Chapter 42
“Urgh!”
The physical energy of the vehicle, hurtling at dozens of kilometers per hour, transferred directly into the Monkey Fire’s striking power.
Crack, crack, crack!
The blow was strong enough to shatter Mason’s ribcage.
A triumphant smirk spread across the Monkey Fire’s blazing face.
However, it wasn’t over yet.
“…Uuugh!”
Mason gripped the Monkey Fire’s neck with his left hand and smashed the car door with his right.
“Step on it! Leader! Keep stepping on it!”
Mason flung himself out of the car, still clutching the Monkey Fire’s neck.
Thud! Thud, thud!
“Ugh…”
Every time he breathed, a cracking sound emanated from his poorly healed ribcage. The flames were burning his flesh even through the armor.
But Mason grinned.
“Heh.”
He couldn’t punch away right and wrong. He couldn’t kick away regret and remorse.
But he could fight the Monkey Fire.
That was enough.
Screeeech!
Sung Kijun abruptly stopped the car as if crashing into the wall of a ruin, then hurriedly jumped out.
“Mason! I’ll join you!”
“Leave this to me! Leader, you…”
At that moment, a horde of monsters emerged from the forest.
“Grrrrrrr…”
“Screeeech…”
If the Monkey Fire was the boss of the pack, it was only natural for it to utilize its underlings.
“…Take care of them!”
“Got it!”
Sung Kijun’s armor and holy sword shone with a golden radiance.
Mason, leveraging the momentum from his roll on the ground, grappled with the Monkey Fire.
Mason possessed monstrous strength, capable of crushing bones with a mere grip, while the Monkey Fire wielded flames that could incinerate anyone they touched.
Mason had the stamina and regenerative ability to withstand burning flesh and boiling bodily fluids, while the Monkey Fire possessed a half-spirit, half-flesh body, allowing it to reduce physical damage.
The odds were even for the two beasts.
All that remained was… will and fighting spirit!
“Raaaagh!”
Bang!
The punch Mason delivered from a pounding stance pierced through the Monkey Fire’s head, driving it into the asphalt.
At that moment, the Monkey Fire rolled away, clinging onto Mason’s back.
“Kyaaagh!”
Squeeze…
Intense pressure tightened around his neck.
In that instant, Mason contracted every muscle in his body.
“Hah!”
As he explosively expanded his muscles, the Monkey Fire was flung away with a bang.
Being half-spirit meant its physical form was less substantial, and less substance meant insufficient weight.
Mason reached out towards the flung Monkey Fire.
Grab, grab.
He swept his hand through the air like he was stirring water, feeling a sensation at his fingertips.
‘Bone!’
The Monkey Fire’s flesh was made of flames.
That meant it had bones, and if it had bones…
Grab! Grab!
…it meant he could grab them.
Sizzle… Sizzle…
His skin was already charred. His bodily fluids were boiling, and his hands had lost all sensation.
But Mason tightened his grip, pulling his arms with all his might.
Crack… Crackle…
He didn’t know if it was the sound of bones breaking or joints tearing.
But the Monkey Fire was screaming in agony from deep within.
“Screech! Screeeech!”
Consumed by fear and pain, the Monkey Fire lashed out in all directions.
“Kyagh!”
Finally, the Monkey Fire’s hands gripped Mason’s face. Its thumbs gouged into his eyes.
“Uuugh…!”
Unbearable pain engulfed him as darkness descended.
However, a heavy weight settled in his grasp.
That was enough.
Mason was a superhuman.
But even a superhuman couldn’t defeat regret.
However, he could k*ll the Monkey Fire.
He could tear apart the enemy that showed Sung Kijun, who came here to relive his regrets, a nightmare.
Mason could do that… because he was a superhuman.
“Raaaaaaagh!”
And so, Mason ripped the Monkey Fire’s body apart in midair.
Thud, thud, thud…
As the Monkey Fire’s flames extinguished, bone fragments scattered onto the ground.
“Ugh…”
Mason collapsed, shaking his head.
While other parts of his body were regenerating at a decent pace, his eyes were slow to recover. They were more complex organs than simple flesh.
Tap.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
He reflexively tried to sit up, but a familiar voice stopped him.
“Rest easy. The fight is over.”
It was Sung Kijun.
“The monsters ran away.”
“Is that so…”
What kind of expression was Sung Kijun making?
A bittersweet smile? Or his usual poker face?
He couldn’t tell.
Mason’s eyes hadn’t recovered enough to read expressions.
Tap.
Mason reached out, his hand groping through the air.
His fist landed on Sung Kijun’s chest armor.
He opened his hand, revealing its contents.
“What’s this?”
“New Year’s money.”
Sung Kijun glanced at the pile of bones on the ground, realizing what they were.
“It’s the Monkey Fire’s spine.”
“I don’t know which vertebra it is, though.”
“Hmph…”
His vision returned, and Mason could now see Sung Kijun’s expression.
He was smiling wryly.
Nothing had changed.
The Paladin’s nobility would continue to p*ick at him, and the flames would always make him freeze.
But one thing had changed.
Even though he couldn’t erase regret or stop nightmares…
…there was someone fighting alongside him.
“You’re pathetic.”
Sung Kijun lit a cigarette.
“New Year’s money… is a kid’s chance to extort money from an a*ult.”
Cigarette smoke drifted through the abandoned ruins.
The war hadn’t changed, and neither had the world.
But Sung Kijun…
“…Hmph.”
Grab.
…clutched Mason’s gift.
“Let’s go. Before it’s too late.”
Sung Kijun turned towards the car.
“We should get some sleep. We’ll have a busy schedule starting tomorrow.”
“…What, you knew I was busy?”
“Of course. Your seminars are all over the news.”
Mason grumbled.
“And you called me out here when I’m supposed to be working?”
“You would have said no if you were really busy.”
“Well, you’re not wrong, but…”
Tankers really had a knack for p*ssing him off.
“Ugh.”
Mason grumbled as he squeezed himself into the car.
“Fine, but at least let’s listen to some new music on the way back.”
“Sure, why not.”
Sung Kijun fiddled with the car stereo.
“There’s this girl group I like…”
“Girl group? Sounds good. Who are they?”
Sung Kijun said with a confident grin.
“You know Wonder Girls?”
12
Mason’s morning began with the jarring sound of his alarm clock.
“…Ugh.”
He rubbed his eyes and sat up, half-asleep, before devouring the food he had stashed in the fridge. Sometimes it was intestines, sometimes chicken, sometimes sandwiches, but Mason mindlessly filled his stomach with the food he had bought the night before.
It wasn’t until he stood under the shower, letting the hot water wash over him, that he finally came to his senses.
‘Oh, I’m dead…’
Physical fatigue wasn’t the issue. His body was a superhuman creation of future science. If necessary, he could run ten thousand li for three days and nights without sleep.
But future science couldn’t help with mental exhaustion.
Scientists of the present lacked knowledge, not wisdom. Seminars with leading scholars were like a barbarian with technology teaching geniuses without it.
There were many questions that caught Mason off guard, and a single slip of the tongue could derail the entire conversation.
It was no wonder his nerves were frayed.
Mason, dressed in a custom-made business suit, slumped onto the living room sofa.
‘Well, at least I’m getting used to talking to people.’
Earth in the 28th century had a low population density.
You could walk ten thousand li without bumping into your neighbor.
Because of that, Mason of the 28th century wasn’t accustomed to people.
Initially, he struggled to converse in crowded places. He wasn’t familiar with the concept of”other people,”so every word spoken felt like it was directed at him.
But over the past month, he had met enough people to last a lifetime.
He was no longer awkward around them.
Mason made himself a cup of coffee and waited.
Another seminar with unknown scientists awaited him today.
He didn’t know who they were, and he didn’t care.
He simply went wherever Seo Yeonhee took him.
“…”
Mason frowned.
‘She’s late?’
Seo Yeonhee was always punctual.
‘Did she oversleep?’
He sipped his coffee.
One hour.
Two hours.
“…Why isn’t she here?”
He took out his phone.
Just then, it started ringing.
“Geez.”
He answered the call.
It was Seo Yeonhee.
“Where are you?”
“I’m at home.”
<...>
Silence hung in the air, a mixture of disbelief and exasperation.
“Aren’t you coming? No schedule today?”
Seo Yeonhee sighed.
“What note?”
Mason looked at the refrigerator. As she said, a Post-it note was stuck there.
It was written in her neat handwriting:
– Be at the raid team building by 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Mason frowned.
He had been so groggy while eating breakfast that he hadn’t noticed the note on the fridge.
“…So, what seminar is it today?”
“…Huh?”
Seo Yeonhee said in a calm voice.
๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑
When Mason arrived, flustered and out of breath, the strategy meeting was already in full swing.
“Oh… You’re late?”
“Yeah… I’m late…?”
Masika, who was leading the meeting, paused for a moment.
“Should we scrap everything we’ve discussed so far and start from the beginning, or would you prefer a briefing on what we’ve covered?”
“Briefing… Keep it short.”
“The monster we’re targeting this time is the ‘Darkwing.’ It’s a government request, so it’s best to accept it.”
“Why?”
“The Darkwing’s territory is expanding. If this continues, we’ll have to redraw the safe zone boundaries.”
As with real birds, flying monsters tended to have wider territories than ground monsters.
For some reason, the Darkwing was expanding its territory even further.
It had reached a point where they couldn’t ignore it anymore.
“Why us?”
“We’re the raid team with the best ranged firepower… And we also had a recommendation from a previous raid team.”
“Who?”
“Forest Guard, one of the Heavenly King’s three raid teams. It’s practically a direct order from the Heavenly King.”
Mason frowned and looked at Andrei. Andrei simply shrugged, indicating that he didn’t know any more than Mason did.
