LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 12 - Humans Are– (4)
Chapter 12 – Humans Are– (4)
At Nelson’s gesture, dozens of muzzles fired simultaneously.
Ratatatat!
The thunderous sound of gunfire, amplified by the echoes, filled the underground space completely.
As soon as it was hit, the heart of the Evils of Eclipse changed form. The jellyfish-like head, which had been spread out, folded inward, encasing itself like a ball.
Though its outer shell became tattered from the relentless hail of bullets, the attacks barely reached the core inside.
“Damn it! That cursed demon!”
The monsters around the queen began to awaken one by one. The KSA unit members, growing anxious, shouted.
“Focus fire! We need to destroy that outer shell first!”
While the KSA members kept firing their guns, Leonhart and Bastille took their positions by the passage connected to the first floor.
They could see the awakened monsters ascending to the second floor. The two of them charged into the midst of the monsters, cutting them down without hesitation.
Under the continuous assault of rifle fire, the jellyfish’s outer shell began to show signs of collapse. Through the torn gaps in the jellyfish’s tattered mantle, the wriggling heart could be seen.
“Concentrate your fire! It’s almost at its limit!”
“Yes, sir!”
They fired their remaining bullets with determination, emptying their magazines.
Watching this scene while fighting off the Evils of Eclipse, Leonhart whistled.
“I wondered what it would have been like if Revenheim had guns. Their power far exceeds anything I imagined. If we combine the knowledge of the Returners with Earth’s combat capabilities, we won’t suffer any humiliating defeats like at Revenheim again.”
Bastille pondered Leonhart’s words for a long time before slowly shaking his head.
“The ones to drive humans to extinction… will ultimately be humans themselves.”
“We’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The heart of the Evils of Eclipse gradually quieted down. Once it completely fell into silence, the rift of the Evils—this entire dungeon—would also fall into slumber.
—
Total number of personnel: 100.
Dead: 62.
Severely or moderately injured: 21.
Even though they had won the battle, no one in the KSA strike force was smiling.
During the hunt for the heart of the Evils of Eclipse, many had lost their lives. In that brief yet fierce battle, nearly 20 casualties occurred due to the monsters’ desperate resistance.
Nelson sighed several times as he received the report. His eyes soon caught sight of Leonhart and Bastille.
“If it weren’t for you two… we would have been wiped out. I don’t even know how to properly express my thanks…”
Leonhart smiled.
“Let’s skip the formalities. As long as we’re on this battlefield, we’ll run into each other again someday. Let’s leave our connection for that moment.”
Nelson also smiled.
“If you’re leading an army, I’d love to join it someday.”
“That’s good to hear. Feel free to come anytime. When the time comes, I’ll be recruiting soldiers.”
“I still don’t even know your names.”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“You’re still keeping it a mystery until the end, huh? Very well, I’ll just commit your appearances to memory.”
Nelson saluted Leonhart once again.
At that moment, a soldier approached Nelson.
“Commander, communications with the outside have been restored.”
“That’s good news. Let’s report immediately.”
Nelson headed straight for the communication terminal to contact headquarters.
“6275. 6275. This is the White Hawk of the Superior Tower. Do you copy, Nest? Do you copy?”
[Static] This is Nest, White Hawk. Colonel Nelson.
“Glad we connected. First, an update on the situation. The underground is currently filled with countless monster cocoons.”
[Cocoons?]
“Yes. They’re eggs of the monsters known as the Evils of Eclipse.”
[The Evils of Eclipse…]
“More than half of my unit has been killed or injured. Continuing the operation is impossible. However, we were able to kill what seemed to be the queen of the monsters, something we’ve identified as the heart of the Evils of Eclipse.”
[Did the demons of the Evils appear?]
Nelson was a bit surprised by the command’s question. It was evidence that headquarters already knew about the Evils’ Rift.
“They did.”
[What happened?]
“Well…”
[Was someone else there? It’s impossible for your strike force to have subdued the demons alone, wasn’t it?]
“I was just about to report on that. We had two external helpers.”
[Helpers? What are their names?]
“They didn’t reveal them.”
[They didn’t reveal their identities? I think I know who they are, Colonel.]
“Yes.”
[I’m assigning you a new mission. The two of them should still be near the heart of the Evils of Eclipse. The heart contains a mineral called ‘Tears of Eclipse.’ Secure it immediately and gather as much of the heart’s tissue as possible.]
“You’re asking us to secure the Tears of Eclipse? But if they claim ownership… With all due respect, they played a far larger role in the success of this operation than we did.”
[Colonel, are you challenging the command’s orders?]
“I’m simply asking for judgment from the field…”
[Are you betraying your fallen comrades?]
“Do you intend to insult me?”
[Handing over the Tears of Eclipse to outsiders would be a denial of the very existence of the KSA. It is our Covenant Ark, the Prophet’s Grail.]
“…”
[Just because they helped us, you think it’s appropriate to give it to them?]
Nelson’s expression twisted.
Defying the command’s orders or turning against the two people who had saved them both weighed heavily on his conscience.
But the KSA had a grand mission. Under the duty to protect humanity from supernatural phenomena, personal gratitude became insignificant.
“I understand.”
[Also, capture those two and escort them to headquarters. They’re the type of awakened individuals who are highly dangerous. Leaving them at large will bring calamity to society.]
“…”
[Colonel. Your response?]
“I understand.”
Nelson ended the communication with a grim expression. However, he rubbed his face with his hand, extinguishing the emotions that burned inside him.
Everything was for the sake of protecting the world.
Anything else was nothing but useless sentiment.
—
As the KSA’s command had predicted, Bastille and Leonhart were now examining the heart of the Evils of Eclipse.
“Even if we find the Tears of Eclipse, without proper materials, it’ll be impossible to forge them into weapons.”
While lifting and dropping one of the jellyfish’s tendrils, he spoke again.
“What kind of weapon can you make from something this flimsy?”
“There’s no need to rush.”
“Well, I guess you’re right.”
The location of the Tears of Eclipse was usually deep between the monster’s brows, where its brain would be.
Though it had the form of a jellyfish, the heart of the Evils of Eclipse had eyes as well. When the area just beneath the mantle was pulled back, a row of ten or so eyes came into view.
Leonhart took out a small knife and stabbed between the eyes, skillfully dissecting near the brain. Within moments, he retrieved a gemstone.
“About 2 carats, I’d say? This isn’t exactly a low-level dungeon, then.”
Leonhart tossed the gem to Bastille, who held it up to the light for inspection.
“Not bad.”
“Right? If we keep raiding dungeons like this, gathering materials and recruiting comrades, it won’t be impossible to raise a knightly order that can stand against the Evils in a short time.”
“Assuming the Evils don’t grow faster.”
“That part’s a bit tricky… but luckily, Earth’s weapons are powerful. There are already monster response units like the KSA in place.”
Just as Leonhart finished speaking, he turned his body and stared into the darkness. With a long sigh, he added:
“The real problem is that humanity tends to aim those weapons at each other.”
Before his words even finished, the loud crack of gunfire echoed through the air.
Dozens of guns flashed, their bullets aimed at Leonhart and Bastille.
Their bodies weren’t pierced—these seemed to be some kind of non-lethal, suppressive rounds.
It had been a sudden ambush, and their enemies were far too numerous.
Any form of resistance was meaningless. The two were overwhelmed on the spot and lost consciousness.
Holding a radio, Colonel Nelson stood at the forefront, examining their condition. He smirked grimly before speaking into the radio.
“Targets silenced. Assets secured. I repeat, targets silenced. Assets secured. From now, KSA will handle the transport of the two awakened individuals and the assets to headquarters. All units, prioritize returning to base from your current positions. Over.”
At that moment, Lucy approached Nelson.
“Colonel.”
“I know what you want to say. But don’t forget the reason for KSA’s existence.”
“Have you forgotten that we’re alive right now because of them?”
“We are alive because the great God created and nurtured humanity.”
Lucy twisted her lips in frustration.
“Do you think God would be pleased with His children acting like this?”
Colonel Nelson shook his head again.
“It’s the orders from the top. Unless you plan to share their fate, follow the command.”
“I will follow orders. But today, for the first time, I’m disappointed in the KSA.”
“You’ll be disappointed many more times in the future. The KSA enforces order. We are not agents of justice.”
Lucy saluted and stepped back. Nelson bowed his head slightly toward the two fallen heroes.
“I pray that you make the right choice and join us as elite agents of the KSA.”
—
Judah stood in a room filled with black monitors. The screens, though blank, seemed to gaze down at him sternly, as if passing judgment on him like arbiters of the world.
A voice flowed from one of the monitors.
“Did you secure the samples?”
Judah responded.
“Yes. Both the tissue samples and the core have been secured.”
“Excellent.”
Another monitor cut off the praise.
“It was a mission that almost failed. Had the irregulars not intervened, the entire unit would have been wiped out.”
“Hypotheticals are meaningless.”
“You speak well, but that arrogance will bring about your downfall one day.”
“I’ll accept reprimand when I actually fail.”
The first monitor spoke again.
“Let’s leave it at that. There’s no reason to insult a commander who has returned victorious. Judah.”
“Yes, Senator. Please speak.”
“As per the prophecy you received, the demonic forces have begun to move. The enemy is strong, and we are not yet prepared to face them. We must act swiftly. We have no choice but to rely on the Keys.”
“As you say.”
“Hasten your efforts. No one will be able to stop what you’re trying to accomplish—not the state, nor any religion. Know that the Senate is doing everything in its power to ensure this.”
“I appreciate your recognition of my loyalty to the Senate.”
“When is the first experiment scheduled?”
“As soon as the analysis of the samples is complete.”
“We expect good results.”
“Of course, Senator. This is not a venture into the unknown but a replication of proven theory.”
Another monitor spoke.
“What about the irregulars? Do you think they’ll agree to cooperate with the CSA?”
Judah paused briefly before answering.
“They will be treated no differently. We’ll proceed according to official protocol.”
“But…”
“Only absolute law brings unshakable order. I hope the Senator understands that.”
The black monitors fell silent.
The meeting was over, and Judah left the empty conference room as if it had been vacant from the start.