White phosphorus.A volatile substance that ignites at only 20°C — once it catches fire, it’s nearly impossible to extinguish. When Mother said “white phosphorus,” she meant military-grade shells: trap them in a narrow kill zone and detonate — the result is obvious..White phosphorus burns and will not be extinguished. It only ends after it has consumed bone and flesh — a horrific blaze. The secondary toxic gases that result would also be lethal, even to infected targets…There was, however, one thing to worry about.“White phosphorus in a narrow kill zone…”The toxic gas could also harm our own troops. Mother added, as if she’d already anticipated the concern, “No need to worry. The preparations are complete.”“Do we have gas masks enough to equip hundreds of people?”“That’s precisely why we were securing firefighting equipments as much as we can.”“I see.”If that part was solved, then all that remained was to resume the operation.“Still, after all that, we end up back where we started.”The premise for all of these operations: the extermination of the Behemoth. That prerequisite was the constraint on the plan.“That thing is as intelligent as a human. If we set up in position, it will detect our intent. As long as it’s there, the eastern creatures won’t ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) be able to gather in one place.”“Indeed.”No matter how lethal white phosphorus is to them, it still has a limited radius. In short, unless we funnel them into the kill zone and detonate it, it won’t do the job. We have to kill that thing somehow. That’s why Mother laid her card on the table — and, by extension, asked if I had a card of my own. I study her face for a moment.“Taking down the Behemoth won’t be easy.”“That wasn’t the answer I expected.”“So I need your assistance, Erhi Mergen.”“……”Other squad leaders aren’t necessary — they’d be more of a hindrance. This isn’t about skill. There’s something special about the Behemoth. A crafty creature won’t fall for a crude trap, and even if it does, it will always go after the weakest humans first.Protecting them while fighting would be an enormous handicap. The ideal scenario is for her and I, who don’t need such protection, to move alone. If she can shoot from as far as 1.5 km… and if we give wings to someone like her—“Black Wing — you should use it in this battle.”This was a fight worth trying.“You mean the hover bike?”“A craft that can float. Sniping from the air is easier because there are no obstacles.”Words alone aren’t enough. I step up to the holographic map and study the terrain displayed. “The Behemoth is a clever creature. A clumsy approach will backfire.” Her gaze fixes on a single point.“Then there’s only one way.”“……”“As leader of the Ark, I propose we execute the operation simultaneously, in multiple places.”“What do you mean?”“All units will form a kill zone to contain the eastern mutants. The Behemoth—just the two of us will handle it.”Given that the objective is total extermination via white phosphorus, executing both operations simultaneously would be more efficient than initiating the strike after the Behemoth’s defeat.After all, the east is the Behemoth’s nest; all this is the Behemoth’s doing. If we move first from our side…“You mean lure it out?”“With only two standing in its way, the Behemoth will have no choice but to come out of the water.”The idea was to draw it out.“If we don’t catch it, everything falls apart.”“Then all the more reason to move first from this side.”Before the Behemoth can recover — before its body is fully restored. When Mother realized the intent, a small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.“Confidence or arrogance?” she asked. I shook my head. Neither.“Because it’s the best option.”She points to the place her gaze had fixed on.“The Behemoth dies here.”Her strategies and tactics were learned through countless wars; Mother’s abilities were unquestionable. But those were still strategies for fighting people against people.Having no experience against a single, monstrously powerful entity like the Behemoth, she must consider it a troublesome variable. So the Behemoth hunt has to be overseen by me.I understand that beast better than anyone. Perhaps sensing this certainty, Mother finally rose from her seat after a long silence.She walked toward the back door of the conference room. Her voice made my body react.“Will you follow? I’ll lend you what you need.”“……”What I needed. I wondered what Mother thought I needed. A faint curiosity rose. Then the door, which had been tightly shut, opened with a creak. A cloth that had been covering something was pulled away. As the cloth was lifted, something was revealed that left me momentarily speechless — a piece of equipment I hadn’t anticipated.“You knew about this?”“Air Walker.”[Air Walker] — footwear that reaches up to the knees; when activated it releases compressed air to produce a quasi-flight effect.“Is this operational now?”“Of course.”‘Equipment that can catch up to the Behemoth’s speed.’With such a device before me — able to chase the Behemoth even without a hover bike — my fighting spirit burned brighter than ever.“Kyle.”“……”“I’ll be honest. I think your plan is reckless.” Mother voiced her concern even as she handed over the Air Walker. But in giving it, she made her intentions clear.“However, I don’t think you’re the kind to gamble with my life.”+[Military part: Air Walker]“Time is of the essence. If you don’t get used to it, it’s worse than not having it. Keep that in mind.”“Thank you.”“Make the preparations accordingly. I’ll borrow the hover bike for a while as well.”The atmosphere grew heavier. Perhaps because a few orders were already given, the Liberation League’s movements became busier than before. Meanwhile, Xenon flew in and perched on my shoulder as if he’d just arrived.Gaaak! Gaaaak!“Come to think of it, I left without feeding you.” His belly protruded slightly — far from starving. Gaaak! Clearly, he wasn’t the type to go hungry.“I need to focus more myself.” I held the Air Walker in one hand. I’d never used it before, so I needed time to get accustomed. At the same time, I had to assess my body — even a minor strain could worsen if ignored, so I intended to proceed with extra caution.“Is there a place nearby to warm up?” I asked. The assistant waiting beside me nodded silently.“Shall I guide you?”“Please.”“Meal separately…?”“If it’s not too much trouble… when we arrive, could you prepare a place where we can eat? Anything edible will do.”“How much should I bring?”“As much as possible. About four servings.”“Yes.”Our route went below ground. The stairs were narrow so we bumped into crowds constantly but never stopped walking.“Please make way.”The assistant leading us was clearly well-trained; his swift movements cleared the way, and we soon reached our destination. We stepped into an open space — a circular hall at the heart of the Catacomb Center. With preparations in full swing, no one was stretching or warming up, though the hall wasn’t completely empty either.“Hmm.”Someone sat alone in the center, meditating.I observed him closely, and a quiet voice beside me asked, “What brings you here?” ‘Huin Lin.’ Title: [Bishop].And the man sitting in the center was Khan. Title: [King]. The commander of Liberation League’s 1st Division opened his eyes and gave me a subtle look.The Liberation League’s unit deployment was divided into two main branches: Mother leading the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th divisions; Khan heading the 1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th divisions.Mother retained supreme command, yet due to her active field duties, she designated Khan as her successor in the role of senior commander.Hence the distribution of titles: Bruiser, Madness, Drunkard. King, Queen, Rook, Knight, Bishop, Pawn.Observe the commanders under Khan’s command — each moved as methodically and deliberately as pieces on a chessboard.The 1st Division’s staff officer [Queen] and the 7th Division’s commander [Rook] weren’t present, but from experience it’s best to avoid fighting them.Khan, like Mother, was a war hero from the previous generation. The rest, excluding the [Pawn], were also excellent commanders discharged from the army. Khan’s skill stood out more than the rest because of his origin.‘The molar of the special forces.’ (TL: his individual strength is the most powerful among the special forces)Former commander of the Special Forces. A transhuman.When the headquarters turned its back on Mother alongside the special forces, he abandoned his rank and followed Mother.He felt shame over his origin, but he was certainly not an ordinary human. Even in his quiet gaze, I sensed he was sizing me up — like facing a predator.Still, no matter how strong he was, he didn’t give off the same pressure as Mother. The pressure she could exert was rivaled only by the leaders of the City Reconstruction Committee—or perhaps the commander of the Revenants beyond the city.As those thoughts deepened, a calm voice sounded in my ear. “Here to warm up?”I nodded quietly; I didn’t want unnecessary friction before the big fight. Men tend to have odd pride, and even that had to be handled carefully.As I was about to move to a corner.“Sorry.”An unexpected apology. Turning my head, Khan stood and bowed. “Yung, that boy was rude last night; I apologize on his behalf.”“There’s nothing to apologize for, but I accept it.”A courteous exchange. Khan sat back down and began his warm-up.But the moment didn’t last long — Eric Palmer dashed in.“Brother!” He headed straight for Khan, and when his eyes landed on me they flickered for a second.“What is it, Eric?” Through his expression I sensed it was connected to what Mother and I had discussed. As he whispered something, Khan’s face hardened like stone.Then:“Leader of the Ark.” His voice turned to me. “I heard a surprising story. Can you confirm whether it’s true?”“The story about the upcoming operation?”“Are you really planning to go alone with Mother to take on that monster?”It was a reasonable reaction. People who’d encountered the Behemoth many times would consider it far too dangerous for the leaders to handle it alone.There was a faint edge of anger in Khan’s voice. “Please withdraw that plan.”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.