Ubermensch – Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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The place Eun Yuri and Mason headed to was a nearby downtown area.

This was due to Mason’s strong request to eat first.

“Hmm…”

Eun Yuri left about half of her pasta uneaten, while Mason devoured all the food in the restaurant except for half a serving of pasta.

Gluttony. It was a rough and intense meal, literally living up to the phrase”to eat ferociously [暴食],”leaving the restaurant owner no choice but to surrender.

“…The chef collapsed from exhaustion. Please give us some time.”

Mason said, picking at his teeth.

“Don’t you have anything to drink?”

Only after placing two cups of coffee in front of him did Mason act human.

He sat by the window of the restaurant and looked around.

His fascinated appearance seemed like that of a pure child.

“Is this your first time seeing this?”

“Huh?”

“The streets.”

“Not my first time, maybe two or three times?”

Mason said, without taking his eyes off the window.

“It seems like people in the old days lived in strange structures.”

“People in the old days?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I dimension-shifted from the 28th century.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Eun Yuri nodded unexpectedly readily.

“You believe me?”

“If I had heard the story first, I wouldn’t have believed it. I believe it because I saw your body first.”

Mason was a being that transcended humans in many ways. It would have been more difficult to understand without a special reason.

“Sung Kijun wouldn’t believe this story even if he died.”

“Well, he’s a sensible person in many ways.”

Eun Yuri asked.

“What is the future like?”

“A place where everything you wish for comes true.”

“It must be a utopia.”

“No, not necessarily.”

Mason had a bitter expression.

“Because there are no more people who wish for anything.”

Once upon a time, people did calculations in their heads. In a more advanced time, people used abacuses. In an even more advanced time, people used calculators.

The advancement of science and technology reduced the effort humans had to make.

That meant that the things humans had to do and could do were also reduced.

The moment science researches science, and machines develop machines. The moment any action a human could perform becomes meaningless, humanity, as a species, reached its completion…

“There were only a few hundred humans active in our time. 20% of them were on Mars.”

“Why Mars?”

“My father wanted to terraform Mars.”

Eun Yuri tilted her head.

“If there are only a few hundred people, wouldn’t there be no need to terraform Mars?”

Mason smiled faintly.

At the sight of the ancient human asking about the need first.

“I told you. We didn’t need anything.”

“Then why terraform it?”

“Just, because we wanted to.”

Mason looked at Eun Yuri.

“Do you know the novel ‘Princess of Mars’?”

“The classic SF novel that was made into a movie and bombed?”

“Yeah, my father really liked that novel.”

Mason smiled contentedly.

Ancient civilizations slumbering on Mars, love between a soldier who entered another world and an alien princess. It was the archetype of countless stories that are now called cliché.

“My father couldn’t become John Carter. Because life couldn’t exist on Mars. So, my father decided to become an ancient civilization. A mysterious ancient civilization that terraformed Mars and made it habitable for people.”

“Why?”

“Because John Carter might come looking.”

“That’s hard to understand.”

“That’s what romance is all about.”

Mason laughed heartily.

“Then, what was Mason’s dream?”

“An explorer.”

The most typical explorers would probably be the conquistadors.

Greedy conquerors who crossed the sea for wealth and glory…

Explorers were those who traveled for some kind of reward, whatever it may be.

But Mason was different.

In a world where you had everything, what was the reason to go elsewhere?

“You said you already had everything, so what were you exploring for?”

“Something different.”

Mason said with a smile.

“Different worlds, different materials, and above all… different species. I wanted to meet aliens. I wanted to extend a hand and share hearts. I wanted to be friends with those I’d never seen before, those I wouldn’t even have a chance to meet unless a miracle happened.”

“You’re meeting plenty of different species.”

“That’s right.”

Mason made a bitter face.

“That’s what makes me even angrier.”

Mason sank back into his chair.

“We… could have done anything. We could have given them whatever they wanted. So why… why didn’t they even try to talk to us?”

“…”

“I… can’t stand it, it’s so frustrating…”

Eun Yuri looked at Mason with quiet eyes.

Mason used to fight as if he was throwing his own body away. And the fact that he was still alive was, of course, because he was superhuman.

But even if he had been an ordinary person, it would have been the same as it was now. He would have thrown himself, risked his life, and manifested the maximum violence he could muster.

The hatred he harbored was pure, his rage fierce.

Eun Yuri suddenly remembered Sung Kijun’s question.

‘Was this what he wanted?’

No. It couldn’t be.

If he had wanted hatred and anger, there would have been no reason for him to refuse her…

At that moment, Mason had an awkward look on his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I told you a boring story.”

“No, it was an interesting story.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Mason chuckled.

At that moment, Eun Yuri felt a strange sensation.

Mason seemed bigger than he had been just a moment ago.

…No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

His body was swelling up.

“…Mason, your clothes are about to rip.”

“Ah, I guess the Barbarigen is starting to replenish.”

“No, it’s… not just your shirt…”

The muscles all over his body were bulging.

Especially his calf and thigh muscles.

“If it rips, I’ll just buy new clothes.”

Unlike the bewildered Eun Yuri, Mason was relaxed.

Eun Yuri asked hastily.

“Um, it’s considered good manners to wear clothes in the future, right?”

“What, how can everyone wear clothes all the time? We’re not that stuffy.”

“There were people who didn’t wear clothes…?”

“Only traditionalists like our Massachusetts Park family wear them.”

Mason laughed heartily.

“To begin with, some of my friends were gas or liquid. Have you ever seen clothes on gas or liquid?”

“…!”

A woman from a world where public indecency was a crime realized.

She was the only one in a hurry.

‘This guy was a tanker too. That’s right.’

Tankers had a knack for pissing people off, and Mason was an excellent tanker.

“G-Get up. Hurry.”

“Why?”

“Let’s buy you some new clothes!”

“But we’re in the middle of eating.”

“Hurry up!”

At that moment.

Eun Yuri’s phone rang.

“Hello?”

It was Sung Kijun’s voice. Unlike before, his voice was filled with urgency.

“Yes, this is Eun Yuri’s phone.”

“Yes.”

“About 20 minutes by taxi.”

“What happened?”

Sung Kijun said, gritting his teeth.

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Worm.

To put it simply, it could be called a giant earthworm.

A monster that pulverizes the ground with ultrasonic waves and burrows underground.

It was a subject of special vigilance.

Not because of its combat power itself, but because of its habits.

Moving underground was a serious danger in itself.

Because shelling or bombing wouldn’t work.

That’s why worm-type monsters boasted a high risk level compared to their combat power.

And to top it off, it was a raid boss version, an Elder Worm.

It was no wonder the Holy Knights, no, the Ministry of National Defense, were in an uproar.

“We’ll be there soon.”

Eun Yuri stood up from her seat.

“Can you get the bill for…”

At that moment, she realized.

“Mason, do you have any money?”

Mason proudly displayed a 500 won coin.

“I do. A 2020 issue coin.”

“…”

Eun Yuri took out her card.

She said weakly.

“Can I get a receipt, please…”

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When Eun Yuri and Mason arrived, the Holy Knights were in a state of emergency.

Technicians and pilots were busy with final checks on the Archangel and combat helicopters, and taxis and private cars were constantly arriving, pouring out players.

Most of them belonged to the Holy Knights, but occasionally there were those from other raid teams or freelancers.

It seemed they had literally gathered everyone who could arrive within 30 minutes.

Upon seeing Eun Yuri, or rather, Mason, Sung Kijun said with a stiff expression.

“Mason, what’s the status of your body’s recovery?”

“About 30%…”

“Can you recover within an hour?”

“If I replenish calories, along with protein and fat, it’ll be faster.”

Mason could also sense the urgency of the situation.

“I don’t care about the taste, so tell them to grind it in a blender and bring it over.”

“I’ll give the kitchen instructions. Let’s hear the briefing first.”

Sung Kijun looked at Eun Yuri.

“We’re short on healers. Can you participate?”

“Yes, if you think I’m suitable.”

“Come with me.”

Sung Kijun headed to the briefing room.

There were about twenty-five or six people gathered there.

“Is this all?”

The Holy Knights were rarely fully staffed, as they were often mobilized for quests like rescue and support.

No matter how urgent the situation, they couldn’t take the wounded.

“What happened to the standby raid team this week? What’s Masika Karembe doing?!”

“They also have too many injured…”

“Damn it!”

Busy shouts were heard from among the people.

Sung Kijun stood in front of the map.

“Everyone, I believe you can guess the situation.”

“What happened?”

“It’s an emergency quest from the Gangwon Province Defense Division. Periodic tremors were detected in an abandoned mine in Gangwon Province. So, the Gangwon Province Defense Division assigned a reconnaissance mission to specialists… and they found an Elder Worm.”

Sung Kijun pointed at the map and said.

“And the problem is, the Elder Worm’s movement path is estimated to be from north to south. Based on the Elder Worm’s size and movement path, there’s a possibility it’ll reach Gwangju within at least 12 hours.”

“Gwangju…!”

Now that Seoul had been lost, two cities shared the role of the former capital. Daegu became the administrative capital of South Korea, and Gwangju became the city with the largest civilian population in South Korea.

“The quest given to us is to set up the first line of defense. We gather as much power as possible within two hours, and either eliminate the Elder Worm or delay it for more than four hours. If we do that, the military will set up a second line of defense to stop it.”

Sung Kijun slammed his hand on the map.

“Everyone, I won’t lie. Nuclear backpacks have been prepared for the worst-case scenario. The military will eliminate the Elder Worm at any cost, and that ‘any cost’ includes our lives.”

Instructions to have the players self-destruct if necessary.

It was a situation that even the Holy Knights would hesitate about.

“I will go.”

Sung Kijun said resolutely, among the murmuring people.

“But I won’t blame those who don’t go. Volunteers, please board the Archangel within 30 minutes.”

Mason ran to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, they were blending raw meat, eggs, and protein powder into a liquid. A fishy and horrific taste. Mason closed his eyes and drank whatever they gave him. It was closer to refueling than having a meal.

‘Time…’

It took about 20 minutes.

“Done! This should be synthesized while we’re on the move!”

He hurriedly ran to the armory.

The armory staff, who had been waiting in advance, helped Mason put on his armor, and Mason grabbed a two-handed sword at random.

“Thanks!”

When Mason arrived, it was just before the time limit was about to expire.

“Did you take your motion sickness pills?”

Mason chuckled at Sung Kijun’s attempt at a joke and said.

“If I throw up, I’ll throw up on your helmet, so don’t worry.”

Including Eun Yuri and Mason, there were 22 people on board the Archangel.

“Is this all?”

“About 10 people are going to teleport to Gangwon Province. A total of 32.”

Sung Kijun, with an anxious look on his face, gave the order to take off.

Mason bit his lip.

Thirty-two. Even in this extreme emergency, only thirty-two people were moving…

The Archangel, a military transport plane, sped down the runway and lifted its heavy body, finally spreading its wings and soaring into the sky.

Escort helicopters followed the Archangel like baby angels.

“…”

Sung Kijun stood in front of the military map, engrossed in reviewing the operation. He was exchanging information through military lines and devising strategies, and others were seriously giving their opinions.

Mason approached Eun Yuri, who was sitting in the corner.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes? Yes…”

The Archangel, a military transport plane, was not a comfortable plane by any means. Eun Yuri’s body, tightly fastened with a seatbelt, was trembling slightly. Half from the plane’s vibrations, half from her own trembling.

Mason took Eun Yuri’s hand.