Chapter 82

Everyone knew the outside world was dangerous.

This was because they had read the records left by their ancestors and heard countless firsthand accounts from the long-lived who had experienced a world rife with contamination.

And the level of danger they witnessed with their own eyes in the outside world exceeded what people had anticipated.

Monsters with mutations that defied common sense, extreme weather anomalies, and contaminated environments.

Even though they had known what dangers to expect through the map’s contents and made thorough preparations, as casualties and damages accumulated daily, everyone’s mindset had no choice but to change.

“Hup!”

Yuseong let out a short battle cry as he drew up his magic power and launched himself outside the shield.

His target was the black mist before him.

Of course, it wasn’t actually mist.

“Mages! What are the mages doing? Do something about these things!”

“I’m preparing a big one, just hold on a little longer!”

“What’s wrong with the surface? Since when are mosquitoes as big as palms?”

The identity of the black mist was a vast swarm of mosquitoes, too numerous to count.

This type of enemy was actually much more troublesome to deal with than large, powerful foes.

Swinging swords and firing guns was like dropping a drop of ink in the ocean when facing a swarm that could number in the tens or even hundreds of millions.

‘I hate going in there more than death itself, but…’

Woong woong woong!

With a buzzing sound like bees, the mosquitoes around him lost their strength and fell to the ground.

This was due to the barrier of force that completely enveloped Yuseong’s body.

Though he had lowered the output to maximize duration, it was more than enough power to kill and deflect mere mosquitoes.

Like drawing white lines on black paper, countless mosquitoes fell as Yuseong darted here and there, slightly reducing the burden that people had to bear.

“Arghhhh! How dare these damn bugs taint my masterpiece?”

As intense steam erupted from the entire body of the Gigant that Vulcan was piloting, nearby mosquitoes couldn’t withstand the heat and began falling to the ground in droves.

Of course, that wasn’t all.

The steam release was merely preparation for a powerful attack.

The already thick arms transformed and swelled to an enormous size that exceeded the main body.

A grotesque form that could barely stand.

However, in exchange for taking this grotesque form, the Tyrant obtained destructive power that transcended common sense.

Bam bam bam!

The moment the Tyrant’s arms struck the ground, a shockwave imbued with overwhelming physical force spread in all directions, sweeping away the mosquitoes.

“…My god, what is that?”

“It seems the Sewer has created something impossible.”

The countless mosquitoes could not withstand the Tyrant’s mighty shockwave and burst apart, falling to the ground.

Only a small group that had been too far away to be affected by the shockwave survived.

Realizing the situation was unfavorable, the surviving group turned and fled as if on cue, but the mages launched their prepared wide-area spells and succeeded in completely eliminating the mosquito swarm without leaving a single one.

Though it was a perfect victory, instead of rejoicing, people were carefully scanning their surroundings with snake-like sharp eyes.

And realizing that he was also included among the targets of people’s observation, Yuseong withdrew his barrier with a bitter smile.

‘I held out quite long.’

In the early stages of the expedition, everyone had been cautious and hadn’t fought properly, but as increasingly powerful monsters appeared and damages accumulated, they had no choice but to use their trump cards one by one.

Today, three people had revealed their hands: himself, Vulcan, and the Mercenary leader who had protected their subordinates by creating a massive wall with aura.

Though there might be a few more hidden cards, with this, the majority of the expedition force except for a select few had revealed their hidden strength.

Walking through the chaotic battlefield, Yuseong spotted Azern and casually approached.

“Weren’t we supposed to avoid showing familiarity outside?”

“I’m just a regular member, not an executive. Besides, I talk to lots of other people too, so no one would think it strange. You look troubled – is the damage serious?”

“There are no casualties, but the Gigants are severely damaged. The mosquitoes got into the drive systems and steam vents, completely wrecking the interiors. We’ll need to replace entire parts… The same problem occurred in most units, so we’re running low on spare parts. Though our destination isn’t far, I’m worried whether we can safely complete the expedition considering the return journey.”

“Getting there is the challenge – the return trip shouldn’t be difficult, so let’s hang in there a bit longer.”

The expedition’s primary objective was to confirm the existence of uncontaminated land, and the secondary objective was to pioneer a regular route there.

Since they were moving while thoroughly clearing any potential obstacles from Last City to the uncontaminated land, they could return comfortably just watching out for the environment and contamination, as long as new monsters hadn’t settled in.

“Ah, but do be careful. I overheard the executives talking – the movements of other factions seem a bit strange.”

“Strange how?”

“They’re saying some are manipulating damage reports, secretly stockpiling recovery potions and consumables, and faction executives are meeting in secret.”

“…”

“Hmm, our conversation has gone on too long. I’ll take my leave now.”

Color briefly appeared on Azern’s face before draining away completely.

Even without mind-reading abilities, his thoughts were crystal clear.

‘The Iron Giant, composed mostly of blacksmiths and technicians, must be even more desperate since they’ll instantly become parasites if they can’t use their Gigants.’

Yuseong continued carefully approaching and speaking with executives from other factions afterward.

Though there were slight differences in minor details, the core message was the same.

The return journey wouldn’t be difficult, but the movements of other factions were suspicious.

Brief conversations.

The results of those conversations were beyond imagination.

* * *

“So how was the meeting atmosphere?”

“Murderously hostile. Why are there eight Gigants being repaired when only five were reported damaged, why are the six families’ casualties suspiciously low, the Mercenary troops shooting at them wasn’t a mistake but intentional. They were desperate to find fault with every single thing said – I had trouble holding back my laughter.”

“How was the reaction toward the Sewer?”

“Naturally much better compared to the others.”

Yuseong nodded with satisfaction at Dorothy’s answer.

Though the situation had never been normal to begin with, as time passed, the expedition’s atmosphere had deteriorated irreparably.

All of this stemmed from the secret alliance Yuseong had proposed to all factions on the first evening.

Some factions had accepted the alliance while others had refused, but what mattered wasn’t whether they accepted or not.

The real purpose was to show that there was so little trust between them that secret alliances were being proposed on just the first day, and to remind them that they could be devoured if they showed weakness.

‘Suspicion breeds suspicion.’

What followed was simple.

The factions, who already didn’t trust each other, overreacted to minor issues they would normally have overlooked and remained vigilant, and seeing those reactions, other factions exhibited the same behavior, deepening their mutual suspicion.

Whenever the atmosphere seemed to calm slightly, it was enough to casually approach and drop a word like he had just done.

The expedition’s current situation was like a powder keg on the verge of explosion.

‘With just the smallest trigger…’

Nodding with a satisfied expression, Yuseong tilted his head at Dorothy who was staring intently at him and asked.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Your plan. Do you really intend to carry it through to the final stage? Isn’t this enough?”

“It hurts to hear you say that now. Didn’t you agree to my proposed plan back then?”

“I did then. But now that we’ve come this far, I’m a bit afraid.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s too late. Even if we do nothing now, the atmosphere has reached the point where someone will make a move. All that’s left is to either gain everything or lose everything.”

“Haah, I see.”

Watching Dorothy fly off toward where the other executives were with slumped shoulders, Yuseong gave a bitter smile.

The Tea Party Murder Plot.

Using uncontaminated land as bait to lure out the various factions’ most crucial personnel and elites outside the city, then fostering mutual distrust and antagonism to make them all destroy each other at the critical moment except for Sewer.

It was such a vicious plan – to instantly eliminate the core of the ruling class that had governed the city without incident for the past hundred years and the irreplaceable forces in various fields, leaving only the criminal element – that even the Sewer executives had hesitated several times, but Yuseong’s resolve was firm.

‘There’s no other way to achieve all three conditions.’

While Kuzan’s survival and finding uncontaminated land might somehow be achieved without bloodshed, Yuseong could think of no other way to seriously damage the six families threatening Kuzan besides bringing in other forces to fight and destroy each other.

‘I’m no agent of justice or savior. I’m just a user trying to achieve the quest objectives, I shouldn’t get confused about that.’

Having organized his thoughts, Yuseong leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the passing scenery.

Grotesquely twisted red trees and occasional patches of yellowed, withered weeds.

As time passed, the trees’ forms gradually grew straighter and the frequency of grasslands increased, making Yuseong recall the final words written on the map.

-Our hope grew as we saw more and more trees and grass. And the moment we crossed over the huge hill, a scene we had only seen in books unfolded before us. We lost our reason and ran toward paradise, and at that moment a monster appeared and began its attack. I alone survived, saving only a few flowers, I must convey this fact to the city no matter what. That such beauty exists in the world, to people who have lived their whole lives in the dark underground…

The monster’s appearance and abilities were unknown.

All they had were vague descriptions saying its appearance was too horrific to put into words, or that one felt the monster watching them from anywhere at any time, so all the expedition could do was make thorough preparations.

“Stop! We’ll rest here for a day!”

One day of rest.

After raising morale with leisurely rest, more abundant meals than usual, and freely distributing various consumables they had been saving including contracts, the leaders gave the advance order with grim faces.

And the moment they crossed the huge hill mentioned in the map, everyone was overwhelmed by the sight before them.

A clear, clean sky.

Dense green forests and flower fields of various colors stretching to the horizon.

A crystal-clear lake you could see to the bottom of and the fresh scent of grass carried on the wind.

“…It existed. It really existed.”

The scene was so majestic that even Oswald, who had maintained a stern expression ever since coming outside, had tears in his eyes.

However, Yuseong alone did not get lost in admiration.

Instead of being captivated by scenery commonly seen on Earth, he remained vigilant for the indescribably horrific monster mentioned in the map.

‘Where is it? In the forest? Under the lake? Or underground?’

Flap!

Hearing a sound from above, Yuseong reflexively looked up at the sky and froze.

“…”

In Greek and Roman mythology appears a giant named Argus.

A grotesque giant whose entire body was covered in a hundred eyes.

The reason for suddenly mentioning Argus was simple.

Because a dragon covered in countless eyes like Argus was looking down at them from the sky.

“…Everyone scatter!”