The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 288

287

“You, you…!”

The final defense line was established after retreating near Berlin.

As soon as we arrived, the former Minister Monahan grabbed my collar, just as I expected.

“It was you, wasn’t it?! You’re the one who fed Minister Vladimir that nonsense, right?!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb, you bastard! You think I’ll let this go?! I have dirt on you too! If I open my mouth…!”

“Minister!”

No, he’s not a minister anymore.

“Can you solve this situation?”

“……Wh-what?”

“The much-hyped Skoll project failed, and thanks to your vehement opposition to foreign intervention, we can’t even get reinforcements.”

I shook my head and continued.

“What good is having dirt on someone if you can’t do anything right now?”

“……!”

Monahan’s eyes trembled.

“Do you even realize that someone in a position to protect the country and its people is jeopardizing the nation for their own gain?”

“You, you dare say such a thing…!”

“Frankly, I don’t care if you destroy Germany or not. But at least, don’t interfere with my work.”

I cut him off and said calmly.

“Open your mouth or don’t, do whatever you want. If you have no ability, no skill, and no shame, just get out of here. You’re in the way.”

I walked past him.

I could hear curses behind me, but it was only for a moment.

“Minister Monahan.”

“You’ll have to come with us.”

“Wh-what? Let go of me?! Do you know who I am?! Let go of me!!”

The military police who appeared immediately began to escort him.

Of course, he didn’t go quietly and struggled constantly.

“If you continue to resist, we will restrain you.”

“Wh-what…?!”

“Cuff him.”

In the end, he was forcibly taken away, putting on an unsightly display until the very end.

‘Well, it’s obvious what measures will be taken later,’ I thought.

Shifting my gaze forward, I thought, ‘Anyway…’

The situation is more serious than I thought.

The initial defense line has already been breached for a long time.

It won’t take 30 minutes for them to advance to this final line.

If this is breached, then it’s Berlin.

We have to end it here somehow.

“First, everyone move to your respective positions.”

I spoke to the local task force I had brought with me.

“Traps, ambushes, aerial interceptions—we need to prepare everything we can. Once the all-out war begins, we must maintain our formation no matter what class we are.”

“Understood!”

“Yes!”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to overdo it. We’re at a disadvantage from the start in terms of manpower and firepower, so we just need to hold out until the main force arrives.”

I took a deep breath.

“And from now on… I will be in command.”

With those words, everyone began to move in an orderly fashion.

Regular troops moved to the rear of the defense line, and melee positions, including Guardian classes, took positions at the front line.

All ranged positions, including Mage classes, were calculating interception distances in the center of the defense line. All other personnel began equipment checks and supply transport.

Everyone prepared for their roles without a word, and soon…

“……They’re here.”

A huge number of silhouettes began to come into view in the distance.

***

“Hey! Wake up!”

A voice scratching at my nerves even though I was unconscious.

Chloe slowly opened her eyes at the sound of someone calling her, and a blurry figure came into view.

As her focus gradually returned, the face of the person who woke her up became clear.

“Are you okay?! What happened to you…!”

“……You’re finally here.”

It was none other than Branch Manager Lee Ah-young.

“Is this a time to be laughing?! Your arm…!”

“Don’t make such a fuss. I’m not dead, so it’s fine.”

Chloe forced herself to sit up and replied.

Then she checked her right arm.

It was bandaged after being cut off up to the forearm.

Seeing that there was no bleeding or pain, it seemed that a Priest class [healer class] had given her first aid.

‘Tsk…’

But Chloe’s reaction was quite calm.

She just clicked her tongue once and immediately looked around.

She was sure she had lost consciousness in the middle of the defense line, but for some reason, she woke up in a shabby tent.

“Where is this…?”

When she asked Lee Ah-young, she replied with a serious expression.

“It’s a temporary medical unit in the rear of the final defense line. We didn’t have time to move you to a nearby city, so we brought you here in a hurry. A Priest class just gave you first aid.”

“Final defense line? Wasn’t there a withdrawal order? I think Minister Monahan said he would take command.”

Chloe made a puzzled expression, recalling the voice she had heard the moment she lost consciousness.

But only for a moment.

“Minister Monahan was just dismissed.”

“……?”

“And the wartime operational control has been transferred to WDSO [World Defense Security Organization].”

She blinked at the very unexpected news.

She didn’t think she had lost consciousness for that long… she wondered what had happened in the meantime.

But she didn’t bother to ask.

She knew Kim Jun-woo wouldn’t have stood still.

It would have been enough time for him to turn the situation around.

“So, how’s the situation?”

Chloe asked about the current situation instead of the past.

“First of all, all the initial defense lines have been breached. The International Association is continuing to advance along Route 52.”

“Where’s Kim Jun-woo…?”

“He’s at the front lines with the local task force. He said he’ll hold them off until the main force arrives in 3 hours…”

“No.”

At that moment, Chloe shook her head, cutting her off.

“Wesley has joined the battle himself. No matter how good Kim Jun-woo is, he won’t be able to hold out for 3 hours, let alone 30 minutes, with that manpower.”

“Y-yes…?”

“I’ll go there myself first…”

Chloe tried to get up from the bed with those words, but Branch Manager Lee Ah-young immediately stopped her.

“Y-you can’t move! Do you know what condition you’re in right now?! You’ve had first aid, but you need to go to the hospital right away for proper treatment!”

“…….”

Branch Manager Lee Ah-young raised her voice.

Then Chloe made a puzzled expression.

“Are you worried about me right now?”

“……No, if you die here, I’ll have to take over Eclipse again.”

“I thought you hated me?”

“…….”

Branch Manager Lee Ah-young hesitated to answer for a moment.

“I do hate you.”

She continued with a serious expression.

“I hate you… but that doesn’t mean I want you to die.”

“…….”

Chloe raised her eyebrows at the answer.

A rather unexpected answer that wasn’t unpleasant.

“You’re a non-combatant anyway. What can you do if you go there now? Don’t act recklessly and just get treatment.”

“…….”

It didn’t last long either.

“…So, what are you planning to do?”

Chloe, who had returned to her expressionless face, suddenly asked.

“Even if you manage to stop the advance until the main force arrives, what’s next? You don’t think WDSO can win against the well-prepared International Association forces, do you?”

“…….”

“Of course, I admit that they are quite talented, including Kim Jun-woo. But… it would be difficult even if they were thoroughly prepared, and it would be impossible to stop them in a situation where manpower, supplies, and preparation are lacking, right?”

It was an accurate judgment.

Branch Manager Lee Ah-young seemed to think the same way and hesitated to answer for a moment.

“…There is a way.”

But only for a moment.

She opened her mouth, looking straight at Chloe.

“There’s a possibility if we use Anti-Magic Stone.”

“…Anti-Magic Stone?”

At the same time, Branch Manager Lee Ah-young’s eyes flashed.

“Just in case, I asked the main force personnel on dispatch to bring the Anti-Magic Stone. If we use the Anti-Magic Stone like you guys did, it will be enough with the lack of manpower.”

“Have you ever processed it?”

“Once before. It was a small amount, though.”

“It won’t be comparable to that, will it? The probability of Bank Items [powerful, often unstable artifacts] going berserk increases exponentially as the amount of processing increases, and the Bank Item itself may be destroyed. Even if you succeed in processing it, it’s uncertain whether you can succeed in practical application…”

“I’ll take care of that.”

Branch Manager Lee Ah-young cut her off and replied.

And then…

“Practical application is my specialty. Instead… I want you to take charge of processing the Bank Items.”

Words that made me doubt my ears were heard.

“So you’re… asking me to help you now? Seriously?”

“What. I thought you were the best in the world when it comes to Bank Items, but I guess not?”

“……I’m speechless.”

“So, are you going to help or not?”

“…….”

Chloe let out a burst of laughter once.

“Just don’t get in my way.”

With those words, she raised the corners of her lips.

***

Route 52.

All the forces of the International Association advancing along that road.

Secretary-General Wesley continued to walk without saying a word.

His expressionless face seemed to be deep in thought.

In fact, advancing to Berlin on foot was quite an inefficient method.

If he processed the Dimension Stone, he could create a Dimension Gate and head straight to Berlin.

No, even if he didn’t go that far, there were plenty of more convenient means of transportation.

The reason why he chose to advance to Berlin on foot was largely due to a kind of performance.

Yes.

This war is not a fight to gain each other’s interests but a warning to the whole world.

That’s why this approach is the most effective.

Because he can show in real-time that everywhere we step is being destroyed.

So far, everything is going according to plan.

‘…….’

Nevertheless, Secretary-General Wesley still had a stern expression.

He always prepared for the worst, but honestly, he never thought he would wage an all-out war even a year ago.

He also never expected that the day would come when he would make such an extreme choice.

All because of one cleaner.

‘Kim Jun-woo…’

Secretary-General Wesley muttered his name softly.

Having come this far, he had no choice but to realize it.

In the end, all of this will end when one of them dies.

So, if he had to kill Kim Jun-woo no matter what, it would have to be today.

「Secretary-General.」

At that time, when he was deep in thought, a radio message came from Kate, his executive secretary, who was at the head of the line.

「There’s a defense line in front.」

“…Again?”

「Judging from what I see, it seems to be the final defense line…….」

She hesitated for a moment, then carefully opened her mouth.

「It seems… Kim Jun-woo has returned.」

“……Wait a moment.”

Secretary-General Wesley stopped all the troops.

Then he headed to the front alone.

Soon after leaving the formation and facing the defense line.

“It’s been a while, Secretary-General.”

Kim Jun-woo recognized him from afar and greeted him first.

But Secretary-General Wesley didn’t answer and looked at the troops on the defense line first.

Then he smiled and opened his mouth.

“You don’t think you can stop us with that manpower, do you?”

“Of course not. No matter how good I am, how can I win against the International Association?”

“Even if you say that, your eyes already say that you’re planning to end it here?”

When Secretary-General Wesley spoke, Kim Jun-woo slightly raised the corners of his lips.

And soon…

“I’m thinking of finishing the story we couldn’t finish then, here today…”

[Unique Skill: Demon King]

A black aura began to flow from Kim Jun-woo’s entire body.

“How about it, would you like to join me?”

“…….”

Secretary-General Wesley hesitated to answer.

“Well… educating youngsters who don’t know their place is also my specialty.”

[Unique Skill: Genesis]

The corners of his lips went up.