17 Episode 17 - Creation of a Clan, Part II (1/2)
Chapter 6. Creation of a Clan, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
2.
The flames on the Mud Troll's body did not burn very long.
Beneath the flames that had burned themselves out, there was only a hardened lump of mud.
It was a sight beyond belief.
No one knew that the weakness of the monster, which turned nearly a hundred soldiers, including officers and other soldiers, into headless corpses, was the flames produced by the gasoline.
It was also the fear of ignorance.
If they did not know, they would die. The Mud Troll was one of the symbols that told them that such an era had come.
”Ahn Sun-mi, try to treat the wounded with the flesh of the Mud Troll.”
Kim Tae-hoon was an early adapter in this era. Of course, Kim Tae-hoon was making strong attempts to get rid of his ignorance.
”If there's any gas left, there might be a problem with the toxicity of gasoline.”
”Most of the gasoline will have been burned away with the flames.”
”But if there's a problem-”
”It's better to use the troll's flesh to test it than to let a man who's been bitten by a monster with excessive bleeding or infection die without proper treatment.”
The Mud Troll's flesh had information that it helped treat wounds and improve recovery. Now was the time to get a better grip on this information.
As he said, ignorance is now death. It was time to learn things properly! His instruction was reasonable enough in that sense.
Because it was so reasonable, Ahn Sun-mi could not even raise a question toward Kim Tae-hoon's order.
”I see.”
”Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji.” Kim Tae-hoon called out to Kim Soo-ji, who was standing upright when Ahn Sun-mi replied.
”Yes!” She walked forward as if waiting for an order.
”We're going to start treating the wounded. I want three soldiers to help Ahn Sun-mi.”
”I understand.” She immediately called over three healthy soldiers and gave them orders.
Three soldiers, of course, did not have any doubts about treating the wounded...
”What?”
”I need that monster's body over there.”
...until Ahn Sun-mi asked them to bring the flesh of the crumpled Mud Troll, now solid like a piece of pottery.
”Is she crazy? Why do we have to bring over the flesh of that monster? Why?”
”Isn't that alive? If we touched it, and it could come to life.”
”... do as you are told. There must be something.”
As Ahn Sun-mi and three soldiers moved to treat the wounded, Kim Soo-ji spoke up, ”Can I ask you a question?”
”I'll hear and answer you.”
”Did you see me at the Army headquarters five years ago?”
It was an unexpected question, but Kim Tae-hoon could come up with the answer.
”The granddaughter of Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong?”
”You must have been the one with Major General Chang Young-sung at that time.”
At that moment, Kim Tae-hoon's expression hardened, for two reasons.
”You have a good memory.”
One was because of the name of Major General Chang Young-sung. The other one was because of the history of Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong.
Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong was the commander of the 60th division, the head of the capital defense command. The commander of the 60th Division under the Capital Defense Command was not a normal position.
At least, it was a position of power that could dispatch troops to save the granddaughter in Bucheon, not far from Seoul.
Of course, Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong had retired three years ago, but the influence of those stars did not disappear easily after retirement.
'The granddaughter of a real power.'
Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong was not in the wrong lineage. Command of the 60th Division was not a place where a man of the wrong lineage could sit.
Now, however, Kim Soo-ji had survived by her own efforts without such a background.
'Seoul is also in trouble.'
It meant that Seoul has not been properly defended under the existence of the Capital Defense Command.
'The worst imagination is a reality.' He had expected it.
When he saw the dragon flying from the direction of Seoul and heading for Incheon across Bucheon, he did not expect Seoul to play a further role as a capital.
But it was a different story to make an expectation, and to meet the basis for making such an expectation a reality.
”Does the army know about this situation?” Kim Soo-ji, who did not know the mind of Kim Tae-hoon, asked first.
”If I had known, I wouldn't have come here, and if the military had known, your grandfather would have called you home, Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji.”
Kim Soo-ji closed her mouth tight. She had guessed that, too. Her grandfather's background was not something she could run away from.
”Then …”
”The emergence of monsters has been made nationwide, and according to expectations, the cities of Bucheon, as well as Seoul and Incheon, have been virtually paralyzed. Perhaps all the cities in the country are in a similar state, and the military is probably non-functional.”
”Oh, my God,” Kim Soo-ji blurted out.
For her, whose survival was the top priority, and who had barely completed the goal, the reality and truth facing her were terrible.
Kim Tae-hoon closed his eyes. 'Actually, the army now is not what I know.'
But there was hope. Hope that the military might play a minimal role in this situation through its own lack of communication.
'But now that expectation is meaningless. In this situation, there would be virtually no help from the military. 'In order to survive, we have to survive by ourselves and by our own hands.'
While Kim Tae-hoon was thinking about it, he looked at his right hand and the mark of an Awakener. And he remembered the dragon, the crazy monster.
'What we need now is not the army, but a monster that can hunt the monsters. We must become monsters before the monsters eat us.'
At that moment, Kim Tae-hoon's complicated thoughts cleared up.
”Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji!”
”Yes!”
”Take the bodies around, collect them in one place, and bring all the survivors, including the wounded, together.”
3.
[The Crystal of a Mud Troll]
- Strength increases when ingested.
- Defense skill increases when ingested.