Ubermensch – Chapter 85

Chapter 85

“…’Young Lion’?”

“Do you know me?”

“A little…”

Massoud smiled.

“You don’t know me, but my father, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Ahmad Shah Massoud. He was a legendary war hero of Afghanistan, called the ‘Lion of Panjshir’.

His son, the ‘Young Lion’ Ahmad Massoud, was the commander of the Afghan United States’ player army, which had stopped the civil war and united to fight the monsters.

They also had a close cooperative relationship with the Jihad International Brigade led by Jean Bosung.

‘Young Lion of Panjshir.’

Mason smiled bitterly.

History had changed and the enemy they were fighting had changed, but the Young Lion was still a war hero fighting for his people.

As they finished their greetings, Steve Queen looked at Mason with a displeased expression.

“It’s nice to meet you, but… what are you doing here? This is the command headquarters, and you don’t have the authority to attend this meeting, do you?”

Chong Daolong looked at Steve and said.

“I invited him, and I received permission from Brigadier General Batkhishig. Park-hyung’s experience and the knowledge of the Koreans will be helpful.”

“You didn’t get my permission, did you?”

“Then I ask for your permission now.”

Chong Daolong and Steve looked at each other.

It was a battle of nerves.

But it was only for a moment, Steve shrugged and said.

“Well, give my regards to Miss Yekaterina.”

Mason made an uncomfortable expression and said to Chong Daolong.

“You didn’t have to fight to invite me to the strategy meeting.”

“If I want to borrow Park-hyung’s wisdom, I have to call you, and if I have to fight Steve to call you, there’s no reason to refuse, is there?”

“…So I’m not sure if I’ll be that much help.”

When Mason grumbled, Chong Daolong smiled.

“You’re not even going to try?”

“Of course I have to try. It’s a fight for humanity.”

“Then that’s enough.”

When the conversation was over, Batkhishig cleared his throat.

“Shall we start the meeting?”

When people nodded, he said in awkward Korean.

“The combat data has been compiled. The news is good.”

At Batkhishig’s gesture, his subordinate displayed the data on the screen.

“The Great Eater’s reduction rate is exceeding its growth rate.”

Indeed, the Great Eater’s size and mass had decreased. About 1%? It wasn’t noticeable.

But… for Batkhishig, it would be truly delightful news.

Because it was the first good news he had heard since watching the Great Eater grow helplessly.

“1% after thousands of riflemen firing all day.”

However, Chong Daolong made an uncomfortable expression.

“1%… even if we are optimistic, that means we’ll be stuck here for at least 100 days, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“We also came here putting aside the defense of our own countries. 100 days is too long. What if something happens in the meantime and the subjugation period is extended even further? How can we handle that?”

Batkhishig made an uncomfortable expression.

He wasn’t wrong. And because he wasn’t wrong, it was all the more uncomfortable.

Jean Bosung calmed Chong Daolong down and said.

“Calm down. Today is practically the first day we’ve coordinated our efforts, isn’t it? Let’s try to find ways to increase efficiency rather than think pessimistically.”

Mason looked around.

Even in the briefing he had received before coming here, it was said that each country had different political positions.

Massoud, who belonged to the Third World, hoped for stronger international cooperation, and Jean Bosung, although belonging to the EU, was essentially in agreement with the Third World.

They were people whose goal was simply to subjugate the Great Eater, regardless of their interests.

Chong Daolong agreed with international cooperation, but was uncomfortable with the population outflow to neighboring countries if the Great Eater was subjugated.

And Steve Queen… was here to create the very situation that China hated.

‘This is difficult.’

Mason’s opinion was, of course, on the side of subjugation. But because of the relationship between Korea and China, and his personal friendship, he couldn’t help but consider Chong Daolong’s position…

‘Politics is really difficult.’

At that moment, Steve Queen smiled slyly and looked at Mason.

“Well then… shall we borrow the wisdom of our invited expert?”

“Huh?”

“Mason Park-gongdaejang. What do you think will happen from now on?”

Mason looked at Batkhishig.

“You said the reduction rate has never exceeded the growth rate before?”

“That’s right.”

“If that’s true…”

Mason shrugged and said.

“I think something unexpected will happen.”

Steve Queen smiled. Mason didn’t.

So the smile disappeared from Steve Queen’s face.

He asked with a serious face.

“…What do you mean?”

“Assuming the creature has reason, or at least a minimal instinct… that instinct will also recognize today’s outcome. The fact that if things continue like this, it will eventually disappear. Then wouldn’t it try to cope in some way?”

“It hasn’t reacted in any way so far.”

“We don’t know if it didn’t react or couldn’t react.”

Batkhishig, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth.

“Then what should we be careful of?”

“I don’t know. As you said, today is the first time the Great Eater has been chipped away at. But… I want to say that it wouldn’t hurt to be on guard.”

The atmosphere in the room cooled down.

After a moment of silence, Chong Daolong spoke.

“…It seems today’s meeting is over.”

No one said anything.

It was a silent agreement.

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After the strategy meeting, Mason also gathered the Korean raid leaders.

“Today, it seems like they’ve shaved off about 1% of the Great Eater. And there were different opinions from each country about that.”

He was sharing the information he had heard and exchanging opinions with them.

“Is that so?”

“…”

The cautious Simon Magus had no particular opinion, and Han Areum also just nodded, as if she had nothing to say. Liza remained silent with an unreadable expression.

Mason felt Seo Yeonhee’s absence.

Because she used to be a good discussion partner, regardless of the topic.

“…Well, that’s all I have to say.”

Simon Magus, Han Areum, and Liza got up from their seats. Mason said to Liza.

“Liza, can we talk for a second?”

“If it’s an order.”

After the two returned to his trailer, Mason spoke to Liza.

“Are you okay?”

“If you’re asking about my condition, I’m fine.”

“You know I’m not asking about that.”

“As I said before.”

Liza said with an expressionless face.

“The salvation of my individual is not important.”

“That means you’re still suffering…”

Liza nodded silently.

“I can’t forget the things that can’t be changed, so what kind of change can happen to me? I don’t know.”

“Is there nothing I can do to help you?”

“Your Majesty.”

Liza looked at Mason.

“You are a good person, and a good ruler. You have already saved the pseudo-humans, so you are enough to be the ruler of the people, including myself. My subordinates and I will devote our lives to serving you.”

Pseudo-humans.

Liza was deliberately using the term”pseudo-humans”instead of the word”sub-races”.

That word probably represents Liza’s heart.

Even though the world had changed, she hadn’t changed at all, and she wouldn’t change in the future either.

Liza was still a burnt statue, left alone in the burnt forest, silently screaming.

Mason felt sad.

“…Okay, I understand.”

More so because he couldn’t save her.

“Go back and rest.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Mason sighed.

It seemed like it would be a difficult task.

“…”

Even now, ranged dealers were firing beams outside the window.

The entire ranged dealer force was divided into three groups, and they were conducting regular firing with the rule of 16 hours of firing followed by 8 hours of rest.

The sight of thousands of beams raining down was spectacular when he first saw it, but it already felt like an everyday scene.

“…Sigh.”

Mason made a bitter expression.

War. He was getting too used to war.

Everyone was.

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From the next day, they began to devise ways to fight more efficiently.

The battle against the Great Eater was largely classified into two parts.

First, eliminate the horde of monsters attracted by the Great Eater’s lunch bell.

Second, strike the Great Eater itself.

The second battle, that is, striking the Great Eater itself, was only possible for ranged dealers.

There was no way to increase the ranged dealers’ firepower… Then they had to find a way to more effectively block the horde of monsters attracted by the lunch bell.

“How about actively eliminating the horde of monsters, even if there are some casualties?”

People nodded at Chong Daolong’s suggestion.

Currently, virtually all job classes other than ranged dealers were excluded from the battle. At least the mages were hitting the horde of monsters with area-of-effect magic, but melee combatants couldn’t play a role beyond riflemen.

Mason made a worried expression.

“That would be quite dangerous.”

Because blocking the front of a horde of thousands of monsters was an incredibly dangerous thing to do.

Especially for melee combatants.

“But we have no choice but to increase efficiency even a little bit.”

Then Batkhishig spoke.

“Our Keshig tactics will be helpful.”

The Seal Guardians led by Batkhishig formed a special unit called Keshig. It was a unit named after the mounted archer special forces of the old nomadic days.

The modern Keshig, ranged dealers riding motorbikes, had inherited the tactics of the ancient mounted archer Keshig.

The vanguard of the enemy was sprinting, and there were thousands of monsters following behind them. Blocking their front would only result in being crushed by their momentum and mass.

But what if they targeted the rear, from the back?

They could attack the monsters’ unguarded rear.

Or they could break through the middle and divide the enemy’s ranks.

The point was to avoid the strong parts and poke at the weak parts.

“It doesn’t sound as easy as it sounds.”

“That’s right. It’s difficult. It requires high mobility and destructive power.”

Batkhishig looked out the window.

“But we have time. We can practice. In actual combat.”

At that moment.

Gwooowoooooooooo-

The lunch bell began to ring.

Wheeeng- Wheeeng-

People went into defensive positions.

At the same time, Batkhishig gave orders to his direct subordinates.

“Keshig, sortie!”

Ranged dealer motorbike cavalry, Keshig.

The sight of a thousand motorbikes running across the steppe at once was truly spectacular.

At the same time, the adjutant gave orders to the artillery unit.

“Commence bombardment!”

It was mortars and various artillery that signaled the start of the battle.