General Kernel was definitely looking him in the eye, yet he was calling him a phantom.
Moreover, didn't he accurately call out his name?
'What's going on?'
[It's simple. The identity you borrowed belongs to this world's Master.]
'This world's… me?'
This was the multiverse. Or perhaps a parallel world.
The major event known as the Great Cataclysm hadn't occurred here, but everything else seemed to have followed a similar path.
[The Master of this world jumped into the business of multinational mercenaries at a young age, eventually starting his own company. As an extraordinarily powerful psychic, he continued to thrive.]
'Really? His situation is much better than mine.'
Hyun Suho had been looked down on as a mere mechanic before he met Nova.
But in this world, Hyun Suho was famous enough to be acquainted with special forces generals.
[The Master possesses an exceptional EX-rank ability, one of the most powerful in the world. Though the methods may differ, it seems that this world's Hyun Suho also possessed an extraordinary talent.]
Hyun Suho had wasted his younger years, thinking his job as a mechanic was commonplace.
What if he had ventured into dungeons and gained experience and levels from an early age?
It seems this world's Hyun Suho hadn't made that mistake.
That's why he's now operating as one of the world's top psychics.
'If that was the case, you should have told me sooner.'
[I determined that there was no need to tell you. Not until General Kernel appeared. If I had shared all the information I knew, Master's brain would have exploded.]
This meant that information had been filtered and relayed.
In any case, thanks to this world's Hyun Suho, things were going smoothly.
Listening to the information Nova provided, Hyun Suho engaged in conversation with General Kernel.
"It's been a while, General. I haven't seen you since the Metarlam operation."
[Ugh! That hellish operation just came to mind. Without you, it would never have succeeded.]
"I didn't do much. It was your brilliant strategy, General."
Though it seemed like a friendly greeting, Hyun Suho could sense that even in this situation, General Kernel was still testing him.
However, after he effortlessly shared information that only the real Phantom would know, even the lingering doubts faded.
[The situation is dire. The strange mist spreading from the Foundation is expanding rapidly. It's already gone far beyond the borders of Seattle.]
"Have the people been evacuated?"
[The alarm has already been raised, and the troops will soon be deployed. Though I don't doubt Major Reiner's abilities… the situation is too grim.]
"This isn't a soldier's job. Has the Paranormal Bureau been dispatched?"
[Unfortunately, they're on an important mission in France. I'm sorry, but you'll have to relay information from the field.]
According to Nova, the military would arrive within 20 minutes.
Bombers loaded with explosives were also ready.
Jane's squad members were scouts meant to assess the situation inside.
Shaking his head, Hyun Suho spoke.
"As you know, this is an incident originating from the Foundation. It's not something that can be handled with firearms. You should pull back the military."
[I'm well aware of that. But the pressure is coming all the way from the President's office. If we can't stop the mist from spreading, we might have to abandon Seattle.]
"Don't tell me… you're thinking of using nuclear bombs?"
[…]
"This is insane! They're all out of their minds."
Nova mentioned that our Earth's America self-destructed by using nuclear bombs. It seemed like they were on the verge of making the same mistake here.
If the nuclear bomb could actually stop it, that would be one thing.
But the increasingly intense mana waves weren't something a nuclear bomb could stop.
"Give us time. I can take care of this."
[Is that true?]
"Have you ever seen me charge into a fight I can't win?"
[That's… true.]
"Please, pull back the military and hold off on deploying the bombers. We'll handle this."
[Hmm!]
The General in the video sighed deeply as he deliberated.
After tapping his desk anxiously with his index finger, he spoke as if he had made up his mind.
[I can delay it for about two hours.]
"That's too tight. Please push for an additional hour."
[…Alright. Three hours. No more.]
"That should be sufficient."
The General checked the time frantically and then lowered his voice as he spoke.
[Major Reiner is a subordinate I cherish. Please bring her back safely.]
"Aren't you concerned about me?"
[Why would I worry about the great Phantom? The man who survived a sinking submarine?]
Really?
This world's Hyun Suho is quite something, huh?
"I'll do my best."
[Thank you. Now, let me connect you to Major Reiner again…]
It was at that moment.
One of the squad members, who had been on alert, preparing their gear in case a monster attacked, suddenly staggered and collapsed.
"Argh!"
As one of his subordinates fell, a startled Jane rushed over.
"Mikhail! What's wrong?"
"M-Major… my body… feels strange… Argh!"
Hearing this, Hyun Suho immediately threw down the communicator and approached him.
"Move aside!"
He shoved Jane to the side and began tearing apart the spacesuit-like protective suit that the soldier was wearing with his bare hands.
Startled by the sight, Jane shouted.
"What are you doing?"
That suit was the only thing protecting him from the mist. Of course, she'd be furious seeing it get damaged.
But there was a reason for this.
"Do you think this is just some virus? You can't stop it with something like this."
They believed that as long as the mist didn't touch their bodies, they'd be fine, but that was a huge mistake.
This wasn't just any ordinary mist; it was a specific magical substance.
Using Nova's words, this was mana in action, completely disregarding the laws of physics.
No matter how much they wrapped themselves in plastic, they couldn't avoid being exposed to the magic. It was just cumbersome.
'Nova, what's the status?'
[The corruption has already begun. He'll soon turn into a monster.]
'Can we treat it?'
[Based on the information available, I can't be certain.]
This wasn't a wound or disease.
Even the nearly omnipotent healing factor might not work against this strange curse.
But just standing by and watching wasn't an option either.
'Let's give it a try.'
[Understood, Master.]
The healing factor, filled with mana, permeated the soldier's body.
*Shhhh!*
"Ugh!"
The soldier trembled in pain, but it was still better than dying, wasn't it?
Hyun Suho held a chainsword tightly in his hand, ready for the worst-case scenario.
Jane, knowing the implications, bit her lower lip but didn't interfere.
She was, after all, a soldier.
She knew that acting emotionally in such a situation would only lead to a greater disaster.
Fortunately, the worst didn't happen.
"Did it work?"
As the healing factor enveloped the soldier's body, his expression became much more relaxed.
Nova, who was analyzing the effects of the healing factor, spoke.
[The corruption has disappeared.]
'Impressive, healing factor.'
He didn't know how it worked, and he didn't want to know.
It was undoubtedly some advanced technology that would boggle the minds of modern scientists.
Even though it had the power to heal crushed organs in an instant, he didn't expect it to resolve such a supernatural situation.
But Nova's words differed from Hyun Suho's thoughts.
[It's thanks to the Master's mana that infused the healing factor. It selectively burned the corrupted cells, and the healing factor merely did the rest.]
'My mana? How?'
[I can't analyze how mana works either, but it moved as if it were alive.]
While he couldn't be sure, it seemed that the Hydra mana stone had played a role.
It was a mana stone with nine attributes, one of which included healing effects.
[Anyway, you'll be replacing it with a Dragon Heart later, so don't get too attached.]
'I was wondering when you'd bring up the Dragon Heart again.'
As the soldier's expression eased, Hyun Suho turned to the others.
"Take off those ridiculous spacesuits and come to me."
"It's not a spacesuit; it's a protective suit."
"Same thing!"
The soldiers hesitated, glancing at their superior, Jane, for guidance.
When Jane gave a reluctant nod, they removed their protective suits and approached Hyun Suho.
He placed his hands on them, assessing their conditions.
"The corruption has started here too."
The extent of the corruption varied slightly among them, but they were all on the verge of turning into monsters.
Lastly, he examined Jane…
[Corruption rate is 14%. She'll turn into a monster in about two hours. Much slower than the others.]
Perhaps because she was a key figure in the quest, Jane's corruption rate was noticeably lower.
It was fortunate that Hyun Suho had a way to treat them, but if other hunters entered this dimensional gate, they'd be defenseless.
If Jane had been quickly corrupted as well…
'The quest's difficulty would have skyrocketed.'
Although he didn't yet know the exact reason he needed to bring Jane to their destination, her unusually low corruption rate was likely connected to it.
After treating the other soldiers, Hyun Suho spoke.
"Everyone except Major Reiner should leave the city immediately."
Jane responded in disbelief.
"What are you saying? We're soldiers following orders. We can't withdraw from a mission without reason."
"There is a reason now. Isn't that right, General Kernel?"
From the still-active terminal, a voice was heard.
[Is that necessary?]
"To succeed in this mission, you'll need to grant me absolute command. Just like before, right?"
[Hmm…]
The General deliberated for a moment before nodding.
[Understood. From now on, you're in charge of the operation.]
Whatever this world's Hyun Suho had done before, he'd clearly earned significant trust.
The General's quick acceptance of what might have been an unreasonable request spoke volumes.
"Now, that's settled. The rest of you would just be in the way, so get out of this mist quickly."
Although he used the healing factor, the mana consumption was significant.
So, they were more of a burden than reliable comrades.
For the success of the operation, it might have been better not to treat them at all.
"You'll turn into monsters if you stay in the mist for even an hour. Leave the city immediately."
Fear filled the soldiers' eyes at Hyun Suho's words.
No matter how well-trained they were, no one wanted to end up like the monster they'd just seen.
They looked to Jane, who was also wearing a hardened expression.
But soon, she shouted at her subordinates.
"Phantom now has command authority. Follow his orders."
"B-but, Major…!"
"Are you refusing to follow orders?!"
While it appeared she was harshly reprimanding them, she was actually trying to save them.
What loyal comrades they were.
"They're not children; they'll find their way out. Now, it's up to the two of us."
"…You left me behind to guide you, right?"
Jane's face was set with determination as she spoke.
Ah, so that's what she thinks.
She assumed he was willing to have her guide him, even at the cost of her life.
So Jane was essentially preparing to face death for the sake of the mission.
He considered clearing up the misunderstanding but decided against it.
With that mindset, she'd be more helpful in the mission.
"Move."
"…This way."
Jane went to one side of the abandoned factory and fiddled with something...
Rumble!
The wall opened, revealing a passageway leading underground.
"This is the only way to the Seattle branch's research lab."
"What's down there?"
"Supernatural objects or entities classified as top secret. And researchers who study and contain them."
"Is the lab safe?"
"Communication has been cut off, so we can't be sure."
"Hmm…"
Could there be other monsters inside this lab?
People in Seattle are turning into monsters because of the fog.
That's already more than enough to handle, but what other bizarre things might be down there?
Hyun Suho repeatedly reminded himself that the difficulty level of this dimensional gate was 4 stars.
And that expectation was not wrong.
[Screeeeech!!]
The first thing to greet us was a starfish, something you'd normally find in the sea.
Not something mysterious, just a sea creature shaped like a star.
But right now, it wouldn't be wrong to call it a mystery.
The starfish, which seemed to be at least 2 meters tall, had a massive eye in the center that glowed like amber.
Just below that was a huge mouth filled with sharp, saw-like teeth, chewing on someone who appeared to be a researcher.
Crunch! Crunch!
The white coat, the dead researcher was wearing was stained red with blood.
In one corner, another researcher, who hadn't managed to escape, was trembling pitifully.
"Quite the spectacle right from the start."
It was a rather intriguing monster, but there was no time to watch.
Hyun Suho immediately swung his Flame Sword and sliced it.
Whirrrrr!!!
The chain sword cut through the top of the star-shaped creature, bursting the eye in the center.
Splat!
The yellow liquid that tried to pour out of the ruptured lens quickly evaporated in the intense heat of the Flame Sword.
The starfish monster split in two and turned to charcoal.
Fwoosh!
"That was easy."
After confirming the monster was dead, he approached the trembling researcher in the corner.
"Are you alright?"
he researcher had short hair and thick-rimmed glasses.
He was still shaking, but he couldn't hide his shock at the sight of the fallen starfish.
"H-how could L-20 be killed so easily… It was fine even after being hit by hundreds of armor-piercing rounds."
When monsters first appeared on Earth, our soldiers were helpless against them.
That's because weapons without mana couldn't harm monsters.
These monsters probably operate on the same principle.
"Even in a situation like this, you're analyzing? Stop acting like a science geek and get up. Explain the situation to us. Why is all this happening?"
Only then did the researcher tear his gaze away from the starfish and ask, "W-who are you? This is a classified facility..."
"Are you an idiot? Is now really the time to worry about classified information? The entire city of Seattle is in chaos because of a fog that's turning people into monsters!"
At those words, the researcher looked even more terrified than when he was about to be eaten by the starfish.
"No, it can't be. G-1 has started moving. It's all over now!"
The mention of the fog seemed to drive him into a panic as he clutched his head in despair.
"Hey! Get a grip! Give me some information! Damn it!"
Then Jane, who had been standing behind him, spoke in a hesitant voice.
"When we were briefed on the mission, we were given some basic information about this place. That starfish monster, he called it L-20, right? That means it's the 20th most dangerous supernatural entity managed by the Foundation."
So, the lower the number, the more dangerous it is.
The researcher had referred to the fog as G-1.
"Then what about G? What category does that represent?"
Jane responded with a trembling voice.
"God."