Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 199

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 199

The aircraft was just about to take off.

Right as the rear hatch was closing.

“Waaaait a minute! Stop! Halt!”

A boisterous voice echoed from afar.

Recognizing the voice, I felt a sense of unease and turned around, my eyes widening in surprise.

Someone was running towards us, panting heavily.

It was none other than…

“…Aunt?”

It was Aunt Lee Kyung-hwa.

She was carrying a massive luggage bag on her back, the kind you’d only see in cartoons.

I stepped over the half-closed hatch and stood face to face with my aunt.

“Aunt, what on earth are you doing here? And what’s with all the luggage?”

“I came to join you! I’m going with you!”

“Aunt, this is an official mission. It’s not something you can just jump into out of curiosity or interest.”

“I know that much, you know? Ta-da!”

Aunt thrust a piece of paper right in front of my nose.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it.

A mission order.

It was an official order, endorsed by the Head Councilman and my eldest brother, the acting head of the family.

“No, what is this…”

“My scholarly instincts are pointing me there! That’s why I got the order! I’m joining you all from now on! Got it! Hahaha.”

…I’m going crazy. Seriously.

I was trying to maintain my composure before the mission, but now I just feel drained.

‘It’s not a forgery… is it?’

Focusing my magic power into my eyes, I could see the watermark that could only be made by the main family’s Council of Elders.

“Honey! I’m coming too!”

“Why are you doing this? We’re not going on a pleasure trip.”

“I know that! And you know why I want to go, don’t you!”

Well, I do know.

My aunt has a fanatical obsession with ancient cultures and artifacts.

But I never expected her to try to follow us to such a dangerous, unexplored territory.

“Huh? Huh? I want to go too! Honey!”

“Wait… just give me a moment to think.”

Aunt’s joining the mission.

Should I accept it or not?

Even though she has a mission order, I have the authority to refuse since I’m the field commander.

Logically, it seems like the right thing to do is to refuse…

As I was lost in thought, a warrior’s shout came from outside the half-open hatch.

“Youngest Master! We need to leave right away!”

I nodded at the shout and made up my mind.

“Aunt, promise me one thing. I am the decision-maker and commander of this mission. Promise me you will obey my orders.”

“Of course!”

“This is a real battle where lives are at stake. Don’t answer lightly, answer seriously.”

At my words, my aunt flinched for a moment, but her eyes sparkled as she replied.

“Yes, I understand. I will absolutely obey your orders, Honey.”

I nodded at her vow.

“Alright. Then get on board.”

At my decision, my twin brothers exclaimed with dumbfounded expressions.

“…Hey, youngest. I know Aunt is your teacher, but this mission requires mobility and stealth. Will Aunt be able to handle it? You’re the commander, you need to make a good decision!”

“Yeah, that’s right. We’re going to an uncharted territory! We’re not going to study, we’re going to explore! No matter how great a researcher Aunt is, this isn’t the right fit!”

My fourth brother said unpleasantly, and my fifth brother chimed in.

Well, from an outsider’s perspective, my aunt would probably be seen as ‘a pretty great scholar.’

“Don’t worry. Our strength has actually increased with Aunt joining us.”

“What?”

I smiled.

A great scholar, huh.

My aunt is definitely an intellectual with three degrees, even though she doesn’t look like it.

But my brothers don’t seem to realize who I learned magic from.

Frankly, she may be lacking in actual combat, but her capabilities are beyond my easy estimation.

‘To be honest, Aunt is the one I’ve worked with the most. Besides, she has extensive knowledge of ancient ruins. It might get annoying sometimes… but if she follows orders.’

Thinking about it, there’s no better asset than this.

Plus, I can get a lot of help when I investigate Man Ghost Mountain during this mission.

‘So that’s why my eldest brother gave permission.’

I was a bit hesitant at first, but thinking about it carefully, Aunt’s joining is a huge advantage.

“Anyway, Aunt, hurry up and get on board.”

I reached out my hand to my aunt, and she smiled brightly, took my hand, and lightly stepped into the aircraft.

Woo-oong!

The rear hatch slowly closed, and I turned around and opened my mouth.

“As of 09:03 hours, we will begin the exploration mission of Sector B-1. The exploration area is the Northern Unexplored Territory, Sector B-1, and the ultimate goal is to complete the exploration for territorial acquisition and explore the ruins.”

Boo-woo-woo-oong!

The heavy engine sound of the aircraft continued, and I spoke again.

“I will be the commander. If I am unable to command, the command will be transferred in the order of my fourth brother, fifth brother, and sixth sister.”

All the siblings took their seats, fastened their belts, and listened attentively.

“As announced in the detailed operation plan in advance, we will descend as soon as we arrive in the airspace above the Unexplored Territory and join at the Alpha point on the outskirts of Sector B-1.”

The reason for not going by land was because we had to pass through several unexplored territories.

“According to the latest report from the main family’s intelligence department, the Nine Dragons Fortress, the Yin-Yang Order, and the Russian intelligence agency are moving, and it is predicted that the Yin-Yang Order is cooperating with the Eiffel Magic Tower. If the opponent shows hostility, it is okay to kill them immediately. As soon as you enter the Unexplored Territory, activate the video equipment and activate the magic engineering communication.”

The area of Sector B-1 is currently known to be about twice the size of Yeouido [a large island in Seoul, South Korea].

In order to claim territorial rights, more than 70 percent of the terrain must be mapped according to international law, and several surveys must be successfully completed according to detailed regulations.

According to the family’s intelligence department, the mission will take at least three days.

Three days.

Even though the risk level of Sector B-1 is only about level 3, three days in the Unexplored Territory is definitely not a short amount of time.

“That’s all. I will end the operation briefing. As this is a hastily started mission, I will give instructions on the details as the mission progresses.”

-We will be taking off soon. Please be seated as there may be some turbulence.

As soon as my briefing was over, the captain’s voice was heard.

Boo-woo-woo-oong!

With a heavy sound, the aircraft slowly prepared for takeoff.

Northern Unexplored Territory, Sector B-1.

The place where the secrets of Moo-Jin and Black Ki are connected, the land where I died in my previous life, and the place where everything can be said to have started.

Finally, I was heading there.

* * *

A few days before the mission meeting at Soongmoo Lee Ga.

In China, in a restricted area within the Nine Dragons Fortress where outsiders are not allowed, a middle-aged man and an old man were leisurely talking.

“That swordsman is indeed worthy of the name. Already competing for the position of head of the family.”

The Lord of the Nine Dragons Fortress, Cheol Wi-seong, read the news article in his hand and wore a strange smile.

While many people were worried about the chaos that would occur at Soongmoo Lee Ga, Cheol Wi-seong seemed to have no interest other than simple curiosity.

“It will become noisy.”

Next to the Lord, an old man with many wrinkles replied, leaning on a cane.

“I know, right? It’s going to be fun. It seems like there are already several movements.”

Cheol Wi-seong folded the news article and looked straight ahead.

Where Cheol Wi-seong’s gaze was directed, there was blood pooled like a puddle.

The bright red blood was spreading in all directions, and in the center of the blood, a young man was lying down.

Was he doing some kind of training?

On the ground around the young man, dozens of grooves were dug as if a huge monster had clawed at it.

“Now, get up. Disciple.”

Twitch!

At Cheol Wi-seong’s words, the young man, who looked like a corpse, twitched and began to move.

“Haa, haa…”

The young man staggered to his feet.

The young man, whose skin color was hard to discern due to the many wounds, breathed roughly.

“What do you think of this news?”

“…The head family competition of Soongmoo Lee Ga is an event that will have a great impact on the main fortress. We need to pay close attention to it.”

The young man replied in a voice that was hoarse and sounded like scraping metal.

“You always say boring things. You look ugly, so wipe the blood off your face.”

Even with the young man in front of him who looked like he was about to die, Cheol Wi-seong’s expression was nonchalant.

The young man wiped the blood from his face with trembling hands due to the wounds.

Then, a fierce gaze with thick features was revealed.

The young man was none other than Jang Han.

Cheol Wi-seong looked at Jang Han with strange eyes for a moment, then looked at the old man standing next to him.

“It’s still boring, but it’s become quite plausible.”

“It’s all thanks to the teachings of the Lord.”

“What did I do? I just gave the disciple what he asked for. You suffered. You passed on all of the Thousand Slaughtering Swords.”

The old man simply bowed his head in response.

Cheol Wi-seong smiled strangely and looked at Jang Han.

“For now, we should end the training today. It seems like there’s a place you need to go.”

“Give me your orders.”

Jang Han pushed his long sword into its sheath and bowed his head.

“Someone in a high position in Soongmoo Lee Ga has requested it. There’s been an anomaly in the Northern Unexplored Territory?”

The Lord of the Nine Dragons Fortress finished speaking and glanced at Jang Han.

“It seems that the bastard of Soongmoo Lee Ga, whom you were miserably defeated by, is there.”

At those words, Jang Han’s eyes flashed.

The Lord of the Nine Dragons Fortress looked at him with a strange expression.

* * *

Outskirts of the Unexplored Territory, Sector B-1.

After completing a high-altitude drop from a transport plane at 10,000 feet, I burned all the parachute lines and the parachute itself with Aura just before landing on the ground, and landed lightly on the ground.

‘Hoo.’

As soon as I landed, I took out Moo-Jin.

I had entered the Unexplored Territory, an unknown land that humanity has not yet conquered, and a land where all the threats on Earth are gathered.

‘I’ve been here in my past life… but this is the first time I’ve come here on my own two feet.’

I looked around the dense jungle and began to adapt to the situation.

The magic interference phenomenon that exists in dungeons was naturally present.

The problem was what came next.

A phenomenon that only exists in the Unexplored Territory.

‘Sensory impairment.’

I blinked a few times and slowly turned my gaze to look around.

A faint, rainbow-colored light that made me feel strangely unpleasant flickered in my vision.

The image of objects blurred as if I had astigmatism [a common vision problem that causes blurred vision], then came back into focus, while other objects gradually blurred and became hazy.

‘There’s visual confusion. Then what about hearing….’

I crushed a branch lying on the ground with my foot.

A very brief silence. After that.

Rustle!

The sound is heard a beat later than when I stepped on it.

And it came from behind, not from the side I stepped on.

There is also hearing impairment.

The time difference is less than 1 second. This is a decent amount.

It will disappear after about 1 or 2 hours of adaptation.

Of course, whether that adaptation is good for humans is another question.

‘Anyway, people usually feel pain and nausea when they first come here, regardless of their magic power….’

Surprisingly, I didn’t have any of those kinds of symptoms.

‘Either way, I’m moving right away.’

Standing in place for about 10 seconds.

As soon as I felt that I had finished adapting to the distorted magic power and sensory impairment of the Unexplored Territory, I took a step.

‘Joining up is the priority.’

Since we dropped almost simultaneously, there would only be a slight error in the landing point, but in the Unexplored Territory, you never know what that slight error might lead to.

Rather than trying to find nearby troops, it was right to move towards the pre-determined rendezvous point as a matter of course.

I deployed my Ki-sense to detect the flow of magic power in all directions.

In the Unexplored Territory, where compasses, maps, and GPS are meaningless, there was still a way to find the way.

‘Found it.’

Northwest, I felt an artificially generated flow of magic power.

It must be the ‘magic power generator’ installed in advance by the Spirit Sword Unit.

That’s the rendezvous point.

I immediately raised Moo-Jin and slowly began to move.

Geeeeee!

The sound of the wind blowing in the desolate forest was bizarre.

The sound of the wind sounded like the breath of a beast.

‘In my past life, monsters were swarming all over the place.’

That was when I was forcibly led to Sector B-1 like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

While the subjugation team was moving, we had to face countless anomalies and monsters that were beyond common sense.

But now, if you exclude the bizarre scenery and phenomena unique to the Unexplored Territory, it was just a quiet forest.

‘Is there a reason for this?’

Whether it was due to the difference in time between my past and present lives, or because Sector B-1 had not yet been completely submerged in the anomalies of the Unexplored Territory.

I couldn’t be sure of the reason.

‘Anyway… the scenery is still something I can’t get used to, no matter how many times I see it.’

I frowned and looked at the bushes growing everywhere.

It was a forest, but it wasn’t full of green.

Trees as white as if they had been doused in bleach stood alone in the blue forest, and there were also huge rocks that pulsed slightly like heartbeats.

I couldn’t tell what was an illusion and what was real.

If I used the Evil Eye, I could be sure, but I didn’t feel like using the Evil Eye when I hadn’t fully adapted yet.

But then.

I felt a presence in the bushes to the side and immediately aimed Moo-Jin.

Whoosh!

A presence approaching, pushing through the bushes.

“Oh? Honey!”

It was my aunt who appeared.

Aunt smiled brightly and approached me.

I aimed Moo-Jin and asked.

“Baekdu.”

“Huh?”

At my aunt’s puzzled expression, I didn’t change my words and asked straight away.

“It’s the code word. Say the answer. Aunt. Baekdu.”

“I, uh, I don’t remember the code word… um, what was it? Baekdu Mountain? Hehe!”

I scoffed at my aunt’s reaction.

Swish! Crack!

And immediately swung Moo-Jin.

The sensation of Moo-Jin brushing against something was definitely not the sensation of cutting human flesh.

A sensation like cutting stone or wood.

-Giiiiik!

As expected, the image of my aunt, who had been cut by Moo-Jin, distorted and began to reveal her true form.

It was a level 4 demon monster, a Mok-Gwi (木鬼) [literally “wood demon” or “tree spirit”].

To put it simply, it was a living tree.

As a demon, it was a monster skilled in mental attacks and disguises.

I frowned as I looked at the staggering Mok-Gwi.

‘…When did it read my mind?’

I was a little puzzled that the Mok-Gwi was taking the form of my aunt.

I was wearing Eun-Han and was being careful enough.

Even if it was a demon, there was no way it could read my mind without me noticing.

‘Is it the power of the Mok-Gwi that has been altered by the Unexplored Territory? But even so, I didn’t feel anything?’

Soo-oong! Kwaang!

At that moment, a tree root that suddenly stretched out from the ground brushed past my nose.

It was not the speed and power that a level 4 monster, Mok-Gwi, could produce.

Besides, Mok-Gwi moves, but it is not the type to launch physical attacks like this.

‘It’s just a trick.’

I made Moo-Jin into the form of a thick club and kicked off the ground.

Moo-Jin Style 1, Cheok-Ma [a specific fighting technique].

Woo-ji-jik!

Aura burst out from the attack of the swung Moo-Jin, and the Mok-Gwi crumbled like a sandcastle.

I just smashed it to pieces in case it had regeneration or recovery abilities.

And I looked down at the broken remains of the Mok-Gwi and shook my head.

“There was no code word in the first place, so how could you not remember it.”

Before dropping from the transport plane, I had deliberately told the troops who were with me on this mission, ‘The code word is that there is no code word.’

Just in case, I emphasized it to my aunt several times.

If it was really my aunt just now, the correct response would have been, ‘You said there was no code word!’

‘But how did it really take on the form of my aunt?’

I made a sullen expression.

And at that moment.

Puh-uh-uh-ung…!

The sound of magic power bursting out nearby.

The flow of Aura skills caught in my Ki-sense was familiar.

It was definitely the defensive Aura skill, Blue Wave.

‘I see. Aunt was nearby.’

It was an Aura skill that burst out right nearby. And if she was in battle, I needed to help.

I immediately kicked off the ground and headed towards the side where my aunt’s magic power had burst out.

But at the same time as feeling my aunt’s magic power, I also felt a sense of doubt.

‘It’s not a monster. It’s human magic power.’

My aunt is fighting a human.

The probability of fighting an ally was low.

Then….

‘Another force!’

I opened my eyes wide and sped up even more, approaching the side where my aunt’s magic power had burst out.

“These guys, really…!”

And soon I could hear my aunt’s voice.

“Aunt. Are you alright?”

Whoosh!

I soon pushed through the bushes blocking my way and landed in front of my aunt.

“Oh! Honey! You came to help me!”

I didn’t feel the presence of a monster. It was definitely my aunt.

‘She doesn’t seem to have any particular injuries.’

I nodded and immediately turned my gaze towards the direction of the enemy, aiming Moo-Jin.

And.

“…Huh?”

I widened my eyes when I saw the person there.

‘What? Why is that person here?’

The person who was fighting with my aunt was someone I knew.