Officer Jo gritted her teeth and continued speaking.
“Just in case, Team 1 from Link Corp will lure the monster toward Cheonan.”
At her words, Instructor Seo nodded.
“Except for the team assigned to lure the monster, the rest of you will remain here. If the monster starts moving toward Cheonan, you will immediately depart for Cheonan to stop it. If the plan fails, you must defend Seoul. That is why we have gathered here in Singal.”
She kept speaking.
“And the person in charge of this operation will be Team Leader Grace.”
Grace bowed her head to the Awakened.
Most of the Awakened accepted Officer Jo’s explanation.
There wasn’t a single person here who didn’t know of Team Leader Grace’s fame and skills.
Some Awakened who had fought alongside Team Crazy glanced at Yonghoon, but Yonghoon had no interest in such positions.
Officer Jo and Instructor Seo stepped down from the bus, and Grace, who remained atop the bus, began briefing the Awakened about the operation.
Officer Jo and Instructor Seo approached Team Crazy.
Instructor Seo went over to Yonghoon and started grumbling, while Officer Jo made a request to Team Leader Han.
“We’d like Team Crazy to accompany Instructor Seo’s team to Yeoju. We’re asking Team Crazy to handle reconnaissance from the direction of Seoul.”
Hearing her words, Team Leader Han tilted his head. Simple reconnaissance wouldn’t be a problem. However, there was a high chance it wouldn’t be that easy. In any case, the fighting would fall to Yonghoon. He pushed the decision onto Yonghoon.
“Hold on. That’s something the captain should decide.”
Team Leader Han called out to Yonghoon, who was speaking with Instructor Seo.
Yonghoon, approaching Team Leader Han, listened to Officer Jo’s explanation and immediately understood the situation.
“It’s insurance in case the monster doesn’t move as expected.”
Officer Jo nodded at Yonghoon’s words.
“Yes, it’s reconnaissance and insurance. It’s to ask for improvisation if the monster doesn’t head toward Cheonan. Team Crazy is the only team capable of pulling off effective improvisation against a monster of this caliber.”
Hearing Officer Jo’s words, Yonghoon gave a bitter smile inwardly.
Though she had wrapped it nicely, in the end, it was a request for Team Crazy to somehow deal with the monster if it headed toward Seoul.
When Yonghoon didn’t respond, Officer Jo pressed a little more.
“But we think there’s a very high chance the monster will move toward Cheonan without any issues. This is really just a backup plan.”
Forcing the best of the regular Awakened teams into position was difficult even for the government. Moreover, Officer Jo broke into a cold sweat from trauma as Yonghoon gazed at her.
After thinking deeply about her words, Yonghoon called his teammates over. This task could be more dangerous than expected. It wasn’t something he should decide on his own.
However, all the teammates immediately agreed, saying it was worth it if it would help stop the monster.
Yonghoon let out a sigh. It felt like he had called them over for nothing. His teammates were just too kind.
“Don’t worry. We’ll drag that monster away no matter what. It won’t even come close to you.”
Instructor Seo, who said this, didn’t look too happy. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to be tasked with such a dangerous job.
Though he was taking it on because of his team members, it was inevitable that his nerves would be on edge.
Thanks to that, Officer Jo, who was standing next to them, looked visibly uncomfortable.
These two men had always made her the most uncomfortable. Now that they were frowning, she felt like she might get indigestion.
The Humvee carrying Team Crazy and the modified luxury van carrying Instructor Seo’s team departed for Seomgang Bridge, where the operation would unfold.
Seomgang Bridge was a bridge crossing a tributary of the Namhan River, and the engineering corps was currently installing explosives there.
The Humvee and van sped down the empty Yeongdong Expressway, cleared due to the blockade, and arrived at Seomgang Bridge in just 40 minutes.
Team Crazy’s vehicle stopped at the start of the bridge, while Instructor Seo’s van continued across.
Instructor Seo’s team planned to disembark on the opposite side of the bridge.
They intended to wait beneath the bridge to lure the monster.
Above the bridge, the soldiers were moving frantically.
Ropes were hanging down from the bridge railings, and soldiers were climbing up and down them. They seemed to be installing explosives on the bridge piers.
Detonation cords stretched from the piers to where Yonghoon was standing. At the end of the cords, a young officer was attaching them to a detonator.
“We should prepare too.”
At Yonghoon’s words, Team Crazy began checking their equipment.
Yonghoon walked toward the railing and looked down below the bridge. Fortunately, the bridge was quite high, and the river current below was strong.
If the monster fell down, it would be hard for it to climb back up.
Yonghoon turned his head and looked downstream.
In the distance, he could faintly see where it met the Namhan River.
It seemed the government had chosen the location well. Towering mountains, almost like cliffs, rose up on one side of the river. Once the monster fell below, there would be no way for it to cross back toward Seoul until it reached the Namhan River.
The Namhan River was so deep that it was difficult to even think about crossing it. In the end, the monster would have no choice but to move toward Cheonan.
A little later, all the explosives were installed, and they received word that Instructor Seo’s team was also in position.
Yonghoon checked the west bank of the river with binoculars. After a brief scan, he spotted a group of people about 200 meters from the bridge.
Beneath the bridge, the area was divided: Seomgang flowed to the east, while a weed-covered riverbank stretched out on the other side.
Instructor Seo’s team was hiding among the weeds, waiting for the monster to appear.
Yonghoon looked back at his teammates. It seemed they were all ready as well.
With the explosives set, all the soldiers except for the officer in charge of detonation had withdrawn to the rear.
Now, all preparations were complete. Everyone waited nervously for the monster to appear.
[Monster approaching within 2 km!]
Yonghoon snapped to attention at the voice coming through his earpiece. The long wait had made him relax too much.
Yonghoon rubbed his face with his free hand and signaled to his teammates. They also began loosening up at his signal.
The engineering corps officer holding the detonator looked extremely tense. After all, the lives of Seoul’s citizens were in his hands.
Explosives had been installed on five of the ten bridge piers, specifically those located in the center.
The government planned to blow up the bridge before the monster reached the river. If the monster fell onto the riverbank along with the explosion, its spider instincts, which hated water, would surely drive it downstream.
Moreover, as a precaution, Instructor Seo’s team had been deployed to lure the monster if needed.
The government had done everything it could to defend Seoul.
However, this plan held the lives of Cheonan and Asan citizens hostage in place of Seoul.
Everyone in Team Crazy could only pray for the operation’s success, though they couldn’t help but worry. They could only hope the other Awakened would succeed in stopping the monster.
“It’s here!”
With Dohyeon’s shout, a giant spider emerged from behind the mountain ridge. Walking briskly along the road, the spider monster soon filled the entire highway and began entering the bridge.
Seomgang Bridge was about 800 meters long-a fairly long bridge. But at the monster’s speed, it seemed it could cross it quickly.
The spider monster advanced steadily toward Team Crazy, its eight legs moving in rapid succession.
Soon, the giant spider monster reached the middle of Seomgang Bridge. It flinched momentarily at the sight of the river ahead but kept moving forward.
“Detonate!”
The engineering corps officer spoke in a low voice and pressed the detonator switch. The ten detonation cords connected to the detonator instantly triggered the explosives installed on the piers, and the bridge exploded with a massive boom.
Boom!
The explosives on the piers detonated with an enormous sound. The piers began collapsing one after another, and soon the bridge itself started to crumble.
The bridge collapsed almost up to where Team Crazy was standing, and the spider monster began falling along with it.
“We did it!”
Jimin clenched her fist in triumph. The other teammates also breathed sighs of relief. They still worried about Cheonan, but for now, the operation seemed to be a success.
It was then.
Yonghoon heard the voice of the Control Room signaler through his earpiece.
[Report from Instructor Seo. The spider monster hasn’t fallen yet!]
Yonghoon was confused by the voice in his earpiece. He and his teammates had clearly seen the monster fall.
The signaler hastily continued.
[It’s hanging onto the undestroyed deck with spider silk!]
Yonghoon rushed to the railing and looked down.
Just as the Control Room had said.
The spider hadn’t fallen. Instead, the spider monster had shot dozens of thick threads from its tail onto the intact part of the bridge deck.
Now, the spider monster was climbing back up the threads toward the bridge.
Yonghoon shouted to his teammates.
“The spider monster is climbing back onto the bridge! We have to knock it down!”
His teammates were startled by Yonghoon’s words.
Team Crazy rushed to the broken edge of the bridge.
But before they could reach it, one of the monster’s legs climbed onto the bridge deck. Then another leg, and soon its upper body appeared at the bridge’s edge.
The group immediately charged at the monster. They had to stop it from getting back onto the bridge.
But before they could reach it, the monster’s fur began to glow white.
Yonghoon was startled by the sight. It was the special ability he had seen in the other world. Many Awakened teams had been annihilated by just this one ability.
Yonghoon shouted to his teammates.
“Hide behind Team Leader Han!”
Yonghoon also ran and shouted to Team Leader Han.
“Now! Use your shield special ability!”
As soon as Yonghoon’s words fell, the teammates reflexively gathered behind Team Leader Han, and Team Leader Han crouched down and drew up his Dimensional Power.
Fortunately, they were just barely in time.
Yonghoon was the last to duck behind Team Leader Han, and from Team Leader Han’s shield, a green barrier sprang out, enveloping all the teammates.
At that moment, dozens of hairs fired by the monster struck Team Leader Han’s shield.
Tung! Tung! Tung!
Fortunately, the monster’s hair attack didn’t seem able to penetrate Team Leader Han’s shield.
“Kuaaaah!”
However, there was one person who hadn’t made it into Team Leader Han’s shield. The combat engineer officer at the rear of the group grabbed at the hair lodged in his leg and screamed. Green smoke was flowing into his body.
Watching the monster from behind Team Leader Han, Yonghoon’s eyes gleamed. All the hairs on the monster’s body had disappeared.
The spider monster’s weak point was clearly visible to him.
Yonghoon poured Dimensional Power into the spear he was holding. Light began to burst from the spear.
‘Damn it, I’m going to lose another spear.’
Yonghoon stepped forward and thrust his spear into the wavering space ahead, immediately detonating his Dimensional Power.
At the same time, an explosion erupted between the monster’s eyes.
Unfortunately, the monster’s wound wasn’t very large. Even though the protective hairs had disappeared, the difference in Rank couldn’t be easily overcome.
However, the result Yonghoon had hoped for was achieved.
The monster began to fall backward, screaming.
As the teammates cheered, Yonghoon sprang out. He leapt off the bridge, following the falling monster.
His gaze, as he fell downward, was fixed on the wound between the monster’s eyes.
There, a Dimensional Core glowing purple was calling out to Yonghoon.