Chapter 5: Glass Mental Dependency S-Class

Grade D monster, Green Goblin.

If we were to summarize the behavior of this monster in one word, it would be a human wave tactic.

Although individual combat power is weak.

If they push in groups, they have a relatively high chance of winning.

On the other hand, when alone?

They are weaker than most monsters.

“Die!!”

In other words, it’s a quick way to reduce my service term.

Since it’s F grade, there aren’t that many, but every little bit counts.

The more the merrier.

“Karrrk! Karrrk!”

The bushes rustled busily.

A Green Goblin jumped out.

One of its arms was gone.

Its whole body was covered in blood.

The rags it was wearing were long gone.

‘I want to live. I want to live!’

In the great forest, survival of the fittest is the basic principle.

Weaker individuals had to be careful, but.

The goblin, fleeing from a predator, didn’t have time to worry about that.

‘The hunting party was wiped out.’

Upon hearing the news, it came leading the tribe.

Some human male and females were wiping out their kind!

It brought tears to my eyes.

A guy who will be used as a breeding tool after a few rounds of s*x!

How dare he!

Touch the precious body of a goblin!

“Sister, can’t you even kill that thing in front of you?”

“Let’s bet on who kills more.”

“Call.”

But it was strange.

With a few sword techniques, the group was annihilated.

It wasn’t for nothing that those strong Hobgoblins and Orcs formed a mountain of corpses.

The goblin fled.

While the other members of its kind bought time.

As a messenger, it had to bring reinforcements.

For the sake of the tribe’s revenge, it had to succeed.

Ratatat!

“Ke, Kerrrk!”

Rifle bullets flew at the goblin.

The goblin, pierced by bullets.

Splattered brain matter and fell to the ground.

Seong-han Lee, who was following, checked the goblin’s pulse.

Instant death.

Its forehead was like a honeycomb.

Truly amazing shooting skills. Even Seong-han Lee was amazed at his own skills.

“This is crazy.”

There’s no pulse.

It’s definitely dead.

My service term is being reduced, I can handle this much blood.

A smile bloomed on Seong-han Lee’s face.

[Defeated a monster species, Green Goblin.]

[No enemies detected.]

[Disabling Auto Combat.]

The strength drained from his body.

[Auto Combat] was deactivated.

“Whew. That was a persistent one. This was the last one detected. I can finally relax.”

Seong-han Lee knelt on one knee and prepared to dismantle it.

[Notice.]

[Detected an approaching entity.]

[Entity: Mi-young Kang]

Seong-han Lee checked the report. He immediately became alert.

“Soldier?”

“Attention.”

Rustling in the bushes, Mi-young Kang peeked her head out.

Blood splattered all over her suit.

It was hard to maintain his expression because of the pungent smell of blood.

“Awakened soldier Seong-han Lee was taking a break after completing his assigned task.”

Mi-young Kang looked down at the goblin corpse.

Perfect accuracy.

It was pierced right in the forehead.

Modern rifles use large-caliber bullets, so it’s hard to control the recoil.

But to fire without shouldering it, it’s like he’s possessed.

He’s competent.

Skilled.

And no issues with his personality.

Perfection of perfection.

‘I want him. I really want him.’

Mi-young Kang stood beside him and gestured with her chin.

“Are you a sharpshooter?”

“No, Isn’t this level of marksmanship basic for awakened individuals?”

“Oh ho. Is that so? Can I borrow it for a moment?”

Mi-young Kang reached out as if asking for the gun.

Seong-han Lee, on the other hand, hugged the gun tightly to his chest.

They said this at the Nonsan Training Center.

Treat it like your lover.

I’ve never had a girlfriend, so I don’t know what it means to treat it like a lover.

So I just decided to cherish it.

That’s why his rifle was always well-oiled, and he was knowledgeable about most things related to firearms.

“This is my first love. Please treat her with care.”

“Of course. I’ll treat her with the utmost care.”

Mi-young Kang took the rifle as if snatching it.

‘Not a speck of dust.’

Originally, I was going to find fault with it.

But I changed my plan.

‘It’s perfect. There’s no need for an inspection.’

She shouldered the stock.

Bang!

She fired a few shots into the air.

Monsters passing by nearby fell instantly.

“H-how?”

It’s regular ammunition.

Low-grade ones, maybe, but high-grade ones would only get a scratch.

Seong-han Lee, who received the gun back, had an awkward expression.

Is this what NTR feels like?

It feels strangely dirty.

M-my lover was violated.

And by someone higher up than me! Ugh, I’m sorry, Reinhardt. Tears welled up in Seong-han Lee’s eyes.

“Soldier?”

“Ah, yes!”

“If you infuse it with mana, you can inflict that much damage on monsters. That’s how awakened individuals utilize their abilities. Try using it yourself in the next engagement.”

“Oh, oh oh. Yes!”

Honestly, I was just amazed.

Seong-han Lee wondered if such a superhuman was in the ragtag army.

If it were me?

‘I would have deserted immediately.’

Get US citizenship!

Go out to the outskirts and build a house.

Go hunting occasionally!

The problem was that it wasn’t possible.

“Anyway, that’s excellent marksmanship, soldier.”

“Thank you! Um, can you help me with the dismantling?”

“Dismantling? Sure. I’ll help.”

Seong-han Lee dismantled the goblin as if he were used to it.

He sliced open the chest area with a sword and reached his arm inside the rib cage.

Rummaging.

When his fingers reached the heart, he felt a hard texture.

It’s not a bone.

He already took them all out.

When he pulled out the hard object, a blue gem the size of a fist popped out.

“Major. Would you like to take this magic stone? It’s freshly extracted.”

Seong-han Lee looked up at Mi-young Kang and boasted.

“You can keep the magic stone.”

“Thank you!”

“No need for thanks. You were forced to come here. I’d feel too bad.”

Seong-han Lee seriously considered abandoning his lover, Reinhardt.

She’s such a warm-hearted person!

Helping me reduce my service term like this.

I’ll have to work hard until I’m discharged.

Seong-han Lee stood up, awkwardly wiping off the blood.

Rustle rustle.

“Whew, I’m here. Did you wait for me?”

“We just arrived too.”

“……”

It was Jin-young Kang, who was in charge of rear reconnaissance.

Her face was clearly tired.

Because there were so many monsters to deal with.

“These guys really don’t stop, do they?”

“They don’t.”

Jin-young Kang explained with her arms crossed.

“For goblins, you really need a mage type like this. Ah, do you have something to wipe with? Men usually carry something, right?”

“Yes, I do. I’ve used it, but would that be okay?”

“Of course.”

While she was patting her face with the handkerchief.

Mi-young Kang carefully broached the subject.

“…Anyway, let’s continue our conversation from earlier.”

“What conversation are you referring to?”

“I respect your opinion. But it’s hard to believe there are no survivors at the forward base.”

Her eyes reddened.

Her gaze sharpened like a hawk’s.

Seong-han Lee took a step back.

‘But it’s the truth.’

The system doesn’t lie.

There are enemies everywhere it detects.

All he saw through [Recon] was a collapsed, ruined forward base.

If there were survivors, it would have told him.

“It would be a miracle if anyone survived in this situation.”

Mi-young Kang frowned.

She had her arms crossed and a troubled expression.

She knows it too.

Miracles are rare.

Moreover, she also saw in the forest.

A black silhouette flying towards the base.

A large mass with wings.

It was definitely a hatchling.

That’s why she didn’t want to believe it even more.

To lose those she had been with for months. It was hard for her to become numb to death.

“They were the nation’s top talents.”

“I know.”

“I trained with them for this situation. They must be hiding somewhere, waiting for an opportunity.”

“I hope so too.”

An endlessly optimistic judgment.

Seong-han Lee shook his head, ending the conversation.

Will things really go as this young major says? It was very doubtful.

“Excuse me.”

Jin-young Kang, who had finished wiping her sweat, approached cautiously.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“……Fighting a dragon with just our bare hands. It’s crazy.”

“But we have an S-rank hunter, don’t we?”

“This is insane.”

She bit her tongue.

Three people catching a hatchling is like.

Doing a handstand and 300 backflips, Hong Jin-ho beating Lim Yo-hwan, solo-killing Faker.

It’s that difficult.

“Oh, come on.”

Whether she knew his thoughts or not, Jin-young Kang just kept smiling.

“Even if I have a slipped disc, I’m doing it, right? It’s worth a shot. But ugh. I’ll need some rest when we get back to headquarters.”

Jin-young Kang started walking forward slowly, waving her arms.

Stumble stumble.

She lost her footing.

Did she get injured in the previous engagement?

Seong-han Lee quickly approached and supported Jin-young Kang.

“O-oh.”

“If you’re hurt, you should have said something. Here, relax. I’ll help you.”

Jin-young Kang’s face turned red as a beet.

Is this a new concept of bluffing?

Wh-why is he so tall?!

‘Why is this guy so bold? The records said he was timid! This is strange. Th-there’s no way my information is wrong.’

This was a situation she hadn’t anticipated.

Round and round.

The world spins and spins.

Jin-young Kang caught her breath and tried to assess the situation.

‘This guy is helping me right now? Because I look like I’m struggling? Just that? This is totally a seduction.’

She’s twenty-nine now. Thirty next year.

She’s starting to get belly fat, and lately, her s*x drive has been going crazy.

She often tosses and turns at night, and then this happens.

‘It smells good. I want to smell it a little more.’

It’s sweet and soft like fabric softener.

Is this male pheromone?

This is the first time she’s felt such a stimulus.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Seong-han Lee tilted his head.

He’s handsome and polite.

And skilled.

If anyone heard this, they’d say what kind of heroine is this and start a fight.

Jin-young Kang quickly waved her hands.

“No, no, no!!”

His hands are big and soft.

Not manly.

More like a big teddy bear.

She carefully felt them with her hands.

‘S-solid.’

Slightly soft, but with calluses.

The more she touches it, the better she feels.

Just this alone has all the elements that drive women crazy.

Strong.

Competent.

Obedient.

A handsome man?

Who wouldn’t like that?

Moreover, he’s seducing her right now.

A strong stimulus hit her head.

There’s a slight pleasure mixed in.

The strange pleasure of being able to control a man.

The key is to maintain this state for now. It was really the best. Teasing a pure man.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Seong-han Lee tilted his head and asked.

“I-it’s not often that I get help from a man. Ah, ahaha. There’s no problem.”

“Um, then I’ll let go for a moment.”

“Wh-why?!”

Jin-young Kang’s face turned pale.

“I made you uncomfortable.”

“O-oh.”

“I apologize.”

D-did I overdo it?

Yeah.

She was really embarrassed.

Guys probably don’t like that, right?

The girls here were like that too.

They all liked delicate guys.

Did I do something weird?

Seong-han Lee’s face turned gloomy.

“I apologize.”

Thud.

Jin-young Kang expertly grabbed his hand that was about to pull away.

This guy is good at playing hard to get. Is he seducing me on purpose?

“When I let go of the support. My back seems to be hurting again~ Oh dear.”

“Ah.”

If you don’t want to die, you better take care of my back!

Seong-han Lee resumed the supporting posture.

I don’t want to die.

‘Cute. I want him more.’

A smile spread across Jin-young Kang’s lips.

It’s fun to tease him.

He’s like a really sad-looking puppy.

A big, gentle white dog?

He’s so pure, like an anime character.

While Jin-young Kang was teasing Seong-han Lee.

“……”

Mi-young Kang remained silent.

She drew her sword towards a pile of rubble.

“Everything’s destroyed.”

Concrete debris blocking the entrance.

The forward base where they were supposed to receive supplies was full of corpses.

****

“It’s huge.”

That was Seong-han Lee’s first impression.

It’s like an abandoned research facility from an FPS game.

Actually, it was.

The only difference?

It wasn’t destroyed by an all-out war or World War III.

But by nature and all sorts of monsters.

Conspicuous blue tents and various construction materials.

From Jin-young Kang’s explanation, this place was supposed to be used as a resource base.

It seems to have failed, judging by the corpses.

They entered after thinning out the monsters at the outer perimeter.

But the neutralized base was in chaos.

Destroyed vehicles.

Scattered corpses.

One thing was certain: they couldn’t expect any material or human assistance in hunting the hatchling.

Seong-han Lee was sure of it.

Why am I getting chills when I’m moving with these two?

No humans were detected within a 2 km radius except for them.

“Sister?”

Jin-young Kang, being supported.

She urgently shook her sister, who had stopped.

“Sister. We have to move.”

“Sister?”

Mi-young Kang walked around the base.

She often stared at the bodies she found.

“They were good people. I’m sorry. I’ve been too attached to them since I was young. I’ll pay my respects for a moment.”

A troubled face.

Shaking red eyes.

She seemed to be in shock.

Rustle.

A sound.

“Isn’t that a moan?”

There shouldn’t be anyone here.