The cross-country train, VIP room.
Senior Sergeant Alexei stared at the man across from him.
The man leisurely lifted his teacup while admiring the snowy plains through the window.
He was the one known by the alias "Client"—the architect of everything currently unfolding in Babel.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Senior Sergeant Alexei? Is it wrong for me to be sipping tea while all this chaos is going on?"
"No, sir."
"If not, why don't you have some tea too, Senior Sergeant Alexei? It's only one cup, but it's quite expensive."
"Understood."
Alexei picked up his teacup with reluctant movements.
Watching him, the Client smiled.
"You really are a soldier, Senior Sergeant Alexei. Are you worried about Babel? Or about General Anastasia whose leash has been let loose? Or perhaps both?"
When Alexei didn't answer, the Client continued.
"Both, I see. You're dissatisfied, aren't you? That I pulled you out before the operation was even finished."
"It's not dissatisfaction. I'm just a little confused. I thought I came here to restrain General Anastasia's unpredictable actions."
"Half right, half wrong."
The Client set down his teacup and turned his gaze to the window.
"Certainly, until the target arrived at Babel, it was necessary to restrain General Anastasia. But not anymore. The target took the bait and is now perfectly trapped. So what remains? We need to confirm how overwhelming General Anastasia—no, more precisely, the weapons created by my money and Russia—are against a foreign ranker."
The Client pointed his finger at Alexei.
"General Anastasia absolutely despises you. Anyone can see you two are polar opposites. Now that she's free from that restraint, how elated must she be? She'll pour out everything she has without holding back or hiding anything, crushing the target completely. That's all that matters. That place is a stage to prove results. As long as we can demonstrate that the weapons we created are superior, I don't care if an ancient ruin gets destroyed or a city gets blown away. As long as we extract General Anastasia safely at the end, there's no way to prove the connection to Russia. After all... you know, don't you? We don't officially exist."
"I understand."
"Good."
The Client nodded with satisfaction and leaned back in his chair.
Then he let out a small sigh.
"If we were going to catch Korea anyway, I wish it had been Runner. That's the one thing I regret."
At the name "Runner," Alexei stared at the Client.
"Higher-ups want you to reveal Runner's identity as soon as possible."
Despite having discovered Runner's personal information during the recent Jaewoong Construction incident, the Client hadn't shared that information with Russia.
The Client smiled and wagged his finger.
"Hey, hey, Senior Sergeant Alexei. Why are you acting like an amateur? Even if we've been comrades for a long time, we're still clearly an investor and an investment target, aren't we? The Korean incident was, after all, a collaboration between me and Jaewoong Construction. I can't just hand over the information obtained from that. Secrets become more valuable the fewer people know them."
"I understand. Nevertheless, the pressure from higher-ups will only intensify. The top VIP is also curious."
"I know. I know. Runner is such a hot topic. Please tell them to wait just a little longer. Soon. Soon, I'll deliver not just his identity but his head. So for now, let's raise a toast."
The Client spread his arms wide with a broad smile.
"Isn't today the day our creation finally crushes an enemy ranker?"
The Client ordered expensive champagne through the tablet in the train.
That was how confident he was.
That Army Major General Anastasia the Flash would erase everything that bothered her from now on.
* * *
**BOOM!!**
One wall of Babel collapsed with a heavy roar.
Pain spread from her abdomen throughout her entire body.
"Kughaah...!"
Anastasia spat blood and lifted her head.
Her face was full of question marks.
What the hell was going on?
Babel was a hunting ground set up for her.
As such, light had been densely connected without any breaks, but now it had all vanished without a trace.
**Grit!**
Anastasia's face twisted.
'How the hell is that bastard seeing...!'
Even the moonlight was blocked by thick clouds.
As a result, pitch-black darkness had settled over Babel.
Her vision was so limited she couldn't distinguish even an inch ahead.
Yet the enemy had found her and evaded every attack she unleashed.
As if the darkness itself was his hunting ground.
**Rustle.**
Anastasia's eyes widened at the blue energy seeping from the darkness.
That energy.
It was what kept giving her that strange feeling of being read.
She pulled a weapon from her bosom and prepared to attack.
She hadn't reached this position with just her awakened ability alone.
She had survived hell—a place where ordinary people would have died dozens of times over.
The moment he approaches, I'll stab and kill... **BOOM!**
"Kugh!"
Her head snapped back.
She recognized the sensation immediately.
Her nasal bone was crushed.
Then a fist followed, shattering her collarbone and ribs.
The grotesque sound of bones being crushed echoed in the darkness.
'Dangerous. This is dangerous.'
Whatever ability this was, such a wide-ranging power couldn't last long.
Light would return soon, but if she took more damage here, she might not be able to move.
Just as she tried to respond somehow, the enemy stopped attacking and created distance.
**THUD!!**
Dozens of soldiers landed in the gap.
It was the unit that had been supporting her in Babel.
"General Anastasia! Are you alright?!"
"Why are you so late, you useless bastards!"
"S-sorry! The sudden darkness made us need to prepare night equipment..."
"Just bring it!"
Every time she shouted, her broken bones ached, but she didn't care.
She was used to this kind of pain.
But this feeling of helplessness and humiliation—it had been a long time.
Rage welled up inside her.
She wouldn't be satisfied until she tore apart that bastard who had been beating her like a punching bag.
Only after putting on night vision goggles could she finally see the enemy.
'There's nothing...?'
She couldn't believe her eyes.
She had thought he would be equipped for night combat.
But the enemy was bare-handed.
**Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!**
As bullets poured out, the enemy's form vanished instantly.
Realizing something, Anastasia lifted her goggles.
A moment ago, all the light in Babel had disappeared.
Even the portable lights she had weren't working.
Yet the muzzle flashes from the guns were perfectly fine.
"Everyone, take off your night vision!"
"Yes!"
She grabbed a flare from a nearby soldier and shot it into the air.
The flare rose with a sharp sound and burst into light.
Finally, the pitch-black Babel was illuminated.
'This bastard...! So he can't erase everything.'
She didn't understand the原理, but some light could be erased and some couldn't.
The problem was that Anastasia also needed the erased light.
"Form up! Fire flares in sequence! Armored units to the front! Form a circle and protect the inside! The rest of you, cover me!"
"Yes!"
The enemy was bare-handed.
He wouldn't be able to do much against the armored units made of cutting-edge materials.
Time was on their side.
If they held out until the light returned, it was over.
And behind the pillar.
'Whew. That's a lot.'
He had arrived and immediately targeted the one with the strongest energy and beaten him down.
Seeing how much they were protecting him, it seemed he had chosen the right target.
Even with visibility somewhat restored, there were those who didn't move from the corner.
Leaving the cowardly ones huddled together for now, he went to Seyeon.
"Seyeon-nim. Are you okay?"
Seyeon couldn't answer immediately.
Not because her injuries were severe.
It was because she was—just a little—completely dumbfounded.
'This is incredibly welcome.'
She could say this was the first time in her life.
That she had been this glad to see someone.
"Did you hurt your mouth?"
"Oh, no. I mean, rather than me..."
"Those two are lying over there."
Startled, Seyeon turned her head.
Lee Gang-san and Roche were lying side by side, unconscious.
They hadn't been there before the flare was shot up—when had he found them and brought them here?
Jin-hyuk quietly gave a thumbs-up to the Yordle Ranger unit commanders, Cancho and Seira, behind the pillar.
"Their injuries are serious, but they'll be okay."
He had forcibly poured Elia's special potion down their throats.
There might be side effects like loss of taste later, but their injuries wouldn't worsen.
"Haaah. What a relief."
Seyeon sighed in relief and tilted her head.
"Huh...? The power is gone."
Seyeon clenched and unclenched her fist with an unfamiliar expression.
This was the first time this had happened, so she couldn't help but be flustered.
**Gulp!**
Jin-hyuk's eyes wavered.
As soon as he got information from Ryu Jin-soo at the Player Hunter Bureau, he had flown to Babel on a private jet.
The moment he made a clean jump, what he saw was the situation from earlier.
It looked like an imminent crisis, so he swallowed everything whole, but he ended up completely erasing even Seyeon's divine power.
"W-won't it come back soon?"
He whistled softly and checked his watch.
Time remaining until light returned to the space: 1 minute.
"Seyeon-nim. Could you take those two and go out first?"
Even without divine power, Ranker Cheon Seyeon's stats were outstanding.
She could probably carry both of them out.
"Once you're outside, your divine power should return too. I'll finish beating them up and follow."
It didn't matter if they encountered enemies on the way.
From the top of the darkened Babel, violet light emanated.
In case of emergency, our night goblin would protect them.
"Oh..."
Seyeon, who was about to say something, closed her mouth.
She had been about to suggest they escape together since there was a monster on the other side.
But she decided not to.
Because as far as she knew, there was no monster greater than Jin-hyuk.
"Then I'll see you outside."
Waving her hand, Seyeon watched Jin-hyuk walk toward where the enemies were gathered.
She let out a quiet breath as she watched his retreating back.
The two people she had first met when Jin Yun-ho brought her, worried she might be attacked.
At that time, Seyeon was in a position to protect Jin-hyuk.
But not anymore.
If anything, she was the one being protected now—the opposite situation would probably never happen again.
For life. Forever.
'Bittersweet.'
She shrugged and supported Roche and Lee Gang-san.
'Come to think of it... was I about to die?'
She looked back as she moved.
She would have to make sure to thank him properly later.
'Let's go out.'
Jin-hyuk said to go out, so she would obediently go out.
And on the opposite side from Seyeon.
**Crack, crack.**
Jin-hyuk stretched and smiled.
Now, only he and the enemies remained in Babel.
Let's smash them to pieces.
[Nazeberse-style Iaido, First Sword - Night Crow Hunt]
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T/N:
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