They had brought along the engineers’ bikes—just in case.Even though his entire body was soaked from the groundwater as they sped forward at full throttle, Tyron didn’t care.“Tyron, the Captain seems to have entered the Defense Force base alone.”The chill that had run down his spine when he heard that still hadn’t gone away.No, the cold sensation continuing even ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) now was giving him a headache.“What the hell was he thinking…?”Considering the size of the 7th Defense Force base, there had to be at least five hundred entities inside.To believe one person could handle that many—it was nothing but sheer arrogance.At least, that’s what Tyron thought.“Speed up… just a bit more!”“Yes, sir!”Even though their bikes were already running at maximum speed, his impatience couldn’t be eased.The bikes were practically falling apart—like bundles of rags.It wouldn’t be strange if they broke down at any moment.But it didn’t matter.He just hoped they would last until they arrived.“Just a little more.”They had already been riding for over tens of minutes.Judging by the distance, there couldn’t be much left until the 7th Defense Force base.Perhaps his desperate wish was answered.Under the nearing lights, a familiar figure came into view.“Over here—!!”SCREEEECH—!He hit the brakes, but the wet surface sent them skidding.CRUNCH!Pain shot through him as he was dragged across the ground.“Deputy Commander, are you all right!?”“Deputy Commander!”Tyron ignored the pain and rushed to the engineers.“Why didn’t you stop the Captain!?”Everyone lowered their heads, unable to meet his gaze.Only Eli was staring silently toward the tunnel.Seeing her like that, Tyron’s eyes burned with intensity. Passing by the engineers, he spoke coldly:“Even if we have to blow up the entrance, we’re going in.”“Yes, sir!”The two soldiers who followed him were the best in his unit.Even so, Tyron felt only dread.“Even if Kyle’s alive, entering a base swarming with entities is suicide…”But he steeled himself.“Even so, we have to go.”The Captain held countless keys—literally and figuratively.If he died a meaningless death, too much would be lost.Without hesitation, Tyron climbed the stairs.“Check your ammo on the way up.”“Yes, sir.”“Understood.”Perhaps because they were in such a hurry, it didn’t take long before they reached the underground entrance to the 7th Defense Force base.Once there, Tyron pressed his ear against the door.His expression grew darker by the second.The interior was silent.That could only mean one of two things—Either Kyle was dead, or there were no entities left inside.Swallowing hard, he knocked.THUD! THUD! THUD!With noise that loud, the entities should have reacted—but strangely, it remained quiet.No, wait.He thought he could hear faint footsteps.“Could it be… there really aren’t any entities inside?”A flicker of hope.His expression didn’t change, but his voice lifted slightly—[Authorization recognized.][Master key identified.]– Opening sequence initiated.[Opening the underground defense facility doors.]An all-too-familiar voice came from behind the door, followed by a faint burst of light that blurred his vision.“Ugh—!”When his eyes adjusted, Tyron was struck dumb.“...Captain.”“Deputy Commander Tyron. Why are you here?”“……”A brief silence fell.Behind Kyle lay an uncountable pile of corpses.“This… doesn’t seem possible.”Tyron realized he’d misjudged him.Kyle wasn’t merely a close-combat specialist—He was a monster.“Guess more time passed than I thought.”He’d spent longer than expected scouring the place to eliminate any remaining entities—but the results were satisfying.[Trait ‘Humanity’s Strongest Weapon’ activated.][+ Endurance][Trait mastery increased by corresponding value.][+ Humanity’s Strongest Weapon LV.2 (15%)]He wondered what would happen once the mastery reached 100%.Maybe then, even being surrounded by hundreds of entities would be manageable.“Even now, I can handle second-tier ones easily.”A dozen Eater-class entities, at least—he could take them alone.But the most notable improvement was the unlocking of a new auxiliary skill.[Auxiliary Skill: Mountain Splitter (Lv.1)]After testing it, he found it was different from Slash or Flash Step.Flash Step was a rush skill.Slash was an instant attack.Mountain Splitter took a moment to charge but had overwhelming destructive power in return.“Not something I can use often.”It might only be good for one decisive strike—to finish off a powerful enemy.But having such a skill at all was a tremendous advantage.Of course—his body was wrecked as a result.[Status effect: Severely fatigued]Mountain Splitter was a skill his current body couldn’t yet fully endure.He felt a growing need for better equipment.“I’ll need a nanosuit sooner or later.”He had no immediate way to get one—but he’d figure it out.“Ah.”Maybe he’d drifted in thought too long.As he collected himself and looked around, he caught Tyron’s strange expression.“He’s looking at me like I’m some kind of monster now.”The usually stoic, silent man was visibly shaken.Kyle could almost see the carnage he’d caused reflected in Tyron’s eyes.“Deputy Commander Tyron.”“Yes, Captain.”“I believe I asked why you were here.”“I came as soon as I heard you’d entered the Defense Force base alone.”“Were you worried?”Tyron didn’t deny it.“I’ve realized that worry was unnecessary.”“Then I’m glad. Since you’re here, I won’t send you back. Focus on securing the area.”Tyron saluted.Kyle brushed past him toward the basement entrance—where Eli was standing, her eyes empty.“Kyle…”“It’s dangerous. The entities’ fluids can cause infection.”“What… what is all this…?”“Do you believe me now?”He gave a faint, wry smile. Eli glared at him briefly, then suddenly swayed, her strength fading.Kyle caught her and pulled her up the stairs.“...Thanks.”“Don’t get hurt. You’ve got a mountain of work to do.”“You’re not injured, are you?”“As you can see—perfectly fine.”“...That’s a relief.”Her expression softened, tension easing from her face.But then—“C-Captain!”“Hm?”One of the soldiers who had come with Tyron ran up, breathless.“There’s… there’s a survivor!”“A survivor?”He’d searched every corner himself and found none—but still, he reacted instinctively to the news.“Let’s go.”A small commotion arose.About thirty soldiers—All of them dazed, eyes unfocused, as if still trapped in a nightmare.“W-what happened? The monsters…”They had been trapped in the base’s ventilation shafts for several days.Their eyes, as they gulped down water, were filled with a fear that would take a long time to fade.“We’re with the Ark Unit. You’re recruits from the 7th Defense Force?”“Y-yes, sir.”They could barely answer questions, unable to hold a proper conversation—Anyone could see they were fresh recruits.“They won’t be much help right now.”“Agreed.”They needed rest—badly.Using them in combat now would only get them all killed.But leaving them behind wasn’t an option either.“We’ll have to send them to the main force…”The problem was manpower.These starving, half-conscious soldiers couldn’t even stand straight.To escort them safely, he’d need at least twice as many people.“Hm.”Then, feeling someone’s gaze, Kyle turned—Tyron was staring at him, hesitating.“Tyron. Something on your mind?”“Ah… no, sir.”For some reason, his answer didn’t sound convincing.After that, Tyron simply fell silent again.“We’ll postpone the interior sweep. Check on the wounded first.”“Yes, sir!”As the recruits were led to a cleaner section of the base, another thought surfaced—one he’d forgotten.“Come to think of it… there must be other surviving Defense Force members too.”There were many Defense Force bases across the region.Surely some had survivors, each clinging to life in their own way—Just like these recruits.“Let’s confirm it.”“What’s your name, soldier?”He approached one of the more lucid survivors. The man straightened up instantly and saluted.“Ch-Chil Humant, sir!”“All right, Chil. Before everything went to hell—did you receive any messages from nearby bases?”“Uh, yes… I mean, I think the last one we got was… from the Special Forces Command.”“The Special Forces?”“Yes, sir!”The Command’s Special Forces—unexpected, but not shocking.Their survival wasn’t surprising.After all, they were Transhumans.Transhumans—Unlike NH-03 test subjects, they had replaced 75% of their bodies with implants and android components, becoming near-immortal.The military’s ultimate combat force.They were probably still out there somewhere.“I’ll need to check their activity range too.”It was news of survival—but not necessarily good news.At least, not if they were the ones he knew.They were more like mafia than soldiers.They didn’t even consider humans their kin.If left unchecked, they would cause disaster sooner or later.Arrogance, overwhelming power, and twisted ideology—That combination was deadly in this world.“Well, if [Mother] finds them first, that’s another story…”In the original course of events, that faction would eventually be wiped out—By Mother, the AI sniper owned by Black Wing.Even from 1.5 kilometers away, her shots never missed.Not even Transhumans could last a month against her.But now that she had apparently moved far away—to the Pommel Android Production District—Who knew how things would play out?“I’d better be prepared.”He wrapped up his thoughts.The recruit before him was visibly nervous under his gaze.“Good work. Get some rest.”“Y-yes, sir!!”Even with no strength left, the young soldier shouted spiritedly.Kyle found it oddly endearing.Yet, even as he turned away—His eyes kept drifting back to Tyron.There was something about that man’s silent, troubled expression that wouldn’t leave his mind.

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