The Cook of a Perished World - Chapter 129
Episode 129: Fortress (2)
“It would be correct to say I was summoning.”
The people who heard me had a puzzled attitude.
“I can’t believe I’m summoning you.”
“…What?”
People who are embarrassed by unexpected stories.
But just one person.
There were people who had different reactions.
“It’s about that fortress.”
“Sergeant Lee Min-jae?”
A person who communicated with me about the operation of the unit from the beginning.
It seemed like only Minjae realized what I meant.
“It’s not bad if it’s definitely possible. but….”
Minjae said with a frown.
“Wasn’t that something that couldn’t be summoned?”
“Is that a problem?”
[Large area – This is the first ‘occupation’ by humans belonging to ROK.]
[Achievement achieved!]
[My land from here to there]
[1st place privileges are granted.]
past.
The Lizard army that attacked the 423rd Battalion.
That is the achievement you achieved the moment you succeeded in defeating them and occupying the ‘Mountain Range’.
and.
[Privilege – Mobile Fortress Vimana]
When you achieve that achievement.
This is the privilege granted as compensation.
‘It is the first achievement reward among humans.’
No matter what game it is.
It is no exaggeration to say that the first achievement reward is never trivial.
What is certain is that it will be a great reward.
actually.
I have even experienced some of its power.
‘Inside Ariela’s shadow curtain. ‘It’s only once.’
[Shadow Curtain] is a space that embodies the members’ images.
Was that special mobile fortress vimana asleep in my mind until it was summoned?
It had revealed itself in a veil of shadow.
‘Thanks to you, I escaped the danger of death.’
and.
The ability that fortress showed at that time.
It was still unforgettable.
If it’s natural, then it’s natural.
Even after returning to reality, I attempted to use this fortress.
no.
To be more precise…
“Is it correct to say that I tried it all the time?”
What appeared every time that happened was the now familiar ‘tiring’ sound.
A one-line message appears with it.
[There is not enough space for summoning.]
okay.
The reward for first place in a conquest war.
The reason we couldn’t use that reward is ridiculous.
It was ‘too big.’
The 423rd Battalion was a unit built on the top of a mountain.
Since the site was not large, I skipped over it.
After coming down to the ground.
Whenever I saw a space that seemed a bit large, I tried summoning it.
‘How big is it? Shit.’
But the results are all bad.
Just once.
The place where I experienced its power was the Shadow Curtain.
Even after Ariella’s power weakened.
As the shadow curtain narrowed, it disappeared.
Thanks to.
Along with the item [Dragon’s Tooth] obtained as a reward for creating the first guild unit.
Even though the vimana was acquired in the early days, it remained unused.
“Shouldn’t I try it out soon?”
“uh. “I may have misunderstood.”
Let’s finish the description of the fortress.
Corporal Jeon Gwang-il raised his hand and asked a question.
“If you couldn’t summon it because there wasn’t enough space, doesn’t that mean you can’t use it now?”
“That’s a sharp question.”
“Where is the land that can build such a large fortress…?”
It wasn’t even possible on a relatively large rice field.
According to what I remember seeing in the veil, there is no space above this city where a fortress can be summoned.
but….
I recently spent quite a bit of time in a dungeon filled with water.
That experience changed my thinking a little.
“Summoning a fortress.”
“yes.”
What you need to solve an unsolvable problem.
It’s a very slight change in thinking.
“It doesn’t have to be on the ground, right?”
* * *
actually.
There has been talk before about the need to leave the temporary base and create a proper base.
I just regret putting it off because I thought it wasn’t urgent right now.
There were times when I went through my own meetings.
At the time, quite a few candidate sites were mentioned.
Nearby the university site and the central part of the city where monsters have cleared out all the buildings.
among them.
The region that received the highest support was:
“river.”
There is a large river next to Chuncheon city.
There are several large islands floating in the river.
The idea was to use the island as a base.
A river that becomes a natural moat can block enemies.
Procuring drinking water will also be very easy.
Among them, the one that was most focused on was the island where the amusement park was built.
The amusement park is said to have gone bankrupt due to complicated circumstances and financial difficulties.
It wouldn’t be difficult to build a defense facility if the structures in the amusement park were used as a framework.
“The plan is quite serious.”
“There is no time now. “Let’s leave the use of the islands later.”
The important thing now is the river.
That was it.
A wide river surrounding the city.
There was a fairly large empty space between the islands.
So what should I say?
The space is so large that it wouldn’t be strange to have at least one more island.
“Let’s build a fortress here.”
“…I don’t know. Is this right?”
My strategy was simple.
That wide space.
Summoning a fortress on the river.
“How could it not just sink even if miraculously summoned?”
“You have to lose to get your money’s worth, right? “If it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing we can do.”
The space between the rivers was quite wide.
‘If the summoning fails here too because there is not enough space… there is no real answer.’
Wouldn’t it be worth it to try it if I go out to sea next time?
But that’s only if you fail.
“If I succeed.”
“It’s the best location to use as a base.”
The river, a natural moat, will help with defense and drinking water is easy to obtain.
It is also close to the center of the city, which was in ruins due to the effects of the dungeon conversion.
The surrounding islands and even the ruined central part of the city could be used as a kind of front yard.
Considering that there were people sitting near the base, it was the best location.
‘So please!’
After arriving in front of the river.
I prayed, calling the names of all the gods in my mind.
and.
[Would you like to summon the Mobile Fortress Vimana?]
[Y/N]
I pressed the summon button without hesitation.
Tiring.
[Scan the place….]
[Scanning….]
It’s a familiar phrase.
Next to this phrase so far.
[There is not enough space for summoning.]
A message came to mind:
I couldn’t hide my nervousness and waited for the next message.
How long did I wait?
Tiring!
A message appears before your eyes.
And the message is…
[The summonable area has been secured.]
“…!’
Unlike what I’ve seen before.
It was a completely different kind of thing.
[Would you like to summon ‘Mobile Fortress Vimana’ to that location?]
[caution!]
[Please choose the summoning location carefully.]
[When canceling a summon, a long waiting time will be required for the next summon.]
[Required waiting time: 30 days]
“ha ha ha.”
Are you going to summon me here?
‘I’m asking the obvious.’
Warnings, messages, etc.
There is no reason to hesitate.
I immediately chose to summon the fortress.
OK.
[The fortress is summoned….]
[Prepare for shock.]
huh?
‘What shock?’
Before I even fully understand the meaning of the phrase.
Kwaaaaang!
A huge explosion that fills your ear canals.
‘…!?’
With him.
A wave so huge that it filled our field of vision rushed towards us.
“crazy!”
“Everyone prepare for shock!”
A sudden tsunami.
The soldiers quickly crouched down.
“Fuha…!”
“Is everyone okay!?”
“yes!”
“Puh-eup!” “I’m fine.”
The good news is that this group was all made up of awakened people.
There were a few people who were blown back by the waves.
Most of them seemed to be standing still.
“uh. Uh…?”
“for a moment.”
“Sergeant Shin?”
I feel fortunate that the soldiers are safe.
The soldiers were staring somewhere with their mouths open.
“what?”
“Look at that. “I think you should take a look.”
“?”
The place the soldiers pointed to.
A place where a river should originally be.
Let’s turn our attention there.
‘uh?’
The world.
It had changed to black.
“No, no.”
The world is not covered in black.
A huge wall that fills the field of vision.
The walls of the fortress were so wide that they could not be seen at a glance.
* * *
Awakened people liberated from the dungeon.
Some of them went a long way depending on their circumstances.
Most of them were still active near Chuncheon.
and.
Recently, a strange tension had been brewing among the awakened people who remained in Chuncheon.
There is one reason.
lately.
The soldiers are, in name and reality, the most powerful force in this region.
Because of the sounds of battle coming from the soldiers’ base.
“The battle took place in a building where only soldiers were present.”
Many people gathered to exchange the monster’s body.
There are many people who want to do business with those people.
The area near the soldiers’ base was being used as a kind of plaza.
As many awakened people come and go, this place has long since been cleared of monsters.
“What is the reason for fighting there?”
There wasn’t much that people outside the unit could know.
At least people can guess.
‘Infighting… or coup d’état.’
Some time has passed now.
Although it was very limited, some information about the unit was known.
The commander of the soldiers was Lieutenant Kim Hyun-seok.
The point is that he was a force that was formed by the soldiers who were in the same unit as him.
but.
The largest number of people in that military unit were neither executives nor soldiers.
‘Newly joined outsiders.’
Of course, a military base is a military base.
In terms of background, there are far more ordinary people who were not soldiers.
Soldiers and ordinary people.
“I don’t know if they use some special method, but unless that’s the case.”
“It’s natural for a rift to form between them.”
“…It’s an internal dispute.”
A battle took place in a building filled with only soldiers.
This was the most likely guess.
“I hope that food production can be maintained.”
“Tsk. “That’s right.”
They say that the military base collapses and there is chaos.
Most of the people in the city were awakened.
Those who can somehow protect themselves.
The problem was food.
If you eat monster meat, you become a monster.
When it comes to farming, it is not possible to obtain crops overnight.
It’s like this.
Most of the awakened people were dependent on combat rations processed by soldiers.
“What if the facilities or soldiers needed for that processing were killed in this internal conflict?”
“…About half of the awakened people in this city will starve to death.”
It’s like this.
Many people have no choice but to watch the movements of military units with nervousness.
That moment.
thud!
“huh?”
“They are soldiers.”
The door to the building where the soldiers are based opens.
The soldiers who came out of it started moving towards somewhere.
Not all soldiers moved together.
Soldiers break away from the group and approach with their hands full of things.
The object in that hand was quite familiar to the humans of this city.
A cheap piece of paper with a lot of roughly scrawled writing on it.
“Soldier man! “What was that fuss about last time?”
“Where are those people going?”
Some people spoke to the soldier who came to put up the paper.
“….”
“That has been resolved, don’t worry.”
The soldiers’ reaction was strangely cold.
“Don’t worry.”
“The details are an internal matter. Please understand.”
The fact that soldiers strangely ostracize outsiders.
It was information about the few soldiers known to the public.
Although they had many questions, they had no choice but to sigh and step back.
The people who stepped back looked at the paper that the soldiers had put up as they walked around.
‘It was written quite roughly.’
‘How annoying it was.’
Did they gather soldiers and have them use them?
Letters overflowing with annoyance.
[warning]
however.
The content was a little scary.
[A large-scale monster wave has been detected in the northwest.]
[A large group of monsters is approaching the city.]
“…what?”
“What does this mean all of a sudden?”
The awakened people were already shaken by the unstable atmosphere of the military base.
The content written on this paper was very unconventional.
“A monster wave.”
“…what. “Is there anything to worry about?”
but.
Some people had the attitude of asking if there was anything to be surprised about.
“You know how strong soldiers are.”
“ah….”
“Besides, there must be thousands of awakened people gathered here. Even if monsters came, there was no way they could take this city.”
When people heard that, their excitement calmed down little by little.
okay.
No matter how many monsters there are, they cannot take over a city with such strong soldiers.
“no.”
“huh?”
“that. “Look at the last line.”
[This unit will do its best to defend the area, but it is difficult to be sure of victory in the operation.]
[Civilians nearby are free to evacuate, but we recommend that they evacuate to the eastern direction.]
It is difficult to be sure of victory in the operation.
If you want to take refuge, go east.
There is only one reason for such content.
“no way.”
“…Maybe that’s it.”
Area gunnery operations against monster waves.
“Are you saying that you believe there is a high possibility that the operation will fail?”
“Those incredibly strong soldiers…!?”
* * *
“so. “What are you going to do?”
A building on the outskirts of Chuncheon.
Now the place was occupied by one group.
What does the question “what are you going to do” mean?
There was no one who did not know.
‘Monster Wave.’
Monsters are invading.
The question is how to respond to this.
“I think we should leave.”
“Let’s leave.”
A man spoke firmly.
“Do we really have to do that? Everyone knows. “How strong are those soldiers?”
“that’s right. I saw soldiers hunting monsters yesterday too. “I was wondering if that was the same awakened person…”
“Even if a monster comes, those noblemen will somehow…”
“You know you’re strong! “I know.”
The man who shouted softly moved to the window and said.
“What do you do when you’re strong?”
A man spreads his arms as if to look at the scenery outside the window.
What unfolds outside the window is… a city.
“I hope there is a defense facility over there. What do you hope there is?”
After all the destruction, it doesn’t seem to be alive and well.
It was the appearance of a city that was collapsing.
“greatness. “There’s nothing.”
“okay! No matter how strong you are. “There are no defense facilities!”
The group members sighed.
“If there were more buildings, they could be used as defense facilities.”
“…A lot of those buildings are gone, right?”
The center of the city where the most buildings were built.
But now the place was an empty ruin.
A time when the city was a dungeon.
The place with the highest water depth was the center of the city.
and.
“Because the fishmen chewed it up.”
Did he really chew it or something?
Most of the buildings submerged in the water had disappeared without a trace.
“Soldiers. Strong. Not just strong, but extremely strong. But… there is no business with numbers.”
The man continued speaking as he looked at the people who had become quiet.
“No matter how strong those soldiers are, defense facilities are essential to defeat a larger number of enemies.”
“What happens if there are no defense facilities?”
“What happens?”
These soldiers can’t imagine losing if it’s 1:1.
“It will be a one versus many battle.”
“Okay.”
“How about we join in? “Aren’t there a lot of awakened people around here?”
A man said something like that.
“There must be people who participate. But most of them will run away, right?”
“but. We’re not as strong as those soldiers. “Because there are no defense facilities.”
As there are no defense facilities.
The battle will be fought under quite unfavorable circumstances.
And speaking of unfavorable battles.
“Ordinary awakened people who are weaker than the soldiers will be the first to die.”
“…not many people would go to war knowing that.”
The group’s atmosphere was agitated as the conversation continued.
In the end, the conversation focused on one direction.
Leave Chuncheon.
To take refuge somewhere in the east.
That moment.
one woman said.
“Then, if you want to run away, please go.”
“uh? Go. What are you talking about.”
“I plan to stay here.”
Other group members frowned and tried to stop the woman.
“…Have you finally gone crazy?”
“It’s obvious that monsters will come, so why bother dying here?”
“That’s true. Don’t you think it would be better to die fighting here than to go somewhere else and starve to death?”
“….”
No one understood what she said.
Dishes served by soldiers.
Combat rations.
“…There is no law that says you have to starve to death if you go somewhere else. “If only I could find an empty piece of land somewhere and start farming.”
“Why do crops come out overnight? And is there anyone here who has ever farmed?”
“All you have to do is learn farming. You just have to hold on until the crops come out. I don’t have enough combat rations stored up right now. “If only I could buy some rye bread with my points and hold on.”
“Rye bread… Rye bread is good. however.”
A smile appeared on the woman’s face.
“Eat a lot. “I don’t think I can eat that bread anymore.”
“….”
“You all know, right? “I’m a picky eater.”
Combat rations were not just food.
The effect as a food or buff item is also great.
“I was living a life filled with combat rations. “I can’t believe I have to eat that tasteless rye bread again.”
The most important thing is taste.
“If I die, I’m dead and I can’t go back to that life.”
“I understand, but… I’m really going to die if I stay here.”
“You can’t necessarily say you’re going to die, right? Those soldiers said they were going to fight defensively somehow, so there must be a way.”
“Say something that makes sense. No matter how strong you are, there is no business when it comes to numbers. I wonder if there is some kind of fortress built in this city. “It’s a defensive battle in a place like this.”
“Even though I think it’s impossible, it’s up to me no matter what.”
A short scuffle followed.
But at that moment.
Couuuuuuuuuuuuuut!!!
“…!?”
“What what!?”
Outside the building.
An extremely loud noise was heard near the center of the city.
The awakened people who were concentrating on the story stood up in confusion.
“This sound….”
“This is the direction those soldiers were heading towards earlier.”
among them.
An awakened person with excellent hearing muttered.
Warning about monster waves.
Movement of soldiers.
A loud roar was heard from where the soldiers had moved.
…There was only one reason I could guess.
“no way.”
“That monster wave. “Did it start today?”
The monster wave has begun.
The soldiers must have gone into battle.
“Shit. “It’s already an invasion.”
“hey! “It looks like we’re all going to die while arguing with you.”
“While you’re talking nonsense, pack your bags!”
If the invasion has really begun.
I had to pack my bags and run away right away.
The panicked people began to move around busily.
After each person packed only the minimum amount of luggage they needed, they were about to run away to the east.
“uh?”
A man looked at the scene outside the window and let out a dazed sound.
“What are you doing, man!”
“If we’re late, we’ll all die together….”
“Oh no. “Everyone, look over there.”
“?”
In the man’s words.
The eyes of those who were hastily packing their luggage looked out the window.
“….”
and.
Everyone in the group could not keep their mouths shut at the sight unfolding before their eyes.
How much time has passed?
“…hey.”
A woman who said she would stay even if everyone else ran away.
She opened her mouth.
“A little while ago… you said you wouldn’t know if there was a fortress, right?”
“It did. Uh oh. “I did.”
“then.”
Her finger points out the window.
Outside the window.
A little further into the center of the city in the distance.
A place with a large river.
settled there.
An unbelievably huge black fortress.
“That’s enough. “You don’t know which side will win, do you?”
“under. haha.”
The woman points to the fortress and says so.
The man who was persuading people that they should run away laughed and muttered helplessly.
“I don’t know what I don’t know.”
“yes? “I’m sure I didn’t know if there was a defense facility in place.”
“therefore.”
A man who looks at a woman and speaks as if she is dumbfounded.
“You don’t know which side will win? “Are you really stupid?”
“What a fool…!”
At the location where the soldiers headed.
A huge fortress suddenly appeared.
“A fortress suddenly appeared in a place where there was nothing.”
“Yes.”
“It’s ridiculous. “Such an incredible miracle actually happened.”
Don’t you know which side will win?
Where is such a stupid question?
“of course. “Whoever causes such a miracle will win!”
“….”
A man who, just a few dozen seconds ago, had been raving about how everyone should run away.
He calmly put down his luggage.
“Everyone, put down your luggage. “If I leave here, I have nowhere to go, so I’m going somewhere.”
“….”