A searchlight was shining into the sky from far behind Yonghoon. It was a searchlight launched from New Berlin City.
From this old city center, the fortress city was not visible, but the searchlights sweeping across the darkened sky could be seen.
Yonghoon looked at the dimensional Warp Zone building ahead. It seemed that this building was also on high alert. Sirens blared, and searchlights continuously swept the surroundings.
Yonghoon was watching the Warp Zone building from atop a building in the old city center, a fair distance away. It looked difficult to spot Yonghoon, who was hiding in the darkness.
It had been quite some time since Yonghoon destroyed the military Warp Zone of the city. Yet, no personnel had evacuated from this building.
He thought attacking the city would disperse the personnel guarding this place, but it seemed his diversion tactic had failed.
“Should I hit it a bit harder?”
Yonghoon fell into thought.
It was then.
He saw people coming out of the building. Yonghoon checked them with his binoculars.
A middle-aged man in a military uniform and a young man in armor were walking out. Soldiers were following them.
They boarded a black sedan side by side, and the soldiers climbed into a truck parked next to the sedan. Several soldiers were carrying heavy boxes, which looked like shells or ammunition crates.
Yonghoon observed the two men who got into the sedan through his binoculars.
The young man’s armor looked similar to the armor Yonghoon had obtained from the Awakened with gray eyes. It seemed the young man was one of the personal guard units called Hunters.
The middle-aged man who got into the car with him was wearing an ordinary military uniform. He did not seem to be a combat soldier.
Yonghoon nodded after seeing them.
They were not bad opponents. He could check the Hunter’s combat abilities and extract information from the middle-aged soldier.
Yonghoon put the binoculars into his bag and pulled out his spear.
Robert looked displeased.
It was because he had been suddenly summoned to New Berlin City.
Contrary to people’s expectations, the terrorist did not attack the dimensional Warp Zone. Instead, the terrorist had smashed the city’s military Warp Zone.
Thanks to that, New Berlin City’s military facilities were in shambles.
The fire was spreading uncontrollably. If it reached the ammunition depot, the entire city could be in danger.
Moreover, there was news that the military Warp Zone had been completely destroyed. In this state, they could not receive reinforcements or Awakened from other cities. If the city were attacked, they would have to fight while isolated.
Brigadier General Hans, the military commander of the fortress city, urgently summoned Robert. It was to convert another Warp Zone into a military Warp Zone.
In New Berlin City, Robert was the top expert on Warp Zones. Moreover, because it involved military system conversion, it could not be entrusted to a civilian. With the personnel in charge missing after the destruction of the military Warp Zone, Robert had no choice but to act.
For Robert, it was like a bolt from the blue.
As someone easily scared, he had no desire to move through the old city center at such a dangerous time. But he was a soldier. He had no choice but to obey orders.
Fortunately, Brigadier General Mitterrand assigned one of his team members to accompany him, but if a fight broke out, it was clear that a low-level Awakened like himself would be in immediate danger.
“You don’t have to be so scared. I’ll protect you.”
Lieutenant Colonel Schultz, sitting next to him, spoke to Robert. However, his tone was quite flippant, almost as if he were teasing Robert.
Robert suppressed his anger internally.
Schultz was a lieutenant colonel, and Robert was a colonel. If Schultz hadn’t been part of the personal guard units, Robert might have made an issue of it, but now he could only endure.
Moreover, the level-based hierarchy that had developed over decades was now progressing into the aristocratization of high-level Awakened. Even with a higher rank, he could not treat a high-level Awakened carelessly.
As Robert was thinking that, Schultz’s loud shout reached his ears.
“Stop!”
At Schultz’s sudden shout, the car came to an abrupt halt.
The screech of brakes was heard from behind. It was the sound of the truck escorting them stopping.
“We have a guest.”
Smiling, Lieutenant Colonel Schultz got out of the car. Robert looked ahead. A man was standing under the headlights.
It was the terrorist who had visited yesterday.
Yonghoon, blocking the car, looked at the man getting out of the back seat. He was a slim man with a sharp impression. He smiled at Yonghoon.
In his hand was a sword, and it began to emit light.
Schultz’s Dimensional Power started to release.
‘B-Rank’
Yonghoon confirmed the opponent’s Dimensional Power and glanced inside the car. In the back seat, the middle-aged man was trembling.
It was fortunate.
He hadn’t dared to ambush them for fear the man might die. Now that the Hunter had gotten out on his own, he could keep him out of the battle.
“You came looking for your death. Did you not expect this to be a trap?”
Yonghoon tilted his head at the man’s words.
It was then.
Dimensional Power burst out from the truck. It shook the spatial Dimensional Power and spread in all directions.
Yonghoon frowned at the Dimensional Power rippling around him. He could feel the surrounding Dimensional Power distorting heavily.
“It’s a spatial movement blocking device. If you had attacked from afar, you might have had a chance. But now that the device is activated, your spatial abilities are useless. Try blocking my attack with that pathetic defense ability.”
Listening to him, Yonghoon stretched out his hand. The space rippled and then shattered.
It was certain that the blocking device was operational.
Several surges of Dimensional Power rose from the truck. It seemed the Awakened inside were gathering their Dimensional Power. Most were C-Rank, but there were also B-Rank ones. It was definitely a trap.
“Surround him so he can’t escape!”
Schultz shouted loudly, and the Awakened who got off the truck began to encircle Yonghoon.
Yonghoon quietly observed the situation as the Awakened took their positions around him.
Behind the Awakened setting up positions, a bulky man trudged forward.
“This guy? Is he really worth me hiding and waiting? You look like you could handle him alone.”
“We have to prevent him from running. If we let him escape after setting all this up, it won’t just end with a scolding.”
“Tch, even if he’s fast, he’s still just a defense-type Awakened.”
Ain, who had taken a position behind Yonghoon, pulled out a spear from his back. His spear emitted light.
“Then, I’ll go first!”
As Ain arrived, Schultz lunged at Yonghoon.
It was a rare opportunity for a reward. Whoever subdued him first would win.
“Hey! You punk!”
Ain’s voice rang out, but Schultz ignored it. With spatial abilities blocked, the opponent was just a defense-type Awakened. Even if his defense was close to B-Rank, a defense-type could not defeat a strike-type of the same level.
Schultz thrust his sword with all his might.
Boom!
The sword made a tremendous noise but could not advance any further right in front of the opponent.
Schultz was bewildered. The opponent had blocked his attack with a spear. The spear was shining brightly.
“Strike-type ability? He’s not a defense-type Awakened?”
“Damn! Was the information wrong?”
Seeing this from behind, Ain charged forward.
Yonghoon kicked Schultz, who was in front of him, and swung his spear backward.
Ain hurriedly raised his spear to block the incoming attack.
Boom!
With a tremendous noise, Ain was flung sideways.
“Ain got blown away in one hit?”
Schultz, rolling on the ground from Yonghoon’s kick, opened his mouth wide at the sight.
“Damn! We were tricked. He’s at least B+!”
Ain, stuck to one side, shouted while ignoring the dirt in his mouth.
At his words, Schultz muttered without realizing it.
“Strike-type ability above B+? Then what about his spatial ability?”
Schultz’s face changed drastically. A spatial ability above B-Rank? The blocking device could never stop that. He shouted loudly.
“Everyone run! The spatial sword is coming!”
But his warning came too late.
Yonghoon’s sword spun through the air.
As the sword passed, the space rippled, and sparks erupted from the distorted space. But the sword ignored the sparks and crossed through the space.
Slash!
A cutting sound rang out, and the Awakened surrounding Yonghoon collapsed on the spot.
Yonghoon looked around.
As expected, the B-Rank Awakened were different. The C-Rank Awakened couldn’t withstand his attack and all collapsed, but the two B-Rank Awakened seemed to have successfully blocked his spatial sword.
The slender one dodged by throwing his body, and the bulky one blocked it with his spear. The bulky man was trembling and being pushed back.
“Ah, my mistake.”
It seemed the opponent’s weapon was made of quite sturdy material. Yonghoon slung his spear over his back and drew his sword from his waist.
“Damn it, I’ll hold him off-go inform the Brigadier General! That guy is an A-rank Linker!”
“Damn it!”
At Ain’s words, Schultz threw his body backward.
“I can’t go any further!”
Ain poured Dimensional Power into his spear and hurled himself at Yonghoon. His opponent was a spatial ability user; he had to keep him pinned here as long as possible.
Yonghoon calmly watched the bulky Awakened charging at him. As the man got closer, he swung his glowing spear, and Yonghoon raised his sword toward the spear.
The spear and sword crossed.
“Huh?”
Ain stared in confusion as his spear was sliced apart before his eyes. His spear was made from the bone of a B-rank Dimensional Beast. It wasn’t supposed to break so easily.
Ignoring the Awakened staring at him in shock, Yonghoon created a dimensional tunnel. Yonghoon’s figure vanished before Ain’s eyes.
Ain tried to twist his body urgently, but it wouldn’t respond.
‘Ah, was my body cut along with the spear?’
That was Ain’s final thought as darkness swallowed his vision.
Schultz had to stop running after less than 100 meters. Seeing Yonghoon appear before him, Schultz turned around. Ain had collapsed behind him.
“Ha, did we fall into a trap instead?”
Muttering to himself, Schultz pulled a canister from his chest.
He gripped it tightly as he saw Yonghoon’s sword begin to glow again.
But Schultz didn’t charge at Yonghoon. Instead, he threw himself backward and swung the canister upward. He struck the bottom of the canister.
A flare shot up into the sky from the canister. He intended to signal the Brigadier General even if it cost him his life.
Thwack!
But the flare didn’t even rise 10 meters before it was severed midair.
Schultz’s face turned hollow as he watched the flare split and fall.
The spatial sword passed through his body.
Colonel Robert watched the entire battle unfold from inside the car. The movements were so fast he couldn’t tell how they were fighting, but he could see that all the unit members were falling.
He was an administrator. He had never seen death like this up close, nor had his own life ever been threatened.
Robert’s face turned deathly pale.
It was at that moment.
The car door clanked open, and someone got inside.
It was Yonghoon.
As Yonghoon entered the car, Robert’s body stiffened. His pants began to soak.
Yonghoon looked at him and spoke.
“I have a few questions.”
Robert answered frantically.
“Ask me anything. I’ll answer everything. Just please spare me.”
Adjusting his sunglasses, Yonghoon stared at him. It was a voice he had heard somewhere before.
“Ah, you’re the one who gave the orders over the broadcast yesterday, right?”
At Yonghoon’s words, Robert’s face froze. Cold sweat poured down his back.
“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you everything. At the dimensional Warp Zone, Brigadier General Mitterrand, an A-rank Awakened from the personal guard units, and Colonel Gilbert, a B+-rank Special Ability User, are standing by. And the C-Rank Awakened…”
Yonghoon cut off Robert’s flood of words. They didn’t seem like lies. He must have been extremely terrified.
“That information is important, but there’s something else I want to know.”
“Yes, please ask.”
“Where does this dimensional Warp Zone connect to?”
“It’s connected to the C dimension.”
“C dimension?”
“Yes, it’s the last linked dimension.”
Yonghoon thought of a way to confirm it.
“Is that the dimension where Arthur was?”
“Yes, that’s where the advance party that lost contact is.”
At his words, Yonghoon’s face moved closer.
“Then where was the previous dimension connected to?”
“The previous dimension? Ah! Yes, the B dimension was…”
Yonghoon focused intently on his words. Finally, he was about to learn how to return to his own dimension.