo it for something like this.

Comet climbed a tree, gauged the slow speed of the encirclement, and headed towards the summit, where stronger Monsters were likely to be.

Near the summit, she spotted Monsters that were stronger than the first one she encountered, but there were no large-scale Monsters that would obviously cause a major accident if encountered in pairs. Comet casually ignored the charging Monsters, climbed onto a rock, and looked around.

She saw something large sleeping. Comet jumped off the rock and quickly approached it. As she got closer, she could tell for sure. It was a bear-like Monster.

Comet crossed her arms and stared at the bear Monster, then rolled to the side. A wolf-type Monster passed through where Comet had been and slammed its head into the sleeping bear Monster.

Comet watched with her hands behind her back, pretending not to know anything. The bear Monster, having risen to its feet, looked down at the wolf Monster. The wolf, backing away, growled, its pride still intact.

The sound of flesh tearing was faintly audible. The bear's belly was torn open, and its ribs protruded, piercing the wolf.

Comet's mouth hung open.

The bear grabbed the wolf with its front paws and shoved it into its stomach. The wolf, crushed by force, was swallowed into its belly.

As applause rang out, the bear Monster turned to look at Comet. Comet waved briefly in greeting and turned to run. The noise following her was loud.

Comet glanced back at the Monster and hesitated for a moment. It would be too noisy to deliver it to Dan Ga-yeon as it was. It would be easier to leave it on a suitable path and wait for them to encounter it.

Comet recalled the path of Dan Ga-yeon that she had heard from the Healer and changed direction, luring the Monster. After arriving at a suitable location, she grabbed a tree and climbed up. She hid in the tree, reached the top, and kicked off a branch. Comet flipped her body once outside the Monster's field of vision and landed lightly on the opposite tree like a soul.

The tree that Comet had climbed broke, causing a commotion. The Monster, swinging its front paws, looked around, finding no human. Comet moved away, crossing several trees before she was unnecessarily discovered.

She arrived at a safe place, stretched briefly, and then moved. Following the expected path, she found Dan Ga-yeon without difficulty. Dan Ga-yeon was paired with a man. They weren't close, as their conversation was conducted in a distant tone. They were speaking in low voices, mindful of the Monsters.

"If something goes wrong, it's Officer Dan's responsibility, right?"

"Yes."

"I clearly said we should avoid it."

"Yes, yes."

The man looked in the direction where the bear Monster had caused a commotion, his expression uneasy.

Comet scratched her cheek. It wasn't a loud noise because of the distance, but it seemed to have attracted attention.

"I really was against it."

"Yes. If it gets dangerous, shoot a flare. I'll buy us time."

"If we avoid it, there won't be any danger."

"Haha."

A laugh that didn't sound like a laugh was heard. Comet blinked. It was the first time she had seen Dan Ga-yeon with such a cold attitude.

A wolf-type Monster appeared, parting the bushes, and the conversation stopped. Dan Ga-yeon raised her sword, and the man retreated to the rear. Since he didn't have a weapon, he was probably a magic user.

As the Monster lunged to bite her leg, Dan Ga-yeon changed her stance, evaded it naturally, and swung her sword. The blade cut the Monster's flank. The wound wasn't deep, and the staggering Monster lunged again. An ice arrow flew and hit the Monster. Dan Ga-yeon finished off the fallen Monster.

Ice arrows were a common technique, so she couldn't be sure, but the man seemed to be an elementalist.

"You did a good job."

Dan Ga-yeon smiled kindly at the man.

"Of course. But why did you dodge like that? What if the Monster had attacked me?"

Dan Ga-yeon silently swung her sword, shaking off the Monster's blood. The scattered blood splattered on the trees.

As they got closer to the location where the bear Monster had been, the intermittent conversation stopped as they tried to concentrate. Dan Ga-yeon carefully took the lead, parting the bushes, and stopped. In the quiet sounds, the breathing of a beast could be heard.

Dan Ga-yeon gestured to the man, sharing the situation. The man peered at the bear Monster beyond the bushes. They quietly backed away, creating distance. The man whispered to Dan Ga-yeon.

"I don't think we can win."

"What? No, I think we can handle it."

"No, look closely. That fur is magic resistant."

"I'll make a wound, and then you can cast magic on it. The damage will stick."

"I know that. Who doesn't know that? But if Officer Dan deals the damage, who's going to tank?"

Comet twisted her side hair and noticed the bear Monster turning its head. The two, realizing that the Monster had noticed them, took their positions.

The charging Monster swung its front paw. Dan Ga-yeon dodged lightly and swung her sword. As a wound appeared, a fire arrow flew. Flames erupted, and the Monster roared. Taking advantage of the gap, Dan Ga-yeon launched a series of sword strikes, and elemental magic hit again.

Comet crossed her arms and tilted her head. She watched the situation for a while, but the situation didn't change. When a sword wound appeared, magic flew. The Monster wasn't taking significant damage from the continued attacks, but the damage was definitely accumulating.

Although there didn't seem to be much damage on the surface, Dan Ga-yeon moved calmly, even though the situation was making her anxious. It was a calmness that seemed to come from a lot of experience in such anxious situations. She had said she played hunting-focused games, and it seemed that she wasn't just talking.

Comet sat down and looked for a stone. She carefully selected a stone that was easy to throw and would make the target stagger if hit, then stood up.

Until then, the situation hadn't changed. However, whether it was different from the Monster's perspective, the Monster roared in anger. The Monster suddenly struck a nearby rock. Several attacks followed in the meantime, but the Monster ignored them, picked up the fragmented rock, and threw it at the mage in the rear.

The man stared blankly at the flying rock and was hit directly. It seemed he had forgotten that the rear guard should always be ready to move, as he was focused on dealing damage.

Dan Ga-yeon, unable to keep up with the absurd situation, paused and then quickly rolled. It was a somewhat slow decision. The sound of flesh tearing was heard, and ribs protruded. One arm, used to block, was pierced and tattered. The sword was swung, and the ribs were shattered. A front paw was swung, and Dan Ga-yeon was sent flying, crashing to the ground.

Comet gently put down the stone. It was better to leave it alone.

It was then that the man staggered to his feet. His upper body was stained with blood, and his face was covered in cold sweat, making it impossible for him to use magic.

The man frowned as he saw Dan Ga-yeon, in her tattered state, using her sword as a cane to stand up.

"I told you we couldn't catch it like this!"

The Monster, hearing the shout, turned to look at the man. The man hurriedly took out a flare. Comet, realizing what was happening, picked up the stone again and took a stance, but then paused. The direction of the muzzle was different from what she had expected.

The fired flare left a red trail as it flew and hit Dan Ga-yeon. The red trail exploded, and Dan Ga-yeon staggered. The Monster's front paw struck down on Dan Ga-yeon.

Comet stared blankly at Dan Ga-yeon, who was enduring the attack and losing her balance. Black hair and blood droplets scattered. The Monster looked down at the fallen Dan Ga-yeon and roared.

Comet listened to the sound for a moment and then chased after the fleeing man. The man was staggering down the mountain. Comet watched the scene, overtook him, and examined the natural features. A protruding tree root was visible on the path he would pass. She kicked it, breaking it and turning the tree root into a sharp point.

The man quickly passed by. Comet threw a stone at him. The man staggered and fell, his upper body impaled on a tree root. A low scream echoed.

Soon, his hands gripping the tree root exerted strength, and his legs struggled to find purchase. Comet, with her hands behind her back, approached leisurely and raised her foot. She pressed down on his back, and a faint scream followed. The man trembled and then went limp.

"A shameful death."

Comet plucked a few leaves, tore them, and scattered them over the man's head. She dusted off her hands and retrieved a Soul orb to collect the soul.

Comet briefly surveyed the corpse before turning and walking towards the place where Dan Ga-yeon was supposed to be dead. After walking about halfway, she heard the sound of leaves being trampled.

Comet's eyebrows twitched at the unexpected situation. She quickly hid in the bushes, and a moment later, Dan Ga-yeon stumbled down.

Dan Ga-yeon, with vacant eyes, followed the droplets of blood on the ground. Her sword was nowhere to be seen, only the scabbard tied around her waist. She had wrapped her coat around her pierced arm, but droplets of blood continued to fall.

Dan Ga-yeon leaned against trees several times as she moved forward. Soon, she discovered the corpse and let out a hollow laugh. Her upper body trembled, and her inhales and exhales created a discordant sound.

Dan Ga-yeon took a deep breath and then approached the corpse, pulling it with all her might. The blood-red tree root was fully revealed, and the corpse came loose. Dan Ga-yeon collapsed from her own momentum and crawled to rummage through the corpse's belongings.

A flare was pulled out. The shaking muzzle pointed towards the sky. The trigger was pulled. A click sounded.

Dan Ga-yeon continued to stare at the pale sky before dropping her arm. The thrown flare struck the corpse and fell. In quick succession, stones and dirt pounded the corpse before stopping. The leaves rustled in the wind. Howling could be heard from afar.

Dan Ga-yeon, who had been holding back tears, hoisted the corpse onto her shoulder. Her legs trembled as she stood up. She staggered for a moment but quickly stood straight. The hem of her coat fluttered. A single blood-soaked footprint was imprinted on the ground. A single footprint leading down the mountain followed.

There was nothing more. Leaves stirred and settled, enveloping the fallen body.

Comet approached Dan Ga-yeon with a dazed look. She removed the corpse and turned Dan Ga-yeon's body to face the sky. She knelt and placed Dan Ga-yeon's head on her lap.

Glory to a death that fulfilled its duty.

Comet closed her eyes.

She heard the slowing sound of a heart. The wind blew. The grass swayed and made noise. The passing wind showed artificial movement and then turned back. The sound of running followed.

Comet opened her eyes and blinked. A Healer appeared, parting the bushes. Several people followed around him.

The Healer looked back and forth between Comet and the dying Dan Ga-yeon before using magic.

Comet looked at the Healer and then down at Dan Ga-yeon.

Her complexion returned.

The shining soul was concealing its presence.

Comet became somewhat displeased.

That wicked Healer.

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