< 174. Hate to Hate (12) >
"…Then that concludes the final operational briefing before our arrival on Earth. Each battalion commander should do a final check of their personnel and supplies, and then stand by. There are only 30 minutes left until the jump is complete. Make sure the soldiers are kept under strict control to prevent unnecessary excitement."
"Yes, understood!"
Inside a jump vessel heading for Earth.
This ship, having departed from the center of the dimensional realm, had passed through several dimensions and was now approaching its final destination.
After the intermediate commanders dispersed following the orders, the commanding officer of the legion conducted a final check of the details.
A translucent display appeared in mid-air. It showed the internal status of this super-large military jump vessel, the deployment of troops, the updated situation of the destination from a few hours ago, the alert status of the terminal there, and the exact remaining time.
The commanding officer scanned it with a sharp gaze. The arrival was imminent. For him, it was a significant operation and a critical hunt that could not afford to fail.
'Asif-666.'
Due to his rank, the commanding officer had access to certain secrets and understood the gravity of the prisoner number Asif-666. The escape of Asif-666 was unacceptable. It must be prevented at all costs.
Moreover, while adhering to the guidelines of not killing but subduing, he was prepared to project some personal emotions into this mission. This old toad remembered the gruesome deaths of his kin who had been sent to Earth before. It was the work of Asif-666. The footage reported through the spiritual communication had stirred his instincts.
'I can't choke him to death, but I'll make sure he doesn't get a pleasant end.'
He would make him experience the suffering of his sacrificed kin.
That was the essence of the toad's nature.
An eye for an eye.
A tooth for a tooth.
Hatred with hatred.
"...?!"
At that moment, the commanding officer's concentration was broken.
A unique molecular gas was spreading inside the command room, which was now occupied by only two people, including himself. The antennae on the commanding officer's forehead detected it and twitched. As the atmosphere became tense, a voice came from behind.
"I-I'm sorry, Commander!"
Without turning to look, the commanding officer responded.
"You seem quite nervous, Lieutenant."
The young toad sitting behind him had not experienced war. The commanding officer found the typical timid nature of his age quite displeasing.
But since it was a matter of the leadership's personnel appointments, there was no choice but to select him. The position of the commander's aide was an optimal starting point for young members of the ancient race who had no experience. In other words, it meant that without such 'parachute appointments,' access was impossible. If you wanted to do something that would help in building a career despite having no experience, connections were naturally needed.
The unpleasant odor spreading suddenly was due to the lieutenant's nervousness. A green liquid beaded on the toad's rock-like skin and quickly vaporized. It was a smell that Endellions and Kavaites detested.
"You've done several jumps already, and you're still nervous?"
While saying this, he grumbled internally. The peace had lasted too long. Look at that inept demeanor. It tarnished the valor of the toads, who valued battle and revenge as honor.
One day, a large-scale war, frequent battles, and a need for capable soldiers would return. Then the young ones would change. But that was not a concern for the immediate future.
Deciding to soothe the lieutenant since his focus had been broken, the commanding officer figured it would be advantageous if this young, inexperienced fellow praised him to his influential father after his discharge.
"Don't worry too much. The probability of accidents during a jump is extremely low. Who made the jump vessel and the guidance tower? When it's a matter of their own lives, even the tentacled maniacs calculate the odds meticulously and never attempt anything beyond a certain level. It's a jump vessel."
Of course, this was a story about high-level tentacles, and ordinary layers never left their home dimension.
The last sentence wasn't of much help, so he kept it to himself.
"I'm sorry. Even though I know, I can't help but feel nervous…"
Nevertheless, it seemed to have had some effect, as the commanding officer noticed the air gradually becoming more comfortable. It was partly due to the ventilation system working so intensely it almost seemed like it was on fire.
"By the way, Commander."
With the tension eased a bit, the lieutenant now asked something he had been curious about. His tone revealed the naivety typical of someone who had grown up without constraints or frustrations.
"Is our mission really just to capture the escapee Asif-666?"
"Yes. Haven't you heard during the countless operational briefings we've had until now?"
"In fact, I only learned from this briefing that such a mission was included in the command's tasks."
The young man continued, surprised to find that there was indeed an operational guideline for capturing escapees.
"However, I'm asking because I really don't understand. Is this amount of military force necessary for just one prisoner? Even you, Commander, are directly involved."
It was a question about whether it was reasonable for a legion to be mobilized for one prisoner.
The commanding officer knew the reasons not mentioned in the briefing. Judging by the traces at the scene, the memories Asif-666 had recovered were considered very minimal. Furthermore, it was highly probable that those fragments had awakened during a fight with the toads. Sending ambiguous forces at such a time could inadvertently stimulate his awakening and aid him.
Thus, the committee headquarters wanted to conclude the operation within an extremely short time with overwhelming forces.
Rather than explaining this in detail, the commanding officer gave a vague response.
"The higher-ups gave direct orders. To finish the operation as quickly as possible. The news of a prisoner with a labor re-education sentence escaping would be detrimental. It could incite unrest among other prisoners. That's why even though it seems excessive, we want to nip it in the bud."
"I see."
The lieutenant nodded. The commanding officer added.
"We are merely the advance party of the forces prepared by the command. After we complete the jump, the follow-up legions will jump in turn."
"I understand that."
"And forces are also being deployed to dimensions other than Earth."
"What?!"
It was news the lieutenant had not heard before.
"The higher-ups speculate that Asif-666 is definitely trying to escape outside Earth. That's why we've made arrangements."
"But if I were that escapee... I'd probably hide in that peripheral dimension rather than take unnecessary risks."
The commanding officer once again gave a vague answer.
"…I don't know the reason. It seems there is some basis for such speculation."
He would likely try to recover the remaining fragments of Asif-1 scattered across the dimensional realm.
"Anyway, we left a few empty jump vessels at the Earth terminal in case he attempts to escape."
The lieutenant gasped in awe.
"A decoy!"
"Yes. The committee's technicians, those tentacled creatures, have advanced far beyond when Asif-666 was captured. Now, if we prepare in advance, it's possible to intercept a vessel mid-jump. No matter where he tries to flee, we can divert him to an unexpected dimension before he reaches his intended destination."
"And at the place where the vessel arrives, another legion besides us will be waiting!"
"No matter what scenario unfolds, there's no corner for him to escape. The fate of the escapee is ultimately…"
At that moment.
-Commander! Emergency report!
All screens in front of them were cleared, and the face of one toad appeared prominently.
The lieutenant recognized the face a few seconds later. He was the navigator in charge of managing the jump vessel's route. Besides Endellions, specialized personnel were required to operate a jump vessel.
"What's the matter?"
The navigator's expression was unsettling. Green sweat poured like a waterfall from his forehead and neck. It was a quantity that far surpassed what the lieutenant had previously experienced.
Extreme tension.
The beak-like lips trembled.
The signal... the signal has been lost!
The commanding officer frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
Suddenly, the signal?
In reality, the commanding officer should have been able to understand naturally when the navigator mentioned the word. Nevertheless, he questioned it because he considered it an implausible situation.
"The destination dimension... the guidance signal from Earth has been lost!"
"...?!"
What?
But, how... How could this happen... Why?!
The commander recalled what he had learned long ago. What happens when the guidance signal is lost?
The theoretical understanding quickly turned into extreme terror.
"So that means..."
Bang!
A powerful shock hit the ship, as if it had collided with something. The view shook violently. The navigator shouted hoarsely.
The course deviation has already begun! We've strayed from the safe path with weakened dimension-wall resistance and are now on a dangerous route...!
Rumble!
The vibrations shaking the jump ship intensified. The lieutenant was already experiencing breathing difficulties and spewing out the vile gas again. Ignoring the young man's cries of "No! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Father!" ringing in his ears, the commander desperately racked his brain.
How did this happen wasn't important.
So, what's the way to survive?
Commander! Orders!
The commander's gaze shifted to the display pushed aside. There, despite being the advance team, was the vast deployment of troops the lieutenant had deemed "excessive."
What's the way to survive?
This overwhelming force here, so futilely...
Commander!
The cry from beyond the screen. The navigator's voice was rough and broken. The commander opened his mouth.
"I..."
At that moment.
----!
A blinding flash and intense pressure overwhelmed the commander.
Feeling his body being torn apart, he lost consciousness. The fierce light vanished in an instant, and thick darkness collided with him.
And that was the end.
Haeunseong stared blankly at the rising light before him.
The enormous tentacled creature was chanting a spell. From the tingling sensation of the borrowed vessel, it was clear that this was a fearsome spell he had never encountered before.
For example, a teleport spell wouldn't just move them to the other side of Earth.
It had the power to reach much farther distances.
His head, stiffened by the shock, began to slowly move again. He had followed Minjun when he had given the order to move from Hong Kong, as usual without any explanation.
But the destination was New York, not what he had expected. He was puzzled. 'Wasn't it supposed to be the Arctic or Antarctic?'
When he emerged from the darkness to see the scene again, it was truly shocking.
The massive monster that had appeared in Hong Kong was now before them. So large that it was impossible to take it all in at once... A grandiose tentacle that seemed more like a geographic feature than a living creature.
And amidst the conversation that was making him dizzy, about "wishing for your eternal happiness" and "the times we had together," Haeunseong couldn't grasp the crucial parts.
Are you giving up on escaping? But staying on Earth wouldn't give you a sharp solution...
Leaving Earth is right. But we will use something else.
...What does that mean? What will we use? ...Me?
The last sentence made his vision spin once again, and he lost the context of the conversation. It was a mistake. Haeunseong's point of attention shouldn't have been what they would use.
So, the real issue was where they would go using those tentacles.
Just as Haeunseong was feeling very uneasy, the alien Samnun broke the silence and asked the agent.
"May I ask where the destination is?"
The dimension where Elahu-Pra's vision exists cannot be reached with a single jump from Earth and requires an intermediate stop.
Minjun answered him, and the priest tilted his head in surprise. The dimension did not seem to have many advantages among the numerous candidates.
He pondered. Why that place? Does the deity suddenly need a large amount of gold?
Meanwhile, thanks to the decisive word Minjun had just uttered, Haeunseong fully understood. Despite the hostile atmosphere, he could no longer hesitate.
"Y- Agent! Aren't we going to the Arctic?"
Minjun looked at him with an expression as if to say, "What kind of elf's drunken talk is that?" and Haeunseong felt like crying.
"W-Wait a minute! Agent! Alien? Not foreign, but alien? I'm not prepared... Ugh!"
Haeunseong couldn't finish his sentence. The boiling shadow engulfed Yuntus and him again. This was Minjun's considerate effort to protect them from being crushed by the pressure of the jump.
After enveloping everyone, including himself, in darkness, Minjun approached Del. The spell's composition and incantation were already complete. The only remaining procedure was to wait for the amplification of the power to manifest.
The former priest, looking somewhat exhausted, said.
"...How was it? Perfect?"
Minjun nodded.
He didn't respond verbally, as he was thinking other thoughts in his mind.
"Was this truly the right thing to do? If Del changes his mind later, will I be able to control him perfectly?"
Was it correct to risk everything to borrow Asif-1's power?
But he didn't want to think about that.
If this irrational choice were to have a name, it would be "regret."
Minjun recalled the time when he had surrounded and attacked the Todd tribe a few days ago. He had left with the items from the sealed desk drawer first. He usually kept only two things there. One was a blood sample secretly taken from a homunculus corpse found hanging in the mountains. The other was a special dagger. He recalled the inscription on the dagger's hilt.
Memories flowed with time. When they first reunited, Del had promised. He would repay the sins he had committed against Minjun from now on. He had spent time repaying the sins committed as a free man during his time as a prisoner, but after becoming a free man, he would repay the sins of his prisoner days.
"..."
Can he trust it?
Flare!
Before he could continue his thoughts, Del's spell finally activated. Flames bursting forth and streaks of bluish light gathered in countless numbers. Everything surrounding them contracted infinitely and then expanded again.
Whooosh!
Minjun was enveloped in a fleeting sense of exhilaration and liberation. His body felt like it was being broken down into tiny particles and then reassembled.
Thus, for the first time since becoming a prisoner, the convict chose the next destination based on his own will, not the committee's orders.
---!
And he jumped.
< 174. Hate to Hate (12) > End