Genius Corpse-Collecting Warrior - Chapter 22

Eastern District Front (2)

“What are you?”

Grumble!

The pot-bellied District 7 security captain stood up, dragging his chair. My stomach fluttered between the gaps in my armor.

Wow, it looks like you ate a lot.

As Dallen just stared with sullen eyes, the pot-bellied man raised his thick eyebrows fiercely and spoke again.

“Where did you come from? “Looking at it, it doesn’t seem like he belongs to the security corps. Where did the mercenary babble come into the security leaders’ meeting?”

“I brought you here, District 7 Guard Captain.”

Silence Company Commander Gawain opened his mouth.

“He is a mercenary who made a great contribution to suppressing the Telia Company. If it weren’t for this person, the entire Bronze District would have already fallen into the hands of cultists. “I believe you are fully qualified to attend the meeting.”

The moment his stomach was full, his thick chin trembled as if he was surprised. He soon narrowed his eyes and spoke.

“Yes, you are also the commander of the Silent Company. Is it because you always chase special events that your ideas are so special? Even helping a mercenary who is not even a commander….”

“A gentleman who is the guard captain.”

Dallen interjected.

He rubbed his temples with tired eyes for a moment, then sighed and started tapping the table again.

Tuk. Tuk-tuk.

‘Should I just chop this down with an axe?’

An impulse that arises momentarily.

It was an idea that no normal Earthling could do.

But once he landed on this earth and had the power to resolve any conflict, this impulse would often come back to him.

It feels as if an ax stuck in his belt is desperately calling for him to be blown away.

but.

‘…that’s not the solution.’

Tuk-tuk. Tuk-tuk.

I endure it with superhuman self-control.

If it were a game, I wouldn’t mind taking a picture, but this was reality.

The reality is that it is impossible to vent your anger by chopping up and killing both humans and monsters, and then calmly click on a new game.

I had to distinguish between when to draw my sword and when to use my tongue.

Dallen opened his mouth.

“There are many historic iron mines in District 7.”

“…!”

The pot-bellied boy’s eyes widened momentarily.

The look in his eyes as if he was anticipating what would follow. The murmur in the conference room also subsided.

Dallen continued.

“Everyone knows that these iron mines are over 50 to 60 years old, and that they are highly reliable mines that still guarantee consistent quality.”

Talk. Talk.

The index finger taps the round table regularly.

“But these days, the income has become a bit worse. “Area 8 started producing high-quality iron about 10 years ago.”

“How could you do that…”

“I understand that your hometown is also District 7. I heard that among my relatives, there are several mine managers in charge of each large mine. “I heard that as District 8 has prospered these days, everyone’s fortunes have declined.”

“…….”

The pot-bellied guard captain was speechless. His sagging chin trembled once again.

Dallen put down the arm that was resting his chin and placed his hands together on the table.

“The soldiers I saw on the way all shined in their weapons and armor. It’s not that common. Because the Bronze Guard is always short on budget. “But it seems like your District 7 has been very good at distributing its budget.”

The pot-bellied guard captain staggered back. Dallon looked at that and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

It was a lie to say I saw the soldiers. Dallen arrived at the defense line only a few minutes ago.

As soon as I arrived, I headed to the conference hall, so there was no time to look for District 7 security guards.

Therefore, what he is talking about now is all the background settings he learned from the game.

However, since he had already taken the lead in the conversation, it did not really matter where the information came from.

“It seems that the budget distribution ability is not yet well known to the public. “It doesn’t seem like a bad idea to have more people learn about your abilities through this opportunity.”

“This profit!”

The pot-bellied guard captain is trembling and Dallon is watching with the corners of his mouth raised.

In fact, it was an open secret within the security group that the District 7 security guard was receiving a lot of kickbacks from the mine bosses.

However, the story comes from the mouth of an outsider and a mercenary, a professional soldier best suited to spreading rumors.

Depending on what the mercenary decides, this open secret could soon spread throughout the Bronze Zone like a winged horse.

To put it simply, it was just a threat.

I have your weakness.

A threat that the moment you leave my eyes, that weakness will spread to the entire city.

“…I’m sorry.”

The pot-bellied guard captain barely managed to apologize in a trembling voice.

Dallen answered, still smiling.

“It’s okay. I hope that this operation will end without any major casualties to civilians and that District 7 will receive positive stimulation from the high-quality iron mining in District 8.”

“…Your thoughts are truly deep.”

With those words, the pot-bellied man left the barracks.

There was a bit of a commotion as several of the commanders followed behind him cautiously.

Silence soon descended on the barracks.

Knock knock. Knock knock. Talk.

And Dallon stopped tapping his fingers on the table.

“As you can see, I know quite a bit.”

Sigh.

Dallen leaned against the back of his chair and laughed lightly.

“I had a good intelligence dealer by my side.”

Next to me, I saw Gawain’s expression harden slightly. Dallen paid no attention.

I’m advertising your friend’s store for free, you old man.

Inside the barracks. Under the concentrated gaze of the commanders, Dallen slowly started his luck again.

“Any commander who participated in the raid on the cultists’ residence this time would know. “How do they create monsters and what is the fighting power of those monsters?”

A few people nod. Some people were drooling. The number is roughly one-third of the gathered people.

Dallen nodded and continued speaking.

“They are capturing street beggars and vagabonds and turning them into weapons through monster transformation procedures.”

The number of people falling asleep increased slightly. These must be the first commanders to know this fact.

It is difficult to share information in this medieval army where time is at a premium.

“It won’t take long. The fact that the apostles of retrograde seem quiet now is evidence that they are accelerating their work to transform them into monsters. Soon, half of the citizens of District 8 will become monsters. “The rest will become food for those monsters.”

Dallen turned his head. The tent entrance was flapping in the winter wind.

The shadows of the guards standing guard at a distance flicker through the flickering light of the torches.

one two.

The number of commanders looking in the same direction increased.

“Among the soldiers outside, there may be guards from District 8.”

Dallen opened his mouth again, conscious of those gazes.

“They must be shaking with anxiety because their families and homes have been taken away.”

Snapping. Someone ground their teeth. It wasn’t difficult to guess who the person was.

Perhaps the young guard captain of District 8, who had dark shadows under his eyes, had been robbed of the most.

“I understand your feelings. “Even though I am a mercenary, I am more aware of the fear of failure.”

This bitch.

The time that Dallon lived as a mercenary.

It was never easy to be robbed of the comfortable and peaceful modern life and adapt to a world where swords and fists were the law.

No matter how superhuman his body was, inside he was just a 30-year-old man who liked chicken and canned beer.

“One wrong decision can cost you your life. “Not only my life, but also the lives of my colleagues, subordinates, and friends.”

Dallen lost a colleague during his first request.

This was right after he cut the thief in two with a single slash.

When he saw the corpse spilling out its internal organs, he got scared and ran to a corner of the battlefield, throwing down his weapon and trembling.

‘Rookie! Hey you fucking newbie, wake up! If you don’t wake up, you’ll fall! Quickly grab this knife and cut those thieves into pieces!’

In an instant, he went from a mercenary to a big kid, and his fellow mercenaries tried to encourage him until the end.

And eventually he fell down after being hit by an enemy arrow.

Phew.

Dallen let out a low sigh and continued.

“Even if you oppose a preemptive strike, I understand even if you insist on waiting for support from the Sun-Eun area. “There was a time when I too was afraid of losing and retreated.”

A colleague’s blood splattered on his face.

The weight of the body slowly collapsing.

The look in his colleague’s eyes that had cooled down, filled with distrust and rebuke toward him.

Only after all his comrades lost their lives did he pick up the sword again.

Even if everyone dies, I want to survive.

I completed my first request that day.

“But there was one lesson I learned at the end. “The moment you step away because you are afraid of losing, you will only lose more easily.”

Hwii-

The wind shakes the entrance to the tent. The torches swayed, casting colorful shades on the faces of the commanders.

“Although the District 8 security forces have been defeated, there is still a chance to protect your lost home and family with your own hands once again. “It is you who can give us that opportunity.”

Sigh.

Dallen sank back into his chair.

What he had to say was now over.

There was deep silence in the barracks for a while. And after some time.

“How much time do you think we have left?”

Gawain, who had remained silent, opened his mouth.

“three days.”

Dallon confirmed.

“We will have to attack within three days.”

***

The meeting ended soon.

When the conclusion was reached that a preemptive attack must be launched, experienced commanders quickly devised a plan.

The gist of it was this.

The first thing to do is to narrow the defense line and put pressure on the cultists before their power increases.

And on the third day from now, we will launch an all-out attack on their base.

As all but a few commanders agreed to this operation, the wide defense line began to become busy from midnight.

Trained guards jumped out of their sleeping bags, armed themselves, and entered the standby at the call in the middle of the night.

Preparation was quick and thorough at the same time.

The next morning, the other half of the troops entered the defense line, leaving half behind to guard it.

Dallen was accompanied by the District 8 security team.

The balance was achieved by attaching a joker named Dallon to those who were judged to be the weakest because they had been defeated once.

Jerk. Jerk.

Two hundred guards walked along the street.

Three quarters of the District 8 guards have already suffered defeat once and are intimidated.

And the remaining quarter were Silent Company members who had joined Dallen to support the guards.

A low dawn fog covered the streets. Dallen walked in the lead, spreading his senses widely.

The District 8 security captain was walking beside him. His face had become more gaunt during the night.

“Are you worried?”

Dallen asked. The young guard captain nodded slowly.

“What are you so worried about?”

“Those monsters simply weren’t something we could handle with our own strength.”

The guard captain spoke in a quiet voice. So as not to be heard by subordinates following behind.

“Even if his limbs were cut off or a spear was stuck in his stomach, he would run at me. Additionally, the masked cult members recovered from cuts and stab wounds in an instant.”

“hmm.”

Dallen scratched his chin.

Apparently, the unfinished regenerative technology was used on all cult members.

Well, it’s going to be a mess for them too.

Wouldn’t more than half of the Silver Mask Apostles be dead in just a few days? Wouldn’t the security corps launch a large-scale attack out of nowhere?

Contrary to the sighing young commander’s thoughts, the situation of the war was clearly favorable.

“Honestly, I still don’t know. I wonder if there is a chance of winning…”

“I will win. “Your crew will also return to their families.”

“Whew, that would be really nice. I would have felt more at ease if I had reinforcements…”

This bastard. Isn’t the person next to you a support group?

The hand that was scratching his chin stopped for a moment, but Dallon answered in a calm voice for the guard captain who was mentally and physically weak.

“If we’re waiting for reinforcements from the Pureun area, they’ll be here soon.”

“Is that true? “How…I heard there is no answer from the command center yet.”

“The support requested by the command is no. “I know someone personally.”

Last night, when everyone was busy preparing for the operation, Dallen sent a dispatcher to the Pure Silver area through Gawain.

It is said that the company members who were the best at riding horses were selected and sent, so the dispatch would have reached its destination by now.

Dallen was sure.

Reinforcements will arrive as early as today or tomorrow at the latest.

“B-but how can you…no, no.”

“How can a silver-plated mercenary bring in reinforcements from the Pure Silver area?”

The young guard commander kept clearing his throat as if he was embarrassed even after saying this.

Dallen laughed lowly. Then he suddenly stopped and pulled out an axe.

He said.

“stop.”

“…stop! Power stop!”

The guard captain, who was coughing, raised his hand. The entire unit stopped in place.

The District 8 guard glanced at Dallon.

The mercenary with his bushy hair tied up was just staring blankly beyond the fog.

I followed his gaze, but all I could see was thick winter fog.

There was no sign of popularity beyond that.

“……?”

Just when I thought I should ask what on earth I was looking at.

“Stop playing around with me, baby.”

Dallen opened his mouth.

And surprisingly, the answer came back.

“Kihihi, you have a good feeling, right? “I thought he was a barbarian warrior with a brain full of muscles.”

Slur.

The fog clears.

As if a stage curtain was being lifted, part of the fog that had been covering the street was lifted like an illusion.

When the fog cleared, what was revealed was a group of spirited monsters and dozens of cultists.

And at the forefront was the silver masked apostle with a short stature and slim body.

“I didn’t know you had a knack for magic. “I was in a hurry so I installed it roughly, but I didn’t think that a swordsman like you would be able to see through my concealment magic circle, even if it was among the guards.”

Dallen slightly raised his eyebrows.

Staff in right hand. A bright voice. Magical tattoos engraved on thin hands and feet.

This woman was a silver mask mage whose specialty was fighting and fire magic, who had never killed him, which was rare among the silver mask apostles.

To put it simply, it’s a boss mob that just passes by.

He said.

“You’re a talkative spellcaster.”

“Oh my, I feel bad for calling you that crude word. “Such words are only suitable for a half-pepper like Delric!”

The spellcaster Silver Mask laughed and spread his arms wide.

The crystal on the staff she was holding began to emit an ominous light. The witchcraft tattoo on his hand also glowed ominously.

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss-

s-she shouted through the fog that was creeping around the area as if it had will.

“As for me, I am a member of the Apostles of Retrograde and the only wizard to have been given a silver mask by the Great Apostle! A disciple of the Great Demon Tower of Volcanus, with the art of fog engraved on his body—!”

The spell taker’s head snapped down.

She was thrown backwards as if someone had grabbed her from behind and landed on the stone pavement.

The District 8 guard’s eyes widened. The wizard who fell had an ax stuck in the middle of his forehead.

The wizard’s body was trembling as it was stuck so deeply that it was as if his head had been split in half.

I heard Dallon muttering next to me.

“It’s the same except there’s a lot of talking.”

Sreung –

Dallen pulled out his sword. He also pulled down his shield and held it in his left hand.

He spoke in front of the silent army of monsters and cultists.

“Hurry up, you idiots.”