TTOA Chapter 146
by Volare“I have no intention of sharing Jae-jin’s heart, even if the other party is myself.”
“……”
“The me from four years later… that bastard should just continue to be pathetic and miserable. He should end up not even having a proper relationship with Jae-jin, let alone knowing love. Understand?”
“……”
“You had the first meeting, the first beginning… so the ending should rightfully be mine.”
Through the choking smoke, surviving creatures came running. The number hadn’t decreased; there were still countless more behind them. The wave of creatures, moving in dense black swarms, quickly reached the frontier district.
“3km ahead!”
“2km!”
“First row, fire when they enter the rifle’s effective range!”
“1km!”
A cacophony of gunfire erupted.
Flashes of Esper abilities overwhelmed the creatures, crushing and shattering their Cores.
Kwon Jae-jin couldn’t give Seo Eui-woo any answer and had no choice but to throw himself into the battle. He shouldered his loaded rifle and shot down every creature he saw.
The death throes of dying creatures and the black blood flowing out of them chaotically tore at the human mind.
Ears rang from the continuous gunshots. The painful noise, the acrid smell, and the labored breathing made his head spin. Kwon Jae-jin felt inexplicably disturbed and choked up.
‘Ugh…’
Even as he flawlessly eliminated the creatures that popped up and tumbled around, he felt a lump in his throat. It felt like a stone was lodged below his chest, and he was mentally dazed.
It was none other than the Creature Wave.
The Creature Wave that had tormented Kwon Jae-jin so much.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he had been counting down the days to this and engaging in all sorts of desperate struggles.
Why his mind was so confused at this crucial moment was beyond him.
‘Once the Creature Wave passes, then…’
‘What ends, and what begins…?’
‘How much longer…?’
His stomach churned, and he felt anxious. Kwon Jae-jin simply wanted to be with Seo Eui-woo in peace.
Freely, happily, humanly.
Properly.
That’s all he wanted to live like. He had been running until now to achieve that one goal. He was proud of having chosen the right path without running away, and he had cleared every obstacle in his way one by one to get here.
And now he had finally arrived.
Now, Kwon Jae-jin felt like he could finally be proud of having accomplished something on his own, and he actually was.
Only the 1st iteration Seo Eui-woo still bothered him.
Whenever he thought of him, the deepest part of his heart, the place covered and hidden in layers, throbbed painfully. Resentful. Affectionate. Frightened. Pitiful. Annoying. Sorry. Irritated. Concerned. Love-hate… yes, love-hate. But there was nothing Kwon Jae-jin could do. He even wanted to avoid it, pretending not to know.
‘What more do you want me to do…?’
Should he do as Seo Eui-woo said?
The 1st iteration is pathetic and miserable, so should he just abandon him, throw him away now that he’s dead, and forget about him?
Say goodbye after putting all the blame on the 1st iteration – the bastard who erased his memories, the son of a bitch who stole his family and childhood memories – and then live a new life with the flawless 2nd iteration, is that how it gets resolved?
A second act in life, a miraculous opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime 2nd iteration, really like this…?
Cutting it off like slicing with a knife, just carving out the 1st iteration Seo Eui-woo to tie up the loose ends?
The 1st iteration was a bad ending, and the 2nd iteration is a happy ending.
With fundamentally the same person…
That’s the end…?
‘Why, what am I suddenly worrying about? I myself thought that the 1st iteration Seo Eui-woo was just the past, and now all that’s left is to bury him in oblivion…’
Is he belatedly feeling pity? Or is it some ridiculous thought that he can’t give up either side? Kwon Jae-jin can’t do anything right now, and he doesn’t even know what the 1st iteration Seo Eui-woo is planning.
How he became after facing Kwon Jae-jin’s death, in what way he appears in his dreams, what he is waiting for him to wait for…
‘Without knowing anything. Without any countermeasures.’
You’re such an idiot, Kwon Jae-jin…
Jae-jin gritted his teeth and fired his gun in rapid succession. He kept shooting non-stop until the ammunition ran out, then pulled out a magazine from the harness and reloaded with a rough motion.
At that moment, behind the crumbling creature horde, a creature with a different physique revealed its majesty.
A massive grotesque being, like dozens of ordinary β-creatures combined, was approaching from the front.
Kwwwoooooaaaaaaaah-!
Its roar tore through the sky and reached the heavens.
The difference was clear at a glance.
Unlike the β-creatures that mimicked the forms of existing beasts on Earth, the α-creatures were original species that couldn’t even be associated with anything familiar. Its body length was like a sailing ship, and its shape resembled a monster described in myths and legends.
The black belly crawling on the ground was densely covered with arthropod joints and overlapping scales, and its tail was divided into three branches and flapped. Eight tentacle-like legs and four hooved arms. The towering head had five heads attached like petals, and a round, large eyeball in the center blinked.
Sharp horns grew finely from its forehead to the crown of its head, and up to its back, and there were holes riddled in its back. When the drilled holes opened their maws like mouths, blunt hippopotamus-like teeth or protruding bones could be seen.
It was an unholy creature.
No, that was the true monster.
The sudden appearance of the horrific and shocking α-creature caused his thoughts to stop blankly.
To have to fight something like that, and even cut off its breath to exterminate it…
Dozens of bullets fired from all directions were shot and embedded in its back and abdomen, but the α-creature continued to advance without flinching. The bullets that failed to penetrate its thick skin couldn’t reach the creature’s Core.
“Fall back! Change!”
“Prioritize eliminating the α-creature!”
Now it was the turn of the elite special task force to destroy the Gate, which was the main mission.
The members of the 1st Special Task Force led the way, followed by the 2nd and 3rd units. To break the α-creature’s Core, they had to use Esper abilities instead of gunfire.
The special task force members each drew out their abilities. According to the tactics they had trained with precise coordination, Defense Type Espers blocked the creature’s movements in the front lines, and Espers with excellent killing power and destructive power attacked the Core, taking advantage of the gaps.
Usually, it would naturally lead to a prolonged battle, but in this battle, there was someone who transcended common sense.
Seo Eui-woo frowned as if he was annoyed. Then, he used telekinesis to crush the α-creature from the head down.
As if a soda can was being crumpled, the bones and joints of the giant α-creature twisted, and the shell burst apart, creaking and cracking.
The creature struggled violently, resisted, and swept the ground with its split tail. The following β-creatures were hit and knocked down by the flapping tail. Several β-creatures were also caught in the violent, thrashing kicks.
Hiiikkiiieeeeeeeeeeek!
The α-creature, rampaging with a bizarre scream, caused the ground to split and large pits to form, as if an earthquake had struck.
Black blood spurted out from between the twisted shells, and then the large, solitary eyeball like a moon between the five heads burst open! The Core, which had been hidden deep inside, was exposed.
With the Core defenselessly exposed, it could be destroyed simply by sharpening the ability like a spear and pressing it down. The Core, stained with blood, shattered into pieces, and at that moment, the creature stopped moving and slumped down.
To defeat an α-creature single-handedly…
The special task force members, who had lost their words, were stunned and gaped. Seo Eui-woo had killed an α-creature that the elite unit would normally have to fight for at least 2 hours to a maximum of 48 hours to deal with.
“Focus! The battle isn’t over!”
“Defend so they can’t climb over the barrier wall!”
Kwon Jae-jin flinched and regained his senses, shouldering his rifle.
There was no time to be distracted.
After that, four or five original α-creatures crawled out from the depths of the Gate in a row. Because they were originals, even if they were the same α-creatures, they each had different grotesque appearances.
Some grotesque beings were shaped like wheeled carts with arms and legs, and some were shaped like giants carrying moss-covered rocks on their backs. Blazing flames could be seen inside the brass-like skin, and countless glittering eyeballs shone like sapphires inside the covering.
However, the common thing was that all the creatures were jet black. They were black beasts with evil energy.
Seo Eui-woo and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd elite special task force members faced the α-creatures, and the endlessly swarming β-creatures were the responsibility of Kwon Jae-jin and the remaining special task force members.
Kwon Jae-jin relentlessly shot and shot at the enemy markers caught in his Goggles. Sweat was pouring down like rain. All the Espers squeezed out all their strength and engaged in battle.