Chapter 124. Survivors (6)
‘This is truly a crazy situation.’
I lived in a world where people used the term “human resources” as a matter of course. However, witnessing a living being consumed as a resource was a different matter entirely.
Perhaps it was for this reason that I felt suffocated whenever I thought about the farm.
But it wasn’t just me. The mood amongst those who volunteered for this escort mission was heavy overall.
I hadn’t shared what I knew with the other players, but the mere existence of the farm was enough to shock those with common sense.
As the atmosphere grew heavier, the children began to shrink back.
‘It’s not like we’re being so loud that normal humans would hear us.’
Just because they were young didn’t mean they were oblivious.
They were more than aware that the atmosphere was heavy. To make matters worse, the children, who hadn’t eaten properly for nearly a week, found it hard to even walk slowly.
This led to a vicious cycle where the adults’ unease grew, further slowing the pace. The sounds of the children’s labored breathing, “Sigh, sigh,” as if they might fall over any moment, were grating.
After hesitating with twitching hands for a moment, I eventually turned around and spoke.
“Let’s pick up the pace.”
I reached out to make my point immediately after finishing my words.
“Whoa!”
I effortlessly picked up a child who looked about seven years old.
Even if the players were carrying an additional 20 to 30 kilograms, it wouldn’t be a burden.
Carrying the children would be far quicker.
I hoisted the child onto my shoulders and instructed, “Hold on tight.”
The child hurriedly wrapped his legs around my neck and held onto my head, and I picked up two older children, one under each arm.
Seeing me take the lead, Kim Yul quickly followed suit.
When Yang Taeho also reached out his hand, I stopped him.
“Tanks should focus on guarding the perimeter. The remaining members can cover the rest.”
“Hmm… got it.”
Yang Taeho nodded and took the lead position in the formation.
With the party roles sorted out, I looked back to see most of the players taking action.
The tanks moved to the perimeter, and the others began taking care of the children.
Having assigned children to each party before departing, there was no confusion.
Some players carried children on their backs, some in their arms, and others, like me, let the children ride on their shoulders.
Soon, there wasn’t a single child whose feet touched the ground.
‘Fame does have its perks at times like these.’
Thanks to the reputation of the name “K!”
I often held an advantage in influence when dealing with an unspecified multitude.
Of course, there were always those who glared at me as if I was a thorn in their side, picking fights.
‘But most of them can’t say a word once put in their place.’
When confronting them for a battle of nerves, few endured the mental contest.
If it escalated into a real fight, my superior combat strength became even more prominent.
‘While I can’t control every situation…’
I could guide people in my desired direction to some extent.
Thanks to this, we resumed our journey right after organizing the formation.
‘We’ll be out of the valley by today.’
Checking the route on the map, I increased our pace, and the players followed suit.
There were no special conversations or incidents.
Even the occasional monsters we encountered were no problem.
The tanks held them at bay while players with long-range attacks handled them efficiently.
It was so tranquil that even the children carried by players fell asleep.
Since we were near the garrison’s base, the area was clear of the messeo.
After traveling continuously for nearly five hours, the escort formation quickly exited the valley.
Though players had the stamina to go further, we decided to rest for the children’s sake.
‘It’s time to feed them something.’
I had heard that the command had a brief meal during their meeting.
Since then, quite some time had passed, so it was time for a proper meal.
Moreover, the sun was setting, so we decided to stop for the day.
Thanks to the map, we didn’t lose our way and found a suitable clearing.
There was also a nearby pond, making it a great place to find drinking water.
While party leaders gathered to arrange watch shifts, others began making preparations for camp.
Seeing this scene, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘Why are modern people so good at preparing for camping?’
It was a testament to the time spent in Bihar; they didn’t falter or panic.
Watching them proceed with camping preparations was new to me, but even I had long since become accustomed to camping.
Shaking my head, I struck a deal with the party leaders for the watch shifts.
‘Scored an easy first watch.’
Satisfied with the result, I returned to my party only to hear a serious conversation.
“Given they’ve been fasting for days, can they even handle that? This is MSG…”
“There’s nothing wrong with this amount! The idea that MSG is bad for you is a misconception! Seriously, talking as if you know when you don’t…”
“The ramen itself is an instant food!”
Yang Taeho and Kim Yul were arguing over whether to give the children cup noodles.
To end this pointless dispute, I opened the lid of a low-level potion. I then poured the potion generously into the water the two had drawn while I was arranging the watch order.
“Let’s give them something warm.”
When camping, the fire should be kept to a minimum to boil water and then extinguished.
If we didn’t want to attract monsters and be harassed all night, that was the way to go.
As the sun set, the cooled air would have to be endured with the issued blankets.
While it might not bother players, it would certainly be a cold night for the children.
Feeding them something warm before their bodies cooled down and promptly letting them sleep seemed the best solution.
I had already informed the party leaders about it while arranging the night watch.
Feed the children a potion and put them to sleep early.
‘After distributing the potions received from the 4th Big Division, a good rest today should help them recover to some extent.’
After adding three more potion bottles to the water, Yang Taeho no longer opposed.
Kim Yul, with a triumphant face, proceeded to prepare the food.
As they called the children over and started feeding them, I suddenly glanced at the map on the top right of my vision.
I thought I had seen something appear on the edge of the map briefly.
‘Did I see it wrong?’
Looking intently at the map, I couldn’t pinpoint any changes.
I considered brushing it off as an optical illusion.
It was the perfect time to rest, and getting back up was bothersome.
However, seeing the children in front of me slurping the noodle broth, I rose with reluctance.
‘I should go check.’
With Mana Detection and the map, I shouldn’t have to go far.
“Where are you going?!”
Kim Yul asked.
“A quick reconnaissance. I’ll be back shortly, keep an eye on the kids.”
I signaled to Kim Yul and grabbed my spear.
As I prepared to take a step, a tingling sensation crawled up my spine, hitting me like a jolt at the base of my skull.
Following the chilling sensation, I turned my head.
In the darkened, tree-shadowed corner where I hadn’t seen anything moments before stood a shadow that hadn’t been there just now.
Whether it was a delusion, optical illusion, or reality, I couldn’t clearly discern in that moment.
My body had already reacted before I could figure it out.
I confirmed the presence by throwing the spear strapped to my back — the creature hunting Rashar’s group from before.
It had four eyes, protruding in different directions like a chameleon, with a star above its head sporting five points.
‘From where?’
I hadn’t seen it coming on the map.
Realizing, I saw a black spot suddenly appear at the campsite’s corner on the map.
I couldn’t grasp where the creature had sprung from.
It wasn’t time to fret about that.
Swoosh!
As the spear sliced through the air, the players, quick to react, armed themselves.
By then, I was already sprinting hard toward the five-star evolved species.
The closer I got, the more frantic my heart became.
‘Quicker, I need to be quicker!’
The five-star was leaning toward the nearest party.
Fearing I’d be too late by a narrow margin, I pushed my legs with clenched teeth.
Thankfully, my efforts weren’t in vain.
I managed to intercept the evolving creature before it reached the players.
Boom!
The moment I collided with it, there was a powerful force.
“Fall back!”
I shouted to the players behind me as I braced and held steady.
My muscles contracted, and the veins bulged at my neck.
Drawing a long trace in the unpaved earth below, I came to a halt despite feeling the ground give way.
Though I triumphed in the simple tug of war, it wasn’t over there.
“Click?”
The evolved species swung its arm to remove me, an obstacle, and I blocked it with the shaft of my spear.
Whether it was my body or the ground trembling, I couldn’t discern.
The beast followed up with an unexpected attack with its threatening arm.
“Ugh!”
I bent back to avoid the whip-like tail descending from above.
Thud!
The tail struck the ground behind me with a massive impact, splitting the earth and sending the surrounding terrain flying.
As the soil, stones, and weeds obstructed my view, I pushed my spear upward, eyes locked onto the target.
“Ki-gik!”
Thunk!
The beast staggered for a moment, struck right in the jaw with the shaft of my spear, and I took a step back.
During the ensuing exchange of blows, I skillfully widened the distance between us.
Just out of the reach of the monster’s arm, I thrust my spear.
The spear slid along the creature’s arm like a snake, embedding it right into its armpit.
Thud.
Immediately, the attribute mana surged through my spear.
A blue spark flared in the darkness.
Sparks scattered around and ignited the surrounding trees into red flames, but…
“Kiyaaah!”
The evolved species shrieked, still alive.
Fortunately, it wasn’t all for nothing.
Pazzz, pazzz.
Sparks continuously crackled across its reptilian-like smooth skin.
‘Paralysis. It’s working.’
Indeed, the evolved species only twitched, failing to make any threatening move.
With the formidable enemy neutralized, I decisively gathered mana and slashed across the monster’s thorax where the spear had embedded.
Rippp.
A sound of tearing flesh emerged as the beast’s upper body split open.
「You have successfully eliminated the enemy. 28,698 corrupted mana has been absorbed.」
Though I managed to defeat the five-star evolved species with little difficulty, my expression remained stern.
Absorbing such a large quantity of mana was unsettling, but more fundamentally, it was the abnormal situation unfolding on the map.
Dots of black were appearing rapidly on the map only visible to me.
As if pinning one by one over a blank canvas.
Not from a distant approach but as if dropping straight from the sky.
The pace at which the black dots multiplied hastened.
Even before I could grasp the situation, shadows emerged from the forest cloaked in darkness.
All were five-star level evolved species.
“More are coming, fire!”
“Shoot them, now!”
“Ranged attackers!”
The players, recognizing the appearance of new evolved species, launched long-range magic attacks.
The fire-based magics that fell in the forest grew even more ferocious with the wind-affiliated magics backing them.
However, the five-star evolved species walked nonchalantly through the flames.
“What, elemental magic doesn’t work at all?”
While the players hesitated in disbelief, I clicked my tongue inside.
‘The recent attack consisted mainly of Grade 2, some even Grade 3 mana conjured magics.’
If they ignored those and walked out unharmed, it meant the five-star evolved species had magic resistance beyond the third level.
I observed them with rigid determination, flames licking at their backs.
‘Physical ability seems similar to a four-star from what I’ve experienced.’
That seemed correct as I wasn’t pushed back.
Creatures with physical abilities like a four-star but significantly enhanced magic resistance, maybe?
In that case, players wielding lower-tier attribute mana would be at a disadvantage.
In a full-on conflict under these conditions?
‘Dangerous.’
In a confrontation where magic practitioners couldn’t exert their strength, at least half would fall.
As alarm bells rang in my head, the evolved species, emerging from the flames, slightly crouched.
‘A leaping stance.’
Realizing what it was, I stepped back, shouting.
“Tankersss!”
As though waiting for my signal, rocks sprang from beneath my feet.
“What are y’all doing?! Fortify the barriers now!”
Prompted by Yang Taeho, who first formed a barrier, other tanks joined in.
Numerous layers of stone barriers, made from various rocks, sprang up, stacked layer upon layer.
Then, an earth-shattering roar echoed.