Episode 3: Age of Ghosts / Chapter 45: Colonize (2)
TL: emptycube
Editor: Obelisk
**
Why did so many people have to die? Why did we all have to receive a Consumables (Deferred) Judgment?
“It might be because we didn’t save the kids.”
Lee Jinhee said in a gloomy voice.
“Will the kids even still be alive?”
She was walking as she looked up at the sky. It was a spring sky with no clouds, clear and dry.
“Maybe. Didn’t Jung Minji say that? That there must be a reason. Maybe the ones above saw everything. ‘Oh, they gave up on their race’s future. Good. You’ll be Consumables.’”
Baek Seoin weighed in on her gloominess. However, when she heard those words, her eyes sharpened.
“Who the hell are they to judge us on our actions? Arghh… Just outrageous!”
“Yeah, that’s more like you.”
Baek Seoin grinned and turned his head towards Choi Hyuk.
Choi Hyuk was standing in front of an enormous orb. The orb that looked to be almost 3 stories tall was dark and blue.
‘Portal.’
It was a portal leading to the new lands they had to colonize.
The first to attempt an exploration in the new lands was China, who went two days ago. 15,000 people were recruited and they were promptly annihilated. The new lands were simply too risky. Everyone tried to stop him until there was more information, however, he wouldn’t listen. He thought that even going now was too late.
5,000 people were gathered in Yeoido Park, a mixture of resolution and despair amongst them. The ones gathered here were of two categories, either they possessed a firm will and conviction, or they had already given up on the world. Both sides were half-crazy. If they weren’t crazy, they wouldn’t have come to attempt this reckless challenge.
When Choi Hyuk told them that he was going to challenge the new lands and asked others to lend him their strength, everyone showed their disapproval. Most of the Leaders of Ten Thousand and Leaders of Hundred refused.
Choi Hyuk reminded them of the words the Giant Orc Karik had said to the sovereigns. Karik’s words had already been leaked by various sources and were even printed in newspapers.
{You have two missions. Get stronger. And colonize. You have a 5-year grace period.}
Choi Hyuk used Karik’s announcement and said.
“We have to do this as fast as possible. We need to shed our fate as Consumables. If we don’t, we’ll have to keep doing these damn missions with ¼ return rates.”
Leader Cha Taeshik replied with a sound argument.
“You’re right. But, isn’t there a saying, ‘more haste, less speed{1}’? It’ll become more severe if we meet the same fate as China and are annihilated. Going in now is too dangerous.”
Choi Hyuk simply nodded at Leader Cha Taeshik’s words. He was right. However, if they started to push it back, there would be no end to it.
‘It’s dangerous?’
It was already dangerous. Earth was already facing a crisis. His reasonable argument was the correct method in a stable environment. However, great achievements were needed in crises.
Sovereigns and their followers were the only ones who could partake in the first colonization. So, in the case where there was no support, Choi Hyuk had already planned on going by himself. There were, however, forces that reacted when he acted with that resolve. They were Bae Jinman and Ryu Hyunsung.
“This is nerve-wracking.”
Bae Jinman, who was a Leader of Ten Thousand and a Guardian, became chatty next to Choi Hyuk.
“I couldn’t even sleep last night.”
Ryu Hyunsung, whose title had changed from Knight Captain to Leader of Ten Thousand, replied while rubbing his eye.
Bae Jinman and Ryu Hyunsung brought their forces and defected to Choi Hyuk’s side. Both were influential leaders who had filled all ten thousand members. After the last mission, Bae Jinman and Ryu Hyunsung returned with four thousand and three thousand members respectively. Considering that the average return rate was below ¼, it was quite considerable. Even still, they were both broken-hearted. The losses they endured were too large to be consoled by the fact that their return rate was relatively high. To them it was as if two out of every three people they knew died.
Although everyone was experiencing similar circumstances, the only ones who reacted when Choi Hyuk moved were those two. They said that their hearts started pumping when they heard, ‘we need to quickly shed our fate as Consumables’.
When they revealed they were planning on defecting to Choi Hyuk’s side, half the members under their command opposed and left. That was how around 3,400 people joined Choi Hyuk’s side.
Besides them, 1,600 lunatics, who were suffering from the aftereffects of the last mission and wanted to die, personally came to Choi Hyuk saying they admired him, resulting in a combined total of 5,000.
Choi Hyuk’s followers had sharply increased from 3 to 5,000 people. Of course, they were followers recruited for a limited time. It was highly likely that they would separate as soon as they finished colonizing.
Also, as there weren’t any mental or physical constraints on the relationships between sovereigns and their followers, the only way he could move these people was purely through leadership. This was an area Choi Hyuk was not very confident in.
Choi Hyuk looked around at his troops. He left Bae Jinman and Ryu Hyunsung in complete command over the soldiers. Bae Jinman would coordinate the battlefield from the rear while Ryu Hyunsung, who possessed a high fighting ability as a national sabre athlete, would lead the charge. Baek Seoin and his other followers were also assigned to Ryu Hyunsung’s command as it was easier for Choi Hyuk to move alone.
“Then, let’s go.”
Choi Hyuk entered the blue orb with not even the slightest hesitation.
{Using the portal. 100 Mission Points were deducted.}
The base reward for completing a mission, 100 points, disappeared as an entrance fee.
**
The sensation of passing through the portal was much more comfortable than the dimensional teleportation from last time. Though he still felt a bit nauseous, it wasn’t too bad.
The blue light from the portal that clung to his eyes didn’t fade away easily. Only after shaking his head and blinking his eyes a few times was he able to see the white sky above. Underneath the white sky, which swirled like stirred milk, a hilly region stretched out in front of his eyes. Besides only a few trees, bleak, sharp, red rocks covered various places.
Soon a message appeared.
——————–
{Colonizing Lands – Spartoi{2} Post}
——————–
There was absolutely no need to be curious as to where the spartoi were as this was their territory and Choi Hyuk’s troops were the invaders.
Bang, bang, bang!!
Even before all the troops were able to pass through the portal, a magical bombardment rained down upon them. Red masses flew towards them and exploded in the middle of their troops. The strong energy contained within them shredded their surroundings and soldiers either died on the spot or their arms and legs were ripped off. More than ten soldiers would be caught up in each explosion.
“Ahck!”
“My arm… My arm…!”
The strong attack they faced as soon as they passed through brought people into a state of panic.
They now understood how the Chinese troops were annihilated. If it wasn’t for Bae Jinman, they too would have taken an overwhelming blow.
{Get up!}
An area-of-effect buff that increased their courage and sense of solidarity. Bae Jinman’s especially warm karma calmed them down and boosted their will.
“Over there!”
Due to the people having woken up from their stupor, they were able to quickly figure out the location of the enemy. The spartoi were gathered on top of a hill that stood between their portal location and the start of the hilly region.
They stood upright with swords in one hand, shields in the other, and tails coming from their rears. Their bodies were angled like robots and appeared glossy like ceramics with a slightly red hue.
There were around 200 in total. Among them, 180 were heavily armed, standing as they faced them. The 180 in front looked different from the 20 in the back. The former had round heads like Lego figurines, and the latter had elongated heads similar to that of dragons’. They shot red balls of karma from their mouths which flew down at Choi Hyuk’s troops.
Bang! Bang!
Every time that energy exploded, the bodies of the awakenees, which wouldn’t have been fully penetrated by bullets, were ripped to shreds.
“Iron Defense!”
Baek Seoin activated his skill and intercepted a karma cannonball aimed at the portal. Baek Seoin’s shield shined with karma.
Baaang!
Though he was pushed back 3 steps, he succeeding in blocking it. He was able to save the dazed soldiers who had just passed through the portal.
“Quickly, quickly! Run!”
Baek Seoin commanded the newly arrived soldiers.
Baang! Baang! Baang!
Three cannonballs exploded above his shield.
Baek Seoin spurted blood as he rolled on the ground.
“Team 1, Team 2! In front! Activate your shield skills!”
Using the moment Baek Seoin gained for them, Bae Jinman’s orders sounded out. The shield wielders of Team 1 blocked the portal while Team 2 formed an assembly area.
As there were some cannonballs that flew above their heads, there were times when shield wielders would jump up to intercept them. Every time they heard a bang, they would see shield wielders flying up into the sky or smashing into the ground.
“We can’t endure long like this.”
Bae Jinman said with a stiff face. What was worse was that 5,000 soldiers still hadn’t passed through. Perhaps maybe 2,000 had arrived?
“We might be wiped out if we wait for more to arrive… However, if we charge now, I don’t think they’ll be able to identify our bones.”
Ryu Hyunsung revealed a distressed expression.
Choi Hyuk provided them with the solution.
“I’ll get their attention so you take the opportunity and charge.”
He tapped the Predator’s Blade once and immediately ran towards the hill.
“Really…!”
They didn’t even have the opportunity to hold him back.
Choi Hyuk had already gone far ahead.
The spartoi who were in a rectangular formation turned their gaze towards Choi Hyuk.
Thud! Thud!
Every time he jumped, Choi Hyuk would close the distance by more than ten meters. As he approached a certain location.
“Krrrereeek! Kiriik! Kik!”
The stiff, robotic, emotionless spartoi grinned wickedly. It was as if a part of their face had been cut off. A part he never thought would be a mouth split open to reveal pitch darkness as it grinned. They were definitely a monster race.
Kuaaah!
The dragonhead spartoi aimed at Choi Hyuk and rained karma cannonballs upon him.
‘So karma can be used like that as well?’
Though he didn’t dare try it now, he decided to take note of it. His vision started to turn red as it was filled with falling karma cannonballs.
“High-speed Movement.”
He extended karma out, grabbed a spartoi on the frontlines and pulled. Ping! The karma cannonballs fell behind him.
The sight he saw instantly changed. He saw a spartoi that was like a wall as he approached. It was big. 3 meters tall. Armed to the teeth.
Swish!
He swung an extended Karma Blade at the figure of the spartoi who was unable to follow his High-speed Movement.
Pacak!
However, the Predator’s Blade wrapped with a Karma Blade halted to a stop at its armor. Although there was a deep dent, he wasn’t able to cut through it.
‘What?’
Only then did the spartoi lock onto Choi Hyuk. As a pitch-black aura flowed out of its hideously opened mouth, it swung its blade wildly.
‘It’s weak?’
Though it was able to block his Karma Blade that the Wyvern of Destruction, Keholeun, and Keushisuit couldn’t block, as if it was nothing, their attacking ability was ridiculously low. They were better than 1-star crooks, but they were still lacking compared to the attacking abilities of most 2-star monsters. Their attacks couldn’t intimidate Choi Hyuk, however, the problem was that while they blocked his path, the dragonhead spartoi at the back would bombard him with karma cannonballs.
Bababaang!
The attack was different from previous ones. Maybe it was because he had come too close, but instead of exploding them like bombs, they started to shoot at him like machine guns.
‘… Damn!’
He wrapped a karma barrier around himself. The red karma bullets that shot towards him from the front exploded and missed on either side of him. An incredible pressure also fell down towards him from above.
“Grrk!”
His feet touched the ground. His body rolled on the ground. Karma arrows flew above him. Choi Hyuk’s figure was covered by a red dust cloud as it disappeared.
“Leader Choi Hyuk!”
Ryu Hyunsung shouted out, not sure of what to do. For him to go under after saying he would get their attention?
Baek Seoin tapped his shoulder.
“Why aren’t you charging? Didn’t my leader just buy you time?”
Ryu Hyunsung absentmindedly gazed at Baek Seoin’s face. He couldn’t find a single trace of concern for Choi Hyuk on his face.
‘Is he for real?’
He became doubtful, but Choi Hyuk’s followers’ reactions were like usual.
“Ah! Quickly!”
“Ah damn! Let him be, I’ll go first! Let’s go! Chu!”
Baek Seoin urged, but Lee Jinhee decided to charge first and brought Chu Youngjin with her.
Ryu Hyunsung unknowingly became caught up in their pace and he shouted out an order.
“All members! Fanout! Charge!”
The troops, who were getting beat up as soon as they arrived, started their awkward charge.
{1} I’m using the English equivalent proverb. The more literal translation is, ‘The more you’re in a haste, you take the longer road.’
{2} Spartoi – Greek Mythology, Mythical people who sprang up from the dragon’s teeth sown by Cadmus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spartoi
