There Is No World For ■■ - Chapter 51: Pavane For A Dead Dwarf (4)

***Immediately after Yeomyeong yelled, the Saintess stood up.

 

With 3 seconds remaining, she opened the back door of the truck.

 

T-minus 2 seconds, she raised her rifle and aimed.

 

T-minus 1 second, she pulled the trigger.

 

Bang!

 

A bullet casing was ejected as the bullet left the muzzle. Cutting through the air, defying fate, the bullet hit its target.

 

An anti-tank rocket.

 

As per the original future, the rocket would have hit the truck and blown it away with a single shot, but just one bullet made it explode.

 

KABOOM!!!

 

Thud! As the aftermath of the explosion swept past the back of the truck, the rear wheels wobbled, but that was all.

 

At the back of the still-running truck, the Saintess turned towards the dumbfounded mercenaries and made a ‘V’ sign with her fingers.

 

A brief silence ensued.

 

Amidst the exchange of bewilderment and tension, the first to take action was Yeomyeong. After taking a quick look outside, he jumped out of the truck’s back door without hesitation.

 

“Hey! Where are you going?”

 

It was only after the Saintess shouted that the mercenaries returned to their senses and reviewed the situation outside.

 

“Holy shit! What the hell is all that?”

 

“…We’ve got a tail.”

 

Five trucks and dozens of motorcycles.

 

They were expecting some sort of attack, but these numbers, surpassing that of an average mercenary group, were beyond their predictions.

 

“Hey, driver! How the hell did you not notice this until now?”

 

As one of the mercenaries shouted in panic, Captain Kwon, who had been observing them, spoke up.

 

“It’s magic. Seeing that we didn’t even hear the sound of a single engine, it seems that they’ve really made up their minds.”

 

Just as Captain Kwon pointed out, no sound could be heard from the ones tailing them.

 

There was no doubt about it. That magic was surely the work of a highly skilled Mage.

 

“This situation feels somewhat familiar.”

 

Recalling the incident just a few days ago in North Manchuria, Kim Mansoo furrowed his brows and checked the Captain’s face. The Captain had a similar expression.

 

“There are way too many of them to be targeting our rib bones. As they say, ‘Those who are good do not come, and those who come are not good.’¹ They definitely have some other objective in mind.”

 

After quickly assessing the situation, the Captain grabbed his weapon. A giant machine gun and a greatsword befitting his massive frame.

 

“Anyone who isn’t Superhuman, stay behind and guard Darulma and the truck. The rest of you, follow me. And as for the Saintess—”

 

Before he could finish relaying his orders, the Saintess jumped out, hugging a bunch of weapons.

 

A scream, followed by the sound of someone rolling on the ground, was heard belatedly.

 

“…It seems like she intends to join us.”

 

After finishing his words, Kwon Mongjoo jumped out of the truck. Kim Mansoo and the Superhuman mercenaries followed behind like seasoned soldiers.

 

Step, step!

 

As soon as they landed, the chilly air of Manchuria swept over them—the damned air of the battlefield.

 

VROOOOM!

 

Did they just dispel the magic? The sound of the motorcycle engines pierced the mercenaries’ ears.

 

The mercenaries immediately took a defensive stance, monitoring the motorcycles closely. However, instead of charging at them, the bikers took a wide turn.

 

Were they trying to avoid engaging in battle? No, it looked like they were clearly aiming for the truck.

 

Tie up their feet first? They definitely have a commander giving them orders.

 

And from what they’d observed so far, they were definitely mercenaries or those with comparable military training.

 

Captain Kwon raised his machine gun and shouted.

 

“The main priority is the motorcycles! Stop them from approaching the truck!”

 

No further orders were needed. The seasoned mercenaries responded immediately.

 

The mercenaries armed with rifles opened fire while those with close-range weapons leaped forward and charged.

 

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!!!

 

And the ones on the motorcycles didn’t just sit back and take it. They drew their guns and returned fire or pulled out grenades to threaten the mercenaries.

 

However, all the mercenaries gathered here were Superhumans. In terms of mobility and reflexes, they were a step above those bikers.

 

While the bikers fell one after another, the mercenaries took control of the skirmish without suffering much damage.

 

Eventually, after accumulating a certain amount of damage, the bikers gave up on engaging and turned back towards their original target—the truck.

 

“Right side! Block the bypass!”

 

Call it the trick of fate, the mercenary who was supposed to block the right side was reloading at that exact moment.

 

Digging into the blind spot, all the bikers took a sharp turn.

 

A gap created by a moment’s carelessness. Captain Kwon could picture the half-destroyed truck in his mind.

 

If we lose the truck, we will be completely exposed. That situation must be prevented at all costs…

 

Just as he was trying to come up with some sort of plan.

 

Something flew from a distance and exploded in the middle of the bikers trying to bypass them.

 

BOOM!!!

 

It was a familiar explosion. How could he not recognize the rocket that had almost hit the back of the truck?

 

Captain Kwon instinctively looked toward the direction the rocket had come from. And the next moment, he locked eyes with the blindfolded Saintess, who was tossing aside an empty rocket launcher.

 

Not bothered if the mercenaries had their mouths agape or not, the Saintess lifted a rifle in each hand and gestured at the mercenaries with her chin.

 

The meaning was clear: Hurry up. Deal with the remaining bikers and follow me.

 

“…Does the Holy Nation also provide military training these days?”

 

Unable to process what he had just seen, one of the mercenaries made a half-hearted joke, but Captain Kwon frowned and shouted.

 

“If you have time to spout nonsense, you’d better fight! Are you going to let the Newcomer take the vanguard all by himself?”

 

Captain Kwon’s roar had an immediate effect. On the vast plains of Manchuria, the battle resumed once more.

 

***Ignoring the gunfire from behind, Yeomyeong focused on the front.

There were five trucks surrounding him, as if trying to encircle him.

 

As he spread his mana, he sensed a familiar mana emanating from each truck. The twisted mana that was unique to the Shepherds.

 

Just like back at the North Manchurian base, he couldn’t understand the intentions of the Korean government for doing such things in Manchuria.

 

A complex political issue? If it was not that, was it perhaps an extension of what Seti had referred to as ‘a deranged act’?

 

He couldn’t be sure of anything, but he was certain of one thing.

 

If he was able to thwart their plans here, the government would surely take notice of him.

 

And it was different from the days when he had to remain hidden and secretly kill the Shepherds as Dung Beetle because now, Cheon Yeomyeong was someone who had proudly made himself known to the world.

 

As his brief thoughts continued, Yeomyeong drew his sword and swung it through the air.

 

Ting—!

 

The bullet aimed at him bounced off and fell to the ground. And judging from the vibration lingering on his sword, it didn’t seem like it was an ordinary bullet.

 

…Special ammunition?

 

Since they dared to attack a mercenary group with Superhumans in the double-digits, they had definitely prepared some contingencies.

 

Finding nothing more of interest, Yeomyeong infused mana into his feet. The mana from the Surging Wave technique surged, and his body accelerated like a flash of light.

 

“Go-die—!”

 

At that moment, a voice filled with twisted mana rang out.

 

As if on cue, the truck doors swung open on both sides, and people poured out.

 

They were mercenaries with bloodshot eyes, drooling uncontrollably.

 

Zombies? No, they must have injected twisted mana into living people.

 

Although he could sense twisted mana in their bodies, the location of the mana was the problem.

 

The brain. Without exception, the twisted mana was concentrated in their brains.

 

Yeomyeong frowned as he tightened his grip on his sword.

 

Despite their horrifying appearance, they weren’t ordinary zombies. The fact that they were armed with firearms and seeing how quickly they assumed shooting stances was proof of that.

 

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!!!!!

 

As expected, precise gunfire rained down on him. Yeomyeong zigzagged to avoid the bullets.

 

However, it was nigh impossible to avoid all the bullets in the open plains of Manchuria.

 

One bullet grazed his cheek, another hit his side, two hit his chest, and four struck his left hand, which he had raised like a shield.

 

No fatal injuries.

 

Enduring the barrage with his Regeneration ability, Yeomyeong pulled a grenade from his waist as he closed the distance.

 

Empowered by his superhuman strength, the grenade didn’t fly in an arc. Instead, it flew straight like a baseball.

 

BOOM!!

 

The grenade exploded, and the unlucky ones had their limbs blown off.

 

Although the gunfire continued, a gap was created in the previously impervious net.

 

Not missing that gap, Yeomyeong dashed through the opening, arriving right in front of them in an instant.

 

BANG!

 

He started off with the Remington MH750. Followed by the standard-issued iron sword, and finally, the Surging Wave technique.

 

Yeomyeong utilized every method he knew of to grant the mercenaries their final rest. Like a farmer harvesting rice, he cut down the infected mercenaries relentlessly.

 

As the number of mercenaries began to visibly dwindle, the twisted voice rang again.

 

“Shoot—him! Kill him!”

 

As soon as the command was given, the mercenaries started firing without regard for their allies.

 

Tat-tat-tat!!

 

Regardless of whether they hit their comrades or not, they pulled on the trigger without pausing, desperately trying to land a bullet on Yeomyeong’s body.

 

However, it had very little effect. Using the truck as cover to dodge and shielding himself with the corpses of the dead mercenaries, Yeomyeong managed to escape the gunfire.

 

Though some bullets did manage to hit him occasionally, his Regeneration ability was far superior to those of other Superhumans. As long as his brain wasn’t hit directly, even the special bullets were bearable.

 

Eventually, the battle between Yeomyeong and the mercenaries devolved into a tedious war of attrition—a fight between countless meat shields and one endlessly regenerating Superhuman.

 

And the victor of this fight was… Yeomyeong. Before long, the number of mercenaries had dwindled to a point where they could no longer stop him.

 

As Yeomyeong delivered the final blow to the last remaining mercenaries, he scanned his surroundings.

 

The smell of gunpowder, blood, and foul waste filled the air.

 

Amidst this suffocating atmosphere, he searched for the source of the problem.

 

The Shepherd with a pig or cow head—only by dealing with them could he truly put an end to this tiresome battle.

 

…Where are you hiding?

 

However, it was not easy to find the Shepherd. Was it because the twisted mana spilled by the dying mercenaries had dulled his senses? An ominous feeling, as if something just within his reach was slipping away, brushed across his neck.

 

It was like…

 

“O King of the Undead!”

 

At that moment, a twisted voice echoed in his ears. Yeomyeong quickly fired his shotgun in the direction of the voice.

 

BANG!

 

The specially treated bullet hit its target. However, instead of shattering the enemy’s body, the bullet struck a mana-formed shield.

 

Crack! The shield cracked, scattering mana dust.

 

A shield? Actual magic? How is this possible?

 

As soon as Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes to confirm his opponent’s face, his doubts were resolved. It wasn’t a pig or cow-headed figure who used something similar to magic.

 

It was a grotesquely distorted horse head.

 

The bloodshot eyes of the beast met Yeomyeong’s. And just as he was about to swing his sword, the horse head completed his incantation first.

 

“Corpse Explosion.”

1. It is often said to be a phrase passed down in Buddhism, but in literature, it originates from the Qing Dynasty scholar Zhao Yi (1727-1814) in his work Gai yu cong kao (陔餘叢考), where he wrote, ‘Those who come are not good, and those who are good do not come’ (來者不善, 善者不來).