Chapter 24 - Outside the Core (2)

That sounded terrifying enough.

At that point, they might as well seal off the subway entrances. Was there some other reason they needed to go down there?

The question occurred to me, but there was no time to ask. Yun, who had been standing some distance away staring at something I couldn't identify, turned his head.

“Let's get started,” he said flatly. “We've got a mountain of cargo to move.”

“Where are we taking it?”

Yun met my eyes at the question. With an impassive look, he pointed his thumb over his shoulder. Tom and Heshy followed it with their eyes.

“That big building.”

His thumb pointed toward a large white building amid the surrounding decay. Before the world fell apart, it must have boasted spacious, immaculate grounds. Its windows shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Green grass grew on the grounds, with turrets stationed at every corner.

Was that thing near the entrance a cannon?

“The Library of Beginnings.”

Yun's monotonous voice reached my ears as I studied the building.

“The first supply depot the Badgers built after the Breath was established.”

* * *

We worked all morning. With our baseline strength, the work wasn't that arduous. There was simply too much of it.

We kept moving supplies in a line like ants until we stopped for lunch. We went inside and ate the lunches stocked on the train, then retired to our respective cars to rest for about an hour before coming back out at the appointed time.

Time for the afternoon shift.

Before we started, Yun approached Tom's and Heshy's training officers.

“About the depot inventory. What exactly did that bastard say?”

Yun met Karl's eyes.

“I heard Tvein reported it.”

“He said food was going missing,” Angela replied. “One box every night.”

“One box?”

Yun raised an eyebrow. Karl and Angela nodded. Yun frowned faintly and muttered as though to himself.

“An awkward amount to draw any conclusions from.”

“That's why he wondered if someone was eating it or siphoning it off...” Angela replied, putting on her gloves to start work. “He said he thought someone was most likely siphoning it off.”

“Well, I don't give a damn about his theories. It's the facts that matter. His unreliable guesses are utterly useless.”

My training officer really was a consistently rude bastard.

I marveled at his unwavering behavior. He wasn't wrong, but still. Did he have to sound like such an asshole...?

But as the conversation continued, I understood why he'd answered that way. I realized who Tvein was.

“So where is that bastard now?”

“On his way back from a D zone. He said he'd arrive here around midnight.”

“What about the train?”

“He said he was still deciding whether to take it back.”

“Put him through to me next time he calls. And don't tell him the three new recruits are here. It'll be a pain if he runs into them,” Yun said indifferently. “Especially Hildebert. Sounds like he's already singled him out as a nepotism hire.”

“You mean Senior Jason Tvein?”

Was it that man? The one bad-mouthing Yehyeon in the corridor right after my introduction? All I'd seen of him was the back of his blond head.

Angela said she understood. Karl nodded silently too. Pulling on my gloves, I watched them for a moment before working up the courage to ask.

“Who is Senior Tvein?”

I might have been blaming the wrong man, after all.

The training officers turned to look at me. Yun was the one who answered.

“The blond who was talking shit about you.”

Ah, so it was him.

“Talking shit?”

Karl raised his dark eyebrows.

I smiled awkwardly. Going through the whole story in front of my fellow recruits' training officers was embarrassing. I kept my explanation vague.

“Well, I did join under rather unusual circumstances. My poor healing will be a burden on the other Badgers... It's understandable that he wouldn't like me.”

“He just hates Yehyeon,” Yun said indifferently. “So he hates you by association, since Yehyeon's taken an interest in you. Though the bastard's an overbearing old prick, too.”

“Don't let it bother you,” Karl said, studying my expression.

He seemed to think I'd taken what I'd overheard to heart. He wasn't wrong. I had.

“Yun's explanation is accurate. He simply dislikes the commander.”

“Why does he dislike him so much?” Heshy asked.

He'd said his admiration for Yehyeon had made him want to become a Badger. It was understandable that he'd wonder why anyone disliked him.

Once again, Yun answered.

“Because Yehyeon rose through the ranks.”

Huh?

Seriously?

“They took down a level-ten creature together, but he thinks Yehyeon got all the credit. He's an astonishingly simple-minded bastard.”

“That's really the reason...?”

“The official story is that Yehyeon was promoted for delivering the killing blow to a level-ten creature.”

The official story. That meant there was more to it.

But Yun didn't elaborate, and Angela picked up the conversation.

“If he calls again, I'll put him through to you, sir.”

“Good.”

Yun nodded without interest. He turned his head to stare off at something before speaking again.

“Let's finish restocking first.”

Everyone began moving in perfect coordination.

* * *

Back to work. Just as we had that morning, we worked without complaint, moving the cargo in a line like ants. I kept my hands moving quickly so I wouldn't hold anyone up, leaving no time to wonder what was in the boxes.

The sun was setting by the time we finished. The last box passed into Yun's hands and found its place inside the library. After briefly disappearing inside, my training officer came back out with his hands shoved into his pockets.

“How does it look inside?”

Angela approached Yun as he walked off the grounds. He didn't look at her. Even as he walked, his gaze remained fixed on something in the distance.

The same direction as before. What on earth was he looking at?

Without taking his eyes off whatever it was, Yun said, “Nothing much stood out at first glance.”

“Then is someone really siphoning off supplies?”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to work out what he was looking at.

What was it...?

“If the inventory discrepancies continue, we'll need to submit a more detailed report to the higher-ups—”

“Send the three rookies inside.”

He cut her off.

CLICK-CLACK!

The sound of Karl loading his gun after assembling it changed the atmosphere. The sunset washed over our surroundings. In an instant, the languid air went taut with tension.

Heshy sprang up from where he'd been sitting on the asphalt. Beside me, Tom straightened his spine, his gloves half off. Angela stopped speaking abruptly and turned her head.

And I finally saw what Yun had been looking at.

[Creature: Witch. Level 5. Floats through the air toward its target and fires energy blasts. The more skilled the Witch, the more powerful its energy blasts. Spears and swords are more effective against it than guns. Weak point: head. No specific habitat identified. Never sighted inside a core.]

The field guide spoke. Apparently it gave explanations like this on its own whenever we encountered a creature. I was glad I didn't have to ask what the ragged shapes appearing one by one along the horizon were.

Karl whipped his head around.

“You three, get inside the library,” he said in a heavy voice as he walked toward Yun and Angela. “Don't come out until we get back.”

“We can fight too!” Heshy shouted, gripping his gun in both hands. “Let us fight!”

“Why are there so many...?”

Angela's startled voice carried on the wind.

And their numbers were still growing. The horizon was turning black. Yun took out his cigarette pack, looking as though he were watching a boring TV show.

“Looks like they're here for the rookie.”

“What?”

“Let's save some time. As you suggested, the three rookies go in the library.”

Yun put an unlit cigarette between his lips as he gave the order.

“We'll go out to meet those things.”

“Sir!” Heshy protested. “We came out here to fight!”

“I'm not shoving you in the library to protect you, so shut up and do as you're told.”

This time, Yun pulled what looked like a car key out of another pocket. It beeped when he pressed a button, and an engine started somewhere.

“I couldn't care less whether you live or die. We're splitting up. Three rookies defend the depot. The rest of us wipe those things out.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Defense team, find out what's causing the inventory shortfall while you're at it, if you can.”

A jet-black motorcycle shot out of the library. Three riderless motorcycles pulled up beside the training officers and stopped. My fellow recruits and I stared wide-eyed. Apparently the depot had things like that in it too.

Yun swung onto a motorcycle and turned his head. His black eyes snapped to my yellow ones.

“I want to clock out as soon as the job's done.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Search the place from top to bottom.”

“I'll check every corner and report back.”

I had absolutely no idea how to go about it, but at least my response was enthusiastic.

Tom, who'd been silent until now, spoke calmly.

“We'll keep the rear secure.”

“Stay alert,” Angela cautioned him from her motorcycle. “There are so many that some could break away and head toward you at any moment. Defending the depot is important work, too. Don't dismiss it as a trivial assignment. Give it your all.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Watch the fuel tank.”

Karl jerked his chin toward the library.

“If an energy blast hits it, it'll be a catastrophe.”

Apparently there was a fuel tank on the library grounds too.

The roar of engines starting filled the air. A moment later, Yun took off.

VROOM!

The motorcycle shot forward with a deafening roar. Karl and Angela followed close behind. They set off at tremendous speed and were far away in an instant. We watched their motorcycles race through the decaying city, backing toward the depot with our eyes fixed on the shrinking dots.

“Shall we get started too?”

Once the training officers had shrunk to the size of my thumb, I turned my head. Heshy was biting his lip. Tom looked calm. Both turned to me and nodded.

I turned around.

“Let's go inside the library.”