NOVEL NEXT Chapter 46: Battle Preparations
Chapter 46: Battle Preparations
[ADT━36, ADT━36! Leave your current course immediately! You are flying over a military operation zone! Warning, warning! ADT━36!]
The helicopter pilot turned off the blaring radio.
Reporter Brett, sitting in the back seat, gave the pilot a thumbs-up.
“Good job, Mark! They won’t shoot down a news helicopter, even in an emergency!”
“Still, let’s finish this quickly. I’m getting nervous.”
“Right. Ready?”
The cameraman, responding to Brett’s question, gave an OK sign with his fingers and started filming.
“Okay, let’s get this scoop! Three, two, one! This is Brett from ADT!”
Brett looked at the camera and began his report with a serious expression.
“I am currently above Sydney, which has been invaded by a large number of unidentified monsters!”
The cameraman turned the camera towards the ground at Brett’s gesture.
“Just a while ago, at 12:45, the military forces that were on standby started to enter the city of Sydney!”
The camera zoomed in, capturing the scenery of Sydney vividly.
After briefly scanning the ground, the camera focused on three tanks advancing along the main road.
The Australian Army’s M1A1 tanks slowly moved forward along the wide asphalt road.
“There doesn’t seem to be any significant resistance yet…… Oh, wait! Now!”
The three tanks were hit by white masses that flew from somewhere and came to a halt. A sticky substance completely covered the sides of the tanks.
The tanks tried to move their caterpillars and turrets as if they were wriggling, but the white, web-like substance wouldn’t budge.
“There, there! On the wall of the building!”
At Brett’s shout, the cameraman turned the camera towards the building.
Something massive descended from the high-rise building along the street where the three tanks were stuck.
A green and black striped abdomen, a head covered with twenty or so compound eyes, and eight legs.
It was a spider, terrifyingly hideous just to look at.
Moreover, the spider, defying gravity as it descended the building’s wall, was twice the size of the tanks.
“Spi, spider……! A giant spider!”
Clack! Clack!
The spider, having descended next to the tanks, pulled out stingers as thick as utility poles from its tail and stabbed them into the tanks.
Naturally, no matter how large the spider was, its stingers couldn’t penetrate the thick armor plating of the tanks.
However, the venom flowing from the tip of the stingers was a different story. The sticky venom, generously smeared all over the armor plating, began to corrode the steel and alloy, emitting green smoke.
“The spider, the spider is attacking the tanks!”
Following that, three or four more spiders appeared from somewhere and clung to the tanks. The tanks resisted, firing their machine guns in all directions, but it didn’t seem to have much effect.
The smoke rising from the surface of the tank attacked by the stingers grew thicker. As the armor melted down, a tremendous amount of heat seemed to be generated by the chemical reaction, and green flames began to flicker.
Like insects caught in a spider web, the tanks struggled to move, but the situation remained unchanged.
“What’s that……! The smoke……!”
Boom!
One of the tanks, immobilized by the spider web, suddenly exploded.
The spiders, which were diligently stabbing their stingers while perched on the tank, seemed startled by the sudden explosion and scattered in all directions, disappearing.
“This can’t be……! How……?”
The camera focused on Brett’s face again. He stammered, his face filled with disbelief and horror.
“The, the tank is down……! But, how……? How could a…… a spider like that……!”
Rat-a-tat-tat! Tat!
Suddenly, gunshots rang out from below. The cameraman instinctively turned the camera downwards again.
The infantry unit, which had bypassed the immobilized tanks and continued their advance, encountered a dark elf unit riding giant mantises and opened fire.
However, the giant mantises, seemingly unconcerned by the pouring bullets, spread their wings wide and leaped dozens of meters, landing right in the middle of the infantry unit.
Rat-a-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! Boom!
Gunshots and grenade explosions echoed from all directions. But when the flashes and flames subsided, only human corpses remained.
“How……? How could those primitive…… creatures……?”
Bang! Boom!
Dark green masses flew from somewhere and exploded, spreading green gas across a wide area.
The infantrymen who inhaled the gas clutched their faces and necks, writhing and collapsing.
“Th…… uh……”
Brett seemed to have lost his words, staring blankly below in despair.
This wasn’t his original plan.
He just wanted to capture a cool scene of the military forces wiping out the monsters and rescuing the isolated civilians.
But the camera only captured the scene of the military forces being unilaterally slaughtered; there was no cool scene anywhere.
The latest tanks and the infantry armed with various modern equipment were being annihilated without putting up a proper fight.
Of course, this was also a scoop. But for Brett, a native Australian, it was nothing but a terrible nightmare.
As the helicopter crossed the city, battle scenes unfolding here and there came into view.
But not a single military unit had succeeded in entering the heart of Sydney.
“How……? Are the bullets ineffective? Even the cannons?”
Brett, lost in thought, muttered, forgetting that he was currently on air.
At that moment, the helicopter pilot shouted.
“Brett, look over there! In front of the Opera House!”
As the helicopter turned its nose, the vast square in front of the Opera House appeared before Brett’s eyes.
There, a spacious podium and a few chairs, seemingly brought out from the Opera House, were placed, and two white mantises, noticeable even from afar, and a few dark elves were loitering around.
“Wh, what is that? Their leader……?”
“I’m going closer!”
“W, wait! If we get too close……!”
The moment the helicopter turned its nose again, something flashed ominously in the square in front of the Opera House.
And two seconds later, the news helicopter carrying Brett exploded spectacularly, engulfed in smoke and flames.
***
“Hmm, it seems he wasn’t on board.”
Teano shrugged, lowering his bow.
“You are amazing, Taeju-nim!”
A dark elf knight in crimson armor addressed Teano with a title higher than ‘Gaju’, praising him.
It was a title that the dark elf soldiers, who felt awkward addressing Teano higher than Tyrel, the Gaju, had come up with after much deliberation.
Teano chuckled, finding the situation amusing, but Tyrel frowned uncomfortably.
Five dark elf knights stood in line in front of the podium where Tyrel and Teano were standing.
Unlike the dark elf soldiers fighting the military forces in the city, they were clad in ornate armor and carried long curved swords on their backs.
“Please give us the order. We will join the battle.”
One of the dark elf knights requested, and Teano asked back with a leisurely smile.
“Why? Are you itching for a fight?”
“Yes!”
“If you just let us go, we will return after beheading a hundred of those weak humans!”
Scanning the faces of the eager dark elf knights, Teano shook his head.
“No. It’s not your time to step up yet.”
“Then…… what is our mission?”
“To wait.”
“For what……?”
Teano looked up at the clear sky and muttered as if talking to himself.
“When he comes, you will know.”
“Is he a strong opponent?”
One of the dark elf knights asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Yes. You five will probably have to attack him together.”
The dark elf knights exchanged glances, seemingly in disbelief.
“Until then, guard this square and wait. I will let you know when the time comes.”
“Your orders!”
The five knights simultaneously knelt on one knee and chanted.
As Teano waved his hand, the knights cautiously retreated and dispersed throughout the square.
“……Do you really think so?”
Tyrel asked Teano, her tone laced with sarcasm. Teano smiled faintly and replied.
“That monster? Those guys? No way. But……”
Teano paced in front of Tyrel, his hands clasped behind his back, and continued.
“……The important thing in battle is not strength, but the situation. No matter how strong someone is, if they are placed in a disadvantageous situation, they can be defeated by the weak.”
At Teano’s vague words, Tyrel bit her nails anxiously, frowning.
Seeing this, Teano lowered the corners of his mouth and asked in a low voice.
“……What’s with that expression?”
“……It’s nothing.”
“Are you worried about dying?”
Tyrel didn’t answer. However, displeased with her attitude, Teano glared at her and shouted.
“Is that the expression a Gaju should have?”
“……Is there a specific expression a Gaju should have?”
“At least not that face!”
Tyrel lowered her hand from her mouth and straightened her back, but Teano’s scolding didn’t stop.
“Is that how I taught you! A ruler must always show dignity!”
“……Stop it.”
“How have you become so weak! Where is the look in your eyes when you killed your sister and brother and took the position of Gaju!”
Bang!
“Stop it!”
Tyrel slammed her hand down on the armrest of the chair she was sitting on. The armrest broke off from the powerful blow and rolled on the floor.
Only then did Teano tilt his head in satisfaction and speak softly.
“Yes, that’s the look.”
Teano calmly met Tyrel’s murderous gaze and continued.
“Remember. A Gaju must maintain their dignity until the moment a knife is plunged into their neck. Otherwise, no one will follow you.”
“……Stop lecturing me. I am the Gaju. I know what I have to do.”
“Hmph, for you, who repeatedly failed and eventually asked your old father for help, to say such a thing……”
“But Father knows too! He is too strong!”
“If he’s strong, you should have prepared a countermeasure! How many times have you repeated the same mistake!”
“But……!”
Thump!
Teano stomped his foot, cutting off Tyrel’s words. He shook his head in disappointment and said.
“Enough. What’s the point of blaming anything now?”
Tyrel pressed her temples at the words “What’s the point of blaming anything now” after he had been blaming her all along.
“Well, that’s a lovely father-daughter relationship.”
A low, deep voice suddenly echoed from the air.
However, Teano answered calmly, without a hint of surprise.
“Haha, well, this is embarrassing.”
“It doesn’t matter. Only the contract matters to me. As long as the contract is kept, I don’t care if you two eat each other alive.”
Unlike the composed Teano, Tyrel had started biting her nails again from the moment the voice was heard.
Teano, watching her with a disapproving look, sighed softly and spoke again.
“Don’t worry, the contract will be kept.”
“Alright. Then I’ll wait.”
The space behind the podium, where there was nothing, distorted slightly. The flow of air changed subtly, as if a massive form was moving.
Teano turned around with a triumphant smile and faced the vast city.
A ranger doesn’t lose twice. This time, he will win. No matter how strong the opponent is.
***
“……In the end, the military forces retreated to their base camp and are currently assessing the damage. There are many casualties……”
The briefing received from Australia was conducted in fluent Korean, contrary to expectations.
However, Jin Beom-Min and the Ghost Squad members were dumbfounded not by the content of the briefing, but by the person delivering it.
Charlotte, a WECRO field agent dispatched from the United States, smiled faintly after finishing the briefing.
With her elegantly flowing red hair and snow-white skin, she was a strikingly beautiful woman.
“Ah, yes, yes. I understand.”
Even Sandman, always firm and composed, stammered slightly, seemingly losing his focus.
In fact, the briefing contained nothing special. Monsters appeared, and the military forces were defeated.
It was a familiar situation for Jin Beom-Min and the Ghost Squad, who had already experienced similar incidents several times.
“Then…… is there anything you could advise us on……?”
Charlotte asked cautiously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and Ogre snorted.
“Ah, damn…… what’s wrong with you?”
“What?”
At Reaper’s irritated question, Ogre replied sullenly.
“Why are you so worked up?”
“Can’t I even breathe as I please?”
“Oh, men, really……”
While Ogre and Reaper bickered, Jin Beom-Min raised his hand slightly and spoke.
“Could you show us the photo again?”
Charlotte smiled brightly at Jin Beom-Min and pressed a button.
“Wait. That one.”
A reconnaissance photo of the Opera House appeared on the screen.
“I’ve…… seen that person before.”
As Jin Beom-Min pointed at the screen, Charlotte zoomed in on the photo.
The armored figure standing on the large podium was definitely familiar to Jin Beom-Min.
“That’s… the Ranger from back then.”
“Ranger?”
When Charlotte asked, Sandman gave Jin Beom-Min a meaningful look.
“Ah……”
The fact that Jin Beom-Min and the Ghost Squad had repelled monsters in North Korea was classified information.
It was something that shouldn’t be revealed, even to a WECRO field agent.
“Uh, it’s someone I’ve seen before. He can launch powerful attacks from afar with a bow… and he controls giant beasts.”
“Hmm… then the spiders that neutralized our tanks were also controlled by him…?”
“Well… Lakhne spiders are quite commonly raised as monsters by dark elf families…”
“Lakhne spiders…?”
Jin Beom-Min scratched his head and explained briefly.
“They’re spiders that use sticky webs and highly acidic venom. They’re usually raised as siege weapons by dark elf families.”
Charlotte nodded in surprise and diligently wrote down Jin Beom-Min’s words.
“Is there any other information you can share?”
Jin Beom-Min thought for a moment and then shook his head.
“There is a lot. But I don’t think this is the time for idle chatter.”
“But, still……”
“No, our priority is to go out and eliminate the monsters right now. There’s no reason to delay here.”
As Jin Beom-Min rose from his seat, the Ghost Squad followed suit.
However, a moment later, Jin Beom-Min stood still, frowning in thought.
“Jin?”
Sandman asked, and Jin Beom-Min tilted his head and replied.
“It’s strange… There’s no way that Ranger would return without any countermeasures after being defeated once…”
“So he brought an army? He has those house-sized spiders too.”
Jin Beom-Min shook his head firmly.
“No. He knows my skills. He also knows that he can’t stop me with those meager troops and spiders.”
At his words, Charlotte became visibly flustered and asked.
“Uh, those meager… troops annihilated more than half of the Australian forces that were entering the city…”
“Well, that’s because they don’t know how to deal with monsters. They can’t use magic either…”
“Then… are you saying you can?”
The word ‘Jin’ pronounced from her red lips sounded particularly sensual.
“Hmm, if it’s just that much…”
Jin Beom-Min took out his phone and checked the time. 2:14 PM.
It had been about 30 minutes since he arrived in Australia on the F-15K.
“I think it will be taken care of before dinner.”