Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Part 21

‘They even realize the existence of the boss monster giving the commands... far too late.’

The sixth wave.

Humanity on Earth would not realize that fact until the sixth wave.

A realization that came far too late.

“Then if we just deal with the boss giving the commands...”

“The remaining monsters will wander around until other Awakened kill them.”

“Brother, then wouldn’t it be better to tell the other countries that there’s a boss?”

“Later.”

He would tell them.

Just not right now.

If he went to a broadcasting station right now and shouted, “There’s a boss!”

How many people would readily believe him?

For now, it was better that only the three people here knew.

After all, even in the future, someone who realized this had announced that a boss individual existed.

‘But everyone went crazy trying to be the one to kill it, and even more people died because of that.’

He could not watch that happen again.

Because the clueless Awakened fought among themselves, monsters slipped through.

And in the end, he had witnessed one of those escaped monsters devour a newborn baby.

‘Right in front of my eyes, at that.’

Clench.

He would never make the same mistake again.

Yugeon clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

“Hmm, I don’t know why, but if you say so, Brother, there must be a reason!”

“That’s right. Yugeon has never been wrong before.”

“Thanks for trusting me.”

“Save that thanks until after we stop the wave.”

Seo Hwarin smiled, lightly tapped Yugeon on the shoulder, and ran up to the second floor.

The wave was not happening immediately, but they needed to hurry and prepare.

“Brother, do you happen to know where the boss will appear...?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“That’s a relief! Phew... I feel a little less frustrated now.”

“Mincheol.”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“About what?”

“Why I’m this strong, and why I know everything.”

Yugeon looked at Mincheol.

It had already been nearly half a year since they began living together.

Cha Mincheol had always trusted him.

He never doubted him or complained.

It would have been natural for him to ask at least once out of curiosity, but aside from combat and training, he never asked anything.

“Of course I’m curious. Hwarin noona is curious too, and so am I. You’re far too mysterious, Brother. But... we’re waiting.”

“Waiting?”

“Yes. We’re just waiting until the day you decide to tell us everything openly.”

Mincheol burst into hearty laughter.

Yugeon was the one who had saved both of them, so what reason was there to doubt him?

“So when you make up your mind, Brother... you can tell us then. We’ll always be ready to listen.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Yugeon struggled to suppress a smile.

A happiness he had never known in his previous life.

It was the first time he had ever felt such an emotion, so it left him feeling strangely ticklish inside.

“But is it really all right not to tell the rest of the world anything? If the wave catches everyone by surprise, even if they respond quickly, a lot of people will die...”

“Don’t worry. I actually already told them about that.”

A few days ago.

Along with introducing himself as the Awakened who had killed Baroden.

Yugeon had already sent tips to broadcasting stations around the world saying that a wave would soon occur.

Of course, not everyone would believe him.

But at the very least, they would probably make some preparations.

“Uh... Earlier, you said you’d tell them later...”

“I meant I’d tell them about the existence of the boss later.”

“Ahhh, that’s what you meant. Phew... That’s a relief.”

Only then did Mincheol’s grave expression ease slightly.

“By the way, calling her noona sounds pretty natural now.”

“H-Haha...”

At Yugeon’s words, Mincheol gave an awkward smile.

Seo Hwarin was twenty-seven years old.

Four years older than Mincheol.

And two years older than Yugeon.

Perhaps because Yugeon had spoken casually to her from the beginning, or perhaps because he was the leader.

Seo Hwarin did not seem particularly bothered by Yugeon speaking informally.

Instead, she was the one attaching “Mr.” to Yugeon’s name.

And it had not been long since Mincheol and Hwarin had begun speaking casually to each other.

“You were so awkward about it at first.”

“Ahem... I-I’ll go get ready too!”

Clearing his throat, Mincheol hurried toward his room.

Swoosh.

‘The boss will appear during this wave in...’

Choibalsan, Mongolia.

The boss would emerge from the tower in Choibalsan.

And the boss would lead the monsters through Hulunbuir and sweep all the way down through southern China.

‘Things won’t go the way you want, god.’

Yugeon gritted his teeth and gathered his weapons.

____________

Choibalsan, Mongolia.

“Brother.”

Waiting in front of the tower, Mincheol looked at Yugeon with a bewildered expression.

“There aren’t any Awakened here...”

Yugeon had definitely sent word to broadcasting stations around the world that a wave would occur.

Yet there was not even anyone keeping watch, let alone preparing.

“But what are those people doing?”

Mincheol looked at someone holding a microphone.

There was one cameraman carrying a large camera and another person holding a microphone.

“They’re reporters I called.”

One of the media companies in Korea.

After hearing that they were going to Mongolia for coverage, Yugeon had contacted them and requested an interview.

Step. Step.

“Um, excuse me... are you Han Yugeon?”

“Yes, I am.”

“The person who sent us that tip email...?”

“That’s right.”

Nod.

When Yugeon finished speaking, the person who appeared to be the reporter looked at the cameraman and nodded.

Tap.

Press.

The cameraman skillfully secured the large tripod and adjusted the camera’s focus.

“Would you be available for a brief interview?”

“Hmm...”

Yugeon looked at his watch.

There were about ten minutes left before the monsters were supposed to be expelled.

“In ten minutes, monsters will pour out. So let’s finish quickly before then.”

“Ah... haha, yes. Let’s do that.”

The reporter laughed awkwardly at Yugeon’s words.

It was obvious from the expression on his face.

Neither of them believed what he was saying.

“One, two, three.”

Blink.

At the reporter’s count, a red light came on atop the camera.

“Yes, hello. I’m here at the scene...”

Swoosh.

While the reporter greeted the camera.

Yugeon turned his head and looked around once more.

At least there were no buildings nearby.

There were a few gers out on the grassland in the distance.

But they were fairly far away, so once the people there saw the monsters pouring out, they would probably flee on their own.

After all, Mongolians who lived on the plains had excellent eyesight.

“...and so, we have prepared an interview.”

Swoosh.

While Yugeon was thinking about various things, the camera turned toward him.

“Hello.”

“Yes, hello.”

As the microphone moved closer, Yugeon greeted them naturally.

“You introduced yourself as the Awakened who defeated Baroden. Could you please introduce yourself once again?”

“Yes, hello. I’m Han Yugeon, an Awakened from Korea.”

“And you claimed that a wave would occur today. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. Today, monsters will pour out from towers all over the world.”

“Ah, yes. But may I ask how you know that? If what you’re saying is true, shouldn’t you formally report it to the Association and...”

At that moment.

RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE!

When the tower began shaking violently, the ground around it also began trembling like an earthquake.

“Brother!”

“?!!”

Craaaaaack.

At the same time as Mincheol’s shout, the enormous tower began opening a massive white mouth.

‘Why already...?’

Watching it, Yugeon furrowed his brow.

There were still ten minutes left.

He had even set an alarm, so there was no way he could be mistaken.

And he remembered the exact date and time when the wave had occurred, so he could not have gotten it wrong.

‘Don’t tell me... it happened earlier?’

Soon.

Monsters would pour out from that pure-white entrance.

“Hurry and get away from here. There’s still time.”

Yugeon gestured toward the reporter and cameraman.

They had a car they had arrived in.

If they drove away quickly, they could put a considerable distance between themselves and the tower before the monsters poured out.

“Hurry!”

“Y-Yes!!”

“Aaaagh!”

The reporter and cameraman screamed, quickly got into their car, and began fleeing.

_____________

RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE!

One minute after the reporter and cameraman fled.

The ground began shaking violently once more.

The wave was beginning in earnest.

Black dots began pouring out from the pure-white entrance opened like a mouth.

At first there were only dozens, but in an instant they rapidly multiplied into hundreds, thousands, then tens of thousands.

Like water bursting through a broken dam, monsters flooded forward until they filled the horizon.

“Kieeeek!”

“Chwiik! Kill them! Humans!”

“Grrrrr!”

Goblins from Area 1 crawled out, covering the ground, while Poison-Stinger Lizards and Kobolds from Area 2’s Venomous Forest leapt over them.

Then the orc legions, rulers of the wastelands of Area 3, advanced with enough force to shake the earth.

Creatures from different areas, creatures that lived in completely different ecosystems, were mixed together with a single purpose.

The extinction of humanity.

That single command dominated their minds.

If ordinary Awakened had encountered this sight, they would have lost the will to fight at the overwhelming numerical disadvantage and fled.

But standing alone before that enormous tidal wave, Yugeon’s expression remained utterly calm.

To his eyes, the army of hundreds of thousands looked like nothing more than a field of weeds that needed to be cut down.

“Mincheol, Hwarin, move.”

“Yes, Brother!”

“Got it!”

Dash!

The moment Yugeon finished speaking.

Mincheol and Hwarin immediately began using their powers.

Hwarin moved first.

Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle!

Hwarin immediately waved her staff and began summoning two hundred undead.

However, they looked considerably different from the undead he had seen before.

Every one of them carried a sword and shield, and they were even wearing armor.

“Mincheol, now.”

“Yes, noona.”

CLANG!

WOOOOOOOOSH!

When Mincheol struck his shield and used his taunt skill.

The monsters all turned their heads toward Mincheol at once.